Otto is 1 Year Old!

 Dear Sweet Otto Boy,

You are one year old (plus 3 months because I am way behind).  I can't believe you are 1!  In some ways it feels like you've been here forever and in other ways like you've just joined our family.  You have brought a lot of joy to us this year and taught us a lot about being content because you are just so content and happy all. the. time.

How he really feels about box pics!

Stats
At your 1-year-old well-baby check you weighed 9.27 kg (20.7 lbs) which is in the 34th percentile.  You bounced back from your weight drop after we ignored your head shaking and gave you more bites of food.  It seemed to take a week or so for your belly to get back to normal size.  You were 73.6 cm long (28.9 inches) which is in the 16th percentile. Your head was 45.8 cm which is in the 41st percentile.

Eating

I went back to work on Aug 6th so you were down to 2 nursing sessions so I didn't have to pump during the day.  You nursed first thing in the morning and right before bedtime and took two bottles during the day.

You also are eating more solid foods mostly because I'm less anxious about it.  Looking back and reading Stella's blog posts she didn't like baby food and ate more table food but my anxiety of you choking while we are also trying to feed Linnea and Stella meant I didn't offer you as much table food as I did Stella but that is just fine and you are a great eater so I'm trying to not let that guilt go anywhere.

Sleeping
You are a great sleeper!  You go to sleep around 1915 and wake up at 7 or so.  Since I started going to work and I have to leave at 710 we've been waking you up at 645 so I can nurse you and see you before I go.

I was going to say you slept great this month but after looking through pictures I found several of your dad holding you in the chair between your bedtime and our bedtime.  I think you were getting 4 new molars in at the same time.

There is nothing like holding a sleeping baby. It is truly the best.

You also tend to poop right when we put you in bed at night which means when we go to check on you at 2230 we have to change your diaper which you wake up from but then you go back to sleep easily afterward which is so great.

Clothes
You are wearing size 62/68/74 and size 12-18 month clothes.  You often need bigger tops than bottoms.  I really love you in one-piece outfits and overalls.  Or some of your dad's old outfits.  You are wearing size 6 pampers diapers.

Playtime

You love reading books and pulling them out of this box.

Our Days
This month your playtime was heavily affected by you getting impetigo (svinkoppor) which I had never heard of before.  Apparently, it is extremely contagious which we figured out because then Jake and Stella both got it and you had it for a LONG TIME and then you got it a 2nd time.  The doctor originally told us to just wash it with soap and water and it would go away.  That didn't work.  Looking back we should have been giving you showers several times a day.

What started as one red dot turned into lots of really red, horrible looking spots.

After you got over your first round of impetigo then you got it on your thumb that you suck.  This was a big bummer because then we had to bandage it up so it wouldn't spread but we weren't sure how that would affect your sleep.

We bandaged you up and you ended up being just fine. The first naptime was a bit rough and so was bedtime but then you were good.  And the silver lining was that you ended up breaking your thumb sucking habit which I was worried about since the girls were paci babies and I wasn't sure what to do with a thumb sucker.

The majority of this month you were home with your dad since I went back to work.  It was kind of hard leaving you but I knew you'd have a great time with your dad.  I love that the Swedish Parental Leave system allows for both parents to spend so much time at home within the first few years of each child's life.  

Daddy took you to lunch with Ali and Leif.

Jake spent the first 4-6 weeks of his parental leave home with a sick Stella or Linnea when she was in between preschool and big school.

That side-eye. If looks could kill.

The one day the kids went to school healthy in August (slight exaggeration).

Activities and Outings
This month Jake and I took Linnea and Stella to Gröna Lund and left you with Ali, Leif, and Olof.  We didn't think you'd have much fun just watching all of the action from the stroller.

I barely made it through this ride.

Linnea and Jake went on a bigger rollercoaster with Jake.  She wasn't a fan.  See the proof below this pic.

Not a fan.

We celebrated Leif's birthday and had a great time.

