Tripp Turns ONE YEAR OLD

Tripp. Tripp. Tripp. My Little Boy. This past year has been a wonderful one with our little guy.  He has brought new depths of joy and happiness like I've never known.  I am so thankful for this little man's endless good days.  His smile is contagious and that grin brings a new level of love to the Sickler household.

Tripp, at one year old, loves to crawl. He army crawls most of the time, but is beginning to do a little stiff-elbowed, hand and knee crawl. He is pulling up on anything 30in or shorter. He loves to climb the stairs and is faster than a toupee in a hurricane when the gate is left ajar. Tripp has figured out how to open kitchen drawers and about 50% of the time can manage the kitchen cabinet doors as well.

Tripp loves to clap, to wave, to point and to grab. He is working on those fine little motor skills while turning the pages of his board books--he shakes, he is concentrating so! He is quite busy with the books, and will occasionally let you finish reading one to him. But most of the time, if you start to read a book to him, he wiggles down, finds another book, scoots back and enjoys "co-reading".

His favorite game is putting small things into bigger things, dumping out, and then repeating.  He plays with all of Charlie Ann's baby-friendly (and the non-baby-friendly, actually) toys, and tries to do everything she does.. especially coloring and magna-doodling.

Tripp is a chitter-chatter-chatter box.  He doesn't stop talking.  Even when I have soothed him to sleep, and as I am laying him down in his crib, he still is mumbling and smiling with his eyes closed.  What a funny boy.  He is saying a few words, like "stop, stop, stop", "all done", "daddy", "night-night", "Taiga", "mama" and "no, no, no, no".  (An insight into his little world, maybe? Ha.) He is learning sign language for please, thank you, more and all done.

He is a bit picky on foods.. rather, I have let him be pickier on foods. Sigh, some things gotta give.. and when there is a challenge on eat this! vs. eat something!, I usually go to the latter.  It's mainly just non-pureed meats and veggies that we have problems with.  But he does pureed meat and veggies just fine... Hence, why we are still purchasing jars of 'chicken orzo' and 'beef with mixed veg'.

Tripp still nurses.  Sigh.  However, over Thanksgiving, with the help of our holiday company, Tripp has managed to take a soft spout sippy cup! Whoop.  I have him on almond milk and occasionally cow's milk.  He is not really into it as a substitute for nursing, but... baby steps?  Also, he is successfully going to bed for Jarod or our holiday guests.  Which is like... MEGA-RELIEF for this mom. It's like a pinch hitter. A pinch hitter that you want to write into your will.

He is LONG AVERAGE and SKINNY still.  In the 60% for height at 30'', and 11% for weight at one ounce shy of 20 lbs. Ha. Tripp wears size 18 month clothes across the board.

Tripp is in the funny (not-so funny) stage of merging his two naps a day to one.  Making for either a long morning or afternoon (whichever one didn't get the nap). His night sleep is good. When he is not teething or under the weather, he sleeps a solid 12+ hours.

And, at 12 months old, he has 12 teeth. Chomp.

Tripp is the cuddle bug of the family- still snuggling and laying on shoulders.  He is so sweet.

Tripp is seriously a ball of joy and laughter and I am so thankful he is part of our family.