Blake Everett is 1!

Blake (also known as Blakey first and foremost, followed by the Blakester, Blake-a-roo, and Bubba) turned 1 on April 25th. We had fun celebrating (separate post to come on that)! It really is crazy how quickly the first year goes by, even though there are many nights you wish you had gotten more sleep and days you need a little more coffee :-)

Side by side growth pictures with Blake and his puppy dog: little bitty thing to a bruiser in twelve short months!

He was seen on his birthday (I know, but it was on a Thursday, one of my days off :-) and his numbers are:

28.4 lbs. (>99%), 33 in. (>100%). Our boy is off the charts in size (and cuteness)! He is wearing size 5 shoe and diaper, and 18-24 month clothes. Getting some use out of big bro's outfits from summer 2011!

And one more at the six-months/half-way mark with a proud big brother!

It seems like it was just yesterday we were taking in God's handiwork and staring at him every second we could at the hospital,

And, now, we are still in awe of what a blessing our Blake has been to us (but we can't sit long enough to stare much these days :-) Right now Blake has 5 teeth, with 3 (or more) on their way in!

B is on the MOVE! 

He has moved on from army crawling (and he's quick!)

and often times crawls with something in each hand,

is standing with support like a champ,

and is pulling up on (and pointing to) anything and everything! 

He often gets stuck in the "tripod stance" and has found the stairs...

But still no cruising, so I do not believe walking is in our near future (but hoping it is before July when Brett and I to Guatemala!)

Some fun things about Blake at this age:

• He loves to be sung to (and will even hum in a high-pitch, intonation-like way right along with you as you sing). His favorite songs are, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "Get-Along Little Doggy" especially if it is sung by Daddy while riding like a horsey/getty-up dance, and "Amazing Grace." He will clap his hands when you sing, "If You're Happy and You Know It," and he likes the Sesame Street Beginnings DVD "Make Music Together," just like big bro did at this age.
• He loves to play peekaboo, with lids to boxes, tupperware, you name it :-)

• Loves the outdoors, especially if there is a breeze. New found love just this past week is the sandbox! Oh, and he loves Boomer (as I have mentioned before :-)

Apparently he likes the arms-up pose as seen in both above and below pics! We started cloth diapers this month, and mommy is still learning...

• He loves his nightly (except on Wednesdays) baths. He is fearless and is like a little fish now that he is free of his bath seat!

• Blake is clapping, stacking/nesting (i.e., cleaning up more than making a mess-ha!), waiving, banging objects, pointing, etc. He's got a lot of arm movements he uses every day :-) It's noisy in the Winter's house!

• His favorite activities today are opening kitchen cabinets (we have baby bowls he plays with/stacks), pushing cars, and clanking puzzles/Lego's!

Blake definitely wants to be in the thick of it all with Jameston, who calls him, "Little Buddy."

Blake is also obsessed with markers as of late, probably because they are usually within Jameston's reach, since he is obsessed with coloring. Like big brother, like little brother?

Blake is imitating sounds (words and laughs, more like cackles) and actions (such as drumming and playing violin). Speaking of laughs, his is THE BEST (says his biased mother)! Last week he started motioning like he is feeding us; he will pretend to pinch some food and put it toward your mouth!

He is making the smacking sound for kisses and will make the "vroom" sound when he is pushing cars. He says, but his usage depends on the day, "Dada" "Mama" "Doggie" "Uh-oh" and "Yaya" for Jameston. He is also signing "more," "all-done/finished," and we just started the sign for "milk."

Speaking of milk, we are in the weaning-mode. He is drinking milk like a champ: cold, from a straw cup, no bottle needed (unlike Jameston in this regard)! We have dropped from 4 to 2 nursings in a little over 2 1/2 weeks, and I hope to drop the morning feeding soon (Mommy's leaving town for a few nights this month, so it's gotta happen)! Weaning is just so hard on everyone...he will crawl toward me and try to pull up on my lap when he wants to nurse :-( Also, I am wondering if he has a lactose intolerance though due to some not-so-fun diapers...

So it is no surprise that Blake is a great eater! We have started putting his food on a plate instead of highchair tray (and he is less like to throw it off this way), and he is mainly feeding himself table food/what we are eating unless it is yogurt or applesauce. He LOVES hims some cheese, bananas, pineapples, potatoes, crackers or puffs, avocado, green beans, and anything Italian. He is NOT a fan of brocolli and berries lately (maybe a texture thing)?

Pear cores are great for teething!

