Back to Babies

[Photos are from our trip.]

Looks like we may be back in the land of baby colds -- James had a fever today, and by this evening was not too happy. He's sleeping now, so keep your fingers crossed that he'll get over whatever it is quickly!

We took Mattie in to the pediatrician on Wednesday because he's had a cough for a couple of weeks, mostly just at night right as he's going to bed and in the morning when he wakes up. It's not frequent, but it's pretty intense while it's happening, and it doesn't seem to be getting better (if anything, it's maybe a trifle more often).

Our pediatrician's office is usually great about getting people in quickly, but of course the one time we didn't bring milk with us was the time we had to wait around for an hour! (And even that might not have been a big deal, since Mattie had eaten less than an hour before we arrived -- except that he had a coughing jag and threw up while we were in the waiting room. Ugh.) We think he was doing the milk sign for the first time in the doctor's office, and the pedialyte we offered him was not an acceptable substitute. :)

The doc said that the cough may be just remnants of the cold he had, or it may be reflux. She gave us a prescription for Prevacid. It hasn't had any obvious effects yet, but she told us it takes about two weeks to know if it's doing anything. It seems a little odd that reflux would be causing this all of the sudden (especially since most kids start growing out of reflux around this time), but he didn't have any obvious symptoms of a sinus infection, which would be the other likely cause.

The good thing about Prevacid is that we don't have to go to a compounding pharmacy or the hospital to get it, but the bad thing is that it's still expensive!

Jamesie has been pushing his toy shopping cart around and starting to stand up holding our hands (which is what Mattie was doing before he started walking), so I think he's moving toward starting to walk, too. (He's quite good already at walking while holding on to the furniture.) Meanwhile, Mattie has figured out how to turn the shopping cart around when walking with it, and he's also continuing his multitasking. The other day, he walked over while drinking his bottle to steal a toy from James! James was not very happy about that!

Did I Mention the Food?

(Fair warning: This is a non-baby post, so feel free to skip it!)

Lucky for us, our friends are not only thoughtful and gracious hosts, but excellent cooks as well!

Our DC friends braved the heat to grill delicious "everything burgers" and brats. In Maryland, Bonnie made a traditional Maryland dinner of steamed shrimp and corn -- a wonderful summer treat! (And it turns out their cat likes Old Bay seasoning. Who knew?) And then Feesh treated us to omelets and blueberry pancakes in the morning. (We let the babies try some of the pancakes, without the blueberries, but they didn't seem to appreciate them as much as we did.)

On Sunday night, Jason grilled steaks from his local butcher. We don't have steak often and don't particularly seek it out, but these steaks were amazing!! And then Kate followed it up with an equally amazing blueberry and raspberry (I think) cobbler. I don't usually like cobbler, but I could eat this one every day. It was perfection with vanilla ice cream. Mmmmm.

Then on Monday, we decided to be brave and venture out to a local seafood restaurant (Catonsville Gourmet) with all three babies (the twins and Dashiell). For the most part, it worked out really well. The restaurant was noisy enough that no one noticed the occasional baby babbling or fussing, and we were seated in the back near the dessert counter, so there weren't too many people near us anyhow. And the food was outstanding (including a delicious crab & corn chowder).

The only hitch in the plan was that at one point Mattie was starting to get a little fussy and wasn't interested in toys or his bottle, so I was giving him some little crunchies to eat. Well, he coughed when he had one in his mouth, which made him gag, which made him throw up his milk. Luckily we were seated next to the men's room, so Mike hustled him in there and I don't think any of the other patrons even noticed. Mike's shirt was a mess, but fortunately I had a spare shirt in the diaper bag for just such a possibility. So, we were still able to enjoy our meal (trading off holding Matthew). Also fortunately for us, James was happy to entertain himself in his stroller.

So, although visiting with friends was the best part of the trip, the meals helped to make it memorable as well. :)

Missing Them Already

We are glad to be home, but we already miss our wonderful friends and family! It was a long trip in some ways, but seemed like a whirlwind visit at each stop.

We're definitely not the easiest houseguests right now -- we travel with a mountain of stuff, we're not very helpful with anything because of the constant baby-wrangling, and of course there's always a chance that we'll wake people up in the middle of the night with screaming babies. So it's a credit to our friends that they made everything such a pleasure -- many thanks to all of you for being such fabulous hosts!

