"Lovey" Pants

For the first two years of his life, Ethan had a crocheted baby blue blanket (made for him by our friend Vy Kamrar) that he carried around, pulled apart, and loved nearly to pieces. Just before his second birthday, it "disappeared" into a memory box I'm keeping for him. Since then, he hasn't really found a replacement lovey... until now.

Now, his security item (seen clutched to his chest in this photo) is a pair of tan pajama pants patterned with images of construction vehicles like tow trucks, cement trucks, and caterpillars. He loves those things. He carries them everywhere. And I mean, everywhere. We took him to Ikea once and almost left them behind on a kitchen display-- I thought I was going to have a heart attack, running around from showroom to showroom trying to find them.

He sleeps with them bunched up next to him on the bed, too, and sometimes even gets to wear them to sleep in when it's not too hot at night. I'm trying to find a pair that will fit him when it gets colder... any suggestions would be most appreciated!

Hide Out

Ethan's favorite hiding place is in the triangle formed where the smaller couch angles out from the gate around my computer area to the brick fireplace. He goes back there when he wants privacy for things like, oh, I don't know, trying to open a medicine bottle he somehow filched from the counter, or opening up colored markers he just found, or perhaps even attempting to avoid going to the bathroom for potty-time by taking care of it solo...

Sometimes I'll notice him running back there and that's my cue to take him back for potty-training time, and other times I'll know it's time to check for stray silverware, permanent markers, or other contraband items. He gets suspiciously quiet every time he's hiding, too, which is a big red flag in itself. Still... if he just has to have a hidey-spot, I'm glad it's out in the main room and that he's usually a good sport about getting found back there. Now, if only I had my own hide-out...

Potty successes!

Ethan is finally starting to get the hang of this potty training thing... Tonight, for instance, he was in the bath and started passing gas, then looked up at me with this sort of pensive, thoughtful expression, as if waiting for something. I asked him, "Do you have to go poo-poo?" He replied, "Umm..." So I told him, "Why don't you try to go on the potty?" and lifted him up onto the seat. About 30 seconds later, he said "Mom, I did it." And he was right! I praised him to the skies, and he even got on the phone to tell Daddy what he'd just accomplished. He was so excited! He even got to wipe, and flush, and wash his hands just like a big boy. His big reward? Going through the car wash with Daddy tomorrow.

Later, he spoke on the phone with his aunt Fie (Stefanie) and told her the story as well. Then, after putting him to bed, he called me in three more times to help him get up and go potty on the toilet. He's so excited about it now, and I'm so proud of his efforts. Next step is that we'll have to make the bathroom more accessible so that he can get in there and do his thing whenever he needs to, with or without mommy being right there. I can't believe he's growing up so fast!

Snap to it

Ethan loves baked snap peas. He loves them with a passion usually reserved for M&Ms or soda, and he likes to share them with his toy trucks whenever possible. (The trucks don't seem to like the snap peas as much, for some reason.) They're one of the only vegetables he eats, at this point, so I'm happy to have at least one green thing going down his gullet. And they actually taste good, too! They even have "Caesar" flavored ones, which are quite tasty either straight out of the bag (his preference) or on salads. So I say munch on, little one! These critters'll do until you broaden your palate a bit.

Potty Training and Smiles

Started potty training in earnest today... and he's gone potty in the potty chair once already, and another time ran over to me saying "I'm wet, mom!" while wearing his Potty-Scotty underpants. I have a feeling success will be counted in these small victories for quite some time. Then again, it seems like a great day every time I see that smile, so who really cares about another clean-up on aisle 5? :)

Before and After Allergies

Ethan hasn't had any major allergy issues lately, but then we've had him on chidren's Zyrtec every day since the last episode. Just as a comparison, this is what he normally looks like.


