New Beginnings

The latest post in my Aunt Rae's new blog. Beautiful. Wish I could have written it myself. Looking forward to following it in the new year.

Here We Come A Caroling

We took the kids caroling tonight - what a blast! Thanks, Kristine, for coming up with the idea. And thanks, Jessica, for hosting and getting us the Santa hook-up! We definitely need to make this a yearly tradition. Maybe we'll learn a few more songs next time...or at least learn all of the (correct) words to "Away In A Manger". Thanks, ladies!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Preschool Pics

I didn't order any of the big guy's preschool pics because we had them taken a month earlier at Portrait Innovations. However, I just had to scan them before returning them to share with you all. Copyright, schmopyright. I particularly love the "Smiling While Pretending to Talk on My Cell Phone" shot.

All About the Big Guy

Our big guy turned 4 this past Sunday. We started the celebration on Friday morning with a short party at his preschool, at which he wore a birthday crown, picked out Oreos as his snack of choice and got to bring home "Ducky" the bear (the classroom mascot). Grandma & Papa Marlow came that night, and the next day we celebrated his birthday at Rising Stars gym with his non-preschool friends (weird way to put it). The kids (and adults) played for an hour followed by cupcakes, presents and pirate paraphernalia. After the party, we were joined at our home by Grandma & Grandpa Frerichs, Grandma & Grandpa Marlow, Aunt Kari, Shannon, Brennan and Oma & Opa Frerichs. Hayden opened some presents in front of the tree, but we made him wear his pirate hat so that it didn't seem too much like Christmas. On Sunday, his actual birthday, Troy and I snuck away to church while my parents watched the boys...only to realize once we got there that we didn't say "happy birthday" to him on his actual birthday! We had both forgotten.

All of that being said, we had a great time...and I'm pretty sure Hayden did, too. It was great seeing family & friends and realizing how blessed we truly are. Happy (late) birthday, big guy! We love you more than you'll ever know and are so unbelievably proud of the little guy you've already become.

I'm going to post pics from the festivities sometime this week. I haven't had a chance to sit down at the computer long enough to post them. Pals who took photos - I'd love to get copies. My camera is officially a piece of poop! For now, here is a group pic from the party. We didn't get all the kids in the shot, and definitely didn't get them all smiling at the camera at the same time, but at least the birthday boy is looking at me in this shot!

Santasaurus

An (almost) 4-year-old's version of Santa, his sleigh and a reindeer.

The Posts That Might Have Been

A friend emailed the other day, concerned that something might be wrong. As I'm usually fairly good with frequent posts, my lack of time in the blogosphere had her worried (thanks for thinking of me Jill :)

All is well, but it made me realize that I haven't posted much lately...mainly due to this hectic time of year and the combination of curiosity and mobility on behalf of my one year old.

But I suppose the truth is that I have been blogging -or at least writing- in my head. I've come up with all sorts of things to write about while lying in bed at night or traveling in our sweet minivan to see family. I just haven't sat down to put those thoughts on the screen. So today, I'm dedicating a post to all of those posts that could have been...

Potential Post Titles:

My Insane Fear of Swine Flu
See also: My Insane Fear of Bird Flu; My Insane Fear of West Nile Virus; My Insane Fear of Lime Disease

Little Guy's First Steps
Time to hit the Stride Rite outlet.

A Resolution Retrospective
A look back at the goals I set for 2009 and a fresh list for 2010 that digs a bit deeper.

Embracing Pale (to compliment last year's short-lived Embracing Brunette)
When a Caribbean vacation or the tanning bed aren't an option, I must learn to love my kabuki face and lilly white legs. Also thought of posting pictures of my favorite pale beauties: Rose from Titanic; Mona Lisa; etc...

Oh Hip Bones, Where Art Though?
An introspective look at a year long weight loss journey and a sudden, recent holiday-induced disappearance of my hip bones.

Oh For A Thousand Stupid Things I've Done
So many times I've started to post about the silly things I've done in my life and how grateful I am to now be so flippin' mature (notice the sarcasm). In all seriousness, how grateful I am to have a wonderful husband, children and family and friends.

I'm sure there are many more posts that I've mentally written, and hopefully I'll hit on a few of these in the weeks to come - especially the resolutions post.

