Weekend Getaway

Ewan enjoyed his first weekend adventure to Oma and Opa's mountain house. Josh and I took the boys there this past weekend...our initial hope was to see some snow with the boys but it was in the 60s!! There is a snow tubing place there, but couldn't even do that since Jack would have to ride alone and he just isn't old enough for that yet.

We had a great time anyway. We enjoyed a fire in the wood burning fireplace, took a short hike, found a great playground and ate well. Jack still loves it up there. Hopefully we'll have time to enjoy it more in the future, whatever that holds for us. Looks like Josh's job will end in July so we hope to find something before then...preferably here in Columbia!

Jack is finally learning a few more things. Well I should say he always learns, he's just now starting to repeat things like we ask!! He will say "mama" after much begging. He will also now point to his ears when we ask him where they are. Slowly but surely I'm getting him to do a little more. He would rather play of course!

This morning we decorated valentine cookies with our playgroup at the house. Jack wasn't much of a help except in eating a cookie! He does love to eat cookies and knows that word now! We look forward to Uncle Nick coming to visit this Thursday. He'll be here for Valentine's Day and is cooking a yummy dinner for the family. Uncle Nick rocks!! Valentine's Day is big in our family and we're thrilled he'll be here to celebrate with us.

Not much else new going on. Just the usual chasing Jack off the kitchen table, out of the trash can etc. He keeps me very busy!!

Tomorrow Ewan has his follow-up visit with the surgeon. He is recovery very well. The only problem is he doesn't care for his eating schedule. He is limited to no more than 4 oz per meal every 3 hours and he would rather have more at a time. So...he gets very fussy when he is hungry. He gets up at night a little more too since he is hungry. Hopefully the doctor will let us start putting cereal back in his bottles to fill his belly better. He's a big eater like his older brother!

No pics this time around...cable is upstairs and I'm exhausted!

Ewan's Surgery

Ewan's first illness was not a reaction to his vaccines nor a virus he picked up at the pediatrician's...it ended up being pyloric stenosis. Wednesday Ewan was still vomiting so I took him to the pediatrician. They tried to stimulate his bowels, no luck getting a BM out of him. After looking him over the doc suggested it might be pyloric stenosis. I quickly learned that this means the muscle between the stomach and intestines is too big, as a result it won't open. Therefore all the food goes to the stomach and then comes back up since it has nowhere to go.

Thursday we had an appointment for an upper GI test at the hospital. I woke Ewan at 4:30 that morning to feed him one more time since he would not be allowed to eat after 6AM. He vomitted up that meal as well. I had a meltdown and cried...it was so difficult to see him look confused and hurting when he would vomit, yet still remain hungry. I washed his hair a little since it got dirty with vomit and Josh decided he would go with me to the doctor.

Oma arrived to take care of Jack and Josh, Ewan and I were off to the hospital. The upper GI test was relatively painless. Ewan drank a bottle of barium and then had x-rays taken to see how he digested the barium. The x-rays showed it stayed in his stomach, a VERY SMALL amount went to the intestines. So we were off for an ultrasound to confirm it...and it did.

So before you know it they were saying we needed surgery and it would be right now! At the ped's office they said usually they would try to medicate it first so I was a little shocked to be going straight to surgery.

After much waiting in the children's hospital admissions floor we got a room. The place was booked!! so we ended up getting a room on the cancer floor. The nurses there don't see many babies so they were glad to see us.

Ewan had his blood checked...not an easy task since they couldn't find a vein because he was dehydrated. Then he got an IV....in his head. It was very difficult to listen to his screaming while he got poked so many times trying to find veins in his little body but I managed to survive it all somehow.

It took some time but by 7 that night he was in surgery. Oma and Opa brought Jack to meet us in the waiting room. The surgery lasted about an hour. Ewan had a breathing tube during the surgery (luckily I never had to see this)! Josh and I went to see him in recovery, he needed to stay there for an hour. Josh took Jack back to Ewan's room and I held Ewan in recovery. His little oxygen mask was there (though he was no longer using it). Once his hour was up they wheeled us back to his room (I was sitting in a recliner holding him...they wheeled us in the recliner).

Jack checked out his IV tube and after a while the big boys headed home. I spent the night with Ewan in the hospital. His first meal was at midnight and he had a strict schedule. If he vomitted he would have to repeat a step. He did well and by morning I went to the kitchen to get some oatmeal. When I returned he had vomitted! So we had to repeat that meal.

He did relatively well during the day but his appetite was low. Oma and Jack came for a visit and Josh came for lunch. As he was beginning his final meal of the schedule he vomitted. Well because it was late in the day they decided we would have to spend the night again. BUMMER!

Josh and Jack came for dinner and after sometime in the playroom across the hall Jack and I headed home. It was Daddy's turn to spend the night with Ewan.

