Let the Celebration Begin....

Matthew turns 4 officially on Thursday, but we started celebrating this weekend.  Grandma and Grandpa Naylor surprised him with a special trip to CoCo Keys Indoor water park on Saturday. Today, he enjoyed cupcakes and opened his presents.  As you can see from the video, he really likes his new toy!

Matthew's First Christmas Program

On Monday evening, Matthew performed in his first-ever Christmas program at his preschool!

Breakfast with Elmo

We took the boys to see the big, red, furry monster.  You'll also find pictures from our outing under the photo albums to the left.

Random Trip to the Zoo

 

Posing with the baby elephant statue.

 

Under the sea!

"Adamsaurus"

A Year in the Life

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY ADAM!

And what a year it was! Blocked tear ducts, bronchealitis, ear infections, colds every other week (at least it seemed that way), and that crazy rare bone infection! Adam was a trooper through it all! We love you little buddy!

Check out pictures from his first birthday party, posted on our flickr page. Just click on the link in the photo albums box.

First Day of Preschool

Our first little boy is growing up! Today, another first for us: Preschool! Matthew wasn't quite sure what to make of the big day. He was quite nervous and excited over the weekend. This morning, he didn't eat much for breakfast. I think the butterflies in his stomach were really fluttering! But, when we arrived, he walked in and gave his new teacher a great big hug! The look on her face was priceless! She was surprised and touched at the same time. There were a handful of kids already there. Before you know it, he was off and playing. As much as Christie and I wanted to stay there, we knew we had to go.

We were told that Matthew played with everyone throughout the day. He was also quite fascinated with the junior size potties and wanted to go, all the time! His teacher was very pleased with his manners. I guess he would introduce himself by saying "nice to meet you?" I'm not quite sure they had the right kid?!

What a day! He made his parents very proud!

End of a Rainbow

We've all wondered what's at the end of a rainbow. The Irish say a pot of gold. Well, there must have been something wrong with this rainbow, because it ended up in the backyard, with no cash value! Oh well!

The First Haircut

About a month ago, Adam got his first haircut. It was more like a trim than anything else (we had to get rid of the baby mullet, as Kevin-- Michelle's husband-- so thoughfully pointed out!) His big brother Matthew was there to show him how it's done. I think they both cleaned up pretty nicely! Here are the before and after shots:






Matthew didn't get his first haircut until he was 13 months old. But this picture really shows how much the two boys really do look alike at the same age!!!!

"The Adam Jiggle"

Who says jello is the only thing that jiggles? Adam has a new dance in town! It's the next best thing to Matthew's "booty" dance. Check it out:

Cedar Point Trip

Ok, so I'm a little behind. Last month, the NaylorNutHouse hit the road and returned to Cedar Point. It was Adam's first trip to the roller coaster capital of the world! We stayed at the Lighthouse Point cabins with Grandma and Grandpa Naylor. This made life easy for us, since both boys are still on a nap schedule (granted, Matthew missed a few, but we managed). This also allowed us to cook out each night too. This time around, we decided to go in June with the hope of avoiding the extreme heat. However, it was the exact opposite. It was on the cool side all week. Perfect for the park, not so perfect for Soak City. But we made it work.

This was also Matthew's first experience RIDING roller coasters. He only watched them on our last trip two years ago. Then, Auntie Kelly bought him a DVD on all the Cedar Point coasters, which we watched hundreds of times on TV! So he was pumped for this trip to actually ride one! This was his reaction when we got there:

The rest of the trip was a blast. Matthew indeed rode his first roller coaster. He loved the Jr. Gemini!! He also tried the Woodstock Express, but it was a little too scary for him. He managed to ride it a couple of times on our first day in the park. After that, he wouldn't go back on it. I think Adam had fun too, even though he was too little to ride the rides. I think he enjoyed walking around the park and taking it all in.

Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa also had a great time. We all took turns going into the park to ride the big ones. Grandma overcame her fear of the Millennium Force (or "Forest" as Matthew calls it). Next time, we're going to get her on Top Thrill Dragster.

We also experienced our first mayfly infestation!! The insects come out of Lake Erie in June each year and cover everything!!! They are kinda creepy, but less annoying than cicadas.

You can see more pictures from our vacation by clicking on the photo album link on the right.

Here we go again....

Our mini-vacation weekend hit two major snags! Christie took Adam to the doctor today. He was showing all the signs of an ear infection, without a fever. He wasn't eating, very irritable, tugging on his ear, etc. It turned out to be Tonsillitis! No wonder he's been growling so much lately. The doc says that's actually a way to help massage the throat. He has a viral form, so it's a "wait 'til it goes away" form. Oh, and it's contagious too. Great, what fun!

