Can you believe it? Seven months... Where did the baby time go? I thought there were so many stages or markers in this first year. I've been with her this whole time and I feel like I've missed them all! Here's what I have caught:
- She can say "mama" and "dada". She has for a while now and it actually surprised Dr. Riffel at her last appointment when we said she could say "mama" and then near the end made us out to be truth-tellers when she did it right in front of her.
- She can crawl. It started off as a left-arm strong army crawl, but she's using both sides now and even gets up on her knees now and rocks. Grammy and I think she'll be crawling easy by this next weekend.
- She's 17lbs 8oz. I know this because I've been in and out of the doctors' office for three weeks. First for a check up and first portion of her flu shot. Then cough and ear infection. Luke also had a cough and ear infection at the same time (but the doctor didn't catch hers.... Ugh.) Then I took Mila back the next week at the urging of Aldo.. She had an ear infection in both ears. Then this past week I took her for her second portion of the flu shot with a check up because she was still coughing at night with a rattle sound in her chest and goopy eyes. The doctor confirmed what I thought - she had/has a cough that medicine won't help (breathing treatments won't help). It will take weeks for it to go away. She also had an ear infection again. And in showing me how to "massage", which was more of jamming her finger in the eye, her for the tear duct to open, the doctor ended up popping it open and goopy came out. Poor Mila is on medicine for her ear infection, medicine for her goopy eye to clear up finally, and medicine for the side effects that will show up in her diaper. With all that said - why have I never heard of breathing treatments and then now with this generation of kids (Luke, Mila, Asher, Ava) I am?
- Don't turn around.... She rolled off the bed. And on my watch. I felt so bad. I was in the living room and I heard her wake up, never heard her cry... So I took my time going to the bedroom and when I got there she was looking up from me on her belly on the floor. What was strange was that I had blocked the side with the largest pillow we have, so she must have inched her way to the end.
- She cries over small spankins. And then goes on to do it again.
- She no longer spits baby food out. Unless she is adamant about not liking it (prunes, peas, things I would agree are gross). She also clamps her mouth shut if I'm trying to give her something in a medicine dropper or by hand. She's been on so much medication, I don't blame her. But it was funny when I attempted the Easter egg chocolate and she wouldn't have it. I forced it in, and she quickly went after the bag. What have I done?? She still isn't up for the melt away cereal snacks. She'll play with them in her fingers, but hasn't tried to eat them yet.
- She would rather eat shoe strings. Hoodie strings. TV cords. Pump cords. Key jangles.
- She still bites once in a while. Yes, she's still mainly breastfed. She'll take a bottle now and it's kind of a must on Thursdays while Aldo is watching her and I'm going into the library for a few hours. I am her preference though. It's kind of an honor. It's a lot tiring. Remember back when everything was related to pregnancy? Now everything is related to breastfeeding: lack of energy, over-eating, toothache, drive, etc.
Today I am letting her sleep on me as I sit in the rocking chair. I look at her lay there with her foot up, her hand stroking back and forth making sure that Mommy's skin is there, sweet closed eyes, a beautiful baby girl. The time will come when she'll drive me crazy (I expect those teen years), but God knew exactly what I needed when He made you, Mila Rose. <3
For Aldo too. He's such a caver when it comes to her. They all warned us- she'll have him wrapped around her little finger. He is so protective. Don't be messing with Daddy's girl.
Luke is as fantastic as ever. He had off last week for spring break. We didn't do anything fancy, but he did have his first soccer practice. They are the Great White Sharks.
