Poor guy, he had another ear drum burst yesterday. He's a tough little dude, but for those few hours before it happens, he sure is miserable. But now that it has, he's feeling much better. And the surgery to have tubes put in his ears is set up for the 13th, so hopefully he won't have to put up with all of this too much longer.
I'm just so proud of him lately. Last night he ate almost his whole dinner by himself...with a spoon! I've tried a few times to let him practice, but up until yesterday the only thing it accomplished was giving him a fun and effective method of food flinging. But he was really trying yesterday, and he wouldn't eat a bite if I was the one holding it, so I let him be messy for awhile. By the end of it, he looked like an old pro. I was so proud! When he sets his mind to it, and with his determination, he can accomplish anything. I just know that will be his personality for a long time to come, and I hope it carries him far in life.
Over the weekend we went to visit my sister and her two girls, who are growing like weeds! Brent had a wonderful time playing with them and running around the house. And it was entertaining to watch everyone. It was almost like they had their own telepathic kids language. I know there are aspects of daycare that are good and bad, but it's times like that I really love that I can put him in just about any situation and socially he fits in well. He may have been like that no matter what, but I know it must help seeing so many people and getting to play with the other kids. And it certainly doesn't hurt that everyone loves and spoils him without shame, both at home and at daycare.
Other than the family visit, we spent most of the weekend outside playing in the beautiful weather. Or sometimes I pulled him around the yard in his red wagon, which he absolutely loves. Only you can't go to far away from the house, because sometimes he changes his mind and wants to help you pull it, and then the going gets very, very slow.
And...on this last note...I've got his Steelers jersey clean and ready to wear on Friday. There's no way they can lose with such a cute guy on their side.
1.31.2006
1.25.2006
Good news!
Well, the EEG test results came back normal this morning. I'm pretty happy, though not surprised, with that. Everything is sun-shiney again in toddler-ville.
And after a few pretty miserable nights of waking up OFTEN, he slept peacefully all last night. I put some stuffed animals in there, with the thinking that 1) he was waking up and just needed something to play with for a minute or two before going back to sleep, or 2) he was getting a little scared of the dark and might want some "company". Either way, or even if they were both wrong, he seems to be doing better at last.
He had so much fun this weekend playing outside. Saturday was pretty warm, so we spent a lot of time walking around the yard, and watching Andy build his shed. It was all I could do to keep him off the cinderblocks and boards. He was so determined to "help" daddy. Sometimes he would content himself with carrying around tiny pieces of wood from one spot to another. But eventually he senses that he's not part of the real action and heads back to the dangerous areas. He tried his best to climb a ladder for awhile, but luckily he didn't make any headway.
Most of the time, we spent in arguments, though. He doesn't exactly like having boundaries set for him. And truthfully, I hate to set them. I really only draw the line when he's attempting to do things that would hurt him. I let him get as messy and silly as he likes, as long as it's relatively safe. I don't know if what he has is just typical toddler anger about this, or if he's got some issues already, but MAN can he throw a fit. Usually he knows when he's planning something that he's not supposed to be doing. He'll stare me down, just daring me to say the "NO" word again. And when I oblige, he will take out his anger on whatever is close. He'll grab a stick and slam it into the ground a few times, grunting with loud, obvious displeasure. It's really kind of comical, but the last thing you're allowed to do as a parent is laugh at inappropriate times, I'm learning. It only reinforces the bad behavior ten-fold. Sometimes though, it will cut through his temporary bad mood and he'll let a little smile leak out. And then we're off to the next wild adventure.
And so it goes until it's time to go inside. I can usually trick him into getting close to the house without catching on. But as soon as the lightbulb goes on, it's every man for himself. He'll turn and try to bowl me over getting away from the evil door. Luckily, I'm still stronger, and I'm forced to manhandle him and carry him over the threshold. Actually, most of the time it's all I can do to keep from dropping him. He'll twist and punch and kick and scream. It's crazy! Then once we're in and I take off his coat, he'll use 110% of his drama abilities and throw himself forcefully (and yet somehow gracefully) to the floor. Tears streak down his little cheeks by the gallon. After a few seconds though, he'll stand up and find something to do, or he'll come over for a hug before charging off to find his books.
