We went to Las Palmas again today, as we do every sunday. Deo knows where we are going when I say lets go dance with DaDa! and we pull up to the Tiki hut, he gets all excited and says DaDa DaDa! Today was special though, Deo got to play the drums! You should of seen how happy he was in front of the drum set. And he actually played good, he used both sticks and would hit the drum and then the cimbal, like his daddy showed him. I know you can't see well in the video, but I put it so you could listen. Ilich helped him just for a couple seconds, thats all Deo playing by himself! Some guy told me "you have a prodigy on your hands!" Then Ilich put an extra drum on the side and Deo played along with the band. It is so cute, he was watching his Dad through the window there and playing his drum too.
I had to pry the sticks out of his hands when we got home, you can see he held them tight for the ride home.

Deo loves to talk on the phone. Not when someone is actually on the other end but he pretends all the time. He even talks into stuff and pretends it is a phone. He did it to a piece of cheese the other day. He runs around blabbing in baby talk...the first words kinda sounds like hello, like habo or something. Its cute, all the mothers were laughing today when he was doing it in My Gym. He also puts his hands out on his sides and shrugs like he is saying "i don't know". It makes me laugh every time.
I have his winter clothes ready for our trip to mass. He has the cutest leather jacket that he looks like a little player in, and boots and a puffy jacket also. I am dreading the whole ear infection issue...lets hope he doesn't get one this time. I can't wait for my Dad to see him, he has changed so much since the last time we were there.
Deo likes our little tree (I couldn't deal with bringing out the big one) and he steals the balls and throws them whenever he gets a chance.

I got Deo's bike in the mail yesterday. It was mostly put together, but what was left didnt really have instructions. And of course I had to put it together right then...so I got everything together while Deo is trying to climb all over it I might add, and he kept stealing the screwdriver and hammer - Deo with a hammer! scary! So it came to the handle in the back and I had like smoke coming out of my ears trying to figure it out (because you steer with it also), it took a few times but I finally got it. We took it for a ride outside and I was waiting for the thing to fall apart! I had Ilich tighten the screws when he got up. It is so cute though, we love it! he doesn't look liek he is having too much fun in the pic, but thats because I put him on it at night just for the pic. (hes in his pjs)
I also found out that Deo loves the battery spinning toothbrushes...he has been fighting with me about the little finger toothbrush lately so I am happy now that I can brush his teeth stress free...he actually enjoys it with that one. He even does it himself! I don't know if he just wants to be like mommy and daddy with the noisy toothbrushes or what, but it works!

We went to Dave & Busters the other day and Deo walked around the arcade and drove things and pressed buttons to win tickets. Then we went to our sushi restaurant and he ate his favorite: Tofu & chicken and an orange for dessert, yeah we found out he loves tofu. I bought some to see if he will eat it at home, but I havent made it yet. I also found out he likes fish sticks. He is so funny when he dips his fish sticks and chicken nuggets in ketchup...it looks so cute that he is now a big boy dipping things.
He challenges my authority all the time. He even laughs in my face now. I have beem harder on him since he started doing that, I don't like that.
I am getting more concerned about putting him in daycare. I think we will both benefit from it greatly, he needs more simulation...and needs to be with other people. He is so smart and I would hate to waste time or whatever in regard to his learning and development by continuing on with our boring routines. I can only do so much. I wish I could give him more but I am at my end of what is humanly possible to do in one day. And oh am i so tired. And I am only one person. So I am going to go to a few this week to see what kind of options are out there. I also don't know how I am going to afford it, but the first step is seeing what is out there.

I buzzed off Deo's hair today! His first real haircut!

We went to Deo's 12 month well visit today. He hates the doctor! he was fine in the room until Dr. Ohring came in and he took one look at the doctor and started screaming. The doctor said the nurses can give him his shots because he doesn't want Deo to remember him as the bad doctor. He said he looks good and he is advanced in walking, pointing, finding body parts and so on. He also said he was under the average weight! He was so fat before...I think it is because he is so active. And he is a very picky eater. I did notice that I had put him in 12 month clothing when he was like 7 months because he was chunky, and now he fits into 12 month clothes perfectly because he has slimmed down. I would have thought that he would be in bigger clothes now at the rate he was going before.
I brought him to the park after the doctor because he was so upset. Of course there was someone with a powerwheel there! It is annoying for me (and other parents I have noticed) that I have to keep taking Deo off the toys that other people bring and redirecting him as hes chasing people on bikes. There should be a no toys in the park rule! I sound like a evil mom...but it makes sense because all the kids there want to use other peoples toys. And this was a huge powerwheel and dangerous (they make small ones and huge cars that go fast), the kid driving looked like he was going to run over everyone. Imagine if Deo got run over by that thing! I say no powerwheels in the park! Oh yeah and I was talking to the father that owned the powerwheel...he was telling me that just before I came he was off playing with his son across the park and the powerwheel was parked by the swings and someone wasn't watching their kid and the kid was small and jumped on the powerwheel and crashed and hit his head. (he disconnected the battery after that) See!
Kids should go to the park and play with the playscape...or the should have a separate area for bikes and cars. Yes, I am going to talk to someone about that. They should not ride things next to the playscape area, it is too dangerous. Okay Im done ranting about powerwheels.

