February 28, 2010

Hehe.. So funny!



--Trish

First Hair Cut

Another milestone in Robbie's life- his first hair cut.

A lot of people wanted it cut a long time ago and I resisted, saying that as long as it wasn't bothering him, it could grow. But it finally was. It was starting to fall into his eyes, so it was time.

Saturday, we headed to a local salon just for kids. They have car shaped seats, cheerful decor and a TV with a selection of children's movies to distract them. Robbie's Grandpa Robert and Kathy joined us and we crossed our fingers that Robbie would cooperate.

What? My hair is fine. It worked for Albert Einstein!




So far this lady seems alright.



Every boy needs a cape.



Oh.. Sesame Street in the corner!



Getting started...



Fashion your seatbelts.. we're taking off.



This car is pretty neat.



Okay. I'm getting a little tired of being messed with, lady.



Why....won't...you...leave...me...alone?


We briefly interupt the photography while we move the hysterical child to his mother's lap to continue the haircut.
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Oh. Okay. I guess I'm okay. This car is pretty cool, too.



OH NO! THAT LADY IS BACK AGAIN! So, so sad!



Paci will save me.



No more hair on my collar!



But I've still got more than Grandpa!


All in all, it went okay. Not great, but the stylist was patient and while Robbie cried, he at least could be managed. It did definitely change his look, but because I didn't have her go super short, I think he still has a baby look about it, which pleases me. I'm sure it won't be long before people are pushing for still-shorter hair, but I figure he's only a baby once. He's got his whole life to be starched and pressed.




--Trish

February 26, 1010

Peek-A-Boo!



--Trish

February 25, 2010

Let me just check my e-mail...


--Trish

Oh kitty

We have three cats- Contessa, Valentine & Johnny. Robbie loves them all. The cats do not always return his affections.

Johnny mostly just stays out of Robbie's way. If Johnny is sleeping and Robbie pets him, he tolerates that pretty, but for the most part, he gives Robbie a wide berth. Robbie is pretty good about petting Johnny nicely. He went through a phase of fur pulling, but we finally seemed to get through to him how to pet nicely.

Valentine does not like Robbie.

It wasn't always that way. When Robbie first came home from the hospital, Valentine would get upset when Robbie cried. She would often beat us to his bedside and knead the area closest to him and pace nervously as though she was concerned we weren't tending him well enough.

These days, however, she sees him coming and growls. One of the most amusing and surprising moments we had when Robbie was very small was when Valentine hissed him and he burst into tears. He was only a few months old at that time. We didn't expect him to even understand that it was an unhappy noise, but he most certainly did. He was hysterical- his feelings were clearly hurt.

Robbie has learned to keep his distance. Often, she's laying on the couch and he makes happy noises and just stares at her. You can just see the wish in his face. He wants to pet her. But if he dares get to close, she'll smack and run. She doesn't have her front claws, so she doesn't do any damage, but her feelings are quite clear. GO AWAY.

Then there is Contessa. I occasionally, jokingly refer to her as my first born occasionally because she is so affectionate with me, she may as well be a child. She's a pretty precocious cat, pretty set in her ways. We were worried there would be jealousy issues with Robbie, but she's really done okay. You can sometimes tell she's not happy to have to share my lap with that.... boy.. but she handles it pretty well. And she tolerates Robbie the best of the bunch.

As for Robbie? He loves him some fluffy kitty! (Contessa is a long hair.) Often he'll catch sight of her laying about and he grins like a fool and makes a bee line for her. He has this happy noise that is reserved just for the kitties and sometimes he'll even say "oh kitty" or "hi kitty." And then he pounces. It's not so much petting as a full body hug. He'll bury his face into her fur and give her a sloppy, open mouthed kiss. She just squeaks and looks around for help.

Of course, we always encourage "gentle" pets and rescue the kitty. She'll usually wiggle free and move over a few feet. He'll chase her down and we do it all again. After 2 or 3 full body hugs Contessa usually heads for higher ground.

This whole encounter is difficult to get pictures of because it tends to happen so quickly and I'm usually busy trying to rescue the kitty w/o upsetting Robbie, so I can't get the camera. This afternoon, though, I sacrificed Contessa's dignity for a few shots.

Oh Kitty.



I love you



I just want to hug you and squeeze you and love you..



