I'm just swinging by...

... to mention that Miles will be turning two this Sunday. Also, teething has kicked into such a high gear lately. Little Man is also fighting off strep throat and yet another blasted ear infection. On top of that, one of his ear tubes is wiggling out- already?!? It's only been since November; how much time to we get until he heads back in? Anyways, daily life is a bit rocky and off-center these days. The proof, my hubs and I totally forgot our 5th year wedding anniversary yesterday. We only remembered after receiving congrats messages from our parents. Whoops. Maybe this means I will be forgetting my rapidly approaching 30th birthday, and I will get to be 29 a wee-bit longer.

On the mend; on the go

Thanks to modern medicine, the sweet side of Miles is rapidly returning. He must have been in some serious pain because I came home to a different child this evening.

Some exciting events are on the horizon. Miles starts his first KinderMusic class today. The program is entitled Musicgarten and is quite popular in our community. In fact, I already know one of the former local board of directors, but I didn't know she had done that until I mentioned Miles' enrollment yesterday.

I've got a 3 day weekend coming up. Woo-hoo! And not just any random 3 day weekend, it one of my favorite holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! When I was little, and I am sure my mother will attest to this, I baked him a cake to mark the occasion. Not sure where I got the idea, but I had learned about him in school and felt compelled to celebrate his birthday. To this day, I believe that Dr. King was a true visionary, a bright spark to our nation, and a I also feel that the time has come to bring Miles into the tradition. Perhaps kiddo and I will spend Monday working on a strawberry cake in honor of Dr. King's birthday.

(Triple) Ugh!

1. Double ear infections**

2. Cold

3. Teething

We've got an unhappy camper on our hands.

**The pediatrician said not to use the antibiotic ear drops, that his canals are too small and too clogged. Well, fooey. That was the whole point of getting ear tubes, so that he wouldn't have to take so many oral antibiotics. The ENT is getting buzzed today, for we need some back-up advice. But yes, we started the oral meds as soon as we found out because little man is super crabby these days. I'm baffled; why get tubes if they don't make a difference? I knew that going in more infections were possible; it's just that seeing Miles in pain is getting really, really old.

Houston, we have ear tubes and surprising allergy test result.

Some pre-op cuteness...

Miles has ear tubes and an allergy to soy. Soy!!! The one diet option we thought was a safe bet. Even more unexpected, milk is not an allergen. Didn't see that coming, at all, and I shared my disbelief with all the staff in ear shot. At first my reaction was frustration- and why not- because soy is all the boy ingests. Another surprise- wheat is not an allergen, either. Note- this does not rule out Celiac Disease. We'll tackle that issue at his 2 year check-up. The only other substance that created a reaction was mold. Go figure, he is my child, after all.

As for recovery, the mid-morning was a little rocky. He'd been given some "chill-out" juice to calm him down pre-op, and only gas during the procedure. Miles was foggy for awhile, but a four hour power nap seemed to wipe the slate clean. He's now back to his loud and perky self.

Troubleshooting Speech Issues

As of now, Miles gets very little in the way of speech services per his IFSP. Consultation; that's it. So our OT has recommended a few activities to hold us over until we can get another speech evaluation completed. Miles' upper lip is a bit on the small side, and the OT is looking into some stretching exercises that will help Miles learn to use a straw. Additionally, we are to use an electric toothbrush on his face, in a sweeping motion toward his mouth, to stimulate his mouth muscles. Now, honestly, I haven't been using the toothbrush on his face; I've been letting Miles chew on it as the ultimate teething toy. He has nothing to do with the toothbrush we got from the dentist; he abhors infant toothpaste. Trying to (technically) brush his teeth is turning into a joke- but letting Miles gum and swirl this contraption might be the answer.

As for Miles' speech progress, I am not sure where he should be know. He knows some signs, and on a few very rare occasions, he has used those signs to ask for something. Overall, he relies on a screech to get his point across. He does know a few words, too. Jesse is clearly "dadada." And the dogs are "gee" which is short for doggy. Miles can also say goodbye, but it sounds like "diedie." He can say mama, but he's never used that term for me. (And this makes me sad.) Luckily, the silly video below softens the blow.

Knowing that speech are hearing are close amigos, we went to the ENT this morning. His most recent ear infection spree has cleared. Doc said it might be linked to the dairy in Miles' diet, which we took out again (for the 100th time) last week. His mood has clearly improved since we excused the moo juice, too. Anyways, in four weeks, we go back for another hearing test to check for recent loss which might have occurred during the infections and to take a looksey in those itty-bitty ear canals. If the infections flair up for another round, Miles will have to get tubes put in. At that time, the ENT wants an allergy skin test performed. We are waiting for the 2 year check-up for the Celiac blood work, but we can do early food related testing sooner this route.

"Cellphone vs. Electric Toothbrush"

Starring Miles, a Spidey toothbrush, and my hand

Enjoy!