Boyd - 16.5 months

We just reorganized Boyd's room and removed the daybed that previously took up one whole wall - I slept on that thing for months while Boyd was a teeny tiny infant. It will go to Risha and Gabe's house to serve as an extra bed for some of their wedding guests. In its place, I put a small bookcase with our kiddo's books, toys, blocks and stuffed animals. I also had D affix it to the wall so the shelves can't fall on Boyd in case he pulls on it or tries to climb it like a monkey. You never know with kids. I read a horrifying story about a dresser in a 3-year old girl's room and now I make D bolt all bookcases and dressers to the wall.

Boyd updates:

• Spinning around in circles - he did this a few times last week, just going around and around.
• Makes an "O" face all of the time! It started a couple weeks ago and he does it when surprised, happy, hearing a plane, or when he wants to get our attention. It's his new go-to facial expression.
• Boyd rode on a toddler swing for first time and liked it for all of 30 seconds. We also practiced going down a BIG curvy slide (scary for me, meh for him). I also purchased 2 toddler slides at a garage sale - one for our house and the other for my mom's. Oh and D modified a Radio Flyer wagon that Risha & Gabe gave us - it's super stylin' now!
• Knows what he wants - whether it's playing outside or preferring a particular food. He'll be a huge fussbudget one minute and then instantly calm down with a smile on his face once he gets his way.
• Had a nice play date 3 Mondays ago with some music class friends and their moms, plus Risha and Jilly. Since then we've visited two parks and the Imaginarium at the Museum. Fun to see the kids growing up and becoming actual little people, as opposed to babies.
• Drinking bathwater - oh geez, this is gross but I can't stop him from doing it! I say "no no" and he says it back to me, then puts the water to his lips. Kids are weird. My friend Lindsay says her son drinks dirty water too, so I guess I'm not alone.
• Also in the bath, Boyd likes filling and emptying a bottle with bathwater while watching the air bubbles come up.
• Has started to play with cogs and gears on toy. He's so interested in the minute details of how things work.
• Playing with and in water is guaranteed to keep Boyd busy for a while. He gets soaked but sometimes it's worth it to keep him out of our hair. :-) Lately he's been dipping a cup in a bowl of water and then dumping the contents of the cup into my flower pots. 
• He has opened and closed our screen door so many times that it came off the track.
• My baby is officially weaned! I didn't offer to nurse him a couple weeks ago and he didn't seem to mind, so we've skipped it ever since. The process was surprisingly easy. 

The busy season

Oh wow, it's a whirlwind of activity around here! One of my oldest friends (we met in high school 22 years ago!) was married this past Saturday, and as a bridesmaid I've had a very busy month, especially this last week. Between her wedding, work, trying to squeeze in family and friend time, I feel like it's been go, Go, GO all of the time! But the wedding was beautiful, as was the bride - and we all had a wonderful time.

Risha's wedding is this Saturday (already!), and my mom and I are throwing her bridal shower tomorrow (yikes!). Busy times all around. But we've had a month of sunny and scorching hot weather (up in the 80's at one point) so that was fun. This week it has cooled off considerably and the clouds have rolled in. Please cross your fingers for NO RAIN on Saturday for Risha & Gabe's outdoor wedding.

Work is ridiculously overwhelming right now. My boss is in Europe for 2.5 weeks and I'm up to my eyeballs in projects. But I'm holding my own and feeling good about what I've accomplished in the midst of all of this stress and activity. And I'm looking forward to MY 2.5 week vacation starting July 4th! Sounds like my brother-in-law and his girlfriend are coming up in July, and my awesome friend Stephanie will be here for a long weekend in July as well. SO FUN!

Thanks for hanging in there with these postings - I'll have Boyd's 16.5 month update up shortly.

