Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Six Months

Allie,

Today you went for your six month check up (tomorrow you will be six months). You are 19 pounds 13.8 ounces and 27 inches long. All of your stats place you in the 90th percentile. Dr. Pace said you are "very proportional!"

I cannot believe how much you have grown in six months and I certainly cannot believe that you have been a part of our family for six months. Where did the time go...

You are such an amazing little person. Every single person that is around you talks about what a happy baby you are. It took a while but I eventually realized that your happiness is an answered prayer. Every night I ask for three things for you: 1) that you are kept safe 2) that you are kept healthy and 3) that you are happy. Answered prayers.

You have been going to work with me for the past two months. At first I thought this arrangement might inhibit your development because you are NEVER placed on the floor. All day, when you are not napping, you are being held. However, you seem to be progressing at the appropriate rate. I was amazed last week when I set you in your crib and you stayed upright. Seriously, how do you know how to balance yourself when you are always held?

About two weeks ago I started giving you baby food. Your first real food was applesauce. I thought surely you would love something sweet....I was wrong. You spit it out so fast and made a horrible face. The only things I have found that you like to eat are rice cereal and pickles. Yes, pickles. Last weekend Stephanie, Blake, Conner, your grands, you and me all went to a fish place for dinner. You kept reaching for my plate and my glass so I tried to find the least horrible item I could for you to eat. The only thing that wasn't fried or seafood was the pickle. So you tried the pickle and you LOVED it!!!!! I can't believe that you spit applesauce back at me but you will gnaw on a pickle. Oh yeah, I may have given you a couple drops of sweet tea at that dinner also =)

Tonight you tried carrots and you were less than impressed. I hope this doesn't mean you are going to be a super picky eater.

Allie Elizabeth you are such an amazing addition to my life! I cannot wait to see what lies ahead for us!

Lots of Love, Hugs and Kisses,
Mom

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Latest

Well Allie has her first official cold. Yuck! Hearing a baby cough is enough to break your heart. Its horrible. Thankfully the gross sounding cough seems to be the worst of her cold.

Allie has started doing so many fun things these past couple of weeks. She definetly knows how to giggle now, but she doesn't do it very often. At first her giggle sounded kind of like a cough but now you can tell she is laughing! It is the cutest thing!

Also she has discovered her tongue. She keeps sticking it out and rolling it around. I keep waiting for her to find her feet. I think its so cute when you see pictures of babies with their feet up by their mouth. I dunno. Its just funny to me.

Lastly, Allie has discovered she can SCREAM. She will be sitting in her swing and just start screaming. Nothing is wrong with her she is just screaming. Mom heard her the other night over the phone and couldn't believe that was Allie. I'm telling you, the girl is loud!

I think that about covers Allie's new tricks =)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Growing, Growing and Growing some more

Allie was born at 37 weeks and 5 days. She was 19 inches and 7 pounds 15 ounces. By the time she left the hospital on October 31 she was down to 6 pounds and 15 ounces. About a week after that she had lost even more weight and was 6 pounds and 12 ounces. That was too much weight loss and she was switched to formula every 2 hours around the clock for 7 days ( I would even have to wake her up to keep her on the 2 hour schedule). What a 7 days that was... Anyway, at the end of those 7 days she had started gaining weight. She wasn't back up to her birth weight but she was "headed in the right direction" according to Dr. Pace.

At her 2 month check-up she was 22 inches and 10 pounds 11 ounces. Today at approximatley 3 months and 3 weeks she is at 25 inches (75th percentile) and 16 pounds (95th percentile)!!! Dr. Pace is quite happy with her size now =) I told him there was no way he could think I wasn't feeding her now!

I am so thankful that she is such a healthy baby! Knock on wood, but so far she hasn't had any sort of illness or issue. I did however take her in one day because (in my infinite wisdom) I thought she was congested. Nope, she was fine. I just had to get saline spray and clean her nose.

Right now she is on Prosobee ( soy) formula. Dr. Pace said that is what is causing her consipation so we are going to switch to Similac Sensitive and try to get away from the soy formula. Hopefully that takes care of the problem and she can stop drinking so much prune juice...

Yeah for a healthy growing baby!!!

Rolling Over

On February 15th Allie decided she would start rolling over! She went from back to tummy and tummy to back all in one day! Poor thing probably would have started rolling around sooner but I don't let her get on the floor too much. Now I try to make sure she gets a couple of hours on the floor each day. I am so sad that she is growing and changing so fast.

Allie also found her tongue on the 20th. After a bottle she will start "clicking" her tongue on the roof of her mouth. Its pretty funny =) Every once in a while you can click your tongue at her and she will do it back. Its too cute!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Allie's 1st Day!

Dad showing you off in the nursery!

Meeting the family just minutes after being born.

Grandma and Aunt April waiting to hear your first cry! (my room shared that wall with the OR)
What an amazing day!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Allie, today is your first Valentine's Day! Happy Love Day =) It is hard to believe that a year ago we were hoping for you and now we have you. Its incredible how much can change in a year.

I can't even imagine what you will be like next Valentine's Day. By then you will be a WHOLE year old and probably running around bossing everyone! I can't wait!!!

I so look forward to watching you grow and become your own little person... just don't grow up too fast.

