I am officially a "big boy" now that I have turned one. As such, I decided to celebrate my new status by showing off some new tricks to Mama & Daddy.
I had been practicing a few things and just waiting for the right time to bust them out. In the past two weeks, I have mastered all of the following tricks...and I can also stand unsupported for about 30 seconds (I just refuse to do that one for the camera...)
Playing in my box
I love my homemade toys more than anything from the store!
Morning playtime with Daddy
My no-hands method of playing with my chew toys
Mama and Daddy enjoying a nice random Wednesday dinner while I'm sound asleep
I love crawling!
Now that I can crawl, Mama & Daddy only see my backside
Cruising along the furniture...
Crawling & pulling up to stand...
I can also push my new cart around by myself
I still have a foot fettish...and now that I can crawl, I can go get them!
Mama says this is gross...but I find it fascinating!
I celebrated my first calendar birthday this weekend...on 7/7 to be exact.
I definitely feel much older, wiser and more mature...but I'm not sure if I'm actually 1 or not! Since I was a bit too excited to enter the world 3 months early, Mama & Daddy (and all my doctors) keep referring to my "adjusted age" by subtracting those 3 months where I sat in my incubator, from my calendar age. So, they are telling me that I'm only 9 months adjusted. This does have some merit developmentally since I'm just now trying to crawl and pull up to stand, but it definitely is confusing for a little dude to understand! So, this is how I see it...every year I will celebrate my calendar birthday on 7/7. AND every year, I will celebrate the date that I came home from the hospital, which was right around my due date - 9/24. See how clever I am?
My first Daddy-Hercules skin-to-skin session
I don't fit as good as I used to...
Anyway - I had a lovely first CALENDAR birthday celebration at Grammie & Grandpa's house. Boppy & Granddad came up to help me celebrate, and we all drove to Elk Grove for the festivities. I dove right into the pool with Ertle the Turtle...and Daddy & Granddad took turns pushing me around. I only tipped over once, which startled me a bit, but I'm a tough dude!
Granddad & Daddy aren't paying enough attention to me!
Some of our family friends also came over to help me celebrate, as well as my nanny Heather, Auntie Aubree & Uncle Ben & Auntie Kelly & Uncle Tomo. Great-Grammie was also there...she is super cool!
Sitting with Boppy & Miss Heather at my party
The Markleeville Gang & family at my party
Auntie Aubree, Mama & me...
Granddad & Boppy watching me eat my cake!
Great Grammie is so cool!
Thanks Miss Heather for my balloons!
I prefer to be naked with my balloons
Of course, I love being the center of attention...and don't really understand why people don't throw me parties every week! I got several new books, and a few outfits too. Not too many toys per Mama's request because I actually prefer boxes and keys to most any other toy you could buy. Everyone sang me the Happy Birthday song, which was cool, but it completely perplexed me! I got to blow out my big #1 candle on my cake and got to smash the cake with my bare hands. So much fun!
Grammie & Grandpa - thanks for my party & my celebration cake!
Waiting to blow out my candle with Mama & Daddy
Uncle Ben helping me read my birthday cards..
Listening to my new books
Playing with Grandpa
My present from Boppy and Granddad
Some money for college! I promise to read a lot of books!
But I think I prefer the envelope...look! No hands!
I dazzled everyone with my charm and good looks, and got to practice the art of crawling on the floor (I'm still trying to perfect that one).
The hat is a good motivation to learn to crawl...
Proud Hercules!
Finally, it was time to return home, where I spent a restless night sleep wondering how I can get people to pay homage to me more frequently.
I have had an incredibly busy past 2 weeks. First, my nanny Heather was off on a
well-deserved vacation. Apparently, I’m
a lot of work & she needed some relaxation!
