Hazel Jane, 5 Months

Wow! Time flies -- this post is late! I've been pretty good about a monthly update, but with our recent trip down south, time got away from me.

Hazel was 5 months old on March 17th. Five months seems pretty accurate -- doesn't seem like time is going by too fast or too slow. But when I think about her almost being 6 months, it scares me to death! Now that seems too old! I'm just not going to think about it for now.....

Hazel can sit up now. At some point, she tumbles over, but she can usually sit up for at least a few minutes. Often she leans forward and touches the floor for some support. Almost looks like she's folding herself in half sometimes. You would think her being able to sit up would make taking her picture a little easier, but it's quite the opposite in fact. She is rarely content to sit back anymore, so she's always bobbing all around. I'm still thankful that she hasn't started moving around yet -- just for the sake of the floor maintenance it's going to require of me.

She has a pretty set schedule now. She wakes up about 7-8am and eats, then plays in her exersaucer while I do some chores. (I know she's awake when I hear her talking to herself in bed -- so cute.) We do some more fun morning-time activities, and then when she starts to get a little fussy, she has her second breakfast followed by a morning nap. She will eat 3-4 more times in the day with an afternoon nap thrown in there somewhere. And then she usually falls asleep somewhere between 7 and 9pm. She sleeps in her crib downstairs, which took awhile for me to get used to, but it's great now (she was previously in the bassinet upstairs down the hall from us).

Some of her favorite activities include playing in her exersaucer or playgym, reading books with mama, "donkey rides" with dad, talking to people (loves this a lot), playing piano & singing with me, taking stroller rides, looking at groceries in the store, and watching her mobile. The books say 5 month olds are supposed to be over their mobiles by now, but she still loves it -- especially if she's a little tired. She loves-loves-loves to have fuzzy fabrics in her hand, but doesn't have a preference for a particular blanket or animal. She seems to really enjoy diaper time, and sometimes we'll talk and play at the changing table for quite awhile.

This fifth month has also included some not-so-pleasant happenings. She's gotten sick a few times -- a cold, throwing up, being constipated. She's also continued to spit up quite a bit, and always seems to do it right before I get the burp cloth up in the right spot. She wants to put everything in her mouth, but hasn't quite developed the coordination to get things in there correctly, which is one reason I think she favors cloth so much -- she can just bunch it up & stuff it all in there. She's also still quite a drooler. I guess it's possible she's teething, but the doc doesn't think so and I haven't seen any visible teeth trying to push up yet.

She eats really well. Well, she eats well from me. But boy, try to get her to take a bottle and you would think someone was pinching off her nose. She hates it! She gets sooooo mad. She was taking them for awhile there, and then just stopped. I've tried different bottles, different nipples, different positions -- nothing seems to work. It's not really a big deal because I'm available to nurse, but it makes it pretty much impossible for me to leave her for very long. We have a wedding & reception on April 4th, so I'm not sure what we're going to do for that. I'm just going to keep trying! (Funny: if I take a phone call when she is nursing, she will stop eating to look up & talk to me -- she thinks I am talking to her I guess!)

Hazel is starting to move into 6-12 month clothing. At her last doctor's visit (in Feb) she was 14 lbs 11.5 oz (75%), so she's a little ahead of the game, but not too much. It seems to me she's starting to lengthen out a bit and become more proportional, but maybe I'm imagining things.

She has started really laughing, and it's fun to see what will get her going. She's only really up for silly business, though, when she's really relaxed.

She seems to be amicable with almost anyone, and is quick to smile at anyone who smiles at her. I think her smile is absolutely amazing -- I'm sure this isn't the first time I've gone on about it. But it really is delightful, charming, gleeful... I mean, the girl is just HAPPY.

She does get unhappy from time to time. Mostly in the evenings in environments with too much stimulation. This doesn't bother me at all -- I suffer the same calamity. I know everyone says she looks just like Tory, but on the whole she really reminds me of me. I look back at my baby pictures, and the spirit seems identical.

It has been interesting to watch her relationship with Tory grow. He has a very different parenting style than I do (surprise, surprise), and at times I think that if I were a baby I wouldn't care for it. :) But she is so comfortable with him, and when he is in the room she watches him with awe & wonder. They cuddle a lot and I know Tory is looking forward to really introducing her to the outdoors when it gets just a bit nicer out.

Aaaannd she continues to lose hair after hair after hair. So I continue to buy hat after hat after hat. Vanity, thy name is motherhood.

We love her so much.

New Baby, Charlotte!

