Free at last!

We had a check up for Katie with our pediatrician today - I didn't mention it earlier because honestly, these appointments scare the crap out of me. We've done the tests and we know there's nothing "wrong" with her. But she still is off the charts weight-wise (well, at least I thought so, more on that in a sec) and every time we have an appointment where her weight is being checked I get this sick feeling in my stomach, like people in white coats are going to come around the corner and take her away from me, because clearly I can't raise a child properly and why oh why can't she just gain like 3 pounds and get back in the 25th percentile so they'll just leave us alone?

*breathe*

Okay - so aside from my neurotic thoughts - our appointment went well. In fact, I'd even say swimmingly well. Katie is now at 16 pounds 12 ounces, she's happy, chunky(ish) looking and hitting all her milestones. In fact, she didn't shut up the entire appointment and flirted her ass off with the pediatrician. (Meh - I say well done girl, go for the doctors...) And her height registered in at 29.33 inches. That's almost 2 full inches taller than Maddie was at a year. It's also in the 75th percentile. So yeah... she's growing. Just tall and skinny, I guess.

The interesting part of the appointment was right at the end. I asked him to print out the growth chart with all Katie's plots that he was looking at on the computer. He did and then said, "But take this with a grain of salt - these are old growth charts."

Old growth charts.

So I've been sitting here, for the past 4 months, worrying my ass off, because my child isn't even registering on the chart, and I find out that really, these are old charts so not to worry so much (in fairness - there was a growth pattern problem - which has been resolved - so it's not like I'm saying there was nothing wrong) - but really? Why would it be so difficult to plot on the current growth charts? A bit speechless to that idiocy.

Of course I came home and googled the current charts. They put her solidly in the 3rd percentile for weight. Instead of not registering on the chart at all, she's right there, in a shaded little part. That made me feel so much more comfortable - my only question is why the hell it wouldn't just be mandatory for doctors everywhere to use the up-to-date charts? Silly.

All in all - it's good news. And we got the all-clear. Which means I don't have to have any more heart-palpitating pediatrician appointments anytime soon.

Yay Katie. Chunk that monk!

xxoo.S

This isn't an easy post to write

We had our follow up pediatrician appointment yesterday - Katie is still not gaining weight at any progressive rate that makes the doctor happy. Our little 8 month old weighed in at 14 lbs 2 ounces - which is actually down 2 ounces from when we were at the doctor a few weeks ago when she was sick.

Awesome possum.

And so - now we have to do tests. Start ruling things out (hopefully). Start loading up her food with butter or full-fat cream. And offer formula only.

There's the rub for me. That little sentence, "Oh - and quit the breastfeeding, now's the time for formula only." cut through me like a knife.

And I know it's best for her. And it's not about me. And regardless I shouldn't feel guilty. And we breastfed for 8 months and thats something to be proud of. And. And. And...

I don't get it - that I could breastfeed my first so easily, without issues and while she was tiny, she was always roly-poly. Smack dab between the 10th and 25th percentiles, never a cause for concern. Always a great eater. It makes no sense that I have trouble breastfeeding my second. It's supposed to get easier over time, not harder.

And yet - that's the best I can hope for. That somehow my milk is nutritionally deficient and that I'm at the root of this, because the alternatives could be far worse and I'm not even going there yet, because we have visits to Sick Kids and tests to run and bottles to push and extra-caloric butter to add to mashed potatoes right now.

That's where my focus is and needs to be. The future will tell us what the future will hold. No point in worrying about it now.

The silver, ironic little lining?

We came home from the appointment, she was EXHAUSTED and drank a 4 ounce bottle before her nap like it was no big deal. Of course she did, right? Because we haven't been fighting with her to take a bottle for 5 months or anything. Maybe she saw the determination in my eye. Or pure panicking desperation...

Regardless - she's taken 4 bottles thus far - all 3-4 ounces at a time. So we are doing what we can do for now.

xxoo.S

Eight Months

Dear Katie,

I write this while you slumber upstairs - sleep has been a challenge this month. You've been sick. You're teething. You're more aware now. And I give in - each and every time. But cuddles at 3am can sometimes be so nice (if I wasn't so bloody tired at the time). I'm hoping your teeth come soon - but I've learned (from your sister) that a watched pot never boils and have tried not to obsess over them too much.

Another challenge has been food. You hate baby food. HATE it. Where did you get this strong personality from, hmmm? And thus, far earlier than I planned, you have started on finger foods.  Banana chunks dusted in pulverized cheerios. Pasta pieces from my chicken noodle soup. Rice, mashed potatoes, toast, pizza crust - you are a carb-o-holic my little tiny thing.

And yes, you are still very tiny, off the scale in weight on the growth charts at just 14 lbs 4 ounces (although that weight was taken at the doctor's office while we were both quite sick from a nasty cold). It's a bit worrying - but you don't look skinny - just tiny, with chunk-a-monk thighs. In the meantime, I feed you avocado almost daily trying to fatten you up...

