Today is a yucky day...started snowing around noon and it looked so pretty. I thought maybe when Elijah woke up from his nap, we would go outside for awhile. Not a chance...all that nice snow turned to ice, sleet, freezing rain. I know the Iowans can relate...you guys have the same stuff from what I heard on the news! Yuck...so we're all stuck inside, listening to the ice-snow-whatever hit the windows. Elijah is still not completely well. He's super crabby and super clingy. The second part I don't mind. He comes up to me all day long and wants to be snuggled. The crabby part is a little much. It'll pass...

So I've got some more pictures to post...not much else to do today! Actually, I was going to go outside and shovel while Elijah was napping again awhile ago, but our upstairs neighbor took care of it. Larry (the guy upstairs, not the cucumber) even salted everything. Good guy...they might argue a bit too frequently for my liking but they're OK by me!

So, here are the pictures. First, a few from yesterday. Let me explain first that Sadie, my black cat, has been "under the weather" lately. She has a severe case if feline dermatitis! So the first pictures are of the t-shirt we constructed to try to keep her from licking her scabs off (I know, gross, right?)

This was the prototype that Adam made while I was putting Elijah to bed one night. She figured out how to get out of it, however, so Adam cut another sleeve off of one of his shirts and this is what resulted:

We tried to tell her how beautiful she was, and that her shirt was super cool...but later that night when we went to bed, she sneaked into the couch and wriggled out of it again! Crazy Sadie Lady!

So Elijah and I had to take her to the vet yesterday. It was super cold...and Elijah had to get all bundled up for the trip...

...in his new coat, hat and mittens from Grandpa and Grandma Guenther. Actually, the coat is just the liner part of his whole coat. It's super cool...like a Columbia jacket that you zip together or take apart? And the part he has on in the picture is reversible...the inside is fleece, however, and I thought that would be more comfy for him!

So we went to the vet, and Sadie got a shot of cortisone. Elijah got a new toy from the vet:

It's a squishy, stress ball like thing...in the shape of a capsule! Our vet got it from one of the drug companies and he and Elijah played with it in the lobby while I was paying the bill. So Sadie got cortisone and Elijah got a huge, fake pill. Good times!

So on to today. Finnegan was enjoying watching the snow earlier:


and Elijah ate an early dinner a little bit ago:





...mmm, turkey dogs and carrots! It's one of his favorite meals lately...well, at least until he decides to start dropping it on the floor!

If you look, however, he didn't start dropping until he was pretty much done! Good baby-baby!

diapers

OK, I'll spare you the really gross details but long story made short, my baby has some serious diarrhea. At least 5 times a day I'm changing these awful diapers. I've been washing crib sheets and sleepers almost every morning. And the poor little guy has some serious diaper rash because of it. That's the bad part. The funny part is he has started to bring me a diaper after he has one of his "episodes". He used to bring the box of wipes to me when he had a poopy diaper but now, he just brings a diaper. It's pretty cute.

So anyway, I was putting stuff away in the kitchen and he brought me a handful of diapers. Brought them into the kitchen and dropped them on the floor at my feet. I thought "well, that's crazy. Why does he think I need three diapers??" I bent down to pick him and the diapers up and he gave me "squinty smile"...the best way to explain this is that his eyes are squinty and he's smiling huge! He usually does it when he thinks something is super funny...or when we tell him to make squinty face. Super cute...we're trying to get a picture of it! Anyway, I said "What's so funny?" and he laughed and ran off into his room before I could grab him. So I just picked up the diapers and headed after him to change him. I was amused...

and then I got into his room:


He pulled all of his sleepers out of the brown basket on the floor, the overturned basket still on the changing table was full of diapers...good thing I hang most of his other clothes up!

THEN I saw this and laughed:

He stuffed CLEAN, UNUSED diapers into the hole of his diaper pail and STARTED TO TURN IT OVER! I pulled them all out and if he had succeeded in getting the top turned over, we would have lost 6 unused diapers! He's been putting toys in that thing, too, but never turning it over!

He also decided to pull his books off the bookshelves...


First picture is his frog hamper...second picture is some of his books in his hamper!


My child is crazy...but super smart! After I took these pictures, I did change him and he was indeed messy. After we cleaned that mess up, we picked up his room (well, he kind of did) and it was nap time. I wonder what mischief this afternoon holds?

One year old stats

My "big" one year old went to the doctor today...here's what the numbers say:

Height: 28.75 inches - 25th percentile

Weight: 19 lbs, 1 oz - 10th percentile

"Big" may have been an exaggeration! He's a shrimp...but a cute one at that. And super smart. He's already mastered some of the tasks that were listed as 15 to 18 month tasks. Hooray for my super monkey! He also told the doctor "all done" when I picked him up off the table. His doctor was impressed!

He also got shots and blood work done. That was awful for both of us...they made me sit with him on my lap while they drew his blood! Then the vein they thought was good was actually NOT a good vein (he gets that from me!)...and we had to go through the whole ordeal on the other arm! Poor little monkey...he cried big, real tears and it broke my heart.

But now, we're just chillin' at home and he's playing with his new toys. I almost can't believe I made him go to the doctor the day before Thanksgiving! What a mean mom...making him get poked and stuff! He doesn't seem to be holding it against me, tho!

Hey, here are some pictures from today...Elijah is wearing the new outfit he got from Aunt Nicole, Uncle Stu and Cousin Olivia for his birthday!!







What a ham, hey??

First annual crazy monkey birthday bash

Lots of pictures to follow from Elijah's first birthday party! I also uploaded a whole bunch to my photo blog so feel free to check them out! As soon as I get some pictures emailed from other people who were at the party, I'll share those too!


Elijah's monkey cake...the handiwork of his dad!



All our decorations were compliments of Grandpa and Grandma Guenther, who were unable to be physically present but were with us in spirit




The birthday boy, before the festivities...



Eli and cousin Ki...



Mike and Caitlin...


Dad and Eli...


Eli stuffing his face with pizza pinwheels...




Ki trying to get his birthday hat on...

SUCCESS!!


PRESENTS!!





CAKE TIME!!






BATH TIME!!!



And play with new toys time...




Being the birthday monkey made him very tired...