Andrew is 18 Months Old!

Andrew turned 18 months old on the 15th! I can't believe that he's already that old. He is doing so many fun things at this age. We really are enjoying it. Here are some things to remember about Andrew at 18 months old...

* He loves to help out. If we're cleaning or fixing something or anything he wants to be apart of it!

* He says lots of words. Some favorites are- "uh-oh spaghetti-o", "NO", "yummy", "NO", "cookie", "NO", "eat", "NO", "daddy" (not a fan of saying mommy), " "NO", "Ally", "NO", "I got it", "NO", did I mention he says NO a lot?

* He has learned to open doors. We discovered this Monday when Jason found him in the garage!

* I loves to eat! He will eat just about anything.

* He loves going to school. There are many days that I pick him up and he cries, because he wants to stay and play.

* He likes to talk on the phone. He thinks anything that resembles a phone he can talk on so he'll pick it up and hold it to his ear and say "hello?"

* He loves to investigate things. He has to know what you're doing and what you've got. He has to check everything out!

* He sleeps GREAT! He goes to bed usually about 7:00 and will sleep until we wake him up on week days, but usually until 9:00 or 10:00 on the weekends!

There are numerous other things that Andrew does that we think are just fantastic, but I'd be writing for days!

So, here is a question. Have any of you ever had an inner ear infection? Well, I hadn't until Sunday. Sunday evening I started to feel a little bit dizzy, so I went to bed early and thought it would go away. It didn't. I proceded to go to work Monday, but went home around noon because I was so dizzy I was sweating and nauseated. I came home and took some dramamine and went right to sleep. I woke up Tuesday with the same problem so I called in sick (which was difficult, because I don't have any sick days left due to all of Andrew's inner ear infections) and went straight to the doctor. I'm supposed to stay home all week (yeah, right) and not drive. I am home today, but plan to be back at work tomorrow, unless someone else wants to volunteer to take my class to the recycling center and botanical gardens....any takers? Jason and I are also flying out Friday to Florida for Dale Smart's wedding. I'm hoping that I feel better by then.

Fears and Pet Peeves

Andrew says "Hi!"

Andrew has recently gotten some new "fears". Fear number 1: The Bathtub. Or should I say sitting down in the bathtub. He won't sit down for anything. The last three weeks I have been giving him a bath while he's standing up. I'm sure it's cold, but he will not sit down. I'll sit him down in the tub and he'll just scream. Then, he'll continue to scream throughout the rest of his bath. It's the weirdest thing. He used to LOVE the bathtub. He still loves water though, he turns the water faucet on and splashes. He splashes in the water table at school. I don't get it.

Fear number 2: Elevators. We were at Mercy Hospital visiting some good friends who just had a precious baby- Carter 8lbs 12ozs (he looked like a 3 month old to us!). Andrew was walking down the hallway to the elevator and we all got on and the elevator started going down and Andrew started screaming. I picked him up and he wrapped his arms and legs around me and buried his face in my chest. He's ridden on elevators before, but I guess he'd never stood up in one.

Ok, so Andrew doesn't really have any pet peeves, but the title came from an episode of Friends- The One With The Embryos- when Ross developed a jeopardy game for Monica, Rachel, Chandler, and Joey. The end result was that the guys won and got the girls apartment. I am a HUGE fan of Friends. I own every season on DVD and watched them continuously throughout college and now!

Cornstarch + Water = MESS

It all started with Daddy letting Andrew help him mix the flour, salt, and pepper in the bowl to make Chicken Marsala. Andrew was happily helping his Daddy with the whisk when he stuck his freshly bathed hand in the bowl. He pulled it out and much to his surprise it was white!

" What is this stuff?" he wondered. All of a sudden his Mommy got a great idea! "I know," she said, "I'll mix cornstarch with water and let him play with that." Cornstarch and water make a weird textured mixture. You can lay it on waxed paper and it will look runny, but you can touch it with your hands and it isn't wet.

"Oh wow!" thought Andrew, "this stuff feels funny."

"I think I like this. Yay!"

"I wonder how it will feel on my feet?"

"All done! Time to clean up!"