I called Josh the next morning and Ewan did well, one vomit during the night but held down his last 2 full meals. Jack and I picked up bagels and went to the hospital. After finally seeing the doctor they kicked up out!! YIPEE!!!

I have never been so excited to go home in my life! Ewan is now recovering at home and doing very well. This was an experience we never wish to repeat. I will say, though, that we had a few positive things come of this. We learned how fabulous the staff is at the new children's hospital in Columbia! And I got to spend some special bonding time with my little boy. I haven't had a chance to just hold him like that for so long since I also have Jack at home! Both boys enjoyed flirting with all the nurses!!!

Thanks to everyone who sent their love and prayers.

Ewan's First Illness

Over the weekend Ewan started vomiting....a side effect of his immunizations we thought. Well by Tuesday AM he was still having problems and after discussing it with the nurse at the ped office we've decided he likely picked up some bug while he was in the office there. The good news is they usually last 72 hours, and we're just about at the end there!! Other than vomiting he is relatively happy, still smiling and showing off for Jens while he was here. So I'm hoping it all ends sometime today, especially since I've about had it with laundry and cleaning the furniture and carpets! Our poor little guy has already had his first illness at just over 2 months old but is handling it like a trooper.

Jack, on the other hand, is very healthy. A little too much....full of energy. He is climbing all over the place, especially on the kitchen and dining room tables. He's fallen a couple times, but that doesn't stop him from doing it again. He's lost one of his favorite things, the heat registers. Josh painted them all with Rustoleum and glued them down so Jack can no longer pull them up and slam them on the floor or suck them!

Over the weekend Jack enjoyed his first PB&J sandwich. Despite all the peanut allergy debate, we finally decided to let him have peanut butter. With no allergies in our families we figured it would be safe...we gave him some organic pb and he loved it. So at least this gives us another option for lunch.

Last night Jack came downstairs after getting his pjs on and Josh told me to look at him....Josh hiked his pants up since they a too long! Jack didn't care for this old man look, couldn't see his belly button! I commented that the only thing missing to complete this old man look was suspenders...Josh improvised and you can see the entertaining look in his photo!!!

Jack continues to show his independence. He no longer wants his banana cut up for breakfast. He insists on eating the whole thing like a big boy! He's growing up so fast.

We'll be laying low for a couple days to make sure Ewan gets over his bug. We had to cancel a playdate today and tomorrow, don't want to get anyone else sick. Luckily Jack didn't get it. And I was looking forward to getting out!! Oh well, the focus now is healthy boys, I'll just have to entertain Jack here when I have a spare moment.

Giant Boys

We've returned from the pediatrician and before I forget...or before the boys wake up and keep me busy, thought I would update everyone on their stats.

Jack (15 months) is 33.5 inches tall (97%) and weighs 25 lb 10 oz (50-75%). So my big boy continues to be long and lean. He survived his shots and only cried for a few seconds before he got a chocolate bunny which distracted him (not solid chocolate bunny like Easter, organic chocolate cookie bunny)!

Ewan (2 months) is 25.25 inches (off the charts!!) and weighs 13 lb 7 oz (90%). So our "little guy" is not so little!! He already has surpassed Jack's 2 month stats, we'll see if he maintains this pace and outgrows his brother in a couple years time. Ewan took a little longer to recover from his shots but is resting comfortably now.

That will do for now. I'm going to enjoy the rest of my quiet time (plus do laundry of course). We'll work on some new photos in the next few days. We also have our friend Jens coming from Germany tomorrow.

Lots of Action!!

Just since this past weekend so much has happened. We'll go in chronological order. Friday we had some friends come visit Ewan for the first time. The Lipperts and Groths stopped by with all the kids. Hard to believe I used to watch them all and now they are so big!! I must be getting OLD! Jack did pretty well and wasn't too clingy. Ewan was his usual chipper self, showing off his cute smile and adorable pouty face.

Then later that evening my aunt and uncle from Virginia came for a visit. We enjoyed dinner at Oma and Opas's. Jack showed off for everyone, using the hearth as his stage.

Saturday morning before getting ready to leave the house I was putting laundry away upstairs and Josh was out running an errand. After noticing it was quiet I went down to find Jack greeting me in the hallway with a banana peel in his mouth!! My dear sweet boy will not stay out of the trash can!! It gets better....the peel was covered in something I couldn't identify so I went to the source. He chewed open 2 tea bags from the trash can. There were tea leaves all over the kitchen and Jack!!

Jack went shopping with all the ladies Saturday and enjoyed himself. We went to lunch at Red Robin and he was thrilled to get some balloons there!! When we shopped both boys were absolutely perfect; Ewan napped the whole time and Jack was absolutely quiet and still in the stroller. At dinner our house that night Jack enjoyed showing off his newest trick...climbing the kitchen chairs. He entertained Uncle Dick and Opa by climbing up and down repeatedly to master it! Of course he also stood up and tried to rock the chair as well. I foresee several falls onto the tile floor in our future.

