4 year checkup

Today Logan had his 4 year checkup. He was his usual chatty self, having no issue at all telling everyone at the Dr's office what he got for his birthday, what kind of cake he had and how many toys he got. Dr. Safir was delighted with how easy it was to engage in a conversation - he said Logan's social skills are super, and while his chattiness may drive us nutty at times, it's something we should enjoy and be thankful for (which we actually are!).

Side note: after we parked, got out of the car, and started walking toward the Dr's office, Logan crossed his arms firmly across his chest and said in a very defiant tone, Mama, I do NOT want any shots today!

Thankfully, we didn't have any shots this visit. ;-)

He's hovering about "average" on his physical abilities (specifically, balancing/hopping on one foot across the room) so if we wanted to encourage any area of development over the next year, we could work with him on that. But, it's not of any real concern of course. Cognitively, socially, mentally and physically (health wise) he's a perfect example of a 4 year old kid! (Dr. Safir commented he can't remember when he saw Logan last, and that's a good sign, since he's so much healthier than his little brother seems to be - and I would totally agree!) I mentioned we are most frustrated with his bad behavior and TERRIBLE habit of not listening - Dr. Safir just sighed and said that comes with the territory of a 4 year old, and particularly of boys.  :/

He weighs 39 lbs and is 40" tall. However, now that I'm looking at last year's stats, he apparently hasn't grown a fraction of an inch, and I'm certain that isn't right. So, either I copied the numbers down wrong, or we didn't get a good measurement today (the latter being highly likely, since Logan was being his usual misbehaving self and wouldn't stand up straight nor still for the nurse!). Maybe I'll try measuring him tomorrow morning just to see (I'm now very curious).

Anyway, all in all a very good visit.

THEN, fast forward to this evening, where Logan had, what I think may be, his first panic attack (so much for a healthy well balanced kid, eh?!). I'm not exactly sure now what set him off - but it was likely the fact that I told him he couldn't watch a movie and needed to come sit at the dinner table, even if he wasn't hungry (BUT I'M NOT HUNGRY!). He started a complete crying, heaving meltdown at the table, which I put up with for about 2 minutes, before I said that was enough and shuffled him to bed. I told him to lay down and relax, and when he stopped crying and was quiet, he could come back out to be with the family.

Callum and I ate dinner while we listened to Logan escalate into a worse and worse state. He was increasing into a choking, hyper-ventilating, uncontrollable sobbing mess . It was pretty bad and he never calmed down (usually he does after a couple minutes of crying and feeling sorry for himself).  I went back to check on him and he had this very upset fearful look in his eyes. He told me he was trying to stop crying but couldn't (his throat wouldn't let him - which I think meant he had some sort of gagging or choking reflex - but I really don't know).

While I kept trying to relax and calm him down, he wasn't able to, which I think made matters worse since it started to scare him quite a bit. I tried getting him to take long deep breaths to calm down, but that didn't work. I tried rubbing his back, talking to him softly, holding him close, but nothing worked. I was finally able to get him to slow down his breathing by counting very slowly. He couldn't focus enough to count with me (which is what I was trying to get him to do) but he was calming down by listening and watching me (I was holding up my fingers as I counted).

He was still pretty touch and go for quite awhile but slowly, he started talking to me, between interrupted sobs or catches in his breath. When his throat started to act up again (choking/gagging?), tears would well up in his eyes and he'd be back at the uncontrollable crying and hyperventilating state. This went on for a good 10-15 minutes I think. But, he finally calmed down long enough to tell me about his throat - so I asked him if he'd like some water. He seemed to think that'd be a great idea and after we discussed for several seconds whether he should come with me, or if I could leave him alone for a few minutes to go get him a cup of water, he finally agreed to let me go. He started feeling MUCH better after several sips of water, and finally felt calm enough to smile and actually tell me, Thank you Mommy! Which of course, about broke my heart.

A few minutes later we were back in the dining room, eating dinner (because he was now very hungry) and if you walked in at that moment in time, you would have NEVER guessed that my son was just falling to pieces a short time before.

Quite amazing really.

