The title is meant to reflect the fact that you are advancing at a pace that is uncanny. Your mom would like you to slow down (don't listen).
A lot has happened in the previous six months, but let's start with the firsts:
- Crawling
- Walking
- Throwing
- Laughing
- First lake visit
- First new house
We returned from Maui and got back in the groove. The weather had finally turned to spring when we returned so your mom finally stepped back from the ledge.
Things have progressed quickly (as usual) with you. We got back, and since you are some sort of super child, you began crawling at just past 6 months. Like actually crawling. You did the whole scooting thing for a bit which didn't technically qualify, but then went into full on crawling mode. However, just when we were like "ok, put up some gates and fence this little dude in", that's when you started pulling yourself up on things. Feel like you crawled for like 10 minutes and then realized it would get you close to tall, dangerous things and that was really the only incentive to do so. You started pulling yourself on things at 7 months.
There is an awesome picture below of you holding on to one toy and reaching for another to grab on to in order to maintain your balance. This was you for like 2 weeks. You would crawl, pull yourself up, fall down, get back up, reach for the nearest toy, probably fall - but sometimes reach it and move on to do it again over and over. You would meander from toy to toy as if you were paralyzed from the waste down, grabbing at the next thing to keep your balance. And then, just after 8 months, you took for first steps.
Now let me back up a bit and remind you - your sister didn't walk until 14 months (btw, it is not lost on me that this is fodder for you to make fun of her for a variety of reason, but these stories will likely leak before you read this anyway; plus, when she walked, she was perfect at it - you, not so much).You took your first steps just after 8 months of age and that was that. We were amazed. You just had been dying to move on your own for so long that you finally willed yourself to do it. It was the cutest thing ever to watch, primarily because, well, you were REALLY bad at it.
We had to baby-proof every wall, corner, crevice, stair and anything else that you could possibly hit because you would. You were the equivalent to a small human who had consumed their body weight in alcohol - and this was all. the. time. You would wander around upstairs banging into Layla, walk in between the couch and ottoman and face plant for no reason, you would stand with both hands on a chair and perfectly stable only to have your legs come out from under you. Basically, you were not physically built to walk yet but you refused to let that deter your efforts.
You progressively got better at the whole walking thing, but it took a lot of time and a lot of practice. As I sit her after your first birthday writing this you are basically the equivalent of a frat boy who drank a fifth of vodka - you stay on your feet most of the time, wobbling constantly, and they will have an epic bail every few minutes. But it is a vast improvement.
Honestly, you learning to walk has been the most fun experience I think I have ever witnessed and been part of because you were so determined. More importantly, you were SOOOO HAPPY when you figured it out. You would walk around falling all the time, but you almost never cried. You would bounce right back up and try again. You would smile and laugh and point and just be having the best time ever. I think you were also proud of yourself. It was an incredible thing to live through.
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We just bought a new house. You have not been around for it, but this is the third house we have bought in less than 5 years. This is it!
Honestly, you mom found this house and thought it was way out of range (which the price was), but they had it overpriced. She talked about it all the time. She would send it to me every time the price dropped. I suggested we go see it but she never would because of the price and she didn't want to get her hopes up. Finally, after about 5 months of this I couldn't take it anymore. I called our real estate agent (who had just sold our last house a year ago) and said we wanted to look at it.
It needed some updating, so secretly was hoping your mom would get inside and change her mind. That totally backfired - she fell deep in love immediately. She then proceeded to get mad at me for showing her it because now she wanted it more than ever (yeahhhh). After that I said we need to figure out a way to buy it.
They were asking $825k, but it was well over-priced. I came in with an offer of $650k, to which they basically told me to go eff myself. But then, surprisingly, they came back and countered. This kicked off a 3 month long negotiation battle, which eventually (I would say) we won. We bought the house for $706k and closed on your birthday.
So we are getting ready to move, yet again. Over the next month they will be replacing the floors and painting all the walls. We will move in next month - and even I am excited now.
Another fun piece of these 6 months was a trip that we did as a family to McCall. We rented a cabin with another couple with kids your age. Anne and Sean are the parents with Finn and Ben being the kids. Neither your mother or I had ever been to McCall, and we had a good time. Was a chill weekend, went to the lake and hung out at the house. Sean is pretty uptight so we didn't do too much - was still a good time.
We didn't do too many other trips this 6 months because you absolutely hate the car. Like, really hate the car. We recently bought you a new car seat which seems to be helping a bit but still not great. We don't think it is as much as the car seat as it is you being restrained - you like your freedom. Either way it makes long drives pretty unbearable so we are trying to avoid them when possible.
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I have never met or even heard of a happier child than you. I have been both praised and faulted for being happy all the time. I think people find it naive at times and envy it at others - either way I believe it to be an incredible gift. It takes a lot to stress me out, make me sad, make me worry or bring me down. My dad was the same way (even more-so than me) and I have always lived happy. I see it in you everyday. When you get upset you bounce back. You wake up every morning with this ear to ear smile. You even have fun and smile when mom washes your hair in the bath (most kids hate this).
I hope you remain this way because it is hard to do so as you get older. I hope you keep looking for the bright side and not worry about what "could go wrong". I hope you still expect good things to happen to you - because they will if you believe they will. I hope when bad things happen you are able to put them behind you and find the positive in the day ahead. I am optimistic you will.
Still hard to believe we are a year in to having you in our lives. It has been a whirlwind - an incredible one. Thanks for being so awesome and fun, and while mom would keep you a baby forever, I cannot express how excited I am to continue to watch you grow.
I love you more than you will ever know,
Love, Dad
