Eight is Enough

Sweet baby Evelina is currently cutting her 2 upper lateral incisors.  That means she now has 8 sharp baby teeth.  She kicked off her 9th month with 2 teeth and is ushering in her 10th month with 8.  Enough already!!  Our little baby needs a break, some relief from all of the pain she has been experiencing over the past month.  

While I've been told teething doesn't even phase some babies, Evelina is NOT one of those babies (although her first 2 teeth were easy peasy)!!  Her teething symptoms have included fever, congestion, runny nose, drooling, swollen gums, difficult feedings, and lack of desire for even her favorite foods.  Not to mention overall fussiness which requires lots of time in the Ergo carrier, distraction with toys, and endless one on one playtime with Mama and Papa.  Her general disposition has transformed from happy, smiley, independent baby to fussy, whiny, clingy baby.  I want my happy baby to return, STAT!!  

And to top it all off, we suspect that her congestion and teething pain are causing pressure to build in her head after lying down for extended periods.  We have definitely noticed her naps and night time sleep have been impacted.  She can't sleep for longer then a couple of hours in her crib without waking and screaming.  Once she is settled and we attempt to put her back in the crib (which is on a slight incline) she becomes increasingly unhappy.  Our only salvation having her sleep in her car seat during the night.  The problem with this is that she doesn't like being in the same position all night and can't easily self-sooth herself back to sleep when she can't really move around.  Needless to say, waking up 3-6 times a night is the new norm until the situation improves.  We just hope she doesn't create a sleep association with the car seat (and binky...which we have been giving her for comfort) and it won't take much effort for her to sleep through the night once again when she is feeling better. 

Poor Evelina.  I think she deserves to have a break from teething.  For goodness sake, eight is enough for now. 

Violet's Foster Home

This coming Saturday, Violet will be joining a foster family in Cumberland, Rhode Island, who we came in contact with via the Pug Rescue League of New England (PRoNE).  They have a wonderful program that allows you to surrender a Pug in a very humane way.  Violet will go into foster care where the family will get to know everything there is to know about her (we've told them everything but they still need to experience it) before she is put up for adoption.  Any applicants who wish to adopt her will be screened by the foster family to ensure they can take care of all of her needs.  If there is ever a time when the adoptive family can no longer care for Violet, she will be returned to the foster family.  If Violet does not get adopted, her foster family will keep her.  

Violet's foster family is a married couple, the wife being a stay at home mom (older kids, not infants), who has 2 other adult male Pugs, Willow and Oliver.  Chris has spoken to Violet's foster mom and she seems like a very nice person and from the sounds of it, she understands what she is getting herself into!!  

While Violet is with her foster family, we will be able to receive updates and pictures if we wish. When she is adopted, we will only be told that a family has adopted her, but we will not know any other details, where the new family lives, if they have other dogs, children, etc.   

All Chris and I hope for is that Violet is placed in a loving home with family and possibly other dogs around, since we know how much she hates to be alone.  We hope that her new forever family cares for her just as well, if not better, then we have, and is very patient with her.  She is such a sweet, well-behaved Pug once you get beyond her quirks.

The Time Has Come

It is with great sadness that we must say goodbye to the sweetest Pug, our first child, Violet.  I still remember the excitement Chris and I felt when we made the decision to get a Pug and all of the planning and preparation that took place days (okay, maybe months) before Violet's arrival.  Never did we imagine that she would be so challenging, and that even with her challenges, we would love her like the true family member that she has become.   

Chris and I have struggled with the idea of sending Violet to a new home for some time.  It wasn't a decision that came easily for either of us, but we had to put our best interests first.  Having a "special needs" Pug really has put a strain on our freedom, and with our newest family addition needing lots of attention, giving equal amounts (or more) attention to Violet was getting increasingly difficult for us.  Not to mention the doggie daycare fees!!  

We feel a huge sense of guilt knowing that we took on the responsibility of caring for a dog and now we have to give her up because we just don't have the time to commit to her. We feel guilty that we are going to uproot her life and that the routine Violet has grown accustom too and needs, is going to completely change.  A new home, new people, new dog friends.  The comfort that we could easily provide to her because we are her favorite people will not be available for her.  But, just like we will need to adapt, she will need to adapt to her new life.  It is just heartbreaking to even think about. 

