sick boy

As Jonathan mentioned in yesterday's blog, our fabulous day of bike riding ended with Riley crying on the way home. Now, for those of you who don't know my son, this is very unusual. He can go weeks with no crying. He'll fuss when he doesn't get his way, but it lasts about 5 seconds. He doesn't wail unless he's in pain of some sort.

When we got home, I took him upstairs to see if he would nap. He fell asleep but woke up crying about 15 min later. I tried rocking him (which helped), but he continued to cry quietly in my arms. I took his temperature (98.7), hoping that it also might help him if he was constipated (he was unusually poo-free that day), offered him a drink (wouldn't take it), and gave him gas medicine. Nothing seemed to calm him. After a couple of hours I tried a pain reliever and sat down at the computer. I remembered that he enjoyed a YouTube video that my friend Rose Polenzani made, so I put it on. He instantly calmed down. It was amazing to watch the effect that the music had on him. We watched videos for another hour or so and then he was back to his old self, playing cars with daddy.

This is the video that Riley loves to watch... I thought I'd share it with our readers since it's such a good cover of "The Book of Love" by Peter Gabriel:



Later that night, Riley's eyes were watery and we began to see some drainage, leading us to suspect conjunctivitis. I think he might have had some ear pain as J checked them with his oto-opthalmoscope and they were a little red. Time to start up another round of adjustments. Riley's had one other ear infection and J's adjustments cleared them up in about a week.**

Our suspicious were pretty much confirmed on Sunday morning when Riley woke up looking like a drag queen from all the mucus on his eyelashes:



















He was happy, except when I tried to clean the crap from his eyes. He hates anything on his face being wiped. I called the Doc and he wrote a prescription for antibiotic eye gel that we get to put in his eyes 3x a day. Happy times for us all -- Riley kicking and crying, me holding his arms down and J squeezing the gel in between the lids of Riley's eyes. The eyes are looking much better today and I am told that he should be able to return to day care in the morning.

And here I was about to brag that my day-care kid hadn't been sick in over two months...ha.

Anyway, since I was home today, we took advantage of the warm weather and Riley got out in the pool again. My not-quite-walking boy is getting a little more bold in his balancing moves. He repeatedly stood up, put his hands up in the air and then sat back down. We're seeing more of this letting go and standing for a second or two before he grabs for support or sits down. I wish I could get a picture of him doing the "happy flappy" while letting go, but alas, he keeps eluding
me.
















Shelby


**Many parents aren't aware that chiropractic can help with ear infections. In J's 15 years of experience, they clear up in 7-10 days with regular adjustments (no surgery needed). Chiropractic cures a whole host of ailments besides neck and back pain such as acid reflux, migraines, asthma and menstrual problems to name a few. It's worth checking out...

time to play

It's a rare thing for us to have a weekend where there isn't much planned. We generally fill our time up and are happy to do so. Every once in a while it's nice to have the bulk of the weekend be unplanned. With the exception of my being part of the music team at church this weekend we actually had one of those 'quiet' weekends. A perfect time for some family fun.

While I was practicing Saturday morning Shelby took Riley over to a playground near the church. Just as Riley has never met a toy he hasn't liked, so he also hasn't been to a playground he hasn't liked. Here are pictures and video (sorry for the sideways videos):

Riley plays tic-tac-toe















He's all set to slide headfirst















Playing video



Up the slide backward


Slide video (with Mama) from Riley's perspective


After I was done with practice Shelby, Riley and I headed over to Memorial Drive in Cambridge. We had a car full of jog stroller (aka bike trailer) and bikes. Riley sat and had a snack while I put things together. He always sits on a blanket when he's on the grass. He doesn't even like to touch the grass with his hands:
















We started riding and I was noticing a profound lack of noise from my usually very vocal boy. Last week every time I hit 14 mph he'd start yelling out. So I stopped at a street corner and gave a look behind. Here's what I saw:




















It's amazing to me that he could sleep with all the commotion. We rode down the path by Memorial Drive until we got to where we would have to head over to the Boston side and the Esplanade. Before that we needed some lunch, so we headed into Cambridge. Once we got to Harvard Square this meant a bunch of walking with an extra large baby stroller... The payoff was an excellent "open face grilled cheese sandwich" from Club Passim. It was more like a pita pizza and it was awesome. We ate at the Cambridge green:

Riley and Daddy having some lunch















Riley with Mama smiling at a passerby















After lunch it was time to ride for a bit. We headed back to Memorial Drive and then over to the Esplanade. Of course on the Esplanade there are swings... Where there are swings there must be a swinging boy. Here are a couple of shots we took right after getting Riley off the swing:

Cute Boy















Good thing it's not mid-winter...















