growing boy

here is my "big boy" at his birthday party holding his favorite present-- "baby anna". i was thinking about this time last year and all that has changed since then. he has grown so much... it isn't really that he has changed as he has grown... i kind of think of it as getting more colorful. like watching a black and white picture become color-- the structure of his little personality has been there, but more of the details are coming out... especially in his constant chatter. he narrates everything, then retells it later, and often comes up with wild stories from his imagination. thankfully along with the "terrible two" fits he throws we also get blessed with some genuinely sweet behavior. he says please when he asks for things a lot of the time-- and even thank you too... and best of all- he really loves the new person we have added to his life. he giggles with excitement when he talks about baby anna. he is dying for us to put her in the bath with him. he loves to wedge the paci in her mouth and sit trucks and cars next to her...

here are some pictures from this time last year:

my sweet sleeping babe... with his super short haircut from last summer.

he wears these clothes this summer, but he fills them out much more! same spunk ;-)

this shirt i made was really too small for him... anna wears it now- it is a bit big on her, but you get the point ;-) it was/ is cute-- no point in letting a little issue like fit deprive them of wearing it!
here is a good comparison pic-- last year (april) some one had to get in the bath w/ him to keep him from crawling around, standing up... basically drowning and knocking his head open in excitement. {look @ the cute baby chub still there }

this year (may) : full fledged toddler, slimmed down from all his running... and full of color ;-)
- i guess we all get more colorful as we get older... that is certainly something to look forward to in my opinion!