I wish we could go
I wish we could go outside and play.
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February 27, 2003
February 26, 2003
Evan is feeling better today.
Evan is feeling better today. I know you were all worried. He's back to his old self for the most part, in fact right now he's tugging on my leg saying "Mama!" because he wants to show me something. One moment please....
Okay, I'm back. Aside from the strange puking episode, things are going well here. Ev is vocalizing more and is using his words more appropriately. It just melts my heart when he calls me, but I'm sure it won't be so fantastic in a few months when he's whining, "mmmaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeee". Remind me then how thrilled I was when he started talking.
He's also getting closer and closer to walking. Ev's become very bold when he's cruising around the house clinging to furniture---so bold that he'll even take an independent step from one piece of furniture to another without holding on. He's still using his little walker to scoot around, and if you walk with him, he usually only needs one hand held to steady himself. Won't be long now.
In local news, our city's first set of quadruplets turns one today. I still maintain that we were run out of the NICU on a rail in anticipation of their arrival (kidding). There have been features on the news all week about their birthday, showing all four of them eating cake and playing. In addition, the parents announced on the news that they are now expecting their 7th child (yes, seventh! The quads have two older siblings, ages 3 and 2). Can you imagine? More power to them, but I have trouble handling one child, let alone seven under the age of four. I know I could never do that, but I wish them the best of luck.
Ev calls me again, time to play!
February 25, 2003
5 baths in the last
5 baths in the last 24 hours, and 6 jammy changes. Evan is a puking man.
It started about 12:15 this morning, when Evan woke up and proceeded to puke all over himself, me and the bed. Into the tub. We spent the rest of the night on the couch with a bucket--Evan alternately puking and sleeping, and me wide awake holding him and catching puke and wiping face. He got up when Daddy left for work, and I let him nurse a bit. Another bath, and then a nap.
When he woke from the nap, I decided to try some oatmeal. Big mistake--more puke, more bath, more jammies. Things didn't start to look up until after his second nap of the day, when he had a big diaper explosion, another bath, and fresh jammies.
Needless to say, I'll be doing laundry tonight. He seems to feel okay, he's playing and happy and doesn't seem to be too upset. No fever, and Daddy is bringing home some Pedialyte for him to drink. I'm hoping this is all done by tomorrow.
February 23, 2003
So it was one year
So it was one year ago today that we brought Evan home from the hospital. I remember how nervous we both were, and surprised, as he had failed his car seat test so many times that we thought it would be a few more days before he could come home.
Ev had to stay hooked up to the heart/breathing monitor up until about five minutes before we actually left. When the nurse unplugged him and turned off his monitor, it was the strangest feeling of liberation and panic I had ever experienced. It was about 8 o'clock that night that we finally got him out to the car, and Mike and I were quiet as we drove slowly up State Street towards home. Every few blocks Mike would ask me, "Is he okay? Is he breathing?"
Those first few days were scary and sleepless as we tried to get the hang of things. As a matter of fact, the whole first half of last year sometimes seems like a hazy, sleep deprived blur. Those times were hard. These days parenting seems like a lot more fun, as Evan is walking and talking and laughing. To be able to make him giggle, for him to tell us what he needs, to watch him master a new skill--it's all so exciting and rewarding. We still have our rough patches, but things are going pretty well around here.
Every time I think of those long days in the hospital, I am a little sad, but so very thankful for the caring people that helped Evan during those first few weeks. I know I've said it a number of times, but those nurses and doctors and staff in the NICU really are amazing people. I feel so blessed that they were there to care for Evan. I'll never forget what they have done for us.
So tonight we're in the house, away from the snow and cold, just being together as a family and feeling really lucky.
February 21, 2003
Evan is thirteen months old
Evan is thirteen months old today. On Sunday is the anniversary of the day we brought him home from the hospital. I'll write more on that subject over the weekend. Speaking of the hospital....
I have returned from my tests at the hospital. Evan was a very good boy for Grandma Feige, and did his very best to charm all the nurses in radiology. I think he did a good job. He also had a great time afterwards when Grandma treated us to breakfast--those pancakes were no match for Evan. Thanks Grandma!
The tests weren't all that bad (not fun either, but I survived) and the doctor at the hospital said that I do have reflux. Luckily, my esophagus and stomach looked normal, so they haven't been damaged by this problem yet. My regular doctor should have all the test results by Monday, so I will be hearing from them about what to do next.