You love playtime and your new favourite thing is to "walk" with Daddy. I never really gave much credence to the whole "walk before they could crawl" baby stories - but this may be you... With no interest in crawling and whole lot of protesting whenever you're on your belly on the playmat, I'm not sure how you're even going to learn to crawl. And yet, you're so happy to be cruising around holding our hands or the furniture. I think you see your sister running circles around you and you just want to get up into the action!

We start baby signing classes this coming week - I think you're going to love being around other babies, since you take the opportunity to SCREECH at any babies you see while we're out shopping. And I'm looking forward to getting out of the house just the two of us.

What else to say about 8 months monkey? You are strong willed, you are inquisitive, you are a flirt (with Daddy mainly - you only have eyes for him once he gets home from work), you are a hard audience (but I can get a giggle or two daily from you if I try hard enough), you are easily frustrated and will be very happy to be mobile soon - you are a 5 year old trapped in an 8 month old's body.

Don't grow up too fast okay? I still want to enjoy your babyhood - trust me, there's lots of time for the running, skipping, jumping you seem to want to do. Baby steps...

We love you, our little Katiebear, so very much.

Love,
Mommy

6 month stats

So Katie had her 6 month shots today - which she took like a champ (of course). All looks great - but a little concerning was her weight gain (or lack thereof). She weighed in at 13 lbs 9 oz. When you plot that on the chart that puts her off the graph - as in, she doesn't register on the growth charts... super. awesome.

Of course our fabulous family doctor is "not concerned" and suggested that we make an appointment in another 6 weeks to check on her weight gain.

Um, I'm no doctor, but that seems a bit late to be checking progress in my opinion... Especially as she's pooping about 6 times a day and it's all very mucousy and green and gross. Personally, I'm a little worried she may have a milk allergy (did you know dry milk powder is the 2nd ingredient in all baby cereals? I didn't even know to check until today, and there it is - hi milk!)... so we're avoiding the baby cereals and keeping to plain fruits, veg and some chicken for the next few days to see if it makes any difference. And if it doesn't, I'll be asking for a pediatrician referral. Because I'm neurotic like that...

In other (happier, more normal) news - she's 26-1/4 inches long - which puts her in the 25th percentile for height. Yay! Long, skinny bebe.

Gratuitous Katie pic doing tongue acrobatics

xxoo.S

4 month shots

Is there anything worse than this parenthood ritual? Having to watch their faces screw up and the silence before the massive earsplitting cry. Katie of course was a trooper (just like her sister always was) and I suspect (hope?) she'll sleep more than usual over the next couple of days.

Our doctor was just as horrible as usual - advising me that now she was four months, I was free to start trying solids any day now. I didn't even bother to try and argue that actually, no - conventional advice is to hold off until 6 months. Seriously, our doctor is a jackass (and yes, I'm trying to find a new one).

But in happy news, Katie is a happy healthy growing bebe - 12 lbs 4 oz and 25 inches in length. Longer than her sister was, but about 5 ounces lighter. Do we ever stop the comparison?

xxoo.S

One Month

Dear Katie,

I write this as you slumber on the nursing pillow on my lap. Fitting really, as this has been our position for the past month. You like to be snuggled, you like to be held, and you'll sleep all day long if someone will just do nothing but cuddle you.

One month old - and it has (of course) flown by. You are not so tiny and fragile and breakable looking. Weighing in at 9lbs 1oz, you're turning into quite the chunky monkey. And you love to eat - usually every 2 hours, except when you change it up and decide to sleep for almost 4 hours straight (I love those nights).

Oh, the sleep. We thought we had it rough with your sister. If it's possible -- you fight sleep even more. You won't sleep in the crib, the bassinet, the swing, the bouncy chair or the stroller. You want to be held. You want to feel the warmth of another person.

And once again, we find ourselves giving into the demands of a newborn. And so you sleep on me, or with me, or in my arms, for the better part of the day. We're trying to change this - but it's all just so hard. And I know just how short this time is -- when you are wee, when you are small enough to fit into the crook of my arm, when you will be 100% content to just lay on or near me -- I know how fleeting this time is and to be honest, I'm enjoying, relishing, savouring every minute of it.

Happy one month my little grumpy troll. I love your squeaks and your grunts and all your little frowns just as much as I love all the cuddles.

Love,
Mommy

PS - your eyes are still blue. Let's keep them that way. I've got a bet going with Daddy...

Two weeks

Only two weeks, and yet it feels like forever (if I may be so prosaic). Our little family is complete and we're (slowly) falling into a rhythm of routine.

Oh Katie - you sleep. You sleep so much more than your sister ever did. Please don't stop sleeping. We love the sleep. You love the sleep. You're a happy, non-grumpy, content little baby. Please don't change that. Pleasepleaseplease don't change that.

