So Peregrine has really enjoyed furniture walking for a few months now. He's very good at walking, but really doesn't like doing it on his own - he'll hunt down your finger or pant leg or what-have-you if try to trick him into walking under his own power.
When he's playing, though, he'll sometimes forget himself and stand without bracing himself on anything for awhile. Tonight, for the first time, he was so enraptured with a potato we had given him that he 'accidentally' walked clear across the kitchen. He did it repeatedly. Don't get me wrong: it's not far, but there's no mistaking it was quite genuinely intentional and without any support - except the potato. If he didn't have the potato in his hand, he was unwilling to take a single step without a finger, arm, or pant leg to hold on to. With the potato? A nigh-unstoppable juggernaut of bipedal motion. As such, I have christened it the Magic Walking Potato. And, I happened to get it on video!
So, for your viewing pleasure, Peregrine and the Magic Walking Potato:
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
First trip on the train, exploring Portland
Grandma Biddy came into town...hmm...two Tuesdays ago, for a week or so. Sky had a conference/workshop to attend in Portland, and the original plan had been for Grandma to accompany her to take care of Pip while she was in class. Papa managed to get the days off as well, though, so all four of us headed down to Portland for a long weekend. We left Thursday morning, catching the Amtrak from Everett all the way down to Portland and didn't come back until Monday night.
The first two days Papa had to do some work while Mama was in class, so Grandma Biddy and Peregrine got to spend most of those two days together (except for meals and some time walking around and such). We mostly just all relaxed at the hotel by the airport.
Saturday afternoon we left the conference hotel and headed to downtown Portland for a couple more days as tourists. We toured around on the MAX system, took Peregrine for his first swim in a swimming pool, ate some really excellent food, explored some boutique-y shops, wandered around a gorgeous Chinese garden, and just generally yucked it up. Monday afternoon, back on to the train and a nice easy ride up to Everett! It was a very nice trip, though it of course didn't seem long enough. The first two days Papa had to do some work while Mama was in class, so Grandma Biddy and Peregrine got to spend most of those two days together (except for meals and some time walking around and such). We mostly just all relaxed at the hotel by the airport.
Sky and I have spent quite a bit of time exploring the Oregon coast, but this is the first time we spent any time in Portland. I think it's a fair bet we'll be trying to spend some more time there. For one thing, there are like a million tasty looking food carts, and I pretty much can't resist that.
Now, if only we could find more time...
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Norovirus (WARNING - poop stories)
So, last+ week (the weekend of the 23rd) we really got Peregrine out and about a bunch. He went to the Children's Museum, out for the Easter Egg Hunt in the nearby Park, had a visit with his cousins James and Lana (and Uncle Billy and Aunt Lys), and just generally whooped it up.
As it turns out, all that socializing has a down side. This is...hmmm...probably "not news" for any parent other than a new one.
So, starting on Saturday afternoon, Peregrine had diarrhea. Lots of it. Then on Saturday evening he vomited. A bunch. Projectile-like. I only recall vaguely due to fatigue, but I'm pretty sure we had to change his sheets four times on Easter-eve. And there was a commensurate level of laundry washing. Saturday night/Sunday he had a fever and was generally unhappy.
Fortunately his vomiting stopped after that one Mr. Creosote-like incident, and his fever subsided. He was back to (mostly) normal on Monday. His diarrhea, however, stayed with us. For a boy who usually poos once every two days, the switch to twice or thrice daily diarrhea has not been fun.
He was a trooper, though. After that first night, he didn't seem to care very much about it, in fact he hardly let it break his stride. He'd just be trucking along doing his thing and you'd hear a *BOOM* in his pants - much like a car backfiring - followed usually by a noxious smell and, well, perhaps other issues requiring a HAZMAT suit (depending on how well his diaper had been sealed). Needless to say we switched to disposables this last week. On Tuesday it still wasn't showing signs of abating so we called the pediatrician who said there's a bit of an epidemic (my words, not his) of 'norovirus' going around, which is apparently an awful lot like what people get on cruise ships. Just a nasty gut bug. He mentioned it could last up to a week or more (Sky saw him on call yesterday and he said some cases have been going two weeks). He mentioned that the hospitals are full of kids right now on IVs as they're so dehydrated. From crapping so much. (that last bit was just for you, Amy.)
