3 Months ~Amelia~

As we close the chapter on Amelia’s first 3 months and approach the beginning of month 4 it also brings about my return to work.  This coming week I will be working two full days and then the following week will mark my first full week back at work.  It brings about a mixture of emotions.  I am going to miss my babies and all the extra time I had with Grant and all the time I had beginning to get to know Amelia but I am also somewhat ready to get back to work and back into what our normal routine will be.

Growth:  Amelia now weighs approximately 14.5 lbs according to our scale and is approximately 26” long according to my measurements.  All 0-3 month clothing is long gone as well as most 3 month clothes.  She is primarily wearing 3-6 and 6 month clothing.  She is still in size 2 diapers and occasionally size 2 shoes.  

Mobility/Coordination:  Well, I no longer think rolling tummy to back is a fluke.  This girl is busy.  She has also rolled from her back to both sides.  Her head bobble is almost completely gone and she is getting very good at sitting with very little support and pushing her entire upper body off the floor during tummy time.  She loves standing and baring her weight on her legs and is reaching for and grasping objects accurately.  This month we have introduced the exersaucer, johnny jumper, and bumbo seat all of which she loves.  She is also beginning to discover her feet here and there.    

Language/Communication:  Amelia continues to talk and babble with mostly aah and ooh sounds.  She talks the most when she has a captive audience or wants you to pay attention to her.  Otherwise she just smiles and is content listening to you talk. 

Personality/Amelia-isms:  We have lately been referring to Amelia as “Nosey Rosie.”  I’m telling you she does not like to be left out.  If she is eating and I try to talk, if she hears a noise or someone else’s voice she has to stop, pull off and look around and listen to what is going on.    

Sleep:  Amelia is still in our room sleeping in a pack n play because she long ago outgrew the bassinet.  I have no worries about the crib transition but honestly haven’t had the heart to do it yet. 

Amelia now easily sleeps 9-10 hours at night and naps 3-5 times per day.  Sometimes she is dropping her early morning and late afternoon nap or those are shorter in length.   It seems her longest nap (2-4 hours) luckily coincides with Grant’s nap time.

Feeding:  Amelia nurses 5-6 times per day and is on a 3-4 hour schedule.  I normally try to stick pretty close to 3.5 hours.  She is also no longer cluster feeding at night. 

We had to up the number of bottles that we were giving Amelia and started doing at least one bottle a day.  She was becoming very finicky and would refuse to eat.  She even had a practice ½ day at daycare last week and another today because we had concerns about how she will eat.  She took it so-so and ate the entire thing.  She is coming around and is eating 4-5 oz during a bottle feeding.    

Likes:  Talking, listening, elephant toy, exersaucer, johnny jumper, bumbo, chewing on index and middle fingers, reaching/grasping for toys, mommy, daddy, and she adores watching Grant

 

Dislikes:  Distractions or maybe that is just me… It is very frustrating when it is time to eat and she is busy socializing

Firsts:  Boat ride (never fussed even with the life jacket on) and 4^th of July.  Although she didn’t watch the fireworks she didn’t seem to mind them.  She was fast asleep in the car. 

Happy 3 months Amelia!  We can't believe it's be a 1/4 of a year already!

Adventures with Chicken Pox

Chickenpox... What used to be a common childhood illness that pretty much everyone in my generation and older had when they were younger, almost a right of passage, is now becoming less common.  When we heard through the grapevine that someone we knew had chicken pox, I immediately knew I wanted to take Grant over for a play date to expose him.  Some people might think we are crazy but the way I looked at it was I was already off of work for maternity leave and better now than later.

Before exposure my research began with what were the risks for Amelia.  What I found was that infants are still normally protected by mother's antibodies from birth and the fact that I am nursing increased her protection even more.  The downfall I found was that if she did indeed end up with it somehow the likelihood of her building immunity to it was low and she would likely get it again.  To me the benefits of me being off of work right now and being able to stay home with Grant for at least a week outweighed the extremely UNLIKELY risks so we decided to go ahead. 

