Sick....Very Sick!

As the name implies, Richie is VERY under the weather. He sounds like a 60 year old man with a two-pack-per-day smoking history. It started last Saturday with a little cough than blossomed into massive amounts of snot and coughing of sputum to the point where he made himself vomit five times yesterday and last night. We decided it was worthy of a trip to the doctor to see what they thought. I was thinking it was a viral URI since the highest fever we'd measured was 100.6F. But, the doctor found an ear infection, too and that is still treated presumptively with antibiotics until age 2. So, even though that was not my intent, we started them tonight. I was worried that he was going to get worse over the weekend and I wanted to have had him seen before Sunday rolled around and we were spiraling down hill. Hopefully the antibiotics will help and, if not, a tincture of time will certain do the trick.

He lost his voice for the first time, but when he's covered with Ibuprofen or Tylenol, his throat must not hurt badly because he's babbling up a storm. I think he likes the way it sounds. Also, when he's treated well, he is bouncing off of the walls but when the medications wear off, he is miserable....utterly miserable. But, that's all a good sign. He's drinking plenty of water even without us having to remind him, but he's not all that interested in food. Again, not too surprising. ML stayed up with him most of the night last night and did a pretty good job napping with him. When you clear him out with a suction bulb, he can sleep for about an hour. Although, with this cold, he has learn to blow his nose! So, we may not need the bulb too much longer. Although, I will say that it still is able to get a lot of junk that he is unable to force out of his nose. If we could just keep him from puking. He covered ML at least 3 times yesterday. Actually, today has not been as pukeolicious, fortunately.

In other Richie News: We were listening to NPR weekend before last (actually we listen all the time because we don't have a TV) and there was a competition going on for a temporary replacement for the announcer for the Michael Feldman (on Whad'Ya Know) and Richie walks towards me in the kitchen and says, quite clearly, "Michael!" He doesn't as clearly enunciate it when you ask him to say it, but he was looking right at me and right next to me when he did say it! If I could get him to repeat it consistently, I'd call in!

Richie has also started saying "bagel" and "beagle," and he knows the difference, too! Actually he started with bagel and we taught him beagle. Then we taught him the difference...for a few hours, they were the same thing. He's also saying "me" and "baby." Although baby usually comes out with a French accent, "Ba'Be'" I guess French is really Bebe, but his sounds more cute. He's flying upstairs these days and doing very well going down stairs. He's doing a good job holding our hand while he walks places. And, amazingly, he's still letting us keep him rear-facing in the car without having a fit about it!

Bed-time is rapidly approaching for me, so here are some pictures from last December that I have not had the chance to post...

This is the infant/toddler section of the science center. The age limit is 2y, so his days are numbered. Fortunately, he is starting to take advantage of rest of the childrens' room.


Strike a pose!



I think we'll miss this place as much or even more than Richie. The water bed area is a really fun place to relax. And express your frustrations with your partner!



He really enjoys the water-table. So much so that we have to bring a change of clothes!



We visit the dinosaurs before we leave. I really hope he gets into dinosaurs because I'm really looking forward to it!


The hair is getting long! I'm starting to wonder if we should cut it. I'm also wondering if we should donate it.

Happy New Year!

Millions of blogs all with the same title!

We took Richie to the MD Science Center for New Years at Noon! We were joined by our friends from Annapolis, too!

Here we are getting read for the ball to drop!



Here's the ball dropping!


Glitter as the group Milkshake plays in the background. Well, really foreground. It was kinda' loud!


Richie is still having some difficulties sleeping at night. Normal, according to his pediatrician, but it does not make us happy. Well, I suppose I am happy that it's normal but I wish he would show some signs of improvement. We put him to bed at normal time tonight, but he's already up crying. Bummer. Especially because we're going to wake him up at midnight to go see the fireworks. Can you say, "Back to square one?"

Here is a recently discovered picture from Ning-ning's recent visit.


Happy New Year!!

December

Oh boy! Everyone with their underwear in a wad because I haven't been posting.....
It's been quite a busy month!
We convinced Ning-ning to come visit this month, which is the first time she has been out of Florida during the winter since our Wedding reception in Atlanta 8 years ago. Did I mention that it snowed in Atlanta during that visit? It snowed on the morning of her arrival, fortunately it had all melted before she disembarked from the plane. I was a little worried that morning, however, because there was no prediction of snow. Actually, they're so bad with predicting the weather that while we were watching it snow, we were listening to the weather report which said, "Partly cloudy with highs in the 30's." No mention of snow, even while it was coming down! Must be a government plot. Unfortunately, I think those pictures are still on the camera.

