Happy 2nd Birthday...!

Dear Nicky,

Happy Birthday! Two years ago you came into our lives, and today we had a party to celebrate. This was your first birthday, and our first party, in our own home, and we wanted it to be successful. And it was! There were almost 50 people here, and they all came because it was your birthday. As adults, Mom and I were concerned about all aspects of the party: would there be enough food and of good quality? would everyone show up? would the entertainment arrive? But everything went very well and everyone seemed to have a good time, so we were quite relieved. Everyone was really nice to you and you got a number of nice presents. The weather was nice, your behavior was excellent, and the entertainer (a balloon artist/facepainter) was a big hit. So everything was great across the board. Happy Birthday, pal!

Love,
Dad

Wrecked...

Dear Nicky,

I'm just wrecked with tiredness. I can't think straight. Sorry, pal.

Love,
Dad

Better finger...

Dear Nicky,

Well, your finger seems to be doing better. Too bad I had to interrupt one of your rare naps this afternoon to take you to the doc's office. The doc barely glanced at you. I figured out a new way for you to splash and work your fingers in warm sudsy water without getting it everywhere. I simply put your bowl in the sink. It works great. You really want to walk. You can't do it by yourself yet, but you like to be guided by someone else. You even count off your steps. I think we got a whole avocado into you today. It's a pain giving you antibiotics though, and I hate doing it because it makes you cry. You're also much less resistant to feeding yourself. We'll get there, pal.

Love,
Dad

The finger...

Dear Nicky,

So this morning your OT says to look at your finger, the left-hand middle one, so I do and I see that the tip is red and swollen and there's pus beneath the surface. Luckily, your nanny came today, so i was able to take you to the docs without having to tote Junie along. The theory is that it was some kind of hangnail that got infected. You've got a topical and oral antibiotic, and we're supposed to wash it three or four times a day. It seems fairly minor now, but you cried so hard when you got it lanced and squeezed. And you also wanted to take a nap, so you were tired and in pain when we got home. It was sad, but I think you'll be okay in no time.

Love,
Dad

A summery day...

Dear Nicky,

It was almost 80 today. Just over a week ago we had a huge ice storm. We went to Stones, where you did reasonably well in PT. Ruth's quite pleased with you and says you'll be walking soon. OT was good too, although you instantly displayed a hand preference as soon as I said you didn't have one. Recently we added another half hour to the time we spend there. You and your buds hang out with the slightly older kids while the parents go join this discussion group. Frankly, I'd rather be with you. When we got home, you were out, and I had to go out to the store(s). When I finally got back you had eaten and were waiting for your home PT. You had a pretty good session with him this afternoon. Then your nanny took you guys for a walk, but brought you back beacuse Junie was crying. What a surpise. I finally fixed the sink. It works great. It only took me like a hundred hours or something. I'm actually very happy I was able to do it myself.

Love,
Dad

Very nice day...!

Dear Nicky,

Well, this week seems to be starting off much better than the last one. This morning I took a shower, fed you guys, and went to Home Depot, with you guys in tow, to try to find one more thing to fix that bathroom sink. I think I finally succeeded but I want to wait to make sure. Hopefully it's okay. You went to sleep as soon as we got there, which is unusual for you, since you tend to love exploring and looking around. You did okay with PT today, a little whiny, but that's okay. You ate at a medium level, not too little, but not very much. This morning you did some nice self feeding of a bowl of yogurt, with minimal guidance from me. Outstanding!

Love,
Dad

This week's a wash...

Dear Nicky,

I haven't written much this week. I just can't seem to not be tired all the time. My memory's a blur as far as this week's concerned. Nothing major happened, although Mom told me you fell into the tub as she was taking Junie out. This was Friday. You were mad as heck, but seemed none the worse for the wear. I tried to be Mr. Handyman today, but just couldn't get the plumbing right. I really feel like a loser about it. Nothing went my way today. You went out and saw your girl cousins, who you adore, and who adore you. You've been having a hard time sleeping last couple nights. I hope tonight is better. I think those Sudafed plug-in vapor dispensers help. Hope this week is better for us all.

Love,
Dad

Old daddy...

Dear Nicky,

I'm so tired, I'm so tired. I'll write tomorrow if I can.

Love,
Dad

A rather pilly week...

Dear Nicky,

I hope you're not coming down with anything again, pal. You've been acting rather badly all week. Not all the time, but a number of times. Maybe it's growing pains?

Love,
Dad

IOU 17...

Dear Nicky,

Apologies again, old boy. Hope to write more soon.

Love,
Dad

IOU 16

Dear Nicky,

Sorry, pal, another case of too tiredness.

Love,
Dad

IOU 15...

Dear Nicky,

I owe you a post, but I'm too tired right now. It was a long day.

Love,
Dad

The bars...

Dear Nicky,

So your PT got you to walk across those bars he built for you months ago. You did it a couple times, supporting yourself with your little arms and hands and moving your little legs. It's progress.

Love,
Dad

Meat eater...

Dear Nicky,

I think you're finally okay. This morning we gave you kids each a bath, then after a brief nap, we went over to Granny's for her birthday lunch. Her birthday is actually tomorrow, but we all went over today. Your two aunties made the best lunch: beef tenderloin, baked potatoes, asparagus, salad. It was great. And you got to see all your cousins and play with them and everybody was loving on you. You ate some mac and cheese as a snack, then played, then you had lunch with the rest of us, which included several bites of potato and two big slices of delicious meat. It makes me happy to see you eat nice natural proteins, which you need to grow your little muscles and brain. Afterwards, in the car, you were out like a light, and you slept the whole way home. In fact, we put you straight to bed when we got home, where you remained till you wanted some water. We took that opportunity to change you into your sleeping clothes, and now you're well fed and asleep. Good on you, pal!

