Additions to the Jemison House: Boyos

Those boys! They keep me busy, but we are very much enjoying our time together. I've been able to figure out how to balance screen time with other activities for the past few days with Connor, which is really nice. Mostly it involves me not being on my computer or phone, or being in the living room where those things (and the TV) are. When Eamon is taking his first nap, we go into the dining room and I do clay while he colors. Yesterday we got to spend a lot of time out outside since it was very cool from all the rain. Connor had me write out all the letters twice (once they were washed away by rain). He's pretty obsessed with letters! He knows so much, and it's honestly a lot thanks to videos he's watched, so it makes me feel less conflicted about how much screen time he has.

Connor has been going back and forth on not napping. At the beach he slept great and when we got back, he was taking epic naps. Then he would stay up really late (one night he was still rowdy at 10:15). After a couple days of not taking a nap, I've been letting him not nap and it's evident that he still needs one sometimes.

Eamon had a rough time sleep at the beach. He would wake up before dawn and not be able to settle again so he would just nurse and toss and turn until Connor came in around 6. He also was restless at night, so I had to go into him pretty often. And his naps were really short. After he and Connor got some of their rest back (while I tried very hard to as well, since I was completely exhausted) he go sick. It's always kind of amazing to me how my kids get sick right after going to their well visit. I guess they could be picking something up at the doctor's, but there's usually another explanation and it's just funny to me. Anyhow, I wasn't completely sure something was happening with Eamon because there is so much going on with him at this point in his life.

Growth spurt, developmental spurt, Wonder Week (which is neurological), plus he's cut his 5th tooth and is working on his 6th. But after being "off" Sunday and Monday, he developed a fever on Monday night. He threw up in the night and had a fairly high fever (103ish) so I took him in on Tuesday morning. He had a negative RSV and strep tests and ears looked clear, so that was all a relief, even though he felt so bad. He's very difficult to give medicine too because his gag reflex is so intense (probably the reason he threw up, gagging on post nasal drip or coughing) so we have been giving him acetaminophen in suppository form, which has been awesome.

He was completely pitiful on Tuesday and I let Connor watch TV all day. Like 10 hours. Connor was really sad I couldn't pay attention to him, since Eamon slept in my arms almost the whole day and Connor eventually fell asleep in front of the TV and since Eamon was asleep too, I took a nap! Wednesday he was better, but not great, Thursday he was very fussy and that's when he started getting very congested and coughing hard. Friday he's even better, but with a fever hovering around 99-100* and congestion/cough. I'm not sure if it's a part of the sickness, or if he has a cold on top of it. Either way, I hope he feels a lot better tomorrow! This nasal congestion is horrible.

Things Connor says:
"I don't know, think so."
"I don't think so, what to do."
He will often say, "No, no Eamon! No, no!" The other day he started saying, "No sweetie, no! No sweetie!" Today he started patting my head and said, "Sweetie, don't step on the number 7."
"Mom! Don't say everybody/one!" Which seems to mean, "don't say no," or "don't say not right now."
"Um, not right now." (Usually when I'm telling him he HAS to do something.)
He tells me all the time that it's time to go see Sani and Sassy. Like, multiple times a day.
"'Oh no!' she cried." He says this when anyone is upset or crying. I love it.

Eamon is VERY close to standing on his own. He will sometimes let go of whatever he is cruising of and hover as he lowers himself to the ground. He had 5 teeth and the 6th is coming through any day. Please let it be today! He does his teething at night (much like Connor) and I felt positively chewed up after last night. He also is restless in the middle of the night, which is exhausting. He will almost settle and I will drift, and then he will wiggle and climb all over me again. I'm ready for this cluster of 9 month growth spurt+physical and mental development+teething+vacation and then getting sick to be OVER.