1.5years...How did this Happen?

I'm not sure how we got to this point, but Baby J is already 18 Months and so much has changed in just the last month.   It always amazes me how fast babies learn and Baby J is no exception as she is learning at record rates.  And perhaps it amazes me more so since at one point we didn't even know if she would be around or what problems we might face.   Please don't take me talking about my child as bragging or in anyway saying she's better than others...I'm just always so amazed by her and I use these blogs to do her photo books from since I'm never up to date on them...though I am caught up to August on those (that is a brag)

playing in the puddle

So at 18 months, baby girl weighed 20lbs even today, 31.7 inches tall (which is like 86% for her adjusted age) and is developmentally where she should be for her real age, if not even further on some things.  She is now in 12 month clothing...mostly because of height. This month she started extreme climbing on everything, dancing every time she hears music, loves doing patty cake and itsy bitsy spider (which is so cute) and even says part of patty cake now.   Today she figured out how to use the microphone on her toy piano at my parents house--she loves playing the piano.  Her language has exceeded any expectations and I was curious last week so I started a list of words she can say well and has said consistently and came up with 30+ words and she repeats a lot more and mumbles even more than that.  She even has a few phrases every once in a while.   She absolutely LOVES the word Puppy and is about the only word you are guaranteed to always hear.  Some books are "puppy, puppy, the puppy, puppy" even if there is no puppy in it.  And yes she does know what a puppy is.   It's fun hearing her say it.  She also is very good about saying Thank You and rather enjoys saying that as well.  She also is starting to say please when she really wants something.  She still very much loves books, but would much rather read it herself.

Baby J still loves the pool and blows bubbles -now very loudly- every time she is in the water and has even started to put her head down under on her own .   Last week she discovered how much she loves the slide at the pool as well.  I'm pretty sure the lifeguards worry I'm trying to let my child drown.   She also loves pop/water bottles.   She likes to take the lid off and put it back on...well actually she likes doing that with any container but the bottle is her favorite.  She tries to figure out how things work and go together....especially belts which can not hold her in anything but the carseat now.

Helping cook Thanksgiving lunch

Baby J has now been in her new daycare for a little over a month
and she seems to be doing pretty good.  I hate that it is so chaotic in the morning there and they are a little disorganized, but over all things seem to be going well.   I have noticed that she is more willing to play with other kids...but that may be her growing up too.  Unfortunately she has landed ill again an has been sick most of the last month and is miserable this week, but currently still a cold this time around. Winter is going to be long.  My daughter is extremely adorable and I love being around

Getting pretty good at using a fork,
and insists on using one for everything

her...well when she is in a good mood and happy, but night time has become a nightmare.  Her poor legs bother her so much at night, like screaming and crying pain and nothing seems to help.  Being sick and not being able to breath is making night time even worse...so for the past couple weeks I haven't really gotten much sleep and neither has she.  The doctor says its just growing pains---despite the fact she has them every single night and has actually had problems since she was little.  I figured out it started to get worse once we removed the formula and since she has been anemic before and Iron could cause it, I requested today that her iron be checked and after being told it was just checked 9 months ago and fine, it was still checked and it was low and under normal range.  Why does it seem like going to the doctor only works if you self diagnose before going...they seem to have no real interest in actually helping anyone figure out true causes to anything.  It's very frustrating.  Hopefully a multivitamin with iron will help solve some of her problems...we still have an appointment in February to check hormones too.  Next week she goes for her NICU follow up so that will be fun.

