Garden Update.....

We've got several lovely dark purple and white columbines growing by the backyard patio, some pretty irises around the front porch, and hostas both in front and back.

Can't wait for the wildflowers to bloom! They have sprouted and are getting bigger every day, but no buds yet.....

No Lions, No Tigers.....but Very Possibly a Bear!

Eleven people so far have seen it just south of Zeller. It was quite the talk of the playgroup today among the mommies and daddy.

Mommy is making me play inside today, so I think I'll go destroy something. Any suggestions?

Got the Blues, but it's All Good!

I took Mommy, Daddy and Daddy's friend Dennis out to the 965 for North Liberty's second annual Blues and BBQ's festival. They all had meat and chicken kebabs. I guess it was good, but I wasn't hungry and didn't try any of it.

I got to dance a little, run along the side of a pond, and wear a cute little romper since it was a warm day for a change.

The best part was when I met a boxer puppy! I LOVE DOGS! I don't know if you know this, but every time Mommy goes to Fareway, she goes down the pet food aisle just so I can "visit" the dogs and cats. (If you go there and hear someone screeching in delight, that's me, looking at the pictures!)

I did have a lot of popcorn when we got home, though. Silly adults were too busy watching the movie to notice my "sneak attacks" on the bowl. Heh!

Chocolate Ice Cream Rocks!!

I have to give Mommy and Daddy credit sometimes. When it comes to big moments in my life, they know how to do them right.

I got my first taste ever of chocolate ice cream, a hot fudge sundae, a raspberry sundae, a strawberry ice cream soda and a "pink lady" at the nation's oldest ice cream parlor today. We went to the Wilton Candy Kitchen, and I got to sit in the same booth that Brooke Shields did back in 1991.

This place still has the original walnut and leather booths, the original stamped tin ceiling, and old marble tabletops. The little stereo kept playing some female singer from the forties, but Daddy insisted that the guy singing along with her was Mario Lanza. I think the only reason he kept saying that was because Mommy kept looking at him like he was nuts.

The little picture in the corner shows you what the place looks like on the outside. It's been around since 1860, and the current owners have had it in the family since 1910! The man and lady running the place have been married for 58 years (the lady worked in the ice cream shop for 8 years before getting married, too.) Some of you might know their son. He's a dentist in Phoenix. Seriously!

I loved the chocolate ice cream, and the hot fudge sundae was my favorite. I wasn't too crazy about the strawberry soda or the raspberry sundae, and there was no way I was going to eat the grilled cheese sandwiches that Mommy and Daddy enjoyed.

I know what I like. It's chocolate, and lots of it, please. The nice lady running the place gave me two servings of chocolate ice cream. Being cute as a button has it's privileges.

Apparently, I provided lots of entertainment value while drinking the "pink lady"....a mixture of strawberry, cherry and vanilla syrups mixed with real soda water. I took a sip from the straw, made a face that said "yuk!", and then went back for more. I think Mommy got three whole sips of that drink.

We're gonna have to go back there someday. After all, I still gotta try things on the menu like the "hadacol" (a mix of root beer and cola....they "hadacol" it something), the "suicide" (a mix of all the different syrup flavors in one soda), the "green river", and so many more.

It's all so good it will make you kick your crib. Just like I'm doing now....

Come on up to see me sometime, and I'll see if I can get Mommy and Daddy to make the drive again!

Why I Like Mommy's New Workout Machine

Mommy has decided to skip the gym for now. She's got a new, slick machine she uses while I nap.

At least, she says she uses it then. I don't hear a thing, which is wonderful. I hate it when I have a really cool dream about ducks and machine noise wakes me up! I love to hear about the birds and animals she sees while she's mowing, too. Today, I even got to see the cardinal in the back yard she was talking about when I woke up from my nap. How cool is that?

Ok, this picture isn't of the actual cardinal I saw. But it truly was that red, and seeing it against the green grass was amazing!

We'll see if the workout machine keeps her "conditioned" for snow shoveling in December, right?