In other news, Evan's other grandma is in town (though today she's going on a day trip) so he's been enjoying time with her over the past few days. He was having so much fun yesterday that he didn't want to go to bed--he fought it every step of the way. Ev will get to spend more time with her and his Papa too over the weekend.
It's a lovely sunny day outside--we're going to try to enjoy it before all the snow returns!
February 19, 2003
Evan is napping, so I
Evan is napping, so I thought I'd write a bit. And do some laundry. These moments during the day are precious.
Tonight, I think Mike and I are going out. We have to pick up Ev's pictures from Penney's at 6:30, and we also have to pick up some groceries. Maybe we'll go on a battery hunt too for his Elmo book batteries. Is it sad that I'm actually looking forward to this outing? I am really ready for warmer weather so Ev and I can take walks and play outside. Being in this apartment with the windows closed for the last five months is just driving me batty. I guess I can take comfort in the fact that it's supposed to get up to 40 degrees tomorrow, and on Friday it may actually RAIN!
I'm starting to get nervous for my tests at Hamot on Friday. I know that is dumb, but I let myself get really worked up about stuff like that. That's why I'm so glad I didn't know about my c-section ahead of time. I would have had a nervous breakdown. It was much better to have all the nurses hurry in and just tell me what to do--I didn't have a moment to worry. With any luck, these tests will go well and I won't need surgery, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
February 17, 2003
A bit of bad news
A bit of bad news this morning: Evan is not a semi-finalist in the Regis and Kelly Beautiful Baby Contest. I know you're thinking what I'm thinking--those judges must be blind.
Evan's vocabulary has increased over the past few days. He's now saying mama, dada, baby and kitty, though not always appropriately or on cue. But any progress is good progress, I say. He is waving at the proper time now, so that is another step in the right direction.
He's a little bummed because the battery ran out in his Elmo plays piano book. He really loves that thing. He's just recently started playing along with the songs as Elmo requests, so I want to get a new battery in there before he loses interest.
At this moment, there is the smell of a poopy diaper. Duty calls.
February 16, 2003
This tooth is really bothering
This tooth is really bothering Evan. He keeps trying to touch it with his tongue and trying to get it out of his mouth by sticking his tongue out. Very comical. Poor kid. Little does he know that those will just keep coming in and he's powerless to stop it.
Yesterday we had to buy a toilet lock. Ev's new fascination with the toilet led to this purchase. For a week or so we were okay just closing the lid, but now he's figured out how to open the lid. But he cannot fully raise the lid, so he will hold it open with one hand and use the other hand to play in the water. You see why we bought the lock. We were considering just leaving the door closed all the time, but there are times we need to leave it open or whatever, so we figured we'd give this a try. It's working well so far.
We're having a bit of a clothes dilemma as he's pretty much grown out of all his 12 month stuff. A few random shirts and pants still fit, but mostly things are getting too short or too tight. Too bad all the 18 month stuff is huge still. We have him in an 18 month sweatsuit today and it fits okay, but only because it has elastic at the ankles and sleeves. We'll just have to improvise for a week or two until he grows a bit more. Too bad there's no 15 month size.
February 13, 2003
Last night, Ev decided it
Last night, Ev decided it was high time he started walking. Well, not really walking on his own, but behind his walker-thingy he's had for a while. Up until now, he's only played with the shakers and rolly-things on the front of it. Last night, he actually stood up behind it and tooled around the house for awhile. It's a very wreckless walking, as he can only go straight, and stops and starts are still a problem, but hey, he's moving forward. I think he may be actually walking within a few weeks.
Here's a small video we took of him tooling around. You can right-click on that link and save it to your computer for the best playback. It's a 5mb mpg file that will play on Windows as well as in Quicktime on Windows and the Mac.
We also received a few pictures from his shoot a week or so ago. The good ones are below:
February 11, 2003
The first tooth has arrived.
The first tooth has arrived. On the bottom right, like a jagged little saw blade. Let the people rejoice.
February 07, 2003
12 month doctor's appointment today.
12 month doctor's appointment today. Evan is 18 pounds, 6 ounces, and 28.5 inches tall. He got his chicken pox vaccine (ouch) and had a blood count done (double ouch). Turns out he's borderline anemic. We were told to make sure he eats a lot and that they'll watch it. I'm not sure whether this is something to be worried about.
We're in Cleveland for a last weekend at Grandma and Papa's before they move. I'll write again when we return home.