We survived another show together (thankful for family that helped out especially when while Baby J was really sick the week before the show.   yeah its going to be a really long winter).  We love our new place still and someday I may get it all unpacked and organized.. I got part of that done during Thanksgiving break, but still have a ways to go.  Baby J is still as adorable as ever and has quite the personality.  She is very sassy and enjoys being silly and doing opposite of what is asked of her.  She follows instructions well when she isn't being silly.  Her laughs make me laugh and I love watching her grow up.   I'm excited for Christmas this year with her and have even decorated some.  She really likes the Christmas trees.  I hope we can find a place and a warmer day to go look at lights as she likes them so much and gets so excited.  We can't really drive through them as I'm not sure she can see them from her seat --she is in a bigger seat now, but it still doesn't really give her much view out the window.

thank you to everyone who has continued to support us in all sorts of ways.  Please keep Baby J in your prayers over the winter to stay healthy enough to avoid major illnesses and patience for me as we deal with no sleeping and sick moods.   BTW if you are shopping at Amazon, don't forget to use the link on the side as I still get a small percentage from the website and I am still paying off thousands for the adoption.    Baby J and I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and get to spend time with your own families.
Below is how Baby J believes the high chair should be used.  I want to take it down to be a table and chair which it can be, but right now my dog is to mean at meal times so that will happen when I finally get my dining room table here-it's in the back of a shed- then Baby J can sit at the table and this will be her table/chair for playing at.  Silly girl, I do try to get her to stop.

 

She's been blowing bubbles (also one of her favorite words) in the tub

Happy 17 months! Baby J

It's a day late, but Baby J is 17 months (aka 1 year 5 months) and technically 1 year 2 months adjusted.   She is growing up so fast and is a learning sponge.  She still only has 3 teeth, now weighs around 21 lbs --according to the scale at the Y, and is wearing 9-12 month clothing.  Mostly 12 month due to her height.   But those are just numbers...her personality is what makes her an amazing little girl.  She has a huge vocabulary that she is adding to daily.  She understands even more.  
Baby J has so many different facial expressions and laughs that she keeps everyone on their toes.  She is still a massive climber and climbs things that I'm not sure how she isn't falling off.   She loves being at rehearsal most nights and playing with the kids and has really started to dance when she hears music.  She is still singing often too.  Sometimes she helps me yell at the kids too.
In the past month she has also started to 'help' me...for instance she loves to help unload the dishwasher--she hands me the silverware.  I tried to let her hand me a small plate, but she fell backwards and that broke.  Her balance has been a little crazy lately.   She still loves the animals and is very excited to see the kitties when they come over.   For a couple weeks everything was a 'puppy' until she learned what it was.   She still loves to say puppy and find them in pictures, around her, and sometimes she is just saying it.   She has started to do the motions for Itsy Bitsy Spider and it is the most adorable thing ever.
This past week Baby J started at a daycare facility.  She survived the week.  Each day they said she ate well and she actually napped- that was my biggest concerns.   She cries in the morning when I drop her off, but they tell me she stops pretty fast.  Usually she is playing and seems happy when I pick her up.  They said she has done a good job overall transitioning.   She talks a lot after daycare so I figure it must be going pretty good.   I enjoy the shorter drive and it has helped immensely.  
Poor Baby J is having a hard time sleeping the last week.   She is teething again and has come down with a cold.  I hope she feels better quickly.  Thankfully my parents have watched her some so she doesn't have to keep the same busy schedule i have.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the things that she has accomplished this month, she is so much fun and most of the time is the best baby ever.  Bedtime isn't fun and while she's not feeling good, but that's about it.  Hopefully we will make it the next two weeks and then the show is over.  Yea!