Still Waiting for the Warm Weather....It's Coming, Right?

Well, Mommy and Daddy are both cranky and wishing they could wear shorts more often. Not gonna happen any time soon, we think. So I go from wearing my cute little rompers to being bundled up in sweat pants and jackets.

In the meantime, I'm working on things like saying more words. Today I learned "fish", or anyway, something close to it. Mommy kept trying to get me to read The Rainbow Fish along with her, but I just wanted to look at the pretty pictures. I love the sparkly scales on every page!

I also decided that maybe vegetarianism isn't for me. Yep, for a while the only animal product I would eat was milk, and occasionally some cheese. If it was multigrain, I was there, baby! But I couldn't resist the curried ginger lime chicken Mommy was eating and demanded some for my own dinner tonight. (Don't worry, I got plenty of weird food jags lined up to keep her guessing....)

This Boy is Made for Walkin', and That's Just What I'll Do......Sometimes.......

So, we've had some lovely days lately. Mommy and Daddy decided that maybe I should get out in the spring air and enjoy the great outdoors.

Unfortunately for them, they decided that a good place to go would be taking a short walk as a family to a restaurant about a block and a half from our house.

Big mistake, but you probably are smart enough to realize that.

We went the Friday before Mother's Day right after Daddy got home from work. They got me all dressed up in my cool hoodie jacket, and got that monkey on my back. Then we set out for what turned out to be the second longest block they ever walked.

(The longest one was the walk back from the restaurant, in case you were wondering....had to make up for my calm behavior while they were eating, you know.)

Ok, they did carry me across the street without a problem. But I had my own ideas of how to get to wherever it was I wanted to go. I can't remember where it was that I wanted, no, needed to go, but I know one thing.....it sure wasn't that restaurant. And I let them know in no uncertain terms, too.

I stomped my feet, I howled, I tried to run into traffic, I sat down and refused to move, and finally tried flopping to the ground. I would have tried banging my head against the sidewalk, but Mommy decided to pick me up and carry me before I could do that.

(Note to Mommy and Daddy: when I stomp my tiny little feet, stop telling each other how cute I look when I do that. It may be true, but I don't wanna hear it!)

I think I might have pushed too far, though, since Mommy and Daddy went and got me ready for bed almost as soon as we got home. Oops.

Come to think of it, that might be why Mommy strapped me in tight in my stroller when we went with Miss Rachel, Elijah and Eleanor to Beaver Kreek Park. It's about a block from my house. There's a play structure, swings and a rocking ducky that I'm almost big enough to ride. Naturally, I didn't care about any of that. Oh, no.

I decided to run towards Beaver Kreek in the middle of the park and look for....something. Not sure what. But I know it had to be good if it inspired Mommy to sprint after me and drag me back to where everyone else was playing. I think she did that about ten times before she finally just plopped me into a swing for five minutes. Heh!

I'm just glad Mommy and Daddy are patient with me. They took me out today to the farmer's market by the North Liberty recreation center. It was the first time this season that the market was open, and Mommy spent a lot of money there. I think it was eight dollars.

Anyway, we got some spices for Daddy to put on steaks he's planning to grill up on Memorial Day, some kettle corn and a little cherry pie.

Hey, wait a minute.....I didn't get any pie!

Oooh....someone is gonna pay for that.....

Afternoon in a Basement

We didn't spend the whole afternoon there....mainly because Mommy got scared and Quackers didn't like the cobwebs.

Of course, I wasn't scared even a little bit. I'm tough!!

Why were we there? Tornado warning. One had been spotted to the south of us and the alarm woke me from my nap. Mommy came flying up the stairs, scooped me up out of my crib and tore off down the stairs to the basement.

Our flooded, dark, dank, creepy basement. There's lots of dead bugs and old junk there. The ceiling is low. It's perfect for Halloween.

I think from now on Mommy is going to have us wait out these things in the stairwell. It's not nearly as scary.

