Pool Party and a Big Red Ball

Desmond is doing much better!  Now we’re just dealing with normal stuff like teething.  Almost every afternoon we hit a rough spot around 4-5pm… too late for a nap, not quite ready for dinner, bored with all the normal toys, and really fussy.  I try to save an errand or two for late afternoon or we go on a walk to get out of the house.  My allergies aren’t liking the latter option lately, so earlier this week I bought a kiddie pool to help the afternoon fussies.  Desmond had a blast splashing around on the back patio.  Another day we ended up at Target and I got him a big red ball.  He loves it, as you can see, and I’m pretty sure he’s been saying “ball”… his first word!  (…other than “mama” and “dada” which seem to be said at random times so it’s hard to know when to count them as actual words he can say.)

 

Doing the wave.

Desmond would like to say hi to everyone who reads our blog.

My little inch worm

Well, it’s official Desmond can crawl.  Yeay!  Fortunately Melissa was able to get it on camera.  He kinda looks like an inch worm when he crawls.  He bends up in the middle and then thrusts out.  But hey, he moves!  Below are his first two successful tries.

And take two.  Not as easy as the first time.

A Slightly Traumatic Morning

Exactly one month ago Desmond was on antibiotics for an ear infection and sore throat. Well, Tuesday morning at 2am he was awake with a 102.5 fever that stayed consistently throughout the day. Tuesday night it spiked to 104.7. Yikes! The advice nurse said to give him Tylenol and a sponge bath to lower the fever and call again if it didn’t improve. We made it through the night and all day Wednesday, but then he didn’t want to eat or drink much of anything so we scheduled the doctor visit.

This morning I took Desmond in, and the doctor was very concerned that he had such a high fever. There were no other symptoms to go on so she ordered a barrage of tests. First was the throat swab. Gagging isn’t fun. Then the urine sample with a catheter. Really not fun. Then the chest x-ray where they cinched him up in a tight tube with his arms above his head. Really, really not fun. Finally some blood work. Yeah, still no fun to be had, but he was cute in his mini hospital gown! Mostly, these things scared Des because they involved being held down. The poor little guy took a three hour nap when we finally got home. (I hope he doesn’t have any bad dreams!)

Doctor says… the initial blood work looks like it's a virus and his blood cell count is strong so that's good. Strep came back negative, but the x-ray showed a bit of pneumonia in his right lung. Oh, dear! How’d he get that? We have to wait a couple days to get back the urine and blood cultures to see if they can further identify what’s going on. Since a strain of bacteria can cause pneumonia, we have antibiotics again.

Desmond is feeling noticeably better today, but the fever though lower is still persisting. I sure hope he gets completely well quickly and that he will stay well for a long, long time!

First Bike Ride

Our friends the Lees just got a double bike trailer so we had to go take it for a spin with both kiddos.  Desmond wasn’t so sure about the helmet, and I think he’ll enjoy biking even more if next time we go out before it’s his bedtime.  We ended up at Reed College where the guys headed out to find the geocaching marker we were after while the girls played with the kids.  Desmond was putting everything in his mouth including the bouncy ball he’s holding in the first picture (he was very upset when we discovered it and took it out), a couple rocks and the tiny pinecone he’s holding in the last picture.  How else do you experience the world?

   

First Trip to the Beach!

On May 16th we took a family trip to Cannon Beach.  It was a beautiful and surprisingly warm day at the Oregon coast.  Desmond got to experience the sand and the waves just long enough for a few pictures. (The camera was dead but Davin’s iPhone did decently well.)  Now, who’s idea was it to bring the stroller down on the beach?  Of course, no beach trip would be complete without stopping to eat clam chowder at Mo’s.  Yum!

      

Mother’s Day

This year was my first official Mother’s Day. My parents and brother came up and went to church with us, and afterward we went to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch. Then Davin, Desmond and I went to a park to swing and slide for a little bit. Des loves to swing high! It was a lovely day with my amazingly wonderful family.

Consignment Sale Haul!

A few weekends ago was the biannual Just Between Friends sale at the Expo Center. Desmond has outgrown all his clothes so he needs a full new wardrobe for summer. I found all sorts of fabulous deals during my 5 hour shopping spree! My limit for shirts was $1, pajama sets $2, pants $2, and shoes $5. I also found a couple nice jackets for $3 each. I got some great brands: Gap, Old Navy, Carter’s, and Disney to name a few. My best deal was two pair of Stride Rite shoes normally $45 each, but I got them for $5 each! I spent $95 for everything but also made about $50 in sales, so everything you see in the picture really only cost me $45. Whoohoo!!! Mark your calendars for the last weekend in September and you too can get in on the action!

Last Few Weeks

So much has been happening lately!  This is a long post to catch us up to speed.

I enjoy pulling out the camera to capture everyday moments.  I’m afraid I’m going to forget the little things.  Here are some random shots: Desmond playing with the mobile in his crib (he wants to play with it after every nap), sleeping pics, playing on the floor, and generally just being a crack up.  He’s started pulling silly faces every time I get out the camera.  Too funny!

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Des has 6 teeth now.  They all showed up within a week of each other.  Gotta watch out for biting now!

Desmond’s getting closer to crawling.  He rolls around a lot and gets onto his knees sometimes.  The other day he got stuck on his feet with his face on the ground (if you can picture that. I couldn’t get the camera fast enough).  He can turn all the way around in a circle on his tummy, and when we hold his hands he loves to stand up. 

Naps are getting interesting.  He wiggles and moves so much he ends up upside down at the other end of the crib and he also likes to reach through the slats and bang on the wall.  I’m thinking the nap he’s trying to take right now isn’t going to happen, but at least he’s not crying… yet.

Yesterday I finally took Desmond to the doctor.  He hasn’t felt well for the last week.  He’s had a fever off and on with the highest being 102.  He woke up with a hoarse voice on Sunday so now his cries sound so pitiful, and the worst part is that he’s not sleeping well at night.  Sometimes he’s up crying for a few hours at a time.  Well, the doc said he’s got a bad sore throat and an ear infection.  He’s on antibiotics now so hopefully that will kick it soon.  (By the way, our big boy now weighs 25lbs 9.5oz!)

I’ve been missing lots of Baby Boot Camp due to baby issues so last week I decided to run on my own.  I put Des in the stroller and jogged around our large 2.5 mile block.  The second time I did it without stopping which made me feel really good!  However, my shin splints were telling me I did too much too fast. Guess I’ll have to back it off a little.  I’ve been down to my pre-pregnancy weight for awhile, but I haven’t been able to budge the scale for awhile.  I’ve still got 30 unwanted pounds to ditch.

Easter

We spent Easter in Albany with my family since April 12th was also Jeremy’s 19th birthday.  Of course Desmond seems to steal the show wherever we go.  His Nana had lots of fun showing him off to all her friends at church.

   

Desmond in bunny ears and sitting with Great Grandpa and Great Grammy.