One Year

Henry, today you are 1!

You are into everything. You love to pull up and open the kitchen cabinets and pull out things. You love a basket of books these days and love to inspect each one. You can be left in your room to play for a while and I always find you surrounded by books.

You like your magnet sticks and balls and hold one ball in each hand and crawl with them or bang them together. You like to bang a wooden spoon on anything especially a metal bowl. You enjoy your wooden hammer too and practice hammering pegs. You also love blocks and knocking down a tower when I set it up for you. You LOVE to play peek-a-boo and get the biggest kick out of it!


You can say hi. It sounds like 'haaaa' and you will wave hi. You are more likely to wave than say hi lately. When you wave it's always with your right hand. You say 'da' and 'ba' a lot and look at someone with great intent when you say it. I believe you're saying dog and book or ball. You see Rouge and say 'uhge'. You learned where a dog's nose is and will point to it if asked. You can say ma or mama, but it's still for something you need. You understand up, down, change diaper, 'noses' (Eskimo kisses), ball, book, dog, bottle, more, and all done, and some more things I can't remember right now. You understand 'no no' very well because you hear it more throughout the day when you're getting into something you're not supposed to. You can shake your head no when you don't like something or you hear no. You don't seem as interested in mimicking sign language right now, but I think with time you will. You respond more to the words we say instead of the signing.


You love to swing in your swing in the backyard and enjoy testing out climbing the ladders. You like dirt, rocks, and grass. As in you like to get messy and pull up everything. You enjoy your scooting toys and will hold onto them and push hard through the grass. It looks like you're mowing the grass like your Daddy. You love anything with wheels. You will study the wheels, spin them, move them on the floor back and forth, study them again....you get the picture!


You still love Elmo and Patty the pig on Sprout. You love music or rhythm (washing machine, dishwasher, etc.) and dance. You have some new dance moves that include waving your arms back and forth, moving your head to your right shoulder and twisting your whole body, and swaying side to side. Your favorite songs are 'Jesus Loves Me', 'I love you a bushel and a peck', and 'how much is that doggie in the window'. You like to look at books on the changing table otherwise you have become a lost cause for actually having your diaper changed.

You can stand on your own for a few seconds and like to practice walking when you're holding someone's hands. I've also gotten you to stand just holding one hand which is sweet to think about getting to walk together and hold your hand one day. You love to laugh back and forth with anyone. You do this cute, fake laugh and I can tell you think you're big stuff. You have 4 teeth coming in on the top- all 4 center teeth to add to your four bottom teeth.

Henry, I just can't believe you are actually one. I still remember the glorious night you came into this world. I remember the first time I saw you. You were so alert and had your eyes wide open. You were so long and tall! You will always be my baby, but I see you becoming a little boy and that thrills me. I can't wait to experience this next year of your life. You are the greatest blessing I have ever been given. I love you more than words. I bought this book for you back when you were my bitty baby it's called, 'On The Night You Were Born' by Nancy Tillman. We love her books in this house. On the last page it reads:

Heaven blew every trumpet
and played every horn on the wonderful,
marvelous night you were born.

I still get tears every time I read it to you. It's because the last page always reminds me that no matter how much I love you that God loves you SO MUCH MORE because you are HIS child. We love you, Henry Caswell.

Happy 1st Birthday!