Introducing....

Maeve Alexandria Estee joined our family on May 7, 2012 at 12:36 p.m.  She weighed 7 lb. 4 oz. and was 18 inches long.  Big brother Connor was very excited to meet her and has been a very good big brother so far!

April Vacation

Since April vacation fell about three weeks before my due date, much of our April vacation was spent getting the house ready for baby's arrival!  It was a good thing we had plans to stay low key, because Connor started off vacation with conjunctivitis!  He had a slight cold over the weekend, and on Monday morning he woke up and I thought his eyes looked a little glassy.  We had a hearing test to go to (all is well there), and ran a few errands and went home.  After playing in the pool for a bit (did I mention it was 88 degrees?), I decided his eyes weren't getting any better and off to the doctor we went.  They confirmed my suspicions, and off to the pharmacy we went to get drops!  I have to say, Connor's been pretty good about letting me put his drops in.  I thought it would be such a battle, but he's been very tolerant!

Once we had the conjunctivitis under control, we had our friends, the Hickok's, over for a play date.  We hadn't seen them in a while, so it was nice to have the kids together.  For the first time in well, ever, the kids played with each other instead of just near each other!  They had the most fun with a giant box that we've had in the house.  They would take turns hiding in it, jumping out of it and yelling "surprise"!.  It was awesome to see Connor be so social and interactive.  He sometimes gets a little shy with kids, but not this day!  Meg was a little concerned that Connor kept asking Mairead to go to his bedroom, but we'll let it slide since they're only 4.  :)

The next day was spent waiting for Connor's new twin bed to arrive.  Once it was put together, he immediately started jumping on it, and was very excited to have a new bed.  We spent the remainder of the day re-arranging and re-organizing the room to fit everything for Connor and the baby.  It took a while, but it's basically done.  If the baby were to arrive today, we'd be ready!

Later that night, when Connor was taking a bath, I found a tick on his head.  The dog must have brought it in because we didn't go outside at all that day since we were waiting for the bed delivery.  It was a wood tick, which are less of a concern than deer ticks, but I still kept an eye on the area for a few days.  So far, so good!  Just a little mark where the tick bit him.

All in all it was a good vacation.  We had beautiful weather, and despite the conjunctivitis, we were able to play and spend some time together before the big day arrives!

The new double stroller.  The first baby wanted a ride!

Connor and Mairead on a date!

Easter

For the past week, I've been talking to Connor about Easter and the Easter Bunny, but he didn't have that excitement that most kids have over getting a basket full of candy.  Basically all that meant was he wasn't up at the crack of dawn begging for sugar before 6 a.m.  We actually got to sleep in a bit and take our time getting to the Easter basket.  I did manage to get it on video - Connor was more excited over Angry Birds gummies than he was anything else.  Although we did have to read his new book "The Duckling Gets a Cookie" a few times that night (for all you Mo Willems fans out there, this is his latest book - complete with the pigeon!).  

For dinner we went to Tewksbury where the annual Easter egg hunt took place.  As always, it was Team Joey and Heather v. Team Paige and Connor.  It was a close race this year, with everyone starting strong in the beginning, but Team Paige and Connor pulled out another victory by two eggs!  I think we should start making a trophy to be handed out every year - I think that might add to the intensity of the game.  

Connor always loves going to Mimi and Papa's house (especially now that PJ the "baby dog" is there).  He was able to play matchbox cars, and play on Papa's iPad, so he had a good day. We hope everyone had a great Easter, too!

Coloring Eggs on Saturday morning

The Duckling Gets a Cookie!

Aquarium

It's been a little hectic around here getting ready for Baby Estee to make her appearance, so blogging has been put on the back burner.  But this past weekend was Easter, so I figured I should update!

Since I had Good Friday off, I decided that I should spent a little quality time with my only child before he's no longer an only child.  We headed off to the New England Aquarium for a morning of exploring all the sea has to offer.  It had been over a year since Connor had been.  I don't think he remembered going last time, so this was all new to him!  Since we'd been last, they've added a new touch tank.  It's a shallow tank with baby sharks and sting rays.  You stick your hand in and they swim up so you can touch them.  Connor wasn't thrilled about the idea of getting his hands wet, so he passed on this, but I had no problem rolling up my sleeve to touch a shark and ray (both slimy!).

By far, Connor's favorite was Myrtle (the giant turtle).  We had talked about her before we went, and when he saw her he was in awe.  He had to stop by every window on the way up to the top to see her.  Once we got to the top of the tank he was able to watch her eat some lettuce and broccoli, which he thought was very funny.  I would like to personally thank Myrtle for inspiring Connor to ask for (and eat) broccoli the next day!

Around noon, Connor was running out of steam, so we had some lunch and headed home.  We hope to do more trips like that over vacation!

CT Scans and Such...

A few weeks ago, Connor met with a very large team of doctors (10, to be exact), to look at his head.  Since he was diagnosed with Cleidocranial Dysplasia, and still (at 4) has a very large soft spot on the top of his head, we wanted to have him looked at by Cranio Facial at Children's.  I was a little worried (ok, maybe a LOT worried) about how Connor would behave.  He wasn't the most cooperative at his regular checkup in October, and freaked out at an X-ray in November, so I was a little concerned about how he would handle this appointment.  We created a "Sensory Story" about going to the doctor (which we've been doing in OT and seems to have a positive effect on how he handles certain uncomfortable situations).  I have to say, the story worked!  I should have written one for myself, too, because I was under the impression that we would be meeting with a neurosurgeon and a plastic surgeon.  TWO doctors.  When I walked into the room and saw 10 people sitting there (and more popping their head in the room randomly), I was a bit overwhelmed.  Connor, however, had no issues with it.  He immediately found the white board and started coloring on it, which was a perfect opportunity for each doctor to feel his head and collar bone.

