I can see you changing, little man.
Each day you are full of new wonders and discoveries.
A smile,
A laugh,
A look of recognition.
These milestones both break and warm my heart
As I realize there are so many moments now past.
They are recorded in a baby blue book full of your pictures
In an attempt to preserve their freshness.

I have to remember to keep looking forward.
There’s so much to see, so much to miss if
I’m not here, fully, with you in the present.

You enchant me, little man.
Staring into your bright blue eyes
Calms my impatient soul.
Hours pass in mere minutes.
You’ve taught me to be still, and to revel in it.
For time is much more fleeting than I ever knew,
Now documented in inches and pounds.
They seem to pass faster than days.

In this stillness, I try to will time to stop
So we can stay together.
I know it is futile; I’m simply not ready to let go.

Nothing prepares you to hear those words, much less utter them yourself.  You know those moments that you’ve seen in the movies about time standing still?  It happens.  S**t gets real.  Real good, but real in a way you have never experienced in life before.

OK Cole, pick your jaw up off the floor

Such was my 6:30 am wake up call on October 29th, 2011.  My wife was anxiously trying to get me out of bed to come see something, and like a bear coming out of hibernation I was resisting the waking world.  As I stumbled out of bed, protesting the whole way, she presented me with the above picture – in full stereoscopic 3D of the real world.

BAM!  Ton of bricks, meet Cole.

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Moms and Dads, this ones for you.  Ear infections are the number one reason for antibiotic prescription in infants and young children, so what do you need to be aware of?  First, the average child under 2 years of age will have 2 ear infections per year.  Risk factors that increase the likelihood of ear infection include: daycare attendance, exposure to cigarette smoke, pacifier use beyond 10 months, and formula feeding.

Since it is likely that you and your child will experience this at some point, here is the best current information to keep in mind:

• Most cases are viral, so antibiotics will be of no help.  Medical offices do not culture the ear fluid to determine if it is viral or bacterial.
• A British Medical Journal study found that 17 children must be treated with antibiotics to prevent just one child from experiencing some pain.
  –Del Mar C.  Are antibiotics indicated as initial treatment for children with acute otitis media?  British Medical Journal 1997; 314(7093): 1526-1529. 

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