I may give the Dr a call in the morning just to relay the story and see if there's anything we should do, but my guess is that either this was a one time freak deal, or something we'll just need to keep an eye on (what are his stress and triggers, etc.) as he gets older.  Always fun! ;-)

15 month check up

Time for another check up!  Callum's doing quite well, other than some nasty constipation issues that have cropped up recently. :( Regarding his growth, he's right on track as he's been, weighing 23 lbs (50%), measuring 32.75 in tall (90%), and a 47.5 cm round head. He got one shot which he was NOT happy about and some medicine for his poor bottom. Otherwise, a healthy well adjusted (and somewhat serious) kid!

12 month checkup

Here's Callum kissing the baby in the mirror while waiting for Dr. Safir to come in. :)

I almost forgot to mention Callum's checkup, which we actually did on his birthday! Poor guy got THREE shots and a finger prick, which all made for a grumpy birthday boy. :(

He's doing great - ears look fantastic. Doc is pleased with his walking and balance and overall very strong and stout physique. He's still trending pretty tall, at 31" (90%). He weighs 22lbs, 8oz (50-60%) and his head is 47.25cm round (65%). His iron levels also checked out just fine. All in all, a beautiful, healthy, happy baby (who hates shots). No surprise there! ;-)

I'm strong!

Lately Logan likes telling (and showing) me how strong he is. ;-)

Today was his 3 year checkup. No shots but just an overall health check. As if we didn't know, he's growing growing growing, weighing 34 lbs (75%) and measuring 40" tall (93%)! He's apparently the height of many 4 year olds! He's an all around great kid - his conversational abilities are sharp and really showcase how smart he is.

He's also got quite the sense of humor, as evidenced by the end of our visit when Dr. Safir asked him to pee in a cup which he thought was really funny. ;-)

6 month check up

Today was Callum's 6 month check up. He was scheduled to get several shots, as well as take care of his flu shot, however just last night he started coming down with a minor cold. When Dr. Safir checked him out, we were both surprised to find out Callum was dealing with a nasty ear infection. :( so, I got a prescription of anti-biotics and rescheduled our shots for next week instead.

The good news is, Callum's doing great and growing big and strong. He's still in the 90th percentile for height (27.5"), and 60th percentile for weight (17lbs, 4oz). Dr. Safir commented on how sturdy his thighs and calves are - they're like tree trunks! :) He's (finally!) teething and has a bit of a lazy eye, something I've actually noticed for some time but had forgotten to ask about in earlier visits. I'm glad I remembered this time, since Dr. Safir feels it's strong enough to refer Callum to a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Otherwise all is well! Once Callum's ear infection clears, Dr. Safir wants us to try and work him "out" of his habit of waking up in the middle of the night, since he isn't yet sleeping thru the night completely. We'll see how that goes! I think it's just going to take him longer to grow out of it, similar to his brother.

4 month check up

While not a great pic overall, I find this one funny since I'm looking goofy trying to get Callum to smile in the mirror and instead all he's interested in is the phone in my hand.

Anyway, Callum had his 4 month check up today and he is looking great!! His lungs sound fine, which meant he got the "all clear" for his two shots, poor guy. He handled it really well but I'm sad to say he was burning up this evening when I picked him up from school. We took his temp and it was at 101.6! :( I had woken him up from a nap and I know he runs a little hot while sleeping, but still. I gave him a dose of Tylenol before we left and by the time we got home he seemed to be doing better. We'll check him again in the morning but I'm hoping it was just a temporary reaction to the shots and nothing more.

As for his checkup, Dr. Safir is really impressed with how strong Callum is and how much he's grown, which I have to agree! He weighs 15 lbs and his head is 42.25 cm round. What's astounding however, is his height. He's 26.25" tall, falling into the 90th percentile! Looks like he's got some of the Connally height in him. ;-)

2 Month Check Up

Today was Callum's two month check up and he's looking great! He gained a whopping two pounds (11 lbs, 5 oz - 50%) and grew 1.5 inches (23.25 in - 60%) over the last month. His head is also bigger at 39 cm (25%)! Dr. Safir says many of the same things about Callum as he did about Logan: he's stout, muscular, strong, alert and aware of all around him. He's a healthy happy little kid. :)

He had a couple shots today which he handled pretty well, but has seemed to make him unusually cranky and clingy the rest of the day unfortunately. :(

We're still battling his weepy eye but there's not much to do. We stopped the antibiotic drops after about a week but I continue to do hot compresses and massages to the duct to try and clear it out. It's apparently one of those things that will just heal on its own.

