The Sick Room

Last week Jeremy was out of work for three days with a nasty virus. Thank you to those of you who knew that and prayed for a swift recovery! He is back at work and feeling 100% better. There was a bit of an appendicitis scare from the doctor, so we were thankful that didn't turn out to be the case.

Then as soon as the sickness was on its way out, we had visitors! Ben's grandma and Aunt Morgan visited for the weekend. They drove all the way up from Tallahassee late Thursday night and were here through lunch Sunday. Ben had a great time showing them all that he had learned since he last saw them at one week old. He smiled, made tons of bubbles, held his head up with lots of strength, grinned at familiar faces and "friends" (i.e. the star music player and ceiling fans) and surprised them with his weight. He enjoyed hearing Grandma howl in a coyote-like manner in her successful attempts at making him smile and having Auntie Mo change and dress him and tell him that she would be his favorite aunt. Over and over again : ) And I enjoyed much-needed time with my Mom and sister talking, laughing, going to lunch and only a little squabbling here and there. Oh, and Jeremy shared his early birthday present from his Mom: The Settlers of Catan. And we played it together three times. And Morgan won twice. And Mom won once. And Jeremy and I were shamed . . . and of course proud of their instant success. I guess . . . Although there was a BIG dispute over a stolen, no taken fairly, no stolen, no . . . wheat. Glad that the two of them could work it out and win and all : )

Another update: Apparently while Mommy was away from home our friend Ryan was over and he and Jeremy made Ben laugh. I tried to get Ben to laugh all day Monday without the tiniest hint of a giggle. Again and again we have tried to replicate the laugh and we haven't heard anything. While I do believe that he laughed, I am eager to hear it myself! We'll keep you posted.

But, the reason for the title of this post is not just because one of my boys has been sick recently, but because they both have! Today was baby Ben's first trip to the "sick area" side of the doctor's office. We had quite a day. He ate his first and second breakfasts as normal but it was all downhill from there. He woke up from his nap SCREAMING and continued to be sad, tears and all, for an hour. It was a long hour. I had no idea what to do. Jeremy was at work and the Internet was not helpful as I searched for the potential problem. I finally decided that though it might be a little early for this, he must be teething. My mom did mention over her stay that I broke my first tooth at three months and one website said that type of thing tends to be hereditary. So I tried to gently pull his little pouting lip out to see the beginnings of a pearly white . . . trying to figure out if each little white speck was a potential tooth. Well, it was 2:30 and he hadn't eaten in a record 4.5 hours and showed no signs of being interested in eating at all, so I called the doctor. They told us to come in thinking that he most likely had an ear infection.

Jeremy met us there and after a checkup (he is now 13 lbs!), the doctor thinks he actually has a virus. A little stomach virus that shouldn't last as long as Jeremy's and really shouldn't have as many terrible parts to it: chills, aches, hot/cold all that. I am thankful because it was hard enough to see Jeremy that sick. I couldn't bare to see Ben shaking from chills. The doctor told us to give him Pedialyte when he doesn't want to eat and he has been asleep since about 4 after 6+ ounces of Pedialyte. I think we are going to have a long night with our little usual sleeper waking up several times. I have mentally prepared myself to be up whenever! Anyway . . . I will stop blabbing. Let me just say that it is hard to see your little baby sick, no matter how sick they are. I hope he gets better soon : ) His little pouty lip just rips my heart right out!

Please pray that Ben gets a good night's sleep and feels better and that his symptoms don't progress or worsen. Thank you and love to you all!

Three Months

Boppy ready? Check. Lights dimmed? Check. Sleep Sheep playing ocean wave sounds? Check. Diaper changed and sleeper on? Check, check. Well, our days may be filled with failed attempts at consistency, but nights are actually a piece of cake. Praise the Lord for that. Our little Ben faithfully sleeps through the night - anywhere from 9 to 11 hours!!! He is still in the bassinet in our room and assumes the same classic position - on his back, arms raised up over his head. After he drools all over his fists and tries to find his thumb, that is.

The car seat used to be a guaranteed baby drowser but it has actually ceased to be that all the time. Sometimes he sleeps in the car seat with Baby Einstein travel tunes playing but at other times he looks around and stares at himself in the mirror with really huge eyes, like 'who is that?!?" Ben is cooing up a storm and smiling in response to us. I like to give him big smiles after he finishes breakfast and he just grins the biggest grin right back up at me and then buries his face in the Boppy. We do that over and over again. It's one of my new favorite games : ) He grins like crazy later in the day, too . . . as soon as Daddy walks in the door and comes over to greet him. It's adorable.

Bubby (Jeremy's mom) came to visit us for a week and Ben really enjoyed his time playing with her! She sang him songs, held him, helped me shop for groceries and let me take showers! We went on a walk around the mall one day and took her to the Farmer's Market. By the way, if you're ever looking for more fried seafood than you could ever possibly eat in one sitting, visit the Seafood Restaurant at the Farmers Market. I am not normally a fried food kind of girl, but I gave in. It was delicious. I had to power walk for days just to feel ok about my arteries again.

Last weekend our neighborhood had a neighborhood-wide yard sale and we got some fun things for Ben including an activity mat with toys hanging down, a bouncy seat that allows me to take a shower while he plays (amazing!) and an exersaucer that he's not quite ready for. I also got a jogging stroller! The yard sale was a smash hit! He LOVES his new toys and actually smiles at the monkey, giraffe, elephant and parrot that all stare down at him while he lays there accidentally swatting them with his hands. Oh, his hands! He has been trying to simultaneously stuff them both in his mouth while COVERING them with drool. It's pretty darn cute. He is soaking the top of all his clothes - just under the chin. He actually has a little blister on his thumb from sucking on it at night so I guess he is becoming quite the faithful thumb sucker. We have tried pacifiers time and time again but he only takes them sporadically.


Ben loves his bath time! Since the first time where he peed in Mommy's face until now . . . he is a water baby for sure. And you know what? Sometimes when he sleeps in his swing, his ears come forward out of the little bear pillow that surrounds his head, and we say "Phelps." Water baby. Phelps ears. Hmm. Nine gold medals anyone? Ha. Proud parents think funny things sometimes I guess.

He still hates the booger ball! Who wouldn't, right? Picture yourself just lying there all happy and suddenly a big scary blue thing is in your face - sucking everything out of your nose. It really must be dreadful, but I only do it so the poor baby can breathe! I will tell him my reasons one day : )

Brief funny story. The other day I (in a very unlady like fashion, I know) let out a long burp. Ben was on my lap and his face wasn't too far from mine. As soon as I was finished he burped really loudly - right back at me. It was awesome.

He is now getting ready to see his Grandma Frick and Aunt Morgan this Thursday and is looking forward to that!

Until next time . . . stay out of people's faces if you have to burp. You never know what they might do in response.

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