Update

***I just posted some walking pictures in the previous post below. This is an update about Grant's cold and some things we've been doing the past couple of days, but I don't have any pictures yet!

Grant's cold seems to be getting a LITTLE bit better....his cough is still there but doesn't sound nearly as bad. Yesterday I almost called the doctor because he was wheezing a little bit as I tried to put him down for a nap. But I haven't noticed it since, so hopefully he'll get better without having to experience the nebulizer machine again! The nebulizer has a mask that you attach to the face; when you turn the power on, it spits out a gas that, when inhaled, opens up the passageways in the lungs to allow you to breathe better. As you can imagine, it's not much fun for a baby!

Still, though, Grant's just acting a little more needy and fussy than normal. And his appetite has been horrible....he won't eat most of his favorite foods (he still gets excited about processed cheese, but that's it!) Today, I felt like I was going crazy for a while, because he'd start crying when nothing had even happened! It's been kind of a bad week anyway, and having a sick child just wears you down after a few days. I hope I'm right when I think that even the most nurturing and sympathetic moms out there have to break down and get frustrated with a sick baby every once in a while. Even though I know he doesn't feel well and I hate to hear that horrible cough, sometimes (like this morning) I get to the point where I'm almost mad at him for being fussy! Then I feel horrible because I know he can't help it!

Anyway, I do try to remember what I've read recently in books: that somewhere around 15 months (or later in some babies), they start establishing more independence, and will want less and less to do with mom. For the most part (even when he's not sick), Grant still likes to be held quite a bit. So my perspective is that I want to enjoy as much of this time as I have, before he starts to set off on his own and doesn't tolerate being held anymore!

Yesterday, to get out of the house for a while, we went to Kemah for a couple of hours. He enjoyed looking at all the fish at the Aquarium restaurant (he's never really been interested in them when we've gone in the past). We also sat outside by the "dancing" water fountain and ate lunch (at least the little bit I could get him to eat), and then walked through some shops to look at Christmas stuff. Like a typical boy, he got tired of this pretty fast, so we went and walked on the boardwalk next to the water. He chased some seagulls and enjoyed pushing his stroller around. We basically had the entire place to ourselves....there were times when nobody was around, including once when I was holding Grant and tripped over a rope! He had crawled into an area that was cordoned off, and I went to get him. I tripped when we were walking back over it, and it was almost a bad flashback to September when he fell off the counter! I heard two things hit the ground hard, but I think they were my elbow and my camera. Grant cried, of course, but I could tell he was more scared than anything. I'm very sore today, but thankful for that, because the more impact I absorbed, the less was absorbed by him! And, once I knew we were both okay, I was thankful that nobody was around to see me look like a klutz and fall on the floor!

Before we left Kemah, while Grant was practicing his walking on the boardwalk, we walked by one of the restaurants and some people who had just finished eating were admiring his newfound skill. One of them, an older lady, mentioned what a fun Christmas we're going to have this year. I know that's definitely true!

One more story: tonight I went up into town to meet my good friend Megan. Grant stayed with Dean, and they finished his bath just before I got home. When Dean was combing his hair, Grant grabbed the comb and started combing his own hair! Then he started combing Dean's hair! It's funny what they pick up just by watching you!