here i am late AGAIN to post ozzy's monthly update. things have still been busy, and honestly, i'm starting to think that maybe it's not going to ever slow down.
ozzy had hives since oct 8th. the majority of it has cleared up as i write this, but a few small red bumps that resemble little mosquito bites still linger here and there. after the first week of ongoing hives, i started to worry that it was a food allergy, so i called to set up an appointment with the allergist, but the soonest we could be seen by mimi's allergist was another two weeks out. so i called a different allergist and got an appointment for the following week. in the meantime, i started to track what he was eating and try to eliminate them. the hives persisted, and at this point it was going on two weeks with hives. the only thing i had not eliminated thus far was dairy. so i tried that and the hives seemed to go away, not entirely but he was no longer a swollen mess of hives so large that his eyes were swelling shut. so, thinking it might be a milk allergy, i bought some hypoallergenic formula, which he absolutely refused to drink. one sip and he jerked back, stared at the bottle, and then shoved it back at me. honestly, i dont blame him. i thought regular formula smelled bad...this stuff smelled like rancid beans. and it was ridiculously pricey, too.
rob told me to mix it in with his regular formula to try to use it up. i make 6 oz of regular formula and added in 2 oz of the hypoallergenic stuff. as usual, he eagerly grabbed his bottle, took a swig, but then suddenly froze, took the bottle out of his mouth, stared suspiciously at it for a second, made a face, and then dismissively flung it on the floor and made a beeline to the fridge, grabbing the door and trying to open it, demanding "huwp! dis! dis!" (help! this! this!). i go over to open it, what?! he's pointing maniacally to the rows of milk boxes lining the upper shelf. "dis! dis! waaaahhhhh!"
it was so hard to pull him away. to not be able to give him his milk. i didnt want to give him the milk and have his whole face puffing out like rising bread dough. i let him have some orange juice. at least there's some calcium in there. he was displeased, but he took it. i spent every hour thereafter, plying him with something every time he cried for his milk. that appointment with the allergist couldnt come fast enough!!!
finally the day came and we went and they did a skin test and ozzy was testing positive for everything: dairy, eggs, nuts, including SALINE. so the doc didnt think it was food allergy, just that his body was hypersensitive, probably after a virus. i was thrilled that he didnt have a milk allergy and as soon as we came home, i gave him a bottle of his regular formula (thought i'd play it safe and stay clear of the whole milk at least, just in case). he was so pleased to have his milk back, he swooned back into my arms for me to hold him while he reclined to enjoy his favorite beverage, eyes rolling into the back of his head as he drank, heady with pleasure.
we did a blood test the next day just to be sure about the food allergy thing. poor ozzy, got pricked 12 times at the allergist the day before, cried and fought and cried. then the next day he had three people hold him down to draw blood and howled baby expletives forever and ever while the blood ever so slowly dripped into a giant vial that seemed hold half his body weight in blood and i'm like, geez, leave some blood behind for him to keep! he was NOT happy about that and no amount of lollipops were gonna make THAT better.
so today, we went to the ped's for his well check. he was fine, until the nurse came in. i was holding him, when he suddenly spun around away from the nurse and literally started to run up my chest like maybe if he climbed onto my head she couldnt reach him. he had no idea i was in cahoots with that measuring tape wielding fiend.
he fought us valiantly as we measured him from tip to toe and then around his head, screaming in such a tortured way, if we were doing anything other than measuring him, it would have really made me feel bad for him, but come on, it's measuring tape. sheesh.
