Recent Pics

Patrick now likes to stuff himself into pots.

Father and son exhausted after a long cold day in New England.

This time a salad bowl works.

Father and son aboard the Mayflower II.

A pain worse than labor

Spent last night in the ER with Kidney Stone II. KS I was five years ago. Having it removed Monday as it's on the larger size -- 5mm. The urologist has the personality of a ...well, actually he has absolutely no personality and acted superior and rude to boot. Even Jesse thought he was an ass. If it had not been a Friday afternoon and if I didn't need this damn thing out ASAP I would have told him where to shove it and found another urologist. At this point, the best I can do is insist on seeing one of his partners for follow-up. According to the pre-op nurse they are much nicer individuals. Also, she told me this doctor is rude but highly competent at removing stones.

As to Patrick -- he was a trooper as Mommy and Daddy removed him from his warm bed to get into a cold car at 2 am and go to the hospital where Mommy screamed for what seemed like forever until she got the happy meds.

Ketchup (stole that title from friend, Jessica G.)

The first half of November was a productive, busy time at work -- vestry meetings at both churches, the wrapping up of the class I led on Marcus Borg's Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, and an incredible trip to the National Cathedral to hear Desmond Tutu. All people -- Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc. need to heed the words of this man. What a prophet.

After all that we traveled up to RI to visit the Gates family for Thanksgiving and spend a little time in southern New England. We went to Plymouth and toured the Mayflower II, saw the rock, etc. That's when things got bad. It was great seeing our friends and I got to baptize Paige but Patrick got sick, wouldn't sleep in his pack n play and slept with us all the while coughing on us. So, we got sick, the whole Gates family got sick, and while I thought I was getting better, I fell vulnerable to another bug. I could really deal without the daycare specials here.

I'll get some recent pictures up soon.

Turtle

Patrick will be a turtle for Halloween. We had our first run in his costume at Auntie Wendy's pumpkin carving on Saturday and will go trick or treat at the houses of a few friends Wednesday night. He LOVES our staircase and is quite good at climbing the stairs with our close supervision (Jesse was right behind him in this picture but this little turtle is fast.

Feeding Piggy

I have not posted much about Piggy, Percy Piggy to be exact. He is Patrick's best, best friend. Piggy came into Patrick's life his first day in daycare (beginning of August) and has been faithful ever since. Piggy is Patrick's first stuffed animal (or at least the first one with which Patrick has had an attachment) and some of you may remember that Patrick was a little piggy his first Halloween and one of his several nicknames is Little Patrick Piggy (sometimes Little Patrick Piggy Bear -- I know, too much!). Piggy was a constant comfort while Patrick was in the hospital and he has been a special friend while going to sleep and in daycare.

Patrick loves to put Piggy in his highchair. I guess he wants to feed Piggy.

Fall pics

I have been out of town for the greater part of the last 3 weeks on business and a family funeral. Patrick and I went up to New Hampshire for a cousin's funeral. Happy babies can make everyone around them feel a lot better about a bad situation and Patrick rose to the occasion, including blowing raspberries as the pall bearers brought the coffin into the church. Later he managed to grab a font of holy water and tip it over spilling the blessed water all over the floor -- typical PK (priest's kid).

Blogger is having trouble uploading all the pics I wanted to post but here is one:





We took Patrick to a real pumpkin patch where we chose pumpkins right off the vine. He had a good time but the sun was bright and he wouldn't look up. This was his first ride in a wagon. He wanted to get out and walk but he did pretty well. Bright sun that day.

New Day Care

As of almost two weeks ago, Patrick is in a new day care. See Patrick's Expulsion from School for the beginnings of why. We were all home for almost two weeks sick, sick, sick and that gave me some time to think and realize there was no way I could send him back to Children of America. So I discovered another day care in the area, visited and loved it (will not mention the name of that day care for reasons of privacy but I would love to cast a legitimate shadow on CofA). The new, wonderful, warm, loving place is truly all those things. The first day I took Patrick in to visit I noticed such a difference in how he reacted to the people and surroundings. Watching him, I realized he was scared and overwhelmed at the CofA (and there was a lot of tension there from the director who worked against her teachers as I later discovered).