And this is what happened within half an hour of getting that scratch on his arm outside in the back yard a month ago or so... here' s the scratch:


This photo didn't come out very well because the lighting was poor and we were stressing to get ready for the urgent care, but we started getting worried when we saw that his eyes were getting so swollen that he was straining to keep them open... and this is what started happening to his face:


What you can't see is that the whites of his eyes were bulging out enough to actually prevent him from closing his eyelids all the way. It was pretty scary... just hope we don't have to go through that whole thing again. Since that day he's had three or four minor incidents, but we gave him benadryl and eye drops and it went away within 30-40 minutes. Still don't know what he's allergic to because I can't seem to get an appointment with the allergist my doctor referred me to, despite multiple phone calls and messages. Today I'm going to dedicate myself to calling until I get through to someone; they're going to give me an appointment by 5:00 p.m. today, or I'm driving up there in person!

Sorry, crazy mom attack just now. ;)

Mile a Minute

Ethan is talking so much these days... his speech goes along in waves, where for months he'll sort of sit back and store up language and phrases and expressions, and then BOOM! Right when we're starting to get worried about him lagging behind in his speech, he pops out with "Daddy's bringing me the tools, Mommy!" It's so crazy. Thursday, I was talking to Joel on my cell phone when Ethan said "I want to talk to Dad, Mom" and took the phone. He then proceeded to chat with Joel, "showing" him the toys and TV and books that he'd just been playing with by turning the phone around and pointing the display screen around the room. It was pretty adorable. Then on Friday, I was talking to my mom and asked Ethan if he wanted to say hi to Baba. He took the phone with this gentle smile on his face and said, "I wuffoo, gamma"-- completely unrehearsed and unprompted. It was the sweetest thing ever!

That's my boy... already a heartbreaker, at two and a half. :)

Allergy Attack!

Yesterday, we took Ethan to the urgent care (Kaiser's emergency room) because he was having an allergic reaction to something. In fact, we believe that "something" was the long scratch he'd gotten from one of the rose bushes in the back yard. About 10-15 minutes after the scratch, he came over to show me his arm, which was now sporting a huge lump about 1/2 an inch to an inch high along the entire scratch. And that's also when I noticed he was rubbing his eyes, which were swelling up, turning red, and starting to water. We gave him Benadryl at first because of its antihistamine qualities, but another 10-15 minutes later I looked over and saw the corners of his eyes, which were starting to bulge out. I don't mean his eyelids-- I mean, the actual whites of his eyes were bulging as if there was liquid or air building up behind them. Just like this:



Needless to say, not what you want to see when you're looking at your two-year-old. We freaked out and drove like maniacs to the hospital, where eventually the doctor examined him and found that the swelling was starting to go down enough to send us home. He prescribed Zyrtec and then told us to follow up with our regular doctor for an allergy test as soon as possible. I'm sort of surprised that he didn't give Ethan any eye drops while we were there, but I didn't even know about that until I got home and did some more research. He also told us to keep up with the Benadryl every 6 hours until the swelling was gone for 12 hours altogether, so we're still dosing him up because it's still lingering on. Poor thing! Must be so uncomfortable... and here I was hoping he wouldn't be cursed with the Valley allergies that everyone seems to get. Ugh!

Herpa-what??

Took Ethan to the doctor today because his fever was 102 all day yesterday, even with the Children's Tylenol. This morning, he woke up complaining about his mouth hurting, and when I looked inside I saw tiny red spots, some raised, across the back of the roof of his mouth. The first thing I thought of was strep throat, but that would be way too normal (and treatable!) for my kid! Instead, it was "herpangina." Yes, you read it right the first time. I went to Dr.Greene.com, a pediatric health website, to get the skinny:

What is herpangina?

Herpangina is the name of a painful mouth infection, usually with a fever. Even though the name sounds like herpes, almost all of the many viruses that cause it are coxsackieviruses or other enteroviruses—not herpesvirus.

Who gets herpangina?

Herpangina is most common among young children but can occur at any age. Once people have had a specific strain of coxsackievirus, they are generally immune, but they could become sick with one of the other strains. Most infections occur in the summer or early fall, with a peak from August to October in the northern hemisphere.

What are the symptoms of herpangina?

This illness starts abruptly, usually with a fever. Often the fever is high (103–104°F). Occasionally, children lose their sparkle (and appetite) a few hours before the fever begins. The mouth sores usually begin at the same time as the fever or shortly afterward. Children average about five blisters in the mouth. These blisters are surrounded by red rings and can occur in the back of the throat, on the roof of the mouth, on the tonsils, on the uvula, inside the cheeks, or on the tongue. The blisters may start as small red bumps and may go on to become ulcers after the blister stage. The illness usually lasts 3 to 6 days.

