Kennedy's 13 Month Check In

It's time.  With work, school and well... life... weekly updates are getting more difficult to keep up with.  So this, ladies and gents, will be the first of many monthly check ins.  Ta-daa!!  I hope to be able to keep up with these a little better and maybe squeeze in a few more random bloggings during the week too!

How Big Is Baby?

• Kennedy is just over 20 pounds now.
• I have started buying 18 month outfits for fall.  She is so tall that the 18 month pants/leggings fit pretty good.  Tops, she is in 12 month-24 month. 
• Size 4 shoes.  I tried on her size 3s the other day (because they matched her outfit better, lol) and it was a struggle to get them on!
• Full time cloth diapering. Size smalls and one size- fully extended on the rise and out 2-3 snaps at the waist

Development & Milestones

• Walking and talking and running and climbing. 
• She is getting better with her utensils and holding a cup (without a lid or sippy) better.  However, she loves to dump her bowl out.  Ack!
• She is getting much better wiht signing.  I have to credit the Baby Signing Time video I downloaded from Amazon.  She does milk, more, all done, baby, eat and has done water a few times for daddy.  Her communication skills amaze me daily.  She is getting so much better! 
• The tooth count is still at 8... I thought her molars were coming in, but now I'm not so sure.

Diet/Nursing

• Nursing is wonderful.  We were able to nurse at the fair in the Ergo comfortably and she actually stayed focused... well... for the most part.  She still nurses to sleep and first thing in the morning too, which I just love!
• Pumping is going well. Still pumping once a shift. 
• Great news!!  I have officially been accepted as a donor to the National Milk Bank.  My coolers should be on their way soon and I will be sending several hundred ounces of life saving mommy milk to preemie babies in need!  I am so excited to share this special gift!
• BLW was wonderful!  She got to enjoy lots of yummy fair food this week and tried some of the bets chocolate milk ever!  She also enjoyed one of mommy's favorites.. corn!  Fair corn is the BEST and I think Kennedy would agree!

Sleep

• Sleep has been pretty good.  Kennedy still wakes once or twice to nurse, but easily falls right back asleep.  She sleeps 10 hours consistently overnight (not straight through, but it works).
• Naps were pretty good.  She is still transitioning to one 2-4 hour nap a day, usually in the early afternoon.  There have been a few days where she has boycotted her nap altogether (makes.me.crazy!) but overall she has done well.

Mommy & Daddy Check In

• It has been a great month!  With Kennedy's birthday and visitors from some wonderful friends and family, we have really enjoyed this last full month of summer.  The weather has been gorgeous, the state fair was a blast and spending time with our little girl has been wonderful!  We are anxiously awaiting our vacation to really enjoy spending a whole week with our awesome little family!

Any appointments, visitors or outings? Anything else new?

• This month we enjoyed visits from Nana Lorrie and Grandpa Greg from Florida, Nana Sherrie, Pap Pap and Uncle Chad from Pittsburgh and our friends Amy, Adam and Abbi from Buffalo.
• We celebrated our sweet friend, Isaiah's first birthday and had a few play dates at the park.
• We checked out the zoo and the splash pad at Seneca Lake State Park.
• Cloth diapering is still going great!!

Product Rave:

• Baby Signing Time video.  The music is fun- Kennedy loves to bounce and wiggle along- and she has really gotten much better with her signs since we started watching it.  Plus, it gives mommy a chance to nap a bit or jump in the shower while Kennedy is occupuied for a few minutes.  Love it!

Any upcoming developments, milestones? What's next?

• Next appointment will be 15 months in October.

Kennedy's 1 Year 4 Week Check In

I think it might be time to change to monthly updates.  Maybe.  Ok maybe next week.  ;)
We had a great week this week.  Lots of laughing and learning and loving.  We welcomed a sweet new baby girl into the family (Kevin's newest second cousin) named Lyla Elaine.  Tonight we will have some special visitors (a fellow loss mommy, Amy and her adorable family) and we will be enjoying a day at the fair with them tomorrow (you all remember how much I LOVE the fair x2, right?).  Our vacation countdown is dwindling... less than a month now!

How Big Is Baby?

