Terrible Two's

When people talk about the terrible two's, they're not kidding. My son is now 2 years old and has his own personality. He tells me what he wants and when he wants it. He has mastered the word 'no' like a pro. Yes, he is in that 'terrible two's' stage. I am totally fascinated with this new phase. It's not that I haven't gone through it before. It's just that this time I am going through it with a boy instead of a girl.

And boy are boys and girls different. I remember my little girls being all sweet and proper. They would play without being so loud. They wouldn't run around the house throwing toys everywhere. My little boy, on the other hand, does all those things, and more.

My 19 month-old boy is my little blessing. No matter how sad, tired, or frustrated I might feel, just looking into those big brown eyes can put a smile on my face. Thank you God for sending him to me at the precise moment I needed him. They do say that things happen for a reason, right?

Ear Infection

I woke up at 2 in the morning with a feverish baby. I knew right away that this fever wasn't caused by a virus or by molar teeth coming in. It was just too high (above 102 degrees). So I did the usual, got the baby's clothes off and gave him fever reducing medicine. The next morning the baby was still very feverish and cranky. I decided to head to urgent care late in the evening.

The doctor did her thing. She checked his ears, his throat, his stomach. But she couldn't find anything, or at least that's what she said. So she sent me back home with a feverish baby. She told me to monitor him and to bring him back if the fevers continued after a couple of days.

The fever continued. The sleepless nights also continued, along with a very unhappy baby. Two days later I went back to the doctor. A male doctor examined him this time. He finally found that his right ear had an infection. What a relief! At least I knew what was causing his fevers. He prescribed the usual antibiotics.

What I want to know is, did that lady doctor see the beginnings of an infection and ignore it thinking it would go away on its own? I know doctors don't like prescribing antibiotics too much for fear that they will eventually lose their ability to cure infections. But I knew there was an infection somewhere. The high fevers tell you that the body is fighting off an infection. Why did they make me go back to the doctor? And most importantly, why did they let my baby suffer without treatment?

Walking and Running

Walking, running, exploring, and turning the house upside down seems to be what my now 15 month old boy seems to do all day long. He enjoys looking in boxes of toys or going through my plastic-container drawers. Will my house ever be organized?

Baby Teeth at Last

This week I finally see baby teeth coming in. The baby hasn't seemed cranky or feverish. The only thing I have noticed is that several teeth are coming out both on the top and bottom. All at once! That's a first for me. Well, the good thing is that the baby's teeth are finally here.

10 months

My baby is 10 months today and still has no teeth. He is extremely active and crawls so fast it's hard to keep up with him. He is able to stand up while holding on to a furniture piece. He also is able to take a few steps but only when he holds on to something. He is a handful. One day I let him crawl up the stairs to see if he was able. And he was! Yikes! He's also very verbal. His 'baby talk' is so adorable. We have long conversations. Time sure seems to fly when it comes to him.

No Teeth Yet

My baby will be 9 months this week and still there is no sign of baby teeth. Compared to my little girls, who got their teeth at about 6 to 7 months, this little guy is late. The doctor assured me that baby teeth teeth can come between 6 months to a year. I will keep waiting.

Non-stop Crawler

Exactly two weeks ago my baby finally learned how to crawl forward. He is now unstoppable. He loves following us all around the house. It is so exciting for him to be mobile. He feels more independent and only wants to be on the floor exploring.

Since my house is too big, I have to be extra careful with him. I have closed off parts of the house for him by using a plastic divider. This way he can only be in an enclosed and safe area close to us.

Crawling Backwards

My baby is sitting up on his own and also trying to crawl. Although he hasn't mastered this yet, it's cute to see him getting on all fours and crawling backwards, not forward yet. He runs into the sofa and other furniture pieces. When he wants to go somewhere, he simply rolls and goes backwards. Can't wait to see if he's going to be a crawler. Some babies just don't master the skill of crawling. So, I'll just have to wait and see.

First Word

The most exciting thing happened today. My baby actually waved bye bye as he said 'aba'. He did this many times so it wasn't a coincidence. I had been teaching him to wave bye bye for a few weeks now and he was able to do it. Today, he surprised us with the actual word. What a great feeling!