A previous post, Brunches & Lunches featured one of my dear friends, Becca, on her due date. She had dear little Charlotte the following Sunday, and Hazel and I got a chance to drop by that week to visit. Charlotte had the sweetest little cry and would strike the cutest poses. It was funny -- when Charlotte would cry, Hazel would pout her lower lip and start to get sad as well. Here is a pic of all the lovely ladies together. Charlotte is so cute in the little onesie I stitched for her, and doesn't Becca look amazing?

And now Hazel is a superstar on the world wide web! Becca posted a few pictures of their playdate on her blog, so be sure to follow the link and check them out. They are gorgeous! We are blessed to have her as a friend, not just because she is a wonderful individual, but also because sometimes we end up in her amazing photographs. (wink, wink)

Little Hydrangea Head

This weekend we went to my friend Timberly's wedding at the Nottoway Plantation just outside of Baton Rouge, LA. As the date drew nearer, Hazel was losing more and more hair. I decided she needed some kind of bonnet to wear with her pretty dress, but I didn't find anything that I thought was quite cute enough. So I made one! I think it turned out fabulous!!! Timberly used this blue-purple hydrangea in all of her wedding flowers, so Hazel fit the festivities to a tee. Timberly loved it, and we got a few professional pictures with the bride in her wedding dress, me in my bridesmaid dress, and Hazel in her blue bonnet -- all taken in the white ballroom of the mansion. Those will be online in a few weeks, and I will post a link to them then. For now, here is a slideshow of our little homestyle photo shoot.

Brunches & Lunches

Anyone who has spent much R&R time with me probably knows that I LOVE going out to eat. I love it! Being served good food is such a respite from my everyday life of grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up. And two of my favorite dining experiences (by far) are 1. BREAKFAST AT THE CLASSIC COOKIE and 2.THE CHOCOLATE BAG. It was such a treat this week to get to enjoy both.
Here we are at Classic Cookie. Hazel & I met Becca & Nicole there for some brunch. I love that they know us and they always welcome Hazel & shower her with affection. This visit was special because it was on Becca's actual due date. Doesn't she look radiant???!

And here we are having lunch with Grandma Pat & Aunt Julie. Grandma took us out for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, McCormick & Schmick's. It was such a nice lunch, and was concluded with what I consider to be the most perfect desert in the world -- the Chocolate Bag. Damn....that thing is GOOD! Thank you, Grandma Pat!

Second Pretty Day in a Row...

Finally! Nice weather!

I'm going to have to make this a quickie, because it's SO nice outside & we've got to get out and enjoy it. Well, really, I just need to work in the yard which is kind of the same thing sometimes, but not always. I've gotten so bad about consistent blogging, and in the effort to discipline consistency, my plan is to just throw stuff up here quickly for awhile until I get in the habit. Once the habit comes, I'll go for quality again. Hope you guys don't mind.....

Here are a few from yesterday. It was her first really nice day outside, and she loved it. Loved the sun, the wind, the dog walking around her -- all of it. I just put her in her seat and carried her around the yard with me. I told her all about plants & why we were working. I also told her all about these fabulous little things called FLOWERS and how her life will change completely once she sees them.

There's a video in the new Video Bar (on the right side of your screen) from this same afternoon.

still a thumb-sucker...
funny face...
curious Nelson (aka Ratters)

Melting Meters

Just a few weeks ago, I had a pining for some poetry. A quest to find a giant book of lilting meters came up with the Random House Book of Poetry for Children. In this blogger's humble opinion, this book should be a staple in every child's home. I love reading it to Hazel at bedtime. I think it's great for her to understand how melodic and beautiful words can be, and every once in awhile I stumble on one that absolutely melts me.

Two People

She reads the paper,
while he turns on TV;
she likes the mountains,
he craves the sea.

He'd rather drive
she'll take the plane;
he waits for sunshine;
she walks in the rain.

He gulps down cold drinks,
she sips at hot;
he asks, "Why go?"
She asks, "Why not?"

In just about everything
they disagree,
but they love one another
and they both love me.

Eve Merriam

I hope from the innermost part of me that when Hazel is older, she will identify with this poem in the same warm way I do.

The Bleakonomy Take on Vaccines

If you're a person who ever has, or will have to think about vaccinating your child, read THIS. Seriously, whatever you end up deciding, you will at least get a kick out of reading it. Thank you, Dan! Love it!

Happy 4 Months, Hazel Jane!

For those of you who actually read our posts here at the Bluebird, I apologize. It's been about a month since our last entry. I honestly don't even know what happened to the past month! Seems like time is flying exponentially fast.


