Dear Harper,
I believe I said this when Maddie was approaching one year old. These monthly pictures are a pain in the rear end! I've gotten a little smarter though! Each month I purchased a new white onezie for Maddies pictures and it was such a pain. For you, well...you've been posing in an 18 month onezie for the last several months. You may notice it got tighter and tighter with each picture. Last month you noticed the sticker on your onezie and ripped it off, this month we got maybe one and a half pictures before you ripped it, crinkled it and wadded it up. In the past months I have taken tens of pictures (approaching one hundred probably) of you and Maddie on your monthly birthday and you alone in your chair. This month I think I took ten total, two of which were usable and called it quits. You were all over the place and I just had to call a spade a spade! You are so active and hard to keep safe while I take these pictures. I do it mostly while Daddy is at work so it's hard to back away and take pictures while you are climbing the back of the chair and leaning over the arm.
I've started looking into what we will do for your birthday and we have a few new playmates in Chicago that also have January birthdays so we will probably have a birthday party in Chicago.
The tree has been a new fun thing for you to look at. You love standing at the gate that surrounds it. Reaching and grabbing ornaments is a favorite too. We are going to have a lot of fun at Christmas! I'm so excited!
Teeth!
You are getting your one year molars this month. Your teeth are always ahead of schedule.
Eating!
You aren't eating a lot of food lately. I don't know if you are a picky eater or if you are full from formula but you eat a lot of snack foods but not meal type foods. We are going to have to lay off the snacks and formula/milk to see if we can get you to eat more. You love blueberries, that's for sure. You also love veggie fries/chips, freeze dried corn, peas, strawberries and bananas, steamed peas, cheese, crackers, tater tots, hot dogs (although not all of the time), grapes and cheerios.
Sleep!
You've been hesitating to go to sleep lately. I think you are having a rough time because of your molars and life is more fun when you can play more and walk more and interact with your sissy! You do love your lovee. I actually got you two more because you love to chew on your lovee and it sooooo stinky!
Bath time!
Look! Daddy finally gave you a bath! See? He's reading the bottle because he doesn't know what to do with it! (P.S. - I hate that dumb hat!)
I usually give the baths around here and Daddy will often grab a towel and get one of you dressed in jammies. You love bath time! You love to splash and play with the toys. You are a water baby. That's for sure.
Health: Oh, boy. You have been pretty sick this past month. It started when Daddy went to the World Series in October. Maddie got sick. I tried to keep you away from her but of course you got sick too and with it being your second time being sick you just erupted snot and coughed really badly and were so clingy. I felt so bad for you. My heart ached for you and Maddie. We stayed inside for days. One weekday morning you were just not yourself and I thought I heard weezing. I called the Doctor. They told me to listen for weezing. I ewnt about our morning and tried not to over react but when you were in the bath I heard it again. We all got dressed and drove to Children's Hospital. The first nurse didn't hear weezing but sent us to a room anyway. The next nurse didn't hear weezing and I thought "how could I be wrong?" I've been an asthmatic all my life...I know weezing! After that nurse left I heard it. I heard weezing again. I didn't call the nurse or anything. I let it lie. The nurse came back in 20 minutes or so later and listened to your breathing and heard it. Thank goodness because I thought I was going nuts! They gave you a nebulizer treatment and sucked out your nasal passages. Gave us a prescription for an inhaler and nebulizer and sent us on our way. That night we put it all to work and something still seemed off. I took you to the Pediatrician and you had a double ear infection. Your Daddy went to the store and bought a baby swing for you to sleep in. The night before was so rough because your ears were hurting. We added an antibiotics to the list of meds and a couple days later you were back to your old Harpee in a week.
Do you know the best thing that came out of you being sick? You have never wanted to be held and rocked before bed or any other time. You have never wanted to be held and comforted when you fall. That week you allowed me to rock you and that week changed everything. You've allowed me to do it a few times since. That means everything to me. As your Mother, not being able to hold my baby and rock her or comfort her has been very difficult. I never knew there were babies that didn't like to be rocked or held. I have been trying to come to terms with that for months now. I hope this improves and you allow me to hold you and rock you more and more now.
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| My poor sick baby girl before the Hospital |
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| After suctioning your nose. The hardest thing I have ever watched you (and Maddie) go through |
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| In the hospital |
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| In our garage after a long day in the hospital. You were both so well behaved and so tired. I love my girls. |
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| Can't you tell you don't feel good just by looking at you? |
What do you do with a sick kid? Put them in a box of Styrofoam peanuts!
Play time!
Always remember one thing...
I love you Harper!
.PNG)
