We'll start this story yesterday.
While we were at the hospital getting tests done yesterday, I got a good look inside Angelica's mouth (since she was screaming her head off). She's been teething for awhile, and I've been wanting to get in there to see if I saw any sign of teeth coming through. No teeth yet...I saw a tiny "crack" in her gums on the bottom but no tooth. I suspect her teething has been causing her increase in sleep trouble lately so I was kind of hoping for a sign that the tooth was about to come through.
As an aside from this, last night I was packing up some of her old clothes, which I am eventually going to bring in for my boss to look through (she's having a girl) and looking at her newborn stuff...I got a little sentimental. She was SO TINY...and comparatively speaking she is SO BIG now. When did that happen? Can I go back? And started thinking about our first few days home...the newness of her, the new baby smell, the lack of sleep, the overwhelming emotions...It kind of gave me another wave of "I want another" (and then I snapped back to reality). Then my thinking shifted to...well at least so far we don't have walking, and we don't have teeth. She's still a baby.
So last night, I'm rocking her to sleep and letting her chew on my finger (it soothes her) and I was thinking...another perk of her not having teeth yet, and we should take advantage of this time, since she can still chew on our fingers and it doesn't hurt, and we don't have to worry about getting her teeth knocked out or anything.
She's having trouble falling asleep, and I have a massive headache, so after about 20 or 25 minutes I put her in her crib (awake) with a blanket, lovey, and pacifier (which she normally doesn't take, but since she had been chewing the crap out of my fingers I thought it'd make a good substitute) and head out for some Tylenol. She lays down, but I keep hearing her make angry grunts. After about 5 minutes, I check on her, and she's awake, a little annoyed, but not crying. So I start patting her back and she goes to sleep.
We repeat this cycle about three more times. She never actually cried during the whole thing, but you could tell she was having trouble falling asleep on her own, and I had a BAD headache and hadn't eaten in about 8 hours so I needed dinner. Since she wasn't crying and I could tell she was on the verge of sleep, I left her.
Anyway, to make a long story short, I sat down to eat dinner and about ten minutes later realized...oh my gosh! She hadn't made a peep! I went in to check on her and sure enough she had put herself to sleep after being put down awake for the first time (and thrown the pacifier out of the crib into the middle of her bedroom).
And here I was thinking we'd need to try Ferberizing!
She didn't wake up until 6:30 this morning either. She'd been waking up so often during the night lately and it was draining both of us.
So this morning I get up with her, change her, dress her, give her a bottle (which she prompty grabbed from my hands and decided she would feed herself...something she's been trying to do lately but hasn't fully grasped the idea that you have to hold the bottle upright to get the milk) and then Scott took over while I was showering. About five minutes later, I hear him bust in the door and yell:
"Mommy, Mommy! Gellie has a tooth!"
Sure enough, when I checked, the spot where her gums were "cracked" yesterday, there's a sharp little nubbin of a tooth.
And then come the unexpected feelings. My heart sank. She has a tooth. No more toothless smiles. No more letting her chomp away on my fingers. As if the sitting and crawling or standing and cruising weren't enough to do it already, the tooth did me in. My baby is growing up.
When she starts walking I am probably going to self destruct.
But, I've moved on from that and now I'm excited. She has a tooth! And she's sure to get more! That vastly increases the variety of food she can eat. And now, until the next tooth starts coming through, maybe Scott and I will be able to get some sleep! Oh boy!
December 19, 2008
December 18, 2008
Angelica's trip to Arnold Palmer
Just a little update following our visit to Arnold Palmer children's hospital today for Angelica's kidney/bladder testing. We got there around 8:30 this morning (okay, we were scheduled for 8:30 but those of you who know me know we didn't actually get there until around 8:50) and finally got seen at around 9:30 and were completely done by about 11:30.
The first test they did was a VCUG, which required yet another catheterization (good times...that part in and of itself took about a half hour because she's so young and was so incredibly upset, they couldn't get the catheter in until about five people had tried five times...even though they did restrain her...the actual test took about 5 minutes once she was catheterized). During this test, they found that she has a condition called vesicoureteral reflux...essentially, her bladder is refluxing back up to both kidneys. On the right side, it's grade III reflux, and on the left, it's grade II reflux (they rate it on a scale of I to V). Also, on the right side, she's got something called a duplicated system. Essentially, her bladder is refluxing back up to both kidneys. On the right side, it's grade III reflux, and on the left, it's grade II reflux (they rate it on a scale of I to V). Also, on the right side, she's got something called a duplicated system. Essentially, she's got two tubes coming from her kidney instead of one. They fuse together right before they reach her bladder. They think she may also have it on the left side, but had to send the urology films off for further review. Nevertheless, this is what caused her UTI about a month and a half ago.
