One Katy-sized Bubble, Coming Right Up!

I have had a day..... a long day (and night).....

I have already been to Urgent Care, this morning, and called Katy's pediatrician more times than I care to admit. We've been through a pulled elbow (or, as the Urgent Care doctor called it, "nursemaids elbow") and a cartwheel-like-trapeze-swinging tumble from our friends' sky-high clubhouse landing. If I hadn't just been through the whole elbow/Urgent Care thing, this morning, I don't think I would have reacted so hysterically when Katy fell off the clubhouse ladder.

Suffice it to say that I screamed.... Loudly....!

This all occurred before two pm, mind you....

Katy's okay, though. Tough little kid. My nerves, on the other hand....

Sterile, plastic bubble, please! No more falls, breaks, sprains or dislocations. No more scary moments when your heart literally stops and jumps out of your chest.

No ma'am. I am done for the day.

Dentist Visit

"My future's so bright that I need shades....!"

"Open Wide!"

Having a peek inside her mouth and operating some of the dental tools.

Katy had her first "big girl" visit to the dentist today!!

She's come along with us to our appointments, up until this point. Sometimes, she would observe our exams. Sometimes, she would even let the hygienist "count" her teeth and brush them. However, this time, she actually had all the dental tools used on her (i.e. our insurance was billed, specifically for her! ;-).

I've got to admit, I was really worried about this one. In the past, she's been less than thrilled to even attempt to sit in the exam chair by herself. There have been times where she's been afraid of whatever tools the hygienist was using. I was afraid that a) Katy would refuse to sit in the chair and throw a tantrum, b) Katy would clamp her mouth shut and not let the dentist look inside, c) All of the above (and then some!).

You know what, though? Katy was AWESOME!!! She did SOOOOOO well this afternoon! Katy hopped right into the chair when it was her turn. She obligingly put on the "sunglasses" to protect her eyes from the exam light and opened her mouth willingly. She was pleasant and funny and interested in what was going on. She cracked a joke with the dentist! She even tattled on me by telling the hygienist that I had brushed my teeth right before our appointment.

After everything was done, Katy got to pick the color of her new toothbrush (pink, of course!) and pick a prize from the treasure box (a costume ring, of course!). She chatted her way out of the office and kept telling us how the dental tools "tickled." She liked "helping" the hygienist (Katy was allowed to operate the sucking machine thingy) when it was my turn for my exam.

No fights, no fussing, no complaining! Best of all, no cavities!

Four Year Old Well Visit

Katy had her four year old well visit, this past Tuesday. Instead of seeing Dr. Guerriero, like we normally do, Katy requested to see Dr. Houston (another doctor in the practice). We had visited with Dr. Houston for a sick visit back in December, and Katy seemed to really respond to her. So, even though I like Dr. G., it's Katy's doctor and I'll take her to see whomever she is comfortable with.

Katy's current information is as follows:

Height- 40 inches (55%)
Weight- 36.5 pounds (62%)
BMI- 16.04 kg/m2 (the BMI thing was new for us- she've never calculated that, before)

Everything was developmentally on target. There were no real concerns. Katy did take a hearing and eye test and everything was normal there. She did miss hearing one of the sounds, but when the nurse retested her, she caught it.

Katy was really, really good throughout the appointment... until the end when the dreaded shots came around. She got three boosters, this appointment. I choose to postpone the MMR booster till her five year old appointment. This time, she got the Chicken Pox, Polio and Tetanus boosters.

Other than the shots, everything went smoothly and there was nothing of note. Healthy, just the way we like it! :-)

Three Year Old Well Visit

Today was Katy's three year old well visit with Dr. Guerriero at Suburban Pediatrics. It's been a whole year since the last well visit- seems like a long time!

Besides a meltdown getting into the car to go to the doctor's office, Katy was a doll at the doctor's office. She even managed to stand on the scale and be weighed and stand and get measured all by herself. Up until this point, she has been really resistant to standing on the scale by herself (to the point that we almost took out a nurse one sick visit because Katy was flailing and wailing and resisting standing on the scale by herself. Fun times). This is also the first visit where the nurse took Katy's blood pressure using a cuff.

