Check Ups: Emily's 12 Month and Sean's 5 year Endo

Sean and Emily both doctor appointments in the last 2 weeks. Sean was first. He had his yearly endo check up on the 11th. Endo conformed that even though Sean is way below the chart, he is still on his own curve. He wanted to do another bone age scan since it's easier to read the older Sean gets and he also wanted to look at the interval of change. I received the results on the 18th. Everything appears normal so he'll go back in a year.

On the 18th, Emily also had her belated 12 month check up. Not much to report as everything is looking good. Her stats are 17lbs 9oz, 28.5in. She's close to what Sean was at this age; just a pound heavier. The difference in the boy and girl charts is odd to me. At this size, Sean was well below the chart, Em is at the 5th percentile. Looks like we'll have 2 peanuts in the family. :)

Just for kicks I made charts to compare the kids' weights and lengths through out their first year (click to enlarge):

Other places to find me:
Facebook: Mama Dani's Musings, Twitter @MamaDaniBlog, Instagram: MamaDani, Pinterest: MamaDani
© Mama Dani's Musings

Emily: 10 Months (Bonus Video!)

Another month has come and gone. Emily is 10 months old today. She had her "9 month" check up about a week and a half ago and weighed in at 16lbs 8oz (10th percentile) and 28in (50th percentile). Size isn't the only way I can tell my little baby's growing up; I can't help but notice the everyday changes. She's oh so close to pulling up. She actually had both knees off the ground yesterday but failed to straighten her feet. So close! But I'm ok with her taking her time!! She still does her funny crawl but it's changed a little. She now does it with only one hand, leaving the other free to carry things. I jokingly say it looks like a monkey crawl.

If it's easier, you can view the above video here.

Socially, she's grown up a lot! She has learned her first sign. I knew she knew what she was doing when she handed me the boppy and signed "milk" when I asked her if she wanted to nurse. She also truly believes that everyone understands her baby babble. She loves to have conversations. And my favorite thing that has grown is her empathy. No one can cry without her getting concerned and without her trying to hug them. It doesn't matter if they are hurt, sad or in timeout. She crawls to them, leans in with a concerned look and then wraps her arms around them. It's the sweetest thing I've ever seen!

Left: The proper way to eat cheerios; dump them on the floor and throw the bowl behind you. 

Right: Em making a phone call "ra-row" = "hello"

Her sleep is also changing. She still sleeps wonderfully at night. Naps are what are changing. They were getting really bad until I realized she wanted to sleep in the bedroom alone instead of in the living room like she had been. I always have little babies sleep in the living room because not only do they seem to sleep better with noise but it also allows me to constantly watch them (call me paranoid!). She's still in transition so there are still some bad nap days but then there are some really really good naps. Lastly, solids. She really enjoys her solids now that she has more of a variety  She's been introduced to sauces and spices and loves it; especially spaghetti and chili (just the meat, sauces and rice. no beans yet).

 

Snoozing away *swoon*

Other places to find me:
Facebook: Mama Dani's Musings, Twitter @MamaDaniBlog, Instagram: MamaDani, Pinterest: MamaDani
© Mama Dani's Musings

Check ups: 6 month and allergy

The girls had check ups this morning....bright and early this morning. Our pediatrician is awesome! We had to miss their original appointment two weeks ago. When I tried to reschedule I found out the doctor was booked for the next month! Our awesome pediatrician agreed to see us today before the office opened! Not only that, he didn't charge us the $50 late cancellation fee ($25/appointment) for canceling the original appointments so late.

I had made an appointment for Maddy because it seems she has some issue with dairy. We just can not get a definite answer with just changing her diet. Whether it's an allergy or sensitivity, whether it's casein or lactose, I don't know. All I know is I want definite answers. The pediatrician gave us a referral for an allergist. The allergist, however, is booked until October. So, Maddy will go then and have testing done then.

Little Miss Emily.. She looks so much like her brother and it seems like she's going to be a little peanut too.
The little one's stats:
14lbs 10.5oz
26.5in
...almost the exact weight Sean was at this age and just an inch taller than he was.

I had two things I wanted to talk to the doctor about today. First was her reaction to bananas. I brought a picture to show the doctor and he thanked me. He says that it wasn't the classic allergy reaction (hives) so he's hesitant to say she's allergic to bananas. He says that it's more likely to be a contact reaction or a reaction to something that could have been on the peel. What he suggests is to try bananas again but just a little bit and for me to feed it to her so that she doesn't wear it too. He did say to make sure we have benadryl on hand just in case. The second thing I wanted to talk about was the spot on her left arm. It started the beginning of June looking like a bug bite. About a week or two later, it looked like a blister. Now it's barely there. The doc said he could feel a little scar tissue so he thinks that it was a bug bite that she probably scratched quite a bit.

Other places to find me:
Facebook: Mama Dani's Musings, Twitter @MamaDaniBlog, Instagram: MamaDani, Pinterest: MamaDani
© Mama Dani's Musings

Emily: 4 Months

Little Miss Em is 4 months old today. What a joy she is!

She's still a very happy baby. She doesn't fuss and cry much. She loves sitting in her bumbo chair watching the big kids play. She's starting to enjoy tummy time a little bit more and is is able to lift her head better. She's very close to rolling over. Her newest talent is blowing raspberries and boy does she love to do it!


4 month stats:
- 12lbs 6.5 oz - she's dropped percentile again. She's now between the 10th-25th but right about where she was when she was born.
- 24 1/2 in - she's right about at the 50th percentile for height.

Stay up to date by "liking" my Facebook page.
© Mama Dani's Musings

Madison: 3 Years Old

I know it's cliche but I can not help but think "where has the time gone?" every time one of my kids has a birthday. My little girl is now 3 years old or 3 old as she'll tell you. She'll be the first to tell you that she's a big girl now and that's why she can...fill in the blank a long list of things that only 3 year olds can do! The time has flown by! But at the same time I'm often reminding myself that she's only 3. At 31 lbs and 3ft 3in she's bigger than her 4 1/2 year old brother so there are even times where I have to remind her that she is younger than him. She takes it in stride because she's the spunky one. At times that causes me to wonder if she turned 3 or 13. After her party she told us that the reason she kissed her friend Charlie was "Because he likes my kisses!". He's supposedly her boyfriend. See!? 13 I tell ya! My mini teen is a firecracker. There's never a doubt how she feels. When she's happy, she's very happy. When she's sad, she's very sad. When she's mad, she's furious! Don't get in her way when she's mad! But when she's loving, you won't find a better cuddler. Hugs and kisses are one of her favorite things. Unless you're daddy. She randomly told Richard recently that she does not like his kisses anymore. I don't see that lasting long! She tends to gets a little carried when it comes to babies but she means well. One of Maddy's most favorite things at the moment is art; the messier the better. Hand her art supplies and she'll stay busy for hours. So what a better theme for her party!?

Her birthday begun with sprinkle cake batter pancakes. They were a huge hit!

I got the idea/recipe from I'm Bloggin'.


Then it was time to get ready for her art party! Our house is just not big enough for birthday parties so we hoped and prayed for no rain so that we could have it outside. We got a beautiful day! With rainbow paper chains, rainbow fruit, Maddy's art gallery and the rainbow aprons attached to the fence easel, the yard was equally beautiful!

The guests arrived and the kids got to painting. Off to the side I had a little washing station set up for the impending mess. We may try this party idea again in the future. The kids seemed to love it but the older kids did more painting while the younger kids got distracted but the yard toys.

At last, it was cake time! I had my own plans for the cake but at the last minute Maddy informed me that she wanted a princess cake. What's a mom to do but combine the two! She got a princess cake with a twist. I knew I had done good when, as I was putting the finishing touches on the cake, Maddy exclaimed "WOW!".

Princess Belle waving hi in her cake dress:

Surprise!

The birthday girl chowing down:

For more art party ideas, check out my art party pin board.

Stay up to date by "liking" my Facebook page.
© Mama Dani's Musings

Emily: 2 Months

That's my little 2 month old! She's such a happy baby! She nurses great now that I have my over supply under control and she still sleeps wonderfully. What more can I ask for!? She's "talking" a lot now. Unfortunately, she's camera shy. She just lights up when Sean talks to her. I love it! We've tried introducing bottles and pacis but she won't have any of it. She however, likes to suck on her fist. She didn't like it much a month ago but Emily has started enjoying rides in the sling. It's a good thing too because that's the easiest thing to use around the house; it's the fastest to put on.

Emily's stats from her check up today:
10lbs 6oz - She's dropped from the 50th percentile to the 25th
23in - looks like she was working on height this month more than weight!

I was happy to hear that even though there's still some fluid in her ear, Emily's ear infection has cleared up. I also brought up the spot on Em's chest this appointment. At her newborn and 1 month check up, the doctor thought it was just a birth mark, possibly a third nipple. It's an odd place for a third nipple but it looks like one...they run in the family so it didn't surprise me. He also mentioned a branchial cleft abnormality. He really didn't think it was that because it wasn't leaking and didn't seem to be attached. He told me to keep an eye on it and let him know if I noticed any changes. ..I have noticed something. When she nurses, usually when she's nursing fast or gulping, the spot goes in and out. Doc says it could be just the fact that the skin is thin there but it would be best to get it looked at and have the branchial cleft abnormality ruled out. He's sending us to a ear, nose and throat doctor.

Stay up to date by following me on twitter @MamaDaniBlog or "liking" my Facebook page. New followers: Welcome! Please leave a comment to let me know how you found my blog so that I can follow you back!
© Mama Dani's Musings

Emily: 1 month

This past Sunday my little girl turned a month old. Today she had her 1 month check up. And what a great check up it was! She is 9lbs 3.5 oz and 21 in, which puts her right about the 50th percentile. The doctor was impressed with her motor skills: holding her head up so well and bearing some weight on her legs when held like she's standing.

So how's life with a 1 month old? Great! She's nursing so well now. She also sleeps well. 2-3 hour naps are the norm and she's having longer awake and alert times during the day. That's when she likes to smile at us. She especially likes when I call her "Sweets" and when Sean talks to her. She's normally down for the night between 8:30-9:00. I change her diaper when I go to bed around 11:00. Sometimes it wakes her up enough to nurse, sometimes not. She then sleeps till 7:30/8:00...normally only wakes up twice to nurse and goes right back to sleep. Boy did I get lucky! We've said good bye to newborn size clothes which feels weird because Sean was just getting into newborn size clothes at this point. She may look like her brother but is not growing like him! She just recently discovered that she does indeed like her swing but only when she's getting tired and not hungry. She hates the carseat though. If she's awake and the car stops, she'll let you know how unhappy she is! If the car is moving and the radio is on (silence is evil in her mind), she's ok. I hate red lights! She loves baby wearing. I'm glad I invested in a Moby wrap when I was pregnant because she likes it better than the ring sling. The Moby is my go to thing for grocery shopping. She sleeps through the whole trip. This past week I had a nice old lady stop me to tell me how beautiful a sight Emily and I were because Emily looked so comfortable and content.

I can't wait to see what this month has in store for us!

Stay up to date by following me on twitter @MamaDaniBlog or "liking" my Facebook page. New followers: Welcome! Please leave a comment to let me know how you found my blog so that I can follow you back!
© Mama Dani's Musings

Week in Review- Week 1

This was our first full week as a family of 5. We had pediatrician appointments, chiropractor appointments, a midwife appointment, and a newborn photoshoot. Emily saw the pediatrician on Monday and then again on Friday. By Monday (4 days old), she was already 2.oz above her birth weight. She gained another 1.5oz by Friday making her 7lbs 4oz. Maddy and I went to see the chiropractor and found out that Emily could get a free visit. So Emily got her first adjustment. Emily didn't like the midwife appointment because that's when she got her heel pricked for the PKU test.

Here are a couple of moments I captured this week:

Sean woke up from nap and fell back asleep on Richard...who then fell asleep. Then the dog joined them. Maddy then woke up from nap and fell back asleep on Richard and the cat joined them. Emily was nursing through all this and fell asleep in my lap.


Emily's cord fell off this week so she's now in cloth diapers.



Stay up to date by following me on twitter @MamaDaniBlog or "liking" my Facebook page. New followers: Welcome! Please leave a comment to let me know how you found my blog so that I can follow you back!
© Mama Dani's Musings

4 Year and 2 1/2 Year Checkups

The kids had check ups today. Sean had his 4 year check up (yea, a month and a half late) and Maddy had an appointment mainly to talk about the constipation problem she had and us going dairy free.

We'll start with stats: Sean is 28lbs, 36in. Maddy is 29lbs, 37in.
The fun thing about having kids the same size is they have fun mixing up their clothes:


Sean is below the curve on the growth chart but keeping up with the curve. His growth in the last month or so has slightly increased..slightly faster than the curve. Given the fact that in that time he had a few vomiting spells, that's awesome!! He had labs done for iron and lead levels and hearing and sight tests. He passed the sight test just fine and refused to take the hearing test. Got to love a stubborn 4 year old!

Maddy is doing great: about 50% for weight and almost 75% for height. The doctor does not think she has an allergy to dairy because constipation was her only symptom and he doesn't think it's lactose intolerance because she would have had the opposite reaction. What he thinks it is is how her body is reacting to dairy proteins. He suggested to continue what we're doing for now; no obvious dairy and not worried about hidden dairy and dairy in things like store bought cookies and such. When she's completely potty trained he suggested to start very slowly adding dairy to see if she can handle it in small amounts: starting with 1 very small serving a day and adding more after a week and so on.

They both also had 2 shots each. Let me just say too, I love our pediatrician. He's been great with doing a delayed vaccine schedule and didn't seem phased at all that I turned down the flu and chicken pox vaccine and will be delaying MMR vaccine even further. I asked him when he wanted to see Jellybean and he asked me where I'd be delivering. Me saying home didn't phase him either. All in all, a great visit. Sean goes to see the endo tomorrow morning. I expect it to be a great visit.


Stay up to date by following me on twitter @MamaDaniBlog or "liking" my Facebook page. New followers: Welcome! Please leave a comment to let me know how you found my blog so that I can follow you back!
© Mama Dani's Musings

Doctor Appointments

Last week Sean had his endo followup and today Maddy had her 2 year check up.

Stats:
Sean - 3 years 5 months - 34in - 25lbs
Maddy - 2 year - 34in - 25lbs
No wonder people always assume they are twins!

I'll start with Sean's endo followup. While Sean is on the small side, he's now growing with the curve. The doc wants to still redo the bone age scan in November just to double check since it'll be more reliable than it was when it was done last time. I just have to say how happy I am with Dr Gyuricsko. He really does an awesome job explaining everything to me. He also works on gaining Sean's trust before he examines him.

Now to Maddy's check up. She's so funny. She lets the doctor examine her without a fight but she refuses to speak and gives him the death glare the whole time. I went in with a couple of things that I wanted to talk to the doctor about.

First was her poop issues. Back around Christmas she decided she didn't want to poop. She'd poop after a week because she couldn't hold it in anymore. I added more fiber and apple juice to her diet and gave her laxatives if she went more than a couple of days without pooping. It took awhile but it seemed to fix the problem. Then we worked on potty training. She could be potty trained if she wanted too. BUT she decided she would only stay dry in a diaper and just a couple weeks ago she started holding in poop again. Needless to say, she'll be potty trained when she decides to. I brought this up today. She's now going to be on Miralax or Milk of Magnesia daily to keep her regular. The doctor says it can take up to a month or so for her to realize that it's not suppose to hurt to poop and get her going on her own.

Second was her feet. I've noticed that when she walks her feet roll in and lose the arch. The doctor confirmed this but isn't concerned. It's not too uncommon at this age and could possibly fix itself. If it doesn't and her feet begin to bother her when she gets a little older, we'll have to get arch supports for her shoes.

And that is all. I take them both back in Oct/Nov for 2 1/2 year and 4 year check ups.



Not what I put them in this morning but hey, they're happy. ;)

Sean and Maddy's check ups

Sean had his 3 year (bad mommy for taking him on his bday) and Maddy had her 18 month (a month late) check ups today.



Stats:
Sean- 33.25 in 23 lbs...grew about 2in and 4lbs
Maddy- 34.25 in 22lbs 15oz...grew about 3in and 2lbs
Sean was measured standing up and Maddy was measured laying down. Since the spine compresses when standing up, Sean really isn't shorter than Maddy. Sean weight was taken with the big boy scale so no ounces. Maddy's was with the baby scale.

They both got fingers pricked (iron and lead levels check). Maddy's iron is still a tad low so we'll need to do better at remembering her vitamins. Sean's iron is fine. Both are good with their lead levels.

Sean got his last Pneumococcal vaccine. Maddy got a combo vaccine: DTAP, Polio and Hib (the most she's ever gotten at once). They also offered the Pneumococcal, chicken pox and MMR for her. Holy moly vaccines!!! I declined the chicken pox. I pushed back the MMR until 5 years and Pneumococcal until 2.5. I just can't see how putting 9 vaccines into her system at once would be ok. We didn't start the Dr Sear's schedule with Sean like we're doing with Maddy and the most he ever got was 7. I also got a copy of Sean's vaccine record so I can see what he has left and make plans for what he'll get and when.

I stopped after work tonight and picked up a new multi vitamin for the kids. Maddy was too young for the kind Sean was taking and it didn't have iron in it anyways. I also picked up some omega-3 and some Elderberry (w/vitamin C).

Maddy's 12 month and Sean's weight check

Maddy had her 12 month check up and Sean had a weight check today.

Maddy- 31 1/4in 20lbs 15oz
Didn't shed a tear when she had her shot or when she had blood drawn for iron/lead testing. He mentioned that if she doesn't get teeth by 15 months, he'll send up to a dentist but he can see that teeth are right under the gums and the dentist really won't do anything. lol He didn't bat an eye when I told him that Maddy wouldn't be getting the MMR this time.

Sean- 33 1/4in 21lbs 15oz
He cried more than Maddy...with just the doctor talking to him. Doctor says he looks great and was very impressed with the potty training in 2 weeks. He grew a tad faster than last time but the doc agreed that he should go see an endocrinologist mainly to put our minds at ease. I have to wait till the end of the week to call to make the appointment to give them time to get the paperwork sent over.

AND I finally have kids over 20lbs/1yr...so what did the doctor say!? Keep them rear-facing as long as possible, but at least to 2 years if I can.

Maddy's 9 month check up

Yea, I know, she's just about 10 months but she was sick at 9 months. I not only have a chunky monkey but a very happy baby. She's 19 lbs 6.5 oz and 29.5 in tall! She just got 1 shot today and didn't even bat an eye. She actually smiled at the nurse as she put the band-aid on. I also gave the doctor a handful of LLL business cards. He told me thanks b/c he has a lot of new moms that have breastfeeding problems and a lot of the time doesn't know how to help them.

Sean's 2 year check up

My poor son will never be forward facing. lmao 31in 19lbs 8oz Oh well, he's healthy and that's all that matters. He had 2 shots...Madison had 2 also. Both did pretty good but Sean immediately asked to nurse. lol He also had is iron and lead levels tested again...they were also fine. No more doctor visits until Maddy has to go in January.

Madison's 6 month check up

She did soooo well. She smiled, cooed and giggled at the nurses and doctor. She showed off and sat up for a little bit by herself and then barely whimpered when she got her shot...even smiled at the nurse just seconds afterwards. She's 16 lbs 9.5 oz and 28 in. I'm glad we got her Radian80 b/c she will out grow her infant carseat in an inch. lol

Chunky Monkey

I took my chunky monkey...I mean Maddy...to get her 5 months shots (yea I know, she's 5 1/2 months). She did really well, barely cried. She's 16 lbs 6.5 oz!!! ...yep, definitely mama's chunky monkey. lol

Maddy's 2 month check up

Maddy is 2 months old now...I can't believe it. I really like this age though. She loves to smile and coo at me. Just the other day she found her hands. If she could just keep her hand still she'd be a thumb sucker. She had her 2 month check up today. She's 11 lbs 6 oz and 24 in long...that's only about 6-7 lbs lighter and 4.5 in smaller than Sean!! I swear, once she learns to walk people are going to think I have twins. We are doing Dr Sears' vaccine schedule so she got the DTaP and Rotavirus vaccine today...only 1 shot b/c Rotavirus is an oral one. She didn't even cry!!

Sean's 18 month check up

Sean had his 18 month check up this afternoon. He is now 17 lbs 13.5 oz. That's only about a pound since his 15 month check up...not as much as the doctor would like to see. He also only grew half an inch...he's now at 29.5 inches. I have to take him to the local children's hospital to have lab work done..will go either tomorrow or Friday. They want to check his thyroid, kidneys, pituitary gland, hormone levels and if he has a wheat allergy. All could effect his growth. The poor guy also has Croup.

The main reason for the tests is b/c in 3 months he's gained less that a pound and half an inch...he's not even following the growth curve (much less on it!) anymore

Maddy's 2 week check up

Maddy had her 2 week checkup. She looks great. She's now 6 lbs 14 oz....was 6 lbs 11 oz at birth and 6 lbs 3.5 oz last Friday. That's about 10 oz in a week!! Yay for booby milk!! lol Monday she had started to look jaundice. The corner of her eyes had even begun to turn yellow. So, I started making sure she nursed about every 2 hours and was getting in the sun everyday. The doctor said that today she barely looked jaundice.

36 week check up

I had my 36 week checkup with my midwife today. Normally I don't make a blog b/c there's really nothing to say. Everything still looks great but I found out today that I'm already starting to dilate. I'm at 1 cm, 50% effaced and M is at -1, -2 station...for those that don't know what that means..0 station the head is engaged and at +4 station the head is crowning. My midwife seems to agree...looks like we'll be having a March baby. Not much longer!!