The Conclusion of Our Trip Around the Sun

Ro turned one!  ...a month ago.  Geesh.  Updating this blog has not been the top priority on my list of to-dos.  Which, let's be honest, even those things that I've selected as high-priority haven't even been tackled yet.  The truth is, I have a sleeping problem.  Yeah, I said sleep.  Lately I feel like I haven't been getting enough.  Despite the fact that I consistently sleep eight-hours a night.  And despite the fact that Ro is sleeping a solid 12-hours every night.  It is so hard for me to fight the urge to take a nap.  And so I don't, I give in instead.  I sleep when the baby sleeps.  The baby who is no longer a baby but a toddler!  There you have it, that is why it's taken me a month to write this entry about Ro's first birthday.  I don't mean to brag, but I am a world-class napper.  I'm pretty sure it is my best talent.  

Which, as a side note, here is the medical mystery of the year.  I am a snorer.  I've snored pretty much every night of my life...except (!) when I was pregnant and nursing.  I know, weird.  I cannot explain this phenomenon.  I'm sure I can chalk it up to hormones, but beyond that - who knows.  I think this is what has been causing me to be Sleepy Britty.  

Anyway, Ro's birthday seems like ages ago, and I'm having a hard time remembering any significant milestones.  Which, there were a handful.  Let's see...  Well, Ro grew his eighth tooth the day before my birthday.  He is so thoughtful.  He now has four on top and four on the bottom.  I think he's currently working on his one-year molars too.  

Actually, now that I think of it, I don't remember exactly when Ro's tooth poked through.  Rather Ro took his first steps the day before my birthday.  It wasn't until a full month later, September 17th, that Ro made walking his preferred mode of transportation.  It literally was as if a switch turned on.  He's been walking ever since.  And we're both loving it!

For my birthday, my brother Brice and family flew to Portland for a visit.  Let me make a very important note here, they didn't actually fly to Portland to celebrate my birthday.  They flew to Portland to visit Ro.  It's a good thing I think he's the greatest thing ever, so I'm not offended in the least.  To celebrate me, we rode our bikes along the Portland riverfront, up the bean, and down the hill back to the beginning.  Ro loved our adventure!  As did I.  It was a good birthday.  

While visiting, we also floated the river (sans Ro...poor Ro) and took a day trip to the beach.  There Ro enjoyed the Tillamook Cheese Factory and the sand.  And Brice.  Ro loves Brice.  And pretty much every man in his family.  Poor Judy.  Poor me!  I'm his mother!  I have a video of Ro pushing his stroller around on a large grassy area, minding his own business.  And then you see him stop, drop to his knees, and start fast-crawling away from the stroller...and then enters Brice into the frame.  Ro was running to Brice!  Admittedly, it was pretty cute.  And the feeling is mutual, Ro has Brice wrapped around his little finger.  

My dad and his wife, Mariah, just happened to be passing through town the day after Brice and family left.  So we enjoyed lunch and a few hours in their company.  It was fun!  Ro likes Grandpa Ross and Grandma Maria.  And they like him too.  

I just wanted to post this picture of Ro and Katharine.  It wasn't a day of any significance.  Just a Sunday dinner down at the river while Wyatt's aunt and uncle were visiting from out of town.  

Finally, the birthday.  We decided to keep festivities simple and intimate.  Wyatt and I are both a bit socially awkward, so the thought of hosting a party was overwhelming for me.  So, we spent the day just the three of us.  First Ro woke to a birthday-banner (made with love by dad and mom) and a pile of birthday presents!  We let him open his gifts first thing...which I'm pretty sure he was wondering what was going on.  While having the time of his life.  "Toys!"  Ha!  That's a lie.  More like, "tissue paper!"  Ro couldn't really care less about the toys.  

After Ro's morning nap, we went for a ride on the Lake Oswego trolley.  I wasn't sure how Ro would feel about the adventure, I thought maybe he'd be too young to appreciate it.  But he enjoyed it in his own little one-year-old way.  And 40-minutes was the perfect amount of time for a toddler.  I think he would've expired had it been any longer.  

After Ro's afternoon nap we headed to the zoo.  This was Ro's first experience at the zoo.  As suspected, he only enjoyed the parts that moved.  As in the animals that moved.  Which means he loved the monkeys!  And he got a kick (as in laughing so hard he had to catch his breath) out of Wyatt and me testing the "how far can you jump compared to x animal?" exhibit.  It was pretty cute.  Oh, and the alligator seemed to think Ro was pretty cute...or tasty-looking because he didn't budge until Ro approached the glass.  I'm pretty glad there was glass.  

And of course there was cake!  We were going to let Ro have-at-it with an entire (miniature) cake, but it was a bit overwhelming for him.  So instead Wyatt fed him small slices at a time, and Ro smashed his heart-out.  Actually, he didn't really like the feeling of frosting/smashed cake on his hands, so he'd often fan his hand to try and get it off.  But (!) he did LOVE eating the cake!  I think he ate most of three slices.  

The day after Ro's birthday we had dinner and cake with Wyatt's family down at the river.  I snapped this sweet picture.  Wyatt and Ro with Wyatt's brother, Ryan, and his son Bao.  So precious.

It was a fun weekend.  I'm sure Ro won't remember it, but I sure will.  It's been a crazy/overwhelming/fulfilling/wonderful/exciting year.  I definitely can't imagine my life without this kid.  He is my little buddy that I get to spend my days with.  I'm not exaggerating when I say that everyday I feel so lucky that I get to spend my day with Ro.  I still get excited for him to wake in the morning.  And even after he's gone to bed for the night, I spend my evenings scrolling through pictures and videos of him.  I just can't get enough!  This might just be a honeymoon period...even so, I am truly enjoying it!

Happy birthday little man.  Happy birthday.