1 Year

(I wrote this yesterday, but didn't get a chance to post it.)

Dear Cooper,

Today is your 1st birthday!! I can't believe a year has already passed since you were born.

We are having your birthday party tonight. Nana and Pawpaw are visiting this week from Indiana, so we're excited to have your party on your actual birthday with all of your grandparents here. Along with other family and some friends. I'm already looking forward to watching you eat your cake!

Here's what you are up to at 1 year:

You finally, FINALLY cut your first tooth. It came through on June 2, one of the front teeth on the bottom. I honestly didn't think you'd have a tooth in time for your birthday, but of course you've proven me wrong. You actually have 2 teeth now. You cut your second one on the 15th. So you have one on the bottom and one on the top.

I also figured you would have taken your first steps by this point, but again, you've proven me wrong. You've only stood alone very few times. Anytime we attempt to stand you up by yourself, you immediately sit down. But you practically run behind your push-toy walker, so I assume it won't be much longer before you start walking.

You have had your right eye's tear duct probed twice in the past month. The first probing didn't completely work, so we've had one more done. In a couple of weeks, we'll go back for a check up and if this probing didn't work, we'll probably end up doing surgery. So far your eye is looking good though.

You're developing a love for cars, you love pushing Garrett's bigger cars around everywhere.

You're completely off formula and the bottle. A few weeks ago I started a slow transition from formula to whole milk, once our can was finished, you were on whole milk completely. You didn't seem to even notice the change. During that time, I immediately weaned you down to 3 bottles a day, then 2, then 1. You took your final bottle last Friday. Mostly because we used the last bottle liner that we had. (You take Playtex Nurser bottles with drop-in liners.) The hardest one to lose has been the one right before bed, but now you get some sort of a snack with a cup of milk and you seem to be doing well with that. I also keep a sippy cup of water in your crib in case you wake up thirsty during the night.

You love almost any food that I give you. I'm looking forward to introducing scrambled eggs soon. I think you'll love them too.

You still nap and sleep really well. 2 naps a day about 1 to 1 and a half hours each and 11 to 12 hours at night. Over the next few months, I hope to slowly transition you to 1 long nap a day. On days when you only take 1 nap, you seem to do just fine, so I hope this won't be tough to do.

The older you get, the more of a Daddy's boy you are. You refuse to let me hold you if Daddy is already holding you. And you have total meltdowns when he leaves the room.

You say "uh oh" all the time now. You've also said "Night Night" a couple of times. Anytime we say hi or bye, you wave. And sometimes when we say no, you shake your head.

It's hard to imagine all the new things you will learn in the next 6 months. It will be so much fun! And so very exhausting.