A first for everything....

Aaron and I experienced our first "throw up all over self and carseat" experience.  Along with adding many "feeling like a horrible parent" moments to the list.  The three of us had made it out of the house fully prepared for a day trip to the east coast of Florida to visit a good friend who was in town.  Aaron had put Rohan in a cute outfit including khaki cargo shorts (which ended up being too small and too tight).  Rohan had oatmeal and bananas with a bottle like usual, had his morning poopy diaper, and we were ready to go. While on alligator alley (90 minute ride through the everlgades on I-75 with 2 barrien exits and rest areas filled with picnic tables and trash cans underneath the hot Florida sun along a canal full of alligators) I kept getting a whiff of baby spit up that would come and go. I couldn't justify it because Rohan didn't make any sounds like he had spit up and he had been sleeping for quite some time.  I thought I must be crazy and must be smelling the peels from our bananas we ate.  I finally mentioned something to Aaron (at this point we were about 15-20 minutes from the hotel our friends were staying at).  Aaron said I should take a look at Rohan if I was worried about it.  I could not believe my eyes when I leaned over the front seat to take a look at Rohan in his car seat.  He had dried oatmeal and bananas all over him.  The only comfort (if you can call it comfort) in this was Rohan was sleeping so it must not have bothered him too much???  For heavens sake.  Soon after this Rohan did wake up and we pulled to the nearest roadside stop.  Aaron took Rohan and cleaned him off and I took on the carseat.  Normally I use gloves (at work) for jobs that involve emesis but I did not have a choice (it was do or die, my child had to sit in a cleaner car seat) and it was my child's puke (somehow I tried to tell myself it wasn't as bad??).  So there we were at a reststop on alligator alley (feels like the middle of nowhere) cleaning up throw-up.  I think Aaron and I were more disturbed than Rohan.  He got through it with smiles and giggles.  After debriefing in the car Aaron admited that Rohan's shorts were probably too tight for him (12  months).  As prepared as we thought we were you are never prepared for that.  One outfit less, an empty wet ones container, a cleaner car seat and baby with new outfit we were on our way to meet our friends. 

Thankfully car seat covers come off.  It is ironic (chalk this up to being a bad mother) it takes throw-up for me to figure out how to take the carseat cover off and wash it.  Rohan will be in his big boy (convertible) car seat in a couple weeks (after our MN trip) and his baby carseat now looks brand new all from one trip in the washing machine. 

***Rohan was immediately bathed at the hotel****

Ten months and counting....

Was it really ten months ago Rohan was born into our lives?  It is cliche but it does go fast.  I couldn't imagine the day Rohan would be crawling or babbling while I was sleep deprived feeling like I had lost my identity.  Now he is clapping, saying dada, baba, mama, nana, still drooling at times because now he has 8 teeth (some are just peaking through - but that counts!) and learning more and more everyday.  It is amazing what he remembers and what he picks up on.  Gone gone gone are the days he would eat sleep poop.  We can't get enough of his giggles and love love love when he starts laughing because we are laughing - it's the best. I am coming to terms with always wondering if he should be doing something more or when he will do the "bye bye" wave or blow kisses.  He does everything on his own time.  As soon as we give up on trying to show someone that he claps he will do it right before they say goodbye.  If anything he gets that from me - doesn't like to be told what to do.  I can't wait to see what his stats are at his one year appointment.  We had a play date last week and Rohan was babbling back and forth with his new girl friend Alexandra (8 months) - it was the cutest thing.  It's the first time I've seen him "communicate" with someone his own age.  Adorable.  Holidays are approaching and I'm still trying to figure out where to put our Xmas tree and what to do with it so Rohan doesn't climb it. 

Giggle Butt

The other day Rohan came home from daycare and I kept looking at his shirt thinking that something was different about it.  I finally realized it was on backwards.  Aaron had sent him daycare in a backwards outfit.  ha!  No harm done.  That evening we were feeding him dinner and he got the giggles so we had to capture it on video.  :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cXwHi7hsno

Dancing in September....

Next week Rohan turns 10 months.  2 months from becoming a 1 year old little boy.  I cannot believe it.  As I look back I feel like this past 10 months was almost like pregnancy.  There were parts that seemed in slow-mo and we would never get past and other months just flew by.  A dear friend told me that the first year is a roller coaster ride because of all the different changes a baby goes through.  She was not kidding.  Aaron and I feel like we have finally found a routine, 10 months later, between work, daycare, my schoolwork, and parental life.  Now we just have to add a couple date nights in the mix.  We have found a trusty babysitter and we cannot wait to use her!

