April Sunshine

We haven't had many April Showers, but we have had plenty of activity to keep us busy!

We started off April with a family trip to Disney World. I think I've finally just started to call each trip up by the month it is. We've gone once a month since October, and no, it doesn't get old, and yes Connor asks for it constantly. Every single trip is different, and it was nice that Aunt Kaitlyn and Grandma got to join in the fun! 

 Connor rode on his own horse for the carousel and loved every minute of it. He is getting bigger and bigger, and I can't get over how independent he always wants to be. "No mommy, me try." That gets a little scary when he wants to pour his own juice, but even that he does successfully. It's amazing! We went to Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Magic Kingdom the first day, and had so much fun! We lunched at Pinocchio's Village Haus overlooking the Small World boats and of course where do you think Connor insisted on going next? "It's a world of laughter, a world of tears. It's a world of hope, it's a world of fears....." over and over and over again! Every time we ride it, he seems to think the kids are his friends, and dances along with them!

 Our second day found the three of us at Animal Kingdom. Of course we had to do his favorite ride the Safari, and we actually got fast passes before going on the first time, just to be able to do it twice. We also knew we had to catch the Nemo show, since Connor is on a Nemo kick at the moment, and we got the most incredible seats. Connor always enjoys the show, but we had a row all to ourselves, front and center, with no one in the row in front of us. It was awesome! Connor even got up close and personal with some of the characters and was thrilled!!!

Most of April has seen us tackling all sorts of adventures. Connor has been having difficulty sleeping and the night terrors have been incredible. A mix between night terrors and sleep walking sends us in to a tizzy at night and creates exhausted parents. We are scheduled to participate in a sleep study in July, and hopefully that will give us some answers. Yet, Connor is a joy during the day. Constantly learning new things, and playing make believe. Grandma got his a Jake and the Neverland Pirates set, and he goes around pretending to be Jake looking for his "X" and treasure. He loves to sing his ABCs song, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. We're working on Jesus Loves Me, and Row Row Row Your Boat. This Little Light of Mine, has been really fun to sing with him too! 

This past week was difficult because Connor came down with Viral Stomatitis. It started with him screaming through the night last Sunday, and we thought it was one of his night terror episodes. The next morning though he wouldn't eat, and kept saying "mouth, boo boos". So I got a flashlight and low and behold he had sores all over the inside of his mouth. It looked like chicken pox covering the roof of his mouth and tongue. Back to the pediatrician we go, and after blood work and swabs they diagnose him. They explained how terribly painful it is and couldn't tell us how long it would last. He wouldn't put anything in his mouth. He broke down after just eating a strawberry. It was so sad. For the past week he has been living on ice pops, jello, and pudding. His lips were even sensitive. He was in major pain. They prescribed us Magic Mouthwash, a combination of benadryl, mallox, and lidocaine, but he wouldn't even let us give him that. Sleeping at night was the worst because his reflux would act up and the pain for him was unbearable. I think we're finally over it though. He ate his first solid food yesterday, and even had pretzels today. The hardest part through this whole thing is he never lost his appetite. Poor baby was hungry, but couldn't eat anything substantial. Bananas even hurt!

 We got to see the whole Guise family yesterday at Erin's wedding, and it was so nice to see everyone. It of course is bitter sweet, and brings so many memories rushing back, but nice none the less. It's hard to see my uncles because of how much of Grandpa Gary I see in them, but it's also nice because it's like a piece of his resemblance is still around. Great Grandpa Ernie loves seeing Connor, and always points him out to others to show them how cute he is! I know that's what Grandpa Gary would do too. He was so proud of his first grandchild. 

Connor spent most of the night on the dance floor and was such a ham. Even when it was time to eat he wanted to go back out and dance! Aunt Kaitlyn enjoyed herself following him around I'm sure! He thinks she's the coolest!

Potty "training" is a thing of the past at this point. He's got it down pat! Though he's been trained to now expect a prize after every number 2. HAHA! The prize is usually a matchbox car, and even at Disney when we told him he could pick any prize in the store (ANY prize), he went straight to the die-cast cars and picked a Bruce inspired race car. Silly boy, you could have gotten an entire train set, daddy's wallet was ready.

Spring Break and Easter

I cannot believe the whirlwind we've been a part of recently. We have been super active in a really enjoyable sort of way. Not too much of go go go, but planned out days of joy and activity. I'll start with Easter day and go backward to Spring Break.

