The Summer of Tag...

Tag continues to go through life with a smile and looking for fun despite a rough few weeks.   He's had a diaper rash that has morphed and held on for a month now- the poor little guy has endured the normal rash first, then it turning into an infection (collitis or folliculitis?) and oral antibiotics for a week, antibiotic ointments the next week as the sores broke open, and then it turned into a yeast infection we think so we've treated him for that since Friday.  It looked like it was clearing up finally until this morning.  He complained saying "owie bum bum" wanting his Daddy to change him and there was a runny looking diarrhea and redness again.  He's back to walking on tip toes with his legs spread wide.  As I sit here next to him and Mitch though he is enjoying some golf on TV and clapping as the balls go in saying "good shot!"


On top of that Tag came down with a high fever Thursday, he just clung to me and wanting to nurse saying "Mama Wa" (he also says "baba wa" for a milk bottle and "baba juicy' or 'apple juicy" for juice).  I had him almost weaned last month- we were down to once a day before all the diaper rashes started and now with this weekend it looks like we will start the process all over again... 


The fever hung on through Friday and he kept asking to "eat" but then spit everything out- including his favorite Vitamin C's- so I took him in to see Dr. Fulmer- our good friend and Tag's wonderful pediatrician.  He has "herpangina" which he said is basically having just the mouth part of the virus known as "Hand, Foot and Mouth".  It's a virus where he's got blisters all over his throat and I I saw at least one on his tongue.  The poor little guy!  He hates taking any meds right now, but they do help him seem like himself and he can eat and drink shortly after.  As a parent it is sure hard to watch these little ones suffer!  The doc said 3 to 4 bad days is the usual so hopefully after today he'll be back to himself. The fever has broken, but now he's got "owie bum bum" again- ugh!!  We found ourselves letting him run free during this trying time.

His virus kept us home this weekend instead of being in Idaho to see Michael's first home game of the season- his big brother is starting on Varsity as a cornerback for the Jerome High Tigers and plays some offense as a running back as well.  We got to have Michael with us for over a month this summer and Tag loved every minute of it.  It is amazing to me how connected he is to Jordan and Michael- even when going quite a while between visits.  He knows them and gets so excited to see pictures of them.  He loves to look at their Facebook pictures- he'll say "a more, a more" so I'll keep going.  He asks for 'Jordun' and 'Meme' and lights up when they are around.  We have started doing Skype video calls with Jordan and Tag will often say "want see Jordun" when I open my computer or get on the phone.  Tag loves to Skype with his Grandma Julie, his Aunt Darcie and her family as well- isn't technology amazing!?


As for the happier highlights of his past couple of months, Tag's language is exploding!  He is stringing words together into little sentences and saying new things continually.  On the one hand it's exciting, on the other sad to see him grow and change so quickly.  We were sad to hear him stop saying "mmm" last month and hear "Yeah/Yes" replace it.  Some current favorite words are "ma'-meeoh' (lawnmower), 'oh-ee-oh-ee-oh" (both four-wheeler and motorcycle), and 'boat/ boat hot'.  The family boat was parked here for a couple of weeks and after playing on it one sunny afternoon with Mitch, the "hot" was frequently included.   Also, while playing on the boat, Mitch said he discovered the tarp made an excellent slide and Mitch was so impressed with this game he discovered, he took some photos.  Mitch hopes grandpa Charkey doesn't see these...

He will ask to go see "Papaw oh-ee-oh-ee-oh, 'NiNi/BeBe/Kian and YaYa oh-ee-oh-ee-oh' referring to my Dad, my sister and her boys that he loves to play with and watch ride the ATV.   Tag loves to sit on the four wheeler when it is off, but as soon as it's on he wants to be held 5 or more feet away.  

Tag on 4-wheeler with his cousins.

Tag also now says "Watch Mama' Watch Daddy", or just 'watch' to whoever is around to see him run across the room and dive onto the floor or jump off something, and he is very observant so if you are only half watching he knows and waits to perform repeating himself.  This last week he said "Want some more meents Mama".  He loves mints and knows right where they are hidden in my room.  He'll often come in first thing in the morning to wake us up happily asking for 'meents, nandy, and/or treats'.  His countenance changes when we offer up breakfast suggestions instead- how quickly the sweet tooth develops!  He knows the difference between temperature hot and spicy hot now too and when he eats something spicy he'll tell us: 'spicy meat, spicy meent, spicy hot, etc'.   Tag, you are a joy! I hope you will enjoy reading this someday, though it can't compare to how much we enjoy having you in our lives!!


We went up to Jordanelle Reservoir last week with some friends and he enjoyed a slow ride on a wave runner with Mitch- I think his fear of ATV's may have to do with how loud they are since he enjoyed the wave runner.  Tag doesn't even like me vacuuming- he'll cover his ears and tell me "all done now".  That is a favorite phrase of his too- he repeats it numerous times when he wants to be all done- like during doctor visits and diaper changes!

Tag enjoyed his first Demolition Derby.  We went with Michael (MeMe) and our friends the Van Tassels.  The noise was so loud there that he was happy to wear his noise blocking head phones.  He enjoyed watching the cars crash into each other, the motorcycle side show with the high jumping tricks, and going to different people in our party to get treats! 

Tag and Jodi VanTassel

Demolition Derby - An American classic!

Michael and Lexi VanTassel

8 months pregnant.

Tag pointing to a car for his friend, Ellie VanTassel

Tag has fallen in love with swinging and going down slides in the backyard and at parks this summer.  I just tried a small underdog with him and he laughed and laughed.  He's started asking for "doggies" too.  It's a little harder on our swing set here as the swing will start to go sideways, when it does that he gets scared and wants to restart.  He'll stay on the baby swing at the park up for a half hour and enjoy watching what the others are doing while he swings.  He likes to have his hand held still while going down the slide sitting up, but I imagine that's about to end.  He'll go down solo on his stomach sometimes already.  He LOVES to look for deer too- he gets so excited when he sees them, which luckily up in Woodland Hills is daily.  We have them come through the yard, see them on walks, and when driving up here all the time.  "Deeuh" is kind of how he pronounces it- I wish I could capture the exact sound of his pronunciation in writing, it is so cute!