Ears Infections and More!

Lucas got his first ear infection in early September. Since September, we have not been able to get his ears cleared of fluid and he has been on antibiotics pretty much the whole time with the exception of a week off of them here and there. It has been very frustrating and has caused him a lot of pain. They always seem to start with a fever and crankiness and that is how we know. On Saturday (12/2) we took him into the pediatrician and they diagnosed him with a double ear infection again. We started treating it that day but by Monday he was much worse and had a terrible cough. We took him in again to the pediatrician and they said his ears were still infected but in addition he had both Croup and Bronchiolitis (which is pretty much the same as bronchitis but it is in the lower part of the chest). We were sent home with steroids and a breathing machine for Albuterol treatments. They asked to come back in the next day to check on his oxygen levels and again on Friday. (4 doctors visits in less than 7 days) On Friday, the doctor still was not happy with his progress considering he was on strong meds and breathing treatments and he felt he should be responding to the treatments. Saturday morning he was wheezing really badly so we took him to the ER at Fairfax to make sure he didn't have pneumonia. They did a chest x-ray and it came back clear. The doctors said that it was probably just a really bad case of viral Bronchiolitis and since it was a virus it wasn't responding to the antibiotics. It was a very long week full of stressful breathing treatments which Lucas HATES. Let's just say that Josh and I pretty worn out.

Tomorrow we go in to have tubes put in his ears. Please pray this keep our boy healthy and out of the pediatrician's office.

Here is a pic of Lucas in the ER. My poor little baby.

Lucas-13 Months

Ok, so my mom casually suggested that I continue these monthly photos to 24 months... At first, I said no. Then mommy-guilt kicked in and I figured that it would be a good way to ensure I keep documenting each month. The first 12 were tough and I kept and up with them by keeping a reminder on my calendar each month. I have a feeling the next set are going to be even more tough so I will do my best to keep up with them.

Lucas was not happy when we took his 13 month photos because he was fighting an ear infection at the time. I am over a month behind on this post because we have been dealing with constant illnesses for months (more on that in a separate post).


Not Happy!

Bye Bye Bottles!

Goodbye formula and bottles! Lucas is now on whole milk and no more formula!



I packed up his bottles this weekend and put them away:



This will save me time and annoyance in the evenings. We were required to fill bottles with water for the formula for daycare and label them with the date as well. Now all I have to do is send a carton of milk with him every week and his sippy cup stays there. So much easier!

I thought the transition from bottle to sippy cup was going to be a tough one. However, Lucas really surprised us and did not mind giving up his bottle one bit.

Lucas' 1st Birthday Party

We had a great turn out for Lucas' 1st birthday party! Thanks to all our family, friends and loved ones who came out to help celebrate. And a special thanks to those who helped us get the party together. We couldn't have done it without you!

Lucas actually wasn't feeling too well on the day of his party. After battling an ear infection for weeks, he was both teething and dealing with ear pain. Both Josh and I were up most of the night before the party with a very cranky 1 year old. Lucas did enjoy eating cake and opening gifts though.

This little boy is very blessed with love. He also got spoiled rotten with lots of toys! Here are a few pics of the party. Thanks again everyone!


The Circus Themed Party:






Josh's parents traveled up for the birthday party - Lucas so was happy to spend time with his Mama & Papa:

Lucas' 1st Birthday

Lucas had a very eventful birthday week. On his actual birthday, Wednesday, October 10th, he spent the day at daycare and was treated to a birthday party there!



Daddy went in for the party at school:









Then Lucas headed home for some presents from Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Dave and Julie.









Stay tuned for a post on the birthday party which was on Saturday, October 13th.

Lucas-12 Months - 1 Year!!!

We did it! We made it through our first year of parenthood! In a way, it makes me sad. We no longer have a baby, we have a toddler now. Our sweet boy is the most snuggly and cuddly little man. I just eat it up every night. I am praying he doesn't grow out of this stage too soon. There is nothing like coming into daycare after a long day of work and having your son snuggle his head in your chest. My heart melts everytime!

Here are his 12 month pics!








Lucas @ 12 Months:
-Has been sick pretty much the last month with an ear infection that won't seem to go away... We are on our 3rd round of antibiotics and are praying this takes care of it!
-Has fallen into sleep regression. With ear infections and colds, he has been waking up quite a lot in the middle of the night.
-As mentioned above, is the most cuddly little guy ever. He just loves to cuddle with his mommy and daddy.
-Loves to push around his school bus and trucks
-Still crawling at the speed of light and standing up but doesn't have the confidence to walk yet
-Says Mama and Dada
-Loves to pet his doggy Cody and feed him directly from the high chair
-Loves to look at pictures of himself on the iphone
-Is obsessed with trying to get to mommy and daddy's computers and always wants to play with our iphones
-Starting to eat more and more foods. Meat has been a challenge but this weekend he surprised us and grabbed some roast beef off my mom's plate
-Fav foods are still cheese and yogurt

Lucas-11 Months Old

Lucas turned 11 months on September 10th! One month until we have a one year old! It just doesn't even seem possible. Where has the time gone? I know everyone says it goes by so fast but you really don't realize quite how fast it goes in the first year of parenthood.

Lucas @ 11 Months:
-Stands up but has not started walking
-Crawls extremely fast - he is hard to catch!
-Is in to everything - you can't turn your back for one second or he is in the dog food bowl splashing the water around and trying to eat Cody's dog food
-Bumps his head a lot on things when he crawls around
-Still detests getting dressed and having his diaper changed (it is quite the work out for mommy and daddy trying to get this boy dressed in the morning)
-Loves mac and cheese, cheese cubes, yogurt, peas, etc...
-Waves buy buy, loves clapping whenever music comes on, loves to dance (holding himself up on something)

SO excited to see what the next few weeks bring... Everyday is something new and we just love this stage!