12 MONTHS OLD!

Can you believe it is time for this update? The 12 month update. The 1 YEAR update. What a year. On my own birthday it never really feels different the next day. With Noah's, it does. On the one hand it feels like stepping out of something, like he isn't a "NICU baby" anymore. And on the other hand what happened is finally starting to sink in. Even when he was 2 pounds, he didn't actually seem so amazingly super tiny to me like everyone said he was. Of course I knew it was true, but he was my Noah--it didn't matter how big he was and that is all I had to experience. But now that an active bouncing boy of one is in front of me when I look back on it--oh my goodness, he was tiny.
He is amazing. He is pretty much caught up to his actual age already, something that usually happens around age 2. When we went to the doctor today and I was answering questions about his development she said, "so...he is pretty much caught up." I reminded her that she had actually predicted that would happen and she said, "yes, but I just can hardly believe he actually DID!" Yes, there are a few things on that giant checklist that he hasn't quite mastered yet, but it is not an exaggeration to say he is pretty much there. Wow.


Here are some highlights...
At 12 MONTHS! Noah:

• Is 17 pounds 10 ounces and 28 inches long, and his head circumference is 17 inches. Ladies and gentlemen, we are now on the charts (for a 12 MONTH OLD)! First percentile for weight and head and fifth percentile for length. Way to grow buddy!
• Crawls. A lot. All over. Very quickly. (Is anyone really surprised by this? :)
• Can pull to kneeling and standing.
• Can balance on his knees and play with a toy for about 15-20 seconds.
• Can climb stairs. (Let me explain. No, I do not let him play on staircases, but we have a sunken living room so the opening is way to big to block and it is only three steps. He has gotten really good at going up them. Down...not so much.)
• Says "mama" and "dada."
• Eats anything we put in front of him.
• Doesn't really like baby food anymore. He would much rather pick it up himself.
  
• Can drink out of a sippy cup on his own.
• Is still an excellent nurser. (Since he is adjusted only 9 months I haven't started weaning him yet.)
• Has two big teeth on the bottom.
• Quit sleeping through the night. I don't like teething.
• Shares everything he has, from food to toys to the tiniest pieces of fuzz he finds in random places.
• Loves to play peek-a-boo and hide and seek.
• Is very active and busy, but also very happy and easy going. He has always been very alert and aware of what is going on around him and very curious. You can't get much by him. :) He does great with people and new places, but loves snuggling with mommy and daddy the best. It is so fun to see his personality develop and get to interact with him each day.
  
• I love my 12 month old!