Dear Connor,
I wasn’t sure if I would keep writing these monthly notes to you after you turned one, but Mommy’s worried that she’ll just let Life pass us by and forget to remember all the little things you do. Mommy and Daddy have a baby book for you, but sometimes we forget to write important things in it right when they happen, and Mommy has to go back to what she wrote here or other places on the Internet to remember exactly what happened when.
So, here we are. You’re 13 months old, and you’re always on the go!
You’re walking a lot more steadily than you were a month ago, when you’d just managed to get your feet under you. Mommy and Daddy bought you your first pair of shoes at Target, and you’re starting to get the hang of walking in those, too.
Lots of things have changed with your routines this month, but none of them seem to be bothering you much. You’re eating more solid food, and drinking whole milk instead of formula, per your pediatrician. Daddy started giving you solid snacks during the day instead of just bottles, and he started putting you down to nap in your crib instead of in your swing. (Not only was the motor broken, but you just didn’t fit anymore. It was almost comical.)
Mommy also modified your bedtime routine so that we don’t give you a bath every night; this way, the next time a babysitter gets to put you to bed, you won’t be thrown off if there isn’t a bathtime. Instead, we jump straight to brushing your teeth, then change your diaper and give you a massage with lavender baby oil, then get your jammies on, then book, then bottle, then bed.
You don’t say very many words — “Uh-oh” is the main one (when you drop something, which happens a lot), with the occasional “hi” and “bye” — but you do a good amount of signing. You’ll sign “more” a lot of the time (although I think you mean “want” sometimes), and you clap for “all done,” and you’ve started signing “eat” when you’re hungry. You also like to wave hello and good-bye, although sometimes you don’t get the timing quite right on those. You also wave bye-bye for bedtime — to say good-night to Daddy or Mei Kitty. Mommy showed you the sign for “milk” and some other foods, but you haven’t picked up on those yet. Mommy’s trying to think of other signs she should introduce to you (and Daddy), like “tired” (although you’re like Mommy and don’t like to admit when you’re sleepy).
Since you’re such a big boy now, you’re sitting in the big-boy car seat that Uncle Pete and Aunt Dee bought for you last year. We also bought a big-boy car seat for the other car, and Daddy had a much easier time installing that one than the first.
And since you’re not in the infant carrier anymore, we bought you a new stroller, since the old stroller was only really handy since the baby carrier snapped into the top of it. It was really large and bulky and hard to get in the trunk of the car, but the new one is much lighter and smaller.
Starbucks trips have gotten interesting since we started bringing you in without your infant carrier. You want to run around and get into everything, like the curious little boy you are. So, Mommy and Daddy have been doing a lot of drive-thru Starbucks lately, and your fan club at our favorite location hasn’t been getting to see you quite as often.
We’ve taken you other places, though! Before we got your new stroller, we took you to the Black Swamp Arts Festival in Bowling Green to meet Marlee and her parents, Eric and Jessica. We didn’t get any pictures, but you played with Marlee at Grounds For Thought, and had a great time.
We also took you to the International Festival at the mosque in Perrysburg. Mommy and Daddy enjoyed some Lebanese food and Arabic coffee while you hung out in your stroller and checked out all the people.
You’re getting to be such a big boy, but you still have quite a ways to go. Soon, though, you’ll have more words, and you’ll be able to do more things for yourself. It would be so easy to wish away these toddler days and look forward to the time when you’ll be even more interactive than you are now — but I know I would regret it. So, for now, Mommy’s trying to put down the smartphone and be actively present when she has special time alone with you.
Who’s my little squigglebug?
