Adventures in Parenting

When did she start doing that?

2010-04-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

Today Mackenzie and I were at a baby shower for my co-worker. As always Z was the perfect child very quiet and playing by herself. I sat down on the carpet with Z as presents were being opened. There were a few folding chairs behind us. I moved her out of my way as I turned to grab a coaster, next thing I knew she was on top of the chair! I asked "how did she get up there?" And my friend responded "she climbed"...my response..."crap".

That was the first time she had ever done that. In the past few weeks she learned to stand on and jump from her kid chair (thanks Alexa for teaching her that). We bought her a trampoline (similar to the old school round ones, but this has a handle for her to hold); it took her 2 days to figure out how to get off it without falling. She sits down at the edge, swings her legs over and then bounces up to her feet. This is now her most favorite thing in the house. She always runs over to it and starts climbing and bouncing.

I'm not nervous for the climbing, but for the falling. Our dining room chairs are the pup height, and we have 2 bar stools at the breakfast bar. I'm more afraid that she's going to try to climb on them and they will fall over on top of my small fragile precious baby.

Dancing Machine!

2010-03-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

Watch out world!

2010-02-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

Medical update...

2010-01-24T21:01:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie...
She is finally getting over her multiple colds. She has been sick since Christmas. Every time she was feeling better she'd get a new cold. We think she's lost a pound or so from the lack of appetite and vomiting. But she's turned a corner and is feeling much better.

Her appetite is back, little to no reflux, and things on moving on the south end. I consulted with her GI, and we decided to cancel her endoscopy procedure at the end of the month. We'll check back with him at our mid-February appointment. She seems to be improving.

She's also walking around, climbing onto everything, and starting to say some words. Everyday there is something new. It's so exciting!

Krista...
As for myself, I have been dealing with liver problems again. This all started back in college when I was 20. A few times a year I get a liver function test to monitor my levels. When I became pregnant, my liver tests went back to normal and stayed normal until Mackenzie turned one.

Unfortunately I had high results again at my check up in November. They preceded the test with an ultrasound where they found the texture of my liver to be coarse (indicating some type of liver disease). My GI had a number of blood tests done and ordered a liver biopsy for the most accurate diagnosis.

The blood tests came back normal, and the liver biopsy was painful. Thankfully it is not cirrhosis and not cancer. My official diagnosis is steatohepatitis (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) with some deterioration of the liver cells. I have yet to meet with my GI to discuss our treatment plan, but I have done some research. Basically this is a slow progressing disease, that can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. The only treatment for cirrhosis is a liver transplant.

Losing weight MAY help slow the progression of the steatohepatitis, but it's not a guarantee. Not the news I wanted to hear, but at least I have an answer and know what I'm facing. I have an appointment with my GI on February 1st to discuss.

Where oh where to begin...

2010-01-06T12:55:00.000-08:00

My tough little cheerio...

These cheerios are stuck to the snot on her face...LOL

Mackenzie has been sick for the past few weeks. We took her to the pediatrician last night just to make sure it was nothing more serious. Of course she was the only child in the waiting room who was happy and giggling. She has some sinus and chest congestion hanging around and her nose is very runny, but nothing bad enough to justify giving her special medicine.

Jaws of life...

If you didn't already know, Mackenzie bit my face. It sounds worse than it is, but it hurt like hell. I was laying on the couch and she came over to me for some attention. I leaned over to kiss her and she latched on to the skin on my left brow. She would let go! I was screaming and Brian had to come over to get her. I'm pretty sure she mistook it for kissing, but I'm sure she also wanted some attention. She definitely left a mark on my face and I ended up with bruising and swelling. Take a look. Honestly I'm a little afraid of her and those sharp little teeth.

Part 1 of Medical Testing...

Mackenzie's Pediatric GI, Dr. Abdullah, is running an entire workup on Mackenzie. We want to figure out why she is still spitting up/refluxing and underweight. If we can figure out why, then we can provide the proper treatment.

On New Years Eve she completed the Barium Swallow (aka upper GI). Unfortunately they had to insert a feeding tube in order to get the barium solution into her tummy. I couldn't watch, but she did really well. After that they took xrays every 20-40 minutes to see how the solution progressed through her digestive system. Everything was normal...which is good, but now they want to do another set of tests (Part 2).

On January 28 she will be having an endoscopy, rectal biopsy and pH probe inserted into her tummy. They will have to put her to sleep for the procedure. The rectal biopsy is to test for Hirschsprung's disease; a problem with the nerves in the colon. Click here for more info on Hirschsprung's disease. They are also inserting a pH probe into her tummy through her nose. We are then sent home with a receiver and we push the button every time she has reflux for 24 hours. They will take it out the next day to extract the readings from the probe. I'm not exactly sure of the significance, but it's kind of neat.

Now that took the merry out of Christmas...

2009-12-29T23:40:00.000-08:00

On December 23rd we had Mackenzie's follow-up appointment with the GI at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. Z weighed in at 21 lbs 2 oz, and is now in the 3rd percentile (that's an improvement). She is slowly gaining weight, but is continuing to be constipated.

For the past two months she has been vomiting AND spitting up. Her acid reflux is not getting any better and we've had no luck with the two medications we've tried (she spits them up, or won't take it at all).

Dr. Abdullah (our pediatric GI) wants to run an entire work up of tests. First we're going to increase her laxative medication until she has the runs, and then we'll slowly decrease until we find the proper dosage to keep her regular.

On Thursday she is going to have a Barium Swallow (aka upper GI series). This should show us how her food is going down.

If further testing is needed, she will need to have an Endoscopy. Because she is so young, they'll have to put her to sleep for this procedure. It would be an outpatient surgery. During the surgery they would also take a rectal biopsy to test for rectal disorders (possible cause to the constipation).

In addition they would place a probe in her throat for 24 hours. During this time we would push a button every time she has reflux so the monitor can record the episode. I'm really not sure how that would work on a 19 month old. She HATES things going near her nose. I can clean her ears, but NOT her nose.

How do we feel about all this? Of course we don't want her to have any unecessary testing done, but we also don't want to keep her on medications that are not working. We're glad they're finally wanting to run tests instead of continuing the "wait and see" route we've been on. Mostly it's hard to judge our true feelings because Mackenzie is so happy and cheerful at all times. Her personality gives no insight to her feeding issues.

Christmas went well. We saw lots of family and she was given lots of presents. She really wasn't in to opening the presents, but I think that was mostly because she was tired and/or overwhelmed by it all. For me it was hard to completely enjoy the holidays when you have all this on the back of your mind.

By the way...Z finally got her orthotic braces for her ankles the week of Christmas. They're pink, white and purple. Unfortunately we had to buy new shoes to fit them. Her foot is a size 6, but the orthotics are a size 7-7.5. We got her some purple converse low tops that look adorable on her. I need to take a photo, but since her shoes are now 1.5 sizes too big for her feet she looks like Bozo the Clown when she walks around...it's so cute!

They really are helping too! The day after Christmas she stood by herself and bent down to pick something up without losing her balance for the first time. We're so proud!

We have a walker!

2009-12-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

I'm officially calling Mackenzie a walker. She still crawls around, and she actually likes to walk on her knees, but at least half the time she is walking around on her own.

And speaking of walking, she is being casted for her ankle orthotics today. I'm not sure how it works, and I'm not sure when we'll get them. Hopefully sooner than later so she doesn't develop more bad habits with walking on the inside of her ankles.

Thanksgiving was overflowing with Filipinos as usual. We had a HUGE Filipino family reunion at Uncle Dan's home in Bellevue. I think there were about 45 people who came. The little girls had a blast playing on the stairs, blowing bubbles and watching 'Finding Nemo'. I wish they could see each other more often.

Funny noises...

2009-11-05T15:35:00.001-08:00

I love our insurance!

2009-11-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Our health insurance company has agreed to cover Mackenzie's pediasure 100%. They're providing us 90 cans per month and delivering it to our house! A 6-pack costs from $9.99 - $14.99 depending on the store. She is supposed to have 3 cans per day, costing us a MINIMUM of $150 per month. That's much more than her formula, and a whole lot more than whole milk.

I love our insurance!

Physical therapy evaluation...

2009-10-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of www.themomcrowd.com

Z had a physical therapy evaluation at the Children's Therapy Unit. The therapist said that she has a lack of tone in her feet and ankles which is most likely contributing to her delay in walking. They took drawings of her feet and are going to custom build her some orthotics for her feet. They will fit provide support to her ankles and give her more stability to begin to strengthen her knees and hip. The orthotics will fit right into her shoes.

As for physical therapy, besides the delay in walking, she doesn't show any other signs of delay for her gross motor skills. We will transition her to physical therapy in a few months, but until then she will continue with her occupational therapy (fine motor skills).

Mackenzie's 4th Steps...

2009-10-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Actual steps are about 1/3 of the way through the video. Lyndsay is holding her and she walks to me. Enjoy!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

October updates...

2009-10-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Savannah Trip...
We had a wonderful time in Savannah with the Itoh's. Mackenzie took her first steps while we were there. Unfortunately Brian missed it, but we did get the 4th time on video!

For once Mackenzie was the one setting the example. Ellie would watch Mackenzie cruise around the furniture and she would want to stand and try the same.

We visited Hilton Head, South Carolina (although we were $1.25 short from seeing the beach), Savannah, and Jekyll Island. Mackenzie had a great time playing in the water at the beach on Jekyll Island. And watching all the seagulls trying to steal her "fishies" (fish crackers).

She was even wonderful on the plane. I received compliments from the people sitting around me on how well behaved she was. I was so proud of her. She will definitely have her own seat on the plane the next time we fly.

Gastroenterologist Follow-up...
We saw Dr. Abdullah at the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital GI clinic today for Mackenzie's one month follow-up. She has gained 0.8 lbs, and has grown almost an inch! All the tests that they ran came back normal.

They are changing her acid reflux medication to Prevacid (a little stronger), and we are to give her Pediasure (at least 16 oz a day). They don't need to see her again until December.

Healthy weight gain for a toddler is 7-9 grams per day, and she had an average of 8 grams per day. She is still gaining, but just not making up for the amount she is behind. So with the small changes in her diet and medication, they are hoping we can make up some ground by December.

Speech Evaluation...
Mackenzie had a speech evaluation done earlier this month. Although she is showing a slight delay, they don't recommend starting treatment until she is at least 2 years old. They have given us some good activities to do at home, and have recommended teaching her some sign language.

Physical Development...
Mackenzie is still cruising around the furniture (around and around in circles), and can stand on her own for a short time. We still don't have an independent walker, but she will take a few steps if provoked with a blanket or cheerios. She does really well walking if you are holding one or both hands. I anticipate she will be walking soon, but I will never be prepared for it!

She actually has a physical therapy evaluation tomorrow. She has been going to Good Sam Children's Therapy Unit (CTU) since she was 9 months for Occupational Therapy (fine motor skills). Wendy, her therapist that we love, thinks it's time for her to graduate and move on to physical therapy. We need to have the evaluation to see where she's at and then we'll start services to help her with larger tasks (walking, climbing, bending over, etc.).

