Raffi’s 12 month update
What a fantastic year. Everyone laughs at me because every month I claim that THAT is my favorite month, only to say the same thing the next month. Suffice it to say that as Raffi gets older he becomes more and more fun.
Here are 12 things about 12 months:
1. We have a full on walker. Raffi walks around all day now with random toys, and crawls only now and again. He thinks he can run and he thinks he can climb anything, but in reality he can’t do much of either. I can walk down the street with him holding my hand, although it’s really slow. That is a moment I’ve been waiting for since the day we had him. When we’re home I sometimes don’t know where he is because he escapes to another part of the house so quickly to grab a toy.
2. Development is now coming fast and furious. Raffi can follow lots of different instructions and knows things. This surprises me every time. When he’s hungry and I haven’t made him a snack yet he goes into the pantry and grabs one of his snacks for me to give him. I usually make him something else (since the pantry snacks are for on the go) but he knows how to give me a clear signal that he’s hungry. He will do the same with a water bottle. Raffi pushes the button to close the garage door for us, can identify his Cookie, Big Bird and Elmo figurines (although he’s never seen Sesame Street), and holds up any electronic device to his ear like a phone.
3. Speaking of electronic devices… we are breeding a monster. My phone is around me all the time, and Raffi wants it. If it’s locked he keeps handing it back to me until I play something for him. It’s becoming embarrassing since I swore I wouldn’t have an electronic-addicted child. We have limited his TV/phone time to about 15 minutes a day, but it’s still probably too much. Part of it has to do with weaning since I needed to distract him in the morning in order to have him drink milk. If I don’t distract him with TV or the phone or music he will pull at my shirt and whine.
4. Raffi has some more words. He started pointing (with his whole arm) and clapping consistently this month. His consistent words last month were “baba” (for Trig), “wawa” (for nonna), “PaPa” (for PopPop), and “baba” (for banana). This month we can add “gawa” (for water) and “gak” (for look). He also says “WOOOOOOW’ correctly and maybe too much, but the world is fascinating to him I guess. He no longer says “what” as much.
5. If you ask him to hand you his food instead of throwing it, he will listen. He will also bring me garbage instead of trying to eat it – as long as I ask. This is a huge improvement from last month’s floor feasts.
6. When he’s tired or feeling particularly snuggly Raffi will randomly hug me or his stuffed animals. He also gives kisses and then makes a “blech” sound which is hysterical. He loves when characters come alive, and I’ve had fun building different voices for different characters.
7. Sadly, the era of the 2 solid naps is gone. Raffi now takes 1 nap for 1.5 hours when he used to take 2 naps for 1.5 hours each. His current naptime is at 11:30 AM and he can’t stay up a minute longer. Bedtime is at 7 and he sleeps until almost 7:30 AM some days.
8. I am at the end of weaning. As I write this I’m 14 weeks pregnant, and that helped Raffi wean naturally as my milk supply has changed. I was nursing about 1 time every other day, and that ended last week.
9. Raffi is a tough boy, but sometimes he just needs to cry it out. He fell and bumped the back of his head the other night and started wailing.Trig picked him up (we were both right there) and he buried his head in Trig’s neck and held on for dear life. At Raffi’s RI birthday party he was overtired and shrieked when the family starte clapping for him. Both situations reminded me that he is a real person with feelings. Similarly, Raffi goes silent if our voices raise at all in front of him – whether it’s something positive or negative. He also hates cake.
10. He is very talkative, but we have no idea what he’s saying. I think he likes testing his voice out.
11. Raffi can climb down a few steps himself, but if he’s at the top of the stairs he gets scared or dives, depending on his mood. He can climb on and off our coffee table, and does it daily despite my protests. He loves his class at Nest and immediately heads over to any area where he can climb. He also likes pushing others and taking their toys. We are working on both but I don’t think he quite understands that the world doesn’t belong solely to him.
12. He turned a year old! Congratulations to us. Raffi had a fabulous party in Philly followed by a small family party in Rhode Island. He got spoiled by lots of winter clothes and toys, and now I have no idea what to do with it all. It’s true that they develop rapidly after a year, and I’ve noticed for the past couple of weeks things have been changing quickly as he walks, talks more, and understands us better.