We were hypervigilant leading up the the 10-16 day post exposure mark because the last thing we wanted to do was expose anyone who didn't want to be exposed.  Grant never once exhibited the normal cold and fever type symptoms that come on before the spots appear.  It wasn't until day 14 after exposure that I noticed one spot on Grant's scalp.  We weren't sure whether it was a mosquito bite or the beginnings.  Grant went to sleep that night and woke up with more spots on his torso and we knew this was it!

Many of the red spots seen here never developed into the pustule phase.  They were simply red spots that showed up and never even scabbed over and went away.

Gradually new spots appeared over the next three days, old spots developed pustules and then scabbed over.  Day and night 3 were the worse days.  The number of spots peaked, Grant's mood deteriorated, and he ran a slight fever of 100.5 in the afternoon.  That night he slept very restlessly and cried for me several times throughout the night until I finally got up with him and we slept on the couch.

He had the highest concentration of spots on his scalp and butt/groin area (didn't take a picture of those! lol).

Day 2

We soaked a couple times a day in an oatmeal and melaleuca bath oil bath.  I put thieves essential oil on his feet at night.

Day 3

We played a "paint the dots" game with calamine lotion and by day 5 all spots were completely scabbed over and dried up.

Day 2

Grant never complained of being itchy but we also never asked him either (we didn't want it to be one of those mental things that maybe you don't realize something itches/hurts until someone mentions it).  He only scratched the spots on his scalp and groin area and returned to daycare 7 days after the chicken pox erupted and all spots were scabbed over/healed.

We are now three weeks since Grant developed chicken pox and Amelia and other children he was exposed to remain unscathed.  Some friends that wanted to share developed a very very mild case of chicken pox (exposed on day 2) while another exposed on day 3 never got them. 

Overall, we would do it again in a heartbeat and plan to when Amelia is older.    

~Grant~ Spring/Summer 2013

I was playing around with the best way to keep the blog updated for Grant now that he is getting older and he doesn’t change as quickly as they do when they are under two.  I borrowed the seasonal updates idea from a friend who also keeps a blog (thanks Amanda!).  So moving forward, I will likely do seasonal or quarterly updates for Grant with various milestones, adventures, and funny stories. 

Size: Grant now weighs 30.5 lbs and is 36” tall.  He is still in some 24 month and 2T clothing.  He now wears size 7 shoes.

March

Favorite words/sayings:  Instead of saying “I’m” he actually says “my” and he likes to announce everything and give a play by play by saying  “my doing this/that.”

Illness:  Had diarrhea for 3 days and we actually had him tested for C Diff because we got very nervous.  It came back negative and then he gave the bug to me and I had diarrhea for 5 days and lost 3 lbs in a week (while pregnant). 

Grant-isms:  After we tuck Grant in at night he has a new game he likes to play where he intentionally uncovers himself, throws ducky on the ground or undresses teddy or monkey all in an attempt to get us to come back in the room usually by yelling “mama/daddy I need help!”

We are asked to kiss every owie no matter how minor.  I had to draw the line one day when he sat down on the drain in the tub and asked me to kiss that owie!

He asks for “green eggs and ham” for breakfast.

Likes:  He loves playing in his “dort”= fort with daddy

Observations:  Favorite book right now is Where the Wild Things Are.  He likes reading to us and has many of his favorite books memorized.