So, Grammie & Grandpa came to take care of me so Mama & Daddy
could still go to work & bring home the bacon. I had a great time! I got to go on upwards of three walks a day,
got to go to the park almost every day…and I got to play in the flower bed
& on the garage floor. Mama thought
that was pretty yucky, but I’m a dude…what can she expect? I love to get dirty! I had to take about two baths a day, but
since I love baths, it was a win-win situation.
By the end of the week, poor Grammie & Grandpa were exhausted and
had to go home to recover. Thank you
Grammie & Grandpa!
Who needs toys when there is a big box?
Not often that I am exhausted enough to cuddle...usually I have too much to do!
Still love the swing! The higher the better!
Swinging may be my new favorite thing.
Grandpa tells some great stories and is great at distracting me!
Love daddy's boots...maybe I'll be a cowboy?
After a week, Grammie & Grandpa were exhausted!
Then, Gran & Gran-Mimi came to visit on a cross-country
tour from Pennsylvania to Southern CA & back again. I love my Gran & love every time she
visits, but I was thrilled to finally meet Gran-Mimi (Gran’s sister). I had heard so much about her – she lives on
a farm in Iowa & raises goats, chickens, and huge puppy dogs (St.
Bernards). My only disappointment was
that there were no St. Bernard puppies with her. Mama tells me that my feet remind her of a
St. Bernard puppy – they are apparently huge compared to the rest of my
body. Anyway – Gran-Mimi was super cool
– she helped me walk & brought me some fun toys to stimulate my already
overly active mind. She also promised
that I could come stay at her farm during the summer when I’m a little older.
Mama & Daddy love that idea, but I think I’ll look forward to getting away
from them even more!
Gran-Mimi, Gran and Mama
Gran, Mama & Daddy
Gran and I getting into trouble together
GranMimi bough me a whole bunch of new toys!
After a few days to recover, Uncle Hans & my cousin
Sophie came to visit before we headed South for daddy’s family reunion. I had met my Uncle Hans before – he came to
visit when I was in the NICU a few times – but I had never met my very cool
Cousin Sophie! We got to play together
for about 4 days in Napa. We went wine tasting (I only had a little bit!), to
the park where I went swinging (again), and out to dinner a few times. Sophie was so fascinating to watch; she played with me, pushed me in my cart,
helped me pick up my toys when I threw them on the ground, and even let me pull
her hair which I found fascinating.
Uncle Hans, Cousin Sophie, me wearing my lion skin, and Mama
Daddy & Uncle Hans out shooting trap. When do I get to go?
After a few days with them, we all headed down to Solvang
for the annual House family reunion. My
first Alisal Ranch! The House family has
been going for 38 years thanks to Great-Granddad who started it as a way to
keep his three children and their families close. Now there are 11 children my generation, and
we love going back year after year.
Alisal is a functioning dude-ranch, with lovely guest rooms, a fancy
dining room, a Saturday Hay Ride and pancake breakfast, a hoe-down BBQ, a lovely
pool and many more activities.
My favorite part of the weekend was meeting even more
family! I met some great-aunts &
uncles, some second cousins, and also I finally got to meet my Aunt Chloe &
Cousin Harper! It was so much fun to be
doted on all weekend by all my female cousins.
It’s almost like I have 20 aunts and no cousins…but that is a good
trade. I could get used to the
pampering!
The whole gang (minus Kristi, Steve & Beth who couldn't make it!)...Daddy, Mama & me, Cousin Laura, Uncle Kevin & Aunt Kendall with new baby cousin Logan, Boppy with Cousin Sophie, Uncle Hans, Granddad, Aunt Chloe & Uncle Chris with Cousin Harper
Granddad & Boppy with all the grandkids
The five cousins! I reign supreme as the only dude with Harper, Sophie, Laura, and Logan!
Daddy with Sophie, Laura & Harper
Playing games with Granddad - I can mimic well!
All dressed up for a fancy dinner
Another fancy dinner outfit
Me hanging with Daddy & Granddad & Uncles Chris, Kevin & Hans
Three "House" generations...so far I'm the only male bearer of the "House" name!