Rohan has started eating a few more chunky foods but is not keen on any table foods.  Sometimes I think he could live off puffs. I am trying not to get discouraged and follow his lead.  Our next task is to start weaning him off formula and starting him on whole milk.  He has mastered the sippy cup with handles so we just need to introduce a cup.  Meal time tends to end up on his hands, face and in his eyebrows which can be pretty gross but oh so cute at the same time.  He is getting his incisor teeth in and he will have a total of 6 teeth! I will have to brush up on the anatomy of the teeth pretty soon!

Rohan sleeps through the night with an occasional wake up nothing a diaper change or small bottle before daycare doesn't cure.  Thankfully we haven't experienced the night terrors anymore. We did decide to allow Rohan to cry himself to sleep and soothe himself.  There are some nights the bottle knocks him out and other nights he whimpers for no more than 10 minutes and he's out for the night.  This is what works for Aaron and I.  I know not everyone agrees but we will just have to agree to disagree.  It can be hard to listen to him cry but we never leave him crying for more than 30 minutes.  If he is still crying at the 30 minutes we go in and take him out and comfort him. 

Daycare is going great.  Aaron reported yesterday that Rohan was banging on another babies crib who was sleeping.  The teacher came over to him and said "did you do that?" and she said she swore he said "I did it" back.  Ha! At least he is honest.  He also babbles to himself in the mirror.  :)  Last night Aaron was making dinner and I told Rohan to say "Hi Daddy" and he did! I think he is finally connecting who "dada" is and it is sounding more like "dadee" now.  I'd love to know what is going on in that big brain of his.  He is often cruising around the floor with a book under one hand (sliding) and a toy in the other hand.  We hear "swoosh" "klop" "swoosh" "klop" - it sure is the cutest. 

Rohan is still growing and is now wearing 18 month clothes! Looking forward to seeing his 12 month stats at his checkup.  We had "9 month" pictures taken last night, even though he is closer to 10 months, and he did great.  I think we pushed him to his maximum model capacity because he shut his eyes as soon as we got in the car.  We look forward to seeing the pictures - we took a few family pictures too!

I get asked a lot "are you ready for the next one?".  I find myself instantly saying no.  A part of me cannot imagine going through the baby stage again while taking care of Rohan at the same time - how do people do it?  That is the question I have asked since day one.  How do people do this?  The answer is - they just do it.  The group of people out there that is surrounded by family is quite lucky.  We will get a taste of that when my parents are down here for four  months during the winter.  I would love Rohan to have a sibling. I treasure my relationship with my brother so dearly. Although we fought a lot about stupid things I can't imagine my life without him.  In order for another little Sustad to join us in this world I feel I need to be finished with my Masters.  Not to mention daycare is pricey enough with one! I look forward to what our future brings!

Halloween is just around the corner and we cannot wait for Rohan to have his first Halloween!

I will end this post with saying how thankful I am for Aaron as my husband and Rohan's father.  He does more than enough and I would not be able to get through school without all of his help and love!

Blow-out on the go.

Today I had my first experience with a blowout on the go.  Rohan was laying on his belly and I noticed something brown was on his back. ewwww it's poop!  Of course when I wanted him to stay still he was all over the place.  I stripped him down in the middle of the kitchen just hoping he doesn't lay on his back.  As I pulled off his full diaper and Rohan was off and running full of giggles! I quickly started the bath and wiped off as much poop and now it was bath time!  Everyday is a new experience! His giggles definitely lighten the mood! :)

Michigan Trip

We had the most beautiful Michigan weather we could have imagined.  I think it rained once or twice and it was at night! We spent most of our time up north in Frankfort, Michigan at the MacKenzie family cottage.  We were a day behind due to Rohan getting sick the morning we were to depart. Aaron and I both agreed that it was one of the first vacations that didn't seem to fly by and we enjoyed every moment of it.  This was probably because we are ALWAYS on the go when we are visiting family.  It was nice to stay in one place. 

