Swimmin'

It has been quite a summer for me. First birthday. Walking. Cake. Ice cream.
And now swimming.
It all started when Grandma Vonnie and Grandpa Bruce bought me a blue plastic pool for the backyard on a fine ("perfect?") Duluth day. I even invited my neighbor Esme over for a dip. And Ole had a big water dish.
But Mom got pretty excited a few weeks later when I charged right into Spirit Lake, Iowa, as I did over and over again recently. Hey, with all my cousins around, I felt like I should at least try out my strokes.
Mom got even more excited when I tried to drink "Stinky Lake."(On second thought, maybe that's why I don't feel so good this week.)

My dog

Besides Mom, my best buddy is a three-year-old Border Collie, Ole. He kindly leaves his water dish out for me to play with/in, and occasionally lets me sneak a piece of Iams. I return the favor by launching choice bits of ground turkey, chips and assorted bits from my highchair. And he's great to ride like a pony. Dad, I want a pony!

A stroll through the living room

Birthday follow-up

Watch the paparazzi sing my praises.

I'm One!

It rained on my birthday yesterday, but I had fun anyways. And I'm not just talking about the cream cheese frosting on my gluten-free (?!) cupcakes that I gently (?!) picked at.
Mom decorated the house with pictures, a banner, a ballon and a giant paper flower. Turkey hotdogs were on the menu, though I passed on the Wasabi horseradish sauce.
I think my 99-cent bouncey ball is my favorite, although I did haul in some musical instruments (maracas, a clacker, a tamborine, cymbals), legos and a couple of books. And I guess I'll be forced to wear that pink bike helmet some day soon.
Grandma Vonnie and Grandpa Bruce joined the party. Now I'm one!

My eating habits

It's easy to think all babies do is eat, poop and cry. We do smile, too.
I favor Mom's milk. It's great any time of day in any situation.
I enjoy everything from avocados to rice puffs. Sweet potatoes, which cover my face in this photo, are on the banned list, as my butt seems to get red after I eat those!

Gettin' skills

Like all babies, I wasn't very mobile for the first few months. I started Army-style crawling around Christmas. But I was always wiggly. And being able to roll over was a big step!