Rip Roaring

...good time? Not exactly. That's how the doctor described Blake's ear infection today. I took him in because his cough that he had all week was getting worse. He had started wheezing and was 'retracting'. (I learned something new today....when I called the Nurseline to see if I should bring Blake in the nurse asked if he was 'retracting' which means you can see his ribs on his sides when he breathes in because he's having to work hard to take in air). So I take him in concerned about his breathing & his lungs are perfectly fine - what's with the wheezing?!?!?!? But he has a bad ear infection in his right ear. I'm so confused! Blake has been sleeping better than he has for months this past week despite the cough. I've taken the kid in 3 times this winter thinking he has an ear infection & he's been perfectly fine. Then the time I don't even suspect it - he has one! I think Blake was trying to make me look bad because immediately after the doctor was done checking him over he starts pulling on his ear super hard. I SWEAR he hadn't been doing that at home!

So anyway...he's on antibiotics. Hopefully this will help him to get healthy - he's just had one thing after another for so many weeks now! Poor baby!

Dinosaur

Here is a video of Campbell getting Blake to do "so big."

 

As you can see in the video, Campbell has a dinosaur painted on her cheek. Campbell and I went to the Kiddie Carnival at her ECFE school and Campbell had a blast. She came home with so much loot - games were only 25 cents, so we played a ton of fun games. At the face painting station Campbell had the choice of a rainbow, flower, star, heart...and she chose the dinosaur, which I thought was funny.

10 months

Happy 10 month birthday Mr. Blake! Blake has mastered "so big" thanks to Papa. He's learned how to say "ight" (light) and he's recently added to his arsenal of  tricks by learning how to turn on/off a light switch. He really thinks he's something else when he does it.

I took these pictures of Blake tonight. I was trying to get him to do "so big" for the camera. He was very tired and just wanted to go to bed. I got this good shot.

And then this was the last picture. His face says leave me alone and look what he's doing on his forehead!

Blake's First ER Visit

Blake woke up from his morning nap last Saturday (when we were Up North), started vomiting and wouldn't stop. He threw up over 20 times - I lost count after a while. After 2 hours, he was looking really bad. His temp was a bit low, he was barely moving or opening his eyes and looking greyish so we took him to the ER. He was so exhausted he didn't even move a muscle when they drew his blood out of his arm. I couldn't believe it.

They got the vomiting to stop with some anti-nausea medication, he drank a little Pedialite and then he started looking a bit better. They didn't really tell us what was wrong other than his white cell count was high.

I got the flu the next day (Happy Valentine's Day to me!) but not nearly as bad as Blake. I still am kind of wondering if it could be a soy allergy since I gave him soy yogurt right before his nap? Plus last Monday he vomited at night when I had given him tofu for dinner. I talked to a nurse and they said a soy allergy wasn't likely, but to not give it to him for a while. I'll talk to the doctor about it at his next Well Baby Check-Up. I guess since I got the flu that is probably what it was? I don't know. It seems like such a violent reaction for just the flu? I don't know what was going on - all I know is that it was really scary for a while.

We had some fun things planned for the weekend that we didn't get to do, but we are just happy that Blake is better! And a big THANK YOU to Paul and Deb for the help taking care of everyone.

Fort

Gabe built the best fort ever. We're going on 3 weeks that our living room has been transformed into fortville. Who knew you could play in/on/with 2 blankets stretched between 2 couches for so many hours! From the roof is where Campbell watches TV. She was using it as a trampoline until I caught her. She likes to put every one of her toys inside/on top of it. She uses it as a jungle gym. She dives through the hole in the 2 blankets (at least I've taught her to catch herself with her hands now). She runs through it and when she comes out her hair is so full of static that it sticks out all over the place. The possibilities are endless!

2.5

It's Campbell's half birthday today - she's officially 2 1/2! Campbell helped me make a cake & we put 2.5 candles in it.

I've started putting her hair in pigtails. It makes her look so old! Here she is showing off a new summer dress. Is she even going to fit in it by the time summer rolls around?!?

Today Campbell and I played outside in the fresh snow. She usually has to wait until the weekend when Gabe can take her out because it's too cold for Blake. But today Blake fell asleep in the car on the way home from our 1 minute commute from ECFE, so we played outside while I let Blake sleep in the car. It was a lot of fun.

