Ouch

Let's just say this hasn't been the best week and we are all glad it's over.

First there was the vomiting. Lots of vomiting.

Then there was diarrhea. Not as much diarrhea but enough.

Then there was a double ear infection and bronchitis. Our first time with that lovely pink medicine that makes adults shudder but is supposed to make kids think of bubble gum. Yeah, right.

Then there was 2nd degree burns on both hands. Miss C tried to pull herself up on a space heater that was on in that split second when all eyes were not on her. I am actually surprised at my level of calm because I wasn't here when it happened. The reality is that she is going to get bumps and bruises and even burns. No, it's not ideal and I am not saying she shouldn't be watched like a hawk, but kids get hurt. Especially adventurous ones like ours. I would much rather know that her injury was accident that happened in my home surrounded by people that love and care for her because I know without a doubt it was an accident. If it had happened somewhere else I could not say with as much conviction that it was just an accident and not due to someone being negligent.

So, we are glad this week is over. We are glad that our bebe survived her first major whammy of a week where she got hit will all the daycareitis all at one time. We are still worried that she's dropped a little weight because she's not eating as much and that her consumption of fluids, any fluid, is down...but the doctor is not worried so far.

Hope all is well with you.

All the things you can do...

Miss C you are quite the active girl and I wanted to tell everyone what you have been up to...

• You have 8 beautiful teeth in your little mouth. 2 are fully through and the rest are pushing through.
• One of the things you LOVE doing with those teeth is grinding them together. I am trying to ignore this.
• You are also fascinated with the mouths and teeth of others and will claw your way into our mouths to check them out.
• With the new teeth has come a lot more eating of foods that haven't been mushed or pureed and jammed into a jar.
• You also have a strong desire to feed yourself so even if we are feeding you jar food I often put it right on the tray for you or give you your own spoon and let you feed yourself. You even dip the spoon into the food trying to get your own.
• At daycare you eat off their menu and supplement with jar food because honestly Mom can't stomach the thought of you eating the wienies that comes with beans. Gag.
• Every day is exploration day for you and while you are moving beyond your normal boundaries, you still look back over your shoulder when you are going to cross one you are starting realize you shouldn't...like when you try to stick your had in the dog's water bowl and then lick your fingers.
• You are crawling every where and at quite a quick pace. Lately you have started this monkey crawl where you aren't on your knees but have straight legs and use your feet instead.
• There's also a lot of cruising and risk taking where you'll let go of something with one hand and reach out to where you want to go trying to see if you can reach it.
• And of course, the new obstacle of stairs with the remodeled basement, hasn't really held you back in any way.
• Clapping is a common response now from you and you will clap if you hear or see other people clapping and often when someone says YEA! because that is what I say when you clap.
• You also wave hello and bye-bye and have turned your palm out when you wave instead of the backward wave toward yourself.
• It took us awhile to figure out that you were signing "milk" because it looked so much like your wave but we have now figured out the different.
• With less frequency you are blowing kisses which is so cute and makes me want to kiss you all over.
• At home we are working on more signs and they also are working on them at daycare.
• On of your other favorite gestures that has not meaning other than for sheer fun is when you open your mouth and go ahhhhhh while patting your open palm over your mouth. You love the sound and do this all the time.
• Your favorite books is That's Not My Train and tonight you leaned and reached toward your stack of books at bed time and kept throwing down the books until I realized what you wanted. It's a touch book and you are very into touching everything.
• While I haven't noticed much in the way of distinct words beyond mama dada it's not from lack of trying. I think maybe I just don't understand because you are CONSTANTLY doing your form of talking and singing. So, I just keep on talking to you and try to play close attention to what you say back.

Greatness

Dear Baby Girl,
Today was a memorable one for our country, you turned 11 months old and a new President was sworn into office. I know the journey with our new African American President, a major milestone in this country, will change the landscape of your future in what I hope will be a positive way. While none of us can truly know just what exactly lies ahead, I can tell you that on this day there is a sense of fellowship unlike anything I have ever felt in my 34 years. I have high hopes for our new President and my country and great expectations that today will lead us toward a future that will be suitable for you my little girl.

Having said all that, I must say the arrival of your 11 month is having a much deeper impact on me at the moment. The realization that in one short month you will be one year old has hit me like a hammer. Where is that little baby that I was so scared of with the tiny fingers and itty bitty toes? It feels like in the blink of an eye you went from being so fragile and intidimating to being so resilient and independent.

And then I caught a glimpse of that fragile little girl this weekend when you were so sick and cuddle up close to me clinging to my clothes and looking to me for relief. When you laid your head against my chest and slowly rubbed your arm up and down my side it was like you were consoling me and telling me no matter how many months past that you will always be my baby girl.

So, here we are today, your 11 month birthday and while your eyes still show signs of illness there is also a glimmer of your spirit shining through. You are an amazingly joyful little girl and on this day filled with national and international hope I am filled with hope for you and your life.

I am sure every parent thinks their child is destined for greatness...I fulfilled my destiny when I had you. You, my baby girl, are my greatness and within you is the spirit and drive to change this world in so many amazingly positive ways. As your mom, I promise to lay before you a foundation made up of kindness, courage, virtue, service, strength, laughter and so much more and I will support you in your journey down whatever path takes you to your greatness.

Happy 11th Month!

Love,

Mom

Ahhh Baby Part 3

Yes, she is sick. Yes, she had a stomach virus and puked all over this entire house. Yes, she now has a double ear infection and is on the verge of bronchitis. But will that stop her from climbing the stairs for the first time? Hell no. I am just thankful she didn't barf on them.

On a side note, doesn't she look kinda crazy evil with her wild hair, arched eyebrows and what looks like front fangs?

