18 Months Old and Growing
June 9, 2008
I can’t believe that Rosie is 18 months old. My little baby girl is 18 months old. When strangers ask me how old she is, I can now say “a year and a half.” When did this happen?! She changes so much every day – and I want to just beg her to stay little. At the same time, I look forward to our future – when we can have long conversations and be silly together. Now I get to be silly, and she gets to laugh.
We went to the pediatrician for her 18-month appointment. She is 34.5 inches (97th percentile), 24 pounds 11 ounces (50th percentile), and her head circumference is 48 cm (90th percentile). So she is a tall, skinny thing – not that I didn’t know that already. Some of her 24-month bathing suits (the one-pieces) don’t fit her because her torso is too long, but 24-month bottoms fall right off of her because she has nothing there to keep them up. We should all be so lucky.
She did some tricks for Dr. Terry – showed off her vocabulary…blew kisses….said “thank you” – both in sign language and words. She did a great job of clearly communicating her wants and dislikes. When Dr. Terry was trying to get a glimpse in her ears, Rosie pushed her hand away and said “no! No ear!” I had to hold her head still. One of the more comical parts of the trip was when she climbed on the windowsill. This was made funny only because I was telling Dr. Terry my concerns about her climbing skills and being close to getting out of her crib on her own. As we were talking, she climbed up and then said “hell-yo” and waved. Dr. Terry looked at me and said “it is time for a bed. This week.”
Also during this doctor’s visit was the much-feared MMR shot. I had refused it when Rosie turned 1 – and pushed it back again at 15 months – and now the pressure was on. Truth be told, I have read up on it, and my fears are probably based in general paranoia. I have been afraid of every shot she has needed so far. I remember, just before she was born, I went through a brief period of time thinking I wouldn’t let her get any shots. She was going to be with me – why did she need them? So – I said a lot of prayers. I basically just asked God for a sign. I would let her have this shot unless God told me in some way not to give it to her. No sign came – so I let her have the MMR.
I’m pretty sure I didn’t breathe from the time the nurse entered the room with the needle until five minutes after it was all over. It was all I could do not to cry with Rosie. She looked at me with a red face and tear-filled eyes and said “I huwt. Mommy, I huwt.” No amount of kisses would make this boo-boo better. The nurse explained that this shot stings for a while, so I should expect her to be in some discomfort. I offered Rosie her binkie and her Ernie – which made it all a lot better – and then we got a “Turgle” sticker on the way out – with all 4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on it. (She picked it – not me.) By the time we were at the sticker station, the tears had stopped.
She told me several times throughout the rest of the day that her leg hurt – and I probably kissed her little thigh 35 times before I left for class at 5:15. More than 24 hours have passed, and Thank God, she has not had a reaction. I can breathe again and relax.
For my first mother’s day, Sue Baker wrote to me that motherhood was to love, laugh, enjoy and worry. She was so right on all counts. I love life so fully. I spend my days laughing and delighting in laughter. I enjoy every minute – even those minutes when Organic Cheez-its are being rubbed in to the carpet. And I worry – I worry more than I ever knew I could worry. I worry about more things than I thought were even possible. I guess it is all just part of being a mom.
June 9, 2008
I can’t believe that Rosie is 18 months old. My little baby girl is 18 months old. When strangers ask me how old she is, I can now say “a year and a half.” When did this happen?! She changes so much every day – and I want to just beg her to stay little. At the same time, I look forward to our future – when we can have long conversations and be silly together. Now I get to be silly, and she gets to laugh.
We went to the pediatrician for her 18-month appointment. She is 34.5 inches (97th percentile), 24 pounds 11 ounces (50th percentile), and her head circumference is 48 cm (90th percentile). So she is a tall, skinny thing – not that I didn’t know that already. Some of her 24-month bathing suits (the one-pieces) don’t fit her because her torso is too long, but 24-month bottoms fall right off of her because she has nothing there to keep them up. We should all be so lucky.
She did some tricks for Dr. Terry – showed off her vocabulary…blew kisses….said “thank you” – both in sign language and words. She did a great job of clearly communicating her wants and dislikes. When Dr. Terry was trying to get a glimpse in her ears, Rosie pushed her hand away and said “no! No ear!” I had to hold her head still. One of the more comical parts of the trip was when she climbed on the windowsill. This was made funny only because I was telling Dr. Terry my concerns about her climbing skills and being close to getting out of her crib on her own. As we were talking, she climbed up and then said “hell-yo” and waved. Dr. Terry looked at me and said “it is time for a bed. This week.”
Also during this doctor’s visit was the much-feared MMR shot. I had refused it when Rosie turned 1 – and pushed it back again at 15 months – and now the pressure was on. Truth be told, I have read up on it, and my fears are probably based in general paranoia. I have been afraid of every shot she has needed so far. I remember, just before she was born, I went through a brief period of time thinking I wouldn’t let her get any shots. She was going to be with me – why did she need them? So – I said a lot of prayers. I basically just asked God for a sign. I would let her have this shot unless God told me in some way not to give it to her. No sign came – so I let her have the MMR.
I’m pretty sure I didn’t breathe from the time the nurse entered the room with the needle until five minutes after it was all over. It was all I could do not to cry with Rosie. She looked at me with a red face and tear-filled eyes and said “I huwt. Mommy, I huwt.” No amount of kisses would make this boo-boo better. The nurse explained that this shot stings for a while, so I should expect her to be in some discomfort. I offered Rosie her binkie and her Ernie – which made it all a lot better – and then we got a “Turgle” sticker on the way out – with all 4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on it. (She picked it – not me.) By the time we were at the sticker station, the tears had stopped.
She told me several times throughout the rest of the day that her leg hurt – and I probably kissed her little thigh 35 times before I left for class at 5:15. More than 24 hours have passed, and Thank God, she has not had a reaction. I can breathe again and relax.
For my first mother’s day, Sue Baker wrote to me that motherhood was to love, laugh, enjoy and worry. She was so right on all counts. I love life so fully. I spend my days laughing and delighting in laughter. I enjoy every minute – even those minutes when Organic Cheez-its are being rubbed in to the carpet. And I worry – I worry more than I ever knew I could worry. I worry about more things than I thought were even possible. I guess it is all just part of being a mom.
1 comment:
anything new in your world??????????
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