Almost all children with herpangina have a decreased appetite – swallowing may be very painful. Other symptoms might include headache, backache, runny nose, drooling, vomiting, or diarrhea. Children first become ill 4 to 6 days after being exposed.

How is herpangina treated?

Antibiotics do not help with herpangina. The important issues are getting children plenty of fluids, relieving their pain, and treating their other symptoms as appropriate.
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So, I'm now on day 2 (unpaid) off of work, looking at possibly another one tomorrow... WHEN WILL THIS FINANCIAL DISASTER END?!?!?!?!?!? I mean, I hope he gets better soon just because it's painful and uncomfortable for him, but also because every day off work sucks another $100 out of my paycheck. God, I need benefits NOW. :(

Sick again!

Poor Ethan is sick today, running a fever of 102 all day long, even on children's tylenol. Joel stayed with him all morning and I came home early from work to stay with him, as he can't be at daycare with a fever. Poor thing, I hate watching him so lethargic and ill. Hopefully he feels better very soon. Not only because it's better for him, but because we really can't afford to miss more work! Today was $80 lost from my paycheck. :(

Dental Drama: The Toddler Edition

Joel took Ethan in today for his first dental visit, and it wasn't good news. He has a cavity that needs to get sealed off so that it doesn't get worse and potentially cause major problems with his mouth and possibly health. Unfortunately, we don't have dental coverage for him. Paying cash means that they'll work with us on payments, but we still have to put down a hefty deposit ($350) before they'll consider working with us. I haven't asked them yet if they accept Care Credit, which is sort of a medical/dental/health credit card, but maybe if they do we can use what's left on my card to pay for the services. It's going to be a total of around $1300 to take care of his poor tooth. Ouch.

And you want to hear something weird? The dentist wants us to floss Ethan's teeth. Floss? At his age? I honestly don't think I flossed until I was a young adult. Like, even in high school, which is so gross now that I look back on it. But to think that my poor little guy is already having dental issues, when I treated my teeth so horribly and didn't have any major issues at such a young age, just confuses and saddens me.

Bad mom award, for not keeping his teeth pristine until he can do it himself. :(

Nursemaid's Elbow: The Return

Ethan hurt his arm again on Monday. I came to pick him up from daycare and he was sitting on Miss Janet's lap, cradling his arms and crying. She hadn't seen him do anything, and wasn't even sure where he was hurting-- thought for a bit that he might be having gas pains or something, because he was holding his arm across his stomach. But then when she went to lift him off her lap, I noticed he was holding his arm oddly, and almost immediately suspected that he'd injured his elbow again. Sure enough, he was acting the same way he did several months ago when he was diagnosed with "nursemaid's elbow"-- basically, a dislocation of the radius bone in the elbow. It usually happens when they get pulled by the wrist too hard or swung by the arms, but in this case Janet's not sure how it happened.

The doctor at Kaiser said that there's a chance this is just going to be more likely now that it's happened a couple of times, and we'll have to be aware of it. He even showed me how to fix it myself, but I'm just not sure I'm up to it. I'd rather pay the $35 and take him down to the urgent care every time, at this point. Anyway, they fixed him right up and he's as good as new (ish). Now, if we can only figure out how to keep him from getting these elbow dislocations, I'll consider it a success!

Fuffoo

Ethan said the sweetest, most touching, adorable thing this morning. It really moved my heart, and almost brought me to tears as well. It was early, and Joel was just getting ready to leave for work. Ethan called him over to say goodbye. The exchange went something like this:

Ethan: "Daddy, 'mere!"
Joel: (walks over) "Okay, buddy, I have to go now."
Ethan: "Kisses." (points to mouth)
Joel: (kisses Ethan) "Aw, thanks, buddy, I love your kisses!"
Ethan: "Hug." (lifts arms up)
Joel: (hugging Ethan) "You give great hugs!"
Ethan: "Bye daddy, fuffoo!"

