ONE, 12 months, 365 days

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Can you believe it has been one full year? It is amazing what all this past year has taught me. Our family has grown in so many ways. We may never know why certain things happen, but I do know we are living a happy life now with our healthy baby.

Joseph is doing SO many things! He walked all by himself on October 16th, the day before he turned one. He took a small step here or there before that date, but on the 16th he really did it all himself. He is starting to wave by moving his little fingers around. He can make "twinkle stars" with his hands when we sing. He LOVES putting anything into a box, can, really anything with an opening. He will take something out and in for a pretty long time! One day I gave him a spoon and a cup and I got a lot done! He loves to try and repeat sounds we make. He can blow, growl and bark like Gina, say dada and mama. It might be my mommy ears but I swear I've heard him say, Gina, Gigi, and byebye. The one word he says all the time is uh-oh and MOOOOOO, I'm pretty sure he thinks everything is a cow. We are starting to learn body parts, right now he knows NOSE, and working on EAR. He's a fast learner :) He still loves to be read to and I love reading to him, mainly because that is the ONLY time he will sit still in my lap.

Joseph is eating lots of things!! I've got to give myself credit for giving him a cupcake on his birthday. I wasn't sure I could do it, but it was pretty easy, and he didn't even seem that interested. New foods are peanut butter, egg white, spaghetti, mac and cheese, tried milk but he doesn't want it, pumpkin, salmon, ricotta, breakfast casserole, tortilla chips, and spinach dip! His breakfast consists of oatmeal with a veggie and maybe an egg, lunch is based on yogurt with a protein like tahini or peanut butter with a fruit or veggie, and I am trying my hardest to offer him whatever we eat for dinner. He loves those Magic Pops we get at HEB and he still enjoys his whole wheat crackers. He doesn't want anything to drink except water or to nurse. We were nursing 3 times a day, but he got sick so now I'm back up to 4 times a day.

Joseph was sick last week and this week is on antibiotics. He ran 103 fever for 2 days. I had to reschedule his 1 yr well visit, so we haven't been in for that check up yet. I also had his 1 yr pics taken. I'm posting one but there is more to come.

We had a check up with Dr. Roy, his throat doc. We are weaning him off the medicine by letting Joseph grow and not upping the dose based on his body weight. At 18 mths old we will start lowering the dose. Dr. Roy will do an in-office scope in the future, but the date is not set. Dr. Roy is happy with Joseph's condition. Dr. Roy also recently gave a seminar for other doctors and used Joseph's medical history. It was how not to misdiagnose babies with subglottic hemangiomas. I hope by him educating others that this will not happen to any other families. Dr. Roy is a wonderful man and such a blessing to us.

As I start year 2 of being a mother, I pray for guidance as Joseph grows and learns about life. I hope Joey and I can teach him about all the good things in life and protect him from the bad. I can't imagine my life without him. I heard this once maybe from a movie and it is so true: You don't realize just how much your mother loves you, until your a mother yourself.