Memorial Day Weekend

Summer has unofficially begun!!!  This is the weekend that Y has been waiting for since September.  There was no containing her excitement this week when we told her that the pool would be opening on Friday.  And then each and every morning she would ask me what day it was and if it wasn't Friday she'd proceed to ask me what the next day is up until she reached Friday and she could figure out how many days were left until Friday.  She does this with ANY and ALL things she finds exciting so I try not to tell her things too far in advance because the thought of doing that ritual for more than a few days exhausts me just thinking about it.

On Friday (May 25) we told Y that B would take her to the pool after dinner, I have rarely seen her finish eating that fast and she cleaned her plate!  I decided that while he took her to the pool I would head out and buy swim diapers for Q as well as some much needed items for Saturday when we'd decided to go to the zoo.  When we returned from the store B and Y were still at the pool so we walked over to watch them play.  Y had pretty much refused to get in the water because she thought it was too cold, I think she just needed to warm up to the idea of getting into a pool full of water.  She pretty much refused to go any farther than the top step and so the only part of her to get wet was her feet and ankles.  And even after refusing to go any farther in the water she did not want to leave when it came time to go, we think she was worried that she'd come back and the pool would be closed again for winter.

On Saturday we had decided that we would go to the Detroit Zoo.  We hadn't been since Y was about Q's age, so that makes it about 3 years ago!  We were long overdue for a visit.  Y loved seeing all the animals, her favorite was the lions, or the tigers, or the giraffes all depending on when you asked her - it changed quite often!  It was supposed to be a fairly warm day with a chance of rain showers.  It rained quite a bit before we arrived and then at about the time we were going to stop for lunch it rained again.  It was perfect because the rain was just stopping as we were finishing up our lunch.  And it ended up feeling quite a bit cooler than what was forecast because the sun didn't really break through all the clouds until late afternoon/early evening as we were leaving.  It was Q's first trip to the zoo and I don't think we could have asked for a more perfect day!

On Monday we did our usual Monday grocery shopping and then decided to hit the pool because it was a scorcher - 95 degrees!!  This was Q's first time in a pool and we were amazed at how much she loved it.  She didn't seem to be affected by the coolness of the water, she just wanted to float around and splash in it - she really was in heaven!  Y was again a bit hesitant but once she saw that B, Q and myself were all getting in she climbed in without any problems.  She did insist on B holding her and would not let go!  We had to slowly coerce her to allow him to hold her in the water with her back against his chest so that she could rely on her floaties and noodle to keep her afloat.  After she got used to it he let her go and she didn't think twice.  She was right back to being as comfortable in the water as she had been last year.  We're looking forward to a long, enjoyable swim season!

Tattoos

Hope the title didn't fool you...no one here has any tattoos!  This is not a confessional post ;) It's just another "Y Says" story haha.

While I was otherwise preoccupied with helping Q, Y was being oddly quiet...I knew this was probably bad. So when I emerged from their room after putting Q down for her nap I caught Y's reflection in the TV. I was able to watch her quickly get off the couch and hurry to put her shorts back on. I asked her what she had been doing that required her shorts being off, she didn't reply. When I came closer I realized that she had used her markers (thankfully, they're washable) to draw ALL over herself. Literally, the only clean areas of her body were hidden by her underwear, she even managed to draw all over her back! I insisted that it was bathtime and after seeing how ticked I was she didn't argue.


After her bath she comes up to me and the conversation goes like this:

Y: Mommy, I'm mad at you because you made me take a bath, I didn't want to be clean!

Me: It's okay for you to be mad at mommy but it's not ok for you to color all over yourself.

Y: But now I can't play basketball!

Me: What does playing basketball have to do with drawing all over yourself?

And then I conjured up images of watching basketball on TV and all the tattoos that some of the players have and was able to answer my own question. Then came the long explanation that you don't have to have drawings all over your body to play basketball.  Apparently that discussion was not a successful one because while I was away at the gym she managed to do it all over again with Daddy.

It's been a week or so and it hasn't happened again so maybe B was able to explain it to her a bit better than I was.  Here's to hoping anyway!

Developmental Evaluation

We are blessed to live in a county that takes extraordinary steps to make sure that all children within it's boundaries have the opportunity to be accessed and evaluated for any potential delays or problems.  They like to catch things as early as possible so that they can work with parents to provide the necessary treatment or therapies needed for the child.  While I knew some things about their work, I was still a bit surprised by how helpful and proactive they are at the MISD (Macomb Intermediary School District).

