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November 5, 2002
November 5, 2002
Collin is 16 months old
**First Ear Infection Strikes**
My poor baby has been sick! It started a couple weeks ago with a clear runny nose. I thought he must have just picked up a weak virus somewhere and that it would pass soon. The clear runny nose soon turned to a full-blown mucus-y runny nose and he was sneezing and coughing. He did pretty well, except for the first night where he woke up every hour on the hour. We had the head of his crib elevated, ran the humidifier in his room, rubbed Mentholatum on his chest, gave him plenty of warm J & J soothing vapor baths, had him drinking lots of liquids, and was giving him some Triametic. Within a week he was clearing up. Then on Friday, November 1st, he again woke up with a runny nose but it was accompanied by a really deep horse cough and wheeze. I pretty much figured that his head cold had now settled into his chest. That night was bad. Nothing was helping and Collin was miserable. We did what we could to help him stay comfortable but the poor little guy was just so tired and wanted to sleep but his cough kept waking him up. Nothing we were giving him was really helping anymore so I told Mark that while I was at school the next morning (Saturday a.m. and Mark’s 32nd birthday) he NEEDED to get Collin into the pediatrician immediately. Long story short Collin has is first ear infection (right ear) and his cold has definitely settled into his chest. Mark said that Collin screamed bloody murder the entire visit with the pediatrician and that he was completely inconsolable. Not sure if it was because he was way tired and sick or if it was because we had to see the on call pediatrician since it was a Saturday. Luckily the ear infection isn’t severe. The doctor said it was mild and because he had some wax buildup within his inner ear, it actually probably helped mask the pain. Collin got a prescription for Amoxicillian (10 days) and some Donnatussin drops, which have been a lifesaver. The same day we gave him the medicine he was back to his wild self and was sleeping through the night. The Donnatussin drops were what our pediatrician prescribed to us when Collin had that bout with RSV last January. These drops work like a charm and have always settled Collin’s congestion and cough right down. I think that not getting his first ear infection until he was 16 months old is pretty darned good! He’s only ever been sick twice so I feel pretty good about that. I can’t even count the amount of times my niece and nephew were ill during their first two years of life. Of course it didn’t help any that their mother smoked during both pregnancies and then both their parents continued/continue to smoke in the house around the children constantly. I don’t care what anyone says – that isn’t good for a little one’s immune system, not to mention the body in general!!! But anyway…
**Trick or Treat**
Halloween went well for us. It was freezing cold; I think the high that day was only 30! Collin looked adorable in his little Spider-man getup and we took lots of pictures. We went to my MIL’s house first, then to a couple of friend’s houses. Nothing too eventful but Collin still had a good time lugging his big orange plastic pumpkin around. He did have his very first taste of a candy bar, a Milky Way. We figured that since it was a special night, he could have one of the snack-sized bars. Boy did he love that! Chowed it down fast and wanted more. This year he had no clue what Halloween was about, but I’m sure next year he’ll be yelling “trick or treat” at the top of his lungs and wanting to eat candy by the handfuls!
**Language, Baby Einstein, and Hulk Baby**
Collin has now started saying three syllable words. He’s saying bubble bath, choo-choo train, and Benny Boo-Boo (our cat) regularly now and very clear. He does or says something daily that surprises me. That brain of his has been working over time! It’s so neat to be able to watch your children grown and expand. We’ve also just recently gotten him the video “Baby Mozart” from the Baby Einstein series. Holy Cow! I didn’t really think he would love this video this much, but he adores it. Every morning he’ll wake and up chant “bear, bear, bear!” (because the opening sense is a mechanical bear beating on a drum). Our morning routine is a sippy of milk and a bowl of toast (or waffles or pancake bites) and fruit while watching Baby Mozart. He lounges out on the couch with his blanky while popping breakfast into his mouth. It’s quite cute actually and I don’t feel too guilty because at least it’s not cartoons or something else melting his brain. It’s the only meal we ever allow him to eat in the living room (TV) (besides snacks) and it only really started because he wasn’t feeling good over the last two weeks. The last thing he wanted to do was sit in a high chair when he was sick.
Seems like we also have a little He-Man on our hands now. Collin has figured out how to move his crib, while in it! I’ll go into his room because he’ll be kicking up a hiss about something (when he’s supposed to be napping) and his crib will be moved several inches away from the wall. He’s learned that he can push against the wall to get his crib to move. It’s usually in some sort of crazy position and then he’ll take his blankets and shove them in between the wall and the crib and get upset that he can’t reach them.
Collin has also realized that what goes up must come down. He thinks its fascinating how he can throw something up into the air and it comes right back down. No problem if it’s a blanket, or pillow or something light, but we’re talking books, knickknacks, puzzle pieces, sippy cups, snacks, dog toys, plants, shoes, etc. It’s a war ground around here lately. You just never know when you’re going to get whacked in the head with a shoe.
Our poor plants looks like some wild animal has struck them down. For some reason Collin hates the plants and thinks it’s okay to torture them by ripping of their leaves and digging around in the dirt. No matter where I place them, he’ll spot them and start ripping off their poor leaves. They look pretty sickly right now. Guess it’s time to move them completely out of the living room. I thought it was hard enough trying to keep the cats away from them – now I have to fight them both off! Imagine how the plant must feel. “Oh God, here they come again!!”
**Over Time? More Like Over Kill!**
Mark is still working crazy 12-hour days, five days a week. We’re all growing tired of not seeing each other and Collin goes around the house during the day saying “dada, dada, dada!” It’s cute but so sad at the same time. It’s going on 4 weeks now and Mark is about to have a serious talk with his boss about the hours. He said he doesn’t mind it a couple nights a week, but working 12-hour days every night is getting to be too much. He is the only one in his group that has a small child (everyone else is either childless or their children are grown) so it’s not right that he has to miss out on seeing Collin the entire day when there are other’s who can stay late and not miss out on family time. The good thing about all this is that with these hefty paychecks we can get our Christmas shopping done early. As of right now, I have Mark’s gifts already bought and have my list of what to get everyone else. Now we just have to go shopping. Usually the hard part is actually deciding what to get everyone. This year it looks like we’ll have our shopping done by Thanksgiving. I like to leave small items though, so I have an excuse to wonder around the beautifully decorated malls looking for “trinket” items or stocking stuffers while sipping on a cappuccino and listening to Christmas mall music.
**Harry Potter**
Okay so is anyone else out there excited for the second Harry Potter movie to come out on November 15th? I am I am!!! I LOVE the books and just finished rereading the second one so I’m geared up and ready to see the movie. I’m excited to see how they are going to do the Serpent. Ewwww!
**Class and Webpage Update**
Two weeks of classes left! I got a B on my midterm! Yippy!!! I have an African food group presentation to give this week (making lots of African dishes and treats) and then the last week is finals.
Oh, wait, I almost forgot! I updated Collin’s website with pictures from the pumpkin patch and from our first snow. Collin wasn’t sure what to think of the snow at first, but after a few minutes of feeling it he loved it and didn’t want to come inside! He loved touching it, eating it, rolling around in it, sitting in it – you name it, he loved it! Take a peak if you will! http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/n/nebraskacollin/
Have a great week everyone! Until next time…
Hugs, Jennifer & Collin
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