Monday Josh was home for MLK Day and working on the car in the garage. I was in the kitchen with Jack while he climbed up on the kitchen table! I knew it was coming, after all he loved climbing the chairs so much, the table was next. Of course I didn't get him down, I went to the counter to get my camera!!! I was too slow; he fell off before I could get a picture. Don't worry...he was fine!!! Just a couple tears. Besides, he needs to learn not to climb on the table!

And finally today Jack had his first snow "dusting". I can't really call it an official snow, but we did get noticeable snow dust. He of course tried to pick it up and play with it. We need to get him to the mountains this winter for some real snow.

Both boys are resting now after a long playdate this morning. Maybe I should rest as well. Ewan and I were up from 2 to 4 this morning!

Random Tidbit

Life is returning to normal...teething is better, everyone is healthy. Ewan has even slept through the night a couple times now so I'm thrilled about that!

So anyway, I've been meaning to put this info in for a while and always forget...the reason behind Ewan's name. Seems we chose a difficult name; many of our friends and family ask how to pronounce it and/or spell it. I didn't really think it was too tricky, but apparently I was wrong! Anyhow, we chose the name because it was the only one Josh and I could agree on!!! His list of boy names was full of Scottish names for his side of the family. My list had a little of everything, including Irish for my side of the family. He vetoed many of my names, and I vetoed many of his. No way was I going to name my child Dare Dalrymple if we had a boy!!! So Ewan it was. And his middle name, Joseph, was my paternal grandfather's middle name (Paul Joseph Weitzel). So there you have it, the story behind Ewan Joseph's name.

Seems we have much difficulty choosing boy names. It took us some time to agree on Jack's name as well. Girl names seem to be easy for us, just haven't had the chance to use one yet!

Holidays

Time certainly does fly by quickly, already well into 2009 and haven't written about our holidays yet. We had a wonderful Christmas at home. As per Weitzel tradition, we had homemade pizza on Christmas. Josh made a yummy pizza that we all enjoyed. Later that evening Jack and Daddy left some cookies and milk out for Santa Clause...not that Jack really understood what he was doing, but it was so ADORABLE!!

Santa did indeed come to visit us. We opened presents first thing Christmas morning once both boys were awake. While we opened presents, Josh and I enjoyed another Weitzel tradition, mimosas. Jack ripped the paper off some presents, mostly enjoyed chewing on boxes of course.

Later in the morning Oma and Opa came and we opened the last of our presents. Jack's favorite present by far what a pull train from his Oma and Opa. He pulled it all over the house the rest of the day! After presents we enjoyed lunch, a yummy ham and other goodies. Jack really enjoyed the cheesecake we had for dessert. It was his first taste of it and he absolutely LOVED it!! He would go from one person to the next to get a bite. Ewan pretty much slept through most of Christmas, much like Jack did last year! It was a wonderful family holiday.

The day after Christmas we trekked up to Ohio to visit Josh's parents and brother with his family. The drive up was long, as expected. It took us 12 hours to get there; a drive that used to take us 9 hours without kids! Ewan needed long stops to eat and Jack needed his time out of the car to play. We were Saturday we spent with the family and made a short shopping trip. Jack enjoyed spending time with his cousins which was good...after all he rarely sees them so you never know how he will react to strangers. Sunday we went with his cousins and aunt and uncle to the children's museum. Jack had a great time there, as did his cousins. He especially liked playing in the water...diving into it too! He was quite the wet boy. Then Monday we survived the 13 hour drive home!! Won't be making that trip anytime soon again.

On the 30th Jack had fun at zoo lights!

New Year's Eve we had some people from Josh's work over and had a bonfire. I of course spent the evening inside with Ewan, making a short appearance outside. The new year, unfortunately, wasn't so nice to us. New Year's Day we spent with some friends from our playgroup and seemed to get a stomach virus. January second Josh, Jack and I were all sick...up all night being sick and taking care of Jack being sick. It was his first illness and the poor guy just didn't understand what was happening. He had several baths, pj changes and sheet changes that night. Everyone napped a lot, luckily Ewan didn't get it.

So now Jack is finally getting closer to normal. He is still rather fussy, however, I think the reason right now is that he is getting more new teeth. So hopefully this will end soon.

In the meantime we take it one day at a time. The bad days are rough, either Jack or Ewan screaming all the time, sometimes both in stereo! Other days are good. Ewan is horribly gassy and that bothers him so he definitely has his fussy moments.

We look forward to what this year brings us...Ewan growing quickly, crawling, walking, playing with his brother. Jack growing even more, speaking more words and discovering more and more new things. Josh searching for a new job, hopefully not involving a move. And me...surviving all three of my boys, carving out some alone time when possible!!