Summer Fun

Now that Nate likes the water I'm finding every opportunity to get him in it. And as hot as it has been lately, it hasn't been a problem. We went over to Michael's parents on Friday night to visit. I brought the swimming gear and we took a dip in the pool after dinner. He loved it! It felt so good to cool off. On Saturday we went out on the boat on the Ohio River with my sister's in-laws down in Madison. Another good day to be near water as it was a scorcher! But as long as the boat was moving or we were in the water, we were good to go. It was Nate's first boat ride and I think he liked it--all the bounces and water splashing. He wasn't too sure what to make of the river once he got in it, I don't think anyone is when you're in the beautiful Ohio River, but once he started chewing on his life vest he was fine. We also got to ride in the "water elevator" or the locks for the first time. It was pretty neat to see how you actually get up a dam. After we stopped for gas and grabbed some ice cream we headed back home.

We also took Nate to his first basketball game. We got some discounted Indianapolis Heat (WNBA) tickets through the Guard and so we met a guy in Michael's unit up there for dinner and the game. A couple weeks ago we celebrated Lucas' birthday down at the YMCA in Scottsburg. It was going to be a pool party but the storms closed the pool. We had fun playing with balls and eating cake anyway.

And now we're looking forward to our big trip up to Wisconsin this week. Should be a lot of fun and we're looking forward to spending some time with family and friends.

Busy, Busy, Busy

We've been so busy but when my sister asked me what we were doing, I couldn't exactly say. I don't know what keeps us so busy each day, but there's always something. Isn't that life? Michael's parents came up last week and we cooked out and spent the afternoon playing with Nate and having good conversation. It was nice that they were able to come up. We still didn't have the canopy for the patio and it was too hot to eat out there so we ate inside. I am anxiously awaiting that canopy going up or cooler weather. Or both. We went down to Scottsburg on Saturday for Lucas' birthday party at the YMCA. It was supposed to be a pool party but it started to storm and so they had to close the pool. Afterwards we went back to Jaime and Jeremy's for some dinner and games. We also took Nate to daycare for the first time last week. It was so difficult. I cried before we took him, after we dropped him off, and then we went and picked him up early. If I was to get a full time job, I don't know how I could do it everyday. Everyone says it gets easier, but I don't know. We did enjoy a much needed "we" time that day though. We went out to lunch and went to a movie. Other than that, our days our filled with honey-do lists, cleaning, and other little tasks that seem to consume the day. We had to go shopping last week for a new car seat as Nate has outgrown his. It's crazy to see him in a big car seat; I'm used to his legs hanging over the edge. And I hate that I can't take it out of the car now so if he's asleep and can't just leave him in it. So while I feel like I should have a long list of things to tell you as to why we're so busy, either we're not really that busy or it's just all those little things. But I wouldn't trade it for anything--such a difference going from being lonely and bored to days filled with little tasks and conversation.

Let's Take Him to the Doctor

...just to make sure everything is okay. It's what I was thinking as I woke up to Nate screaming yet again in the middle of the night. He has some good nights and then he has had the nights where he's up so often I feel like neither of us slept at all. He started teething again in mid-June, but 3 of those little teeth have popped through and so I didn't think he should be in that much pain anymore. And then I read an article in my Parents magazine about how parents often mistake babies getting up in the middle of the night for teething when really there are other causes, such as an ear infection. While he wasn't showing a lot of signs of an ear infection--no pulling at the ears, temperature, extreme fussiness--he has been upset with me whenever I clean his left ear at bath time. So, after another long night this past weekend, I decided to take him in on Monday.

Sure enough. The doctor said it wasn't a full blown ear infection but he does have fluid behind the ear--which also explains his runny nose. So he's on amoxicillin for that. We also asked about his pooping. He was pooping more regularly but now it's just a couple times a week. And the thing that was most concerning is that it seems painful when he does poop and is the consistency of clay. I know, you love all the details! So it seems as though he's suffering from a bit of constipation. We are starting with dietary changes first, more fruits like apricots, peaches, and prunes and cutting out bananas and dairy. He needs to drink 4oz of juice a day as well. Hopefully this will take care of it, although it will be hard to determine if it is working now that he's on antibiotics, which may cause diarrhea. So we might have to wait until he is done with his meds and then see if the changes in his diet work. If not, then he'll have to start on miralax daily, long term. We're hoping it doesn't come to that. We also asked about his eczema. Some days it bothers him so bad he just scratches until his skin is bright red and almost raw. So the doctor prescribed some cream to put on twice a day. It will be a trial and error until we figure out exactly what strength cream he needs and so now he's on the medium strength. We also need to bathe him in different soap (Dove, Cetaphil, etc.) and the lotion needs to be mild (aquafor, eucerin, etc.) so no more smelling like baby lotion. :( But hopefully that will help his poor sensitive skin.

We Have a Patio

I've been wanting a patio for so long now, I can't believe we finally have one! The patio guys came out on Tuesday and surprisingly were done on Tuesday. It was a quick process, much quicker than I thought. They finished up cutting the lines on it this morning. It looks beautiful and is much bigger than I imagined (perfect for a dining set AND a firepit). It will be a perfect place to spend time outdoors.

Yesterday we spend the entire day in search of a patio set. Did we find one? Of course not. I was a little disappointed, but I'm glad we didn't just settle for something we weren't happy with. We found a couple that we liked, but one of them the table was cheaply made but the chairs were wonderful and the other one the table was beautiful but not sturdy and the chairs were not as comfortable. We decided that we didn't want to spend that kind of money, and we're talking some money, on something we're not completely thrilled about. We planned on eventually getting a picnic table so when we have get togethers there's a place for everyone to sit. So we decided to just go with the picnic table now and get a nice patio set next summer. Now all we need is a canopy for shade as the patio sits on the west side and is blazing hot in the evening. I can't wait to move the grill out there and set things up and have our first cook out on the new patio.