At least three times now this past month, Callum has given us a real scare. The first time, with Jon, he was laying on his back getting a diaper change when Jon noticed he was turning bright red and violently kicking his legs and arms. Jon then noticed he wasn't breathing. Luckily, he recovered right away, but just hearing the story upset me (especially how Jon chose to tell me: oh yeah, and Callum stopped breathing today...)

The second time was with me. I had just buckled him into his car seat and ran Grover back to our room to put him in his crate. I came back and found Callum kicking violently in his seat, turning bright red and gasping for air. The look in his eyes was horrifying. He was scared. And so was I.

Faster than I knew was even possible, I had him out of the car seat and was patting his back while trying to calm him down. I thought if I could get him to just relax a little (and stop arching his back, fighting for air) then he'd be able to breathe again. Thankfully he was able to get a grasp of air and recover. After I could tell he was alright, I then flipped out, calling Jon to tell him about it. I strained every muscle I had to listen to him breathe in the back seat of the car during my drive.

The third time happened in the middle of the night. We both woke up to Callum choking and squealing and sputtering. He sleeps in the co-sleeper next to me and again, with lightening speed I had him up and out of his swaddle and on my chest. He slept the rest of the night that night on my chest.

At that point, Jon had decided he had some sort of sleep apnea, which I was wondering myself. Except it seemed to happen whenever. He's also had trouble drinking from a bottle since day one (gleeking and sputtering all over the place), and tends to choke randomly on his own spit too.

Which all leads up to today's appointment when they asked if I had any questions and I said, as a matter of fact, I do.

Turns out, Callum has what's called laryngomalacia, where the cartilage of the larynx is underdeveloped and can collapse inward, causing an obstruction in the airway. It's actually very common for infants and will usually go away on its own in a few months as the larynx develops properly. Mostly we need to keep an eye on his positioning. Dr. Safir prefers we actually lay him on his side, since laying on his back causes the little flap of tissue to fold over and block his airway more frequently.

He also showed me what to do if Callum has another non-breathing bright red spazzing episode... Basically what I had done before was the right approach, holding him so he's on his belly face down and patting/hitting his back so that the airway can open back up. As scary as it all sounds, I'm just happy we now know what the cause is and what to watch out for from now on!

Wanna see a crazy comparison? Here's the two boys after their respective 2 month check up appointments. Can you guess who is who? ;-)

1 month checkup

Callum had his one month check up today and everything is looking fantastic! He's gained a hefty amount of weight (catching up to his brother's weight at this age), now weighing 9 lbs, 5 oz! His head measures 37.5 cm round and he's 21 3/4 inches long (again, just about the same as Logan!).

We did get some prescription drops for his left eye since it's been getting a little goopy from a clogged duct. But otherwise, Dr. Safir couldn't be happier about his development. :)

Tonight we had an impromptu first bath after a diaper blow out. I know, I know, it's been a month and we haven't given Callum a bath yet?!? Pathetic is the only right answer here. But, in my defense, I wanted Jon to be there with me (I'm still a bit sentimental about "firsts" even with our second) and he's been getting home anywhere between 9-10pm every night this week. Not to worry, I've been cleaning Callum with Mustela's "No-rinse" cleanser in the meantime. :)

Today, Jon actually worked from home since he had a very late night last night (coming home around 2am) and since his parents and grandparents were coming into town this afternoon. It felt like the weekend already, even though our weekend hasn't even begun! :) Given the surprise blow out, I wasn't as prepared as I would have hoped for pics. But, I did snag a couple that I like (look closely and you'll see his dimple!).

Check out how similar the two kiddos look; Logan's first bath.

