After a full year, we still continue to have moments of "wow." "Wow look at our baby." "Wow listen to our baby singing." " Wow look at our baby talking." "Wow look at our baby walking." "Wow look at our baby figure out how to open the cabinet ." "Wow look at our baby smile his toothy smile." "Wow look at our baby who's not so much of a baby anymore."
When we look back on the year some times feel as though they flew by and other times seemed to crawl by slowly. It's never been dull and it's peppered with lots of special times.
Just when we think we have the hang of one stage, he moves into another stage we need to figure out. We think we get good at it, but then there is something new to make us feel like we don't really get it. Yet. Or maybe ever.
Malcolm has been in great health. He eats well, sleeps through the night now, and he loves to play. On the growth chart he's at the 3rd percentile, so a bit short. We've met a few kids who are younger than him and taller than him. It doesn't bother him. He still as smiley as ever showing off his eight teeth. He makes friends with anyone who will smile back to him. He's gotten full tables of people to wave at him when we eat out.
We've had lots of firsts this past month. Malcolm can sign "more" and "milk" which is helpful while we eat. Officially, Malcolm's first word is "car." But we like to think that in his babbles he also says "mamamama" and "dadadada" with as much meaning as he says car.
He says car whenever he sees a car or bike or truck. He usually follows up car with "brrrroom." And when he says car, its often whispered. Of course it's cute. He also will pant like a dog and make monkey noises. He also knows where your nose is and will point it out.
His second word is "hot." He says this whenever we're cooking at the stove or using the oven. I don't think that he understands what is hot and when we stir something cold, he stills says hot. He will also point to the lights and says "on," when he wants to turn the lights on.
His first words were followed by his first steps. Right around his first birthday he decided to move between tables and couches on his own, first taking about three steps and then progressively taking more. Now there isn't anywhere he won't go. He still walks with his hands in the air and he'll take a tumble now and then, but he gets around more quickly every day with his little steps. Which means we have to keep a closer eye on him.
Malcolm also went through another first before he reached his birthday. We discovered he had an inguinal hernia on both sides of his body and needed surgery. It was an outpatient procedure and he did so well. He was basically back to himself after a day or two. His little body healed pretty quickly and his spirits were up by the next day.
Now that Spring is here, we're able to be outdoors again. One recent afternoon when Paul and I were standing in our backyard chatting about our day with Malcolm in his arms, a flock of birds flew overhead. They caught Malcolm's eye and as he watched them fly by he exclaimed, "ahhh." The type of "ahhh" that goes up in pitch because the experience is something new and pretty amazing. Our conversation stopped. And that was our "wow" moment of the day.
He saw pigeons so close to him that if we'd let him, he could have touched them. (Yuck, no.) He found the noisy trains interesting as they roared on the tracks above our heads. And there was no shortage of people watching. Here he thinks he's a big deal walking through the lobby of the Palmer House.
...and kids.
Laura and Mike helped Malcolm get ready for bed. Malcolm was pretty tuckered out by the end of the day and slept all the way home. (As did Papa. I had to down a cup of coffee to make the drive.)
