Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
More Pictures
Here are a couple more pictures.
Here she is figuring out the sippy cup. I try to give her the cup at least once a week to get her used to it because I want her to be able to drink from a cup when she starts eating solid foods. She's pretty much figured out how to get the milk out, but we are still working on holding it and getting it to her mouth. She was actually pretty accurate over the weekend. She emptied the cup, but since it's very different than the bottle, at least half of the milk went down her chin and onto her shirt.
And here you see her studying her new bunny slippers. Sadly, the bunny slippers aren't going to fit for much longer - but that's okay because she has some reindeer for Christmas time.
Here she is figuring out the sippy cup. I try to give her the cup at least once a week to get her used to it because I want her to be able to drink from a cup when she starts eating solid foods. She's pretty much figured out how to get the milk out, but we are still working on holding it and getting it to her mouth. She was actually pretty accurate over the weekend. She emptied the cup, but since it's very different than the bottle, at least half of the milk went down her chin and onto her shirt.
And here you see her studying her new bunny slippers. Sadly, the bunny slippers aren't going to fit for much longer - but that's okay because she has some reindeer for Christmas time.
Weekend Update
We had a fun-filled weekend with lots of pet activities. Dave and Jewel started with some leisurely reading of the paper.
Then we got ready to walk to the park for the 2nd annual Critters by the Creek. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so shades were in order.
We stayed to watch the Bama Air Dogs perform their frisbee routines. It's a cool program because the people rescue animals from shelters and teach them the routines. Dogs need jobs if they are going to be good dogs, and these people get that. Although, I'll have to agree with Dave that watching them catch frisbees isnt' as amazing as it once was, since Georgia is pretty good at it herself.
Then we got ready to walk to the park for the 2nd annual Critters by the Creek. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so shades were in order.There were lots of dogs and people in the park, so Georgia needed a minute to herself after we'd made a round to all of the booths.
We stayed to watch the Bama Air Dogs perform their frisbee routines. It's a cool program because the people rescue animals from shelters and teach them the routines. Dogs need jobs if they are going to be good dogs, and these people get that. Although, I'll have to agree with Dave that watching them catch frisbees isnt' as amazing as it once was, since Georgia is pretty good at it herself. On the way home, we stopped to play on the playground. This is one of Georgia's favorite things about a walk to the park. She loves to slide.
As you can imagine, we were all pretty tired once we got home. It was time for a little rest and football watching.
We spent Sunday afternoon at the high school football field so Dave and Georgia could kick field goals. He kicks and she retrieves the balls. : ) Ella Grace and I strolled a couple of laps, but she decided that made her too sleepy, so we mostly played in the grass and watched. I entertained her with my ability to burp on command. I never knew how handy that childhood skill would be, but it makes her laugh out loud.
As you can imagine, we were all pretty tired once we got home. It was time for a little rest and football watching.We spent Sunday afternoon at the high school football field so Dave and Georgia could kick field goals. He kicks and she retrieves the balls. : ) Ella Grace and I strolled a couple of laps, but she decided that made her too sleepy, so we mostly played in the grass and watched. I entertained her with my ability to burp on command. I never knew how handy that childhood skill would be, but it makes her laugh out loud.We went back to the orthopedist today for another ultrasound on her hips. He told us the same percentages as last time (55% and 65%), but he also says there is a 5% margin of error in the ultrasound so she could be completely in the normal range (could have been last time, too). For good measure, and because she is sleeping fine in the harness, she has to keep wearing it at night for two more months. We'll go back the week after Christmas for an x-ray, because at that point the femoral head will be solid and the x-ray will be more accurate than an ultrasound.
She has her four month check up this week. I cannot wait to see how much she has gained and grown. The child is getting long!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Piglet Update
We haven't seen the piglet roll over again, but I think that's because her newest trick is more fun. She is "crawling" on her back. She looks a lot like an inch worm, scooting all around. She's pretty quick, but gets frustrated that she can't change directions very easily. Everything about the child's body language says she is ready to move! If she's lying down, she bends in the middle, trying to sit up. If she's sitting up, on the floor or in your arms, she's rocking back in forth in the direction she wants to go. She gets MAD when she can't get there. She does the same scooting routine when she's on her belly, but she's not as fast and it makes her mad. It's so cute because she pushes up on her hands and bends her knees like she's going to crawl, then plants her feet and pushes herself forward. Have mercy on all of us because when she gets it figured out there will be no stopping her. She has also perfected her squeal, and loves to practice it with others, by herself, at her toys, etc.
These new tricks were coupled with a huge physical growth spurt. She spent last week eating constantly and ravenously (which was disconcerting for the grandmothers, who questioned if I might be starving her), but her milk intake has leveled off this week. And she has grown, seemingly overnight. A shirt that had too-long sleeves two weeks ago had too-short sleeves (by an inch and a half!) on Sunday. Her knees are bent in her harness so much that diapering around it has become trickier, and that just happened over the weekend. There are new rolls on her thighs, and she has developed wrist creases now that her arms are filling out. Good grief. It's almost like you can see her growing before your very eyes.
With all this physical and developmental growth, she has entered the "wakeful fourth month" phase. She will be 16 weeks old tomorrow! Over the weekend, she has become a very distractible nurser. She likes to drink a little, look a little, drink a little, look a little. It makes nursing interesting, and explains some of the new night waking we are experiencing. She had been sleeping through the night since right before I went back to work (this is not normal behavior for a three month old, so don't stress about it when you have one) but now she wakes up once or twice a night to catch up on eating (because she's too busy during the day) and to practice her new tricks (pushing up and squealing with a giant smile on her face - at 3 a.m.). Because I knew this phase was coming, she is still sleeping in the co-sleeper beside the bed. When she wakes up, I just plop her into bed with me and nurse her back to sleep. I don't even have to sit up.
She is out of the harness for 10 hours a day this week. It takes less and less time for her to adjust to being out of it when we take it off every day. She is almost always in motion, and now that her legs are free for most of her waking hours, I feel like I'm nursing an octopus. Arms, legs, and head move in every direction, constantly. It's an adventure, and it makes me laugh.
These new tricks were coupled with a huge physical growth spurt. She spent last week eating constantly and ravenously (which was disconcerting for the grandmothers, who questioned if I might be starving her), but her milk intake has leveled off this week. And she has grown, seemingly overnight. A shirt that had too-long sleeves two weeks ago had too-short sleeves (by an inch and a half!) on Sunday. Her knees are bent in her harness so much that diapering around it has become trickier, and that just happened over the weekend. There are new rolls on her thighs, and she has developed wrist creases now that her arms are filling out. Good grief. It's almost like you can see her growing before your very eyes.
With all this physical and developmental growth, she has entered the "wakeful fourth month" phase. She will be 16 weeks old tomorrow! Over the weekend, she has become a very distractible nurser. She likes to drink a little, look a little, drink a little, look a little. It makes nursing interesting, and explains some of the new night waking we are experiencing. She had been sleeping through the night since right before I went back to work (this is not normal behavior for a three month old, so don't stress about it when you have one) but now she wakes up once or twice a night to catch up on eating (because she's too busy during the day) and to practice her new tricks (pushing up and squealing with a giant smile on her face - at 3 a.m.). Because I knew this phase was coming, she is still sleeping in the co-sleeper beside the bed. When she wakes up, I just plop her into bed with me and nurse her back to sleep. I don't even have to sit up.
She is out of the harness for 10 hours a day this week. It takes less and less time for her to adjust to being out of it when we take it off every day. She is almost always in motion, and now that her legs are free for most of her waking hours, I feel like I'm nursing an octopus. Arms, legs, and head move in every direction, constantly. It's an adventure, and it makes me laugh.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
"To the best of my ability."
Dave won his second jury trial this week on a felony burglary/theft of property case involving a generator. That gives him a personal record of 2 -0. While the victory was sweet, I think the highlight of the trial happened just before the defense (Dave) rested and they moved on to closing arguments.
Let me set it up for you.
Dave's client, we'll call him Judd (to protect the innocent?), and the co-defendant (a.k.a. partner in crime, whom I'll call Bob), are no strangers to the criminal justice system. Both men had to be shipped to the county jail from prison for this trial. They are most likely guilty of some crime in this case, even if it isn't what they were charged with. That's just the way it works when you are providing indigent counsel.