The second test was just a renal ultrasound, which still made her completely miserable but was thankfully much quicker and less invasive.
So, the plan from here is to put her back on prophylactic antibiotics and after the holidays we'll go visit a pediatric urologist (we have to wait to get the referral before we can schedule it). Her pediatrician told me that in most cases, kids outgrow it the reflux, but the duplicated system is something that may or may not require surgery (which is why we have to see the urologist).
Anyway, the good news is that all of this sounds a lot worse than it is, and she's going to be fine. The bad news is that it means more tests that are going to make her unhappy and uncomfortable. (Also the prospect of surgery and dealing with insurance crap...never fun.)
Also, interestingly enough, as I was reading up on the condition, I learned that this problem happens more commonly in girls than boys, and also more commonly in girls who have red hair. Also, not that we're currently planning on having future children, the condition is genetic and any siblings she may have will have a 1 in 3 chance of also having the condition.
The nice people at Arnold Palmer also gave her two beanie babies which she loves :)
So, that's the update for now. Will post more updates when we have them.
Hope everyone has a happy holiday!
The first test they did was a VCUG, which required yet another catheterization (good times...that part in and of itself took about a half hour because she's so young and was so incredibly upset, they couldn't get the catheter in until about five people had tried five times...even though they did restrain her...the actual test took about 5 minutes once she was catheterized). During this test, they found that she has a condition called vesicoureteral reflux...essentially, her bladder is refluxing back up to both kidneys. On the right side, it's grade III reflux, and on the left, it's grade II reflux (they rate it on a scale of I to V). Also, on the right side, she's got something called a duplicated system. Essentially, her bladder is refluxing back up to both kidneys. On the right side, it's grade III reflux, and on the left, it's grade II reflux (they rate it on a scale of I to V). Also, on the right side, she's got something called a duplicated system. Essentially, she's got two tubes coming from her kidney instead of one. They fuse together right before they reach her bladder. They think she may also have it on the left side, but had to send the urology films off for further review. Nevertheless, this is what caused her UTI about a month and a half ago.
The second test was just a renal ultrasound, which still made her completely miserable but was thankfully much quicker and less invasive.
So, the plan from here is to put her back on prophylactic antibiotics and after the holidays we'll go visit a pediatric urologist (we have to wait to get the referral before we can schedule it). Her pediatrician told me that in most cases, kids outgrow it the reflux, but the duplicated system is something that may or may not require surgery (which is why we have to see the urologist).
Anyway, the good news is that all of this sounds a lot worse than it is, and she's going to be fine. The bad news is that it means more tests that are going to make her unhappy and uncomfortable. (Also the prospect of surgery and dealing with insurance crap...never fun.)
Also, interestingly enough, as I was reading up on the condition, I learned that this problem happens more commonly in girls than boys, and also more commonly in girls who have red hair. Also, not that we're currently planning on having future children, the condition is genetic and any siblings she may have will have a 1 in 3 chance of also having the condition.
The nice people at Arnold Palmer also gave her two beanie babies which she loves :)
So, that's the update for now. Will post more updates when we have them.
Hope everyone has a happy holiday!
December 9, 2008
268 (-3 this week, -9 total!)
I must admit, I was shocked when I saw that number on the scale this week. I suppose I shouldn't have been, considering I'm recovering from a stomach virus, but given that I really did terrible on the diet/exercise front last week, I was expecting it to at least wind up being a big fat zero again this week.
Regardless, GOODBYE 270s! And good riddance, they're gone, they're not welcome to come back, ever. This is also now the lowest weight I've been since having the baby back in May! I got down to 269 sometime in June, amidst the baby blues (which killed my appetite) and newborn needing to be held 24/7 (which meant no free hands to eat), but gained it all back and then some when I returned to work in July.
A little nervous because next week is my follow up with my OB/GYN...hoping that my blood pressure will be normal again so that I can get back on regular BCP (I'm hating the mini-pill!)
Goals I'm working on for myself this week:
-Drink more water! I've been so good about not drinking my calories, but I really need to work in more water and less diet soda.
-Get more protein! Protein helps me stay satisfied longer, so I'm trying to incorporate a little protein with every meal/snack. Today I added a piece of light cheese with my cereal and OJ this morning, and my snack today is going to be an apple and a string cheese. Little changes like that should help me stay within my calorie range.
Regardless, GOODBYE 270s! And good riddance, they're gone, they're not welcome to come back, ever. This is also now the lowest weight I've been since having the baby back in May! I got down to 269 sometime in June, amidst the baby blues (which killed my appetite) and newborn needing to be held 24/7 (which meant no free hands to eat), but gained it all back and then some when I returned to work in July.
