10 months
9 months
8 months
7 months
6 months
5 months old
4 months old
3 months old
2 months old
1 month old
2 weeks old
Happy birthday, precious boy!
Oh, Victor, how you have changed our lives in this past year. At the time I'm writing this, it was almost exactly a year ago to the hour when we were waiting to see if labor was proceeding at all or if I'd need a C-section. The Lord answered many prayers in bringing you to us... and He has answered many more as we've watched you grow this year.
Just lately...
* You've taken to carrying around a red block or a red ball or some other little (often red) toy. When you crawl across the tile, you sound like a peg leg... thwap, click, thwap, click, thwap, click. To complete the image, you also stick out one leg at times. We think you're a hoot.
* You've officially graduated to the big recliner-like car seat. So when we go shopping, you now ride in the cart (or give Momma's arms a good workout if she carries you). You're also turning into a pretty terrific little traveler... We made it the entire trip to Iowa with no stops for Christmas!
* This month you had your first ear infection antibiotics (which you thought super tasty). You also started nebulizer treatments for the lingering cough. We've finished one of the medications and dropped to only one treatment per day (and with just one med, it only takes about 10 min now... piece of cake!).
* You are exploring the world of self-feeding. Thus far, you eat Cheerios with great dexterity. The only other foods that you have been willing to pick up with your own fingers are ham, toast, and rice krispies. You enjoy eating bananas, corn bread, hamburger, potato, eggs, and pretty much anything else we've given you to nibble, but you're a bit fastidious and will only eat them if we feed you with a fork or spoon or stick it in your mouth.
* A couple little curls pop up sometimes on the back of your head, which Momma thinks are precious.
* The official record of first steps was Saturday, December 29, at Grammy and Grandad's house. But you haven't really repeated the performance. You're standing on your own more and more, and frequently you will walk while holding onto furniture or someone's fingers... very close to venturing out on your own.
* Often when you eat, you get a surge of happy energy, and you'll flap both arms and both legs and bob your head with your cheeks bouncing, with a happy, loud call, bwah, bwah, bwah! It is hilarious. Although it also concerns your mother when you still have a mouth full of food. [Fairly paranoid about choking]
* You're sleeping great! Normally you go to bed a bit before 7pm and wake up sometime around 5:30am. Naps run about 9-11am and 2-3:30pm. So thankful for this!
* You love your bath time and bucket of toys in the bathroom. When possible, Daddy and I both enjoy being there for your splash and play time.
* You can say "banana" and "beep." Although you have said "mamamama" and "dadadada" for a long time, these are the first words that you definitely repeat. You also wave "hi" and "bye." And point to the "pretty lights." And sign "please" (even though it's really the sign for "more"). We're working on "thank you."
* It is such a treat to see you interacting with your world. You love putting things into buckets, baskets, and boxes (of whatever variety) and dumping them out. You love swooping up and down and all around. You know how to push the button to turn on your elephant-spouting-balls and chicken-making-animal-noises. We wore out the "nee-na" button on your Little Red Fire Engine book. You still love pulling books off shelves, but you also enjoy paging through them (and pointing at the pictures like Momma and Daddy do).
* Sometimes when you're tired, you get really punchy and will giggle at anything. For some reason, you find it hilarious when Mom brushes crumbs off her lap.
A year ago, we were so thankful God gave you to us... and pretty intimidated at the new, unknown world of parenting. What grace He has shown us, faithfully providing for our needs, protecting you from harm, and giving you health, strength, growth, and good cheer. You have brought sunshine and sweetness into our lives like we never knew before.
Our greatest, daily prayer for you is that God might cover you with His great love:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:4-9
We love you, Victor, and we worship the One who gave us you as a very precious, very undeserved gift.
With our hearts,
Momma and Daddy
A few extra snapshots:
Birthday peekaboo
Birthday shot with Momma
Party hat trail mix for Daddy's tear-down crew (hats made with Auntie Betsy!)