Ahh Baby Part 2

Thankfully, Miss C stopped throwing up Friday evening and didn't get sick again. We loaded her up with electrolytes and apple sauce and I held her the majority of the day on Saturday. She didn't play much or laugh so we knew she still wasn't feeling well. A nasty cough and snotty nose replaced the puking.

At around her bedtime SP and I both started feeling a little queasy. What followed were HOURS of violent vomiting and a screaming baby we could barely take care of because every time we picked her up we had to put her back down and run to the bathroom. In the end we both turned to medicine I had for when I was pregnant and sick. It helped, a little. We slept little, threw up a lot and basically had one of the most miserable nights of our lives.

Today Miss C still is not herself. She is hoarse from all the coughing and we can't keep up with all the snot. SP and I haven't been sick since about 4 AM but we still aren't feeling 100%. Ended up having his mom come over so we could sleep and she could watch Miss C for a couple hours. That helped.

It's now 7 PM on the Sunday of my long holiday weekend. I have work to do that I have no desire to do. I finally took a shower and brushed my teeth. Miss C is asleep for what we hope is a full night of rest. And I will soon follow.

Ahhh baby

This morning Miss C woke up at earlier than usual and I could tell she wasn't feeling well. I put her in bed with her dad while I took a shower. Typically she would be all over the place but this morning she just laid with her dad.

When I was done getting ready I found her in the kitchen with her dad and she wasn't eating much. We both tried to feed her but she wasn't having it. Next thing we know she vomited all over SP, the sofa and herself. It was crazy projectile puking.

We got that all cleaned up and she fell asleep for a few minutes. Next thing we know she has vomited all over her crib and herself. We tried calling Amy to come watch her so I could still go to work. I called the day care and told them she wouldn't be coming in.

We got that all cleaned up and she fell asleep again this time I was holding her. We laid down in my bed since there weren't sheets on her bed and she slept for a over an hour. She woke up in a playful mood and I thought whatever had upset her belly had passed. Next thing I know she projectile vomited all over the bed, herself, the floor and me.

We got that all cleaned up, Amy showed up, I called the doctor, we gave her fluids and it's been two hours and no vomiting. I never made it to work. I held my girl instead which is the priority.

She is now napping. She's barely kept anything down so I hope the fluids stay down and we get back on track.

Uh-Oh Buh Bye

Today I was in Louisville for the 4th time in as many weeks. I love my family and friends but it is EXHAUSTING traveling back and forth and I end up neglecting things I need to do here that don't get done.

The highlight though of going home is that Miss C gets to spend time with her grandparents, aunt and cousin as well as my friends if I have the opportunity to see them. It is absolutely hilarious to see my parents roll around on the floor with her. And it touches my heart to see how much she loves and enjoys them. I have such fond memories of the time I spent with Grandma Ruby, Grandpa Al and Grandma Sara and I want the same for Miss C.

I think while we were visiting Mia gave Miss C some pointers on talking because she perfectly executed the use of "uh oh" and "bye" while we were there. I am sure they will be trading all kinds of tricks through the course of the lives. I can't wait!

We also got to spend time with one of Miss C's boyfriends. She really is starting to notice other kids more and interact with them which I attribute to the day care experience. At one point she was trying to share her food with him which was cute. We also got to see Yadi and Mitzi which was a treat for me and I got to eat at one of my favorite places in Louisville. Yummy...too bad I didn't get the Green Chili Wontons.

On a side note, my chipped tooth is killing me and I go to a new dentist tomorrow to have it fixed. It totally sucks that I had to fire my dentist because I like him but his office staff are the worst. Today makes the 7th day since my last call to them about my chipped tooth and they have yet to call me back. Great customer service. Anyway, the tooth is causing some discomfort. I hope the outcome of my visit tomorrow is an easy pain-free fix not a painful one.

Time

Right now I feel like during the week I don't get to spend much time with Miss C. She is so tired when she gets home from day care that she barely stays up until 7. They tell me at that day care that she goes non-stop and while she'll nap briefly it's like she doesn't miss a beat. I guess it's good that she is playing and learning but it's hard to only see her for like and hour and half before she goes to bed. Granted, I realize we are blessed she sleeps so well and I wouldn't change that either...just would like a little more time.

Tonight Miss Amy came over to visit. We have been decided to try and have her come over at least once a week to spend time with Miss C and so SP and I could have a date night. Miss C showed her the new basement and how excited she gets when she crawls real fast after the cats under the air hockey table. She also showed her the new stroller that Granny and Grampy got her and how she can walk all by herself while pushing it.

The other exciting news is that Miss C now has 5 teeth which she likes to grind against each other to hear the nice gritty sound they make. There is also this hilarious awareness of her ability to make sounds and to carry on a "sound dialogue" with us where we go back and forth making similar sounds to each other. She's always made sounds from the very day she was born and I have a feeling once she figures out how to say actual words she will never stop. The teachers will love her I am sure.

Hope you are having a wonderful new year.

Cousins

The love and dislike of it

Tonight while changing Miss C she flipped over for the 100th time onto her belly and promptly got on all fours and started trying to crawl. Seriously, the child has no fear. Her mother is losing her patience with the flipping over mid-diaper change where poopy diapers go flying and she starts screaming when I try to gently but firmly keep her on her back. I have tried just going with the flow and changing her while she's on her stomach but that is really difficult especially considering the fact that she often moves quickly to sit which really makes it impossible.

Along with that, if she is tired, she will also fling herself backward when I am changing her clothes. She has wacked her head on a lot when this happens and I am not prepared for it. Thankfully she hasn't been seriously hurt but I am thinking about investing in a helmet to keep her from getting brain damage.

I have give her toys. I have sang songs. I have played music. I have played peekaboo. I have tried changing locations. I have tried and I am out of tricks. So, I turn to you...any suggestions?