So this past week has proven to be most eventful. We started the week off by taking Ethan to his very first Panthers game. There was a break in the super cool weather, so we figured it was a good time for Ethan to get to experience NFL football up close. (Literally, since we were in the lower section in the end zone so we had a great view of all the action.) Ethan enjoyed making friends with everybody around us, and we were able to stay and watch the Panthers until midway through the fourth quarter when Ethan started getting kind of squirmy so we figured he had enough. I think Patrick and I had enough by that point in time as well, since the Panthers were pretty terrible. We've never left a game early, but listening to the final minutes on the radio on the way home we agreed with the host who said that the further you drive away from the stadium the better you'll feel after a game like that one. We're hoping that our beloved team will have a better showing this week!
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| At the half, Ethan and I take a break for a photo op |
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| Eating a snack when we made it home from the game |
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| Cheese! |
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| Our own little running back making great time down the hallway |
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| Ethan was running all over the place when we got home...I think he was fired up after seeing the team in action |
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| Bundled up and watching the action with Daddy |
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| We had four seats between the three of us, but Ethan didn't really get much use out of either of his seats...he was on the move, checking things out and making new friends the whole time! |
Ethan had a big adventure this week...he had to get stitches :( Patrick and I were working on preparing dinner, and Ethan was playing in one of the cabinets like he does every single day. I was literally standing right beside him and Patrick was a foot away when Ethan let out a huge scream and then there was blood everywhere. A few panic stricken moments later we determined that all his teeth were still in his mouth, but he had a huge gash in his lip and a cut inside his mouth as well. What makes Patrick and I look like absolutely terrible parents is that with both of us right there with him, neither of us could tell you exactly what happened. We're assuming he hit himself in the mouth with a pan or something, but we're still not sure. I examined every item in that cabinet for traces of blood (gross, I know) and found nothing. I would evidently be a horrible detective, but that's another story...We called the pediatrician's office, who recommended that we take Ethan to urgent care. (It was around 6 pm at this point.) We hopped in the car with Ethan, who had calmed down considerably at this point and off we went. We first went to the urgent care office that is closest in proximity to our house, and were told it would be at least an hour wait before a doctor could see Ethan. This office looked pretty crowded, so we made an executive decision to go to a different urgent care office since there is one in the same building as our pediatrician's office (and the doctor's office that Patrick and I go to as well.) This is where I had wanted to start off in the first place, but again, that is another story...
We arrived at the office and there was no wait so they took us right back. The doctor that examined Ethan was really nice and said that he would need stitches in his lip. Now Ethan had been doing really well up to this point, and for anybody that has to subject their small child to the trauma of stitches my heart truly goes out to them. We had to wrap Ethan in a sheet like a mummy so that his arms were pressed against his sides, and they had to put a cool washcloth over his eyes so they wouldn't be hurt by the bright spotlight the doctor had to put over him to see to properly do his stitches. They put me in a chair right next to Ethan where I could stroke his cheek and they put Patrick and one nurse in charge of holding down Ethan's legs. Another nurse held his head still while the doctor stitched him up. I was told to sing to him to help comfort him, and by this point in time Ethan was shaking in fear. I had my eyes squeezed shut as tears streamed down my face, and I kept stroking his little cheek singing his favorite song, "This little light of mine." My singing voice is terrible on a good day, but we've all been fighting a nasty cold for about a week now too so it was especially terrible and then combined with the fact that I was crying almost as hard as Ethan was and I have no idea how terrible this all sounded.
After Ethan was all put back together and was shaking in our arms and squeezing us so tightly, the doctor came back in to give us some follow up instructions. She commented on our street name (it's a crazy sounding name that I have to spell for everybody because it's so nuts) and then told us that she lived on the other half of our cul-de-sac. (Our street is a cul-de-sac on both sides, but it is cut in half by the main street of our neighborhood so even though we know all of our immediate neighbors really well we never venture onto the other half of our street.) Small world! It was nice to meet a neighbor, although I wish it had been under different circumstances.
