It's not easy...getting teeth...

Poor Matteo. This teething thing is kicking his butt...literally. It all began Saturday when I spoted a white line in his mouth. I felt up there and felt the very tip of a tooth poking thru. He wasn't acting fussy or anything, so I was very excited.

Fast forward to Sunday, still not a lot of fuss, but he had started pullin at his left ear, usually a sure sign of ear infection. Great. To top it off, he also broke out in a horrible case of diaper rash! He was crying every time we changed his diaper. And, I'm not talking about whimpering. No, it's the full on, I'm-in-pain, mom-why-are-you-doing-this-to-me, cry. The kind of cry that bring moms to tears. My poor baby.

Monday we took a quick trip to the doctor, and sure enough it's an ear infection, so back on amoxicycilian he went. They also gave me this concoction of diaper rash stuff for his bottom. It's a combination of Desitan, Mylanta and Aquaphor ointment. It's kind of gross to mix up, but I'm hoping it works. You never feel so helpless until your baby is crying and there's nothing you can do about it!

Keep your fingers crossed...it works!

It's all about the dress

Well, Matteo has officially been initiated. This past weekend we got Matteo baptised. Neither Sean nor I go to church on a regular basis, and always feel guilty about it, but seeing as how we're both Catholic, it was something we needed to do.

The real motivation to do this was the fact that my family has a antique baptismal gown that my great grandma Lillian Hill made. It was made back in 1910 for my grandma and her sisters. Since then over 100 babies have been baptised in it; including my dad and my brother and me; and the dress has traveled all over the US and even to Europe.

It's really a priceless antique heirloom...and here we are putting an infant in it! Needless to say, I was very nervous. I had an emergency burp cloth nearby and did our best to keep him distracted from the fragile lace. One quick quiz from the priest (does anyone really know when the epiphany really happened?!) and three pours over the head, and Matteo was officially a Catholic.

The dress made it back into the box for good (after another quick photo op at my parent's house) and it is officially out of my hands, no worse for the wear. I think it truely might have been, a miracle!!

Quick Update

Just a quick update to all the friends and family who are reading this blog. Matteo is doing so much better now. He's still got a "chesty" cough, but it's all the gunk breaking up, and he doesn't really mind.

We started solids again, and the difference has been night and day. He was opening his mouth looking for the spoon and I couldn't get it in fast enough! We started our first veggie, carrots, over the weekend and that first look is precious. He's still not sure what to think about it, but gobbles it down anyhow. I was never really worried he wouldn't catch onto the soilds (after all, how many adults do you know are still on formula) but it's nice that he's got the hang of it.




He really wants to crawl, and can definetly get where he wants to go. He can get up on all fours briefly, and is also doing this butt in the air, face on the floor thing to move. It's quite funny. I'm sure crawling is right around the cornor...and then watch out...

Solids...Take 2

Well, Matteo is finally feeling better. He's still got a few days of antibiotics left, but he actually seems to like the taste, so I don't think he minds.

With all the drama with Christmas and sickness, the rice cereal has taken a back burner. Now, it's time to jump back in. For a while, Matteo was doing really well with the rice cereal we were giving him. Opening his mouth, and not spitting it out. But that was at first. He's started going backwards from there. He started turning his head away, not really opening his mouth, and spitting it back out, creating a huge mess.

So, when he got sick, the dr. said it was okay to stop the solids and let him get back to normal. Well, he's back to normal now, so here we go again. We got a high chair this weekend, so he'll be in that now to eat (before then we were using the bouncy seat, which could have contributed to the problem).

I figured we'll start a day or two with the rice cereal then add some veggies to the mix. Keep your fingers crossed...

It's probably best he won't remember this one...

Well, we have survived Matteo's first Christmas, and I do mean survive. It has been a crazy week!

Saturday night, Matteo felt a little warm. By Sunday he had a full blown fever with chest conjestion and cough! So much fun! Then, after Christmas with the ENTIRE Sifuentes clan (and I do mean entire) on Sunday, Christmas Eve with the immediate Sifuentes clan, and Christmas morning with the Hickey clan, the poor little guy was beat. We took his temp Christmas night and it was 101.5!

Well, that was it. I grabbed the phone and made my first ever sick call to the doctor's office. The nurse was very nice, and assured us that we were doing everything right, but should probably get him in to be checked out the next day. So, the next day we headed out to the doctor's office.

A quick exam, and a slight ear infection later, a prescribtion for amoxicylian was just what the doctor ordered.

We had his 6 month well visit on Friday. Diagnosis: the ear infection is clearing up, the chest congestion is breaking up and there's no fever. Great, so what do they do then...of course...give him his set of 6 month vaccines! Can't this poor little guy catch a break!!

Ladies & Gentlemen...we have a tooth!

Well, we have thought it has been coming for a while now, but he's been drooling like a fool since 3 months, so we never knew. All of the sudden, bam...my little boy is growing up!!

It was a Matteo & Daddy day at home, and Sean had him in his exersaucer. He was going nuts on the teething ring on there. A little while later, he grabbed Sean's knuckle and put it in his mouth, and wouldn't you know it, there was something a little sharp in there. Sure enough, a tooth had broken thru and you would have never known it!

He did really well throughout the day, and only got fussy at night. We loaded him up with Tylenol & Oragel and he slept thru the night with no problem! I'm so proud of my little man!!

I checked this morning and there is a bump next to the tooth, so I'm assuming the second tooth isn't too far behind!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Sunday was a very festive day in the Sifuentes household. Sean's schedule has been crazy because of the holidays, so we have to sqeeze everything in on his days off. This Sunday we did all things Christmas.

It began with Matteo's 6 month portrait session. I probably should have given some thought to his naps when I decided what time to schedule this because he was tired before we got there. He hung in there for the first outfit, but by the second, he was in complete bah humbug mode. We tried a Christmas outfit and with the addition of the pacifier, we were able to get some decent pictures out of him.

I feel bad, but, because he was so tired, he had dark circles under his eyes. Don't get me wrong, he was still the cutest kid I've ever seen (I'm partial), but, I wanted to get rid of the circles. So...I photoshoped them out. I know it sounds wrong photoshopping a baby, but 20 years from now when I look back, I won't remember...I don't think.

After the portrait session it was off to the mall to see Santa. He snuck in a quick nap while mom & dad grabbed some lunch and after a bottle, he was ready to see the big guy!! He did really well too! No tears and very minimal pulling of the (real!) beard!

Then it was home to put up the tree, and I think we might be in trouble next year when he's mobile, b/c he really liked that tree. He kept reaching out for it once everything was on it. We'll have to see what happens next year!