My Little Monkey

Even before he could walk, Eli liked to climb. So I started calling him Monkey. This past week, a light bulb went off in Eli's head. He can reach things with a stool, or better yet, my desk chair. Now he's started pushing my chair around the kitchen to reach everything. He uses his whole body to climb up onto the chair - he lays his stomach onto the chair, pulls his body up, then moves around until he's sitting or standing (it's usually standing).

He's used this newly acquired skill to climb onto our kitchen table,

I was only gone for a minute and came back to this. Eli started it. Tali copied.

climb onto my desk, and, most importantly, reach things on the kitchen counter like tomatoes or toys, clean dishes, or breakable things.

Sadly, there is no way that I can think of to child-proof for this. Unless I remove all of the chairs from our kitchen and we start eating on the floor like the Japanese, I just have to keep my eyes open all the time.


Update: About five minutes after I wrote this, Eli climbed up to my desk, grabbed a blue permanent marker and scribbled on my desk! Luckily, Tali saw it before it was too late (I was doing dishes) and helped me clean it. Watching him like a hawk isn't so easy. Maybe I can lock him in Jackson's crate?

Happy Purim!

Today Tali had a Purim parade at school. Each child in her class was instructed to dress up like a character from the story. Of course, all of the girls (except one) chose to dress as a princess. Depending on when you asked her, Tali was either Vashti or Esther. She couldn't make up her mind.

 

When Eli saw her putting on her crown before we left for school, he insisted on wearing one too. He picked out the ONE crown with writing - it says "Princess." He refused to take it off until the parade was over. It was very funny to see a little boy in a flannel-style shirt and bomber jacket wearing a princess crown.

The parade at school is simply a short walk from one building to another. All of the moms line up with their iPhones to take pictures or video. It's a ridiculous parade but the kids love it. Tali was so excited for it that she talked about it for a week. When she was marching, Tali was so happy to see Eli that she just had to greet him. Eli took that as his cue to join her class on their march into the other building. I'm sure some parents ended up with a picture or two of the back of my head as I chased after Eli. (Sorry!)

Hope your Purim was as eventful as ours!

Ooops...There Go the Pacifiers

So long, pacifiers. You did your job well but it's time to move on.

So by accident, we stopped giving Eli a pacifier yesterday. It was coming soon (two weeks from now, actually), but it wasn't supposed to happen yesterday.

I was at Tali's OT?PT therapy gym when I got a text from Eli's babysitter asking where the pacifiers were. I'd put them all in the steam bag to clean, not realizing there weren't any more in his room. Since she knew I was planning to get rid of it soon, she thought I'd started without telling her. Luckily, he went down for his nap pretty easily. She said he was asking for it, but was mostly okay that he didn't get it. Because of that, H and I decided to go ahead with it and get rid of them for good.

That night was not as fun. He screamed (and I mean screamed) for 45 minutes before finally falling asleep. I learned early the next morning that not only did he not fall asleep with his pacifier, but he was also without his security blanket. He'd thrown it out of the crib in anger during his 45 minute scream. But, he did it. He slept through the night without it.

So we continued. Today the babysitter said he was okay at nap time. Thinking we were through the worst of it, I put him to bed without a peep. But five minutes later it started. This time it was only for 15 minutes and I think he still has his blanket. Tonight, I'm throwing them all in the garbage. It's a bit bittersweet for me. They were a great comfort to him and he's my baby. This is the last time I'll be throwing away pacifiers. Sad.

I'm sorry, Eli. But it's time for them to go. You're growing up (too quickly).

Therapy, Lots of Therapy

Here we go again. It's been two months (and two days) since I last posted. It's always on my mind, but I never seem to have the time. Besides just daily life with two kids, I'm juggling endless amounts of therapy and therapists. It keeps me busy!

Tali and Eli in the ball pit at Tali's sensory gym.