We sure aren't going to wait them out in the garage! The ceiling collapsed right over where Daddy usually parks his car sometime this morning. Mommy said that there was a lot of blown-in insulation on the garage floor that looked like a pile of wet sand.

I don't understand why she wouldn't let me play in it. Sounds like fun to me!

I bet she wants to hog it all for herself. Or our landlord.

Anyways, there was something pretty cool that Mommy discovered in our backyard. Violets! We've got medium purple and white ones along the back fence. Mommy tickled my nose with a purple one and made me laugh. She said something about making candied violets to decorate a cake for Daddy.

I don't know if Daddy actually wants candied flowers, but when Mommy gets an idea in her head, she doesn't give it up that easily.

Mommy did learn a fun fact about violets, though. Did you know that they are used in India to cure tonsillitis?

Relax....she promised to take me to the doctor if I have another flare up and not make me eat candied violets......

Peeking Out The Window

Mommy didn't think I saw what she was doing this morning. Heh!

She put on her funny pants and cleaned up the front yard a little bit. Not sure exactly what she did, but the two boxes of lilies of the valley are gone, the wildflower seed box is half empty, and the rake is dirty.

Mommy thinks that there might be some lilies of the valley on the side of the house, but she's not sure. She said that my grandmother told her that they were incredibly sweet smelling flowers, and she always wanted to grow some. They don't do too well in Arizona or Florida, though, so she thought she'd see if she can get them to sprout here in Iowa. She put the ones she got into two planters on the side of the house.

(Why was I up? Well...when she kept turning on the faucet to fill up the watering can, the noise got me up. It hurts my tender ears right now.)

She still thinks I'm asleep, so don't tell her otherwise, ok?

Slowly Getting Better.....

I still don't want to eat much, and I'm sure Mommy and Daddy wish I would drink more liquids, but I'm getting a little more active now. Hopefully the worst of it has passed.

I spend a lot of time cuddling, but I've gotten up and wandered around the house a bit. For now, Mommy's kitchen pots and pans are safe.

At Least I Don't Repeat Myself, Right?

Already been there, done that with an ear infection and strep throat, so I thought I'd give tonsillitis a spin. Mommy is quite familiar with this, since she had a tonsillectomy when she was five. She still apparently has a little bit of hearing loss from her bouts with it way back when.

Tonsillitis is the worst one yet. Since I have the kind caused by a virus, antibiotics would be pointless (and probably really yucky!)

I just wouldn't eat today, except for the Weight Watchers ice cream bar that Daddy got me to gobble down, and maybe seven cheerios. I even refused animal crackers and vanilla yogurt, which never happens.

I also have been refusing to drink any liquids, so Mommy and Daddy have been taking turns using an old Tylenol dropper to squirt water and LiquiLyte into my mouth a milliliter at a time. You could tell when I got another eyedropper full of liquid, since I howled and screamed every time. Mommy held me down while Daddy gave me the liquid at first, since I refused to submit to this voluntarily.

I puked up the LiquiLyte once, and my fever went close to 103, so Mommy and Daddy came this close to taking me to the hospital for an IV. I was pretty dehydrated, but fortunately I managed to soak a diaper before 8 pm. If I hadn't, Mommy and Daddy were going to have to figure out fast where the closest hospital to North Liberty was so they could start me on an IV.

(Don't worry, they figured it out for future reference. Fortunately, it's apparently a pretty good one, and there is a children's hospital there, too. At least, that's what they say. Here's hoping we never have to find out for real.)

I've never been this sick before, and never saw Mommy and Daddy get so worried about me.

Looks like this coming week is going to be a quiet one at home with Mommy, watching some Animal Planet and slowly getting my strength back. Story Time and play time at the recreation center will have to wait for a while. Dr Reinerston says that I should be over the worst of it within a week. All my parents can do for me right now is give me Tylenol, get whatever fluids they can down my throat and see if they can eventually tempt me with fruit juice bars, vanilla yogurt and maybe chocolate pudding.

