On November 5th, I celebrated my first birthday and with that milestone, came my 12 month checkup to see how I’m progressing.  According to the doctor, I’m a long, lean, fighting machine.  Weighing in at a light 20 lbs, 1 oz and 30 1/4 inches long, I may be small but I’ve got power.  For a little guy, I impressed the doctor with my strength when I fought back as he tried to look in my throat.  I didn’t mind the exam but when he wanted to look in my mouth  I had enough.  After checking me over, the doctor said I was doing just fine.  I may not be walking yet but I’ve got the power in my legs and by the time I go back for my next check up in February I should be taking my first few steps.  Mom should thank me for this late milestone as she won’t have to chase after me just yet.  I’m still not the best eater but I love my milk and water.  Mom was so worried about my transition from formula to milk but I didn’t blink an eye when she switched it on me.  I’ve even given up my bottle in favor of the sippy cup so as of last week our house has been pacifier, formula and bottle free.   Just wait til I have a sibling one day, I bet he or she will cling to those things and not give them up so easily.  Anyway, things are going along great for me and over the next few months, I’ll have more teeth and start talking.  I’ve been quite the chatter box for months now but I think it’s just about time for some real words other than “mamma’ and ‘dada’ and my occasional ‘car’ and ‘baby’.  Until then……

Friday night we tucked David into his crib and Darren sat down to finish up some things from work while I curled up under the covers to read the December issue of Parents magazine that arrived earlier in the week.  I am a big fan of the magazine and love their articles.  This month’s issue had an article on “Fever Fears” addressing concerns when fever strikes and providing advice on what to do other than panic.  I read the article knowing that the winter months are coming and it is inevitable that David would eventually catch something.  No sooner than I finished the article, we started hearing David cry from his crib.  This is highly unusual for him as he is a wonderful sleeper.  We went in and the little guy was burning up.  His face was flushed, his body extra warm.  I quickly pulled out the thermometer to see what was going on.  I prefer the rectal thermometer because it is a much more accurate reading and with a little guy, knowing just what your dealing with is most important to us as parents.  Less than 10 seconds later, there it was, a fever of 102 staring us in the face and a sad, unhappy, and glum little patient.  We took turns cuddling him on the rocker throughout the night providing as much comfort as we could until the tylenol worked its magic.  Darren and I each reread the article from earlier to be sure we were doing everything we could since it was the middle of the night.  By morning however, David’s fever was back up and we whisked him to the doctor.  Thank goodness for weekend hours!  After an hour of examination – ears, throat, nose, and urine, everything were ruled out and the doctor diagnosed him with a viral infection that needed to burn itself out.   She recommended alternating doses of infant Tylenol and Motrin to bring down his temperature which spiked to 104.5 at one point.  That number certainly rattled me and Darren but David was a real trooper and took it all like a little champ.  By the time bedtime approached his fever was at a more comfortable level (for us anyway) and he went to sleep.  This morning things were much better and he seems to be on the mend.

Fever rattles all parents so if you are first time parents like we are, you would find this article helpful and comforting.   I tried to find the link online but haven’t been able to locate it.  But I’ve summarized some highlights from Leslie Gross Klaff’s article for anyone that is interested:

• First response based on age:  call the doctor for anything above 100.4 for a child less than 3 months old.  Between 3 and 6 months, call the doctor for a fever of 101 or higher.  And if your child is older than 6 months you can safely wait until fever reaches 103.  If you are like me though, that was too high to wait for and we called sooner.
• Fever is a sign that something is wrong.  The body is fighting off an infection whether it is bacterial or viral.  Low grad fever with sneezing or coughing is generally a common cold where higher fever can mean the flu or H1N1.  Flu often strikes out of the blue and hits you like a ton of bricks.
• All children who have fever should be fever free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medicine or else they should stay home.   In my opinion, too many parents do not do this and it is very frustrating for those of us trying to keep our kids healthy.
• A fever with pain associated such as a sore throat, ear or difficulty urinating should also warrant an immediate call to the doctor.  Antibiotics might be required.
• Rush to the ER if your child experiences shortness of breath, cries inconsolably has difficulty walking or develops a rash.
• Call 911 if your child is blue or has a stiff neck or severe abdominal pain.
• Tips for cooling your child off:  a luke warm bath, cool compress and Tylenol or Motrin (if your child is old enough).
• Keep your child hydrated – water, ice pops, jell-o, pedialyte.

