Entry for July 12, 2009
Well, I started to write this blog last Friday when I had a rare simultaneous double-napping, only to discover that Yahoo! (the website provider) had decided to dismantle its blog software. So, I had to spend my time copying all of the prior entries lest they all disappear forever and reposting them into this new software. Don’t they know that moms who blog don’t have time for learning new software and probably don’t need all of these bells and whistles? Anyway, I had the best intentions, but didn’t want to lose everything since the blog has become a good chronology and history of what’s been going on in our lives for the past couple of years.
Alex is sleeping now, and Mark and Patrick went out to the store, so I have some free time. So much has happened since the last blog entry, and I hope I don’t forget all of it. We were lucky to have a nice visit with my parents last week, and it was nice to have the company and extra sets of hands…the weather was really rainy, so they really helped keep the boredom to a minimum since Patrick was on vacation from school.
I’ll start with Alex…he is still struggling with a cold or something after his last ear infection. We were back at the pediatrician on Friday since I was worried his other ear became infected or there was something else going on (luckily, there wasn’t - he said it’s just a bad cold that is hanging on (for over 2 weeks!)). He hasn’t gained any weight since over 8 days, but the doctor didn’t want to address it until his 9-month well-check, which is this coming Friday. He said he’s not surprised because he’s been sick, but Alex hasn’t gained much in the past two months, and to us, that is concerning…and if it’s because he’s sick, it’s concerning that he’s been sick for two months! I am taking him to the ENT on Thursday morning for a full evaluation, and maybe that will give us some answers on his overall condition and help us to get him sleeping better. There were some nights this week again where he cried constantly and woke up frequently…last night, he screamed for the better part of 2 hours, but once he settled down, slept for 5 hours or so, and he hasn’t done that in months!
On the plus side, Alex has done so many new things since the last entry…he started scooting last weekend, and by Monday was full-on crawling. He can pull himself up if he can get a good grip, so we had to lower his mattress again (second time in two weeks). He tries to “walk” if he’s holding hands, but doesn’t have great balance yet. He waves now, too, and although has a lot of moments of separation anxiety, is becoming more and more social. He is so very determined to get to what he wants and doesn’t give up despite obstacles (usually Patrick or a bunch of toys) in his way. He doesn’t crawl as efficiently yet as Patrick did when he started, but Alex beat Patrick by a couple of weeks to that milestone, and he has his own way of getting places that involves rolling and scooting in addition to the crawling. He has started getting really upset when he sees us eating, like he wants what we’re having and gets mad when he doesn’t get it. We’ve tried giving him more and more table food (like french fries, rice, cheerios, baby yogurt, etc.), and he eats those so much better than any of his baby food…it’s too bad he doesn’t have more teeth so we could give him some other things! Last night, Mark was feeding him his puffs and sticky rice with chopsticks, and he just loved that!
Alex just hates to sit still, so diaper changes and dressing have become really difficult, even with the longer changing table that is in his room now (because Patrick doesn’t need one any more - see below!). He is just so interested in looking at everything, reaching for things, and not laying down that I’ve had to get good at doing things to him while he’s leaning on my shoulders and standing. Luckily, he will lean back to take one of the many droppers of medicine he has to take each day! Patrick now also loves to make getting dressed a game, so I don’t have an easy time with either one of them at the moment!
Now to Patrick…he is FULLY POTTY-TRAINED now!!!! We are so very proud of him. He hasn’t had a single accident since Tuesday afternoon (we started the training on Monday morning by “throwing away” all of his diapers and training pants), and has woken up dry from his naps and overnight every day except last Monday (when he wet the bed during his nap after we pumped him with fluids all day to drill home the point). He has even gone in public restrooms when we have been out, which we have heard can be a little sticky (because they are bigger toilets and a little bit intimidating in environment). He almost always tells us, “I have to pee!” and sometimes we can tell before he manages to tell us by the way he grabs his pants in front. He will also tell us, “I can’t get my underwear wet.” One day, when I was telling him he needed to keep his pants and his bed dry because big boys don’t pee in their beds, he said, “I can’t pee in the swimming pool, either” (we had included that in a list of places like the bath tub, etc. that he shouldn’t pee in ). He has had fewer opportunities for #2, but so far, we have had no big accidents with that…I am hoping that he continues to do as well tomorrow when he goes to school, as the transformation in him from the last time the teachers saw him to now is very dramatic, and I hope they’re equipped to handle his new skill (they work on potty-training in his class, but I think only a couple of the kids in his room (which is mostly kids age 2.5 to 3) wear underwear)! Patrick has accumulated quite a collection of Thomas the Tank Engine trains because of his successes! His being diaper/training pants-free will also make it easier for him to go away next weekend.
Patrick will spend a few days in Hilton Head with my parents (who were a big part of our success with the potty training since they were with us from Sunday to Thursday while Mark traveled Tuesday through Thursday!) and my sister and her family. It will be my first time ever not seeing Patrick on a day…even when we went to the hospital to have Alex, Patrick came to visit both days that we were gone. He is looking forward to it, and I think it will be good for him to be with his cousins and having to be obedient to other people besides Mark and me! We’re meeting everyone in Savannah, GA, so it’s only a couple hours of driving for us, and we’ll get to see my brother-in-law, who hasn’t yet met Alex. I’ll go back and pick Patrick up on Tuesday sometime, and then he’ll get back into his school routine again.
Patrick starts swimming lessons tomorrow evening, and I think he is looking forward to it. Hopefully it will not disrupt his sleeping or routine too much, as he’s on a really excellent stretch of sleeping lately (which we desperately need since Alex is NOT!). The lessons are only 10 minutes in duration, and they last for several weeks…by the end, Patrick should be able to float on his belly and his back, be able to turn from one side to the other, and paddle a few strokes before going back to the float, and repeating the whole thing (float-swim-float) until he can find the wall. The goal of these swimming lessons is to teach him to survive in the event of an accident. We were planning to have Alex in lessons (just teaching him to float on his back until someone could help him), but with all he’s got going on health-wise, we didn’t want to introduce a new variable/stressor to complicate things. We will hopefully get him in this fall.
Patrick’s talking and comprehension continue to amaze us. He can string together multiple complex sentences and demonstrates amazing ability to tie things together. The other night when Mark got home from his trip to Boston, Patrick had gotten into his suitcase and taken things from his toiletry bag all over the place while playing. Later on, Mark was looking for something and couldn’t find it. Patrick, who was very occupied doing something else, asked, “What are you looking for, Daddy?” When he heard what, he said, “Oh, that’s in my truck.” Sure enough, there it was! We are glad that Patrick is so communicative, because we really wonder how bad his meltdowns would be if he wasn’t understood…now when he gets upset, it’s because he isn’t getting his way, not because we don’t know what he wants like it is for most kids his age. He can be really trying sometimes because he is so fiercely independent and determined to do things himself/his way. He’s started wanting to pick out his clothes each day and gets very upset if we just put him in something. As challenging as he can be sometimes, Patrick really is an amazing little guy.
Mark travels this week (Monday through Wednesday) to Mobile, so hopefully I can manage the night-time things here on my own! Neither he nor I have been feeling great, either, so we have the goal of everyone being sniffle/sore throat/cough/aches/pain-free by Saturday…we know that we are just very run down, so it’s probably taking us longer to lick these colds than we otherwise would. Mark is even taking medicine, which he hates to do, and which gives me an indication of how badly he really feels…but to his credit, he continues to be cheerful and helpful!! I told him that he HAS to focus on getting good sleep this week while he’s gone and has the opportunity - no need to wake up thinking he hears Alex when Alex isn’t with him!
Well, it’s time for some rest while I have the chance…hopefully this blog program works and everyone can see it. Until next time…
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Entry for June 30, 2009
I probably should be napping right now based on how things have gone the past several nights, but I’m almost afraid to, not knowing how reliable Alex’s nap will be…and then the phone could ring like it just did with nobody on the other side. Getting too short of a nap when you need one is almost worse than not getting one at all!
Well, a lot has transpired since the last blog entry. Patrick had his first day at pre-school, and did really well - no tears or fussing when we dropped him off - just a little bit of a sad look when he realized we weren’t staying with him, and then he dove right in to playing. He was hugging and kissing the one girl in his class (at the time, there were only 6 of them - now they’re up to 8), so he must have adjusted quickly, and the girl must have good taste! He has been eating a little bit better, probably from seeing the other kids eating different things (and some because my nieces were here for a few days (more on that later), and he wanted to do what they were doing), and the teacher’s only consistent report is that he’s a little bit rough (which we knew from his behavior sometimes with Alex), so we’ve been working on that at home. Today, she reported that it’s only with certain kids, so I wonder if they do something to egg him on (he’s probably the youngest kid in his class). So, Patrick could have made his first day of school really hard, but maybe he knew I needed to be strong for Alex, whom I took for his Upper GI shortly after dropping Patrick off at school.
Alex was a champ for his fasting and his test (now we know he’s capable of going long stretches of time without food!), which was really uncomfortable for him. He only had to drink an ounce of the barium for them to already see his reflux, so he was placed on an additional medication last week to help ease his symptoms. His sleeping really deteriorated as the week went on, and for the past several nights, the only way he would sleep and not scream his head off during the night is if Mark or I were holding him in his glider. Patrick got the sniffles, and then Alex did, and when Alex started refusing solids again, I knew something was amiss…so, we were back at the pediatrician again yesterday, and Alex has another ear infection. The tricky thing this time is to not have the antibiotic mess up what’s going on with his reflux medication and vice-versa. Alex lost weight since his last appointment, so we may have to consider other feeding options (like formula supplementing or switching totally to formula) if that doesn’t improve at his next check-up. He is napping really well today in his crib, so I hope this is a positive sign of things to come at night…because Mark and I are just totally exhausted and stiff (those gliders aren’t designed for sitting in for hours on end!). We will do anything for Alex to start feeling and sleeping better, though!
Alex is days away from crawling, and can pull himself up to a seated position from laying down, so Mark has had to lower his mattress in the crib. He is very determined to get to things he wants, and doesn’t give up as easily on mastering new things (like crawling) like Patrick did when he was learning. Whereas Patrick hardly ever cried about anything, he would flop around and fuss on the floor when he toppled over onto his belly…Alex cries a lot otherwise, but is totally focused on trying and not giving up! We know our world and family dynamic will change a lot when Alex can crawl, and hopefully my left wrist will heal from all the time I’ve had to spend carrying him around because he doesn’t like to be left out!
My sister, Jennifer, and her two daughters, Kaylee (age 11) and Julia (age 10) came to spend a few days with us during what would’ve been Mark’s annual golfing trip to Garland, Michigan (he didn’t end up going), and we loved having them around. Patrick is still asking where Kaylee and Julia are, and telling us he wants to go see them. They were really good about playing with him, and their good eating rubbed off some on Patrick…he tried and said “mmm, it’s good” to broccoli, ate baked beans, tried an egg roll, and ate my Lo-Mein noodles…all things we’d tried in vain to get him to eat! Mark joked that we might have to borrow the girls for a while so Patrick would eat better! We went to the beach on Saturday morning, and Patrick was much less timid around the water than he’d been in previous beach trips…and Alex just loved sitting in the sand (and trying to eat it). We went to the Zoo on Sunday, and although it was very hot and humid, we had a nice time in our short visit there (we are getting lots of good use out of our annual pass!). We spent some time at the swimming pool, which Patrick enjoyed, so hopefully he’ll be excited to start his swimming lessons in a couple of weeks. The next time they come to visit, hopefully we’ll all be healthy and well-rested, and better able to get out and do things (and hopefully it won’t be so hot!).
We were planning to spend the weekend and next week in Aiken with my parents, but because of Alex’s health and poor sleeping, my parents are coming here instead. We are going to focus on getting Patrick potty-trained for good (I have read a book that is “guaranteed” to work in 3 days, but we have all week since I put Patrick on vacation at school), since I’ll have extra help with Alex and can better focus on Patrick. Mark has to go to Boston for a couple of days, and it’ll be great having the help at bathtime/bedtime, which tends to be the only time of day that I can’t easily/efficiently manage! Our lives will be a lot simpler (and less expensive!) when Patrick is potty-trained. We know he can do it, and I think with the focus on it, he will get it without too much difficulty, especially since he was so interested in it before and was doing very well. It helps that there are some kids in his class at school who are trained!
Well, my wrist is aching and it’s nearing the time for Patrick to wake up, so I will close for now. Until next time…Happy 4th of July!
2009-06-30 19:06:45 GMTComments: 1 |Permanent Link
Entry for June 20, 2009
Well, it was another hectic week. We had Alex back at the doctor on Tuesday morning since his eating and apparent discomfort/pain level/whining/crying/clinginess got worse on the increased medication dosage. He had gained only 5 ounces in 15 days…the doctor doesn’t seem that concerned about his weight gain really slowing down…because he’s still gaining…and he’s getting taller. Maybe I have this paradigm in my head that I need to get rid of that Alex should have doubled his birth weight by 4-5 months (he barely did by 7.5 months) and that he should triple his birth weight by 12 months (which means he would have to gain about 10 pounds between now and October!)…maybe that doesn’t apply to a baby that was already way above average weight at birth. Anyway, the doctor said that the dosage he was on should be more than enough to stop his symptoms and that because he was doing better and now has worsened, needs an Upper GI test to see what is going on. So, we take him on Monday morning for that. Luckily, we don’t have to wait long for the results, and if the tests show no reflux, the doctor is going to start pursuing other possibilities, like food allergies (although the test not indicating reflux doesn’t mean it’s not reflux, unfortunately!). Apparently, it would take us a couple of months to get an appointment with a specialist, so she ordered this test to use as a tool to get permission to write a prescription for a stronger medication. We feel good knowing that she is taking this so seriously and wants to get to the bottom of it…she could see how exhausted we are (because Alex’s sleeping has really deteriorated, too - even during the daytime when he used to be reliably good). I am not looking forward to Monday; I’ve heard/read that the hardest part of the test is not letting him eat or drink anything for six hours prior. And I’m a little worried that it will take him forever to imbibe the barium that they need to see what’s going on!
When Alex wasn’t screaming his head off or squirming around, he managed to figure out how to move himself around. He is very good at sitting, and knows how to catch himself with his elbows when he topples backwards. He isn’t quite on his knees yet, but he puts one foot on the ground and lifts his bottom up in the air and can move a little that way…plus, he has figured out how to scoot himself while sitting/reaching in any direction. He is a very determined little boy, and seems to want to do anything to be part of the action! Luckily, despite all he’s been through, he continues to develop and do all the things that he’s supposed to be doing at his age (since now he can finally roll over in both directions!). He is so strong!
Monday morning (before Alex’s test), I take Patrick for his first morning of pre-school. He is so excited! I hope he remains that excited when he realizes that I’m not staying there…honestly, I think he will be too busy to notice that I’m leaving, and he has always done really well when I go somewhere, mostly because I don’t make that big a deal out of it, and he knows I’ll come back. We met his teacher the other day when we went there to drop off his papers and some supplies, and she is very sweet and has a little boy a couple of weeks older than Patrick. Once again, Patrick didn’t want to leave there, so I guess that’s a good sign that he likes it. Every time we drive by there, he says from his car seat…”there’s my class. Want to come, too?”
Patrick was much more attentive and well-behaved at our Zoo class this week, and even though I didn’t think he was really paying that much attention (after all, he’s 2!), he picked up many of the signs we were taught. He responds really well to the tack of telling him what I expect, what I need him to do, etc., and then when he deviates from that, just getting a little reminder. We had some time before the class and got to walk around the Zoo some, which Patrick really enjoyed…he was telling all the animals we saw, “Bye, (lion). See you later!” He says so many funny things that I wish I had a way to record all of them when they occur. And he has an amazing memory…I guess on Sunday when Mark was driving him home from his haircut (which was another very unpleasant experience for everyone around!), he saw an A&W restaurant on the road. He told Mark, “Daddy, I want root beer.” He remembered the logo from a bottle of A&W we had in the refrigerator. He does the same thing every time he sees the Chik-fil-a logo! Maybe that means we eat there too much? He doesn’t eat chicken nuggets as often as he was eating them…maybe because I stopped buying the kind he REALLY likes at the store in the hopes that he would select something else to eat. We’re hoping that school will be good for his eating…I pack his lunch until they get more kids enrolled, and then it will be a hot lunch. So, if he’s hungry enough, he’ll hopefully eat what I pack him for now, and then hopefully he’ll eat what they have because everyone else is/has to, and someone else is telling him to eat!
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there in the family, especially Daddy, Papa, Grandpa, Uncle Joe, and Uncle Bryon! We are excited that Aunt Jen, Kaylee, and Julia are coming on Thursday for a few days…we hope to get to the beach and the Zoo for sure, and are hoping it won’t be as hot as it is/has been the past couple of weeks. So, my next post might be a little bit delayed because we’ll be busy with company….until then, we hope everyone is well and happy!
2009-06-20 14:33:21 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for June 13, 2009
Since I have a few minutes before Mark and Patrick make it home from Patrick’s gym class, and Alex is still sleeping (and I never know how long that will be!), and my Saturday morning chores are all done, I thought I’d write the blog for this week. The weeks are going by very quickly, even when we are stuck inside most of the time because it’s so hot already. This week was no exception…
This was the first week in recent memory that we didn’t have to take Alex to the doctor…but I did have to call yesterday. He’s been throwing up a lot more frequently, is refusing to eat any kind of fruit, and is a bit more irritable than he had been. This morning, he’s started to arch his back and scream again while nursing, so the reflux medicine doesn’t seem to be helping him now. They upped his dosage yesterday, but that doesn’t seem to be helping, so I have a feeling we’ll be making another trip to the doctor next week! All of this is probably disrupting his sleep, which has deteriorated again, much to the chagrin of Mark and me. The poor boy just can’t seem to get comfortable for very long!
Alex’s little personality is starting to emerge more and more. We can see already that he is very stubborn and determined, and does not like to be left out. He continues to love being near Patrick, even when Patrick is refusing to share or is stealing Alex’s toys. One of the greatest sounds ever is when the two of them are giggling. I wish everyone could hear it! Alex can roll over (finally) with ease both ways, and is better and better at sitting. He loves to bounce around on the floor, too. He can pull himself up pretty well if you offer him your fingers, and loves to stand up and try to walk with help. He reaches and “climbs” over barriers to get what he wants, so it probably won’t be long until he’s crawling!
Patrick’s vocabulary and grasp of language continues to explode. Even when I don’t think he’s listening or paying any attention, he is absorbing new sayings all the time. We (or at least I am!) are especially pleased that he is using proper language (pronouns and verb tense), and you can actually have a conversation/dialogue with him most of the time! His new funny sayings are: “I’m busy right now,” “I don’t think so,” and “No pository (for suppository), either!” We re-energized potty training this week, and he is doing very well…I think putting him in regular underwear seems to be motivating him. We had one accident yesterday, but the successes far exceeded that! He is very proud when he can do it. I wanted him to be more excited about it so that when he goes to pre-school soon (more on that later), it won’t be so strange for him to go to the potty at school. We will be going to Babies ‘R’ Us later as his reward for pooping on the big potty 3 tims in the last two days!
On Tuesday, we toured a new pre-school that has just opened nearby (I had been searching and searching for one for him that has openings, and this one does, plus is way closer than any of the others!), and Patrick just LOVED it…didn’t want to leave. It was so cute to watch him, and we feel good about sending him. It will be good for him to get some interaction, structure, stimulation, and exposure to new things/foods, and I will enjoy the time with Alex. Since they have open enrollment, we don’t have to wait until fall to begin, so he will probably start going the week after next (after some more potty training focus and hyping up being away from home for 3 mornings a week). I will sure miss him, but it will be so good for him to have something to do when I am busy in the mornings with Alex! We are also taking a sign language class at the Jacksonville Zoo one morning a week for the summer, and hopefully Patrick will be more attentive next week! It’s been nice to have activity/a schedule, but it will take some time to get into a good groove now so that naptime isn’t disrupted as it was a bit this week (well, one day it was the fault of the tree service who finally came by to cut down our big dead pine tree (which has been dead since we moved in!) - all that heavy equipment, chainsaw noise, and clean-up noise isn’t conducive to peaceful napping!).
Mark will be out of town a couple of days this week, but luckily does not have to travel to Boston the following week and is not going on his golf trip as planned. So, he will be around when my sister and nieces are here for a few days. We are really excited for their visit! Then, it won’t be long until we take a road trip to Aiken for the 4th of July (Patrick keeps telling Nana and Papa and Grandma and Grandpa that he wants to go to their house)…it works out well, since Mark now will go to Boston that following week, and maybe his flight arrangements will be easier now being close to two airports!
Well, Mark and Patrick are home from the Gym (which I guess today will be Patrick’s last class for a while since they have way too many kids in the class and aren’t doing anything about trimming the number - it’s too difficult and overwhelming for him, and it’s not enjoyable), so I better close. We hope everyone is enjoying summer! Until next time…
2009-06-13 15:29:19 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for June 5, 2009
Well, I’m going to take advantage of a double-napping and the fact that all of my house work/chores are done and get the blog written before the weekend for a change! It was a hectic week, and we are ready for the weekend!!
Alex woke up on Monday with a strange rash and was throwing up, so we made another trip to the doctor (the nurse is starting to recognize us!). Luckily, it was nothing serious, and they were able to adjust his antacid medication, and he’s been less spitty since then. We are still hoping that he will outgrow this reflux soon, since in most cases, it goes away by age 6 months. Alex had one really excellent night of sleep this week, so we were very hopeful/optimistic that it would start a trend, but he was back to his old ways last night, so we will try again with sleep training tonight…unfortunately for Mark, since he gets to be the one to respond when he cries at night. We know he’s got more teeth coming, but his gums don’t feel as “ripe” as they did a couple of weeks ago when his bottom teeth popped through. It just seems like it’s always something for Alex!
Alex is getting more and more stable with sitting, and has taught himself how to catch his own falls (with his elbows). He is so close to being able to roll over from back-to-front, and can pull himself up from a laying down position if you just give him your fingers to grasp. He loves to stand up and bounce all around, and when he is on his belly and not fussing, he tries to lunge forward as if to take off crawling. He so wants to keep up with Patrick (probably because he’s tired of Patrick stealing his toys and leaving him there defenseless), that he’ll probably do the big things earlier than Patrick, as is typical for the non-oldest! Alex is also getting more chatty and giggly…it’s fun to see his personality develop.
Patrick has been singing up a storm. His favorites are “The Alphabet Song,” “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” “Pat-a-Cake,” “Hey, Diddle, Diddle,” “Jingle Bells,” “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” “Old McDonald,” and his My Gym welcome and goodbye songs. If only he didn’t clam up when we get the video camera out, we’d have some great footage for Fox when they show how the American Idols got their start in singing! We’re really amazed that he can remember the words and get the tunes mostly right!
Patrick has also added some funny phrases to his vocabulary this week. If we ask him if he wants something and he doesn’t, he’ll say, “No thank you. Thank you asking.” Last night, in total imitation of Mark, he said, “No thank you. I don’t care for any.” The funniest is when we jokingly ask him if he wants a suppository when he’s struggling with his constipation, and he’ll say, “No thank you. Thank you asking.” He is a little negotiator…when I tell him that it’s time for his nap, he’ll stick up a couple of his fingers in a gesture mode, and say…”few more minutes, Mommy. Few more minutes.” He is always saying he wants to go to Babies ‘R Us to see the Thomas train set and the big cars, and we’re always telling him he can go if he poops on the potty or eats something new (since he still is on a chicken nugget jag), and then he’ll respond, “I don’t want to go to Babies ‘R Us, either” (”either” is on just about every negative sentence he says). I think once Alex is sleeping better and I’m more on top of my game, I will be tackling potty training so that we can be done with diapers for one of them by the end of summer!
