Tired

I'm tired of blogging.  Can you tell?

Actually, it's not that I don't want/like to keep up our blog so our family (1200 miles away) can keep up-to-date with Gabe's doings; it's just a couple of things make it inconvenient. For starters, it's like a billion degrees below zero here.  Ok. That is an extreme exaggeration. In fact, it's been pretty warm the last couple of days (minus my 7-mile run on Saturday morning when I was considering using imaginations of face frost-bite as an excuse to not run).  However, it's been chilly enough that I don't really let Gabe play outside. And, I hate inside pictures. Especially since I've already photographed Gabe in every nook and cranny in our home.  I would much rather take pictures outside.  And, since I don't ever want to post something on the blog without a picture, I figure it's easier to delay posting until the spring months.

 Also, another picture problem: my pictures are piling up on the new camera I got for Christmas.  I used to just download them every few days onto my computer in a separate file for each month.  They were organized enough for me to find them quickly and effortlessly to accompany one of the silly blog posts. But, my computer has all but bit the dust, and I'm too scared to save any more pictures onto it, afraid that one day - Bam! - and that's the last I see of them.  So, I hurriedly saved every last picture onto discs. I have been using Phil's computer, but it's inconvenient because it won't hold a charge for even a millisecond (this time I'm not exaggerating), so I'll be in the middle of typing something and Gabe will stumble across the cord, pulling it out of the computer, and - Bam! - everything's gone.

Ok. Blogging rant over.  Here's Gabe today:

I really wanted to get a picture of him in front of his artwork on our white board, but the only time he would hold still enough for me to get a picture (another picture problem lately) was when he was drinking. Also, on the subject of drinking, and out of curiosity, is it normal for a 1-year-old to go through a gallon of milk every 2.5 days? It might be, but I feel like that's a whole lot of milk.

Gabe and I have been hanging out a LOT at home lately.  Well, at least when we're not at exercise group or Walmart.  Phil's been at the library a LOT LOT (even more than we're at home), so we've had home all to ourselves (i.e. it gets kind of messy. i.e.e. no pictures inside).  Gabe likes to push his giant teddy bear around in the laundry basket.

And, he enjoys trying on my ear warmer (side not: he put this on all by himself).

And, he likes reading Frank Was A Monster Who Wanted To Dance. I felt silly taking it to church today, especially since one of the pages is a picture of a monster brain flopped out on a floor and I'm pretty sure it's not the type of thing your pew neighbors want to be looking at while the Sacrament is being passed, but it really does calm him down.

I've been working on an activity book and I'm in way over my head.  The friend that's doing one along with me, is way farther and hers looks way better than mine, but here is a preview.  None of the pages are finished, so have an open mind please:

So, I don't know why, but I wasn't able to rotate any of the pictures above. Despite how slow I am at working on this book, it really is a lot of fun, and it's forcing me to learn more about sewing.

Anyways, life is good, and the weather is warming up...so, more blog posts to come (for those of you who even care:))

Hygiene Please!

Look at that face! So cute, but so messy! This was taken on Valentine's when Gabe and I sat down for some lunch. What did Gabe have? Strawberries. Of course. And a bunch of other stuff. But the only picture I took was when he had strawberries on his tray.  I promise I feed him more (and he eats plenty more) than what you see here :)

Well, we were going out shortly after lunch, so naturally, we needed to get cleaned up.  Off to the bathroom we went to wash Gabe's face and brush his teeth.  He lets me brush the top and bottom for just a second and then he takes the toothbrush from me to suck the last of the toothpaste off. So, I left him in the bathroom while I went to get my shoes. Bad idea. All of a sudden Gabe comes around the corner like this.

I grab my camera because it's a holiday and I should make the day momentous by documenting every 10 minutes.  And that's when I notice that it's not just a toothbrush he's holding.

A bar of soap. Uh-oh.  It was a really thin bar of soap which means it was the old soap that I threw away that morning right before I opened a new bar.  Which means...that Gabe has been in the garbage.  Gross! And then the kicker. I look closer and see that there is a perfect bite/chomp cut out of the soap.  Which means...

Oh, Nasty! I thought that we were over that phase, but no. My child loves soap.  This picture above makes it look like he was being force fed, but I assure you that he very much enjoyed the soap.  He would take a bite and then say "mmm" and smack his lips, and then go for another.  No worries: I only let him continue long enough for a quick photo shoot, but isn't it a little weird?