Ethan is doing much better now. He has two blue stitches in his lip that will need to come out next week. Oh how I dread taking him in for that process. I'm hoping it is much less painful than the putting them in process was. Ethan is on a prescription to prevent infection since he had such a deep open wound, and he loves it. The medicine is the pink stuff that has to be kept in the fridge (I remember having to take this as a child, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was actually for.) When he sees the dropper he opens up his mouth like a little baby bird and drinks it right down. At least he is a good little patient for me at home! The inside of his mouth is pretty swollen, and there's a slight bruise there as well so he looks like he's been in a fight or something. Poor kid! I just hope that this is the last time we have to go through something like this with him, because I'm not sure that my nerves can handle it.
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| Check out the stitches in his lower lip...I keep trying to get a good picture of his mouth, but this child is always on the move so getting him to sit still long enough for an up close pic is nearly impossible! |
Like I said, this week was full of adventure, and Ethan had his very first haircut this week too. We took him to Doolittle's, a salon that specializes in children's haircuts. Ethan loved it! The whole place is brightly colored and there are TVs with cartoons at every haircutting station. The seat at each station is some sort of vehicle for the child to sit in, and Ethan chose the police car. (They had a Jeep, fire truck, motorcycle, taxi cab, and a few others that I don't remember right now.) He had a great time spinning the wheel and "driving" while Miss Erin cut his hair. His little baby curls in the back are no more :( It was time and I'm glad we took him to do it (I don't want to be one of those moms whose son looks like he's sporting a mullet) but I was surprised at how sad I was. Ethan looks like such a little boy now!
The sweetest thing that Ethan has started doing lately is
sometimes when I'm sitting on the floor with him he will walk up behind me and
hug my back. He'll cuddle like this for a second, and then he wants me to stand
up and give him a piggy back ride. Of course I happily oblige (although this
does nothing for my poor back that I don't think has ever fully recovered since
being pregnant!) and Ethan laughs so hard as I run him throughout the house. He
especially likes when I stop in front of the bathroom or bedroom mirrors so he
can see himself getting a ride.
On Thursday afternoon we took a family trip to Starbuck's to
take advantage of the buy one get one free holiday drink special. Ethan loved
sitting in his Starbuck's high chair and people watching. He got really into
putting the cardboard drink wrappers around his sippy cup, and it's really fun
to be able to go places together as a family without worrying about him crying
and making us leave. This really is a fun age.
Since we've all been fighting off this nasty cold for over a
week now, it's otherwise been a pretty slow week. Every time I think I'm at the
very end of this thing, I'll wake up the next morning coughing up a lung. I
think I can safely say that the worst is behind all three of us now, but this
thing has lingered for awhile. I am most definitely sick and tired of having
the yucks in our house! I think Ethan and I are almost completely done with
this, and Patrick can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hooray!
Now here is where our story becomes the tale of two Ethans. Up until this point he had been pretty good, and so after a quick nap we decided to go up to the outlets to do some shopping. Ethan dozed off again in the car (this child generally sleeps for about three hours or so in the afternoons) so even though he hadn't gotten as much sleep as usual I figured he had enough that he would be functional. Wrong! He had his first official temper tantrum in the middle of the outlets. We're talking red face, back arched, flailing himself to the ground temper tantrum. Ummm...this rookie mom had no idea what to do. Oh the humiliation! He fell asleep on the ride home, and fortunately by the time we returned to the house my sweet child returned. I told Patrick that I considered leaving his son at the outlets...he was a little terror with zero interest in shopping. Sigh! Morgan was a fantastic shopper and the best part for me was when she and I were in a store that had hopscotch on the floor and she literally spent ten minutes at least hopping around. Oh the energy of youth! Morgan and Ethan did enjoy a ride together, and I have to say that I am so thankful that his godsister is such a sweet and wonderful friend to my boy. She pushed Ethan all around in his stroller and was such a big help all weekend. This young lady is the perfect big sister!