And that's where my heart was seized by his two little hands and squeezed, ever so gently. Because "fuffoo" is his way of saying "I love you." And it was the first time he's really said it, at the right time, unsolicited, and fully cognizant of what it means. It was amazing. Now, when's my turn? ;)

Slacker!

So, I was sick for quite awhile, but got better and then didn't have the motivation to post. Whoopsy! Must be the barrage of schoolwork and evening meetings that's keeping me slightly out of whack, because usually I like to write on the blog. It keeps me centered, somehow, less lost in my own thoughts...

Some updates:
* Might be getting hired full-time (as opposed to still being a temp) as of July 1st... and the boss said that they're thinking of adding new, improved health coverage options starting in August... but we'll count those chickens when they're hatched. If I don't get hired soon, or get real insurance coverage soon, I'm going to start looking elsewhere.
* Got some great new work-shirts for only 50 cents each at a yard sale this weekend. Yahoo!
* Ethan's doing great, talking a lot more-- but his doctor still wants to do a check on his speech development, starting with a hearing test this Friday. He'll pass with flying colors, I'm sure; that boy has ears like a lynx.
* Stefanie might be moving out in the next few weeks, finally, into her own apartment that she will share with Leila. Time to celebrate!

And, the big news: Ethan might have a cavity. I noticed it the other day when I thought he had some food stuck on his eye-tooth. Nope-- it was a tiny, ridged, almost concave area on the surface of his tooth. Not my little guy, not so early in his life!! Anyway, our dental coverage for him is pretty minimal because we got it when we signed up for the Kaiser Child Health Plan-- in other words, it's for broke people so it sucks. I don't want to get my kid cheap dental care, so I asked for referrals from other parents and got a lead on one dentist I think might work out. Trust me, I called quite a bit, but finding a pediatric dentist is harder than it looks, and then finding one that you can trust is another step beyond that. His appointment is in a week or so, and I'm hoping I can adjust my work schedule to take him in myself... but this might be a daddy appointment instead. Oh well, time to get involved in your child's health, papa!

Independence Days

Ethan is really yearning to establish his autonomy and independence lately. He wants to feed himself, using his own silverware, and pour his own drink into his cup. And back out of it, and then repeat until most of it is all over the table or floor. He wants to keep his pajamas on all day and wear them to daycare, and has major issues with us wanting to change his clothes-- unless we can point out that they're dirty and need to be cleaned, at which point he'll lift up his arms and allow us to remove the offending article. He's getting very particular about having things happen in a particular order and style, such as me holding my arms around him at just the right angle, and resting my hands in one special way on his legs when he's sitting in my lap.

This is just the beginning... it means that he's growing up and turning into a boy. He wants to learn how to do everything himself because he needs to, as part of the process of becoming a self-sufficient person. It's sweet, and sad, and a little bit frustrating for both of us, but I just hope he lets me hold him and snuggle for a bit longer... I miss my baby boy already, even though he's just starting to grow up and away from me. *sniff* This motherhood thing is harder than I thought.

Meltdown

Monday was a rough day for Ethan... he started off with a day at daycare that was apparently pretty chaotic and "exuberant," to say the least, thanks to the antics of four 2-year-old boys. The daycare provider said they always act up when it's windy or stormy, and the weather was pretty crazy that day. Unfortunately, this lead to a major meltdown that started the minute I picked him up and lasted until around 6:30. It was terrible! I'd never seen him throw a tantrum that lasted that long. Usually they're more like a minute or two, and then he either gets distracted or calms down, and it's over. This time it just kept coming in waves of tears, screaming, tossing his arms and legs around, and just generally being defiant, resistant, and refusing to cooperate at all. I kept wondering who had kidnapped and brainwashed my child, it was that out of character for him.

He finally started to calm down when I started washing the dishes, and he said "Help you?" while dragging his stool over to the sink. I slowly transitioned myself out of the space and left him in front of the kitchen sink to play in the water, pouring cups of soapy bubbles back and forth over a large bowl, and it seemed to work as a calming activity. After about fifteen minutes of self-play, he looked up and said "Pizza?"-- his new code word for "I'm hungry and want to eat." We ate some dinner together, took a nice bath, and he finally went to sleep. I felt like passing out too, it was such an exhausting evening with him! The next day, Tuesday, was the exact opposite. He was helpful, obedient, calm, brightly curious, laughing and engaged with me and other people around us (we went to the store), and just generally more like my son than the day before. It was so nice to get that time with him; it made up for our not-so-good Monday. I guess the "terrible twos" are here now, but I hope we can find some ways to mitigate the negative episodes so that we can all survive this sane, happy, and positive. God give me strength! ;)

Ways Ethan Has Changed...

