One Year Checkup

Anna had her one-year checkup on Tuesday. She got a few immunization shots (one in her leg, and one in each arm), so that made her quite upset - but nothing Mommy's hugs & kisses couldn't cure.

Here are her official stats:

• Weight: 24 lbs. 9.4 oz. (92th percentile)
• Height: 30 inches (75th percentile)
• Head Circumference: 18 inches (55th percentile)

Dr. Leonardo was quite impressed with all of the words and sounds that Anna is making and assured me not to worry about the fact that she's not walking yet. She'll do it all in her own time.

We should be making the switch to whole milk soon as well, so we'll see how that goes!

11 Months Old

Overdue, I know...but here is Anna's 11 month update. . .

• Stats: Anna weighs around 25 pounds. She just made the switch to size 5 Pampers Cruisers diapers, and her clothes are now ranging anywhere from size 12-24 months.
  
• Feedings: Anna has continued to try lots of new foods this past month. She rarely refuses anything completely, but she definitely shows preference for some things over others - like mandarin oranges, diced peaches, bananas, green beans & graduates raviolis. She still loves feeding herself, and she manages to shovel it in quite fast. Sometimes both hands at once. She still drinks around 24 oz. of formula every day, but we've made a lot of progress with her sippy cup. Thankfully, but by accident, her teacher at daycare found that she will not only drink from, but also HOLD this Nuby sippy cup! After buying soooo many different kinds trying to find one she liked, I of course ran out and bought a whole slew of these!
  
• Favorites: Books. Getting chauffered around the house & neighborhood in her "Annalon". Bathtime (with bubbles!). Peek-a-boo (now SHE plays it with US). Getting tickled. Sesame Street - especially Elmo. Telling EVERYONE "heeeeeeeeeeeeey" & "hiiiiiiiiiiiiii".
  Least Favorites: Having her diaper changed & getting dressed is still number one. Having Mommy do her hair is pretty high up there too - I'm sure that will just get more fun as she gets older!
  
• Issues: The separation anxiety is getting so much better for now. Most days, I leave a very happy, smiley Anna at daycare, and that makes a HUGE difference in my day.
  
• Personality: Friendly. Strong-Willed. Persistent. Cuddly. Curious. In that order :)
  Areas to Work On: Limiting the use of the pacifier. Getting on a solid schedule. Walking.
  
• New Things:

1. Holding Her Own Bottle - Not every time, but on occasion (usually for the first morning feeding) Anna will hold her own bottle for the entire feeding.
2. Sippy Cup - Now that we found the Nuby, Anna is drinking from her sippy cup like a pro, even holding it herself most of the time.
3. Hiiiiiii - Anna loves to tell everyone "heeeeeeeey" and "hiiiiiiiii". It's her new way of making sure everyone in the room is paying attention to her.
4. Sound Imitation - She's starting to imitate sounds a lot more now - like if we sing Elmo's song, she does the "lalala", etc. I guess now would be a good time to really start watching our language!
5. Monkey See, Monkey Do - Our little monkey loves to copy everything we do, like slapping her hands on the table, hitting two toys together or clapping her hands.

When Formula Just Isn't Cutting it Anymore

After getting approval from her pediatrician and much reassurance from grandparents, daycare workers and of course the internet, that Anna is indeed ready for solids, we decided to give rice cereal a try tonight. Here's kind of how it went...



Rice What?!


Oh, Rice Cereal. This could be fun. . .



Is it time for my bottle yet?!
I'm not sure how much rice cereal was actually ingested, but I think it was a good first experience. Mommy and Daddy had fun (not to mention a few laughs and some cute video), and Anna is one step closer to mastering spoon-feeding. Somehow I have a feeling that it's going to take a bit of perseverance from all of us!

The Ever-Elusive Land of Nod

At least somebody is getting some sleep around here. . .



This was Anna early last night resting up so that she could then keep Derek and I up all night :)

Four Month Checkup

Anna had her four month checkup yesterday. So here's the scoop. . .

• Weight: 16 lb 15 oz (97th percentile)
  
• Height: 25 3/8 inches (75th percentile)

We discussed starting Anna on solids, so it looks like Anna might get her first taste of rice cereal in the next week or so. We'll definitely keep the camera handy for that adventure.

She also got her second round of shots. She cried for a little while, but the nurse was mercifully quick, and Anna calmed down as soon as I was able to pick her up and console her.

She experienced a few expected side-effects from the shots, especially fussiness! Nothing a little tylenol couldn't ease, though, thank goodness. My heart just broke seeing her in pain. Hopefully, we'll all forget how much "fun" this was by the time her 6 month checkup rolls around ;)