It all started this summer with Eli but has expanded to Tali who now gets twice the amount of services as Eli. Since Eli was not crawling or even standing and his weight was a big concern, I got him evaluated for physical therapy (PT) and nutritional counseling through the county's Early Intervention (EI) program. This program offers services free of charge to children who qualify. The pediatrician was on the fence as to if he would be approved, but he was! Thanks to H's excellent persuasive skills (that law degree comes in handy), Eli was granted physical therapy three times a week for 45 minutes each time. He was also assigned a nutritional evaluation quarterly. Because of his therapist, he learned to crawl, walk and now run. She's wonderful, even if Eli has been protesting lately because it's hard work and he's lazy.

While Eli was initially getting tested for services, the PT noticed Talia's behavior and sent me down a new path with her. After some private occupational therapy (OT), we decided to get her formally tested through the school district in a program called CPSE, which, like EI, is free for children who qualify. This one, however, is funded by the school district instead of the county. At the beginning of the school year, we learned that she qualified for OT, PT and a SEIT to come to the classroom three times a week. Tali has been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and is labeled "sensory seeker" (click here for a good explanation of what that means - it describes her perfectly). Her various therapies help her learn to how to take control of her sensory seeking issues, how to focus in school and how to interact with others. In addition to all of her therapies, it was strongly recommended that I keep her stimulated with physical activities every day.

Tali before gymnastics class.

This week, Eli started another therapy - speech. He's 19 (almost 20!) months and still doesn't speak. He's had one visit so far and it went very well. But adding this therapy to my schedule is starting to make my head spin. This is my weekly therapy and activity schedule for the kids:

Monday - Tali's SEIT at the school, Eli physical therapy in the morning, Tali stays late at school for a gym class, Eli speech therapy in the afternoon
Tuesday - Eli play group in the morning, Tali OT at home immediately after school, Tali ballet in the afternoon
Wednesday - Tali's SEIT at the school, Eli physical therapy in the morning, Tali stays late at school for a nature class
Thursday - Tali OT and PT back to back at a therapy gym immediately after school
Friday - Tali's SEIT at the school, Eli speech therapy in the morning, Tali gymnastics immediately after school
Saturday - Tali ice skating (H takes her because this southern girl has only strapped on skates once in her life)

And somewhere in this busy schedule, I need to find time to run errands, take care of the house, grocery shop, cook, clean and pay just a little bit of attention to my kids and my husband.

Eli's Girlfriend

Eli has a girlfriend. The feeling is mutual. They both smile when around each other. Who is this little lady? Well, it's Tali's best friend and it's so cute! (It's a good thing that they are all too young to really remember this and that it will probably pass before anyone gets old enough to let it bother them.)

Yesterday, they held hands and walked from school to the parking lot together (it's a bit of a walk). She walked slowly to stay at his pace and stopped whenever he needed to catch up. He had a blast walking with her. They are just adorable together.

First Trip to the Zoo

On our way into the zoo.

Last Monday (it was a holiday), we took the kids to the Bronx Zoo. Tali had been before with H, but this was my and Eli's first trip there. Tali had the whole day planned out before we even left the car. Her biggest request was that we go on the monorail (or the "train" as she called it) first. So, that's what we did. Big mistake. Poor Eli had been sitting in the car then the stroller for a while so all he wanted to do was move around. He spent the majority of the ride playing on the floor (gross!).

Waiting in line for the monorail.

On the monorail.

After that, we went to look at some lions and get lunch. Mistake number two. The food was pretty bad and the service was terrible. Next time, we'll bring our own.

Then, off to the merry go round where both kids had a blast. After the ride was over, we stopped and purchased some Dippin' Dots ice cream for everyone. Mistake number three. Kids and dot ice cream is a recipe for disaster. Not sure why that didn't occur to either of us. The ice cream got everywhere! At least the kids had fun.

On the merry go round - all the seats were bugs!

On to a quick trip to the seals and then the kiddie zoo. Tali and Eli had a blast! But it was getting late and the kids were getting tired. So we zipped through the kiddie zoo in about half the time we would have otherwise spent there and headed back to the car.

