Michael's Development Blog

We took Michael to Grandpa P's on Christmas eve eve and Allison and Darius came up on Christmas eve for dinner and presents. Michael liked cottage cheese for a while but then started spitting it out. Michael had fun with the packaging for his presents. We took Michael to Immaculate Conception for 5pm Christmas Mass and he was great. He loved listening to the singing and the bells ringing. At one point he slimed Grandpa's cheek with a wad of snot and a puff got stuck to Grandpa's cheek and people in the row behind us thought it was hysterical. Dad had a friend, Julie (?) sitting next to him that he was playing peek-a-boo with and he loved to tear up the programs. Michael liked the plastic Christmas tree at immaculate conception and the fire pit. Michael said "More" after eating a pound of food and we thought he was done. We went to Grandma and Papa Bianchi's and he had gotten a bit better at unwrapping presents. He enjoyed playing with his blocks and t...

Michael had a blast at this year's Friend Christmas hosted by the Lesh's. James got Michael a couple really cool block puzzles that he is going to love. It looked like Josephine was going to like the toy that Michael got her in the secret Santa but she didn't actually get to play with it because it was too big. Michael enjoyed all the excitement, playing with James, Phillip, Josephine, and meeting little Jeanette who was sharing this First Christmas with him.

Well we're all sick, including Michael. He woke up this morning with 102 degree fever, quickly knocked down to 100 with a dose of Tylenol. He's still strangely chipper despite being clearly uncomfortable. He wants to have fun and be happy but he feels icky so he randomly starts crying. Hopefully it's over quick and we can get back to normal. Yesterday he took a couple unassisted and unsupported steps a few times, all of which daddy missed because he was laying in bed sick :( One time he was standing against grandma Curtin and took two steps over to the couch. Another time he walked two steps between the walls of the baby jail. This morning he took two-three steps from his box toward his pacifier on the floor. Michael has also been pointing at things that he's interested in and he noticed all the new Christmas decorations. He particularly likes the blinking snowmen.

Michael has probably been signing "more" for at least a month but Rachel and I just figured it out in the last couple days because it's so similar to his sign for "all done." Now that we know though, feeding time is a bit simpler. My last post about him making the sign seems to have been a bit of a fluke. He's definitely saying "Mama" and "Dada" now. It seems like he's saying something like "doggie" and maybe "duck." Sometimes it's hard to tell which of the "d" words he's saying. He also says "Hi" and "Hello" now. Michael had been pulling his hair out, mostly on the left side of his head, for a couple weeks so we decided to shave his head to break the habit. I did the shaving and he seemed to quite enjoy the sensation. When we were done Rachel shaved my head so that we could be twins :) Seeing everybody for Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. He loved playing with Jenny and Ch...

Michael signed "more." His left hand was pointed as it should be and he tapped his open right palm instead of rubbing his hands together as he does when he signs "done." In the last couple weeks he has started saying "Mama" and "Dada" with meaning. He's said "Hi" and to our great amusement he said "burp" when we asked him to after Anton burped. He's walking very well assisted now but still doesn't really have the motivation to make the switch...he just crawls too fast.

Didn't really want to share this but life happens and I'm not the first or last. This was probably the most traumatic thing ever to happen to me, even though Michael was over it in just a few minutes. I'll never be the same after the feeling I had feeling him slip out of my fingers and the sound he made hitting the floor. I managed to slow him a bit but he fell behind me so I couldn't catch him. He fell from my shoulder because he lurched himself backwards and he was in his pjs which allowed his leg to slip inside of them and my hand to slip around them...He landed prone on the linoleum of the kitchen floor and cried for about 3 minutes. We took him to the ER at Mary Bridge but we can't even find a bruise on him...I get sick when I think about how things might have been different had he landed just a little differently.

He was three paces up the wall of his jail today...I thought that would be useful for a bit longer...

Michael is initiating games of peek-a-boo now. Very awesome, quite often while changing his diaper. He's also waving occasionally and likely said "hi" the other day. Other words such as "Mama" and "Dada" have been sid many times but we've yet to note any clear association with our persons when he says them. Lost some momentum toward walking because he crawls so well now but if I hold his hand and drag him along he does take alternating steps and he stands against everything so it shouldn't be long.

First taste of orange juice cut with water...and first use of sippy cup. He likes the juice and is fascinated by the cup but doesn't really consume much.

First exposure to stairs found him at the top of Grandma and Grandpa Curtin's deck stairs in an instant.

Standing unsupported for several seconds at a time and gets very excited :) Has been saying "Mama" and "Dada" for a couple weeks but not clearly associated with us...probably just a sound exercise at this point.

Last weekend Michael pulled himself into a kneeling position on Saturday in his crib. On Sunday he was pulling himself up to standing on anything he could use. A couple weeks ago he started crawling in earnest and now he can get across the room in a flash to get to anything he shouldn't be playing with.

Crawls for a few paces for the past week or so...won't be long now. Spitup has improved quite a bit over the last week, still not gone but not a constant anymore.

Been pushing himself up into crawling position for a week now. Seems like he will begin crawling very soon. Still Spitting up like crazy, hoping to stop the rinididine meds tomorrow as they're not doing anything.

Followup about rinididine/reflux  Rx. Increased dose to 2mL from 1.8mL 2x per day and suggested starting solid food. Still spitting up copious amounts, been taking rinidine for 2 weeks without change.

Michael has begun talking way more lately, it's AMAZING! :D Completely graduated from newborn diapers to #1s...just means more waste :P

Michael had a great time :) First Game Album

2 Months Old! Visit with Dr. Cogley went well. Spit-up issue is nothing to be concerned about, just keep trying the drops, it's "normal." Incision looks good. Weight gain is good. Received vaccinations like a champ. Michael has been spitting up A LOT of his milk intake. It's almost unheard of to feed him and not have him spit up. Grandma Curtin made us some very nice spit up ponchos that work great for keeping us clean but it's still a frustrating mess at each meal-time.

Surgery to repair a right inguinal hernia at Mary Bridge. It will be very nice to not have to massage that thing back in at every diaper change now. Censored hernia pic Not a fan :(

Anton observed a large hernia on his right side (lower abdominal). Anton massaged it back in and heard swishing sound as he did (like intestinal fluid). May have seen it again (smaller) on Feb. 12. Will be seeing the Dr. on the 13th to have it checked out.

Michael is not pooping enough but has not lost too much weight. Dr. Cogley says that he is healthy overall.

Passed his hearing tests even though they determined that he still has some fluid in each ear. Passed respiratory tests and oxygen saturation.

First contractions began tonight at around 9pm. Rachel has been feeling sick with a headache. Rachel's family left earlier today and predicted that she would go into labor because she wasn't feeling well. We waited until the contractions came together, headed in to Harrison Silverdale and sat in their labor triage room for several hours because Rachel wasn't dilated yet but was in enough pain that they didn't want to send her home. Rachel was admitted at around 7am, received an epidural and Michael was born at 14:46.