For the record? I totally know you're going to. That the only constant with a kid IS change. But still - I wanted to mark it down for the record that you did, at one point, sleep pretty alright. Now feel free to 'eff with it...

And you're chunky. Already 8 lbs 3 oz at the last appointment with the midwife (just this Monday). Like, growing out of the newborn diapers chunky. How are you so big kid? Not that I don't love those rolls and dimples - because nomnomnom - I totally love them.

You love the swing. You love the bouncy chair. You're content to just lay on the floor and kick-kick-kickety-kick. That's not to say you don't love a good cuddle - who doesn't? But sometimes you just gotta be put down in your own space. I get it - and thank you for it. Because that's when I get to eat...

You (of course) love to be nekkid. I think you get this from your sister. And you LOVE the bath. What newborn loves the bath? Especially when water is poured on your head. We figure it's a whole "reminiscing your old home" thing, but still - you quiet right down as soon as we get your head wet. You little adorable weirdo.

Daddy is still sleeping on the couch downstairs - giving up the bed for you and me at night. But our big master plan is to "fix" this, this weekend. So that room that I worked so hard on these past few months may actually start to get used. We'll see how that goes...

All in all - so far so good. You're fitting in just fine I'd say. I guess you can stay...

xxoo.S

Peeking out from the cocoon

As I'm sure you've guessed by now, we have our new little addition to the family. Katharine (Katie) Jeananne was born on her due date - June 23rd at 10:22pm. Weighing in at 7lbs 12oz and a shorty-short 19-inches long. She looks like me, she looks like Maddie, she looks like her Daddy. She's ours alright...

It all started the day before with what I kept calling "pre-labour" pains. Crampy, irregular and nothing to write home about - but I did decide to start putting the Maddie babysitters on call, in case something did start to get a bit more advanced. After being in labour with Maddie for over 3 days, I figured I had some time to work with.

Turns out I was right - and got to enjoy full-on contractions (that weren't progressing) all through the night. By the next morning everything was about 10-12 minutes apart, so I told the Hubs to plan on working from home, but I expected we had until late afternoon or so. By about 11am everything started to go a little pear shaped - contractions got stronger, less tolerable, and faster in timing. At this stage, the Hubs was frantically trying to put out a few work fires that had cropped up, and I was unsuccessfully trying to "distract" myself with bad daytime tv.

A call was put in to the midwives around 2pm and based on what they could tell over the phone, they decided to forgo the at-home check-in visit and just meet us at the hospital for 3:30pm. I wish I could tell you that I got there and it just popped out like a greased watermelon - but yeah, I already gave away the time of birth. So fast-forward another 6 hours of labour - I did my best to go "au natural" but 7 centimeters and 4 hours later I broke down and begged for drugs. The epidural went in around 8pm, my water broke while the anesthesiologist was still in the room and I was ready to start pushing just before 10pm.

All in all? If I can compare labour with Maddie? It was same-same but different.

Long pre-labour contraction lead-up in both cases (granted it was much longer with Maddie, but I'm clearly not one of those girls that wakes up in the middle of the night, gently wakes the Hubs with a whispered "It's Time.").

With Maddie I got the epidural right away and spent almost 12 hours of labour laying on my side on a hospital bed, with a pitocin drip while everyone closely watched the fetal monitor which was slightly freaky. But painless. With Katie - well I tried everything humanely possible to get through labour without the epi - shower, jacuzzi, massage, walking, not walking, laying down, sitting on labour ball, nitrous oxide gas... only to breakdown and ask for it because I hadn't progressed a single centimeter in an hour and that my friends, is hella-deflating when you've battled through what you thought was "transition".

With Maddie, by the time the "pushing" stage got there, my epi drip had run out - so I did that part "au natural" and damn - it was painful. With Katie I was so numb that I had midwives on either side of me holding my legs up so I could actually attempt a push. I didn't feel her come out at all - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think that part could have gone faster if I could actually feel what I was doing at that stage. Not that I'm complaining...

Maddie came out not breathing, had to be suctioned and was whisked off to the warming tray before I could barely glimpse her. Katie came out wailing, was immediately put on my chest and started rooting for the breast almost immediately.

Hmm, now that I explain it like that, I'd say less same-same and more different-different is really how the two experiences stack up.

Big kudos go out to the midwives - if you are considering a pregnancy and haven't thought of a midwife - I would highly HIGHLY recommend it. They're not an added cost - completely covered by OHIP, and they're not all granola-touchy-feely. But it was really a more personal, private, considerate experience than I had before - which was a lot more "medicalized", I realize now.

And the bonus with midwives? You can check out of the hospital as early as 3 hours post-labour. We were home that night by 4am (because it took me 2 hours before I could pee on my own - and that is apparently a pre-requisite to get out of the hospital). It didn't feel strange to leave so early - in fact it was a relief. I got to sleep in my own bed, see Maddie before going to daycare that morning, eat my own food (and not have to eat hospital food!) and did I mention sleep? In my own, comfortable bed? Yep, that was sweet.

