Posts Tagged ‘Add new tag’

The Tradition Continues…

Friday, October 16th, 2009

So many of my favorite memories from when I was little involve baseball. My dad had my sister and me playing t-ball as soon as we could hold up a bat without falling over. He coached our little league teams for so long that the town almost named a baseball field after him. My sister and I both played catcher, and I’ll begrudgingly admit that she was far better at it than I ever was. But no matter what else he had going on, dad always came to our games.

Sundays have always been about baseball. My dad started taking me to games when I was 5. I knew how to score a game by age 7. In the beginning, he would bring an activity bag full of toys and coloring books. When I was older, my sister was the one with the activity bag and I was almost as into the game as my dad and uncle.

When I heard I was having a little boy, I couldn’t wait to continue the tradition. (I would have been equally excited to introduce a little girl to baseball.) Andrew has his own little Jeter jersey, a baseball glove, tons of baseballs and a little bat that he likes to swing around like a golf club.

Andrew is learning baseball slowly, excitedly pointing out whenever he sees someone playing. He sat with me on the couch and, like all good Yankee fans everywhere, together we rooted for the Angels as they ended the Red Sox’s time in the post-season.

Traditions are important. Every family has them, no matter how big or small. I still think it’s the most special thing when I get to sit next to my dad at a ballgame. It’s just not the same without him. And I love being able to share this one with him.

Storytime Success

Monday, October 12th, 2009

I may have mentioned before, that Brady is a pretty good kid. He has a lot of energy, but he is very obedient and typically makes me VERY proud. Well, today was full of surprises. He has taken swimming lessons and gym classes and had a lot of success. But let’s remember, those both are ACTIVE events. Storytime at the local library was never a hit (meaning, he never would sit). I have tried this one tried several times since he turned three. The last time was nearly four months ago. Honestly, it was almost embarrassing that kids a year or more younger than Brady would sit and listen to the story, but Brady just wanted to walk around and explore.

It is bittersweet to admit it, but my baby boy is growing up. Today we learned about the letter H, did two dances, read two stories, pretended to be hippos, and even made a hippo craft – at Preschool StoryTime. There was no running out of the room (as before). There was no running around the room (as before). Now, I did need to sit right beside him on the rug and do the dances, be a hippo, etc.. But for those who have been following this blog: I am not a parent that minds to get my hands a little dirty!

He sat there, listened, and even participated with age-appropriate questions. As I sat next to him, small tears welled up in my eyes. Realizing that he might be my only child, although I would have loved to have more, it is bittersweet to realize that he is really growing up. But at the same time I was SO proud of him for sitting still and participating in class for 45 minutes.

Parenting is a constant struggle of holding on and letting go. You want your child to be socially “normal” and able to leave you comfortably to go to Sunday School or Preschool. Yet, you still want them to hold your hand in the store. As they get older, finding that balance is harder and harder (and we are only at three years old, I can’t imagine balancing the struggle with a teenager). They need some independence, yet guidance also. Should I have sat on that storytime rug with him? Or should I have sat in the back with the rest of the parents? Baby steps I guess (for both of us). He was in a class for 3-6 year olds, and the youngest. So I think we both did pretty well. Maybe next week I will sit behind him.

Hot stuff

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Though it’s the most rewarding job in the world, sometimes it’s hard being a parent. I worry about everything and then I worry that I’m worrying too much. This is particularly true when it comes to my son’s health. He has a cough – do I call the doctor? His appetite is off – there must be something wrong – not that he’s just being a picky eater like his dad. He ate a penny – do we rush him to the emergency room?

I’m probably not alone in my fears, real and imaginary, over my child’s well-being. And I’m really not just some nervous mom who freaks out over everything relating to her child. Last year, Andrew spiked a high fever that wouldn’t go away.

I brought him to daycare one morning and he was a happy kid, eager to spend the day playing with his friends. Half way through the day, my cell phone rang. Caller ID told me it was daycare’s inside number – the one only used when they call to say there’s something wrong with your child.

I raced across town to find him curled up in a ball in the front office, whimpering and burning up. The thought of seeing him like that still breaks my heart.

The weeks that followed were full of trips to the pediatrician and every emergency room in the county. No one could explain to us why nothing would bring down his fever, which had crept up to 105 one very scary night that again landed us in the ER. Still unable to tell us what was wrong with Andrew, his doctors finally admitted him to the hospital. For six very long days we were cooped up in the hospital with the doctors running all kinds of tests and all kinds of tubes hooked up to my baby. They called in oncologists, radiologists, infectious disease specialists, urologists, nephrologists…we had a team of 9 doctors coordinating Andrew’s care.

Andrew’s case was apparently unusual, with none of his symptoms adding up to one clear diagnosis. We were at a teaching hospital, and they were all meeting daily to bat around his case, trying to figure out what was wrong. At one point someone tried to tell me this was a cool thing – they were discussing my son in a round table like they do on those medical shows on TV. It definitely wasn’t as cool to me as it was to them.

The good news in all of this is that we were released from the hospital and, other than the minor coughs and colds, Andrew’s been completely healthy. He also started walking the day we were released and has happily been cruising around on his own ever since.

So do I freak out a little bit every time my son runs a fever now? You bet I do.

But I also learned to trust my instincts. If something seems off, it probably is. And it’s okay to call the pediatrician a couple times to reassure yourself. That’s what they get paid for.