Come back kitty, come back!




--Trish

Robbie 36.......4?

Well, so much for a picture a day. I'll try to make up for it with a few extra tonight!

Hey there good-lookin'!



My future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.



Just hangin' out, watchin' the Simpson's.



Cheese!



I'm too cute for clothes.


--Trish

Wandering around

Next time you're bored, you should try exploring your home a little more. Robbie's new found mobility allows him the ability to do just that.



--Trish

Well

Robbie seems to be completely recovered from his visit from Roseola, which is a relief. It seems healthy days are few and far between this winter, though we certainly count our blessings that things haven't been worse. We still quiver at the thought of something more serious, particularly RSV. RSV is a very common virus that nearly all children get before the age of 2. For most, it's a fairly minor cold, but for those with compromised lung function, it can be much more serious.

One of Robbie's NICU friends is recovering from a very scary fight with RSV. She's now off the vent, but could still use some prayers that her recovery continues and she can go home from the hospital soon. We've been praying for them and counting our blessings that Robbie was approved for Synagis shots for a second year.

It's pretty uncommon to get a child approved for a second season as they're very, very expensive (upwards of $1500 per shot, and at Robbie's size, he requires 2 each month) so the insurance company balks at approving them in most circumstances. We were blessed to have Dr. P on our side. Synagis is an injectable medicine which helps fight RSV. It's not a vaccine- he could still contract RSV- but it bonds with the proteins of the virus to keep it from replicating as quickly, allowing the body time to fight back. It has been show to reduce hospitalizations by 50%. With Robbie's history of wheezing with every sniffle, something like RSV could be deadly. RSV is one of those terms that makes every preemie mom's stomach churn a little.

The shots are given once a month for the duration of RSV season (November-April around here.) Robbie should have gotten his last weekend but because of his Roseola fever, he couldn't. So we'll be getting make-up shots tomorrow. Shh.. Don't tell Robbie.

Giving Daddy a very aggressive hug.


Thanks for the straw, Mom.



Enjoying what Daddy calls a "Cracker Buffet."



--Trish

Robbie 365

Well, it's not drinking, but at least the cup is fun.





--Trish

On the mend

Since the night nurse said Robbie was contagious as long as he had the rash, I stayed home with him today. I was always under the impression that Roseola was only contagious as long as he had a fever, so I called the pediatrician today to clarify.

When she called back, I told her what had happened (3 days of high fever, then a day of completely fine, then a rash) and that I was 99% sure he had Roseola. She interrupted to agree- "Oh, I guarantee it's Roseola. That's a classic presentation." Then I asked about the contagious period and she confirmed I was correct. He was only contagious as long as he had a fever. So he'd been fine as of Sunday night.

That was a bit of a relief on a few levels. First, I could go back to work (I only have so much PTO!) and second, I'd sent Robbie to daycare on Tuesday. As luck would have it, he was actually the only kid at daycare on Tuesday, so he wouldn't have exposed any of them anyway, but I did worry that he'd spread it anyway. I know Roseola is fairly minor, but I'm not one to purposely spread germs.

So Robbie and I spent the day together. He actually slept very late this morning, allowing me to catch up on some sleep and was pretty much back to his usual self today. Instead of laying around on me doing nothing except watching cartoons, he actually played with his toys and we wrestled and had a good time. It was nice to see him up and around.

The rash also seems to have cleared as well. Dr. P did say it usually only lasts a day or two. As usual, she was right. As of bedtime tonight, I didn't see anything left.

So I think we've survived another illness. And this one didn't even require breathing treatments. Go Rob!

A serious case of bedhead



Beep Beep, coming through!



Determined to reach a kitty



Enjoying a chocolate graham cracker (the only food we have found that he really loves)



I'm such a big boy that Mommy let me have my own pillow. G'night!




--Trish

Roseola

Well, we officially have a reason for last weekend's fever.

I got home from work tonight and as I was indulging in an evening snuggle, I realize Robbie had a rash all over his tummy. Upon further inspection, it's up his chest, all over his back, even a very small patch up his neck onto his face. I knew almost immediately what it was.

After some quick googling, I felt pretty confident that it was Roseola. I put in a call to the doctor's exchange just to make sure there was nothing else we needed to do. The nurse called back and agreed it was very likely Roseola and that no, there was no treatment at all. We just have to keep him home until he's no longer contagious, usually 1-3 days until the rash is gone.

