Dada

Matthew has really started to copy the sounds we make when speaking to him. The most recent is saying Dada. Now he doesn't say it when he looks at Ryan, but will say it after one of us say it to him. I tried Mama, buy all we got was "mmmmmmmmmmm" which is a start! He also has been doing the "dede" sound probably because our daycare provider's name is Deah and it is so close to the dada. In other news, Matthew is working on two, possibly three new teeth. The top two have been troublesome for him lately, along with one on the bottom next to his other two that are already in. I will be taking him tomorrow to the doctor to get him checked out. We are 99.9% positive he has another ear infection. What else is new right? So, we will keep you posted on that one.

In crawling news, Matthew continues to move backwards and pivots a lot on his belly to get to the things he desires. He is happy with this method of moving, who knows if he will ever crawl forward?? He is now trying to pull himself up onto things. He tries all the time with the couch and table in the family room. We put him on his knees in his crib and he grabbed the bars and just started laughing. It was a whole new way of looking at his world.

He also moved into his "big boy" car seat last week and is enjoying the new scenery out the back window. I constantly catch smiles and little giggles from his as he catches his reflection in the side window or when we drive under a canopy of trees. He is just taking in every moment and enjoying it all. So are we! I think that is all the most recent news. Have a great weekend!

Happy Again!

Matthew is back to himself again after a brief scare from the allergic reaction. He was given a shot of epinepherine and then steroids that he took for three days. This morning the hives are barely noticeable! We went back to the doctor yesterday for a re-check and his ear infection is all cleared up for now. So keep your fingers crossed!

He is laughing again and trying to crawl as usual, so we know he is feeling much better. He is still a pro at moving backwards! He does big circles now until he gets to the object he wants, like the table and magazines, or the satellite receiver. He also has been standing pretty good too. We still support his waist, but can stand (well balance) for a few seconds before falling.

I added some new photos to the February 2008 album of Matthew eating zwieback toast for the first time. He enjoyed it and boy was it messy! We hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day too!

Allergic Reaction

When I got Matthew up today and fed him his morning bottle, he seemed just fine. Then I noticed his neck was red, but I thought it was from him laying on my arm. Then I turned on the lights and it looked like he had been in the sun for ten hours. I undressed him and that is when I saw the hives and huge welts on his body. Needless to say I was pretty freaked out! I got him to the doctor this morning to learn that he was having an allergic reaction to penicillin, just like his daddy. I thought it was weird that he had been on the antibiotic for a week and now was showing signs, but they said it was perfectly normal. So, we will be staying away from penicillin for quite a while. The doctor said many babies outgrow the allergy and we can try again in a few years. As for the hives, they will go away in 2-3 days. He is on a new antibiotic to help clear the double ear infection from last week which is still here, though not nearly as bad as last week. He has been cranky and not too happy today, I would too if I was covered with these hives. Diaper changes seem to be the most difficult for him to handle, probably due to all the friction and rubbing on the hot spots. The pictures I posted show it all. It seems to be more painful for Ryan and I though than it is for Matthew.

Other than that Matthew is doing very well. He is a pro at moving backwards and circling until he reaches his target. He has taken a few small nudges forward while rocking on his knees. I took some video and will post it as soon as I have time. So, in the meantime you can look at the hives photos if you want. Poor guy!

Health Update!

I took Matthew to the pediatrician for a follow-up to his hospital visit Sunday. His wheezing is much better, but still has a cough. He still doesn't want to eat much (only two-three ounces at a meal) and really could care less for the solids last night, so we are still pushing the Pedialyte to get the fluids and nutrients in him. He does, however, have a double ear infection. It is a direct result of the virus he has and usually takes a few days to show up, which is why it was not diagnosed on Sunday. He is on an antibiotic for the ear infection and will have another check-up in two weeks. The doctor said today that this is the worst year in ten years for the RSV virus and the "season" will run until mid-March. SO we are keeping our finger crossed that he doesn't get it again. That is all for now. We posted some new photos on our photo site. Click here to see them! Enjoy!

Happy Eight Month Birthday Matthew!

Well, I am not sure we should say it was a happy day by any means. We started the day with Matthew at Bronson for what we thought was a cough and ear infection. He had a mild cough that started during the week. Well his cough got worse last night and he has a pretty high fever and he started vomiting after we fed him his bottles because of the coughing. He is teething again and has been a drooling, runny nose mess, so we thought the coughing was s result of the drainage. We wanted to make sure anyway, so I took him in this morning. Well, it turns out he has bronchiolitis as a result of the RSV virus (a respiratory virus). He was given a breathing treatment at the hospital, but it did little for him. Unfortunately there are not antibiotics for him to have since it is viral, we just have to wait this one out.

I got him home and gave him smaller bottles (about 1.5 ounces at a time) in ten minute increments, to prevent the coughing and vomiting. He was vomiting as a result of coughing so hard. He washes the formula down with some Pedialyte or water. The Pedialyte really seemed to help him get his strength back. After the afternoon of short feedings and a long nap, we started to see the old Matthew back again, babbling, bouncing and smiling. We inclined his mattress for the evening and have his humidifier on full power to make his room better to breathe. I will take him to the pediatrician tomorrow for a follow-up appointment to make sure he is doing better. He is already a whole different kid than this morning or last night. I will also add that Matthew now weighs 17 pounds!

Tomorrow we will also take Matthew to his great-grandfather's memorial service (if he is doing better). His great-grandpa George Merrill passed away last week. We were very luck that Grandpa Merrill got to meet Matthew.

On a happier note, WAY TO GO GIANTS! We were rooting for the underdog and to have Plaxico Burress, a former Spartan catch the winning touchdown and beat Tom Brady, a former Wolverine...Well it was a nice way to end the weekend!