Fever, Roseola!!!! Poor Baby

On Friday I was going about my day, went to go play volleyball and my husband and my 16 month old son came to watch. My husband handed me the baby to hold and he felt kind of hot but after playing volleyball  thought it was just me. We went to the store where I noticed that he was more cranky then usual. I felt his head and chest and he was burning up!!! I though it might just be teething because his fangs and possibly a molar or two might be coming out. :(

I took his temperature rectally and it was over 100 degrees but the temperature and his grumpiness were his only symptoms. Again I'm thinking teething (he has never been sick in his life). Another day goes by he is now grumpy, hot, and doesn't want to eat!! I checked his temperature again that night and it was 104.4!!!! I am getting so nervous at this point because I know that teething gives them a mild temp but this by far was not mild!!! I'm thinking it's late and I don't want to take him to the emergency room, let's try some home remedies.

Here's what I do:
Room temp bath and a dose of Advil brought it down to where I felt comfortable not taking him in.
His temp came up again so I gave him another bath this time with vinegar, I also soaked a pair of his socks in vinegar and put them on him straight out of the bath. It was amazing how fast his temp went down (you have to be careful with that too). We went to bed and of course he woke up several times throughout the night and felt more comfy sleeping with mom and dad (it was the only way we got any sleep too). The next morning we woke up and the fever was gone but he was still fussy and didn't have an appetite only now I noticed that he had little red spots on his neck and face. I called his ped and was told to bring him in. I was told it was a virus and that there was nothing we could do but let it run it's course cause now that the fever was gone he was no longer contagious. Today he still has some spots but his appetite is back and he is smiling again!! YAY! You feel so bad when your kids are sick and can't tell you what's wrong.

So Roseola a.k.a type of measles, sixth disease, you suck! Never come back!

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, just a mama!

EJ update! Video!!

DADADADA!!!

I have come to the conclusion that EJ is going to walk before he crawls. He absolutely hates to be on his tummy, so what is a mommy supposed to do? Nothing! He will crawl if and when he wants to I guess. He is also mastering picking up a puff and putting it into his mouth, yay baby we have been working on that for a minute!! Speaking of puffs, he has found his toes and insists on playing with them during a diaper change, really EJ as if your squirming doesn't make it difficult enough. He is also starting to focus a little more when we Skype with family back home, before he could careless (nothing personal, he's a baby) but now he is a little bit of a ham showing people that he knows how to make a mess with his mouth... bubbles anyone with a side of spit?!! No? OK, on to other things. He loves his exersaucer (thanks cousins!!) he can rock that thing so hard that he will move it across the livingroom,which brings me to his latest milestone! The other day he was in his exersaucer and all of a sudden, there it is, it hits me like a ton of bricks. He says dada and I don't mean every once in a while I mean all day long ever since! Do you know what that can do to a stay at home mom's self esteem? Nothing, because he has said mama when he's mad or hungry. That's what I keep telling myself. Anyway, Houston we have teeth!! Yup two large ones on top to accompany the the two on the bottom. He is growing up too fast for mom. I mean come on, I just scheduled his 9 month wellness appointment.

Apple and Pear puree! For baby!

So we have figured out that EJ's favorite desert is apple and pear puree and being the mother you have to taste test everything so it's my favorite too! Here's how we do it.

Ingredients: (this is just the taste ratio)
2 Red Delicious (because they are soft and usually sweet)
1 Bartlett pear (kind of tart)

So they even each other out
Since EJ is 8 months old I peel it and leave some of the peel on (that's where a lot of the nutrients are) then I core chop and steam with a dash of cinnamon!!!
After we steam we let cool, then place into bullet or processor and again because of his age we don't puree as much. Then we fill up the ice trays cover and freeze!

Am I trying too hard, or not hard enough?

My son is 7 months old and I am in my early 20's (30's)... Anywho, I never thought that I would be given the opportunity to do all the things with my kids that I saw other parents forget to do. But now I know that they didn't forget, they were probably exhausted and were doing their best just to be present in life.

