One Year Appointment

Gus took Nikos to his one year well-baby appointment today, and it went great! I can't really afford to take the time off of work right now, since I am already really low on sick days (which I'll need for maternity leave). So Daddy flew solo, and had no problems! Nikos weighed in at 22 lbs, 2 oz (just under the 50th percentile) and measured 30.25 inches long (65th percentile). He's starting to stretch out!! He's nearly 11 inches taller than he was when he was born-- it's so hard to believe that he was ever that tiny! Anyhow, he had four shots, and took them like a real trooper. He's been his normal happy self all afternoon-- no reactions whatsoever, which is excellent news! :)

In other excellent (but otherwise completely unrelated) news... The Phillies won the World Series tonight! Not like we are big Phillies fans or anything (or even baseball fans, for that matter), but this is special because their star pitcher's mother has been my classroom aide for the past three years. My students have all been following the series with great enthusiasm because they feel like the "know" a celebrity. So it's really great that they were able to win their first title in decades. Go Phillies! :)

A New Trick

So... Mr. Nikos has learned to be defiant!! haha! He's learned how to vigorously shake his head "no," and sometimes even accompanies the head shaking with something that sounds like "no-no-no-no-no!" Of course, he thinks it's HILARIOUS (and we tend to agree). Here is our conversation from breakfast this morning (at 6am... which is why it's so dark!). I love it!!!


On a marginally-related note... He has started handing things to me lately (toys, remote controls, etc.), and I always say "THANK you!!" in an exaggerated voice. Now when he hands me things, he says something that sounds like "DAG da," which I swear is his attempt at copying me. It's so cute!

READ THE SHIRT

So, there's no real way to hide it any longer: I'm pregnant!!!! We found out on Friday, August 29th, the day before Nikos' baptism, and couldn't be happier. My due date is May 11th (though I'll likely have a scheduled c-section on May 7th or 8th), and things have been going really well so far. We are so excited about the new Littlest P., and we think that Nikos is going to be the sweetest, most wonderful older brother. We've been blessed with one wonderful little person already, and are certain that #2 will be just as great!

And in case you were wondering... I have been blogging about all of this in secret! Of course! As of right now, all of those blog posts are being made public, so you can go back and look for them. The subjects are all marked with an asterisk (*), or you can click here to see them all on one page. We've already seen the little peanut on ultrasound one time, and will hopefully find out the sex on December 17th. Hooray! :)

Birthday Party Photo Extravaganza!

Alright, so this kid has enough toys to last until he's 30 (assuming he likes toddler toys until then). Holy moly! The party was great, and the guest of honor was in a good mood all day (hooray!). Here are some pictures from his big day! :)

12 Month Letter

Dear Nikos,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, little man!! It is completely unreal to think that you are a year old today. The past twelve months have been such a rollercoaster. Sometimes the hours and days have marched by at a snail's pace; mostly, though, time has passed shockingly quickly. And while this day is a celebration of your first year of life, it also marks a milestone for Mommy and Daddy: we survived!!! :)

Just a year ago, at this time in the morning, I was in the hospital wondering when you would decide to make your entrance. I had no idea that the next few hours would see me suddenly start throwing up and your heart rate dropping unexpectedly. Or that I would be wheeled into the operating room for an emergency C-section. But at 12:08pm, right at lunchtime, you entered our world and changed it forever. Right from the start, we couldn't believe what a miracle you were. And to this day, we still look at you and wonder how we could have created this amazing little human being, full of his own unique personality.

This year has been filled with too many changes to enumerate here, but to summarize: you've gone from being a wrinkled pink crying machine to being a curious, strong-willed, giggling machine (with curly hair!). You are on the verge of walking independently. You eat just about anything, though you love lunch meat and chunks of cheddar cheese. You're drinking regular old milk now-- as in, the kind from a cow! You have such an amazing smile that can get you out of just about any situation. And that smile is made up of not one, not two, but SIX teeth! That's right! You cut four teeth in just the past month. You have been a busy guy!

