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!

Fall is upon us and before long winter will be here.  The temperatures are declining and the wind is picking up so if you are like me, you are starting to bundle up your little one to keep him/her toasty.  Warm coats, hats, gloves, etc… are all essentials for the upcoming winter season.  However, if you are experiencing the same thing I am, heavier coats are too bulky and too restricting for your little one when riding in their car seat.  Not to mention the fact that the thicker the coat the looser the straps must be, creating a false barrier between the harness and your child.  Safety tests and police recommendations for proper car seat safety strongly discourage parents from putting their precious cargo in a bulky winter coat before buckling up for a ride in the car.  So, what are we to do to keep our children warm yet not compromise their safety? Last year the solution was so simple, the BundleMe for the infant carrier but now we are in a convertible car seat that is no longer an option.

As I pondered the above question, a friend of mine introduced me to The Car Seat Poncho.  I had never heard of this item but when she showed it to me, I thought it was genius! The fleece poncho which has a hood allows you to dress your child in a warm sweater and a light jacket or vest so car seat buckling is simple and provides the tightness needed for the straps.   The poncho goes over your child after buckling them in and provides plenty of warmth even in the coldest of months.  This is just what we needed so I went to the website to investigate.  I read all about the product and was surprised to see all the safety endorsements, including one from our local police department.  For $39, the car seat poncho comes in array of colors and two sizes depending on how tall your child is.  This was a real find!  Of course, it does not replace the need for a good warm winter jacket for playing outside, walking in the snow or building a snowman.  But for the car and going in and out of stores, this is the perfect solution.  At least, I think so.

This week my first birthday (which isn’t for a couple of more weeks) present arrived from my best buddy Reid and it was a car!  The weather was so magnificent that Mom quickly took it out of the box and put it together so I could be on my merry way outside.  She is quite handy I’m learning.

What a snazzy looking set of wheels I must say!   I took it for a spin around the neighborhood (with Mom’s help of course) and I was loving every minute of it.  This was a fabulous way to spend an unusually warm October day.  I can’t wait to take my car out for another spin.  Maybe tomorrow when the rain clears up, I can show Daddy how my driving is coming along :)

Bright and early Mom and I were up and moving for my first day of ‘pre’ preschool.  A couple of weeks ago Mommy signed us up for the Wondrous Ones program at the local JCC and today was my very first class.  Since I am only turning one, Mom accompanied me and stayed the entire time but after a few minutes of playing with her I crawled off to explore the toys and the room as well as my new classmates.  There were five other little ones in addition to me and most of us are boys.  I may be the youngest and probably the tiniest but I fit right in.

My teacher Miss Jennie welcomed us with a warm smile and made the 75 minute class go by in a flash.  We played, sang songs, danced, enjoyed catching bubbles and even had a little snack time.  This was my first time sitting in a chair at a little kids table and I loved it.  Me and all my new little friends.  Mom thought it was so cute.  I had a great time this week (and so did Mommy).  We can’t wait to go back again next week.

Saturday afternoon I took a break from ‘mommy duty’ to spend the afternoon in the city with my best friend Shari.  We both are HUGE fans of Hugh Jackman (yes, we did see “The Boy from Oz” seven times) so when we heard he was going to be starring in a two man Broadway show, we eagerly jumped at the opportunity for tickets.

Rarely having the opportunity to get out without our little one’s with us, we met for a pre-show brunch at Blue Fin which was excellent and unbelievably reasonable before heading over to the theater for the performance.  We didn’t know much about the play other than the review in the New York Times, which was rather neutral.  After settling in our third row mezzanine seats, we glanced at the program which gave nothing away in terms of the plot so when the curtain went up we didn’t know what to expect.  What we got was an amazing performance by two incredibly talented stage actors who were capable of taking a mediocre screenplay and turning it into magic.  Both Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig were able to suck the audience into a gripping story set in the not too distant past in Chicago.  While they both initially struggled to hide their native accents after fifteen minutes they were fully immersed in their characters.  The plot was slow to start but within twenty minutes they had the audience gripped in their story.  Virtually no sets, these two men managed to take the audience into their minds living their story as it unfolded.

I do not want to give away anything with respect to the plot because for those that are lucky to have purchased tickets, I don’t want to ruin anything for you.  While I have seen better written plays, the acting was incredible.  Hats off to both Mr. Jackman and Mr. Craig for making my afternoon!  Anyone going to see this show will not think they wasted 90 minutes of their time.

Just shy of 11 months, I am in the process of popping out my first tooth.  I’ve had a gummy smile since birth but today when mommy felt my gum, there it was…my emerging first tooth!  Everyone has been waiting for this to happen for months and finally the day is here.  Grandma Lorraine says there is a Greek tradition of having something sweet, typically baklava, when a baby gets their first tooth.  I have a feeling I know what she will be bringing for mom and dad on her next visit :)