Stomach Bug!

Just when we thought things were looking up.......Mikey wakes up with the stomach bug. Awesome.

That brings us to a whopping total of 2 missed My Gym classes and 3 missed swim lessons!

With the weather being so mild this winter I am rather surprised by the constant sicknesses for such a typically healthy boy. No matter who I talk to, it seems like EVERYONE is sick. I was hoping we weren't going to have to go to the doctor until Mikey's third birthday. We made it 10 months. Pretty good, I guess.

Three weeks of being sick and counting. Hopefully this is really it. We have watched every Handy Manny and Chuggington episode "on demand" multiple times as well as all of his favorite Disney movies. We need to get off the couch and out of the house! (The blog is pretty boring when you only talk about being sick!)

Sick again!

For the third time in a week, we returned to the Pediatrician's office to determine why Mikey has such a high fever (while already on antibiotics for last week's ear infection). After two hours and three chest x-rays later, it was determined that Mikey has a virus and we will just have to wait it out. His ears were "perfect" per the Doctor and his eyes are "bedder" (better) per Mikey.

Hopefully healthier days are on the horizon. So far we have missed one My Gym class and 2 swim lessons :(

New Jersey visits Boston

This weekend Mommy's best friends from high school came to Boston for a visit. The Casey and Tolska families arrived on Friday.

On Friday night the Daddy's took ALL of the kids (5 kids--5 and under) to Pizzeria Uno while the ladies had girls night out! Mommy took Lauren and Erin to "The Cottage" where we ate great food and caught up like old times.

Saturday we went to Acton Children's Museum in the morning:

Emmalynn putting on a puppet show (with some help from Daddy)

Kaylie (looking very OLD!)

The 2 "brothers from different mothers"

and then the BC Basketball game in the afternoon:

Mikey LOVES the "Eagle"

....and followed it up with dinner at Union Street in Newton Center. As with any three families, everyone's schedules and preferences are different. So we tried to stick together as much as possible but it was inevitable that we all did our own thing from time-to-time.

Sunday morning everyone came to the apartment for breakfast and playing. Mikey worked on sharing his toys and also got some quiet time in with Mady in his bed!










Mikey and Jimmy were still battling their sicknesses but everyone still had a great time.

Thanks for coming everyone! We had a FABULOUS time!!

Sleepless nights....

As Mikey will find out when he becomes a parent, there is no instruction manual provided by the hospital after you have a baby. I try to use my Early Intervention knowledge in dealing with our every day life situations when dealing with a toddler. Then there are other times when I totally forget that knowledge when it comes to my own child. After multiple nights in a row of not sleeping well, I am trying to take in every type of behavioral strategy in helping Mikey go to sleep and sleep ALL NIGHT in his bed.

Last night was the worst.

He was put to bed at 8:15pm. We kept the routine the same: went potty, put pj's on, brushed teeth, read a few books and then tucked him into bed. Without me even having time to get to the couch from his room, the door was open and the lights were on. He was looking at me angelically from behind the gate in front of his door. I went in and put him back. I snuggled with him. This happened about three times before he actually settled down.

Then at 3:00, he was up.

Wide awake.

Lights on.

Door open.

Whining at the gate.

LOUDLY.

I tried to put him back to bed. I tried ignoring him. Finally at 5:30 Michael went in to tell him to go to bed, and the two boys fell asleep in the rocking chair together. I went in, broke up the sleeping party, and pouted saying that we are teaching him the wrong thing and he is never going to sleep in his bed all night. The next day I was consulting the professionals that I work with to help us with our sleep issue. I was begging Mike to get the crib piece from the storage unit so we could put him back in crib.

UPDATE: Now a few days later (1/15/12), Mikey may need some assistance initially staying in bed (Mommy putting him back to bed one or two more times before officially retiring for the night). I have been using the "Super Nanny" method of not making eye contact with him and just going into the room, picking him up, putting him in bed, THEN looking at him to say "it's time for bed" and then leaving. In the morning, Mikey wakes up around 7. The alarm clock/stop light is programmed for 7:30. With the exception of breaking the monitor & emptying his drawers, Mikey is playing with his quiet toys and books until the light turns green. Immediately he will yell, "MOMMY! IT'S GREEN, MOMMY! IT'S GREEN!".

Hopefully the transition to the bed has now been solved. Mommy and Daddy LOVE their sleep!

This is the face...

...of a boy with his first ear infection (left ear) and bilateral pink eye. Based on his energy level and playfulness, you wouldn't have a clue. Based on his looks, yeah, he looks sick.

But it's nothing that amoxicillian and some eye drops can't fix in addition to extra kisses and cuddles.

We have 4 days to get Mikey back in tip-top shape for the coming of the Casey and Tolska families this weekend. If that isn't motivation to get better, I don't know what is!

New Year, Big Boy

With the New Year came new changes for Mikey. We decided it was time to convert his crib to a toddler bed. Up until today he was still sleeping in his crib, complete with bumpers. I couldn't keep him a baby any longer (sad face). Mikey was excited for this change and loved being able to climb in and out of his new bed. It turns out that he was so excited and yet so exhausted at the same time that he wound up taking his first nap here.....

......on the floor of the living room! He has NEVER done that before!

The other new change for Mikey was that he began wearing underwear during the day, starting on December 29. We tried it out after encouragement from Eva, who noticed that he was able to keep his diaper dry during the day and did well on the potty at her house. After he was consistently going at her house for the past three days, we then just kept up the routine. The first few days had some accidents but by Monday, January 2, he remained dry all day! There is no conversation about him telling me if/when he has to go potty, so every so often I take his hand and we go for a "walk". Once we arrive at the bathroom, he will then tell me either "No, Mommy. No potty" (and is correct in saying when he does not have to go) or he will actively pull down his pants, sit and go. I still put him in a pull-up for his naps and a regular diaper for nighttime, but this is definitely a BIG BOY step in the right direction!

Hooray for Mikey!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Grandma and "Bob" came to Boston for New Years. On Friday they were able to see Mikey participate in his swim lesson.

Saturday was Christmas Part 2. We woke up, exchanged gifts and had breakfast! The Cars theme continued with a Cars track set, Cars clothing and other special gifts. He also received an airplane (from the Cars movie), more Cars characters, Cars book, and a puzzle from Auntie and Uncle Scott.

So excited about his new Cars outfit

CHEESE!

Grandma found this outfit at an Italian clothing store in Florida. Mikey will be sporting the popular, European capri pants this spring/summer!

That night we had a fondue party for New Year's Eve. We had a cheese course, salad, surf and turf course and then chocolate dessert. Mikey had fun eating from the "stick", too.

Mikey and Daddy getting ready to run errands for Mommy on NYE

Grandma, Mikey and Bob

Sunday began a new year and some new changes for Mikey. We are looking forward to 2012 and anxious to see what it has in store for us in 2012!

Happy New Year!