She ain't heavy...

Here is Mary in our newest baby wearing device, The Kozy Karrier ~

She likes it, and it's convenient having her on my back, out of the way. We had a well baby visit today. Mary's now 17 lbs. 11 oz., 26-1/2". According to Dr. Dungan, she is perfectly on schedule. Mary needs more blood work this week for her thyroid. Please pray that it's not too bad of a time for her.

Eruption!

Mary popped another tooth - her lower right central incisor. We had a busy day - with friends over for lunch after church, and then a BBQ with some other friends for dinner! Mary had a nap this morning and then only a quick cat nap in the afternoon. But here she is in good spirits at 9pm ~

Father of the Bride

Someday.Today Scott, Mary and I were guests of a lovely wedding in this beautiful old church. Mary was an angel during the ceremony and, as always, had many admirers. The monkeys stayed with Grandma and saw the new Indiana Jones movie.

Diente de Leche

Tonight we finally took Charlie for his surprise birthday dinner. Mary was tired (and a little cranky), but she really enjoyed the guacamole at Adobo Grill.

We also got news from her endocrinologist that her thyroid medication needs to be changed, again. This means she has to go back for more blood work in 2 weeks. The nurse was sympathetic to my concerns, and did call in a prescription for numbing cream. Hopefully it will help. I am very close to insisting on some sort of oral sedation for her. I know that seems irrational, but it is very difficult to see her so upset, so frequently. Sigh.

In happier, more exciting news, a sharp little tooth has finally poked it's way through! It's her lower left central incisor. Hot dogs and popcorn, here we come!

6

That's how many times Mary was stuck today :( She needed a blood test to check her thyroid levels. As I've mentioned before, getting blood from her is difficult. The phlebotomist always has a hard time finding a vein. Today she found one, after a long time looking, got it, and then it blew out. That was Mary's arm. Then she and another nurse both stuck Mary's heels. When the blood was slow flowing, they stuck her again. That was 4 more times. It still was extremely slow, just one tiny drop at a time. Finally, they moved on to her finger. Which worked, but also took a long time. So, 6 sticks, 25 minutes of crying/coughing/gagging, and 4 microtainers of blood later, we were done.

The thing is, Mary still smiles at the phlebotomist every time she sees her. She will lay on an exam table happily. She engages people in white coats willingly. She has been through so much, yet is still such a happy, trusting baby.

Mammalian

I love this short video of Mary - she acts so much like a little chimp, with her feet in the air. She's watching Baby Songs - that's what has her so mesmerized. You can catch her rolling over at the very end. Unfortunately, she still has a cold, and a yucky cough. No more fever, though.

Tomorrow we need to head over to Loyola for more blood work :( We tried taking her to the outpatient lab in Oakbrook Terrace on Monday, but the phlebotomist said she could not get a vein. I'm glad she was honest about her ability - I would have hated for her to try and not succeed.

Swimmy

The boys were invited to a birthday swim party today, so we all headed over to a really nice municipal pool. This was Mary's first time in a big pool - she loved it! The water was pretty cold, but every time I picked her up, she would start bouncing in my arms and pedaling her legs while saying, "Uh, uh, uh" until I put her back in. Looks like she's going to be a little fish - just like her brothers.

Her surgical scar is hiding under the band aid :)

You can't tell

from this picture, but Mary is still sick. She still has a fever, and a runny/stuffed up nose (how does that happen?), and a cough. She slept a lot today. Daddy took the boys fishing so we could rest. This is right after she woke from a nap - even when she feels crummy, she is a good natured little girl.


I was so worried that her early days of being poked and prodded, (and not constantly in arms) in the NICU, would "ruin" her personality - make her a fussy baby or something. That was clearly a waste of time.

Downtown

Mary is still sick. We saw her pediatrician yesterday - she has a stuffed-up nose, and conjunctivitis, and a cough that "sounds croupy". He prescribed some ($45!) ointment for her eyes and said to call if she gets worse.

All that did not stop us from taking the train into the city and walking over to Millennium Park. Mary catnapped most of the day, and threw up once. Here she is enjoying the Family Fun Festival -
On the train ride home, the woman sitting next to us couldn't stop commenting on how pretty Mary is. She looked at her and said, "Her face is absolutely perfect". She even called a friend to tell her she was sitting next to an adorable baby! Mary really does delight all those who meet her.

Third Time's A Charm

Mary was up in the middle of the night with another fever. She has a cough, runny nose, and goopy eyes this time, as well. Hopefully this one will knock out whatever virus she's been fighting. It's as if all the winter illnesses we avoided are now catching up with us.

In happier news, Mary has been saying "mama" all weekend. She's also becoming really adept at waving "bye-bye" - especially to herself!

The Nap

7 Months

Here is our girl this evening, giggling at her daddy. She adores him, as well as her big brothers. And we, of course, are crazy about Mary. She is babbling, and rolling, and just starting to wave bye-bye. She's sits up for short periods unassisted. But no teeth yet! She has tried cantaloupe, and peas, and green beans and scrambled eggs - just tiny bits of whatever we're eating.