his memory is way better than mimi's ever was. no matter how many times we went to the docs she was always happy to see the staff the next time we returned...she never went in remembering the shots. ozzy's memory is more developed than mimi's at this age. for example, mimi could never remember the last place she left anything. ozzy will remember exactly where he put something, even though the entire day has gone by. i'll have put the remote control down after turning the t.v. on in the morning for him (at 6 am...it buys me another 30 minutes of sleep) and then several hours later will forget where i put it, but if i ask ozzy "where's the remote control" he walk straight to where it is and get it for me. it's usually under a throw pillow or blanket, and he knows right where it is. i find it endlessly fascinating, his ability to find these things. he's like that with his toothbrush too. he'll walk around with it brushing his teeth and then set it down somewhere. hours later when i realize he must have left it somewhere, i'll ask him, ozzy where's your toothbrush and he'll walk over to where he left it and get it for me. sometimes its in plain view, but there have been times like one day when he walked over to his toy box, rummaged around for a minute and then hauled it out from deep inside. so really, it wasnt a surprise to me that he remembered how awful those prior visits to the allergist and the lab were. guess it didnt help that each of the visits were just a couple of days apart from each other, either.
we'll find out friday the results of the blood test. maybe i'll take some special treats to the allergist's on friday. he wont be getting pricked that day, so may be i can turn it into a pleasant memory for him.
i have been seeing so many new developments with ozzy since last month's post. the least of my favorites is his love of head butting me and making me hop and holler. he acts like he wants me to hold him, i pick him up and while i'm holding him, he suddenly slams his head forward and smashes it into my nose and then falls over with gales of laughter, as i'm hollering ow! owowow!, holding my nose and feeling it for any fractures, and reeling from the massive headache blossoming from the impact. sometimes he thinks he's being so sly and will ask me "woah woah woah" meaning he wants to sing row row row your boat with me. as i'm singing and rocking him, he suddenly pushes my hands out of the way and moves to slam his head into mine, and then laughs impishly when i'm like, hey! what?! stop! not to be swayed, he continues with single minded determination, giggling with each failed attempt, and when he finally lands one on me POW! right smack on my scenter, he falls over backwards in a hysterical fit, laughing so hard his body convulses. (eye roll) mimi never did stuff like that. (sigh)
he's trying to vocalize more, is more interactive with books, is stacking 5-6 blocks and loves to tear them down, can point to pictures of and make sounds for some animals like dog, cow, horse, cat, fish, pig, duck, sheep. he'll even answer back at the t.v. when Kai-lan on Nihao Kailan asks him "can you say __?" he nods and says it back in his baby talk to the t.v. he says 'dirty' (dund) which i must say a lot, i guess, he waves his hand in front of his nose when i say "p.u.! stinky!", he knows where his toes, feet, belly button, eyes, nose, mouth, and hands are. says "car" (gaw), "help"(huwp), "uh oh!" and shakes his head, for "no" now. he tries to sing the Dora theme song (di di di dowah!). says mama with greater fluency and ease now (and says it all day), says "clock" (gahk), and "ball" (baw), thank you (denkuh)
two molars are mostly in and i can make out the edges of two more molars and one incisor. his canines havent appeared yet. but those molars cutting thru would explain why he wants to bite me all day. if he has access to my belly, that's his favorite spot. or if my back is turned he'll try to sink his teeth into my back. he's like this crazy little vampire, constantly trying to sink his teeth into me. he doesnt try to gnaw on too many other things though. seems to have outgrown the need to put everything in his mouth. anyway, seems i've taken the place of any teether, in addition to becoming his favorite punching bag.
he's still falling and knocking his head, but nowadays it's even scarier because he is able to climb up onto higher surfaces, his favorite being the kitchen table. he has fallen down so many times, knocking his head and near his eyes. i am terrified he's going to be brain damaged and/or blind.
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update: blood test for allergies all negative. doc is sure it's just reaction to illness. broke out in hives after getting prevnar injection at well check, which confirmed it for the allergist. says i can just give him children's claritin for hives and treat as needed.
well check visit: height and weight in 50%tile. head circumference 75%tile (no surprise there).
ozzy started running a fever after getting prevnar injection, but after the usual 36 hours, continued to have an elevated fever (102-103) accompanied by a really nasty cough and lots of irritability. will be going to docs today for a sick visit. guessing it's an upper respiratory virus.
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