Firsts and New Skills
You pulled to your knees on Aug 3rd.  You are definitely taking your sweet time meeting gross motor milestones.  Looking back at Stella's posts she was way more physical than you have been.  I think it is because you have two great entertainers to watch all day long you aren't bored enough to keep yourself entertained.

You crawled on your hands and knees on August 2nd.  I did a lot of work trying to strengthen your core and hip area and it seemed to help.

You pulled up to your knees and almost to your feet but then I squealed and scared you.  Oops! Eventually, you stood on your feet this month.

Your dad and I went on our first date in 2 years while you stayed home with your sisters and a babysitter. We were so excited.  We went to watch Smith and Thell in concert outside.  It was great and so fun because I knew all of the songs.  Then 50 minutes into the concert they said it was their last song . . . I'm sorry, what?  It was a 58-minute concert.  We were so dang sad. It is a lot of work to have a babysitter and we had high hopes and then it was over so fast.

1st Birthday!

Happy First Birthday! We had a chill day celebrating you which seemed appropriate since it matches your personality so well.  We borrowed balloons from Leif's party that said Wild One which totally fits him but not you.  So we changed the sign to Mild One which totally fits!  

For your birthday you got a blue car which we got out of the recycling room in our apartment complex and we wrapped up duplos that we already own that your dad made into different shapes.  You don't really need anything but I think you felt loved anyway.

Morning birthday nursing session.

Evening birthday nursing session. Can you tell I'm going to be sad when I'm done nursing since I keep documenting it?

First Birthday Party
We ended up having your first birthday party in October.  I was afraid someone would be sick too close to your first birthday so we scheduled it a week later and by then someone was sick so we had to postpone it.  I think it took 3 tries but we did it. I realize your first birthday party is more for me and your dad than you but you are one loved little boy.

I wouldn't know these awesome mamas, their babies or husbands if you hadn't been born. You brought this whole group together. Isn't that awesome?

For each first birthday I make a collage of pictures from your first year of life.  I just love them!

Sister & Brother Moments
I walked in to find this sweet scene.

So. Much. Noise.

Linnea New Skills
Linnea started at big school, förskoleklass or fklass, which is the equivalent to kindergarten, this August.  She is going to our local Swedish elementary school with several of her preschool classmates.  She loves her class, her teachers and her new friends.  She comes home multiple times a week telling us that she has a new friend in the class.  I'm really thankful that she is able to speak Swedish and that isn't an added obstacle.  Plus her school is really close to Stella's preschool so it makes drop off and pick up pretty easy.

On the way to big school!

New Bike Trick

Linnea Funnies/Quotes

Linnea came up with a fun game where she put three books on the carpet, closed her eyes, mixed them up, picked one, guessed the name and then opened her eyes to see if she was correct.  We played several rounds.  We tried to be really excited if either of us got it correct.  There was a lot of hugging and excitement.  At the end she said, 'I wish I could rewind time because I'd rewind and have all of that fun with you again.' What a sweet girl she is.  This was the night before she started fklass.  Seemed like a perfect way to send her off.

Linnea started having bloody noses.  She hadn't ever had one and then she had one or two a few days in a row.  Eventually, we figured out she was putting her finger up her nose. Once we told her to stop then magically she didn't have any more bloody noses.

She LOVES her little brother.

Linnea went sailing with Jake and a few of his coworkers.

We are raising a monkey.

Stella New Skills

Stella had an idea to make a red robot. I did not have high hopes for how it would go because she is quite particular and I was worried her vision wouldn't come through aka I would mess it up and she would be a ball of tears and anger.  She told me where to cut and then added tape and string to it.  It ended up being great!

I feel like this picture below really captures Stella's personality.

Stella Funnies/Quotes

George and Anna-Lotta came over for dinner. Stella warmed right up to Anna-Lotta and didn't want to leave her side.  It was really sweet.

Remember

I am so thankful for you and your first year (plus more) of life.  At most times 3 kids is totally kicking our butts but I am so thankful for you. Your sweet, bashful smile.  The way you bury your head into me or your daddy.  I love holding you when are sleeping. How so dang happy you are. You aren't walking or talking yet (at 15 months) but you love being in on the action. We love you buddy boy!