Happy 1st Birthday Colton!

My little CoJo,
Happy Birthday my little man! I can’t believe it has been one year since you became a part of our family…this year has gone by way too fast!

While we always said that we wanted four kids, you were actually quite a surprise. And I love that because with my type A personality, I didn’t think I’d ever get a surprise baby! The timing of everything from the pregnancy to your birth was the farthest from ideal, but looking back it’s easy to see how it all worked out perfectly and obviously God had everything planned out!

One year ago today I was in a hospital bed chilling watching The Early Show. A big snow storm was coming into Columbus and we kept looking out the window waiting for the snow to start! Things progressed so quickly I was so worried that my doctor would not get there in time, but thankfully she did! You could have been born at 12 something, but we wanted to try for 1:11 to keep with the 1/11/11 theme :) But unfortunately you were a big boy, and your shoulders got stuck and it was a little scary for a few moments. Thankfully you finally arrived…at 1:12 :( Stupid nurse ;) You were so bruised! I’ve never seen a baby so bruised…that was so hard for you! I was glad that you were a boy because I really loved the name “Colton” and was so glad that we would get to use it. Kylie was not so happy that you were a boy – but thankfully, now a year later, she has adjusted and realized the benefits to being the only girl.

The past year has brought a lot of new experiences with you…a hospital stay for RSV at five weeks, delayed circumcision at around 3 months, reflux, sleeping through the night until about 3 ½ months old, so many teeth at once (top four came in at the same time!), “crawling” (really army crawling) at 7 months, and complete defiance when it comes to climbing up the stairs :)

You are such a laid-back baby and always content. Once we got you on the medicine for reflux you were such a happy baby! And we were able to take you off that medicine when you were 8 months old, so now you are completely fine! You smile at us, you make funny faces and you like to laugh…although not as much as the other kids did – it’s hard to get a belly laugh out of you.

You are really crawling now (you will sometimes drop and army crawl if you want to get somewhere quickly), you pull yourself up on everything, you are a good climber, and you will cruise along the furniture if you want to get somewhere. You still aren’t really showing any signs of wanting to walk by yourself at all.

You clap, wave “hi” and “good-by,” you make kissing sounds and have just started blowing kisses (but you put your whole hand in your mouth and pull it out), and you put your hand up in the hair and point your finger round and round when I ask you what a fan does. With the clapping, there was one time I was nursing you and watching a talk show and when they started clapping, you had to stop eating and clap too…such a pain in the butt!

As for words you are really doing well! You say “hi,” “nigh-night,” “mommy,” “momma,” “daddy,” “dadda,” “Kyie,” “sissy,” and “baby.” You are such a babbler, and you always try to copy what we’re saying, so I know that it’s only a matter of time before you will be talking up a storm! Good thing we’re not used to a quiet house :)

As for eating and sleeping, you are great in one department and we’re working on the other :) You eat everything! You have never not liked something I’ve given you, whether it’s been baby food or table food. At this point you are eating mostly table food…last night it was chicken and broccoli. Pretty much whatever we eat, I cut up super tiny for you and you go to town! Of course you’re a mess, but you’re learning :) I nurse you 2 – 3 times per day. Daddy is working hard to get you to sleep through the night. So I feed you before you go to bed, and then you get up and we just put your paci back in and turn the music on – you’ve been doing OK at this :) Then I nurse you again around 6:00 AM when you wake up, and then you go back to sleep until 7:30 or 8:00.

You are such a sweet little baby – I love you so much! I can’t imagine what our life would be like without you and I’m so glad that God’s plans override ours! Clearly he knew how much we needed you and how happy you would make us. Thank you for being such an adorable little boy!

Happy First Birthday!
Love,
Mommy

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