On May 9th I took Q in to have a developmental evaluation performed since she was not yet doing many of the things that a 9 month old would typically do.  When a child is referred to the MISD they evaluate that child for any and all types of delays so I was not just asked questions regarding her physical abilities but also concerning her speaking skills, how she reacted in certain situations, if she would respond to her name, how she responds to strangers, etc.  They want to know about the TOTAL well being and progression of the child.  We met with two ladies, one was a physical therapist there to evaluate her developmentally and the other was more there to evaluate her to make sure there were no learning delays that may need to be addressed.

As far as there being any learning disabilities or hiccups, they feel that she is right on schedule for a 9 month old.  As far as her motor skills were concerned she was at the level of a 6 month old, so it's not terribly far behind but we have a lot of work to do.  One test that they preformed was taking her foot and seeing how far they could bend it forward - she was able to bend Q's foot all the way up to her shin.  She should not be that limber!  The physical therapist said that if she stays that limber then we need to get her in gymnastics as soon as she is old enough!  But what this showed them was that she has very little muscle tone and that is a huge reason why she's not doing many of the things she should be doing at this age.

Since the MISD operates under the school system they do not operate during the summer months.  The therapist recommended that if we do not see improvement by the middle of June then we should seek treatment through private means just until school would open again in September when she would be able to work with the MISD.  Either way, they will give me a call in September to schedule another evaluation with her just to see how she has progressed and if she needs any further assistance.  For now we are just supposed to do exercises with Q several times each day to help build the muscle tone and encourage her to crawl and pull herself up.

**UPDATE**
Q is already making lots of progress!! She can almost sit herself up from laying without any assistance and she has no issues getting where she wants to be.  She is starting to show so much more interest in everything around her and if she sees it and wants it she will find a way to get to it!  She's much more steady now while sitting and rarely, if ever, tumbles over.  She's also beginning to use one hand to stabilize herself while using the other hand to reach across and grab something (this is great for strengthening her upper body).

Hip Dysplasia - The Final Say

I'm way behind in writing this post, I fully realize that, but I've just been a bit busy lately. So bear with me as I play catch up!

Back on May 8th, Q had an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon to have her evaluated for Hip Dysplasia.  We again went to DMC and we were given the all clear!  While the doctor did hear/feel a clicking in hew knees and a bit in her hips as well, after reviewing her previous ultrasound and having X-rays done on her hips he was very confident that she does not have Hip Dysplasia and should not develop it from the clicking that does exist.  As for the clicking that is currently going on he believes that it will disappear completely by the time she is 3 or so years old.

We're grateful and relieved to know that all is well!

Not Out of the Woods Yet & Q's 9 Month Stats

You may remember a few months ago our pediatrician heard a "clicking" in Q's hips when he was giving her an exam and sent us to the children's hospital to have an ultrasound done of the hip.  A few weeks later we received a call and were notified that the ultrasound had come back negative, showing no signs of hip dysplasia.  As you can probably imagine we were very happy to hear that.  Even though it can be corrected through the wearing of a brace, every parent's biggest desire is to have their child completely healthy and strong 100% of the time.

Today was Q's 9 month well-baby visit and when Dr. B was rotating her hips he was hearing a very noticeable "clunk" (which we know is much worse than a "click").  After coming home B mentioned that he could hear the sound that the doctor was referring to as Q was on his lap during that part of the exam.  If I'm honest I must admit that while I watched Dr. B take so much time and focus so much attention on rotating her hips my heart began to sink.  To make a long story short, he heard a clunk and even though the ultrasound came back negative he wants to have her evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon to find out once and for all if there is something going on with her hips.

This evening before putting the girls to bed I called a friend of ours who attends our ward and is an orthopedic resident here at one of the locals hospitals.  I asked him if he would mind rotating Q's hips himself to see if he heard or felt anything.  He said he'd be glad to do it but did give a warning that he hasn't had a lot of experience with that sort of thing so he may not be the best source but if it was a definite "clunk" he would know, it's the slight "clicking" that he may not be the best at identifying.  That was more than acceptable to me, I'd just like to have another opinion on the matter if possible and preferably without shelling out several hundred dollars if not necessary. 

