Sick Sucks

My poor lil' William has been battling ear infections.  He just finished his second round of antibiotics on Sunday but I wasn't quite sure that the infection was totally gone.  Sunday and Monday he was happy and playful.  I was loving it!  No crankiness or whininess.  Just a fun loving baby.  We had so much fun playing and goofing off.  But I did notice that every once in a while he would shake his head.  His balance has been off during the infection and it hasn't improved a whole lot.  He has fallen frequently.  Nothing that caused harm thankfully.  Well the fever came back today so I'm pretty sure the infection is coming back.  The boys have a checkup on Thursday so I am going to see if William can make it until then.  I hope.

It's pretty discouraging when you have one child vying for your attention wanting you to play with him on the floor and another wanting you to hold him and make him feel better.  Crankiness from all three parties involved and you have a perfect storm.  I feel bad for William but unfortunately I don't show enough patience with him that I should.  I'm worn down to quickly when they are both hollering at me.  I guess I panic and don't know what to do first.  No matter what I do it isn't good enough for someone.  Sigh.  Sick sucks.

I understand to some degree the crankiness that William feels.  When you don't feel well you don't want people to bother you.  But he has a brother that insists on bothering him.  Always touching, pushing, pulling and smacking.  I just wish he would fight back a little.  It would do some good to give brother a smack and then crawl away.  But he just sits there and takes.  Not thinking clearly enough to decide to get away from Levi.  So big bad mama steps in and separates the two.

With the two ear infections so far I have not been able to work on William going to sleep on his own.  It has taken a huge back seat.  Who am I kidding, it's gone completely in reverse.  He has not wanted to go to sleep at night or for naps without someone holding him.  That in itself wouldn't be so bad if I could then lay him down.  Oh no.  The second I start to move he wakes up and complains loudly.  He just would not sleep unless he was in my arms or on my chest.  The last two days that he has been feeling good he has finally been able to sleep in the crib or on the couch.  But I still need to work on getting to fall asleep on his own.  But if this infection is coming back I don't think we will be making progress on this any time soon.  If he needs to be held to make the pain less then that is what I will do.  Poor babe.

Sunday was such a beautiful day here that I took the boys for a long walk.  Levi talked the whole time and William was so silent I had to keep checking on him to see if was asleep.  Not sleeping but had this very somber look.  He just stared at me with a poker face.  Perhaps it was a lot of visual stimulation and he was trying to soak it all in.  Or perhaps it was just really relaxing.  I think he enjoyed it because he was sure full of it once we got home and inside.  Several times during the walk I saw a little hand pushing a hat out the side of the stroller.  I think Levi was trying to be stealthy about it but I kept picking it up and putting it back on.  Once it became a game I stopped putting it on and just held onto it.  Lil' stinker.

Levi has been saying "uh-oh" for the last several days.  I suppose I need to qualify that as his first word.    Too bad I didn't think much about it at first because now I can't write down what day it was that he started.  Oh well.  But he understands so much more than that.  He catches onto things and words so quickly.  In the last couple days we have been saying "all gone" when a bottle or plate is emptied and then we raise our hands up to emphasize there is nothing left.  So now he is doing it on his own when I say "all gone."  He gets it.

One day last week Grandma smacked her hand down on the armrest of the futon then she moved her hand to her lap.  Levi was standing in front of her and watched it happen.  He liked the nice loud cracking sound she made.  He looked at the armrest and then at her hand.  Back to the armrest and again back to her hand.  I could see the wheels in his brain cranking.  So he carefully stepped around her legs and over to the armrest.  He reached out and grabbed her hand and brought it to the armrest.  Then he watched expecting it to happen again.  So smart.

We have been teaching the boys how to climb the stairs and get off of the couch safely.  Better to teach them how to do these tasks before they find out the hard way by getting hurt.  They have been doing very well.  I will need to teach them how to go down the stairs but since they don't have access to it I haven't felt too motivated.

Last time I updated here I mentioned that Levi finally got a tooth.  He got it on a Monday and then that Friday he got his second tooth.  Both are on the bottom.  Such a big boy.  It took a few days before I could SEE them.  He refused to let me look.  He would seal those lips up as tight as Fort Knox every time I tried.

Today I could feel William's 8th tooth pushed through the surface.  Maybe that is why he has a fever today but my gut tells me not.  Does teething cause ear infections?  I guess I just don't know.

