Getting Back in the Swing

Connor had it rough the past couple of days, but he's finally starting to turn things around. His cold manifested into the first ear infection of the season and he's still struggling with his final eye tooth. Basically, you're looking at one unhappy toddler.

He hardly ate (which killed me) and he cough and cried throughout most nights and naps. It was really sad. Luckily though, we're over the hump and seeing improvement. He even went to school today.

He finally started eating again yesterday and I can't tell you how happy that made me. I know logically the boy can stand a few days without eating a lot (yes, I know, he's big), but as a mother, it really hit home how emotional I was by watching my son not eat. It was so hard on me for some reason, because it's such an overt expression that your child isn't feeling well. Needless to say when he started eating again yesterday Mommy started feeling a lot less stressed out.

Oh one other thing, even after Connor's hunger strike leading up to his doctor's appointment on Monday, he weighed in at 28 pounds 3 ounces. I was pretty surprised, because I was thinking he was 27 pounds. We go for his big 15 month check-up in 2 weeks, so we'll get all his stats and evaluation then, but I wanted to give you that update for now. I put 28 pounds in a growth chart calculator and it said that put him in at the 96th percentile for weight. Oh goodness. Ha! I guess he could stand to have a few more hunger strikes. Ok, no that would kill me.

Anyway, I just wanted to do a quick post, since I didn't update you that he did in fact have an ear infection, plus we are going to Amarillo this weekend, so I wanted to post a few pictures from this week, before the bunch I'm sure we'll have after this weekend. Enjoy these few pics from the week.

I had to do some volunteering in town, so I brought Connor to Jeff's office, so his coworkers could see him and so Jeff could drive him home. Connor liked poking around. There are some open spaces, so Connor had fun.

This is my kind of place. A perfect toddler highway.

Hanging out in Daddy's office.

Connor was too sick to go to school on Tuesday, but he went today, and it just so happened to be yellow day at school. As you can see, Connor had the Alfalfa thing going this morning, but it laid down before we got to school.

I never quite understood the whole "dress in a color" thing that schools do, but it actually looked cute seeing all the kids in yellow and I guess they really focused on that color today.

Oh and I know that Connor is really well liked at school and he seems to like it, which makes me really happy. When we came for drop off today, both of his teachers in unison said, "Yay!! Connor's back!" It is always a quick drop off, but they said, it just wasn't the same without him. Then when we were leaving for the day, we walked by the main office and the Director said, "Bye Connor. There goes the happiest kid in Toddler I's." I said, "Really? That's so great to hear." She said that he just seems to really be enjoying it and doing great. Again, I was beaming. So I was one happy Momma today.

After school, Connor whipped me up a gourmet meal.

Colds and Burns, But Some Football and Pool Time Too

So this has been a pretty up and down week for little Connor. He went to school like normal, but the teacher's said he didn't nap that well on Tuesday, which probably should have been my first sign that something wasn't quite right.

Since he is still working on his last eye tooth, I kind of assumed it was due to that. It might have been, but it was also a sign that he was getting his very first cold of the cold and flu season and what I assume is his very first school-induced cold.

I knew sending him to "school" meant that he would be around more kids, which means more germs, but I also know that germs are inevitable and you can't keep your kid in a bubble. They will become exposed eventually and you have to sort of look at each cold as a kid's way of building up his little immune system. So guess who got that opportunity this week. Ugh, yes Connor.

But as if we needed to add insult to injury he had already fallen behind on sleep from school and then Thursday night we went over to our friend Amanda's house to meet her new son Collin. (at this point Connor was not exhibiting any outward cold symptoms or we wouldn't have gone of course) Anyway, Collin's her third child and just a month old and just as sweet as can be. Jeff went to A&M with both Amanda and her husband Carlos and so we've known them for a while, so it's fun to see their family grow.

It was really fun, because a few other couples were there too, including our friend Andrea and her son Mateo who is a year old. It was fun seeing Mateo and Connor walking around and playing together.

Everything was going great until it was time for the adults to eat. Amanda had ordered out fajitas and had the meat and tortillas warming in the oven. Jeff offered to help her take them out of the oven and as soon as he opened the oven, Connor came out of what seemed like nowhere (I know this is what every parent says) and wrapped his hand around the grate of the hot oven.

It was AWFUL!!! Of course he didn't react at first and then as we quickly grabbed his hand away he screamed bloody murder. We got cold water on his hands as quickly as possible, but he was a mess and so were we. It was quite a terrible scene. We had to take him outside so the other kids didn't get nervous, but he eventually calmed down.

Of course this happened mere moments before I was about to leave to take him home, so now it was about 30 minutes past his bedtime and we still had a 20 minute drive home and then I had to get him ready for bed, so I knew he was about to go to bed late even though I also knew he was exhausted. Not a good combination. I felt so bad.

When I got Connor home I looked at his hand again and luckily there was no blistering, it was just red and he didn't even seem very bothered by it in the warm tub so I felt like that would be OK. For good measure though, I gave him a little tylenol and put him to bed. Poor boy. What a traumatic night.