I think I'll let Mommy know I'm feeling better in a most creative way. Yes.....rearranging her spice drawer all over the first floor would be a perfect way to do just that. But for now I have to rest and cuddle up with Quackers.

Spring is FINALLY Here!!

Yesterday, it reached 60 degrees! There was even blue sky, too! Lots of wind, like always, it seems, only now it's not arctic. (Daddy should love that....he's got some neat kites, and maybe he'll get to fly them in the park, whenever we figure out where that is....)

We've got some daffodils poking up in the front yard and they will be blooming soon. Mommy has her sweet peas ready to go, along with some lily of the valley and gladiola bulbs. She says this year I can help her with her herb garden in the back, and maybe gather up some wildflowers if she figures out where to plant them. This ought to be fun.

Soon I'll get to wear shorts and put my winter coat away for good!

My Credit is Good at the Library, Baby!!

Yep, got my own library lending account. We went right down the hall after story time and set it all up.

Ok, Mommy did fill out the application....and she did co-sign for me....but I got to check out two books on ducks and a Baby Einstein CD. I'm gonna listen to that in the car.

I had to set some guidelines for Mommy, though. No borrowing cake pans under my name, no way, no how!

Well, maybe for my birthday, but that's the only exception. They don't have any duck pans, unfortunately, so it's a good thing I've got lots of time before I have to pick one out for my second birthday in September.

I'm SO Over Baby Food!

The stuff that Mommy and Daddy eats is much tastier, and I'm going to be eating more of it. I got a taste of their Dirty Rice, and made Mommy give me big spoonfuls of it until I was stuffed. In the interest of fairness, Daddy had to pay some tribute too.

Who knows how much I could have eaten if Mommy hadn't given me some baby food first? (Curry chicken with peas and carrots. I am quite the gourmet!)

I'd go cold turkey on the baby food, but there is still some stuff I gotta finish first.

18 Month Stats!!

Height ~ 33 inches.....about 75%

Weight ~ 26.6 pounds.......a little over 50%

Head circumference ~ about 19 3/4.......close to the 95%

Mommy said that last one lacks the all important brains-to-boogers ratio. Very funny.....

But I did walk almost the entire way to the doctor's office from the parking structure by myself! There's a covered walkway from the parking garage to the office building, and I only had about three mini-meltdowns on the way there. The monkey on my back kept me from running ahead too far. It was strange not taking the stroller, but I felt so proud to walk on my own like everyone else.

Good thing I had Mommy along to carry Quackers and my diaper bag.

Dr. Reinerston checked out my heart, my lungs, my eyes, my ears and my tummy. Everything's just fine, and I'm developing the way I should. I can now eat everything Mommy and Daddy do, except for peanuts. I'm still too little for that, and it might cause me some allergies later if I have some peanut butter now. He told me that he hoped he wouldn't see me for another six months.

I still had to get a shot, though. But it was just one for Hepatitis A, and I shook it off pretty quickly. Mommy had Hepatitis A a long time ago, and said it wasn't fun at all. Someone didn't wash their hands and then made food at her university, making her sick and a few other people as well. She still can't donate blood because of it.

Oh, I forgot to mention the best part about the examination room! There were barnyard animals painted on it.....including a DUCK!! I was so impressed with that! I pointed it out to Mommy, the nurses, and Dr Reinerston.

I'm telling you, ducks are where it's at, baby!

Cedar Rapids Got Soul (Food)!!

Me, Mommy and Daddy had a little bit of an adventure today. Our mission? Barbecue, pork ribs, lots of sauce...please.

We picked up Dennis and headed over to Al and Irene's BBQ House on the north side of Cedar Rapids. Daddy wasn't too sure it was the place, since it looked like a nondescript strip mall, and the interior decor was....nonexistent.

Mommy said that was the way all good BBQ joints look. "Avoid any place that looks like fine dining if they claim to be a 'cue joint," she said. (Mommy then told me about this place she and Uncle SuperGeorge used to go to for a long time, back when it was on a sleazy corner in downtown Phoenix. She swears it lost something when it moved to a much prettier location, but it's still amazing. Next time we go to Phoenix she and Daddy might take me there.)