The week was hectic this week, too, because we’ve had some sad news about my grandma. She has been declining for the past several months, but has deteriorated to the point that she can no longer walk, eat solid food, or do much for herself. Hospice is coming in to her nursing home twice a week, but nobody knows how much longer she has (she’s 2 weeks away from her 99th birthday). My parents left for Iowa on Tuesday, and my mom (the saint that she is) stayed all night with her in the nursing home to make sure she was o.k. and getting good care. Now that hospice is involved, they will be monitoring her medication, and there will be no more “anti-psychotic drug cocktails” like the one she was recently on that made her unable to do most anything, and caused her to sleep for 36 hours straight after she got off of them. My parents didn’t want her to be alone if she were to pass away since she was doing so poorly, and I think they feel better about the status of things there seeing things first-hand rather than hearing reports from various nurses. They’ll be going back in a couple of weeks when the rest of my dad’s family is planning to be in Iowa to celebrate Grandma’s birthday. Hopefully, they’ll be able to reschedule the trip to Asheville, NC that they had planned to celebrate my mom’s 60th birthday on Sunday! Happy Birthday, Mom! Thank you for the great example of kindness and selflessness you show to us in so many of the things you do!
Well, I think that pretty much summarizes the week. Maybe this weekend, we’ll head back to the beach since both boys seemed to like it so much (we went there to scope it out since we’d never been since we moved here - and it’s so pleasant there in the heat!). Next week, we’re looking forward to touring a pre-school for Patrick (one that is nearby and has openings!)…he really needs some diversion that I just can’t give him at the moment while Alex needs so much of my time and attention! And it’s less than 3 weeks until my sister and nieces arrive for a few day visit.
Until next time…
2009-06-05 18:51:03 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for May 30, 2009
Alex is 7 months old today! Where does the time go? It’s been a busy, hectic, and eventful couple of weeks since the last entry. I really haven’t had time to even think about doing the blog! Alex was really suffering with this past ear infection, but he finally got the tooth (now teeth) we’ve been waiting on for months since the doctor first told us at his 4 month check-up that he was teething. The first one made its appearance on Monday, and the second on Thursday. Although Alex was a good bit later to get his first tooth, he caught up to Patrick by getting the second so quickly. Let’s hope that the 3rd one doesn’t take 3 months like it did for Patrick! Alex is much happier now that the teeth are through and he’s done with at least one of his medicines…he really hated having droppers and syringes forced in his mouth so much, and we hated it, too! Because the teeth came through and his ear infection is gone (or so we hope!), we were able to resume/restart sleep training for him when Mark got home from Alabama on Thursday. Alex has responded really well so far…he was up only a couple of times for long stretches the first night, and once he finally settled down after going to bed last night, he only woke up for his feeding at 12:30AM. He had a 5+ hour stretch of sleep…something we don’t think he’s ever done! Hopefully it will only get better from here, and we can get into a good schedule/groove here with both boys’ routines.
My parents came last Sunday and stayed until Thursday, which was a lot of fun. Patrick was very sweet with both of them (”thank you so much for coming!” he’d tell them) and enjoyed having extra people to take him to the park, etc. when Alex was napping. Alex seemed to take to them, as well, and they agreed that he’s a different baby since the last time they saw him in mid-April before we knew he had reflux. He’s a lot more interactive and playful now, too, since he can sit well by himself, reach for toys, and babbles/talks. It was fun to watch everyone enjoying each other, and I really appreciated the extra sets of hands while Mark was away!
Patrick continues to make us laugh every day with what he says and knows. His new favorite things to say are, “wait, wait, wait. I need that” and “I know that” (when we tell him he’s not supposed to be/allowed to do something), and “Bye, Alligator” (his version of “See you later, Alligator”). He LOVES to go into his room and read books, and he amazes us with how much of the books he can remember and get the dialogue right with the pictures. I will often call out to find out where he is to discover he’s sitting on the floor by his bookshelf with a pile of books near him. He recognizes a good number of letters, so we are happy he’s so interested in those kinds of things.
Patrick understands other people’s feelings, too. It’s so cute when he is playing with Alex and comes running, “I made him happy” (when Alex laughs or smiles). Most of the time, he plays well with Alex. He is a little too possessive of his things for our liking, and still seems to always want whatever Alex has, even if it is some totally baby toy! That’s typical 2-year-old behavior, though. We forget sometimes that he’s only two because of the way he acts most of the time, but then we are reminded when he has a meltdown, like he did last week when he didn’t want to come home from church…that one was a doozy!
We are happy that the terrible rainy weather we had for over a week has passed and we’re now more into the typical summer pattern of very brief showers every now and then. It’s hot during the day, so it’s tough to get outside, so we will have to come up with some new activities! We went swimming one day this week while I had help, and Alex really loved that. We’re hoping to get both Alex and Patrick into infant survival swimming lessons, so they’ll get some pool time every day when those start up. Patrick was really excited to go watch them yesterday, and didn’t want to leave…hopefully that enthusiasm will carry over into the actual lessons, which we hear can be tough!
Well, Alex has woken up from his morning nap (although it’s cute to listen to him talking over the monitor), so I better close. We hope that everyone is enjoying the start of the summer season and doing well! I will try to get the May pictures loaded into Kodak and sent out tomorrow for those who get the monthly photos. Until next time…
Entry for May 19, 2009
I’m going to try to keep this entry brief so that I can go get some rest while I have a good, overlapping double napping! Alex has another ear infection, so his sleeping has suffered the past few days again (right after we got him trained, he got my cold, and since then, things have just gotten worse), so we are all very tired. Patrick has had a couple of long wakeful periods at night the past week or so, and he always wants Mark then, so he’s run-down as well and not feeling well. Patrick also got my cold, but has recovered quickly and taken it all in stride (never once complained, even when I was chasing him around with a tissue). Poor Alex just can’t catch a break. We go back to the doctor on Friday for his reflux check and re-do polio shot, and then hopefully that is it for him until his 9-month check-up!
The doctor was amazed today at how strong Alex is…he didn’t want her looking in his ears or removing his ear wax at all, and made it really tough for her. She said she swore she was wrestling with a 2-year-old! He is sitting up really well now, and bounces/bops while he’s sitting, and can reach really far to grab things he wants - he’s starting to get that “pincer” grasp down pat. Alex only gained one ounce in the past two weeks, but she said to be concerned about his weight, she’d have to see a big plummet, and that if he’s not been feeling well, that would explain his slow gain. I know I shouldn’t worry about it, but like Mark told me today…”you will, because it’s Alex at stake.” I just want him to thrive and be well, and I feel sometimes like I’m not giving him what he needs to do that!
Patrick is still amazing us with what he knows and understands, and the complex things he’s able to connect. He can recite verbatim some of the pages in his favorite books (even when we aren’t even looking at the book), knows all the words to “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” (even though we don’t sing that so much - and he has an amazing in-tune tone for a toddler!). He remembers things we told him days ago, and is always telling us, “Daddy/Mommy says such-and-such.” His sentences are getting longer and more detailed, too. He told me last week that I needed to focus when we were doing something (and I’m not the one who tells him to focus!). He has had a big breakthrough (although seemingly very temporary) in potty training, so as soon as Alex’s sleeping is fixed again, I’m going to work on potty training. I think the diet challenge will be slower, and from everything I’ve read, his behavior is totally typical of a toddler and that we are doing all the things we can to promote a healthy, varied diet!
The weather here is just miserable this week, so it will be a long week if we can’t get out. It was really terrible taking them out to the doctor today, so I don’t plan to repeat that if I don’t have to. Patrick just loves to get outside, and it’s a nice break of the monotony of staying indoors for him, so I’ll have to get creative with how we spend the time inside to keep him entertained! So, I’d better go rest so I can get the ideas flowing! Hope everyone is well.
Until next time…
2009-05-19 18:17:56 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for May 9, 2009
Happy Mother’s Day! It seems like we were just celebrating Mother’s Day last year (when we didn’t even know yet that Alex was a boy), and here it is again already!!
Since the last entry, we’ve had a busy and eventful time. Alex made some progress on his daytime sleep, and we were successful in cutting out his frequent middle-of-the-night feedings with some training, so now he only eats once between bedtime and wake up (usually around a 12-hour span). Things got worse, though, with his night-time sleeping in that he was waking up all the time and staying awake for hours at a time…and the only way he would sleep is if he were being held and rocked. It was like there was some kind of sensor on his body that went off whenever it touched his crib…even if he was snoring asleep in our arms! So, neither Mark nor I got a lot of sleep earlier this week, and were stiff and sore from sleeping in a glider! Luckily, Alex is responding well and quickly to our additional sleep training efforts (waiting to respond to his crying until a progressively larger amount of time has passed each time)…last night, he was only awake twice - once to eat (in which he went right back down to bed (although very awake)), and the next time he cried for quite a while, but eventually settled. It should be only a couple more days until he’s hopefully not waking up at all…and we are all sleeping better!
We enjoyed having Grandma and Grandpa here last weekend. It was fun to watch them enjoy Patrick and Alex and to watch Patrick eat up all of the extra attention. He loved having extra playmates and new things to check out! They went to the zoo on Sunday, and Patrick got to feed a giraffe. It was neat to hear him tell me about what they did and saw, and he’s still talking about “Grandpa’s car” that he got to ride in a few times (he thinks every white crossover is “Grandpa’s car” now since that’s what the rental car was). The boys have both changed a lot since the last time they visited, and Patrick is communicating a lot more/a lot better than he was then!
Alex had his 6-month check-up this week, and weighed in at just over 19 pounds (75th percentile) and 28.5 inches (which I think they measured about 0.5 inch too short - 97th percentile). The doctor was very attentive to our concerns about him (that something is bothering him/upsetting him/causing him pain), and is treating him for GERD (which we suspect he’s had all along - that his colic wasn’t colic (since I’m learning that pediatric gastroenterologists are coming to believe that there is no such thing as colic - that most babies who cry like that have a legitimate ache/pain/symptom that can be treated) but reflux. He’s been nursing better since he started on the antacid (which he hates the taste of!), so that’s been encouraging. We decided we couldn’t wait too much longer to try to fix his sleeping since it’s important that he get good rest to feel better (and that we wouldn’t be any good to him or Patrick if we’re not rested!), so we started that now despite the advice from the pediatrician. We go back on May 22nd for a check-up, and we’ll take it from there. His front two bottom teeth look like they’re ready to pop through at any time (we’ve been waiting for months - and that could be causing some of his sleep problem, too). He has been enjoying solid foods, although he’s not as excited about everything as Patrick was. He HATES peas, and doesn’t care for pears so far. We still have several more fruits to try, too.
Patrick is a very busy boy…always into something. He amazes us all the time with his vocabulary and ability to connect thoughts and concepts. I’ve been spending a good bit of time trying to find a pre-school program for him, which would be good for his socialization, learning to share, etc., and would give me some time to go do things like Kindermusik with Alex. A lot of the programs are already booked for the fall, and one that we found requires complete potty training for the 2-year-olds (no help provided at all), which is a bit unrealistic (so that’s probably why nobody is enrolled yet!), so he may have to do a program at a day-care center, which may be good since they operate year-round when most are closed in the summer…it has become too hot for us to go to the park every afternoon now, and the mornings are often too dewy to enjoy the equipment or we don’t have too much time to play before it’s time for Alex’s morning nap. We’re going to try to create a little playgroup for one afternoon a week so the afternoons don’t get so long by not having anything to do, and we start that with one of his little friends from the park this week. I need to look into swimming lessons for both boys, too, but that will need to be a weekend activity since I can’t manage both boys in the water myself, and again it’s too hot to do things in the afternoons here now.
Once Alex is sleeping better, we’re going to devote some concentrated effort on Patrick’s potty training, and then I’m going to tackle his diet…he eats a good breakfast, but lunch and dinner are a struggle. He won’t eat anything but chicken nuggets, so I’m going to have to devote some time and energy (and be prepared for the resultant outbursts or tantrums) to broadening his menu!
Well, now that both boys are peacefully napping, I’m going to make my weekly run to the grocery store, which is a lot easier without trying to finagle both of them into a cart and without Patrick pointing everything out to me and telling me he wants to have it (and then won’t eat it when we get it home!). Until next time…
2009-05-09 18:06:20 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for April 30, 2009
It’s hard to believe that Alex is 6 months old today…the time has gone by so quickly (even in our very sleep-deprived state, which you would think would make things seem to drag!). We have been sleep training him to fall asleep on his own/by himself the past couple of weeks (naps since last week, bedtime since Monday), and he’s learned really quickly. The naps are hard because a lot of the time, Alex has an extra stimulator in Patrick around…Patrick wants to play with Alex’s books, sit in the chair with us, rock us, or otherwise be his curious 2-year-old self, which doesn’t always create the most tranquil nap training environment! But, even with that, Alex is doing really well and on a pretty predictable/reliable schedule during the day. Nights had been really tough, as he’d wake up 3 or 4 times wanting to eat…we’re working on cutting those down/out, and he’s doing really well. He’s eating solid food now, which he seems to really enjoy (except peas and rice cereal)…he is a messier eater than Patrick was, so we’re wondering if that will translate into a character trait for him (Patrick is a total neat freak still!). But, he’s almost as enthusiastic as Patrick was about solid food. We were joking the other day that maybe this will mean that Alex is a less picky eater when he’s older, since Patrick has a very limited diet these days as a toddler, and his gusto for food as an infant didn’t seem to allow him to avoid that common toddler problem!
Alex is sitting up pretty well by himself…he is still wobbly, but can catch and right himself some of the time, and he’s started to reach for toys in front of him. He’s very good with his hands, and can pick up and transfer objects easily. We were very excited that this weekend, he finally drank out of a sippy cup that we had been putting in front of him for a couple of weeks to get him used to the idea. Since he stopped taking bottles almost 2 months ago, we are relieved that he has another way to get nourishment if something were to preclude me from feeding him the way he’s used to! And Alex just LOVES Patrick…he lights up whenever he sees him…Patrick can instantly change Alex’s mood when he’s fussy. Patrick is mostly still very sweet with Alex, and is always excited to see him when he wakes up. Patrick is just having a little trouble understanding “mine” and “his.” He thinks everything is his, and just loves to take things from Alex. We keep telling Patrick to get ready for the day in the not-too-distant future when Alex sticks up for himself and clubs him. Alex is about 20 pounds now (and 29 inches), and Patrick finally moved off the 25 pounds he had been at for so long to 27 pounds (about 35 inches) - so it really won’t be long until Alex catches Patrick!
We are getting Alex’s 6-month portraits taken tomorrow morning, so I will try to get the website updated with some more recent pictures this weekend or next week when I have a double-napping.
Patrick continues to amaze us with his verbal skills and comprehension. He does/says something new all the time…I wish I had the time to write everything down so I could share all the funny stories! He can count to 15 (sometimes skipping 4). He loves to sing now, and regularly regales us with the alphabet song (not missing a single letter), songs from his Gym class, and “Jingle Bells” (which we woke up to on the monitor the other day…”Watch this, Daddy…Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…”). He will spontaneously burst into song - some that we hardly ever sing or he rarely hears, but he somehow knows the words (maybe he remembers from infancy - he has been finishing the phrases of the bedtime/naptime song I used to sing for him and now sing for Alex). He regularly tells me, “no singing, Mom” if I try to sing along to the CDs in the car. Patrick also loves to sit in his room with his books and read…his favorite of late is “Green Eggs and Ham,” which he can read by looking at the pictures (and remember because we’ve read it to him so many times!). We’re really thrilled that he turns to books and can be content being quiet reading! Patrick is also a little sponge when it comes to new phrases…this morning he told me he “changed mind” when he wanted to do something other than what he had just told me he wanted to do. He will often tell me, “Daddy (or whoever it is) says…” when he repeats it or uses it himself. He reminds us to pray at supper time, and whenever/wherever he sees/feels some standing water, he dips his hand in and says, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” while signing himself (mostly correctly).
That’s not to say that Patrick doesn’t also enjoy the typical toddler rambunctious things…he loves to have us chase him around the house, play “tackle” with his nerf football, and just loves to go to the park in the afternoons. He gets braver and braver every week with trying new things…probably from his Gym class and from wanting to keep up with everyone else.
We are looking forward to having Grandma and Grandpa visit this weekend…a lot has changed in the 2.5 months since they last visited, and it’s always fun to watch interactions! Hopefully, Alex’s sleep will continue to improve, and our house will be a tranquil, restful place to stay!
Until next time…I’m off to catch some rest while I have the opportunity and nothing really pressing diverting me from a nap…
2009-04-30 19:10:27 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for April 19, 2009
Well, it’s been an eventful, sleep-deprived couple of weeks, so I’ll try to get this entry completed while Alex is napping and Mark and Patrick are grocery shopping! We had a nice and quiet Easter - Patrick enjoyed finding his Easter basket, but also thought he should get to have the things in Alex’s basket, too…he thinks everything is his, and even things that aren’t, he takes away from Alex as if they are so interesting to him (probably because they are new) even though they are baby toys! He does have his moments when he’ll give Alex something else to play with (since Alex doesn’t really care yet) if he takes his toy away. We know he understands the concept of sharing, because he will proudly tell us when he has shared something with someone!
Alex is still not sleeping great and seems to eat constantly. His ear was clear at his doctor check-up on Tuesday, so we know that is probably not what is keeping him up at night. Last night was a great night for Alex…he only woke up twice and settled right back down to sleep (the norm lately seems to be that he wakes up 3-4 times, and at least one of those times, he’s up for more than an hour). It seems like when we started him on solid foods (at the suggestion of the doctors, who said he needs more calories and that should help him sleep better), his sleeping has really deteriorated. I suspect that he has some digestive problem based on that information and the fact that he doesn’t nurse very long and his behavior when he does eat (arching his back, pulling off/relatching, etc.), but we are struggling to get the doctors to entertain that idea. Mark made this beautiful chart to show the doctor on Tuesday (I had been logging Alex’s behavior on eating and sleeping for a whole week), and she seemed to think that this was all normal and that it was time for us to let him cry at night when he wakes up wanting to eat. My gut is telling me that he is legitimately hungry (based on how aggressively he eats during the night), and that crying it out is not the answer right now…we tried it for a few minutes on Friday night, and he gets himself so hysterical that he heaves and takes forever to settle down! Mark and my parents (who were here for a few days to help so I could go do all my doctor check-ups without having to subject the boys to lots of waiting rooms and exam rooms) have been very supportive of me even in my extra-sensitive, sleep-deprived erratic moments (which have been quite frequent these days!)…so I will just have to find a way to make the doctors listen. I have been surfing the internet in my spare time, and I called a lactation consultant a couple of weeks ago, and she told me that based on my answers to her many probing questions, that Alex is just hungry (as I knew). I don’t know what Alex’s problem is, but I know there is something wrong - he should be able to sleep better, eat less often, and be happier about both by this point in his life!
Alex is sitting up now pretty well with a spotter. He also loves to stand on your lap and be pulled up from a seated position to standing. We got the Exersaucer out of storage so he could play with it since we know his legs and back are strong enough…and he loves it (as does Patrick, who regales us with lots of song and dance when he plays with that feature on the saucer). He is getting better and better with his hands, and loves to play with his pacifier upside down. It is so fun to watch him watch Patrick, and to watch the two of them make each other giggle. I wish I had a video last night of them as they were both getting ready for bed…it was a giggle-fest, and SOOO cute!
Patrick has made so much progress on potty training that we’re hardly using diapers now (training pants are much faster to get off, and he loves to run around in just those). He regularly tells us he wants to pee on the potty, and if we ask, he usually wants to go. He’s pooped once on the potty (and we know that will be the harder one for him to master since he’s had so many issues with constipation because of his refusal to eat much of anything that’s really good for that!), and yesterday told me he needed to poop while we were out to lunch at Chick-fil-A…once he saw the size of the toilet and I placed him on it, he refused to go (not surprisingly). Anyway, we don’t think it will be long and Patrick will be completely trained. Nana and Papa bought him some big-boy underwear, so he’s all ready for those days!!
Patrick’s verbal skills continue to explode. He can recite/sing the entire alphabet song without missing a letter (complete with a bow and a “thank you very much” at the end, whether or not we applaud), and has so many sentences in his repertoire, some of which are really hilarious! One day this week, he was playing in the shower of the spare bedroom…he put his hand in the drain, and said, “In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (or something that closely resembled that)…I couldn’t help but chuckle! Yesterday, at church, he kept saying, “I’m glad to see you, Papa,” and “Nice shirt” to my dad (he came in a separate car so he could get gas in their car to go home today!). He is using his manners pretty well, and the one funny thing that he refuses to say correctly is “smell” - he will say, “nose it” instead, no matter how many times we correct him or explain it to him! He loves to pretend, especially pretend talk on the phone, where he does a killer imitation of Mark talking to his mom (except he substitutes, “Mark” instead of “Mmmooommm”).
Well, neither of the boys is napping now (I had to leave and come back to the blog after a few hours)…Patrick took a really short nap, so it will be an interesting evening, and Alex is content sitting in his Bumbo seat and looking around for the moment. Maybe he’ll have to get his nap on the go this afternoon, as if he’s tired enough, he’ll usually fall asleep in the car or stroller! We’re hoping Alex’s sleep continues to improve after last night’s drastic improvement (if not, we’re reading up on ways to change it quickly!), and are looking forward to a quiet week…we’ll have a nice celebration of Mark’s birthday on Wednesday, nad will hopefully be able to get outside more after the trend of cooler and stormy weather we’ve been having!
Until next week…
2009-04-19 18:48:12 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for April 7, 2009
I have a “rare” double-napping, but since I never know how long those will last and I really need a nap myself, this update will be quick. I’m hoping that reflecting on things the last couple of weeks will help clear my mind and help me rest easier!
Much of my time lately has been consumed by Alex…he got an ear infection last week (and like Patrick, we really had no idea it was his ear - we just knew something was wrong/that he wasn’t himself), and so has been crankier than usual…he’s not sleeping well (even worse than his already terrible pattern for his age), so that has Mark and me pretty exhausted, especially when Patrick wakes up in the middle of the night (like he did today - at 4:40AM, he wanted out of his crib for the day!). He has been eating CONSTANTLY, which had me thinking that there must be something wrong with him since a baby his age should be able to go longer stretches between feedings, and this isn’t really one of the ages that the typical growth spurts occur…or something wrong with me and my milk that it’s not satisfying him. He weighed in at 17 pounds, 15 ounces last Wednesday, so he’s gaining weight, but not at the pace he had been (which I guess is o.k.). I was searching the internet in vain in the few minutes I could while he wouldn’t fuss on my lap to try to find an explanation, and then I just called the Lactation Consultant at the hospital where he was born. She asked me a lot of questions to “get to the bottom” of what’s going on, and reassured me that he doesn’t have anything like reflux…he is just really efficient at getting the milk so that’s why he doesn’t nurse very long. And, he just has higher calorie needs, and that’s why he wants to eat all of the time. She suggested we keep trying with the solid foods (which hasn’t gone as famously as it did with Patrick, who ate anything and everything and large quantities of it!) to satisfy him, and we’re doing that…but it doesn’t seem to be making much difference! Last night was one of the worst nights ever, and I’m feeling totally inadequate in addition to completely exhausted. I can’t remember the last night I got a good night’s sleep!!!
Despite all of this, Alex does have a lot of happy moments…you should see how proud he is of himself when he supports his weight on his legs (while on a lap); how he just loves to blow spit bubbles and chatter; how he can sit in the tripod position now (we think he’s just skipping rolling over from back-to-front and moving on to the harder things!); and how he can get his pacifier into his mouth from the little tether. And he just loves to watch Patrick…when he laughs, it’s usually at something Patrick is doing. And Patrick just loves Alex. The only thing we struggle with now regarding their interaction is Patrick wanting all of the toys to himself, even ones that were never previously his and that are “baby” toys that he shouldn’t be interested in…we know this is typical toddler possessiveness, but it still bugs us!
Patrick’s vocabulary and language/comprehension continues to explode. He’s mostly speaking in sentences, and often gets the correct pronoun and verb tense…he’s never referred to himself by his name like a lot of other toddlers do…it’s always “I” or “me” with Patrick. He also seems to be picking up on other people’s feelings, and can describe them from facial expressions or tone of voice…and he’s not supposed to get that until he’s three years old according to the experts! The last couple of days when I’m making his lunch, he will say, “Mommy, lunch? Eat together?” It’s so sweet!
