Blake's 12th month

Blake is one!
Originally uploaded by Robin's Nest3

To Blake:

It's hard to believe that it was just twelve months ago that you entered the world. To us, it seems like you have always been a part of our family.

The last month has been a whirlwind for all of us. The bulk of the month was taken up with Christmas and all the fixing's. We managed to keep you from toppling the Christmas tree this year, although you liked to sneak past the giant rubbermaid container we kept in the living room to block it off. You started getting smarter after a few tries and would crawl around to the back of the tree to play with the ornaments. This gave you a precious few more seconds before I could move the plastic container and reach around to drag you out, which you thought was hilarious.

For you, Christmas itself was very much about the boxes and the paper. You loved the toys, of course, but ripping through the piles of paper and boxes left over in the living room was much more fun.

You have become decidedly more mobile in the last weeks and have now turned your skills to opening and closing the doors in the kitchen. The lock is on the doors under the sink, but everything else is fair game right now as we can't get the locks to fit. So, as we have an open concept floor plan, this means that I'm constantly listening for the tell-tale banging of doors. Once you figure out that you can get away with this if you're quiet, I'm not sure what we'll do.

Your other big fun lately has been pulling your sister's hair. Faith used to be fairly patient about the hairpulling, but now she just gets ticked off. Until today, I thought you were just pulling it accidentally, but this afternoon you cruised right over to her and yanked on her hair. Just to see what she would do. Oh goody.

She does like helping to teach you to walk though. Faith and I spend time each day letting you try to walk back and forth between us. The first time you actually took a step was on January 7th and I'm not sure who was more surprised, Faith or I. You just thought it was funny. Now, you're up to about four steps, but they are pretty wobbly still. When you're crawling around, however, you never just stop. You have to fall back on one knee with the other foot on the ground. It looks like you're about to stand up or race away. To me, this means you're getting ready to just jump up one day and start walking on your own.

The biggest change this month in our lives has been my return to work on January 7th. I'm off in the mornings by 6:30 so Daddy gets to experience the craziness that is the morning routine. You guys drop Faith off at school and our sitter, Karen, picks you up at the school as well. So far, you've sailed into the new routine with no problems, other than scaring Karen with the copious amounts of food you eat during one meal. When we get home at 3:00, you practically jump out of my arms to crawl into the living room and make sure everything is still the same. Then you usually crawl back over to me so I'll pick you up and give you some lovin'.

Our first year has flown by. I can't wait to see what the next one brings.

Love,
Mommy

Blake turned one today!

Just a few pictures from Blake's first birthday. It got a little messy around here but we had fun!
Like Faith when she was little, Blake loves spaghetti...we just don't have it very often because it takes longer to clean up the mess than it does for him to eat it in the first place.

Faith and I made cupcakes for Blake's birthday after we got home today. Blake enjoyed the experience of gooey icing and crumbly cake.


And then, we had to do the clean-up.....

Early mornings

Since I've gone back to work, Faith has decided that George's version of the morning routine is not as good as mine. So, we've been having a few adjustment issues. So far, these have manifested as her getting up in the middle of the night to tell me she can't sleep and needs me to "snuggle with her", and then waking up at 6:00 in the morning to have breakfast with me. Although I enjoy talking with her before I leave for work, I don't enjoy the cranky creature that emerges at the end of the day from lack of sleep.

Thinking back, it took about two weeks for her to like the way I did the morning routine when I took over from George when I started mat leave, so I'm taking the "this too shall pass philosophy". And, putting her to bed earlier.

Oh...and Blake so far could care less. He seems pretty happy to get a different place to play every day. Plus, he's getting a better menu at the sitters than at our place. I mean, he's had homemade cheese bread for goodness sake!

When did she get so tall?

Faith has her first skating field trip of the year tomorrow, to be followed in quick succession by two more. So, we tried on her hand-me-down skates to make sure she was actually going to be able to squeeze into them at the arena. They fit OK, but when she stood up in the laundry room on her shiny white skates, I was blown away by how tall she actually is. Yes, I am short, but I don't think Faith will be hit with the same genetic twist. According to a parenting site I visit, they predicted that she would be 5'6". So, I'm fairly sure that I will be the shrimp in the family. What else is new?