Happy Halloween Baby J

Unlike most Halloween nights, I had this evening free and Baby J and I got to experience trick or treating.   We went to a cousin's and went out with her.  Baby J had a blast.  In fact we spent most of the evening literally chasing after her- she has really started to run well and fast.   She thought this evening was great and thoroughly enjoyed it.   I've noticed she is getting true joy out of so many things lately.  Last night she went to a skating party with me and people took her out on the rink in her stroller all night and she loved it, I even put her in way to large skates and went around with her once.   It's so much fun to see her having true joy in the things we do.  
Baby J is becoming little Miss Independent and she will soon be a huge handful, but I wouldn't change it for anything.  She is talking all the time and we are hearing sentences from her.  She has started to really reach the stage where she repeats what she is hearing.  Most things are called "puppy" until she is told what they are.   Puppy is her favorite word and she goes around saying it.  It's amazing how fast she catches on to things.  She was calling a bird a puppy the other day and I told her it was a bird so she repeated back  "Ird."   And now she calls the birds birds instead of puppy.  She also now keeps going to the tub and saying "ubbles" aka bubbles.  She is climbing everything and takes off to other rooms and areas now.  
Today Baby J started daycare at a center...I'm glad for the closer drive, but really liked where she was.  I was worried we would be starting over with the crying like she was doing, but they said she did very well.  She cried in the morning some and a little later, but she played, took a nap even, and did not even have her blanket all day (which is HUGE).  I didn't even let her take her best bud in this morning...which by the way is her cup.  I guess she loved trick or treating with them as well this morning.  Hopefully she will do as well tomorrow without all the halloween distractions.  

1st day in new seat.

Baby J Learning and Love

I know I over share my daughter's picture and information, but I can't help it.  She's so adorable and learning so much right now and makes me laugh on a daily basis.   When I started the process to adopt, I knew I wanted a younger child because i knew how important those first years were and I'm really good with young children.   After my experience with the foster care system and moving to the adoption path I took, I decided I wanted a baby (though I definitely want to do foster care again with all ages), I wanted the chance to raise a child from as close to birth as I could.   Baby J is entering the

main reason for this decision.  I love love love to watch kids learn new things, but it's especially amazing to me when they are young.  Each new thing they learn is so much fun to watch as the wheels are turning, even when they are learning things you wish they weren't.
Baby J has been learning so much lately and each thing just amazes me.   She keeps adding words and sentences and each time she talks with them, I'm amazed at how quickly she is learning them.   It's not just vocabulary though that is amazing to me.   Just this month I have watched her really get to interact with cats for the first time.

She knows to be gentle and they seem to love her, I've watched as she has figured out how to get to the top of the chair and play with the light switches as she is learning they turn on and off the lights, she is learning to play with the dog, giving kisses and hugs, waving hi/bye and saying it, I've watched her figure out how to climb into her stroller and today she even got up into her high chair and sometimes she fails the first couple of times, but she continues to try.   I've watched as she has learned how to tear the paper towels off the role, get up and down stairs, try to use silverware, dancing, trying to swim away from the wall and blowing bubbles.

I think the reason it's so amazing is because we take things for granted and to see thing through a child's eyes makes us focus on the small things even if just for a second in our busy crazy lives.   This part of growing up is why I wanted the opportunity to experience it.   To see what a baby can learn in such a short time is a testament to how awesome human beings are.  And maybe it's even more amazing because Baby J was so early in life and the outlook is not always good for preemies, but even as a baby who never made it to the third trimester, she has gone beyond all expectations.  Honestly everything is a new surprise because she did start out so rough with so many problems and we never know how it could affect her in the long run, but so far she has overcome all obstacles and expectations- she caught up faster than almost any other preemie and was on target by age 1 instead of the 2 years they are given to catch up.   In fact I'm sure she will probably be deemed ahead of her age by our next visit in almost every area.   I'm so proud of everything she has done.  Baby J definitely fits the Shakespeare quote "Though she be but little, she is fierce"



We don't always have good moments (like I feel like she doesn't feel the need to sleep.....ever) and sometimes we have tantrums when angry, but most of the time Baby J is a happy, talkative, brave little girl and while I may be in debt for the rest of my life from adopting, she is worth every penny and the best decision I ever made.   I love watching her and laughing with her...but mostly I just love her.

Sit Down Child!

