tinker

just a little background: tinker had heat stroke a couple of summers ago. he was running and playing at my mom & dad's on a very hot day when he collapsed and couldn't control his body. he was panting uncontrollably and drooling all over the place. we rushed to the emergency vet and by the time we got there he seemed to be back to his old self. thankfully, the nurse took his temp, told us to monitor him, and didn't charge us a penny. a godsend given the fact that it costs $99 just to walk in the door! a few months ago he had another "spell" in the middle of the night. we thought he had overheated under the covers and I found him lying on the ground unable to stand up. we were close to panicking, but he recovered after cooling him off with some water. fast forward to last night. we went for a walk after dinner. we were about a block away when tinker pulled over to go to the bathroom. right after he was done, he took two steps and collapsed. he was writhing around and his eyes were fixed. he kept spasming. I scooped him up and we were rushing home. about two houses away he started writhing again. I laid him in our yard, ran in for some water, and he seemed to come to after a few minutes. it was scary. we really thought he wasn't going to make it. after a phone call with the vet, he seems to think it's probably seizures. we will be taking a urine sample in and having his blood drawn to try to find out what's going on. in the meantime...we will watch him carefully and pray it doesn't happen again!

the numbers are in

miles had his 12 month appointment today. he was less than thrilled with the shots, but just as unimpressed with the strangers who wanted to weigh him, measure him, and look in his ears (all clear!). he actually got over the needle thing relatively quickly and was back to signing "sleep" within seconds. note to self: make dr appointments earlier! he's tucked in bed now and will be out for awhile. here are the latest stats:

weight: 22lbs 14oz (52%)
height: 31.5 in (94%)
head: 19.3 in (>97%)

so basically this confirms our dilemma with pants - he's tall and thin. as the nurse measured him, she said, "well this is a first for me; I've never measured a one year old this tall!" anyone know where we can find a baby belt? seriously - it's almost comical! he usually looks like he's gone gangsta on us and sagged his pants. not a look we are going for. he's gained only about a pound and a half since 9 mo, but they aren't concerned. apparently that's normal given his change in eating habits and mobility. it was nice to get the all clear. and now just for fun:

the birthday boy

I can hardly believe that our baby is ONE! it is amazing how quickly this year went by. I know this sounds cliche, but it really does seem like just yesterday that we were in the hospital marveling at the fact that we were the parents of a beautiful newborn baby boy. the marvel has not stopped. we know that were have been blessed with an amazing son. miles has grown into a curious, gentle, good-natured, happy, and sweet little boy. he keeps us on our toes and laughing all the way. here is how we spent his special day:

I'm ONE today!
birthday wafflesbaby + syrup = bath!auntie beth, mommy, & I drove up to see auntie nykki in the hospital
grandma gave me some pop-beads!
I ate some pumpkin pie (yes, that's a make-shift candle)bye-bye nykki...get better SOON!
opening a few pre-party gifts:
a chicco chair and vanilla smileys from beth & seth
a vikings jersey from wisconsin cousins craig, courtney, & carly
a remote controlled car from the maiosan iPhone from papa...oh, maybe notfive silly monkeys book & puppet from mommy & daddy (movie with actions to follow)ate pizzahad a cupcakehad a bonfire
time for sleep!

junior lifeguard

this week has been unseasonably warm. and while I welcome the reintroduction of capris and tank tops into my wardrobe, I have to admit that this heat-wave came without warning. for two days we had temperatures above 90 degrees. by the second day there were also wind gusts topping 50 mph. now today it was barely 70 degrees out - springtime in minnesota is definitely interesting. we were able to get in some pre-summer fun out in the yard.

grass + stick = fun?

who needs toys r us?

how strong is miles?

thirsty:
daddy's home!!!

the rash

we nearly made it through miles' entire first year of life without an antibiotic. alas...he was diagnosed with an ear infection a week and a half ago. two weeks prior to the ear infection, he spiked his first fever. [by first fever I mean the first time I've ever even used a thermometer on the little dude] I was about to take him in when the fever went away and he was back to his happy-go-lucky self except that he was sort of tugging at his ear off and on. when the fever made a return, we headed in to the clinic. solution? amoxicillin. unfortunately with the cure of the infection came a rash and another trip to the doctor. solution? zithromax. the rash never really went away and exploded onto his arms, legs, and face a couple of days later. solution? no meds. the conclusion is that miles is officially allergic to amoxicillin. he's been a trooper through it all. we knew that he took tylenol like a champ and were pleasantly surprised to see that he's a fan of all fruit-flavored medication. after a few doses of benadryl, we are on the road to recovery.

happy birthday nick

we celebrated my cousin, nick's, birthday on sunday. if you recall, nick was the ring-bearer extraordinaire in our wedding. he turned 8 on may 4th and they were going to drive down from st. paul for mother's day. however, my uncle scott (nick's dad) ended up with the dreaded H1N1 "swine" flu!! everyone is all better now, so we got to celebrate with a yummy double-decker cookie cake. delish. miles also opened up a gift from his great aunt and uncle. an adorable pair of monkey pjs and some super cute socks. thanks terry & doug! of course miles was more enthralled by the wrapping paper. so this serves as a warning for his actual birthday: please do not be offended when miles tosses your lovely gift aside and feasts on the wrapping. he loves your gift. I promise.

happy birthday nick!

ooh...PAPER!
above mentioned socks

smiley monkey (take note of the spoon...it doesn't leave his hand for the rest of the party!)

alex wears a hat just like uncle brian...
...so does nick!

silly great-uncle scott (makes you feel old...huh boom?!)

happy mother's day

last year I was due to give birth on mother's day (may 11th) and in protest of still being preggo, I wore a non-maternity shirt. not a good decision - click here to see why. that all seems like ages ago now! miles (and daddy) bought me a beautiful lily to plant in the backyard. it's called a "hush little baby", so appropriate! we went over to my parent's house for brunch with my mom & grandmas. we feasted on a huge spread of delicious french toast bake, egg bake, fresh fruit, breads, bacon, and sausages/peppers. delish. on a side note: my grandma becker recently underwent major thoracic surgery and she looks FABULOUS!! it was wonderful to be able to spend time with all of the special moms in my life.

the whole gang...minus helen

the guys making bloody marys

miles and his crazy uncle marc

daddy cutting up fruit for miles who apparently discovered how nicely his finger fits into his nostril!

miles' auntie nykkole & grandma

I think the best part of the day was reflecting on the last year with my little monkey. I feel so blessed to be able to be his mom. he is a beautiful baby boy - inside and out. he spoiled me with lots of kisses and hugs.
happy mother's day to all of you moms out there - I hope you all took a moment to hug your baby or babies - and to everyone else, I hope you told your mom how much she means to you. here are a few more photos from the festivities!

miles and his grandma
playing with papa's remote
my crazy siblings...minus helen :(

what?

this is how I found miles the other morning. he had been playing quietly in the living room. need I say more?