Our Baby is 1!!!!!

Well I am going to just write & then tons of pictures to follow!!! I have been SO behind on this lately... just in the month of February there was my nieces 4th birthday then almost 2 weeks later my nephew & my sister-in-law share their birthday on the 23rd, our anniversary (4th) was on the 24th, then Graham turned 1 & my great grandmother turned 88 on the 25th!!! Needless to say February is a taken month in our family. (It's ok if you didn't follow just know it's A LOT)

This past year has FLOWN by way too quickly for me. I feel like it was yesterday I was still feeling Graham spin around and kick while I was still pregnant. Now he is spinning around & walking all over. The first year is FULL of SO many changes for a baby. He is looking SO much more like a little boy instead of a baby everyday & I am trying to soak it all up everyday. Becoming parents has been such a joy for both Keith & I. Graham could not be more loved by so many people & we feel SO blessed everyday. He has seriously been the easiest baby( he seriously never cried.... can't say that now but it's such a pitiful one). He has always been a GREAT sleeper & I partially credit it to his nature but at the same time I credit it staying that way to us as parents. He's only this small for such a short time & it has been SO important to us to keep him on a schedule for him to be content... it's not annoying to me & it does not put me out to do these things, it's a joy to watch a content happy baby & know how his temperament will be a any part of the day because he is on a good schedule. Sometimes the easier way can be the hard way in the future.

His personality is really developing & he is talking SO much.Keith & I decided we needed to make a list of all the words he can say right now because I know I will forget. He is such a good copy cat... you can say a word a few times, show him what it is & he will pick it up almost immediately. I made a list I have it below but I think he knows about 27 words. He is also LOVING to walk & now CLIMB all over everything. The climbing started just a few days ago, it is SO scary. I looked down at my phone because Keith had just sent me a text and when I looked up he was standing on our wood bench. NO help just sheer clinging & climbing!!!

It takes Graham about 30 minutes to warm up, once that is over he is good to go... I just LOVE to watch him, he is SO much like Keith & my brother. He likes to process things before just jumping ALL in, it's SO cute & I love that he is just himself! I was worried when it came to his party that he might be SUPER shy with all the family here at once, bu he did GREAT! He had a little time after his nap to warm up when cousin Brynlee, Gigi & Bop-E got here a little early. I feel so blessed that Graham has so much family that will love & support him always. They were WAY too generous with gifts, but we were so blessed that they came to celebrate Graham's precious first year of life. We had it here at our house & I decorated (I LOVE decorating for those of yo who may not know me well). we kept it pretty simple & invited family. It was SUCH a special day, Keith & I reminisced over our day last year at the same time. Our lives have changed SO much all for the better since the moment God blessed us with this little boy... we are SO blessed & we are thankful everyday.

Here is a list of all of the words Graham is saying these days-

mama
dada or daddy (he just started saying daddy last week)
nana
papa
Boss (what he calls my dad)
hot
down
clock
Boo!
Murr (what we called my grandmother... I have shown him MANY pictures)
Cracker
balloon (comes out baboon)
More ( he says & signs it now)
car
ball
bath
uh oh
wee (only while sliding)
cool
baby
bye bye
no no
night night
Bottle (baba)
bird (burr)
book
bubba (we call hm bubba & he calls himself bubba... I am hoping he know his name is Graham ha!)
we will say 1... then he will say 2 free!!!

He will also follow these commands-

rub your hands together (hand sanitizer)
blow your nose
come here get your ________
he will point at almost anything when you ask him where something is
he barks when you say puppy

We are weaning him from a blottle s he is on whole milk & he has 3 bottles & 1 sippy soon to drop another bottle. He LOVES straw cups & has ever since he was 10 months.
He is still taking two, 2 hour naps... one at 10 & one at 2.
He sleeps from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. everyday. ( we have enjoyed this since he was an infant, thank you Graham & a lttle help from Babywise)
He has been eating all table food since about 9.5 months
He has 8 teeth & is working on his 4 molars.

It is SO amazing to watch him learn & see how much he has changed in a year! I love that country song "I saw God today" bc I seriously feel that way everyday!

Graham,
We love you SO SO SO much. I pray everyday that someday you will truly know what a blessing you have been to us. You are sweet, curious, smart, sometimes cautious, beautiful, loving little boy. The last year has gone way too fast for me, but I am going to enjoy each stage & I look forward to what your second year of life will bring our way.

Thank you Lord for entrusting Keith & I to take care of such a sweet baby boy. You truly know how to pick the baby that will fit so perfectly into each family! We are blessed you picked Graham for us!

Here are some pictures of 1 year & Birthday bash!