Four Year Well Visit

Evan was a little late for his four year well visit - he turned four three months ago.  But the three shots he got today hurt just as much as they would have then.  He was given the first round of the flu shot and the DTap and Polio vaccinations.  He goes back in a month for the second round of the flu shot and the MMR and Varivax vaccinations.  Ugh - four year old shots are brutal!

Evan's current stats:

Weight - 43.8 lbs (80%)
Height - 42.5 in (75%)
Head Circumference - 21 1/2 in (95%)

Evan has finally started to plateau in terms of his measurements - well, except for that melon head!
His vision and hearing were checked and he seems to be doing both just fine.  I told him he could no longer pretend not to hear me. :)

I shared my concern with the doctor about Evan's toe walking and we decided together that he should visit with a physical therapist to see what their recommendations would be for him.  The doctor thinks some simple exercises would help a great deal.

My healthy, handsome boy...

2 Year Well Visit

I took Mattie to the doctor for her 2-year well visit today.

 Her current stats are as follows:

Weight - 32 lbs. 6 oz. (+95%)
Height - 37 1/2 in. (+95%)
Head Circumference - 20 1/4 in. (+95%) 

She also received a flu shot and the Hepatitis A vaccination.  She handled the entire experience like a champ.  I, on the other hand, did not.

After taking Mattie to the scale to be weighed, I walked back into the room and bent over to put her on the ground.  All at once, I felt my lower back pop in every direction possible and I immediately fell to my knees in pain.  I was sweating and felt like I could vomit right then and there.  Tears were streaming down my face, but I didn't want to scare Mattie so I had to suck it up.  My sweet girl was very concerned nonetheless and laid her head in my lap and rubbed my leg.  She knew I was hurt and tried her best to comfort me.  It was precious.

I did not let on to the doctor that anything had happened and walked out of there cringing with pain.  Cold packs and Advil better do some work - my brothers and their broods are coming into town tomorrow and I'm ready to smooch, squeeze and hug my niece and nephew - and the moms to be! :)

First Haircut

The mullet had to go.

As much as I wanted Mattie's hair to grow out and look beautiful and feminine - it was doing quite the opposite.  One chunk of hair in the middle of her head was growing long while the rest of her hair was at a standstill.  She was well on her way to being Miss Jo Dirt for Halloween, but buying a wig wouldn't be necessary - she had that part covered.

If you haven't seen the mullet in person, this picture somewhat gives an idea of what we were working with - I think I may have been avoiding taking pictures of Mattie from behind because the mullet was getting so bad.

Her first haircut was a huge success!  Not only did Mattie sit patiently while the lady cut her hair, but the cut actually looks really cute.  She gave Mattie a little bob in the back that will hopefully begin to grow at a more equal rate.

This was a before picture with her ponytail still on top of her head.

Almost done...

Blowing it dry

Mattie loves the new 'do and so do we!  And I can't leave out Evan...he also got his hair cut and was awesome the whole time - as usual.

18 Months

That's my baby girl - growing up (and becoming such a class act - just like her mama). 

Mattie Jane's 18 month well visit indicated that she continues to grow like a weed and that she has a third nipple.  Interesting, right?  She has a small indentation about three inches below her right nipple.  Our pediatrician explained that as the nipples are forming and positioning themselves correctly, sometimes one can hesitate leaving a tiny mark.  This is referred to as a third nipple.  I will go ahead and apologize for any embarrassment this post might cause my sweet girl down the road.

Mattie's current stats are as follows:

Height:  35 in. (95+%)
Weight:  30.5 lbs (95+%)
Head Circumference:  19 3/4 cm (95+%)

Is it funny to anyone else that at 18 months Mattie is wearing a 3T?  We're assuming at some point she'll plateau like Evan did and we can stop buying her so many clothes.  But who am I kidding - it's too much fun buying little girl's clothes. 

15 Month Well Visit

Three shots, a pricked finger and a few thousand tears rounded out today's doctor's visit.  Nothing four colorful band-aids couldn't fix.  Mattie Jane's current numbers are:

Weight:  29 lbs 13 oz (95+%)
Height:  33 1/4 in (95+%)
Head Circumference:  50 cm (95+)

Oh boy, are we in the climbing stage now!  We have found this girl in the center of the dining room table several times, not to mention every chair and countertop she can get to.  It's rather frightening, to be honest.

There is a lot of jibberish being spoken, but a few words we are able to consistently decipher - thank you, ball, bye bye, hi, mama, dada, more, bath.

