dog and pony show

While I may have failed miserably at teaching Winnie the basic obedience commands, my latest pupil shows much greater aptitude in acquiring new skills. I remember the first time I saw the wheels of comprehension spinning in that hairy little head....she was about 4 months old, and I said "Do you want to see the fishies?" and she turned to look at the tv. (The fishies is a tropical fish show Bill had recorded on tv. She still loves watching them swim around.) I was amazed how that tiny little baby was already processing information and responding accordingly. Every day since then has been an educational adventure, even though I admit I am nowhere close to being qualified as a teacher. But I always remind myself, even though there's such enormous emphasis on structured learning in our society, the way she learns best right now is through play and interaction. There's a mind-boggling array of 'educational' toys and gizmos and tv programs that are touted as improving your toddler's IQ, but I'm not buying them. All of my research on child development which I used in creating playground designs pointed out the obvious fact that seems to get lost in our formal-education-crazed society: children learn best through unstructured play, plain and simple.

Keeping that in mind, here's a bit of a dog-and-pony show of her latest tricks, achievements, and activities. We've had a lot of fun just goofing off and being silly and playing outside and reading books and working on gross motor skills.

• She still loves reading books, whether with me or by herself. I've noticed now when she's reading some of them by herself, she attempts to mimic the noises that go with each page (smacking her lips when reading the page about kitties eating, howling when reading the page about doggies howling at the moon.)

• She is happy to demonstrate where her tongue is located.

• She's also eager to show you where her head is located.

• She is wildly enthusiastic about climbing stairs. I can't decide if this is a good thing (adapting to her environment) or a bad thing (cracked skulls and broken limbs as she tumbles down a flight of stairs.) I have adamantly resisted putting up the baby gates because it will be a logistical nightmare in terms of dog, baby, and 3 flights of stairs. But I know the time has come, because whenever I put her down she makes a beeline for the stairs. On the upside: yay for gross motor skills! 

• She's starting to use words in their correct manner as opposed to incoherent babbling. The other day after I finished feeding her she seemed a bit fussy and I heard her say 'nom nom'. I wondered if she was still hungry so I got another jar of baby food and offered her another bite. Sure enough she devoured the rest of the jar. 

• We enjoy reading her family photo book several times each day and she's learning everyone's names. Here she's identifying my grandmother, MaMa.

• She also clearly recognizes nana! We're still working on 'granny and pawpaw' but I suspect those are a bit harder to say.

• And of course, being a girl after my own heart, she adores spending time doing anything outside. Playing at the playground, strolling, riding bikes, or just crawling around in the grass at the park (and possibly eating a few leaves in the process). This is one playtime habit I'm happy to indulge! Playing outdoors is wonderful for development across all spectrums, so we've been taking advantage of the gorgeous weather in Houston and spending lots of time outside!

Thanks nana for the bike seat! We love it!

new sheriff in town

There are many things I am good at, but unfortunately discipline is not one of them. Anyone who has met my spoiled rotten pug knows that this does not bode well for raising a child. Bill and I both are softies and we pretty much let Winnie get away with murder. I initially insisted on a 'no feeding the dog at the dinner table' rule, which Bill quickly tossed out the window. Now Winnie sits at his feet during meals and gives him the big hungry-eyed stare and the occasional 'feed me' paw. (I have stuck to my guns on this rule and Winnie does not pester me for food.) When Winnie was a puppy we enrolled him in a puppy training class at Petsmart and although we did in fact complete the course, we did not follow through at home and thus all Winnie knows how to do is a mildly-competent 'sit' command. Even that's a half sit at best. We've absolutely never ever spanked him, not even when he chewed up furniture or peed on the carpet.

busted

So it will be quite a challenge for me to embrace my new role as chief disciplinarian of the household, one that I'm not looking forward to. I know that rules must be set and enforced in order to maintain peace and harmony, but I just hate playing bad cop. However I've seen more than a few obnoxious children and I always vowed I would never be 'that' parent, the one that just sits around while the little holy terror runs wild. When I see bad behavior, I need to address it and correct it promptly so that everyone knows what's tolerated and what's not.

