One Year Old
We are now the proud parents of a one-year-old! A lot’s happened in the past month, including Kellen’s first trip to the zoo and his one-year birthday bash.
Mexican Food
Earlier this month, Kellen had his first taste of Mexican food at a family dinner. I think it’s safe to say, he’s a fan, especially of the rice and fajita meat.
He had some good one-on-one time with Nana and Grandpa Derrin (Aimee’s folks) at dinner.
He also took quite an interest in Grandpa Derrin’s other granddaughter, Avery.
A Visit From Uncle Pougie & Aunt Masha
Aimee’s brother, Doug, Uncle Pougie to Kellen, and his wife, Masha, stayed with us for a few days while trekking across the country for a move. This was their first time meeting Kellen in person.
Birthday Card Photo Shoot
We set up a little photo shoot with Kellen to get a one-year-old photo for his birthday announcement. It (below) features a photo from each month of his life, culminating in the one-year-old photo in the center.
Mommy’s Birthday
Aimee’s birthday also falls in April. Kellen got some time with Abuela, Grandpa, and Aunt Tori while we spent an afternoon with them to celebrate Aimee’s birthday.
The following weekend, we spent with my grandparents celebrating both Aimee’s birthday, as well as Kellen’s.
The next day, we celebrated Aimee’s birthday with her sister’s family. Kellen’s cousins, McKinley and Hayden, love to spend time with him and show him the ropes.
Skyping (Or Trying To) With Aunt Cheshie
Aunt Cheshie, Aimee’s aunt from New York, was nice enough to send Kellen a birthday gift, and our plan was to Skype with her while he opened it. Due to technical difficulties, she had to settle for photos instead. It’s funny - when Kellen opens gifts, he often favors the paper over the gift, at least during the opening process.
Last Day As A Pre-One-Year-Old
Kellen’s last day as a pre-one-year-old was both exciting and emotional, especially for Aimee. It was hard to believe we were in the hospital welcoming him to our family a year ago. When I put him to bed that night, I thought to take a photo of his last time going to bed before waking up the next morning as a one-year-old.
A Trip To The Zoo
Aimee and I took the day off for Kellen’s first birthday, and we decided he might be old enough to enjoy a trip to the Houston Zoo. For a while now, he’s enjoyed being out and about and will sit in his stroller for quite a while, enjoying the sights around him. We had a great time at the zoo, although Kellen seemed more interested in the many field-trip-goers than the animals.
Kellen’s First Cupcake
After returning home from the zoo, Kellen had his first (mini) cupcake in honor of his birthday. Although it’s safe to say he enjoyed it quite a bit, it was a much less messy affair than we anticipated.
Is He Crawling?!
After about 11 months, we assumed Kellen was going to skip crawling altogether. He had been somewhat mobile for a while and was starting to show signs of wanting to walk. We thought he might start walking within a couple months of turning a year old. Well, on the very day of his birthday, we set him on the floor to play and low and behold, he scurried across the floor on all fours. We were shocked - is he crawling?! Now he’s crawling all over the place. We still think he’ll be walking within a month or two though.
Birthday Bash
Kellen’s first birthday party was quite an affair. Aimee did a fantastic job planning everything. The party’s theme was farm animals, because Kellen’s taken quite a liking to them and the noises they make. We made all our own food and invited family over to celebrate.
On display during his birthday party was a slideshow of photos taken throughout Kellen’s first year. In testing the slideshow the night before, Aimee and I found it very emotional to relive his first year through the slideshow. We’re overjoyed to have him in our life.
Kellen loved being the center of attention at his party, and he was more than happy to demonstrate his new crawling skills.
Our family bestowed some wonderful gifts on Kellen, including some much-needed 12-month (and beyond) clothes and a very special birthday card from Cousin McKinley.
And the moment everyone had been waiting for, birthday cake time!
Kellen was initially a little timid about diving into his cake, so Aimee decided to help him get the ball rolling. After that, it was party time.
A quick bath was called for after cake.
One Year Checkup
Kellen had his one year checkup a few days after his birthday. He weighs just under 24 lbs., around the 85th percentile, and measures 29.5 inches, around the 33rd percentile. He received four vaccinations, which he did not enjoy, but he was very brave, and he’s perfectly healthy and developing just as he should be.
Change Of Pace
When I first set out on this project, I made it a point to update the blog at least once a month - and more often, as necessary - around Kellen’s birthday. As he’s aged, I’ve found myself taking fewer photos of him - don’t worry, I’m still taking plenty - because he’s not changing (seemingly) day-to-day. Going forward, I may not post as often, perhaps only as events and milestones warrant, but I’ll most definitely continue to share.
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