Sorry for the infrequent postings.  With William feeling so yucky I have barely touched my computer.  So if I go a couple weeks again without updating I'm probably tending to a sick boy.  I hope these ear infections do not become a frequent occurrence.

Hugs to you all!

One little, two little, three little teeth...

So exciting I had to share.  I just felt Levi's first tooth.  Although it feels like it has been there for a couple of days.  Just goes to show you I gave up expecting and checking for one with any regularity.  I wouldn't have even checked tonight except he kept running his tongue in and out of his mouth the way William does when he is feeling his teeth.  I thought "hmmm, just maybe" and sure enough.

William had tooth number six plow through a few days ago and number seven made an appearance today.  There are still two more working their way through.

Yay for teeth!

Our Day of Fun

Today we got into trouble and out of trouble. We laughed and we cried. Played hard and slept softly. Snuggled Mama and then climbed all over her. Waved at the neighbors as they walked by. They are all putty in our hands.

William stood without any assistance for 17 seconds. If you don't believe us ask Mama. He climbed onto the walker for the first time. After I showed him how first.

Levi got in trouble several times today. He forgot shaking the table was a no-no. I told him not to do it but he didn't listen.

We had p-sgetthi for the first time too. It was yummilicious. Now Gramps is building towers out of our blocks and we get to knock them down. So much fun!

A time to chill

Yesterday was a hay day for Levi.  He was feeling quite adventurous while Mama was away running errands.  The report from Grandpa was that he climbed onto the couch and was standing upon it and while he was there knocked Grandma's colored glass lamp over.  Thankfully it did not get damaged.  The second thing he did was to push one of the bottom corners out on the gate to the kitchen.  Grandpa caught him and could see that William was attempting to follow suit.  Since that wasn't enough adventure for him he decided to climb onto his walker.  He pulled himself onto the tray and sat there.  I guess he thought this was great fun because in the evening I saw him get into and out of his walker three times in addition to sitting on the tray again.  Oh boy!  Their world grows larger with every passing day.  I hope I can keep up with them the larger their world expands.

Even though he was so rambunctious he would stop often for some cuddling.  At times he would even just lay his head down on the floor for a minute to rest and then get back up and play.  I even caught him cuddling with Humphrey.

I am glad that he knows how to ask for some cuddling instead of crying and leaving me stumped as to what he needs.

William has a new pastime.  He enjoys flopping onto his back and kicking his legs in the air and on the floor and waving his hands around or swinging toys around.  He laughs and smiles.  It's as if he was the first to discover how much fun it is to lay on your back.  And what an exciting discovery it is!

Both boys have been needing a lot of cuddle time over the last week.  Neither one has been feeling 100%.  Levi was fighting a fever for a couple days and William had an ear infection.  Thankfully the fever seemed to subside but I am not sure what it was from.  William seems to be doing better now that he is on some antibiotics.  The doctor said he had it for a while which explains some of the extreme crankiness I have been dealing with.  Now he is just his normal whiney. :)

Last Saturday the boys and I Skyped with Great Grandma Hickey.  It was her 80th birthday!  The boys did so good.  It was their first time "visiting" with G'ma and hopefully we can do it again soon.

And speaking of Grandmas....My mom went on a three week trip.  When she mentioned she might go I encouraged her.  She quite deserves one.  Half of me was glad she would be getting a vacation.  The other half of me was terrified.  I didn't think I would survive three weeks without her help.  Well my Dad decided to stay with us while she was away.  He has been quite a help too.  In fact he is letting me have a few hours to myself right now which is why I am able to make this post.  He has been proactive about changing the diapers when needed and without complaint.  Yay.  He helps at night when the boys get up.  And he entertains them so that I can occasionally clean or cook or run errands.  It is so nice to do normal things.  With all the help it hasn't been too bad of an adjustment with her gone.  Mom, that doesn't mean you can stay away forever!  I still need you.

Someone posted this photo on Facebook and I couldn't help but laugh.  They are 10 months old and already I know this definition all too well.  

Even though it feels as though he whines all the time William sure can make me laugh too.  Seriously, how can you not love that face.

 High and mighty William

Mr Levi

"What?"  (messing with G'pas oxygen hose)

9 month photos