Connor of course loved all of the goodies in his Easter basket. Last year he got fruit snacks, but this year, he got real candy. Jellybeans to be exact, and he was thrilled. We are still using the jellybeans as incentives and treats for good behavior....otherwise known as bribes. He got another cardboard book, and even a Veggie Tales movies in his basket. Church was wonderful, and Aunt Kaitlyn even performed on stage in 252. She didn't get to pick out an Easter Dress this year knowing she was volunteering on stage, but I think Connor looked Easter enough for all of us! I enjoyed putting his entire ensemble together this year, and didn't buy an already put together outfit. I like being "Stylist Mommy" just call me Kristin Zoe.

Connor LOVED finding Easter eggs. He didn't need them easily spread around the grass, he actually looked for the hidden ones, and wanted more when we were all done. I kept re-hiding the eggs in new places, and he was a very happy little boy. Our eggs are worth $$ in our family, and he made a pretty little penny to put in his piggy bank. Grandma Glenda really knows how to make things fun. She also gave Connor an Easter basket, and of course included presents! I think he was more thrilled with his basket from Grandma, but she found him a Little Einsteins Rocket and that couldn't have been any more perfect. She's the perfect grandma. 

 Spring Break was wonderful! For once we didn't have any major travel plans, and we were able to enjoy our time locally. Our church had Sunday School Easter Celebration to start the week complete with an egg hunt, bounce house, and tractor pull. Connor was THRILLED! I don't know what he loved more, but the squeals of delight on the tractor ride were hysterical. It was a good intermission from our trips to Disney. You can't beat the fact that "His Isla" was there, and followed her around like a puppy dog. 

 The next day we woke up and traveled to Tampa to see a Red Sox Spring Training game. Darlene always knows how much we appreciate the tickets to anything Red Sox. His first Red Sox game ever was because of Darlene. This was a treat for sure. We were in a box suite right behind home plate complete with all of the baseball food you can eat. Connor knew exactly who to cheer for, and "Go Red Sox" was a common phrase repeated throughout the day. Everyone thought he was the cutest Red Sox fan! It was so much fun! We even walked out of the tunnel with the players, and Connor walked right up to Xander Bogaerts for his autograph. We had no gate to stand behind, and the team was just there. It was surreal. You can only imagine how excited Tim was. Plus the Red Sox won! On our way back home that night we even stopped to meet brand new baby, Colton Stalions, and it ended the day perfectly!

 The rest of the week found us at TY park with friends, brunch at Cheesecake Factory, spent time with baby Miracle, and even got to see Aunt Heather and Uncle Josh. Connor was such a good boy the entire week with mommy, and it only makes me look forward to summer even more. He did transition well to being back with Grandma and Kaitlyn once the week was over, and even "misses" them when we are in the car just driving home from their house. His time at their house is his favorite. I love that it's his special place. I made him a Sight Word book recently on Shutterfly, and that has been our new goal. With as smart as he is, he loves learning new things. His book focuses on "I, see, my, like, and". Grandma started a few color words at her house, and he has mastered red, blue, green, and yellow. I included a video below just from tonight. Can you believe he's not even 2 1/2 yet? Smarty pants dance, smarty pants dance!!!

First ER Trip

Well, it finally happened.  After almost 2.5 years of Connor walking this Earth (and many close calls), we finally ended up in the Emergency Room.  Strangely, it had nothing to do with Connor acting out his boyish tendencies, he simply fell victim to a crazy-aggressive stomach bug.  I can’t help but feel some responsibility towards this unfortunate turn of events since it is highly likely that I am the one who passed it to my poor sweet little boy (with an assist from Disney World).  It all started last weekend.  The family took a weekend trip to Disney to celebrate Aunt Kaitlyn’s 13^th birthday.  The three of us remained at Disney for the weekend so Connor could visit with some of his favorite Disney Junior Characters (see last week’s blog).  Sunday morning, I (being Tim) woke up with the sudden inability to keep anything in my stomach.  It was terrible.  Not even something I would wish on my worst enemies.  We had planned the entire time to hang out on Sunday in Orlando and meet up with Heather, Josh and Hilary (who was flying in from VA later that morning) before heading home Sunday evening.  With me being sick, we talked it over and decided that we should just stick to the plan since it was probable just related to something I had eaten the night before and should pass soon.  Cue Connor’s introduction to the world of vomit. 

Keep in mind, not only had we not had to make a trip to the ER, Connor had never even thrown up to this point in his life.  That all changed, and it was not fun.  Long story short, we ended up making ourselves temporary houseguests at Hospital deRose where Josh took great care of us (it pays to know people in the health care world).  Kristin had not been infected by our nasty virus so she was able to enjoy the day the best she could with Heather and Hilary.  Finally, later that evening Connor and I were both feeling “ok” enough to make the trek home.  Though the car ride to the deRose house had many more stops, thankfully, we only had to stop twice to get home and Kristin drove the entire way,. 