As for other stats from the appointment she weighs 17 lbs. 14 oz. (approx 38th percentile) and is 29¾ inches long (95th percentile).  For comparison's sake Y was 19 lbs. 5 oz. (approx. 55th percentile) and was 28¾ inches long (75th percentile).  Y has always been tall for her age but it's looking like Q might be even taller, but at this age things change quite often so you never know.  As far as all the health stuff is concerned she's doing great and honestly that's what matters the most.

But, with that said, we have been referred to the MISD (Macomb Intermediary School District) to have a developmental evaluation performed on her.  For a 9 month old Dr. B did not feel as if her gross motor skills were nearly where they should be.  She is sitting on her own but only the tripod seating, she's not pulling herself up or even acting interested in doing so.  I'm not completely surprised that he's sending us to have her evaluated, last week Y spent much of the week watching videos of herself when she was Q's age and even though Q was "late" doing many things she was still farther along than Q is.  So taking her in to make sure that all is well will actually be a relief.  What I later realized that I should have asked the doctor (and I may call tomorrow to ask) is if the "clicking or clunking" in her hip may have any affect on the delay of her gross motor skills?  It may be a shot in the dark or it may not be, but it seems like a good question to me!

Fun with Uncle L.!

Uncle L came to visit with Nana B. and Grandpa P.  He really enjoys playing with the girls and I was able to take some really cute photos with him playing around with Q.  We tried to call Y over to play and take a picture too but she said she was busy doing something else!  Yes, that's really what she said...she's quite the character!

One look at these pictures and we definitely know where the eyes come from!



Time Flies...9 Months Old

I know I say it every month but I'm going to say it again, I can't believe Q is 9 months old already!  Time is flying and in 3 short months my baby will no longer be an infant.  One thing for certain is that I'm enjoying every second of it and, unlike when Y was the same age, I don't find myself rushing anything.  I'm enjoying each day and I don't find myself consumed with wondering when she's going to crawl or walk, etc.  I'm definitely a much more relaxed mommy this time around, but from what I've heard with each child you supposedly become more and more relaxed.

Over the last month Q has decided that she'll roll around much more, if there's something that she wants she doesn't mind flipping over to her stomach in an effort to reach it.  She has also started sitting up on her own much more often.  Most of the time she wakes up in the morning with a bright smile on her face, she enjoys laughing and when people laugh at her, she's very ticklish, and she loves to take other's food if it's within her reach (though I rarely actually let her eat it).

For the most part she sleeps through the night, she generally wakes up and cries for about 10 minutes sometime between 1-2:30am.  I no longer respond to her cries which is why she just goes back to sleep, if for whatever reason she cries for longer and it's a distressed cry then I will respond but that very rarely happens.  Needless to say she's a very well-rested and content baby and still extremely mellow!

First Hair Cut

This weekend I took Y to have her first hair cut.  I've been focusing lately on how to properly take care of her hair and well, the first step is getting rid of all those rough split ends.  Fortunately we have a friend from church who is now a stay at home mom but previously attended cosmetology school and worked with hair professionally, so I asked her if she would trim Y's hair for me. 

My biggest worry was that it would appear to be super short again, although she has a lot of hair (in length and volume) it's not always apparent because it has a tendency to curl up fairly tightly which makes it appear much shorter than it actually would be if it were straight.  So with that said, I wanted the bare minimum amount to be cut, just enough to help her hair look and feel healthy again (and much less frizzy).  In the end she asked me if I'd like it shaped as well, to which I agreed.  I've noticed for a couple years now that Y's hair has a looser curl at the top of her head and tighter at the bottom which causes the hair on top to look longer and the hair on bottom to look shorter, but it's a true optical illusion (the tightly curled hair on bottom is actually MUCH longer than the loosely curled top)!  But anyways, the point of the shaping was to make top and bottom appear the same length.

I was very happy with the end result!  It's not a huge difference but I've been able to tell that her hair feels much softer and less frizzy without all those messy ends.  It's a plus for both of us because her hair doesn't tangle as much or as easily as it did before!

Birthday Party

Earlier in the month, Y had the opportunity to attend a friend's birthday party.  It was actually the first really birthday party Y has ever attended.  While we have given her small little birthday parties with a few family members she has not yet had one where she got to invite friends and she hadn't really been invited to one either, mostly because in 2008 when Y was born all of our friends that live close and were pregnant were pregnant with boys.

