I realized that I have a lot of things to talk about that start with S, hence the title.
Snuggling: Taylor has started snuggling her stuffed animals and it is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen. She holds them near her neck, tilts her head to the side, and squeezes the life out of them! She also has started to snuggle on me- thankfully she doesn't squeeze the life out of me! Mostly, she just will put her head into my neck but it is so sweet.
Another new activity Taylor does with her stuffed animals is wrestling! I know she picked this up from her sitter's. She will launch herself on top of her stuffed animals and pin them on the ground. And I hate to admit it but sometimes there is some humping....I don't think she really knows what she's doing though- haha!
Sleep Training: The past couple of weeks I realized that I was fed up with how we got Taylor to sleep. We are lucky in that her naps are absolutely no problem; it's the nighttime that didn't work. I was completely overwhelmed by all the methods so I called my most reliable source: my sister. My sister used the Ferber method with both of her kids and I know Walker's older siblings did too. The Ferber method is very similar to Cry It Out- in fact I can't see the difference between the two. Anyway, for those not familiar, you do the bedtime routine (same routine every single night!) and then lay the kid down to sleep. You wait 5-10 minutes from the point the child starts crying (depending on age). If they are still crying, go in, reassure them that you are still there, you still love them, and then walk out. Do not pick up the baby. Then you wait 10-15 minutes from the point of crying. Go in, reassure, walk out. Then wait 15-20 minutes. Same routine until baby goes to sleep. Okay, I will be the first to say it- you have to be really hard hearted on this. It is incredibly painful to listen to your child cry and not respond. The only thing that got me through the first night was reminding myself that she was safe, warm, dry, and full; she didn't need anything from me. I will say that each night has been better- she has cried less and I've become a little more immune to the crying. And tonight (night 4) I didn't have to go in at all. Not to say she didn't cry- she did. But she finished before the 10 min. was up.
I am not saying this method is perfect for everyone- it's just working really well for us. And I know this is not hurting our bond as she still is very happy to see me in the morning. Plus, all of my nieces and nephews are incredibly well-adjusted kids who love their parents very much. Phew!
Steps: As in first steps! Yes that's right today Taylor took her first steps all by herself. I guess we should finish baby proofing the house...
I thought I had more S things to share....oh well! Maybe I'll think of them later...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
16 Weeks
Last post for today, I promise!
Yesterday was my 16 week prenatal appointment. I got to meet the newest midwife at Christie Clinic, Deb. She's really nice and she used to be an L&D nurse at Provena so if she ends up delivering me that will be awesome!
I'm very proud to say that I'm keeping my weight gain in check this pregnancy! I actually lost a 1/2 pound from my last appointment. Don't worry; I'm not trying to lose weight- I eat plenty! I think it really helps that I've been very good about working out. I don't even do much- just 20-30 min. of cardio or strength training about 5 times a week. I guess it's making a difference though; total weight gain so far is about 4 pounds- woohoo!
Baby's heartbeat was good although it took the nurse a while to find it. Honestly I was getting a little scared. And as soon as she found it, Baby ran away- little stinker! But it was 154 which makes me think maybe this one is a girl too (oh I hope I hope I hope!!!). But then again, I was so sure Taylor was going to be a boy. I guess we'll find out for sure on October 21st!
Yesterday was my 16 week prenatal appointment. I got to meet the newest midwife at Christie Clinic, Deb. She's really nice and she used to be an L&D nurse at Provena so if she ends up delivering me that will be awesome!
I'm very proud to say that I'm keeping my weight gain in check this pregnancy! I actually lost a 1/2 pound from my last appointment. Don't worry; I'm not trying to lose weight- I eat plenty! I think it really helps that I've been very good about working out. I don't even do much- just 20-30 min. of cardio or strength training about 5 times a week. I guess it's making a difference though; total weight gain so far is about 4 pounds- woohoo!
Baby's heartbeat was good although it took the nurse a while to find it. Honestly I was getting a little scared. And as soon as she found it, Baby ran away- little stinker! But it was 154 which makes me think maybe this one is a girl too (oh I hope I hope I hope!!!). But then again, I was so sure Taylor was going to be a boy. I guess we'll find out for sure on October 21st!
Paranoid Moms Unite!
I don't think of myself as a paranoid mom; in fact I think I'm pretty chill about most things. But there are a few things that really get me going. The major one being Taylor's weight. I know, I know; it's way too early to worry about her weight but I can't help it. She's just so stinkin' little and I can't figure out who she gets that from!