"Sit down child" - I believe I say that more than anything to my now 16 month old child.   Baby J loves to stand up in chairs and can get out of most every belt.   She's a sneaky one and so I find myself always saying Sit down.  
Baby J and I have had an extremely busy couple of weeks.   We moved and have been in our new place for about 2 weeks.   It's a single floor duplex with plenty of room.  While not totally finished I really like it and Baby J is adjusting well to it.  She loves all the space she now has and will go all over the house on her own.  Someday we will be unpacked.  It also came with a stray kitten that comes around alot.  It's probably just a few months old and is pretty skinny, but clean looking.   Baby J loves the Kitty Cat and so far they do well with each other.   We sometimes give the kitty snacks.  Baby J has started to look for 'kitty cats' everywhere.  She says Kitty Cat, Puppy, and bye bye very clearly now and does so often.  I think she thought Petco was the greatest place ever with all the pictures of pets and the dogs that were there.

At 16 months now, baby J is walking all the time, a huge climber (which often results in falls) and when she is with me, she's usually pretty independent.  She jabbers all the time and now has many words within her conversations.   I asked her one day where her stars went (something that plays at night for her) and she looked up and said their gone.   It is amazing how quickly little ones learn.   She can buckle the top part of her seatbelt now and loves to do so.

While we still have some problems with fussiness at child care she is doing so much better most of the time.   Our sitter does such a great job and I'm sad that J will be going to a different place in November---but I also can't keep doing 3 hrs on the road every day with my schedule.   Poor Baby J and the little boy at childcare suffered from Hand foot and mouth disease this past week.   It came so quickly.  Thankfully J could still go to daycare since they both had it and she is on the mend.   Actually I'm pretty sure she's over it, but her skin keeps marks forever-  it looks like bug bites never heal.  I'm so glad she is feeling better.    Now if we could only get a better night time routine going.   If she gets any sleep on the way home from rehearsal she is up forever and many times very hyper.    I love listening to her talk and have fun.   She is doing really well at rehearsal and the kids are enjoying her most nights.  

We haven't gotten to do a lot of activities together.  Between the move, being sick, and rehearsals our time has been crazy.   We did go to our town fall fest and watch the parade and then Grandma and Grandpa took her to the rest where I know she ate, looked at crafts, and went to a petting zoo.

Baby J is growing up so fast and I'm having so much fun watching her grow.  She cracks me up on a daily basis.   Life has been kind of rough in some areas...but Baby J always makes me smile.  I often have moments where I suddenly remember this baby used to be the size of my two hands.  She's come so far.

Baby J updates

Watching Othello

Today Baby J had her 15 month checkup...finally a checkup that did not include shots.  Yea!  I went with a big list of concerns this time, though all probably minor.   She is now 18 lb 13oz (only a few ounces bigger than a couple months ago), 31 inches long, and a head circumference of 44 cm.   She is in the 71% for height for her adjusted age...she is going to be tall.   The doctor was really impressed with her vocabulary (even if she refuses to say it all the time) and Baby J even said Thank You while she was in there.   I mentioned her reaction to Pumpkin and the doctor said since there wasn't a respiratory reaction, she didn't feel we needed to do a confirmation test since I already know.
We also discussed the milk issue- I was told I needed to cut off the formula supply-which didn't surprise me, but was told it's ok not to give her milk.  She was surprised at what I was saying, but said she can have almond or soy milk instead and when I said I would try again later she said it would be best to wait till after she was 3 years old.   Which is fine, I can tell a huge difference in her when she is off milk.   Even when Baby J is tired, it's not as bad when she hasn't been on milk.  
The doctor also found a nodule behind her ear and said at this point it wasn't concerning and that we would just watch it.    Over all Baby J had a very good check up and impressed the doctor.   However we are now going to see an endocrinologist (a hormone doctor).  I've never shared this, but Baby J has always had rather large breasts- the doctor said it was because it was leftover estrogen from her mother and had been saying as long as they didn't grow and she didn't show any other puberty signs it wasn't a problem.  Today she said that she was waiting till her 1 year adjusted birthday and since they haven't shrunk, we need to test her hormones/thyroid.  The doctor also said that could be what causes the mood swings and stomach problems she's been having.  Hopefully it will be nothing..but I'm glad to make sure.  
Baby J did two new things today while at the doctor...she finally scribbled on paper and she took her
diaper off.  Just sat right down and ripped it off like a stripper ripping his pants off.   She also had her first injury from another kid today.  Lol it was a big day.
Currently we are in rehearsals for the school musical and Baby J loves being there this year.    She likes interacting with the kids and running all over the stage.  She has also figured out how to climb up into her stroller and enjoys going up and down the stairs...both are a little scary for the rest of us.  

