shoes ... why?

I have heard that for an adorably perfect baby I have apparently fatter than normal feet.  Eh, maybe all the other babies just have scrawny feet?

Now that I am walking Mommy and Daddy seem to think that I need to wear these things they call shoes.  I call them Piggy Prisons. 

Seriously, there can be nothing good about these things except the fact they tickle like crazy when the parents put them on me. 

I deal with the socks, but up until recently no one could find shoes that could actually stay on my chunky monkey feet. 

Then Grandma and Grandpa had to send these. 

They fit, and it takes me all of like 5 minutes to get them off.  Not fast enough, so I have developed a detailed Piggy Prison Escape Plan Endurace Training Schedule.  I kick off training tomorrow and will hopefully shave 4 minutes and 55 seconds off of my shoe-kick-off within the next two weeks.  Yeah, its an intense plan, but I can handle it. 

zzzzzzzz

Ever since the day Mommy drew on me while I was sleeping I always get a bit worried when she says she got "the best picture ever" of me while I was sleeping.  Apparently her desire to photograph me in embarrassing slumber doesn't always require drawing on me, but I do give her lots of opportunities to catch me resting my eyes.

Lately I have been loving my Baby Prison, AKA the Gulag.  Daddy felt bad for me that it was small, so he added the extra panels so it is bigger and oh my gowrsh it is totally awesome now.  I can run back and forth, play with toys, and have a lot of fun in there.  But sometimes a guy has to get some rest ... and that is when my Mom gets her paparazzi on.

I got her good with this one, she actually checked
to see if I was breathing still 

I stole Micah's pillow, and was just cuddling
with it for a second

 I also take naps in my car seat still.  Here I am with my new football.  Incidentally, guess what my first word is ... BALL!

Hey, I'm even in my jammies here!

Micah sneaking a kiss while I was snoozin'

After my birthday party I was sooo pooped!

Mommy says this is one of her faves ever.  

12 month check up

No more "Age: 0" for this dude!

I was all down with this one thing until this morning when Mommy was all "Oh we have such a busy day today Kelly ..." then she tried to slip past me this little tidbit: They make babies come back to the doctor when they turn one!

Say whaaat????

The good news -- I am huge.  I am 31 3/8 inches tall, 21.8 pounds, and have a 19 inch head.  That's 90th percentile in height and head circumference, wooo hooo!  The doc talked to Mommy about some ways to make me food to drink and we will see if I like that better.  She wasn't worried about my not wanting to eat, but said we need to make sure my Ironman levels stay high.  Mommy says she said just "iron" but I know better.

They also talked about my allergies because appart from my skin being all sorts of annoying I am like a total snot factory lately.  Daddy says he totally understands, and given how often he sneezes and blows his nose I am betting he does get it.  But I will point this out, no one takes the snot sucker to his nose.  Maybe that would help him?

Can we go to Ikea, like, NOW?

Anywho, I was having all sorts of fun playing with the doctor's bead thing (I checked the tag out, they have it at Ikea and I am totally making the parents go get me one!) and listening to them talk about how I am a walking rock star and all that when my Spidey Sense started to tingle.  They were discussin' vaccinations.  I know that is just some fancy pants word for poking my leg but it was too late to escape, I can't reach the dang door handles in the office.

I will give them this, they were honest about it because usually they are all "this won't hurt a bit!" but I don't see them getting stabby on their leg fat so we all know that is just something they say, not mean.  But today the lady who gave me the shot said that the MMR one straight up hurt.  She apologized a bunch of times, and was quick about it, then Mommy cuddled me and got us out of there, so it wasn't awful but I wouldn't say I liked it!

On the way out I saw a fish and asked if I could play with it, which I thought was a totally reasonable thing to ask since they had just shot some painful goo into my legs.  But Mommy said you don't play with fish like you do with dogs or toys.  Says who?!

UNO!

A year ago at this time I  had escaped tummy prison, but was still in the hospital and would have to chill there for a bit before I could come home and take over the house ... ahh, what a difference a year makes!  So here are some pictures from my birthday party and from my actual birthday which was the next day (and was also Easter).

That's me with my sign and the cool shirt Mommy made

Hey wait a sec ... is that dirt?

Hold up on the pictures, guys ... I found some cool stuff in this crack!

Everyone was calling these things "eggs" but
if you can throw it like a ball, and its round like a ball
then clearly it is a BALL!