When she received the invitation in the mail she was so excited to see that she had her own pieces of mail and even more excited to learn that she'd be going to a Princess birthday party.  She knows the days of the week and so when the final week came around she knew exactly how long she had until the party, and she spent that whole week telling me, "the princess birthday party is Wednesday" and then she would list all the days that remained between the current day and Wednesday.

She loved going to the store and picking out the present, I set a price range and then asked her what she'd like to get her (her answer was, princess stuff) so we went down the aisle and put a bunch of different princess items in the cart and then I told her she could choose which one she wanted to give, all the while making sure she knew it was a gift for the birthday girl and not for herself.  She seemed to grasp that pretty well, because not once did she ask to open it and play with it, in fact she kept asking me when I would wrap it!

She had a blast at the party!  They decorated pretty notebooks with their name and pretty foam stickers, they played with toys, ate lots of yummy food, and they were even given darling little tutus to wear which our lovely hostess made herself.  It was a blast and has given me a few ideas for Y's 4th birthday, we had previously decided that 4 would be a good age for a birthday party with friends!

No Sugar? Really?

Yes...really!

I intended to write this post 10 days ago, April 9th, the day after Easter.  My intent was to write a post and let you all know what I was doing and then update you on my journey.  But obviously, that didn't happen.  The post and the updates I mean, the journey...well that did happen!

I decided that I was going to attempt to go 10 days without eating sugar. I decided to do this to hopefully break my addiction to sugar.  I hope you're not envisioning me as a shaky, sweaty mess if I don't get my fix, I'm not THAT kind of addict.  Rather, I'm the kind of addict that is completely stuffed from dinner but I want to eat dessert anyway.  The kind that once I start eating said dessert I won't stop eating it until it is completely gone, no matter how stuffed I am because it tastes so good.  The kind of addict that sees a piece of chocolate and says to myself, "whatever" and eats it. And then eats another.  And maybe 4 or 5 more after that.

I knew that going 10 days without sugar was going to be difficult.  I suppose I should specify what I mean by sugar.  I didn't give up sugar completely I gave up processed sugar, artificial sweeteners, and any item that contain a lot of sugar (some cereals as an example).  So basically that left me with yogurt and fruit as the only sweet things I could eat and for beverages I had the choice of water or milk.

Day one was by far the hardest.  Why?  Mostly because it was the day after Easter and everywhere I looked there was chocolate staring back at me.  My solution was to put all the Easter candy into a container and place it in a cabinet so I'd only have to see it when I opened that cabinet.  I placed it in the cabinet where we keep our drinking glasses so it is still a cabinet that I use quite often but for whatever reason placing it there solved the problem. 

My next biggest challenger was my after dinner sweet tooth.  I don't know why but I always seem to want something sweet after dinner.  That fix was fairly easy though!  Granny Smith Apples, pineapple, strawberries and mangoes have been my lifesaver!  All are amazingly sweet, juicy, and delicious and were able to curb even the worst craving for something sweet.  The only time I really, came close to caving was the night that Y decided she wanted chocolate chip cookies for an after dinner treat.  When I make cookie dough I always form the dough into balls and freeze them so that they can be easily and quickly baked.  The smell of them baking in the oven was about all I could take.  Enter in the mango to save the day!  Tomorrow I will take dinner over to a friend from church who just had a baby.  I just completed making the dessert I'll be taking over, Knock You Naked Brownies (the most incredible brownie you'll ever eat)!  I was so proud of myself that I was able to make them without eating any of the caramels (I always manage to unwrap a few and eat them) and I also didn't  pop a single chocolate chip into my mouth either (that's never happened either). 

Ten days without sugar and I haven't even been moody about it.  Miracles do happen!

All-in-all, when I look back over the past 10 days I am amazed by how easy it was for me to keep sugar out of my diet.  I suppose I shouldn't be surprised because, for the most part, it's what I do when I'm pregnant.  But it's always easier to do when I know that the health of some little life depends on my choices.  It's been so easy that I've been toying with the idea of extending my 10 day "detox" into a full 30 days.  I just decided about an hour ago that I'd extend it another 10 days for now and maybe after that's over I'll look into an additional 10 days which would put me at 30 days total.

Here's to 20 days!  Wish me luck!