Even with all of Violet's crazy antics and idiosyncrasies, we are going to miss her terribly.  I can't imagine life without her, seeing her cute face each day, giving her endless belly rubs, cuddling with her, seeing her legs go crazy after she hasn't seen us all day, getting chin kisses...she has such bad aim, watching her run around having fun...even if we would have to hold her for an hour afterward to calm her down.  I will particularly miss the way Evelina lights up each time Violet is around.  It is sad to think that she won't be apart of Evelina's life and they won't grow up together, something we were really looking forward too. 

Violet has been part of our family for a little shy of 2 years and I can't remember life before her.  Adjusting to life as a new family of 3 will take some time, but even though we may get used to it, we will always miss our sweet Violet.  

Pretty Please

I am in desperate need of warm(er) temperatures and for Spring to really arrive.  Yes, the longer days have been lovely, but continuing to wear sweaters, wool winter coats, and gloves on occasion has officially gotten old.  I feel like we have been cooped up for months and I am ready to take part in more activities outside.  I know this is New England and we've been clobbered with blizzards in April, but it doesn't stop me from hoping and praying that 60 degree sunny days will arrive and usher in the Summer season.  

I yearn for the days when I can just plop Evelina into her stroller, with only a light coat, and take walks around the neighbor or trips to local parks.  I have dreams of rolling out a blanket in the backyard and sitting in the sunshine while she gets to partake in new sensory experiences, checking out the grass and flowers, listening to the birds and feeling the breeze.  Oh the happiness I will feel when we can just scoop her out of her car seat and walk into a store without being paranoid that she will freeze her little hiney off. 

I'm ready for Spring, pretty please?  

Tantrum Central

"Mama, I HATE this smock!!!!"

Over the past week, I've been catching glimpses of what having a toddler may be like.  Strong-willed, opinionated, impatient, clingy.  In certain moments of everyday, this describes Evelina to a tee. I'm not quite sure if it is related to her never-ending cold, but I often witness her with tight fists, moving her arms up and down, screaming.  What really works her up?  When I put her down but she wants to be held, wardrobe or diapers changes, wanting to get to a toy but not knowing how to crawl, and meal time..look OUT. Boy...does she get mad!! 

But gosh, I just love her to pieces, so I will remain calm and *try* not to laugh at her during her episodes. 

A selection of photos from the last week

Slurping on cantalope in the mesh feeder.  

Oooahhh, feels good on sore gums and new teeth.  

Evelina trying out her new bathtub.  Her original tub was getting a tad small so we upgraded to this number. Big enough to grow with her and uses less water than having to fill the entire standard tub.  

Chillin' with the boys at our weekly Social Butterflies class 

First time in the swing.  Little Miss Nosy was much more interested in watching her friend, Ryan, swinging next to her then enjoying the experience herself.  

Sleepy and ready for a nap.  Swinging takes a lot out of you.  

Dinnertime Fun

During Evelina's dinnertime last night, a couple of exciting things happened. 

• She officially waved hello for the first time!! Over the past couple of months, she had appeared to be waving by lifting her arms and pivoting her wrists but last night it was an actual wave and it was so very cute.  I had just started feeding her dinner and Chris was on his way downstairs.  As he was approaching, I said to Evelina, "Where's your Dada? Here he comes!", and when he came into sight, Chris and I both waved to her saying "Hi Lina".  She proceeded to lift her right hand and open and shut her fingers in the wave motion.  The cutest part being that her hand was facing her so it looked like she was actually waving to herself.  Gotta love mimicking.  So adorable.   
• She drank from a straw for the first time!! We've been giving her a sippy cup with water since she was about 6 months and had also attempted giving her a straw sippy (easier to hold, don't have to tip back, and from what I've read, better for oral and speech development) but she just couldn't figure out that she had to suck on the straw to get the water, instead she would chew on it/play with it.  After a little bit of research, I came across the Lil' Gripper Straw Trainer.  The great thing about this sippy is that you can squeeze water out of the straw teaching the baby that there is something in the cup and if they suck, they will be rewarded with liquid.  I presented this cup to Evelina last night at dinner and she immediately started sucking...and I didn't even need to squeeze the water out for her. So awesome!!  Granted, she did some back-washing and would take a little too much and cough but she did it!! Yay!!

And, because you all know I'm sentimental, a year ago on St. Patty's Day, I wrote about this....what a difference a year makes!!

