Pitiful and Desperate

Remember Carley, my friend that is due 5 days before me? She found out Tuesday that she is having a BOY!! Yippeeee! She is so excited to raise a son and after learning her news I can hardly wait another whole month to find out what our baby is--not saying I'm jealous I'm just saying I may or may not have begged my Dr. once again to do a sonogram at 16 weeks instead of 20. True to form, he was not talked into anything I suggest based solely on my reason, "Because I want to know!" He is a minimal-nonsense doctor, and I think he finds me to be quite a challenge. He's a good man, very confident that he knows more than I do about delivering babies (??) and since his experience means that he could have delivered ME, at some point I'll surrender. So, if you were wondering, it will be around the first week in January when we find out what baby #3 is. Sigh.

Charlie had her 1 yr check up yesterday and I found out what I was expecting to find out--she is delayed in gross motor skills and swallowing skills. Here are some examples of what these two things look like: She doesn't crawl yet, let alone walk. She just got interested in moving at all, so my pediatrician (I love her) said that it might just have to do with the blessed fact that she is content and a tad lazy. That's what we're hoping! The other, swallowing thing is evidenced by the fact that she does not feed herself. She barely chokes down baby food with any sort of texture--literally gagging throughout most of the "Stage 3" foods. If it is creamy and she is being fed, she's a champion eater. The concept of putting her hand to her mouth is not there at all. She has never put toys in her mouth, which has obviously helped in the sickness dept. but the concern is that she has not put it together that her hand is a tool to put things in her mouth. Her thumb is the only thing allowed in her mouth. No amount of shoving something into her cheek results in her swallowing. 

Dr. Fowers (if anyone else knows her, don't you love her?) said both things should improve by 15 mo. and if not we'll schedule some sort of video test to watch her (not) eat, and get outside help with her moving. The eating thing is more of a concern to her so we'll work with her and try to help her get it. Also, I haven't been too quick with getting her off the bottle so we've got some sippy cup training in the near future. Ty was drinking out of cups long before she is, and he loved milk from his first try. She's not as convinced that milk is a good thing. The girl loves her formula but as Dr. Fowers said, "It's not like she needs any extra calories."

Ty has started coloring things, as evidenced by the last post. Apparently he has learned how to push the lid to make the pens work and he's also learned how to open doors. He has learned the alphabet thanks to our new playroom mat and a cool game Sean found to put on our phones. He's growing by leaps and bounds. Learning new things, new words, and finally communicating what he needs. Praise the Lord for fewer fits and more interaction. More drawing, open doors, finding him in abnormal places, but it's still progress.

The last two weeks my whole extended family has passed around a cold that won't quit. I tried almost every OTC cold medicine that's ok to take while pregnant and nothing helped. I finally left my OB a message using the words, "pitiful," and "desperate" and he gave me an antibiotic. The fog is lifting. 

Even though my kids are little and don't care, tonight I'm starting a tradition with them. The best traditions are those where the momma is entertained and excited so she responds to whatever is thrown her way with laughter and minimal drama. Never mind if the kids are entertained by the actual tradition...Momma is happy and so everyone else is too. We are going to make Christmas treats. First, edible wreaths made out of corn flakes and marshmallows, then white chocolate peppermint bark. Don't you wish you could come over to eat the fruits of our labor? Oops, I have a cold remember. Unless you're willing to welcome a two-week cold into your house I'd stay away a few more days.