Tate: 13 Months

18 lbs 11 oz.
10th percentile for weight and height

He is close to walking.  He took a few steps this week but is still very cautious.
He loves balls.  He wants anything round and calls it a 'ba'.
He really likes his bottle and doesn't want anything to do with milk in a sippy cup.  And he wants me to still hold him while he drinks his bottle, which I am perfectly ok with.
Thinks toothbrushes are the best thing next to balls or anything round.
Started climbing.  On just about everything.
He learned how to climb under the safety gate at the top of the stairs and goes up and down the stairs on his own now.
Discovered the toilet.
And the toilet paper.
Has 5 teeth.  Two on bottom and three on top.
He has grown attached to his monkey stuffed animal.  I find him sleeping with it tucked under his arm.
New Words:  "uh-uh" for uh-oh and "uh-un" when he doesn't want to do something.
Grocery shopping or shopping of any sort with him is almost impossible.  I have to come prepared with something for him to eat or play with.  Otherwise he is constantly standing up and trying to get out of the cart.

Since Tate turned one he has become much more vocal, strong-willed, and demanding.  He does this awful loud scream/screach when he doesn't get what he wants or needs something.  He gets really frustrated because he knows what he wants but can't communicate it to us.  I've tried teaching him sign language in the last 3-6 months but he has no desire to sign for me.  He started pointing recently which helps.

Tate is busy.  And he isn't even walking yet!  I'm nervous for when he starts walking because I know he will only get busier.  I'm trying to savor these last few weeks of crawling because he still feels like my baby.  I'm not ready for him to be a toddler yet!

Tate: 1 Year

My baby is one.  The year went by pretty fast.  Tate has been a good baby and I've been so grateful for that.  He is happy and smiley.  The hardest part of his first year was the fact that he got sick so often.  I'm not exaggerating when I say he was sick as much as he was well in his first year of life.  Since he got sick so often it was really hard to sleep train him at night and get him to take longer naps.  Six months he started sleeping consistently better at night and taking longer naps.  After the six month mark things got significantly easier.

He loved nursing and wouldn't have anything to do with a bottle until around 10 months when I ran out of milk so he eventually had to transition to formula.  It was a process though.  For a few weeks he would only drink an ounce or two at each feeding and just eat more solids.

says "Ma Ma Ma Ma" "da da"

says, Mmmmm when something tastes good

He calls balls "Mah"

He thinks it's funny to feed us. 

He started making airplane noises with his airplanes.

He crawls everywhere but bear crawls if he is wearing shorts or is outside.

He learned how to push the play shopping cart while standing a week or two before turning one.

He is pretty independent and loves crawling around the playroom and playing with toys.  He wants to play with whatever Kensie is playing with and gets a lot of satisfaction out of trying to get the toys Kensie doesn't want him to play with.  He pulls her hair and pulls on her dresses.  

He is a total mamma's boy.  During the day he doesn't like to be far from where I am.   If he can't see me, he'll come find me.  He'll crawl up next to me and climb up my leg and give my leg kisses or put his head between my knees.  If I'm sitting down, he'll crawl up to me and give me hugs.  If anyone else is holding him, he'll lean towards me to hold him.  I love how much of a mamma's boy he is.  

He still takes a morning and afternoon nap.  

My favorite part of the day is right before bedtime when he lies his head down on my shoulder.  

For his first birthday we had a BBQ and pool party in our backyard.  We had the Eliason's, Wheelus', Kramer's, Iroz', and Tayla Shurtz over.  We got him a Cozy coupe car, airplanes, cars, and a Jake and the Netherlands Pirates ship.  Niel did most of the birthday shopping and thoroughly enjoyed shopping for a boy.

We love our Tater-bug!