In the past couple of weeks, we have had time to play with friends, gone to Othello (which Baby J sat all the way through and even watched parts of), gone to a parade, and stopped at a petting zoo.   I love spending time with baby girl and while I sometimes wish my job took up less time, I'm glad she can come with me in the evenings.   This weekend is moving day for us and I'm so ready mentally for the move, though I feel broker than broke and am not sure it's the right move.   Please keep us in your prayers that some financial things will work out.  Also remember you can still use my Amazon link to do your shopping...Help us pay off
the money we still owe for the adoption.   :-)  
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Happy 1 year Baby J...Again

Baby J is officially at the adjusted age of 1 year or basically in her case 15 months (technically I think she hits 1 year next week---but we say 3 months difference)

helping the dog tear up things

This past month she really caught on to patty cake and do all the actions on her own.  She walks everywhere, barely crawls, started regular daycare, and is mimicking more sounds.   She has several words she can say and now throws epic tantrums.
She still loves the pool and water--had her first bubble bath today.  I wish we could go more to the pool.   She loves going to the zoo, especially the petting area..she isn't scared one bit of the goats.
She loves books and likes to be read to and to read to herself. She likes to annoy the dogs and her and Herbie have a contest to see who can sit on each other the most.  

Her laughs still make me laugh and she is ticklish everywhere.  She now has two teeth (though one still is not far out), but hasn't let just two teeth stop her from eating most everything.  
She likes to steal phones and has even been known to record herself on them.   She likes playing with all the high school kids and is learning to share.   This past month I have even seen her pretend play with her kitchen dishes.  
It amazes me how far this little one has come and how well she is doing.    Not much scares this child and she is becoming more outgoing everyday.  She jabbers constantly.  
Sometimes she drives me a little crazy...she loves her momma and climbs on me constantly,  and most my friends have pretty much jumped ship, but I love her so much and I wouldn't want it any other way.   And even though things have been rough lately, I can't imagine life without her anymore and I'm so lucky to have her in it.  

Baby J's weeks are improving!

My last post was a big downer.  After a nightmare with daycare, I was stuck searching.   It is so hard to find childcare at a reasonable rate for a young child, especially after school has started.   But I'm happy to report that Baby J has now spent 5 days in the same place.   Thankfully my family helped out for the first two weeks.   A former student is watching her till November when
she will start going to a center closer to where we will live then.  So far I know it's been rough, but everyone has stuck it out and things have improved.   Baby J is making a new friend and enjoying it.   I'm so thankful for the wonderful care she is getting.

Poor Baby J has been bit by some type of bugs that she is really allergic to and I've got to figure out a plan with those.   :-(   They even leave scars so that isn't fun.

School is already keeping me busy and I miss the summer days where I got to spend so much time with baby Girl....even though it did cause  a lot of problems with the transition.  Tonight was the first time we have done much---we went and swam.   I love seeing Baby J in the pool, she loves it so much and tries to be so independent.  Now she is getting taller and can walk further out and she loves it.   Although we can't do as much we will still find time to do some stuff this fall.

Baby J weighed in at 19.4 lbs on the scale at the Y.  She walks everywhere, talks a lot, and finally got a second tooth today.  At night when she starts getting tired she starts bring books to me to read.  It's so cute.  I love how much she likes books and it's so cool to start to see her personality really start to take shape.