I also found out from employees of the new day care that many of the things I had experienced at CofA were against state regulations. So, of course, I reported their ass. Got a call from an inspector to whom I told my story and she uncovered even more violations. I am so glad we aren't there anymore.

Now, to get back on my soapbox about supercapitalism and outsourcing: turns out this particular CofA is owned by foreign investors. Great, so there's not a friggn' bit of accountability and they really have no idea who they are hiring to direct the center or teach in it. Lovely!

I'm walkin' yes indeed and I'm talkin

Patrick took his first real steps this week. He had taken a step here and there but now he can walk 10 or 15 feet at a time when he wants to. He also says doggie, book, baba (maybe) in relation to those things in addition to mama and dada. I thought he might have said piggy last night but wasn't sure. Takes some interpretation sometimes!

and if you thought we weren't sick enough...

Patrick has pink-eye. So, no daycare even though he isn't supposed to be contagious from his cold which we now think is the flu having felt the symptoms ourselves. And he is still snotty and coughing from that. I don't know that I buy the whole not-infectious-unless-there's-a-fever argument. No way this is just a cold.

Hippity Hop

Hee hee. Love this adorable toy by Montgomery Schoolhouse Toys in Vermont (and made right there in Vermont). Jesse has/will order it for Patrick. So cute. And, it is constructed to hop. They have a frog and a duck, too.

I found this place because Jesse's mom, Connie, brought the three train pieces left from Jesse's boyhood days and they are Montgomery Schoolhouse trains. So, I got interested in learning more about the company. They were bought out by Maple Landmark Woodcraft but everything is still made in Vermont. Did I mention that it's all made in Vermont ;-) (BTW: where are my emoticons???)

Little Patrick Petri Dish

Thanks to the incredible petri dish of germs that is the daycare classroom we are all sick, sick, sick. Patrick is at least on the mend but I have hardly been out of bed -- chills, fever, sore throat, almost unable to swallow, body aches, etc. Jesse has been a real trooper by taking care of Patrick all day. Let's at least hope that we aren't both on our backs unable to function but that we go through this at different stages.Publish Post

$300 A Day (or Me Bitching)

Patrick is paid up for two months of daycare since the beginning of August and so far the WHOLE SEVEN DAYS HE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN IN DAYCARE have run us about $300 per day. He was out because of his 28-day Lyme treatment and then another week on top of that because he couldn't have vaccinations or be exposed to anything until 5-7 days after the PICC line was pulled. He went back last Thursday through Tuesday morning when I got a call that he has a rash. Yep, a rash all over. Ped says it is a virus. He did have a runny nose last weekend and a low grade temp (still has a runny nose). So, he's not in daycare and who stays home with him? Me. Where is the gender equality in the world????? Jesse is going to try to come home early today because he knows he will have a wife better suited for a padded room if he doesn't.

I need Patrick to be in daycare. Patrick needs to be around other kids and have a safe place to explore besides his own house. I need to work without Patrick wondering why Mommy isn't giving him all the attention he needs. I really, really hate this.

Patrick's expulsion from school

Jessica says it better here and you should really read it before going on. I am not so funny in print. Hint: when you get there, scroll up to the blog entry. Don't just read the comments.

So, if you have read that, go on.

The truth is I made a civil complaint about the use of TV in the day care on Patrick's first day. Like talking to a brick wall until I called the corporate offices. That's when the hate started.

So, when Patrick went back this week and I saw a toy with peeling paint and others that are of a brand (Fisher-Price) that I was told was not ordered by this daycare and I 1. asked them to please remove the defunct toy and 2. INQUIRED politely as to the discrepancy (ooh, big intimidating word must have set off the director), I was told I could take Patrick elsewhere by some lady three rungs up from the director. Then I was ordered to take Patrick elsewhere. I never raised my voice or got belligerent so this was completely bizarre. I think it's a little like what some of the cell phone companies are doing now. They have enough customers so if you are one to lodge a complaint (and yes, I mean one friggin' complaint) then you are tossed overboard since they don't want to take the time to deal with you.

So, what's interesting is that I left a message with someone at the corporate office. I never heard back from him but within 30 minutes, the same woman who told me to take a hike, called back kissing my rear and telling me thank you for "bringing an important situation to light."

Digging herself out from under the compost is my guess.

Do something!

