First Birthday

What an eventful weekend we had!  We traveled to my hometown in Ohio to visit family and friends, some for the first time, and to celebrate Miles turning ONE!  The first birthday in Korea is a big one, so we had to do it up right.  Unfortunately we had to break his birthday in half because our two families live so far apart, but we'll be able to celebrate with all of the Fisher crew next weekend in Chicago.

On Friday we went to the Toledo Zoo with Tiff and Holden, who is getting to be so big and cute!  

We also had a lot of milestones this weekend - mostly because my parents were all about giving Miles new experiences.  Miles got to ride in the back of a bicycle with my Dad, and he took mor

e steps than ever!  He'll soon be walking.  He also learned how to actually go DOWN the stairs and how to give kisses and "oh dears" (which are hugs).  

For his birthday my mom ordered a super cute monkey cake that was made to look EXACTLY like his favorite toy monkey.  I'm surprised that he didn't try to gnaw this monkey's nose off like the other one.  It even came with a little banana cake that he got to eat all by himself.

In traditional Korean fashion we had him choose from a variety of objects in order to determine what his future would be like.  They included money (for wealth), string (for long life), and a pencil (for knowledge).  Miles chose money, which I certainly can't complain about. :)

Here Miles is wearing his new sneakers from Grandma and Grandpa.  

On Sunday evening we went over to our friends' John and Jaime's for a cook-out.  It was good to see all of my friends from home and their little ones.  Here Isaac is giving Miles and Hayden a ride in the Gator.  It was cute because Isaac took his job as driver VERY seriously. :)

Miles walks...the proof

Here we finally got video of Miles "walking".  When Miles gets to the point of exhaustion he gets VERY hyper, which is the exact point he is at in this movie.  It's the most we've seen him walk yet - probably due in part to his utter crazy energy.  

This movie is of Miles eating.  Nothing really spectacular, so if you fall asleep during it, don't blame me. :)  Although the thing at the end that he is sucking is watermelon which we all found pretty funny. :)  He loves green beans just like his uncle Collin did when he was little.  I don't understand it, but I like it!

STEPS!

Miles took FIVE STEPS this morning!  Yeah!  I'm going to try and get a video of it sometime, but we were both really excited - mostly that Dustin and I both got to witness it!

Dear mothers.

Mothers Day takes on an entirely new meaning now that I am a mother. I've always admired the mothers in my life before, but now I have a new appreciation for them. So I would like to wish them all a Happy Mothers Day. To my friend Tiffani, who is the most passionate mother I know - investing so much time in research and energy in making sure she is doing the best thing for Holden. To my other friend from home, Dawn, who has shown me how important it is to have a sense of humor about your children. I have never met someone who loves being pregnant so much! To my friends Heidi and Kimbo who have the two happiest little boys I know. They are obviously doing something right to make those little boys so loveable. To my friend Penner, who may not have her own children, but is a mother to tons of kids every year at her job. Her patience amazes me! To my other friend Audra, who is a mother to everyone she meets, and is always on my side. To my other friend Dawn, who just had her fourth child this year - she has shown me the importance of investing and nurturing your child's gifts - and she has some very gifted children! To my sister-in-law Amy, who has three of the most energetic little boys I've ever met - I admire her energy and the way she can provide experiences for her children that they will always remember. To my other sister-in-laws, Becca and Carrie - who I know will make the most fantastic mothers some day. To my two grandmothers - one taught me the importance of hugs and kisses, and the other taught me the importance of hard work - two things that I will carry with me my entire life. To my mother-in-law who has accepted me into her family from the very beginning and has showered us all with love. And most importantly, to my own mother......I am strong and independent because I was raised no other way. You have loved me more than I sometimes deserved, and have picked me up when I have reached my lowest points. Because of you and dad I don't know what it is like to feel like I can't achieve anything that I put my mind to. Thank you for pushing me to do my best. Thank you for fostering my creativity. Thank you for making me go to school when I didn't want to, and for teaching me the importance of hard work. Thank you for telling me "no" sometimes and for the times you told me "yes." Thank you for being my mom and for being such a fun grandma to Miles. I love you mom!

This morning I woke up to Miles playing me a special Mother's Day song. :)

I know, I know.

Sometimes we wake up with a serious to catastrophic case of bed-head...

I realize that it has been WAY TOO LONG since I blogged.  Part of it was because my mom has been out here for a week to hang out with Miles and me, and part of it is because I know I can't post a blog with no pictures, and it is just SO MUCH WORK to walk up the stairs to get the USB cable so that I can download the pictures.  Everyday Miles gets more funny, and thinks I do too.  I LOVE THAT!  We had a lot of fun with Grandma, going on walks, going to the park and swinging for the first time, using the walker that she brought out to chase her down the driveway, going to listen to live music downtown, and just having someone to play with all day long.  I wish now that I would have taken more pictures....story of my life.  It seems as a photographer and photography instructor that I would walk around with a camera duct taped to my forehead, but it doesn't seem to be the case.  I think I'm to caught up in every moment, because I'm either A. Stressed out, B. Laughing, or C. Amazed at what he can do and can comprehend.  

We've learned the sign language for "more" and use it VERY frequently. :)  He also took some of his first steps this week, although there has been no sign of it since.... Oh well.  Honestly, he gets around PLENTY as it is. :)

Now, the real reason you all actually look at the blog.....

Miles has been "bear crawling" a lot lately, which is very entertaining to watch. :)