This is me showing you how big I am.

Cake art!

I had sooo much fun this weekend, I got some cool new toys (I'll post more about them later) being one rocks!  But then I found out that it means you have to go visit the doctor again ...

how about some pictures?

Hello followers of the best baby on earth!  There is so much to update its not even funny. So lets just cut to the chase and start in on some of the biggies about yours truly.
 

First off, I am even more fabulous and adorable than I was when last we posted.  I have been very busy learning how to be more mobile so I haven't really had much of a chance to let mom post here.  I am trying to walk, and I can manage a couple steps at a time.  But then I do the math and realize the amount of energy I am using to move and the speed at which I can actually go makes crawling a bit more effective still.  I actually love to climb and am currently working on an escape plan from my crib, play pen and the "cage" I play in while mommy types for me.

I still fall asleep sometimes in random places, and (sick woman that she is) Mommy likes to try to take pictures of me to giggle at and share with others.  Take this for example:

That is my bouncy.  It is all sorts of awesome!  I can bounce, spin, and play with toys all at once!  But it is also kinda comfy, and a guy can get worn out playing like that ... so sometimes I take a little snooze.

Well donchya know the second I fall asleep Mom is all up in my bizness with her camera takin' pictures!

I guess she felt bad and thought I looked uncomfy, so she tried to help me ...

But I really didn't need any help, I was comfy enough.

I really think snapping a picture at another angle was a bit unnecessary thought.

I also have some new friends!  I love watching little bits of TV sometimes while Mommy pretends she has other things to do.  Whatever.  So I loooooove Sesame Street, Little Eisensteins, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. I got a new car seat because I was just too big for the baby one, and I love to play with toys.  But the baby in the mirror?  Yeah, he's still there and we talk all the time!

 Sometimes my parents need put in their place.

I allow them to think they are in charge and everything, but I mean, really, come on.  We know who's the boss of this place.  Here I am telling Mommy that mornings are not the time for talking.  They are the time for feeding babies and being very quiet.  She says I am just like Daddy in the morning.

As for food ... ahhh, I have such a complex relationship with food.  You see, I really do like milk.  A lot.  I have tried so many kinds of baby foods, even ones Mommy made and ones from the store ... but I really was kinda not into it.  So we tried other stuff too.  I like tortilla chips, but I don;t really eat them because they are all crunchy and the texture drives me batty.  So Daddy and Mommy tried regular soft tortillas.  But I wanted to play with it, so Daddy made it into a hat.  Which was confusing. 

 

They tell me not to play with my food, then they do?  What is up with that?!  I like to paint with baby food whenever I get the chance, here I am with bananas!

But I do like to eat paper, and some people (ahem MOMMY!) get all bent out of shape about it.

Who makes a baby cry like that?!  What a meanie!

Anyway, thats enough of an update for now.  I am pretty super awesome and everything as you can see.  My first birthday is coming up so fast and I will be a one year old then.  Cool huh?  I sure think so!

do you ever get the feeling ...

So do you ever get the feeling ... that someone is watching you?

Sometimes I do too.

Creepy, isn't it?

stats

So I went to the doctor a bit back and had my nine month check up.  Just so you can keep up with how awesomesauce I am here are those stats for yas:

Weight: 20 lb 8 oz (90th percentile)

Length/Height: 30 inches (40th percentile)

Head Circumference: 19 inches (greater than 95th percentile woah yeah!)

Super Cool Factor: Off Da Charts!!!

I have had to go to the doctor a couple times in there for ickies in my eye -- that was awful!  But overall I have been feeling pretty good recently.  Yay!

My nose gets stuffed, a lot!  I hate it, so Daddy got me a new snot sucker.  The old one makes for a great toy, but not much fun to use.  Frankly, the new one is kinda weird, but it works.  I like to try to do it, but Mommy says that I am not working it the right way.  Something about how you have to actually stick the other end up to your nose.  Who cares, I think this way is more fun!

(you can see my eye ickies in this picture, blech!)

I had to get some blood work done recently.  It was so not fun, but I was a stud and didn't even cry. The lady gave me a sticker.  But when I tried to eat it Mommy took it away.  Can you believe that?

As you can see, I am getting really big ... so big I am actually bustin' out of my clothes!!!

Pretty awesome, don't ya think? :)