In the kiddie zoo.

Climbing the spider web at the kiddie zoo.

As we were leaving the zoo, we decided to check about a membership. It was cheaper to purchase a membership now (which would include the cost of this day's trip) then to pay for one more trip to the zoo. So, we got one.

Both fell asleep in the stroller while H bought a zoo membership.

And now that we've made all the rookie mistakes, we'll have a much different plan next time. 

Oh, and I must add that this zoo is amazing! It's absolutely huge and beautiful. I grew up with a pretty good zoo and am usually disappointed in other zoos, but I can truly say that I am impressed.

Eli and the Stool

This afternoon, Tali brought out her stool to help me make a smoothie. It was left out in the kitchen the rest of the afternoon and after dinner, Eli decided it was his turn to use the stool.

First, he brought it into the middle of the kitchen to practice climbing up and down. He must have gotten up and down about 30 times and only fell once. When he was confident that he had that skill down, he pushed the stool over to the oven to try to turn the knobs. I promptly stopped him before something bad happened.

Next, he went to the counter to try to grab one of the water carafes. Luckily, I was able to grab it before he did.

Then he went to the fridge. He got up on his stool and grabbed a hold of the handle. Unfortunately, our fridge door is very heavy and he was not able to get it open. No matter. He went to the kitchen table to see if he could grab whatever was left. Couldn't reach.

So off to the laundry closet. He placed the stool right in front of the doorknob. He climbed up and pulled the knob. It opened slightly. He got down, moved the stool away and pulled the door the rest of the way open. He walked inside, took a look, then walked out and shut the door.

Satisfied with his success, he proceeded to the family room. He pushed the stool over to a chair and simply climbed into it. He was so proud of himself that he was beaming.

A very successful evening for my little monkey.

Twenty Years From Now

I have a good feeling that 20 years from now, Eli's college friends will witness this exact same thing. Except there will probably be a different substance in his bottle.

15 Month Check-up

In the waiting room.

Yesterday Eli had his 15-month check-up. Tali came along because she LOVES going to the doctor, even if it's for her.

For the most part, things went well. He's still in the 1% for weight but has moved up to the 3% (was 1% last time) for height. The doctor is pleased with his progress from the physical therapy. She saw him stand on his own and take a few steps. His vitals checked out fine.

But, she did notice that his fine motor skills are behind. If he doesn't improve by the next visit, then she'd like to see him evaluated for occupational therapy as well. And he's still not talking (except for the occasional "mama" and "dada" - we think) so we should plan for a speech evaluation at 18 months unless the words start flowing soon.

At the end of the check-up, Eli needed two shots. The nurse came back in to administer them. I had Eli on my lap and Tali was sitting right across from him. I asked her to sing Eli a song to help keep him happy (one of her favorite things to do) but she was too distracted by the needles. As soon as the first needle went in, Eli started wailing. Somewhere between the first and second shot, she burst into tears as well. Sympathy crying. I wish I could have held both of them on my lap.

They both calmed down, eventually, got their stickers and left. Twice the kids, twice the drama.

Pumped Up Kicks

Eli's first pair of shoes.

 Eli got his first pair of shoes (or "kicks" as the kids call it these days) last week and he LOVES them! We went shoe shopping for both kids at a general clothing store in town but Tali didn't find any shoes that she liked. So only Eli got a pair.

At first, he was petrified. I had to hold a shaking baby on my lap while they measured his feet. You could tell he wanted to cry but was trying to hold it in. Once that was over, we were given two pairs of shoes to try on. As he's only a size four (tiny little feet!), these were the only two pairs they had. The ones pictured above fit perfectly and he didn't want me to take them off. He crawled (yes, crawled - these shoes are magical!) around the store with them while we looked for Tali.

At home in his new kicks.

Since he's really only taking a few steps at a time, I just put them on when we're out of the house so he can get comfortable in them. But because he idolizes his big sister (more on that another day), he loves wearing shoes just like she does. And Tali was very excited for him. She has taken to calling his shoes "kicks."

