Monday, June 25, 2012

Less than ideal check up

Mary Claire had her 4 month check up today! The visit started off on a bad foot- mom forgot the diaper bag! It usually stays in the 4-Runner and I never bring it in, just refill as needed. But Chase and I swapped cars this weekend so it was taken out and I forgot to grab it as I walked out the door. So I dug around in the car and found 1 diaper (granted it was a size to small, but it would work till we got home). After her weigh in I put the newborn sized diaper on my 4 month old and headed into our room.

The nurse came back with her stats...

Weight 12.06 lbs- 12%

Height 23.25- 11%

Head Circumference 16.14 inches- 67%

Again BIG brains and a little body :)

She gained 2 lbs, but since she fell 10% on the growth chart the Doctor was concerned. She asked me if she spit up much... HA! does she spit up much?!??!?


Remember last visit??? She had to lay on a puppy pad because she was spitting up so much!


So Dr. Bennie recommended adding cereal into her diet. Try it with a spoon first, but she may not be ready for that yet. If she isn't getting any with a spoon add it to her bottle- and give it at every meal to add calories and weigh down her meals so hopeful they will stay in her tummy.

If no progress in 3 weeks then we will have to use medicine.

She has had reflux since Day 1, but has not been a concern yet since she continually gains weight. But now that she has dropped on her growth chart it is a concern. The reflux explains a lot... why she hates being on her tummy- why she is always snotty (her body produces extra mucus to coat her esophagus from the acid), why she slowed on the growth curve, etc

Hopefully the cereal will help and we will not have to medicate her... but if we do- Oh Well!

Next Dr Bennie noticed she seems to have a tendency to cock her head to the right side.


I hadn't really ever noticed until she pointed it out. She doesn't always do it... sometimes she holds her head straight, but I couldn't find a single picture where she was cocked to the left.

Looking through pictures though she has done it since day 1:

Dr Bennie asked if she was head down a lot in utero, and come to think of it she was... Every visit she was head down, and body curving up my right side and feet under my left ribs. She said her neck probably just developed with a "crick" in it (aka torticollis) and all she would need is some physical therapy to stretch the muscles back out. She has full range of motion and no flat spots so it is not super concerning. 

But another culprit could be her vision. If one eye is stronger than the other it could cause she to turn her head so she can see better. So they did a vision test...


Sure enough this sweet baby as astigmatism. She recommended we see Dr. Dunn to check her eyes too.

So we made a 3 week weight check appt, called the eye doc and physical therapist and made appointments with them too.

Oh and I forgot- she got 2 shots too... poor baby was run through the ringer!!!

Dr. Dunn could actually see her in an hour for her vision check, so we ran across the street to Wal-Mart to get diapers, wipes, and formula- since mom forgot the diaper bag and we were going to be out another couple of hours... 

After a complete eye exam including dilation

Talk about BIG eyes!

Dr. Dunn said she did have a "marked" difference between the 2 eyes (left being stronger) it was not severe enough to cause a head tilt or need any attention yet. If she were going to Kindergarden she would need glasses, but since she is 4 months old no treatment is needed. We just follow up with him in 6 months.

So now just waiting for the PT appointment... going to teach us exercises and stretches and possible changes in her routine- face her the other way in the crib/tub and during feedings... 

MC loves her excersaucer

Wanna see one of Mary Claire's favorite places to be?


But when she can't be there she really likes to play in her excersaucer!!!






From across the room I can hear "MOO!!!", the rattles being spun, classical music, the crunch of crinkle paper. She has been well entertained in that thing for 45 minutes plus while momma gets stuff done. 

Bet you can't guess where she is right now?!?!

Happy Fathers Day!!

This post is obviously late..very late. Sorry, Life has been crazy!

Fathers Day was a lot like Mother's Day. Uneventful, just spent the day enjoying being with our baby.


Too bad she doesn't look JUST LIKE HIM!!!


and her gift to daddy.

When we walked in the painting place and I told the chick that worked there what we wanted to do she said "Well, we can try. But most babies this small are not cooperative enough to get good hand prints." Guess you haven't met this baby! Not perfect, but obviously cute, baby hands.

Hard to believe this time last year we had no idea God was about to bless us beyond belief. What a difference a year makes.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Roll Over... Roll Over

What a big girl!!! Mary Claire can now roll over!

A little back story- Mary Claire is such a "nosey rosey" and HAS to see what is going on at ALL times. She fusses every time I hold her where her head would rest on my shoulder, but the second I turn her around where she can see what I see she is totally fine... I'm afraid we may have a busy body on our hands. And I am not looking forward to the day she hates riding backwards in a car... seeing as she is supposed to be rear facing until she is 2!- but that is beside the point....

Mary Claire HATES being on her stomach... hates, hates, hates it! I mean she screams bloody murder anytime you lay her down on her belly. I am sure it is because she can not see what is going on. 

 So needless to say she does not get much tummy time. So I thought she would be a little delayed in rolling over because most babies roll from there belly to back first and since she won't lay on her belly- that isn't going to happen.

Lately she has been very active when we lay her down. She will wiggle, squirm, and spin until she ends up feet from where she stared but never really roll on to her side. 

Last night Chase sent me this picture...

Immediatly followed by this one... with the caption "She did it all by herself!"


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Baby Houdini

A couple of days ago I woke up and looked over at the monitor (you know the first thing I do EVERY time I open my eyes) and I see this...


Yes she is completely sideways in her crib- so I went in her room just to check


YUP! She had somehow wallered herself completely sideways during the night?!?! Bye Bye all the cute stuff in her crib- apparently this baby moves like crazy at night.

3 month pictures

WARNING! There is a whole lot of cuteness on this page!
















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