Will - One on 11.11.11

"Whooosh!"

That was the sound of the past year flying by.  :)  How is it possible that my baby is 1 - and really, less of a baby and more of a toddler?  Although it has flown by, it's kind of hard to remember life without Will.  He has brought so much fun, laughter, and joy to our little family.  The price of lost sleep has been worth it!

A few things about Will at age 1:

• At his one year appointment, he weighed 24 lbs, 12 ounces (75th percentile) and measured 31.5 inches tall (90th percentile).  Quite a difference from his petite sister (see Claire's one year stats here).
• Will LOVES his big sister, and she adores him, too - except when one of them has something the other one wants.  Taking something away from Will is about the only thing that really sets him off (other than generally being hungry, tired, etc.), and Claire is a pro at getting that type of reaction.  Most of the time they play well together and love each others company.

• He likes to eat and will try anything.  What he doesn't like gets immediately spit out and thrown on the floor.
• When Will is done eating, he wants his plate/high chair tray completely cleaned off.  If you don't get to it before he does, he will take care of it for you by throwing food and waving his hands over the tray until everything is gone.  We're working on that.  :)
• He loves to hold a spoon or fork even when he's not eating.  He's quite independent and already wants to feed himself.  He's getting good at it really quickly.
• Will is still taking formula in bottles.  Last week was supposed to be "bottle boot camp" when we switched from formula to milk, reduced number of ounces, and switched all (at least day time) bottles to sippy cups.  That plan was interrupted by a nasty double ear infection, so we will try again soon.
• He is not walking yet, but cruises around and will occasionally stand on his own for a few seconds.  I'm in no rush!
• Will is transitioning to the next class at school and is quickly adapting to the new teachers and new routine.  They take naps on mats rather than cribs - such a big boy!
• Like his sister at this age, he has lots of teeth - 6 on bottom, 4 completely in on top, and his upper one year molars are about halfway through.  The canines are already starting to work their way up, too.
• We are getting there on sleep - he sleeps through the night (7 pm to 5 or 6 am) most nights, and he will usually take a bottle and go back to sleep for another hour or so.  It's been a long road, but we're finally making some good progress!
• Will is saying several words that we can understand - "throw", "ball", "uh oh", and "up" are the most often heard, and we'll occasionally get a "da" for Robert and a "maaaa-ma" for me, but I'm not adding it to the "official" list yet.  He can follow simple instructions - "Come to Mama", "Drop your spoon in the sink", etc. so we know he is understanding a lot.
• Going by his words, it shouldn't be surprising to know that some of his favorite toys are balls or other things he can throw.  He also really likes the play kitchen, spoons, and digging around in drawers and cabinets.

• He laughs easily, smiles easily, loves to cuddle, and is a happy little guy who is very loved!