I hope everyone is staying healthy and enjoying the holiday season. As for our house, we've been a crazy bunch of sickos the past couple of weeks, but it hasn't stopped us from getting into the Christmas spirit!

Until next time...

Deck The Halls...

I just wanted to give Troy props again this year for getting up on the highest peak of our roof to make our house look festive! I know...it's not even Thanksgiving yet. So, for the next few days, they'll be turkey lights. Or an homage to the pilgrims & native Americans. Or just really pretty decorations to make us smile. Thanks, Troy! Your roofing days did you good!

One Year

One year ago today, our little guy was born. Like most moms, I didn't know what to expect and couldn't understand how I could possibly love this little guy as much as I had his big brother. And as all of you moms know, your heart grows even bigger and you realize that you love them just as much - and if possible, you love both of them even more because of the new dynamic that's been created. I assumed that the little guy would be just like his big brother - look like him, cry like him, eat like him, etc... But he has proved me wrong, and it's so exciting to see his little personality shine through (as is shown in the picture above featuring his "silly face"). I'm so excited to watch this little guy grow! Happy birthday, kiddo!

Halloween

My little pirate & lion...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Wanted: A Little Domestication

The big guy had his preschool Halloween party this morning. All of the kids looked so cute! They went trick-or-treating around the building and sang songs for the parents. Then they each had to come up to the front of the class, stand by the teacher and tell the class a)who they were dressed as and b)where they got their costume.

Most kids said something like "it was my brother's" or "the costume store".

Then the cute little boy ahead of big brother got up. He was also a pirate and told the class that his mom made his costume. All of the moms complimented her (and secretly felt inadequate). It even had rivets, for pete's sake!

Then big brother followed with his pirate costume. He announced that he was Captain Hook. The teacher asked where he got his costume.

His answer?

"The UPS truck."

I think mommy needs to become a bit more domesticated and stop shopping online! :)

First Haircut

The little guy had his first haircut yesterday. He wasn't sure what to think. He didn't cry, but he definitely didn't smile either. He looks like a little boy now!

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate

That is the pressing question of the day - for myself and lots of other moms I know.

So what's the verdict, moms? Are you getting your kiddos the swine flu vaccine?

Pumpkin Patch

We had a blast with the boys yesterday. First, the zoo for a birthday party and then an impromptu trip to Curtis Orchard for pumpkins and apple cider (and, of course, their famous apple donuts). It was topped off last night with a big pot of chili. Ahh, fall.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Slacker

I haven't written much lately.

Sure, I've posted tons of photos and maybe a tidbit or two about the boys. But I have really stunk when it comes to really writing.

I'm going to blame it on the little guy's nap schedule. He's bascially down to only one nap now. Before, when there were two per day, I had one nap time to get household stuff done - laundry, mopping, cleaning, Oprah (just kidding) and the other to occasionally set the big guy down with a coloring book or his Tag Reader and let myself have a bit of creative down time at the computer.

But now that we're down to one nap per day, my creative time is comprised of wondering just how many fruit loops I can get into the dust pan with one fail swoop of my broom...or just how I can remove both spaghetti and playdoh from the big guy's new fall sweater.

Regardless, as I get used to a new season in life and try to soak up every single moment of autumn, I'm going to remind myself that a little creative writing time is good for the mama.

And what's good for the mama is good for the family...just maybe not the dishwasher begging to be unloaded (my most hated household choir, followed by a close second of filling up ice cube trays).

Vacation

We had such a great time! And although we just got back this past Sunday, it feels like forever ago. I realize that no one is going to look at all of these photos except for grandparents, but I suppose that is who I created this site for, huh? The crazy thing is that I weeded out about 80 other photos to get to this "edited" version. Mama was a bit camera-happy on this first family vacation.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Now bring on fall!

Some Pics for Grandma

All right...I know you haven't seen the boys for a while (Grandma Marlow). So here are a few pics to hold you over until we get back from vacation. Love you! And Happy Birthday to Grandma Frerichs! Hope you have a fabulous birthday, Debbie! See you tonight.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A Time To Pray

Our church is doing a month-long, 24/7 prayer "marathon". Basically, members have signed up to come to the church for a half hour time slot around the clock and pray for the church and the upcoming school year. Troy and I took the boys yesterday. We knew it would be interesting with both boys, but a teachable moment, too.

