"Gesundheit"

Despite our extensive efforts to keep our home as germ free as possible, we were recently unable to keep away a summer cold.  From all of us.

Allison went down first.  The pediatrician's instructions were for her to have no direct contact with Ayden.  So, she stayed quarantined in our bedroom, only venturing when he was asleep.  I had to take a Thursday and Friday off work so I could do my best Mr. Mom impression.  For three and a half days, I was the 24 hour caregiver.  I changed every diaper, did every feed, wiped every post-sneeze nose (Ayden developed cold symptoms during this time, too), cleaned up every spit up/throw up/vomit, etc.  By day four, I was very glad Allison was starting to feel better.  I have a whole new appreciation for single parents.  I don't know how they do it all, all the time.

While Allison was confined to her cold prison, I slept on the couch in the hopes of avoiding getting sick.  No such luck.  Given that I was around him all the time for almost four days, Ayden probably gave it to me, not Allison.  I managed to get the mildest version.  I had a scratchy throat and some sneezing, but never really felt bad.  Ayden and Allison had a harder time of it.

In the end, Ayden coped with his first cold quite admirably.  There were times when it was obvious he did not feel good.  Things seemed to be the worst after he had just woken up (I'm guessing all the gunk that had accumulated in his sinuses while he was sleeping was draining into his throat after he awoke).  Overall, though, he went about his days in much the same way as he normally does, albeit with a bunch of additional sneezing (his nose never ran, possibly because he was ejecting huge globs of snot via the sneezes).  For anyone with young children, I highly recommend buying a product called "Boogie Wipes" for when they get sick.  I probably wiped Ayden's 40+ times.  It never got raw.

While we would never want him to be sick, it was encouraging to see that his oxygen levels could stay normal (for him), despite the cold.  We checked him several times during the week or so that he was under the weather in some form, each time wondering if the numbers we would see would dictate a trip to the hospital.  They didn't.  And that's the most important thing.

"Get up off that floor & dance!"

Hehe. I'm not up to anything, Mommy! I promise.

... G-Daddy jived encouragement to a belly wigglin' Ayden for two days. Ayden wants to be mobile so badly, but he hasn't yet figured out forward movement. Even though Ayden didn't catch on to the crawl while G-Daddy visited, he did do quite a bit of music-making (Ayden on his drum and G-Daddy on the maracas) and dancing. Ayden also learned to race his car beneath his G-Daddy's legs, and he was an excellent assistant in creating grand monuments with his blocks.

 

You're cool, G-Daddy.

Fun in the Sun

 

Ayden loves the water. As you have seen from bathtime video, he enjoys splashing with his hands, and he recovers nicely when he is splashed by others. I have long hoped that my children would love the pool. I learned to swim at age four, and my parents paced the length of the pool as I competed as an eight-and-under; they worried I wouldn't make it across! I continued swimming, sometimes year-round, until I was eighteen, so it has always been an activity that I have enjoyed for its athleticism, competition, and teamwork.

 

 

In this post are some pictures from some sunny June Saturdays at Uncle Jesse and Aunt Sherry's pool. Their pool is especially fun for Ayden because it has a Bahama landing that he can scoot around on (kind of like a big bathtub!) and a waterfall that he can put his hands through. We have often been picked on by how much stuff we lug to the pool, but I insist that I would rather have it all than be stuck wondering why I didn't bring something! Ayden has been spoiled with a bucket full o' goodies... the same goodies that end up in the pool drains! When Ayden is able to go to a public pool (next year?), I'm going to use up a lot of Sharpie markers putting his name on everything!

 

 

Alex, I like this water gun!

Maybe Ayden will swim on a team; maybe he won't. I'm just glad he enjoys the water and time spent with family and friends!

 

My Handsome Boys

Happy Father's Day, Dada!

God calls the man of the household to a high standard. He is not merely a provider and decision maker; he is a husband and a father too, a model of Godly Love. Observing the relationships a man has with his family will tell you a lot about that man. I get to watch the developing relationship of Bryan and Ayden, and the adoration they have for each other is precious; the interaction is funny and patient and disciplined and kind and sacrificial and loving. I know Ayden loves me, but the bond he has created with his dad is awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

To my daddy and Bryan's: 

We wish you a joyful Father's Day! We love you!

 

Tiger-in-the-Making