me and K with our "grump" faces- this is how we feel about the feeding slump.

So- my last post was saying K was doing just fine with her feeds- hmmmmmmm not any more!! She has gone back into her slump... she was actually eating 6 oz per feed- every 4-4.5 hours.  So really only 4 bottles a day and then we fed her at night just to give her a little more- and that was about 3 oz.. so she was taking in about 27 oz a day.

NOW- being back in her slump which just started probably that Friday I posted... She is a struggle to get 4 oz into her.  She really wants to stop at 3 oz.. but that just makes it too hard for me to get all of her oz in.  SOOO being the bad mommy I am.. I put her in her pink vibrating chair (w/o the vibrations) and let her become bored.. and start to cry. I then re-heat her formula.. and go in- she take about half an oz.. and then I do it all over again until she at least gets 4 oz in!! So with her eating this little- I feed her every 3 hours.

It's  hard- she does soooooo damn well for a month + and now... she is back in her slump.  I'm going to try not to freak out with this one tho- seeing how she has developed a pattern.  Eats well for a while, then not so well for a while.

I can't decide if she is teething- and that is why she doesn't want to eat, or if she isn't pooping enough and her belly is still full from the previous feeds.. I have no clue.  So I bought prunes- which she loves.. and am feeding that to her at night- as she will still eat from the spoon really well.. not the whole jar just yet- with some feeds yes, but not all.. but she will take a little more than half almost always!

Ok- so now she is bored.. she already got her 4oz in.. I'm trying for 5.. I'm pushing my luck.. we'll see!!

No no no- she isn't a piggy- she doesn't eat like crazy! ha- she eats well now, but certainly isn't a piggy!

She just recently got a new toy from her Aunt Terry and Uncle Larry- we were at Kayla's cousin Shaylee's first birthday party and she got a toy- a laptop with a pig face.  I was totally jealous as I am obsessed with pigs! :) I love them! Apparently I mentioned how much I loved it quite a bit, and Aunt Terry several days later went and bought Kayla one! :) Kayla loves it.  But EVERY time I open it, she closes it.  It's funny!  And K loves the cats. We have one cat that is a total people person, but hates kids.. so she doesn't like K very much... but every time K cries, Dakota, comes running over, and cries by her bed.  So I have two crying babies.. haha- the other cat we have- doesn't really like much of anything and hides ALL the time!! But when Georgia comes out, K reaches for her and laughs.. of course that makes her run away! haha  But here is a video of K- I was bored.. the video camera was right there... :) Plus in the background of one of the videos you can hear that song from Beauty and the Beast (my favorite movie as a kid) - the one where Gaston thinks he and Belle are going to get married because they are the two prettiest people in town.. haha :) I love that movie! Anyway- here she is!!!

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praying for all to have a safe and healthy winter!!!!!!!!!

We went to Shaylee's (Kayla's cousin) first birthday party on Saturday... it was nice.. and they had the party outside so we could come!! :) Thanks Amanda!!

We think Shaylee and Kayla sorta look alike, what do you think?

Kayla

Shaylee

There is not much going on at the Olmstead abode!  Kayla is cranky- oh my!! That is about it... I'm not sure if it is because she is catching my cold, no symptoms, or if it is teething.  She has cried so much in the past two days that her voice is nearly gone!  Her cry is so pathetic now.. it's so sad.  I'm hoping for the teething part.. we have been giving her those teething tablets.. but the last time I gave them to her, tonight, was complete drama.  She cried so badly... I swear she thought I was torturing her. Poor girl..The past two nights, the two nights where she has taken enough formula in the day that I would not have to wake her up at 11.. she has got up!  She woke up on Friday night around 10:30, ate and then proceeded to cry for the next two and a half hours!! It was awful.  Then last night, she woke up, cried, ate, then fell asleep as she was eating... let's see how tonight goes... I'm hoping for a quiet night as we both have to go to work in the a.m..

She chews .. like she is chewing gum.. it's funny.  She is in love with her teething fish.. the only teething thing she will take.. and not cold!  She makes a face when it is cold and then proceeds to cry.  And she has gone probably two weeks of only sleeping in her pack and play- no swing, no vibrating chair, no crib... and today/tonight.. she would cry and cry- and after a half hour of just listening to her go in and out of crys.. is just too much.  I know we are supposed to let them try to comfort themselves.. but how long is too long!?  Anyway- so I put her in her swing- and she shut right up! She watched herself in the mirror, and the bears dance around.. and fell asleep after 30 min... so it took an hour for her to take a nap.. and yes, she was super tired!!

