Where are the fishies?

Wren is starting to understand us. When we ask "where are the fishies?" he looks up at the fish mobile. He also knows his name although it sometimes takes a few gos before he stops what he's doing to look at you. Unfortunately it seems he associates the whole question with the object so if you ask him "where is mummy?" he also looks at the fishies. As granny said (in the kind of hysteria that waking too early can promote) "mum has become a fishie!"

In further confusion.. Wren thinks the rubber covered Wii remote is a chew toy.

He woke up at 4.45am for the day and since it is raining (yes, those of you who wake in daylight hours may not see this gloomy fact) we can't go out for a walk yet.

Now, some pictures from the past few days. First, Wren bathing in the sink. He usually bathes in the bath in an inflatable tub but due to plumbing problems:

"uh oh, was that a shampoo bottle lid that just went down the drain?
Hrmm... yes. Oh, draino doesn't work.
Okay, Josh, I'll watch the kids while you try to open the P-trap.
Oh, you can't open the p-trap in that pipe without a bigger wrench.
Oh, the bigger wrench worked... but, what? The pipe seal is cracked, is leaking?
The plumber can't be here until tomorrow afternoon?...etc"



and here he is standing after pulling himself up on the high chair.



And finally, admiring Frost's habitat art show on the last day of his zoo-themed art camp. The habitat was for a turtle and wild cat and came with a cave and 2 trees. Actually, this picture shows his sea serpent. I am not sure how they saw one at the zoo.

The urge to travel

Wren's mobility continues to grow in leaps and bounds (or crawls and hops). He moves with increasing speed and has started to learn where things are in the house - following the same path a number of times to find things he likes. One common route is through the corridor to Frost's room. We have started keeping the door shut but it is often open and he crawls like a little steam train to get onto the Lego-strewn floor before we capture him.

He also likes to crawl through the kitchen, explore the heating vent in the floor, and to the cat food bowls. He picks up the cat food and drops the little "pebbles" on the floor.

We need to find somewhere to put it out of reach.

Even more exciting: today Wren learned to pull himself up from the ground. He pulled himself up to standing at the coffee table, in the bathtub, holding the legs of the high chair and at the couch. This is a new and dangerous endeavor because he can now fall from a greater height. He slipped while standing at the coffee table and hit the side of his eye on the table getting a bruise. He let go while holding the high chair and nearly fell.

Tomorrow, I will post the first standing shot of Wren - holding on with one hand.

This evening we went down to swim at Magnuson park. Mum took some photos of Frost swimming with an inflatable boat I bought at Bartells in spring. He had a grand time with it. He has started to become interested in swimming and didn't lament when I suggested swimming lessons in a few weeks time. He wants to pass the swim test so he can swim in the deep water. I am hoping this does not happen soon and its not likely but he is very keen to be released from the murky shallows of the non-swimmer zone. I really wish the lake swimming areas had a slightly deeper area for partial swimmers. Its not that fun wading around by the pebbly weedy duck feathered (poopy) shore and as I dragged Frost in the boat I too looked longingly at the deeper dark water where the serious lap swimmers and teenage girls with braces frollicked.

Crawling olympics

Wren is really crawling well. This evening he crawled out of the living room to see where Frost and Joshua went. He crawled through the kitchen, down the corridor to the bathroom then turned around and came back down the corridor to the bedroom where he watched a pillow-fight called "War" between the boys.

Granny found him there and took him to bathtime.

He crawls almost perfectly although his legs are a bit less co-ordinated than his arms. Sometimes his left (fat) leg drags a little and he sits up for a break.

The Pirates came to Dahl field - By Granny

Today was Frost's 6th Birthday Party - on a Pirate theme. We all survived the onslaught, some better than others. Shannon, as captain, is exhausted with the challenges of leading the pack and is now reclining on the sofa with a new book. Frost said it was "the best birthday, EVER!" He was a little concerned last night when Shannon and I had collapsed into demented laughter as we tried to put the sticky lurid frosting on his (non-pirate) LEGO-themed cake. His comment: "Don't worry, Mum, just DO your BEST. I still think its the best cake in the whole world!" How simple life is at 6.

