1.5

Is it really possible that my baby is already a year and a half old? I'm having a hard time accepting this, but at the same time I have to admit that this age is the most fun yet and it seems that with every day that passes I am enjoying The Chubs more and more (and I really didn't think that was possible!).

Lexi is starting to catch up fast. For 9 months she literally did nothing but sit with her hands in front not touching anything. She didn't even have protective reflexes because her spd was so bad (she didn't want her hands to touch the floor, or anything for that matter). Now that she has been in therapy I have really seen her flourish. She had a lot of skills to catch up on that she lost time with those first 9 months, but as each month passes she's started to finally possess the traits of a normal, healthy and developing 18 month old. To say I am proud of her is an understatement.

I don't think I've mentioned this yet but about a week or two after she started walking she started to crawl. I worked with her everyday for 8 months on this skill so I am so thrilled. Now she can crawl to an object, pull up and walk wherever she wants. This is a normal skill for most kids but for her to feel comfortable on her hands and knees crawling around is a huge deal for us. I really didn't know if she would ever crawl.

She isn't a huge talker (although her favorite words are "Duck", "Baby" and "Mama" and she loves making the "hoo hoo" noise for the owl in her room), she is big on signing and can put 3 signs together to make a sentence. I counted her sign repertoire and it is over 90 and counting. It has been a lifesaver since her verbal is lagging. A speech therapist is going to be working with her soon and I know this will help her take her signing ability and translate it to verbal communication, but for now I'm just thrilled to be able to communicate with her. I'm sure it has eliminated a lot of tantrums and for that I'm grateful.

Her observation skills are astounding to me. She will pick something out in a crowd and sign it before I have even seen it. Sometimes I have to look closely to see what she's referring to but I always end up finding it. The Hubs took her past the frozen food section the other day and she signed "fish". She must have seen a fish picture (or maybe even the word) on the packaging. Today I was wearing an American Eagle fleece with that tiny little embroidered eagle on the top left (which to me doesn't even really look like one) and she pointed and signed "bird". The hubs ran a marathon this weekend and she kept signing "dog". I couldn't see one anywhere until finally off in the distance I saw an owner with their dog. I would've never spotted it on my own. She loves signing and pointing to anything in a book that she recognizes.

My favorite thing is her dancing. She'll ask for "more music please" and then when I turn it on she dances around the room bopping and swaying to it. As soon as the song stops she asks for it again. This can drag on forever but it's so stinking cute that I can't help but keep playing more songs for her.

She is a hair terror. She likes to pull hair and it's not a good habit to develop especially since she will go for anyone and everyone's hair and yank super hard, giggling the whole time. On a playdate a few weeks ago she just kept walking around pulling all the kids hair. I had "that child". I recently purchased a doll with long brown hair for her so that we can practice being gentle. So far she just wants to pick up the doll by her hair and fling her across the room. I think we need to work a little harder in this area.

Lexi is so much more of a snuggler now than she was as a baby. Therapy has really helped in this area. Now she'll walk over to me and give me hugs and kisses. It melts my heart. I still remember when she would fuss or cry when I tried to hold her or rock her. She has come so far since then and actually craves the physical touch now. I finally get to cuddle my little girl and it's wonderful!

No matter how much I try to describe my little girl, it can't even begin to capture the little person she is. I love her more than life and I am so proud to be her mama.

Happy 1.5 years Bug!

Puke: I'm so done with you

It's no secret that vomit has been a part of everyday life since The Chubs was born. I mean, the title of my blog is "Spit Happens" which kind of explains things right out.

When the Chubs was an infant, she would spit up an average of 20 times with each feeding (and we wondered why she wasn't gaining much weight...). Then there were the occasional projectile pukes which were not only inconvenient but downright scary for a first time mom. Especially when the puke went through the nostrils.

Once the mouthfuls of spit up decreased and then stopped, the full fledged vomits began. Up until 10 months old when Lexi was still just drinking milk/formula, they weren't a huge deal. Trust me, I still was not thrilled to be cleaning up puddles of milk puke but at least the smell wasn't as potent and it certainly didn't stain too badly.

Although solid food intake was a huge milestone for us considering our battle with terrible reflux and oral aversion, it also introduced us to much more disgusting vomits. Many kids stop puking or spitting up once solids are introduced. Unfortunately, due to a history of reflux, terrible gag reflex and continued oral sensitivities, the puke did not stop. It is becoming increasingly less common, but it is still very much a part of our lives. I could never begin to count how many times I have cleaned up puke. It is definitely in the hundreds.

Before having Lexi I was a pukephobe. I hated anything having to due with anyone's puke. I couldn't even listen to a family member puke without freaking out. It was one of my major fears. After a pregnancy filled with morning sickness from start to finish (including an hour AFTER delivering The Chubs), I started to not fear it quite as much. Afterall, I had probably puked well over 500 times during pregnancy and it was no biggie. Now I think it was preparing me for having a reflux kiddo.

