My Big Man

Yesterday was Matthew's birthday. We had a little party for him at Grandma's. Party, meaning Grandma made dinner, I made a cake and Ellie gave him some new sippy cups for a present before Peter left for rehearsals.

His words now consist of: Mommy, Daddy, mama (food), bap (food again), jeejee, ayah, duckie, cheese (chiss), please (eesh), fish (also eesh), bath (ba), baby (bahbee) and bubble (bubby). Sometimes he says Matty, but I don't think it means what it's supposed to mean. Today he said magic, and was pleased to death with himself. We think he sometimes says Ellie, although we can't say that for certain.

He started pretending (mostly that different objects are food), he can feed other people, he can blow on command, he throws away his dirty diapers in the Diaper Champ, and he can do all three verses of If You're Happy and You Know It (clapping, stomping, hooray). Any object rectangular in shape is a phone. He gets mad if there are buttons that he is not allowed to push. His favorite thing is still pulling the cord on the fan at Grandma's house.

Matthew still loves everyone and lets pretty much anyone hold him (although he's started this clingy phase when we're at home that requires me to be in his eyesight at all times). He "hugs" people by resting his head on their shoulder or lap, including his baby friends. He open-mouth kisses, but only when he's in the mood.

He knows what's his and sometimes gets mad at Ellie if she sits in his chair or takes his toys. He loves playing with anything with a microphone. He puts his lips around it and yells at the top of his lungs. His Backyardigans music-playing toy with a microphone is his current favorite toy. Ellie better keep away from it.

He is a complete boy. He loves throwing things (balls, toys, food, etc.) and has a really strong arm. He wants to wrestle all the time and tries to knock Ellie over. He experiments with what items on what surfaces make the loudest noises, then makes them. Repeatedly. All day.

He loves his sister. Anything she does, he has to do, too. Anything she eats, he wants some of. I give him milk in his sippy cup, he will only drink from Ellie's cup. He wants HER to feed him, not Mommy. They crack each other up and get upset if they're not sitting together in the car. He even is starting to mimic her words.

There's more, but since Matthew woke up at 6:15 this morning, depriving me of sleep, I cannot recall them. Sigh. I can't believe my baby is already one! How time flies. So cliche, but so true. I wish I'd enjoyed and really savored his babyhood more. At least I took tons of pictures of him. In that aspect, he was not neglected. I'm looking forward to more of his developments, but I really love the baby stage. I'm sad. Not sad enough to get pregnant again, but sad nonetheless.

Happy birthday, my Matty!