Sick Together

Baby Allison turned 11 months over a week ago now, and we broke our tradition of monthly pictures! That day, Allison had a runny nose and it was raining and foggy. The next day it was pouring outside and she was feeling even worse. The story continues in the same fashion for a few days, and by the weekend she was on antibiotics and I was sick as well. We are both STILL fighting this nasty cold! We've spent the last couple of days in the house bumming in our PJs.

One good thing does come from Allison being sick - she lets me hold her! A couple of days ago I was sitting on the couch watching something on TV and she crawled over to me wanting to be picked up. This usually means that she wants me to hang on to her while she wreaks havoc on everything around me, but this time she sat there and leaned her head on my chest! I pulled her close and rocked her, and she just cuddled up to me and sucked her thumb. She must have sat there for over ten minutes! I was truly in heaven!! Since then she's continued to want to be cuddled, and I'm hoping she learns to like it enough to keep it up once she feels better.

We are now just three weeks away from her birthday, and I have to say that I never thought she'd grow up. It can happen to other people's kids, but not mine. We are getting so close that I am forced to give serious thought to the plans for her party, and I need to send out invitations very soon. It makes me sad, but it's also so fun to watch her change. Ever day she displays new parts of her personality that bring never ending joy to Frank and I.

Here are some of the new things she's up to.

1. She is fluent in opening cabinet doors. I found her quietly taking all of my cleaning products out of the cabinet under my kitchen sink this morning. yay! I'm making a trip out tonight to purchase baby proofing stuff!

2.She is still not interested in walking, even though I fully believe she could if she wanted to. She would much rather crawl around - even bear crawl! I'm ok with her putting that off though because she does an adorable strut when she crawls that I will miss. If you can picture as much bounce, sway, and attitude as possible you will see her crawling technique. I have no idea where she got her style, but it's hilarious!

3. She loves food. It doesn't matter what it is - she wants some.

4. Whenever I use the vacuum or my hair dryer around her she yells as loud as she can to compete with the noise level. She thinks it's big fun!

5. She lets you know when she's ready for a nap. I was in her room this morning putting away laundry and she crawled to her crib and held on to the bars crying. I put her in there and she cuddled up with her lamb and waited for me to finish my chore. Five minutes later she was asleep.

6. In the last 2 weeks she has started being more apprehensive about strangers. She will no longer go willingly to our neighbors, and she definitely didn't want to go to the nice lady at the church nursery. She doesn't cry when she's handed off, but I think that's probably in our future.

7. She recently learned to wave 'bye-bye'. She doesn't actually wave, but she holds her arm in the air and babbles to us before heading off down the hallway.

8. She just switched over to her 12 month PJs. I tried them on her sure that they would be too big and they fit!! I was a little sad, but she looked so cute!

The pictures below are are her in her first 'big girl pjs' cuddling with her fat sheep in the living room. Doesn't she look huge??