Today Hazel is 4 months. Makes me think about her development & growth, and also about how my life has changed so much. None of this is unique -- I'm pretty sure it makes me just like every other mom out there! But I still do believe she's amazingly special -- the spark in her eye charms the hell out of me. I think back on her delivery and kind of want to do it again actually! Like riding a mechanical bull -- it was crazy & kind of hurt, but still exciting, and you think you could do better next time so you want to go again. I'm so thankful I had a positive birth experience. Ummm, and just for you annoying people that keep asking if we're going to have another one anytime soon, the above statement does NOT mean that we're getting on the wagon again!

Hazel has officially found her hands. Play time is so much more fun now that she loves to touch things and poke at them. She has a favorite little fuzzy/silky hanky that she loves to touch, and a stuffed/crinkly ladybug book that she will play with endlessly. This playful autonomy has led to more time in her swing or on the floor -- playing with stuff as opposed to just cuddling with me. I'd assert that we still probably interact more than the average mother/baby, but I'm just trying to make the investment in her becoming capable of self-entertaining. It gives me a bit of a guilt trip; I'm not quite used to having time to switch laundry, much less fold it. And it's weird because I've adjusted to tasking with one hand, and it seems like such a luxury to work with both. At the same time, it's still impossible to find time to do all the things I want to do like working out, learning spanish, cleaning adequately (and blogging). I'm glad we humans don't have litters -- I can't imagine caring for more than just her (well, her and Tory). What is that Angelina-wannabe in California thinking?!?!

Hazel can really coo up a storm. It's got to be the sweetest thing I've ever heard. She also has started laughing, and laughs most at her dad. I've always struggled with being silly, so it's a bit of a learning experience for me -- trying to figure out dumb things to do to get that giggle to come out. She's also getting great at holding on when being held. She sleeps from about 8:30 to 8:30, often longer, and takes at least two good naps during the day. Her hair (sigh...) is definitely falling out, and I wonder if it will come back blonde like mine did. Her eyes are still very blue, and I kind of want to believe that they will stay that way.

Nursing is still going really well, and continues to be one of the most magical experiences of my life. With our dishwasher still broken, I may just nurse her forever to cut back on the dishes I have to wash by hand! Still planning to nurse for as long as it seems to work, up to a year. We'll try some cereal at 6 months...which unfortunately will mean dishes. Seriously -- there are just way better things to do than housework!

She's a bit of a chunker & quickly filling out her 3-6 month clothing. I hope she doesn't move to 6-12 month stuff too quickly as everything I have is for warm weather. Dressing her is still one of my favorite activities! I know, I know...that makes me lame & cheesy.

We sit at the piano almost every afternoon and play & sing songs. She seems to be getting the hang of it -- she starts making sounds and every once in awhile I will think I hit a wrong note only to look down & spot her fingers on the keys. I really hope that Tory & I can thoroughly show her the varying heritages we both come from, and hopefully she'll enjoy it all.

Our friend Steph brought over an excersaucer the other day, and Hazel has been loving it. I had to put an atlas in the bottom as her legs aren't quite long enough. She fell asleep in it the other day. I took a picture to go along with the encyclopedia of pictures I have of myself as a baby sleeping absolutely everywhere and anywhere. I can take myself to dreamland in just about any situation, but Tory always battles with sleep. I'm hoping her good sleep habits are foreshadowing of being a super-duper sleeper. That's definitely a Tummons gene, and a great talent to have if you ask me.

Speaking of genes, Tory started drilling me at 1am the other night about my grandparents and exetended family. Asking about height, weight, health problems, dispositions, etc. After awhile I asked why, and he said something about wanting to know what our future kids might be up for, genetically speaking. That guy is a nature guy for sure! (...in the whole nature/nurture world, that is.)

Well, Hazel is waking up & I've officially spent all my free time on the computer today. Guess Tory's shirts will have to wait until the next nap to get ironed. She is looking a bit woozy today with her Tylenol-buzz. Pretty funny. But it's better than the post-vaccine fever that was causing her so much misery.

What's Up, Doc?

Yesterday I took Hazel in for her 4 month check up. She is 14 lbs 11.5 oz, 25.5", and has a 16.5" head. That makes her average-noggened, a little tall, and more than a little chubby. But overall, normal & healthy.

Going to the doctor is seldom a flippant or casual exchange. First of all, it's almost always preceded by some sort of calamity, which always flavors any interaction. The exception here is some of the prenatal care visits. Mine became so routine & boring I wondered why we were even going. But those visits were really nice for one reason: it gave me a chance to take note of how the office actually ran. I got to see Nurse Susan & Nurse Melissa actually talking to other patients on the phone as I passed them in the office. I've been on the other end of that line before, and I really had never made the connection that they were real people working with my doctor. I also started to understand that the medical business is just that -- a business. And just like any other business, everything has a cost associated with it.

