Snacks

Mommy says I am not allowed to eat the ashes out of the fireplace. I have to snack on Cheerios instead. W, however, can eat whatever he wants. It isn't fair.

Snowed In

Man, am I sick of the snow! It hit on Valentine's Day and has yet to go away. All of the schools have been closed for three days. Mommy and daddy say I probably would be really happy about if I were old enough to actually go to school. I'll take their word for it. Because we've been snowed in, I don't have too much to report. Well, we did buy a new house and put ours up for sale, but it's been pretty calm around here other than that.

I had my one-year check up last week. I'm on track to be the next Christian Laettner (that's a little dig for daddy) as I'm still in the 95th percentile for height. The doctor gave me two vaccines, which wasn't really fun. She gave them to me in my arm because she said I have big boy muscles there now. You know what they say...flattery will get you anywhere... Anyhow, as the doctor predicted, the side effects from the MMR shot kicked in a week to the day after I got it. From Thursday until today, I've run a 102 degree fever and have been the crankiest baby this side of the Potomac. Thankfully, the fever broke last night and we all were able to get some much-needed rest.

Now that I'm well, I'm turning my attention to selling the house. Mommy is frantically trying to keep it in show condition, which means she has stealthily hidden most of my toys. I've retaliated by taking out all (yes, all) of her pots, pans, and cooking utensils and spreading them across the kitchen floor. I tell her I just want buyers to get a good feel for the vast amount of floor space we have to offer here. For some reason, she doesn't think that's too funny.

One Small Step for Man...

...a giant leap for Mr. T! I took my first step yesterday! I walked to mommy. By "walked," I mean that I literally took one step, unassisted, to her WITHOUT FALLING! Of course, all of my grandparents are a little put out that I did it the day after they left. Daddy was a little disappointed that he wasn't here to see it, so I took two steps to him tonight to make him feel better. I'm sure I'll be running marathons by the weekend.

Birthday Bonanza

It is going to take me a year to recover from my birthday party. Put simply, it rocked! All of my grandparents were here, which made it the most special birthday I've ever had. I'm still trying to open presents (mommy and daddy just decided to put theirs away for me to open on a rainy day), so I'm just going to give you some snapshots to tide you over until I can stop playing with my new toys long enough to write.

This tractor is nice, but I thought you said there would be cake at this party.

Holding Court with My Birthday Cake

Before...

...and After.

One Year Old

I turned one today! It didn't start off that great - I woke up with a lousy, barking cough, so mommy and I headed to the doctor as soon as I was done with breakfast. The doctor said my lungs are clear and that I just have another virus. What a great birthday present! We went to lunch at Coastal Flats with Granddaddy, Uncle Bill and Uncle JR this afternoon. Nobody sang happy birthday to me at the restaurant even though JR told everyone there that it was my birthday...and that I'm single and financially independent. It was still pretty special because Mommy ordered salmon and smashed potatoes off of the big kids menu for me. Clearly, I'm a big boy now. I took it easy the rest of the day. Mrs. Weber came by to wish me a happy birthday and to bring me some really cool presents that mommy finally had to pry away from me so I could take a nap. After dinner, daddy gave me a bath, where I made a fabulous new discovery. You know how I am always trying to get into Winston and W's water bowl? Well, I've decided that the bathtub can be my very own water bowl. I can stick my face in the water and lap it up with my tongue just like Winston and W! I guess that is something only one year olds can do!

363 Days Old...and Counting

I have heard your cries. I know, I know...you are all sick of looking at the haircut pictures. I get it, so here, at long last, is a new blog entry! What can I say? I've been really busy lately. Mommy and daddy's friends, Mike and Tabitha, came for a visit this weekend, along with their three year old daughter, Addison, and their seven week old baby, Reese. We had a houseful! It was a lot of fun, and I especially enjoyed watching Addie and trying to keep up with her. They left yesterday morning, which gives mommy exactly two days to get ready for all of the grandparents to descend for my first birthday shindig. Granddaddy arrives Wednesday evening; while Nana and Papa Wayne and Gran and Papa Cecil are supposed to caravan together on Thursday. Unfortunately, the weather man is predicting a "wintry mix" all along the travel route, so heaven only knows if they will make it. Gran and Papa Cecil may leave a day early to try to make it here, but I'm not sure what Nana and Papa Wayne are going to do. Mommy says not to worry, that Nana would clear snow off the interstate with her bare hands before she would dream of missing my first birthday party. She has a good point.


Other than that, I've been working on drinking from a cup, which is a big step (especially for mommy). Sometimes I drink so much milk at once that I end up spitting it out all over myself, which is really entertaining. I also haven't quite wrapped my hands around the idea that I have to tilt the cup upwards in order for the milk to come out; but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon. I have totally mastered eating, though. My latest favorite is baked oatmeal with blueberries. Mommy made some over the weekend, and I can't get enough of it! She gives me a full adult-size serving, which I devour...and then politely request seconds. Mommy thinks I like it because it is healthy - filled with protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Little does she know that I just like it because it gives me a blueberry beard.

Just a Little Off the Top, Please

After a great deal of pressure from the grandparents, mommy finally caved and let me get a haircut yesterday. Daddy--who was adamant that he take me for my first clipping--graciously allowed mommy to join us for the trip to Cartoon Cuts at the mall. In typical Mr. T fashion, I didn't cry a peep. That Samson fellow must have been a real wimp.

Here is the end result. You may have noticed that I have Winston's leash in my hand. Yes, I am still desperately trying to be a dog...and mommy is still desperately trying to stop me. Even though I am a world-class cruiser now, I can still get around on all fours almost as efficiently as the "Dudyas." Nothing quenches my thirst like a splash in the water bowl; and there are few places in the world I would rather be than in Winston's condo. I'm actually asking for a collar for my birthday - one with lots of bling just like Winston and W's have.

In other news, I've learned to blow. I love it when mommy and daddy blow air in my face; and now I've learned to do it. It is tons of fun...almost as much fun as trilling my tongue, which is what I do whenever I am not blowing!