17 months

Quick update:  Teddy has his 4th ear infection in 2 months.  He is probably getting tubes.  Just need to double check with his doctor and then get the referral over to the ENT.  And he seems more sick the last 2 days than he was on Thursday and Friday.  Thursday is when he was seen by the doctor.  He's on his last day of medication and obviously isn't feeling any better.  This is so frustrating!

Monthly survey:

How old is baby? He's 17 months, 1 week, 3 days.


2. Stats:

a. Weight: He was about 29-29.5 pounds at the clinic on Thursday.  He wouldn't stand still very long though.
b. Height: I haven't checked in awhile.  I'd say 33-33.5 inches since he is definitely in 2T size now.

c. Clothes size:   Definitely 2t/24 month.  I had to make an emergency shopping trip on Friday because his 18month pants were suddenly way way way too short and we are months away from shorts weather.
d. Diaper size:  Size large for cloth, though in my GMD prefolds I'm going to buy extra large soon.  Size 5 for sposies, which we use for daycare.

e. Hair color: it's turning more strawberry blonde.

f. Eye color: they change colors a lot. Most days look like they're leaning towards brown.


g. Anything else?

3. Milestones:  He knows lots of body parts:  eyes, ears, nose, arm, beard, hair, head and he's started blowing kisses!

a. Teething:   18.  He got his canines in the last week or two.  Now it looks like he's working on his upper 2 year old molars.  The gums are really swollen, but it doesn't seem like anything is close to cutting through.

b. Talking: He says tree, ball, boon (balloon), bye bye, up, down, hi, hello, that, kitty, cheese, boom, whoa, Dada, Mama, Mamama (grandma), Jeees (Jesus), Bro Ba (Bro. Branham), thank you, bounce, beard, ear, eye, boog (his new word for nose), hair, head, hat, ba (apple), bird, dog, cat, egg, fish, hat, moon, eat, Mickey.

He understands lots of other words thoughs.  And it's not like he will come up and ask for an egg or anything.  But he will say it if he sees it in his alphabet book.  Best thing is fish to him means fishie kisses!  So I get those when we read that book!

He can also sign:  More, please, thank you and Jesus.  We're working on help, but he mostly just signs please.

c. Rolling: He likes to roll around in our bed now.

d. Walking: Walking and running pro now!  He's getting really fast!

e. Crawling: He doesn't do it very often anymore.

f. Anything else? He will sing songs on his own, and try to sing with us to ones he knows like "Je La" is Jesus Loves Me.


4. Things he likes: Explore and eat
a. Toys: Still a fan of non-toys mostly, but loves to play with balls and blocks.  He stacked 9 blocks high the other day!  He loves to play with the vacuum.  He used to hate that thing and now I have to pry him away from it!
b. Books:   He loves his alphabet book, his Mickey mouse light and sound book, his trucks book
c. TV Shows: He likes Mickey Mouse.  He's been sick a lot and so he'll actually sit and watch.  But if it's not on he doesn't miss it. 

e. Other activities: He likes to throw.  *Someone* taught him how to throw balls and now he throws just about anything.  He also has learned to bite.  On a sweeter note he also likes to give hugs and cuddle more now.  You know....after he bites at you.

f. Music:   Teddy got a banjo for Easter from his great uncle!  Well, until he's old enough it's Doug's but Teddy loooooves it!!  He will walk over to the case and sign "More, please."  He's actually learning to be really gentle about playing the strings.  My mom also got him a toy xylophone and he loves it too.  Here's a video of his first time with it: 

 

5. Things he dislikes: Not getting his way, having to put things one at a time in his mouth.  He wants to shove it all in and as soon as it's in he's asking for more.  Having to get out of the bath tub, coming in from playing outside.  Sometimes getting in the car seat.  He's STILL rear facing because they know recommend it until 2 years.  So I'm waiting until he gets to be too much of a battle and then we'll flip him.  I just want to do everything I can to keep him safe and they're finding out now that it really can make a difference.  Mostly he doesn't want to get in the carseat because he'd rather play outside, not because it's rear facing.  Once he's in it he's fine and is happy with his view.

6. Sleeping: On his now rare healthy days pretty good.  He will nap 2-2.5 hours and sleep 11.5-12 hours straight at night.  But he's had repeat ear infections for 2 months now and when it's really bad he does wake up and need another dose of pain reliever.
7. Eating: Pretty much anything we put in front of him.  The other day he kept spitting out meat balls with dinner but we weren't at our house so I think that's why.  Mostly he's a little food vacuum.  He is still nursing once first thing in the morning but I think he's going to self-wean fairly soon.

