12 months. 1 year. However you slice it, I'm not ready

Even though his birthday is WEEKS later than we were anticipating, I'm still having a hard time believing it's been a year already.

The vitals:
24 ish pounds, 32 ish inches. Official numbers after his doctor's appointment next week.

Highlights:
First Thanksgiving! (Since the little turkey wouldn't come out in time last year). He slept through dinner on Thursday, but devoured all the foods once he woke up. We repeated the seasonal food experiment on Sunday with J's family and the result was the same.
First cupcake! Since we had the family gathered anyway, we did a little early birthday celebrating. It did not take him long to pick the thing up & shove it in his face.
First steps! A whole month sooner than Eleanor did, he's walking!
First lemon. While Bagel's parents were in town, we had lunch & gave him a lemon slice. He was totally unfazed.

Skills:
Walking. He took some tentative steps, then 2-5 steps in a row, then he was off. He still crawls (usually when he falls after trying to run), but more and more he's choosing to stand and walk.
Signing- milk & food are the two most common, though we see the occasional please or more.
Waving
Talking- Mama, Dada & something that sounds like Ella, or Nora. He's trying to mimic us, and that's pretty adorable.


Works in progress:
This child is still toothless. So, there's that. (It slows him down when it comes to eating NOT ONE BIT) But he does have bumps on the top that feel like teeth might come out of there soon. Maybe.

Shopping in jammies

Words. He's trying out a lot of sounds, and soon, we'll understand what it is he's trying to tell us.
Spoons. He really wants to feed himself and he's actually not that bad with sticky stuff.
Brown eyes? His dark grey is starting to show some tan flecks.

He likes:
All the food
Anything Eleanor is playing with or touching
His paci & blankie
Music
Pouches
Things that light up & make noise
Taking his socks and shoes off
Peek-a-boo
Baths
Chasing the pets
Playing in cabinets

He dislikes:
Getting his fingers pinched in cabinet doors
Not getting to have what Eleanor is playing with
Runny noses

I like:
Watching him learn. I'm amazed every day.
Babies in hats. How independent he is, most of the time. I mean, most of the time he's pretty independent and most of the time I like that. He feeds himself, can hold his own bottle, entertains himself. It's great. Until I miss my tiny squishy baby.

I mean, come on! Look at that tiny face!

I dislike:
Runny noses, ear infections, and all that nonsense.
His hair lays down 87% of the time now.
That soon I'm going to start calling him a toddler.I'm not ready for two toddlers in the house.

I love this boy. I knew I would, but after all the fun I had with Eleanor, a boy was hard to imagine.
He's happy and charming and just so fun.