Saturday, September 20, 2008
Cottage Cheese Face
Friday, September 12, 2008
The end
I nursed Caroline for the last time tonight. And I'm sad. I have thoroughly enjoyed nursing her, and I'm proud that I have made it to over a year. There is a lot of satisfaction in knowing that I gave her the best that I could for the entire first year of her life. She has never had formula and that's something that I feel really good about. When Caroline was born, and I decided to nurse, what I didn't know is that nursing is so much more than just a way to feed your baby.
My approach to weaning was a gradual one-- slowly cutting down from three to one sessions over the past month. We have been down to one session, bedtime only, for a week now. And so I decided a week was enough time to not make the transition too abrupt.
We went about our normal evening routine-- dinner, bath, pajamas and nurse-- before bed. As Caroline finished nursing, we were sitting in the glider with the light dimmed. She turned her head and looked up at me with the sweetest, angelic expression. I stroked her cheek, and she smiled at me with her little four-tooth grin.... and then the tears started rolling down my face. What a precious gift it has been to have this relationship with Caroline for a year. To see it come to an end is bittersweet. I'm ready to be done, but I know I will miss it terribly for a little while.
My approach to weaning was a gradual one-- slowly cutting down from three to one sessions over the past month. We have been down to one session, bedtime only, for a week now. And so I decided a week was enough time to not make the transition too abrupt.
We went about our normal evening routine-- dinner, bath, pajamas and nurse-- before bed. As Caroline finished nursing, we were sitting in the glider with the light dimmed. She turned her head and looked up at me with the sweetest, angelic expression. I stroked her cheek, and she smiled at me with her little four-tooth grin.... and then the tears started rolling down my face. What a precious gift it has been to have this relationship with Caroline for a year. To see it come to an end is bittersweet. I'm ready to be done, but I know I will miss it terribly for a little while.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Funny Day
I found myself laughing out loud at several things that happened today.
First, something that made me laugh at myself. Today, I put Caroline in a cute little dress because we were going out to lunch to meet a friend of mine. When she woke up from her nap I got her dress out of the closet and grabbed a pair of her monogrammed diaper covers out of the drawer and dressed her in a big hurry. I started to put her in the car seat and had a hard time getting the straps tight enough around the dress. We had lunch, came back home and she was sitting in my lap. I had my hands around the waist of the dress, which felt odd, like there was some extra material inside the dress. I put my hands up the dress, and, to my surprise, there was the matching diaper cover that came with the dress, still attached. I wondered to myself-- haven't I washed this? I clearly remember washing everything before I put it in the closet back before Caroline was born. And then I looked at the diaper cover and still attached to it was the tattered price tag that I had also left on when I washed it. They always say pregnancy causes you to lose part of your brain function, as well as motherhood causes the phenomenon called "momnesia". I think this is clearly a case of both!
Now for a couple of funny Caroline stories......
Caroline got a Little People airplane from Aunt Helen for her birthday. I have "helped" her play with it, by making it fly through the air and adding airplane sound effects. This morning, she picked up the airplane and started carrying it around, making the "whoosh" sounds that she had heard from me in the past days. I thought it was funny that she remembered and then exactly repeated the sound.
She also happened to get a hold of Chris's cell phone charger. She was playing with his suitcase and the charger was in the pocket. She pulled it out, held it up to her ear and said "hello" and proceeded to have a conversation. Then, she held it up to my ear. I was really laughing out loud at that one.
First, something that made me laugh at myself. Today, I put Caroline in a cute little dress because we were going out to lunch to meet a friend of mine. When she woke up from her nap I got her dress out of the closet and grabbed a pair of her monogrammed diaper covers out of the drawer and dressed her in a big hurry. I started to put her in the car seat and had a hard time getting the straps tight enough around the dress. We had lunch, came back home and she was sitting in my lap. I had my hands around the waist of the dress, which felt odd, like there was some extra material inside the dress. I put my hands up the dress, and, to my surprise, there was the matching diaper cover that came with the dress, still attached. I wondered to myself-- haven't I washed this? I clearly remember washing everything before I put it in the closet back before Caroline was born. And then I looked at the diaper cover and still attached to it was the tattered price tag that I had also left on when I washed it. They always say pregnancy causes you to lose part of your brain function, as well as motherhood causes the phenomenon called "momnesia". I think this is clearly a case of both!
Now for a couple of funny Caroline stories......
