Vacuum Monster

Here is a picture from our trip last weekend to the Yellow River Game Ranch. This bunny in particular will probably never be the same. What the still picture doesn't show is Walker yanking the fur off the top of his head. Poor bunny.












Cliff and I worked extremely hard on Monday and got Walker's playroom all cleaned out. It's finally a playroom! He has had a blast in it ever since...
He and Cliff have played lots of basketball since Monday and Cliff's been teaching him basketball terms. Walker actually said "dunk" once when Cliff lifted him up to drop the ball in. Of course, as it goes with Walker, he's yet to say it again...

































We had his 12 month pictures taken this week. Much different experience now that he's walking. It's a wonder she got ANY shots of him, he kept running out of the studio. These are a few of our favorites from the day.














Walker has been showing great interest in using a spoon and fork. He's doing great. Cliff gave him a mini-lesson the other day when I wasn't around. I was very excited about the results. :) Now, he's doing even better. He can scoop it by himself...but we are still holding the bowl for him. Until we invest in some of those suction bowls we WILL be holding the bowl for him. No more applesauce flying across my kitchen if I can help it!

We had Walker's 12 month check-up on Monday. Dr. Miller is out of town, so we saw Joy. We love Joy too. Walker measured in at 31 inches tall and weighed 21.75 lbs. That put him in the 75th percentile for height and the 30th for weight. Long and lean is what she said. We aren't sure where he gets the "lean" part from. :) Cliff was extremely happy to see him in the upper percentiles in height...he's been so scared he'll be short as me.

Walker really showed out for Joy because he really likes her. He wanted to do all his "tricks..." He pointed to his nose on command and she thought that was really impressive. :) I think he MIGHT have been flirting with her just a bit...

He continues to have a strange obsession with pictures that have me in them. He gets very excited and wants to carry them all around pointing, kissing, etc. We have a very big copy of the family picture I posted above that is framed. Before we hung it, he'd go over and "hug" the picture and say "mama". He's so cute. :) I think he might love me a little.

It appears that we have a lotion junkie on our hands. Any chance he gets to eat lotion, he's all over it. Whenever he's in our room, he's constantly going straight for the lotion to eat. He will grab is purple bedtime lotion, use his teeth to flip the top and just suck away on what's on the rim. So weird...
Not sure what THAT'S about.

And the funniest story of the week...I'm terrible for calling it funny...but he's terrified of the vacuum. I knew it kinda scared him a little last time I had it out, so I decided to vacuum while he was in his highchair today. As soon as I turned it on, he started screaming. I talked calmly to him and as long as I wasn't coming in his direction, he seemed ok. But, he didn't take his eyes off the thing. If I came near him he stared screaming and flapping his arms in fear. So, I didn't. I left it in the hallway at one point to plug it in a closer reaching outlet and when I walked away from it he started screaming in his highchair and reaching for me. So, I got him out and he wouldn't let me go near it. I tried to explain that I was going to vacuum his room and that everything would be fine, mommy was here but he wouldn't have any of that explanation. So, I decided to go and put it up. I knew if I carried him near it, the crying would get worse, so I put him in the living room and walked toward the hallway. He ran behind me, grabbed my leg and I kid you not, he literally started trying to pull me back. He was scared senseless. Maybe he was trying to protect me? I don't know. It was cute and sad all at the same time. Mostly cute and I really did feel like he was looking out for mommy and saving her from the mean monster. So, we let it sit there a while and I finally went to put it up. He stood at the edge of the hallway and kitchen and screamed bloody murder while I put it in the guest bedroom...which is NOT where it goes, but I certainly wasn't going to take it by him to put it back in it's proper spot. He was very upset about this whole matter and wanted me to hold him so he could cry on my shoulder for several minutes. Every time I tried to put him down, he locked his little feet around my belly and held on for dear life. We decided to go outside and I had to go in his room to get his shoes...he did the same thing, trying to hold me back, but I pulled him along with me and eventually he was brave enough to go down the hallway again by himself. I guess now I know not to vacuum while he's awake!