Do I look cool or what?
This guy is hilarious!
Monday, October 13, 2008
A Nice Visit
Our friend Rob was in town from Boston for the Columbus Day weekend and he was able to come over and meet Charlotte. We headed out to IHOP for brunch and had a great time waiting for our table. Rob does a fun horse ride (much more vigorous than Mommy's) and also makes Charlotte fly like Superman. Mommy and Daddy were a bit freaked out and were just hoping that Rob knew how to hold onto a 5 month old! He turned out to be quite good, and Charlotte absolutely loved him! When we got back from the restaurant, we got a few pics of Charlotte and her new buddy...
Do I look cool or what?
This guy is hilarious!
Do I look cool or what?
This guy is hilarious!
Been a long time!
So it has been an eternity since my last blog post. Of course there has been a lot going on in the life of little miss Charlotte, who today is 5 months old! I'll start with the major event that occured in late September. Don't know if you took notice to many of Charlotte's previous pictures, but she was born with an extra digit on her left hand. Not a full digit really, but more of a skin tag type deal. And on her left hand there was a "nubbin" as the doctor called it. When Charlotte was just a month old we went for a consultation with a pediatric hand surgeon, who suggested we wait until she was at least 4 months old to get the surgery because she would have to be put under anesthesia. So...time went quickly, and on September 24th it was time for her surgery. It was an interesting evening before the surgery as she had to fast for several hours. Since the surgery wasn't until 8:30am and she had been eating at 7pm and sleeping 10-12 hours, the surgeon suggested we wake her up around 2 to feed her so she wouldn't be totally hysterical. Wake a sleeping baby, are you nuts lady?? Needless to say, we didn't sleep all that well that night as we had to be at the hospital at 6:30 am for the 8:30 surgery. Here is the reason we were going through all of this (look at her left hand)...
When we arrived at Fairfax Hospital's outpatient surgery center, we parked in the garage, loaded her in the stroller and wheeled our way in. We checked in at the desk and received a pager to let us know when it was our turn to come back. As we were checking in, I saw my Mom walking in. I knew she was planning on coming, but didn't think she'd show up at 6:30 am...but who am I kidding, how could Nana stay away!! We were called back very soon after we arrived and were taken back by a nurse who took Charlotte's temperature and weight and gave us this cute baby-sized gown and pants combo to change her into. I am so bummed that we didn't bring the camera to capture this look, but we got to keep the clothes! :)
By this time it was only about 7:00am (remember surgery isn't until 8:30). We were shown into the pediatric surgery waiting area and were the first arrival. Charlotte was in remarkably good spirits and actually fell asleep for a while (thanks goodness for the rocking chair they had in the waiting room). The anesthesiologist came in the room at some point to talk with us about the procedure, and then when it was time the surgeon came in and marked Charlotte's hands. At this point there were about 4 other families in the waiting room - 3 of the kids were getting tubes in their ears, and the other (a 1 month old) had a hernia. One of us was allowed to go back to the operating room with Charlotte, so I suited up in this lovely yellow gown and blue showeresque cap and carried her back. We went into the brightly lit operating room to the awaiting team of nurses and anesthesiologists. I lay her down on the table, still no crying from Charlotte! The nurses put the mask over her nose...this is when the crying started...from me, not Charlotte! They escorted me out to the waiting room, after grabbing some tissues that is.
The surgery only lasted about an hour, then Steve and I got to go back to see her in the recovery area. She was awake by the time we went back, chewing away on her pacifier. She was pretty groggy, but I was able to feed her a bit, then after about 20 minutes or so they gave us the go-ahead to go home. Charlotte had a sleepy rest of the day and slept through the night. Right back on schedule.
Here is the poor little thing with her hands bandaged...
Since Charlotte is really into chewing on her hands these days, we had to cover her bandages with socks so she wouldn't get them too wet and stinky. This is a pretty pitiful look!
She didn't seem to mind too much though!
She only had to keep her bandages on for a week. After a few good baths, the rest of the sutures came out and she has healed up really well. Just have to go back for a final follow-up in early December.
