15 Month Well Baby - Update

{just returned home from the doctor's office}

Day 8 & 9 of the 10 day antibiotic for Andrew's double ear infection, he became clingy and cranky along with running a fever and much whining and crying so I got him an appointment to see the doctor - and found out that his medication wasn't clearing up his right ear at all. He also has developed some pain and soreness where his Dtap shot was given. And more teeth are working their way in. Poor little guy! I too would be clingy and cranky and crying! So....another round of a different antibiotic and motrin for the teeth and leg pain was in order.

As well as some fun at the playground! :)

Despite him feeling sick and being quite grumpy...i still managed to get a few smiles out of him!

{going down the slide}

Andrew's 15 Month Well-Baby

{15 Months! He's such a fun baby! And he's cute too! :)}

{My sleeping angel after his well baby visit}

My baby is growing so fast! Andrew had his 15 month well baby visit this morning. Can't say it was an exceptionally great appointment - they switched doctors on us without consulting. Not very professional or courteous in my opinion. This particular doctor had some crazy sense of parenting "tips" and left me irritated at the end of his visit (and thankfully I voiced that we would NOT be seeing that provider again)!

Aside from that, all went well! (Besides finding out that he has a DOUBLE ear infection from his current cold. Poor baby! I had no idea!) He was ALL over the baby scale - wiggling and crying for me to pick him up and reaching for me, so they had to guess about how much he weighed and they came up with 20.8 pounds. But seriously, I'm a small person so the odds are that my children aren't going to be huge! So his weight puts him in the 5th percentile - down 5% since his 12 month well baby.

BUT he's grown a TON in the past few months, now measuring 30.75 inches putting him in the 50th percentile in height - up from his last appointment which was 29 inches (24%). Last month he learned to walk and has him very busy around here and burning calories more than crawling. Which is probably why he's focused a lot of his recent growth in height and not in weight. Regardless of their percentages, he's a healthy boy. And sometimes I wonder what they base their information on when calculating the percentages. Some babies have got to be huge - no offense. Both John and I can't imagine a lot of babies being a lot bigger than Andrew's weight and height). His head still measures the same: 18 1/2 cm.

Before we left the doctors, he received 3 lovely shots and orders for routine blood work to check CBC and iron. I think I'll let him rest and start to feel better before I do that. Probably something that can wait until next week! But the good news is: HE'S HEALTHY AND GROWING! :)

Now....onto the fun part: losing the pacifier and bottle! I'm excited to get this done with. He's thankfully not hugely attatched to either one, but I have a strange feeling that the pacifier, which I only give to him at naps/night, is going to be the hardest one to lose. I've been offering him a cup of milk at meals for some time now but he'll only drink like one ounce from it the entire day. One thing at a time, right?

My strategy in order is to: 1) cut out the before bedtime bottle, 2) cut out the 2 bottles during the day and only offering a cup of milk instead, 3) chuck the pacifiers. Forget the bottle and pacifier fairies that some people use. This boy could honestly care less - let alone he won't understand what a bottle and pacifier fairy is anyways! :) I'm guessing in the next month or so, he'll be free from these things and life will be so much easier without them!

13 Months

*loves to clap his hands

*takes two naps a day (tried going to one for a few days but was much too tired!)

*eats more and more table food by the day (loves beans, string cheese, roman noodles, chicken nuggets, applesauce, grilled cheese, spaghetti)
*likes to play with the dishwasher while we're loading/unloading dishes

*LOVES to look & play outside

*adores his stuffed puppy he got for Christmas & insists on sleeping with it

*gets into EVERYTHING!

*loves the stairs & sneaks on them any chance he can!

*had fun opening his Christmas gifts (more fun with the paper & packaging than the actual toy!)- had practice opening stuff on his 1st birthday just 6 days prior

*two molars (one year molars) on top coming in

*changed around eating schedule so it matched our snacks & meal times

*taking in 21-24 ounces whole milk a day - which brings me to saying...

*NO MORE FORMULA! Took about two weeks to wean him onto straight whole milk - and he likes it so much better & so do we!

*goes to story time with sister Jocelyn now once a week

*loves chugging water in his sippy

*stood by his self for about 10 seconds (has done this a few times now)

*loves Elmo!

Andrew had his postop appointment with the Urologist to check his surgery site and how it was healing. Everything looks great. Sutures are almost gone and just a little bit of swelling left. Can no go from two baths a day to one. Good bill of health and doesn't have to return unless he needs to be seen.