Oh! And he's getting to be a real Einstein! He can already match his animals up on his sound puzzles on the first try. And when I ask him what a cow says (or if he sees a picture of one), he'll go "Ooooooooo" in his best moo-ing attempt. It's great :) I know I tell bad stories on him, but he really is a lot of fun lately. I'll get on the floor and crawl around the house chasing him, and spring out from behind doors, causing him to shriek with laughter and run stiff-legged down the hallway with his arms waving in the air. He never tires of that game, it seems. And he's getting good at learning some tasks. If I ask him to take something to Daddy, he'll go find him and deposit whatever thing he shouldn't have had in the first place (his favorite thing is to take the remote controls far far away from the rooms they should be in). And he loves to steal chairs. If he sees Andy get up from his seat, he bolts over and flops into it with a huge smile. It takes a small miracle to get it back after that.
But I guess that's all the news for now. Everyone root for the STEELERS in the superbowl, okay??!!!
And after a few pretty miserable nights of waking up OFTEN, he slept peacefully all last night. I put some stuffed animals in there, with the thinking that 1) he was waking up and just needed something to play with for a minute or two before going back to sleep, or 2) he was getting a little scared of the dark and might want some "company". Either way, or even if they were both wrong, he seems to be doing better at last.
He had so much fun this weekend playing outside. Saturday was pretty warm, so we spent a lot of time walking around the yard, and watching Andy build his shed. It was all I could do to keep him off the cinderblocks and boards. He was so determined to "help" daddy. Sometimes he would content himself with carrying around tiny pieces of wood from one spot to another. But eventually he senses that he's not part of the real action and heads back to the dangerous areas. He tried his best to climb a ladder for awhile, but luckily he didn't make any headway.
Most of the time, we spent in arguments, though. He doesn't exactly like having boundaries set for him. And truthfully, I hate to set them. I really only draw the line when he's attempting to do things that would hurt him. I let him get as messy and silly as he likes, as long as it's relatively safe. I don't know if what he has is just typical toddler anger about this, or if he's got some issues already, but MAN can he throw a fit. Usually he knows when he's planning something that he's not supposed to be doing. He'll stare me down, just daring me to say the "NO" word again. And when I oblige, he will take out his anger on whatever is close. He'll grab a stick and slam it into the ground a few times, grunting with loud, obvious displeasure. It's really kind of comical, but the last thing you're allowed to do as a parent is laugh at inappropriate times, I'm learning. It only reinforces the bad behavior ten-fold. Sometimes though, it will cut through his temporary bad mood and he'll let a little smile leak out. And then we're off to the next wild adventure.
And so it goes until it's time to go inside. I can usually trick him into getting close to the house without catching on. But as soon as the lightbulb goes on, it's every man for himself. He'll turn and try to bowl me over getting away from the evil door. Luckily, I'm still stronger, and I'm forced to manhandle him and carry him over the threshold. Actually, most of the time it's all I can do to keep from dropping him. He'll twist and punch and kick and scream. It's crazy! Then once we're in and I take off his coat, he'll use 110% of his drama abilities and throw himself forcefully (and yet somehow gracefully) to the floor. Tears streak down his little cheeks by the gallon. After a few seconds though, he'll stand up and find something to do, or he'll come over for a hug before charging off to find his books.
Oh! And he's getting to be a real Einstein! He can already match his animals up on his sound puzzles on the first try. And when I ask him what a cow says (or if he sees a picture of one), he'll go "Ooooooooo" in his best moo-ing attempt. It's great :) I know I tell bad stories on him, but he really is a lot of fun lately. I'll get on the floor and crawl around the house chasing him, and spring out from behind doors, causing him to shriek with laughter and run stiff-legged down the hallway with his arms waving in the air. He never tires of that game, it seems. And he's getting good at learning some tasks. If I ask him to take something to Daddy, he'll go find him and deposit whatever thing he shouldn't have had in the first place (his favorite thing is to take the remote controls far far away from the rooms they should be in). And he loves to steal chairs. If he sees Andy get up from his seat, he bolts over and flops into it with a huge smile. It takes a small miracle to get it back after that.
