Fun with Presents!

All of our friends and family were so generous in the gifts they gave Clara and I for Christmas and our birthdays!  We've had lots of fun playing with everything!

I got a crane truck that I can assemble all by myself!  And there's no better spot to play with toys than on top of a train table...

I got a set of book about all different kinds of things that go - I love looking through them all (and sometimes sitting in the bathroom while Mom gets ready is the best spot)...  One of the cards I got turned into a sticker page!

Clara figured out the right way to ride her scooter (and I showed her how to fill up its basket with cars)!  And she got a pair of sunglasses that makes her look super cool!

Clara gets just as excited about new clothes as she does toys!

One of the big hits (for both of us) was a jack in the box!  It gets Clara every time!

I got a microphone - it's perfect for my silly songs like "Stinky Daddy"!

Turning One Comes with Changes!

I learned that turning 1 is no joke at school!  The day after my birthday, there was no more high chair or crib for me!  Bottles were supposed to go away as well, but I'm fighting that one.  I don't get any at school, but Mom and Dad give them to me at home to make sure I'm getting some milk.  I'll let them keep on trying to figure this one out - I really have them stumped!  I like drinking water out of sippy cups and I like drinking milk.  But I just don't like milk out of a sippy cup!  Some things you just have to stand your ground on...

Nobody can believe it but I do take my nap on a mat now!

And here I am sitting at the big kid table at school!  At first I was all alone but only for a week  or so until another of my friends turned 1, too.

At home, I try to convince Mom and Dad to let me sit at the table instead of my high chair - that doesn't work too often though!

Party Time!

Of course we had a party for my very first birthday! 

Mom bought me a fancy new outfit just for my party and I was a good sport and wore every bit of it!  Even the little leg warmer things!

Mom and Dad worked hard to make my birthday cakes.  The one on the left was my very own cake!

I was a fan - can you tell?

 

It was a pretty small party - just the Danowski's and Floyd's came over.  Plus Grandma B and Grandpa Mark, too!  All the kids ate up our pizza!

Mason and Will were showing me how my new toy works.  It was a present that Owen picked out for me - one of my favorites!

Owen helped me open up my big present.  It was my very own scooter from Grandpa Mark and Great Grandma Alice!

I figured this was how I was supposed to ride the scooter...

12 Months!

Right after everyone recovered from Christmas and Owen's birthday, it was time to celebrate mine!  At least moving to a new house wasn't in the mix this year!

Here I am month by month for the past 12 months!

It was a good year for me - I grew a ton and learned so much!  One big accomplishment was that I only saw one Clemson football loss and that was in the National Championship.  Pretty good record for my life so far!  Hopefully they can keep it up next year...

I'm not walking like Owen was when he turned 1, but I have gone on 3 airplane rides which is 1 more than he had.  Not that there's any competition between us...

This was my birthday outfit that I wore to school!

Touchy Feely!

Since I've been a baby I haven't been too interested in touching funny feeling things.  At school I would watch lots of the activities instead of participating.  Putting my hand in shaving cream? No thank you!  Painting with my hands?  Just give me the paintbrush!  All of my teachers have worked hard with me on getting over it and it's finally working!

Look at me!  I like to play with play-dough now and even finger paint!

Sleepy Heads!

Mom thought I was ready to wake up from my nap when I came in from the car, but I guess not...

Clara tries to power through, but sometimes sheer willpower isn't enough!  And Clara still enjoys falling asleep snuggled up with someone!

When we wake up in the morning, we are ready to go!  Well, as soon as we have our milk and breakfast cookie... and sometimes it's nice to sit around in PJs and a cozy blanket!

If you thought Clara's hair was out of control during the day, it doesn't even compare to the crazy hair she has when she wakes up!

And while we're in a good mood when we wake up in the morning, it's best to give us some space after nap time!

Watch Out for Me!

Watch out for me these days!  I'm cruising all over, pushing anything that isn't bolted to the floors and becoming my own little person!

It might look like I'm innocently looking in a kitchen cabinet, but don't let me fool you!

I still like to show off my cute outfits at school!  Aunt Laura picked out my cute polar bear outfit and I had to wear my "Oh Deer" shirt for Grandma Pam! 

My two-teeth smile is getting to be pretty hard for Mom and Dad to say "no" to these day!  Can you blame them? 

I haven't slowed down much on the eating and if it's really good, I don't care much about getting messy!

Owen's wheeled toys have become much more interesting to me and another way to get around the house!

The lion makes a good snow plow in the playroom!  You can see in the video that I'm getting good at maneuvering it around...

Pushing chairs around must run in the genes!

Last video, but it's a good one! I can stand all by myself! Won't be long now Mom and Dad!

Zoo Trip!

There was some nice weather in January so we took advantage of that and went to the zoo!  Our friends Landon and Dylan (and their mom) met us there.

We got to take the big stroller so we could ride next to each other!

Can you see the panda bear behind Landon and I?

When we took the train ride, Landon and I sat next to each other.  I shared my marshmallow treats with him!

Clara and Dylan weren't sure what to think of the train...  And no, Clara and Dylan aren't related at all!

Playroom!

This is what our living room looked like after my birthday celebration at home.  We hadn't yet gone to Iowa and celebrated Christmas... Clara and I were fine with it - we had fun playing with all our toys.  But Mom felt differently about the situation and said that we needed our own space.

So Mom and Dad gave up their office and made us a playroom!

This was the start of it - we have a nice mat floor now!  Grandma and Grandpa's knees said thank you for the padded floor!

Mom got us a USA map for the playroom wall.  Now I can see where we live as well as our other family members.  I can show you where the beach is, too!  (It's in Florida if you were wondering)

And what better to do in a playroom but build a Christmas tree with your blocks!