Time Is Flying By

Dearest Will,

Happy Seven Month Birthday, Little Man! It is so hard for me to believe that you are getting so old. Today, I cleaned the 3 - 6 month clothes out of your closet and had to sniff back tears when I thought of you wearing some of those outfits. There was the "I'm Bananas for Mommy Shirt" from Auntie Amanda that you wore on your first Valentine's Day. There was the little striped set of pjs that you were wearing the first time that you sat up by yourself. There was the overalls that you wore the first time that we went to the park together. There were the monkey jammies that I loved so much I kept buying in each new size as you outgrew the old ones. . . and they don't make them in any bigger sizes. Yes, it brought tears to my eyes that you will never wear these little clothes again.

Then, I opened up a bin of the 12 - 18 month clothes and realized that we have so very much to look forward to. There was a pair of swim trunks for the first time we will take you swimming. There was a set of top and bottom flannel jammies, which will make you look like a little boy getting ready for bed. There was a set of overall shorts that will look so cute when we take you back to the park.

For all of the wonderful memories that we already have, I know there are so many more incredible ones to come. Watching you grow up is the greatest gift that we have been given and though I wish it would go by a little slower, I am so grateful for this amazing journey.

Love always,

Mommy

Teeth, Tastes, and Tubbies!

Hi, it's Will again! It's been awhile since I told you all of the new things I am learning and doing.

First off, I have some teeth! It is harder to take a picture of them than you might imagine, since Mommy has to put her finger in my mouth and I like to bite things that are put in there. It feels so good against my gums. . . So, she captured this picture of me using my bath toy as a phone. I put it up to my ear and "talk" like I see Mommy doing with her phone. You can see my teeth very clearly here.

I also am learning to feed myself. Banana and mango are my favorites so far, because Mommy puts them in the self-feeder and I get to make a huge mess. I also really like Baby Mum Mums and Zwieback toast. I go through a box a week!

I have also learned to drink water from my sippy cup. I think it's funny to pour the water out on my food tray and splash.


But I also like to get a drink from time to time. . .


The very best part about making a mess (well, other than making the mess itself, of course) . . .


. . . is the bath that I get to take afterward. I love my tubby time! Especially now that Mommy and Daddy got me this chair so I can sit up in the tub.


I even let Mommy pour water over my head and I don't cry!


I have been keeping my parents pretty busy, but they are loving every single minute of it!

Getting An Earful

Hi, this is Katie, writing for Will again as he is in bed for the night.

Today, we had Will's six month well-baby check. For the past week, Will has been rubbing and jabbing at his ear a lot, especially at bedtime. I called the doctor's office last week and the nurse took me through a checklist and determined that it was most likely related to teething (a nerve in the jaw attaches to the ear and babies can sometimes feel the pain of teething in their ears). He had no fever, the ear wasn't red, the crying wasn't incessant, and he was sleeping pretty well. He had seemed slightly more grumpy here and there, but was his usual happy self for the most part.

However, when Dr. S looked into his right ear tonight, she was pretty concerned as the ear looked "weepy." Poor Will has a middle and inner ear infection and probably a ruptured ear drum to boot. He was not happy, as she had to clear away debris to even get a good look at the drum. She used a long stick to get out the wax and drainage (his Daddy has some bad memories of those sticks and shuddered in sympathy). He screamed the loudest he has since he was born! Because the infection is so severe, the doctor prescribed both oral antibiotics and drops to put in the ear.

Other than his poor little ear, Dr. S said he is a "beautiful, big boy." He weighs in at 18 pounds, six ounces (55%) and is 28 inches tall (80%). His growth chart looks great and it is very normal for breastfed babies to start slowing down in their weight gain at this point. Dr. S commented on what a happy, social baby he is (gee, wonder where he gets that gabbing from?). He was very intent on watching her talk and when she listened to his heartbeat and breathing, he loved grabbing at her stethoscope. Actually, until she started digging around in his ear, he was having a pretty great time at the doctor. Then, came the shots. . . four in all. After that, he caught on quickly that he did not want to lay down on the table with the crinkly white paper, because that is where the ear exam and shots happened. When we tried to lay him back down to put his jammies on at the end, he was having none of that! Finally, the torture was over, and he was rewarded with his favorite thing in the whole world. . . nursing.

He fell asleep in the car on the way home. We stopped to get his prescriptions and then we came home, expecting him to wake up from his "nap" and be ready to party. Well, we were surprised when, after getting his medications and sucking down a bottle, he just wanted to be put to bed, where he promptly fell back asleep. This is a common reaction to vaccinations, so I am not worried, just glad that he is getting the rest he needs.

So, that's the Will-update. I am feeling badly that we missed the signs of the more serious infection - so much for Mother's Intuition. But even Dr. S said that based on his disposition earlier in the exam, she would have never guessed that he had anything going on. I guess we are just blessed with such a cheerful little guy!