How does a year go by so fast?

And when did my tiny little baby become a monster toddler?

One year old. ONE. How did that happen so fast? It was just yesterday I was sitting here 38 weeks pregnant, trying to finish things up and hoping the little one held off at least until the due date of Dec 25. He decided this place was just too much fun he needed to join the fray early, on Dec 9. And now he's ONE.

If I was a more organized mom I'd have some cool slide show of his first year, but since we're still editing years 1-4 of Angelina's video in addition to Lenaïc's first year, that's going to have to wait.

It's been an incredible year for all of us. Angelina has learned to love (and hate) being a big sister (but mostly love). We've learned to handle 2 kids -ok, so we haven't really figured that out, but we're trying. Lenaïc went from struggling to gain weight in his first few weeks of life to bursting off the charts (he's in 18 month clothes now and some of those are already too small). He zooms all over the house on his hands and feet (he crawls too, but he has this funky yoga position he likes on his feet instead of knees, and "walks" all over like that, even better if he has two small cups in his hands). He pulls up. He likes pushing things as he "walks." He hasn't figured out words yet but has his own way of talking. He loves Chakapu (our cat) and big sister Angelina, he loves parties and friends. He loves Mommy and Papa - the look on his face when Papa walks into the room is enough to melt the hardest heart. (He is happy to see mommy, too, but I'm convinced he just sees me as a meal source)

He likes to "help" unload the dishwasher, though we've taught him to "help" by closing the door instead. He likes to unload every cabinet in the house, but I can't fix that yet. He likes balls and cups and plastic containers. He LOVES lids. Metal lids, who needs cymbals when you can use Mommy's pots?


He is full of laughter and love. Even when he's cranky, all we have to do is sing a silly song or clap our hands and he starts to laugh.


The old poem clearly didn't have it right for Lenaïc. He's a Wednesday Child. Woe is the farthest thing from his existence.


Happy Birthday my Brightness of the Sun. You and your sister make this world a better place for all of us.

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.[1]