a moment in time

Morgan at one year...

This little girl. And her face. And her hugs. And open mouth kisses. I just love her to pieces.I took her for her one year appointment a week ago. She weighed in at 18 lbs, 8 oz (10-15th percentile) and was 29.5 inches long (50-75th percentile). As much as I want to turn the car seat around because it's a huge pain in the you-know-what, I won't do it. Not yet. She needs to be at least 20 lbs and 30 inches. I would hate for something to happen and then I would have to play the "what if" game. I don't like that game.

We also went for a check of her tubes. They're in the right place and so far look good. She also had a hearing test that day and even though her reaction to the sound is subtle, she's completely normal. So far she's had a cold which passed with no problem and some drainage from her left ear which started on Sunday. We've been doing the antibiotic drops for a couple of days now and it seems to be working. This is so much better than the many trips to the doctor. Better for both of us.

Now, to preserve this moment in time, here is what Morgan has been up to.

• She's a super fast crawler and loves to follow me and Addison around the house. She gets frustrated when she follows us in to a room and then we turn around and leave because we've completed what we went in for. I can imagine what she's thinking. "I just came all the way in here and then you leave me? What's that about?"


• She's walking along the furniture and behind moving options, but doesn't quite have the confidence to let go. We're working on it. This past weekend I had her standing by herself for split seconds at a time.


• She has her 2 middle bottom teeth and one top tooth. The other one is making it's way through and should be here any day now. She's a late bloomer in the tooth department.


• She eats almost all table food now, but we still give her a jar of fruit a day. I just want to make sure she's getting enough since she doesn't like the texture of whole fruit. We keep offering her different stuff and she's getting used to it. She loves avocados and bananas.


• She is FINALLY sleeping through the night. She started right at 11.5 months. She goes down around 8 and we have to wake her up in the mornings. It took awhile, but that's okay. Actually it was miserable, but I'm trying to forget.


• She's still taking two one hour naps a day. A part of me wishes she would go to one nap, preferably at the same time as Addison, but I'm not going to push it.


• The sippy cup training is almost complete. She can finally get the fluid out, but she's not drinking as much milk as she needs to. So because of that we still give her some of her milk from a bottle. Trust me. I don't like her having it, but she's a little thing and I need to make sure she's getting the nutrients she needs.I can't wait for the day (very soon) that I can throw them out.


• Speaking of bottles, she still won't hold her own bottle. It's ridiculous really. Last night I held it in front of her for minutes. She whined and cried and drooled over it, but would not grab it and put it in her mouth. And when I give it to her she puts her hands behind her head and sometimes plays with her hair. Really? This is why you can't hold your own bottle?


• She can say mama and dada, but really isn't talking much yet. But she catches on to things quickly. She can clap along to Happy and You Know It and do Wheels on the Bus. She participates in games and loves to copy our movements and sounds.


• She loves to blow kisses and recently started to give big open mouth kisses.


• She's so cuddly and loves giving hugs. I love when Michael brings her to me in the mornings and we just lay there for 10 minutes snuggling.


• She loves music and dancing. And she gets a kick out of watching me and Addison dance, but who wouldn't.


• She really hates having her diaper changed. She acts like I just put her in a torture chamber and she's being punished for a serious crime. The twisting, turning and body thrashing really wears me out.


• She likes to pull on the nightlight in the hallway. And take the books of the bookshelf. And bang the cabinets in the bathroom. All stuff she shouldn't be doing.


• When Michael flies her around the house Superman style, she instinctly puts her arms out in front of her and smiles from ear to ear. One of the cutest things ever. (I really should get it on video.)


• She really, REALLY adores Addison and can't get enough of her or her toys.


• She likes to come in the kitchen and take all the magnets off the refrigerator.


• She HATES bibs. She will choke herself trying to get them off. I either strip her or put old t-shirts on her when she eats.


• She HATES animals more than the bibs. She literally shakes in fear when she sees a dog. And this past weekend she got up close and personal with a horse. I thought she was going to pass out. Eventually she will calm down and can handle them in small doses, but overall, not an animal lover.


• And she still loves to grab at my camera.
  
  

How cute is her hair in the top picture?

surgery day

The surgery center called me the day before. "Be here at 6:30". I didn't think I heard them right. 6:30? I had to wake my child up early and keep her entertained until 9, keeping in mind that it would be 12 hours since she last ate. Oh, I was not looking forward to it. Turned out I had nothing to worry about. I brought plenty of entertainment.

