Happy Halloween!

When costume hunting this year we were torn. Do we do something that keeps our boy little or go with something more fit for the little boy he's becoming? Nothing seemed quite right. While at one store I was considering a pumpkin - classic, following in Mommy and Daddy's footsteps, and wouldn't make him grow up too fast. So I asked Dax what he thought. His response? "I like the zebra." That made it easier. :)

Since we bought it, he has asked to wear it everyday and LOVES that costume. He got a second non-costume for daycare so he could be a Ninja Turtle by day and Zebra by night. We decided that one night wasn't going to cut it, though, and started Halloween early with visiting some of the grandparents for trick-or-treating. Even though he clammed up at each doorway, it was a blast!

We continued to practice saying, "Trick or Treat" in hopes that the real deal would be more successful. Though a little hesitant at the first house, he quickly learned the power of those three words and got more confident at each of the (6) houses we visited. He was thrilled with every piece of candy that was dropped in his bucket and picked very carefully when he was allowed to choose. It was very sweet and a great first attempt at trick or treating.

Apparently being a zebra is exhausting because a few minutes after we arrived home, Dax yawned and requested to go to bed. So his second Halloween ended having eaten no candy and going to bed early. Somewhat anticlimactic, but cute nonetheless.

Pumpkins!

Friday we went to the pumpkin patch (well, the field of pumpkins at the nursing home near our house) to pick out the perfect ones. Dax loved running around with the pumpkins and decorating his own, hated the pumpkin goo from Mommy and Daddy's pumpkins, and loved it again when we put them outside and lit them. It was such a fun evening!

Little Man

When did Dax get so old?

MEA

After one of the worst weekends we have ever had, we had to make up for it this week. It didn't hurt that I had some extra time with my little man due to the Education MN teacher's conference. As usual I considered attending the actual conference for at least part of one of the days, but family time won out and we simply enjoyed ourselves. With a visit to see the scarecrows at the arboretum, two zoo trips, acting like total tourists at the Mall of America, and lots of playing, this could easily be a LONG post so I will simply share the weekend in pictures.

ER

Parenthood is incredible. It is pure joy to watch Dax grow, learn, and become his own little person. It can also be completely heartbreaking and terrifying. Last night we experienced the latter.

Dax has been fighting a cold for about a week and on Friday we decided to give him a low-key day with Grandma instead of the high-energy day he would have at daycare. After learning that one of his buddies had an ear infection and croup, I asked my mom to watch him closely for any signs that he had more than just a cold and not to hesitate to take him to the pediatrician. Fortunately, he was himself all day and, though he napped more than usual, he played and played and was nothing but a little hoarse when we picked him up.

Fast forward to 12:30 AM and he was no longer fine. His hoarse voice turned to an inability to cough, cry, or get words out, and his stuffy nose turned into very labored breathing. He seriously sounded more like a barking dog than a toddler and we knew it was not good. We immediately brought him to the bathroom and ran hot water to let him breathe in some steam and try to clear his airways. Once he calmed down he was a little better, but still struggled to get a breath in and sounded terrible.

After talking with the pediatrician's nurseline and a dispatcher at 911, we decided to bring him in to the ER to get checked. Dax wasn't doing much better and had moments that were much worse so we ended up calling 911 a second time and requesting paramedics. The police showed up first and talked with us while we waited for the ambulance. They arrived a few minutes later along with a fire truck (apparently standard protocol for any call with a child having trouble breathing). They asked to check Dax downstairs and I think there were at least 6 uniformed men in our living room.

The paramedic listened to Dax's lungs and they asked if we wanted them to bring him in to the hospital. We deferred to their expert opinion and the paramedic tending to our little guy said that he was going to get a lot worse if he spent much more time in the dry air. Thus, they recommended we ride with them and they started an oxygen mask with albuterol. Walking outside I realized why there were so many people in our house when I was bombarded by the wall of emergency vehicles and flashing lights.

Later, while driving to the ER, the paramedic was talking with the hospital staff so they could be ready for us and he responded to one of their questions with, "He's borderline." While I have no idea what the question was, "borderline" gave me the assurance that we had made the right decision and Dax was where he needed to be.

Upon our arrival, the hospital staff hooked him up with a sensor on his toe to monitor his vitals and switched his mask to epinephrine in hopes that the swelling in his airway would go down and he started to get better quickly. We learned much more than we ever hoped to about croup, waited awhile to ensure that Dax tolerated the medication he had received and remained stable, laughed while he perked back up and loudly serenaded the ER with Okee Dokee Brothers and Lumineers songs, and left a little after 3 AM exhausted, relieved, and looking forward to going back to bed.

It's a night we will be happy never to relive, but are so thankful and grateful for the knowledgeable people who responded both at our house and at the hospital. And we continue to enjoy parenthood, regardless of those excruciating lows.

Fall is in the air

Commercials for pumpkin lattes (yum!), cooler weather (though inconsistent being MN and all), leaves falling (ours usually start mid-august), and our annual kindergarten apple orchard field trip (success!) all add up to one thing - fall is here! I am so NOT a summer weather person and welcome all things fall. Dax has embraced it as well and it is so much fun to see his joy in everything new we share with him. Here's a snapshot of our fall thus far...

Cooler weather jammies invite extra guests to breakfast - why wouldn't the "tiger slipper" want toast? ;)

We also brought Dax to the apple orchard. We were inspired by the fun I had with my kindergarten classes and visited Applewood Orchard in Lakeville. It was the perfect first apple picking experience for the little man and he loved every second!

Hayride out to the apples

Loving the ride

Picking apples

Got one!

Breakthrough! Dax ate some of the apple!

My boys

So happy

Running through the orchard

He found some tractors that were just his size

Playing with Daddy

What's more fun than a pile of hay?!