We found our way through the dark auditorium to the cross, where over the past month, people have been putting their prayer requests on post-its and placing them by the cross.

We prayed for the church, for a specific prayer request that we read from a post-it and for safe travel on our vacation.

Then Big Brother prayed. It was pretty cool. And somewhere in the midst of his prayer he asked that God give him a present.

Then he had to go potty.

So, our prayer time was short-lived as Troy took him to the bathroom. The little guy and I held back for a bit, and I read through some of the hundreds of prayer requests. It reminded me of the scene from Bruce Almighty where he is reading all of the prayer requests by email. It was strange to feel as though you were peeking into someone's inner-most personal thoughts, but then comforting to know we're all in the same boat with hopes and struggles.

As the little guy and I made our way out to the atrium, the big guy had found a super bouncy ball under one of the tables and was playing catch with Troy.

Prayer answered, and almost immediately.

As a side note, I happened to turn on "Toddlers & Tiaras" for a brief second yesterday afternoon. An overly-made up little girl was doing her routine on stage. Big brother mentioned that he wanted to dance like that.

So you can be praying for that desire as well! :)

Pee, Poop, Puke, Etc...

No, this is not a post dedicated to the Crawford cousins' favorite words.

Or a post recapping the little guy's first 10 months.

It is, sadly, just a few of the wonderful things that have come to give our living room couch & chair such character. Add in spilt soda, beer, juice, milk, formula, breast milk, tomato soup, dog slobber (we don't even have a dog) and most likely the occasional little kid booger, and you can practically envision our current seating arrangements.

Uncomfortable. Stained. On its last leg. Literally.

Troy and I bought our living room furniture 7+ years ago. It was the kind of furniture that was meant to last only 2-3 years. The frame is made of plywood and toothpicks. The covering is some type of stain-attracting and enhancing canvas that is most likely manufactured solely for army tents or ship sails.

We've already had the love seat cave in on us...which is why it has been banished to the basement. The couch and chair have held up somewhat strong against jumping, plopping and wallering...although the seat cushions are now as flat as pancakes. And somehow, the back pillows (which also double as great fort-building material on the living room floor) have somehow doubled in size and continue to fatten up at an alarming rate.

I bring all of this up because last night, we finally ordered new living room furniture. Oh, glorious day. We've spent the past two months searching through every furniture store in the tri-state area, hoping to find the perfect kid-friendly-yet-stylish pieces. And last night, our searching came to an end as we placed our order.

And now the waiting begins. 6-8 weeks. Oh...the longing.

So in the meantime, if you'd like to come over and spill a few drinks on our furniture, or possibly drop a casserole dish on the cushions - be our guest! We won't mind. We probably won't even notice.

Asleep at the Stove

So I sprayed Pier 1 Harvest Spice Cake room spray in the pan today instead of Pam when getting ready to fix scrambled eggs for the boys. Luckily I realized my mistake before cooking. The little guy is not sleeping at all due to his upper teeth taking weeks to finally break through the gums. He seems to have my large-n-lovely front teeth, so I'm sure that makes it even more painful. Anyway, no sleep = some major absentmindedness. That will teach me to keep my cooking spray in the same cabinet as my candles & room sprays.

On the bright side, our cooking pan smelled nice & fall-ish this morning!

First Day of Preschool

He did great, and I didn't even cry (much). Today was a "half day", so he was there for a full hour :) It feels like a perfect fall day, so it was a great day to officially start school!

Trip to the Doc

I got both guys in to the doc yesterday. Big brother needed a physical for preschool and the little guy had his 9 month check-up...a few weeks late. Both boys are proving to be biggins.

I always get a bit nervous when the doctor talks directly to big brother and asks him serious questions. "Do you always wear your seatbelt in the car? Do you wear a helmet when you ride your bike? Do you brush your teeth every day?"

I'm just waiting for him to say, "No, I don't brush my teeth. And I usually don't wear a seatbelt. In fact, mom often lets me drive the car. With my feet. And I've moved on from a kids bike to a Harley. I mean, why not? It's cool."

He did, however, answer everything honestly and, to my delight, in a way that didn't make me seem like a crazy mom that needs to be called on by DCFS.

And then she asked him if he ever has trouble breathing.

"Yes. I do a lot..."

