What baby doesn't like eating? Well, apparently mine doesn't. I know that now she has a cold and that can make anyone lose their appitite, but even when she isn't sick she has trouble reaching her 24 ounces of formula a day. I'm totally at a loss for why she just doesn't want to eat. The only thing I can think of is that she still is rejecting the taste of her formula, but there isn't anything I can do about that. I also can't go too crazy with the solids because her digestive system is still pretty immature (its taking forever to become strong enough to handle most foods!).
Does anyone have a clue what I might be able to try to get her to eat!?! We'll see her GI again on Monday, so I'll ask her as well, but it just seems like no one can give me a straight answer on the subject. HELP!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
AHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm sick of it. I am, I really am. I know babies spit up, but for the love of all that is holy. This child could fill a lake with her spit up (and no, I'm not drastically over shooting this). The worst part is that I can never really pinpoint the reason. Right now, I am sick and she is becoming sick, she's teething, she's starting solids, and she's got reflux and sensitive digestive system still! I mean what do I pick from for my possible reason? It could be one thing. It could be a combination. I don't know!
On the bright side, Arabella is getting closer to rolling over. She did a couple of times on her own yesterday. Its kinda exciting! A bit annoying though, because what would take most children 20 minutes to a few days to learn, it takes mine a month. I suppose it just makes everything that much more exciting when she reaches a milestone.
On the bright side, Arabella is getting closer to rolling over. She did a couple of times on her own yesterday. Its kinda exciting! A bit annoying though, because what would take most children 20 minutes to a few days to learn, it takes mine a month. I suppose it just makes everything that much more exciting when she reaches a milestone.
Friday, April 23, 2010
So surgery in any capacity is weird. I had some work done to my big toes on both feet yesterday and now that I actually have to take care of the wounds, I'm finding it very difficult.
When I was in high school, I totally thought I would be a doctor or a nurse. I love the idea of helping people and I am quite interested in helping people through good and bad times. However, when I get any work done to myself, I remember why I second guessed that option. I am a huge wuss when it comes to wounds and pain. Thus the decision for an epidural and why I refused to watch them do anything while they worked on my feet.
Now, I am forced to redress my toes everyday and it freaks me out! I know that these wounds could look alot worse, but its still, its blood and a cut on my body that I allowed to be there. I can't help but wonder that if I had decided to take some classes in the nursing department if I wouldn't be such a wimp about it all, but I guess I'll never know.
For now, I'm gonna hobble back into the bedroom and ignore the large bandages on my feet.
When I was in high school, I totally thought I would be a doctor or a nurse. I love the idea of helping people and I am quite interested in helping people through good and bad times. However, when I get any work done to myself, I remember why I second guessed that option. I am a huge wuss when it comes to wounds and pain. Thus the decision for an epidural and why I refused to watch them do anything while they worked on my feet.
Now, I am forced to redress my toes everyday and it freaks me out! I know that these wounds could look alot worse, but its still, its blood and a cut on my body that I allowed to be there. I can't help but wonder that if I had decided to take some classes in the nursing department if I wouldn't be such a wimp about it all, but I guess I'll never know.
For now, I'm gonna hobble back into the bedroom and ignore the large bandages on my feet.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Flying is easy
Seriously, flying is easy. I didn't used to think so, but with a baby, I constantly had something to do. The best part was that she didn't spend the entire ride crying. Belle was actually quite calm except for the descent on the flight up to Philly. I was thoroughly impressed!
The trip itself was super fun. Best part would have to be the museum. We saw Bodyworks, or in other words, lots and lots of body parts (mostly without skin). Super cool if you ask me. Then, we went through 3 or 4 more exhibits, all of which were interactive. It was fun watching Steve try to drag a stroller through an enlarged replica of a heart. He was successful, but barely. I'm hoping we got video evidence of it! I also got to see how Belle would react with other babies. She didn't do very much, obviously, because she doesn't roll or sit up. However, she got into a habit of observing Audrey and she's started to copy some of the things she did. For instance, Belle has been talking VERY loudly since we have been home again. I guess she thought it was fun. She does enjoy it.
Our other big to do this week was trying veggies. So far, its a big success. Belle did fine with her first round of sweet potatoes and I'm hoping it stays that way! Kinda messy though, which is always funny.
That's all for now I suppose. Nothing really to muse about right now, so until next time!
