Sunday, February 15, 2009

6 months today

Annie is 6 months old today- it is amazing! She has grown so much, but is still such a little thing- I think she seems so little because I have Riley to compare her to…she has her 6 month well-baby check on Wednesday, so I will have her stats then, but I want to get some thoughts down today for me to remember!

Miss Annie….

LIKES:
Nursing! She really, really likes to nurse, and I just love it…except in the middle of the night of course. After my c-section, my biggest concern was not being able to nurse her. It was quite a long time after she was born before I was even able to try- they wouldn’t let me the first day at all, so it was in the afternoon of the second day before I even got her to my breast, but she took right to it and we have been going strong since then. Of course, I am starting to think that part of our sleeping problems might be because she likes it so much, but I am not ready to stop, so on we go! Six months was my first goal…now I would like to be able to nurse her until she is a year. We will see how it goes!


Her big sister! It is amazing to me to watch them together- I think they will be great friends...I am not naïve to think that they will always like each other, but I really think that the bond that has already formed between them will last forever. I think I have said this before, but Annie often only has eyes for Riley. When we pick her up from school together, it is Riley she smiles for, laughs for, looks for.


Playing! When she is in a good mood, she will play by herself for long periods of time- in her exersaucer, in her play gym, just on a blanket on the floor. She loves toys that make noise, like all babies, and really doesn’t have a favorite toy. But she just loves them all! She has really good hand control, I think, for a baby her age, and she loves to grab at things.

Her daddy! He can always make her laugh- and has a really calming effect to help her get to sleep. I call him the Baby Whisperer!! He did the same thing with Riley! Since her sleep has been really, really bad lately (see Dislikes!), Todd has been helping a lot at night. At dinner, I get to coax her into eating in between the fusses (she is usually tired at dinner and sometimes cranky), but as soon as she looks at her daddy, she is ALL smiles.


Baths! Oh, how she loves her baths! Now that she can sit up pretty well, she has been so interested in looking around and playing with toys in the bathtub. And she especially likes to look in the big mirror at herself and me. And she loves to splash! The only thing she does not like about her bath is getting her neck washed- she even doesn’t mind water in her eyes!
More likes: Angel, the cat, especially pulling her fur; butternut squash and sweet potatoes and peaches; chewing on everything; riding in the car; being nosy; her stroller; her paci


DISLIKES:
Sleeping! Definitely number one on this list! She often falls asleep very well at night, but she usually fights her naps and now she is just taking little short ones. And lately at night, she is up at least 2-3 times to nurse, and then several times in between that just fussing. Sometimes I can soothe her with her paci and SleepSheep, sometimes I have to pick her up and rock her. Sometimes Todd can get her back to sleep, unless she wants to nurse and then she wants nothing to do with him, of course. There is just NO consistency, and I am really starting to feel the effect of 6+ months of sleep deprivation- my memory is shot, as is my patience. Sometimes I can’t even find words- it is so frustrating….we need to make some changes now that she is a little older, I just don’t really know what to do….

Her snowsuit! She fusses every single time I put her in it, I have no idea why! And then never mind trying to buckle her into her car seat with it- she is all wiggly and impossible….

Being sick! Of course, this is kind of a no-brainer, but she was pretty miserable when she was sick. It was sad to hear her cough and cough and really couldn’t do anything about it. And she absolutely HATES having her nose suctioned…can’t blame her though! Thank goodness she is feeling much better now.

Other dislikes: when Roxie the dog licks her face; when I take too long to feed her; being cold after her bath

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

More (still) sickies

So, Annie is still sick. She has been up several times- sometimes for hours- each night this week, and I am seriously sleep deprived once again. Or maybe I should say still. Anyway, more so than usual. She actually had a few good nights before the sickies hit. I really should not complain- this is only the 2nd time she has been sick since she was born- not bad in 6 months.

Last night was particularly bad and I finally agreed with Todd that we should bring her in to be checked out. I was waiting, thinking that this cold had to start getting better- she had no fever, really just a bad cough and lots of congestion- and during the day she was fine.