I started to give him a funny look and dive into his answer a bit more when he said,"...when I do this." (puts fingers up to nose & pinches)

Very true. It is hard to breathe like that.

Bring on the Botox

Big Brother was practicing his pretend map reading skills the other day - or maybe it was his weather man skills. Anyway, the cleared-off coffee table was his "map" and the shot from his FisherPrice doctor's bag was his pointer. He proceeded to point out important landmarks.

"Over here is the library," he said pointing to the left side of the coffee table.

"And over here is Barack Obama" pointing to the far right. (I just realized the irony in that) I guess President Obama is a location as well as a president to the little guy. But geographically, he wasn't too far off if this were, say, a US map. I digress.

In the middle were some of his friends houses, a Wal-Mart, and other odds-and-ends landmarks.

Then he studied my face for a few minutes. The pointer went up to my forehead.

"And these are the little roads."

Great. Time for some serious wrinkle cream.

What I Love About Laundry Mondays

Khaki cargos in all shapes & sizes



















Big Brother's new love for folding towels

A Week or Two In Review

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

Ahhh...you haven't changed a bit!











If 33 looks this good on you, I can't wait until 66! :) Here's to a fabulous birthday and the official right to play on the old men's basketball league at church. I'm looking forward to celebrating your birthday this evening. Hooray for grandparent-babysitters!

Happy birthday, darlin. I love ya.

And next year I promise to have a different "little Troy" photo, considering I've used this in a birthday post two years in a row.

Happy Birthday Mom...a bit late!

It dawned on me a week after my mom's 60th that I didn't do a "Happy Birthday" post. How could I not devote a post to the woman who carried me in her womb, nursed me for years upon years and taught me important principles like "do not wear horizontal stripes or sleeveless shirts"! So, since Kari, mom and I celebrated her 60th birthday this past week in Chicago, I thought it was a fitting time to do a late happy birthday post.
In all seriousness, mom, thank you for everything! I love you "gobs & gobs", as you would put it. Here's to another 60 years! Or at least another 40! :)

Rub-A-Dub

As Thick As Thieves

I admit it.

I love the Real Housewives series on Bravo. And in particular, I have loved their latest installment featuring the New Jersey housewives - much more than any of the other shows.

It took me up until the season finale to put my finger on just what it was I loved about the show.

Family.

Two of the "housewives" are sisters, one is a sister-in-law and the others are friends of the family (excluding Danielle). They fight - and then they get over it. They're ridiculously & brutally honest with one another. And they defend each other. As the oldest sister put it, "We are as thick as thieves and will protect each other to the end."

Now I realize my family is nothing like that. We have no mob ties. We don't have thick Jersey accents or big hair. And as far as I'm aware, we don't have millions of dollars lying around for random botox, boob jobs and Bentleys.

But I am so grateful for my family. And I'm so grateful for our history.

I guess with the older I've gotten and the further I've moved away from my hometown, the more I've yearned for and appreciate that family togetherness. I had the opportunity to hang out with my family this weekend for my cousin's wedding. (congrats Luke & Amira!) I loved seeing my aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as my immediate family. And I had a blast with them after the wedding reception as well.














And although I said it a million times by the time the night was through, nothing is more important than your family!

So although we don't have botox, Bentleys or the boobies, we do have a bond that I'm realizing is timeless. We may bicker or get annoyed. But, I think we are, pretty much, as thick as thieves.

And Olivia, you can relax now. I finally have a new post! :)

Happy Friday

(not sure if he's hugging or choking in this photo)

What a week! In the past seven days or so, I've officially stopped nursing, the little guy has started crawling and big brother has invented a new word. Alsolly. It's a hybrid of "Actually" and "Also". Example: "I love cheesy eggs. Alsolly, I love Trix Yogurt for kids." I don't have the heart to tell him that it's not really a word. It's too darn cute to stop. I'll break the news by his first grammar test.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Mad Love for My Mantle

It was well over a year ago that I did a post on my living room fireplace mantle - and how I could not figure out what to put on it, above it, around it, etc... In fact, it was so long ago, it was posted on the now-defunct Frerichs Family (super underpants boy) blog. This picture was taken before we moved in, with the builder's decor on top.

