I went to a pumpkin patch last month. Most of the time I was very unhappy there, but dada managed to get a couple pictures of me happy and even clapping. I was not very fond of the pumpkins, I mean what was the point of all that? It was a very long ride, I just fell asleep, and then they want me to sit amongst pumpkins that don't even taste good or make noises or anything? What fun is that?
Mama and dada think I look like a little boy in this picture, instead of a baby. I don't understand because of course I am a little boy. I have not been a baby since I was really little, like before I was one-year-old. That was so long ago. I am now one-year-old, and I am very big. And I still love my swing.
I love to help mama shred paper. Whenever I hear the shredder I come crawling as fast as I can to help. The shredder makes very funny noises so I laugh when I hear it. The other day mama had lots of things to shred so I helped by pulling the shreds out of the garbage can. That way there was room for everything she wanted to shred. Then I inspected it all to make sure it was all shredded very well. I think I did my job very well.
When I was in california I got to go to yosemite. There were lots of things there to look at. There were really big trees and waterfalls and lots of pretty things. My favorite part was crawling around in the dirt. I got really dirty all over my hands and knees. It was great fun.
Sometimes mama forgets that I can reach things on the bathroom counter. I was playing in the bathroom and it was awful quiet and mama found me with blush all over the place. There was blush smooshed into the carpet, my socks, the seat of my pants, and my face. (I tried it but it didn't taste that good.) I was just reaching for the eye shadow when she found me. Mama will have to be more careful in the future. It was fun to play with so I will be sure to try it again sometime. 
Mama says I don't need a halloween costume because she is not going to let me eat candy anyway. So here is a picture of me pouting. 
This weekend I decided to help dada with the yardwork. Dada mowed the lawn and then I crawled around in the grass to make sure it was all cut to the right length. Next I inspected the blower to make sure it was gonna work right. Then I helped him put down the fertilizer. It was very exhausting work as you can see. It's a good thing that we did it because today it is raining like crazy. I can't wait until I am big so that I can run the lawn mower and the blower all by myself. Dada says he can't wait too.
Last week I went to the doctor. I weigh 21 lbs, 7 oz. I am just over 30 inches tall. This means that I have grown ten inches since I was born! And gained 14 lbs in a year! I have grown lots and lots. This growing can be very hard work. But I have to keep at it if I ever want to do things like open doors all by myself. So I will eat lots and lots of food so that I can grow really big.
Last week I got to go to the beach for the first time. It was kind of cold and mama was not sure she wanted to let me crawl around. But I insisted and pretty soon she let me crawl around on the sand. She tried to keep me on the dry part but what fun is that? I headed straight for the wet sand everytime she put me down. Pretty soon I was covered in sand. I liked to squeeze the sand in my hand because it feels so funny. I even tasted it but it really wasn't all that good. Eventually I got wet from the ocean. I had lots of fun. I can't wait to go to the beach again.
I love to help mama and dada around the house. When mama is putting clothes in the dryer I help hold the dryer open. I make sure that the bathroom cabinets are closed (this involves slamming them over and over many times in a row). I hold the dishwasher open when dada loads it. I make sure there is enough toilet paper in the bathroom (the only way to check this is to pull it all off the roll). I examine the vacuum thoroughly to make sure it is still there, but I stay away from it when it is on because it is very loud. I make sure the bathroom scale is working. I eat things off the kitchen floor so mama doesn't have to sweep as much. I make sure the bathroom counter is clean by pulling off everything I can reach.
I love it when dada throws me up in the air. It is so much fun. Usually he does this several times in a row and in between I will laugh and laugh in anticipation. It is great fun. Dada throws me up really high and it makes mama nervous. But I love it. I always have the biggest smiles when we are done playing this game. I don't know why dada doesn't throw mama in the air. I am sure she would love it too because it is so much fun.
For my birthday mama and dada let me eat pizza. It was really yummy. I liked the black olives the best. I thought they would be like cheerios but black, but I was wrong. I would put them in my mouth and squinch up my face because they taste so funny.
This is what I looked like one year ago today. It was getting very crowded in there. I kept trying to kick things out of the way but it wasn't working very well. I just kept growing and there was not much room left for me to move around. I had no idea what I was going to do. Then three days after this picture was taken I suddenly came into the world! Thank goodness cuz I was seriously considering just kicking my way out through mama's belly button.
Bathtime is one of my favorite things. I love my bath. If I hear the water running I crawl as fast as I can to the bathtub. If I am not allowed to get in the bath right away I cry. I love to pull up on the side of the tub which makes mama and dada nervous. I love to splash as hard as I can so that water goes everywhere. After my bath mama bundles me up in a towel and we go and find dada. Then I get to crawl around naked. I am so excited after my bath that I crawl around from room to room as fast as I can. I love to be naked and it takes both mama and dada to get a diaper on me. I don't know why I can't just go to bed naked.
Zig the Dog has a friend. His name is Frank and he is a frog. (Or a toad? I really don't know the difference.) Frank the Frog comes to visit Zig the Dog every night. Zig pushes him around with her nose and with her paw but Frank doesn't seem to mind. Sometimes Zig knocks him over onto his back. But he still comes to visit every night. He has been visiting all summer. I don't know where he will go in the winter. I am sure that Zig will be sad if he goes away. Maybe mama will let me keep him safe inside for Zig. Ha-ha. One day when I am big I will have all kinds of things like this. Frogs and lizards and snakes and spiders because they are all really cool. Watch out mama!
This weekend when we were camping we went to a drive-thru zoo. I saw deer, zebra, elk, and buffalo. I wasn't too impressed until we got to the part where we could get out and walk around. We were allowed to feed some of the animals. I got to see lemurs, pot-bellied pigs, camels, goats, llamas, and kangaroos. I thought the pot-bellied pigs were funny because they make noises like dada when he belches. So I laughed. But my favorite part was the camels. They were really funny. I would touch their face and laugh and laugh. There were two of them. They were eating out of dada's hand. I think when I grow up I would like to have some camels because they are so funny.
7. If I fall asleep in the car while we are camping I am allowed to stay in my carseat. Normally I am rudely awoken and taken in the house. But when we are camping I can keep sleeping in my seat.
10. Camels are funny. (more on that tomorrow!)