When we arrived at Fairfax Hospital's outpatient surgery center, we parked in the garage, loaded her in the stroller and wheeled our way in. We checked in at the desk and received a pager to let us know when it was our turn to come back. As we were checking in, I saw my Mom walking in. I knew she was planning on coming, but didn't think she'd show up at 6:30 am...but who am I kidding, how could Nana stay away!! We were called back very soon after we arrived and were taken back by a nurse who took Charlotte's temperature and weight and gave us this cute baby-sized gown and pants combo to change her into. I am so bummed that we didn't bring the camera to capture this look, but we got to keep the clothes! :)
By this time it was only about 7:00am (remember surgery isn't until 8:30). We were shown into the pediatric surgery waiting area and were the first arrival. Charlotte was in remarkably good spirits and actually fell asleep for a while (thanks goodness for the rocking chair they had in the waiting room). The anesthesiologist came in the room at some point to talk with us about the procedure, and then when it was time the surgeon came in and marked Charlotte's hands. At this point there were about 4 other families in the waiting room - 3 of the kids were getting tubes in their ears, and the other (a 1 month old) had a hernia. One of us was allowed to go back to the operating room with Charlotte, so I suited up in this lovely yellow gown and blue showeresque cap and carried her back. We went into the brightly lit operating room to the awaiting team of nurses and anesthesiologists. I lay her down on the table, still no crying from Charlotte! The nurses put the mask over her nose...this is when the crying started...from me, not Charlotte! They escorted me out to the waiting room, after grabbing some tissues that is.
The surgery only lasted about an hour, then Steve and I got to go back to see her in the recovery area. She was awake by the time we went back, chewing away on her pacifier. She was pretty groggy, but I was able to feed her a bit, then after about 20 minutes or so they gave us the go-ahead to go home. Charlotte had a sleepy rest of the day and slept through the night. Right back on schedule.
Here is the poor little thing with her hands bandaged...
Since Charlotte is really into chewing on her hands these days, we had to cover her bandages with socks so she wouldn't get them too wet and stinky. This is a pretty pitiful look!
She didn't seem to mind too much though!
She only had to keep her bandages on for a week. After a few good baths, the rest of the sutures came out and she has healed up really well. Just have to go back for a final follow-up in early December.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Bath time with Aunt Kat
We finally remembered to bring the camera up for bathtime. Last time we took a picture of a bath was Charlotte's first sponge bath way back in May! It was also a fun evening because Aunt Kat spent the afternoon with us watching football and eating at Red Robin. She was excited to stay for bathtime too!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Milestone and Time with Nana
Monday was our 4 month check-up...remember the previous post where I lamented that Charlotte had not rolled over yet and I couldn't circle another "yes" on her developmental sheet? Well, today I put her down for tummy time and after only a few minutes I saw some some evidence of a potential roll...So I busted out my flip video recorder and documented this... (please excuse my embarrasingly annoying video voice and shaky camera movement)
In other news, tonight we were going out to a belated birthday dinner with Kathleen and a friend to the Japanese Steak House (yum!). Nana came over to watch Charlotte and had an exciting evening on tap - bath and bottle. We hadn't done a bottle in a while so I was concerned that she wouldn't take it too well. When we got home from the restaurant she was drinking away, but Nana said she was on the third different type of bottle, Charlotte just didn't like the others. I guess Charlotte finally gave up and was too hungry to refuse it any longer. We'll have to practice more often so we don't have the same trouble. As soon as I walked in the door her eyes were glued on me and she wanted a little bit of a top off before drifting off to sleep. Nana added that she thinks she ended up more wet from bathtime than Charlotte but that all went well. Overall it was a happy night...
In other news, tonight we were going out to a belated birthday dinner with Kathleen and a friend to the Japanese Steak House (yum!). Nana came over to watch Charlotte and had an exciting evening on tap - bath and bottle. We hadn't done a bottle in a while so I was concerned that she wouldn't take it too well. When we got home from the restaurant she was drinking away, but Nana said she was on the third different type of bottle, Charlotte just didn't like the others. I guess Charlotte finally gave up and was too hungry to refuse it any longer. We'll have to practice more often so we don't have the same trouble. As soon as I walked in the door her eyes were glued on me and she wanted a little bit of a top off before drifting off to sleep. Nana added that she thinks she ended up more wet from bathtime than Charlotte but that all went well. Overall it was a happy night...
