We are all well here in the M household. Neither Jason nor I ended up sick, although on Sunday last week I thought I was going to be. It turned out to be just the onset of "female complaints." It felt for all the world like I was coming down with the stomach flu though. The mind can play horrid tricks sometimes can't it?
All this past week I have been sickish and exhausted (not stomach sickish, thankfully, just sniffly-sneezy sickish). Could be menstrual, or maybe I've been fighting something off. Or maybe my allergies are just doing pre-springtime calisthentics.
Gavin's been babbling up a storm. Lately he's really starting to mimic what we say, repeating sounds and aping intonation when we talk. He says "app-uh" (apple) and "buh-ba" (bye bye) and "ba-nhh" (banana) and "bababababa" (most other things he tries to mimic). He's really hooked on "b" sounds right now.
His signing is similarly stuck in one track. He uses one sign for everything. The same sign means "hello/goodbye," "doggy," "nurse," "what is that?" "I'm curious about that," "I'm excited by that," and "I recognize that but still don't know the sign for it even though you've been showing me it for three months." Despite the fact it's the same sign, we strangely enough know what he means, most of the time. Even so, I really hope he picks up all the other signs we're using. And soon.
The weather is really turning nice. Soon it will be time to start working on the yard again. I have great plans for the backyard. Visions of vegetables and herbs thriving in every free space dance in my brain. I know reality won't match my vision, at least not in this first summer, but still I'm excited to begin working toward that dream.
Meanwhile, I've got quite a few projects going on inside. I would love to have his scrapbook semi-caught-up the time of his party (in less than 2 weeks! how is it this time of year again already?!). I know it won't happen, but I dream of this. I'll just have to settle for having it completed up through five months or so.
I have a number of sewing projects lined up. I'm sewing curtains and a valance for the window in his room. I also plan on sewing some other pieces for his room, though I'm not sure what yet - crib bumper, maybe a crib skirt, possibly some hanging organizer type things.
There are clothes sewing projects as well. Recently I got brave and bought some patterns for skirts and pants for myself when JoAnn's had a $0.99 pattern sale a few weeks ago. Now I need some fabric and I can start on an Allie-wardrobe improvement quest... presuming that I actually can manage to sew halfway decently.
Another project is sewing diapers. I'm really, truly giving it a shot, even though every attempt thus far has been a less than shining example of diaperness. But I'm getting better. I bought a pattern, which has helped immensely. Here's my first finished diaper by the pattern, which I just did today:
It doesn't look like much. It's big and dumpy and the velcro is too low on the front. But it's a far cry better than all previous attempts so I'm dubbing it a success. Just a success with room for improvement.
Lastly, Gavin loves baths. He loves, loves, loves, LOVES baths. When we go into the bathroom and sit on the edge of the tub and begin filling it with water, he gets so excited he can barely contain himself. He reserves this level of excitement for two things, nursing and bathtime. A few weeks ago he started picking up anything and everything in sight and throwing it into the tub in preparation for his bath. A riot.
Oh and one other thing - his eighth tooth is through! hurrah! Maybe now he'll be less cranky. Today he was absolutely wired. In church he would NOT sit still, would not even think about letting us hold him. He wanted down to run around and he wanted it NOW thankyouverymuch. I ended up going back to the cry room for all of mass and he ran around the entire time. And it continued like that all day. I don't know what's up. We figure his grandma gave him a shot of espresso last night when she babysat him. Haha!