They say "Mama" is often the first word...

...but they never say to WHOM! Alas, my genious son has started to formulate words, and "Mama" was one of them. While I'd be ecstatic that he chose such a meaningful word to be his first, I was not thrilled that he used it on... my husband. And it is obvious. In the house when my husband comes home: "Mama!" At the mall three stores down he sees him: "Mama! MA-MA!" Pictures of him: "Mama!" And I try and I try...
Me: Yuta, say "PA-PA"
Yuta: Mmma ma
Me: That's "Pa-PA"
Yuta: Mama!
Me: Puh, puh, puh, pppppppaaaaa paaaaaa
Yuta: Mama ma ma

He is mocking me, I'm sure.

Among other things, he says "boh" for ball, "byeh" for bird, "mumum" for food (because in Japanese the baby term for food is "manma"), "bey" for baby, etc. The "B"s and the "M"s seem to be his thing.

He is now a pretty regular toddler, although his head is too heavy and he has two left feet. He's not nearly as out of control as I thought boys would be... he's more the pensive type and tends to get cold feet. He needs encouragement to start walking and exploring, except at stores. He likes to discover the various items that are eye-level for him, but he makes it super easy for me by never leaving my sight. Or rather, he makes sure I'm never out of HIS sight. Either way, it works.

Oh! And how could I forget. He now sleeps through the night AND falls asleep on his own at night! woo hoo!!!! Ohhh this is so heavenly for me. After a full year of waking up every 4 hours, this is immense. Of course, this didn't happen over night. We had tried everything we could think of, and eventually tried the "Cry it out method". Before he went to bed, we always do the bedtime routine. Bath, book, milk, sleep. The first three steps go fine... it's the last one we had trouble with. My husband and I would try to put him to sleep in our arms, because he would cry otherwise. But well, with my son having the physique of a linebacker, it just wasn't possible anymore. He's a big boy now, a full 12 months old, he can handle it. Plus, I can tell if there's something REALLY wrong, or if he's just being fussy. So one night, we did our routine... bath, book, milk... goin' good. Then I did the unthinkable (for Yuta). I hugged him, told him good night, put him in his crib, and left.
Sound the alarms!!! BOY, did he WAIL! I would presume this is what a tantrum sounds like. For 30 minutes he cried, until he must have tired himself out and went to sleep. It was tiring just to listen to him. Second night, same thing. Third night, same thing, but a little shorter. Fourth night, shorter yet. And amazingly, on the 6th night... not a peep. WHAT?! I looked at my husband in utter disbelief. Did I go deaf??? I didn't hear ANYthing! Hallelujah! Things have been soooo nice since then. He sleeps through the night since he doesn't need me to comfort him if he does wake up in the middle of the night. He easily falls asleep for nap time, especially since he learned how to sign "sleep" when he's sleepy. He even points to the bedroom! Those times, I absolutely love the munchkin. His chubby cheeks are even more adorable than ever!!!

So my son has made huge strides since turning one. It was a major milestone for him and me. Oddly, I've become more tired than I have been in the past 12 months, and I've been getting strange headaches and sensations. Maybe the exhaustion is catching up with me and the breather is exacerbating it. I guess I should stop writing now and go to sleep...?