Boyd - 16 months

16 month updates:

• I think our boy is part feline. He has taken to crawling on top of things and fitting his chubby legs and bottom into trays/lids.
• Need to work on sharing and playing nicely with other kids. I'm not too worried about it - babies are inherently selfish and sharing is a learned skill. He doesn't hit or play rough, but he ends up really wanting a toy when he sees another kid playing with it.
• He does this sweet stomping dance with his feet when happy
• Loves pushing buttons - on the remote, phones, the carseat, my Kindle, reading light, garage door opener, etc.
• Adorable alert: bringing D his shoes to signal that he wanted to go outside, and when that didn't work, hauling over my shoes too. He loves his little green Keen sandals.
• Has learned to blow a whistle and blow bubbles
• He's Mister Independent now - will only hold our hands when he needs a little assistance or balance
• Figuring out how to sit - sometimes he'll try to crawl on a chair and then turn around to face forward, other times he'll back up and plop his bottom down
• Also along those lines, he's been using Drift as a seat. Poor dog is pretty patient. 
• I'm happy to report that hat and sunglasses usage is improving. It's been really hot lately (high 70's) and sunscreen on the top of his head just doesn't cut it (I still use it on his body). He actually wore his bike helmet with a minimum of fuss during a ride this past weekend too!
• Will knock on doors with his hand in a fist, and not just pound on them with a flat hand
• After giving high five's, "E.T." finger pokes, and kisses, he'll clap his hands and congratulate himself. Where does he learn this stuff? He makes us laugh all of the time. 
• My mom says he is "charming" - a totally apt way to describe Boyd. Lots of smiles for people. A lady I work with at the hospital says he "never meets a stranger," which is very true. We're pleasantly surprised at how sweet he is with people he doesn't know, and how fast he will warm up to someone - as long as that person doesn't want to hold him.
• Tons of affection for our pets. And he's very good about being gentle with them. 
• Understands SO MUCH of what we say and follows commands
• Is starting to color with Crayons
• Enjoys playing in the dirt and moving dirt from one container to another. We need to get him a sandbox, pronto. Dirt is too messy!
• The pediatrician says Boyd's clumsiness is normal. I brought it up in his appointment last week. Boyd is more confident in his movements so he goes faster, but that means he'll fall or trip more often.
• We've had some blips in his sleep. He was hit with a cold a few weeks ago and then went through some growth spurts. And last night we suspect he had some tummy troubles - plus his room is sweltering in this heat.
• We have a new comfy lounge chair for him. It's something I found on Craigslist - a $119 Pottery Barn Anywhere Chair for $25!
• Will say "MOO" when answering the question, "What does a cow say?" Sometimes he'll make a soft noise when we ask about cats.
• It's confirmed - he currently has 14 teeth with 2 on the way. I brush his teeth every night after bath time. 
• Lately we've been hanging out on Mondays with a few mamas and their kiddos from our music class.

See a pattern here?

Sweet morning cuddles with Mr. Bear.

Handling a screwdriver and some wood like a pro - he's definitely descended from a carpenter.

Getting some outside time, even in the rain. We found a massive earthworm and played with street gravel.

Bath time antics

Boyd's bedtime is usually around 8 p.m., so that means his bath begins between 7:15 and 7:30. It's a nice low-key period for us both to unwind and settle after a long day. Depending on his mood, sometimes I'll play kid music on Pandora radio using my iPhone. Lately he's been protesting a bit when I wash his hair - I need to be more careful about getting water in his face!

He's just SO ADORABLE, I can't even stand it sometimes.

And in the photo below: this just started - Boyd helps me roll up the bath mat and gets impatient if I go too slow! He even stands it up on its side.

Video: Bears at the Zoo - 15.25 months

A few weeks ago I met up with Risha, Jillian, and some friends of theirs for a morning at the Alaska Zoo. I finally broke down and purchased a 1-person season pass since Boyd seems to love this place. We mention the word "zoo" and he breaks out in a big grin.

 In the following video you can hear our group getting excited about the show the bear is putting on for us!