Saturday morning we flew into Detroit.  Rohan did very considering he wasn't feeling well.  He slept for most of it and was a little whiny on the descent, but we were in the back of the plane with other families so it kept him distracted.  We picked up our rental vehicle, which seemed like eternity, (note to self: always sign up for the fast lane at any of those,its not worth waiting in line) and we headed to East Lansing.  Rohan started crawling and moving his legs at my parents house and was finally starting to look like he was back to normal.  Soon after we headed up north, three hours, to Frankfort and the family cottage.  We celebrated my mom's birthday, my parents anniversary, and my moms retirement at The Manitou.  We celebrated with Rohan's Uncle Mike, Nana Jules, Poppa John, Great Grandma Mary Ann, Great Aunt Mary Ellen, Great Aunt Judy, Great Uncle Larry, and his cousins Colleen, Jeff & little Eleanor.  It was prime witching hour for the little ones but we got through it and had to leave shortly after the Rohan Birthday Song was sung. 

Sunday, Aaron woke up early to play Arcadia Bluffs with Mike.  I headed into town with Rohan to hang out with my parents for breakfast.  Rohan enjoyed playing with "new toys" Nana and Poppa had for him.  He was a crawling maniac.  Aaron, Rohan and I took a walk into town and along the marina - the weather was awesome. We enjoyed the beach and boat rides.  Rohan took his first boat ride and fell asleep.   We finished the day with a dinner at the Cherry Hut.

Monday we headed to Interlochen to meet up with our friends the Kitzmillers.  Rohan met his girlfriends Kasen & Eden - it was just too cute.  We headed into Traverse City and had a great lunch and a wonderful tour of the town narrated by Kyle.  I randomly ran into a friend from high school in the middle of a crosswalk too.  We realized we were holding up traffic and no one even honked at us! What a nice northern Michigan town. :) The whole gang met up at the cottage and the night concluded with more boat rides and Rohan entertaining the crowd.  Rohan wanted to console Eleanor every time she cried it was so cute. I thought he was going to crawl up Colleen's leg to get to her. 

Tuesday we had a relaxing day at the beach.  Aaron and Rohan had fun floating in the motorboat tube.  We headed back to Traverse City for dinner and to pick up Mike who was flying back from a business meeting in Chicago. 

Wednesday we headed back to East Lansing to regroup.  Aaron and I had a dinner date at Noodles and Company (we don't have one in Fort Myers). 

Thursday we headed to see Janies new house near Detroit. Grabbed lunch at Mongolian BBQ (Aaron's favorite) and did some GO BLUE shopping in Ann Arbor.  We stayed the airport hotel that night because we had an early flight home.  Rohan was not happy we were going home and stayed up almost all night.  So we were a tired pair when we got home. 

We cannot wait for my parents to be down in Florida for four months this winter season.  Rohan is going to enjoy having them close.  It will be a new adventure for all of us. 

August Fogust

I'm typing Rohan's August update and I see that it is already August 20th! Once again the month is passing in a blink of an eyes.  August has been filled with highs and lows - but that's what Rohan's Ride is all about, right? 

August started out with Nana Jules coming to visit for a long weekend to visit with Rohan (of course) and to look for a seasonal rental.  We are thrilled and looking forward to my parents staying in Fort Myers for a few months during the winter season.  Rohan will be one when they come down (crazy to think about!) and he will be up for all the new adventures with Poppa John and Nana Jules.  Rohan will continue to go to daycare (he loves it - and it wears him out).  They will just be here to enjoy their retirement and spend time with Rohan (and Aaron and I) as they please.  Don't get me wrong I'm sure there will be times we would love for them to spend alone time with Rohan so Aaron and I can see more of each other or get things done, that's what four extra hands are for, right?

Rohan was just getting over a viral rash (most likely from daycare) when my mom came to stay. But that didn't stop him from having a raspberry war with Nana Jules.  They were both covered in spit but with big smiles on their faces.  Unfortunately he continued to do this after she left especially when he was eating and Aaron and I needed raincoats when feeding him! Rohan showed Nana Jules how he crawls everywhere and pulls himself up on anything he can get his hands on. 

Rohan's started to eat chunkier baby food but if it's too chunky he pockets it in his cheeks and he spits it out.  So we've pulled back from the real chunky food (which really isn't REALLY chunky).  They go at their own pace I hear, and he's showing us that is true.  He is eating puffs like a mad man and got the hang of the cheddar puffs (they look sort of like puffed up Cheetos).  When we first gave him these he was coughing on them but now with his two top teeth and two bottom teeth he can bite down on them.  His facial expressions are priceless when we first starts eating.  It is like you can tell he's thinking about it.  "Do I like this or not?" 