The trip itself was super fun. Best part would have to be the museum. We saw Bodyworks, or in other words, lots and lots of body parts (mostly without skin). Super cool if you ask me. Then, we went through 3 or 4 more exhibits, all of which were interactive. It was fun watching Steve try to drag a stroller through an enlarged replica of a heart. He was successful, but barely. I'm hoping we got video evidence of it! I also got to see how Belle would react with other babies. She didn't do very much, obviously, because she doesn't roll or sit up. However, she got into a habit of observing Audrey and she's started to copy some of the things she did. For instance, Belle has been talking VERY loudly since we have been home again. I guess she thought it was fun. She does enjoy it.
Our other big to do this week was trying veggies. So far, its a big success. Belle did fine with her first round of sweet potatoes and I'm hoping it stays that way! Kinda messy though, which is always funny.
That's all for now I suppose. Nothing really to muse about right now, so until next time!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
6 month check up
Today we had another round of shots (not the tasty kind) and another round of good old development talk. Unfortunatley, the shots were the easy part. You see, Arabella is about a month or so behind on her development and now we've waited long enough to see if she would begin doing some things on her own. Since she has yet to sit up on her own or roll over, our doc suggested a little bit of intervention. She is going to refer us to a group called ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). They basically help any kiddo under the age of 3 with developmental issues whose causes run the gambit from moderate to severe conditions. Obviously, Belle's issues are moderate (the doctor mentioned her hip dysplasia and low weight) but still we would like to intervene now before any of this gets out of control.
Being a first time mom, I'm not quite sure what I should be doing to help her develop other than what I've been told by other moms or what I've read. In having this evaluation, the person will be able to either get me in contact with a therapist or tell me some exercises I can do and toys I can use to help Belle get to where she needs to be.
Through all of this going on today, I realized something. Two months ago, I would have been bawling my eyes out about this. But I have gotten quite a bit stronger emotionally while helping my baby get what she needs. I have finally knocked into my head that I can't cry everytime something goes wrong. It has been proven to me time and time again that it WILL get better. And you know what, I feel so much better because of that mentality.
So, honestly, I am really happy that we are getting a chance to work with someone who can tell us whether or not we are on the right track. Once the evaluator comes out, that person will let us know whether or not Belle qualifies for the therapy, but our pediatrician is fairly certain that we will. And if we do qualify, I will be extatic! If nothing else, maybe the evaluator will tell me that a baby gym will do just fine and that will give me an excuse to pay for some awesome gymboree time! <3
Being a first time mom, I'm not quite sure what I should be doing to help her develop other than what I've been told by other moms or what I've read. In having this evaluation, the person will be able to either get me in contact with a therapist or tell me some exercises I can do and toys I can use to help Belle get to where she needs to be.
Through all of this going on today, I realized something. Two months ago, I would have been bawling my eyes out about this. But I have gotten quite a bit stronger emotionally while helping my baby get what she needs. I have finally knocked into my head that I can't cry everytime something goes wrong. It has been proven to me time and time again that it WILL get better. And you know what, I feel so much better because of that mentality.
So, honestly, I am really happy that we are getting a chance to work with someone who can tell us whether or not we are on the right track. Once the evaluator comes out, that person will let us know whether or not Belle qualifies for the therapy, but our pediatrician is fairly certain that we will. And if we do qualify, I will be extatic! If nothing else, maybe the evaluator will tell me that a baby gym will do just fine and that will give me an excuse to pay for some awesome gymboree time! <3
Saturday, April 10, 2010
How fat is your baby?
Belle got baptized today. It was a great ceremony. Now a days they do the baptisms, communions, and confirmations in front of the whole congregation and they are treated as a welcoming into the Catholic church. I love the sentimental feeling that goes with big milestones like this (in addition to seeing grandmothers tear up, that was so touching!). It really does put me in a good mood, after all of the chaos of getting to that point. But that is not what this post is about.
This post is about babies and their weight. I started thinking about this when I found out the other child being baptized was only three months old and had already hit 18 POUNDS! My first response to this was, "WHOA! Um, time for a double take?" Then I began to consider other babies. Many of my friends have had kids recently, so its only normal that I would compare and contrast how everyone's kiddos are doing. Something that comes up alot, it seems, is weight. For the two mommies that had children last summer, they seem to have kids that have streamed along the average weight for babies. At least, I haven't heard any different from that. Then there's the kiddos that came after mine. Two of these babies are a good size for their age. Certainly, they are in the upper percentiles for weight averages. One of these kids is actually 2 months old and 15 pounds.
