Quick update, because I *really* want to use my baby-free time to take a good long shower today. Hey, I might even go for a run first. Maybe.

Julian had a little reaction to his MMR vaccine...feverish on and off for the past few days and a measle-y rash around his neck today. Either that or it's a feverish-on-and-off-and-measle-y-rash *virus* that's going around, says his pediatrician. Hmmm. I'm definitely not a vaccine alarmist, I think the benefits definitely outweigh the risks, but I'd like for the doctor to at least admit that it could be a reaction. I don't really care if it is, I mean...it's better than getting either measles, mumps or rubella. But the fact that they brush it off completely annoys me.

By the way, announcing JULIAN'S LATEST STATS from his 12-month checkup!

• Weight: 21 pounds, 14 ounces (40th percentile)


• Height: 29.5 inches (40th percentile)


• Head circumference: 48 centimeters (75th percentile)

Ugh, I had a milion things fascinating new to write about and now I can't remember what they are. Dammit! I need to make little notes to myself or something.

I'm going to try going diaper-free full-time with Julian pretty soon. We'll see how it goes. Oh, and he has THREE teeth coming in. His first-year molar, and both his canines. "What are these?", you ask? The link will show you. He's pretty far ahead of the curve as far as getting teeth. Time to start brushing more often. He likes to use my Sonicare toothbrush.

Julian continutes to amaze me with his rapid development. The other day he was crawling around in the garage while I cleaned and organized. There were little scraps of styrofoam packing peanuts on the floor, which Julian likes to put in his mouth and roll around. Not what I wanted him to do, so I started picking them up. He started grabbing pieces and putting them in his mouth, but then I showed him that I was collecting them and putting them in my hand, and would he help me out? Sure enough, he started picking up the styrofoam and putting it very purposefully into my outstretched hand. He's really such a good helper.

Other developments...he can now throw and retrieve a tennis ball, and loves to play with a willing partner. He does the cutest throw...kind of an exaggerated limp-wristed girl-throw (a term I HATE to use, but effective) and then he does a chimpanzee pant-hoot thing afterwards each and frantically makes the hand sign for "MILK", which is a grasping motion like milking a cow. I have no idea why he makes the milk sign after throwing a ball. That's one of the Mysteries of Julian. But it's very amusing. I'll have to try to catch it on film before it disappears.

We had a really fun day on February 16th. Julian's baby friends came over with their moms and everyone played outside with Julian's new Sand and Water Kingdom and his other water toys. It was cloudy but warm and balmy. All the boys ended up soaking wet and running around naked in their diapers within the first 30 minutes, it was too funny. Strangely enough, the girls were timid and hung back, watching the boys play with the water and sand and run around like lunatics while the girls hung around and clung to their moms. It was lame. I felt like telling them, "Get up there and have some FUN, girls! Why are you hanging back? That's no way to start life!" Aren't girls supposed to be more advanced than boys at this age? So what the hell?

Julian had *so* much fun as host that he passed out right after his bath and only briefly stirred a few times during the night before finally waking up at the incredibly late hour of 8:30am! This was a shared phenomenon for the boys at the party, I found out later. Their moms promised to bring them around every single day from then on. ;-)

I have cute pics from the outdoor party, but don't feel like posting them right now. Bah, I'm not in the mood to write either. I really want to go outside. It's the first day in weeks that it hasn't been raining, cold or cloudy.