Even though traveling with the boys isn't exactly easy, it was well worth it to be able to spend time with old friends. And bravo to the boys for being such excellent travelers. We threw them in to a lot of new situations, and they were almost always cheerful and well-behaved. (Mattie got a little cranky near the end when the sleep deprivation caught up with him, but otherwise they were delightful.)

Hello, Dash!

The boys are usually the youngest kids around, but not this time -- their friend Dashiell (Jason & Kate's son) is four months old. They enjoyed meeting him (and playing with his toys!) Of course, though Dash is younger, he's not all that much littler -- James is only about a pound heavier!

Matthew is going to town with his walking -- he can go in a circle, walk over obstacles, and I even saw him take a step or two backwards today.

James has done the sign for "more" a couple of times today. This morning his bottle ran out and we asked him if he wanted more milk, and he did the "more" sign and a few seconds later, the "milk" sign. (If he does it again, that would be pretty awesome that he's combining them!) He also did the "more" sign at breakfast when I asked if he wanted more pears, but then he wasn't actually too enthusiastic about eating more pears. So, I wonder if maybe he knows that the sign matches up with the word, but isn't totally using it to say that he wants more. We'll see!

The boys have been imitating each other more lately (things like clapping and waving their heads back and forth). It's very cute!

We've been visiting friends who don't have toddlers, so it's been interesting being in non-babyprooofed houses. For the most part it's been completely fine (though requiring lots of supervision), but James really wanted to play with the fireplace tools at our DC friends' house (sharp, heavy metal! perfect for babies!), and Mattie actually made it into the cat food here when we weren't looking. He got a couple of bits into his mouth, but spit it out (when I scooped him up and pounded him on the back).

Worn Out

Days of traveling have finally caught up with Matthew -- this was at breakfast yesterday!

Happy Travelers

We're on the third stop of our trip, and we're having a wonderful time. The boys have been great so far. They were the youngest of five kids last night, and the older ones were so excited to have the babies around. Mattie and James were sometimes a bit bewildered by the attention, but also enjoyed watching the big kids (and playing with new toys and going in the backyard kiddie pool!) And of course we were glad to have a chance to catch up with old friends.

Today was a big day -- the boys met their first cat, Crosby. He's a savannah cat, so he kind of looks more like a wild cat than most housecats. This didn't bother the babies at all; they both crawled right over to him. (So much for that survival instinct! I think Matthew just assumed he was a dog.) Crosby wasn't quite so sure about them, though!

Jamesie also climbed the stairs for the first time today. Yay James! (I think it'll be a lot easier for him when he's an inch or so taller, but he did it! And he seems to quickly be getting the hang of going backwards to get down.) He also easily opened a cabinet door and kitchen drawer; I guess the cabinets at Uncle Feesh's house are more interesting than ours!

Mattie, meanwhile, seems to have learned how to throw up his arms to say "touchdown!" He's in plenty of time for football season.

Multitasking

Having mastered the very basics of walking, Matthew is now trying to expand his skills -- he wants to walk while carrying things, and sometimes he stops after a few steps to applaud. (The other day he also was standing up drinking from his bottle. That didn't last too long!)

Mattie has also learned the sign for "more." The other night at dinner, he seemed to be slowing down with his eating, so I asked him if he was all done or if he wanted more -- and he made the sign for more! Wow! (Sometimes he does it just for fun, but he definitely seems to know what it means.)

James has been crawling around with one of those plastic stars in each hand, which cracks me up because they remind me of little baby snowshoes. (Then he tries to stand up on things while still holding them, which doesn't work out so well if he's trying to stand up on something slippery like the toy shopping cart.)

We are attempting another road trip -- tonight we're at Cousin Daniel's house, where we got to play on his new swing set. (No pictures, alas, just video.)

Sixteen Tons...I Mean, Pounds

Grandpa is here very briefly on his way back down south. We missed some time with him this afternoon because we were at the hospital for another surgery follow-up for James (and since our babysitter was out sick today, Mattie came with us as well).

We were very excited that James weighed in at sixteen pounds. He'd been hanging out in the fifteens for a long time, so we were happy to see those additional ounces. He's still well below the growth charts for his age, but that puts him back on his own growth curve (that is, following the same pattern as the regular growth curve, just with lower weights).

