Last Day!

 
Today is the last day of posting every day in November. Yay! I am sick of it in one way and it's depressing, as I said, but I do like to take a picture of him every day. This morning he's enjoying some Lucky Charms which are full of Calcium! And Vitamin D!

November 29 - Two More Days

I can't take this posting every day, it's making me depressed. That or the fact that these kids are driving me CRAZY is making me depressed. I might put up a picture of Anthony later but I don't want to forget to post. I just feel like it's the same as it ever was, blah blah, he went to sleep, blah blah, he woke up, blah blah blah. He is the noisiest person ever and Maria has a cold now (again?) so she is grousing and yelling all the day long, too, and I seriously cannot take all this yelling. I went out before for a walk just so I could get away and I couldn't even take my iPod with me, I don't want to hear *anything*. So anyway, today is Saturday, Anthony went to sleep last night and woke up today and not tomorrow but the day after he can GO BACK TO SCHOOL and leave me the hell alone. :)

Egyptian Queen

 
He has an ice cream pop in one hand and Maria's nuk in the other. Lord. We had a nice Thanksgiving yesterday, Anthony was good but overwhelmed, maybe, at Mike's mom's house? It's so nice to be there because clearly he is loved by his family and they are all so good and sweet to him, but he gets a little wiggy with so many people around. He and Maria both slept on the way home and he woke up pretty grumpy but he got over it and had fourteen or so rolls for dinner. Laura and Marita and Cooper and Will came over for dinner and everyone made something - it was so, so good and fun. Anthony went to sleep late because of his nap and slept until almost 8:00 this morning, which is super late for him. Happy Thanksgiving to all and we hope you're having a nice day off!

Nutella Cheesecake

 
Mike made this. YUM.

Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake

 
Not to brag. But MAN did this come out well!

Dressed for Thanksgiving

 
We are thankful today because Anthony is getting better. He is still a little bit runny nosed but he seems so much better. We are hoping he has a good day today, he usually does when we go to Mike's mom's house. He loves it down there, she has two dogs and he can run around in the big yard. I haven't heard anything from my doctor's office so hopefully all is okay there too. Happy Thanksgiving!

Their Album Cover

 

Don't they look tough?

Cheers!/This Morning

 

One picture is from this morning before school and one is from just now, after school. His teacher put Vaseline all over his face, he looks kind of dewy. He had a good night, slept for like 13 hours, and I am hoping he is on the road to recovery. Colleen, his ears were really red too but so far he hasn't gotten any kind of rash anywhere else.

Video Fun

Here is the video of The Wiggles doing "Rockabye Your Bear". Take a look, and then keep it in your mind when you watch Anthony's version. It's in there! :)

Sicko

 

He is sick, as it turns out. His teacher called Mike today and told him that she had taken him to the nurse and the nurse said he had Fifth's Disease, which is also known as Slapped Cheek Disease and Parvo. The Parvo that he has is not the same thing that kills dogs, even though it's unnerving that they're named the same thing. Once they have the rash, it's not contagious anymore so he can still go to school tomorrow. I'm not entirely convinced he has it, the rash is supposed to spread so we'll see. He's been rubbing his face all over creation for the last four days so of course it's red. The nurse also said his ears were red, but that happens whenever he's hot or mad or just stirred up. Another complication of it is that if you're pregnant, you're not supposed to be around Parvo, so...that sucks! If you've had it, you're immune and I was at the OB today anyway and she did a test for it, but my Mom thinks I had it, so it should all be okay. What is probably worse for us all is that we are going to go insane here if he doesn't get better soon. Every day I think he'll be better and every day he's not. He had a great day at OT at school today and a great time at OT at the other place this afternoon but he fell asleep on the way home and then woke up and screamed, shrieked and groused for ... maybe 20 minutes? It seems really long when you're in it, it makes Maria yell and scream and we basically want to just leave them both here to duke it out. He woke up at 2:00 this morning and did not go back to sleep. How does someone do that? Mike and I have been up in the night for most of the night for the last ... four Mondays? I think? It's super unfortunate because I have to work on Tuesdays and I am dead tired by the time I have to go there. Thank God Mike is home this week or I would not make it. This has turned into sort of a complaint, sorry! That's all we have around here!

November 23, Last Year

Oh he looks so awful today I can't post a picture of him. His nose and lips and cheeks are all red and beat up. This cold is wicked and I guess it's going to last forever? He slept well last night, I think, I was up with Maria at 3:30 and didn't hear him and then I was awake for like an hour after that and never heard him. I went to take Maria in her room around 7:00 and then I heard him, so hopefully he slept well. He went to school today because he just appears to have this runny nose but ugh - I feel really bad for him but I feel bad for us too, because we're the ones he keeps wiping his nose on.

He looks so tiny and young in this picture doesn't he? It occurs to me that last year on November 23 it was a really nice warm day! Not so this year. In fact, we wanted to take him outside yesterday but we were afraid it would make his cold worse. Today is rainy and crappy so we're inside again. He is eating okay, he's in the other room watching a Diego with Mike, who's home this week.

