It's always incredible to me to see the similarities between a newborn baby and their toddler self. I guess it makes sense—a kid should resemble his baby photos!—but we spend so much time wondering what babies will look like before they're born … and then there they are in front of us! And they're giving us hints as to how they will develop and which parts of their newborn selves will stay and which will features will morph into something just a little different.

I don't have any kids of my own yet, but I love having friends that do because I can witness these amazing changes firsthand. Braden's smile is the sweetest thing, and you can see that in his newborn photos! It's the craziest thing that that little peanut is this walking, talking 1+-year-old right now.

I spent the day with Braden a couple weeks ago, and he's even happier and friendlier than he was on his first birthday, which I didn't think was possible. He's really good at sharing, especially when he finds treasures in the kitchen, and he can repeat most anything you say. Plus, he knows how to throw stuff away, which is extremely helpful in my opinion. :)