8. Nicknames: Teddy, Teddy Bear, Chunky, Chunky Monkey, Chunk a Monk, Chunkers, Smiley, Wiggle worm, Silly, Son, The Boy, Honey, Sweetie, Sweetie Pie, Angel, Lovey, Stinky Butt, Fussy Pants, Fussbucket. I've been calling him Buddy and Bud a bit more now.


9. Things we’re looking forward to next month: Hopefullly he'll be feeling better!  I hope either his ears clear up or he can get tubes and be feeling better.  I just want my happy, healthy boy back!
10. How I like motherhood:

a. Likes:  I love the hugs and kisses.  He went through a phase where he was just obsessed with Daddy but now he's coming back to me when he wants me and that feels soooo good!  I love being his teacher and showing him things, seeing him get independent but also seeing that he still needs me.

b. Dislikes: Feeling inadequate like I mentioned last time, not being in control of everything.  I can't make him be better and stay better.  I can't make things go well enough so we can get to church.  I hate having to make tough decisions like us getting to church but him staying up too late or being so upset it's a nightmare or missing another night.  I hate sending him to daycare.  Not that I don't like it there, it just kills me that someone else is with my kid for 9 hours a day and I don't know what's going on at all.  And then on my days off I spend half the day running errands because I can only do an hour or two at once because it's all he can tolerate before he needs lunch and a nap.  I feel like we don't get to just hang out like we used to.  That there's not enough flexibility.  Though these complaints are less of what I dislike about motherhood and more of what I miss about being a stay at home mom.  But I figure there are working moms out there who can totally sympathize with that.  I also feel guilty about our turn in financial security.  Like I'm robbing him of experiences and stability.  That goes back to inadequate though. 

But one little Mama and hug tells me that everything will be alright and that I'm the perfect mama for him!

I just need a healthy kid! Oh, and to sleep...

Glance at the time stamp of this post.  It used to be I was at church on a Saturday night at 8:50 pm.  But hardly ever anymore!

Just when it seemed the ear infections have cleared up Teddy has come down with a really bad allergy attack!  His eyes get all matted over and are puffy and swollen, he definitely is not feeling good.  He's waking at 5 am again, not able to stay awake very long, not napping very long and needing bed time by 6 pm.  I hate how things always seem to happen at the tail end of the week.  Did he have an allergy attack on Monday so maybe he could be feeling better by tonight?  No, it happens on Wednesday and he's only been on the medication for 3 days (give doses at night) and it's clearly not really in his system yet.  And even though we're not sure what he's allergic to the pollen count has been crazy lately so we're spending all of our time indoors until the meds get in his system, which is driving him insane because he loves playing outside so much!

I'm not sleeping at all.  I started a new birth control a little over a month ago and let's just say there were some complications with my first period.  So no sleeping with that.  And then they gave me medication for it and a side effect is lack of sleep.  3 weeks later, I'm off the meds and I'm still not sleeping.  I sleep in 20-45 minute increments and then it takes about an hour to fall back asleep.  It's beyond exhausting.  It's really affecting how I can cope with Teddy and every day situations.

For my own sanity's sake I just can't do with me not sleeping and him not sleeping and trying to keep him happy and entertained well past his bed time when he's not feeling good in a busy and loud environment.

But I'm beginning to hear snide comments over my church attendance lately.  Well, I'd like someone to walk in my shoes.  And even then, all I'd say is they just must be a better person than I.  Because for 17 months I've dealt with Teddy at church and have barely heard a word of sermon and at this point it's just not worth it.  I'm getting absolutely zero out of it, he's a hot mess and for his own health needs the rest.  Do I wanus to go to church and attend as a family?  Yes!!  Do I believe that I need to take him even if it's years before he can sit and listen and years before I'm done with little kids and will get to hear a sermon?  Yes!!  But if I have to make a choice between being able to be a good mommy and not driving to a building then I'm going to go with the first choice.  We pray and read every day.  We listen to sermons at home.  We point out pictures of Jesus and Brother Branham to him.  Our faith is living in us all day, every day.  I don't need to go to to a building to teach Teddy that and so others can think that I have it.  Others that don't even talk to me.  So hopefully tomorrow we'll get there.  And if not then we'll try again next week and the one after that and the one after that.  Eventually Teddy will be healthy enough to make it.  Just so no one thinks I'm just laying out of church forever.  It just gets me upset that 17 months later I still can't even get a shower every day, brush my hair every day.  Other mothers look so put together and have such well behaved infants and have tons of help and I am not any of that.  To hear judgement is particularly hurtful.  Perhaps we could swap a day and we'll see what they have to say then!