Fast forward to a year later. After around five purchased-and-then-returned pieces of art, mirrors, frames and doo-dads, my mantle was yet again bare. Nothing looked right. And the deal was, I like darker woods - bronze/chocolate brown - to decorate with. And our mantle was stained a honey color. The two wood tones clashed...and I gave up by leaving it bare.

However, this past weekend, my parents came to stay with me while Troy was in Chicago. With the encouragement of my mom, I boldly walked into Sherwin Williams on Saturday morning and asked to be armed with everything I would need to paint my mantle white. L4 white to be exact - the color of our trim, doors and railing.

Now, I love my mantle.


(isn't it weird how the same wall paint color looks so different in the two pictures?)

I know some people might think I'm crazy for painting it, but to be honest, the original stain job wasn't very good. You could see the brush strokes and built up stain globs. And from the day we looked at the house, I told my realtor and Troy that I wanted to paint it white. They both thought I was crazy...but I was able to eventually turn Troy to the white side.

Anyway, I know this matters nothing more than a hill of beans in the grand scheme of things. But for my little nook of life, it has made the space a bit brighter and less bare. I still need to inject a bit more personality and life into the decor, but it's a start. Thanks for helping, mom and dad!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

The big guy can be full of some serious wisdom sometimes. Luckily, I had been putting together my grocery list and had a pen and paper on the coffee table this morning to write it down. It went almost word-for-word like this.

"God is a good healer & fixer.

God puts us in the right direction. (stands up to illustrate) He turns our legs and our feet in the right way.

God gives us the words to speak and puts words in our tummy.

(about 5 minutes later)

God is up in heaven. He doesn't fall."

Who says you need a devotional for your Monday morning picker-upper?

Geek Chic

Troy loved comic books as a kid...and possibly secretly still does.

About a year ago, he brought a large stack of them from his parents house to share with the big guy. After all, everything has come full circle. Transformers, Star Wars, Superman and even GI Joe. Since the big guy is a fan of most of these, I had planned to buy some comic book frames and hang them in his bedroom. But as it turns out, comic book frames are hard to find.

So when we recently switched bedrooms, I decided to put some old frames to good use. I scanned in the covers and cropped them to 8.5 x 11. Now, the big guy's room is filled with some of his favorite characters, including Harry Jones!

And I do believe that Daddy appreciates the nostalgia as well.

Here's to my geek chic men...coming from an even geekier and not-so-chic mama!

MJ

Watching a bit of the Michael Jackson Memorial today brought back a funny memory. I had a conversation with my Grandma Cleo shortly after the Thriller album came out that went something like this:

"Grandma, don't you love Michael Jackson?"

"Who's Michael Jackson?" she said.

Imagine a look of utter disgust and amazement on my young face.

"You don't know who Michael Jackson is? When I'm a grandma, I'm going to love Michael Jackson!!!"

While I was recalling that, a funny image popped in my head...

Michael teaching Cleo how to moonwalk up in heaven.

Stupid Cow

It was a very unfortunate series of events that led to the big guy's fear of cows.

About six months ago, the big guy watched an episode of Curious George that would forever change his life and outlook on feel-good PBS morning shows. In this episode, there was a mysterious "moo" coming from the dark basement of George & The Man with the Yellow Hat's apartment building basement. It was an ominous, haunting "moo" that struck fear in the heart of primate and man alike. And although it was revealed in the final moments of the show to simply be one of George's See & Say-type toys, it forever scarred my son.

Later that same week, as we were watching "Ice Age" on a cable network, a Hardee's commercial came on. It was advertising its latest & greatest chicken sandwich. The commercial featured a man hunched down behind a bed in a seedy motel, only to be walked in on by a scary and realistic looking cow who felt as though the man was cheating on him with the chicken sandwich.

This was the breaking point for the big guy. Not only did scary cow sounds come from the basement and disrupt our happy, innocent, otherwise PBS-loving lives...cows also burst into our rooms and gave us dirty looks.

The months following these horrific episodes were rough on both the big guy and us. He wouldn't sleep in his bed. He would run into our room in the middle of the night. He would cry as we discussed going up to his room to read a book and prepare to sleep.

Why?

Because of the cow shadow.

Yes. A shadow of a cow.

Apparently his post-traumatic, bovine-induced stress had caused him to imagine a heifer-shaped shadow in is room. And what could be worse?