Due Date

Today is (was?) Callum's due date. He's nearly 3 weeks old, but he was supposed to come today. And let me say I am sooo glad he came as early as he did!

I had a tougher time with the pregnancy this go round, and although I've also had a tough time recovering from Callum's birth, I am SO GLAD to have my body back (well, except for the whole cow moo-moo-moo milk production factory thing going on).

Funny how life works out perfectly sometimes.

Anyhoo - we had Callum's 2 week check up today and he did great! His weight has really bounced back (yay!) - and he's now passed his birth weight, at 7 lbs, 14.5 oz. Because this was an "official" checkup, they also measured his head (35.5 cm) and length (20.5 in). He's growing and eating and pooping and crying and sleeping, just like a baby should. He had his 2nd Hep B booster shot as well, which he wasn't too happy about, but recovered pretty quickly, thank goodness. All in all, everything is grand. :)

Photo courtesy of Jon, who thought Callum's little foot sticking out of the blankets in his car seat this morning was funny. He's got very LONG feet, just like his mama! :)

Fattening up

Today was another weigh in for Callum and I'm happy to report he's done really well these last few days! He's gained a whopping 5 oz in 3 days which is pretty significant, and is now at 7 lbs, 3.5 oz. :) Dr. Safir wants us to keep doing what we're doing since it seems to be working - and we'll go back in for Callum's "2 week checkup" in a week (when he'll be almost 3 weeks, but given the amount of visits we've already had, he's giving us a break).

As for what we're doing - I'm still nursing first, then pumping like crazy afterward. We've been supplementing every (or almost every) meal after I nurse with whatever breastmilk I've pumped, and once that's run out (which doesn't take long!), we move onto formula, giving a couple more ounces until Callum is full.

I can't say the meds have increased my milk supply dramatically, although I do think I'm getting a little more than before. Hard to say if that's just because of the frequency with which I'm nursing and pumping or due to the meds, or both. Some of the literature I've read says that it could take several days or weeks for the domperidone to really kick in though, so I'm hopeful we'll still see a significant increase soon. :)

Weigh In

Yesterday morning was our weigh in for little Callum. The good news is, his weight is up from last Friday. The bad news is, the needle didn't move much, as he weighed in at 6lbs, 14.5oz (we were hoping he'd get up around 7lbs, 2oz or so).

What's more, Monday night his appetite finally seemed to kick in (which is a good thing), and he literally devoured every last drop of breastmilk I had pumped and been storing (which is a frustrating thing). Just when I thought I was getting a bit of an edge on him to build up some sort of supply, he catches up to me!

*sigh*

Dr. Safir wants us to now try supplementing, with either breastmilk or formula, after every feeding instead of just 2-3 per day and see how that'll do. We go back in on Friday for another weight check. We're still giving him all the breastmilk I'm pumping first, but have already had to give him an additional couple of ounces of formula yesterday and this morning since we've got nothing else to give the hungry monster!

The good news is, the pharmacy (finally!) had my meds ready. The prescription is a "compound" prescription, which basically means it's not sold by manufacturers but custom made.... so it took longer to fill than usual. However, I've now started on that and hopefully will see a difference in my supply here in the next few days. We'll see!

After Callum's doctor appointment, we dropped Logan off at school and then went out to see Date Night, a movie that everyone has raved about. Callum was a great kiddo and slept the entire time, so Jon and I had a couple hours of "downtime" to just enjoy being with each other and getting out of the house. The movie was hilarious and we had a lot of fun! We're hoping to catch another flick or two again this week before Jon returns to work (part time) next week. :)

One week old

I can't believe it's already been a week! On the other hand, I also sometimes find myself thinking, wait, it's only been a week?!?!

Time has flown by as we've adjusted to the newest member of our family. But, the labor, delivery, birth and time spent at the hospital all seem a distant blur in my memory now. Funny how labor will do that to you. :) I definitely need to scribble down a few notes about the day of labor, before I completely forget everything!


Because Callum was born in a different hospital from Logan, our regular pediatrician didn't get to see him the first day he was born. So, his first check up with Dr. Safir was actually earlier than usual, last Friday morning.

