1 year old!

Ready or not, here I come!

I meant to do that....

Just a little thirsty...

My birthday dump truck

The paper is always the best part...

Now I can be like daddy!

The aftermath...

Watching TV with my friend Carter

It is so hard to believe that an entire year has come and gone. We could not feel more blessed: we have a beautiful boy who brings us more joy as each day passes. However, as one of my friends recently said, "When will they ever make a pause button?"

Chris had a fun time at his birthday party. It was wonderful to celebrate with our friends and family. And he is having fun with all of his new toys!

His biggest accomplishment this month is that he is ALMOST walking. Several nights ago while I was washing dishes, I turned around to see him pushing his walker into the kitchen while walking behind it like he had been doing it his whole life! He walked around the house like that for an hour, leaving scuffed baseboards and scratched walls in his wake :) He's getting really good at it, though. He is going fast, and will even stop and swing it around to point in whatever direction he wants to go. It is pretty funny to watch, though - he looks like a little old man.

He has also developed a love of his little pool that Nanny got him. He'll sit in in for quite awhile and play. He gave me a laugh this evening, though. I'd put him in it naked in the backyard, as I just needed to keep him occupied for a few minutes. I walked around the side of the house for a minute, and when I turned around I discovered that my naked little boy had climbed out of his pool and was crawling after me through the grass.

Chris has always been a good sleeper, and has been sleeping through the night since he was about 4 months old. However, the past few nights he's decided that he wants to eat several times a night, and has been waking up frequently. This wouldn't be such a big deal except for the fact that Mark and I are supposed to leave him with Mark's parents for the long weekend while we go camping with some friends. And because he won't take bottles, if I can't get him back to normal by tonight I may have to stay back. So pray that he sleeps! Ah, the joys of parenting :)

Sorry this was so long! We love you all.

How Time Flies...

Our little fish...
Playing at swim lessons

Mom and I at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore

Hiking with Dad on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Me with all 9 of my cousins!

Helping Mom with dishes...

What a ham!

What IS this stuff? I don't know if I like it....

Ok, I definitely DON'T like it!

One day my turn will come...

In case you couldn't tell from all the pictures, it has been a busy few months! Notable activities and accomplishments include:

• Chris and I took a "parent and child" swimming class, the purpose of which was to get him used to the water. He was a little unsure at first, and definitely did not like getting dunked, but by the third or fourth class he was over that and seemed to enjoy the pool.
• We took our first vacation with him up north. We drove to Virginia for my cousin Laura's wedding, then visited Mark's family in Baltimore. After that we drove to visit my friend Amy in Atlanta, then it was back home. Chris did remarkably well for being in the car a lot and sleeping in different places practically every night! Praise the Lord for portable DVD players, though - it kept him occupied and happy in the car :)
• We are starting to see that our precious little boy has a bit of a temper! He gets so mad if a door that he wants to go through is closed - especially if it is the door to the refrigerator. He also hates wearing a bib, or being trapped in a playpen or a room with a gate at the door - he wants complete freedom! However, we often can't help but laugh at his tantrums - he usually gets so mad that he'll sit there screaming and clapping his hands! It is absolutely hysterical. And usually our laughter is a bit confusing to him so he ends up forgetting what made him mad in the first place :)
• He has learned to mimic. If someone claps, he'll sometimes respond by doing the same. He especially likes to copy us when we blow raspberries.
• He loves any toy that he can push around the floor - whether it is his favorite red truck, a tupperware container, a jug of vinegar... He pushes whatever the object is with one and while crawling quasi-modo style behind it. His favorite is definitely his trucks, though. He'll push them all over the house, and will even drive them back and forth over Mark's legs if he happens to be in the way!

For those of you who will be in town, we are having a birthday party for Chris on Aug. 25 at 5:00. We would love to have you all! Please let me know if you'll be able to make it.