Roseola is pretty benign in the grand scheme of illnesses. Usually 3-7 days of a highish fever (usually 103) followed by 1-3 days of rash. It is sometimes accompanied by a sore throat and usually some lethargy. Robbie's pretty much textbook. His fever was 102 all weekend, but that was with Motrin and Tylenol. He's definitely been tired. The poor boy took a nearly 4 hour nap at daycare today. I'm pretty sure that's a record.

Since it doesn't usually trouble adults, we're probably all fine. And really, Robbie seems fine, too. He was happy and playing tonight, even annoyed with me for trying to interrupt his precious playtime to try to get a few pictures. But I managed anyway!

No time to look at the camera, Mom. I have a very important toy to chew.



Yucky rash



His whole trunk looks like this



But he's still happy to play!



--Trish

Improvement

He seems to have finally licked the fever. We had a very (VERY) long night, but I think he was actually aiming (repeatedly) more for sleeping in the big bed than actually not feeling well. Hopefully that habit stops pretty quickly.

Fortunately, he woke up without a fever for the first time in 4 days. David was off for President's Day, so he stayed home with Robbie and they had a guy's day. I think they had a good time.

Unfortunately between the lack of sleep and a long day, I forgot to get a photo today, so I hope you'll all settle for a little vintage Robbie.

Robbie and David a year ago:



--Trish

Sick Day 3

Another day of fever fighting. He slept a ton today, which I'm hoping will lead to better virus fighting. He definitely did a lot of cuddling. If he wasn't being held, he wanted to be laying next to one of us. He's definitely spent a lot of time in Mommy & Daddy's bed this weekend.



He did seem a little improved today. He actually ate a couple ounces of cereal this afternoon. Since it's his throat that is the problem, I'm assuming that means it's feeling a little better and hopefully the fever will be gone soon. It was 102 again this morning, but he has been a bit cooler this evening. We'll see what the night brings.

Fortunately David is off for President's Day tomorrow, so he'll be able to stay at home with Robbie. We're praying tomorrow is the end of this round of illness. It certainly is a stubborn one.

--Trish

Still sick

Still sick today. The night was not great and he woke up boiling again, so off to the doctor we went. The verdict is a viral throat infection. Nothing we can do except treat his symptoms. So we spent another day rotating Tylenol & Motrin and keeping him hydrated and basically holding him. This evening he seemed to cool down and perk up a bit. Hoping tomorrow brings better things.

Pre-virus, channeling Mr. Burns.



I don't feel so good, but I'm still cute!



Batman to the rescue!



Baby Bootie!



Even sick babies smile.



--Trish

Robbie 365

There is a trend in blog-land to start a pic-per-day blog for a child. I don't particularly want to start another blog, but I thought it might be fun to do here.

I won't swear it will be every single day, but I'm going to do my best!

Today has been a sick day since he woke up with a fever and clearly not feeling well this morning. He threw up at daycare yesterday. We debated if it was his usual puking or real puking since it seemed worse than usual. But then last night he was fine, so we didn't know. But I think at this point, we're going to say it was real.

I took a vacation day from work and we've just been snuggling this morning. A little while ago he fell asleep in my lap. After taking advantage of the rare opportunity to get all the snuggles I want, I let him just lay in our bed.

Sick Day




--Trish

January Photos

At the beginning of January, Robbie was just getting sturdier on his feet. This meant he needed real shoes! He wasn't sure how excited he was about it.

I mean, they're just... so... heavy..

A gift from a friend. Finally someone who'll let me pick his nose.

Helping Daddy sort cables.

Robbie has finally discovered a love of chocolate. Particularly chocolate graham goldfish. He can't really chew them yet, but if you lick them enough, they WILL melt.

 

A big boy on his firetruck.

 

Robbie got a new toybox.

 

Showing off his mad standing skills with a Christmas gift.

 

Having a snuggle with Mommy.

Contessa decided to get in on the action.

Having a walk with Daddy.

Still lovin' the firetruck.

What? I needed a tissue!

 

Look at the snow we got at Grandma's House!

 

Good thing Grandma's around to help keep me warm.

 

--Trish