Andrew's 12 Month Well Baby

Andrew had his 12 month well baby visit! Still a growing and healthy boy.

Here are his stats:

Height: 29 inches (24th percentile)

Weight: 19 lbs 10.5 oz (10th percentile)

Head Circumference: 18 1/2" (68th percentile)

He hasn't gained much since his last well baby visit in September but the doctor says he's growing in length and because he finally learned to crawl a few months ago, he's thinned out like he should and has lost some of his baby fat. Signs he's getting to be a big boy: car seat is facing front, can start using a regular tooth brush instead of the finger cleaner and finally weaning off the formula and on to whole milk. The hand out she gave me for his visit starts out saying this: "Your baby is turning into a toddler!" For some reason, reading that scared me. My baby boy is no longer a "baby." Before we know it, he's going to be walking. And then running! He's still taking two naps a day and sleeping 10-11 hours a night.

Things he loves: babbling, taking a bath, climbing the stairs (giggling when we catch him), playing with his ball and lots of other toys - usually sticking them into his mouth, clapping, looking outside, playing peek-a-boo, going for car rides and having his blanket everywhere he goes!

Regarding his nutrition. He's still a stinker when it comes to solid food. I'm not sure if it's a gag reflux or not but sometimes he'll gag on something and it'll all come up. His last bottle even if he ate a few hours prior. It's disgusting and I look forward to the day he no longer does it. So getting him to eat pieces of food off his tray has been a struggle since 6 months or so. At this moment, he's half and half (pureed and table food). He's starting to eat things like cut up grilled cheese, black beans, cooked peas, spaghetti, Top Ramon, and cheerios. He's not a picky eater like Jocelyn, thankfully. But he's taking just about as long to transition to the table food as she did. There's got to be an end in sight to this problem. I'm confident it won't always be this way. It just feels like it right now.

So there we have it. Three shots at the end of his appointment and we left knowing he's perfectly healthy and happy! Just the way I like it! :)

Another 'Hold My Breath' Moment!

My baby boy underwent another surgery this morning. This time to correct another person's...mistake? Or lack of getting the job done right the first time? Yes. The later sounds more like it! His circumcision done at birth wasn't complete. Our drive to Richmond at 5am was dark, cold, very foggy and confusing. It didn't help that we were strangers to the area. (Hint to John: we need GPS!) We barely made the drive in time for them to take him back for surgery but so thankful they did! Better to get this done now than later!

We were first walked to what would end up being Andrew's recovery room and where we would stay and wait for him to return to from surgery. He had a naked weight check, I got to pick out a stuffed beanie baby for him and Jocelyn (both for comfort!) and then back to the room to get him dressed into his surgical gown. His wonderful doctor came in to talk to us before his surgery began. To go over the procedure and answer any questions or concerns. Talked to the Anesthesiologist to go over medical history and what medications he would be administered during the surgery. Then the hard moment came. Time to walk him down to the surgery doors with the nurses leading the way. They were so sweet! Made sure during the pass off that he was comfortable, that we all (including Jocelyn) gave him kisses and smiles and his pacifier in hand. Of course he was too busy to notice what was going on as he was sucking and chewing contently on his patriotic donkey beanie baby. As the doors closed behind him separating us from the sterilized room, a lump formed in my throat. I knew he'd be okay. The procedure didn't worry me as much as him being put under did. He received a great blessing the night before and he was in great hands! It seemed to be at this moment that I started to hold my breath (not literally) until my baby was back in my arms.

After the doors had closed, it was 7:30 am on the nose. We were all starving. Especially little Jocelyn. So John said they'd go search for some food while I walked back to the recovery room alone. And man did the clock tick slowly! It was 10 minutes or so later that I started to get a little antsy. And I had nothing or no one to distract me. So I picked up our camera and scrolled through pictures. I could finally breathe a bit easier when the Anesthesiologist came in to report that everything went well and they were able to get the IV in to administer his anti-nausea medication. So relieved! Something that wasn't able to be done during his Frenulectomy and was just horrible watching him get sick the first few days after surgery. I counted my lucky stars and was happy he had such a wonderful doctor and fantastic nurses. We still had an hour to wait at this point until we could see him. A short time later, John and Jocelyn returned with our food. They apparently didn't have a cafeteria at this medical facility so he drove across the street to the mall to Panera Bread. Of course Jocelyn stripped down her bagel sandwich so she could eat just the sausage and cheese! And thank goodness we had Dora to distract her (most of the time)! And can't forget the OJ! We were thankful for that until she got carried away in her spinning and dropped the bottle - that ended up cracking - that ended up spilling - that the nurse said would be fine and mopped up shortly.