The co-defendant, Bob, happened to be one of the state's primary witnesses. Obviously, if anyone could implicate Judd, it would be the man that was with him at the time that the crime allegedly took place. Dave and the district attorney both interviewed Bob on several different occasions to get an idea of what he would say on the stand. The first story he told Dave was that Judd was present, but he did not steal the generator in question. He, Bob, stole it and they pawned it together (pawning a stolen generator carries a receiving stolen property charge, which is not a felony). Early last week when Dave met with him, he told him that he had found the Lord while in prison (Amen.) and he was conflicted because he needed to tell the truth but it would implicate Judd. According to that version of the tale, he and Judd did the stealing and the pawning together (stealing a generator is a felony - which Judd was charged with). He told this same story to the district attorney the next day. This was on Monday and Tuesday of last week. Well, it seems that while the two men waited in jail together, they may have consulted a bit on the actual events of that day.
When Dave spoke with Bob again on Monday morning, Bob mentioned that he thought he should plead the 5th (refuse to testify because his testimony might incriminate himself). According to Dave, when people start talking about pleading the 5th, things start getting interesting. When Bob took the stand for questioning by the district attorney, he told a different tale. While sitting on the cell block in the county jail, he had invested some time in remembering the events of that day. It seems that neither of them stole the generator, they found it and then pawned it. As you can imagine, the district attorney was incensed at this unexpected change in the story. He questioned Bob again and again, asked him why his story was different this time (apparently, Bob was on a lot of drugs at the time the crime allegedly took place and, thus, his memories are foggy), etc. When Dave cross-examined Bob, the following conversation took place.
The judgle let that answer stay on the record. Maybe that isn't very funny to some, but Dave and I found it hilarious. Are we all exempt from perjury charges if we are unable to tell the truth?
Let me set it up for you.
Dave's client, we'll call him Judd (to protect the innocent?), and the co-defendant (a.k.a. partner in crime, whom I'll call Bob), are no strangers to the criminal justice system. Both men had to be shipped to the county jail from prison for this trial. They are most likely guilty of some crime in this case, even if it isn't what they were charged with. That's just the way it works when you are providing indigent counsel.
The co-defendant, Bob, happened to be one of the state's primary witnesses. Obviously, if anyone could implicate Judd, it would be the man that was with him at the time that the crime allegedly took place. Dave and the district attorney both interviewed Bob on several different occasions to get an idea of what he would say on the stand. The first story he told Dave was that Judd was present, but he did not steal the generator in question. He, Bob, stole it and they pawned it together (pawning a stolen generator carries a receiving stolen property charge, which is not a felony). Early last week when Dave met with him, he told him that he had found the Lord while in prison (Amen.) and he was conflicted because he needed to tell the truth but it would implicate Judd. According to that version of the tale, he and Judd did the stealing and the pawning together (stealing a generator is a felony - which Judd was charged with). He told this same story to the district attorney the next day. This was on Monday and Tuesday of last week. Well, it seems that while the two men waited in jail together, they may have consulted a bit on the actual events of that day.
When Dave spoke with Bob again on Monday morning, Bob mentioned that he thought he should plead the 5th (refuse to testify because his testimony might incriminate himself). According to Dave, when people start talking about pleading the 5th, things start getting interesting. When Bob took the stand for questioning by the district attorney, he told a different tale. While sitting on the cell block in the county jail, he had invested some time in remembering the events of that day. It seems that neither of them stole the generator, they found it and then pawned it. As you can imagine, the district attorney was incensed at this unexpected change in the story. He questioned Bob again and again, asked him why his story was different this time (apparently, Bob was on a lot of drugs at the time the crime allegedly took place and, thus, his memories are foggy), etc. When Dave cross-examined Bob, the following conversation took place.
Dave: Bob, did you take an oath to tell the truth when you talked to the district attorney last week?
Bob: No.
Dave: Did you take an oath to tell the truth today?
Bob: Yes.
Dave: Are you telling the truth today?
(One would expect the witness to answer "yes" or possibly "no;" after all, lying under oath is a criminal offense.)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Bob: "To the best of my ability."
The judgle let that answer stay on the record. Maybe that isn't very funny to some, but Dave and I found it hilarious. Are we all exempt from perjury charges if we are unable to tell the truth?
Monday, October 06, 2008
Around the House
One of the gifts we received before Ella Grace was born was a matching towel, bathrobe, and washcloth set. It is really cute, but I'll be honest, I thought a bathrobe for a baby was ridiculous. I tried to return it, but I didn't have a receipt to know where to return it. It hung in the closet for 3.5 months while I pondered when exactly she would wear it. She doesn't care terribly for clothing - LOVES to be naked, and HATES getting dressed most times. We use the cute hooded towels to transport her from the tub to the changing table to get her pjs on, and there is no way I am going to dress her in the robe after her bath just to undress her again 2 minutes later. Sunday morning, it finally occurred to me that the cute little robe would be quite handy when I got my naked baby (her father hates wrestling her into pajamas) out of bed and didn't want to dress her for church yet. I usually let her go naked, but it was too cool in the house and keeping a blanket around her is nearly impossible. Together, we wore our robes and lounged around the house until it was time to get dressed for church.
Two weeks into this working mom business, I got the first phone call to tell me I missed a major milestone. She rolled over by herself - from tummy to back - for the very first time on Friday. Sad as it made me that I missed it, I was so excited. Apparently, she was very non-chalant about the whole thing. We got her to do it again Saturday morning, and the look on her face said, "What? This isn't a big deal." She acts like she'll be rolling from back to tummy in no time.
She's becoming such a big girl. I gave her a sippy cup Saturday for the first time and she loved it. She loved it so much that I had to remove it from her sight while I was working in the kitchen because she was getting mad that she couldn't get it to her mouth by herself yet. It won't be long before she masters that. She also stayed in the nursery during Sunday school and church for the first time. She did great for the most part, and she really enjoyed being around the other kids.
I visited my college roommate over the weekend to see her new baby, and realized I already have a hard time remembering Ella being that small. She looks so big and grown up compared to the newborn!
A few pictures from the weekend..
We practiced a new hold in the wrap. I think she likes this one because she can see everything.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
The Baby Blues
I had my last postpartum check-up yesterday, and everything is great. The even better news? I am 7 pounds UNDER my pre-pregnancy weight! (So, a big, fat "HA!" to everyone who told me how huge I was.) I love nursing. It is literally melting the pounds off of me, and for the first time in my life I can eat what I want and not feel guilty. I think my behind is smaller now that it has been in 15 years. If these stretch marks keep fading, I might wear a bikini next summer.
I feel good about myself again, and it's a really good feeling. People warned me about a lot of things about having a baby, but the one thing I was completely unprepared for was how bad I felt about myself right after she was born. They use the term "baby blues" to describe the normal but wacky feelings you have right after the birth of a child. I'm sure it depends on the individual, but that term does not adequately describe my crying, grieving, and intense need for affirmation. I remember crying and thinking, "Why am I crying? I'm not a crier." Most of the time, it wasn't sad crying; it was like I was overflowing with love for her and for Dave. Even TV made me cry, and that NEVER happens. I remember looking at myself in the mirror and grieving because my midsection was completely distorted. I knew I would still look 5 months pregnant, but I was caught off guard by the jiggly mass that used to be my belly. Not only was it jiggly, it was covered in angry, red stretch marks that looked SOOOO much worse once the baby was born. I was swollen from the surgery, and it was hard for me to imagine that I would ever look normal again. I never had an issue with my huge pregnant belly, but the aftermath of it was devastating. I had a great need to be told that I was still beautiful, to be cuddled and loved on. I was devoting so much energy to cuddling and loving and caring for Ella, that sometimes I would break down because I felt like no one was loving me. That wasn't true, but it sure felt like it at 2 a.m. when I was by myself with a crying, week-old baby. Top that all off with the fact that I couldn't leave the house of my on volition for two weeks because I had just had a major abdominal surgery, and you've got a hormonal train wreck. All of that mixed with overwhelming joy and a love that I've never felt before made me pretty nutso for about three weeks. I've always been pretty secure about myself overall, so it was a little disconcerting. If it had continued for longer than that, I definitely would have sought medical help because there's no way I would be able to live that way long-term. And, this was normal; this is what they were describing when they used words like "baby blues" and "emotional." The craziest part is that I didn't realize how crazy I was until several weeks later when I was thinking back on it.