She did spend the Sunday-Tuesday night at Grandma and Grandpa's.. I figured on Wednesday I wasn't contagious any more.. and she came home after her appt. It was so fantastic to see her again.. and she gets all excited to see us again- shaking her hands back and forth, and making grunting noises "uh eh uh"... it's cute! So it was cool that she missed me...but very sad that I had to be away from her that long.. but it was best.  I took three days off from work, just to rest and hopefully get better faster.  I took nyquil all day and slept most of the morning/afternoon away.

Ok- so I've got a full blown cold- no voice and a horrible awful cough!  Luckily I went to a wedding this weekend so I was away from Kayla ... this is good because my awful cold was not around her, but she was already exposed to my germs before I left... however, now that we are home, she is not! :( Grandma and Grandpa took her until I am not so sick. Jerry and I may be going overboard here, but really- she has a lot of lung growing to do and she is only 6 months.. I don't think she is ready for a cold yet. When we did get home, I did hug her- :( I had to!! She was sooo excited to see me and Jer.. I couldn't not hug her.. selfish yes.. :( Thanks to you who left a comment about how to prepare for it though.. I'm thinking since she was already exposed she will get something- let's just hope it's not what I got, bc it's hard for me to breathe- I couldn't imagine what it will be like for her! :(  So I am missing my girl like CRAZY!! I hope she doesn't forget who I am :(

The wedding however was a BLAST!! Congrats to my cousin Brian and his new beautiful bride- Kellie.  I am a fan of weddings! They are my favorite thing to go to!! I love the wedding ceremony, and the fun and fabulous reception afterwards! :) And for those of you who like a drink or three like me, it was an open bar all night! Nice choice Brian and Kellie!! :) They also had a photo booth at the reception for their guestbook.. it was soo fun.  You get your pics taken in the photo booth and choose a picture or three to put in their album and leave a note with it.  I went in the booth a trillion times!! haha And I know a lot of you, my family, know that I had a lot of fun!  That was probably - yes, it was the last time I will see everyone for a very long time... as winter lockdown will start this coming tuesday- well once I get better anyway. We didn't start this winter off very well with me getting sick right off!! Jeez Louise!! So here are some fabulous pics I put into scrapblog!! :)

Yesterday was K's developmental check-up!  We traveled down to Syracuse (2.5 hours) to a very quick appt.  K did everything they wanted her to do and we were told to not come back.  She is a developmentally perfect! :)

She slept the entire car ride, there and back.  She would wake up for a few minutes, realize she was still in the car seat, and then go back to sleep.  At one point, I looked in the rear view mirror and she was awake, and the face she was making- was that of a very angry/annoyed little girl.  She wanted out! haha

On the other note, we were stuck in a stuffy car yesterday, all day, and I was infected with a cold- but did not know this!!!! I woke up this a.m. with a sore throat and a stuffy nose... :( I'm very nervous that K will def get this as my contagious time was stuck in a car with her, no fresh air!  So I'm very nervous that she will be sick soon and I'm not quite sure what to do.  I have read some of your blogs about your baby having a cold- and that they won't eat/sleep... the eating thing- will frustrate the crap out of me.. but how do I get food into her?  Do I take her to the hospital as soon as she shows one itty bitty symptom?  Is there any med I can give her to help her breathe/clear up the nose?  I know I know- you are all thinking- she isn't sick yet Kate!! But I'm want to be prepared for the worst-

I can't even believe I'm sick tho- yes I am back at work, but I take prenatal vitamin as they are very good for you, and airborne twice a week, and at work, I wash my hands constantly- and if a kid touches me I hand sanitize.. if I have to tie their shoe, hold their pencil, hold their hand, I wash!!! I take two showers a day, one for the day, and two for after work!  She doesn't touch the clothes I wear to work as after my shower, I put clean ones on- I just don't know what else I can do to stay healthy- and here I am with a stinkin crappy cold!!! ARG!!

