You have already changed so much since your first birthday. You're doing all sorts of new stuff, and you make us laugh everyday. In the last few weeks, you've finally started to eat like a big boy. You still eat a few of the fruit and dessert baby foods, but you don't care for the veggies anymore. You'd rather have the real (non-mashed) thing. You eat best when you can pick up the food and feed yourself. Some of your favorite things are: scrambled eggs, hamburger, macaroni, chicken nuggets, black olives, applesauce, mashed potatoes, peaches, pears, rice, cottage cheese, corn, black beans and goldfish. You and Mommy always sit down at the table together for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Between meals and naps, you like to snack on cheerios, dried apples and goldfish. Goldfish are your favorite. Sometimes if I try to hand you a cherrio out of the same container, you'll just throw it on the floor and wait for a goldfish.
Since you've been eating so well over the last few weeks, Mommy has started weaning you. You've only been nursing before your morning nap and before bedtime for the last couple weeks. Starting this week, you only nurse before bedtime. You've been drinking whole milk and you love it! I'm glad you got your love of milk from Daddy...Mommy only uses it for cooking and in my cereal. You seem to be weaning like a pro! It has been harder for Mommy, because it means my baby boy is growing up! We've been taking it very slow, but by the end of February, you should be completely weaned.
Looking at yourself on Mommy's blogYou've been walking all around like a big boy for several months now. The only time I see you crawling is if you're pushing around your little cars. You walk fast these days and you love to explore outside. Usually once we put you down, you do not want to be picked back up! This little display of independence can make shopping a bit of a challenge! Sometimes at the grocery store, you get bored of riding in the cart and want to get down and walk.
Here are some of the new things you've done in the last couple months:
January 3: tried Mexican rice and loved it!
January 8: tried Chinese rice and loved it!
January 9: learned to hold up your finger for ONE when someone asked "how old is Barrett"?
January 11: started clapping...this was one of the few things you didn't do early
January 12: first taste of chicken nugget & first time having milk in your sippy cup
January 16: Mrs. Cheryl came for your monthly PAFT visit. She went through a long check-list of things you were/weren't doing, and had several little games and tests she tried on you...she was very impressed.
January 17: your 1st birthday party at Gigi & Papa's house
January 18: your BIRTHDAY! You were baptized at church
January 20: your 12 month visit to the doctor and shots (you were such a good boy)
January 29: we started your 'sing & sign' class back up
February 2: took you to the doctor because of a spot on your thigh. It ended up being an infection (mild, non-threatening case of the MRSA virus), so you've been on antibiotics to get it out of your system. It was there for about a week and got pretty red, but it never once seemed to bother you. After you started the medicine, it was cleared up in just a few days. I'm still not convinced that's what it was, since the doctor never did any tests...but I'm just glad it's gone.
Just this week I have noticed you using your "words" and sounds a lot more, and repeating things. Your favorite is doggy. Whenever you see a doggy or hear one bark, you say "d0o" If you hear a load car or truck drive by our house during the day you'll point to the window and say "car-car."
You really seem to know what things are now too. If I'm in the bathroom getting ready, I can ask you to go to your room and get a book. You'll go in there, get one off the shelf and bring it back to me. You know that your sippy cup always has water in it, and if I say "where's your water"? You'll stop what you're doing and start looking around for your cup until you find it.
You still absolutely LOVE books!! You got a lot of new ones for your birthday, and I can honestly say we've read each one of them close to 100 times since then!
Last week Gigi and Papa brought you over a new bookshelf for your room! Gigi polished up an old wooden bookshelf that Bapo had made many, many years ago. I am so happ that you have a place for books in your room now, and it's very special to have something Bapo made. You'll find one you like and take it to anyone you can find to read it to you. If someone is sitting on the floor, you'll hand them the book and then turn your back to them, and sit right in their lap. It's so precious! If they're sitting on the couch or in a chair, you'll hand them the book and then rasie your hand up for them to hold you. A couple books will entertain you anywhere we go. You read them anytime you're in your carseat. We still haven't had to take you to the nursery at church, because you just sit on our laps and read.
One of your favorite books, Goodnight Gorilla. You got it from Aunt Christie for your birthday, and we read it all the time!Naptime and bedtime are so easy with you these days. After Mommy feeds you or you have your bottle, we just lay you down in your crib. You just lay there on your back and smile up at us. We hand you your blankie and you love that! You hug it tight. Then we lay George next to you and tell you nite-nite. Usually for naps your lay in there and talk for a little bit, until you fall asleep. But at night, you usually don't make a peep after we leave the room.
Just last week, you started doing one of my favorite things yet!! If I'm sitting on the floor, you will come up and wrap your arms around my neck and give me the sweetest hugs! I love them because they usually last a good 5-10 seconds! You'll lay your little head on my shoulder and even pat my back with your hand! It melts my heart!! Last night you played at home with Daddy while I went to spinning, and when I got home you came right up to me and gave me a big hug! It's so sweet to know you're happy to see me!
Our 2009 has been amazing so far, and I can't wait to see what's next!
We love you Little Bear!
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Justin putting the crib together! 
