This past month has definitely been an interesting and busy one, that’s for sure, and as of Sunday, Enzo is officially 18 months old.
We’ve noticed lately that Enzo has been extra cranky and not sleeping well and has been more irritable than usual. Granted, he’s also a toddler, so it’s sometimes hard to tell what is just normal toddler behavior and when is it something else. In one month we took him to the doctor twice for ear infections, so we decided it was time to get him into a specialist. We’ve only had a doctor confirm ear infections maybe 3-4 times in the past 6 months, but that’s not unusual for Enzo. The first time he had an ear infection, we didn’t even know – he was perfectly happy. Gradually we’ve been able to tell more easily, though, and only give him antibiotics as needed. So, the ENT specialist looked in his right ear and said that it actually wasn’t too bad – he could tell that Enzo has definitely had several ear infections, but he’d seen worse. Then he moved onto the left ear and informed us this one was much worse and in fact was infected as we spoke. We were flabbergasted… 3 infections in maybe 6 weeks? That’s when the doctor explained to us what tubes were and now Enzo will be getting tubes next Friday. From the sound of things it should cut down on ear infections a lot, and make them less painful when he does get them. I’m relieved the surgery is quick (only 10-15 minutes), but definitely nervous about him being put under with anesthesia. I’ve been told by several people to just let Josh go back and not go myself because when they go under they often look… dead. So, we’ll see if I can handle it or not. Either way, I’m hoping this makes a huge difference for our little man.
As for general toddler news… we’re definitely dealing with our share of tantrums on a fairly regular basis. The latest issue is getting him to wear a coat. He sees you coming with it and immediately starts shaking his head, saying “No” over and over and starts to have a meltdown (which varies in intensity every day). Why putting a coat on emits sounds that would have you thinking we were beating him is beyond me. It’s just a coat…right?
As for talking and developmental schtuff, he’s still adding words almost daily it seems, but Josh and I giggle the most over his “more” and “thank you” since they’re the most adorable. He’s also started asking for “ight” (the twinkle lights I strung up on the banister) and TV. While I would normally be worried about him asking for TV, he doesn’t just sit and stare at a show. We’ll turn on Daniel Tiger for him (his favorite) or Chuck and Friends (because trucks are another favorite) and he’ll sit through the intro a bit, but generally get bored within 5-10 minutes and might come back and check on it now again if there’s a song or something.
He makes us laugh daily, even if some of those laughs are from sheer exhaustion and exasperation over toddler madness. He’s been having a lot of “Daddy” days, so it’s warmed my heart a bit to hear him start saying “Mama” more regularly and asking for me if I’m not there. That being said, we split the bed-time routine as well. It’s nice because we each get some one-on-one time with Enzo, but it’s also nice to have the quiet that comes with washing dishes and picking up toys, which is what the other person does while Enzo is being readied for bed. While Enzo might only let me read him one book, I’m hoping eventually he’ll get back into letting me read him more. Last night was a Dada night so Enzo insisted that we both be there for storytime and happily let Josh read him a story or two.
On an off note – we’ve been getting Bluum boxes for a few months now, and are really enjoying them, so I thought I’d share. Each month you get a box of goodies for your kiddo (and often mom as well), and we haven’t been disappointed yet. There are usually samples of organic kid foods – some new to me, others old favorites, and often a toy or book of some sort. Some of Enzo’s favorite books came from a Bluum box as well as a couple toys, like the one above. It costs around $20-$25 a month and is worth the cost (we think) if anyone wants to check it out. Plus, what kid doesn’t get a kick out of opening mail? 😉
He looks so much like you did in the first picture, he is changing so fast. So cute