Just Powers

Emma and Will shared an ice cream cone recently. It was rough going for a minute or two but they worked it out.

William is one year old today. It has been possibly the fastest year of my entire life and when I think about what I was doing a year ago today, it seems impossible that it was 12 months ago and not three or four. I find myself more sad at Will’s first birthday than I was at Emma’s, wishing it weren’t going so fast and wanting to slow down the whole process and hold onto every little moment forever.

That however, is not William’s plan. He has some growing up to do. In just the last month he hit two major milestones - walking and talking - and his personality continues to expand and grow and become more layered and exciting every day.

He started walking exactly one week ago. He was coerced into it, but once he got going he went about four steps before launching himself into waiting arms. He was completely thrilled by the whole thing although he has yet to make it a habit. He still finds it easier to crawl where he needs to go, something he can do with lightening speed.

He has three words so far, and they are all a variation on a theme, but he uses them so correctly in context that there is no mistaking what he is saying. His favorite and most often used word is “edda” for, you guessed it, “Emma.” He also says “duh-duh” for “dog” (ok, he uses the same word for cat, but clearly he is using the word to mean “mammal-who-lives-in-the-same-house-as-me-and-drives-mommy-crazy” so that counts right?) The most amazing and wondrous word from him so far though is “gen-toe” for “gentle.” The fact that he knows this word is testament to how often we have to say it to him as he flails and swings and grabs at us. But still, he knows the word, never mind why he learned it.

Speaking of flailing and swinging and grabbing, he seems to have discovered lately that his body, his ENTIRE body, is quite useful as a weapon of mass destruction. He has pretty much totaled Mike’s glasses (contacts are now on the must-have list) and we have learned to be very aware of his head, lest it butt us unintentionally. And wow is he an archer, and I don’t mean the kind that uses arrows. His favorite line of defense, especially when he is being held on his back, is to arch his entire body backwards, a trick which requires the person holding him to clutch him very tightly so he doesn’t end up on the floor. He seems to employ this tactic most often when he sees his crib looming in the distance and he isn’t quite ready to go into it. He has also been known to do it while sitting on the floor, resulting in a shocked look when he realizes that it hurts when his head slams down like that. He doesn’t do that much anymore.

On the flip side, his intense physicality also means he is a big time snuggler, giving lots of hugs and kisses and often resting his head on my shoulder when I hold him.

He has been very sick in the last month with what the doctor said was viral pneumonia with a bacterial overlay. He seems to be recovering nicely though and his birthday party, which was going to be tomorrow and had to be postponed till he kicked the pneumonia, will now be held on April 11.

In the “things to work on” column, Will is still not sleeping through the night. He has slept through the night on several occasions, but does not make a regular practice of it. On a good night he only wakes up once, around 2ish. A bad night includes at least two and sometimes more awakenings, or one awakening that takes two hours or more to get back to sleep. Sleep training is in his near future, although no one in the house is too excited about it. He has shown us that he has quite a temper, and although we don’t see it often, it is the middle of the night when we see it most.

He will eat finger food, as long as it is a carbohydrate. Yeah, I’m not kidding. He will chow on big pieces of toast, waffles, crackers, goldfish etc. but if I put a piece of sweet potato, cheese or banana in front of him he curls up his lip and throws it on the floor. If those same items are pureed, he loves them (well except the cheese, pureed cheese? eww) I had thought he was one of those kids I have heard of with a “texture” issue, but his ability to manage the carbs belies that theory. So for the time being he will continue to get his fruits and veggies via a spoon, and we will keep trying…

He is starting to show signs of separation anxiety, preferring me over anyone and burying his face in my neck and smiling if someone new says hi to him. He continues to be a big flirt though and flashes his (5 with three more on the way) pearly whites whenever he has the chance.

Despite the diabolical temper we see from him at 3 A.M. (oh and during diaper changes, he takes those personally), his personality during the day is almost completely delightful. He loves to laugh and smile and he will repeatedly turn and look at us with a great big grin on his face as he explores his world and discovers new things. He is filled with joy and as a result fills the rest of us with joy day after day.

Happy Birthday little one. We love you.

Update: At William’s one year checkup today, he measured in at 21 lbs. 7 oz., 29 1/2 inches long and an 18″ head circumference. That’s pretty much 50th percentile for everything according to the doc (except for weight, which might be slightly below average, although he has been sick. As soon as he starts that toddler weightlifting program we have him signed up for he should start bulking up pretty fast.)