Katie has been a darling so far - she slept a tonne when we first got home. And then she wanted to eat. And Eat. And Eat. Andeatandeatandeatandeat. It got a little hairy and scary and teary and hormonal. And then I broke down and let the Hubs give her some formula... and that didn't make a difference. So she and I took to my bed and just ate and slept and ate and slept as much as she'd let me.

I realize we are making all the same mistakes we made before with Maddie - and we really do plan on getting her in her crib and sleeping on her own... in a week or so... Yes, I'm a total sucker...

I'll leave you with some pics. I'd love to show you the classic post-push baby shot with Mama, except the Hubs didn't notice my nipple-slip in every.single.shot. Classic.

Proud Daddy

Swaddled

Family shot (yes, she's totally on my boob in this picture)

Nekkid baby bum.

Me - looking like I've had zero sleep. Oh wait...

I will do my best to keep the pics and updates coming... we're still feeling very "new" over here and the days are still a bit of a blur. All the Grandparents have come for their visits and we are now on our own... luckily they left us with a rather massively-packed fridge. Which I am doing my best to currently eat my way through...

xxoo.S

Maddie stats

I meant to post this after her doctor's appointment ... and it's been sitting in draft for weeks - oops.

Maddie had her 18 month appt today. For immunization shots + check up. At first I was enjoying basking in all the compliments from the nurses and receptionists re: how incredibly well-behaved she was, and my, wasn't she a little grown up, and wow, she could really speak well!

And then I realized - oh - they think she's almost 6 months younger than she actually is.

So I tried to mumble out an excuse that she was actually 23 months old, not 18 months. We were just late for her shots because we don't live in the city anymore, but didn't want to change doctors just yet, and I'd been meaning to get her down for shots I promise, just time had slipped away and this is my first chance being on vacation and, and... and yeah - they were totally not listening anymore.

Chalk one up for Procrastinator Moms everywhere!

Anyways - it was not even close to as bad as I thought it would be. These shots were better. Or she handled them better because she was older? I don't know.

It's over - and that's all that matters.

And for the record - she's continuing to hold steady in the 25th percentile range: height 31.5 inches and weight 24 lbs.

My tiny little bugaloo...

xxoo.S

Maddie stats - revised

**After reading the comments, I had to go back to the little paper that the nurse gave me with Miss Button's stats, as I was starting to question it myself.  Turns out I did put the wrong stats in, she isn't 28 inches, she's 30.5 inches long.  Whew, feel a bit better now.  Entered 71.5cm in the conversion chart instead of 77.5cm.

==========================================

Maddie had a doctor's appointment today.  You know, the one where she was getting her 15 month shots (at 19 months)?

That was fun - explaining why we were so "tardy" to the doctor (her words, not mine).

Anyways - the fun stuff was checking all the "yes's" on the 18 month developmental checklist - because you know, my daughter, she's a GENIUS!!! 

• Does she follow simple instructions?  I'm like, hell yes!  She'll even follow mildly difficult instructions, send random emails from my blackberry, crank call relatives long distance and erase PVR'd programs.  GENIUS I tell you.
  
• Can she run?  I actually asked for clarification on this one - like, does it count if she falls a lot, but tries to run?  Because that's my girl - she may not have a lot of coordination, but she's a TRIER.
  
• Can she speak 5 words or more (words may not be easily understood).  Dude?!?  She can speak HUNDREDS of not-easily-understood words.  We were calling it gibberish, but if you will call it vocabulary - well, that's cool too...
  
• Does she give affection to people, pets or objects?  Does herself, in the mirror, count?  Because I don't think I've met a person who loves themselves more.  Narcissus, Madeleine.  You say po-tay-toe, I say po-tah-toe...

In all seriousness, she passed it all, she got weighed (on the BIG GIRL SCALE - I was like, dude, you won't be so excited about stepping on a scale in 20 years, but for now, yay!), and she got measured.  She's 23 pounds and 28+ inches.  25% percentile.  My tiny little Miss Button...

xxoo.S

1 yr stats

We had our 1 yr doctor's appointment today. After searching for parking for ages and ages, we arrived at the office just on time, and it was packed! Apparently they were running late, which meant Maddie got to play with the doctor's office grungy toys for almost a full 45 minutes before her name was called.

She also walked around, charming people with her smile and Flirty McFlirt. That's right, she's almost exclusively walking at this stage. A lot of reinforcement from both me and Alexise (daycare provider) - telling her to "stand up!" when she'd start to crawl. So now she usually tries to get around by walking (and falling). She also likes to use her walker lots still - but that's okay - as long as she's not crawling. That's for baaaaaabies!