Enjoy the beautiful Spring day. 

Ring Around the Activity Table

One of Evelina's favorite new activities is zipping around her around we go entertainer.  She will just go and go and go, smacking the piano keys occasionally.  I think this is almost as fun to her as saying "Da". 

Ma...

We officially have strings of Mamamama.....  Before now, we would hear the occasional Ma but it wasn't as prolific as Dadada, Bababa, Rarara, Lalala, etc.  It is by no means her favorite new "word" but it's there and it's cute.  I'll take Mama over crawling any day!! 

9 Month Stats

Today was Evelina's 9 month well-baby visit (with a sick visit thrown in).  No vaccines today...yippee!!

Overall, Evelina is the picture of health, with the exception of the cold that has been plaguing her over the past couple of weeks.  She had a fever on Monday and Tuesday of this week and wouldn't sleep long stretches at night unless in the car seat which led us to believe that she may have an ear infection, but her ears looked good, in addition to her lungs being clear.  She is definitely feeling better, but her 2 front teeth are currently erupting and just looking at her inflamed, blistered gums causes us pain...we can only imagine how she must be feeling. Ouch.   Our other concern? Bottle feedings.  Remember this post?  Well, this is happening again, but much worse.  Today she only ate about 13oz down from a usual 24ish, taking about 45 minutes to eat only 3-4oz.  All I can say is that I am worried about her.  My patience is wearing extremely thin and as frustrating as it is, I just want to make sure she isn't starving while trying not to force her to eat.  I never imagined bottle feeding would be this difficult.  Zantac is going to be increased again, we are praying it will work and once her 2 front teeth are cut feedings will get easier. 

In terms of development, she is on track with all of her milestones...even if she isn't crawling quite yet.  Of course, I am constantly worried about her development but her pediatrician assured me that she is doing well and excelling socially.  There are 4 areas of development, gross motor, fine motor, social and language.  Most babies focus on one area most often and based on her pediatrician's observation, Evelina's focus is on the social area followed by language and fine motor.  He also mentioned that crawling isn't a developmental milestone.  I'm not sure if I agree with him (I guess different pediatricians have different beliefs about this) so we will continue to give her as much tummy time to maximize her chances of actually crawling!!  Clearly, she is not a gross motor focus bambina. 

Evelina's Stats...

Weight: 16lbs 13oz (15th %ile) - WOW!!  Up from the 7.4%ile at her 6 month check up, I guess solids are agreeing with her. What's also crazy is that she has gained 11lbs exactly from her birth weight. Way to go bean!!

Length: 28" (63rd %ile) - She seems so much longer to us, but I think it's because she is a skinny-mini. 

Head Circumference: 17.5" (63rd %ile) - Slowing down for sure, only grew 1/2" since her 6 month. Chris is happy about this but from what I've read, it is completely normal for the head to go through a spurt in the first 4 months and then level off.  

Next appointment is at 12 months (already??)...more shots.  Boo. 

9 Months!!

Dear Evelina,

You are now a whopping 9 months old!! Only 3 short months remain until we celebrate your momentous first birthday. I find myself getting emotional just thinking about it; it feels like just yesterday when you made your appearance into the world and I officially became a mother. You’ve grown and developed so much in the past 9 months, but you are still my sweet little baby and always will be…even when you are 34 like your Mama.

Over the past couple of weeks you have been suffering from another cold, topped off with the arrival of 2 new teeth in celebration of your 9 month birthday.  Your cough, congestion and possible teething pain have been causing you to be extremely fussy and agitated with lots of waking during the night in need of cuddles, rocking and the occasional dose of ibuprofen. Drinking from your bottle and eating solids have proven to be some of your least favorite activities and I certainly don’t blame you, Mama loses her appetite when she is sick too.  It saddens us to see you in so much discomfort and we wish we could make it all better.  

Despite your cold, you enjoy playing with any toy that that you can shake, shake, shake or bang against another toy.  You love turning pages of books, standing up at your Zany Zoo, or exploring anything new.  And of course, you still love to put everything into your month, including books as I'm reading you stories.  You have made some small improvements towards crawling and will sometimes scoot forward after pushing your bum into the air; otherwise, you perform your tummy time 360s with a swiftness that I can’t believe.  