Don't get me wrong, having a newborn at home was a wonderful, exciting, joyous occasion. I looked forward to and loved every minute of caring for her (still do). I love being a mother even more than I imagined I would. But, I didn't know that "baby blues" meant "crazy." I decided to write about it because I know that I am not the only woman who was caught off guard by this experience, and there are several young women who read this blog that might benefit from knowing that you just might be crazier and more hormonal right after you have the baby than you'll ever feel while you are pregnant.
The good new is, it's not permanent and you will feel normal again someday. Just don't expect the same kind of normal. Becoming a mother changes you forever, but that's another story for another day.
I feel good about myself again, and it's a really good feeling. People warned me about a lot of things about having a baby, but the one thing I was completely unprepared for was how bad I felt about myself right after she was born. They use the term "baby blues" to describe the normal but wacky feelings you have right after the birth of a child. I'm sure it depends on the individual, but that term does not adequately describe my crying, grieving, and intense need for affirmation. I remember crying and thinking, "Why am I crying? I'm not a crier." Most of the time, it wasn't sad crying; it was like I was overflowing with love for her and for Dave. Even TV made me cry, and that NEVER happens. I remember looking at myself in the mirror and grieving because my midsection was completely distorted. I knew I would still look 5 months pregnant, but I was caught off guard by the jiggly mass that used to be my belly. Not only was it jiggly, it was covered in angry, red stretch marks that looked SOOOO much worse once the baby was born. I was swollen from the surgery, and it was hard for me to imagine that I would ever look normal again. I never had an issue with my huge pregnant belly, but the aftermath of it was devastating. I had a great need to be told that I was still beautiful, to be cuddled and loved on. I was devoting so much energy to cuddling and loving and caring for Ella, that sometimes I would break down because I felt like no one was loving me. That wasn't true, but it sure felt like it at 2 a.m. when I was by myself with a crying, week-old baby. Top that all off with the fact that I couldn't leave the house of my on volition for two weeks because I had just had a major abdominal surgery, and you've got a hormonal train wreck. All of that mixed with overwhelming joy and a love that I've never felt before made me pretty nutso for about three weeks. I've always been pretty secure about myself overall, so it was a little disconcerting. If it had continued for longer than that, I definitely would have sought medical help because there's no way I would be able to live that way long-term. And, this was normal; this is what they were describing when they used words like "baby blues" and "emotional." The craziest part is that I didn't realize how crazy I was until several weeks later when I was thinking back on it.
Don't get me wrong, having a newborn at home was a wonderful, exciting, joyous occasion. I looked forward to and loved every minute of caring for her (still do). I love being a mother even more than I imagined I would. But, I didn't know that "baby blues" meant "crazy." I decided to write about it because I know that I am not the only woman who was caught off guard by this experience, and there are several young women who read this blog that might benefit from knowing that you just might be crazier and more hormonal right after you have the baby than you'll ever feel while you are pregnant.
The good new is, it's not permanent and you will feel normal again someday. Just don't expect the same kind of normal. Becoming a mother changes you forever, but that's another story for another day.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Inherited Personality Traits?
This is what I found this morning when I went to wake Ella up. 
Where is she, you ask? 
I have suspected that she inherited my morning disposition, but these pictures give me solid evidence. She covered her head with the blankets because the lamp was on. I know this because her head was out when I got up to take a shower in the dark. While Dave is getting ready, he turns on the lamp and she starts scooting around in bed. When he kissed her goodbye, he adjusted the covers and did not turn off the lamp. Then I went to wake her up and found her completely covered. I know it's because of the light because I do the same thing when he turns the light on while I'm still sleeping.
In addition to covering her head to block the light when she isn't ready to get up, she also doesn't want a lot of talk in the mornings. Which is fine, because I don't either. She might manage a smile for me once she pries her eyes open, but she doesn't want any funny business. Just change the diaper, put on the clothes, and get down to eating. Once the tummy is full, she is happy to start her day, but don't expect anything before then.
It took Dave a while to learn that I am not a happy morning person, and the more you talk to me and the louder and peppier you are about it, the grouchier I become. I have to have a shower before there is any human interaction, and then I need it to be kept to a minimum. Now, if I'm left to wake up on my own time, I'm happy to start my day cheerfully, but when I have to get up with the alarm - keep your distance. Apparently, my daughter will be the same way. I'll be honest, I'm glad about it. I don't think I could handle another person in my house who jumps out of bed ready to rock at all hours of what can hardly be considered morning.
The sweet princess has also inherited a trait from her father. The man gives no warning of transistion when he is ready to eat/leave/do something, etc. He goes from happy, mellow hanging out to packed up and ready to leave a place in under a minute. It's amazing to me, and often a source of conflict seeing as how I don't get a warning when something is about to change and I'm often to slow to react. Like her father, the child can be happily playing or talking or singing one minute, and screaming-at-the-top-of-her-lungs mad the next because she's just decided she is starving to death. You will read that babies give cues before they start to cry, and that if you pay attention you can meet their needs before they start crying. Crying is the last cue. That was true when she was brand new, but now, the fits come virtually without warning. It's amazing to watch the transistion. I often tell her that tiny babies don't starve to death in a matter of minutes. She begs to differ.
I haven't posted any pictures in a while, so here are a few from around the house.
This is AFTER she has eaten in the morning, when she is content to chat with me while I eat.
I'm not sure if you can see it through the red gleam, but there is abject terror in Georgia's eyes here. I can see her thinking, "WHAT?! Why are you putting that thing on me? I can't be responsible for that!" I had to force her to stay while I took the picture. I tried to get a second one, but I had to catch the baby as George jumped off the couch. : )
No animals or infants were harmed in the making of this photograph.
After the bath (her bath, not mine, obviously).
Where is she, you ask? I have suspected that she inherited my morning disposition, but these pictures give me solid evidence. She covered her head with the blankets because the lamp was on. I know this because her head was out when I got up to take a shower in the dark. While Dave is getting ready, he turns on the lamp and she starts scooting around in bed. When he kissed her goodbye, he adjusted the covers and did not turn off the lamp. Then I went to wake her up and found her completely covered. I know it's because of the light because I do the same thing when he turns the light on while I'm still sleeping.In addition to covering her head to block the light when she isn't ready to get up, she also doesn't want a lot of talk in the mornings. Which is fine, because I don't either. She might manage a smile for me once she pries her eyes open, but she doesn't want any funny business. Just change the diaper, put on the clothes, and get down to eating. Once the tummy is full, she is happy to start her day, but don't expect anything before then.
It took Dave a while to learn that I am not a happy morning person, and the more you talk to me and the louder and peppier you are about it, the grouchier I become. I have to have a shower before there is any human interaction, and then I need it to be kept to a minimum. Now, if I'm left to wake up on my own time, I'm happy to start my day cheerfully, but when I have to get up with the alarm - keep your distance. Apparently, my daughter will be the same way. I'll be honest, I'm glad about it. I don't think I could handle another person in my house who jumps out of bed ready to rock at all hours of what can hardly be considered morning.
The sweet princess has also inherited a trait from her father. The man gives no warning of transistion when he is ready to eat/leave/do something, etc. He goes from happy, mellow hanging out to packed up and ready to leave a place in under a minute. It's amazing to me, and often a source of conflict seeing as how I don't get a warning when something is about to change and I'm often to slow to react. Like her father, the child can be happily playing or talking or singing one minute, and screaming-at-the-top-of-her-lungs mad the next because she's just decided she is starving to death. You will read that babies give cues before they start to cry, and that if you pay attention you can meet their needs before they start crying. Crying is the last cue. That was true when she was brand new, but now, the fits come virtually without warning. It's amazing to watch the transistion. I often tell her that tiny babies don't starve to death in a matter of minutes. She begs to differ.
I haven't posted any pictures in a while, so here are a few from around the house.
This is AFTER she has eaten in the morning, when she is content to chat with me while I eat.
I'm not sure if you can see it through the red gleam, but there is abject terror in Georgia's eyes here. I can see her thinking, "WHAT?! Why are you putting that thing on me? I can't be responsible for that!" I had to force her to stay while I took the picture. I tried to get a second one, but I had to catch the baby as George jumped off the couch. : )
No animals or infants were harmed in the making of this photograph.
After the bath (her bath, not mine, obviously).
Friday, September 26, 2008
One More Reason to Breastfeed Your Baby
Have you paid attention to the news lately? Babies in China are DYING because of tainted milk powdered that is used to make formula. Others are deathly ill. Can you imagine?