A little nervous because next week is my follow up with my OB/GYN...hoping that my blood pressure will be normal again so that I can get back on regular BCP (I'm hating the mini-pill!)
Goals I'm working on for myself this week:
-Drink more water! I've been so good about not drinking my calories, but I really need to work in more water and less diet soda.
-Get more protein! Protein helps me stay satisfied longer, so I'm trying to incorporate a little protein with every meal/snack. Today I added a piece of light cheese with my cereal and OJ this morning, and my snack today is going to be an apple and a string cheese. Little changes like that should help me stay within my calorie range.
December 4, 2008
Mommy Moment #4/Angelica's 6 month checkup
15 pounds, 7 ounces, and 26 1/2 inches of pure spitfire. Still 50th percentile in weight and head size, but 80th in height. Tall, skinny, with a normal-sized head. She's perfect!
She screamed through her shots, as usual. She's been to the pediatrician so much in the past couple of months that she knows it's going to be a bad time the minute we walk in the door, so she was angry before it even began. But, when it was all over, she went to daycare and had a great time, acting like her normal self.
I was reflecting this evening on the past six months as I packed up the remainder of her now too-small clothes in the 3-6 month size. (always a tough milestone for me, it means she's growing up). I remember her being only a few days old, and asking questions about this and that...everyone told me "It gets easier at 6 weeks." Six weeks!?, I thought...I couldn't grasp the concept of her being six weeks old. especially being as sleep deprived as I was, with a colicky baby! And now here she is, 6 months.
I had a dream last night that I was talking to a pregnant friend (Hi Cara!) and telling her that when her baby is a newborn, she is going to be so overwhelmed by how much he's going to need to be held...and how much she's going to want to put him down! I know that's how I felt when Angelica was still teeny tiny and very needy. Now that she's bigger, she's not cuddly at all and I MISS those days so much. Between the time I spend away from her at work and her new-found abilities (crawling, pulling up to standing, etc) there's not much cuddling to be had. Part of me would give anything to go back to the zero to six weeks phase, where all I did was snuggle my baby.
Truth be told, though, so far every stage has been precious and wonderful, especially in hindsight (I've found as a parent, I tend to look at the past with rose-colored glasses). Her first cry, her first smile, her first laugh, her first crawl, her first time sitting up...the first time she reached for a toy...the first time she reached for me...I feel lucky that I haven't missed any of these things, even though I am a working mom. I'm lonely a lot for the early days when I was with her 24/7, but even now the time we spend is so precious, and I know I'm doing her the benefit of being a good role model (meaning, showing her that women can have it all...careers, family...they just have to work extra hard to balance it all!) But I would give anything to have one more day to just pick her little 8 pound body up and bring her to bed and snuggle.
So I take the moments as they come and try to be as present in those moments as I can. Babies grow so fast; once they've moved on from a stage, you can never go back. Every stage is a challenge, but is also completely wonderful and fulfilling to experience. So wonderful that sometimes I contemplate what it'd be like to do it all over again (and then I slap myself in the face and return to reality)!
Until you actually have a baby, though, there is no possible way to fully understand this.
She screamed through her shots, as usual. She's been to the pediatrician so much in the past couple of months that she knows it's going to be a bad time the minute we walk in the door, so she was angry before it even began. But, when it was all over, she went to daycare and had a great time, acting like her normal self.
I was reflecting this evening on the past six months as I packed up the remainder of her now too-small clothes in the 3-6 month size. (always a tough milestone for me, it means she's growing up). I remember her being only a few days old, and asking questions about this and that...everyone told me "It gets easier at 6 weeks." Six weeks!?, I thought...I couldn't grasp the concept of her being six weeks old. especially being as sleep deprived as I was, with a colicky baby! And now here she is, 6 months.
I had a dream last night that I was talking to a pregnant friend (Hi Cara!) and telling her that when her baby is a newborn, she is going to be so overwhelmed by how much he's going to need to be held...and how much she's going to want to put him down! I know that's how I felt when Angelica was still teeny tiny and very needy. Now that she's bigger, she's not cuddly at all and I MISS those days so much. Between the time I spend away from her at work and her new-found abilities (crawling, pulling up to standing, etc) there's not much cuddling to be had. Part of me would give anything to go back to the zero to six weeks phase, where all I did was snuggle my baby.