Fortunately, Pippers stayed interested in eating and drinking and nursing, so aside from switching him over to the world-famous BRAT diet for a week, and getting his first drinks of pedialyte just in case (of which he didn't think too highly) we haven't had to worry about that. He really didn't like pedialyte, though. Also, has anyone else figured out that's pretty much kool-aid with a pinch of salt? Wait, that's not fair...kool-aid has less sugar, I think.
I've been on tenterhooks all weekend as his last bout was Friday about dinner time! We made it over 48 hours with no incidents so it looks like things are finally (hopefully) back to normal. Well, ok, I fed him some sauteed spinach this afternoon and that perhaps moved things around a bit more than usual, but that's my own fault - and nothing like what's been going on the last week. Tonight we grilled in the warm 'summer' evening and he wolfed down korean short ribs like they were going out of style - he clearly wanted some protein after a week of applesauce and rice gruel.
That's the skinny on the last two weekends. So here's to hoping he's fully on the mend, at least until he's exposed to the next thing that's "all the rage" with the kids these days!
As it turns out, all that socializing has a down side. This is...hmmm...probably "not news" for any parent other than a new one.
So, starting on Saturday afternoon, Peregrine had diarrhea. Lots of it. Then on Saturday evening he vomited. A bunch. Projectile-like. I only recall vaguely due to fatigue, but I'm pretty sure we had to change his sheets four times on Easter-eve. And there was a commensurate level of laundry washing. Saturday night/Sunday he had a fever and was generally unhappy.
Fortunately his vomiting stopped after that one Mr. Creosote-like incident, and his fever subsided. He was back to (mostly) normal on Monday. His diarrhea, however, stayed with us. For a boy who usually poos once every two days, the switch to twice or thrice daily diarrhea has not been fun.
He was a trooper, though. After that first night, he didn't seem to care very much about it, in fact he hardly let it break his stride. He'd just be trucking along doing his thing and you'd hear a *BOOM* in his pants - much like a car backfiring - followed usually by a noxious smell and, well, perhaps other issues requiring a HAZMAT suit (depending on how well his diaper had been sealed). Needless to say we switched to disposables this last week. On Tuesday it still wasn't showing signs of abating so we called the pediatrician who said there's a bit of an epidemic (my words, not his) of 'norovirus' going around, which is apparently an awful lot like what people get on cruise ships. Just a nasty gut bug. He mentioned it could last up to a week or more (Sky saw him on call yesterday and he said some cases have been going two weeks). He mentioned that the hospitals are full of kids right now on IVs as they're so dehydrated. From crapping so much. (that last bit was just for you, Amy.)
Fortunately, Pippers stayed interested in eating and drinking and nursing, so aside from switching him over to the world-famous BRAT diet for a week, and getting his first drinks of pedialyte just in case (of which he didn't think too highly) we haven't had to worry about that. He really didn't like pedialyte, though. Also, has anyone else figured out that's pretty much kool-aid with a pinch of salt? Wait, that's not fair...kool-aid has less sugar, I think.
I've been on tenterhooks all weekend as his last bout was Friday about dinner time! We made it over 48 hours with no incidents so it looks like things are finally (hopefully) back to normal. Well, ok, I fed him some sauteed spinach this afternoon and that perhaps moved things around a bit more than usual, but that's my own fault - and nothing like what's been going on the last week. Tonight we grilled in the warm 'summer' evening and he wolfed down korean short ribs like they were going out of style - he clearly wanted some protein after a week of applesauce and rice gruel.
That's the skinny on the last two weekends. So here's to hoping he's fully on the mend, at least until he's exposed to the next thing that's "all the rage" with the kids these days!
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