As of late, you say pretty much three words: "dada," "mama," and "uh-oh." I'm 99% sure that you actually mean "uh-oh," as you tend to use it when you fall down or do something you aren't supposed to (like throw your food off the highchair). You say quite a few other "words," too, and like to respond in a conversational tone. Unfortunately for us, we have no idea what these words mean! Soon enough, though, they are bound to become clearer. And we can't wait to hear what you've been trying to tell us all this time!

Nikos, being your parents this past year has not been an easy job. We've lost a lot of sleep, and given up so much of ourselves to see to your happiness. And you know what? It's been worth every second. I wish that I could bottle up the joy that you have brought to us this past year, and give it back to you when you're older. Even if you experience just a fraction of the happiness you've filled our life with, you'll understand why it was worth it. And why we love you more than life itself. You are our #1 boy, and we will love you forever. Happy Birthday, sweet baby boy.

All Our Love,
Mommy & Daddy

*Shortness of Breath

I had a realization today... For no obvious reason, I found myself very short of breath while trying to deliver a science lesson this afternoon. I instantly thought back to when I was pregnant with Nikos, and that happened a LOT. And believe me, I am used to talking quite a bit, and don't usually have this problem! I actually had to stop talking to just catch my breath for a minute, and the kids laughed (I did it in an exaggerated way and told them that I talked too much-- so true!). Anyway, isn't that weird? The baby is the size of a fig-- not exactly pressing on my lungs yet. I think that I must just have a higher oxygen requirement, now that my body is pumping so much more blood. It was like I'd run a few laps, when I am quite sure I did not.

Ah, the joys of pregnancy! :P

Cuteness!

Three posts in one day-- things have been busy! :) Anyway, this was too cute not to share. He's been pushing his walker on his own for the past couple of days, so we had to document it for posterity. :)


Ok, I can't stop-- one more! I liked the funny things he was doing with his lips! :)

I'm not a doctor, but...

I don't think Nikos has a sinus infection, despite the doctor's prognosis. Of course, I'll still give him the antibiotics, but I am CONVINCED that it's Roseola instead. And a textbook case, at that! He's had a minor cold for about a week now, and then suddenly developed a high fever that lasted for 2.5 days. The fever broke, and now he is covered with tiny red spots (see pics--zoom in!). They aren't bumpy, don't seem to bother him at all, and he's in a great mood.


Now with that in mind, read this definition of Roseola. Sound about right? And check out this photo, too-- that could be Nikos' belly, if I didn't know better! So I am positive it's Roseola. The doctor just couldn't make the diagnosis without the visible rash, so she had to assume that the fever was due to some sort of infection. And since Nikos had a cold all week, and his ears looked fine, she figured it must be in his sinuses. Like I said, he'll still get the antibiotics... But I am feeling vindicated, since I told Gus I thought it might be Roseola last night!

Oh, and the icing on the cake... Bonnie (our daycare lady) came out to talk to us as we were leaving for the doctor's office last night, and told us there was some sort of a virus going around where the kids ended up with rashes. Sounds like Roseola to me!

Little Sickie

Well, last night was... eventful, to say the least!

On Friday afternoon, when I picked Nikos up from daycare, he was running a fever of 102.7-- his highest ever. After giving him some acetaminophen, it had dropped to 101 by bedtime. He was fine overnight, and his temperature hovered near 100 when he woke up. Throughout the day, though, it began to creep back up-- even with periodic doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen. When we woke from his afternoon nap, it was higher than ever-- 102.9-- so I called the nurse advice line. The nurse I spoke with was great, and she scheduled an after-hours pediatric appointment for us. At 8:45 last night! It was such an odd time to have an appointment, but we were relieved to get some answers. I began to notice some tiny red spots appearing on his back and belly, which just added to the worry. We put him down for the night as normal, then gently transferred him to the car when it was time to go. He slept the entire way there.