Mattie Jane loves to mimic and dance - we can turn on anything from classical to hip hop and she is movin' and groovin'. She has also really formed a love for bedtime stories.  Every night, after we put on her pajamas, she climbs into the rocker in her nursery letting me know she's ready for a story.

Our rough and tough tomboy seems to have a bit of an infatuation with shoes.  She loves to put them on and admire them on her feet.  She also loves necklaces and bracelets and appreciates when we tell her how pretty she looks.

We have an amazing little girl on our hands.  We wouldn't trade her for the world.

12-Month Well Visit

Believe it or not, MJ's stats are still on an upward climb - an acquaintance of ours thinks she's a real comedian when she refers to Mattie as "Tiny Tim."  She even implied that maybe we were feeding her too much at home.  Sometimes people should keep their opinions to themselves, especially when they involve other people's children.  Mama Bear was about to claw her eyes out :)

Big girl numbers include:

Weight - 26.9 lbs (95+%)
Height - 31 1/4 in (95+%)
Head Circumference - 49 cm (95+%)

She looks perfect to me...

First Trip to the Dentist

Evan made his first appearance in the Dentist's Chair today (and a dreaded chair in my opinion).  The kid blew me away with his willingness to cooperate and his ability to stay out of trouble while I too got the dental treatment.  I then had to remind myself of Evan's "public self" and his "home self."  The bad behaviors he displays at home do not ever come out in front of others while out in public.  I guess this can be considered a blessing.  Nevertheless, he was fantastic at the dentist's office and was so brave - I beamed with pride, I really did.

His teeth were x-rayed and cleaned and then Dr. John came in to offer his final overview.  Results were great.  We were suggested to continue what we're doing at home because it's working.  I gave myself a pat on the back and Evan picked a prize out of the prize basket.

And having Dora to entertain us while we waited to check-out didn't hurt either.  First trip to the dentist was a success.

Well Visit x 2

Evan and Mattie Jane both had their well visits this week - 3 years and 9 months, respectively.  For the first time I was not able to be at this appointment, but more importantly, Robert was able to go for the first time.  Here is what he reported:

Evan's Weight - 39 lbs 8 oz (96%)
Evan's Height - 40 1/4 in (95%)
Evan's Head Circumference - 53 1/4 cm (98%)

Mattie's Weight - 23 lbs 9 oz (95+%)
Mattie's Height - 29 in (90%)
Mattie's Head Circumference - 47 1/2 cm (95+%)

Conclusions:  we have tall, heavy kids with huge heads.  awesome.

The doctor said not to be concerned about Mattie's tongue tied state.  From her observation she thinks there will be no issue - we will check back at 12 months.

Other than that, happy and healthy.  What more can we ask for?

Is this Hell?

I have been bed ridden for the last five days due to a viral infection that I picked up from Evan.  And as if that wasn't bad enough, my body is also trying to fight off a severe case of strep throat.  Talk about pure misery.

Massive headaches, 103+ fevers, body aches, vomiting, coughing, and congestion - that about sums up the viral infection.

Swollen glands/lymph nodes, inflamed tonsils with puss pockets, neck pain and the I wanna die right right now feeling every time I swollow - that would be strep throat.

I made a visit to the doctor on Friday because I knew I had either tonsilitis or strep throat on top of all these other symptoms.  Unfortunately, me and tonsil related ailments go way back.  So far back I should've had them removed to save myself some grief over the years.  Oh well.  Here we are again.

I knew the viral infection would just have to run its course, but strep throat would have to be treated unless I wanted it to continue to worsen.  No, thank you.  I got a prescription (Amoxicillin) from the doctor on Friday and began taking it immediately.

Saturday morning - no improvement
Sunday morning - no improvement, in fact, condition may have worsened

I cried a lot Sunday morning.  I had been in bed for five days and all I wanted to do was feel better.  The medicine wasn't working - nothing was helping.  Robert was home all day on Sunday so I stayed doped up on Nyquil so I could at least sleep.

Here it is Monday.  I made a call to the doctor's office and left a message with the nurse's station to let them know I needed a stronger antibiotic.  That was at 8:05 am.  It is now 10:40 am and I have not heard anything from them yet.  Do efficient doctor's offices exist?  I didn't even mention the two hours I waited at my initial visit just to confirm what I already knew and to get a prescription.

I need serious help. 

Reporting from the Doctor's Office

We made a visit to the doctor's office today for Mattie Jane's six month well visit.  She is growing and developing just as she should, but the doctor did point out one little thing to keep our eye on over the next few months.