But I guess that's all the news for now. Everyone root for the STEELERS in the superbowl, okay??!!!
1.19.2006
Hospital "Fun"
Well, the EEG went better than I thought. He was pretty upset at having to be held still while they connected all the electrodes, but there was no pain involved at all. And eventually he went to sleep since he was so exhausted. It was smooth sailing after that. It took about 20 minutes to hook everything up, and they ran it for 25 or so. We won't have the results until next week at best, but I'm fairly sure everything was normal. Pictures of our exciting day:
1.11.2006
Lessons
This week has been busy so far for all of us. Monday, I got a call from day care (never good news) that his ear was draining and he was fussy. So I knew his ear infection was back. Luckily I could get him into the doctor that afternoon. Sure enough, both his ears were pretty bad off again, after just receiving a clean bill of health last Friday. So we went to the pharmacy and picked up some prescriptions. He was busy chatting and flirting with some ladies there and capturing everyone's attention, which at least distracted him from wanting to get down and run through the aisles.
So we went home and did the usual dinnertime/playtime/bedtime routine, and all was well. I gave him his antibiotic drop in his ear at dinner, and his oral antibiotics with his bottle before bed to make sure he got it all. He slept for a couple hours, and everything was normal. At 9:15, I heard the familiar crying start. I went to check on him and picked him up so I could give him some pain medicine. I knew he was pretty uncomfortable laying down with that one ear draining. I tried giving him the medicine, and he took it, but something seemed wrong. And his whole body was jerking strangely, not sharp movements but smooth, every few seconds. His eyes were a little bit open, but not focused on anything, and puffy. His crying started getting muffled and robotic. He wasn't really acknowledging me, and seemed so far away and confused. I tried giving him a bottle to calm him down, but he wouldn't even let it into his mouth, like he didn't know it was there.
Worried that he was having a reaction to the medicine, we headed to the ER. I sat in the back and held him. The jerking wasn't as pronounced by now, but he was screaming and acting so strangely. By the time we got there, he had stopped jerking as much, just small tremors now and then. The chaos in the ER intrigued him enough that he stopped crying, but he still seemed so out of it. The doctor didn't find anything wrong with him, even though to me he was still not acting like himself. The doc thought that he probably had a reaction to the medicine and told me not to give him anything until I talked to his pediatrition the next day.
Long story short (or not so short, it seems) she thinks he may have had a small seizure and wants to get some testing done on him to -hopefully- find out what caused it. So he goes in to have an EEG next Wednesday. But the good news is that he has been perfectly fine since then and doesn't seem any worse for the wear. Me, on the otherhand...I'm tired and worried. He's waking up a lot at night, probably just because of his ears, and every time I run in to make sure everything is okay with a sick feeling in my stomach. Besides some colds and viruses, he's always been so healthy. I've just taken that for granted, I think. Now all of a sudden I feel like he's so vulnerable, like danger is waiting around every corner to invade his tiny fragile body somehow.
It's like that feeling when you have a small fender bender, and for weeks afterward it feels like every car you pass will come into contact with you. And then after some time when everything has gone okay, you start to feel invincible again. You take a little more risks, you worry a little bit less, because those emotions aren't as fresh in your mind.
So hopefully in a few weeks, after all the tests confirm that he is as healthy as I know in my heart he is, I will feel like we're invincible again. And all these horrible worst-scenario thoughts that creep into my head unwillingly will fall to the earth and shatter. But for now, I let him stay up a few more minutes if he's not tired. For now, I mutter a little less under my breath when he wakes up too many times during the night. And for now, I cherish every smile a little more than usual, the way I should every day, when I'm too busy to stop and notice how lucky I am.
So we went home and did the usual dinnertime/playtime/bedtime routine, and all was well. I gave him his antibiotic drop in his ear at dinner, and his oral antibiotics with his bottle before bed to make sure he got it all. He slept for a couple hours, and everything was normal. At 9:15, I heard the familiar crying start. I went to check on him and picked him up so I could give him some pain medicine. I knew he was pretty uncomfortable laying down with that one ear draining. I tried giving him the medicine, and he took it, but something seemed wrong. And his whole body was jerking strangely, not sharp movements but smooth, every few seconds. His eyes were a little bit open, but not focused on anything, and puffy. His crying started getting muffled and robotic. He wasn't really acknowledging me, and seemed so far away and confused. I tried giving him a bottle to calm him down, but he wouldn't even let it into his mouth, like he didn't know it was there.
