Tuesday, March 27, 2012

It's About "X"

Anyone who has ever been in a math class past the 8th grade (OK, so I realize this is getting younger, but that's when I was in Algebra.) knows that it is all about X.  You spend hours, days, years trying to find the value for X.  What does it mean?  What does it stand for?  What is its value?  It's all about X.

Then we look at genetics, and it can be about X or Y.  (Congrats to my sister who just found out that it's all about her little Y coming to meet us in another 18ish weeks!)  My house, it's still all about X.  We focus a lot on #1.  But whose X is that?

Most people think #1 looks more like me.  She has my nose, my mouth, my eyes, and my toes.  But she had Hod's chin, lips, hairline, eyelashes, and cheeks.  (I LOVE those cheeks!)  She's a pretty good mix.

Or so I thought.

I have been naive.  In my mind, I'm the girl, I'm all about the X, so of course #1 would be just like me.  But I tell you what, Hod has some great genetics that are busting to the front.

For example, check out this:
Do you see that?  No?  Oh, did I mention that the clothes my FIVE month old is wearing right here are sized 9-12 months?!?  Yeah, you heard me.  Ok, so they are a little big, but not by much!  I'm only 5'2", so I know she didn't get the height from me.  OH, AND pardon me, while I climb up on this soapbox here...

WHY is it impossible to find modest baby clothes?  It is not ok for a 15 year old to wear things that don't cover her booty, so why is it ok for my baby?  People argue that it's different, but I don't really see it.  And how am I supposed to convince my teenage daughter that she needs to be modest, if she can look at baby pictures of when I was picking her clothes and she's not covered?  Yes, I realize that little dresses come with a diaper cover.  So, are you saying that I can wear just a long-ish shirt if I wear something barely bigger than a pair of panties with it?  I don't think so.

OK... Moving on.

#1 also inherited Hod's ... well, I  don't know what to call it.  Hod has a special digestion skill.  He can eat very little, and somehow seem to get all of the nutrients needed.  (he can also eat a ton and not gain weight.)  According to the "experts" #1 should be eating a lot more than she is.  However, she is in the 90% for height, and 70% for weight.  So, despite my fear that she doesn't eat enough... I guess she is.

It seems that one of the only things she got from my X is her inability to sleep.  Yeah... I wish I had kept that one to myself.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Getting Some Perspective

Today, I'm sitting home with a very sick baby.  And I'm a very sick Mom.  We both have a nasty cold, though I have NO idea where it came from.  Hod is working, so for the next 9 hours, it's just me, #1, and a large box of tissues.  I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.

Then my friend posted this video on Facebook.  Her daughter is in it... twice.  She's the little girl with a walker and "Determination", and then she is shown again with her diagnosis.  And she is one of the sweetest little girls I have ever met.  She has had more surgeries than I can count.  A cold like #1 has would put her in the hospital for days.  She is 2, and is just starting to walk. She is one large unknown, because there are only 250 documented cases like her, and most are under the age of 10.  But she is breaking all the rules.  Her parents were told she would never walk, never speak, and never be able to do most things a "normal" child would do.  But she does them, just a little slower, and maybe a little differently.  Her life will always be harder than mine, but she is always willing to give you a smile.

I realize that I only know a small piece of her, and her family's trials.  But as I watched this video, holding my pretty sick baby, I realized how easy we have it.  And I cried.  I cried out of gratitude, knowing that in a few days my girl will be physically fine.  I cried because of the sweet faces I saw of children with a harder life than I could imagine who face each day with hope.  I cried when I noticed some of these faces had finished their trial and had gone back home with Heavenly Father.

And I knew that my life is easy.


(It's long, but worth the watch.)

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Playing Around

As I'm sure you know, babies can't breathe in the wind.

#1 views that as a challenge.  We were "practicing" today.  (Please ignore the crazy mom laughter.)

I love her.

Monday, March 12, 2012

That Face!

Often, as I'm going through my day, I notice an unpleasant aroma (not unlike the Delancy Brothers.. Please say you get that...) coming from the direction of #1.

When I ask her if she is producing said smell, she normally pulls a face like this:

So proud of the mess she has made.  But how can you be upset with a face like that??

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Judge If You Must

A few weeks ago, #1 stopped eating.  Before that, she was just barely eating the minimum recommended amount for her weight. This worried me.  Especially since we had just taken her off the extra calorie formula.  She has been growing ok, but she can't keep her pants up.  Though, that could be because she's super tall.  (Just barely 4 months, but she's been in 6 month clothes for a while.  Because she is so long, people in stores stop me to tell me that she's too skinny.)  And then she stopped eating.

I did some research, and found out lots of babies have this problem at this age for a few reasons.  Often, this means that the babe is ready for the next flow of bottle nipples.  This kind of surprised me, cause #1 was already on a higher flow than normal.  So we tried it.  And it didn't really help.  It could also be teething.  But she still has to eat!

Then I found another suggestion: sometimes this is a sign that baby may be ready for solids.  WHAT? She wasn't even 4 months.  Yes, she was showing a lot of signs that she could be ready, but what about 6 months?  Ok, I wasn't sure we had to wait that long, but I didn't want to rush things.

Out of other options I decided to try it.  And it looked something like this:  
(Dude! What is this stuff on my face?)

But, after eating the little bit she did, she was willing to eat more of her bottle.  

The next day, we tried it again, only a little thicker, and she ate even more.  And again the next day, she ate more again.  Fast forward to today.  She would NOT take her bottle, but I could tell she was hungry.  She devoured it.  I have a cereal loving baby!

So, here's the deal.  She's eating again.  She's napping better.  She's having easier and more regular messy diapers.  And everyone else can judge, but I'm a believer!

And just for fun, here's some more pictures:

I gave up on pacifiers.  She now hates them, and is obsessed with her fists.

I asked Hod to watch #1 one morning so I could shower, and came back to this.  I think she is saying, "Kay, Mom, I watched Dad for you, but he was kind of boring."

Being a mom is pretty fun.