Yep, you’re taller.

We won’t have your current stats until Tuesday, when you go to the doctor’s office for your one year check-up. I can say for certain, though, you are definitely taller. In fact, you’re tall enough that you can now play in the toilet water. Typically right before you find the roll of toilet paper. Ah, good times.

A Classic

Lending a Hand

Over the weekend of July 4th – Independence Day, oddly enough – you climbed up the stairs all on your own. It was quite funny, actually. You had done 2-3 stairs during your Aunt Lara’s visit, but not much since then. In fact, I had yet to see you climb stairs… I figured it was just a nasty rumor making its way through the house. Then the famn damily was getting ready for a walk and I ran up to my bedroom to put my shoes on. I saw you at the bottom and called “Asher on the stairs!” out to Daddy. Then, a bit later, I heard Daddy say “Holy Shit” and then it was quiet. [this seems to be a common term spoken in our house as it relates to you recently] When I popped out of the bedroom, suddenly there you were, making your way up the second set of stairs. You had the biggest grin on your face. Just pleased as pudding. Your daddy, on the other hand, had a mixed look of pride and fear on his face.

By the morning of your birthday party, a week later, you figured out how to go up AND down the stairs. A non-stop game of three stairs up, two down, one up, three down. You spend a lot of time on the stairs… well, I guess that means we all spend a lot of time on the stairs. By the Wednesday after your birthday, you had learned how, at the top of the stairs, you need to get on your tummy and turn your feet facing down the stairs. Basically, we think you’re a genius. Which is why we’re putting all of this quick learning to good work:

Learn to work that vacuum and there’s an allowance in it for ya!

Son, are you flipping me off?

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy

Okay, it’s been a couple of weeks since you turned one, but it’s taken that long for it to sink in. Ready or not, your birthday was here and Mommy just wasn’t quite ready.

You had a party with friends and family and it was a lot of fun. Not only was it good to see those we haven’t seen in awhile, it was so interesting to see you with kids your age. All said, you only poked one eye and stole one toy. It’s nice to know you’re not a pint-sized bully.

The other big news at the party was that you didn’t gag and vomit on your cake! You didn’t even rub it into your hair. It was all quite civilized, actually. You’re first taste was accompanied by your typical look of apprehension.

But, soon you liked the feeling of the icing squishing between your fingers. You ate some cake, but not enough to get the full sugar effect. Not to worry, little one, you have your entire life ahead of you to experience the highs and lows of sugar. And, hopefully, I’ll be right beside you for most of them.

There’s not a lot of pictures on our camera of this day. But, fear not, your Uncle Scott, Head Papparazzo, said that he would send a CD of the few hundred that he took soon.

Luckily, there was this little gem:

Happy Birthday, Little One!

And, for the record, it was your father that picked out the birthday hat…

Please Come Back…

We miss you…

I love that you love me…

Even when I haven’t showered.

Lazy Summer Days

Did I mention how much fun we had with Aunt Lara here? We had fun. We went to the pool and splashed around.

And, Aunt Lara just wouldn’t believe us. We told her that you had a definite ONE MARGARITA LIMIT and she just kept serving you…

Shake, Rattle and ROLL!

Since Aunt Lara and Uncle Craig won’t be able to make it to your birthday party, Lara brought your birthday presents with her, so you got to enjoy them early. These are the most awesome toys – the most awesome toys that Uncle Craig made with his bare hards!!! The first is a little wagon that will help you learn to walk. And then when you really start walking, I’m sure we’ll be backing you out of multiple corners of the house. You LOVE this toy:

In fact, going through these pictures, it was difficult to find a shot where you weren’t a complete blur. You didn’t instinctively know to start walking, you just held on and bounced up and down. Hence, the majority of the pictures looked something like this:

Uncle Craig also made you two little toy cars. You now go around the house pushing them like cars, but at first you did as you do with almost all your toys: you stuck them into your mouth and transported them to different places:

The Whole Famn Damily

Over Father’s Day weekend, we all took a trip up to grandma and grandpa’s house because who was there?? It was Ann, Sarah and Beth! We had so much fun and it was great to see them again… you probably don’t remember, but we saw them in April at Uncle Gene’s funeral – this time it wasn’t bittersweet. Just sweet.

But, UGH! Who followed us?? The paparazzi… they just never leave us alone…