World Cup Fever? We've got it. Big time. Anyone who has known me for any amount of time probably knows that I'm not a sports fan. I played basketball as a kindergartner, and I was a terrible dribbler, so they didn't play me much. I also played softball as an 8th grader, which I did not enjoy. I cried before every game and was the world's worst right fielder (I've been told that it's helpful to open your eyes when you're trying to catch a ball - go figure). As a non-athlete, I wasn't big on watching games either (mostly because I found them difficult to understand - especially football - I still have no idea what a down is). Then I went to college, when Wake Forest was doing exceptionally well, and before I knew it I had become a basketball fan (which curiously ended as soon as I graduated). Fast forward 5 sports-less years later, and here we are: I find myself tearing my hair out, watching the USA vs. Algeria (via video-streaming on slow internet, no less) in a high-stakes battle to advance into the next round. What an amazing game! I sprouted at least 8 gray hairs during the match.
Michael, of course, needs no encouraging from me to watch the World Cup unfold. He's actually the one who infected me with World Cup Fever, and I suspect he's trying to win Fox over too. Fox isn't too keen on sitting still for an entire match, but with a couple of strategically timed snacks and one awesome blanket fort, we're able to all sit around and enjoy the Saturday and Sunday broadcast games. Now that the USA is advancing to the final 16, I have no doubt it will be some time before we are cured of World Cup Fever.
Our pool opened this weekend, so Fox had his first pool experience. He loved it! It was a little overcast and breezy, so he didn't stay in too long. I'm so excited about swimming this summer with my little man!
So, Fox is teething (yes....still). My poor kid still only has one tooth that has erupted, but I can see the one above it trying very hard to push through the gum. This, of course, results in a grumpy baby. I've been giving him teething tablets every day, and that seems to do fairly well. But this week he's been waking up insanely early (between 4:30 and 5:30), and Mike and I thought that maybe a dose of acetaminophen might help him be more comfortable and therefore help him sleep longer. Since pretty much every infant Tylenol product has been recalled, I had picked up some Target-brand infant drops to have on hand in case Fox started running a fever. He's never had them before, but I assumed they'd be pretty comparable (in taste and effectiveness) to Tylenol. Not so. Apparently, the dye-free cherry flavor Up & Up infants' pain relief drops taste like death. Fox took one taste of the dropper and proceeded to throw up everything (or so I thought) that he'd had for supper. We cleaned him up and calmed him down, and I sat down to give him his bedtime bottle. He took about half of it, leaned forward, and threw up again. And again. And again. It was scary to see how much stuff came out of my little boy's belly. Poor baby! We cleaned him up and calmed him down again, called the doctor, and talked with a triage nurse who gave us protocol for what to do if he continued throwing up (which would indicate a virus). Thankfully, he didn't throw up again. He slept soundly through the night, and he has felt fine ever since.
Here's hoping next Friday night will be easier on all of us.
Dear Blog,
I have not forgotten you. No, I actually think about you nearly every day. But I can't seem to make myself sit down to post anything. I have a very busy schedule, you know, particularly when you consider that I must log several iPod Touch hours of Facebook-stalking people I rarely talk to and reading the blogs of people I don't even know personally. These things are, of course, in addition to the seemingly endless demands of my annoyingly adorable, two-foot-tall employer who is trying to work me into an early grave. On top of all these daily responsibilities of mine, I'm also getting frequent headaches that require me to lie down and close my eyes (my employer is not happy about this). You'd be amazed by how difficult it is to blog when you're lying down with your eyes closed. And, I know what you're thinking, but I'm fairly sure that there's no way my headaches could be caused by the multiple hours of staring at my iPod.
So anyway, before you write me off (no pun intended) (no, really, no pun intended), just remember the many demands that are laid out before me each day, and ask where, how, and if you fit in.
Affectionately,
Me
Dear Fox,
I am so very proud of you about so many things. You are such a joy to me and your Daddy. We love playing with you, comforting you when you’re sad or hurt, giggling and acting silly with you, and we adore watching you grow and learn. You are truly, without a doubt, the best thing that has ever happened to us.
But.
5am is not an acceptable wake-up time. Maybe once in awhile, like if we’re getting up early to go to the beach or Disney World. But on regular days, it just won’t do. I must insist at the very least that you extend your sleeping time until Daddy’s alarm clock goes off at 6:00. You were doing this for a few days, but 5:00 has suddenly become your hour of choice. Please don’t get me wrong - I am thrilled that you go to sleep at 7pm most nights without a fuss and sleep through the night. This is incredible, and please - don’t stop. But, baby, I am begging you - sleep until 6am.
Also, I’d like to ask that you talk to your friend Mr. Bird and ask him to kindly adopt a similar sleeping schedule and avoid 5am wake-up times. I know you two have a lot to chat about, and since there is no tree outside YOUR window, Mr. Bird feels compelled to camp outside MY window and twitter and tweet as loudly as possible so you can hear him. But, again, this just won’t do. I would gladly plant a tree outside your window so you and Mr. Bird could socialize at ungodly hours every morning, but sadly our HOA won’t let me. So could you please talk to him? I would appreciate it. You should also know that, if Mr. Bird suddenly stops showing up in the morning, Mommy has no idea what happened to him. He probably just packed up and moved South (or North, or to some other poor, sleep-deprived mom’s bedroom window). Or maybe he went to take a nap with the fishes, since he's been getting up so early every morning and probably needs a nap.