• Honestly, I'm not sure if she has gained any weight or not.  Lol!
• Still mostly 12 month outfits with some 18 month tees. 
• Size 4 shoes
• Full time cloth diapering. Size smalls and one size- fully extended on the rise and out 2-3 snaps at the waist

Development & Milestones

• Walking all over the place, climbing stairs by just holding the wall or my hand and climbing on tables/chairs.
• Still working with utensils.  She likes to play with them and sometimes uses them correctly.
• She has been signing and talking up a storm this week.  She signs and says "milk" all the time and also has picked up "all done" (BEFORE throwing food on the floor... which makes mommy very very happy). 
• The tooth count is still at 8... I thought her molars were coming in, but now I'm not so sure. 

Diet/Nursing

• Nursing is still going awesome.  I just love my little nursling.
• Pumping is going well.  Still pumping once a shift.  I also had my blood draw for the Milk Bank this week.  Hopefully they will take my milk really soon!
• BLW was great this week.  She ate lots of chicken that daddy made and some homemade humms sammies from mommy.  At the market yesterday, daddy bought her a dozen fresh peaches and she ate 2 (yes, that's right... 2!!) right away.

Sleep

• Sleep has been good this week.  She sleeps really well, snuggled with daddy, overnight, usually waking once or twice to eat.  She is super cuddly with me and likes to nurse a few times during the night.
• Naps were good this week.  On Friday she blessed me with a wait for it... wait for it... 3 hour nap!!

Mommy & Daddy Check In

• Another great week... just counting down to our vacation!!

Any appointments, visitors or outings? Anything else new?

• Not much new this week.  :)
• Cloth diapering is still going great!!

Product Rave:

• ???

Any upcoming developments, milestones? What's next?

• Next appointment will be 15 months in October.

Kennedy's 1 Year 3 Week Check In

We had a quiet week and an awesome weekend.  We decided, somewhat last minute, to drive out to Delaware to visit with my brother, Mike.  It's really not a bad drive, so we loaded up the dog and baby and headed out on Friday afternoon.  We got to enjoy the beach and boardwalk at Rehoboth with him on Saturday then headed home this morning.  It was so great to spend some time with Mikey and awesome to hang out at the beach.

How Big Is Baby?

• No real change in height/weight.
• Still mostly 12 month outfits with some 18 month tees.  Her 18 month swim suit fits perfectly!  Yikes!
• Size 4 shoes
• Full time cloth diapering. Size smalls and one size- fully extended on the rise and out 2 snaps at the waist

Development & Milestones

• Walking all over the place, she is constantly on the move.
• This week we worked some more with utensils.  Not much improvement, but we are still trying.  We also worked on dipping finger foods into different dips, like ketchup, ranch, mustard, hummus, tzaziki sauce, marinara, etc.  She is doing really well with it.
• She really enjoyed playing in the sand and even practiced her dipping skills in the sand, dipping chips into the sand then eating them.  YUCK!
• The tooth count is still at 8, but her molars are coming soon, I think.

Diet/Nursing

• Nursing is still going wonderfully.  She has 2 long nursing sessions- one in the morning and one at night.  In between she sort of snacks.  Maybe we are starting to cut back a little?  Maybe.
• Pumping is going well.  I pump once at work during a 12 hour shift, mostly for my own comfort.  But I am able to pump about 15 ounces in one sitting.  My milk production is definitely not slowing down.
• BLW was great this week.  She ate really well in Delaware and on our trip there/back.

Sleep

• Sleep has been pretty good this week.  She napped really well in the car on the drive to/from and slept great at Mike's.  Still wakes once or twice in the middle of the night for a snack, then falls right back to sleep.
• Naps were pretty good this week.

Mommy & Daddy Check In

• We are doing pretty good.  Might possibly have some big changes coming up job-wise in the near future and some big decisions to make, but we are praying for fruitful opportunities and guidance.

Any appointments, visitors or outings? Anything else new?

• A trip to Delaware, a day at the beach oh and Kennedy's first time riding rides at an amusement park.  What a fun weekend!
• Cloth diapering is still going great!!

Product Rave:

• Tie chair- perfect for travel!

Any upcoming developments, milestones? What's next?

• Next appointment will be 15 months in October.

I Lost My Mind Today

It was about 2am.  6 hours into my 12 hour overnight shift.  My 3rd overnight shift in a row.

