Sweet Dax

Unbelievable. Dax is almost ONE. A whole year of life has gone by, and I barely blinked! This morning I was thinking about our sweet little man and what sweetness and joy he has brought into our lives, and figured I'd share a little.
Dax was greeted almost a year ago with a sweet song Shea made up, and we still sing it to him regularly. It goes like this. "Hi Dax, welcome to the world, your name is spelled, D-A-X, Go Dax, you rock!!"
I must also include his nicknames. My preferred nickname for him is "Bubba". Most of the kids use this one too. Kurt calls him D.A. or Dax Attax. He's also "stinky" at times (not associated with potty thoughts, people! It's just a nickname!) I think that's all. I occasionally call him "worm" or "squirmy worm". He can NOT sit still.
Dax, not unlike most other Gebhards kids, almost never cries. He is very happy, and all who know us and spend time around us are amazed at his sweet and content spirit. The church nursery loves him, since he never causes a fuss. He easily goes to most anyone, as long as he's not tired. Then he becomes Momma's boy. I love that.
Dax is growing into a little boy! He swings his arms and smacks things (and people too- watch out!), and he has a growing love for balls. He loves to throw (but stresses when the ball isn't in his hands) and loves even more to catch (or at least try).
He LOVES being outside. He's been having some tummy issues and has been a little fussy, but as soon as we walk out the front door, his little demeanor changes and his face relaxes (those little eyes squint) as he looks all around him (and there's usually a ton of neighborhood kids to keep him entertained!).
He's starting to attempt some words...okay maybe just one. He has been trying to say "Kitty" for quite some time now. It usually sounds like a combination of the "t" and "k" sound, with a long "e" sound following. And it's always a whisper. He knows what he's saying, because he says it on his own whenever he sees one of our kitties. He must be brilliant.
He has an uncanny affection for baseball caps. If you're wearing one, he MUST have it. He immediately reaches with both hands, then does a pretty spastic death grip pull (complete with shaking) to get it off your head. We think it's cute. But if you're trying to cover bed-head with your ball cap, you might not want to snoodle him. Or bring an extra cap...please.
You may wonder if he's walking yet (okay maybe just my mom is wondering)...the answer is...no. He is pulling up on everything, and moving rapidly around the house in one of those recalled walkers that they don't make anymore. Everyone in our house has ankle bruises. But the alternative is that we have to keep the floors clean so he can crawl on them. I choose ankle bruises. Anyway, how did we get here? Back to the sweet baby...
Little Dax man wakes up with smiles for everyone, and is greeted by five sweet siblings that absolutely adore their little brother. Mornings are precious. Kurt usually brings him out (of our closet!) and announces his "waking up" to all of the kids who are getting breakfast and getting ready for school, and they all find a way to greet him with a sweet "hello" and a snoodle. He is a blessing to us all, and Kurt and I still say to each other (probably on a weekly basis!), "Can you believe that God gave us another son??!!"
We love our bubba! Pictures to come.