You are now 100% formula-fed.  On your 9 month birthday, you consumed your last bottle of breast milk…even though you hated every minute of it due to your cold.  It makes me sad knowing that the breastfeeding chapter of your infancy is now over but I’m also proud that I gave you as much as I could considering the circumstances.  You have also started to eat a variety of finger foods with success.  Your favorites being roasted broccoli and cauliflower; if your diet could consist primarily of these 2 veggies as well as yogurt and blueberries, you would always be content.  This month, we are going to start giving you cheese…yummy!! 

My sweet little Lina bean, as I watch you grow and discover new things each day, I can't help but think about all of your little habits and mannerism that I never want to forget.  How you always stamp your feet into your crib and give big smiles when we reach to pick you up, how you favor sleeping on your side while clutching Gigi in your arms, how you prop yourself up on our chests when we are holding you and inspect our faces while babbling, smiling and raising your eyebrows, how you giggle when we play peek-a-boo or get excited when I say "I'm gonna get you!!", how you look toward Violet’s bed when we say “Where’s Violet?”, how I catch you untying bows whenever you see one, how you try so hard to turn on your crib mobile with some success (while I spy on you via the video monitor), and how you love blowing razzberries.  Every moment is filled with little tidbits of fun and personality.  There is never a shortage of smiles and you bring so much joy into our lives each day. 

All I can hope for this month is that you feel better and stay healthy.  Your first winter has been rough but we are looking forward to spring-like temperatures arriving so we can spend time outdoors enjoying the soft green grass, new leaves sprouting on the trees and all of the beautiful blooming flowers.  

You are the sunshine of my life,
Mommy

Teething, Cont.

Ever since Evelina's first 2 teeth erupted (her lower central incisors) when she turned 6 months, we have been on the lookout for her upper central incisors.  Every time we noticed her to be extra drooly, fussy, chewing more than normal, waking during the night or difficult during meals, we would rub our fingers along her upper gums thinking we would feel a couple of little pin pricks...but nothin'. 

She's had a cold for the past week so naturally we thought it had been causing her discomfort...that was until last night when I caught a glimpse of her 2 lower lateral incisors.  Surprise, surprise!!  Here we were assuming she would get her two front teeth next, considering that is what the majority of sources have indicated, but not so.  I've gotten so used to seeing her 2 cute bottom teeth that it will be strange to see 4 growing.  I wouldn't be surprised if a few upper teeth are waiting in the wings. 

 

Per WebMD: 

Primary teeth usually erupt in a certain order:

1. The two bottom front teeth (central incisors)
2. The four upper front teeth (central and lateral incisors)
3. The two lower lateral incisors
4. The first molars
5. The four canines (located on either side next to the upper and lower lateral incisors)
6. The remaining molars on either side of the existing line of teeth

NumNumNum....

Styleberry BLOG is one of my very favorite blogs. It was one of the blogs that really got me thinking about cloth diapering since the author of the blog, Shawna, made it looks soooo easy!!  From the day I found her posts on Fuzzibunz, I have been an avid reader of her blog.  

Yesterday, she wrote a great post on managing portions for baby, which you can find here. She also wrote a great post on making your own baby food which I found useful as well (click here).  I know my mommy friends out there are reading, many of whom will be starting their babes on solids soon, so I thought I would pass along.  

When Evelina's pediatrician gave us the go ahead to start her on solids at 6 months, I was overwhelmed.  We were in a great routine with her bottle feedings and modifying her schedule was something I was ambivalent about. Should she still get the same amount of breast milk or formula?  Should we omit a bottle feeding?  How long after she gets a bottle should we offer solids? When should we start finger foods?  Should we be practicing baby-led weaning instead of giving her purees? But, as most things have, her routine evolved nicely into including solids (thanks to advice from many friends, our pediatrician, daycare, etc.). I am struggling a little with offering her 3 meals a day since it feels like we are always feeding her, but I know this new routine will also evolve as it always does.  It's funny how her schedule has just organically evolved over the last 9 months without much trial and error.  Phew!!  

Although I have pretty good instincts when it comes to feeding Evelina, I am definitely going to print out the portion chart from the Styleberry blog post and reference it whenever I am unsure. I also agree with Shawna when it comes to rice cereal and juice.  We never offered Evelina rice cereal and went straight to whole grain oatmeal in addition to multi-grain cereal.  I also plan to forgo offering her juice until absolutely necessary...children just don't need that much sugar!!