EVERYTHING TASTES BETTER WITH APPLESAUCE

As stated in a previous post, I have become quite the picky eater all of a sudden. When I won't eat my veggies or meat, Mommy simply gets out the applesauce and slips those veggies in with each bite of applesauce and suddenly...my veggies are all gone! Mommy says I take after Uncle Brad. When they were growing up, if he didn't like something Grandma fixed, he'd simply ask for applesauce to mix with it. Yup. Everything tastes better with applesauce. :)

SANTA BABY

Mommy put up our Christmas decorations during my nap today. I came down to find a big, medium, and little tree all with lots of pretty lights! I literally kept running back and forth between them all. Mommy told me not to touch any of the trees and I don't. I just stand there and look at them. I was also fascinated with the Santa hat Mommy put on my head. I even wore it while I drank my milk and had my snack.

THE VACUUM AND OTHER FUNNIES

• I am terrified of the vacuum. Yep. Terrified. Doesn't matter if Mommy is holding me while she vacuums or if Daddy is trying to distract me while Mommy vacuums...I hate the "cockoo" (aka vacuum). However, today Mommy decided she really needed to vacuum, and I was just going to have to cry because it had to be done. Well, much to her surprise, when she set me down and started the vacuum, this time I followed it around and thought it funny to "chase" it. Then, I cleverly went and got out my little fisher price push toy that rolls and makes noises when I push it and followed Mommy around with my pretend "cockoo." I was even laughing by the end!
• I am learning how to use a spoon by myself. I can eat my oatmeal and applesauce fairly well, though much of it ends up on my chin. Today, Mommy tried giving me my bananas in a bowl with a spoon to see how I would do. I was having trouble scooping the pieces onto my spoon, so I set my spoon down on the tray, picked up a piece with my hand, set it on my spoon, then picked my spoon back up again to put the "nana" in my mouth. It worked! I'm not sure why Mommy was laughing so hard, though.....
• Daddy took our big cooler to work the other day to use at one of the football games, and when he brought it home, he set it in the kitchen just inside the garage door with the lid open to air it out (and eventually to clean out) before he took it back downstairs. To me it seemed pretty big, and I kept going over to it, leaning in and saying "ba!" (which means bath). To me it seemed like a perfect bathtub!
• Mommy was cleaning the shelves by the TV and found her and Daddy's wedding video. She put it in to watch tonight, and boy did I think it was great! I kept going up to the TV, and saying "Daddy" and "Gaka" (my name for Grandpa Doug) - he performed the ceremony, so I saw him a lot on the TV. I even went up and kissed the TV once when Grandpa was talking (remember Daddy has a big screen TV, so Grandpa seemed almost lifelike.) I couldn't quite figure out why Daddy and Grandpa were in my TV, though. Also, Mommy noticed I never really said "Mommy" or got excited to see her in the TV. (You know the lady that was next to Daddy in the poofy white dress?) She wanted to know if she really looks that much different now that I didn't recognize her....and if that is a good or bad thing!
• For some reason, I have on my own started calling Grandpa Bob just "Bob." Grandpa Doug is "Gaka" but Grandpa Bob is just "Bob." I say it clear as day, and it makes everyone laugh.... but that IS his name, right? So why is it so funny? :)

LADY IN RED

Mommy was attempting to capture some cute pictures of me today in my red sweater (which is getting harder to do since I am always on the move). She was trying to catch something she could use for Christmas cards. She is not sure she'll use any of them, but here a few that turned out cute.

MORE READING.....

Once again, Mommy was able to catch me on camera reading my books last night without me realizing it. This time she remembered to turn the TV off first. She said she had a hard time keeping the camera still, though, because she was trying so hard not to laugh sometimes.

PLAYING AT THE PARK

When I spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house, they took me on a stroller ride to a nearby park since the weather was unseasonably warm out. I had lots of fun on the "cr", the slide, and the swing!

I'M A MOVIE STAR!

I spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house on Friday night. While I was there, Grandpa let me watch videos of myself on his computer. I sat and watched them over and over again. I was simply mesmerized!

SMARTIE PANTS

Mommy continues to be amazed at how much I am comprehending and learning and doing. The last week or two I have gone from knowing what a diaper is (by looking at pictures in books and seeing the ones Mommy puts on me) to knowing what the sign for "diaper" looks like to being able to do the sign and say "baba" for diaper to now being able to communicate to Mommy when I need my diaper changed. Yep. Every time I make a mess in my pants, I go to Mommy and say "baba" and make the sign. Now Mommy says I need to learn to tell her that BEFORE I make the mess, but seriously, Mom, I'm only 15 months old! :)

Today I also did something else that surprised Mommy. I usually have play time in my room for about 45 minutes every morning after breakfast. Mommy puts up my gate, turns on my monitor and some music, and then I get to play with my toys in my room while Mommy does her devotions and gets ready. She comes in to check on me, and she can hear me in her monitor, so I usually don't get into too much trouble! :) Anyway, she sets a timer so I know when playtime is done. We also use it in the office room when Mommy works on the computer and I have blanket time every afternoon, so we have to move it around each day. Today I was following Mommy to my room for roomtime, when suddenly she realized I was not behind her anymore. I had taken off for the office saying "cock" and headed right to the timer on the desk, picked it up, and turned around to take it back to my room. When I got to my room, I worked hard to put it up on the changing table where Mommy puts it, though that spot is higher and I couldn't quite reach it. Mommy said, "How did you remember we needed to get it from the other room and then where to put it in your room?" She didn't realize I had ever been paying attention to that before. What a smart little cookie I am, huh? :)

GOING SHOPPING

Just trying to be like Mommy......

