Damon is one!

 

One year ago, today!

Damon joined our family at 12:04 PM on March 23rd, 2011. You can read his birth story, here. I thought that there was no such thing as a "perfect" birth. But, Damon's birth proved me wrong. It really was perfect.

I cannot imagine our family without Damon. He is so funny, full of life, happy, vivacious, and feisty. He is determined and he has a quick temper, but it never lasts for long. He can change from laughing to a head-banging tantrum back to laughing in a split second. But he keeps us smiling all day long.

Dmitri and Damon are each other's shadow. Wherever there is one, the other is always close behind. They are the best of friends. It is absolutely precious to see them sharing life together, swapping toys, and exploring the world hand in hand. They have their own "brother language" in which that jabber away at each other and then laugh hysterically.They have their moments and he has some strong defense mechanisms too- he pushes, hits, and throws with gusto. And although Damon is 21 months younger, he doesn't let that stop him from keeping up with Dmitri.

Damon can climb anything, and has no fear. He will slide down any slide at the park unassisted, climb any chair and table, can get off of the sofa, and overcome any obstacle. He greats everything with a giant smile. He has climbed into our washing machine, and loves to shut himself into the cabinets.

He took his first steps at 10 months, however, aside from a few steps here and there (mostly to get to mama), he relies on his proficient and fast crawling. He is in the process of getting teeth # 9-12 this week, and like his brother, his teeth come in four at a time. He said his first word at 10 months ("gentle"), and quickly added a handful of others to his vocabulary. He can now say, gentle, mama, papa, "dada" (Dmitri), dog, diaper, ball, uh oh!, chicken, more, all-done, thank-you, No!, and yum! He has learned to say "thank you" from hearing Dmitri say it, and says it whenever we hand him anything. It is so sweet to hear his cute little voice.

My 8 pound baby boy is now a long, lean, 22 pound almost-toddler. But he still gives lots of cuddles, hugs, and snuggles. And when he isn't off on an adventure with Dmitri, he is almost always in my arms. I am happy to say that he is a mama's boy, and I enjoy getting to spend lots of time with him.

Happy birthday my darling Damon! I love you so much and I am so thankful for the joy that you have added to our family. I look forward to continuing watching you grow and laugh.