Katy's three year old stats are as follows:

Weight: 30 pounds
Height: 36 1/2"

This puts her in the 40th/45th percentile, respectively, for her age. Nice and average, symmetrical and right on track, according to the doctor.

Our wait time was very minimal and we were chatting with Dr. Greg shortly after our scheduled appointment. Dr. Greg did a great job of talking TO Katy and telling her things in a way that she would understand and respond. Typically, Katy gets really shy around non-family member adults. It takes her awhile to warm up to adults- especially men. In the past, Katy has started crying as soon as Dr. Greg walked in the exam room. However, this time, she actually talked to him, answered his questions and chatted with him. She told him about our Disney Cruise back in December (she was wearing her Cinderella dress to school/doctor's office, today, because they celebrated her birthday at preschool). Dr. Greg ended the visit by telling her that, "She's not allowed to date until she is thirty." To which, Katy proceeded to tell him about her friend, Connor. Hahaha!

At the end of the visit, Katy took part in an eye test. She got to try on some cool glasses (that covered one eye and then the other) while looking at the screen and identifying several black and white pictures. At first, I had my reservations and didn't think Katy would actually verbalize her answers and participate (even though I knew she would know what she was looking at and I don't have any current concerns about her sight). However, she proved me wrong and passed with flying colors! She even identified one of the objects before I did (and I had my glasses!).

Food Allergy Retesting

A much happier girl....

Way back when Katy was first diagnosed with food allergies in May 2011, we were told that she would need to be retested every year in order to evaluate if she would potentially outgrow some and/or all of them.

SOOOOooo.... today, a year and a half later, we found ourselves back at the allergist's all set to be retested. I came armed with Angry Birds, Color Wonder and Fancy Nancy; steeled for a long wait (last time we were there, it took three and a half LONG hours at the doctor's office- RIDICULOUS!). In addition to having Katy retested for her documented food allergies to eggs, nuts and soy, I asked that she be tested for seasonal/indoor allergies, strawberries, cinnamon and apples (An awful long list, I know, but I had to know for sure).

Last year's visit obviously made a pretty big impression on Lil' Miss because as soon as we walked into the patient room, Katy started fussing, squirming and saying, "They (the nurses) no write on my back. That hurt my back." (Don't tell me that children can only start to form memories when they are four years old and older- Katy clearly remembered the back scratch tests from over a year ago when she was only 15 months old!).

When the nurse came in with all the vials of things to test her with, Katy went ballistic (and I do not use that word lightly!). It took two nurses and myself to literally pin Katy to the observation table while another nurse frantically marked Katy's back and did the appropriate "scratches." Katy was thrashing and screaming and crying so loud that I'm sure that not only did everyone in the allergist's office hear her, but so did all of Concord (and I am by no means exaggerating as to the decidable level of Katy's terror!). All the while this was going on, Katy was sobbing, "Mommy, keep me safe!" (Break my heart!!)

After all of the marks were done and the nurses left the room, Katy calmed down a bit (not much), but didn't want to do anything but cling to me. Thankfully, she didn't try to scratch her back, though. We were able to walk around the halls for a bit while we waited for the results.

As for the results.... I was very surprised to find that the only food allergy that Katy tested positive to was egg yolks and whites! Nuts, soy, apples, strawberries and cinnamon were all negative. Dust mites were very strongly reactive (no big surprise there since I'm pretty allergic to dust mites, myself), but thankfully the other seasonal allergies were all negative.

