ER - stroller walk + dogs. 

FR - convinced DH to do take n bake pizza tonight.  Yay!  WE've been eating up freezer food.  That stuff we always make extra and say we'll eat it later, well I decided later was this week.  Well, we are totally sick of it!  LOL.  I'll make an effort to make some really good stuff this weekend.  Beef stew sounds amazing.  I wish it would get a little colder, this 60* thing is nice, but I'm ready for some cold weather comfort food! 

TR - Fell asleep in our stroller ride last night at 530pm.  Stayed asleep while I took off her snow suit and changed her diaper.  Dh suggested I let her sleep for an hr, get her up and then put her to bed late.  I usually wouldn't do that, but figured it wasn't worth the fight.  She didn't go to bed until 945pm!  But she was super cute from 645-945, playing, bringing us books to read, lots and lots of snuggles since she was groggy and sleepy.  I won't make a habit of this new pattern, but it was fun last night.

Shelby - Em only says "dog" and maybe mama/dada if coerced.  She is trying to be more verbal and she is really working on inflection paired with facial expressions & pointing/hand gestures.  LOL.  Like Spike mentioned a few days ago, Em understands more than she speaks.  If she signs for hungry/more, I will ask "cracker?" "milk?" and when I say the one she wants she'll clap.  When I say one she doesn't want, she'll look at her feet and shake her head "no."  Our ped said it is less about the actual saying of words and more about comprehension at this point.  Em signs for "more", "sleepy", "want" and "up".  The development books say she should be able to go get a specific toy if I name it and or follow a set of directions.  She doesn't do this - BUT, I think it's because she is strong willed (yeah, she gets that from both DH and me) and not because she doesn't understand what we are asking her to do.  She only recently, like this week, will start saying "hi" and waving simultanesously.  And only recently started to wave "bye" on a consistent basis.  She will be 14 months next week.  She didn't really say clear words or anything consistently at 12 months either, and I was freaking out about it. 

And on the body parts - we started adding in "feet" last night.  LOL. I think she just wants to pull her socks off though.  They are doing head-shoulder-knees and toes at daycare this week and last week was I'm a little teapot.  I'm trying to reinforce those.  So far Em walks around with her hands on her hips if I sing the teapot song, perhaps her teapot has two handles and no spout. 

I forgot my cute BR- There is a dumptruck ride on toy at R's daycare that beeps when you back up, so now R says "Beep Beep Beep" when he pushes his toy cars backwards.

Shelby/Rocky- being able to ask R questions and having him comprehend is much more useful than having him know how to articulate right now since a lot of words sound similar. R talks a lot (but he is 17 mos), but most of the stuff he says is fun stuff- like animal noises when you ask his "What does the dog/cat/chicken/cow/pig say?".  I try to repeat words to him a lot- like the name of a food when I give it to him, or talk to him about his socks when I'm putting them on him. I haven't been great about body parts yet, I'd be suprised if he didn't think his nose was actually called a "beep" since we play the nose beeping game a lot.

Dude. My boss has had McDonalds E.V.E.R.Y.D.A.Y. at least once, if not twice a day for like the last month. Its grossing me out at this point. I'm starting to worry about his health- he always says that he will care more about losing weight when he hits 40 (he's 37), and he's 6'3" and probably 325.

zorbs - Does your stress having anything to do with your missed lunch date yesterday?  

rg - I want to run as much as you do!

jen -  I smiiled about the taste test.  I would take a camera just to get his reactions of the different food.  My J would be SO expressive with stuff he did't like I would laugh the whole time!

shelby - We do a lot of body parts stuff.  J is pretty good with the basics.  Maybe we need to move in to the more "advanced" stuff like knee and elbow or chest.  They just don't seem as cute though.  J does know "Bum Bum" and even looks at us and laughs when he farts!  He totally gets that part....such a boy!

cmg - Bummer about the tummy flu.  That is too bad.  I guess I should be glad we just have a low grade fever and not that to deal with!   Glad you got some sleep.  DH always comments about how much I slept when I was pregnant.  I can only imagine how it would be with J and being pregnant.  Nope!  Not for a while!

mrszm - I should get to the place that has good steaks and get DH a gift certificate.  I just never go "that far north".  I hope you had a good day with the kids.  Did you see which site is offering free shipping?!

armmama - Enjoy your night off.  That sounds like a lot of fun.  

off to teach...

Rocky - Does Em take one nap/day at daycare??  How long and when does she usually nap?  I only ask because our kids are 4 days apart and I am wondering if your daycare has a similar schedule?  How/when does she nap on weekends?  J only naps 1x at daycare from 12-2 or a little less lately.  However, on the weekends he is so tired he usually naps for 1 1/2 - 2 hours in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon.

Spike - I love J's 7 p.m. bedtime too.  That is usually when DH and I eat dinner and we are starving by then.  We usually don't get home until 5-5:30 and by the time we unload from the day, get stuff ready for the next day and feed and bath J it is 7.  

LOL Spike - That is sooooo our house too.  J will run through the kitchen pull on our pants and empty out all the cupboards with tupperware in them so there is tupperware EVERYWHERE in the kitchen.  You basically cannot walk through the kitchen without stepping on something.

Thanks for the advice everyone!  I know I sound like I worry about something new everyday but I don't have a lot to compare him too (except for what I learn in school) so I am never sure.  You guys are such a great sounding board.  Talked to one of the moms who is a speech pathologist at class today.  She said while they are suppoed to say 3-5 words  by now, I shouldn't worry too much until 15 months.  So for now I will keep practicing.  Love the ideas I am getting from all of you!

I am so tired today and I am not sure why...  Probably because H has been STTN lately, but the last few days he has been waking up.  It is so hard to readjust to less sleep when you have been used to more.  Speaking of which, DS is supposed to be napping but I hear him "singing".  Better go get the little monster

Jen  - There are a few ways to eat a pomegranate.  I cut it in half and pull the seeds out with my fingers as I eat which is messy.  You can also float it in water to get all the seeds out.

Arm - Have fun at date night.  Way to make it healthy!  Does your DH like to run too?  Most of my dates with DH involve some type of physical activity  -running, biking, hiking, ect.

Cx2 - Don't feel like a bad mom!  You need your sleep to be a good mom and get better.

Rocky - Mmm I miss take and bake, they don't have it around here. And too cute about the teapot.

Spike - I love the story about the beeps.  Little boys are so darn cute.

Mer - Sounds just like my DH...   I am sure H will also laugh when he farts.

zorbs- R only puked a little bit, but it was on the carseat straps/buckle and his right pant leg. It was dark/cold/rainy so I figured it would be easier to clean out the nasty cheese smelling puke in the house than to try to do it in the car (we don't have a garage to park in).  I think he coughed and it made him gag since it was only a couple tbs worth.