Getting ready for Rohan's second plane ride to Michigan seemed like another great feat.  But I took some tips from other traveling moms and I put all of his outfits in Ziploc bags! I got more than enough travel items for him - I even found disposable bibs! I thought these would be easier than bringing our waterproof/washable bibs for eating meals.  (And it was!) The night before we took off I went to check in and noticed our flight was delayed already.  There was a mechanical problem and Delta was using a new aircraft that was coming in from Detroit.  So we took it as we had longer to sleep!  Rohan slept 10 hours that night.  He usually sleeps a good 8 hours sometimes 8.5-9 hours . We figured wow that's great.  But we found him waking up whining unlike he usually does he was just laying in his crib not moving.  We got him up and gave him a bottle and he just sat there.  Rohan is a wiggle worm and squirms out of almost everything.  As soon as you put him on the floor he's off and crawling and into something.  I thought it was unusual he was SO chill.  Every time we put him on the floor he whined and cried.  We thought he was just waking up - taking forever too.  I told Aaron he wasn't even trying to crawl.  We tried over and over again to get him to crawl and he would either just plop down on the ground or get frustrated.  After multiple tries we both got worried because we knew something was wrong we just didn't know what.  We had taken his temperature when I was feeding him because he felt warm but it was 98.9.  Fever or infection was the last thing on my mind.  We called the nurse line and after her triage she said he needed to be seen within four hours.  We had 45 minutes until the pediatrician office was open and that didn't guarantee he'd be seen.  After talking with my parents they suggested to take him to the ER.  Being a nurse I wouldn't bring him to the ER if I wasn't concerned enough because I know that ER's are usually packed and can be full of people who could go to their doctor if needed. 

We live less than a mile from the children's hospital so we headed that way.  Surprisingly the waiting room was basically empty.  Our ER trip lasted about 1 hour.  Started with vitals taken: 24 lbs, 99.9 temp rectally, 135 pulse (normal), 100% oxygen saturation, and a crying baby.  The nurse in triage looked at me like I was crazy.  (Side note: Children's ER triage wasn't open on Fridays for some reason so the techs weren't used to infants) Rohan's reason to be seen: Weakness.  I felt as though a big explanation needed to come along with it because it is completely out of his normal.  (Our pediatrician always tells us if he isn't acting his normal to call)  We were finally brought back into a room and when the doctor came in he was playing hide and seek with Rohan (of course now Rohan perks up). He listens to his lungs, he puts him on the bed to see if he holds himself up (he did this time but didn't crawl), and the doctor tells me he is fine and we are expecting too much out of him.  He said at his age I shouldn't expect him to be crawling some babies don't crawl till later and Rohan is appropriate for his age and that he knows that because he saw him playing with me before he came into the room (I was singing Old MacDonald to him to keep him distracted and happy) - my fault.  I explained to him this wasn't his normal behavior.  He replied we can't jump on everything, just because he sneezes does not mean he has pneumonia.  I couldn't believe he didn't do any blood work - nothing.  Treated us like we were ridiculous for bringing him in. 

Meanwhile we had made an appointment at the pediatricians office in the afternoon.  Oh and we've missed our flight by this time - rightfully so.  The nurse at the office was shocked the ER didn't do any blood work - and nothing to make us feel OK with his behavior.  Finally the Pediatrician we saw explained that when babies feel so icky and tired from a virus they become so weak.  Just like adults do but we can express that in words.  Babies become floppy.  Blood work was done and results were normal-viral with an O.K. to fly from the doctor.  We kept him hydrated with only bottles all day, he wasn't in the mood for anything else.  Rohan slept, took a bottle and went back to sleep, it felt like we had a newborn that day.  It also felt like we had gone backwards.  Bright spot among all this - at the doctors office Rohan was looking at himself in the mirror and started clapping! I'm thinking you start clapping the day you stop crawling??? How does this work - what a RIDE!

We were not sure what to do about vacation - stay or go - but we decided to go for it and we were happy that we did.  We got out on another flight the next morning.  We had a few rough nights, but by the end of the vacation Rohan was back to his normal happy self.  Rohan was back to crawling Saturday afternoon at Nana Jules house and it was like the first time we saw him crawl all over again.  We would have kicked ourselves for staying in Florida. 

Rohan gave us a scare, thankfully it was not a big deal, but he sure did get our emotions running. 

Vacation post coming soon.....