How did that happen??
It happened in the blink of an eye. She went from coming into the world to putting on several pounds and inches, and we also discovered that she had a bit of an acid reflux issue. We had her on Ranitidine which is basically Zantac, but in syrup form and a super low dosage.
That was, lemme see... around this time:
And after we had her dosage right, the little Punk was right as rain. Completely different child! If I ever have a friend who has a baby with the same symptoms I will let her know. Changed our whole world.
So, time went on. My not so little one kept getting bigger and bigger. She ended up outgrowing her 3 month old clothing so fast that I think there were even some outfits or sleepers that she never wore.
Then I found that even her 6 month old clothing was too big. She's long, especially in her torso. Just like Daddy.
I took her to a new doctor who had some startling news for me, news that I did not take well. Don't worry, she wasn't sick. She never gets sick.
Our previous doctor, as well as the nurses who administered her vaccinations, all pegged her at the 95th percentile at each appointment. They also all said she was a healthy girl. This meant that she was big, very big, but developing normally and growing at a good rate, but meant that she was bigger than most babies her age.
The new doctor - a young man, who didn't appear to be overly interested in her health or her typical growth - found her to be in the 97th percentile now. And that, he said, was unhealthy. That made this Momma freak out. My baby, obese? Too heavy? Was this going to slow her progress? Was this going to stop her from maturing at the rate she was, and worst of all, was it MY fault?
... MY FAULT??
Of course, it wasn't that big of a deal. I have observed her. She rolls easily. She gets up on her hands and knees. She is currently 7.5 months and developing very normally. Why did I worry? She is a normal, healthy baby. See?
She has perfect chubby arms and legs and perfect chubster cheeks. She's happy and healthy and capable. She's strong. WOW is she strong. I had nothing to worry about.
I did still reduce her formula intake as he instructed me to, but honestly if I go back to the doctor and he says she's still too big, I know I did what was asked and it's not my fault. She's just a big baby.
And what else? She loves buttons. Anything she can push. She loves the puppy. She loves those little Gerber puff things and I find them everywhere. She doesn't care for pasta. She loves yogurt. She wants to pet the cats - desperately. She loves drawstrings, the ones on hoodies. She loves to be held and snuggled. She hates naps but never fusses at bedtime (what?)
She is not a good eater, go figure.
She loves her Nana and Grandpa. She loves loves LOVES fish. And water. And kicking her feet.
She loves tickles. She loves when Mommy kisses her cheeks or her neck or her tummy. She loves Daddy - LOVES Daddy. He is fascinating. He makes faces and she laughs uncontrollably. He sings silly songs and she is enthralled.
She doesn't like bibs and rips them off at every opportunity. She likes to sing to herself. She LOVES music.
Music makes her stop whatever she is doing, and puts her into a trance. She loves the melody most of all. A particular favourite of hers appears to be Debussy.
She uses her index finger to examine everything. With purpose and intense concentration.
She smiles - BEAMS - at complete strangers. Even if she's just been crying. ESPECIALLY if she's just been crying. She's a big faker. She's very convincing.
She's exceptional at restaurants. Give her a french fry to smoosh between her fingers and she'll entertain herself for quite some time.
She smiles with her whole face. Like this:
And even on our crappiest days, that smile makes it all worth while. That smile sends me to the moon. And I never ever thought I'd get there.