Patrick has also been very interested in using his potty a lot more. This weekend, we had him in training pants the whole weekend, and he went every time we asked him to, and a couple of times asked us to go…so we know that he understands the “flow” of things and can control it somewhat. He gets so excited when he pees that he jumps off the potty to show us, and then when we react very enthusiastically as we should, he wants to do it some more. So, our next mission will be to get him to sit there until he’s completely finished!! Since he is more often than not constipated, we need to fix that or we know that the final battle with toilet training will be a long and tough one because he won’t want to use the potty! Since he’s still on a really boring diet that doesn’t include many vegetables, we’re trying to find the right mix of fiber and doctor-advised methods to get him regular and more comfortable. We are very pleased with his progress since he is still on the young side for a boy to be potty trained, and it’s tougher for me to really focus on it since Alex requires so much of my time!
We enjoyed having my college roommate, Amy, visit us for a day or so while she was in Florida for a medical conference. Patrick loved having a new playmate, so much that he would dismiss me to another room if I tried to join in! He is still asking about “Dr. Amy” and Logan, so it’s clear he has a good memory! My parents will be visiting next week for a few days so that I can go more easily to some long-overdue doctor check-ups (although if Alex keeps up this constant eating and refusal to take a bottle, I will have to take him with me!), and it will be nice having them here with us. We’ve been lucky to have so much company the past few weeks!!
Well, I think I can go lay down now with a clearer head…and both boys are still sleeping, so I should take advantage while I can! We wish everyone a Happy and Blessed Easter! Until next time…
Entry for March 25, 2009
Whew!! It’s been a very hectic and eventful week…I’ll type fast and hope not to miss anything, since I never know how long I’ll be able to enjoy a double-napping like I have been for the last 40 minutes or so!
Patrick got his first experience with a violent stomach bug last Wednesday night…we are lucky that he made it to almost 2 years old before he got such a bug, but it was still rough. He didn’t know what was going on, but was really brave and tough through all of it. His sleep suffered, and that affected his attitude/demeanor, and made the rest of us tired, too. I ended up catching it on Friday night, but was feeling better by Sunday…when Alex got it. It was much scarier for him (and us), I’m sure, because his diet and fluid intake is so exclusive at the moment. At least with Patrick, we could get him to drink things even when he wouldn’t eat (and he only just started eating like his normal self yesterday!)…with Alex, we had to work really hard to make sure he didn’t get dehydrated. Luckily, he seems to be doing better…although the past two nights before bedtime, he has started screaming again like his old self!
We had visitors from Michigan for the weekend, and it was fun to see Logan (just 2 months older than Patrick) and Patrick interacting…and to see that Patrick’s eating habits that have been causing us some stress seems to be normal toddler behavior! They had the usual issues with wanting a toy or something just because the other had it, but were working very hard on sharing and offering things to each other. They were all hugs when it was time to say “goodbye,” and Patrick is still asking for Mr. Greg, Miss Melanie, and Logan! If they hadn’t been here, Patrick’s birthday would have been an even bigger yawner…he didn’t sleep much the night before (since I woke him up while I was getting sick in the middle of feeding Alex), and was still fighting off the bug. Mark and I think he had his career worst crabby day ever on his birthday…he’s never cried or whined so much before, and he wasn’t interested in doing anything! We postponed his “party” until Sunday, or he might have even melted down more with more kids touching his stuff and wanting his things! We went to the Zoo on Sunday, and he really enjoyed that. Mark said last night that poor Patrick has been to the Zoo a few times, but most of the time when he isn’t feeling well! Hopefully, all of these bugs are behind us…and maybe we’ll leave Patrick at home when Alex goes for his 6-month well-check (although we’re hoping that the new doctor’s office location to a bigger office will help with some of that problem!)!
Since the last update, Patrick is speaking more and more in sentences, and has picked up amazingly on a lot of colloquial phrases (and using them in the correct context). The photographer told me today, “he’s smarter than an average 2-year-old” (which I’m sure she sees a lot of in her business) - he was capable of understanding and following through on “deals” to sit here or there and have his picture taken, and he remembered the promises. He is empathetic and is identifying feelings more and more (when someone cries, he asks if they want a blankie and a Nuk, for example). He was able to tell me the other day that he didn’t feel good and what was hurting him, which we thought was pretty amazing. He has three of his four two-year molars now, so hopefully he will finish up on the teething before Alex starts! We’ve noticed that he is more wakeful at night (as well as chatty and singy in his sleep) just preceding a tooth, so we’ll snoop for the last one as soon as we notice that behavior again!
Alex is trying so hard to pull himself up from laying on his back, and he can sit in the “tripod” position by himself for a few seconds (and he gets this really proud look on his face when he does it). He is really close to being able to roll from back-to-front (his bottom arm just gets a little too much in the way!), and he manages to scoot himself in various directions when laying on his back. He can support a good bit of his (rather substantial!) weight on his legs, so we think he will be a faster walker than Patrick was (also out of necessity). He loves to make spit bubbles and be sung silly songs to…his personality is really starting to take shape! We don’t see any signs of a tooth yet (other than the usual drool), but his hair is getting thicker and longer now. I can take him out of his car seat at the park now since he can support his head and back more easily, and he loves to watch what’s going on around him. I’m hoping I can find time this week to find a family music class that I can do with both Patrick and Alex, since I think Alex would enjoy it like Patrick used to!
My college roommate (and distant cousin), Amy, will be visiting us tomorrow and Friday while she is down from Boston to Orlando for a medical conference. We haven’t seen her since 2004, I think, so we are excited to see her and have her meet Patrick and Alex. She has two nephews, and I’m sure she still remembers how to play, and Patrick will eat that up!
Well, I had to interrupt this blog post with a feed for Alex (who went right back to sleep like he does at night), so I’d better close so I can get some more of Patrick’s portraits loaded onto the website. We are excited and blessed to welcome a new baby niece/cousin today…Joe and Adriana welcomed their baby this morning, and we’re so excited to see more pictures and learn more about her. Patrick wanted to “have it” when I showed him the baby’s picture! Congratulations to them and the rest of the family!
Until next time…
2009-03-25 18:09:55 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for March 17, 2009
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! It’s hard to believe it’s that time already…last year, it was Patrick’s first, and this year, it’s Alex’s! Patrick had his 2-year check-up this morning (including a surprise Hepatitis A shot that he handled like a pro!). He weighed in at 28 pounds, and they measured him at 37 inches, but I think that’s about 1.5 inches too long (since he can still walk below our kitchen counters) - that’s 50th percentile for weight and 90-ish for height, so he’s a tall boy, too! It was our second visit to the doctor since Friday (Alex is still struggling with a cough), so Patrick was well-prepared and cooperative. The developmental sheet said he should know about 40 words and a few two-word phrases…he knows probably 400 words and speaks numerous 5+ word sentences, so we’re obviously pleased by that progress. He’s showing more and more interest in the potty and can deliberately go when he sits on it, so hopefully he’ll be fully trained by the end of summer, especially if he starts part-time at pre-school in the fall like we’d like/think would be good for him. He says or does something to make us chuckle every day, as well as says or does something to amaze us by his grasp or understanding of things. Some funny things he’s doing lately include shrugging his shoulders and saying things like “not yet” and “stop it that.” He also will say “Patrick John” when he hears a frustrating tone or an “Aaawww!” from Mark or me, so he’s connected some dots unbeknownst to us (and we really don’t say his full name so much!)!
Alex is getting better and better with his hands, even figuring out how to get his pacifier back in his mouth by himself sometimes. He really wants to roll from back to front, and when on his belly can scoot around and make the “skydiver free-fall” move showing his back strength. He has more and more personality, and loves singing. His sleep is still very erratic, so it’s been hard to get into a good routine - hopefully when his congestion and cough subside, he’ll start sleeping better. He still eats a lot, but his weight gain pace backed off a little bit - on the 13th, he weighed 17 pounds, 2 ounces…his previous pace of an ounce a day would have had him at 17 pounds, 14 ounces. He’s gotten longer, though, and it seems like every day, I’m saying, “that’s the last time he will fit into this” and tossing his clothes in a pile to donate!
We are excited for Patrick’s birthday weekend. Our friends from Michigan, Melanie and Greg will be here with their 2-year-old, Logan, and some people from the neighborhood are coming by for cake and ice cream (maybe some others…a lot of people didn’t RSVP). We hope the weather cooperates so we can be outside and go to the Zoo on Sunday. Patrick seems to understand the birthday concept, so it should be fun to watch him! It’s hard to believe our baby is turning two…we get his photos taken tomorrow morning, so I will try to get some new ones on our website ASAP!
Until next time…
2009-03-18 17:20:36 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for March 10, 2009
I have a rare double-napping after I’ve already eaten my lunch, so I’m going to take this opportunity to catch-up the blog since we were away all last week. Since Daylight Savings Time has started, our routines have phase-shifted a little bit, giving me less free time in the evenings after bedtime, and Alex has been waking up before 6:30AM, so I don’t have any kid-free time in the morning after my shower now…so this is my chance!!
We had a great time at my parents’ house, although the weather wasn’t as cooperative as we would have liked. We were happy, though, to not be in our house running the heat since we determined we have some kind of irritant in our air system and that is what had been making us not feel well. We hope to get that all squared away this week, one way or another!! Patrick loved having all the extra attention, and Alex started to get really social while we were gone. Mark is always able to notice more than I am all of the little things that are different, especially how much Alex is growing (because he is NOT a little thing!). We really missed Mark, but we know he made good use of his time away, and that Nana and Papa appreciated the quality time with all of us.
I had forgotten to write in the last blog that Patrick gave up his pacifier with absolutely no incident back on February 22nd…I had started poking holes in it and making cuts in the rubber, and he just lost interest in it since it wasn’t the same. He hasn’t really asked for it since the first couple of days after he gave it up. He also got one of his 2-year molars through at some point, so we are especially pleased that he made it through getting that tooth without the Nuk! He does like to carry his blankets around with him more now, but that doesn’t bother me since it won’t affect his mouth or his speech in the future!
“Speaking” of speech, Patrick’s ever-expanding vocabulary and grasp of language continues to amaze us. He uses inflection when he says things like “I didn’t mean to, Mommy” or “Of course, Mommy.” He loves to sit and read books, and he is amazing at recalling the dialogue from pages from his favorites; otherwise, he just sits there and names everything he sees in the pictures. He has also started singing more…the new favorite is a “Night-night” song that Mark made up for before bathtime (to the tune of “Goodnight, Ladies”); Patrick gets into the dramatic gestures as well. Even during the day, he will run around saying, “Night-night, couch. Night-night, dishwasher” (just naming everything he sees as he wanders around). It’s really very comical, and even the pictures I was able to get of him doing it at my parents’ house won’t do it justice!
It’s so hard to believe that Patrick will be 2 in just over a week! The time has flown so quickly, and he has changed so much. He gives us a lot of laughs and joy these days, and not too much frustration, for which we are grateful!
Alex continues to grow quickly, and must be over 17 pounds by now. Almost every time I put him in an outfit these days, I have to say, “well, that’s the last time he can wear this one.” He is already in size 9 months or bigger, and I’ve been able to thrift a lot of things out of his closet already. It just seems so strange to see him in outfits now that Patrick wore at 9 months! I joke to Alex that he doesn’t have to keep growing so much just because he doesn’t want so many hand-me-downs!
Alex rolled over again this week and is very close to being able to do back-to-front, too. He has gotten stronger and more comfortable on his belly in the past couple of weeks, and can scoot around in various directions while laying down (on either side). He also chatters and responds more to talking, and is getting quite the little personality. Since I gave up eating any dairy, he seems more content and less fussy/spitty/gassy. I guess it’s a worthwhile sacrifice, especially since it’s only for the next 8 months or less (he may not be as sensitive to things after he starts on solid food). We did try giving Alex cereal on Sunday, but he really seemed to hate it (screamed a lot!), so we’ll try again next week…Patrick was almost 6 months old before we gave him any solids, so it’s possible that even though the doctor recommends the extra calories as a way to help him sleep better/more, he’s just not developmentally/physically ready for food yet!
Our weather has gotten very nice, so we are looking forward to spending more time outside. We just need to figure out our “regular park time” now that naptime has shifted and Alex seems to be trying to settle into a nap routine himself. It’s really tough since Patrick likes to “help” whenever I take him back to his room to read, sing, and rock. Once Alex figures it out, hopefully it won’t be too long of a routine, and I can “sneak” to do it when Patrick is occupied with something else!
We hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to nicer weather wherever you are! We are excited for our visitors this month!! Until next time…
2009-03-10 17:55:49 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for February 22, 2009
It’s been an eventful week and weekend here! Mark was home sick a couple of days this week (we just can’t seem to shake this cough and respiratory thing I started/got at the beginning of the year - and now think it’s something in our house), so our routine was a little bit altered compared to normal. The weather was cooler, so we weren’t able to get to the park every day, which resulted in a stir-crazy, energy overloaded Patrick!
Alex has been in his own room (which, since it’s freshly and neatly painted, we think is one of the nicest in the house!) since last weekend, but it didn’t result in him sleeping well at night. He hasn’t screamed too much at night, but since he gave that up, he’s been waking up more often hungry. Last night was better - he was only up a couple of times (but he screamed a bit before he went down - now we think there is a definite correlation!). He rolled over (front-to-back) on Tuesday several times, but hasn’t done it again since. I was surprised that he could do it since our tummy time is unfortunately very limited due to the risk of serious injury imposed by having Patrick nearby or because Alex had been very fussy and spitty whenever there was any pressure on his belly. He looked very proud of himself when we cheered him on. Alex had his 4-month check-up a bit early on Friday (Mark says he doesn’t really turn 4 months old since there isn’t a February 30th!), and weighed in at 16 pounds, 8.5 ounces (95th percentile) and measured 27.25 inches (off the chart). The doctor said he’s basically the size of a 6-month-old (and indeed that is about how big Patrick was at 6 months!), and that he’s “a bruiser.” He is also getting 4 teeth soon, which may also be why he’s having trouble sleeping at night (and why he went on a nursing strike one day this week). The doctor said he will be “tall and toothy.” She was very complimentary of how Alex is progressing and the job we’re doing, and suggested that starting him on cereal soon might make him sleep better - since he’s so big, he’s got higher calorie needs and needs to eat more often, and that might be satisfied with some other forms of nutrition than my “supermilk” (her term, not mine!). We waited until Patrick was almost 6 months old to try cereal, so we’re wanting to wait a couple of weeks to minimize the risk that Alex will develop food allergies later in life. He does enjoy sitting in his high chair when we eat (and surprisingly, Patrick likes him to sit there, even though it was his chair not that long ago!), so that’s a good sign. It seems strange to think that he’s ready for solid food already - the time has really flown!!
Alex did well at his appointment despite having to be stuck more times than planned due to two vaccines not getting injected into his leg (the nurse claimed it was the fault of the needles, which we would accept as an excuse if it happened once, but not twice!). They re-administered only one of the vaccines since it was clear none of it got into him, and will catch him up on the other at his future appointments since they didn’t want to give him too much at one time. He was really tough about all of it, and other than being a little fussy on Friday and Saturday morning, has done really well since the shots.
Patrick loved having Grandma and Grandpa here to pay attention to him and to show off to this weekend! It was really fun to watch them enjoy each other and how loving they are together. Patrick talked and talked, and it seems like every day his sentences get more complex - not only with content/vocabulary, but with the ideas he is able to connect. His manners are getting almost effortless (not as much reminding from us), and his pronounciation of things is changing every day (for example, Thomas the Tank Engine was “Pommas” for the longest time, and now he is clearly “Thomas”; “ah pease” (”"Yes, please”) is now more often “Yes, please!”). It’s hard to believe that in just one month, Patrick will be 2 years old!! We are planning a little party with cake and drinks for some of the neighbors who have kids that Patrick loves and hopefully for his new friends (who are all around the same age and living nearby) from the park…the regular moms at the park have become like an informal MOMS Club since we get to chatting and looking forward to seeing each other every day at the park. Our friends from Michigan, Melanie and Greg, will be here that weekend with their little boy, Logan (who we know would’ve been Patrick’s buddy had we stayed in Michigan!), so that will be lots of fun, too. The theme of Patrick’s birthday this year is “Curious George” (I was so happy to see some new episodes on PBS this week - I had started to memorize the dialogue in some of the other/older ones!).
We are looking forward to some time away starting next weekend. We’re taking our first roadtrip with Alex to Aiken to stay with my parents, and Mark will use the opportunity to work in Mobile for the week. Patrick and I haven’t been anywhere since we moved here, and it will be nice to see if we start to feel better when we aren’t in this house! The time away will be good for all of us, but we will really miss Mark…he can really see the changes in Alex when he goes away for a few days, whereas it’s harder for me to notice all of them since I am always around both of them! So, since we’re leaving sometime on Saturday, I may not get back to this blog until we return the following weekend…so, until next time, we hope everyone is doing well and not suffering too much from this rough winter!
2009-02-22 17:29:59 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine’s Day!! The month and year are flying by so quickly…even though at times this week while Mark was away, it seemed to pass so slowly!
I survived o.k. for 3 nights and 4 days alone while Mark was in Alabama. Bathtime and bedtime are still the tough spots, but I was able to manage around it o.k. so that I could give Patrick attention without too much noise/crying from Alex. Patrick seems to most of the time understand that Alex’s needs trump his wants, but it’s not without some whining and tears. Luckily, Patrick is so good about going to bed that it isn’t the battle it could be or that we hear other people have putting their kids to bed. Alex decided to regress on his sleeping, though, so I was lucky if I got 2 hours of sleep at a time. We moved him into his own room last night, so hopefully that will help him…either he’s having a growth spurt (AGAIN!) or getting ready to do something big (like roll over - he’s SO close to being able to go back-to-front (which supposedly is harder than front-to-back)!). He has mostly stopped his nightly screaming, and that has coincided with the more frequent wake-ups during the night. I have concluded that he doesn’t like me to have dairy - he’s much less spitty and gassy since I stopped drinking milk and eating frozen yogurt for dessert! I’ll have to ask the doctor when he goes for his check-up this Friday if there’s another alternative, because I love milk, and I’ve already had to give up food that has tomatoes or is even remotely spicy! Anyway, Alex is a much happier baby more often these days!
Patrick loved that we were able to go to the park every afternoon this week. I’ve been able to make friends with a lot of the moms who are also there a lot and who have kids around Patrick’s age, which has been nice. Patrick will say, “friends - hand - hold” when I mention going to the park (meaning he hopes he can hold his friends’ hands at the park)…he also says “share” since that has become the source of some scolding and discussion with him (either he’s really good about it or really awful!). He amazes a lot of the other moms there with how well and how clearly he speaks - they are shocked that he isn’t even 2 yet! He says something new every day, I think, and has more and more sentences. One of our favorites is, “Mommy/Daddy, where are you?” when he’s awake in his crib and wants out…this is usually followed by a spontaneous rendition of his “Hello” song from the Gym. Even though he wakes up a little early for our liking, it’s funny to hear him wake up so happy and enthusiastic, and we can’t help but chuckle.
We hope the weather next week will be nice so we can continue our afternoons outside at the park. We might try story time at the Library on Tuesday (on the recommendation of some of the other moms at the park), and we are excited to have a visit from Grandma and Grandpa next weekend. In two weeks, we’ll try our first road trip to South Carolina for the week while Mark goes back to Alabama - I know I could use a change of scenery after basically being here since we moved (which was almost 6 months ago already!), and it will do Patrick some good to have something new to do, as well.
Well, I have some chores to do while Alex is still sleeping and Mark and Patrick are at the Gym. Sending love to everyone out there…and good wishes for Aunt Maryann’s speedy recovery from her surgery this week (we’re so glad everything went well!!)…until next week…
2009-02-14 15:59:20 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for February 8, 2009
Since I have a few minutes while Mark is putting Patrick to bed and Alex is sleeping, I thought I’d write the blog for this week since Mark will be traveling this week, and I probably won’t have another opportunity (or the energy to do it!). Luckily, the weather is warming up here, so we won’t be couped up inside all week like we have been for the past couple of weeks…that should make the afternoons/early evenings proceed more peacefully!!
We are all a bit under the weather this week…Patrick must have picked up something from the gym, so then of course, Alex got his sniffles/runny nose. A couple of days later, I felt like I was catching a cold, and then I got a fever and general aches and pains. Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to easily get to the doctor with Mark away, I went in yesterday, and it must be viral (no strep, no influenza)…but the cough I only got a break from for about 5 days is back better than ever, so we’re wondering if it’s something in the house. Mark seems o.k. during the day (when he’s not here), and mine is worse in the evenings/overnight (when the heat is running more often). He replaced the filter on the furnace, so hopefully that will help. If not, we’ll have to try getting the ducts cleaned out or get someone in here to tell us if there’s some kind of allergen or mold in the house that is making us feel so bad!
We got Alex’s 3-month pictures taken this week (check his photo album on this website to see a few of our favorites). It’s hard to believe he’s already 3-months old! The past couple of days, he is screaming a little bit less, and seems to be napping longer/on a more predictable schedule. We had his room painted this week, so we’ll try to move him into his own room next weekend when Mark will be here to help in case Alex’s wakefulness during the night wakes Patrick up. I am looking forward to having Patrick less “present” in our room and going through all of our stuff/creating messes/making mischief when he follows me in there for diaper changes, etc.!! Alex is almost ready to roll-over already, and his head/neck are getting stronger. He can grab at the toys in his little “gym,” and is more engaged in interactions/conversations. He likes to be part of dinnertime (just like Patrick did), so he usually sits on Mark’s lap while we eat…won’t be long and he can sit in his high chair!
Patrick is still chatting up a storm and amazing us with what he knows/says. This week, we saw a spider on TV, and I was telling him about it, when he started singing “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.” I asked Mark if they had sung that at the Gym recently (since those are the other songs he sings quite regularly), but they hadn’t. He must have remembered it from his Hooked on Phonics DVDs that he used to watch a lot of or from the times in the past they sang it at the Gym.
Patrick also had his first casting call this week for a children’s clothing catalog. We didn’t hear back, so we assume he wasn’t selected (it was for a Danish clothing company, so perhaps Patrick’s complexion didn’t quite fit their target market!)…it might be a blessing in disguise, as I would have had to find child care for Alex, and since Mark is out of town, I would have been “in a pickle.” On the plus side, the modeling agency director asked for more pictures of him and Alex, and said he should do well because he can understand directions and communicate well for his age (plus, he’s “so cute”!).
Well, Alex has awoken from his evening little snooze, so I’d better sign off to give him a bath and feed him before bedtime. Aunt Maryann, if you’re reading this as we hear you often do, we’re praying for you and hoping your surgery goes well this week!!
Until next week…
2009-02-09 01:02:54 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for February 1, 2009
Happy February! There is a rare double-napping at the moment, so I am taking advantage of the free time (and hands!). I will type fast, for I never know how long these double naps will last!
Alex turned 3 months old this week already…seems hard to believe that 3 months have past since he entered the world after we waited so long to have him! He is generally happy during the day, but still screams a lot at night. We were hoping that his colic would be over by 12 weeks, but he’s over 13 weeks now, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. It could be worse…he could scream all day long! If he’s still screaming by his check-up on the 20th, perhaps the doctor will have some more insight. He is smiley, active, and content during the day that Mark thinks it’s “him.” I think part of it might be that I spent all of January sick and on and off various medications that seemed to upset him without helping me. Now that I’m off of all of that (and my cough is mostly better even without a diagnosis), he seems to be throwing up less. Alex is definitely more sensitive than Patrick was, but then Patrick “didn’t have a Patrick” vying for our attention or making loud, abrupt, sometimes aggressive movements! Hopefully this is just a phase, and it will make him tougher as he grows up…because he is catching up quickly to Patrick! He weighs at least 15.5 pounds and is over 26 inches long…even though Alex had almost a pound and a half on Patrick for his birth weight, they were the same length, and Patrick wasn’t 26 inches long until over 5 months old! And since Patrick is still hovering at around 25 pounds, Alex is gaining on him! I am taking him for his 3 month portraits on Tuesday morning, and we’re going to dress him in one of the same outfits that Patrick wore for his, so we’ll get a more visual side-by-side comparison!
