Oh-Bla-Di

And, just like that, he turned one.

More from the first birthday party tomorrow….

After our friends stopped through town on their way to Edwards last month, we quickly packed up our things and took off for the local mountain.  Matt, Ava, & I had been camping in this same spot a couple of years earlier and, now that no one in our family was pregnant or newborn, it was high time to take Noah on his first camping trip!

We got to Mt. Charleston at about 2:30pm and had our campsite all set up by about 4pm.  Since we bring everything but the kitchen sink and the toys, we’re still a car-camping family.    But, while I kept Noah occupied with snacks and took photos, Matt and his little helper got us all squared away.

New cots for the tent…hooray for easy camping sleeping.

Once we were all set up, we packed up our backpacks and hit the trail for a quick hike before dinner.  Although Ava generally loves to hike, this trail was too flat to keep her attention and the whining about being hungry started almost immediately.  Needless to say, we didn’t make it very far down the trail before we turned back to return to the campsite.

Ava’s carrying her own water in a pack these days.  Such a big girl!

Since we packed in hurry for this trip, we kept it simple for dinner.  Noah got his standard quesadilla and some puree, and we got campfire roasted hotdogs.  Add some Cheetos and we quickly had a campsite full of very happy people.

Pardon  the dirt…this is what little girls who play with charred wood found in a “fort” look like.

By the time the sun started to sink beneath the trees, we were already getting chilly.  One of the greatest draws of Mt. Charleston is the difference in temperature between there and the Las Vegas Valley.  Our house was 103 degrees when we left on Friday afternoon, and it was about 75 degrees at dinner time on the mountain.  Overnight, temperatures dipped to about 45 degrees…we were grateful for all the blankets we had packed!  Sleep that night was a bit fitful since the kind folks at the next campsite over decided it would be awesome to maintain their campfire by chopping at a tree all night.  With no real sense of time, I think they must have chopped sporadically for at least four hours, but it was probably a lot less than that.  However, when camping with children and staying awake late due to noisy neighbors, one can always be assured payback will come with the morning light.  And, indeed, we were up with the sun.

Can you see Ava?

Because we only planned to stay the one night, we packed up our stuff shortly after breakfast to maximize our morning hiking time.  We left just enough to maintain our space for a picnic lunch after a hike, but got mostly cleared up.  We hiked the Robber’s Roost trail and it was quite the adventure.  Lots of rock scrambling…just like Ava prefers.

Ava’s become such a proficient hiker.  We talk a lot about making safe choices and thinking about where to place our feet.  She could probably coach me through a tough one now.  Noah loves his backpack and does pretty well about keeping his hand and face inside the casing so he doesn’t get smacked by a tree.  And, I don’t know how Matt does what he does on the rocks with that baby strapped to his back…I think he burns more calories than all of us put together!  One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most about these excursions is the rocks.  I think I maybe missed a calling life to be a geologist…so many stories right there in the side of a mountain.  Very cool stuff.

After our hike, we had a quick PBJ picnic lunch back at the campsite and then loaded up the van to head home.  This was a great test case to try out camping with two kiddos.  I see it happening again often for us…especially once Noah is walking.  More fun adventures ahead!

I’m in total denial that in fewer than 14 days Noah will be a year old. My boss was commenting yesterday that his party was coming up in two weeks and I about fell over. Because, his birthday party? It’s actually on his birthday. I can’t even believe it’s possible that it’s been nearly a year ago that Noah really joined our family.

Remember this?

That was 355 days ago. And, now, our little munchkin looks like this.

It’s always so striking to me how, when your babies are newly born, it’s such a mystery what they might look like when they grow up. But, it’s all right there in their little faces. Now that I see an 11 month old Noah, of course I can see him in his newborn photos…of course that’s Noah’s face.

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By the way, that grown up boy there on the right? He was looking at me. And that smile? That’s the one that melts my heart, because little dude is one of the sweetest kiddos I’ve ever met.

And now, to document all that sweetness for posterity, a little list. At 11 months, Noah…

:: is eating table food! Make this kid a quesadilla and he is one happy camper. A fave lately is black beans, cheddar cheese, a shmear of pumpkin (gotta sneak in those veggies), and some finely chopped chicken. Noah also eats veggies like they’re going out of style. Peas & carrots and lima beans are faves.

:: is still a pretty great spoon feeder. He still eats a full bowl of oatmeal + veggies every day and a full bowl of whole milk yogurt.

:: has been off formula since we ran out a week and a half ago. The switch to whole milk was super easy, although we also switched him to a cup during the day. Now, he drinks 8oz in the morning and evening from a bottle and then gets what he’ll take from a cup during the day.

:: has six teeth (four on top and two on the bottom) and I think he’s cutting a couple more on the top.

:: hasn’t been to the doctor since he had tubes placed in July. What a relief to finally have a healthy kid! He actually had a cold a couple of weeks ago and we didn’t have to go see Dr. Faro. Big, big believer in those ear tubes. Amen.

:: is flirting with walking. I’m no longer convinced that he’ll be walking by his birthday, but he’s starting to get frustrated at being sort of immobile. I think he wants to walk, but is totally going to do it on his own timetable. I’m learning over and over again with this kiddo that he’ll do things when he’s darn good and ready…no point in rushing or pushing.

:: loves to read Goodnight Moon and Pat the Bunny at bedtime. He thinks it’s hilarious to put his finger through Mummy’s ring, but kind of has to be coaxed into touching Daddy’s scratchy face.

