Friday, August 17, 2012

8 Months Old, NICU Follow-Up, and First Trip to the Iowa State Fair!

8 months old

That’s right-Ameliais 8 months old.  I think I say this inevery post, but this seriously has been the fastest and best 8 months of mylife!  I am still amazed that she was 2 ½months early and yet you can barely tell. If she wasn’t a little nugget, no one would know any better!

NICU
Waiting for the NICU appt.

We went for her NICUfollow-up yesterday to do her “6 month” assessment.  Remember, they still grade her by hercorrected age, which means how old she would be if she was born at fullgestation.  So technically, according tocorrected age, she is almost 6 months old-which means she should only be doingthings that a 6 month old can do.

First, Susan (thenurse practitioner), asked us some questions about her eating habits androutine.  She gave us some suggestions tostart trying “teething” foods when she has been introduced to all of the fruitsand veggies.  Teething foods would begraham crackers and other bigger type things that she could easily pick up andput in her mouth. We are going to try that after she’s tried all the differentflavors of food we have for her.  Soafter our chat, she did some assessment test-type things.   She had her sit in Aaron’s lap at the tableand play with some toys.  She had herpick up blocks and cheerios to see how her gross motor and fine motor skillsare developing.  She did awesome!  She could pick up the cheerios, which sheshouldn’t be able to do yet.  Then wemoved to the floor, and Amelia showed off her rolling over skills and herability to almost sit unattended.  Shealso showed Susan how she can get up on her hands and knees like a champ.  Pretty much, by the time we were done, Susanwas so impressed that she was gushing over Amelia!!!!  She showed us how she was doing on her heightand weight and head size.  I’m not goodat remembering the percentages, but she’s still behind in her height (she’ll beshort like Mommy) and her weight-but you better believe she has a basketballhead like Mom and Dad!!! Her head size is catching up nicely, which is notshocking considering how brilliant she is. She has to have room for that big brain! Susan could tell that we talkto her a lot, because she’s so chatty! She is starting to say mama, dada, baba (although she doesn’t know whatshe is saying-she’s just practicing).  Shereally started discovering her voice and her lips and tongue last month.   Susangave us tons of praise and showed us some things that will help her learn tocrawl and to really sit on her own.



Fair
doesn't love sunglasses

So after the great visitto the NICU, Aaron, Amelia and I went to the State Fair.  My work gave free tickets to all of theemployees (generous, I know!).  We met upwith Leigh, Alyssa and Haleigh (Aaron’s brother and family for those of you whodon’t know). 



mmmm Milk on a stick, please!

They are Fair-professionals,so they took us around and showed us all of the important stuff to see…and allthe good food to eat.  Aaron and I areboth on Weight Watchers, so we carefully planned our whole day around the foodso that we didn’t bust our diet.  (It’snot a diet-it’s a lifestyle change…blah blah blah, I want Doritos.)  I ate kettlecorn and a giant S’more…that Ithought was supposed to be on a stick, but I got jipped.  Aaron had a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich andfries.  We ate in moderation so that we didn’tget diabetes.  We walked around and sawthe huge animals and the huge mullets on the cool people. Obviously we went tosee the Butter Cow and the Chocolate Moose.
Chocolate Moose

Butter Cow
Butter Cow and some of the Dwarfs from Snow White-Also in butter

It was really fun,and it was great to hang out with the other Hornbuckles.   Amelia did great-she loves to be outside andto go for walks, so it was perfect for her. She ended up passing out in the stroller.  Needless to say, we were exhausted when wegot home!

 the umbrella doubled as a crib!
 with Daddy and Mommy after the fair


8 Months

Amelia starteddaycare this week and has done awesome all week!  Emily, the new babysitter, has made thetransition so easy for all of us.  She’sso flexible, and puts up with me texting her constantly to check in.  Amelia loves it there, and is always happywhen I pick her up!

Here are your Amelia8 month fun facts

Weighs-14lbs 7 oz.,24inches long, big head

Wears size 2 diapers(just made the switch), and 0-3, and 3 month size clothes…although she iswearing Newborn size jeans today that fit

Eats 4 ounces every 2½-3 hours, has 1 fruit or veggie a day mixed with cereal
sometimes tries to double fist bottles

Sleeps all night-INHER CRIB!!!! (for a full week now-I know, she’s 8 months old…I just have a hardtime letting go)

Can sit up with avery tiny amount of support

Can get up on handsand knees
Likes to Facetime with Granny and PopPop

Likes to blowraspberries with her lips and tongue

Babbles and talks alot

Laughs and smilesconstantly

LOVES to play withtoys

Loves the shower

Is starting tooutgrow her tub!


Isthe cutest, sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.


Xoxo,


Emily

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