Caroline got a Little People airplane from Aunt Helen for her birthday. I have "helped" her play with it, by making it fly through the air and adding airplane sound effects. This morning, she picked up the airplane and started carrying it around, making the "whoosh" sounds that she had heard from me in the past days. I thought it was funny that she remembered and then exactly repeated the sound.
She also happened to get a hold of Chris's cell phone charger. She was playing with his suitcase and the charger was in the pocket. She pulled it out, held it up to her ear and said "hello" and proceeded to have a conversation. Then, she held it up to my ear. I was really laughing out loud at that one.
A Big Step for Mom
I have finally gathered the courage to leave Caroline with someone besides other family members. Up until this week, her only "babysitters" have been her grandmothers. My mom has kept her for pretty much everything I/we have needed to do. Chris's mom has also kept her a few times when she has been in town.
So, this week, we had a real babysitter on Tuesday night. She is the daughter of Chris's high school soccer coach and is a freshman at Covenant College. She has 4 younger brothers and sisters, ranging in age from 10 to 16, so she definitely has childcare experience. Chris and I went out to dinner and had a nice evening out.
Then, this morning, I started going back to spinning classes at the gym, and Caroline stayed in the nursery for an hour. The nursery is great, so I had no doubts that she would be in good hands. It was more the doubt about whether she would cry when I walked out the door that was the difficult part. And she didn't... cry.... at all. Whew! When I finished class, I walked back in and she didn't see me yet, so I watched her playing happily for a few minutes. The nursery ladies said she did great-- never cried and just played independently or with her little friend Hadley who was also there.
It is a good feeling to be able to leave her with other people. It has taken me a year to be able to do it, but I wouldn't have had it any other way!
So, this week, we had a real babysitter on Tuesday night. She is the daughter of Chris's high school soccer coach and is a freshman at Covenant College. She has 4 younger brothers and sisters, ranging in age from 10 to 16, so she definitely has childcare experience. Chris and I went out to dinner and had a nice evening out.
Then, this morning, I started going back to spinning classes at the gym, and Caroline stayed in the nursery for an hour. The nursery is great, so I had no doubts that she would be in good hands. It was more the doubt about whether she would cry when I walked out the door that was the difficult part. And she didn't... cry.... at all. Whew! When I finished class, I walked back in and she didn't see me yet, so I watched her playing happily for a few minutes. The nursery ladies said she did great-- never cried and just played independently or with her little friend Hadley who was also there.
It is a good feeling to be able to leave her with other people. It has taken me a year to be able to do it, but I wouldn't have had it any other way!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Chipped Tooth
There is a reason why they say that glass tables are not safe for babies.........
Caroline chipped one of her top teeth on Friday morning. We have a small glass top table in the playroom (that I have been saying we need to move for several months now) and she lost her balance as she was standing in front of it, trying to bite it. It was one of those things that happens in slow motion. I saw her getting too close to the table and as I reached to stop her she just fell and I couldn't get there fast enough. She hit the table hard and left a bit of white powdery residue on the table-- what I soon figured out was a bit of her top tooth. She was fine after a couple of minutes of crying. And then I could see and feel that the tooth was indeed chipped.
As it just so happens, this was the same day that I had scheduled her one year pictures. Figures! The good thing is that the chip really isn't noticeable unless you point it out. Needless to say, the table has now been moved.
Caroline chipped one of her top teeth on Friday morning. We have a small glass top table in the playroom (that I have been saying we need to move for several months now) and she lost her balance as she was standing in front of it, trying to bite it. It was one of those things that happens in slow motion. I saw her getting too close to the table and as I reached to stop her she just fell and I couldn't get there fast enough. She hit the table hard and left a bit of white powdery residue on the table-- what I soon figured out was a bit of her top tooth. She was fine after a couple of minutes of crying. And then I could see and feel that the tooth was indeed chipped.
As it just so happens, this was the same day that I had scheduled her one year pictures. Figures! The good thing is that the chip really isn't noticeable unless you point it out. Needless to say, the table has now been moved.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
12 month check-up
Caroline had her 12 month check-up yesterday. Weight: 21 lbs, 4 oz. Length: 29 inches (although Chris thinks she got cheated on the length measurement). She is now in the 50th percentile for both height and weight-- "perfectly average" to use the doctor's words. She had her first finger stick for a blood test to check her hemeglobin and lead levels. Both tests were fine and she didn't even cry with the finger stick. She's a tough girl! We also got another round of immunizations, which don't seem to be getting any easier for her or me. All in all-- she is a healthy girl!!!
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