I was horrified about the massive dog food recalls and the number of dogs that were dying because of that contamination scare. I was terrified of feeding Georgia dog food, and actually did lots of research and changed food because of it. I seriously considered a RAW diet for her. I could not imagine losing my dog because of something I fed her that was made for her.
I felt strongly enough about my dog to change her food; the thought of something like that happening to my child is beyond my comprehension. I'm so very thankful that God equipped my body to feed my child. I don't have to worry about what is in her food because I already know - I'm making it. Even if I am affected by contaminated food, she will not be.
One of the greatest gifts God has given to mothers is the ability to breastfeed their children. I wish that more mothers would choose to do so - for so many reasons.
I was horrified about the massive dog food recalls and the number of dogs that were dying because of that contamination scare. I was terrified of feeding Georgia dog food, and actually did lots of research and changed food because of it. I seriously considered a RAW diet for her. I could not imagine losing my dog because of something I fed her that was made for her.
I felt strongly enough about my dog to change her food; the thought of something like that happening to my child is beyond my comprehension. I'm so very thankful that God equipped my body to feed my child. I don't have to worry about what is in her food because I already know - I'm making it. Even if I am affected by contaminated food, she will not be.
One of the greatest gifts God has given to mothers is the ability to breastfeed their children. I wish that more mothers would choose to do so - for so many reasons.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Wonder of Modern Technology
While I was away on maternity leave, my team moved to a new building with snazzy, automatic bathrooms. The toilet flushes for me, the faucet turns itself on, the soap dispenser dispenses soap at the mere sight of me, and the paper towel holder rolls one out without me touching a thing. Ahh, life is good with an automatic bathroom! Just think of all the germs I don’t have to touch anymore!
As convenient, sanitary, and cost-efficient as all of that is supposed to be, I kind of miss stomping on the flush lever of the regular old toilets (You didn’t think I would touch that with my hand, did you?). I think I am automatic toilet handicapped. On my first trip to the bathroom on Monday, the toilet flushed as soon as I sat down on it. Before I had finished my transaction, it flushed again. TWO flushes in a two minute timeframe! It seems that 2 out of 3 times that I use an automatic toilet, it is flushing WHILE I’m still sitting on it. And this doesn’t even account for the times that I’m wearing hard-to-unbutton pants! How does one relax in an automatic toilet stall? Personally, I feel pressured to move as quickly as possible in order to be off of the toilet before it decides to flush. Just picture the race that happens every time I enter a stall with one of these new-fangled toilets.
Enter stall, lock it quick! (It won’t lock! Now it is!), stand as far from toilet as possible, unbutton pants (They won’t unbutton! Try again – there, finally!), pants down, sit on toilet, transact business, clean up, jump off quick! And FLUSH! Pheww! I made it.
Only, sometimes I don’t make it and there aren’t many grosser things than a toilet flushing while you are using it. The last time I traveled for work, there was a day that every airport toilet I used (in three different airports, mind you) flushed while I was still using it. There must me something wrong with me. Does anyone else have this problem? Don’t even get me started on the automatic soap dispenser that withholds soap until you perform the exact right, pleading give-me-some-soap dance in front of it, and then it continuously spits it on you the entire time you are battling to rinse said soap from your hands under the automatic faucet that only turns on half of the time you stick your hand under it.
All I know is, the day they make toilet paper holders self-dispensing, I’m doomed.
As convenient, sanitary, and cost-efficient as all of that is supposed to be, I kind of miss stomping on the flush lever of the regular old toilets (You didn’t think I would touch that with my hand, did you?). I think I am automatic toilet handicapped. On my first trip to the bathroom on Monday, the toilet flushed as soon as I sat down on it. Before I had finished my transaction, it flushed again. TWO flushes in a two minute timeframe! It seems that 2 out of 3 times that I use an automatic toilet, it is flushing WHILE I’m still sitting on it. And this doesn’t even account for the times that I’m wearing hard-to-unbutton pants! How does one relax in an automatic toilet stall? Personally, I feel pressured to move as quickly as possible in order to be off of the toilet before it decides to flush. Just picture the race that happens every time I enter a stall with one of these new-fangled toilets.
Enter stall, lock it quick! (It won’t lock! Now it is!), stand as far from toilet as possible, unbutton pants (They won’t unbutton! Try again – there, finally!), pants down, sit on toilet, transact business, clean up, jump off quick! And FLUSH! Pheww! I made it.
Only, sometimes I don’t make it and there aren’t many grosser things than a toilet flushing while you are using it. The last time I traveled for work, there was a day that every airport toilet I used (in three different airports, mind you) flushed while I was still using it. There must me something wrong with me. Does anyone else have this problem? Don’t even get me started on the automatic soap dispenser that withholds soap until you perform the exact right, pleading give-me-some-soap dance in front of it, and then it continuously spits it on you the entire time you are battling to rinse said soap from your hands under the automatic faucet that only turns on half of the time you stick your hand under it.
All I know is, the day they make toilet paper holders self-dispensing, I’m doomed.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Two Down, One to Go
I just thought I lived for the weekends before I had a baby. :) I cannot wait to spend the day tomorrow watching her smile and laugh. I have missed that child so much.
So far we are both doing okay with this new routine. Well, Ella is doing wonderfully, but I'm just okay. It's so hard to leave her in the mornings and so hard to put her down in her bed at night because I have approximately 3 waking hours with her. I won't lie; I hate it. Someone else gets the best of her during the day and I get the worn out baby in the evenings. There are two consolation prizes for that, of course: 1) I get her when the harness is off and she's so happy to kick her legs and have a bath and 2) it's my mothers who get the best of her, not a complete stranger who is responsible for ten other kids at the same time. I can live with that if I have to, and I have to. :)
She spends her days reading books with Grandma, and she absolutely loves it! I'm so happy that she loves books already. When I got there to pick her up yesterday, they were on the porch reading, and I could hear her reading along. :) It's amazing to me that she already loves to listen and look at the pictures.
The second day was the hardest for me because, after putting her to bed on the first day I was facing the stark reality of how little I would be seeing her during the week. Knowing that she is happy during the day and that she's taking the bottle without issues makes me feel better. Yesterday, she actually refused the last bottle and waited for me to get home to nurse her, so that made me feel great! Most of my worries about leaving her are gone now, I'm just dealing with guilt because those giant eyes look at me imploringly in the mornings, and that toothless smile takes up her whole face and I think to myself, "How can I possibly leave this child?" even though I know she's getting the best care possible (second to myself, of course). I was warned of the guilt, but there's no explaining that feeling to someone who isn't a mother who has left her child to go back to work.
Here's that toothless grin. This is my new favorite picture of her. Those eyes are so expressive. You can already see the devilment in her in this picture. :)
So far we are both doing okay with this new routine. Well, Ella is doing wonderfully, but I'm just okay. It's so hard to leave her in the mornings and so hard to put her down in her bed at night because I have approximately 3 waking hours with her. I won't lie; I hate it. Someone else gets the best of her during the day and I get the worn out baby in the evenings. There are two consolation prizes for that, of course: 1) I get her when the harness is off and she's so happy to kick her legs and have a bath and 2) it's my mothers who get the best of her, not a complete stranger who is responsible for ten other kids at the same time. I can live with that if I have to, and I have to. :)
She spends her days reading books with Grandma, and she absolutely loves it! I'm so happy that she loves books already. When I got there to pick her up yesterday, they were on the porch reading, and I could hear her reading along. :) It's amazing to me that she already loves to listen and look at the pictures.
The second day was the hardest for me because, after putting her to bed on the first day I was facing the stark reality of how little I would be seeing her during the week. Knowing that she is happy during the day and that she's taking the bottle without issues makes me feel better. Yesterday, she actually refused the last bottle and waited for me to get home to nurse her, so that made me feel great! Most of my worries about leaving her are gone now, I'm just dealing with guilt because those giant eyes look at me imploringly in the mornings, and that toothless smile takes up her whole face and I think to myself, "How can I possibly leave this child?" even though I know she's getting the best care possible (second to myself, of course). I was warned of the guilt, but there's no explaining that feeling to someone who isn't a mother who has left her child to go back to work.
Here's that toothless grin. This is my new favorite picture of her. Those eyes are so expressive. You can already see the devilment in her in this picture. :)
Monday, September 15, 2008
Freedom!!