SOOOOooo.... where does that leave us now? Well, for now, we are to keep the status quo- meaning, keep avoiding any known and suspected allergens until we can get a "food challenge" scheduled at the allergist's main office in Uptown Charlotte (fun, fun!). What is a "food challenge," you ask? Well, basically, we block out a whole morning or afternoon where the doctor's feed Katy the suspected allergen every fifteen to twenty minutes until the doctors are sufficiently satisfied that a) Katy is no longer allergic to that particular food or, b) Katy reacts to the food. Fun times, fun times.... I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to that....! *sigh*

Katy's doctor said that he has had patients that don't react to the skin test, yet do react to eating the food. So, for now, we are not out of the woods, yet (until we can get the food challenges completed). Dr. Patel was surprised that nuts was negative since that is usually a lifetime allergy. We were told that we could have a blood test done to double check the results of the back test, but there was no way on God's green earth or H-E-double Hockey sticks that that was going to happen after Katy's complete and utter meltdown!

Even with the negative results of Katy's food allergies, I know that there is still SOMETHING that she is allergic to because from time to time, she breaks out in a rash on her chin and face. Avoiding strawberries really does seem to help- I'm not just imagining it- the results are written on (or not) Katy's face in the form of hives (or lack thereof). Dr. Patel did mention that some people are sensitive to a food, but no necessarily allergic to it. Foods with high acidity could be causes of a rash on the chin and face (think Ketchup, BBQ sauce, Spaghetti sauce- staples in any toddler's diet).

In conclusion, I would love for Katy to have outgrown some (if not all) of her food allergies. Life would not only taste better for her, but I could also rest a little easier knowing that food is not a potential threat. However, part of me is concerned because for the past year and a half, I have been so vigilant in keeping certain foods from touching Katy's lips for fear of an allergic reaction and now, I'm just supposed to feed it to her?!? I guess we'll just have to wait and see....

On a happier note.... Our time at the doctor's only last two hours-not three and a half- thank goodness for small miracles! After our *fun* morning, we met Ted for lunch at Katy's favorite place, Chick-Fil-A. Katy did a great job ordering not only her lunch, but Ted's as well. She marched right up to the counter and told the cashier that she wanted, "French fries, chicken nuggets, 'weet tea and Speecy Spicy for my Daddy (translated, Spicy Chicken Sandwich)." (Don't judge- the kid and I had just survived a very traumatic morning!) After eating most of her lunch and some play time in the play place, we went to Harris Teeter so Katy could walk around with a shopping cart. She loves to push the mini carts around the grocery store and it's free entertainment, so, why not?

Giving it a "Shot"

Today, Katy got her MMR vaccination. Typically, children receive this shot when they turn one years old. However, that was right around the time that we found out that she was allergic to eggs, so we opted not to get her vaccinated for MMR at that time (MMR vaccine is grown in eggs). We had hoped that she would outgrow the allergy and then we could get her vaccinated at a later date (hopefully, before kindergarten).

Fast forward to earlier this summer when a girl in the MOMs club came down with the measles. The mother of this child did her due diligence by informing all the other moms who came in contact with her little girl so that we would be aware. HOWEVER, talk about FREAK OUT! For days afterwards, I kept scanning Katy's body for every little bump, dot, hive, anything out of the ordinary. Luckily, Katy didn't get the measles (nor did anybody else in the group that we know of), but that pushed me over the edge. My fear of Katy actually contracting the measles won out over my fear of her having an allergic reaction to the vaccine. With Katy entering pre-school in the fall, I just didn't feel it was wise to take the risk.

Katy got the shot first thing this morning and she was less than thrilled. She kept saying, through tears, "I don't like that shot. I don't like the doctor. Let's go home!" She was screaming and hollering so loud that the whole office to could hear her. We checked out quickly and were on our way.

But wait, the story gets better....!

While waiting for shot to be administered, I had mentioned to the nurse that Katy had a little spot on her chin that looked like eczema (I should know!) but could I get a doctor to look at it and maybe we could get something an RX called into the pharmacy? The nurse looked at the spot and said that she'd have the doctor call something in (we're not talking life threatening, here).

We leave the doctor's office and go to IKEA for lunch and to walk around. As soon as I pull into IKEA, the doctor's office calls and asks for us to schedule an appointment to have the doctor look at the spot. PEOPLE, I WAS JUST THERE!!! >:( Needless to say, I was more than a bit frustrated. Add to that, horrible construction on I-85 that made a normally 25 minute ride almost AN HOUR (!!!!) to get BACK to the doctor's office...!