And, I suppose, before that visit, was a visit by Papa-Nat and Honey! We got to go to the aquarium and take lots of new movies, which is all Richie wants to watch. You know, I think he enjoys watching the movies of the aquarium that we take better than the aquarium. I suppose that may be because he gets to sit on Dada's knee when we watch them instead of being herded around.

Last night, when we were putting Richie to bed, out of no where he said, "Me!" We asked him who Me was and he through up his hands saying, "I don't know?" So we taught him that was him!Then we taught him how to say Mommy...which he picked up quickly. Well, on skype this evening, which Dada was reciting "But not the Hippopotamus," Richie suddenly blurts out, "Baby!" And quite clearly, however, we could not get him to repeat it...nope, not a trained monkey.

Yesterday, we opened up some presents from Mommy's family. We also opened up the sibling stocking stuffers with the crew in Florida via skype. It's such a nice little piece of software.

One of Richie's playgroup kids recently moved away and they had a little going-away party. I know Richie is on the left and Milo (the child who moved away) in on the right. I think Shiri is next to Richie and I've lost track of who is sitting next to Milo. Maybe Mama will log in and correct all of this...
\

Three generations of Gozansky men!


There's a little bird sanctuary in the aquarium, and this was a good shot.

Halloween 2010

Here's is this year's set up. A little more subtle than years past....just a little.


My quick Swedish Chef costume...


My little oven roaster!

Oct and Nov Pics

Fall is falling and Halloween has come and gone. There will be more pictures from that once I get them from my neighbor, who is a professional photographer with the AP! But, to tie you over, here are some cute pictures and movies...

Richie sleeping in his bed for his afternoon nap. Lately, they have been running 3+ hours and he is still sleeping through the night!


Here are fall colors from our deck


Richie in his new Elmo hat. No, he still has no idea who Elmo is...but soon. We've been letting him watch some of the seen from Fantasia that you can find on youtube.


Daddy was really busy this Halloween, so there was only one pumpkin.



Richie really loved trick-or-treating! I'll post the full story when I get my hands on the Halloween pictures. Here is his loot!


This is a picture from Federal Hill park. We miss our deck! Our old landlord was never able to sell the house and has re-rented it...bummer.


Snuggled up one cool weekend morning


Super Richie in his Native American Cape!


A cute video of Richie playing around in the park...kinda looks like a video from the 70's, too.


The child labor laws are very lax in Baltimore. Actually, with the background music (which is actually playing from his stroller) this looks like the closing scene for a depressing Italian foreign film.

Cute recovery

The following story has been Momma reviewed and approved for appropriate level of accuracy...

About a month or so ago, all three of us got sick. Richie and Dada got better. Momma did not. After a couple of days of worsening, Dada examined Momma and decided that she had progressed to pneumonia. Momma started antibiotics, but after two days, Momma was doing a little worse. Dada decided it was time for her to go to a real doctor and get a chest x-ray. The x-ray proved Dada right and her pulmonologist added on a second antibiotic. Momma was sick enough that Dada had to stay home for a dad and a half to help. It was like being a single parent with a baby son and a lazy teenage daughter. (All Momma had the strength and energy to do was plop on the couch.) Now Dada has a glimpse at being a single working parent trying to raise and take care of two children. (Wow! Good job Oma! (And Beth and Stacy and all of those other single parents out there.))

I tell you that story to tell you this story: Dada was working one of his moonlighting shifts during this mess. Momma was resting on the couch and Richie was playing in the living room. Richie came over to Momma and quickly swept his hands on either side of her knee and brought his hands into the air. It’s his sign for saying, “Get up.” Momma looked at him and said, “I’m too sleepy, baby.” And she did the sign for sleep which is covering your face with your hand and then drawing your hand away from your face while collapsing your fingers and closing your eyes.

Richie looked at her, did the sign for please (rubbing his tummy) and then commanded her to get up, again. So she did. Richie started walking down the hallway, periodically looking back over his shoulder to make sure she was following, and came to the stairs. Momma said, “I’m too tired to play bunny with you up the stairs.” (That’s a game we play when we take him upstairs. He tells you that he wants to do it by taking his hand and wiggling his nose…like a bunny.) He shook his head, “No.” And repeatedly pointed to himself which is the sign for “I want to do it.” It also means I want it, but you have to take the sign in context.

So, up the stairs he went, periodically looking back to see if Momma was following. He went into Momma bedroom and tapped on the mattress, which is his sign for put him on the bed. Again, Momma staid, “Baby, I’m too tired to play.” Richie shook his head “No.” Pointed to Momma and then tapped on the mattress again. She crawled into bed and the pulled Richie up with her. Then he reached over to the nightstand, grabbed the thermometer and tried to place it in her mouth.

Physics Boards Results

Dada got a top score (all 4's) in his Radiology Physics Boards Exam....Hooray!
Actually, that means he studied too much.