Wow, this time last year I was still a working man with a pregnant wife and the both of us very anxious to meet our baby still in the womb! Now we’re one month away from a full year!
Becoming a parent is essentially the same as a jumping in a time machine set on high speed for the future. In retrospect, the moment Avery was born, Kelley and I virtually hopped into Doc’s DeLorean from “Back to the Future” after it was fully fueled with high quality trash.
It’s been great watching our little girl grow and become so mobile, but she still has yet to take her first steps. Something I was so sure would happen this past month, but she’s still a little timid about doing it on her own. But it’s coming, I just know it!
Here we are at 11 months and the memories keep piling up. But to stick with tradition, I’m only listing 11 for you, Avery, and I just like all previous monthly memory posts, I hope you enjoy reading these with your Mom and Dad (that’s me) some day. Keep on growing, dear, just not so damn fast!
1. I brought you to KidMania where, as you might guess, is a place for kids to play and use their energy. There was a 3 and under section where you obviously were confined, but still had a great time! You definitely seemed a bit puzzled in the new environment at first though.
2. Mommy and I bought you a swing after seeing how much you enjoyed it at a neighbor’s house. It was great seeing the giant smile on your face as we took turns pushing you. Swinging = Happy Avery!
3. Aaaannnnddd not swinging = upset Avery!
4. We forged through the ridiculous Dallas traffic to go to a nice park, Klyde Warren Park, which had an unexpected splash pad you couldn’t use. Luckily, there was a dry area you seemed to enjoy just as well.
5. You were in your play area with teddy keeping you company as I ran around the house, and you seemed to wear yourself out since the next thing I knew, you were asleep. Poor teddy..
6. Mommy had to leave us for 3 days on a business trip and we really missed having her with us. But, I finally started the brewing process for a Belgian Saison that, at the time I’m writing this, still has a few weeks of fermentation left before it’s ready. I couldn’t of done it without your help though.
7. Also, while Mommy was away, I took a shot at making cultured breast milk using the kefir grains we have to make homemade kefir. End result? You absolutely hated it and didn’t trust me to give you a bottle for a while after. I then got smart and mixed a little cultured milk in a bottle of regular milk to which you didn’t mind. Phew, can’t waste Mommy’s milk!
8. And of course, while Mommy was away, we had full reign of the TV and obviously we had none other than the classic 1980’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on most of the time.
9. We have been working to get you to walk on your own for the past 2 months and you still have not taken a step without assistance. But, you’ve done everything else up to that point, including standing unassisted.
So still no walking at 11 months…..how about before you’re 1 year old? Seems promising..
10. Mommy and I have also been trying to get you to say “Mama” or “Dada” to no avail; all you say is “Uh oh” along with cute (and not so cute) baby coos and screams. We can’t tell which one you’ll say first, and at this point, I’d be happy to hear you say either word….or maybe take a neutral stance and say “Poop”. Right now, I can only tell you pooped when you start hanging on my legs when we’re in the kitchen.
11. Your mobility keeps getting better every day and it’s really fun seeing you smile when I drop on the ground to play with you. I can only imagine the fun we’ll have when you finally start to walk. Only time knows when, dear….
I can’t believe my next post will be for her 1 year mark! 12 memories should be easy to come by, and I’m really hoping that walking is one of them. Going Mom has been hard at work planning her 1 year party while all I am in charge with is making the food. A healthy (obviously) cake for Avery to smash as well as snacks and sweets (healthy again) for our guests.
How much planning did you do or plan on doing for your kids’ 1st birthday?
Any tips on things not to do? One of our friends put their daughter’s cake in front of her with a lit candle and she grabbed at it right away. She found out very fast that fire hurts! So, I don’t think we’ll give Avery a lit candle for her 1st.