February 04, 2003
Ev's 1 year portrait sitting
Ev's 1 year portrait sitting went well, though he's certainly not as easy to photograph now that he's mobile. I think the lady there actually snapped a few of his butt as he tried to crawl off of the big carpet cube. In the end, there were one or two really good pics and the others were okay, so we ordered a nice package and also are having all of the poses sent to our e-mail. We'll share them once we get them.
Other than that, things are pretty quiet. We moved Ev's doctor's appointment from Thursday to Friday so that I could get in as well. That will work out well and as a bonus Daddy gets to start his weekend early. I'll post his stats over the weekend--I'm really curious to see how much he weighs now.
February 03, 2003
I'm feeling much better today
I'm feeling much better today than I did yesterday, and Ev is being pretty good, so it's a good day all around so far. And we're having company this afternoon, we're excited about that.
Ev started waving over the weekend. He just started doing it in Target on Saturday and wouldn't stop--he was waving to everybody. Now the novelty has worn off and he's not as anxious to do it anymore. I guess we have to teach him when to wave now.
He's still vocalizing a lot, and seems to have gotten away from the "mouth taped shut" thing. He still does it a bit, but not nearly as much. He has been yelling a lot though, I think he likes the way it feels or sounds.
Ev stirs from his nap, so I must go. More tomorrow after the excitement of pictures!
February 02, 2003
Mike and I got to
Mike and I got to spend the night in Hamot ER last night. My gallbladder pains have returned over the past two weeks or so, and I've been getting them every few days. I thought spicy foods and cheeses were the trigger, but I guess not because all I ate yesterday was corn flakes and a turkey sandwich (no cheese, no funny stuff). But the pain came at around 10 pm and was the worst I've ever had. I tried to get through it, tried to take hot showers (that usually helps a lot), tried to get myself to throw up, but nothing worked. So I woke Mike up around 1 am and away we went.
Luckily, Jo was spending the night with us because she's racing in Jamestown this weekend, so we were able to leave Ev asleep under her watchful eye. We were there for about 3 hours, and in that time I had a few blood tests, got some medication, and tried not to buick. Mike was nice and supportive, and even though half the time we were just sitting there quietly (or listening to the drunk patient next to us--not much privacy there in the ER), it was so nice just to have him there.
So it turns out that 1) I have to have my gallbladder out ASAP, so I'm going to try to get into my doctor this week so he can refer me to a surgeon and 2) I also have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). What the hell is up with that? The doctor put me on medication for that, but I don't know if this is something I'll always have or if it will go away once the gallbladder makes it's exit. Along with the meds, I'm supposed to eat small, frequent meals, drink a lot of clear liquids, and elevate my head when I sleep so the nastys don't come up from my stomach to haunt me in the night. Sounds like a great time, huh?
So today we're just resting and trying to recover a bit. My pain is gone but I was still a little nauseous up until about 9:30 this morning, so I'm taking it easy. We might go out a little later to fill my prescription and let my dad watch Ev so we can rest a bit. We'll see how it goes.
February 01, 2003
It's February now, so I
It's February now, so I guess the birthday fun has to come to an end. Luckily I have pictures and Ev's doctor's appointment this week to look forward to, so I won't go too nuts. Oh, and Lisa's probably bringing Cole over on Monday, so that is going to be fun.
Yesterday was a blah day as Ev still seemed a little out of sorts. He was cranky but didn't sleep as much as I would have liked. I stayed in my sweats and we just played on the living room floor all day. He pretty much trashed the place, but I'm not going to try to clean it up until tonight--Saturday is errand day as usual and we have some running around to do.
There was much excitement yesterday afternoon and evening though. As Ev and I were doing some laundry downstairs our doorbell rang. We were surprised with a visit from Mr. Eric. He brought Ev a cute sweatshirt and socks for his birthday (see why this is the neverending birthday?) and stuck around to entertain the kid for a while. Ev did enjoy his company and didn't even cry, which is major considering he usually freaks out around different people these days. So that was a nice distraction.
Then in the evening when Daddy got home from work we went to Sam's Club. That's always an event--but diapers needed to be purchased. After that we tried to have dinner at the Outback. I say tried because we were unsuccessful. There was a long wait and Ev was very good through the whole thing. We were seated and joined by Uncle Jer, and Ev was still very good. He was very good through the salads and drinks too, but then he just lost it and had a total baby meltdown. So we had to get our dinners to go, and we headed to my dad's to let Ev chill and eat and play while we ate our take out. An interesting night, to say the least.