Not Ready for Dairy

The awful milk monster has struck again...the milk protein sensitivity monster, that is.  We've had Millie on a special formula for babies that have the milk protein sensitivity, Similac Alimentum.  When we went to her 9 month pediatrician appt two weeks ago, her doctor wanted us to move her over to a milk-based formula.  I've been gradually adding it into her diet these past 2 weeks, and she is now completely weaned of breastfeeding, so she gets her full 24 oz. a day all from formula.  Apparently, little miss Millie is not ready for dairy yet, evidenced by the nasty diarrhea that has hit full-force this weekend.  The protein sensitivity is something that builds in their system, so it wouldn't have caused this problem the first time I gave her the milk-based formula.  However, after two weeks, I guess her system had had enough.  And what's worse, it takes a full 48 hours to leave her system; just stopping the milk-based formula isn't enough to stop the diarrhea immediately.  Our poor baby...her little bottom is raw and she cries every time I change her diaper now.  We went to the dr. this morning, where she instructed us to get back to only the Alimentum formula for a full month, then we'll start easing her into the milk-based again.  If by a year old she still can't tolerate it, then we'll have to go to an allergist.   Let's hope it doesn't come to that.  In the meantime, we're just hanging at home in our jammies today; she was running a low grade temp yesterday and doesn't seem to be 100% herself.  I think we'll just take it easy for awhile and let her system get back to normal.  No complaints here. ;)

Happy 100th Blog Post!!

Yep, this is my 100th Milla Meter Blog Post...how appropriate that we have some very exciting news:  Millie took her first steps this afternoon!  Millie and I were playing when JKK got home for lunch; he came over to pick her up and she just walked right over to him...it was a good 3 steps!  We were stunned into silence and then erupted into cheers and applause.  He turned her right around and she walked back to me...again, only about 3 steps, but oh my, how exciting!  Of course, she wouldn't do it again so we could video it. ;) 

Millie is always amazing us with her new tricks.  This first video shows her spoon feeding herself.  It doesn't happen a lot, but she's getting the hang of it.  http://youtu.be/00_j6gzjnLs 

This second video is of her growling, which has been happening for the past week or two.  She really likes to imitate us when we do it.  http://youtu.be/DlqU7L_76vY

Last video: this is of her new shakers that came in the mail yesterday.  We use shakers at The Little Gym, so she immediately knew what to do.  I took this video just seconds after I had them out of the box.  http://youtu.be/Urgv0lRPNWE.  This picture is so funny; I don't think it even looks like her...she's really concentrating here.

Check out this leg chubb...I swear, she seems to have put on a few pounds of chubb in the past week.  I did read that baby fat tends to peak around 9 months; I believe it.  She is unbelievably squeezable.

 squeeeeeezable

Usually, she will give me a kiss if I ask for one.  Well...technically, she just opens her mouth and waits for me to come to her.  It's so sweet though. ;)

Yesterday at gym class, the kids loved playing in and around this huge donut. (from left: Grey, Leila, Calvin, Cooper, and Millie Bear)  I would totally get this kind of equipment for the house, if John would let me. ;) 

Happy 75th, Bubba!!

Yesterday was Bubba's birthday, and thankfully, we got to see him this past weekend to celebrate. Saturday, John & Colleen took him on a little field trip to Pea Ridge, a local historic civil war battlefield. Millie & I stayed home so that she could nap while I made dinner. It was a glorious spring day, and it sounds like they had a great time touring the grounds. Bill loves history, so this was right up his alley.

 They said the view from this lookout was superb

 Bill on the Trail of Tears

Afterwards they came home, where we celebrated properly with some birthday drinks, lasagna, and german chocolate cookie bars.  Millie gave him plenty of birthday lovin', as well.  These recent trips that Colleen and Bill have made out to see us have really paid off; Millie is so relaxed around them and has no problem letting them hold her and play with her. 

a little swing time on Sunday before Bubba headed back to Tulsa

Happy, happy birthday, Bubba!