Footnotes: One and a half year olds cannot keep the cornstarch and water mixture on JUST the waxed paper. Do not do this AFTER a bath, you will be taking another one when you're done. The good news is- cornstarch and water are non-toxic so they can eat as much as they want. Also, a damp cloth will wipe all handprints off major appliances as well as walls and furniture. Mopping removes all cornstarch from tile. Keep mixture away from carpet!!

Directions (for those brave enough to attempt!): Mix two parts cornstarch with one part water. Stir until smooth. Pour onto waxed paper and enjoy!!

Sickness, Sippy Cups, Sleeping, and Sound Effects

Things have been interesting around the Horn House lately. My parents offered to keep Andrew over the weekend so Jason and I could "relax"- which we didn't we ran tons of errands. It was a good thing, because Sunday I wasn't feeling well at all. I had to help with a luncheon at church and then I headed to Mercy's walk-in clinic. They said I had bronchitis with a hint of pneumonia (yuck!) so I took the day off Monday. Jason also wasn't feeling well either so he went and got some antibiotics too- just to be safe! Andrew got back Monday afternoon and I was feeling quite a bit better so that was good. Andrew got sick last Tuesday and they called me at work to let me know. I rearranged some conferences (P/T conferences were last week) and went to get him about an hour later. When I got there he was wheezing so bad that I called the Dr. before we got in the car. They got him in immediatly and his pulse/ox was in the 80's (for those who don't know it should be 100% all the time). They did a breathing treatment on him and it seemed to help, but he still felt AWFUL. I laid down on the tile floor of the doctor's office and just put his head down. It was pretty sad. We have to do breathing treatments on him at home for the next month. Then, yesterday I got a call that his ear was draining. It isn't a big deal because of his tubes, but his ear is leaking fluid. (I called the ENT and it is OK!) He is not happy about it, because I have to clean it during the day and we're doing drops. Yuck!

Another problem we're having around our house is the transition from bottle to sippy cup. WHAT WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET!!! Yes, my child is 17 months old and still takes a bottle. Criticize all you like! I decided that this week we were going to go cold turkey on the bottle. Things are NOT going well. He doesn't want the sippy cup, he wants the bottle. I am also a softie and want to give him the bottle- so I do! I'm sure most of you good mothers have your child off the bottle and did it at the appropriate age- How did you do it??? Tomorrow he is going to school with NO bottle, just a sippy cup. We'll see how it goes!

AND...my child will not go to bed willingly. He LOVES to sleep, loves it. He'll sleep in until 10:00 on weekends. I just can't get him to go to bed. We do the bedtime routine, dinner, bath, bottle, and bed. I'm trying not to hold him and give him his bottle since we need to get off it, so he just plays after his bath. He will play until midnight if I'd let him. I put him to bed at 7:00 since he gets up at 7:00 am and that's a good 12 hours. He'll scream sometimes, but other times he will just cry for a minute and then sleep. Does anybody have a good bedtime routine, because I am failing at mine!

Finally, something funny! Andrew might not do animal sounds, but he does have several sound effects that he can do. For instance, the hair dryer. He will hold it to your head or his and go "buzzzzzz" to make the sound. He also will hold a bottle of pledge (windex or any other cleaning product) and pretend to squirt it and say "chh chh chh" then wipe it with a rag. It's so funny! He also has started doing a "dance" where he bounces. You've got to love a one year old!

Andrew has decided that he can give himself his breating treatments. He smiles so big! I think it makes him feel important.
Andrew got his school bag and waved at me and said "See Ya"

Andrew was pointing at me and saying "I got it." referring to his bag.

Here he is pointing to Ally and saying "stop".

Just taking a rest from all the running around he was doing.

A Beautiful Rock

Andrew has been promoted to the Toddler Class at school! He really likes it, and most of his friends from the infant class moved with him. He needed a bigger room since they are running around all the time. I had five people on Sunday refer to him as "busy". I am hoping that is a complement! They told me on Friday that he would be needing an art shirt (I of course forgot to bring one). I didn't realize they would be starting their art projects so soon. Here is his masterpiece from today. A painted rock. I am very proud of this rock. I plan to date it and display it proudly!