Patrick continues to amaze us every day with what he knows and absorbs. Today, while we were walking into church, a car passed in front of us. He looked at me and said, “Mommy - car. Four wheels, round and round.” Then, later during Mass, he noticed a man wearing Birkenstock sandals standing in the back of church, and he said, “Daddy’s shoes” (Mark has shoes like that). He notices everything!! As much as he can frustrate me sometimes by getting into absolutely everything and making a mess at the most inopportune times, I know that’s how he’s learning and discovering things. The other day, he heard some people counting on “Sesame Street,” and when they stopped at 8, he continued with “9, 10.” He can get large chunks of the “alphabet song,” and recognizes a good number of letters (even though he confuses some that he should like “m” and “w” sometimes). He LOVES to sing, and whenever he hears music, he’ll start to boogie to the beat. We laugh almost every morning when we hear him on the monitor singing the “Hello” song from his “My Gym” class (which he gets a lot of the words of) while sitting in his crib. He remembers his Kindermusik songs, and he hasn’t been in a Kindermusik class in over 7 months! One frustrating thing that he’s started is taking his pants off several times during the day…don’t get me wrong, I’m happy he knows how to do it himself (”I do it!” must be his favorite sentence, as he wants to do/try everything!), but I wish he would understand that we can’t just run around in a diaper when it’s so cold! Maybe that will be a good omen for potty training in the coming months!
The past week or so has been tough since it’s been chilly and rainy, so we’ve been housebound more than we would like. Since Alex hates his car seat, it’s tough to take him out by myself during the day (like to run errands, etc.) - it’s just easier to stay at home rather than put up with the screaming in the car and even after we’ve gotten to where we’re going…a simple outing to the post office last week was almost too much for all of us to handle! We did go to the indoor mall near here yesterday, and Patrick loved it. He didn’t touch too many things or cause too much trouble, and he seemed enthralled with all there was to look out…now I know we can go there on rainy days if we are bored (especially since they have covered parking!)…as soon as we know Alex won’t scream his head off or when he can hold his head up by himself and we can put him directly into the stroller…
I’ll try to post some of Alex’s portraits later this week when/if I have a chance. Until next time…happy February! I hope the Groundhog is good to all of you in the north who are suffering this winter!
2009-02-01 17:46:55 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for January 24, 2009
This past week was a rough one in so many ways, and we are glad to “put it in the history books” (to steal Mark’s phrase). Mark left on Monday morning to go up to Ohio for a few days for his Nana’s funeral, and I stayed here with Patrick and Alex. We were sad not to be with him during such a difficult, emotional time, and not to get to see everyone up there. It was unusually and unseasonably cold here (but not as cold as everywhere else), so we were housebound during that time, which made for some long days, especially for Patrick. But, we survived without too much trauma…bath and bedtime for Patrick was the hardest, but after the first night, I learned some lessons, and the next two nights went much more smoothly. Patrick was amazingly patient and understanding, putting up with Alex’s whining and screaming, and just going to bed when I couldn’t read to him as long as usual (or at all) - it was almost as if he just wanted the crying to stop like we always do, and the fastest way to achieve that was for him to just go to bed! And to his credit, Patrick didn’t push my buttons too much while Mark was away!
I spent a lot more time than I wanted to going to the doctor this week, as I still have a nagging, hacking cough that is wearing me out and disrupting everyone’s sleep. My blood work all checked out as perfectly healthy/fine, so that was good. The doctor prescribed more medicine to see if I respond to it (taking the “we don’t know what you have, but we’ll see what medicine corrects your symptoms, and then make a diagnosis” approach), thinking perhaps I have reflux. I went for a chest x-ray on Friday, and they found a spot on my lung, which put me in a panic. I had to get a CAT scan for additional views, and the doctor was nice enough to call right away to tell me that it was fine and that the spot the x-ray showed must have been a shadow. The CAT scan also showed that there are no respiratory issues causing the cough, so maybe the reflux diagnosis has merit (even though it totally doesn’t feel like the heartburn I had when I was pregnant both times and feels more like the coughs I’ve had with bronchitis and/or pneumonia). Anyway, hopefully I will stop the coughing and feel myself again soon…it doesn’t usually take me this long to recover from anything…I think I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight in less time than I’ve had this cough (basically all of January).
Patrick does and says new things every day. He loves to sing, and will just spontaneously burst into familiar songs (you might think it’d be tough to decipher what he’s actually singing/saying, but he actually gets most of the words, and all of the important ones!). If he hears music, he’ll start to dance or act like he’s conducting. He is getting the hang of manners more and more, and usually doesn’t require so much prompting for a “please” when he makes a request. I think he thinks that “thank you, you’re welcome” is one phrase, though, so we are working on that! Patrick also started pretend play this week. He gave his doll a bath and pretended to feed and burp him. He also pretend talks on the phone to Papa, Nana, Grandma, and Grandpa, even leaving pauses as if he’s listening or waiting for a question! He amazes us with the connections he makes to things that seem unrelated at first glance, but when we step back to consider them, are perfectly insightful (and that he remembers some of the things to make a connection in the first place!). Patrick also seems to be discovering his body more, and loves to take his clothes off (I don’t know if it’s that he wants to do more things himself or if he thinks it’s funny to run around in a shirt and diaper, even when it’s only 30 degrees outside!). Hopefully this will be a handy trait when we start potty training soon.
Mark took Patrick to the circus today, and he loved it. He came running into the house to tell me about it, and was so cute. I hope that this can become an annual tradition for us. Alex and I ran errands while they were gone - I was able to get to Home Depot for paint swatches (Mark wants to paint Alex’s room before we move him out of ours), to Target for miscellaneous supplies (and to find some pants for Patrick that won’t constantly fall down), and to the grocery store to get groceries for the week. Hopefully tomorrow can be just a fun family day with all of us together!
Alex is “talking” more and more (when he isn’t screaming his head off), and loves to make spit bubbles. He gets really engaged in conversation if we respond to his gurgles and coos, and it’s fun to see his little personality developing. He is growing like a weed…I packed up almost all of his clothes that are less than size 6 months because they don’t fit or it’s not the right season to wear them, and by the time it is, he’ll be too big! He’s getting stronger and stronger, and hardly ever lays still in his crib (he drifts to one side). He can hold his head up while on his belly without getting upset, and almost kicks off my lap when I hold him facing me. He is trying to grab toys on his gym (when he has a chance to play without Patrick interfering or “joining”!), too. He has learned how to put himself to sleep, and is getting better at staying asleep for longer periods at naptime. It’s hard to believe that he’ll be 3 months old this week!!
Well, I am going to take advantage of the fact that both boys are down for the night, and go spend some quiet time with Mark before we both go to sleep. Until next time…
2009-01-25 02:54:09 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for January 20, 2009
This posting will be more of a somber one than usual. Mark’s Nana passed away on Saturday morning during her hospital stay, just a few days shy of her 91st birthday. We are all very sad that we didn’t get to see her recently, and that Patrick and Alex won’t get to know her as we did. We are comforted that she didn’t suffer too long, that her mind was strong up to the end, and that she was surrounded by her children when she died…and that now we have another angel watching over us. We hope that Patrick and Alex inherit Nana’s strong sense of independence and determination and her charity toward others. And maybe they will end up being good cooks and bakers like she was!
We are sad, too, that all of us weren’t able to travel to Youngstown for her funeral; we of course wanted to, but the logistics of getting there were just too overwhelming to pull together unexpectedly and quickly, and none of us are very well-equipped to handle the very cold weather up there. I’m still not recovered from whatever it is I have (I hope to get some answers this week at my follow-up doctor’s appointment), so we didn’t want to get on an airplane and risk a set-back or get the boys sick. So, Mark went alone, and we are instead trying out the “staying home alone” approach, and it’s going pretty well so far. Night-time is the hardest, but I think I learned some lessons from last night that should make tonight’s go better!
Alex is growing every day and is getting more and more interactive. He can hold his head up while on his belly for a good while, and is showing some signs that he’s ready to roll over. He never stays still in his crib, and if he weren’t in a sleep sack (which restrict his legs a bit), he’d have probably done it already! He coos and talks a lot more, and is more responsive to interactions from other people. He is sleeping more on a schedule, and is doing so in his crib more and more; he’s taught himself how to fall asleep, so neither of us have to spend time running back and forth to his crib (which is tough during the day when we have Patrick as a boisterous shadow!) or settling him down at night. He turns 12 weeks old on Thursday, so we are hoping that his colic will subside then (as the experts say it should)!
Patrick does something new every day it seems, too. He is singing a lot (in tune, too!), and has surprised us with his understanding of religious traditions (like trying to say the Sign of the Cross, reminding us to pray before eating, etc.). He seems to say a new sentence every day (the latest one is “I did it!”). Everyone around here (he’s well-known in the neighborhood) thinks he’s growing, and he did seem to weigh more the other day when I had him step on our (albeit inaccurate) scale. His pants still don’t stay up so well, so he’s started just taking them off and running around playing “catch me if you can” in his diaper! His eating seems to be improving (both what and how much), so that’s been a relief!
Well, I hear Patrick waking up, so I will close for now. Until next week…
2009-01-20 12:03:23 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for January 15, 2009
Sorry this entry has taken so long…I’ve been slow to recover from strep throat (which has evolved into a nagging cough), and the boys have been keeping me busy! We got some sad news last week that my 37-year-old cousin and father of three little boys passed away last week while battling an autoimmune disease. It makes us realize how blessed we are to be healthy…his youngest son is only 18 months old, and will never remember his dad. I can’t even imagine how hard it must be for all of them, and how hard it will be to grow up without their dad. I guess it makes us appreciate all of the family time we have together, which is a good bit since Mark’s job is pretty predictable (schedule-wise) and lower stress than our work in the automotive industry was!
And although we’ve all been fighting illness the past few weeks, we know it could be worse. Mark’s Nana has been in the hospital all week with respiratory issues, and we know the cold weather just exacerbates those symptoms. Although it’s the coldest stretch of weather they’ve had here in Jacksonville in 6 years, it’s still nothing compared to what the rest of the country is feeling, and really can’t even be called “cold” since even the lows here would seem balmy to those in the upper Midwest! We hope that everyone else is well and that those who aren’t recover quickly!
Alex is 11 weeks old today, and is starting to develop some definite sleep patterns. He can go 8-hour stretches between feedings at night, and has a defined morning nap. He’s starting to like his crib, and is able to put himself to sleep now instead of being rocked or caressed to sleep all the time! He’s growing and changing fast, and it’s fun to watch his little personality developing. He has belly laughed already (but just once!), and is cooing and making “talking” sounds quite often. I think he probably weighs about 15 pounds now, and is already wearing size 6 months clothes! I need to go through his closet and remove all of the newborn and smaller sizes to make room for the bigger sizes which I had pushed to the edges of his closet, never imagining we’d be getting into those clothes so soon!
Patrick continues to develop verbally, stringing more and more words together into intelligible “sentences.” My mom was here for a few days (which we all loved!), and she was amazed at how he can recognize/read letters, sing songs, and knows a big chunk of the alphabet already. He is transitioning with his naps - his “morning” nap is much later, and sometimes so long that he doesn’t take an afternoon nap, but he’s still waking up a bit early (for my liking!). He’s also eating much better - trying new things (especially more healthy things!), and telling us when he wants something to eat or drink. Hopefully that will continue! We know he’s getting taller because he can reach a lot of things that he never could before and is climbing with ease (typical boy!).
Well, I started this entry when I had a “double napping,” but Patrick is awake earlier than expected, so I need to go attend to him before he makes a tornado out of his room! He loves to throw his quilt and stuffed animals out of his crib when he is awake in there!
Until next time…be well!
2009-01-15 17:50:53 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for January 4, 2009
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it’s 2009 already…the time is really flying! Patrick is 21.5 months old, and Alex is almost 10 weeks old…crazy!
We had a subdued Christmas this year compared to years’ past. Mark got the flu on Christmas Eve Eve (the same day Alex got his 2-month shots), and Patrick got pink-eye the same day. So we had a quiet holiday here at home. It was very nice having Mark at home for so many consecutive days! Patrick enjoyed opening up presents and playing with new things, but otherwise still doesn’t really “get” Christmas. He knows who Santa is and what he says, but doesn’t understand the whole presents thing yet. Alex, of course, didn’t know any better! We dressed him in his “my first Christmas” outfit for a picture only because it was way too warm here for him to wear it much longer than that!
Alex’s check-up went well. He weighed in at 13 pounds, 9 ounces, so is probably over 14 pounds by now (that was 90th percentile), and measured 24 inches (also 90th percentile). He handled the shots pretty well, and is starting to settle into a sleeping pattern. He can go 7-8 hours between feedings at night, but we are still waking up with him to settle him with his pacifier (he’s trying to use his hands to do it himself, but it will be a few months before he’s actually able to do it by himself!). He still has bouts of screaming at night and takes a while to settle down. He sleeps well in his crib at night, but if we try during the day to lay him in there, he will wake up after only a few minutes, so we usually just leave him in his bouncy or car seat, wherever he happens to be when he first fell asleep. I’ll start the “nap training” in a month or two…Patrick didn’t nap well until he was over 5 months old! Alex is starting to smile and “talk”/interact with us, so that’s been fun. We can see his own little personality emerging already.
Patrick continues to amaze us with what he can say and what he understands. His new “favorite” thing to say is “I don’t like it” (which he started when we had to pin him down for eye drops for his pink-eye). He can also say other sentences like, “I do it,” “I like him” (meaning Alex), and “No way!” He is trying to piece together more sentences as he’ll utter 4 or 5 related words and skip the articles or the verb…we’re surprised that he uses tenses and nominative nouns correctly (no “me do it”) since he’s not really supposed to do that at his age. He recognizes a lot of letters, can recite good chunks of the alphabet song, and will say things like “D - Daddy,” “C - Cycle,” “B - Button,” etc. He’s also learning his numbers, colors, and shapes. Everywhere we go, people are surprised that he’s as young as he is because of the way he can communicate and how tall he is. We know he’s getting taller, but is still ver skinny…he has made a few eating breakthroughs this week, though, so hopefully that positive trend will continue!!
While the boys had their illnesses for Christmas, I got mine for New Year’s! I got strep throat to usher in 2009, complete with the high fever that lated a few days and laryngitis. It’s been great having Mark home to help so I can get some rest and recover, as tomorrow and all week, we’ll be on our own again! I hope everyone out there reading has had a healthy 2009 so far!
Until next time…
2009-01-04 16:28:22 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for December 21, 2008
Where does the time go?? It’s been 2 weeks or more since my last posting, Christmas is in 4 days, and Patrick is 21 months old today!! People always told me the time would pass more quickly when we had kids, and that sure seems true!!
We had a wonderful and busy weekend last weekend with Alex’s baptism. The weather was beautiful, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Patrick sure ate up all of the attention, and got to spend good quality time in different bursts with all of the relatives who came since the visits were staggered a bit with the baptism in the middle of the weekend! We loved having everyone, so it was a bit of an emotional “downer” when Monday came around, and we were back to “normal.” That said, it did feel good to (or try!) normal, since we had some breakthroughs on some things that had been frustrating us a bit (Patrick’s eating).
My uncle David did a beautiful job with the baptism ceremony, and Alex was so good through all of it. After the first few minutes, he mostly slept, and didn’t make a peep when the water was poured and the oils were rubbed on him! Patrick was very interested in the holy water - hopefully someday soon he can understand that it’s not the same water like in his bathtub or in the various puddles he finds to play in outside! We got some funny photos of that - the whole thing was one big adventure for him…there was a lot of mischief that he could get into, and if there’s mischief to be found, Patrick will find it!!
Everyone seemed to have a fun time, but we sure missed those from our families who couldn’t make it. We hope that being here gave everyone an itch to visit more often. My sister, Jennifer, and her daughters, Kaylee and Julia (who were very upset that their mom came without them), are hoping to come down this summer while my brother-in-law, Bryon, is fishing, and Mark goes up to Michigan for his “annual” (he missed last year) golfing weekend. That will be great for all of us! We are hoping my brother, Jerry, and sister-in-law, Jenna, will be able to make it down for a visit now that they aren’t moving to France for jobs. And we are looking forward to some time at Hilton Head Island with (hopefully) all of Mark’s family this summer, too.
We got back to “normal” this week, aside from some doctor appointments that we had scheduled. My postpartum check-up went well, and Patrick was a champ at the ophthalmologist on Friday - having his eyes dilated didn’t even seem to bother him in the least, and we were relieved to know that he has no signs of glaucoma (the reason for his visit), vision loss, or lazy eye (as his pediatrician suspected at his 18-month check-up). We spent a few afternoons at the park since the weather was so nice, and it was fun to watch Patrick interact with all of the (mostly older) kids. In those interactions, we are reminded about how sharp he really is, since he communicates a lot more clearly and fluently than most kids who are much older. He says or does something every day to amaze us. I wish I could write all of them down or remember the details of all of them. He’s starting to piece together several words at a time to make “sentences,” and seems to have a very sharp memory. We also had some breakthroughs in his eating, which had been concerning us, this week. He no longer always insists on sitting on someone’s lap to eat, and will sit in his booster seat for 15-20 minutes happily and eat (or at least pick at his food). He tried fish sticks and lo-mein noodles this week, and resumed eating grapes and strawberries, as well. Hopefully, he’ll continue to try more new things and eat well…so his weight catches up to his height! He’s wearing 2T or larger shirts, but still needs 12-18 month-sized pants!
We visited Santa Claus last night since our subdivision had a “Festival of Lights” that included Santa and Mrs. Claus at our club house. Patrick wouldn’t sit on either of their laps (”No! No!” was all he would say to either of them), but we got a photo (including me) anyway. Patrick knows who Santa is and knows he’s connected somehow to toys, but doesn’t want to get too close! He’s been enjoying watching some of the animated Christmas shows that have been on TV lately, and it’s given us a nice break from the usual repertoire of shows he wants to watch.
Alex has made some progress with his sleeping. He wakes up only once during the night now, and can go 6 hours or so between his last feeding and his middle-of-the-night feeding. He has been able to fall asleep on his own a few times during the day (usually his morning nap), but he still often has really fussy periods in the evening (purple-faced screaming for a minute or two at a time for as much as an hour)…hopefully, that will pass as well. During the day, he is generally happy…he smiles and giggles, and makes “talking” sounds, especially if he’s got an eye on a ceiling fan (even if it’s not moving)! We are eager to see how much he’s grown when we take him for his 2-month check-up on Tuesday. I’m sure he’ll handle the shots with no problem - he was so good for his surgery a few weeks ago that the shots should be a piece of cake!
We are looking forward to some quality family time this week, as Mark will be off a few days because of the Christmas holiday. After a day of cold (for here, anyway), the temperatures are supposed to warm back up into the mid-70s again by Christmas Day, so we should be able to get outdoors often, which always improves everyone’s moods! We will miss not seeing the rest of our families, as this will be the first Christmas since we got married that we haven’t been with extended family, but we are looking forward to maybe starting some of our own traditions and to getting more back into normal since we’ve been blessed with so many visitors the past few months! We wish all of you a happy, blessed Christmas!
Until next time…
2008-12-21 16:33:15 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for December 9, 2008
Well, I’m back “on my own” this week after having my parents here all last week while Mark was out of town, and it’s going o.k. so far, thanks in large part to some beautiful weather that has enabled us to get outside to the park after lunch! It was great having my parents here, and cute to watch Patrick interact with them…he’d go looking for them every morning, waking them up whether they were ready or not!
Alex changed a lot while Mark was away - we can almost see his cheeks expanding and chins growing! He continues to eat well, but has started going some longer stretches at night, which has been nice. He is cooing and smiling/giggling, and is a lot more alert. When we put him down in his crib, it’s not unusual to find that he’s scooted himself to some totally different position! He is losing a lot of his hair, but not on the back of his head where we’d expect from laying down. His eyes are already brown, so it will be interesting to see what color they end up since Patrick’s were much bluer and for much longer! He did really well with his procedure on Friday, and is healing very nicely. It was hard to put him through that, but we know it is better now than later!
Patrick’s vocabulary continues to grow and amaze us. He knows so many words that we haven’t drilled him on or made a point of practicing, but that he has heard in books (sometimes over and over, sometimes not that many times!). He sings along to songs, getting a lot of the words in the right place at the right time, and can fill in some of the missing letters if you stop singing the alphabet song. Mark works with him on letter recognition in his bath (he has the sticky letters and numbers for the bath tub), and he is getting colors now, too. We are most pleased with his manners…he has got “please” down very well, and most of the time when he forgets, all you have to do is look at him like he’s missed something, and he catches himself. He’s also started saying “thank you” correctly, so we know it won’t be long until he’s using that all the time, too.
Patrick also definitely has a mind and a will of his own. He is very particular about many things, and not afraid to tell us! He will steer us in a certain direction while out on walks if we’re not going where he wants to go, and points at the location he wants us to sit to do something with him. Unfortunately, his dinnertime eating has suffered as a result - if you ask him what he wants, you’ll get “no” to every choice, and he is almost too busy to stop and sit down to eat. We’re hoping it’s just a phase, because he has shown an interest in some new foods lately!
We have a busy and exciting weekend this weekend with Alex’s baptism. We are looking forward to having lots of company, some of whom have never met Patrick or saw him last at his baptism 18 months ago, and most of whom haven’t seen Alex. Those who have will be surprised at how much he’s changed! Patrick is getting into some mischief in his crib while he’s supposed to be resting, so I had better go see what’s going on…until next time…
2008-12-09 21:33:14 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for November 29, 2008 - part 2
O.K., I’m back…Alex is napping, and Nana and Papa took Patrick outside. The weather has been beautiful, for which we are thankful. Patrick just loves to explore outside, and it helps him to expend energy and take good naps! We had a nice Thanksgiving…Uncle Anthony came for a few days, and Patrick just ate up the attention and having a new playmate. It was sweet to watch them play together, and Patrick still goes to the steps and calls out his name looking for him, even though he left yesterday! We didn’t have the several course meal with homemade hors d’oeurves that we’ve had in years past , but my mom was a champ and did a lot of the preparation in advance, so we still had an awesome meal which we all enjoyed! Mark made his famous turkey gumbo yesterday, and my mom will make us some turkey soup this week. We love easy meals these days!
We got the Christmas tree and some decorations up yesterday…Mark put my Dickens’ Village house collection in the kitchen, and we decided we will just leave them up all year since it was so much work to get them up, there have been so many years when we didn’t put them out, and they are so nice we should just enjoy them more often! Mark had done the outside lights a couple of weeks ago, so even though the weather doesn’t seem very Christmas-y, the house is very festive! Patrick was an amazingly good boy through the decorating process even though there were so many things he couldn’t touch or play with; however, we’ve still put the Christmas tree in an unconventional place behind a gate just to avoid the temptation!
My parents are staying all week since Mark will leave on Monday morning for a few days to go back to Alabama and to New Orleans for a convention. Hopefully, he’ll be able to get some good rest while he has a bit of a respite from the middle of the night wake-ups, and hopefully Alex won’t grow or change too much while he’s away. I hope to get some things I’ve been needing or wanting to do done (like get a haircut, go shopping to get a new outfit for the baptism, etc.) while he’s away and I have some extra help at the house. I have been hesitating to shop, but all of my old clothes fit again, so it’s probably o.k. to get a new outfit or two! Mark will be back in time for Alex’s surgery re-do on Friday afternoon, which will be great. We are both really sad and upset that we have to put Alex through another surgery, but we knew it was now or 5 years from now, and now will probably be a whole lot less traumatic than 5 years from now when he’ll have a memory and more of a will of his own.
Patrick is still picking up new things every day. We are really proud of how quickly he picked up the concept of manners and how consistently he uses them. All we have to do is look at him if he forgets to say “please” when he should, and he knows what’s missing! He says “thank you” more often, so we are confident that will become commonplace for him soon, too. He is recognizing more and more letters of the alphabet every day thanks to some of his bath toys and probably how much we read to him…one or two of the few TV shows he is allowed to have on has a lot of letters on it as well, so that may help with reinforcement. He can reliably count to 3 or 4, and sometimes surprises me with filling in numbers all the way up to 10 correctly! He knows what so many things are, and proudly announces what they are when he sees or hears them. He also is speaking more and more in sentences…whenever we are out and about (like at the park), people are surprised that he is as young as he is because he’s so tall and speaks so well. There have been several instances where he’s been interacting with kids several months older than he is, and the parents of the other kids are shocked that he isn’t the same age or older than their kid!