While waiting to see Dr. Dave, I decided to cut Callum's fingernails, since I hadn't yet done that and they were so super long that he was already cutting his face anytime he grabbed it. :(

Unfortunately, I cut the tip (or two) of his fingers, which threw him into a raging fit. Jon immediately grabbed him from me, scolding me for being so extremely cruel and practically amputating our newborn. I told him to relax. I did it with Logan when he was a newborn too. It's like the required initiation into our family.

Jon failed to see the humor in that comment.

Following tradition, a pic of Callum wrapped up in the blanket that my mom and aunt were brought home from the hospital in, and every other child born on my mom's side of the family, since then.

Thankfully everything looked great during his checkup. Callum is a strong muscular little guy who's very aware of his surroundings. Unfortunately, just like Logan, he has some weight gain issues. We knew this could be a possibility but I was really hoping it wouldn't be. However, he weighed 6lbs, 13oz, which is about a pound under his birth weight (in just 4 days!) and, given my history of battling a low milk supply, Dr. Safir wants us to be more aggressive this time around.

So, we're back to supplementing again. UGH.

We've been given the weekend to see if we can turn his weight around and get it back on the upward trajectory. We'll go in again tomorrow morning to do another weigh in and see. We've been instructed to continue breastfeeding and supplement 2-3 times a day. Dr. Safir knows I'm pumping in addition to nursing, and said to definitely use whatever breastmilk we have expressed first, before moving to formula. But, if we're out of breastmilk, then onto formula we go.

I supplemented with formula for Logan and he has turned into a wonderful kid (if I do say so myself!). And yet, the news still shook me emotionally. I had a rough couple of hours after the doctor's appointment, coming to terms with the news.

So, what am I doing?

I've spent the entire weekend with either a baby or a Madonna-looking S&M device attached to my boobs, to try and stimulate my milk supply as much as possible. So far it seems to be working, since we haven't yet had to break into the can of formula to supplement Callum's meals. But GODDAMN it's exhausting and hard work.

I'm basically nursing Callum every ~2-3 hrs during the day (he seems to be able to go longer at night so we're feeding him every ~4 hrs, or whenever he wakes up, to take advantage of the much needed sleep). After I nurse, for about 20-30 minutes, I then pump for another 20 minutes (we rented a hospital grade pump to help).

I also called my OB, and put in a request for a prescription of domperidone, a hormone supplement meant to help boost my milk supply. We'll see if that helps any as well (I didn't know about this option when I had Logan, since the drug is still pretty new in the States, and wasn't readily available then...)

We've spent Callum's first week getting to know his little squeaks and squirms - when he needs to burp, feed, or poop. He and I just got out yesterday afternoon to enjoy some of the beautiful weather we had this weekend for a short walk - it was quite lovely and he stayed awake the entire time, obviously taking in all the new sounds we heard, along the way.


His little umbilical stump also fell off yesterday, which seems so much earlier than with Logan! But very cool since it's one of those first big milestones that you look for during the first weeks of your newborn's life. :)

Jon and I are still re-learning all the newborn parenting tricks of the trades that we have long forgotten from Logan's days.

We've also had plenty of visitors of course. Callum has already met several of our close friends. My parents have visited quite often (most notably my dad since he sets his own hours), which has been helpful, especially during the week when Jon is out running errands and I need someone to just hold Callum so I can pump, shower, or God forbid, take a piss. ;-)


Jon's brother Aaron happened to be in town for work these past two weeks, so he, Jon's sister Catherine and husband Danny, all visited this weekend as well which was great.


Aunt Catherine also made a beautiful cake to welcome baby Callum into the family! :) (Thanks again Cat!)


Many have asked how Logan has adjusted to the arrival of his new baby brother. And I'm pleased to report, so far, so good! He had a good, but rocky time, with my parents while Jon and I were in the hospital. He definitely missed us, even though he enjoyed the extra attention and spoils that my parents gave him. You could tell since, he was literally SINGING, when he woke up the first morning we were all home together as a family again. Jon and I chuckled as we listened to his random notes bellowing out from his room - he spent a good 15 minutes just lying in his bed performing his greatest hits. It was clear he was happy to be home again, in his own bed, and with his Mommy and Daddy just across the hall.