It gets me thinking, "What are you feeding these children and where can I get some?" You see, my little girl is on the very low end of the growth charts. Granted, we had issues feeding her in the beginning and her growing stalled out, but now she is starting to catch up. To give you and idea of how my girlie has been growing, when she was 3 months old, she weighed just over 10 pounds as opposed to 18! She is definitley petite. But really, I wanna know how on earth there can be such a large difference in weight. I couldn't help but think that little Luca (that was the boy's name) was gonna start walking here in a week or two....shoot. Even my sister's daughter wasn't 18 pounds until she was almost one!
So, if anyone can give me a rational explanation for this to help me get my head around this drastic difference in weight, it would be greatly appreciated. Then maybe I could stop wondering if I should just start feeding Belle cake to fatten her up a bit :).
This post is about babies and their weight. I started thinking about this when I found out the other child being baptized was only three months old and had already hit 18 POUNDS! My first response to this was, "WHOA! Um, time for a double take?" Then I began to consider other babies. Many of my friends have had kids recently, so its only normal that I would compare and contrast how everyone's kiddos are doing. Something that comes up alot, it seems, is weight. For the two mommies that had children last summer, they seem to have kids that have streamed along the average weight for babies. At least, I haven't heard any different from that. Then there's the kiddos that came after mine. Two of these babies are a good size for their age. Certainly, they are in the upper percentiles for weight averages. One of these kids is actually 2 months old and 15 pounds.
It gets me thinking, "What are you feeding these children and where can I get some?" You see, my little girl is on the very low end of the growth charts. Granted, we had issues feeding her in the beginning and her growing stalled out, but now she is starting to catch up. To give you and idea of how my girlie has been growing, when she was 3 months old, she weighed just over 10 pounds as opposed to 18! She is definitley petite. But really, I wanna know how on earth there can be such a large difference in weight. I couldn't help but think that little Luca (that was the boy's name) was gonna start walking here in a week or two....shoot. Even my sister's daughter wasn't 18 pounds until she was almost one!
So, if anyone can give me a rational explanation for this to help me get my head around this drastic difference in weight, it would be greatly appreciated. Then maybe I could stop wondering if I should just start feeding Belle cake to fatten her up a bit :).
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Hello Kleenex!
So I'm chilling at home, watching TV, and I realized something. My hormones will never be the same again. Ever. I am watching a show about babies, of course. Nothing seems to fascinate me more. Watching these shows does three things to me. One, when I watch these shows, I become VERY weepy. Seriously, like a little bitch. I can't help it. I can't stop it. The tears just start to well up. There is just something so special about seeing a mom, or dad, with her, or his, kid, be it at birth or months later.
Second, it causes me to go nuts with names. I love finding out what people name their babies! It fascinates me to no end. There are just so many names out there and its a battle to find the right one for your kiddo. You have to like it, your partner has to like it, and its nice to consider how that name will fit for that child when they are both young and old. Then there's name meaning and association, I could go on for quite a while. I actually have a short list of names I am considering for my next baby. A short list that has been compiled from a very, very large list that I compiled from various baby name books.
Third, watching these shows also makes me want my next kid....like now. I haven't had an impossible time with my little girl, but taking care of her and her somewhat simple issues isn't a walk in the park. So, one who knows me might think I'm out of my mind to be ready for another baby. In reality, I am at the point where I am thinking that if I can handle this baby, I can handle anything, for worse or for better! Only time will tell. I'm not actively trying, but thinking about it, so we'll see how that actually turns out.
I have to ask myself every once in a while why I choose to watch these shows. However, whatever answer I come up with doesn't stop me from watching them again and again. They're just too interesting. I mean I have friends in college who still watch some of them, like "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant". So, I will just have to learn to cope with my new hormones because they are as much a part of me as my big left toe! And they certainly won't get any better if I have another baby!
Bring on the tissues! And another episode with the Duggars :). PEACE!