Pumpkin Patch...
We visited the pumpkin patch with Alexa and Shannon. Unfortunately Mackenzie was afraid of the pumpkins! I was able to get some good photos next to the hay bales. Hopefully next year she'll be able to photograph with a pumpkin.

Leaving on a jet plane...

2009-09-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie and I are flying off to Savannah, Georgia on Wednesday! I'm so excited; I'm already 75% packed! We're going to visit the Itoh's (Lyndsay, Toshimi, and baby Ellie). We'll be there for 4 days. The plan is to drive up to Hilton Head, South Carolina on Friday. I've never been to the Atlantic Ocean. I'm not exactly sure of all the destinations we're going, but if there's a mall we'll find it!

We come back on Monday, Oct 5th. I'll make sure to take wonderful photos to share!

Development goal setting...

2009-09-23T22:44:00.000-07:00

We met with our Family Resource Coordinator from the Pierce County Early Intervention program this week to go over the results of Z's development evaluations. They have assigned us an in-home educator who came as well.

Z qualified for services on all 3 evaluations that were done. What does that mean? To sum it all up, she has development delays in all of the 5 different development categories. Some more than others, with the worst being cognitive and physical, and the best being social skills (but she's still behind for her age).

They recommend in-home education once a week, and a classroom playgroup once a week with other kids her age. She will continue Occupational Therapy and switch to Physicial Therapy in the next few months. And she will be having a speech evaluation at the beginning of October. We have set measurable goals for her to meet in 6 months (if she accomplishes earlier, we will adjust the goal).

Walk 20 steps without assistance and stand up on own
Feed self with fork and/or spoon, drink from cup and/or straw
Increase vocabulary to 10-20 words, identify toys/objects ("where is your ball"), respond to commands ("bring me your bottle")

We have a busy schedule right now, so we will be starting the treatment mid-October.

There is still no word on the results of her blood tests for the GI clinic at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. But they told us "no news is good news". She did have a "sweat test" earlier this week. This is the most accurate test for Cystic Fibrosis. We're pretty positive that she doesn't have it since it was ruled out during my amniocentesis, but they wanted to rule it out 100%.

We leave for Savannah, Georgia in a week, so I may not post again until we return. Hope everyone is doing well.

Failure to thrive...

2009-09-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

We met with Dr. Abdullah, the Pediatric Gastroentorologist, at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital on Friday. He looked at her growth and health history and determined that she most likely doesn't have severe acid reflux, but prescribed an antacid for her to help her keep food down. He diagnoised her as "failure to thrive", and ordered a bunch of tests to find the cause (and rule out causes). Click here for an article about this diagnosis.

We also met with the nutritionist. She has instructed us increase her caloric intake and to add fat to Mackenzie's diet where ever we can. Like if we have steamed broccoli for dinner, add butter and cheese to hers, make her morning oatmeal with cream, give her bottles of half & half, give full fat yogurt, cheese, etc. And we're to give her Carnation Instant Breakfast at bed time (it has about 400 calories per bottle). I wish I could be her.

After the appointment we had to go to the lab for a blood draw. Since they ordered so many tests, she had to get blood taken out of her arm like an adult. She was SO good. She didn't cry, only whined a little because we were holding her down. I was so proud.

We'll need to go back for a sweat test sometime in the next week or so (they apply a patch on her arm and let her play for 30 minutes, then take the patch off and run tests on the sweat). We're trying to pack the pounds on her for now, and if they find something from her blood tests, we'll be contacted, otherwise we'll come back in a month.

Getting to the bottom of it...

2009-09-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie had her 15 month appointment last week. The pediatrician and I agreed it's time to take action on why she isn't gaining weight. All along Z has been really tall for her age, but her weight has always been really low. We were doing the "wait and see" method, but this summer she's only gained about 3/4 of a pound. Not as much as we'd like.

So we have an appointment to see a Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital on Friday. We're also meeting with a nutritionist afterwards.

I'm glad we're finally getting to the bottom of this, but I'm also very nervous that something may be wrong. She eats all the time, but she is still spitting up. It's not just milk either, she spits up any time of the day, even after she has solids. She's also been constipated since she was about 9 weeks old. We've finally got a prescription for a children's laxative in August, but that was because she had a rectal tear and they wanted to give it a chance to heal.

I'll update again after her appointment.

Updates, updates, updates...

2009-08-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize how long it has been since I blogged until my Aunt emailed me earlier today. So here are all the recent updates.

Bye, bye weight...
I joined Weight Watchers with a group of gals from work in July. I have since lost 12 lbs! By far the most in our group. Brian has jumped on the bandwagon since I had all the WW information and is "unofficially" doing it with me (I think his motivation was his 20 year reunion this summer). He's lost about 15 lbs. But he also goes to the gym for 2 hours a day and works out with a friend (wish I had the time to do that). We just purchased a used jogger from craigslist, and I plan to start running again (doing the couch to 5K plan). My goal is 30 lbs by Thanksgiving. I'm well on my way!

Bumps and bruises...
We've had quite a few accidents this summer. Brian got into a car accident with Mackenzie back in June. They were fine; it was just a rear-end at lower speeds. She cried at first and was then waving at all the cars passing by. The car had about $7500 in damage, and was in the shop for 2 weeks.

Most recently Brian fell down the stairs with Mackenzie. She hit her face on a step and had a lovely bruise on her cheek. But she was fine (she's a trooper). She just wanted to play and eat.

Development evaluation...
Mackenzie is doing well with her physical/occupational therapy. Her therapist is actually on vacation, so we have a month off. She isn't standing on her own or walking yet, but she is very close. She cruises around the furniture and pulls up every chance she gets. She can walk with the assistance of the walker. When she lets go of furniture, she'll stand there for a few seconds on her own and then realize there is nothing helping her. Then she sits down; not a plop, a slow controlled sit. We think it's a confidence issue.

We had her evaluated for the Pierce County Birth to Three program. Basically they coordinate and pay for therapy and services related to her development. We will be developing a short term and long term plan, and then our program coordinator sets up all the services to help Mackenzie achieve those goals. They also coordinate play groups, in home education, speech therapy, etc. Mackenzie's evaluation showed that she is average in all categories except for physical and cognitive skills (understanding). We're really excited for the in home education. They'll have an educator come to our house and work with Brian and I on how to play with Mackenzie to develop the skills in which she's behind.

Fishing...
Brian is itching to fish. Earlier this month he took Mackenzie up to Whidbey Island to meet up with the Catone's. Jenn and Jake watched Mackenzie, while Brian, Mike and Joey fished. She had a great time.

Today, Brian called me to find out where the Ergo was (our backpack carrier). He was planning on going down to the Puyallup River next to our house and going fishing with a buddy. The "pink" salmon are in right now (aka "Humpies"), so the river has been loaded with fisherman for the past week. I swear there are hundreds of people down there every morning, and more every day.

He's planning 2 trips in the future. One on Labor Day weekend to the Klickitat River. He's dragging us to the Klickitat to camp and fish (I really don't want to go - I'd rather stay home and shop the Labor Day weekend sales). The other at the end of September while Mackenzie, Auntie Lisa and I are in Savannah, GA visiting my friend Lynsday.

Updates...
Obviously I'm not blogging as much as before. Guess that's a result of having a child and a full time job. I'll be back from time to time, but the best way to stay up to date with me is Facebook. Will you be my friend?

Enjoy the rest of summer!

Guess who's crawling...

2009-05-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Yep, she's finally figured it out...sort of. She'll pull herself along with her arms, but scoots on the inside of her thighs. It's so cute. But she'll go a few feet, and then sit up and squeal and flap her arms because she is so excited.

Funny thing is that she's not really in to crawling. She's more interested in pulling herself up and climbing all over furniture and ME! I don't think it will be very long until she is walking.

Soon she'll be all over the house. I'm not ready for that. We're installing the safety gates on the stairs this week, and I'm making a cushion to place in front of the fireplace (we have a slate tiled fireplace). We need to install the cabinet locks in the kitchen, and block off the wires to the TV.

Like I said...we're not ready for this!!!

11 months...

2009-05-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

Z turned 11 months yesterday. She's been changing so much lately, the time is just flying by. She now flips over, and can never sit still anymore. She's not quite crawling yet, but she's trying hard to figure it out. There's never a quiet moment, unless she's sleeping. The girl is constantly babbling, and sometimes it's as if she's singing.

Her new favorite food is cheerios, although only about half stay in her mouth. She can hold her bottle with one hand, and she'll roll around while drinking it.

If she wants your attention, she'll either scream or bang her hand on the table and grunt. But the cutest thing is if she wants you to look at her, she'll stare at you until you do. Once you do she has a big smile on her face.

She loves to be outside. Brian puts in her the walker in the grass while he's tending to his vegetable garden (yes, a HUGE vegetable garden at that). And she loves the feel of grass.

We measured her yesterday and she is now 28.5". Her ever growing height is slowing, but she's definitely gaining weight, just not sure what she weighs right now.

My first potty...

2009-04-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

We bought Z a potty seat on Sunday. She's actually a little young to start potty training. But I had a bunch of coupons that were going to expire and after stacking them, it ended up costing the same for a new one as it would for a used one.

We got the Baby Bjorn Stand Alone potty seat. It got great reviews.

I put it under the sink in the downstairs bathroom to get it out of my way. Well apparently yesterday Z made the motion that she was trying to #2, so Brian put her on the seat and she did her business.

Here's the pic Brian sent me from his phone. We're so proud!

My first korker!

2009-04-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have a new hobby...making hair bows and korkers! Since Z's hair is finally starting to fill in, I've took it upon myself to figure out how to make stuff to put in her hair. With a little investment, in the long run, it's cheaper to make her bows myself instead of paying. I've found some great tutorials online, and have made a handful of bows so far to match her summer outfits.

Last night I attempted to make the korkers for the first time (generic name for the Gymboree curlies). They are hot pink and white and turned out very cute (in my opinion).

Z has so many now that I had to make bow holders for her room so I could keep them organized. I found some wood butterflies and hung ribbon to the bottom. The bows are clipped to the ribbon and the are hanging in her closet. They're very cute.

If you want me to make some for your child just let me know. I have a bunch of colors and non-slip grip that can be added.

So it begins...

2009-04-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

Guess who has figured out how to get off the couch? You got it! She flips over to her tummy, and slides down until her feet hit the ground. She did it the other day off the couch, and last night off the ottoman.

Although I'm excited that she is finally becoming more mobile, I am not looking forward to baby proofing the house.

LONG weekend in Whistler...

2009-04-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a 4 day trip to Whistler, BC in Canada. Brian's parents gave us a few days at their timeshare in the village. I had never been there. It was a really beautiful area, and the village was really neat with shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Z wasn't feeling well the entire trip, and her slight cold (which we had checked out by the doctor before we left), continued to get worse. Plus, now Brian and I are both sick too!

We took Z to play in the snow on Friday (she didn't really like it). Brian skied on Saturday, and Z and I walked around the village, and rested in the room. We ate at some great restaurants, and Z had her first taste of lobster bisque soup (she loved it). The weather was perfect; sunny and clear the entire time.

We're back now, but need to get some more rest to fight off our colds before I head back to work tomorrow.

Pulling up...

