Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Nathaniel!
What a difference a year makes. You couldn’t even sit up by yourself last Christmas, and even though you enjoyed trying to tear off the paper and looking at your presents, this year you’re going to be even more excited.
You have changed so much in the few short months since your first birthday.
You’re walking!
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Your enthusiasm for life and adventure continues to grow. You get very excited about things, and sometimes express this with a loud “uhh!” while stopping in your tracks and pointing at the thing that grabbed your attention. Photos of your Uncle Michael, the desire to Skype with your grandparents, the lights on the Christmas tree, the book You’re Finally Here!, and Nathaniel-sized wooden Christmas figures are some of the things that are sure to get an exuberant reaction from you.
Your independent streak is becoming even more evident. Sometimes you dismiss Daddy and me with a “night night” or “bye bye” before we’ve even finished singing your bedtime songs and saying goodnight to the stuff in your room. You can use a spoon and drink from a cup without a lid. You’ve also recently mastered the art of sipping through a straw. I never thought about how difficult that is to teach someone to do!
Even though you might have occasional and short bouts of shyness, you’re a very outgoing and friendly boy. You say “hi” and “bye bye” to people on the street, animals, inanimate objects, and friends. A good game of chase literally makes you squeal with glee, especially when you’re playing with your Daddy.
One of the hilarious things that you’ve started doing in the past week or so is giving people the stink eye. The first time you did it you were eating honey yogurt and I (obviously mistakenly) offered you some pizza toast. I laughed so hard that you’ve added it to your funny face repertoire. You love to share it with us, especially at dinner time.
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You’re such a smart boy, and you often amaze us by how much you understand. You’re trying more words on for size all the time, and have your own versions of octopus, water (“dah-dul-dah-dul-dah-dul-dah-dul-da” – my favorite – I wish you’d make that sound for water forever), and snack (“snack snack” – so cute). You adore splashing in puddles and picking up leaves, pine cones, and sticks.
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Your Daddy and I love you so much. We are so proud of you and we love spending time with you. You’re hilarious, charming, and a great traveler. We’ve had so much fun this year and we’re looking forward to all of the wonderful adventures we’ll have in 2012.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, sweet boy. I love you more that I could possibly express.
Mommy