When we let the dog off of the leash we yell, "Freeeeedoooom!" as she runs down the street to our house. That's what I felt like yelling today when the doctor told us we can start weaning out of the harness!! We start with two hours of freedom a day and increase that time by two hours each week until we get to 12 hours a day. She will have another ultrasound done in 6 weeks, and hopefully then she'll just have to wear it at night for a while. Her right hip has improved from 40% coverage to 65%, and her left hip improved from 30% to 55%. That is great improvement and it's right on track for what the doctor expected to see at 6 weeks. Normal is between 65 and 70%, so we aren't far from normal at this point. We also got a brand new harness because when he adjusted the old one he decided we needed a bigger one. It's amazing to think the old one was ever as sparkling white as this one. :) We'll start dirtying it up right away, though I will leave the socks in this one for a while since the weather will start getting cooler soon. Oh, and in case you are wondering, I did keep the old one for posterity. It's in her keep box (that's the box of randomness that I'll be keeping all her life). I'm so excited because bath time is back!
We had a bridal shower at our house yesterday for a friend of ours, and Ella was so good. I had been telling her all weekend that we were having a girl party (or a panty party, as Dave calls it), and she was taking it all in. She sat in her chair in the kitchen and watched and watched as we all buzzed around her getting ready and then cleaning up afterward. She did great with a house full of strange women in her face, cooing over her. Here are some pictures of the occasion.
In this one she looks like she wants to eat my cake. She did watch in wonderment while I iced it on Saturday.
In this one she looks like she wants to eat my cake. She did watch in wonderment while I iced it on Saturday.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Fountains of Puke
We had an exciting weekly Wal-Mart trip last week. I was wearing Ella, as I usually do in Wal-Mart, and she was staying awake to see everything. This is a fairly new thing she does since she really doesn't want to miss a thing. We were standing on the baby aisle, picking out nipples in preparation for my return to work. Imagine my surprise when I felt a warm, squishy feeling INSIDE the wrap. She had puked a puddle in there. I folded it down so that her head was exposed and she proceeded to continue puking all over the floor in Wal-Mart. We had to get a lady with a mop to clean it up. And, since this was the first time I've ever gone into Wal-Mart without the diaper bag (of course), I did not have a change of clothes for her. She had to go naked (in public!) through the rest of the store. Needless to say, our shopping trip was cut short. I was covered in puke, she was naked, and I just needed to get out of there. :)
She woke up during church this week and tried to engage Dave in conversation during the special music and preaching. She kept smiling really big at him and talking to him. When he would turn away from her, she would smile really big again to try to get him to look at her again. It was so cute. I ended up taking her out of the service because she was getting very enthusiastic and she cued to nurse. It was lunch time, and everyone knows that tiny babies starve to death in a matter of minutes. She can go from smiling and happy to starving, mad in half a second. I understand, the hunger hits me like that, too. :)
I know I've said it before, but I feel like my life is passing before my eyes as I watch her grow up. In the last week she has become such a big girl! She's staying awake and happy most of the day, she talks and smiles when people talk to her (even people she doesn't know), she can sit up in my lap and look all around with minimal support, I can carry her on one arm without supporting her head and back anymore, and she wants you to hold her standing up so she can see everything. It's amazing to see how much she has developed in such a short time. She is so alert and she hardly misses anything. Oh, she has starting paying close attention to the pets and she smiles when they come close to her. I could (and sometimes do) just sit and talk to her all day long. Lord have mercy on me when I go back to work because I am going to miss her so, so much.
She woke up during church this week and tried to engage Dave in conversation during the special music and preaching. She kept smiling really big at him and talking to him. When he would turn away from her, she would smile really big again to try to get him to look at her again. It was so cute. I ended up taking her out of the service because she was getting very enthusiastic and she cued to nurse. It was lunch time, and everyone knows that tiny babies starve to death in a matter of minutes. She can go from smiling and happy to starving, mad in half a second. I understand, the hunger hits me like that, too. :)
I know I've said it before, but I feel like my life is passing before my eyes as I watch her grow up. In the last week she has become such a big girl! She's staying awake and happy most of the day, she talks and smiles when people talk to her (even people she doesn't know), she can sit up in my lap and look all around with minimal support, I can carry her on one arm without supporting her head and back anymore, and she wants you to hold her standing up so she can see everything. It's amazing to see how much she has developed in such a short time. She is so alert and she hardly misses anything. Oh, she has starting paying close attention to the pets and she smiles when they come close to her. I could (and sometimes do) just sit and talk to her all day long. Lord have mercy on me when I go back to work because I am going to miss her so, so much.
Friday, August 29, 2008
My Little Piglet
Ella Grace had her two month check up on Wednesday and she weighed 10 lbs. 13 1/2 ounces! She was also 22 inches long. I knew she had gotten longer because I had to take the harness off recently to wash it, and I was amazed at how much lower her feet hit my body when I held her on my hip. You can't really tell how long she is because the harness keeps her legs bent, but she has really grown! I'm just imagining the stack of barely worn onesies we'll have to retire once the harness is gone and I know what fits and what doesn't.
Here she is practicing her newest skill. I turned around the other night to find her chewing on the duck's beak. She managed to get it into her mouth all by herself. I was so proud!
She was a wonderful baby, smiling and flirting with the doctor! She can be very charming these days. I asked him about acid reflux because she's been showing some signs of it, and it could be an explanation of some of her crying fits. He decided to try her on some medicine to reduce the acid production to see if that would make a difference. I'll say that after 4 doses, she is a different baby. She's much happier, even during the evening witching hour.
The shots hurt her feelings, but she did much better than I expected. The first one shocked her, the second brought tears and crying screams, the third and fourth just happened in a blur. The nurse gave them really fast and as soon as I picked her up she started to calm down. I nursed her for a few minutes and they were all but forgotten by the time she finished nursing. Nursing is a gift from God!! :)
Here she is practicing her newest skill. I turned around the other night to find her chewing on the duck's beak. She managed to get it into her mouth all by herself. I was so proud!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Life's a Beach
We had a great time on our mini vacation, even if we had to cut it short thanks to Tropical Storm Fay. We had one beautiful day on the beach and Ella Grace loved it. She slept and slept out there. And, can I say there is nothing more convenient than breastfeeding when you take a tiny baby to the beach?
She did great on the ride down, and even though she barely slept at all that day, she was a happy baby. You could tell that she knew she was somewhere different and she was trying very hard not to miss anything. She finally took a nap at dinner when I wore her in my wrap. Her little eyes were so red and puffy and she was still holding them wide open to see what was going on around us. We didn't have the animal mobile with us, but there was a nice ceiling fan in the bedroom that provided good entertainment for her.
The drive home was not so pleasant, but she was in the carseat for a really long time. We were all worn out when we finally got home. We stopped in Foley to shop and eat, but I think it still took us about 6 hours to get home. It poured - I mean, pounding sheets of rain you couldn't see through - all the way home. Dave drove the whole way and I felt so bad for him because it was nerve racking and Ella was unhappy most of the way, which made it even worse. Cars would pass by us (where were the Troopers then when people were driving 80 in rain you couldn't see through?) and disappear because it was raining so hard. We finally made it safely home Saturday evening. I think it took us all a day to recover from that car ride. :)
If you've never been to Lambert's (Home of Throwed Rolls) in Foley, stop there for lunch the next time you go to the beach. It's an experience you shouldn't miss. This was the second time for both of us and we really enjoyed it. The food is good, the atmosphere is fun, and the staff are really friendly. I wore Ella in my wrap (because that's the easiest way for me to eat out with her) and I've never had so many comments and questions about it. People loved it and asked me over and over where I got it. One lady asked to feel it and a guy stopped Dave in the bathroom to ask, "Was that your wife with a baby tied around her neck?" Most people just stare, but everyone there was commenting and asking about it.
We had our 3 week appointment with the orthopedic doctor today. He adjusted one of the leg straps on the harness and gave me permission to cut the little socks out of them. Her feet have gotten so long that her toes were curling up inside of them - well, the ones that were still in it. I had already opened the ends for her big toes to poke out. At least now she doesn't look like a hobo baby with holes in her socks. :) We have our next appointment on the 15th of September for the ultrasound and to find out if she has to keep wearing the harness full time. We are really praying that the answer to that is no.
This week she also has her two month check up with the pediatrician and her first round of vaccinations. I'm so not looking forward to those shots. I know it will only hurt her for a minute, but it breaks my heart to think about them making her cry. Mostly I'm really hoping we don't have any adverse reactions to them. I know that kids get vaccinated every day, but it doesn't make me less nervous about it for my kid.