2009-03-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie pulled herself up without assistance last night for the first time! All day she was testing it. Getting her feet placed underneath her butt, but she just wouldn't pull to stand. She's been doing it with our help (holding our hands), for a few months, but she has never done it without us. Last night she grabbed on to my shirt and up she went! We're so proud!

Vote for Mackenzie!!!

2009-03-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

I entered Mackenzie into the 92.5 Baby Idol contest. Login or register to vote for your favorite cutie. But since I know you think Mackenzie is the cutest one out there, I’ve included the link to her page. You have 10 votes per day. Feel free to forward to your friends/family as well. Thanks!

Round 1 Voting Monday, March 16th @ noon - Friday, March 20th @ noon.
Top 500 will be posted for viewing Friday, March 20th @ 5pm.

Login or Register
http://babyidol.movin925.com/gallery.html

Mackenzie’s Page
http://babyidol.movin925.com/photos/view/2422/

Welcome Elizabeth Madison Itoh!

2009-03-12T11:11:00.001-07:00

My best friend (who unfortunately lives in Savannah, Georgia right now) had her baby on Monday. Elizabeth Madison Itoh was born on March 9th! Ellie weighed 6 lbs. 5 ounces. Lyndsay and baby are doing well. Here's the 1st photo of the happy family!

Where did the month go?

2009-03-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy few weeks. First my surgery (my hand is healing well), then my grandma's hip surgery (she's now in a rehab center), and now Brian is on his annual fishing trip, and I'm having to deal with everything on my own.

Brian usually watches Z during the day while I'm at work. But since he's gone my old co-worker is watching her in the mornings so I can go into the office. Then I pick her up and work from home in the afternoons. It's been going well, but I'm ready for Brian to come home.

As I said, my grandma is recovering from hip surgery. Last weekend we took a last minute trip down to Keizer to see her at the rehab center. She was very happy to see us. Z behaved very well. She's going through the "stranger anxiety" phase right now, and she didn't cry the entire time we were at the center. She was babbling up a storm the entire time, and all the patients loved seeing a happy baby. It was nice to see my grandma and Z interacting with one another. I got some great photos as well.

Z said "ma ma" for the first time this past weekend as well. Granted she was upset and crying at the time, but that didn't make it any less special. Last night she said "pa pa" for the first time. Unfortunately Brian wasn't here to hear it, but I'm sure she'll be saying it all the time soon. She's growing and changing so fast right now. Who knows what she'll be doing in 2 weeks!

Recovering from a long weekend...

2009-02-18T14:42:00.000-08:00

My hand surgery went well. It was very quick. I have a half cast on my hand, which comes off next week. Showering is an adventure, and it's hard to do normal everyday tasks. I'm not supposed to pick up heavy items or use it much.

We came down to Oregon right after my surgery. If you didn't already know, my grandma Ping had fallen and broken her hip. She had surgery on Thursday and has been recovering in the hospital. We visited her a few times in the hospital, but each time Z would get fussy so it made it hard to be there for long periods of time.

We also stopped in Portland to see Robby for his birthday. My dad and Krista watched Z so we could go out to dinner for a belated Valentine's Day. We finally made it home Monday afternoon.

Not much is going on in the world of Z. She's been standing more and drooling like crazy. I can clearly see her tooth now, so hopefully I can get a good photo of it. Speaking of which...I need to download my photos from the weekend.

Hand surgery...

2009-02-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy at work, I've forgotten to tell people about my hand surgery. I'm finally having carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand. It's this Thursday!

I've had carpal tunnel in both hands for just over 10 years. I've worn braces to bed for years, but most of the time I'm fine without. I've finally gotten fed up with my right hand being numb almost all day long that I went to my PCP and told her I wanted the surgery.

She had some testing done on my hand last week, and the doctor said it was very advanced. Some of my sensation nerve fibers are starting to die off and if I don't have the surgery soon that it could be permanent. If we do it soon they will regenerate. So here we are...

I won't be able to bathe Mackenzie or wash dishes (damn). It will also be sensitive and tender for a few weeks. The pain from the carpal tunnel will go right away, but it will take a few weeks for it to fully heal.

The surgery is outpatient and only takes about 10 minutes. I'm not stressing at all. I'm actually excited that I'll have 5 days off work.

Sitting by myself...

2009-02-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie is FINALLY sitting up on her own. She's been doing much better, but still falls over from time to time, and now she sits up on her own in the tub!

She also is in love with plastic cups! I don't know what it is about this simplistic thing, but she'll bang them together, knock them over, and push them off the table. She trys to chew on them too.

The other night after her bath, she played peek-a-boo with me. When she was on the changing table, she took her sleeper that I was getting ready to put on her and pulled it over her face. Then she pulled it down really quick and I said "boo". She loved it and was laughing hysterically. She did it on her own a few more times. It was the first time she has initiated that kind of interaction with me. It was so adorable.

Shake, rattle and roll...

2009-01-30T10:52:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie experienced her first earthquake this morning. And do you know what we were all doing at the time? SLEEPING. I guess there was a 4.5 earthquake just west of us this morning at 5:25 am. Unfortunately Mackenzie slept through the night so there was nothing felt by us, but on a typical night I could be up at that time giving her a bottle. Here's a link to the story, but as usual it's sounds much more dramatic than it was.

http://www.komonews.com/news/38694822.html

Newest member of our family...

2009-01-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie has her first tooth! It finally broke through the gum and it popping out just a little. Mackenzie won't let me see it. Every time we open her mouth she sticks out her tongue. I can feel it though.

She fell down yesterday. We've been having her stand up and hold on to something. The other day it was the side of the crib and she fell back and banged her head. Yesterday it was the ottoman, and she fell over sideways and banged her head. She didn't cry either time. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing.

Daddy's cooking...

2009-01-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie had her first taste of Brian's cooking last night. He made a pot roast with carrots, potatoes and turnips. When it was done, I cut up the meat, carrots and potatoes into little pieces and pureed in our food processor with some of the gravy.

She really liked it and ate everything I gave her. I have a feeling that the pre-made baby food is pretty bland compared to this. I made enough to fill 8 ice cubes to use later.

I think we're going to start to do her food this way. I did the same with some left over frozen veggies we had for dinner the other night and she loved those too.

Upcoming Children's Resales

2009-01-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

I love going to these sales. Our office may have one this spring because there are so many little kids, but for now here are the ones that I've attended in the past. Last fall at the Creme Brulee sale, I got a set of 20 Baby Einstein DVDs for $15! I plan on consigning this year so I can shop the pre-sale. Let me know if you want to join!

Saturday, February 21st
Tacoma Parents of Multiples Annual Children’s Clothing and Equipment Sale
9:00 – 2:00 (items go 50% off starting at noon)
Bates Technical College
Home and Family Life Building
2201 South 78th St., Building E
Tacoma, WA 98409
More information at: http://www.tacomamultiples.org/

Saturday, March 21, 2009
Valley Mothers of Multiples - Kids Galore Sale
9:30am-2:00pm
First Christian Church in Kent
11717 SE 240th Street
More information at: http://www.valleymothersofmultiplesclub.org/index.html

Friday, May 8, 2009 & Saturday, May 9, 2009
Crème Brulee Kids Consignment Sale
Thursday: Evening Pre-shopping for those who consign
Friday: 9am – 6pm
Saturday: 9am – 3pm (items go 50% off starting at noon)
Kent Commons
The Parks and Recreation Building
525 Fourth Ave N
Kent, WA 98032
More information at: http://www.cremebruleekids.com/

When it rains, it pours...

2009-01-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

Well if you've been watching the news, you may have seen aerial coverage of our neighborhood. We knew that the Puyallup was going to be at flood levels. When we checked on Tuesday night it predicted 34' by Thursday morning. Flood level is 30', but at that time the current river amount was well below the predicted amount, so we were concerned, but wanted to just keep an eye on it.

I woke up Wednesday morning and looked it up. The river rose much faster than predicted, and it was now expected to get to 37' by Wednesday afternoon. Crap!!!

Brian and I started moving everything upstairs. Luckily this summer we had storage racks installed into the ceiling of the garage. We fit most items up there, including the lawn mower. We moved the boat back into the garage and put the trash bins inside. Everything else was moved upstairs. We moved everything out of the lower cabinets in the kitchen, book shelves, and pantry. Everything was removed from the closet under the stairs. And we put the couches up on tables, the stools and dining room chairs are up on the island. It took us all day to move it, but we managed to do it. I took photos and I'll send out to everyone when we get back to the house.

We stayed in Renton with Shannon & Jeff. Alexa was so excited to share her room with Mackenzie.

They just re-opened the roads to our house around noon today. The city said there was no damage done to the homes and businesses in the area. Creeks that feed into the Puyallup River are backed up with no place to go, so there is some flooding in the area, and 2 lanes of southbound I-5 are closed from creek flooding.

Luckily we got flood insurance this summer, so we weren't too worried about any damage that could happen. Now I get to spend all night moving everything back downstairs...anyone want to come help?

Feeding funnies...

2009-01-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

We've been feeding Mackenzie more solid foods lately. She is so funny when she eats. At first she doesn't like the food and makes faces telling us so. She'll even refuse to open her mouth.

So Brian and I sing, dance, and make faces at her to get her to laugh so she'll open her mouth and we can sneak the food inside. But she has caught on to us and now smiles and laughs with her mouth closed.

Then all of the sudden she'll start whining and crying... she's upset that we're not feeding her fast enough. Really!?! Make up your mind kid!

No new photos...

2009-01-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

Brian, Mackenzie and I have all been sick for the last 2 weeks. Needless to say, I haven't been taking any photos. So I won't be sending any photos this week. I'll try to take some this week, but I go back to work on Monday. Not looking forward to that! Happy New Year!

Elmo...

2008-12-30T20:42:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie received so many wonderful gifts for Christmas. We think she was a little overwhelmed, that is why she was in a foul mood at all the Christmas parties we attended.

After everything was over, we were at Michael & Heather's house and we showed Z the Elmo Live that her cousin Addison had received for Christmas. She loved it! Funny because Brian and I didn't know if we should buy her one. We kept seeing them on sale, but she previously showed no interest in the Tickle Me Elmo, so we decided to pass.

Fortunately we found one on sale for 50% off at KB Toys! She loves it and it's the perfect remedy to cheer her up when she's in a mood.

It's cold outside...

2008-12-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

It's been snowing here for the past few days. We haven't had as much as some places, but the roads are very icy. Mackenzie and I made it to the grocery store on Friday and it was a mad house. We've mostly been staying warm in the house, but have ventured out to run some errands. Hope you're staying warm!

My first Santa photo...

2008-12-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

On Friday Santa visited my office. I brought Mackenzie in for a photo and she cried the entire time. Luckily they were able to get one of her before the water works started. You can click on the photo to see the large version. Enjoy!

Gobble, gobble...

2008-12-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie had her first meat dinner last night! She chose Turkey and Sweet Potatoes and she loved it!

At her 6 month check-up on Monday, she weighed a whopping 14 lbs. 11.25 oz.! She's still very skinny (hovering between 15th & 25th percentile for weight). BUT she gained 7 ounces between Friday 12/5 when we took her in for the hives, and Monday 12/8 for her follow up appointment (she hadn't wanted to eat when she had the hives).