That was just the beginning. Connor was up almost every hour Thursday night crying. He would fall back asleep, but when we went to get him Friday morning when he was up for the day around 6:30AM, he was covered in dried snot (sorry to be gross) and had a low fever. He was also in just such a sad state of affairs. He was exhausted and droopy and limp. Ok, so it was official, Connor had a cold.

Luckily though after a little while and some TLC, he seemed to act like himself. The only exception is that he doesn't seem to have much of an appetite. Still today, he isn't eating well at all. Sometimes he'll only eat mushed up food or yogurt. It's really sad. I guess he's really sick. It's hard to tell at other times though, because he hardly seems to slow down and he's all smiles.

I know from past experience that Connor takes about 10 days for a cold to filter through so I've still got a whole week left of sick little boy, but he really does seem to be improving and he is starting to understand that he needs to breathe through his mouth, so that makes him a lot less frustrated and it allows him to sleep a lot better. He still isn't sleeping perfect, but he isn't waking up crying all the time, so that's good in our book.

Oh and his burn seems to be just fine. The webbing in his left hand still seems a bit red, but I still don't see blistering and he seems to be gripping things OK, so I guess we're alright on that front.

In other news, this weekend we still managed to have a fun weekend at home. Saturday was a very lively day of College Football, especially since Michigan had a close game against rival Notre Dame. We came out with a win, and Connor let Mommy act a little crazy and watch the game, so that's good. He was so cute. He pretty much just played with his toys and walked around while we chewed off our finger nails in the tense fourth quarter. What a good boy. Thank you son!

A&M also played after Connor was in bed, but that game wasn't on TV, but it was cool, because Jeff found some video feed and hooked it up to a big screen and we watched it almost like TV. It was nice. We had hot wings and beer. It was like our very own sports bar. Of course it helped that A&M won too.

Today Connor and I took a jog despite the crazy humidity making it feel like 108 degrees. Ugh! Then we all got ready and went to church. Connor was doing pretty good so we dropped him at the nursery and we went to the service.

After church we came home for lunch, put Connor down for a nap, and watched the Houston Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts. That was quite a welcomed surprise. When Connor got up we tried the splash pad again, but it wasn't working so we went to the neighborhood pool. On a day when the heat index maxed out at 113, you needed to be in a pool. Supposedly a cooler front is coming, but this is ridiculous. Anyway, we all had fun at the pool and it was cute, because Jeff and Connor actually walked home together.

Well, I hope Connor gets to feeling better and this cold just stays a cold and doesn't manifest into an infection of some kind. I'll certainly keep you posted. Until then, let's just hope our little guy gets past this latest hurdle unscathed.

Earlier in the week it rained really hard and Connor got to try out his new rain coat.

He's a little dinosaur. It's pretty cute.

On Tuesday afternoon, Connor and I played outside for a bit. He had fun splashing in his water table, so I had to take his shirt off.

"I love splashing around."

Connor hanging out, looking very buff with his shirt off. Yeah, those are muscles.

I like the rolls on his back. So cute.

He loves climbing up on his little picnic table.

I feel like this looks like a foreshadow of his pee-wee football pose. Very tough.

Now he's back to being a smiley guy out in his Adirondack chair.

He found a baseball outside and loved picking it up, tossing it, and walking around with it.

I love my baseball.

We visited 1 month old Collin Sandoval Thursday evening. The same night Connor burned his hand.

Jeff held Collin like a natural. It all came back to him.

Buddies Connor and Mateo having dinner.

This was Friday morning. I know I am a bad Mom for taking a picture of my sick kid, but I just couldn't resist. It was so sad. I knew I'd never be able to describe it. You just had to see it. Doesn't he just look so pathetic. Poor boy. It breaks my heart.

Watching some football with Daddy on Saturday.

I'm enjoying college football game day. It's even better when your team wins.

A cute one of Daddy and Connor snuggling on the couch.

Sunday afternoon we went to our Greatwood neighborhood pool.

Connor liked being in the water, but he liked walking around too.

Wow, that's a big pool Daddy.

I drove our stuff home, but Daddy and Connor walked. "Hi Mom!"

Labor Day in Aggie Land

We just got back from a fun filled weekend in Bryan (College Station), TX at my parent's house. It was extra special, because not only was my sister Erin and her family there, but also my sister Julie who came in from Colorado. It is always so nice to see her and sadly, I probably won't see her again until Christmas.

We arrived Friday night and the boys were nice enough to let the ladies have a dinner out at Miramont. We gabbed and had delicious food.

Saturday was the kickoff of the College football season, so we were all very excited. We started off the day with a nice walk and then we watched Game Day and then spent the rest of the day in and out of the pool. It was great, because my parents have a TV that drops down outside, so you can watch football, while lounging outside. It's definitely the way to watch football on those hot Texas days.