The first person we spoke with was a dentist who specializes in CCD, and reminded us of the issues that could arise with CCD patients (teeth not coming in on time, teeth not falling out when they should, etc).  But the first thing she said was this was one of the most mild cases she's seen, so I was pleased with that.  The next doctor we spoke with was a plastic surgeon, and he showed us 3D CT Scans of a 9-year-old boy who had surgery to fill his fontanelle.  This is a possibility for Connor, but we also agreed to wait and see if there is any growth over the next year.  So they ordered a 3D CT Scan, which Connor had done yesterday.

As with most 4-year-olds, asking them to remain PERFECTLY still during a 5 minute period is virtually impossible (even when Connor's asleep he doesn't stay still!).  So they normally sedate patients as young as Connor.  They did try to see if he'd stay still for them, and he did REALLY well.  For Connor.  But he'd scratch his head, or move his arm, and that's just not going to get a good picture, so he had to be sedated.  He had an IV put in (which he hated, but really... who likes it?), and within a few minutes of getting the medicine, he was ready to go.  Five minutes later he was done and being wheeled into recovery.  Now, waking up Connor on a regular day is a battle, so trying to wake him up after sedation was a difficult task.  He just wanted to sleep.  The nurse had to get a wet washcloth, and when she put it on him he turned over and yelled "NO!!  Stop being mean!!".  She laughed (thankfully) and he continued to wake up.  About an hour or so later, we got to go home.  He was pretty thrilled to ride in a wheelchair to get downstairs, and was able to walk from the entrance to the parking garage with no issues.  He took a few more naps throughout the day, but had loads of energy that night, so I knew he was back to his normal self!

Superbowl

In a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Joey managed to score Superbowl tickets.  He was more than thrilled, and he and his friend, Dave, began planning the long journey to Indianapolis (did I mention Joey isn't too keen on getting on airplanes?).  Their adventure began after work on Friday night, where they drove for 5-6 hours and rested in the lovely Scranton, PA.  They were slightly concerned their bodies may be discovered the next morning, but they woke up alive, and headed to the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.  There they paid homage to the Patriots and said a little prayer (perhaps they should have said a bigger one...).  They spent the night at a much nicer hotel so they could be well rested for the big game on Sunday.  They drove to Indy and had plenty of time to spare before the game started.  Joey requested that Connor wear his Bruschi Jersey, which he got when he was just a baby, and it's STILL way too big for him.  Connor actually refused to wear it because it was so big.  When I busted out Bailey's #12 Jersey, however, he put the shirt back on for a picture.  Perhaps if he wore it, the Pats would have won?  Who knows...

At least the boys got to see Madonna, right?

Christmas Part III

The day after Christmas, Connor, Bailey, and I headed up to Vermont for our last round of Christmas celebrations.  Joey had to work (and look for a new car), so he stayed home.  We arrived in Vermont around 1 and were greeted by my parents, their dog, Sophie, my brother and his girlfriend, and their dog, Tucker.  Tucker is a very cute, very small chihuahua, and Connor adores him.  Tucker LOVES to give kisses, especially those that clean out your nose, and Connor just thinks that's all sorts of wonderful.  Shortly after, my youngest brother arrived, and we unwrapped presents.  Once again, Connor had to be bribed to open them, but he got these pretty cool race cars, and that helped a bit.  Once the tree was done, we had a very delicious dinner of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, and veggies.  I love my mother's cooking, so I ate way too much.  But I'm eating for two, now, right?  So it was ok... RIGHT???

The next day, my mother, Connor, and my Aunt Colleen decided to head over the mountain (literally, we had to drive OVER the mountain - see picture) to see my cousin Becky and have some lunch.  A deer hit Becky's car (definitely not the other way around), so we were happy to pile into the minivan and make the trek to her neck of the woods.  We had a nice lunch at a little restaurant called The Big Picture.  Connor was a little grouchy after waking up from a nap, but wasn't too bad in the restaurant.  After we ate, we dropped Becky off headed back over the mountain just as it started to snow a bit.  We knew a storm was coming, so we timed it well.  We were home before any major snow or rain fell.

Wednesday was the day we got the snow.  It began snowing around noon and just kept falling.  My mom got out of work early, and on her 45 minute drive home, she said there was barely any snow anywhere else.  The second you drove over the town line of my little hometown, it was like a different world.  Lots of snow everywhere.  Around 4:30, when the dogs needed to go out, I bundled up Connor in his too-small snow pants and headed outside.  He was THRILLED to be out in the snow!  Other than the freak snow in October, we haven't seen any snow this year, and he was so happy to be able to play in the snow.  He helped Grampy "shovel" a bit, but Bailey HATES shovels, so it's hard to actually get any shoveling done with him around.  He digs at the shovel and barks.  It's hysterical, and he had Connor laughing the whole time.  We did have one point where there were a few tears because some snow got in his boots (due to the snow pants being a little too small), but he was better in no time and back out in the 6-7" of snow.

He hates shovels!

A few tears