I just sitting here looking at Deo's baby pictures and wishing I could go back and visit him then. Hold his tiny little body again. It is sad that all we can do is hold on to the pictures and videos and the memories of course, but memories can fade...I don't ever want to forget just how wonderful...Its like the you have to cherish even the past 5 minutes and every waking moment because they grow and change so fast! I will never be able to hold his little newborn butt again :(
Above are some memories that already seem so distant....

Today is Deo's Birthday! I can't believe a year has gone by already. He is such a little man. I have been thinking about what I was doing a year ago this day throughout the day, the whole tramatic birthing experience. That is always going to be the most vivid memory ever. But god, was it worth it. I now have the best little man with me, he has brought so much love to my life.

We went to Las Palmas yesterday and I got a little video that is dark...usually he dances for like whole songs and claps and stuff and it is so cute. I really wanted to get that on video and when I finally brought my camera he didn't do it. He was just obsessed with DaDa that day and was staring and pointing at him in the back behind the drums, yelling DA DA!!! He danced for a second, as you can see on the video. And he watches Da Da through the window on the side and dances too (that is the pic where he is looking through the window...you can't see Ilich because the reflection).

He has his new Tims on too (his boots).

I gave him a cupcake that you can watch him eat on the other video. He bounced off the walls for a little bit, he was running around with the BoBo sideways sticking out of his mouth laughing and growling like a dog with a chew toy. I had to restrain him until he gave up and relaxed and finally fell asleep.

I ordered the trike and I am picking out a powerwheel for him. Grandpa is buying him his powerwheel car or atv. He wanted to buy him a harley one but I think he is much too small for that one, the ones I am looking at have a remote control for I can drive it until he can himself. I don't care if I don't have room for it. I will make room. I will post a pic of it once I pick one out.

For over the past week Deo and I have been sick. It was his very first cold! In that time I found out he medicine does not put him to sleep like normal babies but it makes his super hyper! Great, he is so grumpy from being sick and instead of taking something to help him sleep....
But we seem much better now, my stuffy nose is gone and his is still a little runny but not congested. There is nothing worst than baby congestion because they don't know how to blow their noses! And they walk around with booger bubbles inflating and deflating and crusty booger faces.
We have been going to the park across the street a lot, I found out there is a mothers group that meets there every thursday. Some of the people I met there seem okay but a few annoyed me. Its so funny how they have a group to brag about their children and ask eachother about weird habits. You go over "how old is he" 'ph hes big" "oh hes walking to early" then you compare birth weights, inches and so on...its always the same routine. And one day we went, it must have been after school, there was a lot of kids there and they had bikes and scooters. He wanted to play with the bikes and scooters so badly! he would see a scooter all the way across the park and do this determined trek over there to touch it, he would be falling trying to get through the hard grass and everything and then when he got there the little girls were mean and didn't let him touch it. It broke my heart. So now I am on a mission to get his his own bike that we can bring to the park. I found one on ebay that I think I am going to order. I put a picture of it up, it has a bar in the back so I can steer and push until he can himself. There is also another one that folds up so I can put it in the car...I wonder if you have to assemble that one above, thats not going to be fun. I think I might go with the folding one because it will be shipped folded.
We also go to this other park when I pick up alexander from school, and there is always this mother and her two boys there. They have a powerwheel ATV and a car that they bring there. They let him play with their toys. He sits on the powerwheel and pushes the button and goes and then lets go and stops, he does it over and over. He doesn't know to keep the button pushed in. The other car has a handle on the back to push it too, that is how I found out I must have one. Sure beats being hunched over push him around. I also saw these really cool powerwheels that have a remote control so that you control the car and they just sit there for the ride until they can drive themselves. I would love to get him one but I have no where to put it (like a garage in a house would be nice) and I would have to lug it up the stairs since I am on the second floor to charge it or whatever...that stinks. Sorry Deo, that toy will have to wait. I am sure grampa will buy him a Harley powerwheel when he gets older.
Here is Deo dancing with his new Wiggles guitar "or playing his guitar with murray" as the wiggles sing. He loves it, a $.50 find at the thrift store.

