Anson at one

Anson is ONE! We celebrated many things on that special day including having made it through the first year with four very young children...the party was really for us ; ) Really though, watching Anson grow from five pounds to be the official "chubby bubby" of the family is something worth celebrating! God has brought much joy to our hearts through caring for this precious boy who is laid back, a bit noisy & has some yummy chub chub... love that!

All about Anson Ellis at ONE year old (give or take a month)

At his one year old appointment:

29 inches

21 pounds 9 ounces

size 4 shoes

size 12-18 month clothes

Anson jumped up to the twenty something percentile, I wish I could remember but truth is, I can't remember a lot of things..but my children are alive & well & that is what matters ; ) We were not really surprised that A was three pounds heavier than his bro with his insatiable appetite coupled with waiting to crawl for an entire month after O. 

These two are a hoot with mustaches... 

or attacking mommy...

Doing things together is just a way of life for these two but really, they seem to truly enjoy each other's company & are not too happy when separated. I love their interactions & look forward to seeing that special relationship develop over the years to come. 

Onto the big boy & what he is up to at ONE year old:

• figured out how to crawl in forward motion the week he turned 11 months old after being Owen's number one supporter for the previous month clapping excitedly for him each time he crawled, hahaha!
• has completely caught up to his brother & can move fast & pull up on anything...even a flat wall : ) 
• can take a couple steps toward something if holding on
• says mama, dada, gaga, papa & lately loves to say "li-li-li-li-lah" I think he is saying the name of his best girl Lilah ; ) 
• answers "ya ya ya ya" when you ask him a question
• gets beat up on by his bubby but shows him up by stealing food off his tray at meal time...no wonder there is a weight difference!
• sucks his thumb & gets this faraway look in his eyes
• looks just like his Daddy so much so that we refer to him as "baby Robby" all the time 
• waves every time you call his name as if to say "I'm right here, not doing anything wrong!"
• is VERY vocal & screams or growls while eating or playing
• happy to chill in the wagon or stroller on a walk
• does the cutest squeal/breathing in when excited about something
• has five teeth- three on top, two on bottom & chooses to test their strength frequently on family members causing some tears
• LOVES his sisters & all the ways they entertain him
• had a crazy fly away hair style until his recent matching summer buzz cut to further confuse people who struggle to tell the twins apart ; ) 
• is obsessed with putting small toys inside cups 
• does the motion for "twinkle" when you sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• likes to hand you something when you ask for it
• always looks surprised...

Sleepy Time: Anson values sleep although not quite as much as Owen but still, I get some good naps from this buckaroo! He goes to bed by 6:30 every night & wakes around 7:45am followed by naps around 9:45-11 & 2-4. He most always wakes before Owen but usually no more than 20 minutes earlier. It provides for some sweet cuddles with my chubs. If his thumb is in his mouth during a pre-nap diaper change I can rest assured that he will be asleep within minutes of laying him down. If not, he likes to play peekaboo with his best bud until Owen checks out & goes to sleep which prompts some screaming on his part, possibly another snuggle from mommy & then sound sleep. Either way works for me : ) Once he is asleep he is down for the count & not much wakes him.

Hungry Bone:  Goodness sakes, this boy is already eating us out of house & home! The only thing he dislikes is bananas which I happily passed along onto him from my distastes ; ) Some faves: any meat but especially steak, cheese chunks, yogurt, lima beans, broccoli, mac & cheese, crackers, yogurt covered raisins, the list goes on & on! He stopped nursing a week before his birthday making me feel all sorts of emotions including sadness but glad to see what it feels like to not be providing nourishment for another (or two) which I have done for five & a half years without a break. So far, so good on enjoying my post baby/nursing body! Back to chubs, he figured out the sippy cup around his birthday & sucks down his milk pretty quickly. We phased out the bottles just before 13 months for both boys & it was so not a big deal like I thought it would be. I don't see his hunger going away anytime soon so I will keep up with the chopping & cooking! Whatever he eats it is by the fist full!

Anson's extra 3/4th inch gave him enough height to show a tiny bit of his leg making him look less like a "floating baby."  That little smirk kills me...

one last one with my handsome Anson & his hamster teeth as his daddy calls them...

My precious Anson,

I can't believe it has been a whole year since I saw you face to face in that operating room. We were shocked to see chubby cheeks knowing that you were still such a little guy! I loved you long before that moment & could not wait to have you in my arms.

We along with many others prayed that you would grow strong & healthy. The Lord answered that prayer & you came out crying & made tears stream down my face. Holding you & that twin brother of yours together for the first time was a moment I would love to experience a million times over.

Your growing & changing this past year from a teeny tiny five pound baby to a busy boy that loves to laugh has been a delight to take part in. You are an incredible gift from the Lord & we are praying that He would reveal himself to you as you grow & that you would give your life to serving him in whatever capacity He sees fit. 

Love,
Mommy