Worried that he was having a reaction to the medicine, we headed to the ER. I sat in the back and held him. The jerking wasn't as pronounced by now, but he was screaming and acting so strangely. By the time we got there, he had stopped jerking as much, just small tremors now and then. The chaos in the ER intrigued him enough that he stopped crying, but he still seemed so out of it. The doctor didn't find anything wrong with him, even though to me he was still not acting like himself. The doc thought that he probably had a reaction to the medicine and told me not to give him anything until I talked to his pediatrition the next day.
Long story short (or not so short, it seems) she thinks he may have had a small seizure and wants to get some testing done on him to -hopefully- find out what caused it. So he goes in to have an EEG next Wednesday. But the good news is that he has been perfectly fine since then and doesn't seem any worse for the wear. Me, on the otherhand...I'm tired and worried. He's waking up a lot at night, probably just because of his ears, and every time I run in to make sure everything is okay with a sick feeling in my stomach. Besides some colds and viruses, he's always been so healthy. I've just taken that for granted, I think. Now all of a sudden I feel like he's so vulnerable, like danger is waiting around every corner to invade his tiny fragile body somehow.
It's like that feeling when you have a small fender bender, and for weeks afterward it feels like every car you pass will come into contact with you. And then after some time when everything has gone okay, you start to feel invincible again. You take a little more risks, you worry a little bit less, because those emotions aren't as fresh in your mind.
So hopefully in a few weeks, after all the tests confirm that he is as healthy as I know in my heart he is, I will feel like we're invincible again. And all these horrible worst-scenario thoughts that creep into my head unwillingly will fall to the earth and shatter. But for now, I let him stay up a few more minutes if he's not tired. For now, I mutter a little less under my breath when he wakes up too many times during the night. And for now, I cherish every smile a little more than usual, the way I should every day, when I'm too busy to stop and notice how lucky I am.
1.09.2006
The Road to the Superbowl!
First, and most importantly, I have to send out a huge YEAH!!!! for the Steelers and their win yesterday. Brent was in his Big Ben jersey cheering alongside of us. He looked so cute! I didn't put any pants on him since it was so hot out by the woodstove, and the jersey goes down to his knees, so it was funny watching him prance around with his chubby little legs. Whenever we got excited about the game, he would join in, punching his fist into the air and trying his best to copy us. Good little man!
Of course, I made sure to wash his Steelers sweatshirt so he could wear it to daycare this morning (someone has to offset all those Redskin kids). But as soon as I got him buckled up in the car he promptly threw up all over it. That was a fun surprise :/ I think his tummy (which he can proudly point out when asked now) has been a little upset the last day or so. All he wanted to do is veg out in the recliner with me and watch tv. Normally I would have been thrilled to be lazy, but I actually wanted to get some work done around the house. Go figure. But as soon as the game started I passed him off (along with the recliner) to Andy and I got a little done in between plays.
All in all, it was a great weekend. And the doctors visit went well on Friday too. His ear infections are gone (for now), but he had a little runny nose that was causing fluid to build up in his ear and may lead to one. So I had to keep him on a decongestant all weekend, which I don't normally like to do. Not that I like wiping his nose every five minutes either, but I really feel like it's best to let the body fight its own battles as long as it isn't bothering him. So as a side effect, he took a lot of long naps, which wasn't so bad for me. Andy and I got some firewood cut during them (thank God for baby monitors) and I got some welcome fresh air. I tried taking him out for a while yesterday, but he was a little cranky about it, so that didn't last too long.
It's supposed to be in the high 50s/low 60s all week here, I'm so excited! I hope he gets to go outside and play at daycare, now that he can finally do something besides be pushed in the swing.