:: loves stuffed animals. He holds them right up to his face and gives them hugs. So sweet.

:: knows that giraffes are for him. Any size, any color scheme, any type…giraffes are this little guy’s favorite thing. I really, really love this since the very first thing I bought for our new baby was Sophie, the teething giraffe. Also, the gift Ava chose for Noah on the way to the hospital with Sarah was a giraffe…and that one is now his sleeping buddy. Also…his name is Noah…and we didn’t know it when we started picking giraffes!! Blows my mind and his love for them melts my heart.

:: also loves talking on the phone! One of his favorite games is to pull out a toy phone, hold it up to his ear and say, “Yah, yah.” So cute!

:: still enjoys swimming and floating in his ladybug, but is starting to get antsy to get out on his own. Next year is going to be super fun for the little guy.

:: LOVES music. This kid has a great sense of rhythm, loves to play the piano, has amazing coordination with drumsticks, and hears even the faintest of music. Good thing we are never in short supply of tunes to share or instruments to play.

:: has a weird fascination with sitting in chairs. He thinks he’s really hot stuff when you help set him in one of the kids’ chairs in the playroom or my old red rocker. Works out for us since a Nod chair is going to be his birthday present from Mommy & Daddy.

:: still gives the BEST hugs ever. Two little arms wrapped around your neck, a full body press, and pats on the back. I just soak those up.

Though my heart breaks a little every time I think of him being a year old, I’m so in love with who this baby of ours is becoming. All too soon, we’ll be back with birthday photos!

Summer in Vegas is HOT!  And HOT means lots of pool time.  Since we keep our pool fairly warm (to ward off the chills when the dry air meets skin while above water), it’s perfect for baby’s first swim.  Lucky for us, Noah (the chillest baby ever) loves the pool and to ride around in his ladybug floatie.

Doozers is perfectly content to kick his little legs and chew on diving rings for the hour or two we all float along with him.  Throw in a cup of water and a binky and he’d probably stay there all day.  The first few times we pulled on the swim diaper and suit, he kicked his legs like crazy to fight it off; now, though, I think he knows that swimsuits mean a pretty good time and he’s quite cooperative!

Of course, Noah’s had a great example set for him by his part-fish big sister.  Ava’s down to just water wings and has become a pro at swimming with her face in the water and jumping from the edges.

Seriously, with all that gear, how could she not be a great swimmer?    She wears goggles sometimes now and, although we started the summer with them, she no longer needs her ear plugs.  Hooray for one less thing to armor up with as we head out the door!

Bottom line, in HOT Vegas, the pool in your own backyard is the the place to be!

It’s happened again.  I’ve blinked and too much time has gone by since I’ve written about our littlest dude.  We were on the road for his nine month birthday and, somehow, I never got it blogged after we got home.  Perhaps that is because, while we were traveling, he decided to become a very mobile baby and we haven’t stopped moving in the last two months.  So, in an effort to avoid the impossible to comprehend thought that our baby will be a year old in eight short weeks, let’s take a minute to dwell on the awesomeness that is right now, shall we?

Between eight and ten months, Noah has learned how to crawl, begun to show a real affinity for music, pulled to standing, learned to climb stairs, cut 6 (!!) teeth, and had five ear infections.  He’s a cruiser now and can get just about anywhere he wants to be.

And, right now?  Where he wants to be is wherever Ava is.  This baby boy loves his big sister and just wants to play with and do everything she does.  In the mornings, when I’m changing his diaper and before Ava wakes up, he turns his head toward the hallway and shouts “Aya!” and then follows with some sort of baby gibberish.  He talks to her all the time and it’s just about the cutest thing ever.

Noah is definitely showing a real interest in music.  He pulls up to the boom box in the play room and pounds on it until someone turns on some music for him.  Then he stands in front of it and bounces to the beat – and sings along!  He also really likes to play with the drum full of noisemakers we have.  As Aunt Jan says, “Noise is power” and Noah is certainly harnessing his power!

Doozers is expanding his vocabulary, too.  He says “Aya” and “Hi” (including waving) and when we walk into school in the morning he starts shouting “Hi” at everyone we see.  He’s so happy at the end of the day when I pick him up.  He shouts “Hi” and crawls over to me and then immediately starts bouncing to go get Ava.  When he sees her in her classroom, he shouts “Aya!” and then continues to shout at her all the way through the center on the way to the car.  I think he’ll have a lot to say when he gets more words!

One of my favorite things about Noah is how affectionate he is.  He gives some of the best hugs I’ve ever experienced.  You know that sound you make when you give someone a squeeze?  He does that.  And then he gives kisses.  Not just one kiss, but an open-mouthed chicken peck series of kisses.  It’s slobbery but so full of love that you just soak it up.

Noah is so busy!  I know it’s been coming on slowly for months, but it seems that overnight Doozers has become so very, very busy.  He moves fast and we’re just trying to play catch up!

(This video is super long but, you know, grandparents.)

I forgot how quickly this phase goes for babies.  The time from eight to ten months has flown by and our little dude has changed so much.  I know that the time from now until his first birthday will fly also and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.  I love all the growing and learning Noah is doing but, as I chase him down the hall and shoo him away from outlets, my heart breaks just a little bit that we’re already here.  I hope that, in the middle of all the busy (his and ours), we remember to soak up as much of this sweet time as possible.

Happy ten months, little dude.  You won’t mind if I slow down the clock for the next eight weeks, will you?