I read Tired Mummy on occasion and she put together a most poignant, difficult post today. See it here and be prepared to cry and get angry. And then do something. Do something for Patrick, your own children and the children of parents who are completely overwhelmed by the horrors of war.

We have got to stop being complacent in this country.

Toy update

I called the daycare. They told me that they order all their toys and equipment from Discount School Supplies. I called them and spoke with a manager. This is what I found out. They use independent labs to test toys they want to sell. I requested that they e-mail me the names of the labs so that I can verify this as fact. The manager was very nice about my paranoia and took my e-mail address. He said he would also scan in a company statement about the things they do to make sure their toys are safe. They do not order toys from Fisher-Price or Mattel, in the first place. I have been through the lists and Patrick doesn't have anything from the lists of toys recalled but I don't want to risk it. Let me put it this way, when dog food was being recalled, we cooked Bette's meals from scratch following directions from our vet and the AKC until we located a food made in the USA for her. Wouldn't we do absolutely anything for Patrick?

We have gotten too comfortable in this country with paying the lowest price on an item without enough regard for quality, safety, and whether or not the workers in other countries are treated well. It is time this stopped. I heard an interview with Robert Reich the other day (Sec of Labor under Clinton) and he said that we have become a super-capitalist society which has the effect of undermining democracy and added that we will never become socially-concious consumers unless our country regulates it. He's right. En masse, we will continue to buy the cheapest whatever unless the government steps in and stops some of this nonsense. I am a true Democrat. Bring on the legislation because we are just miserable sinners without a law.

No Toys from China

Patrick is blessed to have wonderful grandparents and godparents who love him and give him toys. I hate to do this but I have to. There is too much evidence to suggest that more and more toys from China are going to be recalled for toxicity. What gets me going is that we may have toys or bibs in this house which have toxic chemicals but just haven't been tested. So, I just cannot let Patrick play with anything from China. For our part, Jesse and I are going to read labels very carefully from now on and only buy him toys made here (hey, it's better for our economy anyway) or in Western Europe. It turns out that even Barbie has lead paint. Also, I thought that the smooth plastic toys were immune until I saw some Sesame Street toys recalled. They are just like some of the smooth plastic toys Patrick has and loves but we just can't take the risk. There are too many people/companies in former communist countries (and current ones like China) who do not give a flying flip about other people and/or don't know the risk their lack of regulations pose when it comes to toys or prescription medications or dog food.

Don't know what I am going to do about Patrick being in day care. They already think I am crazy.

Here are just a few links I picked up today about toxic toys:

http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/30/news/companies/crayon_recall/index.htm?postversion=2007083010

http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/05/news/companies/mattel_recall/index.htm?cnn=yes

http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/14/news/companies/china_recalls/index.htm?postversion=2007081413

For information about toxicity in plastic toys go here:

http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/consumerism/toxic_toy_story.html

Thought lead paint was only on wooden toys? Wrong!! Those smooth plastic toys have levels of lead, too, and little ones put their mouths on them.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/13/china.toymaker.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Lyme Positive

This post is way overdue but then I saw that people with whom I don't have regular contact are reading and so an explanation is due. Patrick does have Lyme Disease. The first set of tests were inconclusive/negative but the second set was positive. We got those results in the second week of August and had a spinal tap that night. It had a high white cell count and, according to both our ped and the infectious disease specialist (a wonderfully gentle man who reminds me of Mr. Rogers meets Yale), the thing to do was to admit him to Fairfax Hostpital and start IV antibiotics and then move him to a PICC line. He has been home with the PICC line for 3.5 weeks, had handled the meds very well and get his line pulled this Thursday. In a week he can have his 1 year vaccinations and then return to day care (THANK GOD!!!). We got the third set of Lyme tests back after we started treatment and they were positive as well. We are thankful that nothing truly serious is going on and that the disease was caught early. BTW: he is the youngest reported case in the state.

Birthday Cake

These pictures say it all....

Smile!

Patrick can smile again. In a fraction of the time we were told to allow, Patrick smiles almost like his old self again. The BP is still there but very subtle. All that in only a week. I would have pictures for you all but our camera is on the fritz. We are still going to get a second Lyme test as these things are so darn inaccurate. The first was inconclusive and the second was negative but that's only with an 80% accuracy rate. Not good enough for our Little Pat.