Sleep Training: Part Deux

It has been 10 days since I attended a book club meeting at Erin Taylor's house.  And these past 10 days have been gloriously full of much needed sleep!  As I was leaving her house (the first to leave because I was exhausted and going home to bed), someone asked if Millie was sleeping through the night and I just laughed.  We got into 10 minute discussion regarding sleep training, and by the end, I was jazzed about getting home to try some new tricks.  These fellow mothers gave me the confidence to come home and let my baby cry (gasp!).  I have been so afraid of the cry-it-out method that I haven't let her cry at all.  I came home that Friday night and discussed it with John, and the next time Millie woke up, I went in to put her pacifier back in and comfort her...and then I left the room.  She cried for awhile and then went back to sleep and didn't wake up until the next morning.  The next day for naps, we did the same thing and by Saturday night, she was used to the routine.  She doesn't like that I leave her in her crib to go to sleep on her own (I put her down drowsy but technically awake), but she will only cry for a few seconds and then rolls over to sleep.  It's almost like she was really ready for this step.  It has taught her to go back to sleep on her own; she is sleeping through the night now and usually gets up around 5am where we have to go in and make her lay back down.  Around 6:30am, she is ready to get up for the day.  Yes, this is still early, but I'll take it!  It has been the best week.  We've all gotten more sleep and her routine is running smoothly and pretty much on time every day now.  I love it...it's keeping me sane!  And since it has been 10 days, I feel confident in saying that it isn't just a fluke. ;)

To celebrate, she got a new toy...she loves pushing it around while practicing walking

It can also be turned into a riding toy for when she's older (or now for photo ops)

Next up: getting rid of the pacifier!

Mother's Day Out

Today was Millie's first day at a Mother's Day Out program; it is just down the road at the First Baptist Church.  The program was recommended by my new friend Tracey, whom I met a few months ago at The Little Gym.  Therefore, Millie was not alone in class today because her friend, Grey, was there too!  Oh my...this little milestone had me so anxious for the past few days.  I kept second-guessing myself saying there was no need to put her in a mother's day out...no need to introduce her to the trauma of me leaving her and all the germs she would inevitably pick up.  I had almost talked myself out of it last night, but thankfully, JKK made a great point and reminded me that there is no harm in just trying it once.  So we did, and I'm so glad we did!  The program is from 9-2, but I thought we could only hope for a couple of hours this first time.  She cried for only about a minute when I left (I hid out in the hallway for 20 minutes); the director and teachers assured me that she calmed right down and played.  Then she slept in the swing for an hour!  This is probably because we have our swing put up now, so it was a little walk down memory lane for her. ;)  Then they went for a ride outdoors in the buggy.  I got to see this thing and it was hilarious...gigantic and it had stadium seating! 
Oh, look...I found a pic online of a similar buggy (minus the umbrellas)...please note that Millie is not in this pic.

The teacher said she especially loved this little ride, and apparently, Millie couldn't quit checking out her seatmate.  (She has had a staring issue in restaurants lately.)  After 6 extremely efficient errands (!), I couldn't take it anymore and had to check on her at 11:30; when I got to the door she was upset and crying.  Poor Mills...she didn't want to take the bottle from Ms. Judy.  She's taken bottles from plenty of other people, so I don't know why this was so upsetting for her.  Again, the teachers said she was fine up until bottle time.  I took her out to the car and she drained the bottle just in time to go meet dad for lunch.  All in all, I think it was a successful try, and I'm going to take her back next Thursday to do another half day.  Being a stay-at-home mom has seemed to magnify her separation anxiety, so I'm hoping this will help prove to all of us that she won't freak out if we leave her with other people.  Yay, Millie!!

9 Month Pediatrician Appt

It was such a perfect spring day today, which means photo op in the in backyard with our new rosebush.   I'm excited to finally have roses...makes me think of cutting roses from Mimi & Papa's bush in their backyard.  Uh...anyway, the point of this post is to update for Millie's new stats from her pediatrician appt today:  head 17.5 inches (60th percentile), length 28.5 inches (75th percentile), weight 16 lbs, 15 oz (12th percentile).  Can somebody please get this kid a sandwich?!  Dr. Averitt assured us that she is healthy and growing and that her weight is nothing to be alarmed by.  She reiterated that breastfed babies tend to peak early.  We are supposed to add in another meal (to make 3 meals a day) and make sure she gets 24 oz of formula/breastmilk per day.  Maybe a little extra food will help fatten her up.  Although, I'm quite surprised that she has only gained 1.5 lbs from her 6 month appt because she seems so fatty patty lately.  I was sure that at least 1 lb had been gained in her cheeks alone.  Other than the stats, there isn't much news from the appt; she is developing right on schedule, and thankfully, there were no shots today. 