Just for fun, since we are on the subject of soap and messy faces, here's a booger bubble from the other night. WARNING: Explicit scene. For sensitive minds or stomachs, or if pregnant or about to ride a roller coaster: view at your own risk.

Oh man! We laughed about this one for awhile.  Every time he breathed out, the bubble got bigger. Haha! Ok. Now for a side shot.

Sweaty Hair

Gabe had a pretty miserable day yesterday.  He just didn't feel well, and he had a really high fever for most of the morning and early afternoon.  Since then (even though he no longer has a fever) he sweats like crazy when he sleeps.  And, this is what it does to his hair:

Here is Gabe without the crazy hair.  Well, it's pretty much always a little crazy, but I really just wanted an excuse to post pictures of him in some of his new birthday clothes. :)

63°

That was the temperature yesterday afternoon here in Kirksville! What?! Even though Gabe wasn't feeling well, we went outside so he could run around.

Best Year Ever!

This little chunk of awesome turned 1 today!

Allow me to introduce you to one-year-old Gabe:

Gabe is really fast and loves to eat.  He likes to figure things out and is really smart.  He loves giving hugs, but only kisses on occasion.  He likes to listen to music, good music, and he does a little bum dance once in awhile.  He likes reading...if  the book is really colorful, makes noise, or has a picture of a piano in it.  Speaking of pianos, Gabe likes to tickle the ivories and climb on the ivories (he uses our bed as a stepping stool). He loves being chased, tickled, and thrown on the couch or bed.  He talks all day long, and laughs at his own jokes.  Gabe still likes going for walks, if the weather's nice, and he enjoys a car ride here and there, especially if he's tired. Every night after his bath, he tears all of the books off our bottom shelves and runs from one end of the room to the other, and back, no less than 20 times.  Gabe melts our hearts every morning with his huge smile. Here is a short list of some of his favorite things:

blueberries

Andrea Bocelli

balls

yogurt

throwing things

pineapple

the spice drawer

meatballs

Sissel

oranges

running around outside

lasagna

anything electronic 

string cheese

batteries from the remote control

Now for a photo journal of his day today. WARNING: I took sooooo many pictures today, and even though I weedled them down to the bare minimum, you may want to save this post for later, if you don't have the time now.

Apparently Gabe's skin doesn't respond well to frosting.

Neither does our tub.

Here's to another great year, Gabe!

Quarantined

That's kind of how we feel right now.

We've all been sick for the last few days and aside from some very pressing obligations, we've been confined to our home. Nothing deathly serious.  But, enough nose running to chafe the upper lip; enough coughing to burn, dry and permanently damage the throat; enough headaches to make you confused; enough fevers to boil water; and enough body aches to...well, I don't know.  I (and Phil, when he's home) nap when Gabe naps, so our home's messiness scale is mounting.  We've eaten a LOT of oranges, mostly Gabe.  And, I haven't made any sweets (what the?!).

What have we been doing?

Admiring the flowers Phil and Gabe brought home for me after they went grocery shopping on Saturday (this was before they starting feeling the ickies).

Studying like cRaZy for block tests Monday (p.s. Phil rocked them!).

A little chasing.  Gabe always had to be holding at least 3 items during the chase.

Piano-ing.

We're all ready for things to be back to normal.  Here's hoping tomorrow is that day!

Na-Na-Na-Na

I've been delaying posting something new on the old bloggio for sometime because I've been dreading the recap from Christmas (Not that we didn't enjoy it!  In fact, we had a blast in Utah!  But, I don't want to write a long, detailed description of our whole break.). So, I'm not going to.  Instead, I'll tell you all about what's new here.
One thing: bottle-weaning.  Gabe calls his bottle "na-na-na-na." Don't ask me why, but it went from "ba-ba-ba" to "na-na-na." And I've been hearing "na-na-na-na" a lot recently.  We're trying to get him more used to a sippy cup, but he isn't having it.  Here's what he thinks of the sippy cup:

Secretly sneaks it from the room.

And, dumps it in his favorite I-don't-need-this-anymore place:

Other than that, we've been getting back into the regular grind here in Kirksville.  And by 'we', I mean me and Gabe.  Phil came home a week early because he was just so eager to break the old books out again :)