We've Got a Toddler!

We had a really fun time celebrating Joshua's first birthday.  He and the big kids ate "chocolate bread" for breakfast (i.e. Nutella on toast).  Since he absolutely loves the water, the necessary bath was an extra perk, and he played for a good while before we walked Abby to preschool.  Jonathan was excited to play with Joshua (as opposed to starting school work right away!) when we returned before Joshua went down for his nap. 



After Abby's preschool, the four of us went to a local indoor play area.  I just realized how much Joshua has changed in the past 2 weeks!  Though he was walking, he was still crawling quite a bit too, and prone to put things in his mouth, so a park wouldn't have been such a fun play day for the little guy.  It's just two weeks later now, and he's on his feet non-stop and spent hours with us in the backyard yesterday without chewing on leaves!

He had a blast at the play ground, sliding, bouncing, and toddling around. 

When David got home we opened presents and had a dinner of baked mac and cheese, a favorite of both Joshua and Jonathan.

And then, of course, it was time for the cupcakes Jonathan and Abby had decorated during Joshua's afternoon nap! 

It was so fun to see him really enjoy his day, and just as fun to see how excited Jonathan and Abby were to celebrate with him.  They were so thoughtful to consider what he'd most enjoy all day long.  As we said bedtime prayers that night, Jonathan prayed, "And please help us sleep well tonight, so we can wake up and play with our new one-year-old tomorrow!" 

In the weeks since, Joshua has fully embraced toddlerhood!  He toddles around, so adorable in his diaper!  Since he started walking, he immediately became more comfortable playing on his own near me, rather than riding around on my hip nonstop.

It's fun to see him exploring and enjoying the world around him,

and he's keeping me on my toes as he empties drawers of clothes, shelves of books, and bins of fruit in a few seconds flat. 

He signs "please" and "all done" and nods "no." It's amazing how much you can communicate with those alone!  It's both funny and frustrating to load the veggies onto his plate and have him look up at me and shake his head "no" with a deadpan "nope, no way, don't try" expression!  Though he's a bit pickier an eater than his brother and his sister were, he has a good appetite and still fits in a reasonable variety.

 

Of course, we love hearing him say "Mama" and "Dada," and he definitely knows my dad as "Papa." He'll often get out "Nana" when we talk to Nonnie on the phone, but his favorite word by far is "Baaaaaaah!" for ball.  He's as excited about balls as Abby was at his age, and we've already had the amusement of watching him try to collect three balls in his little hands that can only hold two.  Each time he picks up a third, one of the original pair falls to the ground.... It can keep a toddler occupied for a good 5 minutes, and that's saying something.

Joshua also says "A-doh" for "all-done," "uh-oh" in a sing-song voice to say either "I dropped something" or "Look at what I threw on the floor," "Vvvvvvvvrrrrrrr" for "vroom / car," and "buh" for "book."  I still think the cutest is watching him wave and say "buh-bye" with that southern drawl that somehow all my children acquire as toddlers!  His pediatrician also insisted he said "mooo" when she showed him a cow last week, but I haven't tried that one again to see. 

I love each of these kids more than I ever imagined I could, but what makes my heart sing more than anything is watching them together.  Jonathan and Abby were very excited to get behind the camera and call Joshua while I captured the shots of him toddling around in his diaper.  They were also eager to play with him themselves and have pictures of each of them with him. 

And this sweet little guy wanted a shot of himself with Mommy.  I treasure those shots, too!