Laurie and Martha Tagged Me!

Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.Step 2: tag eight other un-tagged people.

1. What are you wearing right now? gray workout pants and my pink Westwood tee with a white long-sleeved tee underneath and socks (always, socks)

2. What is the last book you read? I am currently reading Saddam's Secrets (yes, that's right) it's by Georges Sada a former Iraqi General who was the only Christian in Saddam's cabinet. I heard him speak and his testamony is amazing and inspiring. I also have an interest in the US's involvement in foreign affairs and feel that media portrayal is inaccurate. I bet you didn't know I was so deep!!

3. Do you nap a lot? I am a BIG fan of a nap. If Andrew is napping you can bet that I am too!

4. Who was the last person you hugged? Andrew

5. What's your current obsession/addiction? Redecorating my house...kitchen curtains come tomorrow! Yay!

6. What was the last thing you said out loud? (My voice is incredibly horse, so keep that in mind) could you get me a kleenex and my nose spray from the nightstand?

7. What websites do you always visit when you go online? mostly blogs. I get my e-mail on my Blackberry so that eliminates that on the computer.

8. What was the last item you bought? Nyquil

9. What is your most challenging goal? Toning up the backs of my legs. Apparently, I gained all my baby weight in the rear and gluts- even thought it's almost been a year and a half.....

10. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished- anywhere in the world, where would it be? right here!

11. Favorite Vacation spot? Disneyworld

12. Say something to the person who tagged you: Laurie, you and I have been friends since elementary school, but became even better friends in High School. You are my best eating friend! I wish I could see you and Seth more. We've got to come to Colorado soon.
Martha, I remember you coming and doing projects with us at Elephant Trunk when we were in preschool. I remember coming to play at your house down the street. I still have the bracelet and glass butterfly jewelry box that Michael gave me in the first grade! I just love you and your family and I'm so glad we are able to keep up with each other. My mom is planning to come to Michael's shower this weekend.

13. Name one thing you just can't resist no matter how bad it is for you: Donuts- I'm talking I could eat a whole dozen and if there are more then a dozen, I'd eat those too!!!

14. What is your favorite item of clothing? stretchy pants and leggings

15. Favorite pair of shoes you keep going back to over and over, even though your closet is over flowing with a zillion others? anything flat. I don't wear heels, never could. I am pigeon toed and heels are not made for pigeon toed people. I look like Bambi learning to walk!

16. Name one thing you can not live with out: Andrew Boy

17. What excites you right now? The fact that it's Friday!

18. What are your favorite shows? Greys Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Homeland Security, and anything on Nick at Night!

19. What did you do today?? Woke up late, debated calling in sick for work...I didn't, got ready, got Andrew ready, dropped Andrew off, ate a granola bar while driving to work, spent the day with 20 children who were very loud and proceded to lose what was left of my voice, picked up a very cranky Andrew, delt with his meltdown over me taking away a granola bar wrapper, gave granola bar wrapper back, ate dinner, took Nyquil, watched Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice on DVR, went to look at blogs. Next, it's off to my comfy bed and Nick at Night!

20. What do you most look forward to? Next Friday. It's our flex day (we get the day off if we attended a summer inservice- I did) and Andrew is spending the weekend in Conway. So, I get the day all to myself! It's the first day since Sept. 15, 2007 that I've had all to myself. I am very excited. It's going to be filled with daytime television, naps, and silence!

I chose to tag the following 8 people...
If you want to do it, do it! If not, don't worry about it! If you do, I will read it though!

Feeding Time!

Tonight we had dinner from Marketplace Express (like we do most Fridays after a long work week). Andrew was casually enjoying his tenders and fries, carrying on a conversation with Jason and I. I am sure it was about his day! And then......

....a begger comes along, better known as Gracey or "Acey" as Andrew says.

Andrew decided that he would share with "Acey". He thought it was so funny and just laughed and laughed!
He was so proud that he was helping feed the dog.
Then, he saw me with the camera and said (I'm sure), "I wasn't doing anything wrong!"
Disclamer for Mere, Nancy, and Janis: Andrew's hands were immediatly washed and at no time did the dog's tongue touch his tray or the food that he later ate!