First Steps!

Wow. It's been a long time. Too long. We've had a very busy summer and I haven't had a moment to sit down and catch up. I'm very sad for that and sorry to any of you who come here occasionally to see if there is some news. I keep saying I'll get back to regular posts soon and then I never do. I hope that will change this time around.

The reason I'm here is to let you know that Eli took his first steps today! He was in physical therapy with Lisa and wanted to get to her bubbles. So he let go of the easel and took two steps to her! He did it again two more times before I put him down for his nap.

We've worked so hard with him to get to this point and I'm thrilled he's there. I've been hoping for real walking (not just a step or two) in September and now I think it might happen.

Congratulations to little Eli! He's becoming a "toddler." =)

First Sign and First Word

On Saturday, April 21, Eli did his first sign language sign - "more." I wasn't sure if I was going to do sign language with him simply because I didn't have the time. But about three or four weeks before, I decided to give it a shot. He picked it up very quickly! It took Tali a very long time (a couple of months) before she got the hang of it.

So on that day, Eli signed for more strawberries. Eight days later, he said his first word - "more." As with most milestones, I missed it. H was sitting at the table with Eli, who was signing for more when he also said it. I didn't get the pleasure of hearing his first word until three days later.

Unlike Tali, who couldn't wait to speak, Eli only speaks when necessary. So his one word is only used occasionally. When I get it on video, I'll post it. For now, here is a video of him signing.

Scooter

Eli is almost 11 months old and, for some reason, he never learned how to crawl. Instead, he scoots around the floor on his tushie, using is hands to pull his body across. Basically, he moves like someone who has lost movement in their lower body. Most people find it funny and cute. Tali also thinks its funny and regularly has scooting races with him around the house. It makes Eli laugh (sorry for the jumpy video - the Flip isn't great for recording and walking at the same time).

I'm so used to the scooting by now that to me it is just normal. But for those of you who don't see Eli that often, I thought you'd like to get a glimpse into how he moves around. Note, that I am trying to teach him how to crawl (doctor's orders), but he prefers this method. At least it's provided me and Tali with a fun nickname for him: Scooter.

Tickling and Teething

Having a bad day? No problem. Take two minutes to watch some video of me tickling Eli. It'll make you smile. Promise.

Ha!

I quickly ran down to our boiler room to get some information off of our well and when I came back upstairs, this is what I found. (He was fully dressed, with a bib, when I left him.) I must've been gone for no more than a minute!

PS Yes, I know I need to write more. A lot more. It's just still so crazy here that I can never seem to find the time. When my kids get older, someone please tell them that I loved them and they were cared for at this age. I was just too busy to record it.

Mohawk!

Everyone is always telling me that I need to sculpt Eli's hair into a mohawk.  I agree. He has the perfect hair for it. But, I never seem to find the time. Today he woke up from his nap with a mini-mohawk. This will have to do for now.

First Bites of Food

It's been a week since Eli first started food and we are already up to two full meals a day! Like his big sister,  he loves food. Unlike his big sister, I was completely unprepared to start food with him. For Tali, I had pink bowls (which she still uses), spoons, bibs, etc. For Eli, I ran to the grocery to grab some cereal, threw him in Tali's high chair (no bib), mixed his food in a plastic container and fed him with one of Tali's spoons. Of course, it didn't matter to him. He ate it all just the same.

His first bites were very similar to Tali. He accepted it right away and ate the whole bowl. (I actually gave him a bit more because he was still hungry.) At two times during his first meal I walked away from the food and he started crying! He wanted me to come back and feed him some more!

The GI doctor told me to start him on  rice cereal mixed with apple juice (calories) and a tsp of safflower oil (more calories). In a week or two, I could add a second meal. Eli seemed so hungry that on day two I decided to split his meal and give 1/2 the portion at lunch and another half at dinner. But he was so hungry he ate the whole thing at lunch! He ate another full portion at dinner that night. One week later he's regularly eating two meals a day and has tried (and likes) banana, avocado and apple! Plus, he's already chewing. I was in such a rush to get food on the table that on day three I didn't mash his banana all the way and left some very small chunks. The first time one entered his mouth, he looked perplexed and then promptly chewed! 

