Reading

Reading magazines used to be one of my favorite things to do on a wintry day...or on a not so wintry day. I just liked to relax on the couch with one, just like I like to relax with a latte' on a regular basis.

Reading magazines has certainly become much more interesting since Finnley's arrival. I no longer have the "free time" to lounge like I used to, and even if I do find a free minute to peruse a new periodical...well, you can see how it all works out for me.

Finnley has become a real fan of magazines, though...even at her young age!

Newsworthy

What is newsworthy in our lives these days? Well, not a ton...but enough! Finnley has started to giggle more often when NOT being tickled. This is huge. She giggles when you play a clapping game with her, and when you fly her up in the air, and when you eat her feet...lots of things. You never know when you might get her going. She has also started eating solid foods! Not a lot at a time...but it is a start. So far we have tried rice cereal, oatmeal, bananas, and sweet potatoes. Her favorite so far? Sweet potatoes...must be daddy's daughter! Lord knows mommy HATES those things! Blah! But, the baby version sort of smells like pumpkin pie...so I don't mind serving them up so much. We have gotten rid of the incline wedge and Guardian Sleeper in Finn's crib. She now sleeps bundled up in her Sleep Sack, and that is it. And? Each night she manages to somehow spin herself in a half circle so she winds up facing the opposite direction in the morning...how? Not sure. She has her secrets, I guess. Lastly, Peanut is practicing sitting up like a big girl...all by herself! She has the "tripod" down. Mommy sits close by to catch her when she weebles, wobbles, and then falls down...but she can last up to a minute or longer sometimes! Such a strong wee one! I am sure that there will be a lot more to update in the near future...and forever as we watch her grow and develop. Each new step is such fun and is such a joy!

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful...

but my babe is soooo delightful!

Four Months and counting...

Finnley hit the big four month mark on December 1st! We just had her four month checkup at the ped's office yesterday, and all went well. Finnley weighed in at a whopping (work with us here) 11 lbs and 13 oz. She is steadily gaining at least a pound a month, and that is all good in the medical world. She meets the 10th percentile for weight for her age. She also came in at 24 and 1/4 inches long! Wow! That puts her in the 50th percentile for length for her age. So, still long and lean...tiny but mighty! We will take it!

Our little Peanut is meeting all of her developmental milestones, and that makes the doc and her parents quite happy. Dr. Sarah mentioned that Finnley is VERY strong...great head control, great ability to lift her head and chest off the floor, great job at bearing all of her body weight when she is "standing", etc. We were impressed already, but it was nice for her doctor to be impressed, too. You know, an unbiased opinion.

I need to mention that the worst part of the checkups are the vaccinations...no one likes to see their baby shot or to see them cry. So sad! But, Finnley was a trouper and quit crying right after her fourth and final shot when mommy picked her up and held her. Good girl!

New things:
we get to start solid foods!!!
we did this yesterday. at least three or four "bites" made it in. yay!
Finnley loves her exersaucer. Loves it!
Finnley loves her Kickin' Coaster bouncy seat thingy
we got our first non-tickle related laugh / giggle...awesome!

I am sure that I am forgetting something...but my mind is mush at the moment. Just had to take a "break" to bathe the Peanut after another "reflux moment". That is so NOT NEW! We went almost three full days without an incident...and now Peanut has gotten sick 6 times in 5 days. Oh, joy! One day we will be talking about how the reflux suddenly went away...and we very much look forward to that day!

Speaking of looking forward to things...very much looking forward to spending the First Christmas with our little babe. She won't "get it" this year, but it will still be quite special for us. She adores the lights on the Christmas tree, and that is enough for me!

Giving Thanks and What-not

It has been awhile, huh? I have been slacking! I would have loved to have posted over the Thanksgiving holiday, however, I was at my parent's house in the way far out suburbs of Chicago...and they have dial-up. Dial-up! It is like dying a slow painful death just trying to even get to a website, then like doing it all over again once you actually get a site to open up. So...a delay. But, I am here now.

So much to be thankful for this year. The obvious? My family. My beautiful, wonderful, funny, crazy, miraculous family. That including my precious baby girl who was five years in the making. That including my strong and silly husband. That including my perfect big-little cooky dog. Love. Love them all. Love them all so so much. Ahhhhh....