I'll get some pictures soon, I promise! I had fun with his hair, gelling and spiking it yesterday. It actually turned out pretty cute, depsite him trying to "help" (aka: flatten it) as I was doing it.
I spent some time trying to video tape him on this ancient camera we have. It was pretty funny - he watched me take the lens cap off when I started, so for the longest time he just kept trying to put it back on ("helpful" as he is of course). So the video just keeps showing him walking toward the camera and putting the cover on and off. But he had the cutest intent expression that I couldn't help taping it. He really is quite the helper these days. This morning he saw me putting on my shoes, so he kept wandering the house bringing me as many shoes as he could find. I made the mistake of being super thankful and praising him for the first couple, so I may have created a monster. But hey...he's my monster :)
Of course, I made sure to wash his Steelers sweatshirt so he could wear it to daycare this morning (someone has to offset all those Redskin kids). But as soon as I got him buckled up in the car he promptly threw up all over it. That was a fun surprise :/ I think his tummy (which he can proudly point out when asked now) has been a little upset the last day or so. All he wanted to do is veg out in the recliner with me and watch tv. Normally I would have been thrilled to be lazy, but I actually wanted to get some work done around the house. Go figure. But as soon as the game started I passed him off (along with the recliner) to Andy and I got a little done in between plays.
All in all, it was a great weekend. And the doctors visit went well on Friday too. His ear infections are gone (for now), but he had a little runny nose that was causing fluid to build up in his ear and may lead to one. So I had to keep him on a decongestant all weekend, which I don't normally like to do. Not that I like wiping his nose every five minutes either, but I really feel like it's best to let the body fight its own battles as long as it isn't bothering him. So as a side effect, he took a lot of long naps, which wasn't so bad for me. Andy and I got some firewood cut during them (thank God for baby monitors) and I got some welcome fresh air. I tried taking him out for a while yesterday, but he was a little cranky about it, so that didn't last too long.
It's supposed to be in the high 50s/low 60s all week here, I'm so excited! I hope he gets to go outside and play at daycare, now that he can finally do something besides be pushed in the swing.
I'll get some pictures soon, I promise! I had fun with his hair, gelling and spiking it yesterday. It actually turned out pretty cute, depsite him trying to "help" (aka: flatten it) as I was doing it.
I spent some time trying to video tape him on this ancient camera we have. It was pretty funny - he watched me take the lens cap off when I started, so for the longest time he just kept trying to put it back on ("helpful" as he is of course). So the video just keeps showing him walking toward the camera and putting the cover on and off. But he had the cutest intent expression that I couldn't help taping it. He really is quite the helper these days. This morning he saw me putting on my shoes, so he kept wandering the house bringing me as many shoes as he could find. I made the mistake of being super thankful and praising him for the first couple, so I may have created a monster. But hey...he's my monster :)
1.06.2006
Well, we're one week into the New Year already. One can only dream as to what lies ahead this year.
Brent is walking (and running) like a pro now! He walks himself into and out of daycare, and back and forth to the car when we go out (minus the steps, where he will stand and wait for me to lift him up or down them and kick his feet up in the air all the while). Of course all this walking had me thinking last weekend when we were shopping. Why couldn't I just let him walk instead of riding in the basket, and I would just hold his hand to keep him out of trouble. It was a beautiful plan, with wonderful visions of letting him explore the stores, bright eyed and curious. And then of course on the way home he would nap contentedly from all his adventures.
And as usual, I am always shocked to find out how much I still have to learn about parenting this child. The worst part wasn't the fact that he screamed every time I tried to get him to hold my hand, or that he would lay down in the middle of the aisle and cry if I wouldn't let him touch and destroy everything, or that he kept running away at every turn. I mean, all that happened in the first five minutes. And since my wonderful visions were hopelessly shattered, I knew I would have to go back to letting him ride in the cart. Only...and THIS is the worst part...there IS NO GOING BACK. Riding in the cart is not acceptable anymore, now that he's seen all the adventures that wait for him on the floor. So now I've lost one of my cherished items, the well-behaved shopping experience. He was such a joy to take out anywhere, and now I've ruined it. Well, hopefully it is repairable, but it will mean some public battles, which I'm not looking forward to.