I wasn't expecting to have another good eater but I'm glad I do. However, my future grocery bills are already giving me nightmares!
 

(PS I apologize to my favorite college professor, Dr. English, who always told me that I had three exclamation points in life. Use them wisely. Seems like I used them all on this post. Oops.)

My New Diet

Little Eli with his great grandparents, Granny and Papa, on a recent visit to New Orleans. This is two weeks in to our new diet.

As I wrote two posts ago (and ten minutes ago), Eli's been to a lot of doctor appointments this past month. At his four month check-up, he had blood in his stool and had stopped gaining weight. The doctor thought he might have a dairy allergy so she asked me to stop eating dairy for two weeks (he's exclusively breast-fed) and see what happens.

Two weeks later, the visible blood in his stool was gone, he'd mostly stopped spitting up and he'd gained a tiny bit of weight. So, she asked me to continue with my diet for another two weeks.

One month after the initial  diagnosis, he'd still gained very little weight so the doctor determined that he wasn't getting enough calories/milk. So she asked me to continue on the dairy-free diet (she has repeatedly apologized for doing this to me) and start to supplement with formula. She also wanted me to see a GI doctor because there was still microscopic blood in his stool. I left the doctor's office basically in tears. Not because I had to give formula (though I hated the idea), but because I couldn't supply enough food for my child and I was starving him. So, I tried the formula. He wouldn't take it. He made the "formula face" and screamed until the offending bottle was removed.

A few days later I saw a lactation consultant who wrote a prescription and also told me about some herbal remedies to increase my supply. I now smell like syrup but I think it's working. I also went to the GI doctor and she was fantastic! She confirmed the dairy allergy and told me to start food immediately so that he can get more calories.


Four days later we went back to his pediatrician and he'd gained 7 oz in one week!

After two months of staying at 10 lbs, he's finally growing. Maybe I'll actually be able to pack away his 0-3 month clothing before his 6 month birthday.

I am now dairy-free and will remain so until Eli turns one. At that point, he should be okay and able to drink regular milk and eat cheese and yogurt. It's been an adventure on this new diet. The hardest part is no butter. It's okay at home because I can use vegan butter but most restaurants cook with butter so going out to eat is a special challenge now. I've decided to look on the bright side of this. I'm getting to explore new recipes, eating healthier, losing the rest of the baby weight and learning how to bake (most commercial baked goods use butter, at least). I'm sure I'll want a huge plate of cheese and a big bowl of ice cream come June 5, but for now I'm okay with this.

New Diet

Today Eli had his four month old check-up.

The good news: He looks healthy, is very strong and has excellent head/neck control.

The bad news: He's only gained 7 ounces in the past month (he should have gained between 1 - 1 1/2 pounds), is still spitting up a lot and I saw blood in his stool today. Based on all of these factors, the doctor thinks he might have a dairy allergy. The best way to find out is for me to eliminate dairy from my diet for a few weeks and see what happens. So starting now, I am dairy-free. No more ice cream, cookies or cheese for me. It's unfortunate, but I am happy to do whatever it takes for my son to be healthy. The doctor said that if he does have this allergy, he could outgrow it between the ages of 2 and 3. So that's good news.

If anyone has any good dairy-free recipes for me, please send them my way. Tonight I was going to make corn chowder for dinner. It's made with lots of milk. Guess I'll have to come up with a new plan.

Taking One (or Four) For the Team

Our new house has a very old swing set out back. Tali loves it and I make sure she has time to play on it every time we go to the house. Unfortunately, our back yard is currently full of mosquitoes. Every time we are out there, we all get bitten (except for Tali, strangely). Today Eli is sporting four new bites (one is on the other side of his wrist) from this weekend's visits. Poor baby. Luckily, they don't seem to bother him.