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Once again this year I did not get to go Trick-or-Treating because it was a bit too cold and I still have a cough. But I sure had fun saying hi to all the kids who came to our house.

A FUN DAY AT GRANDMA'S HOUSE

Even though I still have a nasty cough, Mommy and I had to get out of the house today, so we went to see Grandma and Grandpa. In spite of my cough and being so tired from not sleeping well, I had a fun day! I even wore my Halloween shirt to get me in the mood for Halloween.




Grandma Joy got out some paint by water books for me to try. I caught on quick and had a blast painting my "br" (bear). Mommy will have to buy me some paints and brushes soon!

I also got to color. I was more interested in taking out the crayons, and I kept using the crayons upside down, but I did manage to get a few scribbles on the page.

Then, I tried on one of my Halloween costumes for Grandma and Grandpa. (I have two, and Mommy can't decide which to have me wear. But I love pumpkins so much right now, that maybe I'll have to stick with this one.) Sorry for the bad pictures....don't know what was up with Grandma's camera...

DOING LAPS

Hey, Daddy.....How many laps would I have to do to reach a mile? :)

FOOD FIGHT

I used to be a girl who LOVED to eat. I would cry if I didn't get my food right NOW. Mommy always was so happy that I would basically eat anything she put in front of me. Oh, I had my favorites, like crackers, sweet potatoes, bananas, etc. But I really just loved to eat, and would even crawl up to my highchair and sign/say "eat" even when it wasn't time to eat. When we'd go out to eat, Mommy would bring food for me, and I'd have it all gone before Mommy and Daddy's food had even gotten there. I was the girl who could down a whole ice cream cone (without the ice cream) in no time flat. Well, Mommy is wondering where that little girl went to, because in the last two weeks, I have become a very finicky, picky eater. It started that I wanted nothing to do with my "milk." I started drinking milk again, but now I do NOT want to eat. I mean, I could go all day without eating and be happy. Not even my favorites can entice me. Oh, I'll eat maybe part of a cracker or a few small bites of banana and then be "all done." I won't even touch vegetables anymore. I will sometimes eat applesauce or oatmeal or jello, things that "slide" down easily, but that's about it. I even have gotten into the habit of hitting Mommy's hand or pushing it away when she tries to give me something. (Mommy is trying to teach me how to say "no thank you" in sign language. I can do it, but usually only with Mommy's prompting AFTER I have hit her hand away.) Another thing I have started doing with my food instead of eating it is mashing it up or playing with it, which usually means it ends up on the floor. I just DON'T WANT TO EAT! Mommy wonders if it is because she tends to give me the same foods a lot due to my milk allergy. I can't just eat what Mommy and Daddy are eating. (Mommy wonders if she should adjust her cooking and maintain a "dairy free kitchen" so I CAN eat what they eat, but Daddy does NOT like the sound of that.) Today Mommy tried a few new foods, including strawberries and beans, but NOPE. Would have none of it. Mommy says who wouldn't like strawberries!? Anyway, Mommy is hoping this all has to do with my not feeling well, but she's afraid it's a phase/stage I am going through. We'll have to wait and see, I guess.

I was starting to get on a great sleeping schedule again, waking around 8:00 or so (at least that's when Mommy hears me....she doesn't know how long I just lay there awake since it's dark out and I think it's still night...). Then, I'd go about my morning pretty happy, and I'd take a nap from about 1:00 to 3:00 or 4:00. Then, I'd go to bed around 7:30-7:45. I'd been going right to sleep with no troubles, and life was good in the sleeping department again finally. Well, now with being sick, it's thrown everything off again. I am usually up between 3:30 and 4:00 in the morning with a coughing spell (Mommy has to come in and hold me in the chair for awhile to stop the coughing spell), and I don't ever really fall asleep again since I just keep coughing off and on. So, by the time morning comes around, I'm already exhausted. That makes for a very grumpy morning, and I'm getting into a lot more "trouble" now too and not obeying Mommy very well because I'm so tired and grumpy. (Plus, I now can walk anywhere I want to and get around really well, so that is another reason I am now getting into things and doing things I don't usually do.) For naps, I don't always sleep well or it takes a while to get to sleep because of my cough. Sometimes Mommy has to come in and hold me so I don't cough. And last night I cried for awhile when Daddy put me to bed, and I was super grumpy all evening. This being sick stuff is NO FUN....for me or for Mommy and Daddy either. Let's hope I get better soon!

BARKING LIKE A SEAL

Well, it seems we're in for a LONG winter if I have croup again already. Yep. Croup. After two days of the barking cough, I developed a stridor (Mommy learned that from the doctor) which is a wheezy, barky inhaling breath during a coughing spell. Since I had croup back in January, Mommy recognized the signs, so she pulled out the vaporizer, ran steamy water in the bathroom, etc., etc. But when I developed the stridor, she decided to call the doctor's office just to be safe. They wanted to see me immediately to make sure I don't have pneumonia or anything. Thank goodness I don't! But I can't sleep or eat because I cough too much, and I'm so tired! I do still have more energy, though, than Mommy thought I'd have being sick. I still like to push my walker around the house as fast as I can. Instead of carrying around my baby, though, I found a new companion: my straw cup. I have been wanting to drink a LOT of water lately since being sick (Mommy usually can't get me to drink hardly any on a regular basis, so she lets me drink all the water I want to right now). So, I just grab the straw with my teeth, and away we go. That way, I can drink all I want to and still have my hands free to push my walker toy. Now, how's that for multi-tasking?