4 month check-up
Yesterday was Charlotte's 4 month check-up. I was eager to find out how much she weighed and how "tall" she had gotten. Before the appointment Steve took the under 15 lbs and I took the over. I was thankful that Charlotte's eating schedule worked well around her appointment time- I never know if I am going to end up with a hungry, crying baby in the waiting room! Anyways, we got to the office and I proceeded to fill out the developmental milestones sheet - yes, she brings her hands together and grasps an object, yes she can lift her head to 90 degrees, yes she can bear weight on her legs. Uh oh...no, she can't roll over :( I wasn't worried about such things, but when you keep circling yes on a sheet and suddenly hit 3 no's in a row it isn't that exciting. I looked at the top of the sheet and it said "Developmental Checklist 0-9 months"...a bit of relief!
So the nurse called us back, we stripped down to our diaper and got measured. 24" long (b/w the 25th and 50th percentile), 41 1/2 cm head circumference (50th percentile) and 14 lbs 15 oz (75th percentile) - Daddy wins by an ounce! The nurse then proceeded to ask all of the same questions that I had just filled out on the sheet in the waiting room...nope, still not rolling over! After a not so short wait, the doctor came in and we went over my list of questions. Then she checked all the things they check and then it was time to wait for the dreaded vaccine lady! We waited a loooong time and by the time she arrived Charlotte had fallen asleep. I had to wake her up to get the liquid vaccine, which she actually got most of down this time - I don't think we got much of the first dose. Then, 2 shots in each leg. It was the typical delayed reaction cry with the first shot and then a little bit louder with each subsequent stick.
This wasn't taken at the time of the vaccinations, but it pretty much sums up her mood:
This wasn't taken at the time of the vaccinations, but it pretty much sums up her mood:
The last one provided us with a full on scream, but as soon as I picked her up she was fine. She got two lovely hot pink Barbie band-aids too! We loaded up in the car seat and headed home to relax. Charlotte was a bit fussy for the rest of the day, but kept on a decent eating schedule and slept through the night after a nice bath.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Beach Trip Part 2
The first 2 days of our time at the beach house were spent inside the house because it was overcast and rainy. Madeline was surprisingly patient and understanding about not being able to go outside for so long. Perhaps this was aided by the crazy amount of toys that she had to play with - some were brought from her house and the others were brought by Nana. I think the idea was to space out the introduction of these new items over the course of the week, but since the weather was less than pleasant, this timeline was moved up. Apparently Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony are back!! Although now Strawberry and her friends (or should I say peeps) have highlights in their hair and wear mini-skirts and leggings. I seem to remember my dolls having tight curly hair, bonnets and aprons. Oh well!
When we were able to venture outside we figured we'd give Charlotte a try in her bathing suit. If you remember a previous post, I mentioned that she has a Janie and Jack halter top suit and matching cover-up, sunglasses and hat. The bathing suit is 3-6 months size. Please see the video for further information on how this went...
So it was a very good thing that the day before we left for the beach I went to Target. I wanted to see if I could find another bathing suit for Charlotte because you know every 3 month old needs multiple bathing suits, especially at the end of the summer! The smallest size I could find was 12 months, but they looked pretty small, so I picked up a one-piece and a two-piece suit. I think they were on sale for $6 each. After the struggle with the designer suit, we tried the 12 month size one-piece - perfect fit! Maybe a tiny bit loose, but certainly not falling off. We ended up not getting in the water with her this time around because it was still a bit cold. Fast forward to the next day, or maybe 2 days later, it is all a blur at this point. We put her in her two-piece bathing suit - again 12 month size and again, not loose! We finally made it into the pool...
When we were able to venture outside we figured we'd give Charlotte a try in her bathing suit. If you remember a previous post, I mentioned that she has a Janie and Jack halter top suit and matching cover-up, sunglasses and hat. The bathing suit is 3-6 months size. Please see the video for further information on how this went...