It seems that Mattie's frenulum linguae (that strand that connects the bottom of your tongue to the bottom of your mouth) is positioned more up front than usual.  The doctor says there is currently nothing to worry about if she is eating from a spoon and drinking from a bottle with out any issues (she is).  As Mattie begins to say words, however, such as mama and dada, that is when we need to listen for any potential speech problems.  If anything of concern like that does present itself the doctor said it is an easy "fix."  She will have to have the frenulum snipped which will simply shorten the extension of her tongue.  Robert actually had the exact same procedure done when he was a kid.

Other than that - here are the numbers:

Weight:  18 lbs. 11 oz. (93%)
Height:  27 in. (90%)
Head Circumference:  45 3/4cm (95+%)

Mattie Jane also had three vaccinations today:(  But she was a trooper.  I love her so much.

 

The Numbers Are In

And here are the numbers from Mattie Jane's 4-month well visit...(drum roll, please)...

Weight:  16 lbs. 1 oz. (90%)
Height:  25 3/4 in. (95%)
Head Circumference:  44 cm (95+%)
(*Mattie Jane also rolled over for the first time a few days ago)

We might as well just make a recording and save the doctor her breath because without fail she always walks in and says, "Wow - what a big girl."  She then makes it clear that "big" does not mean "fat," but rather she is well proportioned.

I'm not sure if I should actually write this for fear that I might be jinxing myself, but it seems like a good time - so...Mattie Jane seems to finally be a happy girl.  Whatever has been bothering her for the past 4 months may have finally relieved/outgrown itself.  A fluke?  Maybe.  But I am literally jumping with joy over this miraculous change.

I switched MJ to formula last week thinking that maybe she was highly sensitive to something I was eating.  And I'm not gonna lie - breastfeeding was becoming troublesome due to three breast infections and having to exclusively pump, so the switch was not compromised by my own reluctance.

After a couple days she was spitting up more than ever and was extremely fussy.  She was inconsolable for at least 36 hours.  It was possible that the formula was aggravating her reflux since we discontinued the Zantac the doctor prescribed her at her 2 month well visit (the Zantac didn't seem to have an effect on her either way while breastfeeding so I stopped giving it to her after a month).  I decided to start giving her the Zantac again hoping it would provide some relief.  Within 24 hours I noticed an improvement.  After 48 hours, not only had the spitting up improved, but Mattie's demeanor did a 180.  For the past five days we have seen nothing but smiles - unless of course she's hungry, tired or has a dirty diaper - the normal baby reasons.  I'm crossing my fingers this trend continues.

There.  I said it.  Now, please don't let this be a cruel joke.

Before I Forget

MJ had her two month check-up on Friday and I haven't had a chance to jot down her stats.  So real quick:  

weight:  13.13 lbs. - above 95%
height:  23.75 in - 95%
head circumference:  41.5 cm - 95%

The doctor also started MJ on a small dosage of Zantac hoping it will relieve some of her fussiness.  I'm not convinced that she suffers from acid reflux, but at this point, I'll try anything.  It seems we've been doing a whole lot of guessing when it comes to the fussiness and dairy and acid reflux seem to be the only possible causes - but neither are totally convincing.  I have a feeling we'll be guessing until the problem decides to resolve itself.

First Well Visit

I took Mattie to the pediatrician today for her very first well visit.  At two weeks she is giving her brother a run for his money in the percentile categories.   Not only is my big girl back to her birth weight, but she has gained an additional 1.9 lbs putting her current weight at 10.1 lbs.  She weighs more than 90% of babies her own age and gender (90th percentile).  As far as height, she's sprouting like a weed.  She has gone from 21.25 " to 22.10" catapulting her into the 95th percentile.  And then of course the head - not off the charts like Evan, thank goodness, but still in the "rather large" department.  She is in the 90th percentile at 39 cm.

Nothing but good things to report which always makes for a nice visit.  In addition to that Mattie is feeding well  (obviously ) and her demeanor is nothing like her bro so far.  For those of you that don't know, that is a very good thing.  She is very sweet and completely content unless of course there's a dirty diaper to report or a feeding that needs to happen.  No sweat.

So far - happy mama!

Going All the Way

I never got around to giving the run down on yesterday's last and final check-up (39 1/2 weeks).  The plan going in was that if I was at least 4 cm dilated I would be sent over to the hospital to have my water broken and finally meet our baby girl.  MJ simply will not cut her Mama any slack.  I was "just shy" of 4 cm so my doctor wrote up a hospital order for Friday morning, the 15th - also my due date.  If I don't have the baby before then I am instructed to be at Waccamaw Hospital, 6 am sharp.  My doctor will break my water soon thereafter and we should finally meet Miss Mattie J.