So, today I brought her to the pediatrician and she has an ear infection- and just a really bad cold. He actually said the cough could last up to 4 weeks! WHAT! At least now we know, and she has her 6 month well-baby visit next week, so we can recheck the ear.

The weighed her while she was there and she weighs 16lbs1oz- up one pound since last visit. However, I am a tad concerned because, according to the Internets, that only puts her in the 25-50th percentile range- which means she is dropping, and that is not good. In looking back through Riley's stats, she was about the same weight- 16lbs9oz at 6 months- and she started off MUCH MUCH smaller...so, one more thing for me to worry about....doc and I will be chatting about this next week :)

So, I know I owe you pics and an update from the party weekend, but right now I just do not have the energy...oh, ya, forgot to mention that we are SUPER crazy busy at work, Todd is on the 10-7 shift all week, and I am supposed to be planning and executing an art show for the girls' school tomorrow....must go eat and then pass out in bed!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Sickies....

UPDATE: I wrote this last night and then couldn’t post it for some reason. Since then, Annie was up all night- from about 1am to when Todd relieved me sometime around 5:30am, I think. So, I am home with her today. She is ok- in a good mood, just not herself and still coughing and snotting. Hopefully she will feel better by tomorrow!!

Annie has a cold. I hate when either of them are sick, but it is so much harder when they are little and just do not understand what is happening. She actually has handled it very well so far- I think she was grumpier this weekend than she is now that she is coughing and sneezing. In fact, the last two nights she has been in a great mood- laughing and playing and eating well. Last night she ate a ton of butternut squash- her favorite so far. And she was ok tonight, too. Don’t think she has been feeling as well at school, which of course is to be expected as well. At home she gets her mommy and daddy all to herself and to hold and cuddle her and not so much at school.

But, just like before, she is not sleeping well at all. The last two nights she has been up with a stuffy nose- and it is so sad to hear her snorting and snuffing and just not able to breathe. And it does not make nursing her easy at all. She pulls off constantly just so that she can breathe. Poor little thing.

Riley enjoyed her birthday immensely! I went to her school at snack time and we sang happy birthday to her and had cupcakes. She didn’t know I was coming- I got there just as they were waking up and I sat with her for a few minutes and we talked about her day. It was really nice and I am glad I did it.

Other than that, we didn’t really do anything. We gave her one small present- a new bubble wand- but since this weekend is her parties, we figured we would save the big celebrations for then.

I am NOT ready!!!!!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Five years ago today.....


Dear Riley


Dear Riley,


Five years ago today my life changed in a dramatic way. You entered this world, three weeks early, taking everyone by surprise, except for me! For some reason, I knew you would come early- I said it throughout my pregnancy and no one believed me- but I knew. You arrived with your eyes wide open and silent and thinking- and then you cried- and this has held true to your life these last five years. You still do everything systematically- you need to think everything through before you do it. And I love that about you- sometimes!

You are so smart it amazes me. You are reading and you are so proud if it. Your father and I can no longer spell out words we don’t want you to know! You love books- sometimes you spend hours in your room taking out all of your books and reading them. And then you leave them all over your floor for me to trip over! You beg me to go to the library- and you know where all of the good books are at Barnes and Noble. I wished this for you- for you to love books like I do- but I never knew you would love them this much.

You also love all things princess and Barbie. Some days I think pink and purple and glitter and sparkles and Barbie will take over our house. You are currently obsessed with TinkerBelle and have watched the movie you received just this Christmas no less than 20 times, sometimes you watch it again right after you finished it. But that is ok, because soon you will be on to another obsession.

You became a big sister this year and you are just wonderful at it. You have been the best big sister to Annie and she worships you. When we pick her up together at school, she doesn’t even look at me and only has smiles for you. You make her laugh from her belly and it makes me cry to watch the two of you together. I hope she will be your best friend.

You drive me crazy sometimes with your questions and when you argue with me about everything you drive me nuts. But, I know you are testing me and you are learning and when I think about it later, I understand. I love when you are wild and loud and even sometimes when you have a temper and you cry for no reason….it means you are normal and 5 years old!!

Thank you for picking me to be your mother. I could not ask for a better daughter even when you drive me mad…sometimes I love you even more then…..

Love, Mama