Patrick is still mostly sweet with Alex. He still is very concerned when he hears him cry, and goes running with an “I got it” to tend to him or give him his pacifier (even though he’s a little bit rough trying to reinsert!). He is very interested in the baby toys that we’ve gotten out for Alex (that used to be his!), and sits and plays with him. He likes to hold him by himself a few times a day, and is so very loving to him when he does. The times that we have trouble with his unintentional roughness are when he’s in his swing (Patrick likes to make it go higher and faster than appropriate) and when he’s in his bouncy seat (which he either shakes aggressively or uses as an opportunity to bonk toys or his hands on Alex’s head). He just doesn’t understand the concept of “delicate” because he doesn’t have so much control over his movements! When we’ve had to discipline him and take toys away, he understands and remembers why consequences occurred, which we are happy and surprised about (since it’s a pretty complex connection for a 20-month-old).
We are looking forward to a couple of weeks when Alex is baptized and we have a lot of visitors. After that, we all have a lot of doctor check-ups that will keep us busy until the holidays…which will be our first one not spent with extended family, but hopefully we will see people again after the holidays. And I hope to get both boys (back) in Kindermusik in January since Patrick still loves music and remembers all of the music from his past sessions, and it will be good for all of us to have some outside activity.
Patrick is back, and Alex needs to be awakened to eat and get his first tub bath (since his cord finally fell off this week with the help of some silver nitrate from the doctor), so I better close for now. We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and that it’s not too cold up North where most of you who read this are!
Until next time…
2008-11-29 15:02:48 GMTComments: 1 |Permanent Link
Entry for November 29, 2008
Well, we all survived our first week plus at “home alone” quite well. Patrick is getting his 2-year molars already (the poor boy never seems to have had a break from teething since he started 15 months ago!), so he has had his usual runny nose and drooling going on, which has presented more challenges than usual because of Alex. One day, it seemed like all I did was chase Patrick around with a cloth trying to keep his nose and mouth dray so that he wouldn’t dribble on Alex, keep his hands clean so he wouldn’t be giving Alex more germs than usual, and keep him hydrated since he was losing so much fluid. Despite my best efforts, Alex seems to have picked up the congestion - he does really well with it most of the time, but the night time is hard for him to breathe. It breaks our hearts to hear him struggling, especially since there aren’t any medicines now we can give either one of them now that all decongestants have been “delisted/un-recommended” by the FDA and pediatric experts.
Alex has started to smile and is more alert/aware when he is awake. He is still a good eater - when I took him in for an unplanned check-up on Monday, he was up to 11 pounds 6.5 ounces already…so even though he is spittier and fussier than Patrick ever was, he seems to be keeping enough of what he needs in for growing! He has had a couple of good nights of sleeping - going almost 5 hours at a stretch at times. We had to move his crib into our room since it was clear that the cradle was just too small for him and was probably not comfortable. He seems much happier with the bigger space. We know that he will grow up tough because of all of the unintentional rough-housing he gets from Patrick, and it probably won’t be long until Alex is bigger than he is anyway! Speaking of Alex, he’s awake now and hungry, so I will post more later on…I think multiple posts are more technically advisable based on my last experience, and I don’t want to spend hours and hours on this today (especially considering that I will have all of the November pictures to load and organize since the end of the month is tomorrow!).
Until later on…
2008-11-29 12:03:44 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for November 17, 2008 (part 2)
Unfortunately, this blog authoring site isn’t cooperating with me/taking pity on me, so I will have to recreate (AGAIN!) the rest of the original entry that started below. I don’t have the time or patience to keep up with the crashing, so hopefully this will work!
Alex took to nursing right away, and ate almost non-stop at the hospital, which helped him pass all of his blood sugar tests, which were required because he was so big. At discharge, he had only lost 7 ounces, and he’d gained that plus 2 ounces by his 5-day check. On Friday at his 2-week check, he had grown to 10 pounds, 10 ounces and 23.5 inches, so the doctor was VERY pleased with his progress, which is apparently exceptional for a breast-fed baby. Patrick wasn’t over 10 pounds until his 6-week check (granted, Alex has a 1 pound, 5 ounce head start on him, though)! The doctor was also pleased to see and hear how Patrick is adjusting, as well.
Mark and I couldn’t be happier about how Patrick has been. From the first moment he saw him, Patrick has been so interested in and concerned about Alex. He must kiss him a million times a day! He says “aww” when he hears him crying and runs to see what the problem might be; he also says “I got it” when he sees that Alex has lost his pacifier (even though he can’t quite get it back in his mouth). Surprisingly, he hasn’t tried to use Alex’s pacifier or want his own much more than usual. He is very loving and attentive to Alex, and we hope that it continues. There have only been a couple of times when he got upset about Mark or I not being able to do something because we were occupied with Alex’s needs…the one time, I think it was harder on me than it was on him. I had always been able to respond to his needs without fail for 19 months, so when I couldn’t because I was busy responding to a more urgent need, it was pretty tough. My mom reminded me that Patrick will never remember that instance or any others, so I should put it out of my head and remember that I’m doing the best that I can!
Patrick’s development hasn’t slowed at all because of the big shock to his life with the addition of Alex. He must say a new word every day, and has a few 2- and 3-word sentences in his repertoire! He has started to catch on to manners (says “please” quite regularly and even knows when he should say it just by the the look we give him or by us saying “what?”, and has just picked up “thank you.”), which has been cute. He can routinely count to 4, recognizes some letters, and is starting to get colors a little bit. He probably knows 250 different words - many of which we haven’t drilled him on, but that he’s just picked up from conversation. He started asking “why?” this past week, but so far doesn’t push that too much (accepting whatever answer we give in reply without tacking on another “why?”). He is still taking two naps a day, which will be helpful to me as we figure out our new routine. We tried one nap a few times, and it didn’t work out so well, and if he gives up a nap, it’s usually the afternoon one (at which time he then just plays quietly/rests in his crib for an hour or so). I know that my only shot of getting things done/getting rest myself is if they are both napping, so I am grateful that Patrick has been “exceptional” in the napping regard (since the experts say he should have given up his nap 2 months or more ago!).
Patrick had his first serious boo-boo on Friday - he slipped and hit his mouth on the coffee table, which resulted in bleeding and a fat, black-and-blue lip. He cried for about two minutes, and has actually been eating more/better since the injury! We think Alex will grow up tough, too, from all of the unintentional hits and pushes he gets from his big brother (who only wants to be close to him). Patric is also getting more adventurous and determined…he often asks for help when he thinks he can’t do something, but last week when Grandma and Grandpa took him out to lunch, he just did what he wanted himself when he was told that nobody could help him at the playground. He really has an awesome little personality! We are enjoying him so much…
Today is my first day at home alone with both of the boys. Mark went bac kto work this morning, so today has been our first day alone after my mom was here the week after we came home from the hospital. So far, it’s going o.k. - I’ve got the laundry in progress, the floors Swiffered (thanks to some help from Patrick, who loves to help with chores - cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, laundry, etc.), and both boys are now finally sleeping!! I hope we can get outside (since Patrick just LOVES to be outside) later on if it isn’t too cold - I know we all appreciate getting out and getting some air, and Patrick will love to walk around looking for his neighborhood buddies or playing at the park. Alex usually sleeps in the stroller, so that should work out well for all of us! The shorter days make it tough on Patrick to get out late in the afternoon like we used to do, so hopefully it will be warm enough after lunch!!
I apologize again for the long lapse in entries, but will strive to do more regular communication from here on out. We have updated the rest of our website, and I will endeavor to get some more pictures of Alex up to his web page this week. We’d love to hear back from anyone reading this!
Until next time…
2008-11-17 16:38:45 GMTComments: 1 |Permanent Link
Entry for November 17, 2008
Well, I’ve finally gotten around to writing the blog again after a few weeks away…I’ve been meaning to write since we got home from the hospital, but you know what they say about the best laid plans. I had a really long entry done this morning when I had some free time, but then the website crashed and wouldn’t let me publish. So, I will try to recreate what I had written earlier!
It’s now a day later since I started to write this - last night, I just ran out of time and energy, and it’s too hard to type with one finger (while holding a baby)…so here is the blog, Take Three!
A lot has transpired since the last blog entry of October 23rd…my, how things have changed! On October 23rd, there still wasn’t any sign that the baby was coming. My mom was here waiting it out with us (my dad was in and out during the 3 weeks she ended up staying here), and we were going about life as usual. At my October 27th doctor’s appointment, I had a non-stress test to make sure the baby was still o.k. - it took almost an hour for them to get the movements and heart rates they wanted to see (which required that I drink an entire Coke (so the sugar would spur him into activity) - I can’t remember the last time I had a regular Coke, and it was pretty hard for me to stomach it!), but everything was fine, and the doctor decided that I needed to be induced that week…Thursday, October 30th was the date he got from the hospital, so we at least knew we were going to have our baby that day; there was something a little odd about knowing the baby’s birthday ahead of time for me since it wasn’t a scheduled C-section or anything, but we were relieved to know we would finally get to meet him.
The evening of October 29th, I thought maybe my water had broken, so we were advised to go to the hospital to get checked. We thought we’d be there for the duration, but they sent us home. We thought we’d probably sleep better at home, but Patrick had other ideas! We’d thought for some time that he knew something was “up,” and that confirmed it. We were gone (to the hospital) before he woke up, so that probably helped make things easier for everyone. By 12:02PM, he had his 9 pound, 12 ounce, 21.5-inch baby brother (whom he met shortly thereafter - Alex James was conveniently born between Patrick’s naps, so he didn’t have to wait long). I didn’t get to hold him for quite a while, which was hard; I also couldn’t see him because of all of the extra people in the room (most of whom were surrounding him). After some dicey moments, we knew our (not-so) little boy was perfect, thank God.
2008-11-17 15:44:05 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for October 23, 2008
Well, I thought I’d be busy with other things and not have time to write the blog for a while, but Baby Killian is not quite ready to enter the world yet, so I should take the time to update everyone on Patrick. He continues to amaze us with what he knows and absorbs every day! He has started counting, recognizing letters, and understanding shapes. He knows how to say the colors, but he isn’t that interested yet in properly identifying them! He has several 2-3 word “sentences” in his repertoire, and has become quite the independent little boy. His favorite sentence is “I do,” and if he doesn’t want any help or spectating, he says “push” while shoving his arm out (as in “go away”/”leave me alone”). He loves to play outside, and calls all the boys in the neighborhood who like to play with him “Michael” (that’s only one of them’s name!). There are some other similarly aged kids in the neighborhood, too, so that will be nice for us. Everyone is always amazed at how young he is (he turned 19 months this week!) since he communicates so well compared to other kids his age and even older. Mark believes that’s why he’s been so well-behaved and mostly “meltdown-free” - he can communicate what he wants and is usually understood, so he has no need for tantrums!
Nana and Papa came on Saturday afternoon, so we had a nice weekend with them. Papa went to Denver for the week to visit his sisters, so Patrick has had to settle for talking to him on the phone (another thing he loves!). Although Nana thinks sometimes that Patrick can sense that something is happening with Mom (like I might not be around for a while) because he sometimes gets clingy and overly affectionate, he seems completely comfortable with Nana, and didn’t fuss a bit the other day when I left for my doctor’s appointment. So, we are hopeful that the time we’re away (which will be the first time I’ve ever been away from Patrick for more than a couple of hours at a time) will be smooth and happy for Patrick!
Patrick has had a little bit of a stuffy nose this week and has been drooling a lot again, so maybe his final 4 teeth (2-year molars) are on the way in, and we can be done with teething for a few years! He’s still waking up (although happy) some in the middle of the night, but it seems like this week, every night he’s improved and has been able to go longer stretches without waking up. He’s still going strong with the morning nap, and if he does happen to give up a nap during the day, it’s usually the afternoon nap after he’s had a long morning nap. We hope he isn’t disturbed by his baby brother, who will have a legitimate need to be awake during the night, and start waking up even more often!!
I’ll write more as soon as there’s a good opportunity…
2008-10-23 18:37:03 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for October 13, 2008
We had a very busy week since the last update! Patrick and I both had doctor’s appointments on Tuesday…Patrick had been breathing very strangely and had unusual breath, so I took him in concerned that maybe something was stuck in his nose or throat. It turned out that he had tonsillitis; he was so good at the doctor with all of the poking and prodding (and even the nasty throat culture!) and waiting (we were there for almost 2 hours!). His culture was negative, so there wasn’t much we could do but wait for the tonsils to clear up on their own. He seems completely recovered now, which is a relief. Mark and I were a little bit stressed to think we could have a sick baby at home while we were busy delivering #2! Anyway, we continue to marvel at what a good boy he is when he’s sick - his attitude and demeanor are so good even when he must be feeling really awful (which, if you had seen his throat, you know he had to be!).
My appointment went well…everything is still good, but I’m only 1cm dilated so far. I go back again on Wednesday, and then it will be interesting to see what they do since I’ll be close to 40 weeks by then. Although it’s tough to take Patrick with me because of the logistics of the office and that I can’t let him just run around like he’d love to do, he is an instant hit wherever we go, and gets easily distracted by all of the attention! And luckily, we usually don’t have to wait very long, so that helps to give him a change of scenery every few minutes.
We laid low for the rest of the week so that Patrick could hopefully recover more quickly. He was a big help to me at home doing chores (he likes to help with the laundry, dusting, Swiffering, and vacuuming), so we’re hoping that helpful spirit will continue after Baby Killian arrives, and he can go get things for me, etc. We were busy getting ready for our company on Friday and in getting as much prepared in advance as we can when we won’t be able to/have time to when we have an infant at home again!
Uncle Joe, Grandma, and Grandpa arrived on Friday afternoon, and it didn’t take long for Patrick to warm up to them and eat up all of the attention he got! He was very happy to have new cell phones to demand and play with, and new people to play with him. We had a really nice weekend with all of them, and were happy to have guests and to watch everyone enjoy each other. They were able to watch him at his My Gym class on Saturday morning (since we couldn’t go on Thursday due to the tonsillitis), and got to see how passionate he can be about things (he had a fit when he only got to ride on the train ride they had set up once!). Since it’s getting hard for me to handle the lifting and running around at class, Mark will be taking him on Saturdays from now on, and I’ll try to get him to the free plays during the week if I can.
Patrick is still very much into doing just about everything himself. “I do, I do” must be heard in the house hundreds of times a day…and he’s very serious about it - doesn’t even want us touching a glass or a bowl even though we refuse to relent for his own safety! It’s been fun to watch him figure things out and learn new things. Luckily, he doesn’t have too many tantrums or melt downs…Mark thinks it’s because he is so good at talking and communicating what he wants that he’s less frustrated because he’s easily understood. When I told the doctor at his check-up that he probably knows (knew by now at the rate he’s saying new things!) 150 words, Mark thought I might have stretched it a bit, but after we sat down to categorize and list all of the words he knows, I think he believes me!
We are enjoying the fall weather here far, and we are meeting more neighbors, which has been nice. We already know more people in the neighborhood after 6 weeks than we did in a year in our neighborhood in Alabama! We know a lot of the people with dogs since Patrick tends to gravitate to them when we’re outside. We’re also meeting more people with kids, and although we haven’t met any that are the same age as Patrick, some are at the age they don’t mind playing a bit with babies!
Well, it sounds like Patrick is waking up finally this morning (a rare sleep-in after he was awake during the night), so I’d better go get him up to eat and get going with the day. We are looking forward to a visit from Nana and Papa this weekend (if not before!), and will hopefully be back to our usual routine this week (no unplanned doctor visits!).
Until next time (or whenever I am able!)…
2008-10-13 11:45:29 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent
Entry for October 5, 2008
It was another busy and eventful week here with Patrick. Last weekend, he started calling us by our names when we’re out in public…he must have heard us calling each other to catch attention at a store or something, and he just mimics! Tuesday, when I had my doctor check-up, Mark wasn’t there yet, so after I had my vitals and everything checked, we went back out to the waiting room to see if he’d arrived; he had, and I called his name to catch his attention so he could come back to the exam room…for the rest of the visit, he was calling him “Mark.” No matter how many times we tell him at the time that our names are “Mom” or “Mommy” and “Dad” or “Daddy” to him, he would keep calling us by our name! It’s hard not to laugh when he does that.
Patrick had his 18-month check-up this week, and the doctor said he is “obviously thriving.” He weighed 25 pounds, 11 ounces (50th percentile again) and is 34 inches tall (90th percentile). So, he hasn’t gained much weight since his 15-month check-up, but he grew an inch and a half and moved from the 75th-80th percentile to the 90th! He is wearing size 24 months on top, but is so skinny around the middle that even some of his 12-month pants are too big! The doctor asked how many words he knows, and seemed surprised when I told her that it’s probably around 150 or so…according to the developmental milestones, he’s only supposed to know 4-10! He got his flu shot, which she said will help the new baby, too, since he will be too young to get one this flu season. We liked the doctor and the office, so it’s a relief not to have to go searching for other alternatives in the little bit of time that we have left before Baby Killian arrives!
Patrick has also been asserting his independence a lot more these days. Everything is “I do, I do.” Yesterday, he had a 40-minute sob-fest/meltdown that turned out to be all about feeding himself his yogurt. Once we finally figured out that was what he wanted, he did an excellent job of feeding himself! He does a great job of drinking out of regular cups, and although he wants to drink out of my glass a lot, he usually gives up after I tell him that he may not hold the glass himself yet. He is eating better and trying more and different things, so that’s a relief, too. The doctor suggested that we give him whatever we’re eating, but put salt or other seasoning on it since that’s why toddlers always gravitate to hot dogs and chicken nuggets. He ate up his mini corn on the cob last night, so we were pleased to see him eat a vegetable other than pickles!
Mark goes back to Mobile for the day on Tuesday, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Tuesday is not the day that Baby Killian decides he’s ready! We’re looking forward to visitors the next two weekends: Uncle Joe, Grandma, and Grandpa are coming on Friday, and Nana and Papa are coming the following Friday…Nana will stay until the baby arrives if he hasn’t already! This will be my last week for a while of taking Patrick to his gym class - it’s just getting too difficult for me to physically handle some of the things that go on in class, and the constant up and down/lifting is getting tough. It will be a nice thing for Mark and Patrick to enjoy together!!
Until next week…
2008-10-05 19:27:45 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for September 28, 2008
We had a nice week here with Nana visiting, even though the weather wasn’t very nice. It poured rain all day on Monday, so we made cookies. Patrick likes to help now - he likes to stand on a little stool by the counter and watch or even participate. He’s also still enjoying the peanut butter cookies we made! Tuesday, we went to My Gym for free play, and it’s fun to watch how much he develops even within the course of an hour. He wasn’t able to walk up very high on a steep slide, but by the end of the class he was going both up and down. He’s also able to climb up on the trampoline to “bounce,” so jumping probably isn’t far behind! Wednesday, we went to Costco, where Patrick was very social and popular. Then, we went out for lunch at a restaurant we’d never tried but that was supposed to be “kid friendly” from what I’ve read in my parenting magazines. He was very good the whole time, ate something new (an orange slice), and fed himself most of his lunch…we will definitely be going back there, as there’s a short list of places we know he likes and can tolerate the high chair for any length of time! Thursday, we went back for class at My Gym, where Patrick was infatuated with the balloons they had set up for a party (he’s easily distracted by balls or balloons if they’re in plain view, and wants to go get them!). Friday, Nana went back home and we did chores until Mark got home. He didn’t go into the office, so we were able to have a nice afternoon and get some errands done!
We were glad Nana was with us this week and not at home alone since Papa was in Iowa taking care of some things for my Grandma, who was diagnosed with dementia, and is needing more and more “intervention” if she’s going to remain living independently as she desires. Also this week, we got the sad news that my uncle Tony lost his long battle with leukemia…so it was good for Nana to be with us and not at home by herself with so many emotional things happening. We are sorry that Patrick didn’t get to meet my uncle, but we know we have another angel watching over us in heaven now, and we hope that my Aunt Joan will be able to come for a visit when she comes to South Carolina to see my parents after the “dust settles.”
We did get to spend some time outside, but not as much as Patrick would have liked. He just loves to be outside, and it’s a battle sometimes getting him to come in. We are about to lose our swing source in the back yard, since one of the tree anchors is dead and will need to be removed. A swing set is probably in our near future. Patrick is more and more confident walking in the thick grass, and is learning to look where he’s walking, so hopefully we have less worry about snakes and other critters (we’ve only seen snakes from the inside so far, but the fire ants are bad around here!). We have a lot of dogs around, so he enjoys looking at and talking to them! Mark and Patrick are outside now, so I expect to hear some whining when they come in for his nap!
Patrick seems to be learning new words every day. He’s started to count already - only to two, but he has to start somewhere! He also repeats letters when we say them and show them to him. His favorite phrase these days seems to be “I do,” as in “I can do it myself.” He is doing a little better with eating - sitting in his chair or on my lap. He eats cereal by himself with a spoon, and last night managed angel hair pasta without making too big of a mess! We are just happy when he tries new things, as anything is better than the rotation of hot dogs and chicken nuggets we seem to be stuck in! His appetite seems a little better, and that may be because his 15th and 16th teeth seemed to have popped through this week (finally!). Last night was the first night in a couple of weeks that he didn’t wake up in the middle of the night whining (although only briefly) or talking. He seems to have settled into 10 hours of sleep at night, but he’s still going strong with two naps (often sleeping 2 hours or more in the morning!), and is nearly always happy and content, so this must just be what works for him. I appreciate that he still naps, as I have time during the day (and at varied times) to take a shower, do things around the house that go better/faster without an assistant, check e-mail/make phone calls, and get dinner preparations made. If he keeps it up for the next couple of months, that will be helpful, too, since I am sure to get less reliable windows of time to do the above when Baby Killian arrives!
I am on weekly check-ups now, and everything is going well. I haven’t gained any weight the past 5 weeks, but the baby is still growing, as I measure right where I’m supposed to. My blood pressure has been really low, and the baby’s heart rate (once they can get him to lay still!) is also really strong and healthy. His head is still down, so he’s ready once he’s had enough growing! We are getting our bags ready for the hospital since we don’t know what this experience will be like and know that he may come more quickly than Patrick did! I take Patrick for his 18-month check-up on Friday and to meet the pediatrician. We are eager to see how much he weighs and how tall he is…we know he’s on the tall side, as when he stands next to kids his own age or even older, he’s quite a bit taller. He graduated to bigger pajamas this week, and he’s wearing bigger size shirts, but most of his 18 month shorts still fit him with plenty of room (some of his 12 month stuff even still fits!). We need to get him some cooler weather things now - I hesitated to buy too much in advance not knowing what the weather would be like or how things would fit (and that’s not even counting how different brands are sized!)…but the mornings have been cool, so if we want to keep up our routine of morning walks, we need to have some different clothes! Luckily for me, a lot of the clothes I wore when I was pregnant with Patrick will work for me now, too!
Well, that’s about it from here. We are looking forward to a visit from Uncle Joe, Grandma, and Grandpa in a couple of weeks and are having fun shopping for a new bed so we have room for everyone! Until next week…
2008-09-28 13:24:35 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for September 21, 2008
I’m going to try to get back in the usual routine of writing on Sunday’s during Patrick’s nap now that we’re all situated here! Patrick has been sleeping very strangely the past week - he is awake in the middle of the night very often, but he doesn’t cry or whine or anything…sometimes, he’s giggling and playing in there…but it’s enough to wake us up. He’s also been waking up about an hour earlier than he usually does and wanting to take longer naps to compensate. We’re hoping it’s just his last two upper teeth (before his big two-year molars) that are bothering him, because he’s also been finicky about eating (what, how, and where) and has his finger in his mouth a lot. Anyway, the average kid gives up his morning nap by 18 months (which is today for Patrick!), and Patrick shows NO signs of wanting to do that, and I don’t plan to encourage him to give it up as long as he wants it, especially if he’s not sleeping as well as he should at night.
We took Patrick for his 7th haircut yesterday…I found a salon that caters to kids (special chairs, DVD players with movies, Playstations, etc.), and although he found it interesting and fun to wander around and look at and touch everything, it didn’t do anything to improve his attitude about getting his haircut! He was very upset about it, but luckily, the stylist is used to it/experienced at it, and she was able to get through it more quickly than the person who had been cutting his hair in Alabama. It’s probably the best haircut he’s had…and she cut it short enough that he won’t need another one for a while! Now, Mark and I just have to find someone to cut ours…
Patrick has taken an interest in “religious” things of late. We pray at dinner time, and he is always eager to hold our hands when we do it…even though he just hates (again) to sit in his chair and declares “done” after only a couple of bites. He loves to shake hands and say “peace,” and this morning at church, he pointed at a statue of Jesus and said his name (of course, he also called Mary and Joseph “Jesus,” too - but we’ll keep working on that!). We are still looking for the right match for a church, but know we are on the clock for that so we can get Baby Killian baptized before the end of the year.
