GERM MAGNET

~REWIND, REVIEW, REPLAY~

My baby has been sick. I really can't tell if it's teething or if he's got a touch of a stomach bug. If you didn't know him very well you wouldn't think he was sick, he's still functioning at a normal level but he's extremely cranky and whiny when here with just Brandon and I.  He has wanted to cuddle, which very rarely happens anymore.  He has no fever, but isn't eating much. On Sunday morning he stood next to his toy bin and threw up down the side of it and onto the floor.  It was the first time my baby had ever thrown up. He looked down at the scrambled eggs that he'd upchucked and started sobbing. I stripped him down and carted him away leaving poor daddy to clean up the mess... Oh and the gas this boy has!  It makes my toes curl up just thinking about it!  So we're keeping an eye on him and praying for improvement.  

I know it's normal for kids to get sick. They need to get sick to build up their immunities.  I know this, it's a fact of life.  I have to admit, though, that I don't wash Tanner's hands as often as I should, and maybe this is the reason he's sickish.  Think about it,  we play with friends at their houses.  We go to the store to shop.  We play with the dogs.  We play at the jungle gym area of the community center on base.  All the while he's touching and grabbing everything with his little hands and of course his hands are in his mouth non-stop because he is teething non-stop (16 teeth to date with more on the way)!  The only time that that little monkey gets his hands really clean is in the tub every other day! So this weekend we started washing hands a few times a day.  Why I hadn't been doing this all along I have no idea... I certainly don't just wash my hands every other day in a bath!  Tanner is totally diggin' the hand washing.  I say "Let's wash our hands" and I see him rubbing his hands together as he walks towards me!  So dang cute.  He points at the Dial Antibacterial hand soap as soon as the water hits his hands... we scrub, scrub, scrub those little hands then dry them off.  It's fun stuff, I tell ya!

OK, so I mentioned how we play with the dogs.  Tanner has been taking it to a whole new level and pretending he is a dog. He tries to fight with Duckie at every meal to get to her food and after she is done if we don't get there in time he is on all-four's licking her bowl!  GROSS!  The thought of all of those dog germs and dog food nasties all up in my son's face is horrible. He needs to be "broken" of this habit and fast! I don't want my baby to be one of those kids that get salmonella from dog food, because yes, occasionally Duckie loses the battle and Tanner gets some of the dog food into his mouth!  The water bowl is a non-stop battle as well.  The dogs need their water and they don't drink it as soon as you put the dish down.  All eyes are not on Tanner at all times, so needless to say the kid is in the water dish A LOT.  This is nothing new though. Since he's been mobile he's always gravitated towards the water dish.  I just wish he'd stick with all the toys scattered throughout our home.

To sum it up;

• Sickish kid = sad but normal
• Wash kid hands = better late than never
• Kid in dog food and water dish = pray he doesn't morph into a dog 

On to the week...

~Like I said above, Tanner's been a cuddle bug.  I love it.  When I get him out of his crib in the morning or when he gets up from nap he puts his head on my shoulder and I just sway back and forth, enjoying the moment.

~We went to the play area again this week, only with friends this time.  Miss Emily and Dan met up with us.  The last time that Tanner and Dan played, Tanner pushed Dan around and it scared him a bit.  Dan's a smart boy and remember this and managed to keep his distance from Tanner for the most part this time.  Tanner did come close to him a few times and Dan knows how to hug, so hugs were given.  Tanner was a bit stiff, but he stood there and didn't push Dan around.

~Miss Verna and her son Simon had to go get indoor soccer pictures taken this week.  She invited Tanner and I over for a lovely vegetable soup and to hang with her youngest son Sammy for an hour.  Before she left she turned on the movie Ponyo and the kids just kicked back and enjoyed the show!  It was a fun evening!

~Tanner has a bit of an obsession with my iPhone, as well as his daddy's iPhone.  We have quite a few kid-friendly apps for him.  Our phones disappear on a daily basis and can be found in his little hands.  We find our apps all rearranged and even missing from the phone completely.  He keeps hitting the menu button which exits out of his games or movies.  This can be frustrating for both parent and child!

My 14 month old is probably more tech-savvy than most adults.

~ Brandon - "Hon, you aren't taking pictures of me in the shower are you?" 

Me - "No Doll, just pictures of Tanner, as usual!"

We didn't get out this last week as much as I would have liked.  Both Tanner and I have a bit of cabin fever. (Possibly another reason for Tanner's sour mood lately.)  The coming week will hold lots of outings for the Shope's.