New baby is now a non-toddling toddler

Hurrah!  Felix is one.  Well, 13 months actually, by the time I got around to writing this.  What a year.  ER visits, epic snowfalls.  Sleeplessness.  And all of it punctuated by our happy son, changing daily.  Happy birthday, buddy! 

Our loose theme for his party was a circus train.  Seemed an apt metaphor for our daily lives!  Chaotic, wild, but fun.

He didn't know what to make of the cake at first, but once he figured it out, it was a hit.  He entertained himself with his piece for a good 30 minutes.   Here he is clapping his approval.

Punkin' Patch

It had been awhile since we've done anything as a family.  Felix is a horrific sleeper at times, and as a result, is in bed many nights by 6:30 pm.  So...we stay in a lot.  However, on Sunday, we took advantage of a rare good nap day and headed to the pumpkin patch.

It's a pretty no-frills pumpkin patch.  No hay rides or corn mazes--just pumpkin vines, tiny apple trees, and a few pick-your-own berries.

The kids loved it.  They ran in the fields, inspected berries, and analyzed pumpkins.  Felix, who aside from the sleeping is remarkably easygoing, simply enjoyed the fresh air and scenery.  Everybody picked some prize pumpkins, and we also made off with a bag of Honeycrisps and a few decorative pumpkins.

If we had let her, Marlo would have gotten dozens of pumpkins.  She kept carrying them to the wagon until we finally made her choose her favorites.  Hayden went for a large gourd.  Felix--well, he was content to ride in my back carrier, sit in the wagon, and eat dirt and pumpkin stems.

LEGO!!!

Hayden is a patient kid.  He has 2 younger siblings, both of whom require an extraordinary amount of attention.  He never complains about it.

So, on Friday, I surprised him with two tickets for us to the LEGO Kidsfest.  I am so glad I did.  The one-on-one time was priceless.  I loved being able to spend some uninterrupted time with him, and the convention was pretty cool too.

There were a bunch of large Lego models--lots of Star Wars guys too.  My favorite was the giant pile of legos.  Kids just waded in like it was a pool, sat down on top of the pile and started building.  No one was throwing legos, or kicking legos---just a bunch of kids building with a virtually unlimited supply of bricks.

Hayden couldn't pick just one favorite--I think he liked everything.  We had a lot of fun making landmarks for the giant lego USA map.  We also played a lego game and of course, spent some money in the lego shop.  I think this was something he will remember for a long time--he told me it was possibly his "best night ever."  Happy Mom.

Piano

Hayden started taking piano lessons in September, and just had his first recital.  He's reading music now, and can play a lot of different songs.  It's really fun to listen to him play, although he prefers "real" songs to songs that are mere exercises.

In any case, the recital went well.  He wasn't thrilled about the tie, and he was a little nervous, but he played great.  We have part of the song here...but of course the camera's memory card filled up halfway through!

Preschool

Marlo's first year of preschool is drawing to a close.  It was a definite success, except for a blip around when Felix was born.  It's hard to say what her favorite part of preschool was.  Painting was always a hit, as was music with Miss Mary, story time, and of course, the playground.  Ever energetic, Marlo's only reprimand in school was to remember to "use her walking feet."

This spring, she has had her "Special Day," complete with crown and a special book.  She also had a field trip to the zoo--a whirlwind hour to see some animals.  It's been a great year for her, and it's pretty amazing to see how much she has changed since the fall.

A Scary Start to the New Year

As often happens in cold climates in the winter, we got sick.  Hayden had a cough, Marlo had a runny nose.  I got congested, and so did baby Felix..

After about a week, I took Felix and Marlo to Urgent Care. Marlo was complaining of an earache, and I just wanted to check up on Felix because he wasn't better yet and he was so small (only 3 weeks old).  After waiting an hour, we were sent home.  Marlo only had fluid in her ear, and Felix was supposedly "tolerating" his cold well.

On New Year's Eve, I kept Felix in bed with me overnight.  His cough sounded strange, and all of my Mom/Batman senses were in high alert.  As I lay there unable to sleep, I resolved to take him back to Urgent Care first thing in the morning.

