Category: Gage

A day with Gage

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There is no typical day in the life of Gage, but Tuesday was close enough to most days that Gage decided to give you the play-by-play, with lots and lots of photos (I apologize if it takes too long to load).

7:40 am “Mom, I’m ready to get up.”

7:50 am.  “Please get me some oatmeal, Mom.”

8:15 am. “Woo Hoo. Play time!” (Do you like the child-prooofed fireplace? Cardboard, duct tape and outdoor seat cushions. Fancy)

9:30 am “I love see my friends at My Gym.  (We try to come three mornings a week for the 45 minute class/free-for-all)

10:30 am  Quick stop at Walgreens while Mom gets cat food, juice and Diet Coke

11:30 am.  We voted (and one of us ran around the church).

11:45 More play time!

12:00 Lunch 🙂  (bread, soy cheese, ground turkey breast, grapes)

12:30-2:30 Nap time.  Yes, I still need to sleep in bed with mom or dad (and sometimes grandma) or else no nap for me!

2:55 pm. After a quick snack of bananas, strawberries, apple and Special K it’s more play time.  This time I’ll stop long enough to read.

4:10 Bob, our tax guy is here to see what the damage is going to be to daddy’s wallet.

5:00 Time to get mail.

5:10 Time to run around the kitchen while mom chases/prepares my dinner for later)

6:15 pm Daddy’s Home!!

7-8:30 pm Dinner out with my friend, E-Chee-ou and his parents. (Obviously, this is not how his friend’s name is spelled, but that’s how we say it.  I know it starts with a y)

8:45 pm I know I’m a big boy now but I still like being held while I have bottle before bed.

9:10 Sleep

Sundays with Gage – Pets, the babies before the baby

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Like most expectant moms I heard the warnings of having a cat during pregnancy and even the dangers after the baby was born (my mom shared a story of a cat who smothered a sleeping infant because of the milk on the mouth).  But Jason took over litter patrol during pregnancy (& thankfully kept it on his to do list) and I wasn’t too concerned about Scout or Max.  When we brought Gage home Max steered clear and really wanted nothing to do with him.  He couldn’t understand how that scrawny, needy thing could be more interesting than him.  Scout steered clear too, but mostly because that’s just her way.

When Gage started walking Max did not take kindly to the lurching, unpredictable baby.  Twice he bared his teeth and growled when Gage woke him by touching him near his face.  The first time it happened I cried for a while thinking we would have to find Max a new place to live.  Max is 8 and I was so sad that he couldn’t adjust to Gage.

We’ve been on hyper alert since and the two are never alone together.  I think Max is adjusting, it’s been months since those growls.  He does come up to Gage and gives him ear and head kisses (always properly washed off) and Gage sometimes feeds Max treats when he comes in from outside.  The jury is still out, but things have gotten better and Max has even started sleeping with us (the parents, not Gage) again, for a good while he shunned us.

Scout, who is now 13 1/2, lets Gage catch her occasionally and he loves her for it.

Here are a few pics of what Max has to deal with…

Lots of chasing,

And sharing of toys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And when he can’t be nice anymore,

he escapes.

Scout’s approach is much calmer.  So, things are going better with the 4 legged kids and the newbie.  I am hoping someday Max and Gage will be buddies.

Oh, in answer to last week’s question, Gage’s next and only new word this week was Bowl.  Now that I’m looking at these photos maybe next week I should post Hair? with Gage.

Words with Gage

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Gage had a few words at 14 months and a few more at 15 months, Up, No, Uh-Oh, Pop and Wow being his go-to words.  Now he’s a big boy at 16 months and new words are coming more frequently.  His favorite word this month is That and he uses it ALL THE TIME.  The pointer comes out and he wants to know what everything is.  Sometimes it’s a blank wall and sometimes it’s the 15th time I’ve said sock that day.  Either way it’s nice to hear him use words even if we’re not exactly having a conversation.

So, what’s the danger of this explosion of new words?  Well, they aren’t exactly perfected quite yet and by far the most embarrassing is Gage’s love for clocks.  He tries to say it, he does say it, quite a bit.  Loudly and in public and without an important letter.  There’s no l in his clock yet and both Jason and I have had to laugh when people look at Gage as he yells his mispronounced word. I am sure they are asking themselves why we would use such language in front of our kid.

I know this is just the beginning of embarrassing things Gage will say and I’m looking forward to it.  Now that he’s repeating words I’m really going to have to watch what I say!

His other new words this week are Cracker, Cookie, and Dog.  But just today he started saying Ball with his friend, Brooke.

And he just said Car for Daddy. I wonder what his next word will be?

Sundays with Gage – A Neighbor AND an Author

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It’s no secret that the Cleveland area is left-leaning politically.  I consider myself an independent voter, but due to some unfair laws in Ohio I had to declare myself a democrat to vote in a chosen primary.  I wasn’t very happy about it, but it did lead to one good thing.  I was able to be a polling location coordinator (only possible if you are the party of the current governor, sort of, there are some really weird laws out there).  Anyway, election days are long and can be made longer if the people you are working with are, um, let’s just go with ‘fun-challenged’.  That day I had a great group and that was due in large part to My Republican and his lovely wife.  As a coordinator I was in charge of lots of paperwork and most things had to be signed by a republican and a democrat.  All well and good unless there is a big shortage of republicans.  Bob, spent the better part of the day laughingly responding to my frequent calls of “Where’s my republican?”  He was seriously such a great sport about it and he was full of positive and happy energy all day long that he made my day a lot easier.  Don’t worry, I think this story is going somewhere.