The weather here has cooled off dramatically and is more “normal” for Jacksonville this time of year. We’ve had a lot of rain the past couple of days, so it will be nice to get outside some if the weather cooperates. We’re hoping to take a trip to the zoo this week while Nana is visiting in addition to his gym class and some shopping (browsing at an outdoor mall) that it’s been too hot to do up until now. We will miss Mark this week, but are glad we won’t be all alone. Patrick is on a “Daddy kick” these days (always asking about him during the day), so hopefully he won’t be too cranky about his being gone!
Until next week…
2008-09-21 14:26:45 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for September 17, 2008
After today, we should have all of the important business of settling in taken care of, and then we can focus on getting more acclimated and getting out to enjoy the supposedly cooler weather that is heading our way! We got our Florida car registration/license plates, and Mark assembled the crib and dresser for the baby’s room this weekend, so there are just a few minor odds and ends to complete there. The one major item on our “to do” list is to find a church. We’ve been to a couple so far, but neither one have felt much like “us,” and I personally don’t want to settle on one just because it’s the closest one. Once we have that, we can start working on details of the baptism as much as we can without knowing when the baby will come! I’m waiting now for the Satellite TV guy to come - of course, they give you a 4-hour installation window, and we’re now halfway in…which probably means Mark will have to come home early to finish up with him since I have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, and the installation can take up to 3 hours. He was earlier planning to be out of town until today anyway, so hopefully it’s not too much of an inconvenience!
Patrick seems to know his way around the house pretty well now. He is getting good at opening and closing doors, so we had to put a safety handle on the pantry door. He loves to go in there and show us what he wants to eat, even if it’s on a high shelf. His diet still is rather limited, but he does surprise us every now and then with how enthusiastic he is about something new. We’re resorting to getting him most of his vegetables through V-8 juice these days since the only ones he’ll eat are pickles and corn!
Patrick seems to do a new thing or say a new word every day now. In the past couple of weeks maybe twice Mark has joked to Patrick that when he asks for a beer, this is what Patrick should do, and when Mark asked him last night, he went to the garage where the refrigerator that holds the beer is and tried to get it for him! He’s amazed us a couple of different times with things that he remembers, even after a significant period of time has passed. He is getting more and more independent and wants to do things for himself. He also likes to help, which will hopefully come in handy in a few weeks when I’ll need more of it! He is very affectionate, and often without prompting, he’ll just come up to you, announce “hug,” and wrap his arms around you. He has a new interest in babies (probably because he has a baby doll now!), and most of the time is quite sweet with them…he still doesn’t realize how strong he is sometimes and even when he’s not trying to be aggressive, he manages to hurt us every now and then with his “pats” or slaps. I keep a close watch on him when he gets near other kids so he doesn’t belt them…because if it hurts us, it’s sure to hurt them!
I hope to get good news today that the baby has turned and is positioned properly to not need any further interventions or to have increased worry of the likelihood of a C-section…he is definitely active, and it seems like he’s moved, but I’m not an expert on which body parts are which! I begin my weekly exams this week, so in addition to the couple of days a week I take Patrick to the gym to play and for his class, that will keep us busy. My mom is coming next week to stay with us while Mark goes to Mississippi and Alabama for the week…we’re hoping the weather is nice enough that we can get out and do some exploring! Patrick just loves to be outside, so I know he will be relieved that it’s not so hot, too!
Well, we’re all ready for visitors whenever anyone wants to come…until next week!
2008-09-17 14:17:03 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for September 7, 2008
Well, it’s been a busy and eventful couple of weeks since the last entry! The move went well on both ends - we had good weather for loading and unloading, even though we were predicted to have rain all day for loading (it was a perfectly sunny day). We were a bit worried that Tropical Storm Fay would impact us, but it was pretty much a non-event for us except for a lot of rain (which was needed anyway). By the time we arrived in Jacksonville, things were back to normal after Fay’s damage. We got out of Mobile just before Hurricane Gustav made his way to the Gulf, and avoided Hurricane Hanna almost completely here. We managed to live our entire time in Alabama without experiencing a hurricane, so we feel fortunate for that!
So far, we are really happy to be back in a bigger city and to have convenience things so nearby. We like our subdivision and the amenities it has, and it seems like there are a lot of other young families here, so we’re looking forward to meeting them! Mark’s commute isn’t too bad, and I am managing to find my way around pretty well so far in the times I’ve ventured out on my own! It’s nice that my doctor’s office is less than 5 minutes away and that we have two big grocery stores even closer than that! The area of town we are in seems to be vibrant and growing, so it’s nice to be near all of that. Everyone here seems very nice, and things seem less complicated and difficult here.
Patrick was amazingly good through all of the turmoil and upheaval of moving. It was tough for us on the Alabama side of things because we were constantly trying to keep him safe and out of the way while simultaneously cleaning up and keeping things organized that we needed for the trip. It was much easier on the Jacksonville side having my mom and dad here to help with unpacking and keeping Patrick entertained and out of harm’s way. I know we would still be unpacking boxes if they hadn’t come to help us…but we are mostly settled in now. I just have a few things to organize upstairs in our “bonus room,” but since we hardly go up there (hurray for no stairs required!), that hasn’t been a huge priority. We even have the furniture ordered for Baby Killian’s room, and I just have a couple of boxes of clothes to unpack/repack in there before it arrives this week. It will be nice to be able to have his room set up before he arrives; we didn’t really get to do that with Patrick!
Patrick really enjoyed having Nana and Papa around, and still wakes up asking for Papa sometimes even though they left last Tuesday! He’s changed a lot since the last time they saw him in June, and I think they enjoyed the quality time they got to spend with him. They did a few “dry run” bedtime routines without Mark or me to make sure that he would be used to it before the baby comes and neither Mark nor I are here for him as he’s used to. He did pretty well…I think some of the challenge in getting him to sleep was as much that he was still getting used to his new room and all its sounds and smells, etc. as well as that he was getting a couple more teeth, which always tends to disrupt his routine a bit. Anyway, I think we’re all confident that Patrick will be the good boy and good sleeper he always is during my time in the hospital.
Patrick is saying all kinds of new words these days…it’s really hard to keep track of all the words he knows and says well. He understands even more than he can say (demonstrated by his ability to answer questions correctly with pointing). He is also getting some practice with “babies,” as Aunt Jen and Uncle Bryon got him a baby Cabbage Patch doll. He likes to feed him the bottle and hug and kiss him, but sometimes he also just whacks him on the head. We are working on the concepts of “nice” and “gentle,” so hopefully we won’t have any incidents with baby brother. He seems aware that there’s a baby in my belly, as he loves to run up and “kiss the baby” when Mark asks him where his baby brother is…however, tonight, he also thought that Mark had a baby in his belly!
On Saturday, we took Patrick to a free trial class of “My Gym,” which is a national chain of gyms for kids from 3 months to 13 years old. It combined physical activity, music, and playing, and Patrick really seemed to enjoy it. The nice thing about the program is that it’s constantly going on (we don’t have to wait for terms to start like we did with Kindermusik), and he can change classes as he grows now that we’re members. Also, once the baby comes, we can switch our class day from a weekday to a Saturday, and then Patrick and Mark will have something they can do together. The membership also includes one day a week of “free play” where Patrick can explore with the soft equipment and toys, and so we’ll have 2 days a week of activities, which is probably fine for now while he’s still taking two naps and we’re getting acclimated/I have increased frequency of doctor’s appointments! We haven’t been successful to find a MOMS Club here yet, but once I feel completely settled and comfortable that all of the household details are under control, we can work on that.
We are very proud that Patrick made it all the way through Mass last night without leaving our pew…the church we went to has no cry room, so we had no choice but to sit in the regular congregation. He was a big hit with everyone around him, as he was saying and waving “hi” to people and trying to give them “peace” and shake their hands. He even today came up to us with his arm outstretched and said “peace” to us! He also recognizes the bells at the liturgy of the Eucharist and says “ding” and jingles his hand when he hears it. We haven’t officially found a church yet, but we have found a couple more to try out before we pick one. We might have to drive a bit, but we’re hoping to find one that’s active and vibrant with flexible Mass times, since we’ll need that more than ever in the coming months!!
Well, I hear Mark reading “Green Eggs and Ham” to Patrick, so it’s time for me to sign off so I can get there in time for “goodnight” kisses. We hope everyone is doing well, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to our new home soon!!
Until next time…
2008-09-08 00:08:42 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent
Entry for August 23, 2008
This will likely be the last posting from our home in Alabama…Tropical Storm Fay may knock our power out tomorrow, and then the movers are coming on Monday and Tuesday. Everyone here is really freaking out about the coming storm (even though it’s not a hurricane), but we figure we’ve endured stronger winds in the wintertime when they’re more brutal during the many blizzards/winter storms we experienced living in the North. We are hoping that there are no residual effects to our move and that the storm doesn’t slow down any further and is long gone by Tuesday when we get loaded.
Patrick was a little under the weather this week, but it seems like it’s his teeth popping through. He has been very congested, drooly, and irritable (especially the past couple of days). Luckily, he likes Tylenol and his decongestant, so we don’t have to battle him for that. We’re glad it’s this week instead of next week…with all we’ll have going on, it would be tougher on him to be not feeling well with all of that commotion and the disruption to our normal routine.
Patrick did a couple of funny and (we think) amazing things this week. On Thursday, I served him chicken nuggets for dinner (he loves chicken nuggets); he ate a few of them, and then wanted out of his high chair. We let him out, and he went immediately to the drawer with the pans, took out the pan that I boil his hot dogs in, and then took it to the refrigerator to tell us “hot dog” (we know that’s what he means even though it doesn’t sound much like it!). If it didn’t take so long to boil water and a hot dog, I think he’d have eaten the whole thing…but he did eat half! Last night, while eating his hot dog, he started crying out “waff, waff” (his word for “waffle”), so we asked him if he wanted a waffle (got the box out of the freezer and everything). He dismissed the box immediately and kept pointing at the cupboard…where the waffle iron is. He wanted to play with the waffle iron! We thought it was pretty impressive that he knew where we store it and that it makes waffles. Last weekend (when I was making waffles for breakfast), he came downstairs for the morning and started saying “waff, waff” before he knew I was even making them…he smelled them!
Patrick seems to say a new word or two every day now, so much so that we’re losing track of how many he knows! We think it’s well over 100, and he’s beginning to use verbs more. Hopefully he will start connecting words to make little sentences…but he is definitely adept at making his desires known one way or another! He’s very good at asking for help when he needs it, and doesn’t seem as rambunctious or “fearless” as some of the other little boys he plays with sometimes…but they’ve all been walking for longer, so maybe that will follow soon enough (not that I mind that he’s not too much of a daredevil!).
We’re taking Patrick for his 6th haircut today…his hair seems to be getting thicker by the day, and if we didn’t cut it, I know he’d have ringlets all over his head! His hair also seems to be getting lighter…sometimes it seems even lighter than mine (but I was a tow-head blond from toddler age to age 8)! Hopefully, he’s able to sit still enough for the hairdresser to get it short enough in the places it needs to be!
We’ll update when we get settled in Jacksonville…
2008-08-23 16:02:32 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for August 18, 2008
Well, since Patrick is still sleeping (he had a rough night - first one in about two months - I won’t be surprised to see a couple of more teeth popped through this week based on his symptoms), and I’ve not been sleeping much or well, and since I didn’t get around to it yesterday as I had hoped to, I’ll take advantage of some free time to write the blog!
We were house-bound quite a bit last week because of a lot of rain, so we had to get creative with our routine and activities so as not to get bored. All of the boxes around the house (we (mostly Mark has) have managed to pack around 60 boxes of our stuff) provide some entertainment and opportunity for exploration, and we can tell that Patrick notices from day-to-day what is different in the house. Next week at this time, we’ll be scurrying to get everything ready for the packers, and then things will really be interesting for him! He seems to look at it as an adventure, and doesn’t seemed phased by any of it, so hopefully he will be cooperative with the “heavy duty” moving!
Patrick is still talking up a storm. I think he says a new word every day! At church on Saturday, there was an older man sitting in the cry room with us (Patrick hasn’t yet learned the concept of sitting still, so we don’t even bother trying to sit in the church!), and he was wearing a watch. Patrick walked up to him and pointed at his watch and said “clock.” He also thinks the thermostat is a clock, but he’s not far off - at least it’s round and has numbers on it! He finally says “milk” (most of the time), “light,” and a bunch of others I can’t remember off the top of my head. Mark and I said we should sit down and list out all the words he knows, but we know it’s beyond the few he’s supposed to know at this age.
Physically, Patrick has figured out how to get water out of the refrigerator, so the lock has now gone on that dispenser. It seems every day he is closer and closer to getting closed doors open, so we will be investing in some of those safety features when we get to Jacksonville and know how many and what kind of knobs we have! He can walk very quickly, but isn’t quite running. He loves to go up the stairs holding on to hands or the railing, and is even trying to go down…luckily, we won’t have to use the steps as much at our new house, but there will still be opportunity for him to learn.
Well, Patrick is now awake, so I had better get up there so our morning routine doesn’t get too far off. We’ll head out for our walk this morning since it isn’t raining (and thankfully, the tropical storm/hurricane is not expected to affect us - hopefully we can make it out of here without ever having experienced a hurricane!) after his breakfast, and run some errands after his nap if the weather is cooperative. I don’t know if I will get to this for a couple of weeks since next weekend and week will be very busy, but I will update everyone as soon as I can!
Until next time…
2008-08-18 12:28:12 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for August 10, 2008
We’ve gotten very busy with moving activities around the house, and Patrick has definitely noticed. The past two weekends, when he wakes up from his naps, he has always been surprised at how different many of the rooms he often goes into look. He’s of course been interested in the boxes, tape, and (unfortunately) scissors, so we find that we get more done when he’s sleeping! Only two more weeks until the packers come…we feel like we’re in good shape, and the unpacking should be a lot easier since we mark things well and specify which room things need to be placed in.
We had a busy week with some activities and errands. Thursday, we went to the park, and Patrick wore himself out playing with all the other kids who were there. If it weren’t so hot, we’d go there more often, but he just gets so pink and sweaty in such a short time out in this heat! We are still walking almost every morning, as that’s the most tolerable and pleasant time of day around here. There have been a lot of things for Patrick to look at: football practice, construction/remodeling at schools, etc. The hour usually goes by pretty quickly, and we are both glad to get some fresh air aside from getting in and out of the car.
Patrick has become quite the little helper. He loves to push the laundry basket out of the laundry room and into the living room and then take each of the clean and dry items out one by one for me to fold. He is enthralled with the vacuum cleaner, and loves to “help” push it when I vacuum. He also likes to help with unloading the dishwasher, and loves to tell us what each thing is as he’s removing it. I hope he will continue to be helpful when I will probably need it more in a couple of months!!
Patrick successfully climbed out of his crib on Thursday while I was vacuuming his hallway, so we had to lower it to the lowest notch…we were hoping to be able to get away with not doing anything until the crib will be apart anyway, but clearly we couldn’t let him tumble out again. Luckily, he didn’t cry right away, and even after I picked him up, he cried for only 30 seconds and was more interested in resuming the vacuuming! He seems interested in climbing other things now, too - like the outside of the steps, the coffee table, and the stereo subwoofer. We will be glad not to have to use the steps so much in our new house!!
Patrick’s vocabulary continues to expand, and he loves to imitate sounds that he hears. Today, while we were all watching the final few holes of the PGA Championship, Patrick would imitate the sound of the club hitting the ball, clap when he heard clapping, and say “wow” when he heard us or the commentators talk about a nice shot. We think we heard his first two word combination today: “go car.” Whenever we talk about going somewhere, he loves to go get his shoes and his hat to show us he’s ready to go. He knew we were going somewhere in the car, so we’re pretty sure he said and meant “go car.” It seems like he says a new word or demonstrates clear understanding of a new word every day. He’s getting very good at identifying body parts these days (although he often points to ours when we ask him, “where’s your…?”).
Well, I had better sign off and get upstairs to help with the getting to bed routine. Until next week…
2008-08-11 00:40:18 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for August 3, 2008
It was a busy week, thanks mostly to some unanticipated trips to the doctor. I was supposed to have an ultrasound on Monday before my doctor appointment and blood sugar test, but the technician went home sick, so that got rescheduled to Wednesday morning. Everything was fine with that (my placenta was in the proper position, the baby weighs what he is supposed to weigh (3 pounds), he’s still a boy, and has hair (surprise, surprise!)), so that was a relief, but I was then informed that I “totally flunked” my oral glucose test, which shocked Mark and me since we eat healthily, I exercise daily, have gained less than the usual amount of weight, and have no symptoms or risk factors…SOOOO, that required me to spend 3+ hours the next day at the doctor having the 3-hour tolerance test and Mark to stay home with Patrick. They had a fun time going to Starbucks and running errands, and Mark said it was like “make-up” time with Patrick since he was gone all last weekend. We got the results on Friday, and I passed…we are relieved and glad that I don’t have this or any complication that might make our upcoming move more problematic or cause problems for baby Killian!
We weren’t able to be as active this week as in weeks past because we had a lot of rain this week - two days that were “all day rains” and one that was rainy in the morning. I would’ve had to miss two of the mornings anyway because of the doctor appointments, but that caused us to feel a little bit more “shut in” than usual. Patrick and I went out for groceries like usual on Thursday afternoon, and we got stuck in a horrible downpour and “flash flood” in the grocery store parking lot. I managed to keep him mostly dry, but I was soaked to the bone by the time I got everything in the car! I think Patrick thought it was kind of an adventure and took it all in stride!
Patrick is saying all kinds of new things, and is almost able to repeat words as we ask him. He knows himself in pictures and says “Pa - Pa” (which doesn’t sound exactly like “Papa,” but probably only Mark and I would say that!) when he sees himself in pictures or in the mirror. He very enthusiastically says “Hi!” to animals he sees and Mark when he comes home from work (not before rushing to the door to wait for him when I tell him that “Daddy’s home!”). He loves to hide behind things and come out and say “Boo!” and run around the “circle” in our kitchen and living room and constantly say “hi” and “bye” when he comes and goes. We went to the Exploreum on Tuesday for playgroup, and he really enjoyed running all around and throwing the rubber fish off of the big boat they have there (he has quite an arm already, even with his left arm!). He still shows no signs of giving up his morning nap, for which I am grateful. My luck, he will give it up right before baby Killian comes and I will only have one shot a day at maybe taking a nap!
We have been busy with details of moving, as well. We were able to donate some of the things we don’t need, want, or have any use for to the new priest (who is here from the Philippines) at one of the churches we frequent, so that made us feel good to give to someone in need (he made a plea yesterday at Mass that God would answer his prayers for a bed and some furniture for the rectory, and we felt like he was answering some of our prayers). We have found 5 moving boxes worth of books to donate to the library, and we feel like our quantity of “stuff” is greatly reduced over last time we moved, even though we now have all of Patrick’s furniture and clothes. We had two companies come out to give us estimates, and both said they were “wide open” for the timing we want (last week of August), and we have been busy trying to figure out how we can shave weight and boxes off of the cost. We will pack the upstairs (where we don’t have much stuff anyway) ourselves, and Mark packed up the garage yesterday afternoon. We were able to trade our lawn mower to the guys who have been cutting our grass for the next two (which is all we need!) cuts, and they also bought our wheelbarrow and mitre saw. We’re going to try to sell our/Mark’s free weights today, and that will cut down on the weight as well. Mark has been very focused on trying to find ways to cut the cost of the move! It’s been fun!!
Today, we are off to the mall to get Patrick some new summer clothes since it’s still blazing hot here, and Patrick’s 18-month rompers are too short already…AND it’s a sales tax holiday this weekend, so we can’t pass that up!! We have some MOMS Club things this week, so that will be some nice diversion for us. Our time here in Alabama will be winding down quickly…
Until next week…
2008-08-03 16:26:46 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for July 27, 2008
Patrick and I spent a lot of quality, one-on-one time together this week/weekend, as Mark was in Jacksonville for two nights for work (and to get the lowdown on our new house!) and is in Youngstown now for Uncle John’s memorial service. Patrick definitely notices when he’s gone…the other morning when he woke up, he insisted on going in our bathroom to look for Mark, and when he wasn’t in there, he tried the closet (the two places he usually is in the morning if he’s not in the kitchen and I bring him downstairs). He spends a lot of time jibber-jabbering about “Da-da,” too, but unfortunately will not repeat his conversation on demand when we call to talk to him! It’s very cute.
Patrick has also started kissing and hugging my belly when he sees it uncovered, and uncovers it himself if he’s not done giving his affections. We talk about his baby brother some, but don’t dwell on it (he’s shown no interest in a couple of books he has about the “new baby” and being a big brother), but I guess this shows he understands more than we know! He is a very sweet and affectionate little boy!
Regarding understanding, Patrick has become very adept at accommodating requests/following directions. He seems to say a few new words each week (his new ones this week are “crayon,” “bird,” and “back” (as in “put back”)), but he clearly understands many more. It’s fun to watch him figure it all out.
We have a nice long streak going of walking about 4 miles every morning (currently at 14 days), but it is getting harder and harder to do as the temperatures and humidity climb and “Baby Killian” gets bigger. We get out very early (especially if it’s a day when Patrick has woken up at 5AM for some reason - which he seems to do mostly when Mark is gone), and it’s still quite uncomfortable, but since it’s often the only time we can get out all day, we tough it out or we’d both be going more stir crazy!! Yesterday, Patrick and I went on a lunch date to Chik-fil-A, since he loves all the activity and can eat their kids’ meals…he seemed to enjoy it. I’ll have to come up with something else for today!!
This week, we hope to get the details/specific timing for our move nailed down, and then I will be busy during naptimes taking care of address changes, service disconnections and connections, etc. We are hoping to get some new images of the baby tomorrow when I go for an ultrasound and check-up; it’s hard to believe I’m already in the last tri-mester!! The time will fly with all we have going on, I’m sure…
Until next week…
2008-07-27 16:27:33 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for July 20, 2008
Even though we didn’t have that many things on our agenda this week, it was a pretty busy week. Tuesday, I hosted the “do-over” of a surprise baby shower that my playgroup had planned for me/Baby #2 (whom Mark and I are calling “Killian” (another Irish beer in the spirit of Patrick’s pre-birth nickname of “Guinness”)) for the day after Patrick’s 15-month shots (it’s hard to plan surprises with babies/toddlers!), so we had a house-full on Tuesday morning and afternoon: I think there were 20 people here all together. It was a challenge to keep the kids from toppling over each other, to keep everyone in the kid-safe areas, and to keep the food (it was a potluck) out of the living room (since we’re trying to keep Patrick from doing that). We got a lot of diapers and books (amazingly, none that we already had!) for Baby #2, and it was a very nice time. I was overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity, and I think Patrick was overwhelmed at times by the crowd and activity! I had the house all put back together by the time he woke up from his afternoon nap, but I didn’t have a minute to spare to sit!
Patrick has started to try to climb things this week…when he sits on the couch, he loves to turn around and lean over the back (which makes us both very nervous!). He doesn’t appreciate the tether he gets in my hand squeezed around his calf! He also likes to roll around and lean over the front edge as if to “dive” onto the floor; since he likes to toss the pillows onto the floor before he does it, that doesn’t make us as nervous as when he tries to go over the back - it’s not as far to the floor, and it’s cushioned. Patrick, of course, thinks it’s all very funny! On the positive side of the new climbing behavior, Patrick doesn’t like to be carried up the stairs so much anymore…he likes to grab both hands and climb in front of us (often saying “up, up, up” as he goes). That’s been a relief for me since going up the stairs carrying him and the extra weight/girth of Killian is getting harder and harder! Luckily, he has not tried to climb out of his crib yet, and hopefully those days are very far into the future!!