Now I know what they were going through. Before I had a baby I used to have a list of all the wonderful things I would do with the baby.

How I thought it would go:
I would read to him everyday
I would bathe him everyday
I would dress him to the T everyday
I will only feed him home made food
I will strictly breastfeed him
Basically I thought I would be a SUPER mom!

How it actually went:
I read to him for the first 2 months but I was just too tired to keep my eyes open!
Nobody "NEEDS" to bathe everyday, blah!
There's nothing more comfortable then a onsie and sweat pants (they match at least)
Sometimes I run out of stuff to make baby food and don't want to go to the grocery store
I tried, and did breastfeed him for the first 5 months but I just didn't have the supply. Trust me I wish I could have....that's the one thing I am really sad about!
Wait!....I am a SUPER mom, at least that's what Ej says.

I think that we put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect. Well I am not perfect nor do I want to be, I would really be NO fun!

Baby Meat Puree sounds good hah!

Oh yes I did!

 

And he loved it! So I made a roast and threw in some potatoes and onions with it. I was sitting there eating and I looked over and saw my 7 month old starring at me while I ate. I have a list of everything that he is able to eat and lo and behold there it is on the paper, MEAT. The list is more specific but you catch my drift.

So this mama thought, why not?

Pulled some of the meat, potatoes, onions and juice out and threw them in the Bullet. Now it came out like more of a mashed potato with a meaty twist. I tasted it and it was YUMMY!! So if you're wondering if it's OK to give them meat, it is at the appropriate age of course. He did have some stinky burps though. hehe. 

There is never enough time in the day!!

Tired Mama!

 

So ever since my husband came back home from being gone for a whole month while our first born child was 5 months old and teething, we have gotten into a pretty great routine! Just a side note, the only reason him being gone for a whole month is important is because we live 20 hours away from everyone we know!! Basically baby and I were alone 24/7, I'm surprised I am still sane! Not to mention the two dogs that just looked at me like I was ruining their nap because the baby was crying....blah!

 

Back to our routine, here it is:

 

Baby wakes me up at about 7ish and we hang out for a little bit in the room before dad comes in to change baby's diaper and feed him a bottle. ( I love my husband...sssshhh don't tell him that cause he will stop doing it) Did I mention since becoming a mother I have also become addicted to just one cup of coffee in the morning? On a good note I have stopped smoking the occasional cigarette!! YAY me! Anyway (my husbands an angel) I have coffee ready for me when I wipe the sleep from my face that way I'm ready incase my husband runs out of time he will had the baby off to me and I will finish feeding him and change that GLORIOUS morning diaper...if you know what I mean! Then baby will go back down for his  l o n g morning nap. This is when I:

 

 

Wash bottles and nipples

empty dishwasher/ load dishwasher

browse the web for deals for 10 minutes

sweep and mop the floor

put a load of baby clothes in the washer (downstairs in the basement)

clean up the living room

watch a little T.V. 10 minutes

clip coupons or work on 1 of my 50 craft projects

I either defrost something I have made or make something fresh for his lunch

between 11-12n baby wakes up with his baby talk ( I listen for a minute and enjoy it!)

go get him, change him (another wonderful diaper!)

we get set up to eat lunch for about 30 minutes

give him some toys while he's still in the highchair so I can clean up and get his bath stuff ready

give him a bath for about 30 minutes and by the time I know it, it's 1-2 in the afternoon!

after his bath I give him a bottle and the kid is ready for another nap (this time it's short)

during this nap I am putting clothes from the washer to the dryer

cleaning up the mess I made while making his lunch

cleaning his tub

and maybe I can get out of my P.J.'s.....I know, it sounds bad but we don't go anywhere and nobody comes to see us. Why not be comfy!? Right??

I have actually been doing better with that, I feel better when I curl my hair and put on some

make-up

Buabualalalalalawooohwoohmamamamamamama! He's awake!

we play on the floor we are working on his crawl and roll over technique!

then papa comes home (mommy's break time) NOT!!