Note to grandmas: there won't be any pictures for a while until we either get the camera fixed or buy a new one. In the event we have to buy a new one, it could take quite a while.

Bell's Palsy

Wednesday night was quite scary for our little family. I noticed throughout the day that Patrick's smile was a bit crooked but thought he was just smirking. One of his eyes closed more than the other but thought he got a bit of Bette hair in it. I almost thought it was something more serious but then everyone tells me I worry too much.

Right before Jesse got home, Patrick was crying about something -- totally ordinary cry.

Except that...

Only one side of his mouth was moving and only one eye was closing. One side of his face was paralyzed. Jesse walked into the house, saw this and we told each other. ER. Now!

So we get to the ER thinking our baby is having a stroke or has a brain tumor and they usher us into a room. The doc comes thought not as swiftly as I would have liked (okay, Patrick was acting happy).

Turns out it's Bell's Palsy. At some point here recently, Patrick contracted a virus (or maybe Lyme disease) without us knowing. He had some elevations in temp and had been a bit fussy but the ped and I both thought it was teething as neither was severe. She did take a throat culture and it was negative. The inflammation from the virus caused swelling of cranial nerve #7 which is housed in a small, bony canal. When that happened, the myelin sheath, which protects the nerves, was damaged. In adults this is treated with steroids but in peds that doesn't work and therefore the benefits do not outweigh risks.

85% chance he will recover completely. 10% this will show up when he is tired or stressed. 5% that it will not go away. I wonder what the recovery rate is for infants/children is because they are not treated. This does not have anything to do with the brain. I have seen it reported that children recover well from this. Guess 'cause they are still growing and regenerating more than us geezers.

Truly this is such a small thing but my heart breaks a little more each time I see him smile or cry and only one side of his face moves.

You are being watched

After many months of stressing, I have a job. Two small, yoked parishes south of our town. I'm excited and scared -- just a healthy, respectful understanding of the responsibility of leading congregations, nothing truly neurotic. Start date is August 1st. AND, we found child care for Patrick -- Children of America. Jesse and I took a tour today and loved it. On top of everything else, we can access Patrick's classroom via a secure web connection and see what he is up to in class. So cool!

Be Patient!!

I am the type of parent who expects the child to follow the book.

Life says to me: BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Patrick will do what he will do when he is motivated to do it and not in the sort of timely manner that makes it easy for Mommy to chill out.

Thankfully, he has mastered two milestones in the last week.

Patrick now feeds himself with his fingers. Nice to see since he hates to eat. And, he has exchanged sliding around on his back or rolling over and over for slithering around on his tummy. He also gets into an almost hands-and-knees position from sitting so maybe he will crawl someday.

And for weeks he's been pulling himself up on the furniture and his crib and the pews at church. He also likes to walk holding on to our hands.


Oh, and he's getting top teeth.

McDreamy vs Bill Gates

Jesse's hair has Patrick Dempsey potential. Full, very wavy. He let it go way too long between haircuts and I started seeing how great it would be if someone just trimmed it up a little -- it would look like McDreamy. Jesse even said he would ask for such a cut. So, off he goes to the stylist this morning.

(Just so you get an idea that this is not a Hair Butchery, I went to this place last winter and my cut cost $72.)




Does the stylist know who Patrick Dempsey is?? (FYI: for some of you, he is one of the stars of Grey's Anatomy and is known as McDreamy on the show....he is pretty dreamy.)




Or did she look through Jesse to know that he has, er, a more mathematical mind?


Sigh. Maybe next time. (yeah, like when I find the stylist for him and give them the third degree -- oh, and pay for it myself)

Teeth!

Yes, finally. At almost 10 months, Patrick's two lower front teeth are starting to poke through. I have heard that babies who teeth late have healthier teeth. Or is that something nervous mothers tell each other? Oh, and he has started to self-feed with finger foods. But why oh why won't he hold a bottle and give me a break? I know, I should just be glad he is finally taking bottles. Don't have pics of the teeth yet (see below).

Entry for June 8, 2007

There won't be any pictures for a little bit. In a mad cleaning frenzy, I got the vacuum cleaner a little too close to the computer area and it ate the camera cord. While the vacuum made it out alive, the camera cord met an untimely death.

