Five Months Old and Five Months of Timeout

Who's five months old?

This guy.  

Who's eating everything in sight?

This guy.

Parker has jumped on board the solid food train with both feet.  I usually give him a mid-morning fruit serving and a mid-afternoon veggie serving, and he has quickly set his internal clock to know when it is food time. The arms start waving.  The feet start kicking.  The grunting starts.

Thus far, we haven't found anything he doesn't like.  Successes include apples, pears, bananas, pumpkin, peas, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes (the fave), and squash.  And cake.

Me?  Cake?

Well, maybe just a bite.

Speaking of cakes, it has been busy around here. I make cakes for family and friends, and I've just now gotten back in the groove of things.  This weekend was a wedding cake and a Death Star replica cake.  It's fun for me and I am happy to be back at it!

 I love good photographers.  They can make things look SO DREAMY! 
(thank you Jenny Wright!)

In other news, Parker was *finally* approved for his Synagis shots. This is a relief on many counts, as it is a vaccine that he desperately needs and we, quite frankly, weren't very excited about shelling out $7,000 for.  It took some doing, but my pediatrician has proven to me once again why I love her so much.  She took over the appeal, and within a few days we were golden.  Smooches to Dr. Putnam.

While I am thrilled to have the Synagis shots coming soon, I am also somewhat saddened to see them looming on the horizon.  Synagis season=RSV season=hibernation for the Knolls.  We are under strict orders to keep Parker "in a bubble" from now through April.

I am not a germ-o-phobe mom.  I never have been... but when someone tells you "What amounts to a cold for other kids is potentially fatal to your baby," your perspective changes.  We are advised to keep him at home as much as possible.  When Jeremiah comes home from school, he has to take off his shoes, change his clothes, and scrub his hands and face. Mike will have to keep his boots off the carpet, shower, and change before he can hold Parker.  Visits from family will be exceptionally limited.  Visits to family will be exceptionally limited and only undertaken on the understanding that anyone present with "allergies" will equal the hasty removal of the Knolls.  No more wandering aimlessly at the mall.  I can go to Target or to the grocery store if I have to, but not just for fun.  We can venture to church if we sit in the isolation chamber.

The concept frightens me. I CANNOT stay home for 24 hours together.  I start to get stir-crazy, and I have passed that trait on to Jeremiah.  He invariably asks, on non-school days, by lunchtime, "Where are we going today, Mom?"  Well, dearest, a whole lot of nowhere for FIVE. LONG. MONTHS.

HOWEVER, where are we going the first weekend in May?

 The Happiest Place on Earth!!!

Yep.  Parker finally gets to cash in the trip we promised as he lay on life support for 10 days. I will finally get to have my family of four on Main Street (can you say BIG HUGE SOBBING MESS). It will be my grandmother's 80th birthday and Parker's first, so what better way to celebrate the end of our winter incarceration?  I certainly can't think of one.

Mike and I have also scheduled a little getaway trip there for the first weekend in December. We basically forgot what it was like to be married to each other for a while there, and we are excited to spend some time being Mike and Abby instead of Mommy and Daddy.  I think it is SO SO SO important for couples to remember to do that! *big props to Naner and Big Tom for volunteering to wrangle the boys for four days.  There's never been a bigger germ-o-phobe than my sister, so they will be in good hands*

We've been spending our last remaining days of freedom cramming in as much family fun as possible.  That will have to be an update for later this week.  We have Parker's follow up swallow study on Thursday, and I am so hopeful that they will see improvement and that solids aren't presenting  a problem.  Prayers appreciated as always!

**speaking of prayers, my sweet Daddy had kind-of-emergency-yet-happily-sucessful eye surgery on Friday.  His recovery is going well, but it's mentally trying and physically uncomfortable.  Praying for his comfort and for a good report from the eye doctor on Wednesday!**