42 weeks old: more supported standing and national toast day

Hmmmm, what can I say about Oliver? His chatter is getting a little more varied in sounds, rhythm, and intonations. He copies sounds that we make sometimes. For example, when I brush Eloise's teeth she says "ahhhhhh" and little Oliver echoes, "ahhhhh." He enjoys banging his hands on the table and banging object on the table or floor. He is nursing less and eating more solid foods. Some days he goes without a morning nap, usually only when we're out and about at his sister's activities or at library story time. He sort of scoots around but not really in an intentional way. If he sees a toy he wants out of reach, he'll just reach and reach and sort of stretch and kick his way over. We're working more on supported standing and hopefully he'll be pulling up to standing on his own by 10 months old, because if he isn't then his pediatrician may want to do some sort of intervention. Yikes! Come on Oliver, let's do this! A lot can change in a few weeks. Heck, a lot can change in a day!

Oliver still really shows a preference to hang onto me, so in order to get him on something else it has to be really interesting. Enter his sister and his reflection.

And a video, password Oliver2016.


And finally, it was National Toast Day this week and Oliver celebrated with a toast finger made from bread his sister and I made earlier in the week.

41 weeks old: supported standing, first Valentine's Day, and illness

Oliver has gotten pretty darn stable at supported standing! Here he is reading a book at the coffee table like it's no big deal.

He prefers to cling to me so there has to be something pretty darn interesting to draw his attention to standing by something else. There's also a dinosaur puzzle that keeps his interest. And if Eloise is also playing at the table then that's helpful, too.

Oliver's first Valentine's Day was last Sunday. We really didn't do much to celebrate with him but his paternal grandparents sent him a card and a new pair of dog pajamas. He looked pretty cute in them after bath time this week.

Illness continues in our house. Today is day #18 for Oliver. He seemed to be getting a lot better and then suddenly yesterday his nose started running more again and he woke up from his afternoon nap flushed and with 102 degree fever. I called the nurse triage line and she advised to take him in to urgent care. They took his vitals shortly after we arrived and his temperature had already dropped a couple degrees and his cheeks weren't nearly as flushed. They told us an hour wait but then more serious cases came in and after 2.5 hours I made the decision to leave. Knowing his fever was down, it was late and they were exhausted, and Eloise was missing her evening dose of amoxicillan (she has a sinus infection - these two, sheesh!) it started to seem like it was doing more harm than good keeping them up and unmedicated in the urgent care waiting room. When we got home last night Oliver's temperature was 100.1 degrees. I gave him some Tylenol and dressed him a layer less than usual (fleece sleep sack and diaper) and he went right to bed. This morning there has been no fever, just a mild runny nose and he was ready for his morning nap a little sooner than usual. We'll see how the next couple days go because his sister had a fever that came and went, when I took her in she had a sinus infection, and her health improved quickly after starting antibiotics. If that's the case with Oliver I don't want to delay antibiotics. These poor sick babies. We've been staying home for a couple weeks now and getting a little cabin fever. I took them on a walk the other day and Eloise was clearly ecstatic. I think Oliver enjoyed it, too, but in this picture he's not showing it.

This week Oliver tried coconut milk for the first time. I made a puree of pumpkin, coconut milk, and banana. He ate it but wasn't particularly eager. Today I used some of the puree as a base for french toast and he tried a little slice. He seemed a little unsure. His face is so expressive and he cracks me up!

40 weeks old: 9 months old and a visit to the doctor

I don't think Oliver is afraid of the swing anymore. We had a break in the rain one day and headed out for a walk and a stop at the park. Both kids had a cold but this was before it got really bad.