In other more exciting news, Hanna Andersson is coming to Houston!!!!! Hear that Grandmas???!!! This is Patrick's favorite clothing store. Lots of organic cotton, soft, brightly colored clothes for kids -- the sort of clothes that let kids be kids because little girls look like little girls in them and not Britney Spears and boys don't look like they are set and ready for a Nascar race. Now, don't think anything about the prices (and actually, they are better than BabyGap and Janie and Jack). Those clothes are sized to last several months and they do. Patrick has a spring jacket that will also fit him in the fall. As kids get older and start growing at a slower rate, moms tell me that these clothes fit for 2-3 years. They are also of the best quality. The seams are indestructible and the fabrics are densely woven so they last wash after wash. They even have clothes for adults.

Patrick at the Beach

Here is Little Bear at the beach in RI. It was too chilly to actually get in the water on this day (the previous two days were very warm -- bad timing) but we still took him to dip his toes in the water and lay on the beach naked for just a few minutes and get great pictures.

Parker and Paige are absolutely adorable and Parker was just the best playmate with Patrick -- engaging and very gentle at the same time.

Road Trip

Early tomorrow we start on our journey to RI to see the Gates clan (Alan, Jessica, Parker, Paige and Alan's mom, Pat). Just today Patrick started screaming the entire time he was in the car while I ran errands. LOVELY! Should get some great pics out of this trip. More later.

It IS easy being green (or not your mother's cloth diapers)

I always wanted to start off with cloth diapers. Just about everyone laughed at me. Then the breastfeeding was difficult and I had to hook myself up to a pump like a dairy cow and then the skin issues started and on and on. Well, in March I ran across these daipers from www.cottonbabies.com. They are just the best. Almost as easy as disposables and so much better for Patrick. I don't have to worry about weird chemicals near his important parts and his diaper area eczema is completely gone. They have elastic, velcro stretchy tabs, and a nice waterproof outer fabric. There is one catch -- you cannot use Tide, All, or any typical grocery store brand. You also can't use the fancy environmental detergents. Almost all these detergents have chemicals that coat the fabrics....like water off a ducks back! They leak. The good news is that there are many simple, cheap detergents out there that work wonderfully. We found that Trader Joe's "......Next to Godliness." works for us. It's cheap AND environmentally friendly! Every few weeks I put a 1/4 cup of bleach in the load and the diapers are like new.

The Great Poopy of '07

Patrick had the biggest poop we have ever seen. After days of not having any action, he let it all hang out -- EVERYWHERE. This was definitely a two-parent, half the box of wipes and then a bath to top it off clean-up. I am still doing the tainted laundry. We are talking feet, hands, and even ears -- COVERED. It was so tempting to toss the cloth diaper but I was good. We think he lost a good half lb, easy.

I think no pictures this time around is a good thing.

9 Month Well-Check

All is well with Little Pat. He is doing everything on the pediatrician's list of what a 9-month-old should do with the exception of crawling and that is no big deal. Wendy did give us some exercises to do with him because she thinks he isn't using his abductors like he should. He did those exercises fine so there's nothing wrong.

His newest trick is pulling up and he will support himself on a piece of furniture and stand there, ultimately loosing his balance.

Spring pictures

The ones of Patrick sleeping and in the stroller are from March and the two in our backyard from the last couple of weeks. He loves Bette so much!!

Our Little Pat of Butter

Patrick is approaching 9 months of age. Can't believe in three months he will be 1 and no longer a baby. The two questions everyone asks are "Does he have any teeth?" and "Is he crawling?" No and no are the answers. Patrick hates being on his belly but thinks he can walk. He manages to walk across the room while hanging on to our hands. He may never crawl. As to the teeth, well, anytime between 6 and 12 months is normal for the first appearance of teeth. Our pediatrician assures us everything is on target. Patrick babbles every consonant and vowel sound, stringing many together. I think he said "bottle" the other day when I made the sign for it and he is the most social baby I have ever seen. He says mama and dada all the time but I don't know that there is any meaning behind it. He turns pages of books but mostly prefers to chew on the corners. I guess that's about it for now.

I will post pictures soon (we have made some office space adjustments in our house and the computer with the pictures is not always readily available -- going to have to alter that)