While Adam and Christie were at the doctors, I took Matthew to the Polaris Fashion Place (our mall) to play in the play area. While he playing, he walked backwards a couple steps into the path of a running child about his same size. Matthew fell to the ground, but landed on his arm funny. He didn't cry at first. But as he started to get up, he screamed in pain! At first, I thought it was just a delayed reaction. No biggie, we sat together for a while, I comforted him. He eventually calmed down, we walked over and got a drink of water at the water fountain. He wanted to go play some more. But the second he put pressure on his arm, he screamed again.. this time, louder! OK, that's not good. We went home, put some ice on it, but Christie knew the second she saw it. It was broken.

The rest is history. We went to urgent care. An x-ray confirmed it. So, once again, Matthew is in a full arm cast. All this from a simple fall at the play area at the mall.

So, who knows if we'll make it to the family reunion this weekend in Marblehead. UGH! Our dumb-luck strikes again!

Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine

Back in May, the NaylorNutHouse joined Grandma, Grandbanjo, and counsin Ben on a trip to meet Thomas the Tank Engine in Peninsula. Here's a short video from the trip. You can also look at pictures on the Flickr page (look under "Photo Album" on the right for a link).

More to Come!

Still working on more updates... keep watching for more posts, including our trip to see Thomas the Tank Engine!! You can see pictures from that trip by clicking on the slideshow to the right. That will take you to my flickr page.

Final Days of Treatment

It has been almost a month since Adam's visit to the hospital. He finishes his last dose of antibiotic this week. On Thursday, He'll go back to urgent care for blood work and an x-ray. We won't get the results from the blood work until next week. But I assume we'll hear sooner about the x-ray. The doctors will use both tests to determine if the infection in his bone is completely gone. Since he learned how to crawl since the hospital visit, we think that's a great sign!

Happy Birthday Zack!

Zack Griffin (son of a former co-worker) turned 1 over the weekend, and the NNH (Naylor Nut House) had the chance to help celebrate! Thanks to Ryan and Liz for inviting us!

Kitchen Disco

Matthew shows off his latest dancing moves with help from his instructor, my true dancing queen!

Tongue Twister

Adam is our new entertainment at the dinner table. Not only do we get the odd looks when we put different foods in his mouth. He's also discovered new tricks with his tongue. Thanks to Grandbanjo for teaching him this one.

Giggle Fest

We have no doubts Adam's treatment is working. Recently, after the two hour ride home from Stow, he and Matthew were just a little "slap-happy!" This giggle fest went on long enough for Christie and I to completely unload the van.

We just got the good news! Adam is headed home today! He's responding really well to the antibiotic. Docs are pleased... We are pleased too!!!

Adam Update Day 2

Adam is having a great day so far! He slept really well last night. He's also a little more interested in eating again. But the best news, he's fever free and using his right arm with little to no pain! In fact, he's become very active again. We had to bring in more toys to keep him busy. If not, he's trying to get the IV cord.

We also received a good report from the doctors. Yesterday, they decided against doing another MRI for now. Then today, the Attending was pleased with the amount of movement with the right arm and the fact he's been fever free for 24 hours without Tylenol or Motrin. They also ordered another blood test. If those numbers come back lower, then we could be headed home sometime Wednesday. However, Adam will continue the antibiotic treatment orally. Here's the catch: the medication is not so tasty. We're going to do a test round here at the hospital to see how Adam reacts. The doctors say it's extremely important that he continue to the antibiotic treatment on a regular basis to help fight the infected part of his bone.

Thanks again for all the thoughts and prayers! They're definitely being answered!

Adam Update

Adam slept on and off during his first night stay at Nationwide Children's hospital. He also received his first few doses of IV antibiotics. We were also dealt a minor setback later in the morning. He went for his MRI after getting up around 7:30am. They tried to sedate him, but after receiving the full dose of medication, Adam was still somewhat awake. He did finally dose off long enough to them to start the procedure. But after a couple of wiggles, and then opening his eyes, the nurse and technician had to give up (the scan was supposed to take about 45 minutes). We are still waiting to her from the attending about the next steps in his treatment. Not sure if they'll try the MRI again. The nurse says they won't try again until after 24 hours to let the first round of sedation wear off completely. The second attempt could be under general anaesthesia. UGH!

He's pretty grumpy now. He slept in the crib for about an hour after the procedure. Now he'll only sleep in some one's arms. Christie and I are both at the hospital right now. I took a short break to update you all. They have a family resource center with free Internet connection! How awesome is that! Adam did drink about 4 oz. of juice about 20 minutes ago. Christie was about to give him some formula. He's also back on fluids through the IV. They say his mood will slowly improve with the day, as the sedation wears off.