By Monday morning, I was feeling run down, but for the most part I had gotten over the hump of the virus.  Connor was not so lucky.  Although his vomiting had calmed down, he was still having a lot of trouble processing anything that went into his mouth.  We tried out hardest to get him to eat anything and keep him hydrated but that proved to be difficult.  Tuesday morning this really began to get crazy.  I was feeling up to a full day at work so I was out the door early.  Kristin had been fighting flu like symptoms for a while and finally decided it best to take a day and rest so she stayed home with Connor.  Poor girl probably regretted that decision as soon as she made it.  On Tuesday alone, Connor (who is potty trained when healthy) went through over 20 diapers.  It was so sad.  Tuesday nights I facilitate a Bible study near our home in Hollywood.  Kristin stayed home I went with the understanding that I would come home right after it finished.  About 8:15, Kristin sent me a text message asking when I was coming home.  I texted back that we had just finished and I was on my way.  When I got home, I could see that Connor was not doing well.  He was screaming and clearly in a lot of discomfort.  Kristin and I talked and decided it best that I take him to the Pediatric Associates that is near our house.  It is only a few blocks away and we thought it remained open until 9:00pm.  We were wrong.  It closed at 8:30; I got there at 8:40.  So there we are, sitting in an empty parking lot with a screaming, sick child in the back seat.  I decided it might be wise to call the afterhour’s number and speak to a nurse about what was going on.  Can I just say that calling that number proved to be a waste of time?  They were no help and down-right rude.  As I sat there trying to get any information I could from this waste of a phone call, Connor proceeds to projectile vomit all over the back seat of the care (did I mention we were in Kristin’s car?).  I immediately hung up with the woman I was arguing with; I was ready to take him to the hospital.  Kristin had been ready to take that step a lot sooner but I resisted.  While Kristin was getting ready at home and grabbing some necessities, I decided it might be wise to take as much vomit soaked stuff out of the car as I could.  This of course included his box of toys, some jackets and his entire car seat that now needed to be completely cleaned.  We changed Connor, jumped into my car and were off.

Thankfully, we only live 5 minutes from a great children’s hospital (Joe DiMaggio at Memorial Regional).  We pulled into the emergency room and checked in around 9:15pm.  Connor was so spent that he literally crashed.  Glenda and Kaitlyn met us there for moral support but when it became clear that we were probably going to be in the waiting room a while, we convinced them that it was alright to go home (not to mention Glenda has started to come down with the same thing Connor and I had been fighting).  After about an hour and a half of waiting, we were called back.  They brought us to this cute little room where they had Connor lie on the bed.  They hooked the poor little guy up to all sorts of machines to read his vitals.  That alone was enough to break mommy and daddy’s heart and all the sensors were external.  After getting all the readings, the Doctor on call (Dr. Joseph) came in and checked him out.  She ordered an IV drip with fluids to rehydrate and Zofran to assist with his nausea as well as blood work to rule out anything serious.  They determined that the best mode of action was to put the IV needle in his right hand.  Connor is thankfully blessed with veins like his mommy so they didn’t have to work hard to find a good one.  I can honestly say, I am so proud of how our little guy handled the whole situation.  When it came time to stick the needle in his hand, Connor didn’t fight and only complained a little.  Far better than anticipated.  Thankfully, on the way out the door Kristin grabbed our Ipad so Connor had something to watch (Little Einstein’s) as his IV bag drained. 

The IV took a little over an hour but we still had to wait for the blood results.  Thankfully the results came back negative to anything bad.  They determined it was just a run of the mill stomach virus that he was having trouble shaking.  They wrote us a script for Zofran and probiotics and sent us on our way around 2:30am.  On top of all that, the car still needed to be cleaned.  Longest night we have had in a very long time. After he lived on Zofran for a few days, and introducing the probiotics into his system, he finally started to shake it by Saturday. The probiotics were probably the most difficult thing to find. Everywhere we went they were out. This bug is really going around. Whole Foods came through with Strawberry-Banana Probiotic Popsicles. He did lose a lot of weight from not eating for a week, but I’m sure he’ll gain it back. It’s hard to look at his little face and see how hard this past week has been on him.

I knew we would eventually need to make a trip to the ER.  Like I said earlier, with as hard as Connor goes all the time I am surprised it took this long and it was for something relatively minor but it was still nerve raking nonetheless.  As a parent, there is no feeling worse than the helpless feeling you get when you have to sit and stare at your child lying on a hospital bed hooked up to machines.  Our experience was as good as we could have hoped.  I am grateful that we live so close to such a great children’s hospital. I know that if we ever need to go back, Connor will be in good hands but it would not break my heart if I never have to see the inside of that building again. 