We pull back into the doctor's office and immediately, Katy is crying and fussing and telling me that she, "Doesn't want a shot! No doctor!" We check in and after waiting a bit, we finally see the doctor. I tell the doctor my sob story and she can't believe that we had to come back... sigh!! Left hand, please meet right hand....

Oh, but at least Katy looked cute, today. Picture this: Katy was wearing her favorite pink strawberry dress that I found at a consignment sale. Her hair was done in a "mini-pony" with a big poufy hair-do-dad. She was wearing her red sparkly shoes and she made sure to don her purple butterfly sunglasses. Stylin'!

Lofty Aspirations

In order to predict your child's future height, I once read that you could take their height at two year's old and double it. For Katy, that means that she could grow to be 5'-10" high when she is an adult. Those are some lofty aspirations for a girl who doesn't seem to have many very tall relatives! I guess we'll just have to wait and see... :-)

Two Year Well Baby Doctor's Visit

Today was Katy's two year Well Baby Doctor's Visit with Dr. Guerriero. She now weigh 26 lbs. and measure 35" long. This puts her in the 80th percentile for weight and 69th percentile height. From the doctor's assessment, our Katy is right on target (and even ahead in some areas physically and developmentally.

Just like last year, Katy got her iron levels checked. Also like last year, she was not amused with the finger prick and very resistant to getting her hand anywhere near the nurse in order to get the sample. As a side note, our nurse was VERY kid friendly and she finally got Katy to give the finger prick by saying, "Katy, can you give me a high five? How about a low five?" Before Katy realized it, the nurse had the finger prick.

Katy got the last of her Hepatitis boosters, today. Like every time (and every other kid I know), she did not like getting the shot and cried big crocodile tears when the nurse gave her the shot. I also found out that come next flu season, Katy is old enough to get the spray mist flu shot instead of the one grown in eggs- yay!

Katy was very wiggly and squirmy during the examination. Dr. Guerriero was very adept at getting all of the vitals on a very active and moving toddler.

Verbally, Katy is way ahead of the curve. The doctor told me that between year two and three, Katy will learn more language than the rest of her life. How interesting!

We received some information on tantrums during the visit. It couldn't have come at a better time! The terrible twos have arrived in full force! Katy has at least on tantrum a day- most times for silly, inconsequential things. One day it's because we ran out of milk, the next time it's because we have to put away toys. Don't even get me started on trying to get Katy into the car seat these days! I have to allot an extra fifteen minutes just to get Katy into the car seat because it takes great coaxing, bribing, and sometimes manual force to "convince" Katy to get into the seat. By the time she's FINALLY buckled in (after having to climb into the car by herself, running to the other side of the back seat, kicking and screaming when I try to buckle her in....) I'm exhausted and barely have the energy to go to wherever we were trying to go to in the first place!!

Katy was born with a Mongolian spot on her backside. We were originally told that it would disappear after the first year. Well, we're on year two and it's still there. So, I asked the doctor about it and he said that if it hasn't faded away by age six, it's probably permanent. I guess that's okay since nobody else better be looking at that little tushie anytime soon!

Now that Katy is two, I should be concerned if her fever is above 102 degrees F. A temperature at this degree (or higher) means that her body is fighting infection. While I may not necessarily need to call the doctor right away, 102 is the marker where I need to be concerned and monitoring. I thought that was good information to have.

Also, the doctor clarified the new(ish) dosing instructions for medicines for me. For Tylenol, a child should receive 75 mg for every ten pounds. For Motrin, Advil and Ibuproern, a child should receive 50 mg for every ten pounds. I tried doing the math on this one but ended up getting myself all confused. Long and short of it- I need to get a better dosing syringe (stat!)  in order to give Katy the proper amount of medicine!!

All in all, a good visit. Our Katy is happy, healthy and right on track for her age!

