"You look good in hats."

My dad used to tell me that I looked good in hats.  I thought he was just giving me the obligatory parental positive feedback.  Now I realize there's nothing cuter than a kid in a hat--especially when he puts it on himself.

Daredevil

He does all his own stunts.

 

 

Happy birthday, August!

It hardly seems real that we've already seen a year pass since we first saw this precious face.

The months that followed have been filled with joy and adventure that's impossible to describe.  Thank you, August, for choosing us to be your parents!  We love you more than we can put into words.

 

August's Birth Day

Tomorrow is August's first birthday, a day that is completely about him.  But on this eve of that big day, I'm allowing myself to celebrate his birth day.  And even though my labor may not have been as challenging as others', it's still the proudest day of my life.

I wasn't in labor for days and days--just one beautiful, snowy Saturday.  But I labored on my own at home all day.

I wasn't weeks past my due date--August was born just after the 37-week mark.  But I carried him for those 37 nerve-wracking weeks.

I wasn't rushed to the operating room for an emergency C-section--our natural birth ended with a great catch by our awesome midwife.  But I worked my entire pregnancy to get my body and mind ready.

After our struggles to arrive at that birth day nearly one year ago, I was thankful for every minute of the pregnancy, labor and delivery.  I'm still grateful for the support I had that day--both in the room and in spirit--and I will forever be proud of my life's proudest moment.

August's First Christmas

We were so excited to celebrate August's first Christmas this year!  Surely, this will be the first of many pictures in front of the tree, though hopefully it's one of the only years the tree will have to be barricaded from a curious baby.

August was very eager to explore his stocking and test the new shaker Daddy found for him.

Though he was none too pleased to be woken up so early.  I'll never tire of this classic August expression.

Grandma and Grandpa got August a toy that lights up and plays all sorts of great sounds, as well as stacking toys that crash to the ground.  He loves all of it!  He loves the Tigger from Nana and Poppop, too--especially when it plays music and bounces up and down.  Mommy and Daddy wonder if perhaps they're getting paid back somehow this Christmas, what with all the loud toys. :)

Mommy and Daddy got August something to keep both hands very busy.  He mostly loves to push it across the floor.

Both Aunt Heidi and Aunt Cara saw that Auggie's head will stay nice and warm this winter, even if he's not a huge fan of the outdoors just yet.

Merry First Christmas, August!  Thank you for giving us the gift of our beautiful new family this year.  We love you!

August - Eleven Months

What a month it's been for our big 11-month-old boy!  Happy birthday, August!

After months of waiting, August finally cut his first tooth this month on his Aunt Cara's birthday--December 3rd.  Actually, he cut two, both of the front bottom.  He has the cutest little toothy smile either of us has ever seen.  August's new teeth means that he's able to explore new foods, too.  He loves to munch on cucumbers and raisins, the former usually covered in hummus.

August is getting increasingly adept at his unique crawl, but he's also started cruising a lot more.  His Nana came to visit us this month, and he loved showing off for her.  He makes lap after lap around our living room coffee table, and cruises along every wall in the house.  Walking on his own is surely just around the corner.
Edit: Walking isn't just around the corner anymore!  August took his first solo steps today.  He took two wobbly steps in the kitchen.  Way to go, buddy!

We're also excited to see how social August is becoming.  He loves to wave at strangers in the grocery store, at shopping malls, the aisles at Target...pretty much anywhere.  Naturally people love to wave back to him.  It helps that he's the cutest baby ever--no bias of course.  He's also getting much braver with other new experiences, like playing on the swings.

We've spent the last month getting August ready for his first Christmas, though it obviously means more to us this year than it does to him.  Still, I think he senses the excitement and spirit of the Christmas season.

August - Ten Months

Our sweet little boy turns ten months today!  

 

He's becoming such a busy little guy, pulling himself on everything and scooting all over the place. The picture above is the only blur-free one we could get.  The rest look something like this:

This one is my favorite.  He had just crawled across the floor, and he's lunging at me with a huge smile on his face.

August crawls all over the house, but he crawls very strangely.  He tucks his right leg under him and propels himself with his left leg.  He looks a bit odd, but the trade-off is that he's super speedy.  Who needs to walk when you crawl faster than anyone else in the house can move?

This month we've also seen more signs of how verbal August will likely be someday.  He clearly says "Mommy" and "Daddy," and says "Baba" when he looks at Barley.  And even though we've always known what a sweet boy our little Auggie is, he's started showing affection.  He crawls up to us to cuddle, and he gives the best--albeit also the sloppiest--kisses.  He especially loves to kiss his favorite stuffed animals.

We are so proud of our giggly, laughing, extremely happy baby boy.  He makes us happier than he can know.