Anyway, over the weekend we weighed her on our scale and it indicated she had only gained 2 oz in the past month. So of course, I kinda freak out thinking there's something wrong with her (especially since Walker was diagnosed so recently). Since it was a Saturday it's not like I could call the doctor so I turn to the internet. Well that was a mistake. I found some website (it looked very legit) that said between 5-12 months babies should be getting around 850 cals/day. Now if I had stopped to think about this I would have dismissed it. I don't understand why a baby who barely moves (5 months) needs the same nutrition as a baby who's probably constantly on the go (12 months). But anyway, I didn't think of that and I immediately started keeping track of Taylor's calorie intake. That was another mistake as I saw she wasn't getting anywhere close to 850. It was more like 600-650. I was trying to brush it off but it was driving me crazy. So then yesterday when my sitter told me she refused her bottle all day (but still ate her solid foods) and then last night when she continued to reject the bottle (not completely; just didn't drink as much) I really got worried and called the ped. nurse. Here is where I sing the praises of Christie Clinic. The nurse said I could bring her (no appointment needed) to get her weighed just to check. So today we did just that. And then the nurse stayed and talked with me a bit about my concerns. I definitely feel better! Also, the nurse who I saw through my pregnancy (who then transferred to peds.) came in just to see me and Taylor. I thought that was so sweet of her to come say hi. And now I'm sidetracking but when I told her I was pregnant again, she said I should tell Walker to stay at school more- HA! I totally agreed with her. Tee hee hee.
Anyway, everything seems to be fine and thankfully Taylor did take 4 oz when we got home; not as much as she usually takes but it's something. Hopefully she'll take more later; I don't want her to lose any weight. =P
Anyway, over the weekend we weighed her on our scale and it indicated she had only gained 2 oz in the past month. So of course, I kinda freak out thinking there's something wrong with her (especially since Walker was diagnosed so recently). Since it was a Saturday it's not like I could call the doctor so I turn to the internet. Well that was a mistake. I found some website (it looked very legit) that said between 5-12 months babies should be getting around 850 cals/day. Now if I had stopped to think about this I would have dismissed it. I don't understand why a baby who barely moves (5 months) needs the same nutrition as a baby who's probably constantly on the go (12 months). But anyway, I didn't think of that and I immediately started keeping track of Taylor's calorie intake. That was another mistake as I saw she wasn't getting anywhere close to 850. It was more like 600-650. I was trying to brush it off but it was driving me crazy. So then yesterday when my sitter told me she refused her bottle all day (but still ate her solid foods) and then last night when she continued to reject the bottle (not completely; just didn't drink as much) I really got worried and called the ped. nurse. Here is where I sing the praises of Christie Clinic. The nurse said I could bring her (no appointment needed) to get her weighed just to check. So today we did just that. And then the nurse stayed and talked with me a bit about my concerns. I definitely feel better! Also, the nurse who I saw through my pregnancy (who then transferred to peds.) came in just to see me and Taylor. I thought that was so sweet of her to come say hi. And now I'm sidetracking but when I told her I was pregnant again, she said I should tell Walker to stay at school more- HA! I totally agreed with her. Tee hee hee.
Anyway, everything seems to be fine and thankfully Taylor did take 4 oz when we got home; not as much as she usually takes but it's something. Hopefully she'll take more later; I don't want her to lose any weight. =P
10 Months!
A few days late in posting this but what can you expect when her "10 month birthday" is in the middle of the week?
Stats first (and these are official since they were done today by a Christie Clinic nurse- more on the reason for that in the next post):
Height: 28 inches
Weight: 16 lbs, 3 oz
I'm actually really surprised she grew an inch- for whatever reason I thought her height growth would slow down, like her weight gain did.
Physical development is good I think. Taylor can definitely crawl on all fours; she just chooses not to. I think it's silly to army crawl still considering she comes home from the sitter's with rug burns on her knees but whatever. She's cruising a ton still- with the way our living room is set up, she can go from the coffee table, to the couch, to the recliner, and then the side table and back again. She is quite good at standing- in fact when she's engaged with her activity table she'll stand on her own for quite a long time. But when I'm holding her and try to get her to stand on her own, she refuses. Just like she refuses to walk with me with only one hand, even though I know she can do it. She just needs confidence. And she feeds herself finger foods easily. Every day we come home and have a snack of puffs and she doesn't mind when I steal a few from her (they are actually really good!)
Language skills: no official first word yet. But she understands "bye" because she'll wave her arm emphatically when someone says it to her.
I think her cognitive development is on track as well. She can recognize pictures of herself- it's so cute when she starts watching our screensaver (which is mostly pictures from my picasa album); every time she sees a picture of herself she giggles or shrieks with excitement. Definitely love that!
And oh yes she's teething again. Her hands have been in her mouth constantly the past few weeks. Mostly on the left side in the back, so I'm thinking molars. I don't know why books tell you babies get their teeth in a certain order; Taylor is definitely not following that order and many other moms I talk to say their kids didn't follow it either. So honestly, why even put it in there? Let us parents be surprised as to what tooth is coming in next.
And to finish, some of my favorite pictures from 10 months (done at Curtis Apple Orchard):
Stats first (and these are official since they were done today by a Christie Clinic nurse- more on the reason for that in the next post):
Height: 28 inches
Weight: 16 lbs, 3 oz
I'm actually really surprised she grew an inch- for whatever reason I thought her height growth would slow down, like her weight gain did.
