T4

We have rounded out the foursome for two teeth at the top and two at the bottom. One step closer to eating 'real food'!

After the ear tubes went in about two weeks ago we have noticed a distinct increase in M's use of sound. He is much chattier and is experimenting with Da! Ma! and Ba!

Happy birthday, Mom!

You're the greatest!

T3

We're capping off a rough week!

It's been 7 days since the ear tubes went in. The tubes themselves don't really bother anyone. But we were prescribed to give him ear drops three times a day for a week afterwards.

I don't have any memories of being one year old. But I'm sure getting drops in my ears and having to hold my head still on it's side for a couple of minutes afterwards wasn't very exciting.

There is also the pesky ear plugs to wear when going in the bath tub. With cotton balls in his ears held in place by a red bandanna he looks like Karate Kid with his sidekick rubber duck.

To top it all off, M is now endowed with a third tooth! It's been working its way through the gums for a while but it is finally out. Judging from the bump in his mouth, number 4 isn't far behind. Getting the top row teeth seem to be much more miserable than the bottom dittos.

Really Fast

For some real fun try the Mommy powered rocket.
If you pay attention you'll notice it has the same diesel engine as the truck. It's a pre-jet engine rocket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDIx3WMSsfw

Upwardly mobile

It was inevitable. But nonetheless we were a bit surprised as it happened pretty quickly. Mathias used to be moving around on the floor at an ever faster pace. But... he was on the floor. Then he started sitting on his knees. And, with support, he'd attempt at getting his foot flat on the floor. Before we knew it he's standing up.

There are plenty of opportunities to practice standing.

For example, there was a time when bedtime looked like this:

Bedtime now usually looks like this:

To make certain parts of the house, stairs/litter box/laundry room, inaccessible to a mobile toddler we now live in a gated community. It perplexes the cats but it keeps M out of some places he shouldn't be.

Tubes

A follow-up ENT appointment revealed that the fluid in Mathias' ears isn't going away. To pre-empt a potential infection, we decided to have tubes put in his ears. The surgery at Children's took literally 6 minutes to complete. Of course, all the pre-operation checkups took about two hours.... Slated for operation at 8 in the morning we were to show up at six. The surgery was very uneventful, at least for Mathias. It took quite a toll on his parents to watch him get sedated and carted away...

In a case of brilliant timing, M was awake between midnight and 5 in the morning prior to his surgery complaining about the front teeth that are making their way through his gums.

It has been a very long day today. Good night!

2nd Sunday in May

2007 was a repeat of 2006. We went for brunch at Sunsets overlooking Lake Minnetonka. Only this year, instead of heading down to Children's to visit Mathias afterwards we had him with us.

He was on his best behavior and enjoyed the commotion of a packed restaurant. He is making great progress on eating and drinking on his own thanks to the patient guidance of his mother. I honestly don't know what we'd do without her. Thanks for everything you do!

Happy Mother's Day, Ericka!

Cooking with Dad

Sunday morning. Omelet time!

Did you know that the first lesson of the first day in Le Grand Diplome Le Cordon Bleu is proper whisk technique?! What M may be lacking in fine motor skills he's making up for with enthusiasm. I'm sure we'll be making Pâte à choux in no-time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNiyQvKlllY