Thursday, June 17, 2010

Milestones


Lots of changes going on over here...

Sadie is growing growing growing! She's grown more than 5 lbs since we left the hospital. We had her 2 (and 1/2) month checkup on Monday and she is now 11 lbs 4 oz. and 23.5" long. She is in the 76th percentile for length and the 45th percentile for weight. If you compare her weight to other girls her age that are also her height, she's in the 5th percentile. She is our little skinny minnie I guess. But she's growing really steadily (about an ounce a day!) so I'm thinking the height part is just a fluke. I mean, how did CB and I produce a tall baby ? haha

The other change is really great... but also bittersweet in a way. The pediatrician said that we can turn back in the apnea monitor that she's worn every night since we got home from the hospital. At first the monitor was a source of frustration for us. Sadie doesn't have sleep apnea (thank goodness!) but she was born with laryngomalacia, meaning the cartilage in her neck/throat/larynx area was immature and too soft. When she'd cry really hard, the cartilage would collapse and she wouldn't be able to get a breath in, causing her to turn dusky blue in the hospital. So in order for the hospital to discharge her, they required that we go home with this apnea monitor (and the guy was really really late delivering it, which is why we didn't get home until midnight!). So anyway, the doctors told us that she would just eventually grow out of this as her cartilage grew stronger, probably by the time she was 18 months. So the monitor was frustrating because it was set to go off if she didn't take a breath for 20 seconds, or if her heart rate was to go down past 70 bpm, and we knew that neither of those were her problem. Because she was small (6 lbs 5 oz) when we left the hospital, we had to use these sticky electrodes for the first month, which would become unstuck and cause false alarms (and really really loud too) off and on throughout the night when her foot would catch one and she'd kick them off. Once she was 8 lbs, we switched over to the belt and the false alarms went away. Around then, I realized that this monitor is actually very comforting. I know that she is breathing, all night long, when she is hooked to it. I don't wake up and check her like I've heard lots of other new moms do (or if I do, I just glance and make sure the monitor is on and working, rather than stare at her belly). Last night, for the first time, I didn't put the belt on and I woke up to check her a few times, but I made it through and slept decent enough, I guess. So I am ecstatic that my baby is deemed "healthy" enough to get off the monitor, but can't help but be just a little nervous about not having my safety alarm.

Sadie hooked up to her monitor on her sleep wedge. She always kicks off her cover too, it's really funny. (She is not using the wedge anymore, since she is starting to wiggle more at night)


The last change is we're moving apartments. We found a 2 bedroom just down the street that allows cats and is only $50 more a month that what we pay now. It isn't super fancy, but does have dark hardwood floors. It is exciting and bittersweet too- we've lived in our current apartment for 4 years - that is the longest I have lived anywhere since graduating high school. I'm excited to decorate Sadie's room and we'll have a dining area!! We haven't had a dining table since we moved out of Hollywood. I'm looking forward to family dinners with Sadie in her high chair and us at the table. Yay! I'll post pics when we get all moved in.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Fairy Princess baby doll

I seriously teared up when I saw this picture for the first time.


Makaya went above and beyond on this one. She found the doll bed. She found the perfect spot in my mom's backyard and made it resemble something out of a storybook. She burned her finger hot-glueing ribbon rosettes when I cluelessly handed her the headband and shrugged my shoulders (sorry about that, kaya :( ). And she also warned me just in the nick of time that Sadie was waking, and I was able to dive and catch her as she rolled off the back of the bed.
I plan to blow this one up big. There are a couple more here.
I totally am jumping ahead here... but spending the last few weeks at my mom's has made me think of my mom when she had little baby me and how someday Sadie will be in my shoes, looking at her childhood memories. I looked at my baby book (wow, I need to get on Sadie's... all we did so far was a footprint stamp), looked through my newborn photo album (she is a pretty good mix of the two of us, I'd say), and went through all the clothes that mom saved of mine. ...Anyway, I can't help but think that future Sadie is going to love this picture and that makes me very happy.