Glimpses

The sunbeam through the east facing window warmed my back. My baby was sleeping, snuggled into my chest. I remembered that one year ago he was just a dream. I had been a happy kind of jealous when my niece was born, with parenthood feeling like an unreachable dream. Little did I know that he had already, just barely, been conceived. The song on the radio urged me to sway. It was the one sang at my wedding by my brother and my Aunt. I held my baby and danced, as we glimpsed heaven together. He in his dreams and me in my Mum's kitchen.

Bugs and Boo Boos

On Saturday Isaiah got pinchy. He cried most of the evening. I held him as I rocked him to sleep and he would just nod off before waking with a start and crying. Still, I put him down and he slept for 8 hours. The next morning he seemed to be feeling better. But as the day went on, he got warmer and warmer. I took his temperature. Sure enough, 39 degrees.

I flipped my mom hat and my nurse hat back and forth. Should I give him Tylenol? Should I take him to Emergency? I called Health Links and discussed him with them. Take him in to be checked out, they said.

So we packed up and headed to Children's Hospital. They moved him in quickly. He was so hot and such a little guy. The doctor ordered samples of his urine and his blood. The nurse set up the catheter tray when Isaiah went silent. A split second later old faithful shot a stream and the speedy nurse moved her sterile container to make the catch. What a good boy! The blood test didn't go as smoothly. I held his soother in and stroked his head as they looked for a good spot. The first poke missed and my baby cried in pain. He locked eyes with me and asked me to make it stop while I cried because I couldn't. The second poke was successful and an IV was started. I told the Husband that I would rather go through labor and delivery than do this again. Helplessness is a terrible feeling.

His test came back positive for a Urinary Tract Infection. The counts were high but not tremendously. For an older baby they would just order oral antibiotics, the Doctor said. But because of his age they did not want to take chances. He would be admitted for IV antibiotics.

The first night I slept 1 hour as I laid on my very uncomfortable cot and listened to every sound he made. Other children were crying as well. Nurse checks were done every hour. It was a busy place. In the morning Isaiah went for a kidney ultrasound. Everything appeared normal and he slept through the test.

During the second night, our roommate got very sick. Isaiah did his best to sleep through the commotion. After enduring 2 hours of it, he woke up and decided that it must be daytime. Lights were on, people were talking. Party time! He laughed, smiled, and talked his way through the hours of 2am-5am. We were moved to another room to give the other patient privacy. And I got 2 hours of solid sleep.

Isaiah has a great disposition. He loved talking to the nurses and doctors. Everybody told him that he was handsome and he agreed with them, talking non-stop. He loved the rainbows on the wall, cooing and bubbling at them every chance he got. And he watched his toy zebra for hours, studying his patterns and tasting his feet. He has an eye for TV, which Mum doesn't like too much. He can zone out and watch it for long stretches of time. That must come from Daddy's side of the family.

The doctor wanted to keep him in till this morning. I pushed to take him home last night. He hadn't had a fever since admission and we would stay for his evening IV antibiotics. I was so tired and my milk supply was dwindling. The doctor agreed and we packed up and went to our sweet and cozy home. And we slept all night.

Thank you for the zebra Auntie Lynds and Uncle Trav

Sleep

I put my son down to sleep last night at 1130pm. It's now 8 am. He is still sleeping (and breathing). He didn't wake once last night.

Thumb

Despite my best efforts to convert my son to Sootherism, the Thumb Gods keep calling his name....

Update

I'd like to post more. I really would. But somehow my day seems to fritter away with nothing real accomplished except for the proof that my baby is growing. I'm generally not very good at looking at these four walls day after day after day. Finally Isaiah is starting to enjoy going for walks which means we can at least get out of the house. The monotony of staying at home with a Baby gets to me though. I've officially started to job hunt, having sent out one resume last week to an employer that I would love to work for.

The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity that makes my head spin. Family visits have been frequent. The Husband and his brothers went to work on the back yard. Now there is lush grass and a beautiful deck where there was once only gravel. Having the opportunity to sip a cup of coffee on the deck feels like a small bit of heaven. The house and the yard are beautiful. Even my flowers look good. I love this place.

Today Isaiah and I are enjoying a day at home. Too slow is bad, too fast is bad. It's been too fast lately and we need a couple of days at home to recover before we feel bored again. The morning and afternoon always pass quickly. It's the evenings that feel like forever when it's just the two of us doing what we do. Laundry happens almost every day, the majority of which is no longer the Husband's clothing. I still need to get a load going.

Isaiah is a bright boy. He loves to talk to strangers, one at a time. Too many people at once overwhelm him. He smiles and coos constantly and his fussy times are almost non-existent. Most of the time he sleeps well. Most recently he has started turning from his back to his side. He can spend hours studying a new toy and love to lay on his back and kick. He's such a pleasant kid. I'm one lucky mom.

Blocks

The question is, do I really want my child to play with blocks that contain the following warning?

"Do not throw the toy into the air. Do not use when the quality problem appears. Use under the circumstances that the acircumstances that the adult nurses. Do not allow children to put the toys into their mouth."

Sad Realization

This afternoon my dog Bentley went out for a car ride and walk with the Cuz. I was in the basement when the doorbell rang. The neighbor (and her Husband, Basset Hound, and Ferret) smiled and said "Hi, we're here to take Bentley for a walk!" Sadly, he was still out with the Cuz.

My dog has a busier social life than I do.