Before heading back to the Cambridge side and the car we made one more stop...at the wading pool. It was a bit cool, but not cold and Riley wanted to get at the water:

Riley liked standing in the water















Then he checked out the temp















He wasn't sure about sitting in it at first















Video of his short 'swim'



The day was great fun. That is until we were just about home. Riley cried for the next three hours. We're not totally sure why, more on that in a future blog though.

I've never enjoyed bike paths so much. Even a die-hard mountain biker can have his view on riding a road bike modified. It is all part of my plan though. I can't wait to get him on a trail-a-bike and then one of those teeny little two wheelers...


Jonathan

a weekend in maine

It has been many months since we had the opportunity to visit the great state of Maine. The last time we made the trip was on Thanksgiving which we spent with Shelby's cousins Jon, Julie and Erica. We finally got the chance to spend some time with them again this weekend. And a full weekend it was...

On Saturday we took a trip over to Bunganut Lake. Bunganut is a beautiful small lake only about five minutes from Jon & Julie's house. Perfect conditions (temps both in and out of the water were nice) for Riley's first lake swim. Some photos:

Before we got to the lake there were swings...













Erica teaches Riley to High Five













Riley looks comfortable in his special swim float













He's yelling the way he does when he loves something...













Riley and Erica had a great time playing and splashing each other













Mama teaching her boy to swim













Fun in the water for Mama, Riley and Erica













Mama and Daddy even got in some kayaking














Sunday was a bit more full. We started the day worshiping and visiting with our friends up at Coastal Community Church in Scarborough. After church we headed to Portland so that Daddy could do something he's been dreaming about...biking with Riley along! For Father's Day Shelby gave me the attachment for our jog stroller that turns it into a bike trailer. Today was the first chance I've gotten to use it.

Biking boys













Action shot













Biking leaves Riley wiped out...

















The weekend ended with meeting my college friends for dinner in Portsmouth, NH. We're celebrating 50 this year and it was Michael's turn this time. The next time we get together for a birthday it'll be my 50th. It just doesn't seem possible.

One thing I can tell you though, having a child keeps me thinking young. I still feel 27! Today Riley helped me keep fit so I'll be around for another 50. The family bike ride was one of the most fun things I've done. It was a great workout too (especially on the hills!) Oh, and Riley let out the same yell from the swim picture above every time I got up to 14 mph or more. He loved biking too. Fun, fun fun!

I love pulling my boy around! Step one in my plan to raise a mountain biker...


Jonathan

the one year pics

We finally made it in to Target last week for Riley's 1-yr pictures and I got the proofs back via email today... I'll share some of my favorites:

My almost-walking boy:


















The funny face that he has been making lately:


















Mama's favorite... I love his sweet look:


















The photographer had no trouble getting him to laugh...


















I swear, we don't even look related; I can't see a single resemblance of me in his features!


















The family ones were particularly tough to coordinate for some reason. This was the best of the bunch:


















Glad to have that done for another year... Well maybe they'll be easier after this. Trying to keep a mobile kid in place and smiling and looking at the right spot is quite a challenge.

We're off to Maine in the morning to visit with my cousins, kayak and try out the new bike trailer. More pics to come,

Shelby

Father's Day

We started the weekend celebration of Father's Day with a day trip down CT to spend time with Jonathan's mom and his brother Drew and family. Riley got his first experience in a Uncle Drew's big pool and seemed to enjoy it. We put him in one of those sledding tubes and I put a little water in it so he could splash away.














He had a particular affinity for cousin Daniella's Strawberry Shortcake ball:














While Father's Day has been well celebrated this year, it is mixed with sadness as we miss Jonathan's dad a lot. He was a great grandpa and by all accounts, a wonderful father as well. We honor his memory and thank God for the fine example he left his sons. One of the things that Jonathan shared with his dad is his willingness to be silly with the kids. Like his dad, J's a kid at heart and boy does Riley enjoy playing with him. Here's a very short example of what I'm talking about:

They can go on for hours like this and J doesn't get tired of it. I'm usually the one bringing the fun to an end to change, feed, bathe or put Riley to bed. That's my job!

For J's gift this year, I gave him the attachment to turn the jogging stroller in a biking trailer so that he can take Riley out on rides. We hope to use it next weekend when we go to Maine.

Here he is teething on Daddy's Camelbak (note the left foot--this is something he does a lot, just lifts that leg as he's playing...very cute):














Seeing how Jonathan loves Riley just make me love him more. Thank you honey for being such a great dad. We love you!














And Happy Father's Day to MY dad... You loved us, took good care of us, taught us about Jesus and are a great grandpa to our kids. It's been a joy grow together in our understanding of the gospel these past 10+ years. We're looking forward to seeing you and Mom next month. I can't wait to see Riley riding in your airplane, your four-wheeler and have his first McD's ice cream with Poppa. I love you!

