Last weekend, I noticed that he had a slight cough at church and mentioned to Steve that James was likely coming down with a little cold. That afternoon, when I went to get him from his crib after his afternoon nap, his right eye was completely sealed shut. Lots of crusty gook. I used a warm washcloth to clean it up and he managed to smile weakly throughout all of it. That night, he struggled getting settled down and was up more in the night than usual.
By Monday, his eye looked worse -- tears galore, lots more crusty gook and the right eye was shrunken in appearance compared to his left eye. He became disoriented whenever I went to pick him up because he couldn't see very well and it was obvious that he was clingy and not quite the same jovial little man that we were used to.
Sleeping in his car seat, with his eye sealed shut a mere hour after I had cleaned it:
Originally, I figured that I would just let the cold run its course, but by Tuesday morning, I decided to make him an appointment. I worried that the eye infection (the cough was minimal and there was no other apparent nasal drainage) could be contagious, as most eye infections are, and I didn't want to risk spreading this to the other kids. Plus, I was hoping for some eye drops that would clear up the infection even faster to flat-out make him feel better.
It turns out that in addition to the conjunctivitis, James had a double ear infection. What a trooper. I would have never known if we weren't in being seen for the eye issue. So, I picked up the antibiotic and the eye drops from the pharmacy on the way home and within a single day, he was already looking so much better. And, I learned that he had gained almost a half pound (up to 16 lbs. 13 oz.) in the last month.
He loves the taste of the antibiotic and grabs the syringe away from me to "self-medicate" each time that I try to administer it (twice a day for 10 days). We will head back to the doctor's office in two weeks for a quick "ear check" just to make sure that the ear infections have healed entirely.
James is still exclusively breastfeeding, but I plan to start a few solids this next month. He is starting to show interest whenever he sees us eating and I suspect that he is going to take to it quickly. We have given him a taste of a few things (sucking on piece of watermelon, a dab of applesauce, etc.) and each time, he became overly excited. I, myself, am very happy about beginning solids in the summertime, as that allows me many options (more so than in the winter) for homemade purees.
I had an opportunity to sub three times this last month for teaching (I've been away from the classroom for six months -- the longest that I have ever gone since being hired at the college nine years ago), and James did great for Steve for the 4-5 hours that I was away. It felt good to be back on campus, but I was also anxious to return home to my babies when I was done. I will be teaching on Wednesday and Thursday nights this Fall, beginning in August, and feel confident that it will go smoothly. James will be nearly seven months old by then.
We have settled into a nice routine at night with the kids now. Jack goes to bed first, at 8 pm. Then, Steve settles the girls in, likely around 8:15 pm. At that time, I am usually feeding James (following his bath) and once I put him in his crib (between 8:30-8:45 pm), I check on the girls and tell them goodnight. James will usually sleep until about 5:30 am. Occasionally, he will wake up earlier but I just feed him and he goes right back to sleep. Often, I hear him talking on the monitor in the middle of the night, but I only go and get him if he starts to cry. He can put himself back to sleep most of the time.
Sitting in their pajamas before bed:
James is also following a pretty good nap routine now that it is summer and we are not constantly on the go for school drop-offs/pick-ups and dance classes. He likes to take a long morning nap, which is usually in his crib, but can be in his car seat if we are running errands. He's not too picky.
He also takes an afternoon nap (usually at the same time as Jack!) and a small catnap around dinnertime. It doesn't take a lot of effort to settle him in as long as his belly is full, his diaper is clean and he has his favorite blanket that has been with him since birth.
James is still a favorite among everyone in this household and I find myself breaking up a few fights over who gets to hold him ... or bring me a diaper ... or pick out his outfit for the day ... Samantha is the only one that is allowed to carry him any sort of distance and I often find her just sitting with him.
This last month, we hung the jumperoo for him so that he can practice putting a little weight on his feet. Jimmy's legs are still very "rubber-like" and lack any kind of strength. While the jumperoo is still a bit big for him (hence the blanket stuffed in the back), he will stay in it for at least 20 minutes at a time. I consider that a victory.
While his legs are still very weak, his back muscles are starting to become a lot stronger. He is nowhere ready to sit unassisted yet, but I work with him daily on sitting up and balancing. After a couple of minutes, he begins to fall from one side or the other.
I suspect that he will follow in his older siblings' patterns and begin sitting alone between 6-7 months of age. We're never in any rush around here to encourage early rolling/sitting/crawling/walking, as we know that things only get more complicated when the little ones are "on the move." Right now, I enjoy putting him in one place and knowing that he will be there when I return; that is, unless Samantha gets her hands on him!
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