Anyways, Maddie's name was finally called, and in we headed for the dreaded 1 yr check up. She was weighed and measured - 27-3/4 inches tall and 18lbs 4oz. Still smack dab in the 25th percentile. She's just a tiny one. Everything else is good and apparently she's progressing on as she should be. Then it was time for her shots - the nurse opted to give them to her in her arms, since she was walking - and her thought was that making her legs hurt might put her off walking. My thinking was her legs are bigger than her arms, so it would hurt less in her legs. But apparently I was wrong.*

I had to literally hold her down (to ensure, as the nurse so eloquently put it, that the needle didn't break off in her arm) while she got her shots. And holding down a 1 year old - regardless of being tiny or not - is not easy. Especially after the first shot. She was like a tazmanian devil. A MAD tazmanian devil.

So that's that. We're done with doctor's appointments and shots until 15 months. Boo.

xxoo.S

*As so many nurses in my life are apt to tell me. ;)

Weight update

In my haste to update you dear readers on Maddie's poor snotty nose/warm forehead/cheesy mouth, I forgot to tell you that I also got Maddie weighed while we were at the doctor's.

I didn't get her naked, so I guess it's not "official" - but she weighed in at 8.3 kilos - which converts to approximately 18 pounds, 4 ounces.  Two pounds more than two months ago.  Yaaaaayyyy!  Also bringing her back up from the 10th percentile for weight - not quite back to the 25th percentile, but definitely up a bit.  Double yaaaayyyy!

xxoo.S

Camping and other updates

It was just as rainy and soggy and wet as was forecasted. In fact is was so wet on Saturday night, that many of the campers had to abandon their tents and headed to Rob's sister's house in Huntsville for the night.

We were in an older tent, and perhaps on slightly higher ground, so while soggy, we weren't entirely rained out and decided to stay. Yes. We are troopers.

Overall the trip was lots of fun, lots of kids playing, enjoying themselves in spite of the crap weather. The bugs were pretty terrible - but we had a net for Maddie, so she pretty much lived in her monkeywrap, attached to me, with a mosquito net over her. Sounds ridiculous? Well, she's the only one of us to come back with nary a bug bite on her, so I guess it worked.

The food was fantastic, the company was fantastic, it was just mother nature that didn't want to cooperate. I decided that camping wasn't all that enjoyable with an (almost) 9 month old - she couldn't crawl around and therefore was frustrated much of the time. Oh, and she refused to sleep in her playpen. So we are now officially cottage people, with the potential to go camping again when she's 3 yrs old (and as long as it's in a tent trailer).

Life since getting back has been hectic - but here's a synopsis...

• Tuesday was spent in our backyard enjoying the sun and warmth as much as possible. We had Greg and Liz over for a bbq and Maddie tried out her pool for the first time. We have it on video - will post soon.
• Wednesday was Maddie's 9 month check up - she's doing well, hitting all her developmental milestones on time, but she dropped in height and weight down to the 10th percentile (from the 25th) ... nothing the doctor is worried about, but we just have to make sure she's eating until she's full every time she eats. Which now means I feel like if she's not sleeping, she's eating.
• Wednesday also saw us do the last of the 2 daycare interviews ... I think we found 'the one'. We'll see when I call her on Monday.
• Thursday brought Grandma and Grandpa Vallier to visit for a few days - they just left this morning to go to a family reunion of sorts near London, and will be stopping back in on their way back to Kingston tomorrow. Somehow they restrained themselves and only brought one toy for Maddie with them this time, it's shocking.
• Last night we went to G&L's for dinner - and to check out their new outdoor fireplace/pit-type-thing. Fun, except Miss Maddie was grumpy so we had to leave earlier than anticipated.
• Maddie is now eating Cheerios. She loves picking them up and feeding them to herself thankyouverymuch. No, she doesn't need help. No, she doesn't want help. She's a big girl now, you see...
• I have finally uploaded all of our Ireland pics to Flickr, and written descriptions for everything so it makes a bit more sense. Click here to take a look...
  

Well, lunch is being made for me, and the weather beckons, so I'm off. Have a good weekend!

xxoo.S

6 month stats

Maddie went for her 6 month doctor's appointment today and got her 3 round of immunization shots (took it like a champ - barely any crying this time - big girl!!).

She weighed in at 14lbs 6oz and was 26 inches long (I KNEW she went through a growth spurt recently!). So still in the 25th percentile for weight and just slightly over the 50th percentile for height.

She's slept quite a bit today so far - I think the shots do that to them. Nothing else to report - all is well in the Vallier household...

xxoo.S

PS - except I'm aching all over like I'm coming down with something - I don't want to be sick again!

PPS - and Maddie just (literally, as I wrote this post) started banging her teether on her exersaucer. That's new - hitting stuff off of other stuff. I expect our house is about to get quite noisy...

