Viral Diaper

Words cannot describe the stench that just came from a diaper after an illness.  Poor Dani got a virus that fortunately only left her with a runny nose, loss of appetite and 5 days of 104/5 degree fevers.  With that now subsiding, she's slowly eating. I knew the diaper would be bad...but...we had to open windows!!!

Baby Steps

Yesterday and today Dani took tiny little "stumbling" steps without help!

I have officially not pumped for over a week, though I have a bit of discomfort and "knottiness", I'm pretty much empty. BF is over. Sad and happy all at the same time.

Sit and Stand

While Dani has been able to pull herself up and walk holding onto furniture, only lately has she really done so. I suppose walking around the house holding my hands really gave her some more confidence.

Yesterday she used her little push toy to walk around the house, one hand on the toy and one hand holding my hand. Then this morning she was using her bedroom furniture to stand up (the crib, the dresser, the changing table). Then, walking along the furniture she stirred up as much trouble and mess as her little hands could reach. Like I said, she could do this before, she just chose no to do so, but today was game for her...sit, stand up, havoc, sit and start all over! I suspect that after her recent attempts she will required all the confidence she needs to walk. Just amazing!

The little chow hound is really growing. I was cleaning out clothes and came upon her Christmas jammies from last year, they were preemie jammies, and while Dani is small girl, she was super tiny then.

One Year Old + Some

Every month of the first year of Dani's life, I wrote a blog on or about the 8th of the month, but not when she turned one. It's not that it went ignored, we had dinner with friends one evening, and a small family party another day. On her actual birthday, a Tuesday, life went on as usual (so it seemed). It honestly felt like my heart was being ripped out to not share the day with her, but I did call my sister, at about 9:41 am on that day, to check in on the birthday girl. We had a fun evening on her birthday with some cake.

In the time since her birthday, she had her one year checkup, has progressed in walking to the point where she can stand on her own, but still holds on to my hands with both of hers. Secretly (or not so secretly now), I would love to hang on to her hands forever, but she will grow up despite me. She figured out how to push her Glow Worm on to make it play music. She knows just the spot. I also watched her pinch the hands and feet of her Violet MyPal dog too (though it wasn't quite on the "button"). She had her first 2 hour tantrum (started because I took her off the bus, another story for another time, but it did involve the bus, a shower, stomping, hitting, throwing of toys, and some snuggling in the rocking chair with some deep sighs of crying exhausting which broke my heart). She can "meow", "arf" and "quack". She's beginning to say more things all the time, like "out", "eyes", "owl", and "Bella".

I am having a hard time with the fact that my little girl is growing up. There will be no more pumping, she now drinks whole cow's milk, and soon no more bottles, no more pacifiers, and no more holding on to mom to help walk. I've heard though, that every age is as exciting as the one before, but for whole new reasons. I would believe this, Dani is such an amazing young person, I know she'll always keep amazing me, and always make life exciting.

Now, on to dress making...another story for another time.

One Year Stats

November 10 we took Dani to the doctor for her routine visit and shots/boosters. Of all the shots, this might have been the worst, there were 5. Times in the past she was less mobile so that made it slightly easier too, but this time, 5 shots in a very mobile baby was hard!

That said, she was otherwise good. 10th percentile for height and well, not even on the chart for weight.

Weight: 14 pounds 10.5 ounces
Height 27.75 inches
Head Circumference: 17 inches

She's responded well to the shots so far, just the regular crabbiness. She's started crawling more regularly, and an actual crawl rather than a half crawl-start to stand up-roll move. She's beginning to pull herself up well, without the help of others. She even managed to get herself stuck in the chair.

I thought I'd also share that I made her a dress today...

Front

Back

Lastly, new pictures are up on the shutterfly site!

One Year Old!!

Happy First Birthday Dani!

