Happy Birthday, Little Man!

At exactly this moment last year, Little Man was born and made our family complete.  The minute MJ told me our last child was a boy, I imagined a snuggly, rough-and-tumble, impish little boy who would give us a run for our money.  So far, I've been right!

Little Man is a delightfully happy baby who lives to laugh and make other people laugh.  His smile is large, frequent, and lights up a room.  People often stop me to comment on how friendly he is and how much he flirts.  He's a social butterfly who always tries hard to get people to notice him.

He's a sturdy child who seems especially large next to tiny Sweet Pea.  He's not in a hurry to grow up, but he's determined in his own way, even learning how to get around when he didn't know how to crawl.  

Little Man's temperament is much like that of his oldest sister, CC.  In addition to being social, he is also quick to fuss about something, but quick to get over it and smile again.  He is a good eater, and a baby who requires a lot of sleep.

I will often hear him giggling somewhere, and find him behind our sheer curtains, trying to get my attention for a game of peekaboo.  He loves books that he can interact with, like books that have hidden flaps to look behind or things to touch.

Little Man isn't very steady on his feet yet, and I think it might be because he tries to stand on top of his toes, with his toes curling underneath his feet.  I have recently purchased a pair of shoes for him that will hopefully teach his feet to stay flat, and maybe that will help.

He is very adept at using his legs and feet.  When you throw him in the air, he laughs yet tries to wrap his legs around your arms for stability.  When swinging out on the swing set, he always draws his legs up into his swing.  And when I'm changing his diaper, he will try to grab my arms with his feet (which sometimes makes for a messy diaper change!).

Little Man hasn't had his one-year appointment yet, so I'm not sure what he weighs.  But I expect he's still average for his age.  He's wearing 12-month clothing now, and is on the verge of transitioning to 18-month clothing.  He wears size 4 diapers and will probably graduate to size 5 before Sweet Pea makes it to size 4!

I love you, my sweet boy.  Happy first birthday!  I hope you're always as happy as you are now.  You bring me such joy.