Fun with Auntie!

Ellen was in town this past weekend (she just left today) and got some good quality time in with her nephew. It was really the first time she was around him without anyone else there, so he was a lot more open and welcoming this time.  It also helps that she brought him the coolest toy ever - a truck that carries a car.  Apparently he can be bribed!  He's quite the fan of trucks and loves playing with cars and trucks and reading books about trucks.

A little blurry, but still good.  The blue truck and the red car make up the "coolest toy ever."

We went to lunch on Saturday - he slept through half of it on my lap and then we went to the park afterwards to get some energy out.  He managed to use another child's Minnie Mouse ball and another child's shovel and bucket and he managed to come home with someone's else's yellow car.  Awesome.

Sorry for my fingers in the photo - don't quite know what happened there.  He does enjoy a good shovel and bucket.

Jayden was in a pretty good mood, just getting fussy when he got tired, which is to be expected of a toddler.  Naptime on Sunday was a struggle, but we're having to re-train him since he hasn't napped much in his crib in the past few weeks.  Sunday was clearly basketball all day (so was Saturday, but Sunday included the Duke game).  We just hung out at the house and relaxed.

Goofing off with Daddy.  Clearly before the Duke game.  Jayden is great.  Whenever Carmen walks into the room, he gets a smile on his face, points and says "Da-da!"  He does the same for me and says "Mama!"  It's a silly thing but it makes us feel a little extra happy.

For about five minutes, Jayden would stand up, smile, and then throw his body onto Carmen's stomach., cracking up.  He is hilarious.  

For a while he grabbed my keys, which he loves doing - to press the lock button and hear the beep through the door to the garage - and was walking towards the garage, waving "bye-bye" to us.  He'd go to the laundry room and then come back.  

Checking out Mama's fancy camera since her little one is cracked and no longer works. 

Luckily for everyone Duke won and everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief.  Sunday night Jayden did not sleep well - he was up around 3 am and wouldn't go back to bed.  I was exhausted, so I brought him to our bed.  We climbed into bed, Carmen rolled over and made a noise and Jayden sat up and goes "Da-da?" in the most normal daytime voice ever.  Carmen was like "no! bedtime! time to go to bed!"  This happened a few times and finally Jayden laid down and passed out.  He slept with his head on my stomach and his feet pointing towards Carmen for a while and then he ended the morning with his head about an inch or so from my head and his feet an inch or so from Carmen's head/shoulder area.  Needless to say Carmen and I did not get a very restful night of sleep.

When we woke up Monday morning I decided I thought Jayden's ear infection was back.  The bad night of sleep was the first cue, but he also was fighting me more than normal at dinner on Sunday and at breakfast on Monday.  I wasn't sure, so we sent him to Juju's like normal.  Ellen and I got our nails done and went to lunch with Carmen and then she and I picked Jayden up early.  I asked Julia how Jayden was and she said he was really fussy.  I mentioned I thought he might have another ear infection and she agreed.  So off Ellen and I went to urgent care to get him checked out again.  The doctor took about a half second look and said "yup, it's red and irritated."  There wasn't any liquid in his ear so it wasn't a full on infection, but the doctor suggested we fight the infection from beginning.  He gave us some antibiotic ear drops and told us three times a day for five days.  So we started right away and he made amazing progress the last two days.  I'll probably take him back to the doctor on Monday to get his ear checked out to make sure the ears are both actually cleared up.  If I never see another ear infection in my life it'll be too soon.

After we got home Monday, Jayden was a little fussy.  One thing I know is that if you let Jayden outside everything changes.   So immediately Ellen, Jayden and I went outside and ran around in the sunshine a bit.  We came inside and played around later and he was a little more cheerful.

After Mama probably put a little more than one drop in his ear.  It was so hard to measure the drops!

Grandma Barb send an Easter gift.  I'll put up a picture because it's amazing.

But it turns out the packaging is pretty cool too.  Anyone looking to buy Jayden a gift, large sheets of paper are tops on his list right now!

He was a total ham for Ellen last night and tonight, which is the clearest evidence of all that he is feeling better.  Ellen had her camera and took a bunch of pictures so she'll have to send them to me once she has a moment (and a camera connector).  He voluntarily put his hat on, he was posing, he was giggling, he was walking backwards out of rooms, he was just hilarious.