Robby LOVED all the girl cousins! He would just attack them and hug them! He doesn't quite know how to be gentle, so they got a little overwhelmed by him sometimes!
Climbing up and down stairs...over...and over... and over....
We don't have stairs in our home in Ohio (at least not ones inside our actual part of the duplex). So, Robby hadn't really been exposed to them much. But, he has always been a climber. So, he found great joy in climbing up the stairs at both grandparents' houses! And within a day or two, he was able to go back down safely as well.
First time in a big swimming pool
Steve's parents have a pool in their neighborhood. Robby enjoyed it right from the start!
Hanging out with Toby
Robby was very interested in my parents dog from the first night we got there. But, he was a little nervous whenever Toby would come towards him. But, by the end of the trip... I think Toby would get a little nervous every time ROBBY would come towards HIM! I was impressed that despite having his hair pulled and his head sit on, Toby never tried to bite Robby.
Robby is almost 13 months now, but still doesn't walk. He will stand there for a while, but hasn't tried taking steps yet.
It is the opinion of many that his efforts have been more focussed on his vocal/vocabulary skills than on trying to find a new method of mobility.
He jabbers away all the time. The other day, when I was at a store, the lady in line behind me commented, "When he starts talking for real, he is never going to stop!"
When Robby hit the 12 month mark, he could say two words...maybe three:
Hi &
Cheese
(No, not smile for the picture "cheese,"..... food cheese. Have I mentioned this kid loves food?)
He also said
Down
Although, that word isn't ennunciated with perfection quite yet, we know that is what he is saying. It is more of a "Dahh" accompanied with an arm waving towards the ground. (He says it when he wants to get out of his high chair).
In the four weeks since his birthday he has started saying the following words:
Eye
Dad
Bye
Uh-Ohhh (see video below)
Ball
Uh-nana (banana. see video)
Duck
Toes
Juice
Brush (toothbrush)
Four or five of those words were just within the past week! I swear he does something new every day-- whether it is saying a new word, or stacking blocks (and clapping in pride at his success), or crawling into the kitchen with a piece of paper and attempting to open the garbage can and put it in (haha, he did that twice yesterday).
It is amazing how fast he is learning and progressing.
"Uh-Oh"
"Banana"
In the "Banana" video, you see him clap after spitting out the banana. That is how he signs "more." He has done this for several months now. He doesn't actually do it right. The hands are supposed to be like this when bringing them together:
(pardon the goofy picture... of a random guy)
However, that was a little difficult for him when we first started teaching him, and he adapted it into a flat handed "more" instead. But, we know what he means. He has made good use of that sign for the past several months!
Now that he's one, we expect Robby to do his share of the chores...
(Really he just climbed up there when Steve was unloading the dishwasher and decided to start pulling things out and handing them to Steve. It was really funny. This was actually a couple weeks ago.)
We decided to have a party out in Utah so we could celebrate with our families before heading back to Ohio.
EVERYONE from our families-- my side of the family AND Steve's side--was able to come! So all of Robby's aunt's, uncles, and cousins were there (Even Steve's grandpa joined us). The only person missing... Steve :(
So, 25 people gathered at my parents house on Sunday, August 1st for a dinner and a Birthday PAR-TAY!
(a little pre-party music)
I strung up pictures of Robby as decor.
It was fun to look back through pictures from the past year and remember how much my little boy has changed over the past year.
No party in the Kirkham house is complete without balloons... and for this party, my dad fetched one HUGE balloon! He even got this net thing so we could rig it up like a little hot air balloon!
Each of the cousins took turns picking a present out of the basket of the "hot air balloon" and helping Robby open it.
At cake time, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would Robby dig right in? Would he be timid and not want to make a mess? (unlikely, considering his usual disregard for how messy he is)
As the candle was lit and everyone sang, he looked around-- a bit bewildered.
Then, when he looked over and noticed the cake with flaming candle coming towards him... he appeared a bit nervous!
Finally, he stuck his hand into the frosting and seemed quite pleased with the feel of it...
...but still didn't seem to quite understand what this was, as he just sat with his hand in the frosting for a while.
So, I decided to help him out a bit. I took his frosting smeared hand and put it to his mouth to give him a taste (and then returned his hand to its spot on the cake).
Even after that, he still just sat with this hand on the cake for quite a while! He obviously still didn't know what he was suppose to do with this thing.
Eventually, aunt Jamie suggested giving him an eating utensil.
"Sweeet! A spoon!"
"...Oh, I get it...!"
Dig in!
Cousin Rylie did NOT approve of Robby's messiness.
After a quick bath in the sink, Robby talked to Daddy on the webcam so he could be a part of the party, too!
I think everyone had a lot of fun. I know Robby did.
(Three Robert Tollers)
The little girls topped off the night with a dance off!
Hummus
-
Hummus has become something we make on a fairly regular basis lately. Plus,
one time I was making it and I allowed Robby to push a chair up to the
counter ...