The festivities started on Grandma's birthday, Friday November 4, when she came over and helped me bake cakes and make cake pops. Saturday we had pictures in the morning and dinner with some good friends which led into the family party Sunday. Monday was routine, and Tuesday we celebrate the birth of my special little girl, Dani.

The little girl who was less than 5 pounds at birth has grown so much. She's amazed me in ways I didn't think possible and has made me a profoundly happier person.

It was a year ago today that I lay awake in the hospital bed waiting to be induced. I had a bad backache, or what I thought was a bad backache, turns out that was labor! She was ready to get things started, so at 9:41 am, a mere hour after being induced she was here.


Birthday Girl with her new doll and chair! (11/8/11)

She had a small cake I made her for pictures and the poor girl got icing on her hands and was done. She doesn't like sticky stuff on her fingers, so you can imagine how that went. We were able to get some pictures in the tutu that I made her at least! She did really well at dinner and her party, which I wasn't expecting. This little girl is a trooper! She really seemed to enjoy her party Sunday, she had an audience to entertain! Thursday she goes to the doctor for her one year check up where we'll find out just how much she weighs and how tall she's become!

Thank you to all who have wished her a Happy Birthday! She's an amazing young lady and I can't imagine life without the little stinker!

Farm Themed Cake



Animal Cupcakes

Dani's Cake

Dani after dinner...so tired!

Grandma and Dani played while mom baked!



Happy Halloween

Dani's First Pumpkin

Tutu for Dani's First Birthday, Homemade by Mommy

So exhausted from playing at Grandma's, being a watermelon, and just general mayhem, she finally flopped onto her side from sitting up sleeping

Dani's First Halloween Costume, a watermelon, she didn't so much mind the costume, but she was not a fan of all the people at the Halloween party.  She eventually warmed up to her audience!

This past Thursday night was her first night all night at Grandma's and she did well (and first Cardinal's World Series Win).  Then this weekend was her first Halloween party where she dressed as a watermelon (what a cutie).  Sunday was the first day she pulled herself up in her crib (and was too tired from that point on to do it again).  She stood, let go and stood alone for a moment and then lifted her foot to take a step and fell face first.  She bounced and hit her head on the crib side.  Today on the phone with Aunt Holly, I could hear Dani in the background saying "sock" while pulling on her sock.  Such a smart cookie!

Crawling Watermelons

Dani crawled today. It wasn't efficient and it wasn't graceful but she crawled. Shortly after that she did her "downward dog" pose in an effort to stand up.

Thursday night was her first time spending the night at Grandma's house. My mom watched her while I had to go out of town. With Dad having two broken wrists and still unable to help, we had to come up with a plan. By my mom's excitement leading up to the big night, I could tell it was going to be fun for both of them! The full details may always remain a mystery to me, but I know they DID have fun!

And so today, full of energy and excitement, she crawled across the kitchen floor.

Now, she's turning into a watermelon for her first Halloween party!!

Sitting Up Sleeping

For the past two nights, Dani has decided that she doesn’t want to lay down at bed time. The first night she had quieted down some, but when I went to check on her, there she was sitting up leaning on the bed for support. The second night I would have thought she was a sleep because she was so quiet, but when I peeked in I thought I saw movement. Alas, I walked in and there she was, rocking herself back and forth, binky in mouth, playing with the mirror on her crib. Eventually, she fell asleep, sitting up, just as she did earlier in the day at Aunt Holly’s when it was naptime.

bah-la-la-la

"Can you do it", I say, with a bit of encouragement to my voice while I show Dani how the light switch is flicked on and off. It's part of our after shower routine. While I dry her off, I keep her preoccupied with the light switch. Last night she surprised me by turning the light off!

Then this morning, while we were eating breakfast, Dani stuck her food filled hand, as usual, over the side of her seat in hopes to lure a dog nearer to her. Normally Bella is there for the taking, but when she wasn't Dani looked to me for help as if to say, "why are the dogs not here". I very simply told her that Bella as not under the table, which of course upon hearing her name, prompted Bella to slink on over. After seeing Bella and hearing me say her name, Dani tried to say it. She did this a few times, except her version of Bella comes out more like "bah-la-la-la".

