The First Trip to the ER

The last place you want to be as a parent is the ER, but that's where Melissa and I found ourselves last week. Let's back up a little...

Dominic started daycare back in July and since those places are Petri dish of bacteria it was only a matter of time before he got sick. And that time was about two weeks. It started out as a little cold and eventually became an ear infection.

We took him to the doctor for the ear problem and they prescribed him amoxicillin. He really liked it. I think it's because it was really sweet. So everything was coming up roses…

…Until the last day of his of the medication and he got a really bad rash. After turning to my old friend google we decided to head to the ER at 10 PM.

 The ER is... um... interesting. It was a lot of different sets of parents and kids. There were obviously caring ones, and then there was the parents who told their 3 year old to quote "sit your ass down."

When we finally got into the doctor he seemed more interested in Dominic's AC/DC onesie than his rash. He also had no explanation for the rash even though it seemed fairly obvious that he was having an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin. Adding to the ambiance of the ER was the person in the curtained off area across from us throwing up. Not the "I ate something bad" puking but the "there's a chance my kidney is coming out on this one" retching.

After being told to give Dominic an incorrect dosage of Benadryl (don't worry we figured out that the doctor told us 3x's too much before we gave it to him) it was time to discharge. There we had the opportunity to stand in line behind a gang-banger who was clearly faking his arm injury to get some pain meds. How do I know this? My first clue was the flipping out when he realized the doctor didn't prescribe him any.

Also in line before us was a woman (I think?) who in her baritone voice told Melissa what a terrible doctor visit she had. If she wasn't a man then she used to be.

So at the end of our visit what did we learn? We learned that Dominic is allergic to amoxicillin. We learned that ER doctors are dangerously bad at math. And we learned that the ER is great people watching.

Dominic's New Bouncy Chair

If there's one thing Dominic loves to do... it's stand. So this past week my cousin Amanda let us borrow her bouncy chair. It was an immediate hit, not just for Dominic but for mommy and daddy as well. This kid is a crackup.

The Lost Blogs: Dominic's First Flight

(Writer's note: This is the beginning of a series of blogs I meant to write over the past few months and never did. I'm calling them "The Lost Blogs" an homage of sorts to my favorite Corey Haim & Corey Feldman movie "The Lost Boys". First up, our first flight with Dominic).

This was my chance at revenge. After years of screaming babies, kicked seats and general unpleasantness in the air, I was finally flying armed with a baby. It was Dominic’s first flight.

The recipe was perfect. The flight to Vegas had been delayed 40 minutes, the plane was packed and Dominic was still getting over a bit of a cold. The only thing missing was me tapping my fingers together Mr. Burns style and saying “excellent”.

We took the back seat in the plane (thanks to Walt Gray for that advice) and geared up for takeoff. I’ve always heard that babies get fussy when the plane lifts off because they can’t make their ears pop. So, I figured once we got in the air the show would begin.

Instead, Dominic slept. And slept. And slept. Not a peep.

He woke up a little while later, so maybe it was a fluke. Maybe the sleeping helped him ignore takeoff. Once we started our decent into Vegas, he was sure to start screaming.

The landing was not exactly smooth. We hit a bunch of turbulence. The plane was bouncing like a ping-pong ball. Dominic’s eyes were huge. Here we go…

Nothing.

Seriously, he never made a sound. He complained less than the adults on board. In fact, one stewardess told us she forgot he was even on the plane.

The plane ride back was more of the same.

The highlight was we were sitting next to a young guy who was completely hung over. He looked like he would have rather died than sit next to a baby. By the end of the flight, he said he was amazed by how great Dominic behaved.

Turns out my devilish plan was ruined by my angel of a son.

4 Months Later

Those pajamas say it all!

Dominic just turned 4 months old… but he’s been in our lives now for 1-year.  And what a year it was.

Oddly, people talk about how much your life changes. Really, ours hasn’t changed that much, just a lot more diapers, a lot more drool and far less money. Anyway, I figured this was a good opportunity to look back at the last four months and look ahead as well.

What’s surprised you the most about being a parent so far?

Melissa: I think I’m most surprised by how little sleep I can get by on.

Justin: I think I’ve been surprised by just how silly people act around a baby and that includes myself. Ridiculous faces, silly noises all to make someone who poops in their pants smile.

What’s the best part of being a parent?

Melissa: The chubby cheeks and that big smile. I also like the funny noises and the giggle. Even though I’ve only heard one.

Justin: I love it all. Well maybe not the lack of sleep, but everything else is great. It’s amazing how consumed you can get by such a little person.

What’s the most useful advice or warning you received before Dominic was born?

Melissa: Invest in a good stroller. We use the BOB everywhere.

Justin: I think not telling people his name before he was born was the best advice. Not only was it fun because it drove our parents nuts, it also created the awesome moment where I got to introduce Dominic to them.

What was the least useful advice?

Melissa: Honestly, sleep when the baby sleeps. By the time you’re ready to lie down he wakes up. It never times out right.

Justin: I’m not sure I got bad advice. Besides I ignored most of it.

Last question, what are you looking forward to most before Dominic’s 1^st birthday?

Justin: I’ll answer this one first. I can’t wait for him to walk. Lugging around that carrier is a lot of work. Do babies even walk before their first birthday?

Melissa: I’m looking forward to the first real hug. One, where he knows he’s hugging me. Also 8 hours of sleep in a row.

Justin: Amen to that.