Lex’s drawing of our Christmas Tree. Done with Brushes. Momma helped pick the colors and showed him how to use his fingertip to draw the balls.
Nana came to visit for three weeks. In the morning Lex would wake up and say Nana! And we would troop downstairs to find her. They would draw together while Daddy fixed coffee and breakfast. Or read together in Nana’s bed. She showed Lex how to do scratch-n-sniff books. He loves “The Sweet Smell of Christmas.”
It snowed this weekend and we built 4 snowmen in the front yard, Momma and Daddy, Baby and Nana. Lex is so verbal. He says “snowing!” and “snowman” and if you ask him what Santa says he holds his belly and says “Ho Ho Ho!” We told him Nana was going to spend Christmas with his Uncle and he says “Unka!”
He loved baking popovers for Nana, showing her his favorite parts of the Children’s Museum, helping her knit. He would solemnly hand her every item from her bedside table. Here’s your knitting counters, here’s your glasses, oops maybe I better wear them for you! Here’s your lotion, can I have some?
When he heard the bell ring on the side porch door he would say, “Nana!” and come to meet her in the living room. He liked looking at the sparkly Christmas tree lights with her, or sitting on the warm radiators and looking out at the snow.
In the evenings Nana would help bathe the baby and he would help too, by washing her hands with his No More Tears. He would kiss his Nana goodnight all snuggly in his jammies. Sweetest of all possible sweet babies. Loves his Nana.
Nana is visiting. Every morning before school, Lex sits on her bed and “helps” with her knitting or they draw together.
Lex is really into drawing. He is bossy about it. “Draw Nana! Draw Momma! Draw! Draw! Draw!” He shoves markers towards us, flaps open his notebook. Draw!
This morning Nana gave him an early Christmas present, a doll baby that drinks a bottle, burps, sleeps, laughs. We named it “Jack” because it snores like a lumberjack.
Lex loves feeding the baby and pushing it around in a little stroller. He is very nurturing.
At school today his report card said that he was a big boy and comforted a new classmate by giving her a hug when she cried. He also helped clean up the classroom for circle time.
When he got home he wanted us to help the baby doll draw. Draw! Draw! Draw! The baby obliged, with some assistance, and Lex was happy. After dinner, more stroller time. After bath, Lex snuggled the baby in bed, holding it the same way I hold him. It was very sweet. They fell asleep together.
Thank you for the doll baby Nana!
Lex went to Izzy’s first birthday party today and scored a marshmallow snowman cupcake.
Uneventful trip home from Thanksgiving in Indiana, but Bug woke up with pinkeye and a little cough on Monday. Dadda took him to the doctor in the morning and I came home at lunchtime to take care of him. The doc thought both issues were vital and prescribed rest and fluids.
Tuesday I worked all day and Dadda took off. We gave him Benadryl, helped with the congestion but made him wired. When I got home he had dark circles under his eyes. I wanted to rush him to KidMed, but felt like I might be overreacting. He was feverish, skipped dinner, vomited in the cool bath we soaked in to bring his temperature down. I was dressed to leave for KidMed, but from he wanted to nurse in the bed and went right to sleep. We called the pediatric nurse and her recommedation was not to wake him. If he was comfortable he could wait til morning for a doctor visit. We got infant Tylenol suppositories so he couldn’t puke it up. We monitored his temperature and it was steady around 100 for the next few hours.
This morning his fever was gone and he seemed alot better, but as the day went on he got worse. He took a little Benadryl. His pinkeye looked better but later it started oozing goop again. He complained of pain in his right ear. He was stumbling when he walked. By 3:30 Dadda was taking him back to the pediatrician.
This time they checked his ears. The infection on his right side was so bad that what we thought was pinkeye was actually mucus coming out of his tear ducts.
We started him on antibiotics right away and saw an immediate improvement. He played with his toys, ate a little dinner, talked to us while he splashed in the bath.
Get well little Bug. We missed your cheerful self.
Alexander knocked his chin on the counter and bit through his lower lip tonight. The doc at KidMed said it would heal fine. Sure scared his momma though. I wish he would wait til the last injury heals before getting a new one.
His feet wake up first. Toes curl, soles flap a little. Then his fingers wiggle, wave. Knees twitch. Stretch.
Suddenly he is sitting up blinking. Yawn. He flops down to cuddle again. Nurses for a minute. Considers the day.
All our mornings are good.
It’s bedtime. The baby is curled in the crook of my arm. Nursing. He reaches over and rubs my tummy. Half asleep. His warm palm gliding over my belly. And it is the sweetest feeling in the world.
Baby’s dermabond is peeling off slowly, and he has a nice pink scar. I’ll be starting the Mederma ointment today, and he will have a tiny bit more character around the eyebrow.
He has a bruise on his leg still from getting his knee stuck between the slats on the back of the chair a week ago. He wanted to be up at counter height to help in the kitchen. He was kneeling, wedged his knee in down low where the gap is wider, then stood up and got it stuck. We put Traumeel on it and immediately ordered The Learning Tower in apple green. Lex thinks it is the greatest invention ever.
And this week as I picked him up from daycare I got to sign another injury acknowledgement form. Another child bit him on the wrist when Lex tried to take his toy. It didn’t break the skin, but you could still see the imprint of tiny teeth the next day.
He doesn’t seem to mind any of it very much though. And so I guess I have to learn to stop fussing and let it go too.
Lex was painting with orange on yellow construction paper.
“Oh baby, it is beautiful! Is it the trees with fall leaves changing color?”
He looks at me, looks at his painting and says, “Rawr!”
“Oh! A Lion!”
Of course it is.
At work. 9:57 a.m. Phonecall from “Lex at daycare.” Adrenaline.
“The teacher doesn’t know what happened… Cut on his eye… You’ll need to pick him up… Needs a stitch.” I am 20 minutes away, make it there in 12. Dadda has called the pediatrician, is in his car, will meet us there. I rush in to comfort my poor wounded baby.
Lex is laying on the changing table, laughing. The daycare director has gloves on, is applying direct pressure, very professional. He is excited to see me, wants to show me the leaf collage he made. The gash is less than an inch in his right eyebrow.
I give him a banana on the way to the pediatrician. He has a good appetite and is cheerful. The nurse practicioner says he needs stitches or maybe dermabond and sends us to Chippenham ER. They put us right in to a nice little pediatric room and close the door. The flu is everywhere. H1N1. Bug watches the Disney Channel and has a great time.
A nurse comes with numbing gel and 20 minutes later the doctor decides on dermabond. Surgical superglue. Burns when it is applied. I lay down and secure the baby, face up, on my chest. Three coats are rolled on, the nurse fanning it to dry in between. He is a trooper. We get our discharge papers and head home for a late nap. In the carseat we try to teach Lex to say “Boo boo.”. Just in time for Halloween.