Video: Museum stroll - 15.5 months

Boyd and I visited the Anchorage Museum during another one of the monthly free days. We arrived right after the facility opened and scored a great parking space, plus there were practically no people there! Love it when things work out like that. It's difficult enough to get a high-energy toddler in and out of places, so I really appreciate when the forces of the universe work together to cut me a break!

Boyd was pretty happy to walk around and explore, as usual. To keep his hands busy I let him carry around my wallet, as you can see...

Video - Blowing bubbles - 15.5 months

Someone DOES NOT need my help!

He has the motions down, not so much the execution. :-)

Snow showers in MAY

(Here's another post I started and never got around to finishing...)

In all my years as an Alaskan, I've never seen a late-season snow like this one. Snow on May 18 - isn't that crazy? It didn't stop us from going to an outdoor food festival though.

This was the longest winter - officially it made the record books at 232 days of measurable snowfall. That's almost 8 months of snowy, cold weather!

Snow in mid May! It took a few days for it to mostly melt and I took Boyd on a bike ride in the Chariot once the roads were clear. I love this Chariot - so far we've used it for XC skiing, bike riding, and as a stroller.

Yes, we took our baby out in a snowstorm to a food festival. He had the most fun out of all of us (me, D, Risha and Gabe).

Oh yes, he will...

I've seen this all over the internets, and it always makes me laugh since I was in labor with Boyd for 12 hours.

Mother's Day weekend

I'm behind with my updates! Did everyone have a lovely Mother's Day? We sort of made it a weekend celebration, since the boys were fishing/hunting/shrimping that Friday through Saturday evening. Once D was home, we ran errands as a family, hit up a midtown park to watch the ducks, and then enjoyed ice cream treats from Dairy Queen. A great day!

Having Mondays off from work is a wonderful gift that I enjoy every week. Just a day for me and Boyd to enjoy being together. The first photo box below is from a full day of errands and activities on a Monday last month. We went to music class and the grocery store and then to a local book store. Boyd had a blast walking up and down a small set of stairs, and sitting in a kid-sized chair. He must have been pretty cute because a few people walked by to watch him toddle around.

These next photos are from Mother's Day weekend...

It's raining but nothing stops this outdoor baby.

The adorable face that greets me each morning.

First visit (of many, I'm sure) to Home Depot!

Sunny, but cool, day at Cuddy Midtown Park.

Boyd - 15 months

We've had some really great days with Boyd. Sleep is going well (knock on wood) and he's really turning into a little person with his own preferences and opinions. I'm also happy to report that he's following commands as well.

• More teeth have arrived - MORE TEETH! This time it's the lower canines. I can't see his upper gums because Boyd generally doesn't cooperate when we want to open his mouth, but I'm assuming they're on their way too. This means the tooth count is currently at 14, possibly 16.
• When we say "I don't know", Boyd will lift up his arms and look around
• Our boy is obsessed with chap stick and lip balm. His new favorite thing to do is get hoisted onto our bed, crawl over to D's side, and then gesture for us to give him the lip balm. He'll pretend to put it on himself and/or me, then occasionally rub it on his belly. Lately he wants the cap off too so he can dig his little fingers into it.
• Purchased new boots for him - Baby Bogs. Another mother in our music class recommended them to me. Boyd LOVES them. I say, "let's put on your boots!" and he immediately reaches for them and very adorably attempts to put them on his feet. They're still a bit big so I hope he'll grow into them this summer.
• I was so proud last week - as we read Baby Beluga before bed, he successfully identified most of the animals on one of the pages (I asked, he pointed). And when we got to the "good night, little whale, good night" page where the Eskimo girl is waving, B started smiling and waving too. He's been doing it every night since. He gets SO excited for that page and will flip to it if I'm not reading fast enough.
• My mom has 2 American flags displayed at her house and Boyd will point them out when asked. When she says "salute!", he'll put his hand up to his forehead in a mock salute. SO CUTE.
• Music class ended Monday. During the last session, Boyd correctly tapped his nose and eyes as we sang the song, "Old Brass Wagon." He was his usual smiley and friendly self, and even submitted to a hug and kiss from his friend Jillian.
• I'm pretty sure he said "ma" this morning after I said we're going to Grandma's house. No real words yet. Come on kid, talk already!
• He knows the difference between regular milk and "mama's" milk, and is pretty excited to nurse in the mornings.
• Once he started walking, there was no turning back. Some days he practically sprints and I can't keep up with him.
• Going outside is probably one of his favorite activities, hands down. He CRIED the other day after I made him come inside. I'm letting him "get dirty" outside and explore more.
• He's adept at removing and screwing caps on bottles. Is also able to thread a shoelace through little holes, place small items into little containers, etc. 