4 month shots

Poor lil miss. She had her 4 month well-baby check up today, which included the 2nd round of immunization shots. I had prepared this time by giving her a dose of baby tylenol before leaving the house, but I'm not sure it helped dull the pain that much. Our poor little Madds just screamed her head off when the nurse gave her the 2 shots. She actually turned purple and stopped breathing in order to scream - it was not fun at all.

Afterwards she slept like a maniac in the drive out of Toronto - and we headed to a mommy + me movie date (saw Dead Like Her - not good). She woke up at the theatre and started to get a little scream-y there, so I gave her a dose of baby motrin and she went right back to sleep (after a little cry). Since we got home at 3:30 she's had 2 naps. I'm guessing tomorrow is going to be a quiet day for her.

She got weighed and measured at this appointment - according to their scale, she's 12 lbs 9 oz (obviously their scale is weighing her a little lighter than the one at the breastfeeding clinic - although I don't get her naked for that weigh in so perhaps that can account for the discrepancy?). And her height is now 24-1/2 inches (just over 2 feet!). The doctor is happy with her growth - she's around the 60th percentile for height and growing right on the curve for the 25th percentile in weight. So she's a bit taller than average, but much lighter than average. She's a tiny one (just like her mom ... er ... used to be).

S&S

Weight update

We had a doctor's appointment today and I'm happy to report that our little Miss Maddie is now 11 lbs 4 oz - she's gaining weight right on the 25th percentile curve (which is smaller than average, but so was I, so I guess she's her mother's daughter).

S&S

PS - Would also like to update that she is her Mother's daughter in more ways than one. Yesterday we were listening to Madonna together and while smiling up a storm, I swear she giggled a few times (and maybe I was dancing like a maniac in front of her)...

Model behaviour

The end of last week was busy for us. On Thursday Auntie Liz came over to visit with us girls while Seth went out with Greg to watch the football game. We went to the nearby Thai place to pick up dinner, chatted for a bit while Maddie gave Auntie Liz all sorts of cuddles - to the point of falling asleep - until bathtime that is.

We spent Friday evening cleaning up and preparing for the weekend - my friend Tracy was coming over Saturday morning to take some pics of Maddie. The "photoshoot" went really well - no big surprise what everyone's Christmas gift is going to be this year! Here's a sample of some of the shots she took - they look so good, I'm really happy with the results. We're getting the full CD of all the shots next weekend, so I'll try to get them uploaded to Flickr soon.


Saturday night we were invited to Rob & Vone's for dinner - along with 2 other couples - it was a blast and was my first 'official' night out with drinks involved. I ended up having 5 beers (don't worry, Maddie had some bottles, I wasn't feeding her alc-milk) and definitely was paying for it the next morning. After 10 months of tee-tolling, that many drinks can really hit you hard - especially when you have 7 week old waking up every 2 hours in her cradle beside your bed.

But regardless of the hangover - it was a blast to be out and 'social' again. And Maddie was so well-behaved (again! always such a star when we go anywhere, I love it!) - she got all sorts of compliments.

Sunday morning came early though, with Grandma and Grandpa Vallier arriving at 10am for their visit. They were nice enough to bring the Christmas tree and decorations that my mom gave to us (she's downgrading her tree this year, so we get the big tree - saves us buying it - woo hoo!) ... so I spent the afternoon decorating the tree while Seth and his dad shovelled the driveway (lots of snow overnight) and put up the outside lights (and Grandma held Maddie - she liked her job!). I would say that we are officially ready for Christmas now - well, decorated for it already anyways. I can't believe that I haven't got any of my shopping done yet - it's not like me to leave it so late - that is my mission for this week, to get some of it done finally.

Today was Maddie's 8 week doctor's appointment, which included her first immunization shots. She weighed in at 10 lbs 1/2 oz (which seems down from last week's weight - but that was at a different doc's office on a manual scale - so I'm going to chalk that weight up to an anomaly - different scales probably are a bit different) - she also grew some more in length - she's now 58 centimeters long (almost 23 inches). That wasn't a shocker as she's grown out of so many sleepers already.

She took her shots like a champ - a little bit of crying, but calmed down pretty quickly as soon as they were over. We left the doctor's office to do a bit of shopping and she was great in Ikea, but when I got to the mall she started to get a little whiny. I thought maybe she was hungry, but she didn't want food - she just cried and cried and cried. I guess it was a delayed reaction to the shots - the doctor warned me she might be a bit grumpy for the rest of the day - she didn't say that she would be inconsolable for almost an hour. I finally got her chilled out a bit and hunted down Shoppers Drug Mart to get some baby Motrin - that seemed to do the trick, she's still a bit whiny, but definitely not in pain anymore. Poor thing.

So the plan for the rest of the week is to get some Christmas shopping done, get her picture with Santa (after finding a Christmas dress - Grandma Vallier got her one, but it's too big and so we just have to hunt down the right size to make an exchange before we go see Santa). This weekend Grandma Thompson is coming to visit for a few days so we can get our Christmas baking done - that's pretty much the plan for the coming weekend and next week...