Anyway.....Dad got the regular sauce with an Amber Bock, and Mommy got the hot sauce with a Diet Pepsi. Dennis got a combo platter. I got some of Daddy's fries, since I'm still too little to order off of the kids' menu.

Supposedly some idiot food critic said that you could probably find a square dance in Harlem easier than you could find decent soul food in Cedar Rapids.

When's that square dance again, Windy City boy?? Because I really want to show off my sweet moves in the happy poopy dance! ;)

Why do They Call it a Green Card?

Daddy got his last night in the mail. Apparently it is a very big deal, because Mommy called Daddy at work as soon as she got it out of the mailbox.

With luck, Daddy might even become a citizen by the time I get to school!

He can apply for more jobs with his company now that he is a "permanent resident". Whatever that is! But that's not the really confusing thing about it. I don't know my colors all that well, but the card sure doesn't look green to me. Mommy says it's more of a cream color.

I'm just happy Daddy looks better in real life than he does in the picture, if you know what I mean.....

This Season's Hot Accessory Report

I've been to the North Liberty Community Center's playgroup twice this last week. It's fun to run around a big ol' basketball court, especially if you can push a little toy car.

Sometimes, though, I got tired, so I took a little rest right in the middle of the floor with Quackers. Mommy decided to come over and stand next to me the couple of times I did that. She said something about how the older kids on trikes racing around might not see me and might run over me, but they sure would see her and she could block them if she needed to. Which was a good thing, since I almost got clipped twice. She told me not to worry, it wasn't personal, they were just having too much of a good time and that I'd be riding trikes soon with the rest of them.

Mommy finally figured out one of the words I've been trying to tell her for a long time. (Doesn't everyone know that "beeeee" means "ball"?) I got to chase a couple of balls around, too. When the older kids made some baskets in the little hoop I got the giggles hard. So, they kept shooting hoops, and even tossed Quackers into the hoop to keep me laughing. They let me hang out with them a little. There's some nice people in North Liberty!

I'm happy that we are all getting well, so that we can go more places. Last night, I got to check out the Iowa Childrens Museum. That place is fun, and it's pretty close to our house! The last Friday of the month is free admission night. Even though I was only there about 30 minutes, I got to play with the golf balls (Daddy learned what "beeeee" meant as I tossed them around), "directed" the singers at Little Women: The Musical, and checked out Peter the painted turtle.

Mommy says that when I get older, we can enjoy more things on the monthly free night like the mall carousel and the ice skating rink.

But last night was all about what the cool kids were wearing. Yes, dahlink, all the cool kids have a monkey on their backs. Ok, maybe not all the cool kids, since my buddy back in Florida, Mikey, has a bear. There were three of us incredibly cool toddlers running around with monkeys and we were the best looking boys in the place. What can I say? Monkeys are hip in the Corridor. I like mine, because when I was wearing it Mommy and Daddy let me walk around by myself. They said since I'm not a baby any more I can spare their backs and do my own walkin'. Independence rocks!!!

My parents got me a special treat, at the end of the night. I got a giant plastic blue ball for my very own! I was so happy I kept yelling "beeeee! beeeeee!" I wore myself out and had sweet little boy dreams last night.

Life is good, you know?

Happy Easter from Joey Blue Eyes!

I had a terrific Easter! How about you?

It snowed early this morning. I thought it was pretty....looked like a sugar dusting over everything. Somehow it made Mommy and Daddy depressed, though the rain that followed later made them even more homesick for Florida.

Anyway....the Easter Bunny got everything together for my first egg hunt. He even got some wicked cool eggs that looked like sports balls and dinosaur heads for me to find in the dining room. At first, I got a lot of giggles throwing them to the floor, but it was a buzz kill when they didn't open up (must have been the tape around them). Then Daddy picked them up, tossed them to me and I got to put them into my little sand wagon. That was fun!