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers! It's going to be a very slow recovery, and it's just beginning!

A Mother's Day to Remember!

Adam turns 9 months in 3 days, but he will most likely spend the day in the hospital. Today, he was diagnosed with Osteomyelitis. Google it, and you'll find out it's a bone infection. Basically, bacteria somehow got into his body, traveled through his blood stream, and infected a bone in his right arm. Sounds simple enough. But just imagine all the things running through the heads of two frantic parents who have to take their soon-to-be 9 mos. old to the hospital!!!!!!

We think it all started about 2 weeks ago with a random fever. He started to use his right arm less and less. Then he would scream in pain anytime you got near it. The first x-ray turned up nothing. Motrin helped with the pain. But it also masked the fever. But today, he spiked 103 while under the influence of Tylenol. So, Christie took him to urgent care again (what every Mom wants to do on "her" day, right!) Another x-ray found the bone infection.

Adam was admitted to Nationwide Children's Hospital this afternoon. He will most likely be there all week to get to antibiotics intravenously. He'll also get an MRI tomorrow. It produces much more detailed images than X-rays. MRIs not only can diagnose osteomyelitis, but also can help establish how long the bone has been infected.

Adam will also be on antibiotics after he leaves the hospital. Treatment can take 4-5 weeks. Gees!

Our little guy is being a such a trooper through this whole ordeal. Believe me, it was no fun watching nurses put in an IV. But they said he was one of their best "little" patients! And I'm sure the MRI tomorrow will present some challenges. He may or may not be sedated for that. Either way, the pain is only temporary, and it's all for a better outcome in the end.

Matthew really doesn't know much about what's happening with his little brother. I told him tonight that Adam is at the hospital because his arm is sick and needs special help to get better. Thank you to the Blackstones and to Christie's co-worker Michelle for watching Matthew on such short notice tonight. And of course, we can't thank our parents enough for their help this week. They're making the drive from Stow... again!

We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers as we try to get through this week. I'll try to keep everyone posted on Adam's progress through the blog, so check back often.

Adam on Wheels

Adam is finally mobile! Our sitter has a baby walker, and Adam makes the most of it. Check it out!

Easter 2008

The Easter bunny has left the building! And he left behind way too much candy for our 3-year-old! Talk about sugar high in the NaylorNutHouse! YIKES!

A big "thank you" goes out to Great-Grandma Naylor for inviting us to her house in Warren for the holiday. It was quite the family affair with Grandma and Grandpa Naylor, Aunt Susan and Uncle Allan, and Cousins Emily, Peter, Luke, Lilly, John and his girlfriend Stacy. Quite the full house! It brought back many memories of past Easter holidays!

Speaking Spanish

Thanks to the help of Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego, Matthew is speaking Spanish.

Updates

OK, so as you can notice, it has been more than a month since my last entry. Let's just say the NaylorNutHouse has lived up to its name. So, let's get you caught up:

Valentine's Day

Matthew wrote out his first set of Valentine's day cards for his playmates at day care. Mom helped out. He also wrote out his name for the very first time. Granted, he left out the "MA" at the beginning at the "W" at the end. He says those letters are "just too hard."



Mom also surprised the boys and me with a special Valentine's day breakfast. She made pink, heart-shaped pancakes. Unfortunately, Matthew didn't want to give up his bowl of what he calls "Birdie cereal" A.K.A. Coco Puffs.

Happy Birthday Ben!

February also marked Cousin Ben's 1st birthday. He's getting so big! Unfortunately we all couldn't be there to celebrate his big day. But I was able to deliver his birthday present while I was in town for Uncle Tickle's bachelor party. THAT was quite a night, too. :) What happens at a bachelor party, stays at the bachelor party.



The "Blizzard" of 2008

Meteorologists may argue if it was truly a blizzard, but there's no question it was a big storm that left Columbus under a record amount of snow (20+ inches)!! Christie documented history by taking pictures of our backyard. Matthew turned the family room into a huge fort, and Adam played with all of his toys. I had to work most of the weekend (not to mention I was really sick too-- another sinus infection!) And poor Roxie, she could barely get around in all that snow! Christie had to dig out a pathway every time Roxie needed to go out. And a big thanks to our neighbors the Blackstones for helping us dig out our drive way.






Other Milestones

Matthew is finally able to pedal his red race car around the basement. Just wait until we get him outside!

And Adam is just happy to sit up and play with all of his toys. He's also rolling to get around. He finally figured out how to roll from his belly to his back. Next step... dare I say... crawling! Yikes!