So it was a very good thing that the day before we left for the beach I went to Target. I wanted to see if I could find another bathing suit for Charlotte because you know every 3 month old needs multiple bathing suits, especially at the end of the summer! The smallest size I could find was 12 months, but they looked pretty small, so I picked up a one-piece and a two-piece suit. I think they were on sale for $6 each. After the struggle with the designer suit, we tried the 12 month size one-piece - perfect fit! Maybe a tiny bit loose, but certainly not falling off. We ended up not getting in the water with her this time around because it was still a bit cold. Fast forward to the next day, or maybe 2 days later, it is all a blur at this point. We put her in her two-piece bathing suit - again 12 month size and again, not loose! We finally made it into the pool...
I think we were outside for a total of 20 minutes. Charlotte wasn't too keen on the pool experience so we decided to head inside. I wanted to give her a bath to get the sunscreen off, so Charlotte screamed (and I mean screamed) her way through said bath then fell asleep on Steve. Phew...what an experience!
The Beach Trip Part 1
We recently arrived back home from our first trip to the Outer Banks with Charlotte. Since my family had 2 weeks of time at the beach house, we decided to split the weeks and leave on a Wednesday. Since we weren't sure how Charlotte would do on a long car trip, we figured leaving on a weekday would limit the traffic a bit. Charlotte actually had a pretty good schedule Wednesday morning. She woke up to eat about 5:00am, so we all got up and showered and Steve packed up the car. We decided to wait until she ate again and I was able to change a, shall we say, productive diaper before we put her in the car seat. All three of us were in the car and on our way by 8:00am which we thought was pretty good.
Charlotte was awake for about 20 minutes and then fast asleep until we reached Williamsburg. Not a peep! I had planned to feed her in the back seat of the car while we were stopped in Williamsburg. Problem was, we had filled the back seat with stuff that didn't fit in the trunk. So, looking a bit like gypsies, we parked in the CW parking lot next to Seasons restaurant and proceeded to move the back seat stuff to the front seat so I could get in the back and feed her in semi-privacy. It was an overcast and not too hot day (shocker for Williamsburg I know) so we cracked the windows and I fed Charlotte. Steve walked over to the Cheese Shop and picked up some lunch. He ate in the front seat while I finished feeding Charlotte, then we all got out and walked around to get some air, change a diaper and have a potty break. Yes, I now say 'potty' even when talking about adults going to the bathroom. I guess that happens when you become a Mom.
We got back on the road and Charlotte was again awake for about 20 minutes then fast asleep until we arrived at the beach house. Well, actually she woke up and briefly fussed when we stopped at Sonic for a Cranberry Apple Slush. Apparently she does not like waking to the sound of the drive thru loud speaker. OOps. But, she was quickly settled back down for the last 45 minutes or so of the trip. She was happy to see Nana and Grandaddy and the rest of the family when we arrived at the house, but she was also ready for another meal! So, I got to go in the house and avoid lugging in our ridiculous amount of stuff.
Charlotte was awake for about 20 minutes and then fast asleep until we reached Williamsburg. Not a peep! I had planned to feed her in the back seat of the car while we were stopped in Williamsburg. Problem was, we had filled the back seat with stuff that didn't fit in the trunk. So, looking a bit like gypsies, we parked in the CW parking lot next to Seasons restaurant and proceeded to move the back seat stuff to the front seat so I could get in the back and feed her in semi-privacy. It was an overcast and not too hot day (shocker for Williamsburg I know) so we cracked the windows and I fed Charlotte. Steve walked over to the Cheese Shop and picked up some lunch. He ate in the front seat while I finished feeding Charlotte, then we all got out and walked around to get some air, change a diaper and have a potty break. Yes, I now say 'potty' even when talking about adults going to the bathroom. I guess that happens when you become a Mom.
We got back on the road and Charlotte was again awake for about 20 minutes then fast asleep until we arrived at the beach house. Well, actually she woke up and briefly fussed when we stopped at Sonic for a Cranberry Apple Slush. Apparently she does not like waking to the sound of the drive thru loud speaker. OOps. But, she was quickly settled back down for the last 45 minutes or so of the trip. She was happy to see Nana and Grandaddy and the rest of the family when we arrived at the house, but she was also ready for another meal! So, I got to go in the house and avoid lugging in our ridiculous amount of stuff.
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