I am getting really good at climbing stairs, so I thought I'd stand up instead of crawling up them. For some reason, Mommy and Daddy had a "coronary". I didn't know Mommy could sprint up the stairs so fast! Anyway, now I can't crawl up the stairs without them around me any more. Mommy blocked off my access with a huge trunk filled with stuff. It's so heavy I can't move it, and I can't climb over it. Yet.

It's not fair, I tell you!

They did do a great job cleaning up the ground floor, and I've got a bunch of clothes out of the boxes to wear. I wore a bright blue tee shirt with a stegosaurus on it which really brought out the color of my eyes.

Even though they were busy, I got to play a lot of games today. I got this cool stuff called Play Doh that is squishy. I bet it tastes good, too, but Mommy and Daddy put it away every time I try to take a bite out of it.

I also got to run around later with a piece of material on my head. Everyone liked my new "hat".

Daddy's friend Dennis came over for Easter dinner with us. Mommy tried to make mashed potato casserole, but it turned out to be more like soup. They just added little pieces of ham to it and lapped it up. Daddy even had seconds!

The best part of it was the cake Mommy made. It was a coconut cake in the shape of a lamb. Mommy got the cake pan from the local library, of all places! She frosted it with chocolate frosting and sprinkled coconut on it for "wool". I got a little piece and loved it. I hope she makes it again.

I wound up my evening watching Monsters Inc. with Mommy while Daddy drove Dennis home. I like Sully and Mike....they are so funny.

I hope they have Easter every year!

Update on My Girl Back Home

Yep, my girl Brianna is having a rough time. First she got a diagnosis of mono, and today she ended up going to the hospital with pneumonia.

She's resting now. Maybe tomorrow we'll get to talk.

I hope she gets better soon!

Back to Making Mischief!

Well, I've gotten better for the most part. I haven't coughed all morning. I still amuse my parents with my giant booger production. Since I have a small nose, you wouldn't think I could come up with the ones I have. It's impressive!

The snow is mainly gone, but Mommy and Daddy still won't let me out to play in the yard. The front yard is kind of on a busy street, and there's still some ice in the backyard. Plus it's all soggy out there, and the weatherman says we're gonna get something called "flurries".

Mommy said that she and Daddy are gonna let the Easter Bunny inside for my egg hunt. Not sure what that is, but I can't wait to find out. Quackers is gonna help me.

Daddy made Mommy extra happy yesterday when he found her china. They are going to go shopping for new plates soon, because they don't want me to touch the china for some reason. I guess it will make me break out in a rash or something. I hope they get something with monkeys or ducks on it. (Don't tell her, but the china Mommy has is kind of boring. It's just got a gold ring on the edge. My grandmother's is prettier, but I think she knows that. It would look even better with monkeys on it, though.)

They've also gotten rid of some more boxes and found lots of paper. I LOVE PAPER! It's the best thing to play with. I can scrunch it up, I can rip it, and I can stick it on top of my head and hide. No, really! Mommy and Daddy can't see me at all when I do that.

I've also found two more foods I like. Mommy made coconut pancakes yesterday because she found this stuff called coconut flour at this hippie co-op place in Coralville. She added some additional coconut to the batter and made them for Daddy. Daddy gave me a little bite. Coconut is sooooo good that I did my happy poopy dance.

She also let me try a tortilla chip with lime. Yep, more happy poopy dancing!

And no, didn't share any with Quackers. Cookie stole some, though.

So....What's the Happy Poopy Dance?

First of all, I didn't come up with the name. Mommy did. Go figure.

It's what I do when I taste something I like for the first time. I take a nibble, then step back about two steps. I then smile and do a couple squats.

I think I picked that up when I was watching "American Idol". (I don't watch it any more, though, now that Danny's gone home. Carly makes me itch, sorry!) A lot of the singers do that, especially the girls. Watch it sometime if you don't believe me.

Not Too Proud to Beg

Ok, right now Iowa is not a top tourist destination, even though I'm here. That....I don't completely understand.

But if you find yourself here in the Midwest, please stop on by to see me. I love company!!