Saturday night, Jeff and my Dad went to the A&M game and luckily saw another victory. Both Michigan and Texas had already won earlier in the day. It's so fun to watch college football again.

Sunday, we had another full day of fun in the sun. Luckily all the kids love the pool and so do the adults.

During naps, me, Jeff, Julie, and Arthur also went down to the Miramont tennis courts and played a bit. We don't take it very seriously. It's more for fun. We just try to get it over the net and if that means letting the ball bounce twice or letting it go out of the lines, that's OK. Let's just say, we laughed a lot.

Also, later in the day, Jeff and my Dad took Martin, Winnie, and Connor over to the Miramont driving range to hit a few balls. Connor was happy just walking around and Martin and Winnie actually had a good time practicing their swing.

Sunday night we had a really nice dinner as a family, complete with creme brule for dessert. After dinner we wanted to burn off some calories and wake up after our food comas so we ran around on the green. The grass was cold and wet, but it felt great and was really fun.

We got up Monday and headed back to Sugar Land. We came off a very full week as Connor had his first full week of school and was a bit overtired, but I hoped he would make up some sleep over the weekend. He did and he didn't. He took a great nap on Saturday, but not as great on Sunday and because there was so much action all day, he always seemed to go to bed just a little later and run around and stay outside in the sun all day.

Oh well. He finally got some rest on Monday and slept for nearly 4 hours. Good boy. I was a little nervous going back to school yesterday where I knew he'd only get a two hour nap at the most, and unfortunately I was right to be nervous. I guess he forgot how to nap in a group, because he only slept about an hour at school. We're still catching up. Oh well. It's still an adjustment. We'll figure it out.

Plus, I don't know if I've been reporting this, but Connor is working on his 4th and final eye tooth. These teeth are the worst and he seems to really struggle with them. Luckily though after this, he only has his 2 year molars left. I'm hoping since he's only 14 months old, we've got a bit of time before those come in, but knowing Connor, he'll get his 2 year molars next week. Anyway, he's having teeth issues this week too, so the poor kid just really needs a good nap. Off to school tomorrow, so that won't happen, but there is always Friday right? Yikes, oh well.

Anyway, we had a great weekend. Enjoy some of our pics.

Having fun at Portofino restaurant at Miramont country club. What a fun ladies night.

Taking a morning walk. Martin just learned to ride his bike, so he lead the way.

Connor was not looking excited about the walk.

On Saturday morning, Connor got to watch College Gameday for the first time. Yes, I believe that is a milestone in any child's life. Hee hee. He seems to be into it. Ok, he only paid attention for a few minutes, but I think he liked it.

"So this is what my Mom gets excited about all year."

Jeff and my Dad golfed Saturday morning and as they came by our house, I brought Connor out to see them on the course. Jeff said that after he saw Connor, he actually played so much better. I guess he's his lucky charm.

Grandpa and his golf loving grandson.

Libby and Connor, cute cousins playing together.

Jeff is having a water fight with Martin and Winnie.

We ended up ordering a bunch of barbeque to have during football watching. It was a great way to feed everyone and it was very tasty.

Libby got up from her nap and had a tasty BBQ snack. What a cutie.

Our nice outdoor TV setup.

Enjoying a relaxing football Saturday.

Go Blue and Gig 'Em Aggies.

Aunt Julie getting some bonding time with her nephew Connor before she has to go back to Colorado. "Why can't you live in Texas Aunt Julie?"

Happy swimmers.

Me and Connor lounging in the pool.

It's rare that burnt orange (University of Texas) and maroon (Texas A&M) get along so well, but clearly Aunt Erin and Connor are getting along great.

Winnie and Martin helped decorate a yummy banana cake. Aren't they cute.

My parents have this fun pub area in their new house and we decided to hang out in it on Saturday night. We had fun.

Martin found a lizard and Connor really wanted to check it out. He is fascinated by his older cousins.

During naps, me, Jeff, Arthur, and Julie went and played tennis over at Miramont. We aren't that talented, but we sure had fun and it's a heck of a workout.

My parents don't have any shade in their backyard right now, so Daddy Jeff shaded Connor during his snack time. What a lucky little boy. We luckily made it all weekend without a sunburn.

Julie and Grandma floating in the pool.

Martin and Winnie waiting patiently for their sunscreen to dry a bit more before they can go in the pool.

Sunday afternoon, the boys went over to driving range. Connor enjoyed walking in the wide open spaces.

Grandpa teaching his nephews the in's and out's of golf.

Connor just liked the balls.

While the boys were at the driving range, Arthur made the ladies a fun fruity drink. Not so bad.

Arthur also made delicious empanadas for happy hour. They were a hit.

Connor left the empanadas alone and went straight for the limes though. He loves his fruit, even the sour ones.

Julie and Mom enjoying their time together Sunday night.

There is a really pretty view of the Miramont clubhouse from my parent's house. It looks really pretty at night all lit up.

Here we are ready to race on the green. It's really fun to run around the golf course at night. What a fun weekend.