What is new? Finnley was baptized over the holiday. We were honored and blessed to be able to have her baptized in the church where Matt and I were married by the pastor who married us. It was special. Our dear friends Karen and Dave were able to attend the event and serve as Finnley's God parents. We couldn't be luckier to have them be Finn's other set of "parents". She is a loved little girl. It was also great to be able to have a lot of family and other friends in attendance. Thanks to all who helped us celebrate that special day.

What else is new? Our friends Jen and Troy came out from Philly to go to the Bears vs. Eagles game in Chicago with us. What a blast! So happy that they could join us and that they could also be a part of Finn's special weekend.



What else is new? Well, in the world of Finn:
she is rolling over. sometimes. seven times to be exact.
she sits up with assistance. holds that head up strong and proud.
she really does a great baby pushup during tummy time.
she has started to grab objects and pull them to her mouth / play with them.
she has giggled. not often. not consistently. but, it is the cutest damn thing!
she scoots. on her back. pushing with her feet. sometimes in a circle.
she loves to be naked.
she loves to have her diaper changed. see above.
she is still tiny, yet mighty (11.4 pounds)
she rolls from her back onto her side...and sits there. she likes her side.
she sleeps through the night. every night. GOOD GIRL!
she still has reflux. she still hates to puke. we still hate it, too. poor baby.

We are so looking forward to this Christmas. This first Christmas with our baby girl. It will be a grand time, to be certain. She and her "brother" Batman can't wait to show off their special holiday photo, too. Oh, the fun those two have!

Hope you all had a grand Thanksgiving and are enjoying your time leading up to Christmas / whatever holiday that you might celebrate. Come back for more photos throughout the holiday season....there are sure to be plenty!

Happy Birthday to our First Baby!

Happy Birthday, Batman. You are six years old today, on this Friday the 13th of November, 2009. You were our first baby, and we love you dearly. You have grown in our hearts every year that you have been with us. You have brought us such joy and so many laughs. Here is to you, buddy! You are tops!

Love - Mommy and Daddy!

Mostly Pictures

Sorry for not having a ton to say, but I am sick. Blah. Sick. Blah. Temperature for three days and counting. Sinus issues. Coughing stuff up. Headache. Tired. You know. Blah.

Matt and I just enjoyed a fabulous getaway to NYC for the weekend. We were there Saturday and Saturday night. My sister in law Kim was kind enough to come out and spend that time with Finnley. Both really enjoyed it, I believe! NYC was a lot of fun. Well, outside of me winding up sick on Sunday morning. Matt and I walked around all day on Saturday and then went out for a great dinner on Saturday night. Loved just spending couple time together.

Finnley is growing and thriving. She has rolled over THREE whole times now. That happened over the course of two days, and I haven't seen her do it since. She is messing with mommy! She will get there, though. She is also sucking her thumb like it is going out of style. And...she is starting to more consistently sleep through the night. The night before last she slept for 8 hours. Last night? She slept for 10.5 hours straight. Are you kidding me??? I think she knows mommy is sick and is trying to do me a solid. I will take it! Peanut is getting closer to 11 pounds now, but the reflux still rears its ugly head just about every day. We have tried removing the rice cereal from her formula (due to gassiness)...but that did nothing for her. She still puked and still had gas...and she ate less. So, back to adding rice cereal! One day the reflux nightmare will be over. And one day I won't be sick. One day...

Enjoy the pictures!

Happy Halloween!

We are having a fangtastic time on this boo-tiful day! Well, it is raining right now...but it is going to be 73 degrees. Not all bad. No trick-or-treating for us. Peanut is still too little. But, we thought we would at least get into the "spirit" of things anyway!

Photo Montage...because I am just THAT cute!

Twelve Weeks

So, I am twelve weeks. Still tiny. Still mighty. I smile all the time these days. I love when my mom says "puh-dunk-a-dunk". I love when people slap there tongues around and make fools of themselves for me. I have slept through the night TWICE! I am pretty awesome.

Evolultion of a Smile

It starts with daddy. Add a rattle. Shake it. Make it pretend to explode like a bomb on the lips. Shake it some more. Make funny noises with your tongue. Shake it again. And, voila'! Smiles! Doesn't get much sweeter than this!

And so she grows...

A little over two months old now and our Peanut is starting to "fill out". She is actually getting some pudge to her cherub cheeks. I love it! She is starting to smile, although we are still waiting for it to happen more frequently...because that smile could melt an iceberg! She is cooing and squeaking like a mouse.