I fed him when he woke up, and after that, things get a little hazy.  I know he spit up, and shortly after that, he stopped breathing.  I remember holding him under the light, noticing his color turning bluish.  I remember jiggling him and talking to him, and he was completely limp.  Ben flipped him upside down and hit his back, and Felix coughed and started to breathe again as I was dialing 911. 

Felix was alert and calm after this episode.  We dropped Marlo and Hayden off at my Mel's and drove to the hospital where I had delivered Felix just 3 weeks ago.  I rode in the back of the car, watching him breathe.

We were taken back immediately at the ER, and Felix was put in a warmer and given oxygen.  We saw that he was having trouble maintaining his oxygen saturation, and he was also taking very long pauses between breaths.  The doc told us he was "very sick" and we decided to transfer to Children's Hospital.

Felix and I rode in the ambulance.  He was so tiny strapped on the gurney.  I had to ride up front, but I could hear him crying every once in a while, which the driver told me was a good thing.  The sickest babies don't cry.

We met Ben there and Children's ER had a little room ready for us.  Although the doctors at the first hospital had been great, it was obvious that Children's was better equipped for the smallest patients.

They rewrapped his iv, and got him comfortable.  Then the battery of tests started.  Catheter for a urine test, blood tests, a spinal tap.  The poor little guy didn't even cry during the spinal tap, and that was so sad to watch.

During this time, Felix had several apnea spells.  He just "forgot" to breathe.  The nurse jiggled his legs and rubbed his chest, and he didn't always respond.  At one point she yelled for help, and other doctors came in and he started to breathe again.  It was horrible to watch all of this.  Ben and I spent a lot of time staring at the monitors and watching his little chest.

We were finally admitted to PICU where he had intensive nursing care.  I stayed.  I felt horrible leaving Hayden and Marlo, but there was just no way we were going to have a baby stay alone at the hospital.

We ended up staying 5 days.  Felix tested negative for RSV, pertussis, the flu, meningitis, and various other ailments.  He was "deep suctioned" several times and that helped him a lot.  He also ended up getting x-rays, an ultrasound, and a sleep apnea test.  Through all of this I was sick with the same virus that landed him there.  I felt awful, but leaving wasn't an option.

It was such a relief to bring him home again.  I'll never forget what it was like to see him with so many leads and wires.  On our last night there, I had a great nurse who tried to help me calm my very fussy little guy.  After 4 hours of fussing, she finally arranged the room so his leads would stretch to my bed, and instructed me just to sleep with him.  I'm sure this breaks all sorts of hospital recommendations, but Felix quieted almost immediately, and the two of us got some much needed sleep.

He's a chubby, healthy guy again, but I'm still pretty paranoid and I have to admit that I check on him somewhat obsessively.  And even though he was so little, he seemed a little traumatized himself, and for several days after we came home, he wanted to be held all of the time.  Marlo was traumatized too, and had a hard time with me leaving for about a month afterwards.

And then we were five...

On Dec 9th, we welcomed little Felix into the world.  Felix's arrival was so unlikely on so many levels that I'm still in a state of happy shock, 2 months after his birth.

I had a complication-free c-section.  No blood transfusions, no ICU.  No anemia.  8 units of specially ordered blood sat unused in the blood bank.  And despite having surgery, this was my shortest hospital stay.

And Felix--mellow, healthy, happy.  No jaundice, so no bili-bed.

We thought for a long time we would be three.  Then three became four, and now, unbelievably, we are five.  Felix means "happy" and "fortunate" -- an apt description for our family.

Boo!

Well, it's a little late, but I figure if the candy hasn't disappeared, I can still write about Halloween.

We carved our pumpkins a few days before Halloween.  Marlo, not to be trusted with a knife or pen, got glue, stickers, and googly eyes.  She'll play with glue for hours, so she was thrilled.   Equally awesome was scooping out the pumpkin guts.  Hayden did some scooping under duress, but I ended up finishing.



On Halloween night, we had a Luke Skywalker and a cowgirl.  The weather cooperated by staying above freezing.

Marlo couldn't believe her luck.  Not only could she run around IN THE DARK and ring doorbells, but the people inside the houses would give her candy.