On day 8 of Oliver's illness we had his 9 month well child visit, and I was glad for the opportunity to have their pediatrician check them  both out. Eloise came down with similar symptoms about four days after Oliver and the pediatrician pronounced it bronchiolitis. A little research later revealed that Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) often affects kids birth to two years old in a hard way, and sometimes leads to more serious conditions like bronchiolitis or even pneumonia. Adults can get RSV, too, but in that case it's often experienced as very mild cold symptoms. That explains why I am not sick myself. The pediatrician advised to keep both kids home through the end of the week. Eloise got worse and developed a fever but Oliver avoided a fever and has been improving the last couple days. They both still have very runny noses. Oliver does not like to have his nose wiped or the bulb syringe used to suck the snot out of his nose. When he sees a tissue or the bulb syringe coming at him, he shakes his had side to side and puts his hands up trying to avoid contact. Other than the bronchiolitis, Oliver is developing on track according to the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and is following his growth curve. Here are his stats:

Weight: 18 lbs 2 oz (23%)

Height: 28.6" (61%)

Head circumference: 18" (71%)

I cleared our schedule and we laid low for the next few days after we left the pediatrician. While it's hard to see my babies not feeling well, I did enjoy the snuggles and embraced the quiet time with them. Oliver is great at paying attention to reading books and Eloise enjoys reading to us. She remembers the gist of the story and retells it.

With a stuffy nose, Oliver had a hard time eating and especially nursing. He would bite me some of the time and get frustrated and not latch at all. That's not a good feeling to see him crying because he's hungry but having a hard time latching. He did much better with a bottle for some reason, so about half his feedings have been by bottle. My how the tables have turned since the days when he rejected a bottle! In the last day or two he is feeling better and is back to nursing. 

Oliver is now eating three meals and one snack per day. Each meal is a puree that he is spoon fed and a finger food. Eloise often wants to eat his puffs or yogurt bites but I save them for Oliver. Here is a video of Oliver eating yogurt bites and Eloise "helping" pick up (and eat) one he dropped on the floor. The password is Oliver2015.

Oliver Yogurt Bites from Sarah Zuber on Vimeo.

39 weeks old: straw cup and trying to crawl

Sweet Oliver came down with a cold this week; it's the second cold he has ever had. The first cold was right when he came home from the hospital as a newborn. He has a pretty bad cough and runny nose and it's so sad to see and hear. He has been sleeping with a humidifier in his room. On one of the first days he had trouble napping so I tried letting him sleep on me and it worked. I got to have some sweet baby snuggles as a result.

After that day he has slept extra long at nap times and night time. His little body must be working hard to fight off the cold. Today is day five of it.

Despite the cold, Oliver continues to be full of smiles. This kid just seems so happy to be alive. Here he is playing and smiling.

Even at swim lessons he was in good spirits. He seems to be getting more comfortable in the water. Here he is on deck while his sister is in her lesson.

While Oliver isn't crawling yet, he does seem to want to be more mobile. When he's sitting and wants something he has figured out how to *almost* get in a crawling position. One leg gets stuck under him and then he gets frustrated.

Although even if I help him get to all fours he still can't go anywhere. He rocks and then propels himself reaching forward and ends up on his belly. It's almost like he's hoping he'll take off flying. It's adorable. When I think about the months ticking by seemingly so fast, I realize he will be walking in just a few months time. That's so hard to imagine but I know it's true. He'll be chasing after his sister in no time and that will be a whole new ballgame. I better get ready with some new parenting skills for the sibling relationship!

I forgot to mention a couple weeks ago that Oliver can drink from a straw cup now! I was surprised how quickly he acquired the skill. He figured it out on the second try. Here's a video of him the day he first drank from a straw cup. The password is Oliver2015.



Speaking of videos, I think it's the best how simple things like bubbles make the kids go crazy with excitement. Here's Oliver watching bubbles while his sister catches them. Same password.



And finally, it's so cool seeing Oliver remember things from our daily routine and anticipate them. The other day I realized he was getting excited to get his sister up in the morning because we do it every day. As we approach her door he starts to pant and squeal. Same password with this video, too.

Oliver Waking Sister from Sarah Zuber on Vimeo.