I've been so consumed in the possibility of going into labor these past two weeks I barely noticed how quickly my due date actually approached.  Here I am staring the reality of two kids right in the face!  Ahh!  It would still be pretty cool to go into labor tomorrow since it's the 14th - I was born on December 14th.  Robert and Evan were both born on the 11th (August and July, respectively) - Girls vs. Boys.  My doctor laughs every time I throw out a new date that would be "neat" or "cool."  She thinks Robert and I are obsessed with numerology when in fact we don't really care.  It's just something to think about while we patiently wait for our child to arrive.  Well, not so patiently any more for me.  But I'm also the one with a foot permanently wedged underneath my ribcage.

The last thing my doctor said before I left the office was, "The only thing that could possibly slow your labor down after we break your water will be the size of the baby.  You're looking at another 9+ lber."  FANTASTIC!  Looking forward to the recovery.

Oh, final weight gain for this pregnancy - 34lbs.  WORD.

39 Weeks and STILL Pregnant

I went to my 39 week appointment this morning hoping that I would be at least 4 cm dilated.  In this case my doctor would've sent me over to the hospital where they would've broken my water to kick-start my labor.  Well, as my luck would have it - that door was slammed in my face.  Instead, I was told I am only 2+ cm dilated - just shy of 3 cm.  But the good news is that my cervix is definitely soft and I'm 50% effaced - in other words, I'm ready for labor.  It's literally just a waiting game now.

My doctor did encourage induction again because she is estimating the size of the baby to be between 8 and 8 1/2 lbs.  She's afraid that if we wait to induce at 40 weeks I will be delivering another 9+ lb baby.  I've decided I will go back to see her on Tuesday and if things have not progressed any further we will go ahead and schedule an induction since my cervix is labor-ready.  Again, the hope is that if I make it to Tuesday I will be dilated enough to only need a little help such as water breakage.  Avoiding the pitocin is my main goal this time.  I'd like to go as naturally as possible.

I was telling my doctor how my family and I discussed the possibility of having a 10/10/10 baby (which would be Sunday) and how cool that would be.  She suggested that in my condition I could probably induce my own labor with a warm enema and make that happen.  She recommended on Saturday night, around 8 or 9 pm, warming up an enema in hot water and giving it to myself.  She said if it works the way it should I will go into labor by Sunday morning.  Oh, really???  I thought.  Well, I might just have to try that.  If it doesn't work I can look at it as just cleansing my innards for when I do finally have this baby.  No poopies for me during delivery.

My mom is moving here tomorrow with the help of Robert so I am gonna lay low - literally - until he is back home then I will be back to sampling various home induction techniques.  So far climbing stairs has only resulted in pain, drinking tea has only made me get up more during the night and as for Robert - poor, poor Robert.  Well, he just feels used.  Isn't pregnancy great??

Progression

I'm not in labor yet.  Darnit.  But I have progressed some.  At today's 38 week check-up I learned that I am 2 cm dilated, but my cervix is still fairly thick.  I have definitely been having contractions - minor ones I'd say - so they may still be considered Braxton Hicks contractions which is nothing to get excited about.

My doctor suggests walking up stairs to jump start labor.  She also highly recommends having intercourse which always makes me laugh considering that's how I got myself in this mess in the first place.  But whatever works, right?  I figured these options were way better than drinking castor oil and taking a car ride down a bumpy road.

During last week's visit I was given the option to induce at 39 weeks if I had not gone into labor on my own at that point.  Up until today I had made the decision that I would indeed choose induction at 39 weeks.  But after thinking it through I've made the decision to just let nature take its course.  Robert and I don't plan to have any more children after this birth and I think I would really like the experience of natural labor.  I want to feel the excitement and exhilaration of knowing this is it!   I want to scramble around the house wondering if I have everything I need but at the same time not really caring.  I long for the pure chaos of it all.  Call me crazy - but that's the final decision.  Now if 40 weeks rolls around and there's still no baby then this whole reasoning may go right out the window - in fact, I know it will.  I'll be scheduling an induction pronto.

So, in the meantime you can find me scaling my stairs, drinking raspberry leaf tea, eating pineapple and meditating - all while making my husband a very happy man. :)  Yes, I know, too much information.

