Some Olympic Thoughts

I have always loved the Olympics. I think it goes back to my childhood days of watching Mary Lou Retton and getting a leotard to match (that's right, I LOVED her!) Fortunately, JP likes to watch them too so it's been a fun 2 weeks. As they're ending up this weekend, I thought I'd share some thoughts and some conversations that have taken place in the Patterson house recently:

-I will be both sad and glad when they're over because I've stayed up til 11-12 watching them and have missed out on a lot of sleep. Oh the price for patriotism...

-Leah: Is that girl American?
JP: Far from it.

-Curling is like an addictive drug. I had never watched it, but JP did when I was at work one night and of course the next night and pretty much every night after we would sit and watch that craziness. What's crazier is that we actually cared and cheered. I'm pretty sure they play subliminal messages or something cause why else would it be so mesmerizing?

-JP: Scott Hamilton is way too excited about figure skating
Leah: You have to remember that to him figure skating is like Alabama football
JP: My mind doesn't even compute that

-I tried to teach Jonathan how to make a fist and cheer "U-S-A" over and over. He never got it, but laughs and laughs when I do it while we watch, you guessed it, curling.

-JP: I've decided that you don't need a baby name book every 2 years...just watch this and you have plenty of names to choose from (I think this was in reference to a skier from Norway named Aksel Lund Svindal)

-JP has fallen in love with Vancouver. He actually priced a trip for this fall (our 30th birthday) but my nerves can't handle taking an 18 month old that far from home. He's disappointed but we're definitely wanting to go there one day. Congratulations tourism bureau of British Columbia, you did great work on my husband!

Forks and spoons and knives, oh my!

Ok, so no knives yet, but we have started giving Jonathan spoons and forks so he can start learning how to use those to feed himself. Most of the time he just holds the fork and picks up the food with his hands (why would we change anything now, mom?), but it's a start! A few times he would eat the food off the fork (that I had put there, of course!) and he even tried to stab/scoop stuff a few times. I think he has the concept so we just need some practice. :) He eats his snacks and meals out of bowls and plates we put in front of him most of the time now and fortunately, SO FAR we haven't thrown anything across the room. I consider that success!

Growing and changing

Jonathan had his 1 year check up this week with the pediatrician and it was a good visit! He weighs 25 pounds and is almost 31 inches long! That's the 75th percentile for both but it sounds like so much bigger to me! He unfortunately got 3 shots (ouch!) but besides that everything went fine. We got the all clear to start cow's milk, and gave him some for the first time yesterday. He didn't like it! Well, let me clarify - he didn't like it out of his cup. He drank it just fine out of the bottle. Go figure. I guess it's a strange texture. Oh well! Guess we'll transition to milk and then get rid of the bottle. Dr. Collins said some kids do that and he'd rather them stay on the bottle longer than not drink milk. However, we tried the milk out of the cup again this morning and he drank some of it, so maybe we're just trying to figure this out. Hopefully this will be an easy transition!
We've also started giving him Cheerios and Goldfish! I know that doesn't sound dramatic but that is big boy food! :) He's at such a fun age right now too. He plays ball with you, laughs when you do silly things, and can even do the signs for milk and more! He's a smart little guy (if I do say so myself)! Here are just a few of the pictures from the party last weekend too!

Jonathan is 1!

My sweet little boy turned 1 year old yesterday! I can't believe how fast this year has gone! Everyone tells you how quickly it will go by, but when you actually experience it...it's SO fast! :) Birthdays have always been a very big deal in my family, so we've really made a big deal about his special day (or should I say weekend!). I've been talking all week about it to get him ready (even though he doesn't have a clue what's going on!) and the celebration officially began yesterday! For his actual birth day we went to one of our favorite pizza places on St. Charles for lunch (no pizza for him yet though!) and then took him to an indoor play area called The Monkey Room. He absolutely loved it! Then we came home and rested and went out to dinner with Gran, Pop and Uncle Ben. It was a terrific day!
We had his birthday party this afternoon at the gym here on campus. He had a great time playing with his little friend and neighbor, Gabe (who is also 1 year old). He didn't enjoy playing/eating his cake as much as I thought. He actually got a little upset at first! I think he didn't like having the frosting on his hands (his mother's child!). But after a few minutes he got into it a little more and played enough to appease his parents! We opened gifts and played with balls and balloons and I think he had a great time. He's taking a great nap right now so it must have worn him out at least!
The celebration continues tomorrow when Nana, Grandpa and Great grandmother Vail come to town for a few days. Nana and Grandpa weren't able to make it for the party because they were welcoming Jonathan's new cousin James to the world this weekend. So...we're having ANOTHER little party here at the house when they get here tomorrow complete with banners, balloons, and another little cake (maybe he'll like it better this time!). I told you birthdays are VERY important to me! :) Hopefully the Saints will win and the weekend will be a complete success! A friend from church took pictures at the party for us so I don't have them now, but will put some of them up when we get them in a few weeks after we get his portraits made too. I did post some pictures below that we made at the Monkey Room yesterday though.
Happy Birthday Jonathan! We're so glad God gave you to us one year ago and it's been the best year of our lives!

Who's that little boy?

Climbing the steps

Going down the slide

Trying to decide what to do next :)

Happy Birthday Jonathan!