Love,
Dad

On the mend...

Dear Nicky,

We both seem to be doing better. Your appetite seems to have returned a little bit. You were pretty sick since Tuesday night. Possibly a stomach bug, or more likely poor hygiene, since there's times where I change over a dozen poopy diapers a day. If the latter was the case, I'm sorry. But if it matters, the same exact thing happened to me Friday morning. Mom and I had gone out Thursday to the City to do our taxes, then we had dinner at Nobu, a Japanese restaurant. It was great, till Friday morning when I brought the whole meal back up, completely undigested. Weird. But I feel better now. So do you. The past couple days you haven't eaten much, and of course, that worries me tremendously. But it's not all grim. You're doing this four-point pushup thing lately, in yoga it'd be called Downward Facing Dog, and it's really cool. Could it be a precursor to walking? Dare I hope?

Love,
Dad

Sick pappy...

Dear Nicky,

This morning I was really sick, and my stomach still hurts. If this is what you had earlier this week, how uncomfortable you must have been. I'd post more, but I got to go to bed now.

Love,
Dad

IOU 14...

Dear Nicky,

I owe you a post. Right now I'm too sleepy.

Up late...

Dear Nicky,

Yesterday you seemed fine all day, except for being a little fussy, then around 1:30 this morning you were sick to your stomach, poor guy. You were gassy and pukey and miserable. But you seemed better today, except you barely ate, which is like a knife in my heart. So tomorrow try and eat, okay?

Love,
Dad

The obvious...

Dear Nicky,

Nothing major today. You were a little fussy at Stones. Got another Synagis shot, your last one ever. Congrats. You were kind of moody with your PT. But you sure can understand me, and you are a sweet boy.

Love,
Dad

Water boy...

Dear Nicky,

You're a wildman. You stealthily climbed upstairs earlier today and went splashing in the toilet. You even through a rattle in their. You're wild!

Love,
Dad

I'll bring you water...

Dear Nicky,

When you're thirsty, I'll bring you water. When you're hungry I'll give you food. When you're tired, I'll carry you. When you're cold, I'll make you warm. When you want to play, I'll be your friend. When you want to hold my hand, I'll hold your hand. When you want to know who my heart beats for, I'll tell you. It beats for you.

Love,
Dad

Windows...

Dear Nicky,

When you don't get enough sleep, the window for getting you to eat your dinner is quite small. Tonight you had some meatballs, then you reached your tiredness threshold and basically shut down. The good news is you seem quite healthy and have, I hope, shrugged off that cold you've had. Mom's sure it's the probiotics. Well, you've only been getting the half dosage to get used to it. Next week comes the full dosage. Today Mom took you to the mall, where fancy salespeople went insane for you. How typical.

Love,
Dad

Almost standing...

Dear Nicky,

Twice today you did this thing where you got on all fours and extended your legs so your butt was way up high. This really looks like a precursor to standing to me. I think you're concentrating all your efforts on this. Your cold seems better today. Your spirits have been good all week . Your eating has been so-so and your self-feeding with a utensil is way behind, I'm afraid. Hopefully, once you achieve what you want to achieve with your gross motor, self-feeding will improve. Granny came over today for a while. You and Mom might see her again this weekend. Better you than me. Just joking, little buddy! Or am I...?

Love,
Dad

IOU 13

Dear Nicky,

Sorry pal, I owe you a post.

Love,
Dad

Destructo...

Dear Nicky,

Your OT came this morning and worked with on self-feeding. You're still very much in the hand over hand stage, but you were way more responsive with her than you've been with me. You need to shape up, pal. Your OT skills are excellent, entirely adequate for this sort of thing. But I must say, Nick, that I am a little frustrated and annoyed by your behavior when I try to feed you sometimes.

Love,
Dad

Another picture day...

Dear Nicky,

Today was picture day at Stones. It went pretty good I think. I think we got a couple good ones of you. It's hard to get em right sometimes when you're posed. Some of the best we've ever gotten have been totally spur of the moment ones. But I'll bet these come out nice too.

I owe you an apology. Last night I was so sleepy I went to bed and forgot to write you a letter. The only other time that's happened was the night we brought you home from the hospital the first time. I'm sorry, pal.

Last night was very cold and we had tremendous winds. You've got another cold and were extremely snotty yesterday. So we cancelled yesterday's PT. You were significantly less snotty today, but still snotty, yet not snotty enough to cancel PT or not attended picture day. So you seem okay. We got the usual works happening for ya: Vick's on your chest, a Sudafed plugin vapor release thing, and a warm mist humidifier going. Hope it works.

Again, I'm sorry I forgot to post last night.

Love,
Dad

Apnea...?

Dear Nicky,

Sometimes you sure have a hard time staying asleep. Tonight I've had to soothe you four times between ten and midnight. Why can't you sleep? How can I help? Is it apnea? Please, don't feel the need to worry your mother and me entirely to death, okay?

Love,
Dad

Stairs...!

Dear Nicky,

Today you climbed an entire flight of stairs. It was magnificent! You made it look easy. We're so proud of you. I wonder if it was harder than it looked, because you've been tired and cranky the whole rest of the day since then. For dinner you had some turkey kielbasa, which you really seemed to enjoy, but I wonder if it gave you heartburn or something since you were very hard pressed to fall asleep tonight, and you kept waking up crying and thirsty. Finally, now I think you are asleep for the night. Rest well, my boy.

Love,
Dad

Feed already...

Dear Nicky,

The thing that worries me a lot is that you won't self feed. I know you've got the skills, but come on now, time to man up.

Love,
Dad

Cute and good...

Dear Nicky,

You've had a good week with your therapies, and everything overall. You're a very good, brave little boy, and you work very hard. You're also adorable.

Love,
Dad