And?
And?
And?

She is starting to push her chest up off the floor and lift her head up! Oh my! What a big strong girl! Mommy couldn't be more proud.

And?
And?
And?

Mommy is also feeling so much better. And, I REALLY love being Finnley's mommy. It isn't always easy, but it is definitely worth it. I can't wait to see what each new day brings as far as her development is concerned. She is more awake and responsive all the time. Pretty cool to have the privilege of witnessing all that she accopmlishes along the way to becoming a big girl.

Two Months Old!

Two months old already. Hard to believe! Time goes by slowly, but it also seems to fly. Crazy!

Finnley is doing really well. She is now 9lbs 2 oz and is 22 inches long. She is in the 10th percentile for weight, but the 25th to 50th percentile for length. Long and lean. Nothing wrong with that.

Developmentally she is right on track. She is just starting to responsively smile, which is awesome. Cutest thing ever! She is great with her head and neck strength, and her legs are so powerful!

Reflux is still in our lives, but it isn't the end of the world. Finn spits up a full bottle up to once or twice a day, but every once in awhile we skip a day or two...wow! One day it will be gone for good, and we will all be celebrating!

She doesn't go back to the pediatrician again until 4 months. Sheesh! At that point we will talk about starting to introduce some "solid" foods. Can't wait for that! Messy but fun! Batman will be thrilled!

The pics are of our little "Rocker Chick" this morning. What a peanut!

Don't "Hiatus"

Get it...my little play on words?? Oh, I crack myself up! See...I don't want you to "hate us" for going on a brief "hiatus".

Ok...whatever.

I am reopening the blog due to high "demand", but I will not be doing a lot of writing for just a bit. I was just diagnosed with mild post partum depression and am working on getting "well" prior to tending to "the little things" like my blog. I want to make sure that I can share with you all the joy that Finnley has brought to our lives, too. I don't want you all to have to only read about bad days and bad moods all the time. That isn't fair to Finnley, because she really is a sweet little peanut.

I just wanted to be honest about my current situation, although I know that having read some of my previous posts, many of you might not be surprised at my diagnosis. I was never ashamed of sharing our struggles with infertility, and I suppose I shouldn't be ashamed of sharing the fact that I was not oblivious to PPD, either. It affects many women, and I don't want to take away from their experiences by hiding mine from you all. I have been put on a low dose of an antidepressant (Zoloft) for the next six months, and I plan to attend a PPD support group at the local hospital where I delivered. It is a weird feeling to not really be in control of what you are experiencing / feeling on a day to day basis, but hopefully all of that changes in the coming weeks. I know I am making every effort to change my perspective, and with the help of the medication and by reaching out to other moms...I know that that change will come in due time.

I will be adding pics from time to time so you can see how our beautiful babe grows. Thanks for all of the support from those of you who have reached out to me and Matt. We appreciate it, as always.

Mom and Finn

See That???

That.
Right there.
That thing on my husband's knee.
That thing that looks like a towel?

Well, that ain't no towel!

In our house, with a reflux baby...that is what we call a
BURP CLOTH!

Or vomit catcher.

Or spew rag.

Or whatever of the like.

All the same here, folks!
And, it certainly got a workout last night!

First Night without our Peanut

This is the hubby writing a post for once. Last night was our first night out on the town without our little Finnley. We knew, leaving her for the first time would be hard, but she was in good hands with our niece Maggie, who is a sophomore at Villanova. Finnley seemed to enjoy the night with her cousin because the entire night was without incident....thank goodness. She kept her meals down and was a good little girl for Maggie. As a parent, the most comforting thing was texting my niece to tell her we would be home after the encore and her texting back to say "take your time, everything is fine." As every day passes, we are one day closer to the reflux diminishing and Finnley being happy and healthy. We can't wait for that day!

On a side note, it had been since early July when my wife and I last had a date. Last night was a welcome reprieve that involved the Dave Matthews Band concert with great friends of ours, Jen & Troy. We loved our date night at the concert as it helped us realize that we can and will continue to enjoy all life has to offer us as a couple, sometimes with Finnley and sometimes without her.

Thank you Maggie for being a great cousin/niece and babysitter!

How Goes It...

