Cooper singing "ABC"

Campbell's version of "ABC"

Finley is One!

Finley is one...

     My baby is already one?  Where has the last year gone?  He is a walking, talking, playful toddler.  There I said it.  He is a toddler.  Phew.  That was a tough one.  Just a year ago we were holding this sweet little bundle.  Now we are watching him turn into an independant, little, person.

Finley is doing everything he can to keep up with his brothers.   He wants to feed himself.  The only way he lets me feed him is when the food is off of my plate.  Otherwise, he wants to pick it up and feed himself.  (I think that this is why he skipped baby food.) He started walking at 10 months.  He doesn't want you to hold his hand.  He wants to walk ahead of you all by himself. 

     He is talking so well.  We will be having a conversation and hear him repeat words or phrases.  We all look at eachother and say "Did you hear him?".  One morning he woke up and looked at his Daddy and said "Daddy get up."  Should a 1 year old be putting words together like that? It's all happening so fast! 

He has a number of words in his regular vocabulary:

"Me", "mine", "daddy", "momma", "Alex" (he makes such an effort to get the "x" sound.  so cute.), "down", "kitty", "get you" (while being chased around by Daddy), "hello"...

He says hello a like Elmer Fudd. "Hewooo!"  His JanJan recently gave him a little keyboard with a microphone.  He uses his "monster voice" whenever he talks into the microphone.  It's so funny.  He will say "hewooo" in the sweetest baby voice but give the boy a microphone and he becomes scary Finley!

     Fin loves to brush his teeth.  As soon as I walk to my bathroom sink he starts saying "Me? Me? Me?"  If I don't respond quickly he says it louder and louder until he has his toothbrush in hand.

    He has really started coming into his own.  He is beginning to react when you take him away from something he wants.  He knows how to arch his back and scream in protest.  Is this instinctual for babies or do they learn it from eachother?  All of my boys have pulled this maneuver on me! 

     His first birthday was a lot of fun.  The whole family came over and helped us celebrate.  When it was time for his cake he didn't hesitate for a second before sticking his hands in the icing.  He picked the whole cake up and had fun making a mess!

  

    My little Finley has been the best baby and the last year has been so much fun with him.  I love that he is always discovering something new.  He will lay on the floor and look up at the room around him in wonder.  Then he is off and running again.  He is happy playing alone and even happier toddling after the twins.  He has taken a few beatings from them but they love their little brother.  Last night Campbell, Cooper, Fin, and I were sitting on the couch and I was trying to get him to sleep.  Cooper and Campbell sang "Baby Mine" with me and he went right to sleep.  It was one of the sweetest moments that I have had as a mom.  Cooper was really close to his cheek sort of whispering the words and Campbell was holding his hand.  When we were done singing and he closed his eyes both of the boys gave him a kiss.  The part that made it even sweeter is that I didn't prompt them to sing or kiss him.  They just did it.  It's one of those moments that I want to remember and hold on to.  If I could time travel I would revisit that momemt over and over again.