Today at lunch for no real rhyme or reason, Lexi gagged on something. It could've been something as minor as a tiny lump in her food, or that the spoon went back too far in her mouth. But as soon as this child gags, she starts puking and doesn't stop until her stomach is completely empty. Considering she had a sizeable lunch it was EVERYWHERE. Usually cleaning up after her for lunch is already a daunting task. She likes to play in her food as most toddlers do and fling bowls across the kitchen floor. It usually takes me about 20 minutes to fully clean up after her meal on a puke-free day. But when puke is added to the picture it adds a solid 15 minutes onto my clean up time because it gets in every crack and crevice of her highchair, all over her clothes and all over the floor. That means a new load of laundry, a mop job on the floor and a completely thorough cleaning of her high chair pad and chair.

Can I just say I feel like I deserve to be past this stage by now? Everyone expects an infant to spit up once in awhile. Occasionally the stomach flu hits and you have a day or two of puke that you have to deal with. But seriously, she is 1.5 years old now and I feel I should have a break from this weekly puke business. Many people say kids get over their reflux once they start walking. I have yet to see this change. Part of the problem is that most kids don't outgrow their reflux until they hit 9 to 10 kilos which for many kids is around 1 year of age. Since Lexi is a tiny one, she's not there yet. I'm hoping once she gets there we will be done with this. Although the puke doesn't disgust me nearly as much as it used to, it's still not pleasant to clean.

Puke, I'm so done with you.

A Mother's Reflections

Dear Lexi,

Having you as my daughter has been the most amazing gift I could have ever received. You were not an after thought, or a mistake. You were deeply wanted and anticipated for years. I used to sit and think about what our child might look like, what little personality they would possess, who they would most take after, and so on. You came into our world and knocked our socks off in every single area. Never in my life would I have dreamed that my daughter would be as amazing as you.

I still remember that day in the hospital when everyone was rushing around preparing for your arrival. The warming lamp snapped on over your bed, and I felt the most anticipation I have ever felt in my life. You were coming and you would be there very soon. I couldn't wait to hold you and finally answer so many questions in my head about who you would be. Then you arrived and as they placed you on my belly, I looked down into your blue eyes staring right back at me and instantly I fell in love. Nothing could ever be so amazingly perfect.

It's hard to fully explain how much you have changed me for the better, and how much you continue to teach me on a daily basis. We have been through so many ups and downs together and have formed a bond that is unmatched. The love I have for you could never be described with words.

Although our journey together has had it's share of obstacles, I am so proud of you for continually overcoming them. Nothing has come easily for you from the day you entered this world, and to see you press onward and meet every single challenge in your own time has me bursting with pride.

When you smile at me, or snuggle against my chest, I want to freeze time. Soon, I know you will be graduating high school, going to college and eventually marry some guy that hopefully measures up to your daddy. Until then, I will hold you close to me and savor these sweet moments we have together, knowing there are many more to come.

I love you very much Bug,
Mom

It's official!

We officially have a walker. My post earlier was a bit premature. I should've waited until the end of the day for her to surprise me. After her nap she took 96 steps in a row and didn't stop after that. She's still a little unstable but I think today we can say Lexi is a walker! I'm so proud of my girl. It was no easy feat getting to this place.

Woohoo!

Today Lexi walked from the middle of our playroom out to the banister in the hallway without any assistance. It was probably 10 feet and about 15-20 steps. She's still battling some confidence issues but she can totally do it. The therapist gave me some techniques on how to get her to walk without holding onto our hand. At this point when we hold her hand and she walks she is putting hardly any weight or pressure on our hand. I knew she had the skills and ability to walk on her own but just needed something to push her to try it on her own. Today with some tips from her therapist she did it! I'm hopeful that soon she will be doing it 100% on her own once she has the courage. I cannot wait to having a walking baby! She's been pushing around her walker for 3 months now. It's TIME!!!!!!!!!!

Steps!!!

Today while I was holding Lexi's hand as she walked I let go briefly and she took a couple of steps on her own! Then she came crashing into my arms. She did this several times throughout the day. It has been a long time coming. I don't know that she will be fully walking on her own really soon because she still has some balance issues but I was beyond thrilled. We are ordering her special arch supports because one of her legs is slightly weaker than the other and she likes to put most of her weight on her left foot. Hopefully with that addition and a little more practice we'll have a walker soon. I'm hoping by 18 months she'll be doing it all on her own. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Answer: Yes, it would.

Lexi's top faves

Every once in awhile I'm asked by other moms to be, or friends and family that are attending baby showers to give them some ideas of items that have worked really well for us that I would recommend. In the past I've drawn a complete blank. This has prompted me to start a list of things that I've found have been invaluable on this journey. Keep in mind that some of these items worked well because my child has some special issues that most kids her age do not share. Also, I fully recognize that what makes each kid unique is that they will not like all the same things. They will not play with all the same toys or enjoy the same activities. That's why much to my dismay, they did not hand me a manual when I left the hospital and took Lexi home with me. Without further ado, I give you, Lexi's top faves, in no particular order:

1) The weighted blanket: This is a must for kids with sensory issues. When Lexi was done with the swaddle there was a good 4 months she would not take naps that were longer than 30 minutes long because she could not get comfortable. She was done with the swaddle but needed that feeling of security. This was perfect, because she could still move around but have the weight on top of her to make her feel secure. I purchased mine from a lady on etsy.