I'll leave you with a pic of Maddie with Grandma Vallier in front of our Christmas tree...

S&S

Her first cold

Last week was a super busy one for us - Monday saw Maddie and I attending a 'mommy and me' class - hosted by the same teacher that taught our prenatal classes - it was interesting and we learned a few things, and it was definitely cool being around a bunch of new moms, but since it was in the city, the drive was a bit much for us. And while it would have been nice to make some new friends, they all lived in the city and I was the only one in the 'burbs, so I don't think I would have ended up seeing much of them. It did motivate me to try and find some similar classes/groups up here in the Durham region (well, motivate me to be interested in finding some, not that I've actually done anything about it yet!).

Wednesday was another day in the city - we had a few doctors appointments - one in the morning with Maddie's doctor to check her for thrush (yup, she has it - and is now on a 10-day treatment of niacin - antibiotics). At noon we headed to the Suzy office to introduce Maddie to my colleagues - everyone thought she was gorgeous (of course!) and sooo well-behaved (she makes such a good first impression!). We then headed down to Mt Sinai for my doctor's appt - the doc was running behind schedule, so we had to wait for almost an hour, just to pretty much be told, okay - glad you're feeling well - nice knowin' ya. After a big long feed, we were back on the road, just in time to hit full rush-hour traffic - it took us 2 hours to get home - nightmare.

Seth got off work early on Friday and we headed out to do some grocery shopping and other errands - we were home by 7pm and in bed just a few hours later - as we had an early morning planned - had to tidy up for Mom and Walt as they were visiting for the day on Saturday. We had a good visit and Maddie was well-behaved (as usual sleeping through most of it!) - and Grandpa Walt helped us by cutting a hole in our door for our cats to get into the basement - so the door doesn't have to be propped open anymore! Too bad we couldn't find a cat door that would allow fat Simon to jump through - so for now that hole is just open - we'll eventually figure out some kind of door for it.

On Sunday Maddie and I went shopping with Auntie Liz for xmas decorations for the front of the house - we got lucky at Cdn Tire as they were having a huge sale and we got all sorts of lights, garland etc. I wrapped the garland around our front porch and attached mini-lights. Seth then went out to put up the lights on the eavestrough - but because they were backed up (and that water had subsequently frozen), he couldn't get the clips attached, so we still need to get those lights up - hopefully this weekend.

This week has been a lazy one so far. Poor Maddie came down with her first cold on Monday - she's really stuffed up and sneezing/coughing all over the place. Her one eye was tearing up on Monday a lot and when we got up on Tuesday it has crusted shut (ewww!) - so we headed to the walk-in clinic that night and the dr prescribed her antibiotic drops to circumvent any infection. So the poor thing is on 2 medications now and has a cold to boot - and I have to say she's handling it like a champion. And sleeping a lot more - which I'm not sure is due to the cold or just her becoming a class A sleeper - hopefully the latter and hopefully it lasts!

She is officially 7 weeks (this past Tuesday) and has grown so much I can't believe it. She started giving full smiles (not random ones - actually giving them out when you ask for them now!) on Sunday, and I swear she laughed today during her conversation with the bears that hang above her swing. She loves talking to her mobiles - she really gives them hell sometimes - and it's funny to hear her gurgling away as I do things in the kitchen - too cute.

We also had to put a bunch more sleepers into the 'doesn't fit anymore bin' this week - I'm not sure how much she's grown - but I swear at least another inch. She was 10 lbs 7 oz as of last Monday (Nov 19th) and I wouldn't be surprised if she's up to at least 11 lbs this week. She definitely has lost that lean look she had for the first few weeks of life though - while she's still tiny, she definitely is chunking up with baby fat nicely. Her little thighs are like tiny little sausages you just want to eat up!

Not only is she growing and learning things at an astonishing rate (she found her hand this week - so she sucks on her fist whenever she's tired - not just a thumb will satisfy her, has to be the whole fist!) ... but she's also developing the cutest personality. She is definitely a morning person - giving out all sorts of coos and smiles during her morning diaper change and being a generally happy cuddly baby. Although she does get super happy every time her diaper is changed - or maybe she just likes to be naked - can't decide which. And when she's tired, she rubs her eyes and yawns like a little person - and then gets super cuddly - really, she'll cry just to be picked up and cuddled in before she goes to sleep.

She's currently working on learning how to roll over - she tries pretty much every time we do a Tummy Time session, lifting her leg and swinging it backward, but she's hasn't worked up enough momentum yet - but I'm sure it will happen soon.

I have to say (and hopefully am not jinxing us) - but we got really lucky in the baby department - her temperment is really happy and easy-going (clearly takes after her daddy, not me!). And of course she gets more gorgeous every day - her eyes are definitely going to be brown - but the verdict is still out on the hair - she is losing more and more every day - let's hope she doesn't turn into a total baldy.