One thing we've noticed since Callum was born, is how much BIGGER Logan now seems to us. He truly is the BIG kid in the family now! :)

Since then, Logan's been very curious about Callum - I'd say more so than when at the hospital. At first he called Callum "Mommy's baby brother", but now he's identified with Callum as his own baby brother. He joins us in bed in the mornings and asks where his baby brother is every time - and when he sees Callum, he softens his voice to this squeaky little baby voice and says "Hi baby brother" while petting Callum's head really softly. He also likes to lay his face down close to Callum's face or top of his head, smiling when Callum's downy soft hair "tickles him". He has helped Daddy feed Callum a bottle of milk, watched while I nurse (at first he thought Callum was "eating you Mommy!") and tries to give Callum a pacifier anytime it drops out of Callum's mouth.

His interaction with Callum has been the most adorable thing ever and we love it. :)

2 year checkup

Logan had a great doctor's visit this morning. He was a champ! He had the last of his "baby" shots (Hep A; his next shot isn't until age 5) and his finger pricked to check iron levels (they want to see anything over 10 and his was 15).

He weighs 28 lbs, 10 oz (65%) and measures 35.25 in tall (75%). Dr. Safir thinks he'll be about 6 ft tall when he's full grown, so clearly my genes are at work there. ;-) They don't measure his head anymore but I'm sure if they did, THAT number would be enormous, something he inherits from his Daddy.

One flu shot down...

Took care of Logan's regular flu shot this morning. He was a champ as usual, barely batted an eye. Now only 5 more flu shots (for our family) to go! ;-)

18 month checkup

Just finished Logan's 18 month checkup. All looks great as usual. We've got a strong active healthy little boy. But, we all knew that already. ;-) Here he is, playing up a storm after his Hep A shot, which he didn't even flinch from!

He's definitely continuing his growth spurt on the height curve. His stats are 26lbs, 3oz (55%), 34.25" tall (95%), and 49.25cm (77%) round head.

Short post today. We have a funeral service to attend in San Diego this weekend (for Jon's great grandmother - she lived a long and full life but we are, of course, sad to see her go).

So, I've got a number of errands to run before we hop on the plane later this afternoon. Toodles!

Another growth spurt?

For the last week or so, Logan's had a tough time sleeping through the night again. This has been really hard on us, as we have been working late hours ourselves and not getting to bed early enough, nor getting enough sleep through the night.

At first I thought he might be teething - which I think could still be the case, since I'm seeing some swollen whites underneath his canine areas. But, after the last few days of 4am bottle feedings and then another 1-2 FULL bottles a couple hours later when he wakes up for the day, I have to think our little guy is just hungry! And, as much as we try to get a full meal in him at dinner time, it seems like he's still hungry as he downs those bottles like nothin'.

So, now I'm thinking our kid's just growing like a weed. With all the eating he's doing, and the restless sleep, AND the short-short pants I noticed this morning that totally fit him fine like 2 days ago, I'm going to put my bet on another growth spurt. We have his 18 month checkup next Friday (seriously, it's already been a year and a half?!?), so I guess we'll see then how much he has really grown by then! :)

15 months old

The big one-five. This last month has gone by in such a blur I really don't know what to post about!

Logan had his 15 month check-up today - and he did GREAT as usual. He's had an enormous growth spurt these last few months, and is now 33" tall (95%!). He's gained just under two pounds weighing in at 23 lbs, 10 oz (50%) and his head circumference is 48 cm (75%) round.

Other than the minor cold he's still getting over, he checked out just fine. Dr. Safir was impressed with Logan's strength and muscle tone, as usual, and said we've got a very inquisitive feisty smart little kid on our hands.

I commented at one point that he's not without his faults - a real pain in the ass many a time - and Dr. Safir just looked at me and said "Bree, I'd have to wonder if he was really your kid, if he weren't just a little bit of a pain in the ass"

Ha! What a smart ass (Dr. Safir was actually my own pediatrician, so it goes without saying he knows me, and my entire family, very very well).