James is still pooping more frequently than the doctor would like, so he prescribed Immodium for him. That should help make sure he's getting the benefit of all the calories from the food he's eating, plus it should help with the diaper rash (which has recurred, though not as terrible as before). The doctor also put him back on sodium, which may help him grow more quickly. (Frequent pooping means you can be losing salt that way, and if the body has to work harder to keep sodium levels up, then that takes away from growth.)

We didn't have to wait long at all for the appointment, but then James had to have some blood work, and we had to spend a long time waiting around at the pharmacy. Both babies were extremely well-behaved, though!

In other news, Mattie now can open both our entertainment center doors and the kitchen cabinet doors, so we've embarked on a new wave of baby-proofing.

Tomato Day

Today was the annual Tomato Day at the Carrboro Farmer's Market. We were up early and it wasn't too hot (80s and just overcast enough to be pleasant), so we ventured out. This is the first time we've made it to a Tomato Day since we've lived here!

They have tomato tastings (cherry tomatoes and recipes using tomatoes), and of course about half the vendors have row upon row of different varieties. We brought home some Sungolds and Hungarian Hearts (which actually are kind of heart-shaped). And of course, we had to get some mozzerella and basil, too, for sandwiches. (By some miracle, our basil plants are still alive, but they only have some small leaves at the moment.)

We also got to hear some great Latin music, and of course Mike found a cinnamon bun for breakfast (a "sunshine bun" made with sweet potatoes).

We were relieved that it wasn't too crowded, at least when we were there -- we thought it might be tight quarters for the double stroller, but it worked out just fine, and we had a great time.

This was also probably our first outing with James having his hearing aids in. We didn't want to risk losing them when he was still pulling them out occasionally, but now that they're fitting well, he's pretty good with them these days. It went fine, and if anyone else noticed them, they didn't say anything -- although Mike did strike up a conversation with a mom who was signing to her daughter. (The daughter was adopted and had some hearing loss from untreated hearing infections in the orphanage as a baby.)

Making It Official

We took a trip to the county seat (Hillsborough) yesterday to get copies of the boys' birth certificates. (And yes, one of the ladies there teased us about waiting until they were fourteen months old to do that!)

It turned out to be a very easy process. The offices are new and shiny and quiet, in the same building as the Weaver Street Market (local grocery co-op, cafe, and general hang-out). We didn't have to wait in line or anything; just filled out a quick form, handed over some cash (they don't take checks or credit cards!), and got the documents.

I was excited to get the official copies, but I was disappointed to discover that the horrible resident who was in charge of my care when I was on hospital bedrest has his name on the birth certificates as the attending doctor. (Mike tells me that I am not allowed to use white-out on it, as that may compromise the legal status of the documents. Bummer.)

I won't put his name up here, but for a pseudonym you could use Dr. "I won't listen to your concerns because you're just a stupid woman" or Dr. "If you were in labor, the pains would be higher up in your back...oops, you're seven centimeters dilated and about to have a baby!" (There were so many better choices to sign the birth certificate -- how about the anesthesiologist who held my hand when I was scared, before they let Mike into the room? Or the attending doctor who took the time to explain the procedure and tell us about his child's stay in the NICU? Or the other attending doctor who actually listened when I said the reason my blood pressure was sky high was because I hadn't stopped crying since the previous night? I would have been proud to have any of their names alongside our sons.) But, I digress...

Anyhow, after we accomplished our Official Documents mission, we strolled around Hillsborough. There's not all that much of a downtown (and we didn't feel comfortable browsing art galleries with our big stroller), but we found an adorable little bookstore with a great kids section (mostly for kids a few years older than ours, though), and of course we had to stop at a place called Matthew's Chocolates. Mike had a cinnamon pastry, and I had a cookies & cream Locopop drizzled in chocolate. It was SO GOOD. Absolutely delicious chocolate, and the ice cream was just right for a hot day.

And on our way home we took the boys to yet another BBQ experience (Allen and Sons). They were wonderfully well-behaved the entire trip.

Yum

Somebody ate a whole jar of baby food sweet potatoes today, and half a jar of pears (and even a bite or two of turkey sweet potato dinner). Hooray for James!

Home Video

Now that James is feeling better, we can post this video. :)

More Water Fun

Mattie and Jamesie say thanks, Auntie Nora (and Uncle Adrian and Cousin Daniel) for their new water table!