For party activities, Shannon created a Treasure hunt with buried treasure (a tin of gold coins - some edible). This was quite a show and involved Shannon drawing a big Map of the park, with burnt edges and cut into 4. These map pieces were tied with gold ribbon and hidden around the park. Then the "treasure' was buried in a Plant bed. Our plan came undone when some other kids found 2 of the map pieces. The 4 year old 'robber' went off with it with his Mom and after being accosted by his friends, threw the map out of the car window. The Treasure hunt then went ahead with great excitement. The climax of the party was the beating of the Pirate-head Pinata. This is not the most relaxing event for parents as the kids get hyper-excited and finally descend in a feeding frenzy on the candy. Some get none, others hoard little piles. They learn to share - sort of.

Wren took it all in his stride. Just watching the big kids is enough entertainment for him and there is always the grass to eat. He even sported a tiny pirate tattoo on his left arm. He is crawling so well now that he covers ground at some speed. Wren is such a happy baby and easily amused: except perhaps at night as he continues to shriek in protest every few hours. But each morning he emerges with Shannon with the cutest of smiles and all is forgiven, even if it is only 5am.

Crawling after kitty

Where is my lollipop? (object permanence and other tricks)

Wren seems to be developing very quickly at the moment. Yesterday, Michelle came by to help clean the house and Wren took one look at her and burst into tears, quivering lip and clinging hands and all. He looked as if he'd seen a raksasa.

He also plays games by himself. He pushes a ball across the carpet and then crawls after it. He "throws" it again and crawls after it. Just now Granny noticed that he has another game - this one with a small plastic strip that came off my water bottle. He drops it on the carpet and then goes and gets it. He drops it and then picks it up again. We think he may be interested in the fact that it doesn't roll away. He has done this at least 15 times while I am writing. Drop, retrieve, drop retrieve.

Today we went to the playground for a school summer-park date and helped tape lollipops onto cards to promote the school. Wren was playing with a lollipop and sucking on it through the paper. He was very intent on this task. When I took the lollipop away - suspecting he was getting blue food coloring and dye as well as a chew-toy - he was distraught and kept craning his neck this way and that way to see where the lollipop had gone. Later, when I had another lollipop in my mouth he was very demanding and tried to pull it out for himself. He clearly has object permanence along with his stranger anxiety.

Frost had a lovely day too. He ran around with the bigger boys playing tag and chase and squirt guns. "You can't believe how fast Frost runs nowdays compared with his friends who are bigger. He was playing chase and chasing" says Granny. He also had a playdate with Nate and lots of conversations about how to organize a treasure hunt for some gold pirate coins.

I will post some movies of Wren crawling later this evening.

Good news I forgot yesterday

Also from the cardiology visit we had the good news that Wren will not have a fat leg forever!

For those of you late on this story, Wren's left leg is enlarged due to an obstructed ileac vein which was a complication of his initial surgery. This came to light after a vaccination in that leg which resulted in a very swollen and purple leg. It is still moderately enlarged.

Apparently, over time Wren's vein will form more collaterals to the point that the pressures are normal and the leg is a normal size.

We are very happy to hear this news as Josh was working on nicknames like Frankie Fatleg to last him through middle school.

The only downside from the appointment was that Wren has gained weight rather slowly in the past month. He had a pediatrician visit before we went away (after a couple of weeks of sleep training) and he was 90th percentile. A month later he is 75th percentile. I suspect this is due to the fact he no longer eats all night and is very distractible during the day.

7 month Cardiology Clinic

Today, Wren had his first cardiology clinic visit in 4 months. It was relatively brief. He was so wriggly and rolly-polly that it was hard to get a good echo tape but the tech (Brian) who has done all the previous studies managed to get enough to reassure Dr Lewin that all is stable.

The turbulence in the LVOT is still "moderate" although the velocity (4.3) was slightly less than last echo (4.5). Dr Lewin suspects that was due to the fact Wren was crying a lot last time rather than it actually improving, still, its good news that it hasn't changed.

His left ventricle is still thickened but no more than last time. That is because its has to push a bit harder through the narrow areas.

The aortic valve is doing well... no regurgitation and only a bit of turbulence (very mild) and the mitral valve is still appearing to behave normally. They got some good shots of the ventricle and valve and the LVOT ridge. It is not close to the valve which is apparently a good thing.