I wanted coffee.  I *needed* coffee.

A few weeks ago, I had left a stash of coffee in our freezer at work.  It was coconut macaroon flavored coffee and it was delicious.  I labeled it to be sure it didn't get thrown out (even though I am usually the only one who ever seems to clean the fridge/freezer) or stolen and warned everyone around not to touch my coffee, threatening life and limb.  Serious business.  Given that I knew we have some food thieves among us (some day I will recount my freak out over coffee creamer), I labeled it and hid it in the bottom of the freezer, or so I thought.

So anyway, 2am I drug my sleepy self into our break room and opened the freezer.

NO COFFEE.

Cue Hollywood style freak out/meltdown/tantrum.

I started chucking things out of the freezer left and right, I gently (ok not so gently) removed the drawer thinking maybe somehow my coffee had fallen down behind it.  There may or may not have been some profanity, kicking, stomping and throwing things involved.  Ok there was a lot of profanity, kicking, stomping and throwing things involved.  I'm not exactly proud.

But dammit.  2 o'clock in the morning in the middle of a 12 hour overnight is NOT the time to discover that "someone" drank all of your coffee.  I mean, of course it had to be someone.  My coffee didn't just dis-a-freaking-pear, did it?  "Someone" stole it!!

In the middle of my tantrum, another nurse walked into the break room, got a terrified look on his face then backed out the door saying "I'll go warn the others."  When he came back a few minutes later to check make sure I hadn't actually ripped the freezer apart, I was sheepishly stirring my cup of coffee.

That I had found.

In the fridge.  :/

Kennedy's 1 Year 2 Week Check In

It's been a pretty uneventful week.  After all of the commotion of K's big birthday party and having family in town for a week, having a "normal" week was kind of nice.  Going back to work after having a week off was not so nice.

How Big Is Baby?

• Still in the 19-20 pound range and still super tall for her age.
• Still mostly 12 month outfits with some 18 month tees
• Size 4 shoes all the way.  This is a good thing because the selection for size 3s was pretty slim for walkers
• Full time cloth diapering. Size smalls and one size- fully extended on the rise and out 2 snaps at the waist

Development & Milestones

• Walking like crazy now.  Everywhere, all the time.
• She has been really into books this week.  She picks them up, flips through them, yells at them and brings them to me to read.  She doesn't like to sit still long enough for me to read to her... maybe 2-3 pages at best... then she is off to find a new book.
• We are starting to work with utensils.  She does not like to be fed, but will let me load a fork or spoon for her.  She plays with the food, taking it off the spoon or fork then puts it back on.  So, she doesn't quite get them yet, but it is good for her to play and learn.
• The tooth count is still at 8, but her molars are coming soon, I think.

Diet/Nursing

• Nursing is great as always.  I have been encouraging more solid food during the day in the hopes that she will cut back on some of her nursing sessions.  Not so much.  But that's ok.  I am still just taking her lead.  This time is so precious.
• Back to pumping this week.  Things are also moving along with my milk donation application.  Hopefully I will have everything in place soon so I can send my milk off to the Milk Bank.  Can't wait!
• BLW was good this week.  Kennedy enjoys a wide variety of foods, but always prefers her french fries.

Sleep

• Sleep has been ok this week.  Kevin said she had a few rough nights when I first went back to work, but she is getting back into the swing of things now.
• Naps were ok this week.  She naps great when I get to snuggle with her, but still not a fan of napping on her own in her crib.  Some day.  :)

Mommy & Daddy Check In

• Mommy is back to work this week, blah!  It is a bit tough switching back to an overnight schedule, but we will make it work.
• Daddy is doing great and back to being Mr. Mom-and-Dad on the nights I work.  He kind of rocks.  (Have I said that before?)

Any appointments, visitors or outings? Anything else new?

• Not much new this week... just getting back into our normal routine.
• Cloth diapering is still going great!!

Product Rave:

• Snuggle Puppy book... it's her fav.

Any upcoming developments, milestones? What's next?

• Next appointment will be 15 months in October.