A big step for Blake

All boxed up
Originally uploaded by Robin's Nest3

Yesterday, January 8th, Blake took his first step! Faith and I have been practicing with him so he takes turns walking to one of us while the other "spots" him. Until yesterday, we had just gotten him to stand by himself, but he always knelt down when he actually wanted to move towards one of us.

Not yesterday though. It was my first day back to work yesterday, which went well, and the kids and I were just hanging out after supper waiting for George to come home when Faith and I tried our walking "coaching" with Blake. To our huge surprise, when Faith let go of him, he took a step towards me! Yippee! Of course, he hasn't done it since, but it's only the beginning.

I have no idea why we want him to walk as it only means he can get into more things. Today he tried to climb up our bookcase upstairs...twice! In all the years we owned it, Faith never tried to climb the thing once. Blake got near it for the first time today and immediately found a foothold. I shudder to think what he would do if we left him alone with Uncle Duncan for a weekend trip. Duncan would have him climbing boulders in a couple of days!

A quiet moment over the holidays

Working on Alandra's new craft (1)
Originally uploaded by Robin's Nest3

Alandra and Faith were enthralled with Alandra's new "sticky mosaics" fairies, a craft that we gave her for Christmas. It involves placing brightly colored square stickers on numbers representing different colors to create pictures of fairies. The result is pretty cool, and even better was how long it kept their attention! :)

Future driver

This is great
Originally uploaded by Robin's Nest3

Blake loved pushing his new dump truck around but loved getting rides from Faith even more.

Mom and daughter

Mom and daughter
Originally uploaded by Robin's Nest3

Allyson and Logan posed for this very cute picture on Boxing Day at the parents place.

Eating potatoes

Eating potatoes (1)
Originally uploaded by Robin's Nest3

For some reason, George decided that he should teach Blake how to eat raw potatoes on Christmas day. Like father, like son or something like that. Blake took to the whole project as it involved him eating and he is always up for that. Personally I found the whole thing gross, but it did make for some interesting pictures.

Trying to get a picture of all three grandchildren

Trying to get a picture of all three grandchildren
Originally uploaded by Robin's Nest3

This was my attempt to get a picture of Logan, Faith and Blake with Grampa and Gramma. Of the 17 pictures I did take, this one had the highest average of people with their eyes open, not crying and sort of looking at the camera. And Duncan wondered why I took so many when he did just 4. :)

Losing her third tooth

Losing her third tooth
Originally uploaded by Robin's Nest3

Faith finally let us (i.e. me) pull out her top tooth. The thing was wiggly for weeks until she had a meltdown at dinner saying that she was afraid she was going to swallow her tooth so she didn't want it to fall out, but she didn't want us to pull it out either. A real conundrum.

After about half an hour of drama (which seemed like six), she let me yank the sucker out. After all the carrying on, it came right out with no problem and the tears were over instantly. I just can't wait until the next one is loose.

Pretty in pink

Pretty in pink
Originally uploaded by Robin's Nest3

To continue on a theme, these are the fashionable gifts that Aunt Donna got for the girls this year. Ava is sporting a hat and mitts with large, puffy pinks hearts and fur, while Faith has the matching scarf and slippers. The girls looked very cute in their flashy pink outfits, and would fit right in on a flamingo farm.

Actually, the girls always like their Aunt Donna gifts as they are colorful and flamboyant and perfect for little girls. Well, except for the dreadlock hat from a few years ago. That was just too scary for words.

Aunt Donna outdid herself with this one

Aunt Donna outdid herself with this one
Originally uploaded by Robin's Nest3

Each year, George's Aunt Donna tries to impart her fashion wisdom to the kids. This year was Blake's first taste of what's to come, and if this is the beginning, I shudder...I mean look forward...to think what Donna will come up with in years to come. Although you can't see it in this picture, the hat comes with a pair of matching gloves. With monkeys. And pink fur.