Wren complained a lot before Brian had any descending aorta shots but the arch seems okay too.

So, in general the LVOT is the only area looking moderately bad/good and which would cause Wren to go into OHS. Its our only real worry right now.

As a result of Wren looking "stable" we have the following dramatic news:
1) Next cardiology appointment IN FIVE MONTHS.
2) No echo at the next appointment - only EKG. If the EKG is reassuring...
3) NO ECHO UNTIL 18mths. That would be a sedated echo.
4) No more aspirin therapy.
5) Discontinue Zantac if we want to.

So, although Wren hasn't actually improved he is doing well. He looks robust, is developing normally and his heart seems stable. I thought he looked good but as soon as the echo wand approached and I saw that turbulence on the monitor I started to get anxious again. Nothing like the potential for bad information to freak you out.

Thanks for all the good wishes, prayers and thoughts.

Why I paid my child $5 to put his hand in a public toilet

Today we have been unpacking the car and repacking the house with all our toys, wine, children and dirty clothes. I have at least 4 loads of laundry waiting but have done a quick milk and bread and vegie meatballs run to Trader Joes.

The good news is that everything made it home except my pillow. How my pillow was lost is a matter of conjecture. It recall putting it on the roof of the car as I repacked at a rest stop. I don't recall putting it back in. The novel I was reading has also mysteriously vanished. How we could drive off without noticing a bright yellow pillow with blue stars is... well... we were tired. It was a long day. We slept well last night in the usual 3 hour increments of Wren's way.

There was one other rest stop incident that deserves mention. Since I carry Wren about a lot I have taken to leaving my purse in the car and carrying my car keys tucked into my waistband. They have a long leather keyring strip which I tuck in and the keys hang out the back. This is only when I need a hands free moment mind you! At one rest-stop on the way to CA I took Frost to the public bathroom. The automatic flush toilet didn't detect him sitting on it (too short?) and kept flushing loudly which alarmed him so I leant over to hold my hand over the red eye. When he was done I lifted my hand and it flushed VOOOOOOOORM. I heard a clink and looked around on the floor for my keys. They were nowhere to be seen. I looked in the toilet and there they were in the bowl.

Now these rest stop toilets are not the usual delicate variety we have at home. They are stainless steel beasts with narrow gullets and try as I might i could not get my hand down the hole at the bottom to retrieve my keys. Added to the pressure was the fact that I was scared the automatic flusher would go and suck my carkeys down into the sewer so I had to stay at the toilet with my hand over the malevolent red eye. Frost was looking on in consternation. I showed him my keys. I said "I will give you five dollars if you stick your hand down there and get my keys".

He did.

I scoured him with that pink soap for ages afterwards and stopped Wren chewing on my keys. When we got to the motel I washed the keys repeatedly. Frost spent the $5 on chocolate which he has yet to finish. He had some on smores this evening.

10 days have passed and no-one has come down with cholera or giardia or some unknown reststoptoiletitis. Phew.

Today Wren explored the living room with his new crawling skills. He makes little hops, lunges and some steady crawling steps. He travels a remarkable distance and babyproofing is proceeding as fast as I can anticipate danger. He loves to find things on the coffee table and tug and chew wires so those are among the first thigns to be taped down.

Tomorrow is his first cardiology clinic in 4 months. I am hopeful but apprehensive. Wish us luck. I don't know how we will keep him still enough fora good image. All he wants to do is roll and sit and crawl.

We're home!

We have arrived home from our vacation (I was going to say "fieldtrip") to California. Wren was exhausted by car driving (about 10 hours on the road each day on the way home) and is very happy to being home. He has gone to bed without crying.

While away he:
1) Learned to crawl.
2) Decided to eat mainly at night so he could concentrate on new things during the day.
3) thus... became nocturnal.
4) Started saying RA RA and almost DA DA.
5) Tried to pick up fluff from the carpet.
6) Had to have rocks, pebbles, lego and bark removed from his mouth.
7) ate sand.

He has his next cardiology appointment on Monday 23rd. Echo and all.

I will post tomorrow. We are all tired.