Aaron turns one...

So this time a year ago I was headed to bed to try to get some sleep after some contractions during the evening. And at almost 2am on May 18th 2009 he was born. He's been a sweetie since he was born. Just such a loveable little boy.
He suddenly is trying to talk a lot! I'm so impressed because I remember when we went to Kentucky when N&C were 18 months old, they were still signing almost everything and only had a couple words they could say. Granted, Aaron's words aren't as understandable as an older child's but when he attempts to say things he has the syllables and it sounds close! These are the words he can say:
Mama, Dada, Papa, Hi, Hi Kitty, Thank you (ha who), uh oh, (and I know I'm forgetting something).
He can crawl SO fast. He wiggles to be put down, but when you put him down often he wants back up. He makes silly faces all the time. He likes N&C's toys - not baby toys. He sleeps from about 6:00/6:30ish until about 7am. He still takes 2 naps. He breastfeeds 3-4 times in the day and maybe 1x at night (which doesn't bother me cause it is usually before I go to bed).
He's practicing self-feeding with a spoon. He is also doing so much better with 'real' food vs baby food. Today was the first trip to the store for groceries where I didn't buy any baby food for him. Some things he likes to eat: ravioli (i buy the frozen kind and just cook him 1), applesauce, bananas, peanut butter and jelly (in little pieces), rice (tried that one tonight and he loved it), sweet potato, squash, hot dog (in Teeeeny pieces), yogurt, PB toast, scrambled eggs and dark choc chips (and cookies). He's a cookie fiend so we're considering a big choc chip cookie for his 1st birthday in place of a cake.
He loves his green/blue knit blanket that my Aunt Mary made him. He snuggles it while he nurses and he holds it all night when he sleeps.
I am eagerly awaiting a time when I can do his 1 year portraits! I had an awesome trip to chicago for a photography workshop with an extremely successful chicago photographer (Audrey Woulard) this last weekend and Aaron went with me to that. My great long-time friend, Julie, came along to care for him and she was SO helpful. I will post pics about that trip this week.

Here are a couple videos of baby aaron .