Doctors, Stairs, and Teeth...Oh My!

I have seen the inside of the pediatricians office more in the last 10 days then I have in the 4 months that Hayes has been alive!  Ok, that's a slight exaggeration...but still.  Poor little man has been so congested.  The Dr. said it's not RSV, just a cold, but for us to watch for laboured breathing and fever.  So three days later, no fever.  No laboured breathing.  HOWEVER, now we have pink eye!  Putting eye drops as thick as molasses in the eyes of a four month old is not an easy task, but Jason and I are getting to be pros.  We are also pros at using the bulb syringe.  Hayes is getting used to the suctioning as well.  He is starting to hold his breath as soon as he sees that blue bulb coming at him.  I have also accepted the fact that until my sweet boy can blow his own nose, and maybe even after, all of my clothing doubles as Kleenex and the shoulders of my shirts will never be the same.

On a happier Hayes note...HE HAS A TOOTH!  Yep, at 20 weeks old, he cut his first tooth.  It hasn't come in all the way, but it's definitely poking through.  I must admit I got a little teary eyed when I saw that speckle of white against those perfectly pink gums.  It is indeed a milestone, but it is a reminder of how quickly they grow.  But for now, I'm looking forward to eye drop, saline suctioning, and orajel time with my little man.

Another great accomplishment this weekend was the Big D Climb.  It's a climb of 52 flights of stairs to raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.  It is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart because my good friend Loan is a two time Leukemia survivor and my friend Amanda's husband, Trebor, is battling the disease still.  I did not participate in the climb this year because of my back issues, but Bailey and Jason did!  I am SO proud of them!  Especially Bailey.  She finished 1040 stairs in 15:08 min.  Probably could have been faster if she hadn't waited on Daddy for the first 11 flights.  She was so excited to do the stairs and she was proud to do it so that she could "help sick people."  I could not ask for a better bonus daughter! 

The climb is not the only thing she has conquered this year.  She has struggled with reading the last few years in school and was being pulled out to attend a special reading class.  Even though lots of kids face this challenge, Bailey had been down on herself about it.  She felt like an outsider and like she was different from the other kids; it really affected her confidence level.  Well, as of last week Bailey no longer has to have the extra reading help!  Her hard work and the efforts of her teachers has paid off!  She is now reading above grade level books and it has really given her confidence a boost.  She is definitely coming out of her shell more.  She says that 2012 is already a great year.  I hope it gets better and better for her.  She deserves it.  I love seeing the light bulb moments in kids.  It's very inspiring!