March Madness

 I feel like March has just flown by, and if I think about it, it really has. That's what happens when you have a full schedule and a million things on your plate. From opening and closing a show, to celebrating Kaitlyn turning 13 at Disney we've been busy bees.

 We opened and closed High School Musical Jr. March 5 and 6, and what a whirlwind it was. I think I have been eating, breathing, and sleeping the show for the past few weeks (though we have been rehearsing since October), and it was a joy to see it all come together. The kids did an outstanding job and I couldn't be any more proud. My mom was a godsend running sound (and a million other things), Kaitlyn helped with backstage, and Tim was my videographer. Connor was interesting through the entire process, and truly enjoys running across the stage during rehearsals, and being a good boy during show time! I can't wait to see him up on stage in his first performance. I know he'll be a natural. It was a blessing also to have such support from friends who came to see the show as well. You have no idea how much that meant to me, and it won't be something I ever forget. I am lucky!

 Kaitlyn is 13.......THIRTEEN!!! Can you believe it? Though the personality has been there, she is officially a teenager and a beauty at that. She is a joy, and we love her so much!

 For her special birthday we went where else, but Disney World. It was a gorgeous day, with perfect weather and we had a blast. She was certainly a princess for the day and we ate in Belle's castle for lunch and had reservations at Cinderella's castle for dinner. Who wouldn't love that? She got to pick what we did for the day, and of course she wanted a spin on the tea cups. Not only are they a favorite of hers by going super fast, but Connor loves them too!!! He squeals with delight at the slightest turn. He insists we go on them every visit!

Our evening at the castle was delightful and we even got a spectacular view of the Wishes Fireworks. The castle has always been a place we go for special occasions and this was the perfect opportunity. There was a huge hole with Casey not being there, but next year he will be. It's never the same if one family member is missing.  Kaitlyn was delighted none-the-less. Who could resist dining like royalty? The food was delicious, the company perfect, and Connor was even interested in the Disney girls. They couldn't get enough of him, and each requested special little kisses on the cheek from our little charmer.

 The princesses were great and all, but Kaitlyn really was the beauty of the evening. She is stunning inside and out. I can't get over the young woman she is turning into, and how proud of her we are. Connor can't get enough of his favorite Aunt, and we can see why. She is never above getting down on the floor and playing with him, and always knows just what he needs. She also knows exactly how to rile him up and make mom and dad go crazy. No wonder she's a favorite!!!

 After Kaitlyn's birthday we spent a second day at the parks. We got to dine and dance with some of Connor's friends from Disney Jr. including Oso, June, Jake, and Manny. Connor was on cloud nine, and I see us dining there often. It was perfect for him! To see his eyes light up each time a friend came by the table was wonderful, and watching him warm up and freely dance around the room with them was so endearing. Daddy endeared himself to the waitstaff by dancing with him at first to help him warm up.

 We spent some more time with our Disney Jr. pals and Connor even got some gold doubloons!! We missed the show when they were still performing his current favorite, Little Einsteins, but Connor loved it and didn't know any different. We got to see Apprentice Mickey and even Ralph and Venelope while we were in the area. He was in character heaven!

We spent the evening at Animal Kingdom and made the last Safari ride to see the animals. That's Connor's favorite. If I had to choose I think the first ride of the day is much better than the last ride, but he was thrilled since he loves it so much. It was neat seeing the trainers feeding the elephants these huge treats though. I appreciated that! No giraffes though, and those are Connor's favorite. He kept asking where they were, and we told him they went "night night". We caught the Lion King show, and Connor got to see his giraffe, sure it wasn't real, but it was huge!!! We had a wonderful day.

It has been a season for sure, and I'm ready to slow down a bit. I think I worked myself so hard my body finally said enough. I came down with a major cold Thursday, and am still trying to recover from it. Sadly, Tim and Connor caught a stomach virus while we were at Disney and were down for the count on Sunday. What a day that was. Connor's first experience with throwing up, and all he could say was "Mommy, my belly hurts". Poor baby. His stomach is still not right. I can't believe the affects the one virus has had.

I'm going to miss our rehearsal time. It was a joy to spend time and invest in these kids. Connor had fun playing with them too, and they couldn't get over how smart he was. He would spell his name, count, name his colors, and even tell them shapes if they asked. His verbal skills never cease to amaze me, and he talks so much. He is such a big helper, always wants to learn, and is full of energy. I have to admit though, my favorite is when he sings.

Click HERE to view the photo memory book I created for my cast. An insider view into our show!