{Jocelyn waiting ever so patiently for her brother to return & for her Dad to come back with some OJ.}

{Watching Dora}

8:30 am finally rolled around and guess who wheeled in on a child-size bed? We were told he did awesome and we could scoop him up and hold him at any time. It didn't take me more than a millisecond to get that accomplished! He was red in the cheeks and swollen a bit from the IV fluid but he got through it wonderfully! Being that his last meal was the evening before, I went ahead and got his bottle ready. Nope. He apparently did NOT want to eat. And that's fine. I myself didn't feel like eating after I had my hernia repair so I could kind of relate. I gave him his pacifier, his blanket and held him in my arms. That's all he wanted. He closed his eyes and snuggled up close. I couldn't have been more happy! A little bit later, we had everything checked per after surgical care instructions. Things looked well and we were then discharged. We got the kids all comfy in their seats and made our way back home. They both were out within minutes of leaving! (John and I SO need a nap. Exhausted is an understatement!)



They said that he would be back to normal eating and activity within 2 days from surgery. Funny thing was, once we got home, he was crawling all over the place like nothing had happened. What a trooper! And we're so thankful for all your positive thoughts and prayers on Andrew's behalf. Thank you!!

This Week In Pictures (11/15 - 11/21)

Whew! What a crazy week it has been here at the home front. Re-baby proofing some much needed areas Jocelyn no longer got into that Andrew now is. Watched the movie "Up." Took much needed breaks to play with the kids. Three doctor's appointments - one of which was a follow up echo cardiogram for Andrew from when he was in the NICU and 1 month old to determine if the heart valve that was open at birth had finally closed. And good news...it has! His doc did find a slight heart murmur during the check-up. Apparently nothing to worry about so we'll just return in 2 years time to get it rechecked. As if that long hour of laying on the table with just a diaper wasn't enough for Andrew, he got thumped in the head by his sister's lolly pop. And no, she didn't get to keep it. Poor guy can't even defend himself with his sister's spontaneous love/jealousy. Thankfully she shows more love to him than lack there of. Another appointment was to recheck Andrew's ears from his one and only ear infection. Everything checked out fine there. The other appointment was for Jocelyn with their new doctor to get their opinion on her so called weight issue. They compared all of her well baby growth charting and said that while there hasn't been a significant increase in weight, she's not loosing weight either and she's still growing taller. They also noted the blood tests she's gotten in the past that came back without a problem and they didn't have anything they would add to get checked. So there we have it folks. As her mama had a feeling...she's healthy and well. :) Again, wasn't too worried but I'm so relieved to hear the news none the less!

Got three walks in this week which I was really proud of myself for doing despite how busy the week was. I even walked the mall with a friend when the weather wasn't so favorable. I'm determined to run this half marathon next spring I tell ya! Piano practice for Aubrey, Relief Society activity, visiting teaching, primary meeting and enjoying watching Andrew get so close to crawling. And pulling himself up to stand. It's been a busy, but fun week!

And I leave the best news for last...AUBREY made Honor Roll for this year's 1st grading period!! All A's on her report card and zero absences. We are SOOOO proud of her and her hard work in school! :)

{Here's a perfect picture of how I felt this week...exhausted!}

{Beautiful Sunday!}

{So nice outside after church, I made the girls a lunch to eat on the back patio. They LOVED it!}

{Getting close...}

{LOVES puzzles!}

{They had fun getting this ready for their "baby/animal show."}

{I don't care what anyone says. Two's aren't so bad. The 3's are a pain in my neck! I had to take a picture of her sleeping here - looking like an angel. It's a good thing they're cute - it's what saves them! LOL}

{This is how we do things...throw an object out of reach to get him to crawl. We're ALMOST there!}

{My walk with the two youngest}

{It was such a busy day, but I still tried to remember to appreciate the small & simple things}

{Hugs? Squeezes?}

{I sorta want to know what's going through her mind here. I think this little missy needs more of her mama's undivided attention.}

{I discovered one day that my boy had NO cars or trucks. I went to the store one night for milk and begged John that I get him a few to play with. Andrew was so excited!!}

{My water baby! I absolutely LOVE his curls!}

{Trying to get into trouble. This is the mentioned baby proofing we've been doing.}

1st Dentist Visit

The day finally came! Jocelyn's FIRST trip to the Dentist. Turning three is exciting, huh? :) She willingly climbed into the chair, sat back and let the Hygienist clean & count her teeth. She looks scared here but she did AWESOME! The Dentist & Hygienist explained to me before hand that they would only do what she would allow as they do not encourage children to be scared. So if she hadn't opened her mouth, they would have been fine with that and had her come in another time. But she was great and was such a good girl to get everything done. Dentist examined her at the end and confirmed no cavities! YAY! She then hopped down and got really excited about the goodie bag they gave her: new toothbrush & toothpaste, flossers, stickers & a special prize from the front desk treasure chest. Let's hope the next time goes just as smooth.