Well, it goes. We can't ask for much more than that.

Finn has had some rough days. The reflux took a turn for the worse this past week. We had changed her over to a hypoallergenic formula, just to see if she had milk protein sensitivities and...all HELL broke loose. We can't be certain that it was the formula. It could be a coincidence. But...she started spitting up a ton. Like, almost 1/2 to 3/4 of her meals. Poor girl. That cannot be fun for her. And, I guarantee it was not fun for mommy.

We switched her back to her Nestle Good Start Gentle Plus formula, and we have started to give her "thickened feeds". We add a tablespoon or more of rice cereal to her bottle to make whatever hits her tummy more likely to stay put. We also have to add her meds to her formula, because her meds are too thin and cause her to throw them straight back up a lot of the time, too.

Initially the thickened feeds weren't great. She was refusing to eat a lot. And, she was still "spitting". And, she was choking a lot...which she always does, though. So, the pediatrician ordered an Upper GI study to be done on her to rule out anatomical abnormalities. That took place yesterday at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). All turned out ok! I was about in tears seeing her solely in her diaper and socks laying on the x-ray table...being fed a bottle of barium liquid. Uggh! Poor peanut! But, she took it all like a champ. She is going to be a fighter / trouper. That much I know.

So, we are just continuing on with our regimen for now. She has gained weight, which is great. Not a ton. Not as much as most "normal" babies would have. But, she is up to 8lbs. 6oz. Not what I would like, but she is at least the size of a newborn now. Hopefully the heavier formula mixture will allow her to add on more weight more quickly by getting extra calories and by keeping more down. A mommy can dare to dream!

In the past 36 hours she has only had one "episode" and that came after she gagged herself on her pacifier. She goes "nutty" trying to "root". And, she forces the paci deep into her mouth. And, sometimes she chokes. Guess she has a severe gag reflex like her daddy. Just another thing to be careful of with her.

She is sleeping "better" at night and having more alert time during the day where she isn't crying. I cherish those improvements. She still has a "witching hour" / colicky time EVERY night starting anytime around 6pm and up until she goes to bed. Not fun, but it will eventually get better, too....RIGHT????


On another note, tomorrow night Matt and I will be attending the Dave Matthews Band concert. Without. The. Baby. SIGGGGGHHHH! As much as I look forward to it, I also dread leaving her. She isn't a "normal happy baby". She requires special treatment and precautions. Infant reflux is much better when "rules" are followed. So, all I can do is offer up the "rules and precautions" and hope for the best! I know she will be fine, but it is a mother's right to worry. Especially the mother of a medically high maintenance baby. Thankyouverymuch.

Lastly, the pics this week are classic Finnley. She LOVES her hands. They are her absolute favorite thing in the world. She uses them to claw her face, to grab her pacifier, to hang onto the burp cloth after being burped, to push her bottle away A LOT...they are AMAZING! The other love of her life is in the pic, too...the pacifier. Oh how she adores it! If only it would stay in her mouth. She has started to jam her thumb or fist into her mouth and try to suck on those, too...the whole operation still needs some work, but she is getting there. I think there is no doubt that she will be right handed AND she will suck her thumb.

Hey, whatever makes her happy!

Look at Me!

Mommy and daddy almost had a total breakdown on Saturday night due to my refluxy and colicky behavior. Apparently they don't like it when I am in pain, am miserable, am screaming and hollering and crying and carrying on. Apparently. Because daddy sent mommy out to CVS at 8:30pm on their anniversary to buy the hypoallergenic formula to try. Happy Anniversary mommy!

My new formula smells bad. I don't really care, though. It makes me poop better. I don't cry when I poop now. Not really, anyway. Not like I did before where I would scream all day leading up to that fine moment...and then get beet red in the face while I strained to get it all out.

And, I don't scream as much during or after feedings. I don't arch as much. I guess maybe I don't hurt so bad? I don't know. Mommy thinks maybe that is it.

I still spit up. I still have bad moments. I still get refluxy and colicky. A lot.


BUT...LOOK AT ME...I actually have some moments where I am awake and not screaming...even when the pacifier isn't being held in my sweet little mouth. Can you believe it? LOOK AT ME!

Mommy says that she hopes that we get to have more moments like these and less of the moments where I am unhappy pretty much non-stop. Mommy is kind of nice like that.

One day, mommy...one day.