We started to wean Patrick from his pacifier this week…I waited until Wednesday since I didn’t want him to have any meltdowns while we had so many people over at the house on Tuesday! I started by getting all but one of his Nuks out of his crib, and then took one and cut off the end (and hid the rest in case the experiment was a total and complete failure!). When he came up to me as he has been the past couple of weeks with the “smack smack” sound meaning he wants his pacifier, I gave him the “modified” one…while trying not to laugh out loud, I watched him study it, try it, pull it out, try it again, and then dismiss it to the floor. He was a little irritated and kept trying to find a “real” one the rest of that day, but then that was pretty much it. He still gets it (for now) for his naps and at bedtime and in his stroller for walks (although he spends more time munching on snacks and chatting these days anyway), but hasn’t had it in the car or outside of his room since then, and hasn’t been overly cranky at all about it (whew!!).
We still get out for our daily walks, but it’s getting harder and harder as the summer progresses and the temperatures (even at 7:30 in the morning when we usually go) continue to climb and the humidity rises. Patrick enjoys the time to search for animals (dogs and squirrels are his favorite), and it’s good to get the fresh air and exercise (and get out of the house, as sometimes that’s our only planned outing!). The heat seems to make Patrick nap well, though, so that’s been good. Instead of getting shorter as we expected as he ages, his naps have been getting longer and longer, and he’s sleeping later in the morning as well…which supports our theory that he’s having a growth spurt at the moment. He’s also eating more and feels heavier to us, and some of the clothes that fit last week are becoming too short for him. A trip to the outlet mall may be in our future, since we don’t have so many summery things in the next biggest size!
We’re enjoying some nice family time this weekend since Mark will be in Jacksonville for two nights this week and in Youngstown next weekend for Uncle John’s memorial service (we will be missing him and everyone else we won’t get to see while he’s gone, so we want to spend as much time together as possible!). We all got haircuts yesterday; Patrick was much calmer getting the haircut AFTER his nap (rather than before like last time), but still doesn’t particularly like the intrusion in his space! He’s always a star when we go to the salon, and we all feel better with less hair in this heat and humidity! Patrick’s behavior in church is getting better (he’s less antsy and curious), so that has been nice; he loves when there are other kids in the cry room - he tries to make friends whether they want to or not!!
Patrick will be 16 months old on Monday…the time is going so quickly! In just over a month, we’ll be in the midst (hopefully - we’re still waiting for the movers to contact us so we can get it officially scheduled!) of our move to Jacksonville…I’m sure there won’t be many dull moments during that time!
Until next week…
2008-07-20 16:25:25 GMTComments: 3 |Permanent Link
Entry for July 13, 2008
We had a slightly busier week this week than the week prior, but the heat and mid-day rain have made it difficult to get out and do much after our long morning walk every day! Patrick went with me for my doctor check-up on Monday afternoon, and he was very good for that, which is a relief (Mark is usually with me to help!). We had some time at the park on Wednesday afternoon for MOMS Club, and all Patrick wanted to do was swing (for over an hour!). Thursday, we took a little trip into Mobile so that we can have some cushions made for a rocking chair to match Patrick’s nursery, and met Mark for lunch. Friday, Grandma Bishara came for a visit, so we’ve all had a more exciting weekend!
Patrick has been very sweet with Grandma - it only took him 5 minutes to go to her and give her kisses, and he gets very upset when she leaves the room or goes upstairs! He has enjoyed showing off for her and all the extra attention…and the new playmate (I know he gets bored with me during the week!). He is doing new things while she’s here (shaking his head “no,” saying “waffle,” “cup,” etc.), so that’s been good. He looks and acts a lot differently from the last time she saw him!
We think some more teeth are coming, because Patrick’s had a couple of really drooly days. He’s still eating pretty well, and has gotten much better with his cup (putting it back in its place instead of just dropping it or throwing it aside). This week, I bought goldfish crackers for the first time in a while, and Patrick couldn’t wait to get the bag open when we got home from the store (he said “cheese, cheese” while pointing at the bag). We wish he’d have the same enthusiasm with the vegetables he used to devour as baby food! He is trying and liking a couple of new things each week, so I guess we can’t complain or have unreasonable expectations!! We have learned that things go better when we give him things he can feed himself, as we’ve noticed that he’s got a “do it by myself” attitude already.
We had some sad news this week, as Mark’s Uncle John passed away after a 23-month battle with brain cancer. He was always very interested in Patrick, and although we are sad that Patrick won’t get to know him and love him as we have, we are comforted that we all have another angel watching over us and that there are many in the family that can tell Patrick about his middle namesake.
Until next week…
2008-07-13 15:40:19 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for July 5, 2008
It was an eventful week in many ways, but quiet in others. Monday, Patrick had his 15-month check-up and vaccines. He weighed in at 24.5 pounds (50th percentile) and is 32.5 inches long (80th percentile). He was a very good boy for the doctor visit (although he wouldn’t talk on command or show the doctor things he does routinely at home, which I guess is normal!), but did not enjoy being held down for the shots (5 - the most he’s ever had!). He was a bit stiff and sluggish for the couple of days following the appointment, so we didn’t do too much (making the quiet week!). Patrick also had his first dental check-up this week; he was a good boy for that, and everything looks good, which doesn’t surprise us as he is a fanatic about brushing his teeth (he sees Mark and me doing it so often, so that must have rubbed off on him!).
Patrick continues to be a good eater, although we are working hard on consistent manners (like not tossing food or spitting things in his mouth out just because he wants a drink). This week, he tried and seemed to like grapes (surprisingly, he only spits the skin out some of the time), plums, and turkey meatballs. He also enthusiastically ate a chicken bruschetta casserole I made this week with stuffing. We work on vegetables, but he hasn’t been as interested in those (unless you count French Fries!). He is using his utensils more and more, and takes great pride when he can get food on the fork and into his mouth. We know he is done eating when he starts throwing anything left on his tray (but not until after he makes sure we’re watching and puts on his little “I know I’m not supposed to do this, but I’m going to do it anyway, and just try to stop me” look).
Patrick seems to learn and pick up new things every day, so it’s fun to watch him develop. Today, we went to a science museum that had an “under age five only” exploration area…although he was very tentative at first (just checking everything and everyone out!), he eventually was wandering all around checking out all of the different things to do, holding his own against many of the older and bigger kids. There were so many kids who were obviously older (based on their verbal skills), but Patrick was the same height! He didn’t try to take anything from any other kids like he sometimes does at playgroup, so it was probably good for him to be around and among some older kids so he can observe other types of play!
It’s been nice having Mark home for a long weekend, and Patrick has obviously enjoyed it, too. He has been very smiley and giggly, so we think the effects of the shots have finally worn off! Luckily, he won’t need any more shots besides a flu shot until he goes to kindergarten…which seems so far off, but with the way time is flying, will be here before we know it!
We think we will have many of the details of our move to Jacksonville worked out this coming week, and I have been able to find a doctor’s office that will take me on as a patient, and it is very near to where we will be (hopefully!) living. I’m working on lining up a pediatrician so that we have that taken care of, and then I can work on dentists, ophthalmologists, and a primary care doctor. Once the major details are worked out, I can work on all of the address changes and disconnections/connections (utilities, cable, phone, etc.) we need to do, and then things will start falling into place!
We hope everyone had a nice 4th of July weekend! Until next week…
2008-07-05 22:11:41 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for June 29, 2008
We’re back home after a wonderful week away. Patrick was a champion traveler, so that made things a lot easier than they might have been! He cut two more teeth while we were gone (he’s up to 12), so that he was good despite that obvious discomfort was a blessing! We were all happy to get home after spending most of both Friday and Saturday in the car.
We had a great time in Hilton Head! It was fun to watch Patrick check everything out and assert his independence…he wanted to walk a lot and go in his own direction. We’ve been lucky that he’s had no major falls or injuries yet (knock on wood), and he seems to get faster day by day. Patrick enjoyed the time with Nana and Papa, as well…often calling for them when we awoke in the morning. The vacation was a nice mix of relaxing, family time, and exploring. We went on a long walk almost every day, enjoying the scenery and serenity of the walking/biking paths we took. We took Patrick to a small animal farm, where he told us all the sounds the animals there make. We went on a forest preserve hike, where we saw two very large turtles, some sea birds, a bunch of lizards, and two baby alligators (one which was a little bit too close to us for our comfort!)…so after the second sighting, we didn’t stick around, knowing that the mother alligator couldn’t be too far away! We spent one morning at the beach, where it was fun to watch Patrick wander in the sand and check everything out. We made it to the pool a couple of times, so that was nice, too. Mark got to play golf for the first time in a year, and we were able to enjoy some “us” time as well! We went out for a nice dinner on our last night there, and Patrick was so good, even the nearby patrons were commenting on it when we left.
It was nice for us to be so well taken care of by my parents, who had all the meals planned and were very flexible with Patrick’s slightly erratic sleeping (less at night, with longer naps during the day - we think the activity and the heat wore him out). It was fun to watch Patrick interacting with them and playing with them. And it was nice not to have to feel as I sometimes do that Patrick is bored with me at home!
Tomorrow, Patrick has his 15-month check-up and vaccinations, so it will be interesting to see how he reacts to that…it’s been quite a while since he’s had any shots. On Thursday, he goes for his first dental check-up…he loves to brush his teeth (multiple times a day, he will run around and say “teeth” in his cute little way and reach for our toothbrushes), so hopefully that appointment will be a piece of cake for him (it’s probably the sitting still part that will do him in - he’s not so good at that now that he’s walking!). We are glad it’s a short week, as it will be hard for us having Mark go back to work tomorrow after spending so much time with him this past week!
Happy 4th of July! Until next week…
2008-06-29 14:55:32 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for June 15, 2008
Happy Father’s Day!! Patrick arose early this morning, so Mark has gotten to spend more than the usual “quality time” with him. Patrick is very energetic and curious now that he’s walking so well - most of the time very mischevious. He’s able to easily do more and more with his hands and can multi-task quite well while he’s walking. He’s taken to carrying his blankets around with him everywhere, and so far, there have been no major falls (knock on wood). His balance is very good, and when he does tumble, he gets right back up as if nothing has happened! Maybe that’s one of the reasons he was waiting so long to walk.
Patrick’s communication skills are improving at lightning speed these days. Every day he does or says something new to make himself understood. His new thing is that he says “aaahhh” and walks toward the refrigerator when he’s thirsty. When he wants his pacifier, which we’re trying to limit (and hope that the blanket will take its place as a comfort object, especially after more of his teeth come in (two more are coming soon!)), he smacks his lips and makes a “nnn” sound (for “Nuk”). He easily follows requests and seems to take direction well. Now if we could just find an easy way to clip his finger nails and get him to take out his frustration/throw his tantrums on people other than me and Mark, we’d be golden!
Patrick and I were on our own for a few days this week, and he was so happy to see Mark on Friday night when he got home from Jacksonville, he could hardly contain himself. I’ve said (and I think this recent experience confirms it) that Patrick gets really bored when it’s just me 24-7!! I do my best to come up with new ways to entertain him, but the weather lately has been very hot with unpredictable scattered thunderstorms, so we’ve been home-bound more than we’d like. So, we’re excited to be leaving on vacation on Friday night…there should be all kinds of new things for Patrick to experience, and now that he’s walking, the world will be a lot bigger for him!
Since we’ll be gone, it might be more than a week until I’m able to write again, but the next update should have a lot more information. Until next time…Happy Summer!!
2008-06-15 14:24:25 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Li
Entry for June 8, 2008
Well, it finally happened this week…Patrick started walking on his own. We knew he was close, but didn’t expect it when he actually did it. Already in less than a week, we can see how much he has improved. He doesn’t walk with his arms like “Frankenstein” so much any more, he can change direction easily, and can bend down to pick things up without tumbling. He hasn’t taken any serious tumbles yet, so maybe he was just waiting for his confidence to improve before he “let go.” He even walked in water yesterday at a kiddie swimming pool! Today, we need to go and get him some sturdier shoes - ones designed for “walkers” (instead of “pre-walkers”); he’s outgrown his other ones already anyway…we learned yesterday that his shoe size will change every three months!
Patrick has also been eating well again, although he much prefers to do it himself, so sometimes it is a lengthier process! He loves to blow on food he knows is hot, and even starts doing it before the food is even cooked - just from seeing it in the package! He was successful in feeding himself with his spoon and fork a few times this week, and he is very proud of himself when he can do it. Last night, he tried corn, fake crabmeat, and tomatoes, and seemed to enjoy them (even after he had already eaten his dinner). I will have to try to get more creative with what I make since he seems to like to eat what we are having. He has been making the “mmmm” sound when he eats something he likes, so that is a helpful clue! He also still likes to drink out of our cups and glasses, and even makes the “aaahhh” sound when his thirst has been quenched.
Patrick is still talking up a storm, too. He seems to pick up a new word every day, and we’re surprised that he also knows the correct context. He often will see things before we do and start saying the word, and although we shouldn’t be by now, we are still surprised that he is totally correct in his observation! We started Kindermusik for a summer session on Friday, and there was a big ball stuck up in the ceiling of the place where we go…he started pointing and saying “ball, ball.” And yesterday at the swimming birthday party, he saw some older kids throwing a Nerf football and did the same thing…I don’t think Mark believed him at first since he didn’t see them throwing it!
We learned on Friday that Baby Bishara #2 is a boy (as I suspected), and that everything is as it should be: 10 fingers, 10 toes, two kidneys, a full bladder, a full stomach, two eyes, two ears, a nose, two lips, a heart with four chambers, etc. The sonographer was sure the baby was a girl by looking at the profile, which looks remarkably like Patrick’s did at the same stage, but even before she went looking for gender, I was still sure that he is a boy just based on similarities to Patrick! Having another boy will be easier from a practical standpoint, but choosing a name might be harder, since we had a lot of cool girl names in mind (since before Patrick)!
Until next week…
2008-06-08 15:25:07 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for June 1, 2008
It’s hard to believe that it’s already June! The time is passing so quickly, and it seems Patrick is doing something new every day. He is still not walking on his own, but he is standing more confidently more often and is taking more steps. We know that he could do it, but he probably just doesn’t yet see the need since he cruises so well and crawls so fast! Although we know things will change greatly when he can move more confidently and easily, I personally am looking forward not to have to lift him so much as I get bigger myself and it’s harder to hoist or prop him up on my changing body!
Patrick is quite the little chatterbox, and it’s clear he is learning and absorbing so many new things every day. Mark and I counted the words he says well and that we know what he means when he says them, and we came up with 25 earlier in the week. He has this new thing of wanting to get cotton balls out of his changing tables and carry them around, and this morning when I got him out of bed, he said “cotton.” So, the tally on new words will be rising!
We start a short summer session of Kindermusik this week, so that will be a fun diversion from our usual routine. Patrick really loves music, and especially loves to dance along in the car (even though he’s sitting in his seat). He’s taken more of an interest in making his own music by playing with his drums and maracas. This class is for a broader age range, so maybe being around other kids who walk will “inspire” Patrick to walk on his own for good!
Since it has gotten so hot here already, we’ve had to change up our daily routine and go for our walks first thing in the morning. Patrick enjoys looking for animals (especially dogs), and it’s the only opportunity I have to get any cardiovascular exercise! We got him a little plastic pool for the deck, but he seems more interested in getting out of it to crawl around on the deck than in sitting and playing in it. The deck here is in rough shape, so we don’t want him getting splinters or burns from hot nails, so we will have to come up with another activity to keep cool and entertained! There are a few MOMS Club activities going on this week, so that should help break things up a bit.
Friday afternoon, we will hopefully conclusively find out whether Patrick will have a little brother or sister…tomorrow marks the halfway point already in this pregnancy! I am blessed to be feeling great and having great support from Mark, and having a sweet, good little boy.
Until next week…
2008-06-01 15:52:59 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for May 22, 2008
I have a few moments while Patrick is napping and we are still away, so thought I’d write the next installment so I don’t feel so guilty about not writing something when we get home this weekend, since I know we will be busy re-adjusting and getting everything back in order after 10 days away.
We are having a nice time away, and had a nice little vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, for a talent convention for Patrick. We had to walk “the runway” and be on display for several talent agents, but Patrick ate all that up - smiling, waving, and clapping out to all of them. There were about 75 other little ones in his division (23 months and under), and Patrick got three callbacks. For one agency (out of Mobile), Patrick was the only baby selected. The other two cleared him through their additional selection process once the convention was over, so he has “composite cards” (basically business cards with pictures that modeling/talent agencies distribute to their clients) in the works at one agency (out of Orlando), and we are working out the details of another photo shoot for composite cards at another (out of Atlanta). We are curious to see how things go from here! If nothing else, It was nice to get some affirmation of what strangers and others keep telling us about him, and we really needed the little family vacation. Patrick was really good for the long drives, thanks mostly to Mark’s idea of getting a DVD player - Patrick could watch his “Sesame Street” DVDs 10 times in a row and not get bored!
Patrick still isn’t walking by himself yet, but he’s taking more and more steps on his own, is standing a lot more, and only needs/wants a finger to hold on to when he’s walking. I think it will take him being around some kids his own age/size who are walking to do it. Last week, we went to the Fountains (basically a little water park) at a local shopping mall, and once he got over his apprehension about all of that, he was taking steps away from me quite often…to keep up with the other kids. Although we are really eager for him to walk by himself, I saw the future of never being able to take my eyes off of him for even a second in watching the other kids, and I’m fine with where he is, especially since he is making such strides verbally.
In addition to the other words he knows, Patrick now says “shoes,” “hat,” “hot,” “keys,” “ouch,” and “dad” with regularity, and also knows many of his body parts when questioned, as well as the sounds of various animals. His comprehension of things really blows us away sometimes - it just doesn’t seem like that long ago when he was so non-responsive! I guess now we have proof that he was just absorbing it all!
While we are here at Nana and Papa’s house in South Carolina, Patrick has really loved exploring things outside - picking up pine cones, sticks, leaves, and watching the birds and squirrels. I will have to find a place we can go once we are back home since our yard is not very nice for sitting or crawling around. He is really showing lately that he is “all boy.”
I think that is a summary of things since the last time I wrote an entry…
Until next time…
2008-05-22 17:41:03 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for May 4, 2008
It was a solid week of our happy Patrick being back, for which we are very grateful. Patrick’s appetite and enthusiasm for eating returned, although we can see that he increasingly wants to feed himself over being fed. We will be trying new things/foods to help him accomplish that. After having to regress a little bit with “table manners” while he was sick just in trying to get him to eat, we are slowly getting back to normal with good eating behaviors.
We’re noticing that Patrick has discovered the concept of “personal space,” and he likes to toss everything out of his crib to create more. A few times this week, he resisted being placed in his stroller (even though he loves to go for walks), not liking the restriction. He really enjoys tossing everything off of his changing tables while we’re trying to change him, which makes for a good workout! He also likes to clear his playmats of all of his toys, and enjoys tossing them over the security gate.
Patrick was really interested this week in walking outside while holding one of our hands. He gets this really happy and determined look on his face when he’s doing it, and is so proud when he gets to where he’s trying to go (even if it takes a long time due to “detours” to look at sticks, rocks, ant hills, leaves, etc.). He still isn’t all that interested in letting go of security, but he’s getting steadier and steadier, and sometimes “catches himself” standing without holding on, so it won’t be too much longer until we think he figures it out and gets confident!
Patrick is saying a few more things, as well. He imitates the chicken, says half of “uh-oh” when he drops things or when things don’t work out as expected, and says “hat.” He is also understanding more and more: responding to questions with the desired action (for example, “Could I have a kiss, please?”) and pointing to body parts - he doesn’t always get them right, but he’s definitely making progress! And even though we’ve only read it a few times, he responds to the “Now you…” pages in his “Pat the Bunny Book” on every page. It’s fun watching him figure things out.
Patrick had his third haircut yesterday, and was generally really good for it. We had it cut short since he was waking up with some crazy hairdos every day, and we were having trouble keeping his bangs out of his face. We think it looks really adorable, although it makes him look even more like a little boy and less like a baby!
Today, we visited the farm of one of Mark’s co-workers to see his calves, one of which he named “P.J.” since he was born near Patrick’s birthday. Patrick really enjoyed getting up close to the cows, hearing their crazy “moos” and seeing the chickens and horses of their neighbor’s farm. He especially liked playing with their little dog - he really loves dogs. Luckily, there are enough of them around here that we can usually lure him out for a walk (that is, into the stroller) by asking him if he wants to go hunt for doggies (although once he’s in the stroller, he really loves to go on walks, so we try to go every day for at least a couple of miles).
This week, we are busy with some MOMS Club activities, and I hope to take him back to the YMCA to swim one day. Next weekend will be Patrick’s first outing to the beach, as another one of Mark’s co-workers invited us to her home on the beach in Pensacola for Sunday afternoon. It’ll be good preparation for our weekend in Panama City Beach the following weekend! I will try to keep the blog updated, but we will be busy after next weekend for the next two, so there may be a longer time than a week between updates.
Until next time…
2008-05-05 00:56:35 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for April 27, 2008
Our happy, smiley, active Patrick is back!! After two weeks of not being himself and enduring strep throat and an ear infection (we have no idea where he would’ve picked those up - maybe the doctor’s office when he was there a few weeks ago), Patrick is finally more like himself. It was a long and stressful couple of weeks, and we spent more time at the doctor’s office last week than we have in many of his well-checks combined! His appetite seems much better, which is good, since he’s lost around 4 pounds since his one-year check-up (just one month ago!). He’s eating and drinking his milk much more enthusiastically, although he still requires “entertainment” to do so. I think a lot of it is that he wants to do it himself, and so many of the things we’re feeding him now (to get his weight back up) are not finger-foods or things he can easily get in his mouth. We’ve decided that we’ll work on table manners/eating behavior once he gets his weight back up!
Watching educational/baby DVDs while he eats hasn’t been entirely bad (at least that’s what we’re telling ourselves!): Patrick now knows what the chicken says and can do some of the song actions that are on his videos…he doesn’t seem to mind watching the same ones over and over, and in fact seemed upset when we tried to introduce a new one!
Despite Patrick’s feeling badly, he was still a very sweet boy. Both times at the doctor’s office, he leaned to give me kisses as soon as the doctor walked in the exam room (as if to say…”see how much I love my mom?”). He was a trooper through both of the exams, which of course, were unpleasant. Luckily, the doctor spared him a throat culture! He’s also getting at least two teeth that we can see. And despite his difficulty breathing and swallowing, he slept really well during the night through this period. More often than not, he makes it all night (at least 11 hours) without a peep.
Now that he’s feeling better, he doesn’t need to be held as much, so he’s been exploring more on the floor and not protesting walking…so hopefully he’ll make up progress on the actual walking now. He loves to scale the walls and cruise along everything, but he just doesn’t see the need yet to break away from the security of something to hold on to. We know that will come soon enough!
It’s hard to believe May begins this week…we’re barreling in on living here for one year! We are looking forward to a nice getaway to Panama City Beach mid-month, and we may take a road trip to South Carolina while Mark spends a week working in Jacksonville. It’ll be great to have new/different things to do, since Patrick seems to get bored easily, even though we try to do things/go out every day!
Until next week…
2008-04-27 17:19:59 GMTComments: 2 |Permanent Link
Entry for April 20, 2008
It was a very atypical week for all of us…Patrick completely lost his appetite and zeal for eating, so that has been very concerning and challenging for us. We see a tooth (#9) coming, but he has been much crankier and more irritable than he has been with any of his other teeth…he’s just not himself. He is very clingy and wants to be held almost all the time (and not on the floor, either!). We’re trying very hard to make sure he eats a balanced diet, but it seems he’d eat only goldfish crackers if we let him!
Patrick is also sleeping a lot more than usual. At a time when we were anticipating his naps getting shorter and eventually his morning one disappearing all-together, he is napping for 2 hours or more each nap, and often that is because we wake him up. He had one bad night this week where he was awake for 90 minutes, but he is still sleeping 10-11 hours at night. Maybe this is a serious growth or developmental spurt he’s entering…regardless, we hope it’s a phase that passes quickly, since we miss our smily, happy boy!
Patrick still loves to push things, but doesn’t seem very interested in letting go and trying himself. Maybe being around some other kids in playgroup who are walking will inspire him - he hasn’t been around so many kids who walk in the past couple of weeks, so hasn’t probably felt much like trying. Or maybe it’s related to his general malaise these days.