Kennedy's 1 Year, 1 Week Check In

Kennedy started off her first year of being a one year old with a fun week with Nana and Grandpa.  Kevin's parents and brother headed back to Pittsburgh on Monday morning, but my parents were able to stay and visit for the whole week.  We took a trip to the zoo and to the splash park.  Kevin and I even got to sneak in not one, but TWO date nights.  Yesterday, we took Lucy to the local Canine Carnival and they both had a blast!  It was an awesome week. 

How Big Is Baby?

• Official weight is in... and I totally forgot it (mother of the year, thank you!).  I will check my paperwork later and update.  It was 19 pounds and something.  So not the 20 pounds I was guessing, but close.
• Can't remember the height either, but I do know she was "long and lean, like a bean" according to Dr. Rufa
• Clothing wise, she is in mostly 12 month clothes with some 18 month tee-shirts
• Shoes... she is into her size 4 sandals comfortably now.  We also went to Target and picked out a pair of size 4 sneakers.  Love her chunky little Fred Flinstone feet, but finding shoes to fit them is not an easy task.
• Full time cloth diapering. Size smalls and one size- fully extended on the rise and out 2 snaps at the waist

Development & Milestones

• She is walking and trying to run.  She is very fast.
• She is getting a little crazy with the climbing... onto her picnic table, onto the couch, onto the dog, into her wagon.
• The count is still at 8, but her molars are coming soon, I think. 

Diet/Nursing

• Nursing is wonderful.  This past week was World Breastfeeding Week and we certainly did our share of celebrating.  She has been comfort nursing a lot at night lately, but I love our snuggles.
• No pumping this week, but I do have an awesome update on my milk donation... I finally made it through the first round of screening and my donor kit is on the way.  Next, I will send in a cheek swab, blood sample and freezer test.  My OB and K's pediatrician will have to clear us both... and THEN I can donate my milk!  So excited!
• BLW was better this week.  Baby girl LOVED Nana's teriyaki chicken and ate a ton.  She also enjoyed pancakes, eggs, toast, lots of fruit and veggies and even some corn on the cob.

Sleep

• Sleep has been good this week, all things considered.  Mommy was actually home at night all week, so we got lots of snuggles in.  She did wake a few times each night, but after a quick milk snack, she was back to sleep without any issues.
• Same story with naps. Not her normal routine, but we made it work.  The only really rough day was yesterday when we went to the Canine Carnival.  She was tired and cranky, which is unusual for her.

Mommy & Daddy Check In

• We are doign great!  I was on vacation all week and it.was.awesome!  I got to eat dinner at dinner time with my family.  I got to sleep at night time like a normal human being.  It really made me miss working a normal schedule.
• Kevin had a busy week.  My dad did lots of work around the house and yard, so Kevin helped out when he got home from work.  He was exhausted by the end of the week, but the house looks much better!
• We enjoyed a date night on Wednesday with dinner at Empire then dessert at Bittersweet.  On Friday, we went to our friends' wedding at Belhurst Castle in Geneva.  We had a blast!

Any appointments, visitors or outings? Anything else new?

• Well... besides turning O-N-E on Monday...  :)
• Kennedy had her one year check up on Tuesday.  She is a happy, healthy little girl.   Physically, she is growing beautifully.  Developmentally, she is meeting her milestones perfectly!  She did have a blood draw that really wasn't too terrible (she barely flinched for the finger poke, but was not a fan of having to sit still while the nurse squeezed her finger) and a few shots, which she didn't like.  All in all, it wasn't too bad.
• Cloth diapering is still going great!!

Product Rave:

• ?

Any upcoming developments, milestones? What's next?

• Next appointment will be 15 months in October.

To My Older Cry Roommates

You don’t know me.  Well, maybe you do, but I know you don’t know much about me… maybe you don’t want to.  I’m not exactly your favorite person here.  I know this.  I hear the sighs when I sit down next to you in the cry room.  The look on your face that says “why me?  Why did the lady with the baby have to sit next to ME?” when I take my seat and try to smush my diaper bag under the pew.  When I am trying desperately to wrangle my little wild child, baby feet kicking and arms flailing all over the place as I try to sneak out to the lobby to calm her down during the most sacred part of the mass, that look of impatience you get says it all.

I am the young mom with the wildly excited little girl clapping and giggling (and sometimes screaming and crying) walking laps around the lobby of the church.  My husband is the adoring young dad who holds her at the church door so she can peek in and watch the priest.  We sit with our daughter in the “cry room”, although usually one of us is chasing her around while the other one listens to the mass.  We trade every few minutes as if passing a baton in a relay.