I love him but.......come on!

 

SO, husband comes home the other day and tells me that they have a great idea at work!! They have a new guy that works in his department now and they are going to alternate coming in extra early and coming home early. Well, hell that's going to mess up our schedule!! NO, NO, NO (my pouty 5 year old voice!) Now I have to get up and change the morning poopy diaper everyday? What is the world coming to? I know, I know women do it all the time, stop your crying! But for the cherry on top he also tells me he is going on one of those health kicks, AGAIN!! So what does that mean you ask, well it means not only are we going to lose him in the morning but we are not going to get to see him early because he will be at the gym! Must be nice!! This post pregnancy body needs the gym too! Who am I kidding...I don't want to go to the gym I carry around a 25lb 7 month old all day! Yes I said 25lbs he's gonna start going to the gym too!

Moral of the story is....I AM BLESSED! I hope you enjoyed my rant, stay tuned to many more I'm sure! 

By the way, the reason I am tired has nothing to do with the fact that I am up at 11:50pm writing this post!

 

 

 







Poor Baby!

Ok OK, so all of a sudden last night I heard this unfamiliar noise in the bassinet next to me!! It was sort of a snort/snore type of noise then IT came! The dreaded congested cough! NO!! EJ is 7 months old and has never had a cough, runny nose, fever (except when he got his shots) basically he hasn't been sick yet. I'm not ready...I know I have no choice, long story short this mama is running on 2 1/2 hours of sleep and one cup of coffee so far. He is sleeping now but I just can not get comfortable enough to go to sleep I am THEE paranoid mom, which mean I check in on him all the time. I'm sure you can relate...right? On a positive note it gave me an excuse to cuddle him in my bed, he is such a snuggler and likes to rub my arm or my face, don't know why I don't do it more often just to do it. Oh wait yes I do, I can't live off of 2 1/2 hours of sleep!!!

You are amazing!

EJ and Mommy!

7 Months Old

EJ and Daddy

7 months already! This is an update on the love of my life who just happened to have a birthday yesterday! So what's the big deal you ask, HE SAYS MAMA, MOM!!!!!!!!! we haven't officially said it and my husband is not going to acknowledge that he knows what he's saying. But when we are home alone and he wants something he screams it MOM!! Typical right, I love hearing it, it melts my heart. On to what other milestones he is accomplishing he is pushing himself up all the way with his arms, he knows how to work his hands pretty good, and he moves his head back and forth like he is saying NO like a maniac.

What's new for Ej's lunch today?

Yum! Mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. Oh yeah! Hopefully he likes it.

OK this is what I did, it's the first time I tried this. Usually I do the normal mashed potato recipe (milk, butter, salt, pepper) but this time I wanted to try something new. I bought some of these new pre-measured Knorr broths but I'm sure any kind of broth will work. So after boiling my potatoes in lightly salted water, I strained them and poured about 1/2 cup of 2% milk, 1 tbsp of butter and a container of the broth and let blend (stir it often because the broth will stick to the pan) then I place the potatoes back in the pan and mashed!!! I often like to slather my mashies with salt and gravy but with these, YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING BUT A SPOON!! Just ask EJ! 

HE LIKED IT!!!

Oh and the Broccoli is ok we guess!

He liked it!!

 

He Likes it!! Since everyone keeps talking about how great avocados are for baby, we tried it when we first started him on solids and he didn't like it at all!! So we thought we would come back to it another day. Well it's been about a month and a half and we tried it again today. Well instead of it just being avocado I added a little salt and garlic for flavor and a side of macaroni and cheese. Well, guess who ate all their lunch? E.J. did!! Oh yeah, uh huh! I am doing the mommy dance right about now! Is there something your baby didn't like at first try then ended up loving it later on?



YUMMY!

Sleeping baby!

