This week Daddy was in Redmond, Washington for work. Mommy and I took him to the airport on Monday afternoon, and he's coming back tomorrow. He wasn't supposed to get back until tomorrow night, but he's hoping to get an earlier flight so we can spend some time together. His scheduled flight won't get here until after I go to bed, and that'll be no fun.
While he has been gone I have worked on a lot of new things - especially physical skills. I have gotten pretty good at squatting down and picking up toys/books/etc. and standing back up again without having to lean on anything. I had done this once or twice before Daddy left, but I practiced a lot while he was gone and now I do it all the time. I have also been walking around a lot - even running sometimes - and I do like that! I probably fall just as often, but I don't cry as much when I fall ... unless I whack my head or my face on something .... Part of the reason I don't cry so much is because I know I can get myself back up. I have gotten very good at getting up into a sitting position from lying down. And I have even figured out that if I'm not in a good spot to pull myself up to standing, I can crawl (or commando - I haven't totally given up the old stand by) to a piece of furniture or toy or wall that I'll use to help myself up. All in all, I'm much more physically self-sufficient these days.
I'm also using my new-found mobility to stymie Mommy when it comes to changing my diaper and when it's time to go to sleep. I can't even tell you exactly why I do it, but I find myself compelled to stand up in my crib (and on the changing table, frankly) as soon as I am laid down there. I can't help myself. As a result, I missed out on a lot of sleep this week. It often took Mommy close to (sometimes more than) an hour to get me to sleep. She says it's "a phase," but I don't think she knows that; she's just extraverting her wishful thinking. Between you and me, I admit that I don't like to cry and cry and cry, standing in my crib, when I could be sleeping soundly. I kind of hope it's a phase, too. And regarding the changing diaper situation, well that's just bad all the way around. I have decided that I absolutely cannot stand this humiliating process, and I have resolved to do everything in my power to keep it from occurring. Mommy, on the other hand, keeps trying to tell me something about "not wanting me to get diaper rash" and to "trust" her that I'll "be happier with a clean diaper than with a poopy one." Blah, blah, blah...." Whatever! Stay tuned for more tales from what promises to be an epic struggle.
The guys started the landscaping project in the backyard today, and I made sure I was there to supervise. Mommy asked me to make sure that they were doing things according to the plan, so I kept an eye on them from the back window. It was cold out there! I couldn't watch them all day, though. A guys's got to eat. So occasionally I left the window and headed for my high chair for some gardenburger, apples, and cheese. Yum!
One of my favorite things these days is to play with my monster finger puppet. I have gotten very good at slipping it on a finger or a thumb. I could tromp (or crawl) around wearing it, perhaps occasionally chewing on it, for hours. .
Since it was so cold out today, I played inside most of the day. Right before bedtime, I got to ride my roadster a bit in the living room. At one point, trying to climb off, I even tipped it over on myself. But I didn't cry at all. It was actually kind of fun. Mommy picked up the car, and I rolled back over and climbed up for another ride.