Living Life's "Playbook": September 2008

I'm finally getting around to posting our little man's 1 year stats! Have I ever mentioned that it's nearly impossible to reschedule a "check up" with a Pediatrician? You have to schedule these appointments months in advance and if something comes up, well...you are just out of luck! You might be lucky to get the "1 year check up" on your child's 2nd Birthday! Anyway, something came up with work and I had to reschedule. We finally made it in to see Dr. G - at almost 13 months!

I am proud to post that we have one very healthy little boy! Dr. G gave him another A+ on his "report card." Stats are as follows:

Weight: 23 pounds (50-75%)
Height: 31.8 (97%)
Head Circumference: 19.3 (100%)
Development: A+

Each appointment gets a littler harder as Gage starts to realize that someone is going to poke and prod him. Poor Lauren, Nurse, and our friend from church, always has immunization "duty" and has to endure those sad big brown eyes and short screams. Thank goodness it doesn't last long! Those tears just crush my heart (and Lauren's too!)

It's amazing how smart a one year old really is. Gage never ceases to amaze me! He picks up on things so quickly and loves to copy Mommy and Daddy. He knows how to change the TV channel with the remote and holds our cell phones up to his ear to talk. So funny!

He LOVES to read books and can point out each character or animal in the book. He likes to pull every book out of his collection and turn through all of the pages saying "Ooh, Ooh!" Each night before bed we pick out a few books to read and enjoy every minute of this time as a family. His favorite book right now is, "Where's Spot?" He likes to open the "flaps" to find Spot the dog. Pop-up books are a big hit right now!

Most hours of the day, Gage is holding a ball (think it's in the gene's?) And this kid has an arm! I'm predicting future quarterback or pitcher. We love playing ball with him. He gets so excited when we play "catch" and laughs at Mommy when she says "set hut!" He must know that Mommy stinks at playing football!

Gage is VERY receptive and vocal when he wants to be. I've taught him a few signs and he has picked up on that very quickly. He does say a few words such as Dada, More, Wow, and occasionally Mama, however not as much as Mama thinks he should say this word. When you ask him to say Mama, he says Dada! Go figure! I'm determined this is because Mama always talks about Dada when he is gone - he just hears it more! (It can't possibly be because Dada is his favorite!)

Gage is such a good eater. He will eat anything. This kid can put down more food than I can! Some of his favorites right now include bananas, blueberries, waffles, and peas. He is officially off of formula (thank goodness!) and drinking whole milk. He wasn't too crazy about the milk at first, but now he loves it! No more formula or bottles and surprisingly the transition was a breeze! Now, if I can only get him to let go of the paci when he sleeps!

Gage especially loves his bath time. He has tons of toys and likes to throw all of them out of the tub and watch Mommy and Daddy fetch them. Or he will line all of them up on the bathtub wall and then knock all of them into the water one by one. I've noticed that he likes organizing things (I think we all know who he gets that from!)

He is taking small steps, but hasn't quite taken off on his own yet. It's coming very soon, I just know it! Although, this kiddo could win a race by crawling - he is so fast! He enjoys pushing his "Dozer" around the house and especially likes taking it outside to push on the sidewalk. If the bull dozer gets stuck, he gets very angry. He definitely gets his lack of patience from his Father! (Sorry honey!)

He is so curious, silly, independent, and darn right rebellious! He loves crawling up on the couch and trying to get down on his own. He is into EVERYTHING and keeps us on our toes at all times! Never a dull moment, but I love every minute of it! Most importantly, he is the happiest toddler I have ever known and I love to hear him laugh. It is so contagious!

Although Gage is ALL BOY, he does have a sweet and loving personality. He gives us "sugars" and hugs and has the perfect knack for melting hearts. He will be a lady killer!!

I could go on forever about Gage. We are so thankful for his good health and exceptional development. It's amazing how this little guy has changed our lives and brought us true perspective on what really is important in this world. We count our blessings every day!

Well, we didn't come out with a win from the Highland Park game, but we still had fun. The score sounds a lot worse than it really appeared. The guys actually played pretty well considering the competition.

Laura and I packed up all of the kids (3 car seats!) and made the trip to Highland Park together. We made a quick trip to our favorite fast food joint - Chic-fil-a and then we were on our way. The ride was pretty humorous as Ava kept unbuckling her car seat and I was doing my best to coax her to buckle it back up while Laura drove. Gage didn't quite know what to think about riding in the back with 2 little ladies!

We thought we were doing good to arrive a few minutes early, but little did we know we were going to have to park a mile away from the stadium. I really didn't mind as I got to admire the BEAUTIFUL homes as we walked by. I loved the atmosphere...families and neighbors were sitting out on their cute front porches listening to the sounds of the football game. It seemed to be a very close knit neighborhood with kids wandering from house to house to play. What a great place to live. It's comforting to know that places like this still exist. Maybe we will find a neighborhood like that one day.