Monday, November 21, 2005

momma update

Things going on with ye olde Gaz Momma:

My deQuervain's tendinitis seems to be responding to the splint and cortisone injection. I've trained myself to pick up Gaz in a way that doesn't aggravate any swollen tendons and life is generally better in the wrist department. I may even be able to knit again soon!

Sleep deprivation hasn't been a huge problem for me (thank you, daughter dearest!) but when it happens the first thing to go is my ability to carry on a sensible, adult phone conversation. Sorry Angeli. ;)

Pumpin' ain't easy. But it's worth it to keep my milk up for Gaz to enjoy for as long as her little heart desires. Truly a labor of love. Speaking of, it's time to go do that now.

big fat weekend of big milestoney things

Oh oh oh, where to begin?

First, you can really see that little tooth sticking out now. Well, you can see it when Gaz stops rubbing her gums with her tongue for a few seconds, which doesn't happen all that often. You've got to spend a lot of time staring at her mouth to catch it and after a while she gets bored and a little suspicious.

She's figured out that she's not completely helpless against the icky faux grape taste of Tylenol. Now she clamps her mouth shut and cries before someone doses her.

Rolling over has been mastered! Of course Dad was the first one to witness the rolling from back to tummy and back to the back, but I've seen it now and I imagine Lisa will see it this week, too. Very exciting! The pictures are not so much of the process, but of the end result and so will probably not be uploaded yet. I imagine there will be many cute Thanksgiving pictures that will be more of a priority. Getting to see Grandma Judy and Grandpa Will, Emily and Kyle and the goils, and everyone else will be wonderful fun, I'm sure. I can't wait to see how Gaz takes it all. She loooooves babies but I don't think she's seen many kids up close and personal.

Diapering is more interesting now, since she's figured out velcro (the disposables we use have those nice reclosable fasteners) and she's also figured out that her hand reaches down to crotch level. Not only do I have to keep her feet from getting into the dirty diapers, I have to keep hands out too. I need more hands myself.

Most importantly, Gaz can now stick her left big toe in her mouth and suck on it. She's been working on this ever since she found her toes. Usually she does this while laying on her back, but I hear tell that she sometimes tries to get toes to mouth while sitting up in her Boppy. She keeps a gal on her toes, that's for sure. I did manage to get one good shot of her sucking on toes, so that should go up just as soon as holiday preparations and sleep deprivation stop trying killing me.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

The Tooth

The top edge of Gaz's very first tooth has emerged!! Actually, it cut through last Friday, unfortunately, while Gaz gnawed away at Auntie Angeli's finger. It's the lower right incisor, and it just so happens that that tooth's neighbor is the next one to start working its way to the surface.

One down, 27 to go!

Now if I can get her to quit tongue-ing her gums, I'll get a picture.

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

The teething continues

Oh, woe. For those brave enough to stick a finger in her mouth, there is clearly one tiny tooth--the lower right incisor--that is about to make its grand entrance. While this is plenty exciting from a milestone standpoint, it's excruciating to endure from a baby or parent standpoint.

Lately it's become difficult for her to even nurse through the pain. Sometimes the Tylenol has worn off enough that right in the middle of nursing she pulls away and shrieks. It seems that switching to the pacifier for a few minutes (safe for chewing on, unlike Mom) while keeping her in whatever position we're in usually results in her calming down and working her gums enough that she's able to go back to nursing without too much additional fuss. At least I hope that's how it's working. We just did that this morning and I was finally able to get enough milk in her to get her to her morning nap.

Sometimes it also helps to put pressure on the spot where the tooth is about to pop out. Of course, sometimes that makes it all worse. What I wouldn't give for a neon sign floating above her head that indicates what tactic will make her feel better at any given time.

I hope we figure out how to deal with the teething thing more efficiently so that we can make her more comfortable for the rest of the teethies.

BTW, we keep updating the online photo albums, so check them out. Much cuteness abounds.

Tuesday, November 1, 2005

It had to happen sometime...

Not ten minutes after I thought, "Gee, Gaz hasn't pooped much at all today. Maybe she's saving it all for Mom and Dad tonight," it happened. I'd just fed her, so I waited through the first one. Yup, there's more. Ok, I'll wait till the next commercial and change her then.

Suddenly, all heck broke loose. She overflowed the diaper, and then my lap too. All over herself, me, and the couch. Even the size 3 diapers could not contain the wrath of Gaz. ::sigh::

To make matters worse, I had shorts in my stash of emergency clothes, but not pants. Fortunately Roger was giving me a ride home today, and was kind enough to bring me pants.

The moral of this story? Put a cloth diaper under her butt for feeding, as well as under her chin. Baby goo can come from both ends. You have been warned.