Her height is at 27", which is in the 95th percentile. When you look at the height/weight chart, she is still wandering below the "normal trend", but slowly gaining on it. Her height is what is throwing everything off.

Her doctor said as long as she is still gaining weight and growing tall, we're fine. But she does want us to try to push her a little by increasing her calories, protein, and keeping a night feeding.

The hives are visibly gone, but they may reappear anytime in the next few weeks.

She has decided in the past few nights that she wants to play at 2am, 4am, 6am... I was SOOOO pissed the other night. Finally I just let her "cry it out".

She is also continuing to "find her voice". She now is so loud that it hurts Brian's ears (and he's partially deaf in one ear). It's like nails on a chalk board. You'd think she was upset about something, but NO. She's just seeing how loud she can yell. And to top it all off, she'll turn around and laugh afterwards. She thinks she's funny.

Santa is coming to my office today, so I'm bringing Mackenzie in for her 1st photo with Santa!

Poor baby, now she has hives...

2008-12-05T13:08:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie has hives. The doctor thinks it may be an allergic reaction to the amoxicilin that she was taking for her ear infection. There is no way to tell for sure if that is causing it. We would have to give it to her again after it clears up to know.

She has been miserable the past 12 hours, barely sleeping or eating. It started on her butt and showed up on her legs, back, arms, stomach, ankles and face. I can tell she's really uncomfortable and itchy, but she doesn't know how to cope, only cry. They have us giving her Benedryl now, and she's finally asleep.

They said it should go away in a few days.

BTW - Today Mackenzie is 6 months old!!!

Ear infection...

2008-11-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie has been congested for the last few days. There has been nothing for me to suction out; it's all in her sinuses and chest. I went out and bought her a humidifier for her room (it's a green frog), but she is still congested. Last night I had the humidifier on full blast and it didn't seem to be helping. I called the nurse today, and they wanted us to bring her in.

Brian took her this afternoon, and she apparently has an ear infection. We didn't notice any symptoms of that. They prescribed her an antibiotic to take for the next 10 days. And she should be feeling better by Thanksgiving.

Her congestion should go away with some saline rinse and booger bulb suction. I'm not looking forward to that; she screams every time I come near her with that thing. You should have seen the evil glare she gave Brian last night after he tried the booger bulb. It was the look of death.

This is her 1st ear infection. I'm going to write it down in her baby book.

Bumps and bruises...

2008-11-23T23:52:00.001-08:00

Well I finally did it. I fell down our stairs for the first time ever. And to top it off, I had Mackenzie sleeping in my arms.

I was going down the stairs, and on the last landing, I slipped and landed on my back. I proceeded to bounce down the remaining 3 steps on my back. Mackenzie was curled in my arms, so she only bounced on my chest.

Mackenzie was a little shaken up. I think she was mostly scared. She fell right back to sleep. I, on the other hand, am really sore. I swear I can feel where I landed on each step. I don't have visible bruises, but I can feel it!

I have only slipped once on the stairs, and it was when she was 6 weeks old. My foot missed the step, and I slipped onto the landing, but I landed on my feet.

At least she is OK.

Busy, busy, busy...

2008-11-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

We have been running around like crazy! Mackenzie and I went to Oregon for the weekend, and Brian went on a 2-day fishing trip. We both got back Monday night. We're so worn out and tired right now. I thought we were going to be able to relax last night, but we ended up at Costco for a while.

I've downloaded pictures from my camera, but I forgot to share them. I will try to get some out tonight.

Flooding...

2008-11-12T20:55:00.000-08:00

We live about 100 yards off the Puyallup River. With all the recent rain, the rivers are flooding. Fortunately the Puyallup will not reach flood level. It is extremely high right now, actually at the highest it will get. The rain has stopped and the river will be receding soon.

Since we have been through this before in 2002, we knew right where to go for our information. I looked this morning and the river was not forecasted to be at flood stage near our house. Up river there was flooding and evacuations, but not for us. I have been stress free all day. I even forgot about it.

I wish it were daylight so I could take some pictures.

New camera!

2008-11-10T15:45:00.000-08:00

I have to thank my cousin Sarah Cutler for emailing us photos of her daughter Laney. She got a new DSLR camera and I saw the difference immediately! I showed Brian and it sparked his interest. I have been bugging him to buy me one for years.

Both of us did research last week, and narrowed it down to the Nikon and the Canon. We went to the camera shop on Thursday and the guy showed Brian some scenery photos taken with the DSLR. That sold Brian on it. The colors are so much more vibrant than with the point and shoot.

I had to go exchange something at the mall on Friday and stopped in to Circuit City. They had the Canon on sale with an additional $15 off, and a bunch of free goodies. It was cheaper than Costco! We went back later that night and purchased it.

It's my most favorite thing ever! I'm still figuring it out, but I have a Canon point and shoot and the menus/buttons are similar. The photos are amazing too!

Such a ham!

2008-11-04T13:28:00.001-08:00

She is such a ham! I was taking photos of her in this new outfit, and she was smiling and laughing. She cracks me up.

Attack of the laughing baby...

2008-10-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie is really funny. Yesterday morning I put her in the jumparoo while I washed bottles. I turned to look at her and she kept smiling and laughing at me.

Later on in the afternoon we were playing on the ground. I was dragging my curly hair over her face and she would laugh and squeal. Brian said she was doing the same thing earlier when he was dragging her by her feet down the couch.

She is constantly making herself laugh as well. It's very gratifying to hear your baby laugh. To us it means she's happy and we're doing a good job.

With the good, inevitably comes the bad...

2008-10-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

I was so happy this past Saturday when Mackenzie slept 9 hours! Granted we had a busy day which ended up in Keizer visiting family for their birthdays. It was so nice, but at the same time a little scary to all the sudden have your child sleep through the night.

Sunday night after we got back from our quick trip to Oregon, she was a little over stimulated. We were eventually able to get her to fall asleep, and she slept the entire night in her crib, only waking once for a bottle.

So to us it seemed as if we had finally hit a transitioning point and she would now sleep alone for almost the entire night. Boy was I wrong!

Last night she fell asleep around 9:00. Typical time for her. At 12:45 am she woke up to be fed and changed. Then she wouldn't go back to sleep. She wanted to play. I tried and tried to get her down, but she wasn't having it. So we went downstairs and I stuck her in the jumparoo to burn off some energy while I caught up on my recorded shows. At 3:00 am she still had a ton of energy. I was pissed at this point because I could hear Brian upstairs snoring.

So I wrapped her in a blanket and took her upstairs to lay in the guest bedroom. She managed to fall asleep pretty fast, but woke up again at 7:00 am. Brian had already left for work, so I had to do it again. She didn't want to go back to sleep again, but I wasn't going to take it this time. I put her in bed with me and let her flail around so I could get some sleep. She finally went down at 7:30.

Then Brian came home at 7:45. No work today, I get to go in to the office instead. Damn it! So I got up, got ready, and picked up a large coffee when I got to the office. When will it end?!?

Sitting up...

2008-10-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

Miss thing sat up on her own yesterday for the first time!!!

I put the boppy behind her just in case she fell over, and she just sat there. Didn't even need it for support. I got a few pictures that I will send with the next round of photos.

We practiced again in the evening to show Daddy when he got home from work. She just sat there smiling and laughing. I don't think she can do it for too long, but she had to have sat there for at least 5 minutes. We're so proud!

4 month doctor appointment...

2008-10-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

We had her 4 month appointment this morning. She looks good, but she is really skinny. She is 26 inches tall and in the 95th percentile for height. But she is 12 lbs 14oz., which is hovering between 25th and 50th percentile for weight. When you combine the two, she is off the chart...lower than the 25th percentile line.

She needs to eat more, but she has trouble eating more than 4 ounces at a time. We're going to try to gradually increase the amount because we need to stretch her tummy. She really needs to put on some more weight.

Z also had her shots. The first was droplets in the mouth...she didn't like that. But as she was figuring out what had just happened in her mouth, they gave her the injections in her legs. She only screamed for about 10 seconds, and then she was fine. Seriously! I was really proud of her.

But now she's sleeping soundly from all the drama this morning, so I should get some work in while I can.

Teething...

2008-10-02T10:22:00.001-07:00

Well my intuitions were correct...she's definitely teething. I've noticed for the past month that she is drooling a lot and sucking on her hands. Yesterday that turned into knawing on her hands and anything else she could get ahold of.

I've been giving her the homeopathic teething tablets mixed into her formula for the past month. I can't tell if they help or not. I rubbed some Baby Orajel on her gums and she wasn't a fan. She hasn't quite mastered grasping objects yet, so you have to put the teether in her mouth, but she's not interested. So I tried beef jerky last night (suggested by one of my co-workers). She loved that! Couldn't get enough!

That explains why she hasn't been sleeping through the night this week. She's up every 2-3 hours and then it takes another hour to get her back to sleep. Last night she got me up at 5:00 am, and we stayed up until I had to get ready for work. I should invest in Starbucks considering my daily coffee has been a Venti for the last week.

If you know of some other remedies/teething objects, let me know! But for now it's drool and lack of sleep for me! And just when she was starting to sleep through the night...figures!

Camera found!

2008-10-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

After tearing apart the car and looking in every bag, nook and cranny...I found the camera in my laptop bag! Yay! I'll send out pictures tonight!

Missing camera...

2008-09-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

I had it this weekend at the wedding. And the last place I remember taking photos is in the back of the car on Sunday evening. But now I can't find the damn thing. I've looked in the car, but I can't really see that well. I'll keep looking, but until it is found, I won't be sending any new photos. Sorry.

Dancing Queen...

2008-09-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie loves Dancing with the Stars! I love this show (although I'm not impressed with the celebrities this season). Last night we were watching it as I was feeding her. Every time they were dancing I pulled the bottle away so I could watch. I looked over at Z and she had a great big smile on her face and was bopping her head. She did this every time they danced. It was really cute.

I ended up putting her in the bouncer in front of the TV so I could cook dinner. She was totally in awe! I need to record all the episodes so I can use them to keep her occupied. I actually think it's the music she likes. And I don't mind it either!

Why can't I find a 9 month sleeper?

2008-09-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've searched high and low! I'm looking for the Carter's fleece sleepers like they have on sale at Costco. The 6 month fit her well right now, but in another month they'll probably be too tight. I've looked at 2 Costco's and a Fred Meyer and I can't find any 9 month sleepers. It's like someone has gone to every store in the area and bought them all. I can only find 6 month, 12 month, 18, 2T, 3T and 4T.

I've also looked at the Carter's outlet. Their sizes start at 12 months. Weird huh? The same exact ones are at Costco, but come in the smaller sizes.

Now I'm looking for a specific kind. They are the fleece footed sleepers, with the elastic on the back of the ankle. If you happen to go to your local Costco, could you please take a look for me? I also think Kohl's carries the Carter's line, but there isn't a Kohl's near us.

New developments...

2008-09-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie is a smiling machine. All smiles, all the time. The only time she doesn't smile is when she is screaming at the top of her lungs because she is tired (that's new too).