OOOOOOOOOOOH and my CDH doctor in Syracuse- she recommended that I get the H1N1 shot and that will be best for K as she isn't too sure that they'll even give the H1N1 to under a 1 year old.  But she said if I get it- then K would be protected from it. And I would rather me be the test subject than her!! :) And she said I was one of the "high priority" people as I work in the school system! So yay- there goes my dilemma.

Anyway- if you have any tips on how to care for K if she gets my cold, please share.  Please, oh please!!

We had K's 6 month dr appt today... it went fairly well.  She is completely pooped out right now and is taking a nap- a well needed one- her last nap was around quarter to 10!! YIKES!  Anyway- she did great at the appt even though she was lacking her second nap.

She didn't cry at all- until the shot part.  She got a clean bill of health, sounds good, ears look good, eyes (no laziness), stands up well, keeps her head steady when pulled up, tries to eat everything like she should, etc.  She is good. :) She does have her developmental follow up in Syracuse on Friday too, and then a chest x-ray on next Wednesday in Syracuse... so everything all at once! :)

She is now 15 lbs 8.5 oz, 25 3/4 in. (just below the 50th percentile) and her head circumference was 17 something- (just below the 75th percentile- she has her daddy's head) haha

I asked my ped all sorts of questions-

1. The h1n1 vaccination and what she thought about it- recommends K get the vaccination.  She said that if I didn't want her to, for me to get it and anyone who watches her to get it... and then we won't bring it home to her- seeing how she is under "winter lockdown".  However, the problem with that is the people who watch her are not high priority people and probably won't be able to get it.. so I'm stuck!  I don't know what to do.
2. The RSV shot(s)- we have to get a note from our Syracuse doc's saying she is a candidate for it and then they check with the insurance ($1000/shot/mo.)  Then K can get it, if she meets the criteria.  
3. Her Zantac and Reglan Perscriptions- Zantac is now 2mL's twice a day, which it was 1.4 mL's three times a day- so it's less, and I'm not sure why- I will have to call and check on that.  Her reglan prescription ran out and she has not been getting that for a week + and she is not going to refill it as my ped does not like reglan very much. 

K got her third round of shots today- she got all the regulars and her flu shot.  She will go  back whenever she needs to to get the second round of it.  (I'm not sure if it's a month or just 2 weeks.)  Our next appt is in a month but the lady who gave me the appt had no clue when they were supposed to come back.  So I need to call.

This weekend K will be spending the day/night with Grandma and Grandpa as Jerry and I have to go to my cousins wedding in Lake George on the 12th.  We are staying the night and enjoying ourselves.  I'm very much looking forward to it as I get to dress up and drink. :) Plus my WHOLE family (except you ANGIE-I will give you a break seeing how you JUST had a kid tho) will be there which is fantastic... I love being around family as I don't get to very often.  This year will be very hard for me not doing a family Thanksgiving or Christmas.  But it's better than K getting sick!  So I am looking forward to this as it will be the last time my family is together for a very long time.

Monday was also the very first day that my brother and his wife, Matt and Meghan, got to hold Kayla.  Jerry and I are very, how shall we say, over-protective, and anyone with a kid, we don't usually let touch K.  However, we really wanted some pics of her with her uncle Matt and aunt Meghan so we told them to go change their shirts and wash up to their elbows, and then hand sanitize.. then they could hold her. K had a great time with them!! :)

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Wishing the best for all during these winter months!!! Good luck!!

Alyssa Rose Sands (my newest niece!) 6lbs 1oz 19 1/2 in.

I have posted about my sister in CDH Family and I think this blog is a more fitting place to do that.  My sister Angela just had her second little girl, Alyssa Rose.  There was a little complication with my sister- as she had a scheduled c-section and during that she lost a lot of blood, her blood pressure dropped or the opposite, and her temperature dropped.  She was in recovery for a lot longer time than usual and made her whole family freak out- way to go Jamie! (j/k) (sorta)  Anyway Angela, my sister, is doing great as is her new HEALTHY little girl.  They are BOTH being discharged today.  Ang lives in PA so I do not get to see their cute little baby for a while :( Congrats Angela and Jamie!

