11 Months - Getting There

Eleven months? How is this even possible? My sweet little baby is turning into a toddler!

This month, Everett started having more picky discerning taste when it comes to food, and he knows exactly what he likes (cottage cheese). He throws temper tantrums when I won't let him play in the toilet, and the other day he ate a bar of soap, which he promptly vomited all over the hall. He is drawn to anything with wheels, his favorite toy is the paper shredder, and he does not leave the cat alone - even when she swats and hisses at him. He loves playing with other kids, and got his first fat lip trying to play tag with his older cousins.

While his new found independence and emerging personality are both easy on my psyche and entertaining to the max, I do feel nostalgic for those baby days. Though we have done a good job of cherishing each moment (even the challenging ones), it is still hard not to miss having a little baby around the house. When we put away his summer clothes, it broke my heart knowing we will not take them out of storage for next year. In fact, we may never take them out of the box again, except to breathe in their sweet smell when we are feeling sentimental.

This [almost] year has been one of the most challenging and rewarding of my life. I would not change one moment of it, nor would I ever say I had any regrets. In the year to come, I would like to focus on finding ways to have more "me" time. This will be hard to balance with a full time job, but I think it will be better for our family and my anxiety (which I hate to admit pops its evil little head up every few weeks).

Speaking of summer being over, Spokane had its first snowfall of the season. Is there anything more peaceful than falling snow?