I can honestly say that I think my son is the best baby ever! I know every mom is bias but...not me, he really is a great baby and we hear it from other people all the time. "Wow, he is so good, he just sits there and entertains himself while we talk." I wish I was more like him, is that weird? You know how you can just tell that a person is cool, calm and great to be around? That's him, he is my sunshine in the dreary Minnesota winter. Love you buddy!

Great Wipe and Diaper Genie Deal!!

                                         Amazon Deal!!!

Ok I love Pampers wipes and of course I love my Playtex diaper genie!! We know those diapers can smell up a room! If you are looking for a good deal on most things baby you might want to take a look at amazons Subscribe and Save plan. I just ordered a subscription of Pampers wipes for $21.38 which will make it (.02/ count)!!!! I also ordered Diaper Genie Refills for $17.75 which also makes them (.02/count)!! The great thing is that they come to my door every 3 months and they ship for free!! I love it!!

6 month shots and teething!! Help us all!

Baby boy just turned 6 months old on the 23rd...where did the time go? Unfortunately he has to go in for his 6 month shots tomorrow. I have a ton of questions from what medicine to give him now (ibuprofen, Tylenol) to what should he be eating and how much and on and on and on. Oh the fluoride in the water, yes this little man has two teeth that have broke through the gums! Is there any questions i am missing? If so let me know, if not, wish us luck!

Baby Food Puree's Butternut squash and carrot

Who Loves them some baby food??!!

 

 

Well this is the first time I have made Butternut Squash and I pretty much do it like I do carrots~

Here We GO!!

 

First you start with the whole squash, I never realized how much it was like the pumpkin until now! I cut it into smaller pieces (easier to handle) then I peeled it. Be careful it's slippery! Then you fill a pot with about 4 cups of water just to be sure you have plenty of steam!

 

 



Steam for about 15-20 minutes or until you can stick a fork in them and it slips right out no problem.

 

                                                                 Let them cool for a couple minutes then place them into your food processor or bullet, whatever works for you! Make sure to add plenty of water or breast milk to help get it going.

I like the ice tray method, it's easy and inexpensive, each section is about an ounce. I also cover with plastic wrap before I put into the freezer. Of course let it stay in there until its done freezing....

Mark the baggie with what's in the bag and the date you made it and it will last in the freezer for 3-6 months but it is recommended that you use them within a month or two. No problem here!

 

Happy Pureeing! 



Video: First time eating applesauce!!

So I made some fresh applesauce this morning, yes I slaved over a steamer!! :) I am not sure if he likes them or not...one thing is for sure he didn't take to them as well as he did the peas and brown rice????? Weird, I know...he's like his father alright! Gotta love him!

I think we have a reader

You don't want to roll over or crawl or say mama but you want to read and that's ok. You are amazing!

Mommy to a 6 month old

September 19, 2012

Emanuel Joseph Thomas

6 Months Old Soon!

I never thought that I could love like this, words can't express the love and pride that I have for you! You inspire me everyday to be a better person. Your dad and I are overwhelmed with happiness as you achieve all of the little (HUGE) milestones that you are achieving! 

You are getting so big, you have two teeth coming out on the bottom and you are being such a superstar! (that's what daddy calls you) You don't fuss too much just when mommy wants to sleep, but I don't mind! I love the cuddle time I get when you fuss at night it gives me an excuse to snuggle up with you! 

You are sitting up pretty good on your own with just a couple topples here and there, you have a favorite toy I think and it is the tiger pillow that Auntie Lisa got you, you love to bite on it and wrestle with it on the floor! 

You love to laugh and have the cutest one ever, sometimes you and I just laugh back and forth at each other for no reason at all. You are eating solids and starting to drink water out of a sippy cup.

Unfortunately we have to take you to your 6 month shots in a couple days, mommy makes dad hold you down then I get to give you hugs and make it better.

Well you are waking up from your nap and it's time to give you a bottle I love my days with you my baby boy! We are so grateful you are in our lives we couldn't have asked for a better lil man! 

Love you, Mommy!