The Conley Crew: 12 Months!!!!

Jaxson is 1!!!! I'm dying because I can remember the night before I had Jax. I didn't know it was my last night being pregnant but I was both just hoping he would come the next day and fretting it. I felt so clueless and scared. I kept thinking this little person is going to come into our family and we would be completely responsibly for him. I also remember thinking life would never be the same and he would completely rock our world. And he did!!!! In the best way possible. Yes, we got less sleep than we ever imagined functioning on, did a lot, a lot, a lot, more laundry (who knew one little person could go through so many outfits, mine just got worn with the spit up and everything!), cried more tears, cleaned up way more messes, laughed and smiled more than we imagined possible and experienced more joy than any two people deserve. This past year has been such an amazing adventure and we look forward to many years of adventure ahead. We feel truly blessed to have had Jaxson come into our family. He is an amazing little person. He is extremely busy, inquisitive and fun loving but also so sweet, tender hearted and determined. We just love our little guy so much (even if he can be little terror!). :)

*Jax has turned into the cutest little scavenger bird. We have been pretty slow to introduce table foods, as the kid has two bottom teeth (first time momma dumb dumb....didn't realize he gums most of his food anyways). But he decided he was ready on his own and started attacking us while we ate, open mouth like a little bird and all. He really loves a few things, grapes, bean burritos (the one Jon makes), avocado chicken quesadillas. So now he eats a mix of solids and table food and is heaven, love our bird.

*We finally found an electronic babysitter.......Super Why on PBS! I know that sounds horrible but Jax was never the type of baby that would watch Baby Einstein or anything so I could take a shower or basically do anything without him crying or crawling up my leg. He still will only watch a few minutes at a time unless I strap him in his high chair with some puffies but sometimes it's an occasional but necessary evil. But I will say he loves that show and I love that it is educational. When he hears the jingle for the show he freaks out and starts dancing....I heart him and his electronic babysitter! :)

*So the tantrums are NO LONGER CUTE! They are uber-annoying!!!! He loves to go straight armed so I can't pick him up and will squeal in protest. He is very determined so re-direction is a long process and time outs are painful for both of us. Oh well I am sure we will figure it out. :)

*Oh I love when Jax dance, it literally makes my whole day right now. We call it his "dancing jig". He bounces up and down over and over again. Describing it in black and white totally takes the cute out of it but it really and truly is the cutest thing ever.

*So one thing that is not so cute, Jaxson's discovery of the cupboards! He loves to open and close them, unload them and drag the items across the floor. Now mind you this is within a minute of opening it. The kid is crazy fast and very determined. We were hoping to avoid baby proofing the cabinets beyond moving dangerous items from the lower cabinets but we might have to. Little stinker....good thing he is cute!

*Sometimes this momma is very cautious and a little slow to let her babes grow up....there I admit it!!! At the beginning of his 12th month we finally moved Jax from sitting in his baby tub to regular bath tub. Okay I am not that neurotic as mom, it was more we had just moved into our new house and I forgot to order a no-slip mat. Turns out, I'm a special lady, because the bottom of Jax's tub is textured and the mat didn't stick, so he just roams the tub. The night we moved Jax into the big tub he was literally in heaven. Also later in the month, he figured out how to open and close the drain. Smart little stinker......makes it hard to get him to come out of the tub.

*Jax went from loving to chasing his favorite choo-choo train to pushing it. He gets the biggest kick out of getting the music going and then pushing it around usually while during the hop scoot and crawl.

*I don't know what it is about our basement but Jax is obsessed with it. When I go down without him to start some laundry, he thinks he is going to die. When I take him down there, he literally grins or laughs the whole way and back.....go figure!

*Chairs and laundry bins have taken on a whole new meaning on our house. In case you didn't know there are walkers. Jax finds them and pushes them everywhere he can. And he does this on and off all day, every day, usually with a huge smile and hysterical laughter.

*Jax's little music table has a spinning function that sings the alphabet. He loves to spin the item and then attempts to sing the alphabet song, and he usually gets one or two letters (they both sound like "e" to me) but Jon swears they are different.....either way my baby is a genius! JK but I love when he tries to sing!

*Mister monkey loves to play peek-a-boo/hide n' seek. He will find anything he can, plop himself behind it and then peek his cute little face out, usually scream and then go back to hiding.

*So we don't know why he is doing this but it's pretty awesome. Jax has a music activity table, which he loves but lately he has been crawling underneath and laying on his back, inspecting the bottom for a minute or two and then crawling out. Then he did it with another little table in his play room. He has always loved playing underneath the kitchen table so maybe it's an extension of that but who knows! :)

*Wahooooo........we have a walker! About a week before his 1st birthday Jax took his first step (2 steps!!!). Jon saw it first and then I got the encore a day later. So excited for my mister but kind of dreading how mobile this is going to make him. :)

*He love, love, loves pushing the garage door button. After he pushes it, he does his O face....so cute and gets so excited.

*Favorite books: Eight Silly Monkies, Stinky Face and Stinky Face Halloween. Favorite song: Hmmmm....he has gotten so busy at bedtime it is hard to tell but he loves Itsy Bitsy Spider during playtime.

*Little mister is also in a big boy car seat! Jon installed the beast of a car seat in my car after Jax played with it in the playroom for a week. :) He thought it was a great toy. Unfortunately his dislike of car has not changed as he is still rear facing but I am hoping it will eventually change when he flipped him around.

*My babes is finally clapping consistently! He would clap every once in a while but now he is a champ!

*He has also started shaking his head. It looks like he is saying no, but it's never in that context. So for now it is really cute :)

*This is probably my other favorite thing Jax is doing. He puts both hands behind his hands and relaxes. We originally found him doing this on the monitor while he was sleeping in his crib. Then he started doing it when he was awake and laying on me or Jon. It makes him look like such a big boy....kills me!!!!