Lil' Chompers- Katy's First Visit to the Dentist

"Brosser les dents! Brush your teeth!"

Today was the Jones Family biannual visit to the dentist. However, today was a little different because this was Katy's first time sitting in the dentist's chair so that the dentist could, "count her teeth." We had Katy watch while the dental hygienist cleaned my teeth so that she could get used to all of the tools and sounds. We walked her through the whole process and Katy was very attentive and interested.

Of course, when it came time for Katy to sit in the chair, she was less than thrilled to be put under the lights. So, Daddy sat in the chair and Katy sat in his lap while the dental hygienist brushed Katy's teeth and *tried* to get a good look inside Katy's mouth. For the short amount of time that the dental hygienist was able to look, she was able ascertain that Katy does NOT yet have her two-year old molars and everything looks okay. Once the dentist came into the room, Katy was more interested in giving Dr. Coleman a high-five than letting her look at her mouth- c'est le vie!

As a side note, we chose to have Katy's first dentist experience be with our normal dentist- and not a specialized pediatric dentist- because she has a son one day younger than Katy. Obviously, Dr. Coleman is very good with kiddies, so we decided to give it a whirl. Hopefully, the next visit will yield a more in-depth exam. For now, though, I consider no crying and no fear of what was going on at the dentist a success!

Sick Baby

Apparently a purse, princess PJs, a cuddly blanket, a movie and the "mote" (remote in Katy-speak) make everything better!

Today, I celebrated my birthday by cleaning up baby vomit. Poor Katy did not sleep well (poor parents, too, as we were up with Katy all through the night!) last night and she got sick a couple of times throughout the early morning hours. Once she got everything out of her system, though, Katy seemed much better. She was able to fall back to sleep, cuddled in Daddy's robe, in her own bed. Ted, on the other hand, had to get up and go to work and I could not fall back to sleep and ended up doing a couple of loads of laundry (sick baby vs. bed sheets- the sheets didn't stand a chance).

Just the other day I told Ted that I dreaded the day that Katy got sick to her stomach because I very much dislike the thought of cleaning up somebody else's you-know-what. Dirty diapers, spit-up- somehow I managed all of those. God has a sense of humor- he really does- I'll get the joke... one day.

I make a poor nurse maid and being the target for a sick baby is no fun at all and not much of a way to start your day- let alone your birthday. I've been monitoring Katy's symptoms since her morning episode and she seems okay- happy and smiling and laughing. There is no fever and I've made sure that she is keeping well-hydrated. I even got her to eat some toast, applesauce, yogurt and of course, her beloved "brock, brock " (aka, chicken). It's good to have my happy baby back- let's just hope it sticks and that neither Ted nor I get sick, too! I've been in total decontamination mode since this morning- Lysol and Clorox are LOVING me, today, with the amount of wipes and disinfecting spray I've used! Plus, I think my hands are raw from the amount of times I've washed them- do we have enough Purell to get through the day?!?

As for my birthday celebration, I'll take a rain-check, please!

All in the pursuit of a flu shot!

Today we went to the allergist to get you tested for the flu shot, Katy. Since you are allergic to eggs (and flu shots are grown in eggs), having a flu shot could potentially cause a reaction.

Our appointment was scheduled for 8:30 AM- nice and early, first thing in the morning. Usually, your best time of day. Of course, not to be, today. Instead, you slept fitfully last night and woke up cranky. We made it to the allergist's without a hitch and didn't have to wait too long in the waiting area before being called back. Nurse Karen escorted us back for the typical height/weight check and then into the consultation room. Nurse Karen is NOT very kid friendly. She was easily flustered by your cries and general toddler curiosity. When you went to reach for the stethoscope, she swatted your hand away and said, "Don't do that!" (and not in a loving, gentle kind of way). By this time in the appointment, I knew we were in for a LONG day....