As for Kayla- she is doing well.  She is still eating like a champ- but I predict a her slump to begin any time soon.  I know that sounds awfully negative but she goes into her slumps often- she has a really great few weeks, then a really bad few weeks.  She is eating her 1st foods now- she actually ate her whole cup full of sweet potatoes the other night and more than half of her carrots last night- mid point she pooped- and I can't let her sit in that so we stopped, changed and then she didn't want her carrots any more- but she did drink her whole bottle after.  And she loves her sippy cup- not necessarily for drinking but chewing and holding :)

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Tuesday she has her 6 month appt- shots and check-up.  After all I have seen her go thru, the shots still make me sad to watch- so Jerry has to hold her and I love her after.  She cries I think only because she is being held down.  I don't think she cries because of the shots.  She hates being held down- if she doesn't want her leg/arm where we are putting it she will freak out.  :)

We are now trying to put her in her pack-n-play for naps as opposed to her swing or vibrating chair.  We want her to associate the pack-n-play for naps and not the other two.. plus I'm scared to put her in her swing now- I still do bc sometimes that is the only way she'll nap but I'm just afraid she might be getting too big.  So THANKS to my sister-in-law's parents for the seahorse!! She snuggles her face right up against it... so cute!

And I would like to say, I call her my sister-in-law... but really she has been my friend since maybe the 10th or 11th grade?  She is a year younger than me, but when I was in 7th and she in 6th we both had a crush on the same guy.  She won him- lucky girl haha... and then finally as we grew out of the crush for this boy we became friends as we played sports together and hung out with the same ppl... so she was my real good friend first- and I just wanted her to know that.  I never know what to say when I mention her- do I say sister-in-law or friend?  Anyway- I'm excited bc her and my brother and their cute Julian are coming home today- they live in NC. :(

Ok so I totally wanted this to be a SHORT post- but as you have noticed I don't do that often. haha I hope all is well out there- and if you've seen me comment A LOT lately- it's because I felt too often ppl are just commenting when something bad happens, or stop commenting when you get to take your baby home... so I'm really trying to comment on happy occasions too! :)

Best Wishes to All,

Today was my first day back at work. Granted I went back two weeks after I had Kayla home last school year but that was AFTER cold/flu/h1n1/rsv season. Anyway the first two days back are faculty meetings ALL DAY! And the first half of the day- two different meetings, it seemed like all we talked about was SWINE FLU (H1N1)! By the second meeting, our nurse mentioned the reason why H1N1 was soooo bad. She said that it affects the bottom portion of your lungs. OMG! I lost it! Right there I tried my best to breathe calmly, and look up as that seems to always help control the tears. Well my stomach was going NUTS and I just had an awful feeling and could not control my water works! How am I going to keep from getting sick?! I probably cried overall, an hour... I finally stopped crying at the meeting, and then went back to my room and called my husband, bad mistake as I just started crying again. Then I hung up with him bc he didn't make me feel better so I called my mom- started crying AGAIN! I don't think it was possible to make me feel better at this point. So I stopped calling people and made myself busy cleaning my desk.

I'm just so worried about getting sick, and I know it will happen eventually but really I work with Kindergarten and First grade- they don't know how to wash their hands properly yet, and that is fine, but it's not with Kayla. Germs are spread so much in a school that it's impossible to avoid them. I can wash my hands all I want, but I always end up getting sick. My husband and I are going to take all preventative measures possible (shots) and hope I get a job away from a school.

Don't get me wrong, teaching is my passion. I did not go to college for 5 years to NOT teach.. I just think until she is older and has better lungs that I need to be out of a school. It's not like I am THE teacher- I'm just a TA.

Anyway- Today was awful! I text Patty (Charlie's mom) while at work of my concerns as well- poor Patty!! haha Sorry Patty!! I'm nuts, I know!!

Kayla had a good day today with Grandma... first day of babysitting- I think Grandma enjoyed herself too, however once I get home and shower, she has to go to work till 8:30!! YUCK!! So she babysits all day, and then works all night. She will also have to work on the weekends!! DOUBLE YUCK!! So I want to thank her for just being there! I don't know what I'd do without you! But Grandma said K was great- phew! haha At the end of the day/night she got her bath.. and these pics just make the day seem like it wasn't so bad. haha

She had a rubber ducky IN her tub, guess she wanted the other one!! 

Yummy- wash cloth!! haha