We took Patrick to the Zoo again today, but many of the animals were sleeping, so it was hard for him to get too interested (or often to even notice they were there!). It was nice to get outside for a bit, though…we do try to get out for a walk every day, since that seems to pacify everyone!! We will try to get to the YMCA some more this week to practice things we learned in swimming lessons (really just to keep him familiar with the water)…all of our regular activities are over now, so we will be looking for things to keep us busy and entertained! Mark will be traveling this week (thankfully, AFTER his birthday!), so we will need it more than usual!
Until next week…
2008-04-20 20:34:15 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for April 13, 2008
There were a few more exciting developments for Patrick this week. Verbally, he said “bubbles” at swimming lessons on Friday, and is more correctly identifying more body parts this week versus last week. Physically, although he seemed to regress during the week with wanting to walk (he’d just plop down to crawl instead of trying), he has really taken an interest in trying now, mostly (I think) because he loves the reaction he gets from us when he does well. Our lives will definitely be different when he figures it out (as into everything as he already is)!!
On the eating front, Patrick doesn’t seem to be as hungry as he used to be, and he requires something in his hads/some distraction in order to eat. Mealtimes are definintely slower than they used to be! He does continue to try new things (this week, it was non-pureed green beans), and the quantity of baby food in the house has drastically decreased. He loves to throw things on the floor, and often/mostly seems to do it to get a rise out of us…so we try not to react to it too much (even though it’s frustrating to be constantly picking things up off the floor or eating things that he’s discarded (5 second rule!)). I think part of the problem is that he wants to do more and more things for himself, and he’s frustrated that it’s hard to eat without help!
On the sleeping front, there was only one night this week that was rough, and I think Patrick knew that Mark was out of town and recognized the change in routine versus normal. The last couple of days, his naps have been off, so I hope that doesn’t mean he’s ready to give up his morning nap already (although I know it’s coming)!
We finished Kindermusik (until a June session begins) on Wednesday, and we finish swimming lessons this Friday, so then we’ll have to come up with new things to stay busy/engaged or get us out of the house. Maybe we’ll just have to increase the number of walks we take since the weather is so nice this time of year!!
Until next week…
2008-04-13 16:26:23 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for April 6, 2008
It was another eventful week…with a few more “firsts” for Patrick. I had to take him to the doctor for something other than a well check for the first time on Monday; he was very congested and coughing/wheezing, so I didn’t want it to get worse. He had some fluid building up in his ears, so we got some decongestant to help prevent further build-up and double ear infections. The doctor joked that he probably got the virus in their office when he was there the week prior for his well-check! In that week, he’d gained a half pound, but I think it was as much to do with what he was wearing as anything! The decongestant helped, and he seems much happier now.
His 8th tooth finally popped through after bothering him for a few weeks. The drool continues, so perhaps there are more teeth on the way - he never seems to get much of a break from that! But, the increased amount of teeth are helping him try and enjoy more “adult food.” After pulverizing a few bites with his fingers, he tried and seemed to love hot dogs (much to Papa’s pleasure) this week. He always wants what Mark and I have on our plates, so we are encouraged that he wants to try and explore new things. Hopefully that means he will not be a picky eater!
Patrick took more and more strides walking on his own, usually before diving into one of us with delight. He is more comfortable with someone holding his hands now while he walks, so hopefully he will continue to try. On Tuesday, when he first started trying to walk in earnest, he slipped and hit his eye/cheek on the bottom wood stair, resulting in a couple of knots on his head/cheek and a black eye. It was more traumatic for Mark and me, and even only 5 days later, you can hardly tell anything happened! Patrick also got his first pair of shoes this week - we never know when he will just take off, so we wanted to be ready!
Patrick is also a little chatterbox these days. He still reliably can tell us what the dog and the cow say, says “woof-woof” whenever he sees a dog or a picture of a dog, and is learning his body parts (belly button, head, nose, etc.). He still loves to give kisses, and the best ones are the unsolicited ones when he just puckers up and comes near you!
Patrick is also making progress in swimming lessons. He tried to blow bubbles in the water, reliably “rows” toward the ball or frisbee in the water, and doesn’t hardly flinch when he gets dunked. He loves when we do the “Hokey-Pokey” at the end of class, since that’s the song we sing to get dressed. We hope to keep him in lessons so he continues to be comfortable in the water and will hopefully learn to swim easily when that time comes.
Since his hair grows like a weed and is getting very thick, we took Patrick for his second hair cut yesterday. He was much less squirmy, so the haircut is more even and “shapely” this time. He was again a hit at the salon, and he seems to love all of the attention. His hair is getting curly in back, so we had her leave some of that since it’s so adorable (and it doesn’t get in his way like the hair on top and the sides does!). He looks even more handsome!!
Just a final note to any of you who were awaiting Patrick’s one-year portraits in the mail: we never received our portraits from Sears (luckily, after two weeks of fighting with them, they finally agreed to give me a refund!), so unfortunately, we aren’t going to be able to mail them to you as planned. All of the portraits are in our Kodak gallery, so you can order whichever sizes and poses you’d like. We’re sorry about that, but I spent so much time and energy trying to resolve things with Sears that by the time I’d order them again, wait for them, and then mail them, Patrick won’t even look like that any more! We had the best intentions and pictures earmarked for everyone, but were the victims of an unfortunate series of events with Sears (yet another example of how things are always just a little bit messed up in Alabama!).
Until next week…
2008-04-06 15:51:51 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for March 29, 2008
O.K, so it’s been more than a week since the last post, but since we had a house-full last weekend and were busy with Patrick’s party, hopefully everyone understands! Now that we’re “back to normal” in our routine, I’ll do my best to make the updates as regular as they have been up to now!
Our baby is now one year old! It’s hard to believe. We had a great time last weekend with both sets of grandparents here for the long weekend. Patrick ate up all of the attention, of course! He really enjoyed his party, and was a really good boy all weekend. He got a lot of nice gifts and cards. And we really enjoyed having Chuck and Judy Doyle, some friends from Michigan, visit us for his party - Judy hadn’t seen Patrick since he was just a few weeks old.
On the motoring front, Patrick took his first steps yesterday. He’s really into pushing his Tonka truck around, and he let go of it to stand and walk a couple of steps to me. He has gotten much faster in his “cruising” around the furniture, and doesn’t need something solid to grasp to feel comfortable, so it’s probably only a matter of time before he just takes off and walks for “real.” He loved showing off for his grandparents last weekend, but I think he was eating up the attention too much to focus on doing something new to walk then.
On the verbal front, Patrick now knows what the cow says and can point at sheep, dogs, mice, and strawberries in his books. He’s started calling me “ma-ma” more in direct response/naming rather than the babbling it was before. He will also just start chattering away, even using inflection and other “real” sounding effects when he’s talking.
As far as eating, Patrick has tried a number of new things since the last post. He seemed to really enjoy his birthday cake and ice cream, although more of it ended up ON him than IN him. He’s also tried asparagus, chicken nuggets, meatloaf, and egg rolls this week. We’re still trying to find something that, once he tries it, he refuses to eat; we know we’re really lucky in that regard after listening to the struggles of others in trying to get their babies to eat. We hope he continues to be an adventurous and well-balanced eater!
Patrick did well at his one-year check-up this week. He weighed in at 23 pounds, 14 ounces, so he didn’t triple his birthweight as the doctors suggest, but she wasn’t concerned because he was right on for his length at 31.5 inches, and it wasn’t that far off the line from his last weigh-in, especially since he’s had a lot of transition during that 3-month period to new kinds of nourishment. As a bonus for all of us, he didn’t have to get any shots - the doctor likes to wait and give them at 15 months. So unfortunately, we can’t blame some of his erratic sleep this week on the shots! We think he’s just got so much happening at once: new teeth waiting to pop through, verbal development, and motor development. Luckily, he still naps really well, so he is getting the sleep he really needs in total!
Also this week, we started (at long last) our play group for the MOMS Club, which Patrick loved. He got so giddy when there were other little people around to interact with, and he also enjoyed interacting with the other moms. We’re really excited to have that as a weekly event to attend! We also started back in with swimming lessons this week at the YMCA. Mark was able to take him to the first class (which now meets at lunch time instead of in the evenings like before), so that was a nice treat for both Patrick and Mark.
Well, I think that just about covers the past couple of weeks in a nutshell! Until next week…
2008-03-29 20:15:27 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for March 16, 2008
It was not a stellar week sleep-wise for Patrick (or any of us). Now that he has a stuffy/runny nose, we’re hoping that he’s just getting some more teeth, and that is what is bothering him (not that he’s seriously regressing!). He otherwise seems happy and like himself, so we’re not too concerned.
We think Patrick has decided to focus on verbal skills this week over motor skills. He continues to love to mimic sounds and actions, and by Friday seemed to be comprehending a lot more. As I’ve written, we had several big, noisy dogs move in next door (they’ve left now, thankfully!), so Patrick learned “hush!” a couple of weeks ago. On Friday, I asked him “What does a dog say?,” and he responded, “woof-woof.” Thinking it was a fluke, I’d randomly ask the question throughout the day, and almost always got the same answer. He’d also see dogs later in the day and say “woof-woof” when he saw them. He got to see some dogs yesterday on our Heart Walk, and he loved that. So, after he mastered what sound the dog makes, we moved on to the cow…and he now reliably answers “moo” to “What does a cow say?” We don’t see that many dogs or even read about them, so we wonder why he got on that…cows we talk and sing about in our Kindermusik class, so that connection seems clear.
We are excited for a fun week here! Nana comes tomorrow at lunch time to stay with us for a whole week, and Papa, Grandma, and Grandpa will all fly in on Friday afternoon. The weather is supposed to be beautiful, so we’ll be able to spend time outside, and hopefully have a much warmer Easter than we did last year (when it snowed and it was the first time we took Patrick to church). Patrick’s birthday party is Saturday afternoon, and we’re looking forward to seeing how he reacts to all the attention (he loves it in small doses, anyway!).
Until next week…
2008-03-16 15:59:02 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for March 9, 2008
Patrick is not walking yet, but we can tell that he’s getting sturdier and sturdier on his legs. He loves to stand on his tip-toes, and tries to climb over barriers and obstacles. He also tries to climb into the bathtub when it’s filling up, whether he’s ready to get in or not. We think he’s saving his first steps for an audience at his birthday party! He does love attention. Whenever we go somewhere and people talk to him or about him, he just starts clapping with glee.
Patrick continues to be a little mimic, even imitating Mark imitating Patrick, which is pretty funny. He loves to chatter, and it’s sounding more and more like speech every day.
We got Patrick’s one-year pictures taken today, but I didn’t get to participate much since he wouldn’t sit still if I was in the room, and I was (as Mark would say) negative help to the process. It was really hard not to get to be there for such a momentous occasion, but I guess he’s going through another one of those “clingy” phases, and we’d have been there all day (it takes long enough as it is, especially since we have to drive to Mobile) if I’d have stayed in the room.
We are happy for Daylight Savings Time and longer/brighter days, but hopefully the time change won’t mess up Patrick’s sleep too much/much more than usual. He’s had a couple of rough nights this week, so we won’t be surprised to see some more teeth soon. Since it is still bright and sunny and warm, we are heading out for a walk. So…
Until next week…
2008-03-09 22:06:25 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for March 2, 2008
Patrick has made some more “strides” this week toward walking. He no longer resists being placed on his feet when he wants down, and seems to be getting steadier. He loves to push things around while walking behind them, and he’s “scaling” walls and cabinets, so his balance is improving. He loves to stand on his tip-toes to try to see above things and try to grab for things he wants. As a result, he’s also started whining a little bit, frustrated with not being able to do things or not getting what he wants. As Mark says, “that’s not our favorite thing that he does”!
Last night, we made dinner for the guests at the Ronald McDonald House in Mobile, and the Resident Advisor had a 14-month-old little girl who befriended Patrick. She was running around, and Mark kept saying, “You mean Patrick is going to be like this in just 3 months?? He couldn’t even crawl 3 months ago!” The changes in him are definitely coming quickly! It was cute to see him interact with another baby (Mark doesn’t usually get to see that), and he was, as usual, a very good boy. We got to talk to a few of the people staying there, and we realized how fortunate we are that Patrick is and has been in such excellent health. It looked like there were a few new moms there whose babies must have been in the hospital.
Verbally, Patrick loves to chatter and imitate things. At church this morning, whenever he heard someone cough, a cough from him was soon behind. The same thing happens with clapping. He is also trying desperately to be understood with different sounds and pointing/reaching. Sometimes, it takes us several tries to get what he’s really after. If only he could really talk…
Patrick’s 7th tooth popped through this week (4 on top and 3 on bottom), but he’s slept really well the past week. Maybe it has something to do with a lot of fresh air? We went for a lot of walks this week because the weather was so nice! We’ll be glad if that continues for a while. Patrick also continues to try and like more and more foods, and actually seems bored with baby food now. That should make grocery shopping and recycling less laborious!
It’s hard to believe that Patrick’s birthday is in less than 3 weeks! We have a “dry run” of his birthday party on Tuesday for MOMS Club (all of the kids with March birthdays are having a party), so maybe he’ll get to practice cake eating with a cupcake. We are very excited to have company, too! Nana will come to spend a week with us starting St. Patrick’s Day, and Papa and Grandma and Grandpa will come for the long Easter weekend.
Until next week…
2008-03-02 16:24:55 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for February 24, 2008
Patrick continues to develop quickly as the days go by. Physically, he’s pushing things while walking behind them, marching along the furniture, and discovering all kinds of ways to get out of laying down for diaper and wardrobe changes. He doesn’t resist as much when we try to set him down on his feet to stand, and we can see that his balance is improving as his legs get stronger. He’s also making strides verbally…imitating more sounds (like to “hush” the new, big, and VERY noisy dogs next door, “ha-ha-ha,” and “aaaahhhh” when something tastes good), and chattering as if he’s talking or responding to us. He is full of personality!!
We have some evidence today that there is at least one (maybe two) new tooth almost through, which would explain the slight disruptions in his sleep the past few nights. He’s trying and liking more and more “people” food, and is really getting the hang of chewing. He tried Teddy Grahams yesterday while we were out to lunch (a little treat the girls at the restaurant gave him), and did really well with those; he also liked Mark’s macaroni and cheese, and surprisingly, his dill pickle! His appetite hasn’t slowed down too much yet, and we think he weighs around 23 pounds - so he probably won’t triple his birth weight (a good target according to the experts) by his birthday. He’s getting taller, too - from week to week, we can see his progress when we give him rides on his little Tonka truck. In another inch or so, he should be able to give himself rides!
I hear that people actually read this blog…we have no idea of knowing who visits the site unless you sign the guest book or post a comment to the blog. This isn’t meant to be one-way communication…so we’d love to hear back from you! You are missing Patrick just like we are missing all of you. We made this site to keep in touch with people, but we need “touches” back, too!! So, please drop us a line or let us know what you want to know about. Thanks!
Until next week…
2008-02-24 17:27:28 GMTComments: 2 |Permanent Link
Entry for February 17, 2008
After fighting it for the past few weeks, we finally got Patrick’s hair cut yesterday. He was a really good boy, and he looks even cuter (if that’s possible!) with his new ‘do. However, I think he looks less like a baby, and more like a little boy, which is a little bit sad to think about…the attached photo is what he looked like afterward.
Patrick is making more and more strides (literally) with his cruising. He stands up with ease, and doesn’t really need anything substantial to grab to get up. He can stand behind his Tonka truck and push it along by taking a few steps, but he doesn’t seem interested in letting go of anything to grab something else (like a hand), and he flatly refuses to walk with one of us guiding him. His balance is improving, and he’s getting faster with his steps, so hopefully his confidence in walking will improve. We know he’s adventurous and inquisitive enough to try anything!! As a result of the cruising, we’ve had to move more things out of reach, which has only increased his desire to get them.
Patrick continues to be an eating machine…we wonder where it all goes sometimes! He is now eating Goldfish crackers and Cheerios, so we’re trying to give him more and more regular food as he’s mastered chewing and different textures. He still loves his oatmeal and rice cereal and all the other baby foods, so we know that if all else fails, he has those we can fall back on.
We hear more and more chattering and babbling that sounds like talking. He says “ma-ma” a lot, but I’m not sure if he really knows what it means yet. He likes to “sing” and pray along when we go to church. We know he understands a few things: “How big are you?” “Can I have a kiss?/Give me a kiss,” and “No,” although he usually laughs at me when I tell him (even in the sternest voice I can muster)! It’s fun to watch him develop and learn. Lately, he loves to mimic sounds he hears: “psssst,” “sniff,” “woof-woof,” vigorous “ha-ha-has,” grunting, and coughing. It’s cute.
The weather has been improving here, so we enjoy getting outside for walks more often. The trees and flowers are blooming, so there are more new things for us to look at!
Until next week…
2008-02-17 17:07:01 GMTComments: 2 |Permanent Link
Entry for February 9, 2008
We noticed a lot more change in Patrick this week! His hair continues to grow/get thicker, so I’m probably going to have to break down/get over my fear that he won’t sit still well enough and get him a haircut soon. His 5th tooth popped through today, with #6 fast on its heels. He’s beginning to catch on to chewing more and more, so he’s enjoyed trying some more complex foods: saltine crackers, noodles, small pieces of fish, and (not that it requires much chewing!) ice cream (which he of course loved!). I think part of it is that he likes to participate/do what we’re doing, so he enjoys eating when we do, and it’s much easier if we can put things on his tray for him to try…we both get to almost eat our meals “normally” and at the intended temperature!
Patrick also loves to imitate sounds and actions more and more. He “coughs”/clears his throat, sniffs, blows, tries to sound like the work horse of his Tonka truck, and smacks his lips. He also tries to gesture with his hands and arms like we do when we’re talking. It’s fun to know that he’s understanding us, especially when he responds to requests for kisses and to “How big are you?”
We’re noticing more and more how social Patrick is. He loves to watch other kids, and delights when he hears them having fun (like at the park when we go there (which we can do more often now that the weather is nicer)). He doesn’t seem to shy away from strangers who love to admire him, and is very friendly. Hopefully, this isn’t just a phase.
On the motoring front, Patrick has taken a few steps around furniture, and took his first serious tumble this week. He only cried for a few seconds, but had a nice shiner for a couple of days - it probably hurt us more than it hurt him. This morning, he took a couple of steps pushing his truck from behind before he got too strong, and it went too fast. He continues to develop speed with crawling and pulling himself up, and going up the stairs is almost a game to him now…one day this week, he even took his own pacifier out (which Mark used to use to entice him to keep going) and “threw” it up so he could fetch it.
Tomorrow, we are taking a much-awaited trip to the Zoo, so we’re eager to see how Patrick enjoys that. He seems to love animals and the sounds they make, so it will be fun to see how he reacts to seeing them. The weather here is absolutely beautiful, so we’re thankful that we’re able to do such an outing in February!!
Until next week…
2008-02-09 21:36:40 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for February 2, 2008
It’s February already! I knew time flies, but it seems to fly even faster with a little one. Patrick is turning into quite the little man, but with a big personality! No new teeth appeared this week, but I think there are some coming soon based on the volume of drool and his need to gnaw on things…at times this week, that “thing” was me. He still thinks it’s funny when I tell him “no,” no matter how sternly. But after a day of running away from him (Mark was out of town), I think he got the idea that biting Mom isn’t a good idea. “Count Patrick” hasn’t been that interested since.
Patrick remains a good eater, and we’ve yet to find a food that he doesn’t really like. After an earlier severe dislike of guava, now he loves even that. He can eat a whole banana at once (along with his carton of yogurt), but we wonder where it all goes…he didn’t gain any weight in January (according to our home weighing). He did grow almost an inch, so we’re thinking that he is just burning a lot more off now that he’s so mobile.
We were able to get up to the park one day this week when it was warm, which was nice. We had been getting a little bit of cabin fever. The weather this week is supposed to be warmer, so we look forward to getting out. Everyone here is Mardi Gras crazy, which we haven’t quite figured out; there have been parades going on since New Year’s, but they’re in full gear the past few days. Maybe next year when Patrick is able to see more and be more independent, we’ll feel like joining in…and maybe it will be warm enough to be outside in the dark when Lent doesn’t start so early!
Until next week…
2008-02-02 17:07:56 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for January 26, 2008
Patrick finally got his 4th tooth this week, and has turned into quite the little eating machine! He’s been trying and liking more and more table foods, and we’ve been enjoying watching him discover more complex tastes and textures. Today, he had his first waffle and restaurant food (smashed potatoes). As a result of the tooth popping through, he’s also been sleeping through the night quite regularly now, which Mark and I greatly appreciate!
We’ve been discovering all kinds of things now that Patrick is so proficient with his crawling and standing up. He takes some small steps when holding on, but otherwise doesn’t seem to interested in moving his legs to walk yet. He loves to climb up the stairs, so I’ve discovered a new “workout” in Patrick…who needs a Stairmaster?!?
Anyway, we don’t think it will be long until he starts cruising around the furniture and walking like Frankenstein.
Patrick is also quite affectionate lately. He loves to crawl up to some of the other kids at Kindermusik and give them kisses (basically a big open mouth in your face). He often hugs and kisses us when he wakes up in the morning or from a nap…it’s so precious.
We are hoping that the weather breaks out of this nasty, gloomy, wet pattern that we’ve been in lately so we can get out and go for walks and do some more exploring. We know we can’t complain too much, for we’ve heard about the bitter cold up North!
Until next week…
2008-01-27 01:53:56 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for January 19, 2008
Finally!! Tooth #3 has made its way through! #4, #5, and #6 appear to be close behind (of course, that’s what we thought about #3 after #2, and that was months ago!). #4 actually popped through, but has receded. This teething has disrupted Patrick’s sleep a bit, but he seems to be bouncing back to good napping and good night sleep now.
Patrick started pulling himself up onto us and up to furniture this week. He also is climbing up the stairs with ease. A few times, he seemed to cruise along the coffee table and sofa, so walking may happen sooner than expected (but we thought he’d be crawling right away after he did it in early November, and it was another month before he did it again!). He’s gotten really fast with the crawling, and if you turn away for even a second, he may disappear!
We spent more time inside this week than we like to; it was a bit damp and chilly, and we’d like to keep the viruses that are going around here at bay. We can’t really complain too much because we know it’s worse just about everywhere else…but central Alabama is forecast to get 6 inches of snow today! That’s big news down here!
Until next week…
2008-01-19 16:53:55 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for January 10, 2008
We’ve been getting back into “regular” activities again now that the holidays are over. Yesterday, we had our first session of our spring semester of Kindermusik, and it was so fun watching Patrick explore. At the end of the last semester, he wasn’t quite crawling yet, so he’d watch the other babies who could move enjoying each other and going all over. Although I missed being able to have him stay put so we could fully participate in all of the activities, I was also very proud to watch him moving around. He is a very social little boy! He crawled around the room to greet the familiar and new babies, to try to grab the teacher’s hair, and to flirt with some of the moms. Now that he’s got more coordination, he was able to do a lot more things for himself.
It’s been cool the past week or two to realize that Patrick is understanding what we say and ask. Over the holidays, Nana and Papa worked with him on “So Big,” and now he does it regularly when asked, and without hesitation. He waves (nearly correctly now!) whenever he hears “Hello/Hi,” “Bye-bye,” and “Night-night.” He also claps when he sees or hears others clapping. I’ve been working with him this week on the parts of his face (starting with nose), and he’s starting to get it - grabbing my nose when I ask him where his is.
With all of those skills come some other new things that “aren’t our favorite thing that he does.” Because he is so mobile now, he can’t be bothered to sit still for diaper changes or getting dressed. This morning, he almost reached down over his changing table to fall on the floor. I think our changing tables may become dressers in the very near future. What used to be a breeze is now an ordeal! If he could only realize that if he cooperates, he’ll be back to what he wants to do more quickly…but then I remember that he’s just a baby, and I have to have realistic expectations!
Until next week,
Lynn
2008-01-10 17:01:07 GMTComments: 0 |Permanent Link
Entry for January 6, 2008
Welcome to our web page! Happy New Year! We had wanted to create something months ago as a way to stay connected with family and friends that we don’t get to see as often as we’d like, but the many details of life the past few months have kept us very busy (plus, we didn’t know how! ). We hope this will help everyone stay on top of Patrick’s growth and development, which is happening at warp speed these days. If there are things you’d like to know or see, please let us know!
Love,
Lynn, Mark, & Patrick