Just when I feel like she's amazed me more than I though possible, she was standing at the ottoman, rocking her butt around, when she stopped, let go, and simply turned around to face me. She promptly fell, but the point is that she let go and turned around! She was pretty thrilled by my response!

What an amazing little girl!

Eleven Months Old

Wow, eleven months have gone by so quickly!  I was just thinking the other day about how happy I am about keeping this blog because I couldn't quite remember at what point Dani turned from the slug that newborns are into this really active human being.  It sounds silly to say it that way, but any parent can attest, there seems to be a switch that changes their baby from immobile and helpless to active and eager to learn.  I can at least go back and look at the time when she really first started sitting up on her own!

I guess I can't say that a whole lot has changed since last month, Dani isn't really crawling or walking, but attempting to do both really well.  She plays with a variety of toys, not one that is a favorite per say.  She does love her glow worm though, she sways to the music!  She has four teeth up top and two on the bottom (see above picture), but based on her drooling/biting/mood, I'd guess something else is coming in too.  Last time we weighed her, she was at 14.7 pounds, and we only expected her to get to 3 ounces shy of 15 pounds.  Yesterday she got the first of her two part flu shot, and while it went well and she responded fine to it, it sure did make her crabby (and frankly, don't flu shots make you cranky?).

Today, Dani and I put a few Halloween decorations out.  I have always thought of fall as the fun time of Halloween, Thanksgiving, falling leaves, cool weather, turkeys, goblins, and ghouls.  It occurred to me, when saying and pointing out "pumpkin" and Dani clapping about it, that I sort of have a new addition to "Fall".  I have Dani helping with decorations, taking Dani to fall festivals, getting excited in all new ways about Halloween, and of course Dani's brithday.  It isn't that I had not thought about this before as I really looked forward to it all.  But, like all things, it's hard to judge something you've never done, and until your hands get dirty, so to speak, you never know how exciting you'll find the job.  Frankly, I'm loving every minute of it.  Fall has never been better!

Yeah, Halloween!

Playing with leaf

Playing with grass

Happy Eleven Month Birthday Dano!

post script: I plan to have a very small first birthday party for Dani, nothing big since it will likely be at our home which is far too small for anything extravagant.  Please do not take it personally for lack of invitation.  I really appreciate your understanding!

A Scary Moment

We had a small scare today.  I had finished pumping, with Dani to my side, and as I turned to put the milk on the table Chris happened to look over and see that Dani was sucking on the tubing for the pump that she stole while I had my back turned for just a moment.  We took it away and noticed that the end nozzle piece was missing. 

Dani had a tiny cough, I looked at her desperate to see if it fell out of her mouth. Nothing.  I poked my finger around her mouth, desperate that it would fall out of a cheek.  Nothing.    We searched and there was no luck finding it.  Finally, I accepted the fact that she probably ate the tiny plastic thingy.   I asked Chris what I should do, and we conceded that we needed help, so we called Holly, the all-knowing-of-kid-things sister.  After discussing that it was likely that we just needed to wait for it to pass and to maybe contact the nurse hotline to ask a few questions, I had a plan.

Before I was even off the phone Chris was asking if I checked something...trying to eagerly listen to Holly's advice I shushed him.  As soon as I was off the phone he starts talking again, "have you checked the bottle part?".  What?  The bottle pa....OH, that part.  You have got to me sh!ttin' me, it was right there.  Crisis adverted.  So thankful!

Swayin'

Dani has 4 top teeth and two bottom teeth coming in these days.  She figured out how to use the vibrating gummy massager/teething toy. 

She likes to play her Glow Worm and sway with the music.

