sugarhouse + april fool's day storm

On Thursday, Noah's Environmental Club took a trip to the Corcoran Sugar House.  It's near and dear to our hearts, of course, because it gives me a chance to remember Tom Corcoran ~ and celebrate the magic of making maple syrup.  It's really one of the few silver linings in a Maine spring.  You can see the snow + mud that keeps us washing Noah's snow pants and coat every two days.  

Here comes Noah with his field notebook in a bag around his neck.  I'm not sure how many notes he is taking, but the bag came in handy to hold his muddy mittens.  

I am told that the Thomas J. Corcoran sign will get a fresh coat of paint this summer.

Boiling the sap...

Checking specific gravity with a hydrometer

Fresh maple syrup! Yum.  

Rest in peace, Lucy :)

That night, Noah asked me again about Lucy (Lucy was our very old cat who died this summer).  He knows that she is in heaven, and that it is a nice place, but he hasn't been able to wrap his head around the fact that we can never see her or play with her again.  He asked again - did she die?  Yes, I said, Lucy did die.  "Will all of our kitties die?"  I said yes, some day they will, but until then we will love them and enjoy every minute with them.  "ALL of my kitties will DIE?"  He was inconsolable.  The poor little guy cried himself to sleep that night.  It was gut-wrenching to hear as a parent.  I know he was really tired but the sadness just took over his whole little body.


April Fools Day brought a winter storm that closed everything down AND heavy, heavy snow.  Here is a branch in the back yard.  Noah and I were making a snowperson and we heard snaps and cracks coming from the tree....but I thought that smaller branches might come down, not this HUGE branch.  It made quite a loud sound when it came down.   Since then, another tree has fallen ~ we will have a springtime project cleaning up trees from the yard.  Guess we will add them to the burn pile...give that old Christmas tree some company.

What to do on a snow day to keep a 4-year old busy?  Plug in the steam mop, of course!  He's a good helper (I think he just likes to make the steam)

Playing frisbee in the snow with Papa

Another favorite activity of Noah's these days?  Showering.  He LOVES getting in the shower and playing.  He can spend up to 45 minutes in the shower!  He plays with tub toys but also fills bottles and pretends to clean the shower with the sponge.  That's my boy!

On Saturday, the snow remained but the temps got up to the high 40's.  We played outside and then later all four of us took a walk down the farm road and up to Whitter Farm.

Momma and Eli 

 At the farm, Gene and Noah found farmer Jake at work.  Our timing couldn't have been better!  Noah got to hop into the skid steer and help Jake fill the feed wagon.  It doesn't get any better than this for Noah.........

I am busy at the office on Monday getting ready for the NEOA conference.  I'll leave for Portland at the crack of dawn on Wednesday at be at the registration desk with Becky by 8 am.  I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends and colleagues ...but feeling a little guilty leaving Gene at home with ALL of the  nighttime feedings for two nights.  Fortunately, he was able to delay the start of his new job for a few days while I am away.
Is it really snowing again?  Just glanced out the window and there it is.  Spring has GOT to be just around the corner, right?

Eli home, Gene, RN & The Stick Monster

Hooray!  Eli came home on Wednesday evening and it is such a relief to have the family in one place.  ALSO a relief that Eli is back to being a healthy baby.  Auntie Lisa picked up Noah at school and went on a "special adventure" to Wal-Mart while we left the hospital and got settled at home again.  Here is Auntie Lisa giving Eli a special snuggle (and Jonesy wanting to get in on the action)...

Gene and Noah picked up sticks around the yard after school on Friday and this crazy little hail storm blew through the yard.  It's that time of the year in Maine - you never know what kind of weather you'll get.  You see that most of the snow is gone, though.  It's time for me to order seeds from the Johnny's catalogue! Just look at that garden just waiting for us to plant it.

So last night, after the picking up sticks in the yard adventure, Noah decided to tell some of his own bedtime stories.  Here is one (obviously influenced by the day's events) for your enjoyment: 

Stick Monster from Faith Ann Erhardt on Vimeo.

Eli is not only feeling better, he seems to have grown while he was in the hospital!  Before we went, he was eating around 4 ounces/feeding.  Now he needs 6 ounces.  I bet he is making up for lost time.  I am so amazed - and thankful - that he is right back to his regular routine. He is so social these days - and his favorite spot is the Baby Bjorn. 

Not to be outdone by big brother, now Eli would like to tell at story: 

Eli Tells a Story from Faith Ann Erhardt on Vimeo.

Remember this student Nurse?  

No longer, baby.  Say hello to Gene Schaff, BSN - Nurse on the Cardiopulmonary floor at St. Joseph's Hospital.  He is psyched about the job and the people he is working with.  He will work 12 hour shifts - mostly at night - and we will figure out our new daily schedules with Papa at work!  In most cases, he will be home at 7:30 each day, so he'll be able to see the boys before school and help get us all out the door in the morning.  

Happy Spring! 

Eli in the hospital, day 4

Day four???  How can that be?  

Eli had kind of a rough night last night - got dehydrated and thus behind the eight ball.  He's been catching up today.  

Saturday night I got the most wonderful text message from Lisa as we were in the ED with Eli.  We had dropped off Noah earlier on our way to see the doc. "Can we keep Noah overnight? We're going out with my parents, then Bruins game at home.  How are things going with Eli?"  

Yes, you can keep Noah overnight.  So wonderful to know that our wonderful boy #1 is going to have a fun fun night when Momma and Papa are in the hospital with wonderful boy #2.  