Truth be told, though, so far every stage has been precious and wonderful, especially in hindsight (I've found as a parent, I tend to look at the past with rose-colored glasses). Her first cry, her first smile, her first laugh, her first crawl, her first time sitting up...the first time she reached for a toy...the first time she reached for me...I feel lucky that I haven't missed any of these things, even though I am a working mom. I'm lonely a lot for the early days when I was with her 24/7, but even now the time we spend is so precious, and I know I'm doing her the benefit of being a good role model (meaning, showing her that women can have it all...careers, family...they just have to work extra hard to balance it all!) But I would give anything to have one more day to just pick her little 8 pound body up and bring her to bed and snuggle.
So I take the moments as they come and try to be as present in those moments as I can. Babies grow so fast; once they've moved on from a stage, you can never go back. Every stage is a challenge, but is also completely wonderful and fulfilling to experience. So wonderful that sometimes I contemplate what it'd be like to do it all over again (and then I slap myself in the face and return to reality)!
Until you actually have a baby, though, there is no possible way to fully understand this.
December 2, 2008
Angelica officially crawls...and stands...
I was waiting to make the crawling announcement until I was sure it wasn't a fluke...last Wednesday, I got off work early, picked Angelica up at daycare, got home and sat down on the floor to play with her. She caught a glimpse of Rudy (one of our cats) and just took off crawling after him. Anyway, ever since then, it's been all crawling, all the time. Getting her to sit still in one place is completely impossible.
Then tonight, I was playing with her on the floor again...she had her big stuffed penguin, pushed it over against the couch, and used it to pull herself up to kneeling. Then she grabbed the sofa cushion and pulled herself completely up, and giggled wildly with pride. Then she got a little too confident, let go with one hand to turn around and look at me, and fell on her butt. Which she also thought was wildly hilarious.
Look out world, here comes mobile Angelica!
Tomorrow's her 6 month checkup...wonder how much she's gonna weigh and how long she'll be?? (She'll be at least 15 1/2 lbs...but possibly more!)
Then tonight, I was playing with her on the floor again...she had her big stuffed penguin, pushed it over against the couch, and used it to pull herself up to kneeling. Then she grabbed the sofa cushion and pulled herself completely up, and giggled wildly with pride. Then she got a little too confident, let go with one hand to turn around and look at me, and fell on her butt. Which she also thought was wildly hilarious.
Look out world, here comes mobile Angelica!
Tomorrow's her 6 month checkup...wonder how much she's gonna weigh and how long she'll be?? (She'll be at least 15 1/2 lbs...but possibly more!)
December 1, 2008
271 (-0 this week, -6 total)
Well, I didn't gain over the week of Thanksgiving...but I didn't really "lose" either. I guess, technically, I lost 0.4lbs (because I always round my weight down, last week I was 271.4, today I was 271 even) but that's not really a "loss". But, I didn't gain! So that's great news.
Today I'm starting a new plan...squeezing in 30 minutes of walking on my lunch break at work. That way even on the days when I'm too tired/the baby's too fussy/I don't feel good/I get sidetracked at night, I'll have at least clocked 30 minutes of some kind of activity during the day. Something is better than nothing!
Also, an NSV (non-scale victory):
If you recall, my biggest reason for starting this weight loss journey was more about my health than the number on the scale (though the two are certainly tied together). My biggest concern was my blood pressure...you know, the thing that caused so much trouble for me during pregnancy? Well, when I went to the OB in October, it was still high, hovering around 148/89...so high that my OB switched my birth control meds amidst concerns about blood clots. Well, over the weekend I had to go to the walk-in clinic due to an ear infection, and they took my vitals while I was there. The nurse asked me if I had any health conditions, and I mentioned my blood pressure...but when she took it, it was 128/82! She looked at me and said, "Well, that's not so bad! That's almost normal!"
That's more important to me than the lack of change on the scale. That means something I'm doing is working!
Today I'm starting a new plan...squeezing in 30 minutes of walking on my lunch break at work. That way even on the days when I'm too tired/the baby's too fussy/I don't feel good/I get sidetracked at night, I'll have at least clocked 30 minutes of some kind of activity during the day. Something is better than nothing!
Also, an NSV (non-scale victory):
If you recall, my biggest reason for starting this weight loss journey was more about my health than the number on the scale (though the two are certainly tied together). My biggest concern was my blood pressure...you know, the thing that caused so much trouble for me during pregnancy? Well, when I went to the OB in October, it was still high, hovering around 148/89...so high that my OB switched my birth control meds amidst concerns about blood clots. Well, over the weekend I had to go to the walk-in clinic due to an ear infection, and they took my vitals while I was there. The nurse asked me if I had any health conditions, and I mentioned my blood pressure...but when she took it, it was 128/82! She looked at me and said, "Well, that's not so bad! That's almost normal!"
That's more important to me than the lack of change on the scale. That means something I'm doing is working!
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