2) Radio Flyer Pack and Go Canopy Wagon: We have an annual pass to the zoo and this is perfect for those trips. The canopy provides shade from the sun and protection from rain. It also comes with a storage backpack that has an insulated pouch to store perishable food and keep beverages cold.
3) Munchkin suction bowls: Because of Lexi's initial fear of food her therapists suggested letting her play in her food. You can imagine that having bowls full of food flying everywhere doesn't really sit well with me. These are great because she still has her food in front of her to touch and experiment with but they seal to her tray so they are less likely to shoot off and onto the floor. Granted, they do still come unsealed with a strong grip, but usually I just keep an eye on them and reseal when necessary. They at least can't be unintentionally bumped off the tray and fortunately Lexi isn't a very aggressive child in her high chair.
4) Nuk Learner Sippy Cup with Silicone Spout: Lexi is not an aggressive drinker and doesn't like to work too hard to get fluid. She also favors softer spouts, so I found this to be the perfect cup for her. I just used a knife to cut the spout hole larger so it was easy for her to draw fluid from and there is no valve to deal with. The handles are removable, and we have already done away with them. I like the lid on the top to protect the spout and I like that it doesn't hold a lot of fluid because she isn't a big drinker. It's also easier for her to hold since it holds smaller volumes.
5) Garanimal Shoes: I'm not a big fan of Wal-Mart, but I like their shoes. They have good soles and a decent arch support and since little feet tend to lose shoes fairly easily, a price tag of $10 isn't bad at all. Lexi's physical therapist suggested that due to her low tone, that it would be best for her to learn to walk with shoes on and that she needed support for her arches. We were originally thinking we would need to pay for inserts but to our surprise, the arches in these shoes were perfect. Inserts would've been $40, so thanks to Wal-Mart we saved a ton of money and will be purchasing all our shoes there for the foreseeable future.

6) Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Piggy Bank: This toy is great for fine motor development. Lexi loves the music too. This was another therapist inspired buy.
7) Target Door Mirror: Seems so simply right? A $5.99 door mirror from Target is probably one of Lexi's all time favorite things. We have two of them in her playroom. For sensory kids, mirrors are awesome for motor planning. One of her favorite things is to watch herself dance in the mirror. It's also helped enormously with her sign language development.
8) Kidco Food Mill: This thing is pretty awesome. If you have a child that is still eating puree consistencies and you want to feed them on the go, you can take this thing anywhere. It is manually operated and requires no batteries or electricity. It will puree and blend any type of food you put in but it's especially good with fruits and veggies. We mainly use it for bananas. The consistency is probably for kids that can tolerate more texture since it won't puree it to a super smooth consistency, but it's also a great step after stage 2 purees to introduce texture before moving onto more gritty textures like mashed potatoes or other blended table foods.
9) Munchkin Inflatable Duck Bathtub: This thing is portable and deflates to a very nice travel size. This is a great transitional tub when you have a new sitter who no longer wants to use an infant tub but isn't super steady sitting on their own. I like the small size so it's quick to fill and easy to drain. The beak makes a quaking noise and it has a white hot spot in the tub so you know when it's too hot for baby. This was the tub that got Lexi comfortable with bath time.
10) Munchkin Bath Toys: Lexi loves playing with these in the bath tub. They also squirt water, but what I've found them most helpful for is for teething. She never put objects in her mouth until she was close to 14 months old. When she did, it was these toys. They are soft and rubbery and the hot pink one on the bottom left is her favorite to bite on because it's the perfect size for little mouths. It has nice thin fins so she doesn't have to open her mouth big to get it in there and when she bites down it's soft enough for her to not be alarming but also enough resistance to feel good.
11) Baby Signing Time Videos: These videos are awesome. In fact Lexi constantly points to the tv and signs "baby" (which is what she refers to as these videos) because she almost always wants to watch them. They teach so many great signs for kids to use to communicate with. The songs are cute and well written and they show lots of kids and toddlers using the signs which Lexi loves. She's really blossomed since we started using sign language. She can now tell me when she's in pain, hungry, wants something (to read a book, use a certain toy, take a bath etc), and we've been able to teach her to sign "please" to ask for things nicely and sign "thank you" for things. It's been wonderful since her speech is a little delayed. She also loves pointing out animals at the zoo and using the signs she knows for them. If she sees something when we're out and about she usually will point and sign to it which is also fun. I know it doesn't completely bridge the gap of communication but it sure helps.

12) Fisher Price Activity Walker: Lexi ADORES her walker. This one is awesome because it moves fairly easily so once they get the hang of stepping there isn't a lot of resistance to hold them back. It's pretty bare bones but it works great and it's really inexpensive! I also like that she can kneel at it and play with the toys on it, although she does get bored with them fairly quickly. She's much more interested in pushing it.


And that's about it. I'm sure as she gets older these will change dramatically, but these are the top on the list for now!