Music to My Ears: Dilated

Just went in for my weekly check-up and found I am already dilated - just 1 cm, but my cervix is also soft.  MJ has dropped some since my last appointment too so that is yet another indication that labor is right around the corner.  I was having mild to medium crampage yesterday, but what I thought could be contractions ended up being diarrhea (if you find this detail gross, my apologies - this is for my record).  The diarrhea continued until this morning so I decided to google its connection to labor.  And what do you know?  Diarrhea is a sign of labor.  My doctor referred to it as "nature's enema."  She said she had a patient two days ago dealing with the same symptom and she was delivering a baby 48 hours later.  Whoa, dude!

Another bit of information my doctor shared with me is that they will do an induction at 39 weeks if I so desire.  I'm hoping I will go into labor on my own before then, but I imagine I will probably take them up on that offer if I haven't.  I will say the convenience of planning your own birth is quite remarkable.  So much for spontaneity, I guess.

My mind is reeling now with everything I need to get done before MJ decides to make an appearance.

• Pack a hospital bag
• Purchase newborn diapers
• Not much I can do about the infant carrier I ordered and still waiting on - oops.
• Have someone on call to take care of Evan
• Make sure camera/video are charged
• Get my remaining magazine assignments completed

I'm sure I've forgotten several important things - but oh well.  We're about to have a baby! :)

Measuring Big

Should we really surprised by this?  I mean it's not like we haven't heard that phrase a million times before.  In fact, that phrasing was used during so many visits when I was pregnant with Evan that it's become an expectation even now.  We were also informed that MJ may possess the all too familiar Evans' family trait - the monster melon.  Yay, I thought.  Delivery should once again be as pleasant as ever!

All this information was gathered at my 36 week appointment yesterday.  This appointment officially began "Baby Watch 2010" with the first check of my cervix.  It was luckily not in any shape to have a baby yet, but from this point on it will be checked on a weekly basis.  We also had an ultrasound done which confirmed MJ is positioned correctly, head down, and ready for delivery.  They estimated her current weight between 6 1/2 and 7 lbs.  I'm hoping that means her birth weight will be in the 7 1/2 to 8 lb range - and for recovery purposes I'm begging.

I gained a whopping 1 lb in the last two weeks making my weight gain total 31 lbs so far.  Not too shabby.  At this point however it wouldn't matter if I was 10 or 20 pounds heavier - uncomfortable is uncomfortable.

I can honestly say that I am ready for all that comes with taking care of an infant.  My only experience has been Evan and that was the hardest job I've ever had to date.  I'm confident that MJ will be easier, but any way you look at it night feedings can take their toll.  Luckily we are able to have Evan in his program which will make things a lot easier those first few weeks.  I will also have my mom here as she has decided to move to the area in just a few weeks.  YAY!!!!  I couldn't be happier to have my mom in the same town, not only to help me with a newborn, but to be a permanent fixture in Evan and MJ's lives.  Having grandparents near by is really special for a child.  I was not fortunate enough to have that so I am extremely happy that my children will.

So in just 4 short weeks Robert and I will be moving my mom here and welcoming our baby girl to the family.  Man, time really does fly!

Bi-weekly Check-Up

The 34-week marker has come and my bi-weekly check-up has gone.  My doctor seemed pleased with my progress today.  Everything seemed to be on point which made for a very short visit.  I have an ultrasound scheduled for my next appointment where we will check on MJ's weight and positioning.  If all goes well according to my birth plan MJ will be head down and ready to rock and roll.   None of this I think I'll stay in here for as long as humanly possible.  My plan is 38 weeks - do you hear that MJ, my sweet?  Make Mama happy!

A Baby Machine

Evidently I should have babies for a living according to my doctor.  My results came back from my 3-hour glucose test and she claimed they were the best numbers she had ever seen.  No gestational diabetes for me.  She added that I was made to have babies - whatever that means.  Maybe I should've considered this as a living...a lifelong surrogate.  Ha - absolutely not.

Weight gain for the past two weeks?  Not horrible - almost 3 lbs.  I'm thinking I'll gain about 40 lbs by the end of it all.  My initial goal was to not exceed 40 lbs so I won't be too disappointed with that.

Thirty two weeks and counting.

In other baby news, my brother and my sister-in-law are patiently awaiting the arrival of their son.  Ruth has been having contractions for the past two days and is dilated 3 1/2 cm.  Her contractions are about 7-8 minutes apart.  Once they drop to 5 minutes they will be hospital bound.  Yeah!  Being that my mom and I are flying to Chicago on Friday for Isabel's first birthday, it sure would be a bonus to meet my little nephew too.