A Month Chock Full O' Milestones

I can't be the only one who has always wondered why on earth there is a coffee named "Chock Full O' Nuts"?  That doesn't seem like a desirable quality for coffee.  But that is neither here nor there. (I just can't stay away from Google. Before Google, I would actually call reference librarians and have them look things up for me. Oh yes. )

What is going on in the P-K household? 
Big happenings. Muy grande. 
 

I. And then he was One

Saints alive, how can a whole year have gone by already!  
Where, oh where is my little baby?!  People, I am lodging a complaint.  I want my baby back. 

one day old

 four months old


One year stats: 24.5 lbs, 32" tall, 50 cm head. 13 teeth (4 molars, one eye tooth, 8 incisors). 

Uncle Josh is always insisting he should wear a helmet. Done.

His birthday party was a hootenannie.  Our tiny house was chock full of friends and family, and we have never felt luckier and more loved. The Virginia grandparents flew out for the celebration, and for the first time in 22 years FRK's parents were in the same room together. It was very moving, and a momentous occasion for FRK and my sister in law. 

Our friend Jennifer, Mamaji, longtime family friend Dr. Hopner, Gigi, Amanda, and Grandma Joanne. Grandpa Richard not shown, due to critical photographer obligations

Surrounded by friends, enjoying his loot 

Grandpa Richard and Grandma Joanne bought a 'smash cake', so that he would have his very own cake to destroy and eat.  We had no idea how he would feel about it; though to date he has proven to be a cheerful omnivore, he's never really had any sweets or pastries. As evidenced below, he was a bit non-plussed initially, but soon became an enthusiastic convert.  Eventually I just cut him off; I had no idea how so much sugar would affect him.  It turns out, not at all.  He went down for his nap and then to bed as per usual.  What a weird and delightful kid. 

aftermath

cake covered boy and Mepher

 Smash cake! from Sue Ann Peng on Vimeo.
This is a bit long...at 3:39 there is a triumphant arm in the air, and at 5:50 he really gets down to business


I also worried about how he would do around so many people, who were soooo excited about his birthday.  Would he be overwhelmed and clingy?  Would he remember his grandparents, or would he think them strangers?  No. Yes. No.  There's something elemental about his Grandpa Richard that Bunting recognizes and is attracted to; he thinks he is the bee's knees. 


Why I worry about things like this I don't know.  For a solid year this child has proved time and again that he is an extreme social creature, a hambone and a showman.  And true to form, he took his first steps at his birthday party, surrounded by cheering masses.  He walked toward my sister and our little friend Marie, who was sitting in Mepher's lap.  I have known Marie since she was in utero, I was one of the first people to hold her beside her family.  And my sister. Well.  Words are woefully inadequate to express how momentous and powerful the moment was.

II. Bipedal Locomotion
So! He is now a walking guy.  And how.  He has simply given up crawling.  Completely. He was an Olympic caliber crawler.  Fast and efficient. But he's done with that now. 


As you can also see, he's a babbling brook now. All day long. 


He loves our pal Herbie

Their album cover


III. Fruit Bingeing

We eat a lot of apples around here, and I almost always have one in my handbag and my lunchbag. And I don't always remember to keep them zipped. 


Mepher has always been crazy about fruit. When she was a little girl we had to keep all the fruit on top of the refrigerator- if she had access to it, she would just eat until it was gone. We refer to this as 'fruit bingeing'. This was particularly tragic when it came to stone fruit. Her favorite. Do you know what happens if you eat too much stone fruit? It's not good. (you have to eat A LOT of it). 


Bunting takes after her in so many ways. And like her, is a fruit maniac. 

Yes, generally apples are not recommended for one year olds. However- Bunting has 13 teeth (4 more on the way). And we supervise closely. It's so cute. We can't resist.


Mepher love

first fish tank

chillin' with Uncle Josh

He has also figured out how to climb into things. So- he walks, talks, steals fruit, climbs things. Send help! 

 



Bunting's Mamaji is battling brain cancer, but is doing quite well. And getting some delicious snuggles with our boy.

She has always referred to him as the Joy Boy, and that is precisely what he is. 

He is a nugget of sunshine and joy, and we are so lucky, so proud, so delighted that he is ours.