During the Lockdown in Boston

     Technically Medford was not in the zone under lock down while Boston police and FBI searched for the suspects in the marathon bombings. However, we were highly encouraged to stay in doors, and the institute that mommy works at on Fridays had been closed. Since it was school vacation week, we were all home together that day.
     We went for a very short walk in the AM just down the street 1/2 way and back as mommy heard sirens and wanted to avoid anything potentially harmful. We then played inside and even set up an outdoor play area on our back porch. However, mommy, daddy and Quinlan soon got bored of that and we decided to venture out (cautiously) for a walk.
     Before we knew we were at the park 2 blocks away, Quinlan started squawking when the swings were visible and we thought "how to you explain a terrorist threat to a 13 month old who wants to go on the swings?"

     We decided that you don't and you allow him a few minutes of pure joy, while being very aware of your surroundings. The chase and man hunt were over 3 miles from our area so we felt confident that everything would be fine.
     We even got a shout out of an upstairs window from a local mom thanking us for our smiles. It seems we brought joy to both Quinlan and some local families as well.

     Quinlan truly loves his time on the swings!

Quinlan's First Fever

 
     Last weekend, Quinlan spiked a fever of 103.9 when daddy was watching him and mommy was away with the car. This had both of us nervous, as Quinlan has not really been sick since leaving the NICU. We called the pediatrician's office and were given parameters to monitor him to determine if we needed to bring him to the hospital.
     Quinlan did not have any signs of a respiratory infection, stomach issues, nor a rash, so we waited it out. After 2 days of 101-103 deg fevers, we went to the pediatrician's office for a holiday sick visit (as it was Patriot's Day and the regular office was closed.) By the time we drove down to Braintree, Quinlan was barely warm, cooing, and playing as if nothing was wrong. The doctor looked in his ears, listened to his lungs, and declared that he was fine.
   

     During his fever, all he wanted to do was read and be held. We kept him in cool clothing, tried to keep him hydrated, and enjoyed ever moment holding him.
      For a short time, he forgot that he was more interested in exploring the world and just wanted the comfort of his parents. And we obliged. We took turns holding him, and read through a good portion of his book shelf. Allowing him to turn the pages or just nuzzle against our necks.
     He slept surprisingly well, and was awoken only when we went to check in on him and give him another dose of Motrin. This was a pleasant surprise, as friends whose kids had recently been ill told us woes of being up with them every 40 minutes.
     By Marathon Monday, or Patriot's Day, Quinlan was well on the mend with both parents home to support him. This meant that the 3 of us were far from the finish line when the bombs went off. An unforeseen blessing.
   

Sorry, It Has Been A While...

    Quinlan is learning and mastering new things every day, and it really is fascinating to see the world through his eyes. It almost makes waking up before 6 AM every morning worth it!    
     A couple of weeks ago, Daddy constructed this double ball drop tower (6 levels instead of 3) that amazed and puzzled Quinlan. We showed him how to drop the ping pong balls in and watch them wind their way down, but he was more interested in banging the balls together in his hands or knocking the tower down.
     Mommy then took 3 of the levels off and from his belly his picked up a ball in one hand and placed in on the tower. We had to work on letting the ball go, but now he crawls over to it and with drop the ball and watch it wind down for 20 minutes!

     Yes, you read that correctly, Quinlan is now belly crawling!!! He started crawling a couple of weeks ago. At first it was only a couple of feet to reach a desired toy, but now he has discovered that he can crawl over the threshold of his room and will likely start following us around the apartment next.
      We took a video of his first crawling, which some of you may have already seen. It is great to see that he was, and is still, most motivated to move towards his favorite books. He is such a bibliophile and loves lying on his belly flipping through his board or flip-the-flap books. One can divert him away from playing with cords or other potential hazards, by opening a favorite book on the opposite side of the room.
     While he is crawling, he is still working on transitioning from belly to sitting, but can now get himself from sitting to his belly without help. Go Quinlan!