Mommy and Daddy will find plenty for us to do here. Iowa City is to the south of us, and since it's a university town there is always something odd and unusual. Cedar Rapids is to the north, and there's some good eats and fine beer up there in the Czech Village. There's more good eats to the west with the Amana Colonies.

This summer, I'm gonna see the Butter Cow at the State Fair, too! Might even go with my cousin Alena from Arizona. I haven't seen her in a while. Heard she has pigtails now.

Remember, all of those Presidential wannabes have left for now, so there won't be any annoying political types bugging you.

We've got a guest room in this old house, so....what are you guys waiting for?

Want to Help a Cute Boy Go to College Someday?

Well, you can.....and it won't cost you a thing!

Mommy said if anyone is interested, they can join Upromise and link up a shopping card to our family account. I get all the money in that account, so it all goes to my college savings.

Is that sweet, or what?

I've currently got an account coming over to College Savings Iowa, so someday I can afford to go get edumacated.

Let me know if you are interested. Each little nickel helps!

Welcome to Iowa.....cough, spit, hack!

Wish we could say that we have found Iowa enchanting so far. But for the most part, we have all been trapped inside with a vicious virus that won't give up.

I blazed the trail by getting sick first. Yep, it was the first thing on my "to do" list here. The fact that the movers "lost" my medical records on Mommy made it even more urgent that I get that done.

Now, the people at the urgent care facility were nice. But I was over the whole thing by the first hour or so. I was sick, after all. How long do they expect me to look cute in my little tan corduroy jacket, anyway??

Yeah, I lost my temper. Sorry about that.

The lady was nice when we finally got in, though. She said I had an upper respiratory infection, and that Mommy and Daddy had to keep me hydrated and comfortable. There was some other things she said, but I was too busy beating on a board book in the examination room to pay attention. Good thing I brought Mommy along to take notes. (Having a personal assistant on call 24 hours is terrific!)

Oh, almost forgot....got to step on the big kids scale for the first time! I'm 25 1/2 pounds!

Unfortunately....I got sicker. I was hacking and coughing all weekend. Mommy finally found my medical records, and she got me an appointment with a nice doctor in downtown Cedar Rapids. We even made it to the appointment only five minutes late, after Mommy got lost in St Luke's Hospital trying to find the office! Not bad under the circumstances, since Mommy was sick by then, too.

This doctor's office is a lot different than Dr Farid's back in Melbourne. I think there are like twelve doctors in this practice. There were four receptionists and at least three cashiers. The waiting area was about as big as Cedar Rapids' airport waiting area before you go through TSA.

I could tell Dr Reinerston was waiting all day to see me. He just had that smile. Naturally, I didn't cough at all around him and was a perfect little angel. If he wouldn't have used the stethoscope on me I don't think he could have known I was sick. This time I got a prescription, and Mommy took me home for my nap.

After I woke up somewhat refreshed, Mommy took me to Coralville to get the prescription. Wouldn't you know that the email never got to them?

We ended up waiting an hour and a half for it to get there. I decided to help speed things up by throwing a fit. It worked! Right after I was done, it magically was ready!

I do have to give props to Mommy, though. She asked them what my prescription tasted like before we left. Instead of spending the money on her Diet Coke, she spent it on my prescription so it would sorta/kinda taste like cherries. Anyway, she said it tasted like cherries. (I don't know, never had any....) It would have been horrible without it, I'm sure.

Daddy wasn't sure the drugs were working, but then he got sick too. His doctor put him on the same thing I was on! Is that funny or what?

Mommy must be tough. All she took was Nyquil. She said that tastes like cherries, too.

I guess everything either tastes like chicken or cherries.

I'm ok now. Mommy's got the occasional hacking thing going on. Daddy went back to work after being off for two days. And the snow is pretty much gone.

But it's still in the forties here and Mommy won't let me out. (I did get out once, in the backyard, when Mommy didn't close the door tightly after letting Cookie back in. I slipped on the ice on the patio, right onto my butt. I only hurt my pride.)

