Hank the Tank: 1 year old

Henry had his 12 month well visit last week.  I was both looking forward to and dreading the appointment.  I was excited to learn how big he was (and confirm my sneaking suspicion that his weight was the cause of my lower back pain) and also dreading the million vaccinations and talking to his doctor.

My feelings were spot on.  But we will focus on the negative in another post.

We learned that Henry is 25 lb 8.5 oz and 31 inches long (that's 95th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height).  A tank indeed.

{Cotton is photo-bombing}

Here are some other updates on the Hank-ster:

-  Other than the few steps he took on accident, Henry hasn't started walking.  Although he totally could.  He's got standing on his own down.  And his balance is pretty spot on.  Any day now.

-  One of his favorite activities is to climb up the stairs.  And for that very reason, we installed a baby gate to make sure he can't reach the stairs.  I love it.  I never thought I would be so excited about baby gates, but I think they are the best baby-related item we have ever purchased.  Maybe I'm exaggerating.  Maybe not.

-  He is definitely talking.  One of the main words he says is "Mom".  He'll reach for me and say, "MOM!"  It's cute and strange at the same time.  I kind of wish he would have called me "mama" at least for a little while before switching to "Mom".  He might as well call me Natalie, it sounds so formal.

-  We are starting to try and move away from baby food and more towards real food for Henry.  I love this for a couple of reasons: (1) it is so much easier to just feed him what we are eating and (2) baby food is NOT CHEAP!  So far, his favorite foods are sweet potatoes, blueberries, cheese, black beans, bread, cheerios, pears, peaches, and bananas.  We are struggling with meat a little, but I think it's the texture that bothers him.

-  He LOVES books.  Most of the time, he just sits on the floor next to his books and flips through them.  Grandma Janney is probably so proud.  :)

{Fox in Socks is one of his favorites.  I almost have it memorized}

-  I once heard that if a baby is fussy, you should always put them in water.  Well that advice couldn't be more perfect for Henry.  If the kid is fussy, bath time will instantly change his mood for the better.  We will definitely be investing in a kid pool for him for the summer.  I have my eye on a couple different ones from Target.  I just need to pull the trigger and purchase one.

-  Still only the two bottom teeth, but I think the top ones will be making their appearance any day now.  At least I hope so because he has been CRANKY.  He will look so cute with more teeth, I can't wait!!


I could go on and on about this little guy, but I will stop here.  Obviously we are fond of the little dude.  He's kind of a big deal in our house.  :)