READ THIS BEFORE YOU WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW!
Okay, I just have to say I did not do it on purpose. We had done it 25 times before I put the camera up to capture it...and I would push him and he would ride on into the kitchen and stop by hitting the cabinet. Then this happens when I am trying to get him on camera! I thought it was so funny, Ilich did not. He didn't get hurt or anything. Ilich thinks I am a mean mommy. He just wasn't holding on enough...
Oh yeah, he won't let me push him anymore...he puts his feet down now.

here is Deo jumping on the trampoline

Deo's first drawing!

The Halloween party was serious CHAOS today. But we had a lot of fun. There had to be 50 or more kids (and their parents) there. He played and ate sugar cookies. Everyone loved his costume. I hung out with my new friend Alohi there and Deo played with his friend Kai (her son). We are going to hang out when she gets back from Hawaii, have play dates & do mom stuff. I am happy to have a mom friend!
Deo also figured out how fun it is to jump on the trampoline while standing up. He looks so cute and so big doing it! I will get a video of it tomorrow in class, I didn't have enough battery to do it today.

Deo stayed with his dada and brother again today while I got my nails done and did some shopping. Ilich said he was such a good boy, and as soon as I got there he was a bad boy again. And it was amazing, later when I went to feed him he tried running all over the place again and Ilich sat him down and fed him and he stayed right there for him. Why is he so bad with me? It is not like i cater to his every need...He even took a bath with Ilich while I when and picked up dinner. What am I doing wrong? Ilich said maybe I have to pay more attention to him, which yes I realize he is the worst when I have to do other things: like cooking, cleaning and working on the computer. But I have to do those things or it would be dirty, messy and we would be eating cereal all our lives. And the work I am doing on the computer is really giving us the extra spending money we need. He needs every little bit of my attention, all the time and I have to be fun or he gets bored. He needs to understand that Mommy can't play every minute of the day, that Mommy has work to do too and he can play with his toys for 5 minutes! AHHHHHHHHHH
I guess Ilich certainly doesn't have to do any cooking or cleaning, or anything else for that matter, when he watches him and if he has to go the bathroom alexander can play with him.
He used to be scared of that big Pooh bear but now he likes playing with him. Even though he is draining me of ever bit of life inside me he is just so darn cute and I love him to death.

Deo is throwing these terrible tantrums lately....I am quite worried about it. He will throw his body to the ground and then bang his forehead on the ground too. He even smacked the coffee table with his head the other day (on purpose). I just ignore it...I hope he grows out of it. Ilich and I don't have the greatest tempers ourselves, he must have inherited that from us. I have learned to not lose my temper now but when I was younger...
Today was a good day, if I could get him on a schedule like today I might actually survive. We got up at 7 and played until 12 noon and then we took a nap and woke up at 2:30. Then we went to My Gym. He doesnt let me touch him at my gym, I cannot interrupt him there or he will throw himself on the floor there too. He did it like 5 times today at my gym, if I had to pick him up and move him away from swings or something. he wants to do whatever he wants to do! At only 1 yr!
I am looking at daycares but i guess all the facilities run about $650 a month, and you have to pay for all the time no matter if you want to bring him twice a week or all the week. i would like to pay around $100 a week for say 10 hours. I met a woman at my gym that had a nanny for that amount. But i don't want to hire just anyone and who is there to trust for a recommendation? I don't know what to do, but I do think it will be beneficial for both of us if I have sometime to myself.

Deo seems like he is in a little better mood lately, 4 teeth are mostly in now...I think they were coming in the past few weeks thats why he was a demon. He is starting to run around and crawl less.
He is slowly drinking out of a sippy cup, I have been giving him cows milk in it and juices. He seems to be doing okay on the regular milk, for a while he wasn't doing well with the yogurts and puddings and i've been giving him soy for those. He doesn't want anything to do with it at night though. Maybe if I wasn't here and someone else gave him the cup he would take it. Because he knows he can get it from me if I am there.
Last weekend he stayed with his dada and brother and I went shopping. It was amazing! Then we went out to eat and he walked into the sushi restaurant himself and all his little Japanese girlfriends went crazy. He was such a good boy, they sushify an orange for him when we go there (cut it up in little pieces and make the rind into a little bowl) and he just sat there and ate the pieces out of it, didn't throw the orange bowl or the pieces. He loves oranges, I need to get some for home.
He is eating tuna fish sandwiches and kiwis and sometimes macaroni and cheese. He is super picky. Other than that he will just have soy yogurt & pudding, pancakes, eggs, oatmeal, and bagel & cream cheese and toast and jelly.
He loves to put on my sunglasses now and walk around the house.