Shelby

pool time

In anticipation of the heat wave that was hitting Boston, I bought my boy a pool for the days that it's too hot to do our walk around the lake. I found a great inflatable pool that has inflatable toys and best of all, an inflatable manta canopy to help protect his fair skin from sun damage.









Did we mention that tooth #6 is coming in? The bottom right side is poking out in addition to the top left canine:









Of course he HAD to throw his toys out of the pool (Jack and Gracie didn't mind throwing them back in again):









Jack was running around the pool shaking his booty and Riley thought that was pretty funny:









After 4 days of 90+ degrees we're looking forward to a some relief over the next few days...yea. This Alaskan doesn't tolerate the extreme heat and humidity very well -- unless she's at the beach. Until we can get to the beach, Riley has his own water to enjoy.

We love our splish-splashy boy!

Shelby

'summer' fun

Summer isn't officially here yet, but summer activities have come with the warmer weather we've had lately. We've been so busy it's been hard to get a blog out, so we're going to catch up here. First things first, a picture of the beautiful rhododendron in front of our house:














Last weekend we took our first family hike of the year. We went to a place I know very well, Lynn Woods Reservation. It's interesting, I've been going to Lynn Woods for at least 13 years now and this is the first time I've been on foot. Well, at least without pushing a broken mountain bike...

We were looking for a workout so the hike was actually more of a power walk on the fire roads at Lynn. Here's Riley ready for his workout:














We made one stop at Steel Tower. It's at the top of a long, steep hill that Mama got a little extra workout getting up, especially with the gravelly sections. Here are some shots we took at the top:

Mama, Riley and the Boston skyline













Daddy and Riley taking a rest















We ended our hike by running most of the last mile or so due to the sound of thunder in the distance. Something about having my son in a lightning rod during bad weather just makes me a little jumpy. Anyway, it added to our workout. Jog strollers can really move out.

On Sunday after church we met our friends the Kyes down by Lake Quanapowitt for a picnic. It was great to hang out with them and enjoy a sunny afternoon by the lake. Here are a few pictures:

Riley liked the doggy, as long as he was lying down...













Riley and Mama on the beach













The Kyes (minus their two sons who were running around, and plus Pastor Rick's dog) and the Bergs













Berg family portrait















This weekend was a blur. It started with Mama and Riley going for a walk to the town green while Daddy was off riding bikes with the BOMB group. At the green there was an annual town festival going on. Think of it as a fair without the rides. They had fun checking out all the booths, Riley got himself something cold to drink (temps were heading into the 90's) and they ran into our neighbors while they were there. Of course, Riley had to make a stop at the swings too...

Riley with our neighbor's kids Gracie and Jack













Riley swinging and showing us his tongue













The rest of the weekend was taken up with shopping, cooking, cleaning and setting up air conditioners, along with a Sunday lunch with Dagmar and James and a couple of lengthy playtimes for Riley and his Daddy...

Whew! Then we get to 10 pm and realize that we really wanted to post on the blog. Busy, busy, busy.

It's a great life though. This is exactly what I was waiting for (and wanting badly) through all those years of singleness.

I love my wife and boy!


Jonathan

trader joes, how do i love thee??

let me count the 100 calories in one of these little dark chocolate bars... yum!



















A word of explanation: I've been massively craving chocolate this week. No, it's not PMS or pregnancy that's the culprit. I just can't keep from thinking about large chocolate fudge brownies. Today I discovered that TJs is now stocking these boxes of individually wrapped, 100-cal bars of the dark stuff that I like, which gives me some sort of an ending point to my choco consumption. It was good too...much better than Hersheys or Dove.

I'm a happy woman -- thanks to Joe.

Shelby

bonkers

Daycare was closed last Friday so I took the afternoon off so that J could go into the office. I wanted to get out to do something fun and found an indoor playground for toddlers that's FREE in the neighboring town of Danvers.

Surprisingly, the place was dead so we had it all to ourselves. Riley had a great time trying out the various playthings. I'm beginning to make some observations about my boy as I get him into new situations such as this.

First of all, he's not a daredevil. He gets to the top looks down the other side and gives me this look that pleads for intervention. This was taken prior to one such look:









Sometimes, he just tries something, assuming that it's the right thing to do. This one didn't turn out badly since it was a very short slide with pads at the bottom. He wouldn't attempt it on the bigger slide, however.












Here I got to see his persistence as he tried about 50 times to go backwards up the "big" slide...









...only to fall back time and time again.









He stopped from time to time to watch the big kids playing the arcade games:












And he got to knock down bigger blocks than what he has at home:


It was a fun afternoon of play and we look forward to going back there again soon!

Shelby