Wow!  I turned one year old on Thursday.  I can’t believe it!  Last year at this time I was a ball of mush but now I’m a little person.  It is amazing how much I’ve grown and how much I’ve learned to do over the past 12 months…sitting up, eating solid food, crawling, playing with toys, getting a couple of teeth and even starting to babble.  Pretty incredible I must say!

My first birthday was fabulous although I’m not exactly sure what all the hoopla was for but I’m guessing birthdays are a big deal.  My day started off bright and early at 5am when I decided to wake mommy up for old time sake.  You see, last year I decided to start my journey into the world around the same time so it was only appropriate I mark the one year anniversary of my entrance with a similar wake up time.  Mommy greeted me with a smile and the first of many “Happy Birthdays”.  We spent the day together playing and Daddy came home nice and early to help me celebrate.  Towards evening the rest of my family came over for dinner, cupcakes and presents.  I tore open the paper on all my gifts and I must say, I made out really well.  When all the unwrapping was finished I added some great things to my toy collection including a radio flyer, a crawling tunnel, puzzles, activity tables and much much more.  After presents, everyone sang this new song to me “Happy Birthday” and I blew out my first candle on my cupcake.  While everyone else ate theirs, I happily sat in my highchair and made a mushy mess of which not a single morsel made it to my mouth.  Oh well.  Maybe when I turn two I’ll gobble it up.  It sure looked yummy but I thought playing with it was a much better idea.

I want to thank my mommy and daddy and my grandparents and great grandparents for all their love and more importantly, for all the time we have spent together.  I’ve loved every minute of my first year and I’m so excited to start my second year.   Goodbye baby, hello toddler!

Today is David’s first birthday.  Wow!  A whole year has gone by.  It is hard to believe that one year ago today I woke up at 5am with the first signs of labor pains and six hours later our little man was on the scene.  It has been an incredible year for all of us and nothing has given Darren and me more joy than watching David grow, laugh and learn.  His first of two celebrations began on Monday at school where his classmates wished him a happy, happy birthday with munchkins and music.  Today for his actual birthday we will be celebrating with our families.  We are probably one of very few parents that have opted not to have a big hoopla for the first birthday but we felt a smaller, more intimate celebration was best for all of us.  Tomorrow, David will be ‘blogging’ all about his first birthday so check back here for more….

It may have been a less than stellar weather day on Saturday but it was my first Halloween and it was great!  Mommy dressed me as a lion and I just loved my costume.  I didn’t fret once while wearing it even when my hood was up.  I felt like the king of the jungle and wore it proudly.  Mom & Dad took me to visit my grandparents so they could see me all dressed up.  The rain held off in the morning so Grandpa Richie took me out and about in Tappan ringing the same doorbells that Mommy did as a little girl.  I managed to pick up quite the little stash of candy before heading over to Grandma Bobbie’s.  The weather turned rainy so rather than trick or treating, I dazzled everyone with my costume and crawled around like I was out in the wild.  By the end of the day, I was pooped so I missed the trick or treaters in our neighborhood but next year I will be out and about with everyone.  After dinner, Mommy let me try a piece of dark chocolate candy.  A few licks and a bite which I spit out, the mess I created was unreal.  I was thrown into the bath to clean up and then tucked into my crib.  I fell asleep in an instant as I was super tired.  It was a great first Halloween though and I can’t wait for next year!