Happy 1st Birthday Handsome!

Jace is ONE! Happy birthday to our cutest boy! This year has seriously FLOWN by- weird, considering we spent the entire year working toward Flor's adoption and there were times during the process when time seemed to stand still. Yet, it seems like just a few months ago that we were bringing our little guy home from the hospital. Now he is no longer a little guy in any sense of the word AND he is one!

Just for the record, Jace weighs 26 pounds and is 31 1/2 inches tall. Big boy! (just for comparison, Hallie weighed 23 pounds at 1 year. Wowsa.)

Here is a little walk down memory lane with our Jacer: 

Brand new!

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months (and first teeth!)

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months (boy did the weather change quick from one month to the next or what? Given the outfits here, I'd have to wager yes)

9 months

10 months

11 months

1 year

 I am so grateful for this little boy. I know every parent says this, but he has been such a blessing in our lives. He came at a time when we were already pursuing the adoption of his sister, so it may seem like his whole first year has been overshadowed by her coming into our family. But, his coming was incredibly important to us and the timing was just right. I have always known that Heavenly Father's timing is better than my own and things could not have worked out more perfectly for his first year of life and our completion of Flor's adoption. I didn't know how it would all work out when I became pregnant with him because at the time we anticipated traveling to get Flor when he was only a few months old. Well, that obviously didn't happen for various reasons and I can see the divine design in it, though at the time I was frustrated by the delays. 2011 will always be an important year in our family as we gained two amazing children.

Before Jace, I always thought I would have an easier time connecting with girls and felt all my kids should be girls. Well, I am happy to report that Jace has definitely changed my perspective. I can be a mom of boys-- in fact, I'll take boys from here on out, thanks! (Don't get any ideas. We are talking years down the road). I just love this little boy. He is so funny and so darn adorable. His grins melt my heart and his little hugs and kisses are enough to make my day. I realize that I am gushing about him a lot right now, but just cut me some slack-- I was without him for three weeks recently you know. :)

Alright, enough of my ramblings. Here are some things that Jace is up to at one year!

*Jace loves to clap for himself and for others (usually following someone else's lead)

*I noticed that in most of these pictures, Jace has a serious look on his face. Don't be fooled. I don't know why I don't have more pictures of him smiling, but he smiles all the time. In fact, he has a very cheesy grin. He also cracks himself up readily and has a really great fake laugh that he pulls out at various times.

*Jace is an EATER. He will eat almost anything that is put in front of him. Devin pointed out to me when I got home and realized I didn't know what kind of "regular" (read: non-Ecuadorian) food Jace likes that he really prefers to have variety and will do better at meals if he has three or four things to rotate between instead of just one item. If there is just one item, he is far less likely to eat it. Weird.

* Jace has 9 teeth. Four middle top, four middle bottom, and one random molar on the bottom. All the way through. Where are the other molars? I have no idea.

*Jace crawls, pulls himself up on items, and cruises a little on furniture. I think it will still be a few months before he walks. He does the stairs going up like a champ, but does not go down yet. He grew up so much in the three weeks I was away from him!

*Jace drinks from a sippy cup and is ready to say adios to the bottles. We have a little bit of formula left that we are using up and then bye-bye, no more bottles. He loves whole milk though and drinks it much better than formula anyway. (He has had whole milk since Devin got home with him- he was not drinking much and it started to get worrisome. We found he likes it, so yay for that.)

*Jace is a chatter-box, much like Hallie always has been. He likes to make random sounds and just to hear himself, I think. He can say "mama", "dada", "baba", and "hola."

*Jace likes to wave his arm around when music is playing. He also waves hello and goodbye.

*He plays peek-a-boo and dies laughing. Jace has a really funny laugh. I should try to get it on video. It is really deep (what can we say- he already has such a manly voice) and kind of like a little chortle. It's cute, of course.

*Favorite foods: meat

*Least favorite foods: nothing. He will eat anything.

*Jace loves to throw items on the floor. He finds it hilarious. He is a binky addict still, but occasionally he will take it out of his mouth just so that he can make a production of tossing it over the edge of the couch, carseat, etc. He also likes to chuck food.

Happy birthday buddy! We sure love you and are so grateful that you are ours!

P.S. Today also marks the birthday of my brother-in-law, Chris, after whom Jace is named (Jace Christopher.) Chris passed away in 2009 after a rough battle with a brain tumor. On his birthday, my sister started the tradition of honoring him by doing service for someone else. So please, if you feel so inclined, join us today in doing some service, however small, in memory of one of the most incredible men this world has seen, Chris York. If you do something, let me know about it! I want to hear. I don't know what we will do yet, but we will think of something. I'll report back. :)

P.P.S for those that don't know my sister is now remarried to an equally incredible man, Steve. She has been blessed immensely with both men that she has married. Steve is the only father Chris's daughter Sadie has ever known and is really wonderful with her. He and Jennifer just had a baby in January, which I think I mentioned here before. We get to meet the new baby, Brooklyn, this weekend for the first time. Excited? SO EXCITED!!!