Is it really July???

Today marks the first day of Chase's birthday month, so like I have done for Riley the past 3 years in the month of May, it is time to begin my daily celebration of all things Chase. At this point in his life, my absolute favorite thing about Chase is how much he delights in the little things. He loves being tickled and will giggle and giggle until you stop. When you do stop, he just looks at you in a way that makes very clear that he is not done yet and wants the tickle monster to come back and will giggle all over again until he gets the hiccups. He likes to be held, but only if it is in a way which permits him to be an involved observer of the world around him. He loves to pet the dogs and will look into their eyes sometimes like he can see all the way into their souls. He loves his little blanket that's in the shape of a baseball and will carry it all over the place if you let him in the morning. He loves water and would splash in it all day long if you'd let him. Doesn't matter if it's the bath tub, the dogs' water bowl, the pool, the water table or a puddle, he's a-splashing. He adores music. He loves to bang on the keyboard with Riley in the morning (actually, he loves to bang on just about anything). He likes any toy or book that plays music. He is absolutely wild about listening and dancing to just about anything, but Mumford & Sons and Coldplay are his favorites. He loves to eat and will devour just about anything you put in front of him. (Perhaps there is hope that at least one of our children will not inherit the picky eating gene I was inflicted with growing up.) He loves to throw things, whether it's a ball, a dish, food, a pacifier launched from his crib, or just about anything else he can get his little hands on. He has an INCREDIBLE arm for an 11-month-old (and we thought Riley was going to be our superstar baseball player...). "Talking" to his big brother and making him laugh is probably his favorite thing. He will do almost anything to elicit a laugh from Riley. (I know this spells trouble for us in future years.) He is so excited to see you at the end of a day apart that his whole face lights up when you walk in the room. If you aren't quick enough about getting to him, he will let you know and that's part of his charm. He knows what he wants and is not bashful about it.

Of all the things that I love about him, my absolute favorite (at least for today) is his self-confidence. When he does something new, it is written all over his face that he is absolutely delighted with himself. After about 10 seconds of silence the other day, I realized something was amiss, only to find him at the top of the stairs grinning like he had just summited Mount Everest. When he discovered his love of music, he squealed and bounced and flapped his arms around and wiggled his backside. When he started walking by pushing on his toy shopping cart, he held his little head up so high and practically strutted across the room. After he stood on his own for the first time without holding onto anything (a very new accomplishment), instead of crying when he eventually fell down, he smiled from ear to ear and waved his arms around in self-congratulation. When he took his first unassisted step (an even newer accomplishment), he looked around to make sure we were all watching and squealed when we clapped.

He is goofy, but can be very serious, especially when faced with a stranger. He is sweet, but opinionated. He is nosey. He is curious. He is active. He is into everything. He is amazing and somehow he is almost one.