Our daughter is one year old.  She started walking just a few weeks ago and is quite proud of herself.  She likes to practice (ahem, show off) her walking skills all.the.time.  She especially loves walking laps around the vestibule of the church while mommy or daddy follows patiently behind.  Her smile can light up a room and her laugh can brighten my darkest moments, yours too if you listen.  She doesn’t have many words yet, but she will talk your ear off, if you listen.  She loves to babble and laugh, sometimes she cries and shrieks- hey, she IS only a year old after all.  She sometimes tries hard to play quietly (and mommy and daddy always try hard to keep her quiet) but when she grows tired of being quiet and finds her voice, whether it be happy babble or hungry/tired cries, I feel your icy glares and want to crawl under my chair.  Instead I sheepishly smile, mumble an apology and run her out to the lobby as quickly as possible so as not to disturb you further while you enjoy the mass.  Ironic, being that we seat ourselves in the cry room.  

She is curious and points at everything.  I want to show her the world and teach her everything I know, so I point and explain everything that I can.  She soaks it all in and responds with happy baby babble.  I point at the stained glass windows and tell her the stories that they depict.  I show her how beautiful the Virgin Mary statue is in the vestibule and teach her how to pray the Hail Mary.  My husband blesses her with holy water and helps her make the sign of the cross.  We pray together.

We could wait to bring her to mass until she is older and understands better how and when to sit silently and when to participate… but why?  This little walking, babbling, screeching, shrieking bundle of joy IS the future of our faith.  She is always excited to be here.  Truth be told, more excited than I am most days.  She belongs here, in this church, in this cry room, in this pew.  She NEEDS to be here and not only be here, but be accepted here.

I can remember going to mass as a child… the cry room was full of other kids.  We would trade Cheerios for Goldfish crackers while our parents tried to keep us entertained and simultaneously fulfill their weekly obligation.  There was a sort of camaraderie in the cry room back then.  Parents exchanged empathetic smiles when one of the kids would have a meltdown.  A mom in the next pew would whip out an emergency stash of crayons and all was right through the next reading.  It was almost a family within the church family.  It was a great place to be.  Lately, and perhaps this is just me… it seems that the cry room isn’t exactly as kid-friendly (or parent-friendly!) as it used to be.  As a matter of fact, I find it really disheartening that the one room in the whole church that we should feel more than comfortable... leaves me feeling so uncomfortable that I end up spending the majority of the mass in the lobby or even outside.

Nevertheless, we go every week.  We sit in the cry room amongst the elderly church goers who haven't changed a diaper since before I was born, and instead of praying for our loved ones, we pray that our little girl will be on her best behavior for the next hour so we can avoid your condescending looks and lip smacks.  We smile through the icy stares and apologize some more.  We walk laps and laps around the lobby, we hold her and rock her, shush her and sing to her while you look on and wonder why she is here, why we are here.

I realize that you come to mass and likely sit in the same seat you have occupied for a dozen or more years.  You seek a peaceful and meaningful service and quiet fellowship with your friends.  I do not want to disturb your service, but please realize that the cry room is the one room in this whole big church where my daughter should be able to... well... cry... without me wanting to cry from embarrassment too.  We belong here.  We need to be here.

It's no secret that our wonderful church, as a whole, is in desperate need of young families, like us, to carry on our traditions.  My husband and I talk often about how sad it is that churches are closing and the numbers of faithful followers are on a slow decline.  This is why!!!  Our church needs to be a warm embrace, a judgement-free zone, especially for young families and children.  They must be welcome here, so welcome that they are excited to come to mass.

My one year old is oblivious to your annoyed demeanor now, but soon enough she won't be.  And soon enough she will feel embarrassed too.  How excited will she be to come to mass then?  She needs to be welcome here.  She is the future of our faith.

So, please.  If you choose to sit in the cry room with us, be patient.  Be patient with her, with us.  We are a young family trying our best to raise our daughter in the Catholic faith.  After all, she (this little wobbly clapping, singing, crying, shrieking, wiggling sippy cup slurping holy terror) is our future, the future of our faith.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Matthew 19:14