Second, it causes me to go nuts with names. I love finding out what people name their babies! It fascinates me to no end. There are just so many names out there and its a battle to find the right one for your kiddo. You have to like it, your partner has to like it, and its nice to consider how that name will fit for that child when they are both young and old. Then there's name meaning and association, I could go on for quite a while. I actually have a short list of names I am considering for my next baby. A short list that has been compiled from a very, very large list that I compiled from various baby name books.
Third, watching these shows also makes me want my next kid....like now. I haven't had an impossible time with my little girl, but taking care of her and her somewhat simple issues isn't a walk in the park. So, one who knows me might think I'm out of my mind to be ready for another baby. In reality, I am at the point where I am thinking that if I can handle this baby, I can handle anything, for worse or for better! Only time will tell. I'm not actively trying, but thinking about it, so we'll see how that actually turns out.
I have to ask myself every once in a while why I choose to watch these shows. However, whatever answer I come up with doesn't stop me from watching them again and again. They're just too interesting. I mean I have friends in college who still watch some of them, like "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant". So, I will just have to learn to cope with my new hormones because they are as much a part of me as my big left toe! And they certainly won't get any better if I have another baby!
Bring on the tissues! And another episode with the Duggars :). PEACE!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Oh What I Would Wear
How do you know you've watched too much "What Not to Wear"? Well, when you start saying "shut the front door" and you obsess about all of the stuff you would buy with that fabulous $5000 gift card. I have begun to do both. The phrase is self explanitory, but the shopping, that's a bit more involved. If the baby's asleep and I have some free time to browse the web, I look at all the delicious designer duds that I could buy if I had tons of cash! My favorite would have to be Coach. I have grown a sick fascination with handbags. There's just something about those little c's all over the fabric that I love. I think I might have to look to my mom for that obsession because she was, at one point, CONSTANTLY buying handbags off of eBay. Now I'm hooked.
Then there's my friend Lauren. This girl can wear a very plain white t-shirt with a sick pair of skinny jeans and a necklace from Anthropologie and look freakin fabulous! Then I find myself wondering if I would look just as fabulous wearing the same thing. After all is said and done, though, it isn't about the clothes or the bags or even the jewelry. It's all about how you feel while wearing them. Putting on a beautiful pair of heels gives me a great feeling of power. I honestly never thought I would say that, or think that, but its so very true! Give me a great pair of red heels, some dark wash jeans, a fitted black T, and a set of pearls and I will feel on top of the world.
So thank you Lauren and thank you Stacy London and Clinton Kelly for making me realize that I can feel as awesome as I look if I just find the right outfits!
Then there's my friend Lauren. This girl can wear a very plain white t-shirt with a sick pair of skinny jeans and a necklace from Anthropologie and look freakin fabulous! Then I find myself wondering if I would look just as fabulous wearing the same thing. After all is said and done, though, it isn't about the clothes or the bags or even the jewelry. It's all about how you feel while wearing them. Putting on a beautiful pair of heels gives me a great feeling of power. I honestly never thought I would say that, or think that, but its so very true! Give me a great pair of red heels, some dark wash jeans, a fitted black T, and a set of pearls and I will feel on top of the world.
So thank you Lauren and thank you Stacy London and Clinton Kelly for making me realize that I can feel as awesome as I look if I just find the right outfits!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
It's only free will
So Steve and I got into a very weird debate today. It was all about free will vs., well, no free will. His argument was that even though he was choosing to make a left turn, he was destined to make that left turn. Even though he had the option of taking the right, he never was going to because he would have taken the left turn all along and didn't have a choice in the matter. Then he proceeded to say that due to his turning left he was destined to turn left and he couldn't go back and choose to turn right. Of course, I had to argue back. My point was that the option is there whether you take it or not. Even if he had taken the right, he would have ended at the same destination. No matter what you do, the option is there and you can't take that away from anyone. Steve chose to go left and no one was sitting behind him with a weapon to him telling him he had to go left.
So the debate stands, did he or did he not have the choice of which way to turn? Do we have a chance to choose our actions or are our actions predetermined?
I honestly think its rediculous to say that people don't have a choice in anything and that someone has already chosen every little detail of our life.....but that's just one opinion I suppose.
So the debate stands, did he or did he not have the choice of which way to turn? Do we have a chance to choose our actions or are our actions predetermined?
I honestly think its rediculous to say that people don't have a choice in anything and that someone has already chosen every little detail of our life.....but that's just one opinion I suppose.