But otherwise, I do love his curiosity and sense of adventure. And everyone that passed looked at him like he was the most darling thing, with his staggering heavy walk and wide eyed expression. And who could resist, anyways. He is adorable, even when he's being a little devil. Sometimes, though I hate to admit it, he is most adorable at those times, with his mischevious expression and sneaky eyes.
The toys he loves most these days are his wooden animal sound puzzles, which he plays with for at least an hour every night, and his VERY LOUD drum synthesizer machine, which my Mom (God love her) gave him for Christmas. The drumsticks are out in the living room, as they are best used for smacking people in the leg, or the television screen. And his favorite things to do is carry cans of food from the kitchen and put them in the dryer, one by one...or take the gloves we use for the woodstove and take them down the hallway to deposit them into the bathtub. I haven't figured that one out yet, but they are pretty dirty, so maybe he's onto something there. He's also teaching me to fold the clothes and put them away when they're done, as when they're left on the floor in a laundry basket, he will go over and just start throwing them in every direction.
It's a good thing he makes up for all these things though. When I pick him up first thing in the morning, he will lay his head on my shoulder for a few minutes and just let me hug him. And when I walk through the door at day care, he will drop whatever he's doing to run over to me, with his head leaned back, and his eyes squinted, and a cute little goofy beaver-kind of smile on his face. Those are the best times. They make up for a lot. In fact, he could probably be even be a little more devilish, but don't tell him that :)
Brent is walking (and running) like a pro now! He walks himself into and out of daycare, and back and forth to the car when we go out (minus the steps, where he will stand and wait for me to lift him up or down them and kick his feet up in the air all the while). Of course all this walking had me thinking last weekend when we were shopping. Why couldn't I just let him walk instead of riding in the basket, and I would just hold his hand to keep him out of trouble. It was a beautiful plan, with wonderful visions of letting him explore the stores, bright eyed and curious. And then of course on the way home he would nap contentedly from all his adventures.
And as usual, I am always shocked to find out how much I still have to learn about parenting this child. The worst part wasn't the fact that he screamed every time I tried to get him to hold my hand, or that he would lay down in the middle of the aisle and cry if I wouldn't let him touch and destroy everything, or that he kept running away at every turn. I mean, all that happened in the first five minutes. And since my wonderful visions were hopelessly shattered, I knew I would have to go back to letting him ride in the cart. Only...and THIS is the worst part...there IS NO GOING BACK. Riding in the cart is not acceptable anymore, now that he's seen all the adventures that wait for him on the floor. So now I've lost one of my cherished items, the well-behaved shopping experience. He was such a joy to take out anywhere, and now I've ruined it. Well, hopefully it is repairable, but it will mean some public battles, which I'm not looking forward to.
But otherwise, I do love his curiosity and sense of adventure. And everyone that passed looked at him like he was the most darling thing, with his staggering heavy walk and wide eyed expression. And who could resist, anyways. He is adorable, even when he's being a little devil. Sometimes, though I hate to admit it, he is most adorable at those times, with his mischevious expression and sneaky eyes.
The toys he loves most these days are his wooden animal sound puzzles, which he plays with for at least an hour every night, and his VERY LOUD drum synthesizer machine, which my Mom (God love her) gave him for Christmas. The drumsticks are out in the living room, as they are best used for smacking people in the leg, or the television screen. And his favorite things to do is carry cans of food from the kitchen and put them in the dryer, one by one...or take the gloves we use for the woodstove and take them down the hallway to deposit them into the bathtub. I haven't figured that one out yet, but they are pretty dirty, so maybe he's onto something there. He's also teaching me to fold the clothes and put them away when they're done, as when they're left on the floor in a laundry basket, he will go over and just start throwing them in every direction.
It's a good thing he makes up for all these things though. When I pick him up first thing in the morning, he will lay his head on my shoulder for a few minutes and just let me hug him. And when I walk through the door at day care, he will drop whatever he's doing to run over to me, with his head leaned back, and his eyes squinted, and a cute little goofy beaver-kind of smile on his face. Those are the best times. They make up for a lot. In fact, he could probably be even be a little more devilish, but don't tell him that :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)