Uncle Hans helping me walk
Rocking to sleep with Great-Uncle "Rainbow" (Ken)
Uncle Rainbow giving his toast to my Great Granddad Howard for starting the Alisal tradition 38 years ago!
Kevin, Chris & Daddy with me at the bar!
I really want Uncle Hans' cocktail!
Family wheel-barrow race!
The two new daddies....Uncle Kevin & Logan & Me with Daddy
Aside from all the family bonding time, I absolutely loved
the swimming pool – especially since I got to play with all my cousins. My cousin Laura is super grown up, and she
took good care of me in the pool. She
pushed me around in my turtle floatie (Ertle) and made sure that no one ever
accidentally turned me over or splashed too much. Then cousins Sophie &
Harper, Jesse & Remi & Sophia were dancing and splashing in front of me
to keep me entertained. I am truly a
water baby – I don’t think I would have even noticed if Mama & Daddy left
me swimming in the pool by myself. I
just love to kick my own way all over the pool!
Granddad & me with Ertle the Turtle
Chloe, Boppy, Granddad, Daddy & me
Water baby!
I also loved the hay ride out to the pancake breakfast &
can’t wait to enjoy those flapjacks next year!
My only complaint was that it left early in the morning and I don’t like
to wake up.
Cousin Jesse & Laura letting me touch their riding hats
My most thrilling moments came in the petting zoo. I got to pet ponies, miniature cows, and
goats. I thoroughly enjoyed the rabbit
room where I got to hold lettuce out and the bunnies came out and ran all over
my legs. I loved to pet them and watch
them hop around.
My first experience with a Shetland Pony
Goatie was more accommodating to my caresses.
Bunnies & guinea pigs galore! I tried not to eat too much of the lettuce myself.
I also got to ride a horse…twice!!! First, on a nice horse named Cactus in a
real cowboy saddle. I couldn’t wipe the
smile off my face the whole time. Then I
got to ride bareback since I had clearly perfected the art of riding in a
saddle. This horse was Mr. Pickles, and
he was a super friendly Appaloosa. I am
not sure if I enjoyed the ride more, or eating the reigns. J
Me riding Cactus
Riding Mr. Pickles while all my cousins watch
Boppy & Granddad also surprised me with a first birthday
party celebration at the Saturday night bbq.
We all had birthday hats and I got to hear my first birthday song
directed to yours truly! I got a nice
new toy twiga from all my cousins too.
We danced the night away to classic oldies and country tunes.
Though the wine wasn't for me, I tried to make it all mine!
My first birthday hat & my rice crispy treat with a big #1 candle!
Thanks Boppy & Granddad!
I topped off my wonderful weekend with a nice surprise for
Mama & Daddy. After the BBQ dinner,
around midnight, Mama was putting me into my crib when she noticed that my
gtube was missing! Oh no! Well…I was a bit of a bad boy and pulled it
out – I just love to grab things (no excuses!) . Mama is a good surgeon and she has also
carried around an emergency kit for this reason, but alas, the syringes weren’t
the right size. Oh no! Thankfully there was a hospital a few miles
away, so off we went. It had been over a
month since the last time I saw a hospital, and I kind of missed it. I was a happy dude in the ED. After the nurse gave Mama a proper syringe,
Mama was actually the one to put the tube back in. After about an hour, we were back in our
lovely guest room, getting settled back into bed! Just a wonderful present so we will always
remember my first Alisal!
Just chillin' at the hospital...again!
I finally finished breast milk just before my 1st birthday. Thanks Mama for all those calories!
The freezer a few months ago...Mama is pretty excited that she can finally put grown up food in there!
Mama finally got a new car after 15 years! It's the new professional-surgeon-soccer-mama-tahoe-car! I have my own captain's chair in the second row with my own AC and a DVD player...I think that makes me one spoiled dude! I'm sure I've earned it though. Mama says this will be the car I learn to drive in in 16 years!
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