Smelling Fresher

Laughing, making his monkey dance

Poor Felix! His room is the coldest in our house and, lately, the temperature has been dropping really low overnight. We always put him to bed wearing so many layers that he can hardly move, and yet he still had icy cold feet when he woke up this morning. It would probably help if he kept his covers on but, he's such a worm and kicks them off. He was extra toasty when I put him to bed tonight; flannel pajamas, two pairs of socks and a onesie over the top. Hopefully his little toes will still be warm tomorrow morning.

As you know, Felix loves his sock cat and his monkey. He loves them so much that he's constantly covering them in kisses. His sock cat gets extra love; he sucks on its' arms and tail, making them incredibly soggy and, over time, quite stinky! Today I decided they both needed a good wash, before Felix takes them with him for his surgery on Monday, so I put them in the washing machine while Felix watched me. He wasn't quite sure what to think as he watched his little buddies swishing around and around, and kept looking at me with a puzzled look on his face. He gave them both extra big snuggles when I got them out of the clothes dryer. They were still warm and smelt beautiful and fresh, so they were extra nice to cuddle on a cold day.

Cuddles with clean sock cat

Felix got a little treat tonight. I was on the computer and noticed someone local was selling a Fisher Price piggy bank toy really cheaply. Felix has often used the same toy during his therapy sessions. It's good to encourage fine motor skills, and it has always been one of his favourites. For some reason, I've never been able to find one in our local shops (we only have one shop that sells toys, so that's probably why!) I quickly got in the car and drove around to pick it up. It looks almost brand new, which is a bonus! Felix was so excited when he saw it, and played with it for 20 minutes without stopping. It even plays the music to Old MacDonald's Farm which, of course, is Felix's theme song at the moment. He sat 'ee, i, ee, i, oh-ing' and snorting his very best pig sound as he put the coins in the top. Definitely a great find!

'Counting' out loud

Tomorrow, Felix and I have to drive back to the city ready for Felix's surgery, bright and early on Monday morning. I'm hoping this trip will be a lot less eventful than the last one! Felix's surgery is to clean all of the wax from his ears (he has so much, it's impossible to see his eardrums), and to check what is happening with his grommets. Our local GP thought Felix's right grommet had fallen out not long after his last surgery but, at our last visit, he thought he could see it but didn't think it was in properly. I guess we will find out on Monday. Felix has had three ear infections in the five months since his last surgery. I really hope things improve because they are such awful things to have. We are so grateful that his hearing doesn't seem to have been affected by his ear infections. Felix regularly signs the word 'hear' when he notices a noise, and often that noise is really quiet, so that's definitely a good sign.

As usual, I feel a bit nervous about holding my baby while he's put to sleep and then handing him over to a stranger, for his surgery. I know it's only something very minor, but it never gets easier. My heart goes out to my friends who have had to endure endless major surgeries on their little ones. They have faced challenges I hope I will never have to. I have so much admiration for their strength and resilience.