Birthday boy

Akiva is a year old today. I am in denial! Can it be that my baby is a year old now? Where did the time go? Wasn't it just yesterday I had to swaddle him? It goes by so quickly.
I remember a time when I thought all of his major accomplishments were about food, not anymore. Our boy has moved beyond all the food accomplishments onto the motor variety. He is walking more and more everyday. He can now make it from our bedroom to the front door without falling and I often see him toddle from our bedroom into the kitchen. He still falls but he is getting better on his feet every day. He can also pick up small objects and believe me with three little girls around we have plenty laying around. He likes to help clean up by putting toys into boxes and dumping them out.
Akiva will sit through a book, a short book, but he likes to look at the pictures and I think I saw him trying to turn the pages the other day. He plays beautifully with his sisters and tries to follow right after them. They adore him and try to cheer him up when he is sad. Wen they are playing upstairs Akiva uses every trick in the book to get up those stairs to get to them. His face simply lights up whenever he sees them or hears them. He plays nicely by himself as well. Right now his favorite toys are balls or things he can climb. He can climb our stairs without issue and has been able to for months. When he is on our bed and wants to get off he turns his little body around and slides down on his belly.
Meal times are still an adventure with him. He is STILL screaming and screaming and screaming. It is driving me nuts! We are still trying to teach him the sign for more but screaming is far more effective as far as he is concerned! I think we can not get the food in fast enough and sometimes he just does not like what we are offering him. He hasn't learned our motto of "this is what is for dinner" yet, but he will!
Akiva is a wonderful sleeper. He takes two naps a day, one quick nap in the morning and a long nap in the afternoon when the girls nap. He goes to bed at the same time as the girls and does not cry when we put him down, most of the time. Best of all he sleeps through the night and wakes up at about seven every morning, sometimes he falls back to sleep when he is nursing but those times are few and far between. When Matt jumps out of bed for the morning Akiva wants to go with him for a real breakfast and some male bonding!
Our baby is growing up and changing daily, hourly? He recently sprouted a new tooth bringing the grand total up to seven. If the fingers in his mouth and the drool are any indication more are on their way.
I am sure his communication skills are the next skills we will see explode in the coming months. He is already answering yes and no questions, much to our delight. He is able to tell us if he wants more of something or if he is all done which tends to ease the screaming a little. He waves goodbye, says "hi" and "bye", says banana "Nannna", and loves to sing. I find him singing to himself all the time and he still likes to sing while he nurses, so very cute! He actually reminds me of Sydney who sang all the time also. He has a great sense of humor and a terrific belly laugh which is quite contagious!
I always thought that no child could love our dogs more than Sydney does or did when she was a baby, but I think Akiva may loves those dogs more than she does. He sings to them. He lights up when those stinky dogs come around. I think he sneaks them food! I always find Akiva sitting next to Cyrus just hanging out. I am sure those two will be great friends!
Happy first birthday Akiva! We can not imagine life without you.