Random: here are some iPhone Camera app pics from this past week...

 doesn't she look mischievous here?!

 sometimes dad lets her back out of the garage on saturday morning donut trips

 Mimi did a great job on the new bibs! 

We went to the nursery on saturday to pick up some new stuff for our landscaping and barely squeezed it all into the jeep with Millie in the back.  She was quite vocal on the way home; I guess she was talking to the forest behind her.

here she is trying to decide what she should play with next...it takes concentration

 those teeth are so cute when she smiles

Since Millie is LOVING the swing so much, we've been making almost daily trips up to the neighborhood playground.  Such a cool cat...

You know you're a mom when...

In motherhood, I have found myself doing things that I never would have imagined possible just one year ago.  Such as calmly washing poop out from under my fingernail.  Or not flushing the toilet at Barnes & Noble so I wouldn't wake my sleeping baby in her car seat.  Or holding Millie's butt up to my nose to see if she has pooped.  Or foregoing the booger sucker to pluck a ripe booger from her nostril with my bare fingers....like this one below.  Mills was in her walker flying around the kitchen when all of a sudden she turns around and doh! look what had appeared...

This is why I'm using bows to try and train her hair to go to the side...otherwise, we have a little Eddie Munster baby.  Kind of wish she would've inherited dad's blue eyes...

Clearly, Millie is loving the new finger foods...the little puffs and yogurt melts have been a huge hit.  And this week, she has been able to feed them to herself.  It's all very exciting around here.

 These next two pics kill me...this is just so Millie.  One minute, all serious while feeling her belly...

Two seconds later, she's back to Silly Millie.  She's standing on her own great and can rise to standing pretty much anywhere now.  As you can see, she gets a good, wide base under her. ;)

Big Kid in the Class

We had gym class yesterday, and it is so fun to watch Millie as the big kid in the class now.  When we started just a few months ago, she was the little one who couldn't do anything but sit there.  Now, she's all over the place...crawling up to the shaker box to stand and dig out shakers (and taste each one), and crawling all over the mat to pop the bubbles at the end of class.  Millie's social skills have grown leaps and bounds, and she enjoys interacting with the other kids a bit.  I love it.  I feel so proud to see the progress she has made.  I know it is all normal and textbook, but it is still a joy to witness. :)

 shake, shake, shake

 i think she was aiming for her mouth...

 check out how fast she has this stick going!

 bubble-poppin'

At the end of class, we always sing a song that involves some sort of physical activity.  Yesterday, I took some video because I requested we sing this song again so I can learn it and use it at home.  It's just fun.  As you can tell, Millie isn't quite sold on it... http://youtu.be/h81dHSG3z10

Double Trouble

Awwww...isn't this sweet?!  We met Amanda & Cayden at the neighborhood playground yesterday afternoon for a quick visit.  There is only one baby swing, so we thought they could share. :)

Easter Sunday

We didn't do much for Easter this year...sort of figured Millie was too young for the bunny, basket, and egg hunt activities.  We'll make up for it next year!  I worked all day at the office, which made me feel funny being away from the family on a holiday.  Nature of the business though; I can't remember an Easter that I haven't worked since graduating college.  The holiday always falls too close to the big tax deadline.  The good news for JKK and Mills was that they didn't have to spend it alone...Bubba, Colleen, Daniel & Lucas were so sweet to come out and spend the day here in NWA.

Millie just loves Bubba

 enjoying the afternoon outdoors

 bubbles!

 serious faces

 after-nap hair

9 Months Old

9 Months Old...Camilla has now been out as long as she was in...

I tried making a collage in Picasa where you could see her growth, but I'm not happy with the program.  It wouldn't let me expand the pics so that you could see each of the monthly signs (hence the numbers up in the corner); the end result is too small to see in the blog anyway.  Whatever...you get the idea.  I still can't get over that leap from the 1st week to the 1st month pic!

you can see her two bottom teeth in this pic...so cute

are we done?

 oh, okay...then i'm outta here

 all she wants to do is stand

Dear Camilla,

This month has been soooo full of new tricks!  I've done a pretty good job of blogging about it, but wow...when I go back and read your 8 months post, I can't believe how much you've accomplished in a month!  Such a big girl now...and on the move!