It is so fun right now to watch her develop a personality. She has really started "talking" more, conversing with me by fitting her cooing noises in the pauses of my ongoing commentary about everything. She also talks to the animals on her mobile and the frog on her carseat toy bar. She has started playing with the frog toys in the car. It's so cool to hear her hitting them and entertaining herself while we drive. It has made riding in the car with her much more pleasant. Her cries have become more organized and distinct, including a new one to tell us when she is really mad. She has quite the temper, and she lets you know when you've made her mad. :) She pauses in anticipation when she signals for something, and gives the mad cry when you don't respond the way she anticipated (for instance, if I don't feed her when she's telling me she's hungry). Her hands are very busy these days, finding their way into her mouth more readily and generally just entertaining her. I'll catch her holding them in front of her face, just looking at them. She smiles and laughs now in response to your smiles, too. She can be quite charming when she wants to be - especially in the mornings when she's well rested. Today was the first time I've seen her startled to the point of tears. Georgia barked a giant booger bark (that's the really loud, scary one), and scared the pants off of both of us. We both jumped and I looked over at Ella to see her face scrunch up, her lip poke out, and tears squeeze out of the corners of her eyes as she gave a cry. It was really cute. :)
She did great on the ride down, and even though she barely slept at all that day, she was a happy baby. You could tell that she knew she was somewhere different and she was trying very hard not to miss anything. She finally took a nap at dinner when I wore her in my wrap. Her little eyes were so red and puffy and she was still holding them wide open to see what was going on around us. We didn't have the animal mobile with us, but there was a nice ceiling fan in the bedroom that provided good entertainment for her.
The drive home was not so pleasant, but she was in the carseat for a really long time. We were all worn out when we finally got home. We stopped in Foley to shop and eat, but I think it still took us about 6 hours to get home. It poured - I mean, pounding sheets of rain you couldn't see through - all the way home. Dave drove the whole way and I felt so bad for him because it was nerve racking and Ella was unhappy most of the way, which made it even worse. Cars would pass by us (where were the Troopers then when people were driving 80 in rain you couldn't see through?) and disappear because it was raining so hard. We finally made it safely home Saturday evening. I think it took us all a day to recover from that car ride. :)If you've never been to Lambert's (Home of Throwed Rolls) in Foley, stop there for lunch the next time you go to the beach. It's an experience you shouldn't miss. This was the second time for both of us and we really enjoyed it. The food is good, the atmosphere is fun, and the staff are really friendly. I wore Ella in my wrap (because that's the easiest way for me to eat out with her) and I've never had so many comments and questions about it. People loved it and asked me over and over where I got it. One lady asked to feel it and a guy stopped Dave in the bathroom to ask, "Was that your wife with a baby tied around her neck?" Most people just stare, but everyone there was commenting and asking about it.
We had our 3 week appointment with the orthopedic doctor today. He adjusted one of the leg straps on the harness and gave me permission to cut the little socks out of them. Her feet have gotten so long that her toes were curling up inside of them - well, the ones that were still in it. I had already opened the ends for her big toes to poke out. At least now she doesn't look like a hobo baby with holes in her socks. :) We have our next appointment on the 15th of September for the ultrasound and to find out if she has to keep wearing the harness full time. We are really praying that the answer to that is no.
This week she also has her two month check up with the pediatrician and her first round of vaccinations. I'm so not looking forward to those shots. I know it will only hurt her for a minute, but it breaks my heart to think about them making her cry. Mostly I'm really hoping we don't have any adverse reactions to them. I know that kids get vaccinated every day, but it doesn't make me less nervous about it for my kid.
It is so fun right now to watch her develop a personality. She has really started "talking" more, conversing with me by fitting her cooing noises in the pauses of my ongoing commentary about everything. She also talks to the animals on her mobile and the frog on her carseat toy bar. She has started playing with the frog toys in the car. It's so cool to hear her hitting them and entertaining herself while we drive. It has made riding in the car with her much more pleasant. Her cries have become more organized and distinct, including a new one to tell us when she is really mad. She has quite the temper, and she lets you know when you've made her mad. :) She pauses in anticipation when she signals for something, and gives the mad cry when you don't respond the way she anticipated (for instance, if I don't feed her when she's telling me she's hungry). Her hands are very busy these days, finding their way into her mouth more readily and generally just entertaining her. I'll catch her holding them in front of her face, just looking at them. She smiles and laughs now in response to your smiles, too. She can be quite charming when she wants to be - especially in the mornings when she's well rested. Today was the first time I've seen her startled to the point of tears. Georgia barked a giant booger bark (that's the really loud, scary one), and scared the pants off of both of us. We both jumped and I looked over at Ella to see her face scrunch up, her lip poke out, and tears squeeze out of the corners of her eyes as she gave a cry. It was really cute. :)
Monday, August 18, 2008
Road Rage
This story came from my sister last week, and I thought I would share it here because I completely agree and it made me laugh. It has been edited to protect the innocent.
"As you all know, I have a rage against bikers and runners doing their thing on major roadways because they insist on being on the pavement; God forbid they move over so they are not upsetting the flow of the motor vehicles all around them that are so much larger than them. So, you can imagine my complete disbelief and violent rage this morning when this happened. I was driving down Hwy 281, just minding my own business, driving on the roadway that was built for cars and trucks to get from here to there, when I spot an older white male walking down the side of the road. He also insisted on being on the pavement. He had this stick in his hand that I would estimate to be about 4-5 ft long. When a car approached him he started swinging and twirling the stick into the roadway- his actions mimicked those of a flag girl. He was doing this, I am assuming, so that cars would swerve away from him. I saw him do it to other cars and then my own and he very purposely came close to hitting the cars. Please keep in mind that it was morning time, there was on-coming traffic, so we unfortunate souls who had the displeasure of driving by this lunatic could not swerve very much. I was WISHING he would hit my car because I wanted to get out and BEAT him with his own freaking stick. And he was just old enough, and I was just pissed enough that I'm pretty sure I could take him. Who in the fiery pits does this monkey face think he is?? There are only 50 neighborhoods on that one stretch of road, and I'm willing to bet he lives in one where he could safely have his morning walk."
I told her that I completely agreed with her rage and she should have stopped and beaten him with his stick anyway, just for good measure. I'll concede that cities around here are not built for pedestrians, but come on! Use some sense! Don't walk on a major roadway during rush hour traffic AND have an attitude about it! That's just moronic.
"As you all know, I have a rage against bikers and runners doing their thing on major roadways because they insist on being on the pavement; God forbid they move over so they are not upsetting the flow of the motor vehicles all around them that are so much larger than them. So, you can imagine my complete disbelief and violent rage this morning when this happened. I was driving down Hwy 281, just minding my own business, driving on the roadway that was built for cars and trucks to get from here to there, when I spot an older white male walking down the side of the road. He also insisted on being on the pavement. He had this stick in his hand that I would estimate to be about 4-5 ft long. When a car approached him he started swinging and twirling the stick into the roadway- his actions mimicked those of a flag girl. He was doing this, I am assuming, so that cars would swerve away from him. I saw him do it to other cars and then my own and he very purposely came close to hitting the cars. Please keep in mind that it was morning time, there was on-coming traffic, so we unfortunate souls who had the displeasure of driving by this lunatic could not swerve very much. I was WISHING he would hit my car because I wanted to get out and BEAT him with his own freaking stick. And he was just old enough, and I was just pissed enough that I'm pretty sure I could take him. Who in the fiery pits does this monkey face think he is?? There are only 50 neighborhoods on that one stretch of road, and I'm willing to bet he lives in one where he could safely have his morning walk."
I told her that I completely agreed with her rage and she should have stopped and beaten him with his stick anyway, just for good measure. I'll concede that cities around here are not built for pedestrians, but come on! Use some sense! Don't walk on a major roadway during rush hour traffic AND have an attitude about it! That's just moronic.
Friday, August 15, 2008
A Few New Pictures
This one shows a little of the harness she is wearing. It actually goes over her shoulders and around the middle of her chest, too. We originally thought it wasn't bothering her, but I've changed my mind about that. She has been very high-needs since we got it; she needs to be cuddled a lot and is refusing the bottle in favor of nursing. We really need to be weaning off of the harness when I start back to work.
Here she is getting ready for our walk this morning. She loves to stroll around the neighborhood, and if my legs could handle it, we'd walk 10,000 miles every day.