We read some books.
And played with spoons.
They gave Morgan some really cool socks, super star shades and a pinwheel. My favorite was the ankle bracelet.
Around 8:30 she got a little antsy and just wanted to crawl. Daddy saved the day when he showed up. Right after this the nurse came to get her. I know it's a quick and really easy procedure, but she's still my baby. And when I handed her over my heart beat fast and I was nervous for her. I paced around for 10 minutes and then she was back. She was completely out. They hooked her up to the machines to check her vitals and gave her some clean air to wake her up. She didn't completely wake up until the nurse pulled the sticky things off her chest. Evidently they don't like that.
Morgan was a little disoriented and agitated for about 10 minutes. Once she calmed down she ate a bottle and was back to her normal self. Everyone was commenting about how happy she was. And then we were on our way.

Lounging in the chair before we left.
She slept for a couple hours when we got home and woke up like nothing ever happen. We have to put drops in her ears until tomorrow and then she is good to go. We go back in two weeks for a check up. I'm really hoping we don't have to deal with ear infections again.

tapped out

We finally waved the white flag.

A week after leaving the ENT I had to take Morgan back to the pediatrician. She was so stuffy that she could barely breath. When I was told that she had another double ear infection I was done. We were sent home with another antibiotic and an appointment with the ENT for a follow up.
Last week was torture. Morgan got a fever starting on Easter Sunday and it didn't break until Wednesday. These pictures were taken Monday afternoon right after I put her in the bathtub because she was burning up. Even with a fever she manages to look laid back. But don't be fooled. She wasn't sleeping and just wanted to be held.
Friday we went to see Dr. M again. It may sound mean, but I'm really glad that she was still so sick when we went to see him. She was so stuffy and both ears were still infected. I really wanted him to see what we've been dealing with since January 19th. He advised us to go ahead and put the tubes in her ears. At this point we feel it is the best option.
The surgery is scheduled for next Thursday, the 22nd. She'll be under anesthesia for about 10 minutes while they put in the tubes. Time in to time out is about an hour. She'll probably sleep most of the afternoon and be back to herself the next day. They tell us that she should never feel them once they are in. I'm looking forward to having my healthy, happy baby girl back.

gray area

We met with the ENT on Tuesday about Morgan's ears. The recent round of antibiotics did the trick and when he checked her they were completely clear and healthy. He basically went over the reasons he would do the tubes and the reasons he wouldn't do the tubes and said that Morgan is right in the gray area. The fact that we just went through the peak of cold and flu season could be one of the reasons she was just prone to more infections. With all of the information and the recommendation from the doc we decided to wait a month to see what happens. Hopefully the season change will be on our side and overall Morgan will be healthier. If the pattern continues and the infections come back sooner than later then we will get her in as soon as possible. The many trips to the doctor and the many antibiotics are really a pain to us, but Morgan doesn't seem to be too phased by any of it. We really wanted the decision to be what is best for her and not a convenience for us.

So she's been off the meds since Sunday and here it is 5 days later and she has a snotty nose. But so far I haven't seen her tug at her ears. We may end up back at the doctor next week. We'll see.

morgan's ears

Starting Wednesday I noticed that Morgan was a little hoarse. She had a yeast looking diaper rash and then wasn't eating right. I was on the fence about taking her to the doctor because her mood and temperature were fine, but I decided to take her yesterday because of the long weekend and the plans to take the girls to my mom's. And, you guessed it, another double ear infection. She also has thrush in her mouth which is probably causing her to be in pain and not eat. She is now on a different antibiotic for the ears, oral meds for the thrush and medicated cream for the infection on her bottom. She just finished 20 days of meds this week and now we start all over. That's 8 times a day. It wears me out! Back in 10 days to check on everything.

A side note. We just dropped the girls off at my mom's house for the first time ever! I'm a little nervous and was sad to leave them, but I know they will be well taken care of. Even with all the meds, Morgan is acting like herself so I have no concerns about her health (and the doc said she would be fine, I asked). And Addison was practically kicking us out the door. I've been home for an hour and don't even know what to do with myself. I'm looking forward to some alone time and a chance to get some things done around the house. And we have a big day tomorrow at the Daytona 500. Should be fun.

she's our sick one

Morgan has a double ear infection. That's the third ear infection in four months. She is so making up for Addison only having one in almost three years. Even though she looks miserable she really has been in good spirits. She wants to be held a little more than usual, but who doesn't when they're not feeling well.

I took this Sunday morning. Look how happy she is. She's always like this. She makes me smile.

And while at the doctor today she had a weigh in. She's up to 16 lbs, 13.5 oz. Growing like a weed.