She has also discovered her hands...and they went straight into her mouth. I'm really not sure what to do. When we give her a bath, she puts her hands in the soapy water and then right into her mouth. I figure it's the only way she'll learn that soap is not tasty.

She's been babbling more and talking to herself. It's really cute, but sometimes you don't know if she's content or if she's trying to get your attention.

She is also standing a lot more. She can hold her own weight for a few minutes. She still hates tummy time and refuses to push herself up when on the floor. We think she may be one of those babies that skip the crawling and go straight for the walking.

She is still trying to master rolling over. She rolls from her back to her front. Usually on the left side. Her arms get stuck underneath her and after a few minutes of squirming around she can get them out. I haven't seen her roll from her front to her back yet.

We still haven't quite gotten her out of our bed. She sleeps the first half of the night in the crib, and the second half with us. She is learning to self soothe however. We'll lay her down on the couch or playpen, and she'll play with her hands until she falls asleep. Hopefully we'll have our bed back soon, and I won't have to worry about rolling on top of her.

Where have I been?

2008-09-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

This morning I got an email from Parents.com. It said "Your Baby - Week 14". I thought to myself, "she's not 14 weeks"...then I counted it on a calendar. I was wrong; she'll be 14 weeks tomorrow. I swear, the last few weeks have flown by and I just can't keep up.

Rock 'n Roll...

2008-09-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

Brian gave me a day off on Sunday. My cousin Allie is in town from Nicaragua, and we had a girls day at the salon, followed by some shopping and a salmon dinner at my uncle's house.

So that meant Mackenzie was with Brian. He laid her down on the couch in her boppy so he could go make a bottle. Well, she fell off the couch and landed on the floor (she was fine). Apparently she scooted down the couch and fell feet first, but landed on her front side.

Last night I put her on the couch in the boppy so I could make a bottle, but I was smart and moved our padded leather ottoman up next to the couch. I came back a few minutes later and there she was. She had rolled off the couch, and was now face down on the ottoman.

I'm glad she's rolling over more, but that just means soon she'll be crawling and walking. We'll need to keep an extra hand and eye on her from now on.

Growing well...

2008-09-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

We went back to the pediatrician on Friday to make sure Mackenzie was again gaining weight. She is now 11 lbs. 12 oz, and 26 inches long!!! She's gained just over a half a pound since her 2 month appointment. It's not a huge gain, but as long as it's going up there's nothing to worry about.

We think she's going through a growth spurt right now. She has been eating more than normal and sleeping a lot. Hopefully by her 4 month appointment she'll have packed on some pounds.

I knew this day would come...

2008-09-02T18:09:00.001-07:00

When I was leaving the office this afternoon I called Brian to see if I needed to pick up something for dinner. Here is our conversation...

K: I'm on my way home, do you want me to pick something up for dinner?
B: Sure, but I'm not home right now.

K: Where are you?
B: I'm in Orting.

K: What are you doing in Orting?
B: I'm fishing.

K: Where's Mackenzie?
B: She's with me.

K: What?
B: She's in the front carrier. She's really content.

I knew it would happen one day. I bet it was really a sight to see; a big guy, with a baby strapped onto his front while fishing. Ha ha ha...wish someone would have taken a picture for me.

Stop growing!

2008-08-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

The other night on our way home from Oregon, Mackenzie spit up all over herself. Not a big deal. My cousin Sarah had given us some hand me downs, so I threw on one of the sleepers to keep her warm, since we didn't bring warm clothes with us. The sleeper was 6-9 month in size, and it was almost too small in length.

So when we got home I pulled out the bins of 3-6 month clothes. I took out all the sleepers and threw them in the wash.

Last night after her bath, I grabbed one of the 3-6 month sleepers to put on her. It happened to be a really nice one that we received as a gift. I had been looking forward ever since to put her in it because it was so stinkin' cute.

IT DIDN'T FIT HER!!! It's too small!!! I was so pissed!

I hope she can fit some of the others she has. Otherwise it looks like I'll have to break out the 6-9 month ones...and I don't think I have any thin ones, only fleece for the winter. Another problem is that she is so skinny that she almost comes out the neck. I may just have to cut the feet off the ones we have.

On the bright side...it's an excuse to go shopping and there will be some good deals this coming weekend.

Our little wild woman...

2008-08-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie officially rolled over for the first time yesterday. If you recall, she rolled over back in June, but I think it was a fluke. This time she did it with purpose.

I laid her down on her back to get ready for tummy time. I noticed she was starting to roll to her left, so I tried to help her. She got stuck on her side and went back to laying on her back. Then she rolled to her right and managed to make it to her tummy. Her right arm was stuck underneath her, but she'll figure it out eventually.

We're so proud! But you know what that means...we can't leave her unattended anymore. Soon she'll be rolling all over the place.

So far so good...

2008-08-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

Wanted to give you all an update on Mackenzie...

She hasn't vomited up the new formula...yet. She seems to be doing much better. Her soft spot is back to normal. Because it's been so hot the last few days, we're still giving her some pedialite to make sure she doesn't get dehydrated.

From bad to worse...

2008-08-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

I work from home on Fridays. She finally had a soft stool that morning, but she was still not feeling well. She wasn't eating very much, only an ounce every few hours. And during tummy time, she just laid there.

At about 3:00, I got her to take 4 ounces (her usual amount during a feeding). It all came back up again. This time it was the soy formula. After we got her (and myself) cleaned up, I fed her 2 ounces of pedialite because I didn't want her to get dehydrated.

We ended up feeding her the AR again around 5:00, since it's the only thing she's kept down in weeks.

At 8:00 I gave her a bath and then a bottle of the soy again. She got down 1.5 ounces before vomiting it all up again. I also had noticed during her bath that her soft spot on the top of her head was indented, a sign of dehydration. I called the pediatrician and rushed her over to their evening clinic.

They weighed her and she's only gained 2 ounces in 10 days...not good. They listened to her tummy and checked her to see if the problem was something else. The nurse told me I was doing everything right.

She gave us another formula to try; this one is Enfamil Gentlease. We're going to try this one and if she is still having trouble we're going to have to switch her to the Nutramigen (aka the REALLY expensive stuff).

We're also to watch her really closely, as her symptoms are similar to those of a baby that has Pyloric Stenosis. Unfortunately all of our feeding problems began around 6-8 weeks, the same time that this problem begins to show in infants. If that is what she has, the solution is surgery. I don't know if I could handle that.

So last night we fed her more pedialite to help rehydrate her. This morning we tried the new formula and so far so good. We're only giving her 1-2 ounces ever few hours, but that seems to be all she wants anyways.

I feel so bad that she's constantly sick, but we're doing all we can for her. Poor baby...

Spoke too soon...

2008-08-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

She's not feeling good again. She's been REALLY constipated for 5 days now, and this morning she vomited on Brian. She also wouldn't eat this morning, so I know she doesn't feel good.

I feel so bad. Her cry sounds different, as if she's in pain. And she has this uncomfortable look on her face to go along with it. It's hard to see your child in pain.

We think that the problem is Whey protein. It's been in every formula, except for the Enfamil AR. Apparently the rice is infamous for constipation. We had been adding the apple juice solution to help with the constipation, but it doesn't seem to be working. I bought a Soy formula to try that doesn't have Whey (or rice). Hopefully this one will work.

New baby...

2008-08-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

I think we found it! We've been giving her Enfamil A.R. (added rice) formula since late last week. She's doing great on this formula! The added rice is to make the formula thicker to help keep it down.

She's honestly an entirely different baby! She's smiling all the time now. She's coo-ing (talking) and her toys are entertaining her more. I know she feels 110% better.

Cutest thing...

2008-08-07T15:58:00.001-07:00

I brought Mackenzie in to work with me today. Brian went golfing with some friends this morning, but he wasn't going to be able to meet me back home in time for me to make it to my 1:00 meeting. So I brought her in with me to make the transfer at my office.

My co-workers love her! They always fight over who gets to hold her. Plus she likes strangers and new scenery.

Brian came in the office to pick her up and when he was walking out with the car seat my co-worker Jenn said, "bye Mackenzie". Mackenzie lifted up her arm as to wave good-bye. It was so cute!

Obviously she is too young to know what she was doing, but then we walked by my other co-worker LeAnn and she said "bye Mackenzie", and Mackenzie raised up her hand again. It was so adorable!

Happy 2 month birthday...

2008-08-06T11:00:00.001-07:00

Mackenzie turned 2 months yesterday. We had her 2 month doctor appointment. She now weighs 11 lbs. 1 oz. and is 23 inches long. She is average weight, but above average height, so she is still long and skinny (although she's starting to get baby fat on her thighs).

The NP put Mack on her tummy to see her do tummy time. Mack was pushing and kicking her legs, but wouldn't push up with her arms. She was pushing herself around in a circle. It was pretty funny.

We had a few more vomiting issues this past weekend. Of course each time she gets it all on me. She's not constipated anymore, but her tummy hurts. She's only taking 1 oz. at a time (usually takes 2-4 oz.). The NP wants us to stick with the Nestle Good Start for now. She needs some time to get used to it. I hope it all works itself out, but if we're still having issues in 2 weeks they're going to re-evaluate her.

Besides all that I've started back at work this week. I'm only working a few hours a day, and a few days at home. I'll do this until we get a handle on things at home. When I do go back full-time, I'm still going to be able to do a few days at home, so we should be able to work our schedules out so we won't need day care.

Feeling better...

2008-08-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie is doing much better. She is finally taking more than 2 oz. at a time, and she's not constipated anymore (good for her, not for me). She also slept 7.5 hours last night!

Today Mackenzie and I went to Babies-R-Us for their Super Friday Sale. I was walking by the photo center when they asked if we wanted a free 5x7. Sure!

They took these 2 photos. They were so cute, I had to buy the other! So these are her 8 week photos. Let me know if you want copies; I can order some. Enjoy!

Tummy ache...

2008-07-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, lately Mackenzie has been really constipated. The pediatrician has us giving her diluted apple juice twice a day to help relieve it. It's helping a little, but not quick enough if you ask me. We also switched to Similac Sensitive formula.

She'd been really fussy for the last 24 hours, and we were trying to get her down for her afternoon nap. Brian fed her 2 ounces and I was feeding her the next 2 ounces. Our trick is to feed her the 1st 2 ounces normally, and then for the 2nd 2 ounces, we swaddle her really tight in a blanket, and feed her warm formula. It usually works like a charm.

Everything seemed normal and she was almost asleep. Next thing I knew she had projectile vomited all over her blanket, me, the recliner, and the carpet. Literally all 4 ounces came out.

We're not really sure what happened, but I called the pediatrician and they instructed us to come in right away.

They checked her out to make sure there wasn't something else wrong like a sore throat or ear infection. Everything seems OK. They think because she is constipated she isn't eating very much (about 2 oz. every few hours - usually 4-6 oz.). So when we got 4 oz. in her, it upset her tummy and came back out.

To aleviate the constipation, they gave us another formula to try...Nestle Good Start. They've seen success with it relieving constipation although it's not specifically made for that - there isn't a formula made for that. Hopefully this does the trick.

I'll make sure to mark this day in her baby book as the first day she ever threw up on me.

Week of firsts...