First step to the appointment; get tested for the flu shot (which, was the whole reason we were there, in the first place). The medical assistant (much nicer than the nurse!) came in and did a couple of scratches on your back. You did NOT like this! You cried big crocodile tears and kept saying, "All done! Bye-bye!" to the medial assistant.

Then, we had to wait fifteen minutes to see if you had any sort of reaction to the scratches on your back. Fifteen minutes was more like thirty/forty minutes. Finally, after the time elapsed (and then some!), the doctor came in, observed the scratches and gave the okay for the full, first dose (those under two have to get the flu shot in two doses).

More waiting.....

Then, Nurse Karen returned to administer the flu shot into your thigh, Katy. Of course, you didn't like this and tried to wiggle away. In a moment of exasperation, the nurse exclaimed, "Don't move!!" (Seriously?!?!) The flu shot finally got administered, but not before bleeding all over your new light pink pants- good thing I brought an extra change of clothes into the doctor's with me!

Now, more waiting- thirty minutes this time, we the nurse returning several times to check vitals. You did MUCH better during this period of waiting and was even compliant when the nurse took your blood pressure and temperature.

More waiting....

The doctor came in to check in and noticed a slight rash on your chest and belly, Katy. He ordered a dose of Benedryl and more waiting (to make sure there wasn't any more reaction).

More waiting....

Finally, the doctor came in one last time and deemed it okay for us to leave. So, two and a half hours later, we FINALLY got to leave the doctor's office. You fell asleep on the way home, thanks to the Benedryl and I put you right to bed. I'm glad we got that out of the way... that is, until we have to go back for the second dose of the flu shot in four weeks!

18 Month Well Baby Doctor's Visit

Today was your 18 month doctor's visit with Dr. Guerriero, Katy. You are 33 inches high and weigh 22 pounds and 10 ounces. This puts you in the 86th percentile and 40th percentile, respectively.

The doctor said that you are doing great and hitting/surpassing all of your milestones. I had to laugh when Dr. G. said that you should have five to ten words in your vocabulary by now! Your vocabulary is more like one hundred words! He also said that you should start making simple two word sentences by age two, but you already do that.

You were super clingy with me as soon as you saw Dr. G. come in the room and you kept telling the nurse, "Bye-bye" as soon as you saw her. I think you knew that you were going to be getting some shots. To which, you received three shots today and of course, you cried all the way through them. However, the drama was short lived as soon as you got a sticker from the nurse for being such a good patient.

All in all, you are a happy, healthy, active toddler!

Chompers- Molars

Guess what, Katy? Your molars are starting to grow in. I thought they didn't start growing in until two and that is why they call them your "two year old molars" but I guess I was wrong because your little chompers are coming in loud and clear and you are drooling like crazy!

Food Allergies- No Nuts, Soy or Eggs

After having to go through the many hoops of medical insurance, we finally got a referral from the pediatrician to see the allergist, today, Katy. Our appointment was for two thirty PM, but we were forced to wait almost an hour and a half before we saw the doctor (why did we make the appointment in the first place if they are going to make us wait for that long?!). It's not very fun entertaining a fifteen month old for that long in a doctor's office. Dr. Patel was very nice and very kid-friendly- turns out he has a little one just your age, Katy!

We ended up first doing a scratch test on your back. After scratching your back, testing for wheat, shellfish, eggs, soy, milk, peanuts and tree nuts, it turns out that you are allergic to SOY, EGGS (both yolks and whites) and NUTS. Concerning the nuts- you are specifically (very!) allergic to almonds and walnuts and we ended up having blood work done (at another location) to see for sure if you are allergic to peanuts. At this point were were told to avoid all nuts and things containing soy and eggs (bye-bye baking, Mommy!).

So, we left the doctor's office (THREE HOURS LATER!) with a lesson on how to administer an epipen and lots of literature to read about childhood food allergies. According to the doctor, all of these allergies are fairly common. About 80% of kids with egg allergies outgrow them, nuts not so much. They will retest every year for the allergies to see how they develop.

Looks like we are going to be doing a lot of research on how to avoid these allergens. According to Daddy, between my allergies and your allergies, Katy, we're going to be surviving on green beans- HA!

