On a lighter note than the barfy illness… Alex is doing a lot of talking now, and is starting to understand a lot of words. He is also imitating us more and more. As we were playing upstairs earlier on, I put my hands over my eyes to play peek-a-boo, and he immediately put his hands over his eyes! Very cool. I think the imitating is also helping him pick up the words more quickly.

Words he really knows the meaning of, and can say and point out:

• Bye!
• Ba (ball)
• Nana (banana)

Words he can say, but hasn’t really completely connected with the real world thing:

• Mama
• Dada

Words he knows the meaning of, and can point out, but not yet say:

• Nose
• Mouth
• Ear
• Foot
• Head
• Tummy

Alex was sick again last night–all over me. He hadn’t been himself most of yesterday. His cheeks were red, he was very warm, and he had very little appetite. We’d thought he was teething (there’s a canine and a molar both pushing through right now), but it looks like it was more of a tummy bug instead.

We put him to bed very early (about 19:30), and I was quite surprised that he didn’t wake up later on in the evening. But at just after 01:00 he started to stir and cry. I went through to soothe him, and as soon as I lifted him out of his cot, he barfed all over my shoulder and back. I rushed him through to the bathroom and into the tub, but not before he’d had another few heaves. By this point he was awake and obviously feeling really horrible.

Abi got up as well,and we stripped him and I took him into the shower with me (while Abi cleaned up the barf in the hall). Now, when he and I first started showering together in Rome earlier this year, we called him a shower monkey because of how he clung to me. But that was sheer ameteur clinging back then. Last night I could have taken away my arms and he would have stayed attached to me. Alex is getting to be very strong.