We got in to see the doctor really quickly, and she determined that he probably has a sinus infection. She prescribed antibiotics, which we are starting this morning. He definitely didn't have an ear infection, and she said that the spots were a fever rash (common with a high fever). We drove back home, and he quickly conked out in his crib again. It all went pretty smoothly, we thought!

Until 11:30, that is. He woke up SCREAMING! Not just whimpering, but full-on screaming! Gus and I both rushed into his room. He was SO hot-- like a little furnace-- and he would NOT calm down. Not even long enough for me to give him some medicine. We held him down so I could take him temperature, and were shocked to see that it had climbed to 103.5!! He was burning up! He was shivering as I held him, and tears were streaming down his face. It was SO scary, but we managed to get through it. Eventually, he calmed down enough so I could give him his medicine. We also gave him a sippy cup of water, and turned on his cool mist humidifier (which cools down the room a little bit). After much rocking and pacing and snuggling, I laid him back down in his crib, and he drifted off to sleep. We didn't hear a peep from him after that.

Anyway... that was our night! The good news is that he feels nice and cool this morning, and he slept in for an hour and a half past his normal wake time. We'll start the antibiotics today, which should help a lot. I just hope our little guy is back to 100% in time for his birthday next weekend! Think healthy thoughts!

First Haircut!

We got Nikos' hair cut for the first time today... and he hated every second of it! He started screaming as soon as we put him into the cute little car-shaped seats they have for kids, so Gus ended up having to sit down in a regular chair and hold him in his lap. He was just NOT having it. He did, however, manage to get a pretty good cut (amazing, considering how much movement there was!). That lady knew what she was doing! Anyway, here are some pictures from the event...

One Year Ago Today...

...was my due date! I thought that he would be born within a few days, for sure! In retrospect, I find this laughable. I don't know that Nikos would have EVER decided to come out on his own-- I could still be pregnant today! It matches with his personality, too-- he is the type of kiddo who will not do something unless it's on his own terms (hmm, who does he get that from??). He had no plans to come out until he was good and ready!

Anyway, with his birthday only 9 days away, it's amazing to think about how much he's changed in only a short time. A year ago, he was kicking and spinning around in my belly. Now, he wiggles and bounces while he holds on to various toys (his version of dancing). That little baby who I was so eager to meet is now a real little person with likes and dislikes and definite personality traits. It's totally mind-boggling that all this could happen in one short year.

sigh... I'm starting to get sappy about this whole birthday thing. I'll just stop now.

Flashback

I had the worst feeling last night.

I could hear the wind, rattling the awning over our back porch and knocking things over. It was warmer than it has been (as it always is when we have these Santa Anas). I knew that at least one fire was already burning at Camp Pendleton. And it literally made my stomach turn to think that this could be another month of wildfires for us, two years in a row.

Luckily (for us), there aren't any fires anywhere near us at the moment. But I hope that all our friends and family members in Southern California are okay, and that nobody has had to evacuate. Honestly, having to evacuate last October while 41 weeks pregnant was one of the scariest and most emotional moments of my entire life. Not only did we have to pack our lives into the backs of our cars, but we had to try and anticipate what we would need to take care of a newborn (and being first-time parents, that was no easy task). The thought of losing the nursery, which was all decorated and ready for Nikos' arrival, was too much to bear. I am just so thankful that we were safe, our home was unscathed, and that we had a healthy baby boy a few days later (literally-- we evacuated on Monday, returned home Tuesday, I went to the hospital on Wednesday, and he was born on Thursday).

Still, I could do without the high winds and dry weather. A fire-free October would be great, wouldn't it?

*Meet the Peanut!

I had my first doctor's appointment today, and was surprised to get an ultrasound! If you'll remember back to my first appointment with Nikos, I was sorely disappointed to NOT get one. The letter that the office sends out clearly states that there is an ultrasound at the first visit (to date the pregnancy), but the Nurse Practitioner I saw that day assured me that I was incorrect and made me feel like a huge idiot. She was actually a substitute for my REAL N.P., who had just broken her arm and was out of commission for a while. In talking with her (the real Nurse Practitioner) today, she told me that her substitute had been unfamiliar with the old ultrasound machine that they use, and had avoided doing the ultrasounds for the first three or four days when she was substituting. And of course, with my luck, my appointment fell during those first few days. I ended up getting an ultrasound at the second appointment, but was still baffled (and irritated) by the letter I had gotten from the office. It just didn't make sense!

