1 year old!!

So here we are....the day after the big day and Will and I are still in shock that the dynamic duo are already a year old. Their birthday party on Sunday went very well although as I started reading about first birthdays, we basically did everything opposite of what is suggested. The books all suggest that you have a small party with just a few family members in your own home so they are comfortable with their surroundings. Well, we had a fairly large group of people who Will and I love dearly and decided to have the party at the club house so all the kids could go swimming. I was pretty anxious about the whole deal after reading the books but in general it worked out pretty well. The boys were a little nervous around all the people but as long as they were basically glued to Will and I (or Valerie our nanny) everything was great. Neither one were very impressed with the birthday cake and didn't really have any desire to smear frosting everywhere. Christopher really didn't like it at all and just started crying. Nathan just sat there and stared as daddy smashed his hand in the cake. I am sure next year things will be different....I will be trying to figure out how to get the frosting off the ceiling and wishing we had an outdoor party. :-)

Will and I did try to have the boys attack a new round of cupcakes on their official birthday (yesterday) and that also did not go well. Both started crying again when we put cupcakes in front of them. I guess they are scared of baked goods. I wish I was...maybe I would finally lose these 5 darn stubborn pregnancy pounds. (Oh well, I decided dieting was not worth it....I am already sleep deprived...if I take away the chocolate it just gets ugly in the Li household) I digress..sorry. Anyway, Will and I cleaned up the boys after the repeat screaming fest and then both of us decided to eat a little of the cupcake. Well, of course the boys decided it would be cool to eat these evil little round sugar bombs since mom and dad were doing it. So in the end, they did get to eat a little cake for their first birthday. :-)

The boys are really walking well now. Christopher has really mastered the walking and has started to see just how much he can run which usually ends in a nice face plant in the carpet but that will improve over time. Nathan is a few weeks behind his brother but has really improved in his walking over the last week or so. I am amazed at just how fast they learn new things and develop. They both are babbling like crazy and really have shown they understand I am "mama" and Will is "dada". They both are following simple commands and will fetch a toy when we ask them to. I am just amazed at this. 12 months ago they couldn't even hold their head up and now they are walking, babbling, fighting, pulling hair, biting (yes, biting), laughing. Absolutely amazing.

Now comes the fun part: discipline. I am still struggling with not laughing when I discipline but I am starting to improve. We are going to start the time out game. My parents, Grandpa Larry and Grandma Jeannie gave the boys little time out stuffed animals for their birthday. They are really cool....these stuffed animals have a built in egg timer in the belly!! Something tells me we will probably wear these out within the next year. Christopher throws massive temper tantrums already and Nathan really likes to bite. That should keep us busy and I have a feeling my sense of humor with these issues might start to decrease with continued battles. This parenting gig is tough but man, it is honestly the best thing I have ever done in my life. I am just amazed at how many times on a daily basis my love grows for them....they are just so amazing. (my hubby is also of course)

The boys also had the opportunity to go the the zoo with Will and I and their Grandma Jeannie and Grandpa Larry. Nathan really was interested in the animals...especially the giraffes. He would point at them and start laughing. Christopher seemed to be a little more interested in people watching vs animal watching but I think he enjoyed it. Since they are now walking, they wanted to hop out of the stroller and put those new shoes to work. This worked for a short period of time but luckily they would get tired fairly quickly and hang out in the stroller again. Speaking of the stroller...Will is the proud papa of a new fancy stroller. He has been so frustrated with this huge twin stroller I found at a garage sale for $15. It is bulky and heavy and basically took up all space in the trunk. He would just have a fit every time we went out somewhere. He cracked one day and made the executive decision to buy a new stroller. He is now in love with his new purchase. If you see him around, just ask him about it. He will give you all the details. :-) Should we be worried???? haha In regards to our next zoo trip: we are looking forward to finding the water park in the near future and let the boys run around in the water. We might regret this after the fact but it seems like it might be fun. :-)

Will is the "picture czar" so hopefully these will get posted within the next day or so. Thank you all who have been following our blog for the last year and a half. I am planning to continue this blog as long as google has this wonderful invention.

Have a happy Friday!!
Love
Robin, Will, Nathan, and Christopher