I would appreciate it if you would take these requests under consideration. I know you have a busy agenda and need to start early every morning in order to squeeze everything in, but an extra hour or two of sleep never hurt anyone. Just consider it.
With never-waning affection,
your sleepy and slightly exasperated Mom
P.S. Pleeeease nap!
I am so very proud of you about so many things. You are such a joy to me and your Daddy. We love playing with you, comforting you when you’re sad or hurt, giggling and acting silly with you, and we adore watching you grow and learn. You are truly, without a doubt, the best thing that has ever happened to us.
But.
5am is not an acceptable wake-up time. Maybe once in awhile, like if we’re getting up early to go to the beach or Disney World. But on regular days, it just won’t do. I must insist at the very least that you extend your sleeping time until Daddy’s alarm clock goes off at 6:00. You were doing this for a few days, but 5:00 has suddenly become your hour of choice. Please don’t get me wrong - I am thrilled that you go to sleep at 7pm most nights without a fuss and sleep through the night. This is incredible, and please - don’t stop. But, baby, I am begging you - sleep until 6am.
Also, I’d like to ask that you talk to your friend Mr. Bird and ask him to kindly adopt a similar sleeping schedule and avoid 5am wake-up times. I know you two have a lot to chat about, and since there is no tree outside YOUR window, Mr. Bird feels compelled to camp outside MY window and twitter and tweet as loudly as possible so you can hear him. But, again, this just won’t do. I would gladly plant a tree outside your window so you and Mr. Bird could socialize at ungodly hours every morning, but sadly our HOA won’t let me. So could you please talk to him? I would appreciate it. You should also know that, if Mr. Bird suddenly stops showing up in the morning, Mommy has no idea what happened to him. He probably just packed up and moved South (or North, or to some other poor, sleep-deprived mom’s bedroom window). Or maybe he went to take a nap with the fishes, since he's been getting up so early every morning and probably needs a nap.
I would appreciate it if you would take these requests under consideration. I know you have a busy agenda and need to start early every morning in order to squeeze everything in, but an extra hour or two of sleep never hurt anyone. Just consider it.
With never-waning affection,
your sleepy and slightly exasperated Mom
P.S. Pleeeease nap!
We are trying, quite hard actually, to get my sweet still-toothless boy to eat big people food. We’ve made a bit of progress in the last few weeks, and I thought I would report.
At the top of the list of “What Fox Wants for Dinner?” Goldfish. Lots and lots of goldfish. He wasn’t a bit interested in finger foods until we went to a playdate where the little boy of the house was eating goldfish. Now, all of a sudden, Fox can’t get enough of them. Literally. Heaven help me if I leave the house without remembering to pack a baggie of goldfish.
Since I can’t nourish my son exclusively with little fish-shaped cheese crackers, we are trying to branch out. Currently the list of foods that sometimes get swallowed (and about equally as often end up stuck to the back of his britches) includes:
Spaghetti-o’s
Cheerios
Avocados (okay, so apparently foods that end in “-o” are a hit)
Whole wheat toast with 100% fruit blueberry jam
Ravioli pieces
Lasagna
Yogurt
Shredded cheese
Bananas (sometimes)
Whole, peeled apples (he likes to suck on them)
Ice cream (so sue me)
Things that are currently on the “icky” list are:
Dark chocolate (hey, he begged for a piece!)
Cottage cheese
Everything else not on the list above
So, little by little, day by day, Fox is learning to eat like a grown-up. He loves to drink apple juice from his sippy cup. He is still hesitant about the whole silverware thing. Most days he still throws a fit if I try to introduce new foods. But we’re getting there.
Thank you, goldfish. Thank you.
At the top of the list of “What Fox Wants for Dinner?” Goldfish. Lots and lots of goldfish. He wasn’t a bit interested in finger foods until we went to a playdate where the little boy of the house was eating goldfish. Now, all of a sudden, Fox can’t get enough of them. Literally. Heaven help me if I leave the house without remembering to pack a baggie of goldfish.
Since I can’t nourish my son exclusively with little fish-shaped cheese crackers, we are trying to branch out. Currently the list of foods that sometimes get swallowed (and about equally as often end up stuck to the back of his britches) includes:
Spaghetti-o’s
Cheerios
Avocados (okay, so apparently foods that end in “-o” are a hit)
Whole wheat toast with 100% fruit blueberry jam
Ravioli pieces
Lasagna
Yogurt
Shredded cheese
Bananas (sometimes)
Whole, peeled apples (he likes to suck on them)
Ice cream (so sue me)
Things that are currently on the “icky” list are:
Dark chocolate (hey, he begged for a piece!)
Cottage cheese
Everything else not on the list above
So, little by little, day by day, Fox is learning to eat like a grown-up. He loves to drink apple juice from his sippy cup. He is still hesitant about the whole silverware thing. Most days he still throws a fit if I try to introduce new foods. But we’re getting there.
Thank you, goldfish. Thank you.
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