Finally, here she is in the wrap, which is the reason I can get anything done (read eating or using the bathroom) on really high-need days, and sometimes the only way to stop the crying when she gets started good. I don't mind it. I'll do whatever it takes to make her more comfortable. How miserable would you be if you couldn't straighten your legs for 6 weeks? In all, she's pretty good natured about it, it's just sleepy times that are really an issue, and that's why she's in it right now.
Oh, Iforgot to mention that she weighed 10 lbs. 1 oz. at the doctor on Tuesday. She's growing like a weed. Her face is changing and she finally looks a little like me now. I love watching her grow. She laughed for the first time recently. There isn't a better sound in the world. I'm completely addicted to her.
Here she is getting ready for our walk this morning. She loves to stroll around the neighborhood, and if my legs could handle it, we'd walk 10,000 miles every day.
Finally, here she is in the wrap, which is the reason I can get anything done (read eating or using the bathroom) on really high-need days, and sometimes the only way to stop the crying when she gets started good. I don't mind it. I'll do whatever it takes to make her more comfortable. How miserable would you be if you couldn't straighten your legs for 6 weeks? In all, she's pretty good natured about it, it's just sleepy times that are really an issue, and that's why she's in it right now.
Oh, Iforgot to mention that she weighed 10 lbs. 1 oz. at the doctor on Tuesday. She's growing like a weed. Her face is changing and she finally looks a little like me now. I love watching her grow. She laughed for the first time recently. There isn't a better sound in the world. I'm completely addicted to her.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
My Slow Ride to Insanity
This is a story about jumping to conclusions. Disclaimer: It has a grossness factor, so reader beware.
The past couple of days with Ella have been a little trying. She hasn't felt well and she's been very clingy and almost inconsolable at times. There has been lots of gas and poop and baby puke, and very little sleeping. It seems that every time I tried to put her down for a MUCH needed nap, she would wake up screaming 20 minutes later. She has needed constant motion so I've probably walked 10 miles around my house and yard. After a day of this by myself, I was at my wits end when Dave got home last night. He took her and walked her and tried to comfort her while I cooked dinner and raced around trying to do some things in the house. I took her back so he could eat before a meeting at church, and this meant that I ate with her in my lap. Not an unusual occurrence in our house. She started crying again so we went for a diaper change. When I opened the diaper, I was horrified to find something foreign in there. This was my thought process: "WHAT is that?! It looks like rice, but it can't be rice because breastfed babies don't eat rice. Rice doesn't come out whole in breastmilk. What else looks like rice? Tapeworms. Tapeworms! That would explain the horrible gas and stomach pain that's been upsetting her all day, and probably the green poop, too. Oh my, my baby has worms! People are going to think we are nasty! How did she get worms? The pets are up to date on all their medications, we don't have fleas, I know that tapeworms come from eating infected fleas. Can humans even get the same tapeworms as animals?....." This went on for two hours while I Googled it and waited for Dave to come home so I could tell him what a horrible mother I am because my baby has worms. Fast forward to this morning when I called the doctor's office and spoke to the nurse. She didn't seem at all phased by the whole worm thing and told me that the doctor might just call something in for us. Good! That means this happens sometimes because she didn't act like it was a big deal. A couple of hours later, she called back to tell me that the doctor wanted to see us. We were there at two, worm in purse so that they would know what kind of worms we were dealing with. I explained all the symptoms to the doctor and gave him the worm. We went through several scenarios in which she could have gotten the worms, but she hadn't been in any of them. He said, "The thing about worms is that you have to get them from somewhere." I said, "I know! This doesn't make any sense." He took the worm to look at it under the microscope.
Twenty minutes later he was back with questions.
Doctor: When did you find this in the diaper?
Me: Yesterday evening.
Doctor: Did you have rice yesterday?
Me: Yes! We did have rice for dinner!
Doctor: Is is possible that you dropped some on her?
Me: Well, she was in my lap while I was eating.
Doctor: This worm doesn't have any digestive organs, like the mouth. It's a solid piece of something. Do you think you might have dropped rice on her and it got in her diaper?
Me: Oh my God, I'm so relieved!!
My baby does not have worms, but she does have one half-crazy mother who is only getting crazier by the day. The gas and upset stomach could be explained by the spinach I ate for lunch on Sunday. I did thank the doctor for humoring me. He said he didn't mind, it broke up the monotony of the regular runny nose visits. :)
While we were there, I had him take a look at the big toe that Georgia kept sniffing. I broke the rules this morning and took the boot off to look at it. It was gross, so I cleaned it up and trimmed the toenail as best I could while it was kicking frantically. He said it was a little ingrown and might be getting infected, so we have some antibiotics for that. Georgia was right about that toe after all.
It's been said that God put that piece of rice in her diaper so that I would ask the doctor about her toe. That's probably the truth, especially since we are going to the beach next week and we don't want a sick baby, and I've been praying about that.
The past couple of days with Ella have been a little trying. She hasn't felt well and she's been very clingy and almost inconsolable at times. There has been lots of gas and poop and baby puke, and very little sleeping. It seems that every time I tried to put her down for a MUCH needed nap, she would wake up screaming 20 minutes later. She has needed constant motion so I've probably walked 10 miles around my house and yard. After a day of this by myself, I was at my wits end when Dave got home last night. He took her and walked her and tried to comfort her while I cooked dinner and raced around trying to do some things in the house. I took her back so he could eat before a meeting at church, and this meant that I ate with her in my lap. Not an unusual occurrence in our house. She started crying again so we went for a diaper change. When I opened the diaper, I was horrified to find something foreign in there. This was my thought process: "WHAT is that?! It looks like rice, but it can't be rice because breastfed babies don't eat rice. Rice doesn't come out whole in breastmilk. What else looks like rice? Tapeworms. Tapeworms! That would explain the horrible gas and stomach pain that's been upsetting her all day, and probably the green poop, too. Oh my, my baby has worms! People are going to think we are nasty! How did she get worms? The pets are up to date on all their medications, we don't have fleas, I know that tapeworms come from eating infected fleas. Can humans even get the same tapeworms as animals?....." This went on for two hours while I Googled it and waited for Dave to come home so I could tell him what a horrible mother I am because my baby has worms. Fast forward to this morning when I called the doctor's office and spoke to the nurse. She didn't seem at all phased by the whole worm thing and told me that the doctor might just call something in for us. Good! That means this happens sometimes because she didn't act like it was a big deal. A couple of hours later, she called back to tell me that the doctor wanted to see us. We were there at two, worm in purse so that they would know what kind of worms we were dealing with. I explained all the symptoms to the doctor and gave him the worm. We went through several scenarios in which she could have gotten the worms, but she hadn't been in any of them. He said, "The thing about worms is that you have to get them from somewhere." I said, "I know! This doesn't make any sense." He took the worm to look at it under the microscope.
Twenty minutes later he was back with questions.
Doctor: When did you find this in the diaper?
Me: Yesterday evening.
Doctor: Did you have rice yesterday?
Me: Yes! We did have rice for dinner!
Doctor: Is is possible that you dropped some on her?
Me: Well, she was in my lap while I was eating.
Doctor: This worm doesn't have any digestive organs, like the mouth. It's a solid piece of something. Do you think you might have dropped rice on her and it got in her diaper?
Me: Oh my God, I'm so relieved!!
My baby does not have worms, but she does have one half-crazy mother who is only getting crazier by the day. The gas and upset stomach could be explained by the spinach I ate for lunch on Sunday. I did thank the doctor for humoring me. He said he didn't mind, it broke up the monotony of the regular runny nose visits. :)
While we were there, I had him take a look at the big toe that Georgia kept sniffing. I broke the rules this morning and took the boot off to look at it. It was gross, so I cleaned it up and trimmed the toenail as best I could while it was kicking frantically. He said it was a little ingrown and might be getting infected, so we have some antibiotics for that. Georgia was right about that toe after all.
It's been said that God put that piece of rice in her diaper so that I would ask the doctor about her toe. That's probably the truth, especially since we are going to the beach next week and we don't want a sick baby, and I've been praying about that.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Queen of the Argonauts
One of these days, Ella will start talking and her first words will be: "It is I, Ella Grace, queen of the Argonauts, and these are my Argonaut parents."
