50 Things I Love About Our One Year-Old!!

(I am borrowing this idea from a blog that I read called "Motherhood, WTF?"  If you get a second you should check it out.  You'll laugh so hard you'll pee in your pants.)

1. I love the way you hold the collar of my shirt when I'm carrying you.  Not too tight, just enough as to remind me that you are definitely there and that I should not drop you.
2. I love your disposition in the morning, just as you've woken up.  Eyes still kind of squinty.  Red marks on your face from the position you were sleeping in.  Big crazy smile that spreads from ear to ear.  Oh, and that scream!  You are just so happy to start another day.
3. I love the way you giggle when I change your diaper.  I think it might have something to do with the area that I'm cleaning, but it's this genuine deep belly giggle.
4. I love that you honestly believe that I can't see you when you are playing hide and seek in your crib.  Michael, you will soon find out that I have been able to see you this entire time :)
5. I love how excited you are every time you see your Daddy.  He loves you so very much.
6. I love that you will try any food, although I have a love-hate relationship with what you do when you don't enjoy something in particular.
7. I love that you love to be outside.  You get upset every time we bring you in.
8. I love that you enjoy dancing as much as you do.  You are a fan of all kinds of music, which comes as no surprise to either your Daddy or I.
9. I love that you smell like maple syrup.
10. I love the dirty spots you get on your knees and tops of your feet from all of the crawling you do.  You are so incredibly active, always on the go.  I would also love to see you walking in place of the crawling.
11. I love how proud of yourself you get when you've accomplished something new.  You can't wait to clap for yourself, and then of course everyone else in the room must follow suit.
12. I love that you love the piano so much.  You play every day, and you have the exact same routine every time you play.
13. I love that you thoroughly enjoy ice cream.  We will share many dishes of vanilla ice cream I promise you that.
14. I love that you prefer to be naked.  
15. I love, love, love your smile.  
16. I love that you are so easy.  Really, you are.  So easy.
17. I love the way you bear crawl through grass because you don't like the way it feels on your knees.
18. I love how incredibly careful you are of new endeavors.  Once you've tried something and realize you can do it you are fearless.
19. I love that you love celery as much as you do.  This came as a big surprise to me, a pleasant surprise.
20. I love that you weren't a puker.  In fact, I think you've thrown up a grand total of twice in your entire life, and one of those times you made yourself throw up by sticking your fingers down your throat.
21. I love that you have such amazing relationships with the people in this house.  You have no idea how much you are loved.
22. I love that you push me, Michael.  Every day, somehow I find myself saying "oh, that can wait," and then I look at you and I get off of my ass.
23. I love that I can take you anywhere and you are so well-behaved.  A crowd favorite wherever you go.  We've met some interesting people because they couldn't resist telling us how adorable you are.  
24. I love that you look like your Daddy.  I think he loves it, too.
25. I love that you enjoy your Gymboree class so much.  You are by far one of the most active kiddos in your class, and one of the most fearless on the equipment.
26. I love your kisses.
27. I love that you love taking walks.  You are so incredibly observant.
28. I love that you are eager to share.  You've discovered how you can pretend that you are going to share your snack with Daddy or I and then you psych us out.  
29. I love the game we play in the morning where I fold up the blankets in your crib and you quickly rush to the pile and unfold them all and laugh as loud as you can. 
30. I love that you are so ticklish.
31. I love your mad face.
32. I love your squishy face.
33. I love your excited face.
34. I love that you blow kisses.
35. I love your giant hands and feet.  You can palm a ball that some grown men would have a tough time palming.  
36. I love when you point at what you want.  Life got a little easier when you started doing this.
37. I love that you aren't afraid of the dark.  No night light for this kid.
38. I love how incredibly diligent you are about your daily routine.  I try my best not to screw it up for you.
39. I love all the different ways you wave.  Sometimes it's side to side, other times it's this very gentle opening and closing of your hand.  It really says a lot about the mood you are in.
40. I LOVE how you say hi.  This super excited, yet kind of soft HHHhhhhiiiiii.  You draw it out.  So very cute.
41. I love that you are capable of climbing up and down everything these days.  Couches, stairs, people.  You name it, you conquer it.
42. I love your big blue eyes and the way you squint them in the sun.
43. I love that you don't mind wearing a hat.  You have quite a few of them.
44. I love how every time I throw something new at you, like taking away your bottle, you just go with the flow as though nothing ever happened.
45. I love how you stick out your tongue.  It curls to the right of your chin.
46. I love your ears, and the tiny bump you have on the top of your right one.  It's from holding you on my left side when you were little.  It would always fold up under that noggin' of yours, and it left a mark.
47. I love cuddling with you in bed with Daddy.  You don't stay still for very long, so those brief moments when you lay your head down... I just love 'em.
48. I love everything about you.
49. I love that we were the lucky two picked to watch you grow up.
50. I love you.

*I meant to post this the week of Michael's birthday and somehow it got by me.  The list could be so much longer.  I could go on for days. :)