Places To Go!

Since he was just a few weeks old Sam has had the desire to be mobile. For a while this need was met by rolling over. Then sitting up provided a new view and the ability to reach, and he was content for a while longer. But now he's been sitting for a month and a half and I guess that was getting old too. So, last Wednesday (Nov. 18) Sam became mobile, and he couldn't be happier about it.

Right now its a true army crawl. He pulls his entire body weight with his arms, dragging his belly on the ground. He is experimenting with getting his knees up under him, and rocks a bit when I put him in that position, but for now the army crawl makes him pretty happy. This video is from his first day of mobility, and his speed and distance has already improved dramatically.

He is most motivated by "big boy toys." You put the laptop, cell phone, or remote on the floor and he'll scoot over to it in a matter of seconds. Gone are the days of leaving him to play on the blanket while I go grab a glass of water...at least until I get around to baby-proofing the house.

Sam's Thoughts on Motrin

Approximately 8 hours after the 103.8 fever and just after his first dose of Motrin, this was Sam's demeanor:

Not only does it work better than infant Tylenol, the infant Motrin is colorless, meaning it doesn't stain everything like the pink Tylenol.

Herpangina

I didn't know it existed until this morning, but Sam's got it. You can read all about it here. He wasn't very interested in his solids at breakfast and Dad noticed how hot he was, so we took his temperature. 102.6 seemed very high for a 6-month-old, so we called the doctor, who agreed and wanted to see Sam.

By the time we got to the doctor's office Sam's temperature was 103.8. After a few questions, to which all my answers were "no," Dr. Jung began a physical exam. One look down Sam's throat and we had a clear diagnosis. So my baby has a painful sore throat and high fever that will last for 3-4 days. He's very clingy, very fussy, and very hot. It makes Mommy sad, but Dr. Jung reassured me that it isn't serious and will clear up on its own.

And its highly contagious. So we're home-bound for the rest of the week. And I'm left wondering on this Monday...who else from Sam's class in the church nursery is waking up with Herpangina today?

My Happy Place

Y'all have seen plenty of pictures of Sam on his playmat. You've heard me talk in the past about his first "favorite toy" that hung above the mat. He used to spend a great deal of time there. But now he is bigger and more able. He loves to spend time in his exersaucer, sitting on a blanket playing with everything he can reach, etc. But I think that playmat still has a special place in his little heart.

Sam often gets fussy at the end of the day - he's just tired and ready for bed. In recent days I've realized that, even during this fussy time, he is calm and content when lying on his back looking up at that familiar, flashing/singing star. No energy required to sit up, he doesn't feel like he needs to reach for everything he can see, he can just relax in his happy place. I guess its his version of unwinding in front of the tv at the end of the day.