You are now officially a crawler, stander, and cruiser.  You can go from one position to another in a flash.  If you're standing at the ottoman playing and Buddy walks by...shazam, you are down on the floor crawling after him in a split second.  Unfortunately, all you want to do is pull his hair and he likes to bite.  In fact, tonight, he got you on the arm and left some tiny bite marks. :(  Hopefully, you will learn to be gentle with him soon; he's old and cranky, so I don't think he'll be the one changing his behavior.  Anyhoo, back to your tricks...you get excited when you make the small step between furnishings.  It's very cute, of course, to see you so proud of yourself.  You also like to walk around holding on to our hands.  No sign of walking on your own yet, but I'm also really trying not to encourage that yet.  I have a hard enough time keeping up with you now!

You are still a great eater and still very noisy.  This month, you've really enjoyed lots of fresh fruits in your mesh feeder:  pineapple, blueberries, mango, and asian pears.  I've figured out that you don't like the combination of avocados and bananas for breakfast; it makes you gag.  You've been doing great with the chewing motion, and I keep making things chunkier for you.  You've now had some puffs (broken up into smaller pieces), and you even try to pick them up off your high chair tray.  And here's some big news:  I am in the process of weaning you from breastfeeding.  This has been your choice, and I'm  not sure how I feel about it.  Kind of sad, I guess.  You haven't been interested in breastfeeding for several weeks now, and my body has been taking the cue and producing significantly less milk.  It has felt like a very natural process of moving from breast to bottle though, I guess because I feel like I'm letting you decide what you want.  You have zero problems with the formula, and heartily gulp down 6-7 oz. bottles twice a day and one 4 oz. bottle at bedtime.  I still breastfeed you in the mornings when you wake up.  Not sure how much longer that will continue, but I'm fine with this routine for now. 

What I'm not fine with is your 5am wake-up call, little miss!  This past month has been the most exhausting for us with your sleeping schedule.  Mainly because...there is no schedule.  You do go to bed very easily every night at 7pm.  After that, it is different every night.  Some nights, you go all night until 5am...most nights though, you wake up a couple of times between 7-10pm until you really settle down for the night.  And then other nights, you throw in a random 2 or 3am waking.  Unfortunately, the most consistent waking is around 5am, and then you're done with the crib.  I usually end up putting you in bed with us where the next two hours are intervals of nursing and dozing.  It still cracks me up to see you standing up in your crib when I go in to pick you up at night or from naps.  You just can't help yourself, no matter how sleepy you still are, you just gotta stand!  I think your legs have a mind of their own.

I don't think you realize how powerful they are either...those legs can catapult you off my lap or the bed in an instant.  Sadly, I realized this the hard way last week when you fell off our bed. :(  I should've known better than to leave you alone for even a second.  I had you in the middle of the bed in the boppy while I was getting ready in the bathroom; next thing I know, I look over and you are lunging off the bed.  It was slow-motion.  Thankfully, you rolled and landed horizontally - body and head at the same time.  Scared the living daylights out of both of us though.  Makes me sad to think about it...no more monkeys jumping on the bed.

We won't know your stats until later this month when we go to your 9 month pediatrician appointment, but I can say without a doubt that you've grown this past month.  Your 6-12 month GAP & Old Navy clothes are finally starting to fit, and in Carter's and Circo brands you can wear the 9 Months size.  We also just moved up diapers from size 2 pampers swaddlers to size 3 pampers cruisers.  We even had to raise the jumperoo up one level.

You are such a sweet, happy baby.  I can tell that the Little Gym has been really good for your social skills.  You really enjoy going to gym class and interacting with the other kids.  And we've seen how you love to interact with Cayden. :)  This month has been one of the most exhausting but also probably the most rewarding.  I'm just going to assume this sleeping craziness is a phase caused by all of your new physical developments.  Let's hope this tenth month brings us all some more sleep! 

It's hard to believe that you'll be one year old in just a few months!  We love you through and through, Millie Bear...and we are thankful every day that you're ours!