Caedmon is ONE!

The first birthday is so bitter sweet. I love watching my kids grow and reach new milestones, but with each one I also grieve the loss of the baby they once were.  Especially the first year when so much change happens.  Caedmon is blowing me away with how quickly he is learning.

• Weighs 19 lbs 5 oz (19%)
• 31.5 inches (96%)
• Weight for length ration 1%
• Just switched to size 3 diapers in the last week. The 2s still fit, but I was hoping for better absorbency.
• Wears anything from size 6-12 month up to 18 month clothing. The size 18 month stuff is big, but I like to get things with growing room. In shorts he can still fit in his size 3-6 month pairs from last year, but I also bought him some bigger sizes that had belts.
• Caedmon has 3 teeth now and a 4th looks like it is about to break through
• He takes 4 6oz bottles of neocate a day. He stopped nursing about 2 weeks ago. He started to fight it every time and hasn't asked to at all since. We're hoping to get the all clear from his dietician and doctor to try dairy and soy soon to see if he's outgrown his intolerance.
• We are cautiously giving solids. Caedmon will eat anything and loves everything, but we have been advised not to push solids too much right now until he gets in more intensive feeding therapy and Gi gets a better idea of what his diagnosis means for him and his safety while eating. Typically we just give him little bits of all kinds of food but broken up into very tiny pieces. The OT at the feeding clinic said his chewing skills are lacking, so he's at a higher risk for choking.
• Caedmon's sleep has not been good lately. He's getting some new teeth, so a couple times a night we have to rub his back and give him a pacifier to settle him back down. He's also been taking forever to get to sleep. However, he was very sick for a week, got better for a week, then came down with a cold. I'm hoping that once these teeth come through and he's healthy that he will settle for sleep better. Naps are also iffy. Some days he will take two good naps (maybe an hour for one and 2-2 1/2 for another). Other days he will fight sleep and only nap once or take two short naps.
• Caedmon is walking fast these days. He wants to run. 
• Words he has said include: mama, daddy, kitty cat, up, owe, ball, no ("nanana" while shaking his head), all done, axel, uh oh, love you, keys, hi, and bye bye. The other day he bumped his head and I said, "oh, owe!"  He looked at me, intentionally hit his head again (lightly) and said, "Owe."
• "Up" means both "pick me up" and "I want to eat."  I'm thinking it's maybe because we pick him up to feed him a bottle or put him in his high chair.
• He had started pointing at everything.
• Caedmon now knows how to turn around and go down stairs backwards on his belly. He does it for slides and climbing off of things too. 
• Caedmon sticks everything in his mouth. You really have to watch him. I recently had to move where I store jewelry, because I found an earring in his mouth. He will even pull stuffing out of the dog's bed and stick it in his mouth. He does it whether or not he was just fed and has a full belly, so I think it's just his thing.
• Caedmon is currently taking 2.5 ml of omeprezole twice a day, 2 teaspoons of miralax, and 2 teaspoons of benefiber. We are working with a new Gi and feeding team, and are working on adjusting things to make him comfortable and healthy.
• Caedmon can now put his shapes in his shape sorter. 
• He also puts rings on his ring toy instead of just taking them off. 
• He loves to read and will pull books out of his shelf to look at.
• Peek a Boo is his favorite game
• When he's upset, Caedmon will often try to pull up my shirt and lay his head on my bare stomach.  He settles down almost immediately when he does that.
• Caedmon still loves showers a lot and insists on always showering with us.