He also teased me when I lamented that as much sign language as Logan is picking up, he still doesn't speak too many words. At that, Dr. Safir stopped cold and said "Oh crap, that's right Bree, I forgot to tell you your son has brain damage".

Yes, this is the sort of doctor we have (and love). You can imagine how many more sarcastic jokes and comments there are when Jon is in the room with me!

In any case, he said to stop worrying so much since Logan clearly understands us just fine, he's just taking his own sweet time with speaking (he told me it's not until 2.5-3 yrs old that you'd want to be concerned).

Logan also got a big cocktail shot - full of DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis), HIB (Meningitis) and IPV (Polio) all in one. But, our little trooper didn't even bat an eye. He literally squinched up his nose and lips when Dr. Safir gave him the shot and then, as Dr. Safir and I looked on, waiting for the outburst, Logan just looked at him like, "WHAT, IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT??" And proceeded to rip off the band-aid that Dr. Safir had quickly stuck to his arm and stuck it back on Dr. Safir's face instead.

Classic.

It was a proud Mama Bree moment.

(Climbing up his chair to reach the toys we've put on top of the speaker box)

Logan is still signing up a storm - the newest words he's mastered since last month are milk, eat/hungry, and help. Help is actually a biggie for him - and thank goodness he's learning to ask for help, because he's such a temperamental little guy with a very short fuse. However, imagine his frustration when he spent the night at Zafu and Zabuton's this last weekend, signing for 'help' over and over again, only they had no idea what the heck he was signing. :)

(Logan signing 'help' since he couldn't quite reach the toys)

And, within the last week or so, he has started saying "Hi" as he waves hello to anyone that comes by, or when he pokes his head out from playing peek-a-boo, or my favorite, when he wakes up in the morning (we hear this teeny voice coming from behind his closed door saying "hi hi hi hi hi hi hi" over and over again).

Today, Miss Kim gave us the big news that even though there are a couple other kids that are older than Logan, she thinks he'll be moving up to the next class before them. He's just extremely mature for his age, has already been on the toddler schedule for some time, listens and obeys the teachers quite a bit (I know, I don't believe her either), and most importantly, seems to finally be getting a tad bit bored of his class. I'm done with this joint Mom. Time to move on.

It's both exciting and depressing news. I've been Miss Kim's biggest cheerleader and really hate the idea of losing her. On the other hand, I can't be selfish and hold my son back just because of a teacher. There are plenty of other good ones, and more importantly, Logan's development isn't going to slow down and we want to make sure he's always stimulated and excited at school each day. The good news is, once he moves into the next class (later next month), they'll begin potty training!

And man oh man. If that isn't a carrot to move parents along, I don't know what is.

12 month checkup

Yesterday we had Logan's 12 month check up - and everything is progressing quite nicely, and as expected. Logan has grown significantly since our last check up - he's 3 inches taller!! (30.5" tall, now in the 75%). His head circumference is now 47cm round (75%, 2cm larger than last time) and he weighs a little more than 2 lbs, at 22 lbs, 2 oz (60%)! What a big boy!!

In addition to the regular exam and watching Logan take a few steps toward Mommy, Dr. Safir also gave Logan 3 shots which he was NOT happy about. :( And then on top of that, he had his finger pricked for a blood test (to check his iron levels - all normal and checked out fine). After the finger prick, the nurse put a cotton ball on his teeny finger tip and then wrapped a band aid tight around it.

Boy - did that set Logan off. More than the shots or prick I think!! Because, he's gotten into this "phase" where he just DOES NOT LIKE stuff sticking to his fingers (i.e. when he's eating anything messy or sticky). He will sit for DAYS shaking his hand trying to get the stuff off his fingers. So, imagine his distress when he kept shaking his hand but this damn cotton poof would NOT come off! It was actually quite hilarious. :)

I did a really long post yesterday to commemorate Logan turning one - so I'll do my best to keep this post more brief. ;-) Much of my attention lately has been around his progress on walking - noting the few steps he continually tests out on his own. His teacher (Miss Kim) works with him everyday, trying to get him to practice walking, but she says he'll only take a couple of steps before he gets scared and leans forward to catch himself on the floor. He seems to be taking more and more steps on his own every day though.