We've had a few 'learning experiences' recently to test these resolutions. The first offender was Winnie, although I will fully admit this incident was partly my fault. I had just given him one of his absolute favorite bones, which he does not get very often. He was laying by the fireplace going to town on it when Caroline crawled over to investigate. She leaned her face down towards him, not even grabbing it but just trying to get a closer look. Winnie must have presumed she was coming in  to take it and he snapped at her. He didn't touch her or harm her, but it was a definite snap...the first time I've ever seen him do that to her. I was momentarily paralyzed with shock but then instinct took over and I smacked him on the head. Bill went bananas because I hit the dog, Winnie slinked away with his tail uncurled, and I felt like the biggest P.O.S. Meanwhile Caroline is completely fine and totally unfazed. But I needed to let Winnie know in no uncertain terms that it is NOT ok to snap at the baby. I certainly learned my lesson and I will definitely keep Caroline away whenever Winnie is eating dinner or a bone. He seems to only be food-aggressive; he doesn't mind if she snatches toys away from him. 

The other repeat offender around here is sweet babycheeks. She is smart and charming and funny, a lethal combination when used to try and get away with naughty behavior. She smiles ever-so-sweetly as she leans over to take a nibble out of my shoulder. She looks back behind her and grins at me as she crawls straight towards the tv and dvr. She beams proudly as she stands up in the tub. Most of the time I can correct her and re-direct her in the appropriate behavior without too much trouble but sometimes it takes several stern warnings before the message gets through. And then the sensitive rose just falls apart at my displeasure.

Bad mommy reaction #1: I want to fall out laughing because it's so overly dramatic it's hysterical.

Bad mommy reaction #2: I want to pick her up and soothe her and wipe away her tears.

Clearly I have my work cut out for me. It will be a challenge to toughen up and grow some thicker skin, but if not I run the risk of having the hellion child who runs wild on the Burger King playground knocking kids down and stealing their french fries. Or worse, ends up in Juvy at the ripe old age of 12. I'm not a big fan of spanking because it seems like a complete hypocrisy....'it's not ok for you to hit, but I can hit you when you're bad.' No bueno. I think time out is a good idea when it's structured correctly and the kid has to sit quietly and refrain from doing anything fun until they've calmed down, but I know plenty of parents who send their kids to their rooms for time out and the kid just plays with the 8 million toys in his room. No bueno. 

I think my mom takes the cake on creative parenting in this department. When my 'highly spirited' little brother was absolutely incapable of sitting still and/or quietly for any length of time in time out, my mom strapped him in his carseat on the kitchen floor so he was forced to cooperate. All was well until she strolled past the kitchen 10 minutes later and he had tumped himself over and was flailing like a stranded turtle. She had to improvise even further with my sister, turning her crib upside down to function more like a cage. I do believe there are several photos of me torturing the caged beast by placing toys juuuuust out of the reach of her imprisonment.

Hopefully I won't have to resort to such drastic measures. I'm pretty sure that what Caroline craves the absolute most is my attention, and when I put her down and walk away and ignore her for a few minutes she gets the message. But in the meantime, in the spirit of http://www.dogshaming.com/, I'll have a few laughs over the trouble she gets herself in.

11 months

We are quickly approaching the much-anticipated first birthday...right around the corner! Can't believe our sweet petunia is almost one year old! She is certainly resembling a true 'toddler' every day. She has definite opinions and likes and dislikes, which she has no problem conveying even though her spoken words are limited to only 'mama', 'dada' and 'nom nom' (food). I know she understands a great deal more than I probably give her credit for...the other day she surprised me when I told her to sit in the bathtub and she did! We've used the sit command several times since then....what a good dog  girl! When I tell her it's time to wash her hair, she leans back and puts her head in the water. When I tell her it's time to get out, she reaches for the bathtub drain. When I tell her it's time for medicine she opens her mouth. And she definitely understands what 'no' means, whether she chooses to obey or not. Most times she will.

She is still gnawing/tasting/mouthing absolutely everything. Whatever the object is, she'll pick it up, study it, turn it over in her hands, and then put it straight in her mouth. I am apalled at the items I've fished out of her mouth...dog food, hairballs, paper. She especially likes to devour a good book....literally and figuratively. One night she really went to town on her custom-made family photos book and gnawed off a good size piece of cardboard. Imagine Bill's surprise when he went to change her diaper the next day and I forgot to mention how she'd devoured her book. If she keeps this up she might poop out an entire novel before she's 2.

I expect she will be walking any day now. She's very comfortable cruising around furniture or with her hands on the wall and will occasionally stop and balance herself hands-free. Bill claims she took a single step the other night while he was playing with her but I remain suspect of that claim....I spend all day every day with her, and she just happens to take her first step when I'm in the other room? A likely story...

