1!!!!!!!

So much has changed in a year and yet, so little.  I love each of my 3 boys, as I should, but I am still amazed that I can love each one with my whole heart, my entire being.  And I can't stop thinking of the end of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" where they say his heart grew 3 times the size or something to that effect.  Sometimes I feel like I might explode from all the love welling up inside.  It doesn't seem possible that a year can have gone by already.  Yet, none of us can remember what we were like without Chase...except that we were a family missing our Chase.

Our Chase who is a year old today!!!!!  He still weighs around 20lbs (I'll update later with our official doctor visit stats) and is wearing 12mo clothes.  He loves food.  ALL of it.  He is back to eating some baby food- he switched brands to BeechNut- whatever floats his little tastebud boat!  But I mean he eats all food- carrot sticks, hamburger, cheese, black beans, bread, humus, yogurt, peanut butter, frosted wheat...you eat it and he'll try it and usually like it.  Chase still loves his woogie (50s era cloth diaper) and is sleeping great!  He takes 2 naps during the day and sleeps all night long- thank God it finally happened!  Chase is mastering the skill of playing with cars, rolling them back and forth along the floor, and it thrills his big bro to no end ;)  Travis is constantly asking Chase to play with him now- telling me to bring Chase up to his room so they can play or gently pulling him outside to play on the castle together.  And let me tell you, Chase eats it up!  He wears shoes outside now since he wants to go everywhere and he will watch patiently as I put each one on his foot and then gets a big grin on his face- knowing what comes next.  I'm pretty sure this connection is why Travis is a shoe whore.  The boy cannot pass up the chance to get new shoes and I'm thinking Chase is going to be the same way.  Chase loves to be tickled and tossed in the air and hung upside down.  Anything that makes him laugh and his laugh is addictive so of course he gets tossed and tickled a lot!  With all that sweetness comes some killer tantrums.  Chase can lay one on you, full on red face, tears, screaming, arm flailing fit.  And there is no consoling.  He decides when he's over it and nothing you do can make it over any sooner.  His favorite activities include:  stealing my kitchen utensils and running around the house banging them on the floor, getting naked, getting into baskets, eating sand, eating rocks, sweeping, attacking the vacuum, holding the dog leash, playing his version of tag, riding in the gator, and taking a bath.  Chase also has quite the mischievous side.  He loves to get attention and will slyly go just far enough to get it.  It is adorable.  His sly smile and chortle.  This one? this one here? is trouble!

happy 1st birthday Chase!  we love you more than air! xoxoxo