In addition to the walking, he's really keen on pointing at things and talking a lot more. I can tell he's trying to associate sounds with objects - at least that's what it seems to me. And, it's a constant puzzle for me to try and figure out what he may be saying. So, our early morning conversations usually go something like this....

"doi doi doi doi doi ma da doi ma pffffffttttttttt"

"Doggy? Are you looking at the Doggy? Mommy? Yes, I'm mommy. Daddy? No, Daddy's not here right now. I'm mommy!" etc. ;-)


In addition to talking more, he's just recently taken to mimicking people. Just last night he would copy the same goofy faces that my brother Zane was making at him - it was quite entertaining, watching his little face contort into the expressions he thought my brother was making. And then this morning, as I was dressing him and getting him ready for school, he did something where I commented "WOW!" and a couple seconds went by before he slowly pursed his lips and exclaimed "WOW" back! It was so touching and wonderful to hear. We did it several more times, back and forth, me saying WOW and Logan copying me. :) I don't think he quite knew what he was saying, so not sure if it counts as one of his first words, but he was definitely imitating me as best he could, which was just as satisfying.

Logan has developed a really nasty habit of biting. It's not just the friendly little nip - but a full on hard leaves-a-bruise-and-teeth-marks type of bite. It sucks. Especially when he catches you off guard. We know he's aware of what "NO" means, since he'll stop when we say NO and/or just test our boundaries when he hears the word. However when I tell him NO after biting me, he just laughs hysterically and grins really big. In addition to NO, we will sometimes also give him a little thump on his hand or cheek immediately afterward, which he doesn't like but also doesn't quite think of as a punishment I guess.

Usually he bites when he's overly excited or wants my attention (Mommy, I'm tired, it's time for bed. BITE. or, Mommy, I'm hungry, I want my bottle now. BITE.) So, while I can appreciate his trying to communicate with me, I don't appreciate the mini bruises popping up everywhere. And, what's worse, our teacher reported that he bit not one, but TWO kids, at school the other day! :( Everyone was fine - but they wanted to let us know.

*sigh*

So, it's our latest struggle that we are working hard to correct.

We've also noticed other forms of communication developing - most specifically - THE TANTRUM. We've only seen THE TANTRUM come out a couple times so far, but it's a full on arch of the back, throwing his head smack against the floor, kicking and screaming, because he didn't get his way. It's only lasted a few seconds each time, but still, it's no fun. And, because he's not really in control and doesn't quite realize that he's throwing THE TANTRUM, he gets even MORE upset after smacking his head super hard on the floor.

Thank goodness for his hard noggin'.

And finally, a more precious moment to report on with our spunky little kid - I've noticed it a couple times now, just within the last week, where he's gotten SO tired that he gets really quiet, stops playing and literally LAYS HIS HEAD DOWN ON THE FLOOR with a blank look on his face.

You know your kid is exhausted when suddenly the hardwood floors seem like they might make a nice little bed.

TGIF

We got Logan's 2nd flu shot taken care of today (when they are young, the first dose is actually 2 shots spaced out 1 month apart) and it's just amazing to me how he doesn't even bat an eye when Dr. Safir gives him the shot! I really hope our tough guy stays tough!! :)

Jon came home today - so we had a wonderful greeting at the door when we got home after the dr's appointment this afternoon.

THANK GOD.

I'm so exhausted, I'm about to fall asleep at the keyboard before finishing this post! The funny thing is, Logan did great sleeping and didn't actually keep me up too late each night this whole week, and yet somehow, not sure if it's the weather or what, I could hardly keep my eyes open when I stumbled into work every day. Ugh.

Flu shot, check.

Slowly taking care of everything before out trip. Logan is doing much
better so he got his flu shot this afternoon. What a trooper!

Or, as the older lady out in the parking lot said, "He's just
adorable!!" Yes, we think so. ;)