Random facts about 1 year:
Weight: 19.5 lbs (5-10%), 75% for height
Wears: size 4 diapers, some 6-12 month clothing (although he still fits in some 6-9 month pants) and some 12-18 month clothing (although he’s swimming in it), size 4 shoes
Teeth: 2 on the bottom, 3 on the top, currently getting a 4th on top and 2 on the bottom.
Loves: walking around holding at least one toy in each hand, clapping, waving, playing tricks and making jokes, pushing his walker, stacking his cups, playing with any toy that makes sound, pushing trucks, picking up leaves and sticks, visiting the playground, learning how different items work, dancing, talking, slamming doors, taking everything out of drawers and putting them back, helping me do household tasks, handing me his fork to put more food on it, using a spoon messily by himself, playing in the kitchen drawers, Facetime with auntie and nonna
Hates: when we leave, being hungry or thirsty, not being put in his crib immediately when he’s tired, sitting still to listen to a book, not getting the phone when he wants it, wearing socks and shoes
Foods he loves: eggs, grapes, kiwi, strawberries, pretzels, peas, cooked carrots, pinto beans, whole apples, small shells with butter, tasty yogurts, muffins, raisin toast
Foods he hates: he now fully rejects blueberries, chicken, most meats
Favorite toys: B. Hellophone, Leap Frog musical table, all of his Sesame Street figurines, ball popper, B. doctors kit, his plush kids chair, stacking cups
Previous updates can be found here.
All photos from this update are from Raffi’s 1 year photo shoot with Rachel Pearlman Photography. I can’t say enough how great it was working with her – if you’re in the Philadelphia area contact her!
20 Responses to “Raffi’s 12 month update”
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This is such an awesome post and keepsake for Raffi. He’s going to love to read this when he is older and at the rate he is going will be able to read it himself in a couple of months 🙂
Thanks for sharing! … and great photos.
the part about the cake made me laugh so hard. happy one year to all of you! <3
He is such a big boy!!! He is so handsome. Happy belated Birthday, Raffi!
You guys look and sound SO happy!! Such a cute post. Raffi is freaking adorable.
A few posts back you mentioned you were going to make his cake – any pic’s? Congratulations and thanks for a great post – the pic’s are gorgeous!
@Jen, ….I didn’t make it. I got overwhelmed and scared and decorated a purchased cake. I WILL make a cake soon though!
@RhodeyGirlTests, Probably all for the best seeing as though he isn’t so thrilled with cake : ) I was just curious cos I ended up going totally overboard with my daughter’s 1st bday cake (22 Sept) and love your ideas.
Raffi is so cute! Look at all the awesome stuff that happens in a year 🙂 Soon enough you’ll be doing a 1 yr update for Baby 2 😉
Happy 12 months to your little man! I love this post, it really will be something for him to look back and enjoy reading one day. Lovely photos!
Beautiful pictures! Did you guys take them or are they professional?
I have so much enjoyed reading Raffi’s first year! I can’t wait to see what this year brings for him. 🙂
@Heather, This photographer Rachel Pearlman took them. She was FANTASTIC with R and had the photos back to us in no time. Look her up – she does newborn shoots!!! Her site link is above at the end of the post.
Such a great post! Adorable little man! Love how assertive he is! Any feeling on what the new baby is?
@Erica, I think it’s a boy!
It’s so funny reading this, brings me back to when my now 6 year old boy was turning 1. He was a super early walker, he walked at 9 1/2 months, and he wanted NOTHING to do with the stroller or anything by 1 year. It was a little crazy. He wanted to walk and climb and jump over everything himself. Walks around the neighborhood took us a very, very long time. Now my daughter is 2 1/2 and she is soooo different. She has absolutely no interest in walking around the ‘hood by herself. She loves being carried and babied and pushed in the stroller. So interesting. Thanks for bringing me back!
um, i’m totally crying right now – how can he truly be a whole year old now?! the cake picture is hysterical!
Happy Birthday Raffi….. but super duper congratulations on the new baby!!!!! Weekly pregnancy posts? please….
@Emilia, Thank you! I may do really short weekly posts. We will see!
Happy 12 months to Raffi – I love that I have watched him grow and you’ve given me a foreshadowing into my child’s next steps. I love these updates.
Raffi is adorable!
Hi!
Just wanted to ask you, are you aware that your blog is hacked?
P.S. Happy Birthday Raffi!