Pip is One Year Old!

Well, the time has come. My baby is growing up way too fast and is now officially one year older than zero. I've been keeping notes on Post-Its so that I won't forget to write about all the awesome things he does and says that make up his fabulous little personality. So, in the interest of time, here's everything we love (and maybe some things that we don't love but want to remember anyway) about our little Pipilo:

1. He waves with both hands at the same time. The left hand is a repetitive squeeze while the right hand flaps up and down.

2. He says "Uh oh," but it sounds more like "Uh mm."

3. He smiles at everyone. And I do mean EVERYONE. He is seriously the smiliest, happiest baby.



4. He is an avid thumb sucker. I love this. Sometimes he sucks his thumb with his pointer finger sticking straight up, playing with his eyelashes.



5. He loves to tap his booster seat tray with his finger tips, almost like he's playing the drums.

6. He's a GREAT copycat.

7. He'll clap his hands anytime someone around him does.

8. He shakes his head anytime he hears someone say "Nooooooo, no, Pipilo."



9. He likes to be noisy, screeching and singing, humming and yelling every chance he gets.

10. He'll crawl in star formation, heading one direction, then stopping abruptly to sit up, then proceed in the opposite direction. It's hilarious. Wish I could show you.

11. He LOVES to walk holding onto my hands. Mine. Only mine. He'll cry if The Chief tries. And that makes me cry for my breaking back.

12. He cries whenever I let go when he's walking holding onto my hands. He's just like his big brother, Bugga, in that respect. I remember when Bugga would howl at me for ending our walking sessions.

13. He cries when I leave the room. Even if he was perfectly fine prior to my retreat. Apparently my proximity is as necessary to him as a full belly and a clean diaper.

14. He loves to play under the kitchen table (and I think it's because he can scavenge all the little morsels of food that have fallen because of the less-than-stellar table etiquette employed by his older brothers. Ew.). When he's under the table, he'll crawl about pushing our chairs all over the place. If Buddha and Bugga are at the table, they inevitably dissolve into giggles at these "ghosts" bumping about the room.



15. He has three and a half teeth.

16. He puts everything on the floor into his mouth. Everything. Shoes, paper, crumbs, staples, toys, bugs, dust bunnies, pom poms, magnets. It's pretty gross and very tiring trying to keep up with him and keep him safe from his crazy appetite for inedible objects.

17. He says "WOAH!" It's so cute.

18. He stands by himself. And when we all clap and cheer him on, he gets this awesome little look of pride. I think you can even see his little chest swell. It's darling.

19. He LOVES to be pushed around the backyard on our little tricycle by his older brother, Buddha. Those two have a grand ol' time together cruising around out there.



20. He dances whenever he hears music, bobbing up and down at the knees, looking around to see if anyone is watching him then rewarding them with a big grin if they are.



21. He swats and swipes at faces . . . repeatedly. And he thinks it's hilarious. Only sometimes it isn't, like when I haven't had a chance to cut his fingernails for a few weeks.

22. He gets a really heart-melting pouty lip if you bark at him for swiping at you, like after he conked The Chief on the face yesterday morning with his iPhone; he was not happy with The Chief's startled response.

23. He LOVES to play the piano and gets so excited pounding out a few concertos every now and then.



24. He sits either on both knees or on one knee with one leg sticking straight out in front of him.

25. He loves to pull everything out of my drawers and cupboards, but he especially loves all my measuring cups and my towel drawer.







26. He wants to conquer my fridge and drops whatever he's doing to book over to it anytime it's opened. Unfortunately for him, he's a bit too slow and we're all double-timing it so that he doesn't become entrenched and let all our cold air out. :D

27. He loves to rest his head on my chest when we approach his crib for naptimes and bedtime. He settles in there and listens to the vibrations in my bosom as I hum to him and rub his soft, little cheekies with the nape of my neck. I admit, it's one of my favorite times of day.

28. He is such an easy baby to put to sleep. I just set him down in his crib, on his tummy, and he pops his head up to watch me as I make my exit, and that's it. I don't hear a peep from him after that until he wakes up.

29. He startles easily. One of my favorite things to do is to crawl into his room stealthily and sneak up on him in his crib after he wakes up from naptime or bedtime. It is so funny to watch him either freeze, do a double take, or straight-up jolt.

30. He loves his big brothers and happily follows them all over the house, which is rather disconcerting when they have to visit the restroom and forget to close the door.













31. He chucks his food to the ground with flourish when he's finished eating. It drives me bonkers having to sweep my floor five times a day, but it's hilarious watching him do it.

32. He likes a wide variety of foods, but definitely makes it known when he doesn't like something; he spits it right back out of his mouth into his hand, which then flings it like a little, blazing culinary torpedo to the floor.

33. He likes to be chased.  If you make like you're going toward him, he'll take off in the opposite direction, pause to make sure you're following, then resume his mad dash toward who-knows-where.



34. He LOVES playing with Talking Carl on my iPhone.  He tickles him relentlessly with his one little pointer finger.  He's been doing this since he was nine months old.  It's amazing to me what kids are able to grasp and understand at such a young age!



35. He used to stick his tongue out ALL. THE. TIME. I loved it.



36. He likes to swipe all the magnets off the fridge, sending them spinning in all directions across the kitchen floor.

37. He frequently crawls around with something in one hand, click-clacking his way around the house.

38. He gives stuffed animals the cutest, squishiest hugs.

39. He loves to sneak up onto the dishwasher door when I'm not looking.



40. He likes to cross his fingers.



41. He loves to stick out his leg toward us in the car so that we reach back and try to tickle his little footsie. He does this over and over and over again. It's fun.

42. He lets his daddy suck on his fingers and think it's the greatest game ever.

43. He gives the best open-mouthed, slobbery kisses!

44. He likes to honk my nose while he nurses.

45. He has chosen not to start walking yet, which is unusual for us, since both his older brothers were walking at 10 months.

46. He loves baths and spends most of the time standing up, side-stepping around the tub, trying to get at our special fishy spout cover.

47. He makes the best stink face. Don't believe me? See for yourself:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PIPILODI!

We love you more than you could possibly know at this tender time of your life. We thank Heavenly Father every day for sending you to us. Every single person in this family absolutely adores you and is being made a better person for your presence in our home.