I could see this fear manifesting itself in many ways. He would creep out his room to sleep in the spare bedroom, being out of site of the horrible shadow. He would cringe as we drove past open, green pastures on our way to the in-laws. He kept to a strict regimen of McDonalds cheeseburgers, the only meat he will eat. "Die you sucker" I could almost hear him mutter under his breath between bites.

So the past few weeks, we've slowly transitioned him out of his room and into the office/spare bedroom - first moving only his bed. Slowly but surely, everything has switched. I asked him shortly before switching out the closets - the final and most tedious step of the transition - "are you sure you want this to be your bedroom?"

"Yes, mommy. There's now cow shadow in here."

Fair enough.

He's been doing ok in his new room. He still comes into our bedroom in the early hours of the morning from time to time, but I don't think I'll ever kick him out. I'll miss that some day. We just won't allow him to start his night out in there...that's strictly for mommy & daddy to do.

Last night, little brother woke up around 3 am - wide awake! If I walked away from his crib, he cried. Screamed. Freaked out. So instead of staying up with him, I decided I would lay him down in the spare bedroom so that I could sleep by him, and he would be happy to not be alone. As I laid there with no tv on, no night light on, I wondered..."What if Hayden wasn't crazy? What if there is some crazy cow in his old bedroom?" It's amazing what you'll imagine in the middle of the night.

But as it turns out, there was nothing to fear in that room.

However, I may take just a bit more enjoyment as well in eating my hamburger or steak this holiday weekend.

Stupid cow.

Lesson in Child Safety

So I know you're supposed to lock up cleaning supplies, medications, any type of sharp objects, etc...

But fiber bars?

I had no idea they could be so dangerous in the hands of a young child.

After I put the little guy down for a nap yesterday, I decided to check my email. After all, the big guy was playing with play-doh downstairs and all was well.

Five minutes later, the big guy comes upstairs with a dark chocolate almond Fiber Plus bar in his hands, asking me to open it. I explained to him that these were only for mommies & daddies, and while doing so, I realized that he had chocolate on his mouth and hands. Turns out, he had already gotten into the box.

Let's just say that last night was a bit rough for the little man.

And from now I, I will put my Fiber Plus bars on the top shelf - maybe even under lock and key.

On the bright side, he is potty trained now. Otherwise, things could have been a lot worse!

Swim Babies

Ok, so the big guy isn't a baby anymore, but he looks so tiny in that huge swimming pool. Here are some pics from his swimming lessons and Carson's first trip to the pool. I plan to have a real post soon - one with more than just photos. For now, here our my lil' swimmers.

Albert Einstein Rides Again (and other happenings)

What a weekend (and Monday)!

The fun started on Friday with the big guy's first swimming lesson. He'll be taking them every night for the next two weeks. I'll be sure to get some shots at the pool...once he gets in up to his chest :) Saturday started early with a trip to the gym and a WW meeting. Wow - a total of .6 lbs lost the past 4 weeks. I am on top of my game (ha)! The big guy and daddy finished up our three-weekend-long landscaping project. (I'll be sure to get a picture of it once it stops raining - Troy did a great job!) During a lunch of popcorn chicken, the big guy decided to fashion a motorcycle out of Tinker Toy connector pieces, only to be ridden by "Albert Pujols" as he referred to him.









Saturday evening kicked off with the big guy's first ever big boy puzzle, which we put together three times that evening! And a shot or two of the giant little guy, showing his love of all things spoon-like.











While Troy, his dad and brothers went golfing on Sunday afternoon, the big guy helped me put together a book shelf for the nursery. Unfortunately, the box came with tons of styrofoam, which he broke into little pieces and shared with his little brother...who then ate it...which then lead to a call to Poison Control...which turned out to be nothing...but mommy still had a moment or two of panic anyway!

And then, in the parking lot after swim lessons last night, the big guy got nailed by the van door, which led to a trip to Carle Care to make sure he was ok. We figured he was since he downed a cheeseburger on the way from swim lessons to the doctor. By the time we got home, the little guy hadn't stopped crying off and on since about 4pm, which is very unusual for him. Mother's intuition? Ear infection. Which led to my second trip to Carle Care within an hour timespan, followed by a trip to Wal-Mart to pick up antibiotics for his double ear infection. What a night!

Here's crossing our fingers that everything goes much more smoothly the rest of the week.