No He's Not

Walking yet, so stop asking! I'm kidding, but no he really isn't walking. However, I have always tried to be one to focus on the positive. So, what he is doing is:

1. Sleeping like a champ, with almost no exception. I DON'T take that for granted!

2. Talking. He totally has his own language complete with changes in intonation. Some examples: "ahhh--khennn" and "glb glb glb." He uses his throat a lot. I think he thinks he's German.

3. Saying bona fide words: light (liiiii), bath and ball, (both bba, but with subtle differences), mama, banana (only like a couple of times, na na). He also sometimes says "da" when he hands you something, which I'm sure makes total sense in his head.

4. Eating. A lot, so they tell me at his school. He is still quite picky at home, but I am thankful for the things he does like, even though that changes daily.

We had our first dreadful call from the school last week. The stomach virus has been spreading in that school and his classroom like wildfire. It had been almost 2 weeks since the teacher was struck with it, so I thought we were probably in the clear, till we got the call... I was in a room checking a patient and one of my staff members came in. She had that look on her face so I knew it was serious. She said they'd been trying to call me (which I had only been away from my phone for about 2.5 minutes) and that I had a sick baby. They called my husband. So, I called him and he said what I dreaded: he's throwing up. WHAT? Immediately I started crying. Now, I realize that was a mild overreaction, but don't judge, I just couldn't bear the thought of my baby going through that. So, I pulled myself together and drove over to the school. The plan was to bring him to my office if he was somewhat okay, and I had Nick on hold at work just in case I would need him to be home with him. When I got there, they had him in the swing and said he just threw threw up and threw up, okay people enough with the histrionics can't you see I've been crying?! He was pale and his eyes were watery. He looked up at me with the most pitiful looking face and reached up, barely managing a smile. He patiently waited for me to unbuckle him and get him out of that thing, and just clung tightly to me. The whole way out, he was pointing up and feebly uttering "ligh, ligh." Here was my little fallen soldier trying to be strong for his clearly emotionally fragile mother.
I ran home and got his stuff, and came to the office. He was exhausted and slept for like 2 hours. When he woke up, he was hungry, thirsty and his temperature had gone down. I kept him from school the next day (because it was Thursday), and by Friday he was back to normal. I am so thankful I never had to see him get sick.

Well, we had a good relaxing weekend, and back to school on Monday. Now, I love my baby, but I do not enjoy having him at the office. It is very stressful for the both of us, so I was more than excited that things would return to normal on Monday. But, I guess I spoke too soon because in the middle of my lunchtime shopping break, I got another dreadful call from the school. Z's got a fever, 101.5 and he didn't eat his lunch. Dang it, is it possible he's still sick? Well, what did you guys serve for lunch? Hamburgers, tater tots, and oranges. Hello! My child doesn't eat that. He's not sick, he wants a cheese sandwich!

So, I go pick him up, and yes, in fact he felt like a little furnace and his cheeks were fire engine red. Other than that, he was acting perfectly well. Okay, Z is this just your little infant genius plan to get out of school? Get close to the sickest looking kid in the class, wait 24 hours, and just like that, Mom appears at the door. It's a fool proof plan, and I'm the fool! So, a lot of TLC from us and my parents, a good night's sleep later, and he seems to be much better. He's staying at my house with my mom today, and we're hoping he'll stay symptom free so he can return to school tomorrow, that is, of course until he figures out another way to get out of it....