We've had a bit of a rough time with a recent hairdo fiasco. I was feeling overly confident one morning and thought, who needs those hairdressers at Walmart? It's just a bang trim...surely I can manage that. WRONG. It was an epic fail. She ended up with bangs receding practically up to her hairline in the front, and a strong resemblance to a mullet in the back. I texted my friend Jackie in a panic and begged for professional help. Luckily she was able to shape it up a bit and now sweet baby looks halfway decent again. Thanks aunt Jackie!

before: the poster child for livingston parish

She sings, talks, and laughs ALL the time...there's a constant stream of narration coming from her mouth, although I have no idea what she's saying. Once she starts talking I'm sure she will be quite the chatterbox. In the meantime her baby babbles are highly entertaining. The other night she was up past her bedtime and as opposed to being deliriously tired and cranky, she was deliriously giggly. So funny.

Her other favorite pastime these days is to systematically and methodically remove any objects from their designated space. Clothes out of drawers. Tupperware out of cabinets. Toys out of baskets. Whatever she can get her hands on, she will be taking every single item out. Unfortunately she has not mastered the art of returning said items to their rightful place. 

My days with a 'baby' are dwindling quickly, and in a few short weeks I'll have a bonafied toddler on my hands. I'm super excited for her first birthday and can't wait to celebrate the big day!

2012- a year in review from a different perspective

A lot of my blogger friends have been writing cute little reviews of the year 2012...trips taken, milestones reached, memorable moments, etc. There's something cathartic about systematically reviewing each month of the previous year and reflecting on the events gone by. I suppose it helps give you perspective and a new frame of mind upon which to embrace the new year just begun. Yesterday while on my afternoon jog I was pondering the past year and I realized that the year 2012 for our family can be summarized as overcoming adversity. Trials and tribulations that were met head-on, sometimes gracefully, sometimes not. Defying the odds, bucking the norm, and coming out victorious in spite of adversity. 

Here's what the year 2012 by numbers looked like for us:

• 49:        trips to the doctor's offices
• 2:          trips to the ER
• 280:      farthest miles traveled to visit a doctor
• 4:           pediatricians consulted
• 1:           allergist consulted
• 6:           pediatric gastroenterologists consulted
• 2:           pediatric ENT specialists consulted
• 1:           nutritionist consulted
• 650:      dollars spent on medicine (not covered by insurance)
• 3,066:   dollars spent on Elecare formula (not covered by insurance)
• 1,430:   dollars spent on co-pays
• 1:           incorrect diagnosis of "colic"
• 4:           medical tests/procedures performed
• 2:           months out of 12 that were free of GI issues and problems
• 28:        number of times I was told "she's fine" "she'll outgrow it" "nothing more we can do"  "this is normal"  
• 387:      number of hours spent googling celiac, crohn's disease, inflamatory bowel disease, hirschprung's disease, eosophillic esophigitis, gastritis, gastroparesis, food protein-induced entercolitis syndrome, food intolerance, acid reflux, milk allergy, hiatal hernia
• 1:          baby that I love more than anything on this planet and would never trade for the world despite all her medical issues

Caroline has champion fighter genes....I like to think that she got that from me. Her medical issues are far from being resolved, but in spite of the tumultuous roller coaster that she's endured, she has come out smiling. She has bucked the norm from day one of her life, and despite every reason to the contrary, she's been such a happy trooper through it all . 

Most babies with acid reflux are terrible sleepers, some not sleeping for more than 30 minutes or an hour stretch for months and months. Not Caroline. She was a fantastic sleeper from the beginning, which was our only saving grace through those rough first 3 months. 

Most babies with acid reflux gain weight poorly; very often they're diagnosed as 'failure to thrive.' Not Caroline. In spite of vomiting up to 35 times per day, she was able to gain weight at a steady rate by compensating through overeating. Get it girl.

Most babies with a milk protein intolerance will fare very well on a partially-hydrolyzed formula like Nutramigen. Not Caroline. Her sensitive little tummy regurgitated the Nutramigen just as bad as all the other formulas we tried. Her extremely delicate system required a hospital-grade, only-sold-online-not-available-in-stores medical food like Elecare. 

