Today = The happiest day of my life + 1 amazing year.

KOZE! As of 2:19 this morning it will have been one year since I met you face to face for the first time. Even trying to write this I get tears in my eyes. I often think of your first day here and how unexpected it was. That day and those following have truly been the best of my entire life. Watching you grow from the 5lb 12oz babe into the almost 20lb toddler that you've become in this first year has been incredible and inspiring. You are always curious and adventurous, I haven't seen an ounce of fear in you since the day I met you. Even when you were hooked up to monitors and an IV you rarely complained. You are beyond sweet and full of life.

This has been a fun year. We've had some really rough moments but even during the hard stuff I have always felt so grateful that have you here with me and to be so blessed to be able to be your mama.

You are changing and growing SO fast...everyday its something new. Like today for the first time I asked you where the ball was and you went right over to it and picked it up. Ball is also one of your new words. Something else cute that you did today, we were listening to O Holy Night in the car and about half way through you lifted both of your hands in the air, looked up at the ceiling and let out a couple of deep sighs as if you were having a very spiritual moment. So great.

I love you baby doos. So. much.

mom

Jyu ichi BAN! (the eleventh month)

Koze,

We are just one month shy of having been in each others lives for an entire year. It has FLOWN by. Here are some of the fun and adorable things you've been doing lately: You are learning what it means to share as you can see in the video of you and Lily. You've started waving goodbye and blowing kisses, which I LOVE! The other morning when I woke up I was greeted by your handsome smile and then a great big kiss - I almost died it was so sweet. You also got your first two teeth - they are in an unusual place...on top and to the sides (kind of like little vampire fangs). Dr Neuman says that its pretty rare for those teeth to come in first. It will be perfect for halloween though.

You also had your dedication this month on Oct 10th at Door of Hope, the church we attend. And you had your first trip to the ER because of some pretty bad tummy aches you were having. You did SO great and were so brave and it turned out to just be an intense stomach virus which ended up lasting a little over three weeks. It was so sad to see you not feeling well.

Random pics from this month...





Lily and Koze "sharing"

So Koze is going to have a cousin...

We are so beyond excited for this newest addition to our family. Congrats to Selah and Christian...they are going to be two of the world's best parents!



And this is just because it reminds me of them...

all the way across the sky

TEN!

Koze,

At this very moment you are sitting in front of me bouncing your arms up and down to the double rainbow song on YouTube...currently one of your favorites. Its pretty funny. These days you are busy crawling around and you have even made several attempts to stand without holding onto anything. And as a result you have been falling down a lot and getting little boo boos. You never stay down for long though. You are quite the adventurous little boy. You are also really into climbing - especially on me. I think you will really love the Portland Rock Gym when you're older.

I feel like so much of our activities these days involve music in one way or another. We went to the Bumbershoot Music Festival in Seattle at the beginning of the month with Marianne and Bridget...lots of fun. And you've also really enjoyed when Gramy plays the piano for you or Stampa the guitar. I feel very blessed to be able to expose you to so much live music...its obvious that you prefer it to something playing on my ipod or computer. And I think we're seeing your firsts as far as singing and dancing go. The dancing for sure. I'm still trying to figure out if you are are actually singing or what...

Something else kind of funny is that you peed standing up for the first time a few days ago. I was changing your diaper on my bed and hadn't quite gotten the new one on you yet when you made your escape and frantically crawled over to the headboard, pulled yourself up, looked down and PEED all over my bed! Kind of gross but also funny.

love you baby,
mom

nine months

Koze, you are nine months and getting so big and so handsome. Every time we go out people tell me how cute you are and how big and beautiful your eyes are. This month has been such a fun one! We have been to the farmers market pretty much every weekend and I've made 90% of your baby food from the yummy fruits and vegetables that we bought there. We've also been to the zoo three times, and got to hang out with Angie, Emily, Krissy, Aryn and all their kiddos. You went swimming in a lake for the first time and I was surprised by how much you loved it! We will definitely have to do that again before the summers over. Also you got to meet your Aunt Selah and (soon to be) Uncle Christian and I'm pretty sure you have never laughed so hard as when Christian was tickling you. The weekend after we saw them we went up to Seattle with Marisa and Peter - we saw the New Pornographers playing at the Show Box and we stayed at the very cool Ace Hotel. That was your third concert and just like the first two, you slept through most of it. It was past your bedtime so everyone was very understanding. And this last weekend we had a visit from our friends from Japan, the Watanabe's. They brought you the most AWESOME pajamas I have ever seen.

Summer is winding down and I'm beginning to get excited for the Fall. I've been keeping my eyes open for cute fall clothes for both of us and am already anticipating the yummy soups we will make. Also with the fall comes your first birthday and your first halloween...which kind of blows my mind to think about you turning ONE! Time is flying by. I wonder what you will be for your first Halloween...hmmm.

Love you baby,

Mom.

to the zoo with Simon