School Day #4 - TGIF

Well, yesterday proved to be interesting. Mommy & Daddy took Owen to the doctors. We have grown increasingly frustrated and concerned about him not being very willing to eat. Well, at least this time his food strike might be justified. Between transition to a new school routine, he also has an ear infection, AND he's getting 5 teeth - 4 molars and an eye tooth. 2 of the molars have poked through, and that is seeming to have provided Owen a little relief. Although he's still biting everything - EXCEPT FOOD - he can get in that little mouth... The antibiotics (and Tylenol) are kicking in too, which is helping the pain from the ear infection.

Owen took a 3+ hour nap yesterday which really helped him feel better. Oh, and in true Owen form, the stinker came home from the doctors, and just to prove me wrong - he ate more than 1/2 a grilled cheese with tomato soup. And he ate pizza and fruit for dinner. The nurse practitioner Jennifer - we saw suggested we really stick to softer foods while Owen is breaking these molars and dealing with the ear infection. Then once he's feeling better (aka Daddy's in California) we really need to break him from just resorting baby food. Mommy and Daddy have been giving in and when Owen won't eat, giving him baby food, and that isn't what the doctor ordered. Owen needs to learn to eat what is being served, and they swear he will not starve himself, that he will eventually eat what we serve. (Albeit it's age appropriate ....)

So, now to School Day #4. Since Owen is not contagious, and to protect him (and other kids) further he's been on antibiotics for more than 24 hours, we decided it was OK (and the doc said OK too), to send him to school. We felt it was best to keep him in the routine, especially since Daddy will be gone all next week.

Drop off again was rough, but we seem to be making forward progress. Owen cried when I put him down to take off his coat. Another boy his age Elliot started today, he's walking, and so I tried to engage Owen with him. Owen will sit and play with me, but doesn't want to leave my side. Finally Ms. Kathy came over and took Owen from my arms, and he cried hard, and I had to just walk out the door. This is really challenging emotionally for both of us.

But today he calmed down much faster. I think the teacher knows that she needs to give him a little extra attention and get him engaged, and that definitely works. He has fun once he gets going, but it's the initial push to having fun. Right now he only associates the school with me leaving him, he doesn't remember all the fun stuff he is going to do.

I stood outside the door for about 10 min, one of the teachers walking down the hall said that he was playing, I'm always afraid to peek back in the window, because if he sees me he'll start all over, and that's not fair to him. The other piece of news is that since it's a new school, they are still adjusting the teaching staff, and so Owen's teacher Ms. Rebecca will actually not be his teacher, she moved to the baby room, and he'll have a new head teacher, Ms. Kristine, who will start on Monday. I guess these are just the growing pains of new schools... At least Ms. Kathy, who adores Owen, will still be one of his teachers.

When I called at 10:30, they checked on Owen and reported that he was not crying, he was playing on the floor with the other kids, dancing and having fun. That phone call always makes me feel so much better. He had a really good time today, and so we ended the week positively. He even ate his snack today.

When I picked him up, the teachers reported that he did EXCELLENT. I felt very good about that. I could also tell from looking at Owen that he'd had a good day, he was playing well with the other kids, even walking a little. He didn't have red eyes, or snot crusted to his face, so I know that he had a better day. We survived the first full week.

And Owen is getting more and more confident walking around. He's really getting strong and standing and walking from place to place. I'm not ready to say he's officially walking yet, but it shouldn't be long now...