It's been a long week for all of us with Dad in two casts (he fell off a roof helping a friend and broke both wrists).  He can't hold Dani so it's hard on both of them (all of us really).  Today we heard Grandpa (Chris dad) had a stroke.  We don't know much more than that, but it's been a lot of stress in a period of one week.  Dani keeps me going!

And I Thought One Kid Was Rough

Just when you think things can't get worse, or the only place to go from here is up...something goes awry.  Let me tell you, things can always get worse.  Now, I have to say that in general, I do realize things really can always get worse, people could die or be seriously injured, etc.  But in general, when I say, can things get worse, I mean things like dropping my phone and watching it shatter after I spill milk all over the place.  Yea, things can get worse, but what I mean is, things can always also get more hectic.

Chris fell of a friend's roof Sunday and broke both wrists.  Hectic.
Chris is capable of only some things, so I have to do a lot for him.  More Hectic.
I have basically two infants to care for. In one night I was woke up twice by Dani and once by Bella (who needed out), then another night I got the dogs and baby sleeping through the night but Chris needed help.  Sleepy Hectic.
Every day this week I have forgot something (Tuesday Diapers, Wednesday Check, Thursday Teeth).  Sloppy Hectic.
I woke up early today to get things moving since I've been running late everyday this week.  Turns out that waking early does not help.  Not only did I get out of the house later than normal, but I got stuck in construction traffic, then behind a bus, and lastly we were two houses away from Aunt Holly's when Dani puked everywhere in the car.  Waking up early does not help.  Super Hectic.
She did the same thing last night when I was trying to feed her and Chris, she just puked everywhere.  Now, I needed to feed two people and clean up puke.  Not just puke, but the table, the floor, the high chair, the baby. Messy Hectic.

I'm worn out, but I do realize things can always be worse.  I'd like though, for just a day, to sort of get a break.  For now though, while Dani is getting cleaned up by Auntie, and Chris is struggling at home with a lunch break with Becky, I will get my small salvation at work (I know, salvation at work, that's desperate), and I will chow down on my Chocolate Rice Krispy Treat and later my Snickers. 

September 11

I'm admittedly nervous for tomorrow.  It is the ten year anniversary of the September 11 tragedies.  I'm not so much nervous about what could happen, just nervous about the sadness of it all.  I'm sad that Dani won't know what the world was like before.  She will never get to travel unabashedly.  One day, I anticipate that September 11 will be some sort of national "holiday", not so much a holiday, but like Veteran's Day, a day of remembrance; will she know what it means?


On a light note, but not so light for me, I plan on venturing out of the house tomorrow evening.  I've missed bed time before, but this one is exceptionally hard because I have to go out of own for work Monday night, so I am missing two bath/bedtimes in a row...and my first night away from my Dano on Monday.  I know some moms yearn for this moment, a break away from the insanity, but I'm not one of those moms.  In fact, I've always cried when I had to leave my dogs when heading off for vacation.  So tonight, I made bath time last for a while, I even took pictures. Here's a couple I felt I could share.

Also on the tooth note, she actually has three top teeth broke through, and one emerging.  Wow, so fast, and yet, so slow!!

I also wanted to mention that Dani fought us going to bed, not new.  Tonight however, I left her sitting up in bed, came back to the room to tuck her in and there she is, managed to pull herself up onto her knees hanging out.  I moved her to lay her down and the screaming started, I walked out, she screamed for a bit longer, so I walk back in to tell her it's "night-night time, go to sleep", she responded with a yell and a glare that Holly sees all too often at nap-nap time.  

10 Months

Part of the reason I keep this blog is so that when someone asks me, "when did your child first start eating dirt?", I can look back and know with confidence that she first ate a  morsel of dirt while camping at Babler State park on Sunday September 4, 2011.  This was the same weekend that we realized one of her top front teeth has come through (though barely visible) with the other about to cut through.  This is also the same weekend that she started waving and saying "hi" and singing along with "la la las".  It seems around this ten month mark she has begun to imitate, though with poor enunciation, it's hard to tell that is really what she's doing.  I dare say though, when I ask her about "eee-aww" (our affectionate name for a squishy donkey), she responds back with "yaw".  What I think might be "doggie" sounds just like "daddy", and when you talk about Baby Dani, she responds with something sounding like "daddy".  Eventually though, like all other things, enunciation will break through, and that which we think she is saying will be completely obvious!!  With that, I'd like to warn you all, better watch what you say...Dad might be in a world of hurt, whatever will he do for music?