Campbell-isms

I heard a couple good ways to describe Campbell: a spitfire and a ball of fire. I'd have to agree. She is just so full of energy and funny sayings....

• I looked and looked with all my might.
• I don't want to have a job - I'm too little. 
• Campbell, Blake & I were laying in bed talking & Campbell said: Oh this is the best family ever...we just need one family left....Gaber.
• I expect Blake is downstairs. (She's using 'I expect' a lot at the beginning of her sentences. Sometimes it makes sense and sometimes...not so much.)
• I'm just in time to play with toys
• Oh dear I need a snack I'm not very strong (while rubbing her belly)
• (Leaving ECFE the other week, there was a guy pushing as thing that salts the sidewalk.) Campbell: Is that a carriage or a baby or what? (Funny thing is that I can't think of what exactly it's called either!)
• Me: I got a big mess in here! Campbell: Well, Can I help you clean it up?
• Campbell started crying and said: I don't have enough toys. Me: Why? Campbell: Because I don't have 100 toys. (Yeah, she doesn't have 100 toys, she probably has over 1000! I tried to explain to her that she is very lucky to have all the toys she has and that some kids only have 1 toy that they play with all the time. I don't know that she comprehended, but at least she stopped the crying and whining.)
• Blake was sick & wanted to be held, so around the time when I'm usually making dinner Campbell comes strolling into the kitchen opens up the fridge door, gazes into the fridge & says: Well now what are we going to have for dinner? 
• And this one just is too hilarious....I was showing her some old pictures & came across a picture of when Gabe & I on our wedding anniversary when I was pregnant with Campbell. I said: That's when you were in my tummy. Campbell: Where's Blake, in his tummy? (pointing to Gabe) 

Campbell has been playing with her pretend friends Chimp & Dale lately- she says they are squirrels. It's pretty funny. So I guess she doesn't mean The Chipmunks, Chip & Dale!?! 

Lately I've been able to get Campbell to nap if I nap with her. It's so awesome snuggling with her. (She stays up late at night, but when she wasn't napping she was so cranky starting at about 3 and ready for bed when Gabe would get home from work.) The other day she opened her eyes & said 'comfy' half sleeping. It was so sweet. This is proof of an awesome nap - awesome bed head.

Blake, Blake & More Blake

SITTING Blake is FINALLY sitting! One day I busted him sitting like a pro playing with a toy. Funny how he wouldn't do it when I was trying to get him to! Since I've been waiting so long for him to sit, here are a bunch of sitting pictures, basically I've taken a picture every time he sits, which isn't very often as his preferred position is standing like this:

He's even starting to cruise a little bit along the couch. A few times he's gotten brave & let go and grabbed onto something else to hold onto. Like today he was standing at the tub and turned around and held onto the stool that Campbell uses to get up to the potty.

BLAKE-ISM Blake's first Blake-ism! He said 'hi da'. Meaning 'hi Dada'. He was waving at Gabe saying it. Those are still the only 2 words he knows, and now he's learned how to put them together.

FIRST TEETH A couple of weeks ago, Blake got his first teeth (1.22.10 to be precise). I was shocked to see 2 bottom teeth poking out all of a sudden. I've still only seen then a few times as he likes to keep them hidden with his tongue.

ROSEOLA Blake came down with a high fever early last week & it lasted for a few days. It was 103/104 one night - I was nervous! I brought him in the next morning and they couldn't find anything wrong - he didn't even have a fever when they took it. I couldn't believe it. Later that day it was back up to 100.6. Then the fever broke and he got a rash ALL OVER his little body - all over his head/face/neck/back/front/legs. It looked horrible, but it didn't seems to bother him. I called the nurseline & she said he probably has Roseola, which is a common thing for kids under 2. The rash lasted a few days and now it's gone.

Here's a picture of Blake not feeling good. You can tell because he's actually laying on the floor not moving. Poor baby!

 

I had a request for some pictures of the rash...I think the pictures don't really do it justice. It looked horrible. Or maybe I was just freaked out and it really wasn't as bad as I remember.

  

You can't really see the rash in this last picture, but I posted it to show how good Blake is getting at standing. He's barely holding onto the cow - it won't be too long before he's standing!