We can't imagine life without our wonderful Aunties and Uncles.  Noah went to spend the night at Auntie Denise and Uncle Ernie's on Sunday night.  Special treat:  Curtis was home.  I heard that great fun was had playing Mario Kart :)  Thank you Aunties and Uncles.  

Noah on his way to school this morning.  I stayed at home on Monday night with Noah and had a "regular" routine.  Got around 7 inches of spring snow last night!

Eli this morning.  Got the IV hooked up again to help him catch up with fluids.

 This afternoon, Eli has been back to his regular self.  He's had some sessions of telling us stories "ah goooo"  "grrrrrrr" and cute smiles and gurgles.  He's getting some good naps and eating o k.  Would like to see him eating a little more.  Baby steps, right?

Eli this afternoon as I write.  Sounding more like our Eli.

The 100 means that Eli is taking in O2 like a regular kid these days.  Amen.  

Noah and Papa are at swim lessons, and are meeting me here at EMMC for dinner again tonight.  Papa will take the night shift - we look forward to Eli going home tomorrow.  Thanks to all sending prayers and lots of love the last few days!

Noah enjoys some ice cream and Disney channel while Eli sleeps

RSV was not invited.

Our lives have been topsy-turvy the last couple of days.  We knew that Eli hasn't been feeling well for awhile.  Went to the doc on Wednesday, and she encouraged us to keep doing the things that we have been doing since birth: humidifier, elevate while sleeping, saline drops if needed, bulb syringe to get the goop out of his nose.  Probably just a cold.

On Friday, Eli was miserable at the Children's Center and couldn't get comfortable or eat comfortably all day.  The wise ladies there wondered if he might have RSV ....so I called Eli's Pediatric Practice again.  Probably just a cold, they said.  Keep an eye on him and if his symptoms get worse, bring him in tomorrow.

Saturday morning, Eli just wasn't himself.  AND now he was HOT.  When we got a temp of 101, we brought him in.

The doctor looked at him, listened, and then told us to go directly to the Emergency Department.  She offered to call an ambulance (scary) got some paperwork ready and called ahead.

We spent from around 2 pm until 7 pm in the ED.  At times he looked OK, at times he did not (one of those times he projectile vomited on a sweet nurse) but overall his o2 stats were not what they should be.  He wasn't taking in the oxygen that he should.  And there was that pesky fever.  Something was going on. They did a chest x-ray and found pneumonia in his right lung - and swabbed him for RSV.

Long story short, he's got it.  He's still up on Grant 8 but he has improved greatly.

Day 1.  O2 tube in nose....

and O2/heart rate sensor on one foot, IV on the other

 DAY TWO (Sunday, March 20th)

Today he is eating - a good thing! 

You can see the sensor glowing on his cute little big toe

 DAY THREE

Early in the morning.  Looking better - more awake.  

"I'm going to be OK, Momma!"  Day 3 (March 21) Smiles!

I'll add some more details later - I have a 4 year old demanding my attention (and he should get it!  )
Thanks for your prayers.  Love

Spring, spring where are you?

Hello from Eli!

It's kinda sort of like spring.  Spring in Maine, that is.  That means an occasional day when you might leave the house without a jacket - occasional - and where dirty old snowbanks are on every corner.  March is not a pretty time in Maine.  

Lots of cuteness in our house, though.  Check out baby Eli.  He continues to grow, grow grow and this boy will smile for you EVERY time.  I have never seen a more smiley baby.

Eli continues to struggle with congestion.  We have a humidifier going all the time...maybe it is a sensitivity?  Stephanie at the office mentioned that it might be the detergent we use on the laundry?  Could be.  I remember with Noah we bought the baby detergent and I was religious about laundering his clothes and bedding in a separate wash.  Not so much for Eli.  I'll give it a try.  More likely, we will just need to wait for his nose to get bigger?  I'm afraid that the congestion is messing up his sleep.  These days, he goes to bed between 5:30 and 6:00 pm, wakes at 11:30, 3:30 and then at 5:00 to start his day.  Not bad, but I'm looking forward to only ONE wake up a night.  Too much to ask? 

Noah in his Iron Man mask

Iron Man checks in on Papa and baby Eli

Noah has enjoyed pretending to be a bad guy these days.  It's almost like a get out of jail free card: he gets to pretend to be bad and then smile and be cute and say he was just pretending.  "It's just me - Noah - under the mask!!" This kid needs spring to hurry up and get here.  There are not enough appropriate indoor activities for an active 4 year old boy.  Inevitably, he ends up throwing something, spilling something or being WAAAAY too loud.

He can be a good helper, though.  He wanted to dump water on Eli's head first - I talked him into just dripping a little water on his tummy.  

Eli likes to smile at himself in the mirror during diaper changes

We love the swaddle.  So cozy.  Mark thought it looked cruel and unusual!  Can't wait until Uncle Mark has some babies.  

Check out this sequence of events: 

And finally some pics of springtime in our driveway:  Noah is enjoying some catch with the neighbors and his Papa.  Auntie Lisa and I got a new glove for him to use this summer on one of our trips to Target the other day.  

A quick update: got to keep moving through my list of things to do.  Noah has his second swim lesson tonight (he and Papa go to the Orono-Old Town Y) I've got school visits at Sumner and Central this week - and then St. Patrick's Day the UB counselors host a pizza and green beer fundraising party!