Most babies with the wide range of gastrointestinal problems she's had (including gas, bloating, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, reflux, night wakings, ear infections, choking/gagging, and the hernia) would be a walking disaster in terms of temperment. They have every reason in the world to be in a permanent bad mood with all the pain and discomfort they've endured. Not our sweet Caroline. Somehow she endures it all with a smile on her face and a contagious little laugh that delights absolutely everyone she encounters. 

So whatever 2013 has in store for us, I know we'll come out on top. I know we'll be alright. I know that our little family makes a pretty incredible team and we're ready to tackle the new year and come out victorious.

Caroline's First Christmas

Well Christmas has come and gone and I'd say Baby's First Christmas was quite a big success, on all levels. I'm so glad Caroline and I were able to go back to Baton Rouge a bit early and see her new GI and have the endoscopy done. We are still waiting on the biopsy results (quite a bit of lag time due to the holidays) but I'm hopeful that we'll get more answers soon.

Christmas Eve was spent visiting with friends and frantically coordinating a last-minute church schedule change, thanks to Caroline's late afternoon nap. Such is life with a baby. Luckily we were able to coordinate with all family members and somehow we all made it there on time! I was so glad to be home in BR attending my church's Christmas Eve service, especially since this time last year I wasn't sure if we'd be able to! And of course Caroline was perfectly well behaved. She looked so cute in her little red Christmas dress! 

After church we went back to my mom's house and put Caroline to bed while we ate dinner and exchanged gifts with cousins/aunts & uncles. After everyone left my mom and I began the real fun...setting out Caroline's toys from Santa! We unboxed and displayed all her goodies, set up the catepillar tunnel, stuffed her stocking with books and small trinkets. I remember how much my sister and I absolutely loved discovering our toys from Santa on Christmas morning, so I was thrilled to be able to recapture that sense of joy and excitement with my daughter on her first Christmas. 

Having a kid truly makes you feel like a kid yourself again on Christmas morning. I was so excited to bring her in the living room and watch her play with all her new toys. She was curious about the caterpillar and immediately headed for him, but wasn't too keen on crawling through him. Oh well. We'll stick him in the closet and try again in a few months. Christmas in July! Everything else was quite well-received though and she spent time exploring each new item before moving on to something else. 

Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Winnie went around the room and methodically confiscated any and all stuffed animals within reach. Poor pug...this is the first year we didn't have a stocking full of toys for him. He was a good sport about it all though, and even donned a festive red bow for the day.

Whaddya mean this isn't for me?

After Caroline had thoroughly examined each of her Santa presents we exchanged gifts with my mom, sister, and Mama. To say we are crazy about Christmas is an understatement....it is truly a spectacle to behold, hard to comprehend if you haven't witnessed it every year for your entire life as I have. Bill thinks we've all lost our minds. I'm sure baby Jesus in the manger would weep for the number of trees cut down just to provide the mountain of wrapping paper that is torn off and discarded. But isn't there something in the Bible too about how the Lord loves a cheerful giver? We get an A+ in that department. From birdhouses to heirloom family portraits to bike helmets to microwave ovens to bathtub books...it was all joyfully unwrapped on Christmas morning. 

After the present frenzy died down Caroline went down for a nap and Bill and I loaded up the car to head to his family's. We looked worse than the Griswolds headed to Wally World. There was not a single.square.inch of space in that car. But somehow we were able to stuff it all in and head down to New Orleans for the Renton family seafood Christmas extravaganza. We attempted to get a decent picture with the grandparents and the great-granchildren but of course that's like asking all the stars in the sky to form a perfect alignment. Ha!

We did however manage to get a decent 4 generation Renton picture with Caroline. We are so fortunate that we've been able to get a 4 generation picture with both Bill's side of the family and my side of the family. What a lucky girl!

In true Louisiana Christmas style we were delayed by severe thunderstorms in getting back to Mandeville that night, so we only were able to give Caroline a bath and put her to bed...we postponed Renton family presents until the next day. I'm sure that was quite all right though...baby girl was exhausted! She was such a trooper with all the driving and packing and unpacking and sleeping in strange places. Even though she did remarkably well all things considered, I know next year Christmas will be different. We simply can't keep doing the crazy Christmas runaround once she gets older and really understands Santa. We need to be in our own home, starting our own new Christmas traditions. It will be so tough to put an end to Christmas as we've always known it in Louisiana, but I guess it's time to accept that Christmas isn't about me or us anymore...it's about her. And thankfully both Bill's brother and sister live here in Houston too, so hopefully we can all band together next year and hunker down in the lone star state. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us!!