Enjoying a homemade smoothie while out at an Eagle River restaurant a few weekends ago.

He's quite enamored of the dog's food storage area.

Trying out the lawn chairs at Fred Meyer. I ended up getting the white ones - one for home and one for Grandma Ann's.

Springtime in Alaska.

Another free museum day. He loved the padded area.

Vote for Boyd!

A few weeks ago I mentioned that Boyd took part in a photo shoot for a chance at the cover of Alaska Baby & Toddler magazine.

The voting is now open! http://www.alaskababymag.com/_pages/cover_contest_vote.html
Enter your information and Boyd's ID #, which is 25.

No smiles, but the photo turned out better than I expected:

You can see all of the kiddos here: http://www.alaskababymag.com/_pages/cover_contest.html

Sick baby

Gosh, this post is difficult to write - thinking about how scary the whole experience was for everyone involved. A week ago, our sweet boy had taken a turn for the worse after having croup-like symptoms for a few days. Last Tuesday my mom reported that he was not himself during the day (he goes to "Grandma Daycare" every Tuesday - Friday while I'm at work).

That night Boyd was fussy, refusing food and water, and altogether upset. We had him in the tub for a bath and decided to call our doctor's 24-hour nurse line. After listening to him breathe over the phone, the nurse advised us to take him to the emergency room. To compromise matters, D was scheduled to leave that evening for a quick trip back to Minnesota. I know it was so hard for him to leave us, but my mom was able to accompany me and Boyd to the hospital so at least that was a relief.

We arrived at the ER around 8 p.m., which is Boyd's normal bedtime. After going through intake and getting settled in a curtained area, Boyd was exhausted and cranky. He ended up crying/screaming for 2 hours straight while the emergency department crew tried out different tests and treatments: supplemental oxygen, steroids (to treat advanced croup), chest x-ray, nose cannula, and finally an IV for fluids after it was determined he needed to be admitted to the Children's Hospital (pediatrics unit). I'll spare you all the dirty details, but needless to say it was excruciating to hear and see him that upset.

Oh, but our boy was SO BRAVE. It makes me cry just thinking about how well he got through everything. He was resilient and able to adjust to this awful situation. Basically he was confined to a little crib in a Peds room for 2 days/2 nights, and all hospital staff had to gown- and mask-up before entering his room due to the respiratory nature of his sickness.

The nursing staff carried out vitals checks every few hours (night and day) so invariably Boyd would wake up and stay up for at least 45 minutes. None of us got much sleep during his stay! I probably averaged 2 hours that first night and about 3 the next. No naps for me but I made it up that weekend.

As you can see from the photos Boyd is all tubed and wired up:

1. nasal cannula provided oxygen
2. pulse oximeter on toe measured oxygen and heart rate (86% was his lowest pulse ox level - normal is 97-100%)
3. three leads on chest measured heart rate
4. IV in left arm provided fluids and a conduit for medication. 

