Swimming Lessons

On Sunday we had S's first swimming lesson. The lesson consisted of him going underwater a handful of times (slowly) and him "floating" around on his back. He wasn't really happy, but he was never scared. He cried after his first dunk, but after that he just stared around and watched other people swim by (there was someone swimming laps near us). 

We go back next week for the second lesson (more of the same). The goal here isn't really to teach him strokes now, but to keep him from being scared of the water and learn how to hold his breath. We will work on blowing bubbles in a few weeks.

ENT

Yesterday we went to see the ENT (ear nose and throat) physician for a consult for Stephen's ears. We talked to him about the benefits and risks of getting tubes placed in Stephen's ears. I now have a lot of information on the subject (if anyone is actually interested). But the
short answer is that Stephen is now eligible because he's had four ear infections in less than a year and he's been through 5 different antibiotics.

The tubes are actually little grommets. They provide a little opening for the fluid to drain out of his ears (and therefore not get infected). Basically, it gives him the chance to grow some more and have his eustachian tubes angle (adult's tubes angle, kids are horizontal - this is why kids get more ear infections than adults).

The tubes would be in his ears from about 8-18 months or so. They would most likely fall out on their own, but if they didn't, they would require surgical intervention to take them out. It's a common procedure although he would need to undergo anesthesia. However the whole process should only take about 10 minutes. He would need to wear ear plugs in the bath and in non-chlorinated water (like a lake), but he could still learn to swim (that's what I took from it anyway).

The main reasons I've read for putting in the tubes are:

• -Stephen's comfort (ear infections hurt)
  
• -concerns about hearing loss (this could delay his speech and language development, although it's not permanent)
• - balance (the doctor told us sometimes older kids had trouble walking because of the fluid)

I must admit, I just don't really want to unless I have to.

And there's my ear update.

New Year's Resolutions

1. Go on a yarn diet. I have been one some kind of yarn binge since Stephen was born, I need to quit.
   
2. Make one pair of socks per month (I think this is reasonable).
3. Get back in shape (this is a post-Stephen thing).
   
4. Run a 4:30 marathon (try at least).
   
5. Submit my literature review for publication (maybe it will be published by the end of the year, but I can't control that, just the submission).
   
6. Submit my Pneumovax manuscript for publication.
   
7. Submit my phase I study for publication (these things help me move towards graduation).
   
8. Try to be calmer (about the house, about life, etc. I've been a little high-strung lately)
   

That's it. Here's hoping. I want my house to be cleaner, things to be more organized, but I'm not Wonder Woman, I need to start small :)

(I wonder how many blog posts have this title today and tomorrow?)

I need to travel more

My travels

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

Possum Town Christmas Parade

What did you do with your Sunday? We went to Stephen's first Christmas parade. It was a blast. Here are some of the highlights:

The Possum Stang:

The kids in the cage:

The outhouse-tractor-plane:

And it's owner:

Too many tractors to count:

And finally, Santa's lawn chair:

There are a lot more pictures of tractors in my flickr photoset (if you're so inclined).

Who wouldn't want this on their toilet?

From toilet-tattoos.com.

Lori Schory is a painter with more than 20 years experience and a master's degree in fine arts. Her artistic talents aren't limited to canvas. Her creative work has been expressed on movie sets, in theme parks, on signs, and interior graphics for restaurants and wall murals. Her lovely art can now beautify your bathroom.

Frogs in the Moonlight Toilet Tattoo

9 month well-baby check

Here are Stephen's stats:

Height: 28" (39th percentile)
Weight: 19 lbs 12 oz (38th percentile)
Head circumference: 45.6cm (59th percentile)