Well the wrath of the flu reared it's ugly head around here all week long. Wednesday I took care of Donovan all day and then planned on returning to work on Thursday. Thursday morning I woke up and called in for a last minute sub... THANK GOD because I spent the rest of the day clinging to the toilet...disgusting. And last but not least, around 3 in the morning last night, Dustin groaned and then said..."I think I'm getting it now." And get it, he did... all day long.
Now I am just hoping that it is G-O-N-E for good and not welcomed back here ever again. Flus are the absolute worst!
Onto something more pleasant...
Donovan turned 13 months old yesterday. And while there are no more tie stickers to showcase the milestone, he is modeling this adorable new hat made for him by his Auntie Linda. I just love it! Best of all, with the ear flaps, he hasn't quite figured how to rip it off his head like he does with most hats. Bonus points Linda.
Thank you!
While Daddy was sick inside today, we spent as much time as possible steering clear of the germ fest in the back yard soaking up the sunshine.
So, let's see... what new tricks does Donovan have this month?
He's become quite independent. He enjoys playing with his toys all by himself and I can hear him mimicking all of the sounds that his toys make. He invents little games too. Today he found so much enjoyment from bouncing golf balls across the coffee table. He'd laugh every time they bounced and then he'd joyfully run to the other side to retrieve them and start all over again.
He listens to simple directions now. Like, instead of just knocking down every stack of blocks I make. Now he'll observe me stacking and I can ask him to bring me a block... he will and then he'll stack it on top. I can't believe how observant a 13 month old is. He's such a little kid already. It's amazing to me!
He's always been obsessed with Molly, but now he just can't leave her alone. He loves to pet her. He's always happy to give her kisses and then he'll spend the next few minutes trying to flush all the dog hair off of his slobbery lips.
Donovan's asserting his stubborn side in small doses. I notice this especially when eating. One week he'll be obsessed with eating a certain thing, quesadillas, blueberries, grilled cheese, strawberries... whatever it is. Then in the blink of an eye he wants nothing to do with it. Today I made him a quesadilla. I grilled it, sliced it into tiny pieces and put it on his high chair tray. I no sooner turned around and I hear him say "UH OH!" as he threw every little piece on the ground for Molly to eat.
He is very picky about food. I always thought I'd be that Mom that would make their kiddo eat whatever they cooked for dinner. But it's a whole lot harder than it seemed.
A few other changes this month... Little man points at everything! He lets you know what he wants now by pointing and grunting. (Typical man, ha!) He has also learned to shake his finger at things and say, "No! No!" He told the vacuum, "No, no" this week when he accidentally tripped over it.
He loves laying on his back. He likes to just kick back and put his feet up on something while he drinks his bottle or holds little toys up in the air.
His sleep pattern has been a bit skewed lately. His naps are less predictable but for the most part, he's still taking 2 a day. The last week he's been waking up a lot at night crying... but he's also been so stuffed up and sick. Poor little one.
We still haven't had his one year appointment. It's on the 13th, so I'm not quite sure what he weighs or how tall he is. But he sure seems to be getting taller. You want to know how I gauge this? Oh, by the fact that he can reach just about EVERYTHING!
I nearly had a heart attack when I watched him in slow motion pulling a placemat off of the kitchen table which shattered a wine glass into a million pieces! I had a few choice words slip out in the heat of that moment. Note to self, (come up with more suitable words for those Mommy panic moments!)
He also can stand on his tippy toes and pull open our door handles now. Next up on the list of baby proofing is every single door knob in the house.
Oh, and Donovan LOVES to push buttons. Any kind of button: The remote control, phone, and alarm clock. The last time we went grocery shopping and I swiped my card, he reached up to push the red button and canceled the transaction... the check out guy didn't seem to think it was as funny as I did. Oh well.
Oh, how I love our little trouble maker. He is sooo much fun and has such a neat personality. This month has been fantastic and I can't help but to start dreaming of an entire summer off with my handsome guy! 3 months of the school year left. Let the countdown begin!