Firsts/Adventures:  We went to the Appleton Children’s museum and he loved driving the firetruck, playing in the water area, and exploring the place thoroughly.  (See the Easter post for pictures)

His upper left 2 year old molar popped through 

Wearing his "hammer holder"

April

Favorite words/sayings:  "Oh my goodness" (and will correct anyone that says “oh my gosh” because we don’t let him say it because it sounds too much like “Oh my God”) ~ “Delicious” in reference to meals and drinks ~ Calls me “Miss Mommy” (usually after a day at daycare) ~

Illness:  None

Grant-isms:  If he is “reading a book” and he doesn’t know the words/plot he will say his ABC’s ~ Loves his stuffed Thomas the Train and ducky and they must be in bed along with monkey and teddy ~ When he wakes up he announces from the top of the stairs “Mommy/Daddy I awake!” and proceeds to throw Thomas and Ducky down the stairs

Likes: Thomas the Train (books and video) ~ trips to the library, picking out books, and story time ~ Peter and the Wolf book ~ the nice weather (it is always a challenge and normally a meltdown when it is time to come inside) ~ His magnets (one of which he dropped in the toilet and  it got flushed) ~ the color green; he wants everything in green ~  riding in Matt’s work truck is a real treat (I think because he gets to sit up front and has such a great view) ~ loves his maracas and singing songs while shaking them  

Observations:  Pooping on the toilet has really clicked! ~ He can open round door knobs (we even had to put a safety knob on the pantry because he would open it up and help himself) ~He can pedal his tricycle ~  

Firsts/Adventures:  Grant is a big brother and a great one at that!  He loves to help and cuddle baby sister and always says “It’s ok Me-la” if she starts to cry.  

His upper right 2 year old molar popped through (that’s it for teeth for a very LONG time!)

May 

Favorite words/sayings:  Points his two thumbs at himself and says “this guy”

Illness:  None

Grant-isms:  We notice Grant is growing a little sassier and we are hearing more no’s and seeing more tantrums over the smallest things.  The change makes me sad and not sure how much of it is age related or maybe some because of all the recent changes with welcoming Amelia. 

One day he asked me to kiss an owie and I asked if sissy could kiss it and he said “No, she doesn’t have any teeth.” 

Likes:  Loves driving his gator and is completely content going in circles over and over

Observations: Good at Curious George memory game ~ Knows the difference between a loader, back hoe, steam roller, bull dozer, etc and will correct you if you get it wrong ~ Can get the front glass door open to let himself out ~ Very good at stairs and not using a railing

Firsts/Adventures:  Matt built a swing set and Grant loves it

Helping with the build

Testing out the slide

We celebrated Mother’s Day by baptizing Amelia.  Grant and his friend Addison (her mom is my friend and Amelia’s Godmother) were playing upstairs when Grant came downstairs without Addie.  Well Matt went upstairs to find her and could hear her crying and come to find out Grant had locked her in his closet.  The rest of the day he was proudly announcing “I locked Addie in the closet.”

June 

Favorite words/sayings: Can spell his name ~ Recognizes the words Grant, Mom, Dad, Amelia, Fisher  ~  “Scooby Snack”… no idea where this came from ~ Milk=noke ~ Snack=nack ~ you’re my best friend mommy/daddy/Amelia/Thomas ~ Gives me directions to school-accurately ~ sings the jingle “save big money at Menards” and stops whatever he is doing when the commercial comes on

Illness:  None

Grant-isms: Bosses his animals around before nap and bed ~ Holds Amelia’s hand and asks her to lay down with him when we tuck him in for nap/bed ~ If he goes to bed with socks on his feet he wakes up with them on his hands

Likes: Cheeseburgers ~ Thomas the train and Bob the Builder ~ Highlights magazine

Observations: Can say his bedtime and mealtime prayers and is beginning to add his own prayers unprompted ~ He has been biting his nails ~ Grant has gotten better at counting objects.  He can count to 20 but beyond that he has trouble (we’ve been stuck here for awhile)

Firsts/Adventures:  We attended Matt’s cousin’s wedding and Grant loved dancing (aka running around in wild circles) until he was exhausted ~ Grant loved breakfast on the farm this year and was hard to pry off the tractor ~ He loved the big slide at Matt’s work picnic and even showed off by going down on his stomach