The Reflux Roller Coaster

Well just as fast as Casen got good after starting Maalox, he got bad after stopping it. On Tuesday I called the doctor to see how long I could keep him on Maalox because I was concerned due to the aluminum in it. He recommended I stop it and restart his Zantac that he was previously on, but reminded me that it takes a few days to take effect. Well I had already restarted his medication two days prior, so I was hoping that I was a few days ahead of the game with that. By Wednesday afternoon, he was back to not eating and was only drinking about 15 ounces of formula a day and not wanting to bounce in his bouncer. I have offered everything known to man to him to eat, and finally, last night he ate some sandwich. Today he ate everything offered to him plus some!!! I am praying that his Zantac has finally kicked in and that my big eater is back for good!

While we have been working to get Casen on track, Camden has been having a ball - literally. He was absolutely thrilled this evening after Shane blew up this awesome castle ball pit that my great friend Lorrie handed down to us. We could hardly get him out of it! Thank you Lorrie!!!!

This is one happy boy!

Funnies

It doesn't happen very often that I hear Camden say things where he uses the wrong word for something. He speaks very well and uses very good grammar and chooses very appropriate words. However, this morning he made me laugh. He told me, " I have on black and red shoes that match my alphabet."  "Outfit?" I questioned. "Yes, my alphabet." Hee Hee.

Then this evening while we were sitting at the dinner table eating, I was commenting to Shane on how I would love to go away on a trip. Now my definition of a trip is somewhere, anywhere away from here. Tropical with beautiful blue water would be fabulous, or Napa or . . .well I am getting way off off track here. Anyway Camden said he was ready to go too! I asked him where he wanted to go away to and his reply, "The park! Come on Mom, let's go!" What happened to when the simple things like going to the park just made my day? I should learn a few things from my three year old!

Week of the Young Child

This week at the boy's school they celebrate one of my favorite weeks, 'Week of the Young Child'. We as parents, are so fortunate to have such wonderful, caring teachers and directors at their school. Each year during this week, they put a lot of time and effort into transforming the center into something awesome. This year the theme was Under the Big Top.  They had a huge carousel in the middle of the back room that had an animal that each child colored hanging from the ceiling by ribbon, they lined the halls with red and white paper to look like a big top and had different type of animals everywhere. Each day they did special crafts, had special visitors and had different things to do with their clothes/hair. Camden was thrilled to see what each day had in store.

Monday was wear red day to get 'Ready' for the week and they had snow cones. They also received clown noses to bring home.

Tuesday was crazy sock day and Roly the DJ came and played music outside and had a bubble machine which the kids just loved. Needless to say, since Camden LOVES to dance, he thought it was great fun. And since his favorite color is blue and I bought him some blue striped socks to be his crazy socks, he was thrilled to have a crazy sock day.

Casen's crazy socks consisted of a green sock and a blue sock

Camden dancing away

Wednesday they decorated sugar cookies and played different games. On Thursday they had puppets and flaming hoops.



Camden, acting like a tiger gowing through the flaming hoop.

Friday was the final day and it was crazy hair day. Roly the Clown showed up and did all sorts of magic tricks, including pulling a real rabbit out of his hat, and then letting the kids pet it. Camden was thrilled with it all.

Casen had a mohawk and Camden's was spiked all over for crazy hair day.



Casen with his mohawk

Roly, the magician.

All the kids (including Casen sitting in the high chair)
watching Roly the magician.

Revenge of the Reflux

As you may recall, Casen was previously on reflux medicine, but after his 9 month appointment, his doctor and I decided we could try taking him off the medicine since it seemed like he was doing well and generally infants grow out of their reflux between 6 and 12 months. Well, all had been well until Friday when he had a touch of the stomach bug and vomited twice that morning. He was chipper by the afternoon, however his appetite was not the best. I did not fret over it since generally it takes a few days to get over the stomach bug. As he went through the week, things did not improve and basically he would not eat solid food, and consumed anywhere between 12 and 15 ounces of formula a day. He was not displeasant or really fussy, he just wasn't his normal happy self. As a matter of fact, he had not jumped in his bouncer (one of his all time favorite things) in over a week because when I put him in it he would just cry. So, Thursday I finally gave up and took him to the doctor to see what he thought. After Dr. Worrall looked him over and really did not find anything wrong, I told him about how since he was sick on Friday he was having a lot of 'wet burps' where he would burp up something and then swallow it down and it was happening far more frequently than previously. He recommended I start him on Maalox 2ml twenty to thirty minutes prior to him eating. Well can I tell you as of this afternoon, he was back to being my happy, big eating baby boy. I am one happy momma!

I am Doomed

Today when I picked up Camden from his class, I was told that he had a bad day. I thought to myself, well I guess he put his hands in the toilet again (which is something we were having problems with in January, but since that time have not). So I asked his teacher what happened. She told me that he had tried to bite two friends. Well, due to him being a biter in his class last year, that really didn't phase me too bad. (I know, that doesn't phase me????? Sad, very sad.) But then she added, "And he stuck his head in the toilet." Head . . . . head???? And I thought the hands were bad?????? Oh my gosh - we couldn't get to the car fast enough. Can I tell you, that poor child got chewed out from the time we left daycare until the time we arrived home. I asked him if he stuck in his head enough for it to be wet? His response, "Yes." Me - "What were you thinking?" Camden - "I was being silly." Ya think? Silly according to who??? Me - "Who was in the bathroom with you?" Camden - "Zachary." Me - "Did Zachary do it too?" Camden - "No." Of course he didn't, because he knows how nasty it is to stick your head in the toilet. I said to Camden, "Do you realize that is like sticking your head in poo poo????? His response was, "I flushed it before I did it." Oh my gosh - I am doomed, doomed I say. If he is doing this for laughs at the age of 3, what the heck will he be doing in several years?

10 Months

Ten months have come and gone, and Casen is just a joy. He has now been sitting half of his life and has shown no interest in crawling what so ever! He will stand for a short time, but that does not seem to excite him either.
What is it with my boys taking their home sweet time to do anything?

Well just in time to celebrate his 10 months, Casen has started doing some new things this week. He now waves hello and goodbye, says 'Uh-oh' when he drops something and when you tell him no to something, he shakes his head 'No'. He is so proud of himself when he does each of these new things, which just makes me laugh. He is now wearing size 3 diapers and mainly 12 month clothes, but some 12 to 18 month shirts. He is eating me out of house and home - which absolutely boggles my mind. He is eating three meals a day with two snacks and then drinks between 7 to 8 ounces of formula four times a day. I have not found a thing he does not like as of yet - which makes me one happy momma! He is still a momma's boy and more times than not when I am in the room and now where near him, he gets upset and starts crying. I know I should absolutely adore that - which I do, however it makes it very difficult to do things around the house since he wants all of my attention all of the time. Needless to say, Camden is a great entertainer and helps me by distracting him and playing with him so that I can do odds and ends around the house.

I love many things about Casen, however one thing that people say all the time about him is what a happy baby he is. I love that!! Everyone wants a happy baby and I love that people see that in him. During the week since we are with him only a few hours before he goes to bed at 7:00 (which is his choice, not ours), sometimes the happy, joyous side of him can be short lived since he is tired. I am glad that he is that happy baby for others at school and at church - it makes him just that much easier to love!