12 months old and counting....

There's no place, not one,

that my love can't find you. 

And if someday your lonely,

Or someday your sad,

Or you strike out at baseball, 

or think you've been bad....

Just lift up your face, feel the wind in your hair. 

That's me, my sweet baby, my love is right there. ---Nancy Tillman

Where in the world has this year gone? It seems like just last month you were still curled up safely in my belly digging your tiny ankles into my rib cage. And just yesterday you were wearing tiny newborn clothes that were falling off of you. I still remember being terrified the first night you were home with us without nurses to help....you were so small, so defenseless and we were so inexperienced and nervous. It seemed you could break or stop breathing at any moment. 

Now I look at the toddler that you have quickly become. You are a long way from the tiny, fragile newborn with your pot belly and thigh rolls. You are all boy that's for sure with your tackling pillows, growling, and rough housing. Your environment of choice is outside getting dirty and your go-to toys are balls or trucks. 

You have blessed your daddy and I and you have made our lives better in every conceivable way. Busier, Messier, Louder, Sweeter, and Funnier!!! I thank God every day for allowing me to be your mommy. What an amazing plan He has!!!! Being a mommy also means that I worry endlessly about you so I also pray daily for your health, safety, and happiness!  And although I am sad at how quickly you are growing up, I am so excited to see every new trick you learn and watch your personality emerge!! We love you Braxton Cole and I promise my love will follow you anywhere you go!!

The Facts: You are getting so so big. You weigh 20.02 lbs (10%) now and measure 28.5 inches long (15%). Your head circumference is 18.75 inches which is still in the 75%. You got pretty sick again this month with Roseola. The fever passed pretty quick but the rash lingered for over a week.
Eating: You now have 7 teeth which makes chewing way easier. You finished out your first year having 5 bottles daily along with eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You also have a mid morning and mid afternoon snack at school. You are generally a really good eater but you do not like bread, noodles, or mashed potatoes.
Routine: Daycare really changed up our routine this month because they cut you down to one midday nap. During the week we wake you up around 6:30 even though you would like to sleep until 7. You have breakfast with daddy and then mommy gets you dressed and cleaned up. Daddy takes you to school at 7:30. 

Your school routine is snack around 8:30, playtime outside, lunch around 10:30, nap from 11-1, and then afternoon snack. Mommy picks you up from school at 6 and you almost always take a nap on the drive home. DD now picks you up on Tuesdays around 3 so you have lots of playtime at home! We eat dinner around 6:30 followed with bathtime. We generally play in our pjs until 8 and then it's storytime and milk time in your chair.

What you are doing: I absolutely love watching you accomplishing milestones and discovering new tricks!!!

• Standing independently alot
• Pushing anything and everything 
• Pointing at everything
• Drinking water from a sippy with a straw
• Opening cabinets and getting into everything
• Climbing into the dishwasher
• First steps on August 30th
• Saying: Ma-Ma, Da-Da, Bye-Bye, Dis (this), Uh-Oh, Rooo (Vroom)
• Tricks: waving bye-bye, clapping with "happy and you know it", hand signals with "5 little monkeys swinging in a tree", "How big is Braxton", "What do the piggies say", blowing kisses, giving kisses, and white boy dancing to any music

Things you like: playing outside, trucks, balls, water

Things you dislike: diaper changes, nose sucking, finger nail clipping

Big events: Vacation to the beach, First haircut August 30th, and First Hog game