2008-07-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we hiked the Sunrise Nature Trail at Mt. Rainer. It was Mackenzie's first hike. Not that she did much; she slept the entire time. But she has been really fussy lately, so we were really pleased that she slept the entire time.

Yesterday, she also rolled from her back to her stomach for the first time. I don't think it was on purpose, but I laid her down on the couch, turned around to pick something off the floor, and when I turned back around she had rolled over and was now laying on her stomach. Guess it's time to tie her down.

Pain at the pump...

2008-07-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

I've decided to stop pumping and feeding Mackenzie breast milk. This decision doesn't come easily. I spoke with her pediatrician and they said the first month is the most crucial period to feed breast milk. They said since I'm not producing enough to keep up with the demand, we've fed it to her for the first 6 weeks, and we're already supplementing with formula, it's up to me if I want to stop.

So I stopped earlier this week and have been adding 3 hours to every pumping session to wean myself gradually. For instance I pumped at 3 hours, then 6 hours, then 9 hours, etc. At this moment I haven't pumped for 35 hours. The pain isn't as bad as the engorgement period I went through after she was born, but I'm sure the worst is still to come.

I had my 6 week postpartum appointment yesterday. Everything is great! I've received the green light to resume all normal activity. I've also started birth control. There is a chance that my system is back to normal and we won't have the infertility problems we did before. I need to go on birth control because we don't want to risk getting pregnant (since it could happen).

Everything is good with Mackenzie. She is sleeping for longer periods, especially at night, but that also means she is awake for more of the day. This is particularly frustrating right now because she's isn't entertained by any of the "toys" we've gotten her...not even the bouncy seat. She just wants to be held at all hours, which is not practical. Hopefully she grows out of this phase soon...my arms are killing me.

Turning a corner...

2008-07-14T12:09:00.001-07:00

Hopefully this post doesn't jinx this...

The other night she slept for 6 hours!!! Actually she slept for 5 hours, woke up for a feeding, and then slept another 6 hours! It was wonderful!

But then last night she slept 4 hours (after sleeping almost all day), and then was REALLY fussy for 2 hours at 4 am. Brian ended up putting her in the crib and letting her cry it out (don't worry we had the monitor on). She ended up falling asleep, but it was the first time she slept in her crib. We liked it...maybe we'll start putting her in there now that she is sleeping for longer periods.

Today, she's had been fussy all morning and both of us were fed up. She was tired, but just wouldn't fall asleep. I put on the Baby Bjorn (front carrier), and we stuck her in it while I cleaned the house. Up to this point she's hated the bjorn (and all other carriers we own). But this time she fell asleep in about 15 minutes. I did dishes and even vacuumed the living room. It was wonderful!

Hopefully this keeps up. Brian goes back to work on Friday, and I start working part-time from home at the beginning of August.

1-month doctor appointment...

2008-07-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie had her 1-month pediatrician appointment yesterday. She is now 9 lbs. 4.5 oz, and 22.5 inches long. Her weight is right in the middle at the 50th percentile, but her height is 76th percentile. She's skinny for her length, but since she's gaining weight very well they're not concerned.

The NP gave us some formula for sensitive tummies to see if it helps with her gas and fussiness (she has a lot of gas first thing in the morning). We decided to feed her only the sensitive formula for 24-hours to see if it helps. So far it's helped a little, but I don't know if it's enough to switch formulas. Best thing...I've had time to create a surplus of breastmilk.

She's been very alert and calm all week. We got a 6 hour stretch of sleep out of her yesterday, but just when you think "yay, she's sleeping 6-hours at a time", she starts waking up every 2-hours... oh, there she is now... got to run.

The photo was taken by my mom when we were camping.

One month old...

2008-07-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a long weekend in Oregon. We visited the Columbia River Gorge, went camping at Detroit Lake and stopped in Hillsboro to visit Grandpa Terry.

Mackenzie turned 1 month on July 5th. She is now eating 4-5 oz. per feeding and sleeping 4-6 hours at a time. She is VERY alert; always looking around. Her arms are always swinging around and grasping at faces and hands. And she is starting to hold her head up for longer periods.

Diapers are a whole other story. I've bought 400 more newborn size diapers in the last week. The next size up are way too big! She has already gone through 100+. The girl screams at the first sign of a dirty diaper! She's definitely not a "green" baby.

We think she's weighing just over 9 lbs. now, and it seems as if she's grown a little longer as well. We have her 1 month check-up at the doctor's office on Wednesday; we'll find out more then.

Ahoy matey!

2008-06-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie had her first boat ride this weekend. Saturday we drove up to Anacortes to catch the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. There we met up with Brian's parents on their sail boat.

Sunday we sailed back from Friday Harbor to Anacortes. Mackenzie slept the entire way! As soon as the engines turned on to get us out of the harbor she fell asleep. And as soon as the engines turned off when we were docking in Anacortes, she woke up. Silly girl.

We fed her before leaving and she slept another 6 hours!

In other news, Mackenzie gave me a special birthday present this morning. She finally went #2 this morning (it had been 24 hours since the last). When I was changing her diaper, she continued to poop. It took me 10 wipes before the situation was under control!

Ten minutes later, she decided to go #2 again. I brought her into the nursery and laid her on the changing pad. I was almost done cleaning her up when she shot it out 18 inches!!! It went all over the waterproof changing cover, the fancy changing pad, the dresser, and landed on the carpet. Luckily I was able to move out of the way! I had to wake Brian up to help me.

Thanks for the birthday present Mackenzie!

The ugly chair...

2008-06-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

Jeff & Shannon gave us this chair back in November right after we found out I was pregnant. Shannon told me, "I know it's the ugliest thing you've ever seen, but for some reason Alexa (their daughter) loved this chair." We stored it away in the garage, and didn't look at it again until the end of May.

Brian and I both agree it's ugly, but I was more concerned that it only "vibrated", and didn't "bounce". So we decided to get Mackenzie a "bouncer".

We looked everywhere for one that we both liked and had great reviews from other parents. We ended up ordering one online called the "Playful Puppy". It's designed for larger infants (that was back when we thought she was huge), and the "doggy" on the toy bar moves when the hanging toys are kicked. It got great reviews from parents.

It arrived shortly after she was born. I put it together hoping she would like the soothing vibrations and bouncing. Well...she hates it (so far).

The other day she was screaming bloody murder, when I remembered that we still had the ugly chair. I had Brian go get it and we put her in... immediately she calmed down. It just figures... Now she is starting to swing her arms at the hanging toys.

I think the difference is that the ugly chair has more support, so she sits up in it more than the bouncy chair. Hopefully she'll take to the bouncer at some point, but it just goes to show...the uglier the better.

Mackenzie's 1st Road Trip...

2008-06-23T14:30:00.001-07:00

We decided to make a quick trip down to Oregon on Saturday, so Mackenzie could meet my Grandma Almero.

Friday night we didn't get much sleep, so we left a little later than we would have liked on Saturday morning. She did really well; only stopping in Woodland for a quick diaper change.

Almost all of my family came to meet her (if they hadn't already). We even utilized this time for free baby sitting (Brian and I ran out to grab strawberry shortcake at EZ Orchards, and run to Target). And Brian even managed to get in a nap.

We decided to drive back home Saturday night instead of staying in Portland. We stopped in Vancouver to grab a bite to eat, and ended up being there for an hour after changing, feeding, changing again, eating dinner and refueling. I started to second guess our decision to drive all the way home. Brian pointed out that this is our life now...a quick trip to Oregon is not "quick" anymore.

Thank god she slept the rest of the way. We ended up getting home at 11:30, and we all crashed out for the night. It was a long day.

Lil' devil...

2008-06-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Brian and I take shifts for sleeping. He takes the 1st shift and I take the 2nd. It's been working out really well and we're both getting at least 6 hours a night.

He's always telling me that she cries and is fussy between 10 and midnight. A few times I've woken up to her crying during his shift. I just pick her up and she's out. It's very frustrating to Brian. I'm just like, "it must be something you're doing."

Well last night I experienced it for myself. I woke her up at 4 am to feed because it had been 4 hours. That was my first problem...seriously never wake a sleeping baby. It took her an hour to eat because she was half asleep and I was trying to burp her every 1/2 ounce.

Then between the hours of 5 and 6 AM, she was so fussy and wouldn't calm down! I even took the time to put her in the car seat and took her for a drive! I was falling asleep, so I rushed back home.

I ended up waking Brian up on the verge of tears. He took her and 5 minutes later she was sleeping. Now I know how he feels.

On top of all that, Brian and I ended up sleeping until 10 am, and she didn't wake up until 11 am. We pretty much wasted our day away, but she slept 5 hours straight!!!

Smiles...

2008-06-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

She's starting to smile...sort of. When she's falling asleep she begins this cheek twitching thing. First the left side and then the right. She eventually does both, which resembles a smile. I was finally able to catch it with the camera!

We had our week 2 pediatrician appointment today. When we left the hospital, she had lost 8% of her body weight to be 7 lbs 2 oz. She is now 7 lbs 7 oz! That's great! She hasn't grown in length, but her head is slightly bigger than before.

We're starting to get into a rhythm now. I go to bed at 8 or 9, and Brian stays up with her for the next feeding. He then puts her in bed with me and I take the late night feedings. That way I'm getting at least 4 hours of sleep in a row. I really feel the difference. I also nap with her for a few hours during the day. I think Brian has the better end of this deal, where he gets at least 6 hours of sleep in a row. But I'm better at functioning during the night than he is.

We did nothing for Father's Day. I basically watched her all day so he could get stuff done around the house and watch the US Open. He's so good with her. Such a great father already!

First Week Adventures...

2008-06-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie was one week old yesterday. I took this photo of her and plan to take one every week so we can see how much she is growing. My cousin-in-law, Heather, did this with their daughter and it was so neat to see her grow. I'll add the new one each week to a slide show on the side bar.

In other news...the stump is gone! She lost her umbilical cord on Wednesday night. Earlier in the evening she peed on herself while we were lifting her butt to clean her poopy diaper. Pee went all over her cord. I noticed it was hanging on by a thread. For the rest of the night I watched her closely as she kept "almost" pulling it right off. Then later in the evening I was changing her diaper (again), and picked her up to move her. Next thing I knew it wasn't there anymore and instead was laying on the floor. It's so nice now that it's gone.

Also here's a picture with a funny story. It was early Thursday morning and she was sleeping in her pack 'n play bassinet. I had the music and vibration on. I fell asleep on the couch, and Brian was at physical therapy for his neck. He came home and woke me up. I asked him to turn back on the music, as it had just ended. This is what he saw. He thought it was really funny.

Lies, all lies...

2008-06-11T16:28:00.001-07:00

I've only been a mom for just under a week. And although I'm sure there's more of this to come, I wanted to share with you some of our experiences of falsities that we're experiencing.