Love,
Mom

Friday, February 4, 2011

Almost a Laugh

Allie, this morning you decided to almost laugh at me! The first time it looked like you were trying to laugh through your nose. It was so cute!!! I kept on making crazy noises and faces and kissing you on the cheek so you would do it again and sure enough you "laughed" again, but this time it was a laugh with your mouth but with no sound. Oh I love you! I cannot wait until you start really laughing.

You have another cute trick, but its a little disturbing. You like to put your whole fist in your mouth. That wouldn't be such a big deal but you also like to stick your fingers straight out while you fist is in your mouth and this makes you gag! It sounds horrible!

So that is what you have been up to today. Right now we are sitting on my bed and you are sucking on your fingers and watching the fan while I type. I think you are getting sleep because you have started screaming and wanting your pacifier. You ONLY want the pacifier when you are going to sleep.

I need to grab my camera and get a picture of you. You are wearing one of my favorite Kissy Kissy outfits that you have worn since birth and it looks like you won't be able to wear it for too much longer =(

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The beginning

On Wednesday October 27, 2010 I had been at the doctor's office with your dad scheduling his knee surgery for the end of November. I don't know what we were thinking attempting to schedule that for November, you were due to arrive in November, specifically November 13.

I had just arrived home, around 4:30, and ran in the house to pee (it was a recurring theme when I was pregnant!). I walked out of the bathroom and saw Daisy sitting by the bedroom door. I leaned down to pet her and talk to her when I felt like I had peed on myself. They say that when your water breaks you feel like you have peed on yourself, but I knew my water had not broken. As it turns out I was bleeding.

I called dad and told him I was going to the hospital and to meet me there and to not speed! I left for the hospital and called Melissa to let her know what was going on. I got there and was put in a room and a few minutes later dad arrived. Turns out he did not listen to me about the no speeding.

The nurse came in and told me that the on call doctor had said to keep me overnight and that if you had to be delivered it would be the on call doctor who would deliver you. This did not make me happy. I absolutely did not want to see the on call doctor. I had met her before and was less than impressed. I proceeded to flip out and beg dad to take me home, but he refused.

A few minutes later Melissa arrived. I told her about the on call doctor and how I wanted to leave and she started looking through her purse and found her "call Dr. Tynes for delivery" card from when she had Taylor. I was soooo happy! Melissa gave the card to the nurses and I knew that if you came early, Dr. Tynes would be called to deliver you. Soon after, your grandma and grandpa arrived.

The next morning Dr. Tynes came in and checked me. She said I had a large blood clot and she couldn't tell where the bleeding was coming from, but that my cervix was completely closed. She stepped out to consult with another doctor. A couple of minutes later she came in and said that I would have you that day by c-section.

I immediately started crying and flipping out. It was October 28th and I thought I still had a few days to prepare for your arrival.

My nurse for the c-section came in and began prepping me for delivery. My flipping out of course made dad get very nervous. Sometime after 2:00 the nurse came in and said it was time. They took me to the operating room which just made my cry harder. Everyone in there was telling me I had to breath. The nurse was so sweet, while I was getting the spinal block she was hugging me and praying for you and trying to keep me calm. Dad and Dr. Tynes came in and it was time to get started.

It seems like it was only a couple of minutes later before Dr. Tynes was telling dad to get the camera ready to take your first picture! As Dr. Tynes was pulling you out she said, "look at those cheeks!" This was immediatley followed by the nurse practioner saying, "look at all that hair!" And just like that, you were out and screaming! Dad snapped two pictures of you before sitting back down to hold my hand.

Your nurse took you over to the isolette and started cleaning you off and getting you ready to go the nursery. You were screaming but you sounded so gurgly. You sounded so bad that dad went to check on you. Of course you were fine, you just had a lot of fluid left in your lungs which is supposed to be normal for c-section babies.

Dad brought you over for me to see and then he and your nurse left to take you the nursey. A short while later I was finished and able to go to recovery. As soon as they brought me out I saw your Aunt Stephanie. She had told me all along that you would be born bald, but you had a full head of dark black hair. So of course when I saw her I had to tell her that she had lied to me about the hair!

On my way to my room the nurse took me past the nursery to see you again. Once I was in the room they said I could see you as soon as I was ready. I told them to go get you right then, I was ready to hold you =)

Oh you were sooo cute! You did have chubby cheeks and lots of hair. You were so sweet and tiny. Dad and I spent a few minutes staring at you before we let others come in. The first to come in was grandma. Oh my, she was so happy to finally get to hold you!!! She said that she had her ear up to the wall of the OR and she heard Dr. Tynes say " look at those cheeks" so she knew the second you were born!

Lots of other family came in to see you also. They were all holding you and taking pictures of you, but I don't remember too much about that because the feeling in my abdomen was coming back and I was pretty uncomfortable and not paying attention to what everyone else was doing!

Dear Allie

Allie,

You are 3 months old! It seems that time is moving too quickly and I am not doing such a great job of documenting your new little life. I hope that one day you read this and enjoy seeing what went on with your life and ours as we learn how to be parents.

I wish I had something like this to read back on from when I was a baby. It would save your grandma a lot of time answering questions for me now =)

Your dad and I love you so much and we can't wait to watch you grow up!

Love,
Mom