She's doing really well standing on her own while bracing herself against furniture.  She even takes "fake steps".  These "fake steps" are her going through the motion of walking without actually going anywhere.  She might walk before she crawls.  If we put her on her belly which is becoming easier, she really does try to push up but just doesn't lift the lower and upper half at the same time.  Who knows, she might crawl one day just to get a hold of some electronic device she's been drooling over and eyeing up.

Happy 10 Month Birthday to my Dani.

Dani, Not Quite on the Move

Wow, Dani is almost 10 months.  A lot has happened since her 9 month post and I'm only just now getting around to writing.  In my defense, it's been a hectic month, but yet, it's no excuse.

About a week after Dani had her 9 month check up she got a cold.  It was a nasty one too, a lot of coughing and snot.  She would cough so much that she'd make herself throw up and so she wasn't keeping much down.  She had some high fevers too.  I ended up calling the nurse-after-hour-helpline and was told there wasn't a whole lot I could do for her, which I had already suspected.  Chris took her back to the doctor the day after the nurse-helpline and was told the same thing, but we at least got some reassurance that she was okay.  So, while it wasn't her first cold, it was her first real bad cold.  She gave the cold to me and Chris too.  That's how these things work.

As she was healing from that cold, I ended up with mastitis, and let me tell you, that was no fun.  I had several fever spikes up to 102° F, and the pain was bad.  I ended up going to the Urgent Care Clinic because my own doctor (that you may note I've had problems with) wouldn't get me in....and frankly, the UCC was a GREAT idea.  I got in, got my meds, and even got a follow up call a week later.  Mastitis is gone, milk production suffered, but we're weaning, so all in all, it wasn't so bad.

Dani still isn't crawling, though we're convinced she's ready to when we tempt her with a cell phone while she's on her belly.  She's ready to walk too, pulling herself up when she can and even letting go of objects she holds onto for brief moments.  She even takes tiny steps (though not going anywhere) when she does hold on to things.  Here is a video of her doing something similar.... [sorry it's sideways]

Without further ado, here are some of her professional pictures at 9 months old....

See more pictures here... Dani's Shutterfly Page

Nine Months Old

The 9 month stats are in.....drum roll please................

Weight: 13 pounds 13.5 ounces
Height: 25.75 inches
Head Circumference: 16.5 inches

Happy Nine Month Birthday Dano!  I'm happy I got to spend it with you (even though you had to get a shot)!

On a positive note, Dano did get to go visit Grandpa, Cousin Kristen with baby Eva (exactly 1 month old today), Aunt Emily (due in 14 weeks) and Cousin Kailyn.

Uh-Oh, No, Big Girl Bath

Dani is just amazing, but you knew that!  I miss her while at work and I want to spend all my moments with her.  She learns something new every day, from clapping hands and trying to snap fingers to eating bigger foods and shaking her head “no”.  She doesn’t crawl, yet, but stands fairly well.  She doesn’t speak yet but babbles about Daddy. She can sort of say "uh-oh" and is beginning to make associations between words and objects.  As as an example, my sister will say, "where are the kitties?", and Dano looks down for them.  


Just this past week she took her first bath sitting up without support from the bath hump which helped her recline.  Sure, she probably could have done this sooner, but I wasn't ready.  But, after watching her try to sit up in her green bathtub that still had the middle hump, I thought it was time.  My worry level has increased exponentially!


Her 9 month birthday is approaching (tomorrow), so I thought I'd share some photos before we got there!