Blake will sleep about 10-11 uninterrupted hours at night (yay!!) and still takes two naps most days, although lately he is moving toward an earlier lunchtime and one, long nap after lunch (no!). He is a great napper, though, in that he can nap just about anywhere! Another great characteristic of those second-borns :-)

 He does like his lovey and paci to sleep some nights, and he has fallen asleep on me lately due to another ear infection and him just feeling crummy thanks to the joys of allergies/crazy Texas weather :-(

Blake with his boys:

Jameston is always present for Blake's bedtime routine, which usually consists of one (or two) books, a bible verse, and a song. Blake seems to really like Dr. Seuss's One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (see below) and The Foot Book, and Peter Rabbit's Peekaboo book! Mainly he likes just flipping the pages, and just recently he started pointing to pictures on the pages. Love.

I am so ready for Brett to be home more now that "busy season" is coming to an end, and so are the boys! Daddy and the backyard: Blake's fave person (because he throws him in the air :-) and fave place (probably because Boomer is out there)!

My two helpers in the kitchen!

As probably most second-borns are, Blake is really a content, laid-back little dude. His main cares in the world seems to be playing with big bro and eating. He is so content (most of the time) that he even lets us put hats and mustaches on him (this was for Easter/3&1/2 and 1 year photo shoot-post to come). Ha!

We love our Blake-a-roo and thank God for him every day! Cant wait to see what his second year has in store for him and us :-)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bluebonnets '13

For my birthday (a Saturday), Brett asked me what I wanted to do. Because of his distaste for taking "posey" pictures, I said I wanted to go take pics in a nearby bluebonnet field. One in the win column for me thanks to my dear husband agreeing (with little grumbling :-) The field known for it's annual blooms was a little trampled on by the 20th. Can't wait til next year :-)

Me and my boys (since we waited for the sunset timeframe, Blake was not impressed/i.e., ready for bed)

My handsome fellas!

 Ready, set, went!

"Mom, can you run with me?!"

To be a 3-year-old without a care in the world!

So blessed!

 Our sweet, precious and laid-back little (okay, big little) dude:

Hair is (finally) getting thicker! And curlier. Hence the long locks!

 Blake watching the bigger guys run about. Next year, bud!

Like I said, bedtime

Blake and the bluebonnet

 Really into "sharing" whatever he gets and handing it to me. Love

Hair blowin' in the wind

 My fave of him to this date

 Unimpressed, Daddy

Now you're talking!

Jameston's turn

Higher!

Daddy is SO much fun!

To Blake, on your 1st birthday

Dear Blake Everett,

You will be ONE tomorrow! The last twelve months have flown by at a record pace, it seems. You entered this world quickly, so I guess it is only fitting. It is so hard to believe it has been an entire since you were born---but it is even harder to remember how life was before you joined our crew.

Our family of four is my greatest accomplishment and definitely my biggest blessings in life. It has been a trying year, and I am sure we will fill you in on all of it some day when you are much older. Without a doubt, you and your big brother have been our rays of sunshine through it all. We thank God for our healthy boys! 

You look so small in these pictures. It really is amazing to see how much babies grow in just one year!

You and Jameston started out and have remained the best of buds. It gives me such joy seeing you two interact and grow in your relationship so much already, even this early on. You do squabble over toys and books some, but it is normally short-lived, with one of you getting distracted by something else. 

Jameston is loving teaching you all about cars, sports, animals puzzles, etc. these days. You always try to get his attention, and he is your favorite person. I love how much you two love each other!

A close-second favorite of yours? Boomer. You love that dog and are always on the lookout for him when we are at home! You kick your feet when you hear his dog tags jingling and when you get close enough to pet him. And he is pretty smitten with you as well. SO glad you and Jameston have gotten to know our dog. He is getting up there in age, so I am very thankful he has been with us this long to meet our boys!

You are a Daddy's boy, indeed, and light up instantly when you hear his voice. He can makes you smile like no one else.

He is SO MUCH FUN, so there's no hard feelings from Mommy there :-) And the feeling is mutual, as Daddy can't get enough of his boys!

Your smile is infectious and the best in the world (I know I'm partial! I often thumb through my phone pictures when I am at work just to get a glimpse of those sweet dimples when I am away from you boys).

 Instant melting from me when I see it! Miight be hard for me to be a straight-faced disciplinarian when we get to that point :-)

And you have been making the CUTEST nose scrunch that I have been lucky enough to capture with the camera. Hilarious and so, so cute all in the same! You have just started to laugh when others do and try to get others to laugh alongwith you. And you will keep laughing and laughing until you are worn out. LOVE it!

Blakey,

It is impossible to sum up how much we love you and how much joy you bring us! CANNOT wait to see you grow and change over this next year! We are so blessed to be your parents. God is so good to us!  We love you THIS much (said little Nutbrown Hare, one of your big brother's favorite books to read you :-) 

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and your "Bubby" Jameston

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