One Year of Baby

11 months

12 months!

We have a one year old. Hold the phone, whaaaaaat??? Ryan and I have decided that the walking stage is our favorite (oh yeah, did I mention that Walt is like a pro walker now?). Its just so fun to watch this boy revel in this newfound level of independence. Perhaps we will change our minds later (maybe when he actually gets a concussion from all the head injuries sustained in this phase), but I don't think so. He is chatty and opinionated regardless of his lack of actual words. I can see the slightest hint of the coming days when books will be fun to look at and decipher, not just fun to stack, topple, throw, and chew. So obviously, I'm pumped. Sleep remains an elusive beast and a dream. Although he did sleep through the night for the first time in eight months this past Sunday. Naturally we had stayed up a tad late playing Codenames with my parents, so we didn't necessarily get all that sleep too, but it was still a major improvement that next day. 

Soon Walter will run. He is determined. He already gets so excited that his head and torso go faster than his legs, and then he splays out on the floor wondering why his feet aren't doing as they're told. Otherwise he is quite stable. He loves to copycat funny sounds with you in an ever-escalating back-and-forth match of babbling that ends with claps, giggles, and those dimples of his. Walt was pretty funny at his party. He took a long time to actually destroy his little mini cake; initially picking off pinches of frosting, one little lick at a time, until finally getting handfuls of it all. Ryan's mom came out for his birthday, and my parents came out the next weekend. So much grandparenty goodness packed into two weeks! Needless to say we miss them more than ever and wish our visits weren't so short.  

Oklahoma alternates between rainy 50 degree and bright 90 degree days, so we alternate visiting friends and scouting out the best parks in town. All our love, from the officially-a-family-cause-we-got-photos Binghams. 

I said, "Giddy-up, mom!"

I get to run free? I love this place

I love the park!

Adventure is out there!

I'm particularly adept at
playing the Double Sticks

Hugs from Grandma Bingham

I'm one! Walter, after his party

They let me eat cake? Walter, on his
actual first brithday.

Saying goodbye to Ama

Saying goodbye to Grandpa Hansen

Look, we're officially a family now. :)