Jocelyn's 3 Year Well Visit

Stats:

Weight: 23 lbs. 7 oz.

Height: 34 inches

(Taken back in late September 2009)

At Jocelyn's 3 year check up, they plotted her stats and then informed me that her growth is still OFF the charts. (under!) But - they are still consistent to where her growth has always been. She's very much a healthy toddler - just petite like her mama. I've been weighing on this decision for some time now but as things have gotten progressively worse at the doctor's office (let's just say unprofessional), I've decided to shop for a new pediatrician. Someone who doesn't obsess with Jocelyn's weight EVERY month and knows you can't change a child's genetic make-up! The good news is, as I checked her stats from her 2 year well visit just a year ago, that she's grown 3 lbs and 1 1/4 inches. But it's still time to go break open the chocolate milk powder to encourage more daily milk intake. (Thank goodness she at least LOVES cheese!) I'm thinking that her drinking maybe 6 ounces a day just isn't cutting it! I'll be back to update once we have news from their new pediatrician.

NINE months

"Hmm. I wonder who could have just turned nine months on the 19th. Anyone have any guesses?"

"Hold on. I think I may know!"

"But this carpet looks real interesting at the moment so this may take a bit longer..."

"Oh, it's on the tip of my tongue!"

"Oh! That's RIGHT! It's ME! I turned nine months old!!!" Love, Andrew

The past nine months have been crazy busy but so much fun at the same time. I always say it but Andrew is a really good baby. Always happy, plays well on his own when needed (ie: mom making dinner, etc.), good playmate with his sisters, rarely fussy or cranky, Mama AND Daddy's boy, sleeps through the night (11-12 hours/night), generally curious, self explorer, has fun outside (playground & walks) - really, the list could go on. And it does. In his baby book. So I'll spare you all the other details. :)

He had his nine month well baby visit today. Such a trooper through the 2 shots he received - one being for the flu. He's a very healthy nine month old and is right where he should be with his development. Here are his stats: 18 lbs 12 oz (25th percentile - a little down with the percentage from his 6 month well baby but he's doing fine), 27 1/2 inches (25th percentile) and 46cm - head (75th percentile). Andrew still shows no signs of wanting to crawl. BUT he has been pulling himself up a little bit when he grabs onto our legs and arms while we're sitting near him. So he's becoming a bit more mobile as the days go on. He also loves to clap objects together and get our attention by doing so. He rambles a lot, making more sounds with d and g and a. I'm sure m is in the near future! (ie: mama!) Hey, I can only hope. :) Loves to laugh and make us laugh. Scoots in the bath and loves to splash the water. Plays peek-a-boo with his blanket. Sits really well independently and even stretches way over to the side or down to his feet to reach objects and then resumes to sit. Picks up finger foods from highchair between thumb and finger. For the most part, still only eats #2 baby foods but has branched off and has started to eat cooked peas, noodles and beans. Shy with others he doesn't see everyday. Looking like the two bottom teeth won't be alone too much longer. Some on the top look like they may emerge soon (HELLO top teeth!) - he's also drooling and chewing on everything.

The other day, we were playing blocks together and I noticed how he's looking more like a toddler and less like a baby and that made me kinda sad. I'm happy though that he's growing so well but sad that the baby stage is fading. I love it when they're so small and cuddly and have that cute toothless grin. :) But I know the next stage he goes through will be fun also so I'm really looking forward to more of his milestones and learning more about his cute personality as it blossoms.

Happy Nine Months Andrew! :)

Post-Op & Cutting Teeth

Took Andrew in for his post-op appointment from his Frenulectomy. Held him on my lap as the doctor took a peek into his mouth and said everything healed up well and he will not have to return to the ENT as he made a full recovery! Good news to hear!

Some more good news is that Andrew is now cutting teeth. The bottom middle two are working their way through. Poor guy isn't too happy about that. Lots of sucking on hands, toys, OUR hands and shoulders (OUCH!) - without much relief! Time to get out those teething toys from the fridge!