After a lot of initial discomfort that first night, we were amazed to see Boyd pretty much ignoring all of the tubes. He slept with them and didn't remove any, which was a small miracle. Halfway during the first full day & after the first night, the nurse felt confident enough to pull out the nose cannula since he had maintained a 95-97% level during a long nap (levels usually decrease during sleep). That was a great sign! And then late on the second night, another nurse removed the IV in his arm. Yay!

The nurses encouraged me to climb in the crib with him for comfort, so I spent a lot of time in that space breastfeeding, playing or just holding him. He was a trooper, honestly and truly. Normally you can't confine this kid - he's constantly moving, touching, learning, walking and running - but somehow he made it through this hospital stay.

Our pediatrician came to see us a couple times and says the croup may have turned into a respiratory illness, most likely pneumonia. Boyd's system was compromised because of the croup and allowed an infection to take hold.

So, we arrived at the hospital on Tuesday night and finally checked out on Thursday morning. It was a long, scary journey (and most likely expensive - even with insurance I shudder to get that bill in the mail soon) but thankfully it wasn't a worse situation.

Boyd still has some residual coughing once in a while but he is definitely on the mend and back to his old self! I'll have a 15-month update next week that will focus on all of his happy milestones.

Boyd - 14.5 months

Our wee little guy has croup. He is handling it like a champ but it's tough to see him sick again - he just had a cold a month ago! Babies do tend to get sick quite a bit so I guess we need to get used to it. Early Sunday, around 2:45 a.m., we awoke to hear Boyd crying in his room. He was making this wheezing noise (stridor) that made me immediately think of whooping cough, which is life-threatening for babies. Luckily our doctor's office has a 24-hour nurse line and the RN told us to bundle Boyd up and take him outside to breathe in the cool air. That, along with moist, steamy air, are both helpful in relieving the airway constriction. We've been running a humidifier at night and that seems to help him. He's running a slight fever and his appetite is down, but otherwise Boyd's doing pretty well.

Updates:

• For a week there, Boyd was pinching both my arm and the skin around his knees. Not hard, but like he was curious about it. 
• We missed the latest music class due to Boyd's croup, but we should be able to make up a session before the end of the program in mid-May.
• He's pretty proficient at drinking from a cup using a straw and will grab/hold the cup by himself.
• Has used a spoon and fork (correctly) for the last couple weeks. We mostly have to spear or scoop food onto them and then he manages to get the food into his mouth.
• Becoming more curious about how things work. Lately he's been putting toys down a toilet paper tube and then lifting the tube to get the item.
• A couple weeks ago he was taking two naps a day, and then the following weekend was sleeping around 2 hours during one nap, which is almost unheard of for our boy. I think it may have been a growth spurt.Average nap time is 60-90 minutes.
• D and I are pretty sure we heard him say "I love you" the other evening before bedtime.
• He has been trying to put on his own shoes and socks.
• I can't believe how quick he can be - lately he's been crawling or walking to his bedroom door, flinging it and the baby gate open, and then zooming towards the stairs - all the while giggling like a little maniac.
• He likes to show us where the cat is hiding.
• Boyd is practically weaned already - we're down to one nursing session in the morning when he wakes, and that will continue until he shows signs of self-weaning or I get sick of nursing. Since he's been sick, I've been feeding him in the evening too.
• Would rather not wear hats or sunglasses. While he is distracted or outside, we can keep these items on him - otherwise they are pulled off ASAP. 
• Knows the sign language motions for "more" and "eat" and "all done."

Carhartt fishing onesie from Risha & Gabe.

Alaska Love t-shirt - it's so cute! My boss' sister owns this company.

Adorbs shirt from my wonderful friend Emily.

Boyd is truly a water dragon (his Chinese zodiac). Loves the water.

Video: Laughing in the car - 14.25 months

I can't get enough of Boyd's laugh - his giggling is infectious! We were going to Costco the other day and I could hear him just having a great time while sitting in traffic. At the stop light I whipped out my phone to video him. (You can see the car moving, but don't worry, I just held the phone up behind me and edited the footage later.)