One Year Check Up

Happy Guy

According to his recent one year check up, our one year old peanut is pleasantly average in size. He's 2'7" (31") tall, which is around the 75th percentile. He weighs 23 pounds and 9 ounces, which is around the 55th percentile. His head circumference is 47 cm, which is around the 65th percentile.

Developmentally, Anders is at such a fun age. He gives great kisses, waves and says "bu bye" (but usually after people leave the house), and also says uh-oh, mama, woah, and ball, and points really hard at whatever he wants. When we're getting coats and shoes on to leave the house, he gets excited and waves and says "bu bye." He's still not walking, but he's standing on his own and will take a few steps with encouragement.

Along for the ride on the pier

So far Anders seems like a little more of a "boy's boy" than Isaac. He doesn't play with stuffed animals the way Isaac always has--he prefers balls (especially his left over birthday balloons!) and loves playing with cars and trucks. He even makes a "vroom vroom" sound. He also loves building towers with blocks and then knocking them over, a skill that emerged this week. His sound effects are hilarious--a quiet, "Do, do" as he builds and then a raucous laugh or scream as he suddenly knocks them over.

He loves touch-and-feel or lift-the-flap books. When we get to one page that has fruit on it, he makes little eating sounds. And when we get to a page with a ball, he gets really excited and points with both hands to the ball while exclaiming "ball! ball!"

"I know, I know, I'm adorable!"

Probably Anders's two favorite things to do are look out the window and climb. He still thinks it's hilarious to climb the stairs until we come get him down. Yesterday I found him standing on on top of a little chair with dirt on his face and hands--he had reached one of our little jiffy pots where we planted our herbs. I guess that basil's not going to make it.

Anders is officially weaned now. Last week was the last time I nursed him. Often when I talk to other women about nursing, they say something like, "Yeah, I nursed my kids, but I'm not one of those women who loved it." I guess I am one of those women who loved it. Not that it was always the staring-into-each-others'-eyes bliss that some advertising seems to suggest, but I did feel good about it.

Climbing a sculpture near the beach
(and eating a snack to tide him over for the ride home)

I know anyone who struggled with it is going to hate me for this, but nursing came really easy to me. I attribute my lack of complications to:
1. Optimism--when the going got tough, I just never questioned that I would figure it out eventually.
2. Support--with a mom, mother-in-law, and friends who all nursed their babies, I had good peer pressure. Plus my mom was a labor and delivery nurse for a long time, so she knew what she was talking about!
3. Conducive physiology--I always had a good supply, and those times that it dwindled, I could rebuild it in a day or two.
4. Good nursers--both boys latched with no problem and I therefore never had the pain associated with a bad latch.

If I weren't about to go on a missions trip, I probably would have kept nursing Anders for another month or two. What I miss about it right now is knowing with certainty that he is getting some great nutrition through what I can provide for him. I feel so blessed that I don't have to miss the closeness of nursing because Anders is such a snuggle bug. Now instead of nursing him, I get to rock him as he snuggles his head against my shoulder, which is heavenly.

I can't wait for this summer with the boys--Anders will probably be down to one nap and walking, so he'll be at the perfect age for playing in the yard, at the park, and of course at the beach!

I love my boy!

Loving on Blankie