Interestingly, at 2, Hayden did not know that the colorfully wrapped items handed out at Halloween were edible.  He enjoyed sorting them and looking at them...it never occurred to him to eat them.  Marlo, under the tutelage of Hayden, has long ago discovered candy.

Why, yes, I have gained weight

This is me. 

 And the large lump is kiddo #3, due to be delivered in 7 weeks or so.  Marlo wants to know when the baby is coming out.  Hayden wonders how soon he can hug the baby.  Marlo isn't thrilled about the prospect of a new sibling, but Hayden is.

Ben and I---still a bit in shock!

But we're very excited to welcome this little person in mid-December.

Fall Fun

Fall is usually a pretty short season in Minnesota.  There's about a week of sweatshirts and then the parkas come out.  This year, though, we've enjoyed a summery and sunny October (last year it snowed in early October).  We've been trying to get outside when we can, and in October, that means leaf jumping.

Note Hayden's flip-flops and shorts.  Not usual leaf-jumping attire, but we don't mind.

Scouting

This year, Hayden is a cub scout.  Or is it Cub Scout?  I don't really know.  I'm confused enough by where I am supposed to sew all the patches, and the whole badge/bead/pin system is more complex than the literary theory books I slogged through in grad school.

In any case, he's a scout, and he's thrilled about it.  I took him to get his uniform at the Boy Scouts Store last weekend and it was as if the sky had opened up and showered him with gold.  We spent a lot of time ogling badges, camping gear, and uniforms.

So far he has had 2 "pack" meetings.  Although outing 2 ended badly (with the news he couldn't go on the first camping trip and the loss of his beloved "tie slide), he has rallied and is eagerly looking forward to more adventures...and the arrival of his new tie slide, ordered from the Boy Scouts' web site.

Back to School

Hayden is now officially a 1st grader.  He was beyond excited to go back to school, but a little disappointed not to be in the same class as some of his friends (there are SIX first grade classes!).

As we walked to the bus stop, he said that it felt just like going to kindergarten.

Things have settled into a groove, now, but the first week was a little dicey.  He missed his friends, and thought recess was too short.  He had homework for the first time and wasn't thrilled about the spelling words. 


But it seems he has adjusted, and now his days are "great" instead of just "ok!"

Michigan

Our family trip was to Harbert, Michigan this summer.  We survived a long car ride with the kids, including about an hour of Marlo crying "Mommy now!" from her car seat.  Still, it was a lot less stressful than flying.

We rented a house with Aunt Rachel, Uncle Jeff, Cousin Kinsey, and Grandma and Grandpa.  Plenty of space for kidlets to run around, and even better...a pool.  Hayden and Marlo were in the water pretty much any chance they got--the pool every day, and Lake Michigan on other days.

The private beach nearby also had a small little stream which was Marlo-sized.  Marlo gravitates toward all puddles and mud, so it was perfect entertainment.

Hayden was mostly interested in playing in the big lake.  He liked being tossed around by the waves.  Occasionally, he would get out long enough to find some rocks or mess around in the sand, but mostly he wanted to be in the water.

We also went to a Go Kart track one day.  Hayden loved it, and Marlo, always an adventurer, wanted to try as well.  Her enthusiasm waned a little bit once she was in the car, though.

The kids collapsed into bed every night, pretty much exhausted by fun.  I followed soon after...

Happy 2nd Birthday, Marlo!

Marlo's 2nd birthday was low key, but a lot of fun.  Cupcakes, presents, and outside time...about everything a new 2 year old could want.

She loved all of her presents, including the playhouse from me and Ben.  Hayden was a helpful gift assistant.

It's been an eventful year.  She has progressed from saying a handful of words, mostly about the dog (Dextoor!), to long, rambling sentences.  She still has her own personal grammar, but she's quite the conversationalist.  A year ago, she toddled around confidently...now she runs, jumps, and climbs a lot of things she shouldn't be climbing.  She can sort of dress herself, although her fashion sense is, well, creative.  She's a character through and through--happy, funny, active, curious and very sweet. 

Front Yard Nature

Sitting in my office on a drizzly afternoon, I noticed 2 large woodpeckers hopping around the front yard.  I've certainly heard them a lot recently, but haven't seen any hanging around.  They let me watch for a few minutes before they flew away, looking for more bugs I suppose.