Life of Wilder: Week Fifty-One

My Wilder turns one next weekend. When he was so newly born and tiny and squishy this point seemed so very far away; but this year has just flown by and he is no longer very newly born or tiny, although he is still squishy :) He is the sweetest baby ever and so smart! Paul and I feel so lucky to be his Mama and Dada. 

The weather here has been kind of crazy -- cold one day, then warm and sunny the next, and then rainy the next day. It's done a number on Wilder. He has had the worst runny nose all week -- no fever or other cold symptoms but still yuck. He has been extra sweet and cuddly because of it though, which is just what I've needed this week. He gives the best hugs. 

It seems like his learning abilities have soared in the last month or two. He catches on to things we show him or say to him so quickly. I've also noticed him working on his language skills, like really concentrating and practicing to get the right sound out. He will point to things in books and around the house when we ask him where something is. He knows Mama, Dada, doggies, cow, airplane, tractor, motorcycle, duck, ball, flower, balloon, car, elephant, sheep, and probably more I can't think of right now. 

He has also, finally and to the dogs' great relief I'm sure, learned to gentle pet. He will be tugging on Rider's fur and I'll say Wilder, gentle pet. and he'll start petting her so nicely. It is the sweetest thing! Not that it lasts very long, but still so sweet while it does last.

Paul has taught him to hand stuff to us when we say Can I have it? It's so funny doing it with him because he'll hand whatever it is to us, we'll say a big Thank you!, and then he holds his hand out for it back, and we do it all over again. It always turns into a game with no end. I wish I had videos of him doing these things! Maybe next week. 

I do have a video of the new funny thing he's doing though. He started doing this at dinner one night and a few times now he's done it and then pointed at us to do it and we do it and then point back at him and he does it again. I'm telling you, that boy will make a game out of anything! He hates me videoing him though and it was right before bedtime, hence the half-heartedness of the performance and the foot trying to kick the camera out of my hand. He's usually more enthusiastic about it. 

He is such a character and loves to laugh and make us laugh. He started out as such a serious baby, never smiling at people in the grocery store and always studying everything, but he has turned into such a little goofball. He still has his serious moments when he looks at you like you're crazy...

But for the most part, he's a total clown...

The other day we were playing in his room and I threw a pair of pants on his head. I thought that was pretty silly until he upped the silliness level by crawling to the other side of the room with them still on his head...

And then, when they fell off...

Putting them back on his own head...

And then crawling back across the room. I'm telling you, this child is silly to the max. 

He constantly makes us walk him around now. Anytime I'm standing up and not holding him, he crawls over to me, sticks his hands up for me to pull him up or pulls up on my pants legs and as soon as I grab his hands he takes off pulling me along to his chosen destination or in aimless circles around the house. Today I was trying to get some stuff done in the kitchen and he pulled up on the back of my legs so I just started taking baby steps around the kitchen with him walking holding on behind me. He thought that was pretty funny and I had my hands free to finish what I was doing, win-win. (Also, that's pretty good for a behind the back shot, if I do say so myself.)

He's also showing an interest in climbing lately. I can't wait to give him his baby slide next weekend. He'll probably like climbing up as much as going down it. 

He's been having a blast climbing all over and exploring the couch cushion forts/play gyms I've been making him too.

We've been bored with his toys for a few weeks now but we've been saving his new big boy toys to give him for his birthday so, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. I came up with the pillow forts to climb on and brought out his old bathtub to zoom around his room in. I like to think I'm encouraging his imagination ;) And honestly, I know he would be just as, if not more, excited about a cardboard box, pillows, or an old bathtub as any actual toy, but I can't wait to give him his birthday presents anyway and see him light up.

Speaking of cheap toys, I got these punch balloons to put in the favor bags for the party after Wilder played with one at his friend Lexi's house and loved it. I blew one of the extras up for him tonight and he had the best time chasing it and punching it. It was pretty hilarious to watch...

We were invited over to Rachel and Lexi's house for dinner the other night and had such a great time eating, visiting, and playing with the babies. Wilder was in heaven getting to play with all those different toys. He systematically played with each and every one while basically ignoring Lexi and everyone else around him. He was in serious play mode.

Here Lexi is about to show off her new talent of

giving kisses and Wilder does not even notice. It was

so cute and I wish I could have captured it though!

But I did capture the most adorable bathtub pictures last night. I took 18 pictures  and he has a different expression in every one of them. But I'll spare you and only post the 7 cutest ones. I absolutely love these (almost as much as he loves chewing on those foam bathtub letters).

Here are a few more cute pictures from this week...

Feeding the dogs his leftover Cheerios

Reading... what else is new?

 Sweet, happy boy

Oh, and also, this happened (that was their bed, don't ask)...

So this happened (finally)...

Cots for the dogs have been a long time coming. They have chewed up I don't even know how many pillow-type beds out of boredom or, as you can see from the picture above, Rider's obsessive and destructive hide-and-seek games with a ball. We're all pretty excited about the cots. Here's to hoping (for their sakes) they don't destroy these too.

Also, one more thing, my friend Lindsay (who is also participating in NaBloPoMo) had a really good post today that I wholeheartedly agree with about all the junk being pumped into kids via TV. Since I'm running low on original ideas for posts that don't involve party planning updates, I'll probably steal this idea and write about my thoughts on it in the next few days too, but you should check out her blog, With a Little Love and Luck. She's a thoughtful, talented writer and mom from New Orleans and I think you'll enjoy her stuff as much as I do. 

Alright guys, hope everyone has a good weekend!