Boo-Boo Katy

"Waaah!!"

It was a mild, sunny day, today Katy, so we decided to walk to the park and play on the playground. All was going well until you tripped, fell and scraped your forehead. The scrape was very, very minor (even to this first-time-germ-a-phobe-mama!) but it did bleed a lot. You didn't cry when the scrape first happened. Instead, you cried when I tried to clean it with a wipe (only thing I had on hand in the middle of the park) and put a band-aid on it (thanks to the prepared park ranger).

Please note that this little incident did nothing to squash my fear of playgrounds- too much can happen there! Next time, Daddy gets to take you to the park, Katy!

12 Month Well Baby Doctor's Visit

Today was your 12 month Well Baby Doctor's Visit with Dr. Guerriero. You now weigh 20 lbs. 15 ounces and measure 29 1/2" long. This puts you in the 65th percentile for both weight and height. Your iron levels were checked and you are a-okay. They will send a blood sample to Raleigh to be tested for lead levels. Apparently, it's mandatory for all one-year olds in the state of North Carolina. We'll get the results at a later date.

The doctor says that you are healthy and growing. You are walking and babbling and developing right on track. He said that by 18 months you should be putting two words together to form simple sentances. I told him that you already say, "Bye, Dada," and the doctor responded that we've got a talker on our hands!

It's time to introduce peanut butter and whole milk into your diet, Katy. We've got to make sure you get enough calcium. Honey from the grocery store should be fine to feed you, now that you are over a year.

Katy, you were NOT pleased with the finger prick or the two shots that you received, today, though!! You cried and cried and were very clingy for the rest of the visit and even after we got home.

Fourth Tooth!

Yesterday, we noticed that your fourth tooth came in, Katy! This is your upper right tooth, in the front. This officially means that when you bite, it's going to HURT! This also means that you are going to be able to eat and chew more!

Another Tooth!

Today, I found evidence that your top teeth are starting to come in, Katy! You've had the bottom two since November but it's taken you awhile to get your top teeth. For now, it's only one- the top left tooth. The reason I noticed the new tooth is because all morning it sounded like you were grinding your teeth but I didn't think that you had a top tooth to grind against. I guess I'm wrong!

Allergic Reaction

This afternoon, as I was nursing you, Katy, and you had *almost* fallen asleep for your nap, the left side of your face broke out into hives! The hives started joining to form plaques and the area was red and warm to the touch. The hives got awfully close to your left eye making it slightly swollen. Needless to say, this scared me and I woke you up immediately (you know it must have been bad if I'm waking you up from a nap- no mother willingly wakes her child from a nap!). I applied some hydro cortisone and called the doctor. After talking to the nurse and running out to get some Children's Benadryl (why did I not have any on hand?!), I don't know what caused the allergic reaction. The hives were gone by the time Daddy came home from work and you were your usual happy, smiley self. Could it be the pears and blueberries I fed you for breakfast? Could it be the detergent used on your winter coat? Something in the air when we went grocery shopping, this morning? The sugar cookie you ate while at Harris Teeter...?

Nine Months Well Baby Doctor's Visit

Today we visited Dr. Guerriero at Suburban Pediatrics for your Nine Months Well Baby Doctor's Visit. You are 19 lbs. 13 oz. and 28 1/4" long. This puts you in the 75% for height and weight. Dr. Greg that you are perfectly symmetrical and gaining in all the right areas- weight, height, language development, motor skills, dexterity, etc. He commented on your balance, Katy, saying that you seem very steady on your feet. Dr. Greg also checked to make sure that your thrush had cleared up and it has. No shots or immunizations necesssary during this appointment. The doctor recommends trying out a sippy cup with a straw since you don't quite seem to get the hang of drinking from a regular sippy cup, yet.

Dr. Greg ended the appointment with the comment, "No dating till you are thirty," and "Babies like you, Katy, make me want to have another (he already has three children) but my wife says stay away!" :-)