Physical development is good I think. Taylor can definitely crawl on all fours; she just chooses not to. I think it's silly to army crawl still considering she comes home from the sitter's with rug burns on her knees but whatever. She's cruising a ton still- with the way our living room is set up, she can go from the coffee table, to the couch, to the recliner, and then the side table and back again. She is quite good at standing- in fact when she's engaged with her activity table she'll stand on her own for quite a long time. But when I'm holding her and try to get her to stand on her own, she refuses. Just like she refuses to walk with me with only one hand, even though I know she can do it. She just needs confidence. And she feeds herself finger foods easily. Every day we come home and have a snack of puffs and she doesn't mind when I steal a few from her (they are actually really good!)
Language skills: no official first word yet. But she understands "bye" because she'll wave her arm emphatically when someone says it to her.
I think her cognitive development is on track as well. She can recognize pictures of herself- it's so cute when she starts watching our screensaver (which is mostly pictures from my picasa album); every time she sees a picture of herself she giggles or shrieks with excitement. Definitely love that!
And oh yes she's teething again. Her hands have been in her mouth constantly the past few weeks. Mostly on the left side in the back, so I'm thinking molars. I don't know why books tell you babies get their teeth in a certain order; Taylor is definitely not following that order and many other moms I talk to say their kids didn't follow it either. So honestly, why even put it in there? Let us parents be surprised as to what tooth is coming in next.
And to finish, some of my favorite pictures from 10 months (done at Curtis Apple Orchard):
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Mystery Solved
For those of you who have not seen Walker in the past 6 months you might be quite shocked to see him now. No, he does not have some crazy hair do (ha! could you imagine?). No he's just 40 pounds lighter than he used to be. Did you just say "whoa!"? Yes that is the appropriate reaction. Walker started losing weight shortly after Taylor was born (yeah just what every new mother needs- a husband who is losing weight while she sadly dreams of the clothes she used to be able to wear) without really changing anything at all. At first we thought that maybe he was just losing weight because he had stopped lifting weights. However, his weight loss became more rapid over the summer and finally last week I told him that enough was enough and it was time to consult a doctor. Walker went in for an appointment last Tuesday where they did a blood draw. He went back yesterday and received a diagnosis: Diabetes Type 2.
Huh? Doesn't that happen to people who lead really bad lifestyles? Yes, and was Walker one of those people? No! Besides maybe eating junk food at night occasionally (well okay maybe a little more than occasionally) Walker leads a pretty healthy lifestyle. He never stopped working out (just switched to more cardio), never smoked, doesn't drink heavily, and eats right for the most part.
So what gives? Well type 2 means either two things: 1. your body is resisting the insulin it makes or 2. your body simply doesn't make enough insulin. Walker's body is doing the latter. Now, his dad was diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 years ago from leading a poor lifestyle. I'm thinking that what happened to Walker is hereditary and really had nothing to do with his lifestyle.
So what does this mean? Well, obviously Walker needs to follow new nutrition guidelines. He also has to take 2 pills twice a day. His doctor says that if he follows the diet and keeps working out, he won't need to start insulin shots for a while. However, it sounds like going on the shots eventually is inevitable. As in, this isn't going away.
This also means that Taylor's risk (and the baby's) for diabetes is very high. Not only is it on Walker's side of the family but my grandpa had adult onset of diabetes type 1 (the juvenile kind). I'm honestly wondering how early kids can develop diabetes. I need to do research obviously, and talk to her pediatrician but if it's possible for babies to have it from birth, could it be why she doesn't gain weight? Oh my could you imagine having to give a toddler a shot every day? I think I'm getting ahead of myself...no need to worry until there's something to worry about right?
Huh? Doesn't that happen to people who lead really bad lifestyles? Yes, and was Walker one of those people? No! Besides maybe eating junk food at night occasionally (well okay maybe a little more than occasionally) Walker leads a pretty healthy lifestyle. He never stopped working out (just switched to more cardio), never smoked, doesn't drink heavily, and eats right for the most part.
So what gives? Well type 2 means either two things: 1. your body is resisting the insulin it makes or 2. your body simply doesn't make enough insulin. Walker's body is doing the latter. Now, his dad was diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 years ago from leading a poor lifestyle. I'm thinking that what happened to Walker is hereditary and really had nothing to do with his lifestyle.
So what does this mean? Well, obviously Walker needs to follow new nutrition guidelines. He also has to take 2 pills twice a day. His doctor says that if he follows the diet and keeps working out, he won't need to start insulin shots for a while. However, it sounds like going on the shots eventually is inevitable. As in, this isn't going away.
This also means that Taylor's risk (and the baby's) for diabetes is very high. Not only is it on Walker's side of the family but my grandpa had adult onset of diabetes type 1 (the juvenile kind). I'm honestly wondering how early kids can develop diabetes. I need to do research obviously, and talk to her pediatrician but if it's possible for babies to have it from birth, could it be why she doesn't gain weight? Oh my could you imagine having to give a toddler a shot every day? I think I'm getting ahead of myself...no need to worry until there's something to worry about right?
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