Happy First Birthday, Covey!

Covington is One! And he seems like it, too. He has gotten so big lately. And has learned so many new things. He definitely doesn't seem like a baby anymore. He's been climbing down the stairs and getting off the couch by himself. He points to his eyes, hair and tummy when asked. He knows what button to push to make daddy's cell phone keep playing music. He's beginning to understand "Clean Up Time"... by putting stuff away a little bit, but mostly not getting anything new out. He does NOT like oranges. He gets really excited when he sees people playing basketball (which of course Matt loves). He always rubs his head, especially when he's got food in his hands:(. He's very into his socks and shoes and taking them off and then trying to put them back on. He's brave and excited to see real live animals and even big fake puppets (see Chuck E. Cheese pic). He calls me and Matt "mama". His new word he likes is "iss". He says it whenever referring to an object. He likes to hide toys under the rug. And he really loves "Jesus wants me for a Sun-BEAM!" He jumps and says "Eh!" on the right spot.

Today didn't go quite as planned, but I hope he still had a great day. It started off with Happy Birthday songs and chocolate chip pancakes. Then, we headed off for his Dr. apt., but got called that the doctor wouldn't be in for an hour. So, we made some stops at Lowe's and Smith's, where he rode in the "car" shopping carts for the first time and loved it, for five minutes.

At the apt. we found out just how big of a growth spurt he's had the past couple of months. He weighs 21.4 lbs, (29th %) and is 31" tall, (85th %). His shots were extra sad this time. He's just getting older and remembering the pain longer, instead of being distracted easily after. We even asked for a sucker to help distract him, but it didn't help. And after he picked up the doctor's pen and started scribbling on her paperwork, she was impressed and said scribbling doesn't usually start until 15-16 months.

After a nap, Covey got his first birthday surprise... A swing! Matt hung it off our pergola in the back yard. I think Covey will have a lot of fun in there this summer.

Birthday fun kept rolling as we headed to the Mayan for lunch. Why the Mayan? Because Covey gets really excited when the Rainforest Cafe commercial comes on after Curious George, and we thought the Mayan was the closest thing we have. But, unbeknownst to us, it's only open for dinner. Dangit! So, we settled on Spaghetti Mama's, which turned out to be serendipitous because it was delicious. We even ordered Covey his very own meal, Spaghetti and Meatballs.

And like true Italians, they serve ice-cream with their meals. (Am I right, Nick?) Covey was not going to take his eyes off that ice cream for a second!

If you ask Covey what the awesome thing about being one is, he'll say "Riding forward in the car, hands down!"

Then, to let that heavy pasta settle, we thought we'd go on some rides at ol' Chuck's. It was windy and cold so getting the optimum picture was not an easy task. This first one was actually the second attempt, and Julia wasn't happy with her pose, so she wants everyone to just focus on Covey. And of course Covey wasn't happy with his pose in this first attempt.

Cov's favorite part of CEC's, besides the giant robotic creatures, was this truck. Unfortunately, the best shot we had of him enjoying it, was while it was moving.


Covey really loved this rat. And you know all the big mechanical ones on stage? He loved those, too!
Another present waiting at home.
And best of all... Covey took his first steps!!!

First two steps, without being prodded. Then, we ran and got the camera and kept making him try again (that's why he's kinda onory). But, then he took three steps! It's official.

What an awesome accomplishment for your big day, Covey. I want you to know how much I love you. You've given me the BEST year of my life. You are so special and I'm proud to be your mommy.

Daddy says: I'm proud of you and happy to know ya.

And a last little morsel... This was last Saturday at Wheeler Farm.

Look at him pet that huge horse! He loved the animals and wanted to touch them all. The baby goats were so friendly and loved being petted, it was really cute.