First Steps

Matthew is walking!!! Wow!!!

He was standing up a lot yesterday and this morning, balancing on his own for a few seconds at a time. Then this morning Mike was encouraging Mattie to walk a couple steps between us, which he did, but he was leaning forward a bit too much, so it didn't seem like true walking. But then, by this afternoon, he was taking several steps at a time on his own! (The most I saw was seven steps in a row -- pretty good for a beginner!)

I guess he's a toddler now! (Can I get that helmet for him yet?)

Last week he was practicing walking holding on to his toy shopping cart. Maybe that helped him get the hang of it. And Daddy had the bright idea to let him give brother a ride, as you can see in the bottom picture. They both had fun! (Sorry for the terrible picture quality; that one was taken with our videocamera.)

Jamesie, meanwhile, has figured out how to put toys back into containers (instead of just taking them out). Mommy is very happy about that development, as it is hopefully a step in the direction of putting their own toys away!

Goooooaaaal!

The boys are all ready to cheer on the Netherlands in the World Cup championship! (Mattie is practicing his goalie skills.)


Edited to add: Oh, well...congratulations, Espana. :)

Crepe Adventure

Mattie seems to be largely recovered from his illness; after a bit of a cranky morning yesterday, he's been fine except for some lingering congestion at night. So, since everyone was feeling well and we had a slight break in the heat today (80's instead of 90's), we ventured out to find the Carrboro crepe truck. (Thanks to J & Y for telling us about it!)

On Saturday mornings, it's in the parking lot of a funky coffee & wine shop. They have a small menu of lunch and dessert crepes. After we ordered, there was about a 20 minute wait for the crepes to be prepared, but that was okay, because we enjoyed hanging out listening to the guitar player. And the crepes were delicious!! (Mine had spinach, carmelized onions, feta cheese, and tomatoes -- and then nutella and bananas for dessert. Yummy!!)

PS: Happy birthday, Uncle Chris!!

Nine Years

Happy Anniversary (a little late) to my beloved husband! Thank you for nine wonderful years!

We celebrated by going out to lunch, and the boys' present to us was that they behaved themselves while we ate our sushi. :)

James seems to be over his digestive troubles (knock on wood). It's quite a relief to see him more back to normal. He's eaten a lot yesterday and today, hopefully helping to make up for some of the lost calories from the previous days. In addition to his milk, he even had a few bites of sweet potatoes. (And in the photo, you can see him enjoying a couple of drumsticks. Ha!)

But unfortunately, Mattie woke up in the middle of the night last night burning up with what I assume was a fever (since I couldn't get our thermometer to work), and has been feverish and out of sorts much of today. He's also got a bit of congestion, so it's probably just a cold or virus. We called the pediatrician, and the nurse said just give him Tylenol and keep him hydrated. Poor baby -- except for a couple brief periods of good spirits, he's mainly just wanted Mommy to hold him all day. I'm hoping he can get some rest tonight (but alas, I'm expecting to be up with him a lot).

Home Again

Happy 95th Birthday, Great-Grandma Green! Wish we could be there to help celebrate!

Instead, we are back home again. James didn't throw up today and was eating more than yesterday, so we're very happy about that. And although the trip didn't work out like we planned, we had a wonderful time with Nora, Adrian, and Daniel.

Fifth of July

Hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day. We spent ours lording it over our British brother-in-law. :) Just kidding!

Actually, our 4th was rather miserable because James was throwing up again, and we were worried about keeping him hydrated (and secondarily about the weight he's probably losing from his low calories, and underlying it all the concern because we're still not totally sure what's causing the problems. I think if it were a stomach bug he'd be over it by now, so our best guess at the moment is some kind of intolerance to something in his formula).

And of course the neighbors decided to have a multi-hour fireworks extravaganza, which all the babies slept through except James. (What good is this hearing loss business if it doesn't let you get a good night's sleep?? I want my money back.)

Fortunately, after he fell back asleep, James had a pretty good night last night and has so far been keeping his formula down today (although he's still eating much less than he had been and much less than he needs). He was feeling well enough to crawl around and play and babble this afternoon, which was great to see. So, keep your fingers crossed that he's getting better, instead of more back and forth.

[Photos are Cousin Daniel and Mattie, and Cousin Daniel with Auntie Nora, blowing bubbles.]