Flash forward a few years and nice fall day when my parents were visiting and we all went out for a walk and decided to stop by an open house down the street.  The door opens and Bob greets me by name and I greet him with, “My Republican!”  Come to find out that Bob wrote a children’s book (and turned independent) and I knew I’d have to get my hands on a copy.  So, Gage and I went by this week to pick up a copy of The Littlest Lamppost.  As you can see, Gage thinks Bob is a fun guy 🙂

This is the story of a real highway lamppost by the Cleveland airport.  Why is he so small compared to all the other posts around him and how does he feel about it?  This is the story of how and why he was made the way he was.  The story is a sweet one to read with an older child and has a great moral lesson.  It’s all about loving yourself and others even when some of us may be different from everyone else.  It just means that we have a special reason for being here.

I thought the story was great and I know that Gage and I will be reading it together in a year or two.  It’s never too early for children to understand that different is just different, and it doesn’t mean it’s bad or something to make fun of.  I am looking forward to my next trip that takes me by the airport so I can look for the littlest lamppost.

The Littlest Lamppost is available through Amazon and directly through the Littlest Lamppost’s website www.littlestlamppost.com.  The Littlest Lamppost also tweets ( @llamppost ) and has a facebook page www.facebook.com/littlestlamppost !

I told the story about how I met Bob because I thought it showed what a great sense of humor he has.  He never once took offense and instead spread good cheer the whole day long and was also very gracious when Gage and I stopped by.  I am happy to recommend his book!

Sundays with Gage – Eating is necessary, right?

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I thought we all needed food for energy.  Not just adults, but everyone.  I mean when you have an infant it is a very big deal that they eat enough.  So, why is it that toddlers can take or leave food for days at a time and still run around the house like a whirling dervish?

We have been too reluctant to add lots of things to his diet because we weren’t sure of his allergies, but now that we know we only have to avoid dairy and peanuts I really have to get busy and find some good recipes.

Some days the biggest part of his calorie intake consist of oatmeal, cereal bars, and baked potato fries.  He went through a period of resisting soy yogurt but now he likes it again, but is off the chicken.  Sigh.  Getting him to eat has become the biggest frustration of my day.

Any tips from you experienced mothers out there?

Sundays with Gage- Are you ready for some…

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football?  It may be Superbowl day but Gage isn’t really too excited.  A few weeks ago he had a double ear infection that took all 10 days of antibiotics to heal, followed by a week of fun, and now we’re into day 5 of a head cold for Gage and Mom, I think Dad’s on day 3.

Gage may be dressed for the game, but I’m not sure how much cheering we’ll all be doing.  Hopefully just a lot of recovering!

So, who are you all rooting for?

Sundays with Gage- Finally, a diagnosis

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So, last Valentine’s Day Gage was admitted to the ER, put on a ventilator, and transferred downtown to the Cleveland Clinic (my detailed post here).  After a week of testing we were sent home with no answers, just a long list of what it wasn’t.  Another trip to the ER in July confirmed to me (and Jason) that it was a milk allergy even though no pediatrician or specialist agreed with us.  We decided to keep him off dairy until he was a year and half or two hoping he would outgrow whatever it was.

But here’s the thing.  Even though I thought it was a milk related issue, the fact that not one of the dozen or so doctors thought so made me think I was wrong.  Which has made this a stressful year.  Every sniffle or cough had me expecting the worst.  It has made me a bit of a crazy mother.

On his 15 month check up I told Gage’s pediatrician that I wanted him to see an allergy specialist before we let him try eggs and then milk again.  She pointed out that his blood test had been negative and this appointment would really be just to make me feel better.  Despite her (expected) lukewarm response I made the appointment.  And do you know what?  I do feel better.

Within an hour they diagnosed him with FPIES (Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome)

Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome is a rare, severe food allergy of the gut. Classic symptoms to this allergy are delayed following food ingestion (~2hrs or more) and include profound vomiting (often to bile), diarrhea and dehydration. These symptoms can quickly lead to lethargy, change in body temperature and blood pressure, and in severe cases, sepsis-like shock. Immediate medical attention is needed for IV hydration and monitoring.

Finally.  A doctor finally listened, understood and diagnosed almost immediately.  There is no medical test to confirm, but every thing that is described in the pages of information happened to Gage and not one doctor caught it.  It is a rare condition.  We went to a large office and he said they only see 2-3 cases a year.