Watching Little Einstein

 

He has been getting into Little Einstein more lately, which seems promising. He follows the directions that they give the audience, like to pat your hands on your lap, or raise your arms in the air. He still doesn't do (hardly) anything that I tell him to do, but it's nice that he's listening to someone! He is still sick and you can't stand still for long or he wipes his nose on you. Charming.

Drama!

 

I forgot about this one.

He's sick

 

 

God, they are both sick and driving us mad! His shirt was bothering him before, which is why it's off, but really, the fact is, he is hardly ever dressed. We went to see Mike's grandmother today and it was actually a nice visit. The drive there and especially back? Were terrible. But now it's almost bedtime so we can take it for a few more minutes. He was up in the night, at 1:30 and still at 3:00. Maria was up crying on the hour every hour so ... we're tired and grumpy! Anthony fell asleep before sitting in my lap, he is so pathetic. He had some low moments since then, but I have been rubbing lotion on his back and neck (I figure he is sore and hurting, from his cold) and I have been putting a warm wet washcloth on his eyes and nose, which is running without end. I don't think he's said five words all day, he is hurting for sure.

Friday

 

When I went in to feed Maria at 6:15 I heard Anthony, babbling away. I went back in his room right before 7:00 and bashed in the door and there he was, asleep on his bed! So I tiptoed out and we woke him up at 8:00. He's been really fine, whichis a relief, sometimes he can be a real wretch if he goes back to sleep.

Shirtless Eating

 

He had to sleep in a little bit this morning, we heard him at 4:00, but thank GOD he went back to sleep.

Hoo Boy

 

 

 

What a day we had today. I got a super nice note from Anthony's speech therapist, it was written right after their session together. She wrote right after because she wanted me to know right away how well he had done. He said her name, and she said he had never been more verbal or cooperative. I was so excited, I was crying reading the email to Mike on the phone. It's so nice to have some vindication for all this crap that we're doing with him! This afternoon, though, we went to a playgroup at a friend of mine's house and we had to leave right away when Anthony could not understand why he couldn't play with my friend's husband's super expensive guitar. Anthony, you may remember, LOVES him some musical instruments and I just can't communicate to him that some things aren't his. It was wretched, we were down in her basement so I had to drag them both upstairs, he was kicking and screaming and miserable. I really didn't feel like we could do anything but leave, but I wasn't mad at him or anything - it was just an impossible situation - I knew the minute I saw that guitar that it was going to be a problem but by then it was too late. He is fine now, but I still feel kind of wiped out. Ha, but I guess this blog isn't about me, right? :)

One Year Ago Today

Anthony is gone to an appointment and I just realized I didn't make a post today so I want to do it while I'm thinking of it. I'm trying to do the 30 posts in 30 days for November and it's a pain!

He is off to the hospital with Mike for his second behavior therapy appointment. Mike is taking him because last time I went at 4:00 I took Maria and it was a HOT mess. Anthony woke up at 3:45 this morning so it should be fun! Ha, I am not sorry I'm missing it!

We are all really tired, except Maria, who is actually sleeping pretty well. Mike and I, though, are beat, and I am working tonight. Ugh.

This cracks me up

He is crazy! He slept well last night and was in good spirits this morning, though. We are all excited around here because John, my brother, is coming for dinner tonight. He hasn't seen Anthony in almost a year and has never seen Maria so it should be fun.

With Maria

 

Not exactly a Christmas Card shot, but it is the two of them together. I think at this point, everyone is relieved that that damned haircut is over, including Maria!

Haircut

 

Mike cut his hair this morning. It went so, so much better than it did last time. He hates it, to be sure, but he really sat there for the most part and got it cut without too much screaming. It only took six minutes but it feels like longer.

Playing in his room

 

 

I almost never take pictures in their rooms, but Mike was home with them today and took these. I went to lunch and the movies (Happy Go Lucky) with my sister - I was gone for five hours and I think that might be the first time I've gone anywhere away from Maria, certainly, since she's been born. It was really nice! I was happy to see them when I got home, though.

Extra Post

 

Mike took this yesterday (the day before?) with his iPhone and I sent it to myself to post and then forgot. Anthony is starting to use things more functionally, which is exciting. Mike said he climbed into our bed and pulled the covers up, with his head against the pillow. A few months ago, he might have pulled the pillow over him as a blanket, so it's encouraging. He looks like a man in this picture to me, except for the Nuk!

Nice

 

That's what he says when he pats her head. I can't believe I caught it on film!

iPod

 

Cradling my iPod. He knows music comes out of it so he plays it like a kazoo. He was awake super early this morning but isn't too bad today. They said he had a good day at school, although it is a pain to get him to leave the house. He starts to cry as we put his coat on, it's a drag but I'm hoping it will pass.

Haircut

 

He needs a haircut, but we are of course dreading it. Ha - well, we're not going to dread it, although that would make for easier hair care!

Wednesday, before school

 

 

 

He was up in the night and mean as a snake this morning when I went in his room to get him. He SLAMMED the door in my face when I went in. But he shook it off pretty well and was better by the time he left for school.