Dirty diapers - Have you ever heard...day 1 there will be 1, day 2 there will be 2, day 3, etc.? Let's put it this way...day 1 she had 12, and after 4 days at home, we've gone through almost 50. Same for wipes, we've already gone through and entire pack plus some DOWNSTAIRS. I haven't even been paying attention to the changing area in her nursery. This does account for when she explodes with a poopy diaper and we end up getting it on the clean diaper and having to throw it away (that's happened a few times). Good thing we received SO MANY diapers and wipes for gifts (thanks again!).
Poopy diapers - Yes, the tar is an experience in itself. One thing we've read is that bottle-fed diapers smell much worse than breast-fed diapers. Let me tell you...if that is true, then I'm going to pump FOREVER. We can tell from across the room when she's let one loose. I can't even imagine them smelling any worse.
Breast feeding - If you've never been pregnant and are considering it for the future, let me tell you something that I apparently never heard...YOUR BOOBS WILL FEEL LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO EXPLODE. I thought my boobs really hurt in the 1st trimester, but it's nothing compared to the breast engorgement that happens a few days after you deliver your baby. And pumping only relieves SOME of the pain. Ice and heat work wonders.
Baby blues - Ever heard of it? Well it's true. I'm very emotional. I don't want to be and I feel like I have no control of it. It's like severe PMS. We were watching the Bachelorette the other night and I started balling when a song came on that I liked. I don't know why; I've heard it a million times. Apparently it's due to the decrease in hormones. Well they better hurry up; I don't like it which in turn makes me more emotional.
C-Sections - I was afraid of having it done, especially choosing to have it done like we did. Who wants to purposely have their abdomen cut open? And who am I to decide the birth date? But you know, I think I would do it again. I skipped out on the "labor" part of pregnancy. I wasn't looking forward to it anyways. Plus I was nervous for the "pain". The first day was rough, but they gave me REALLY good drugs in the hospital. Now my incision is healed and I've been getting around great since day 2. I'm really not in much pain from the surgery. I am having bladder spasms, but that's to be expected as it moves back into its original position.

I'm sure there will be more things that we will discover along the way, but I just wanted to share a few with you.

As for Mackenzie, she is doing great. We're still trying to adjust the sleep schedule. She's very alert and is always looking around. She is starting to respond to black and white objects, especially the Whoozit toy that Grandma and Grandpa Harvey and Aunt Angel bought for her. She's constantly swinging her arms at objects and is grabbing at our faces. And she'll follow our voices around the room. She likes the music and vibration modes on her pack 'n play...it puts her to sleep.

Before the birth...

2008-06-10T16:01:00.001-07:00

I had Brian take these photos of me the night before the c-section. I wanted to remember exactly how big I got.

What a week!

2008-06-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

Introducing... Mackenzie Marie Adams

She's finally here! We delivered via c-section on Thursday morning. If you didn't get the email or photos, please email me at pillsnberries@hotmail.com and I can send you a link.

Click Here for Birth Photos

Surgery had some complications. They had to do the spinal block twice. That hurt like hell. Then the spinal block made my blood pressure drop, so they gave me medicine to raise it quickly. That in turn gave me a pounding headache. I was crying and totally distracted by the headache, that I didn't even realize the surgery had started. Next thing I knew they were showing her to me. After they got her out they were able to give me another drug to lower my blood pressure again, and they gave me an anti-anxiety medication to relax me. I just about fell asleep.

Mackenzie is doing really well. Her apgar scores were 8 and 9. She weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and was 19 inches long (although at our pediatrician appointment today she was 20 inches long - we highly doubt she grew an inch in 5 days).

The first day I was in a lot of pain, but that meant really good pain killers. I was up and around on my own that night. The second day was easier, and we were discharged on Saturday afternoon.

We've had a lot of visitors over the past few days and we really appreciate every one's well wishes.

Since we've been home it's been much harder. She is sleeping all day, and up every few hours at night. It's normal and we're trying to adjust her schedule to ours.

She was having a lot of gas (burping and farting) and wouldn't sleep because of it. We came to the realization that she wasn't getting enough milk from breast feeding. We supplemented to formula until my milk to comes in. We've been pumping to help get it going. I think we're going to stick to bottle feeding breast milk (and formula when we run out). I'm not sure how long I'll last with the breast feeding. My boobs hurt like hell.

BTW...why didn't anyone tell me how painful my breast would be?

She got her first bath last night. She was crying the entire time until we washed her hair and then she relaxed...so much she peed on the towel.

Today we had her first pediatrician appointment. Everything is normal. We'll go back next week for a follow-up.

She already has an amazing personality. She does this "ol' one eye" thing where she looks at you with one eye open and her eyebrow raised. She can also hold her head up and her arms are really strong. She also shakes her head "No" when she's done feeding. And she is almost rolling over already. It's obviously not intentional, but a few times she's just about rolled over to her tummy.

I'll post more later to let you all know how we're doing.

Scheduled C-Section

2008-06-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

We had our week 39 appointment today. We're both doing well.

We discussed our options for delivering soon, and specifically if we could induce labor. My OB doesn't recommend a drug induced labor because over 50% of drug induced labors end up in c-sections anyways. It would be easier on me and safer for the baby to just schedule a c-section and avoid any complications that may occur with the drug induced labor.

We could wait it out to see if I actually go into labor, but at this point I'm so uncomfortable and miserable that I want it to get this over with ASAP. Unfortunately the earliest we could schedule the c-section is Thursday morning. I was a little hesitant to schedule the procedure, but now that I've had a few hours to let it sink in, I feel much better about my decision.

I check into the hospital on Thursday, June 5th at 5:30 am for a scheduled c-section at 7:30. The procedure should take about 30 minutes from start to finish. I'll receive a spinal block instead of a epidural. The spinal block should wear off a few hours after the procedure and then I'll be on pain killers.

You should receive the email announcement sometime Thursday morning (that's if I have your email).

As for hospital visitors, we'd appreciate if people waited until Friday to stop by. I will be recovering from the surgery most of the day on Thursday and we would like some time to bond with our baby.

If you would like to stop by on Friday, please give Brian a call on his cell before coming. We don't want to overwhelm Mackenzie or I with visitors, especially if we're in need of some rest. Same goes for visiting us after we are home. Please call before stopping by. Brian's cell # is 425.351.8029.

We're hoping to be discharged from the hospital on Saturday, but it could be Sunday...it all depends on how things go and we just don't know at this point.

So that's it...she'll be here Thursday morning! Keep an eye out for the announcement in your email.

Officially on maternity leave...

2008-06-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

Friday was my last day in the office. It was really surreal to be preparing to be out for a few weeks. Fortunately Brian is still on medical leave for the herniated disc in his neck. He'll be home until at least the end of June, and then he goes back to the doctor to see if he's cleared to return to work. It will be nice to have both of us home for at least the first few weeks. (He's doing much better by the way).

As for me, I've been having lots of cramping this weekend, but no "real" contractions. My body is really "sore". Last night I had to take a bath because I felt as if my legs were completely cramped up. Brian noticed today that I'm not getting around very well. I walk everyday to try to keep up my mobility, but today for some reason I wasn't doing so hot. He said I look like a turtle and move like one too (ha ha ha). My legs are really tired and my low back is really sore...I think it's time for her to come out.

I also took a 3 hour nap on the couch today. We were out looking at vacuums and weed wackers, and we ran home to look up reviews online. I sat down on the couch and the next thing I knew 3 hours had passed since we had got home. Brian said I was out cold, so he took his time.

We have my weekly appointment on Tuesday, although I'm planning on calling tomorrow to schedule to be induced. They may want to wait until they see me again, but she's not getting any smaller at this point, so let's get the show on the road! I want to be able to push her out before our only option is the c-section again.

Keep an eye out for an email about her arrival...

BTW - I can be reached at my personal email while I'm out... pillsnberries@hotmail.com

Week 38 appointment...

2008-05-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

We had our week 38 appointment yesterday. Everything is fine; no contractions. My uterus is measuring REALLY big. My OB told us that although it depends on the measurements we’re taking at the ultrasound, it’s looking more like we’ll have to schedule the c-section for next week. Unfortunately we weren’t able to schedule the ultrasound and appointment on the same day, so we went back to the OB this morning to get her size.

First off, they just upgraded their software on the ultrasound machines and for some reason were unable to give us a percentile for the estimated weight. But according to the measurements she is measuring perfectly. A real surprise since we’ve been so worried that she is way too big (and since I am measuring so big).

Head – measuring at 36 weeks, a little small, but that’s fine by me!
Torso – measuring perfectly at 38 weeks 3 days
Legs – they are LONG, measuring at 41 weeks

So the bottom line…we don’t need to schedule a c-section!!! We can schedule one if we want her out soon (a.k.a. if I can’t take it anymore), but it's up to us and not medically necessary. We've decided to wait it out a little longer.

As for Mackenzie, she is very long, which explains her increased weight and my large uterus size. Obviously the long legs aren’t from my side of the family, but I’ll take it (and her small head) any day.

A weight has definitely been lifted off our shoulders. So, I’ll keep doing the acupuncture, and hopefully we’ll still be able to safely push her out...soon.

No news (in this case) is not good news...

2008-05-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Nothing, nada. No baby yet. She's is really comfortable in there and just doesn't want to come out. I've been exhausted the last few days, finding myself taking long naps in the middle of the day.

I've also been doing A LOT of walking. I'll go to the mall when it opens in the morning and walk around for an hour or so. I get cramping and some sharp pains, but it has yet to result in major contractions. It's very frustrating.

The acupuncture on Thursday went well. I've done it before, so I knew what to expect. It doesn't hurt. Unfortunately it is more effective between weeks 39 and 41, but that just means we may have to try more than once. I have another appointment today, so we'll see how that goes.

I also have my weekly OB appointment today and another ultrasound tomorrow. Depending on her size, we'll decide if and when we're scheduling a c-section. This week she should be more than 8 lbs (and believe me, I can feel it). I'll let you all know what happens.

Also, just an FYI (mostly because we get so many daily phone calls asking if she's here) we have setup a mass email to notify everyone when she arrives. I've delegated this to someone, so you'll find out soon after she finally arrives. So if you haven't received it, most likely she's still in there.

Acupuncture...why not?

2008-05-21T21:17:00.001-07:00

I tried acupuncture back when we were going through our infertility treatments. Obviously something worked, but it's hard to say if it was one thing over the next. Brian has been going to the acupuncturist to treat his neck and shoulder and he seems to think it's really been helping with the pain and inflammation.

After my massage this afternoon (still having cramps in my ass), I was asked if I wanted to try acupuncture to induce labor. I had thought about it before, but I didn't think that it was an option until I was past my due date...apparently not.

I called my OB and she gave me the green light to give it a try. I scheduled my appointment for tomorrow afternoon. I'm so excited!

The acupuncturist said it typically takes 24-48 hours for any type of reaction. Hopefully it works. I figure it can't hurt...plus it's covered by our insurance.

Week 37 appointment...

2008-05-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing new... both our vitals look good. I have been having really sharp pains in my back, but they're not registering as contractions on the monitor. My doctor says it's a good sign that something is happening, and we're ready for her to come at any time now.

We scheduled another ultrasound for next Wednesday to measure her size again. We're really cutting it close. If she weighs above 4000 grams (8.8 lbs) at the ultrasound, we'll schedule a c-section for week 39 (approximately June 2nd).