Anyway... I went to the appointment today thinking that it would be no big deal-- we'd go over my medical history and I'd pee in a cup, just like last time. Gus had today off from work (Columbus Day), and my parents had come down to help him work on various projects around the house. Since we didn't expect any excitement at the appointment, Gus stayed home with my dad and kept working, while my mom decided to tag along with me to the appointment. And then I was floored when the N.P. told me I'd be having an ultrasound. Before I knew it, I was staring at this little gummy bear on the screen, flapping its nubby little arms and legs and twisting around!

It was so awesome, seeing this little peanut and knowing that it's real!! The nurse said my due date is definitely May 11th, and that I'm measuring about 10 weeks and 3 days. We saw the heartbeat flickering and everything. After that, I got sent down the hall to do my bloodwork (they had to draw 6 vials' worth, yuck!), and then we headed on home. All in all, a great day, I must say! :)

Pumpkin Patch Pic Extravaganza

We're back! The pumpkin patch we went to was really neat! It was really chilly when we arrived, and Nikos was very uncertain about the entire thing. But as it warmed up and got more crowded, he seemed to enjoy himself more. Then, as we were eating our lunch in the picnic area, we discovered that we were sitting less than 15 feet right behind Kori, Ryan, and Owen! Small world, especially considering this pumpkin patch is about a 45 minute drive from our neck of the woods! Anyway, we had fun, and I got some good pictures of my almost-one-year-old (*sniff!*). Enjoy! :)

Uh-oh!

No, I don't have anything worrisome to post about... It's just that "uh-oh!" is what I've been hearing all. day. long. Nikos has a new word! He says it whenever he drops (or throws) something, and it is just the cutest thing ever! He'll sit in his highchair and start throwing things overboard, and each time he'll say "uh-oh!" clear as day. And he'll copy me if I say it, too. I can't even describe the level of cuteness, because it's impossible!

Another adorable new habit our little guy has picked up is holding the phone up to his ear. Give him any phone (house phone, cell phone) and he holds it up to his ear with an expectant look on his face. He doesn't always hold it the right way, and he often tries to do the same thing with the remote, but it is hilarious and fun to watch nonetheless!

Anyhow... Just wanted to post a short update! As soon as Nikos wakes up from his nap, we'll be heading out for a day at a local pumpkin patch/farm. They have live entertainment, a petting zoo, hayrides-- the works! So I'm sure I'll have a million pictures to share later. Until then...

A Few Pics

I haven't posted any pics recently, so thought I'd share these two of our guy from Friday afternoon! I can't believe how wildly curly his hair has become-- someone will be getting his first haircut before his birthday party!

Quick Update

Aaack! Things have been so busy lately that it's been hard to post on here! Anyway, there have been two big developments in Nikos-land. The first is that we have a third tooth! Hooray! Last Friday, September 26th, lucky number three decided to cut its way through his gums. This one is his top-right-front tooth, and it's a sharp little bugger! I'm so glad it's out, too, because he was NOT a fun little person to be around last week!

The second big thing (at least, it's big to me!) is that he says "mama!!!" FINALLY! My days have been filled with "dada," "dad," and "daddy," but he hardly even made the "m" sound, let alone "mama." Fast forward to today, when he said "mama! mom! mama!" over and over and over again. I still don't think he associates it with me, but just hearing it feels so good! He's also started to copy us when we say "uh-oh," though his version sounds more like "uh-uh." So cute!!! And the other day, I swore he said something that sounded like "thank you" when I handed him his bottle. I doubt that's what he said, but still! I can't wait to hear what he says next! :) :)