Today Mommy and Daddy took me to Dr. Gatto for my one-year checkup. He said I weighed 22 lbs. 10 oz. and was 31 inches tall. He also said that I could start drinking plain old cow’s milk now. That must mean I’m getting to be a big kid!

I also got another shot. That didn’t make me very happy at all. I didn’t take a nap today because I was so cranky.

Wow, we just took a really long trip! Mommy, Daddy, Grandmommy and I all went by car to a place called Arkansas to visit my Great-Great-Aunt Peggy in the town of Diamond City. It took us two days to drive out there and two days to drive back, and along the way we drove through West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. We saw the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis and drove through really wild thunderstorms in Indiana.

While we were there, we stayed in a place called the Big Cedar Lodge near a city in Missouri called Branson. Mommy says they have a lot of music shows in Branson, but they didn’t take me to see any. The hotel was really nice and we had a good time swimming in the pool and walking in the nature paths. They had a really neat kiddie pool that was just the right height for me to stand up and cruise in holding onto the wall.

Great-Great-Aunt Peggy was really nice to me. I wandered around her house and showed her how well I can walk. She’s 92 years old and is my mommy’s mommy’s mommy’s sister.

When we finally got back to Maryland, Mommy and Grandmommy went to the airport and picked up Uncle Boo.

Today was my birthday! I’m a whole year old today! And boy did I have a lot of fun!

First, a whole bunch of my friends came over. There was Ben and his mommy and daddy, Henry with his mommy and daddy, and Andrew with his mommy. The grown ups had pizza, soda, fruit and cookies. Us babies had fruit puffs and baby food. There were balloons and decorations and even a birthday cake. The cake had a Winnie the Pooh candle on it and everyone sang me the Happy Birthday song and then I blew out the candle (with Mommy’s help). Then the grown-ups had cake. Mommy gave me a taste of cake, but I spit it out. I don’t like the texture of cake and bread very much.

Then Mommy laid out a spoon, a spool of thread, a book and a dollar bill on the floor and told me to pick something. First I picked the spoon, and then I picked the spool of thread. Mommy said this meant that I would have good health and long life. It’s a Korean tradition that Calvin did at his party, and Mommy liked it so we did it too. Then Mommy gave me a pat on the bottom. She said that this is what her pop-pop used to do on her birthdays when she was a child.

Then I got to open all my presents. Andrew got me a cool thing of building blocks with a wagon to carry them in. Henry got me some neat books including a new copy of “Goodnight Moon” (I’ve nearly chewed through my old copy), and Ben got me some cool little cars that are all rubbery. I know I’m going to chew on those a lot!

I was so excited at the end of the day that I could hardly sleep. I didn’t even take my afternoon nap, but rather played with all my new toys. I especially like the blue building blocks (blue is my favorite color). Mommy and Grandma Lolo had to go out so Daddy tried to put me to bed, but I kept bouncing up and down in my crib so he brought me back down to play. When Mommy came home, she took me upstairs, nursed me, and then put me to bed. I fussed and complained for a little while, but I was so tired that I fell asleep in a few minutes.

…and then thud! I’m trying to start walking (this crawling thing is for babies, thank you). I can take maybe two steps and then I end up on my bum. But I’m going to get it soon, man! My friend Calvin was walking at his birthday party. I only have two and a half weeks to go, so I better get practicing.

It was really warm today and we all went to the zoo. We saw elephants, and zebras, and even the baby panda, Tai Shan! Well, we saw him for a few seconds but then he tumbled down a hill and we couldn’t see him anymore. So we just watched his mom, Mei Xiang, eat her bamboo. I called everything “kee-ca”, because everything looks like a kitty cat to me.

Grandma Lolo came to visit us. Now I have both grandmommies here to shower me with attention! Yay!

Today I met my Grandmommy Wendy and my Auntie Julie. They came all the way from Colorado just to see me! They’re really nice and brought me lots of new toys, books and stuffed animals. We went to the mall and had lots of fun.

Then Mommy took me to Calvin’s birthday party. He turned 1 year old! It was at Gymboree, and all my friends were there: Henry, Katheryn and Ben. Calvin was walking and everything. We played on the equipment, sang songs, blew bubbles, and played with the parachute. It was lots of fun and I was really tired when we went home so I went right to bed.

Today was my 11 month birthday. I’m getting to be a big kid!

Mommy took me to the mall today and we met up with Donna and Henry there. Mommy bought a bathing suit for herself, some medicine for me (I have a cold), and then we had lunch. When we got home, I wouldn’t take a nap. Daddy stayed home from work today because he has a cold too. He tried to get me to take a nap too, but I wouldn’t. So he put me to bed early.

My son is a goofball. We went to buy a new microwave today (because our old one up and died, booger) and while I was holding him in the sling in the store, he kept trying to launch himself backwards, the net result being he was half hanging out of the sling, upside down, and staring at the salesman with a huge grin on his face. No, this boy doesn’t understand how to be cute. Right.

Later, when we went to a party at a friends house, he spent the whole time making goofy faces at everyone. He does this thing where he crinkles up his eyes and nose and puckers his lips and blows, as if he’s trying to whistle but doesn’t know how.

That’s the new nickname Mommy gave me, because I’m always taking one sock off.

Today Mommy took me to the library for Cuddle-Ups, and we sang songs and did bounces and tickles. There were a lot of other kids there too and we had a lot of fun!