Thursday, March 22, 2012

Bode - One Year Old Post

I keep forgetting to get this up - his one year update.  It's kind of sad that these will be over - at least the monthly ones are over.  I will probably do them every six months or so now, but to be honest, time may slip away from me and I may forget.  We'll see how I do :)  Considering his baby book is almost empty and these are the only records I have of his first  year milestones, I should probably make it a priority to do it for both boys every so often!

P.S. today is probably the worst day for me to do this as Bode has been sick and driving me crazy with his crankiness the past couple of days, haha.



Size: He is a total peanut!  18.5 pounds (3%), 29 inches (24%) and 18.9 inch head (90%).  Our doctor told us he needs to work on gaining weight as he keeps falling lower and lower on the chart BUT after looking at a breastfed baby chart, he was in the 20% in weight.  Apparently the graphs the average doctor uses is not as accurate for babies who are breastfed the whole first year as the average baby in America doesn't nurse that long...interesting!

Sleep: I have been quite happy with his sleep lately.  Still gets up around 6am, but I just feed him and he goes back to sleep until anywhere between 8am and 9am - awesome!  He takes a catnap in the car in the morning and then a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon when Eben sleeps (or plays in his big boy bed).
 
Development: He is cruising like crazy, using anything he can as a walker, and holding on to things while he stand with one hand.  It seriously will be a matter of weeks before he starts letting go of things and standing on his own and hopefully some steps soon after!  I am really excited for the walking stage because playgrounds and other summer activities will just be so much more fun once he learns to walk.  He has 4 teeth now and has become an incredibly picky eater...ugh.  We have had some very rough dinners during the past few weeks and it is driving me nuts.  As of right now he will only eat Mac'n'cheese or some other kinds of noodles.  He also likes fruits (especially bananas), but no way on veggies - pureed or not.  And it's not that he just doesn't eat what is on his plate - he cries, yells, and throws his food...awesome.  I am supposed to fatten him up and it's been very tough to say the least! 

Personality: I see that last month I wrote that he continues to be so sweet and smiley - let's just say he is officially a toddler now!  Oh boy...this little boy sure knows what he wants, but has a very tough time communicating it to me.  I spend much of my day trying to figure out what he wants and why he is upset, haha.  Don't get me wrong, we still have a ton of fun together and he is very sweet a lot of the time, but the toddler behaviors are much more frequent now.  It is as if he has become much more aware of what is going on around him...which also means he is sillier and more fun to play with than before.

Sibling Relationship: Eben hasn't been yelling at Bode quite as much lately - maybe it's because we have been enjoying the outdoors much more so the indoor toy play time is less.  They continue to really like each other's company and nobody can make Bode smile like Eben can.  Eben has yet to have ever held Bode and he still randomly says, "I'm gonna hold Bode someday."


The following pics were all taken on Bode's actual birthday (since I already posted a million pics from his birthday photo shoots).  They are nothing special, but I thought I needed some pics to share for the post. 

Photobucket
We started the day at the park with a bunch of friends before Eben's tumbling class - an amazingly beautiful day.  I actually remember last year when we left the hospital it was 70 degrees outside so maybe this isn't TOO abnormal.
Photobucket
Crawling on the fake grass.  Bode hates regular grass, but I guess this type was okay.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
We finished the evening off with a visit to the playground near our home.  We can't get enough of this amazing weather!
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
These are out of order, but it took him a while to get the courage to crawl on the grass...I guess he doesn't hate it anymore!
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
Loving the tunnel!
Photobucket

Photobucket
He looks like such a big boy when he sits up on his knees like this!
Photobucket

Photobucket
He likes swings, but not nearly as much as he should.  Eben could not get enough of them at this age and Bode is done after about 5 minutes...hopefully that changes!
Photobucket

Photobucket
If you look closely at his toes, I love how it looks like there isn't enough space on his foot for all of them to fit!  Eben had the same thing but with only one toe on each foot.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

{CAKE SMASH} Bode's Birthday Pics - Round Four!

I have been so excited to do this every since I first started getting into photography.  Once I decided on the colors, I made the banner, bowtie, birthday hat, cake, and the cake stand.  It was seriously so fun getting all of this stuff together.  If you know me well, you know I love to plan things (remember my wedding???).  I learned how to do most of the items from Pinterest, or got some tips from blogs I found on Pinterest anyway. The sprinkles for the cake were purchased from Etsy - something I never would have imagined I would get off of that site.  I made the cake stand out of a $1 plate and $1 candlestick (genius suggestion by my friend Emily). And I learned how to sprinkle the sides of the cake from - you guessed it - Pinterest again.  I didn't do a perfect job, but for my first ever birthday cake attempt (other than the sad one I made Eben...just a boxed cake mix put in an 8 inch cake pan and frosted with pre-made frosting...so a flat, round cupcake essentially) I was very proud of it! 

There are a TON of pictures, but I know our families and close friends will enjoy looking at them so I thought I would just post all that I ended up keeping.  I will give you the play-by-play as well :)

P.S. Eben was not present for this cake smash - he was in bed following a nap.  He actually woke up before Bode did, so I woke Bode up (not a wonderful idea as you are never supposed to wake a sleeping baby if you want them in a good mood), we did the smash and then we got Eben out of bed (Eben LOVES hanging out in his bed so he was totally fine with this...we are lucky).  Let's just say it wouldn't have been a very enjoyable experience with a 2 1/2 year old running around and getting in the way :) 




Photobucket
The cake and banner :)
Photobucket

Photobucket
We first wanted Bode to play with a bowl of sprinkles.  Given that he had been woke up from his nap, let's just say he was a little sensitive.  He instantly tipped the bowl over and started sobbing.  Bowl and sprinkles removed...
Photobucket
Then he just sad there are cried for a short period of time.  I thought it was hilarious that he just sat there...no moving.
Photobucket
We starting doing funny things so he cheered up a little.
Photobucket
I guess we weren't funny enough...
Photobucket
Serious face.
Photobucket
Uh oh...getting sad again.
Photobucket
Now we are kind of funny again.
Photobucket
And now the introduction of the cake!  This looks interesting...
Photobucket

Photobucket
Checking it out.
Photobucket
And disaster strikes!  He pushes the stand over, the stand comes apart, and the plate smashes to the ground...instant tears.  (It's probably good the stand broke, otherwise the cake would have been smashed into the ground.  By the way, super glue doesn't work well on glass...especially when that glass is chilled in the fridge and then taken out for a while...next time I need to get the glue Emily told me to get).
Photobucket
Daddy feeds Bode some of the cake to hopefully get him to stop crying.
Photobucket
And it worked!  Hmmm...this is kind of good.
Photobucket
Same picture as above...I just like it in B&W too :)
Photobucket
Starting to dig in a little.
Photobucket
Notice that the side of his hat strap is twisted...I was aware but he was so sensitive that I wasn't about to bug him to fix it!
Photobucket
Yep, this is good.
Photobucket
Look at that little tear on his cheek...too cute.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
Haha, what is this mess?!
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
Just eating away, having a great time.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
Who loves cake? I do, I do!
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
I think he looks like he is performing surgery in this one...
Photobucket
Could he be any cuter?!?
Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
So much fun!