This weekend is going to be busy - we have a baby/family photoshoot with an old friend on Saturday afternoon, and Saturday evening we're going out to a friend's house for dinner. That will be fun as Seth is DD'ing and I get to have a few drinks for the first time in almost a year - don't worry, Maddie will be drinking a few bottles that night of breastmilk that I've stocked up - we don't need to introduce her to the sauce just yet. Sunday we have Grandma and Grandpa Vallier coming to visit for the day - so it's a full weekend for us - let's hope Maddie's good nature keeps up!

S&S

Feeding frenzy

The weekend after the last post Maddie and I spent in Kingston for a meet + greet shower that my Mom hosted. Not going to lie to you - the drive to Kingston with a 3-1/2 week old is not something I would happily repeat. Something that should have only taken a couple of hours (at most) turned into a 4 hour exhausting drive due to rush hour traffic and a 1/2 hour feeding that had to take place at the rest stop in Trenton.

It was nice to see everyone though, and for Maddie to meet everyone (and be SPOILED with presents). But I learned a few things... a) she doesn't like her playpen for sleeping, b) she will however sleep in her carseat - um, ok whatever works, and c) she will also sleep forever folded up like a pretzel in the baby sling I bought.

Because Friday night was a sleepless one, I kept Maddie in the sling for the most part of the shower - otherwise I think there would have been one FUSSY baby on my hands for the afternoon. So she slept through most of her shower - but as the end of the shower coincided with her feeding time, she did make an appearance right at the very end and got passed around to many women's arms in a matter of minutes. She handled all the attention like a champ and then fed for almost 45 minutes - I guess all the love makes one hungry!

Saturday night was a bit better for sleeping - probably because I didn't even try to get her to sleep in her play pen, instead letting her (gasp!) co-sleep with me in the bed ... whatever works people, whatever works. It's so funny how you can have pre-conceived notions of things you would never do with your baby that quickly get ignored when you realize it could give you a blessed 2 hours of sleep. 2 solid hours? Like heaven in a jar...

So that was our weekend - on Sunday Gramma Vallier joined us on the trip back to Brooklin as she was coming up to stay for the week with us. She spent the week cuddling Maddie and making Seth and I dinner - needless to say we were all quite spoiled.

And she got to join us at Maddie's 4-week doctor's appointment - yes, our little girl turned 4 weeks on Tuesday (Nov 6th) - wow how the time has flown by! For the record, she was 9 lbs 8 oz and measured 21-3/4 inches. That's over 2 lbs gained (from her 7 lbs 3 oz birth weight) and almost 2 inches grown (she was just over 20 inches when she was born) - who says breastfed babies are scrawny!

Seth had this Friday off and so we headed into the "city" to attend the Baby + Toddler show at the MTTC. We almost didn't go as Maddie was clearly starting a growth spurt and was feeding every hour to hour and a half, but then thought we might as well go and see what free samples we could get. Well, the show was nothing like the one that I had attended back in the spring when I was pregnant - it was smaller and had very little in the way of free samples. It would have been a great show if we were going to shop - lots of cool little vendors selling some adorable things, but luckily we had left our wallets in the car.

Anyways, after a little over an hour, we called it quits and headed back out of the city. Unfortunately it was 3:30pm on a Friday afternoon, so it took us 2.5 hours to get home (that's with a few feeding stops for Maddie - watching her cry for food while on the DVP was heartbreaking - again, not a trip that I will happily do anytime in the near future).

Not sure if it was number of feeds that she had that day, or the exhaustion of the 'outing' to the city, but for the first time ever, she slept for 4 straight hours that night (10-2am) ... not that there was a tonne of straight sleep after that 4 hours, but still, 4 hours feels like 8 right now. And she had a great Saturday - very happy and content, although still feeding like a lion. We visited Uncle Greg and Auntie Liz for a few hours on Saturday night - our first social outing as a family, sad but true! Lots of fun though, Auntie Liz kept Maddie amused while Greg showed us their latest Wii game - almost felt like a normal Saturday night, except we left at 9:30pm and were exhausted.

We got another 4 hour sleep out of her last night as well - maybe we're actually getting into some kind of routine here? Not sure - don't want to speculate as I might jinx it. She was up and raring to go this morning at 6am though - and our big milestone for the day was daddy giving Maddie her first bottle. I thought she might fight him on the bottle at first, but she took to it like a champ - made me feel a little sad actually - who woulda thought I could be so easily replaced? Kidding...

So there you go - that's the updates in our lives right now - I'm convinced she's grown another inch just this weekend if this growth spurt is anything to go by. I will try to measure her this week and let you all know. In the meantime - here's a few more pics from the past week - you can see she starting to lose her hair - I hope not for long - her poor little head will be cold without any hair on it this winter!

Cheers,
S&S