In the meantime we're trying everything to get things going on their own. We've tried walking, skipping, spicy foods (including mouth fulls of wasabi), acupressure and some good ol' hanky panky. My doctor also recommended raspberry leaf tea, eggplant and lobster (that's on the menu for dinner tomorrow night).

If you know of any other tricks to jump start contractions, please, please, please let me know (except for drinking castor oil - I won't do it)!

Not a preemie anymore...

2008-05-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Well she’s full-term. That just means she’s not considered a preemie anymore. All I really care about is that she comes out soon. I just want my body back (not that it was something to brag about to begin with).

I’ve been having a lot of cramping this weekend (hopefully a sign of things to come). Yesterday, I started having contractions when we got back from the Puyallup Farmer’s Market. They started happening about every 10 minutes, and then after the 4th one, they trailed off to be 15 minutes, 25 minutes, and then eventually went away. We went to a nearby nursery to walk and look at plants, hoping they would come back, but they didn’t.

In other news, I made a Hooter Hider this weekend (trying to find stuff to keep me occupied). I attempted to buy one on eBay, but just figured for the price plus shipping, I could make my own out of fabric I really like.

It ended up pretty good if you ask me. I added terry cloth pockets on the inside to wipe her mouth and to store pacifiers or nursing pads. With the extra material, I made a carry pouch. I still have some fabric left over, so I’m going to make matching burp cloths and a changing pad tonight. It's only cost me $16 for fabric and supplies.

We have my weekly check-up tomorrow. I promise to let you all know when something happens.

Week 36 appointment…

2008-05-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

She has A LOT of hair! They can see it on the ultrasound. She is head down, and still facing my left side. She has an arm above her head (which explains why I feel like she’s punching my hip).

Her head measures perfectly for week 36 (thank god!). Her belly is measuring at a week 37 size, and her legs are at a week 38.5 size. She’s got long legs!

Our little one is weighing in at approximately 7 lbs. 1 oz., which is in the 85th percentile. She’s a pound more than she should be right now. She’ll be gaining a half a pound each week until she’s born. That means if I were to make it until week 40, she’d be just over 9 lbs. At that size I would more than likely have a c-section. Her shoulders are the widest part and there can be nerve damage if we try to push her out. Hopefully she comes soon at a size I can still push out!

During our monitoring, I was having contractions. They hurt worse than when we were in the hospital a few weeks ago. On top of all that, my bladder was really full and I was afraid she was going to kick me and I’d explode! I had to have Brian go get the nurse because I was so uncomfortable.

The monitor only measures the time between the contractions, not the strength of the contractions. My doctor examined me and said I was NOT dilating. The contractions were happening about every 15-17 minutes, but we want them to be more like 5 minutes apart. She said the contractions are a good sign that it may happen within the next week. But it’s not an exact science, so my water could break any day or I could go another 2 weeks… you just never know.

I have decided, however, that I will definitely be having an epidural. Yesterday, my contractions were so strong that I was in serious pain (almost to tears). Just think, I wasn’t even dilating; I can’t even imagine how much worse they’re going to get…and I’m not about to find out. I want to be able to remember her birth and not the pain.

Bottle rip-off...

2008-05-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

So you all know that we are switching to glass and/or BPA-free plastic bottles. We've chosen the Dr. Brown's bottles because of the reviews and recommendations from friends. Apparently they really help with gas and colic.

We bought some of Dr. Brown's glass bottles a few weeks back 2 for $12.99 (not the least expensive, but not the most expensive). We bought 2 packages of the small bottles.

Last week I found some of the new polypropelene bottles at Babies-R-Us and snatched them up. They are 8 oz. bottles and came in single packs for $4.99 each. Who knows if we'll ever be able to find them again.

Well I was on Amazon.com today, and they are selling a 3-pack of the Dr. Brown's polypropelene bottles for $59.99! Are you kidding me? I really hope people are not paying that much for these bottles.

So if you have friends facing the same issue, please tell them to avoid buying bottles online. I know there is a delay with the release of the Dr. Brown's polypropelene bottles, but I have seen the glass bottles at a number of different stores.

Companies are obviously price gouging these bottles and trying to take advantage of concerned parents and a potentially serious situation.

Have you seen my contractions?

2008-05-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Well no baby yet. I haven’t even had any contractions. I’m really uncomfortable; can’t even sit without some part of my body going numb. And lying down is even worse.

It feels like she has dropped lower, as it is easier to breathe today. Her new thing is to press on my belly button, my right hip, and my lower back all at once. I definitely won't miss any of that.

Last night she kept punching my large intestine. Each time I would fart. As gross as it sounds, it was actually quite funny.

We have another ultrasound tomorrow. They’ll let us know just how big she is (I’m guessing about 7.5 lbs). Last time she was measured (4 weeks ago) she was 4.75 lbs and in the 76th percentile. We’re just hoping she’s not in 90’s this time…that wouldn’t be good. They are concerned that if she gets to 4000 grams (approximately 8.8 lbs), we’ll have to schedule a c-section for the first of June (unless she decides to come sooner).

In other news, Brian has a herniated disc in his neck. His MRI last week confirmed it. It explains so much, including the numbness down his arm. He will be off work for at least 6 weeks. Hopefully she arrives soon, and we’ll both be home to take care of her.

We’ll let you know how the appointment goes tomorrow...

Look right...photos of Mackenzie's nursery

2008-05-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

I've finally gotten around to taking pictures of her nursery. We just bought the last item on Sunday (the shelf from Land of Nod). I'm finished now. I don't want to do anything else to it...well I might hang the quilt on the wall next to the crib, but I'm too tired right now.

Here's the link to bigger photos: CLICK HERE

Her are some of the details:

The glider came with an ottoman. We bought off craigslist and it was already upholstered in pink and green. I just added a new coat of paint.
The drapes were made from a shower curtain and hung with green ribbon. The rod was from our old curtains in the dining room.
The lamp and little side table are both from Target. The lamp is actually a touch lamp with 3 light settings...I love it!
The dresser is from IKEA. We got it on sale! Her drawers are stuffed with clothes and gear (and you thought the closet was full), and all the drawers are labeled (so Brian knows where to put her stuff).
The frames above the dresser I got a few years ago on clearance. I spray painted them white and added some scrapbook paper. After she arrives, I'm going to put in her handprint, her footprint and her hospital bracelet.
The shelf is from Land of Nod. I looked at other shelves, but really wanted something that I could hang her jackets and towels on. Brian actually picked it out!
The crib is from Baby's Dream. It will convert to a toddler bed and then to head/foot boards for a twin size bed.
The bedding is from Pottery Barn Kids. I actually only got the bumper and quilt. The skirt is Carter's and the sheet is a plush sheet I received as a shower gift.
The swing is a hand-me-down from Shannon and Jeff. We are planning to put in the living room, but it looks nice here for the time being.
The sign above the closet I bought at Babies-R-Us. It pretty much sums everything up.
I made the "You wake her, you take her" sign on the door. I used a piece of wood, then decoupaged a piece of scrapbook paper to it. I added the lettering (stickers) and then another coat of glue to seal it off. Then added the pink ribbon and put the felt stickers to the back of the sign so it wouldn't make to much noise when you shut the door.

Hope you enjoy the photos!

Sunday is the day...

2008-05-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

Had our week 35 appointment today. Vital signs for both Mackenzie and I look good. Brian came along too and we had a HUGE list of questions for my doctor.

We wanted to know if we absolutely have to come off the contraction stopping medication on Sunday. She said we didn't, but they are concerned that Mackenzie is getting big (the doctor doesn't even tell me anymore that my belly measures big - that can't be good).

She recommends stopping the medication as soon as possible because the bigger the baby gets, the higher the chance of needing assistance and possibly a c-section. She informed us that they do not use forceps anymore, and because she is big they will not use the vacuum to help her come out. It's either I push her out or a c-section.

We also talked about our pitocin and epidural concerns. We let her know that I'm not completely opposed to either, but I would rather not use them unless absolutely necessary. She noted our preferences in my chart. Obviously I can change my mind later, especially since I've never experienced labor before and it will probably be more pain than I can handle.

In addition to all this, I asked my doctor about some sharp pains I've been having "down there", and she said it's from her head pushing on my cervix. That scared the crap out of me. Looks like it might be soon after we stop the meds on Sunday.

Next Tuesday we have another appointment and an ultrasound to measure her. Hopefully she's still a reasonable size that I can push out...that's if I can make it to next Tuesday.

The Business of Being Born...

2008-05-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Once again we found ourselves watching another documentary on birthing. This is a new one called The Business of Being Born.

It’s not like the other documentaries we’ve been watching. This documentary overviews the history of maternity services in hospitals and midwives. It makes a correlation of mother/baby death rates in other countries (where midwives and home births are more prominent) to that of the US (where women mostly use OB/GYNs and have hospital births). It also discusses the alarming increase in the rate of c-sections in the US (1 in 3 women).

I found it upsetting from issues like insurance companies not covering midwife services, the use of drugs during labor, unnecessary labor interventions, etc. I got really pissed off.

One point they made was that Hospitals are delivering maternity services like it’s a drive thru. Hospitals routinely use the drug Pitocin to speed up the labor process (get you in and out faster).
Pitocin makes the labor contractions stronger and longer. Then the woman can’t tolerate the pain, so she gets an Epidural. The Epidural in turn slows the contractions, so then the mother is given more Pitocin. All of which deprives the baby of oxygen. The baby then goes into distress, and the doctor decides the mother needs an emergency c-section. Then the doctor is like “wow, we just saved the baby" when really that could have completely be avoided if the drug intervention wasn’t given in the first place.

I'm not saying that all deliveries are this way, sometimes medical intervention is necessary. But is intervention really necessary in the majority of these cases? How does the use of these drugs correlate to the increasing numbers of c-sections? Really...take a step back and look at the big picture.

Unfortunately because of our situation, we have to deliver in the hospital. Due to the gestational diabetes, Mackenzie will have to be closely monitored after I deliver for potential problems related to the disease.

I love my doctor and wouldn’t want to change that anyways. However, we will be modifying our birth plan. We want to avoid the use of Pitocin, and any other drug used to speed up labor, unless it is absolutely necessary. I also want to avoid a c-section at all costs (that's becuase of the last documentary). I’m still planning on having an epidural, but I’m going to try to wait as long as possible for it (I’m tough and stubborn, I can do it).

As for the documentary, I highly recommend watching it, especially if you are planning to have another child or eventually start a family. If you have a Netflix subscription, you can watch it instantly on your computer.

Get out! Get out!

2008-05-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

We rented a DVD called “Bringing Baby Home”. It covers topics like basic baby care, feeding, diapering, newborn health, and post-partum care.

Now, I have always been open to having a c-section if it’s needed. And sometimes I thought I would rather have one so I won’t have to push her out. Well not anymore!

The post-partum care section of the DVD it talked about cleaning your c-section scar. It was the grossest thing I had ever seen in my life! It was about 10 inches long and had staples the entire length. I just about vomited and turned to Brian and said, “HELL NO!”

So, get out Mackenzie! Not because I want you to come early (I can wait a little longer), and not because I can’t take the pain, sleepless nights, and heartburn, but because I want you to still be small enough to push out!

BTW – I have a new found respect for all you mothers who endured the c-section. You are very courageous!