We still had the skin test done for eggs, peanuts, and shellfish and unfortunately, the peanut tested positive.  See…

So, the good news, we finally have answers about last year’s nightmare and I can stop wondering if every fever will point to a scary disease.  I finally feel validated in my concerns.  More good news?  FPIES is a condition that always corrects itself.  The literature says that by 3 years old 60% of children outgrow it, keep your fingers crossed for Gage.  The not-so-good news is the only way to confirm diagnosis or to see if Gage is better is to book him into Intensive Care and give him milk.  And then wait the rest of the day to see if something happens.  Not something we plan on doing anytime soon.

We are now armed with long-waited-for answers and an epi pen for the peanut allergy. I know he will outgrow at least one of these.  I can live with that.

I’m hoping that this upcoming Valentine’s Day will have a happier ending 🙂

A special thank you to Bonnie (Redlady’s Reading Room) who gave me the great allergist recommendation.

Sundays with Gage – Retirement means more Grandma

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So, how do you make sure a woman will LOVE her surprise retirement party and not just wish everyone would get out of her house?  Make sure she sees her only grandson first thing.

My mom officially retired before Christmas but with it being a busy time of year we decided to wait until this weekend to surprise her (and my dad) with a party at their house.  A fun time was had by all, even if the retiree everyone was there to congratulate was over an hour late due to a very busy restaurant.  My aunt and uncle were anxiously watching my dad eat steak while we were all munching away back at the house.

So, what does this retirement mean for Gage?  Way more time with Grandma.  She still lives over 2 hours away, but the visits will be more frequent.  Win for Gage, win for Grandma, and a win for Mom.

A Book with Gage – Off to Class by Susan Hughes

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Does Gage look ready for school? I earned my English Education degree from Ohio State, but never really put it to use.  I was a substitute in the DC area for awhile and it was a good match for working in the library, and I hope my teacher training will help when Gage starts school.  I really want him to love school and learning.  Anyway, I agreed to review this book because it interested the educator in me.

Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the WorldOff to Class:Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World by Susan Hughes

5 Stars!  I cannot recommend this book enough!  In my excitement did I forget to tell you what it was about?  Most of you reading this will have gone to school the traditional way-public or private schools with classrooms and teachers and tests and clocks.  What if you lived in the middle of the rainforest or in the mountains of Nepal?  What if your school was washed away by a hurricane or crumbled by an earthquake.  How would you learn?  This book, by highlighting 23 different schools in 14 countries, shows in beautiful pictures and words how very different cultures live and look at life and learning.

A few of the most unusual schools were the boat school in Bangladesh (the school travels to them during monsoon season), the solar school in the middle of the Amazon rain forest where there was no electricity or phones and access takes 40 hours by speedboat, the green school in Canada that does produce any waste that doesn’t go in the compost, the four child school in Iran, and the traveling school that teaches  the Evenks in Siberia as they are constantly on the move herding reindeer.

The schools are interesting, but the inspiration behind these schools is what sets this book apart.   Most of these schools were set up by someone who saw a need, a person just like you or me, and then found the funding and local help to make it happen.  These schools are there because people believe that everyone, no matter what caste, gender, or location deserves an education.  One university student saw a need for street kids in Columbia to learn so he set up cart schools to take to the kids where they lived and earned a living.  One student’s vision led to countless forgotten kids learning how to read, add, and take care of their bodies.

The layout really adds to the enjoyment of the book.  Each school has a two page spread, with lots of pictures, details, and facts about students around the world.  I think this would be perfect for any library and for any student who complains about going to school.  Recommended for ages 8 and older, but I was completely captivated by it.

This book was generously sent to me by Owl Kids.

Sundays with Gage- Mothering is hard

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Much like the black eye that Gage got at My Gym this week, being a mother also comes with some bruising.  I am a relatively cheerful person and like I said in yesterday’s post I don’t like airing dirty laundry.  I think putting a positive face on most anything will make you happier.  But, as I started reading the very funny book, I was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids, I felt such a release and lightening of my mothering load.  See, mothering is hard.  And the dirty little secret of the book is that we are not always happy, fulfilled or holding it all together.  And if I say this it doesn’t mean that I don’t love my son.

The first year of being a mother was the hardest thing I’ve ever done (as a friend told me at lunch on Friday, Gage put me through the ringer) and I wouldn’t trade it.  It stretched me further than I thought possible and I didn’t break.  I’m stronger and tougher for it.  But, in all honesty, I didn’t always love it.  I always loved Gage, but not my life.

But with distance comes perspective and with time comes competence and here we are at 14 months and life is pretty good.  But the thing that I’m starting to realize is that being a mother (at least for me) isn’t the whole picture, it’s a large piece of the puzzle.  I had grand expectations before giving birth, like all mothers do I’m sure, and the reality to this point has been nowhere close to my vision.  So, with distance also comes a reassessing of expectations as reality hits me in the face.

I’m sure that I will gush about this book after I’m done, but it already makes me feel freer to accept that feeling overwhelmed and having less than positive thoughts does not make me a bad mother.  I mentioned it was funny, right?  If you have a friend (or it’s you) who needs to feel like there are other less than perfect moms out there I think this would be a great recommendation (keep in mind I’m only 30 or so pages in).  I Was a Really Good Mom Before I had Kids by Ashworth & Nobile.

Next week I’ll be back to my regularly scheduled lovefest with Gage 🙂