One Year of Matthew!

On the 23rd of May, Matthew turned one. One whole year old! Where has my baby gone? More and more, he's making it clear that the days of little babyhood are gone.

He's currently about 18 pounds and 30 inches tall, still the same little string bean he's always been. He'll eat just about anything, although he loves fruit and would eat it exclusively if I let him. He says dada and something sort of like mama. He can understand simple commands, and will clap his hands or give a kiss if I tell him to in Chinese.

Matthew's got a sweet temperament. Most of the time he's pretty easygoing and happy go lucky. But lately there have been some days of testing boundaries that remind me that he's got a will and like everyone, he wants things his way. It's been challenging to say the least!

Lately he enjoys reading books and popping bubbles. He loves other kids, and he's been known to lay a kiss on any little friends he meets.

We love our little boy and are excited to see all the things he learns next!

Matthew at 8 Months

Matthew turned 8 months! 2/3rds of a year! How is time flying so quickly? I've really enjoyed watching him develop in the past month. His personality is starting to come through.

He's starting to gain weight. He's at least 14 and a half pounds! That may not sound like much, but for a little peanut like our kid, it's impressive growth. He's about 27 inches long, but he wiggles too much for me to get an accurate measurement.

This month's big accomplishment is mobility! Matthew is officially a crawler! He's still pretty slow and better at going backward than forward, but he's getting it. Now we have to keep an eye on him all the time!

He's always been pretty easygoing, but his joy is becoming more an more apparent. Big smiles and belly laughs come out on a regular basis. He also is learning how to make me laugh (just by laughing himself), and he'll laugh at me laughing at him.

He's also becoming more verbal these days, although his favorite sound has been a scream recently. He also seems to enjoy blowing raspberries and saying "dadada". I'm hoping that some "mamama"s come soon.

   

On his way to 8 months, Matthew celebrated his first Christmas. He enjoyed staring at the lights on the tree, and I'm grateful he wasn't fully mobile by then, because I'm sure he would've grabbed them. He got some clothes and new toys, which he has been enjoying.

He's also starting to get a little clingy and have some separation anxiety. If I'm out of sight and he's surrounded by strange faces, he starts to cry (with the cutest, bottom lip quivering, sad face ever). Mommy has clearly become the favorite, much to Jeremiah's dismay. I figure it's just a phase. Give it a year and it'll be all about Dad.

I'm looking forward to what 9 months will bring!