This place does get warm weather, right?

St Paddy's Day Massacre at Daddy's Old Job

Mommy and Daddy sure do talk a lot about Daddy's job! Ok, it's mainly about his old one and how Daddy is lucky to be working at Rockwell instead.

Daddy got his notice that he finally got his green card on the 7th. This is apparently a very big thing if you are not a citizen. Mommy assured me that I don't need one, since she got my citizenship all taken care of for me a long time ago. (I love that Mommy is so efficient! It makes my life a lot easier.)

This is a big deal, since there are jobs with Rockwell back in Florida that my Daddy can now apply for after we've been here a year.

Mommy and Daddy really miss Florida, but they are glad that Daddy is not working for his old company any longer. They laid off about twelve people today, and Daddy thinks he would have been one of them had he stayed. He's pretty sure his old boss is going to end up going back to Massachusetts soon.

I think they like Iowa a lot more than Massachusetts, but I don't know why. Mommy muttered something about "Massholes", but I don't know what that means.

If any of Daddy's old coworkers are reading this, I think it would be great if they came up to Iowa, too. Daddy misses his old friends. Mommy misses hers, too.

I hope my friends in Florida are doing well. I miss them a lot!

My Latest Milestones!

I have been doing more than just being sick. More on that later....

I have also given up baby bottles for good! Mom got me some disposable sippy cups that I like. I latched onto them and never looked back. She only had to go through about five different kinds before she found the suitable ones.

I've also got my two little canine teeth poking through on top! They do cause me some aggravation every day around 10:30, but other than that, I'm good. I'll have fourteen of my twenty baby teeth very soon.

And finally....I'm getting into those 3T clothes!! I think Mommy and Daddy will be seriously bummed when I can't wear footie sleepers any more. I do look damn adorable in them, I must admit.

What is This White Stuff, and Why is it so Cold?

My first view of this funny stuff called "snow" came late last night. It was actually a pretty blue because the sun was going down. Now it's just white, with occasional dirty patches where it comes up against the road.

Anyway, it is unbelievably cold here! Daddy muttered that it reminded him of Russia. From the tone in his voice, I guess that is not a good thing.

When Mommy got her first look at this, I thought she was gonna cry. Then she noticed that I learned how to kick off my shoes, and I thought she was gonna start swearing. So I threw my chubby arms around her neck and looked deeply into her eyes with my patented "I adore you most of all" look.

Gets her every time, heh!

Cookie, our dog, wasn't sure what to do with this stuff either, at first.

It's wet, sometimes it's icy, and Mommy is afraid she's gonna slip on it and break her leg. When I try to stick some of it in my mouth, Mommy and Daddy have a fit because there's usually something icky in the chunk I picked.

It is good for something, though. It makes the view from my bedroom window beautiful, and it stretches so far you can't tell where the land ends and the sky begins sometimes. I like to look at it when I am all snug in my crib with Quackers, the world's best stuffed duck.

And someday, when I get bigger and Mommy and Daddy aren't looking....I'm gonna find out what it tastes like.

Hot or Not?

I might only be seventeen months old, but I know what I like!

Hot:

My playgroup buddies Madison, Mikey and Kara. I'm gonna miss them. Hope Mommy and Daddy take me back to Florida soon.

Red sippy cups with a white seal on them.

My best girl, Brianna.

Dogs.

Stuffed ducks.

Cheerios.

Dried apples.

YoBaby yogurt.


Not:

Movers who try to pack my diaper pail with my dirty diapers still in them, but forget to take my wooden blocks that Unca Paulie gave me....twice!

The people who went to check out my house for possible purchase....while the movers were taking out my stuff. Then they went outside and complained that the house was a mess, if you can believe that! Like, duh....even Martha Stewart's house would look trashed under those circumstances. If they were to make an offer, I think Mommy and Daddy should charge them an extra ten grand as a stupidity tax.

Mommy making me take a nap.

Teething.

Lima beans.

Avocados.