Month 12

Dear Corbin,

Happy birthday, sweet boy! It has been a very good year, your first year. We have had so much fun watching you grow and change and learn. You are walking now, which you enjoy very much. You totter along with your arms held out to the sides, like a little zombie. Sometimes you get going pretty quick, but mostly you walk slowly with lots of stops to look at things or pick things ups. You like to carry things around the house, which is cute for us but a little crazy-making for the dogs. Yesterday, I put one of your toys in a grocery bag that I had just emptied, and later on Arrow came and barked at me because you had put it in his crate. That was after the morning, when you let Rex out of his crate and then crawled into it and started eating his breakfast. I had to fish about four pieces of dog food out of your mouth while you chomped on my finger with your little teeth. Yuck.

You had your 12 month check up today, and got three shots and a finger poke. You weren't happy about any of that, but you didn't make too much of a fuss. You weigh almost 20 pounds and are 29" long and are perfectly healthy. Good job!

You went on your first plane rides this month, down to St Louis for Chinese New Year with Grandpa Lam's family. My cousins were all happy to meet you, and you did quite well in your red envelopes. I saved it all for you. I have it right here. Just ignore that Target receipt. The traveling unsettled your sleeping a little bit, but not your mood. In fact, you were so well behaved that my cousin Michelle called you a, "bait baby." She says babies like you bait people into having children, fooling them into thinking that their baby will also be cute and happy and fun, just like you are.

You still only have two teeth, both on the bottom. I keep looking to see if you're getting any on the top, but no sign right now. Hopefully by the time you get more teeth, you'll be good enough at sippy cups that we can put the bottles away. I got you a new cup with a straw, and you've gotten good at sucking milk up in the straw. The problem is that you'll suck up a mouthful of milk, then open your mouth to let go of the straw and end up with a lap-full of milk. It's messy, but most of your meals are messy anyway.

You are still enjoying swimming classes, and still enjoying any chance you get to be outside. I am looking forward to this summer when we can walk up to the park or go to the arboretum or the zoo or the dog park. It is always fun to watch you exploring, to watch you discovering, to watch you learning. You are still our little observer. This is where I would post several pictures of you gingerly poking at your birthday cupcake, but the camera ate the picture files. That's the price you pay for growing up in the digital age, I guess. So here are some pictures of you walking, instead.

We love you,
Mom