When she first started cooing at us, it sounded like she was saying, "Whoooo?" So we, of course, say "Whooo?" to her all the time in an attempt to get her to talk to us. Dave started answering with this Argonaut business. I had to Google it to make sure it wasn't something bad, and I found out that Argonauts are sailors from the ship Argos. This is something from Greek mythology that he picked up in his fraternity days. That's all I know. :)
If animals could babysit, we'd be all set around here. They are all trying to tell me what to do with this child. When the baby is crying in the evenings and we can't get her to stop, Jewel chimes in and fusses at me as if to say, "Something is wrong with her! Fix it!" This morning, Ella started crying in her cradle, and Gypsy was yelling right along with her. When I came into the room to get her, Gypsy was sitting on the arm of the couch closest to the cradle, yowling, "Mo-om, the baby is cryyying!" Like I didn't know. Georgia thinks it's her job to tell me when the diaper is dirty by giving it a good sniff and looking at me pointedly. She also smells the little feet, which are wrapped in booties because of the harness, as if to indicate that I need to wash them. I'm sure they need washing, but that will have to wait until the harness comes off. They are very helpful.
When she first started cooing at us, it sounded like she was saying, "Whoooo?" So we, of course, say "Whooo?" to her all the time in an attempt to get her to talk to us. Dave started answering with this Argonaut business. I had to Google it to make sure it wasn't something bad, and I found out that Argonauts are sailors from the ship Argos. This is something from Greek mythology that he picked up in his fraternity days. That's all I know. :)
If animals could babysit, we'd be all set around here. They are all trying to tell me what to do with this child. When the baby is crying in the evenings and we can't get her to stop, Jewel chimes in and fusses at me as if to say, "Something is wrong with her! Fix it!" This morning, Ella started crying in her cradle, and Gypsy was yelling right along with her. When I came into the room to get her, Gypsy was sitting on the arm of the couch closest to the cradle, yowling, "Mo-om, the baby is cryyying!" Like I didn't know. Georgia thinks it's her job to tell me when the diaper is dirty by giving it a good sniff and looking at me pointedly. She also smells the little feet, which are wrapped in booties because of the harness, as if to indicate that I need to wash them. I'm sure they need washing, but that will have to wait until the harness comes off. They are very helpful.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Hip Dysplasia
I just experienced another great irony in my life. As the owner of a large breed dog, I know quite a bit about canine hip dysplasia; the irony, of course, is that my daughter, not my dog, has hip dysplasia. Luckily for us, the human kind can be detected at birth and corrected before the bones harden completely - not so for our canine friends.
We had our orthopedic appointment yesterday. I must say that I love Children's Health Systems. The doctor was very good about explaining to me exactly what is going on with Ella's hips and what we will be doing to fix them. She has a very mild case of hip dysplasia due to her breech presentation. As he explained to me, when the baby presents head down, its legs are in the perfect position for hip development - pulled up and folded at the knee, think Indian style. Ella sat butt down, basically folded in half with her legs straight up in front of her face. The hip is a ball and socket joint, and both of hers are in the sockets and stable, they just aren't in there deep enough. They want to see the socket cover 60% of the femoral head (the ball), and at our three week ultrasound she had 30% coverage on one side and 40% coverage on the other. They aren't too bad, but they treat them anyway because there is no guarantee they will correct themselves. From what I've read, first-born daughters are most likely to develop dysplasia - especially when they were a breech presentation.
Her treatment consists of wearing a Pavlik harness full time for the next 6 weeks. Full time means ALL the time - no taking it off for anything. We have to sponge bathe her and diaper around the harness. If it gets dirty, I'm supposed to wipe it off with a rag. I think that part bothers me most of all because I can just imagine how gross and stinky the thing is going to be in six weeks. People who say babies don't get dirty are just wrong. The harness holds her legs in a bent postion so that they are positioned optimally for development. Right now the cartilage in her hips is still very soft, so it will mold over the femoral head as it hardens. We go back in three weeks to have the harness re-fitted, and in six weeks we will have another ultrasound. At that point, the doctor will decide if she needs to continue wearing it full time or if we can start weaning her off of it.
The minor inconveniences:
1. We have to diaper around it.
2. No more real baths for a while. This makes me sad because she loves them so much and baths are an excellent tool for calming her fussiness in the evenings. Oh well; she still likes having her hair washed and being sponged off.
3. No more swaddling because it pushes her legs too close together. This isn't so bad because we had reached a point where swaddling just made her madder anyway.
4. No more wearing her in a sling for the same reason. I had already started wearing her in a wrap anyway because she has gotten too heavy for me to wear in the sling for long. I'll be getting a backpack carrier for Dave to use.
5. Most of her clothes won't go over it. We will be in t-shirts and dresses only for the next six weeks.
The blessings:
1. We don't have too worry about losing those tiny socks because the harness has it's own sock boots built in.
2. I get to add a new backpack to my babywearing collection. I LOVE wearing her - it's an easy and miraculous way to stop the crying and have my hands free.
3. It's August - the hottest month at 100 degrees in the shade - so I don't really have to worry about the clothes fitting over the harness.
4. All newborns are screened for hip dysplasia - especially those with a breech presentation - allowing early detection and correction before the bones are too hard. The prognosis for complete correction is very good, especially since her case is mild.
5. The harness doesn't bother Ella at all. She doesn't seem to care in the least that she's wearing it.
6. It makes my squirmy worm just a little less squirmy. :)
If you would like to pray a specific prayer for us, please pray that both hips have 60% coverage at the next ultrasound and we can start weaning off of the harness. God is good all the time, even when we don't understand what He is up to.
We had our orthopedic appointment yesterday. I must say that I love Children's Health Systems. The doctor was very good about explaining to me exactly what is going on with Ella's hips and what we will be doing to fix them. She has a very mild case of hip dysplasia due to her breech presentation. As he explained to me, when the baby presents head down, its legs are in the perfect position for hip development - pulled up and folded at the knee, think Indian style. Ella sat butt down, basically folded in half with her legs straight up in front of her face. The hip is a ball and socket joint, and both of hers are in the sockets and stable, they just aren't in there deep enough. They want to see the socket cover 60% of the femoral head (the ball), and at our three week ultrasound she had 30% coverage on one side and 40% coverage on the other. They aren't too bad, but they treat them anyway because there is no guarantee they will correct themselves. From what I've read, first-born daughters are most likely to develop dysplasia - especially when they were a breech presentation.
Her treatment consists of wearing a Pavlik harness full time for the next 6 weeks. Full time means ALL the time - no taking it off for anything. We have to sponge bathe her and diaper around the harness. If it gets dirty, I'm supposed to wipe it off with a rag. I think that part bothers me most of all because I can just imagine how gross and stinky the thing is going to be in six weeks. People who say babies don't get dirty are just wrong. The harness holds her legs in a bent postion so that they are positioned optimally for development. Right now the cartilage in her hips is still very soft, so it will mold over the femoral head as it hardens. We go back in three weeks to have the harness re-fitted, and in six weeks we will have another ultrasound. At that point, the doctor will decide if she needs to continue wearing it full time or if we can start weaning her off of it.
The minor inconveniences:
1. We have to diaper around it.
2. No more real baths for a while. This makes me sad because she loves them so much and baths are an excellent tool for calming her fussiness in the evenings. Oh well; she still likes having her hair washed and being sponged off.
3. No more swaddling because it pushes her legs too close together. This isn't so bad because we had reached a point where swaddling just made her madder anyway.
4. No more wearing her in a sling for the same reason. I had already started wearing her in a wrap anyway because she has gotten too heavy for me to wear in the sling for long. I'll be getting a backpack carrier for Dave to use.
5. Most of her clothes won't go over it. We will be in t-shirts and dresses only for the next six weeks.
The blessings:
1. We don't have too worry about losing those tiny socks because the harness has it's own sock boots built in.
2. I get to add a new backpack to my babywearing collection. I LOVE wearing her - it's an easy and miraculous way to stop the crying and have my hands free.
3. It's August - the hottest month at 100 degrees in the shade - so I don't really have to worry about the clothes fitting over the harness.
4. All newborns are screened for hip dysplasia - especially those with a breech presentation - allowing early detection and correction before the bones are too hard. The prognosis for complete correction is very good, especially since her case is mild.
5. The harness doesn't bother Ella at all. She doesn't seem to care in the least that she's wearing it.
6. It makes my squirmy worm just a little less squirmy. :)
If you would like to pray a specific prayer for us, please pray that both hips have 60% coverage at the next ultrasound and we can start weaning off of the harness. God is good all the time, even when we don't understand what He is up to.
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