This is a little video of Deo when he first started walking, about a week and half ago or so. He is so funny how he throws himself on the air mattress all the time and bounces around. At the end he says oh no and puts his hand on his head.

We went to the park this morning, I thought he might like it better now that he can walk around there. He had fun and then we got hot so we went back home to the a/c.

Deo and I have been working on some sign language. He does all done and oh no (if you want to call that a sign) and stinky. I am working hard on hungry, food, drink and play.
All of the mothers were impressed at My gym because he is the only one out of the boys that is walking. A lot of girls are walking, and some of the boys are older and some are close to his age and he was the first. Go Deo!
He was so cute at dinner today, he took my fork and was trying to pick things up off the plate with it, you could see the concentration in his wrinkled forehead.

I have decided against the stride rite shoes that I bought the other day...I found some other ones today that he seems to do better in. They are called BiBi and they are brazilian, I guess they are really popular in south america for walking. They are not high like the stride rites but I think that high part was hurting him. These are cute! I also got a pair of new balance for him, they are not sturdy for walking but they are cute. He walks much better with them because they are soft. So I wasted a bunch of money on the stride rites...I would return them but he scuffed the edge a little that one day he wore them. I guess they are Ebay bound. I will keep them for a little while just in case we want to try them again. I would give them to Gina but they have a little dinosaur on the back.
We went to My Gym this morning and he tried to steal all the cars from the other babies.

Deo is officially walking all over now. I went and bought him some walking shoes the other day but he is having trouble walking in them and I think they are hurting him. They are high up on the ankle and the back is cutting into leg. He was screaming in the car yesterday when he had them on and I couldn't figure out why so I took off his shoes and the back of his leg was all red. Maybe that was it, I don't know. So I guess we will try those little by little. I think it is good that he walks on his bare feet anyway. I think I will just get him regular sneakers that don't come up so high if they continue to hurt him alot. His feet/ankles look fine when he walks anyway. Humans have evolved without walking shoes when they didn't exist anyway!
So I am feeling a little better, I have started taking vitamins and eating more often and drinking a ton of water.
Deo is so cute he puts his hands on his forehead when you say oh no or uh oh. Also he says stink stink (sounds like gin gin) and waves his hand in front of his nose when I change stinky diapers. Its so funny. He still doesn't say mommy but he says stinky. He is watching the doodle bops right now... I think he was just singing along with the song at the end. He said Doo Doo Doo like the song.
He is starting to hate it when I put him in any chairs, his high chair especially or his car seat. Great. He does this demon scream when I put him there and tightens up so I can't make him sit. Sometimes I have to chase him around the house while stuffing food is his mouth.
He is getting better at the animal (gagas) sounds in his book. I think he has mooo and something that is supposed to be meow.
The pictures are him walking, a pic of his new shoes and him putting on my headband. He finds my headbands all the time and puts them right on his head, and sunglasses too.
well I couldnt upload the pics right now, will try again later.

I haven't been feeling well lately, thats why I didn't update in a while.
Whoa! just as I started to write Deo climbed up on the coffee table and was sitting there on top and I had to go take him off. He was mad when I took him off.
Anyway, as I was saying I haven't been feeling well lately. I am so tired only get a couple hours of sleep here and there, getting up at 6 every morning...I try to go to sleep early but my back and shoulders hurt so bad from carrying Deo and stress that I cannot fall asleep. And I feel like my blood sugar is always low...I am weak, dizzy, aggitated and feel sick. I eat and it helps a little but it comes back sooner than usual. But I think it may have something to do with breastfeeding, like I am not getting enough nutrients for my own body because I am giving them to the baby. I want to stop when Deo can have other milk.
But Deo is good, he is walking a few feet here and there but still crawls when he wants to get somewhere fast. He likes his books a lot, we read in english and spanish. His favorite is the farmyard pop up book in the picture. We go through and do all the sounds that they make. He can do the sheep: BAAA. He is trying to do the others. He calls them all gagas (doggies).