This weekend, we're going to a first birthday party for the son of one of Joel's college buddies. We've been racking our brains for a good, appropriate, useful gift, rather than just another toy, and you'd think we have a seventeen year old instead of a two year old for how much memory work this little exercise has required. We dragged up some old memories of what he used to do back when he was just a year old, a whole year and a half ago, and here's what we came up with...

- Raking, sweeping, and general yard work: This kid loved being outside!
- Garbage can attack man: He was always trying to get the lid open and stuff little items inside, so we had to attach a latch to keep him from throwing away everything in reach
- Speaking of latches, we had to lock down the entire kitchen, TV stand, and bathroom cabinets. We actually just kept the bathroom doors shut, too, to keep him from opening up the toilet lid and doing god knows what in there...
- Hoses were like a gift from god straight to our boy. He loved them.
- Walking, crawling, walking, falling, running, and walking some more.

I'll think of more later... but he's only changed a bit from this, in that he's much more controlled about what he tries to get into and so on. He talks a lot more, he sings and dances, he interacts differently with the world around him, he's friendly and loves playing, he likes to read.... he's growing up!

Last Nerve.

For some reason, everything Ethan did today was testing my last nerve. From the moment he woke up to the minute he laid down for bed (minus my day away at work and his time at daycare, of course) he was pushing the limits and basically doing everything he could to exert his independence. Unfortunately, this also happened to be a day that I didn't have much patience to deal with his shenanigans. Right now, as I'm typing at 8:30 p.m., he is in his room throwing toys around, kicking the wall, and yelling. I'm so annoyed and frustrated!! Not only at his behavior, but at my reaction to it. It's like an instantaneous response to raise my voice when he blatantly disobeys by hitting at me or dumping food/drinks on the ground, and I don't want to be one of those parents who flips out and screams at their kids. I know my own tendency to overreact and get highly emotional about things, and I don't want to take that out on him just because he's being a typical 2-year-old. SERENITY NOW! I need a breather. Maybe I'll skip homework tonight and focus on relaxing instead. Glass of wine, much-needed break in front of the TV, maybe even (gasp!) some light reading of my "fun" book instead of a school book...

Yep, that sounds good. I'm out!

Fruit Attack

Ethan loves fruit. But only in certain forms... he'll eat banana, for instance, or apple slices (sans skin), or firm chunks of mango, and grapes and blueberries-- but on a completely random basis. Some days it's a go, other days it's a "no" that involves spitting the food out or totally refusing to let it near his mouth. The only thing he never refuses is dried fruit, whether it's raisins and cranberries or freeze-dried fruit. Our current favorite is the freeze-dried fruit crisps we found at Wal-Mart.



He absolutely adores them! They are crunchy, flavorful, and purely fruit with no added anything to interfere with the nutritional value. And it's a lot of fruit in there, too; the strawberry-banana bag has approximately 4 strawberries and 1 medium banana inside. They run about $0.78/bag, which is so worth it to me for getting his fruit into him. They also have ten varieties, including peach, pineapple, and cinnamon apple... YUM. It's not a substitute for the real thing, but it does the trick in a pinch. I think they're also perfect for taking on trips, camping, and really anywhere you want to have the fruit but don't want to worry about it bruising or going bad. Great road trip snack!

Peek-a-boo

Could this boy get any more adorable?



I guess I just answered my own question!

Love my little guy. Love that he can express himself in so many ways, and that he's talking and interacting so well these days. Love that his daycare teacher enjoys having him around and is impressed by how well he gets along with the other kids, by his friendly personality, and by his kindness to others. Love that he is exuberant and joyful and lives life with such verve. Love that I get the chance to see all of this up close and personal, and cherish every minute of it. (Even those minutes that aren't so great are just part of an overall wonderful, amazing miracle.) LOVE!!