Consequently, I started hoping that I was never that patient that took too much time (the doc's time being the cost). I imagined sessions around the Krispy Kreme box, with nurses & docs & lab techs all dishing on which patients were high maintenance. My ever-resurfacing need to be liked rose and inspired me to be easy & prepared; never asking too many questions or needing more time. This worked as long as I stayed healthy and felt sane. This approach, however, is really hard when your baby has been crying for way to long and you're dealing with post-partum hormone re-regulations and you just want some freaking answers. But still, I kept it cool, even if it meant settling. Because I just really didn't want to be that patient. I wanted to be liked. So much so, that after I would get off a 10 minute call with the nurse, I would seriously consider sending her flowers with a note saying something like, "Thanks again for the time you spent with me yesterday. We love you! You're the best!" Even though it wasn't that great (usually even a bit disappointing), but maybe if she liked me best she would do better next time. Sheesh! That's pathetic! But anyway, back to the present...

Yesterday I felt pretty rushed. My doc spent about 5 minutes with Hazel & I, remarking on her great trunk control and asking if she slept through the night. There were about 10 seconds spent on vaccines. She looks at Hazel, punches some things in the computer, and closes the file at her waist like she's ready to walk out the door. Seriously? I'm sure there are other cases in other rooms that are way more serious than a healthy baby (obviously), but can you tone down the body language a bit? I want her to see a lot of patients, and for her business to make good money so she can pay off those ginormous school loans. I want her to feel like she helped as many people as she could, and I want her to feel successful and make a lot of money. But not if it means that she hurries me out the door. ... ... After taking a breath, the bottom line is that I really do trust my doctor to care for us, and while she may miss small things here & there that cause us annoying discomfort, I do trust her with our lives. Gross issues, she's great; fine issues, she seems indifferent. I'm sure this works well for experienced moms who rely less on their physician's direction.

I left the appointment with a feeling of deja vu..... When had I felt this emotion before? (thinking, thinking, thinking....) Oh yeah -- it's the same feeling I had while dating! When you're dating a guy, and he's ok but not great. But you're not sure if you want to break up with him, because what if you don't find anything better? I kind of want to break up with my doctor! One time my doctor was gone, and I had to go to another doc -- her own pediatrician actually. And I LOVED that doctor! She was great, and I left feeling reassured and confident that I could handle whatever came next. (That was 4 days after I had Hazel, and if someone made me feel that ok under the duress of the cocktail of hormones I had in my system, then you know she was good!) But how can you leave your doctor for her doctor? They're both in the same company...you know it would get around. And really, my doctor is not that bad... It's hard because we have history, and you hate to ditch that. Even if it's not an A+ history.

Yesterday Hazel started running a pretty high temp. She was inconsolable -- just seemed miserable, absolutely miserable. It was after-hours, and not wanting to page a doctor I called Ask-A-Nurse. I've had great success with them in the past. I reached a nurse who was WONDERFUL. She took her time & went over all sorts of things with me. The best way to take a temp, what varying temperatures mean, when to be concerned, how long the temp should stick around, when and how to go about bringing it down -- all kinds of things. Also went over other symptoms of vaccines that I could expect. She said, "Didn't your doctor tell you any of this?" She asked if I had any questions, and waited patiently for me to think about things. I felt like she was actually in the room, holding Hazel & putting her hand on my shoulder. She was my favorite kind of professional -- a teacher. My HVAC guy has come by to check on our unit several times this summer. I love him because he shines his little flashlight all over our ductwork in the crawlspace telling me what is what, how it works, and what to look for in the future as signs of success or trouble. This is what I want in a professional, and it's just odd to me that I found it in Ask-A-Nurse, and not at all in my doctor.

I wonder whether all of this processing is just a result of me overthinking things (as usual), or if this is a process normal people go through. And I also wonder if doctors know this kind of thing happens with their patients, and whether they even care. I wish we could all have a forum of doctors teaching patients how to be better patients, and patients teaching doctors how to be better doctors. Seriously, I think a clinic should host it every year, and if you want to be a part of their service you have to attend. Seems like everyone could benefit and the whole shebang would operate more efficiently. And efficiency is great for the bottom line, right?

I recently rediscovered an old acquaintance on facebook. He's now a pediatrician in Maine -- also a passionate blogger (http://bleakonomy.blogspot.com). A few of his entries have just made me think about this topic more and more today. I want to be respectful of my doctor and the relationship we have cultivated so far. However, I want to be a student & proficient executor of the health of my child. And I'm not sure that those two desires go together. I don't know...I'm torn. We have our six month check up in April, so it is my goal to reach a decision by then.

And after re-reading my post, it kind of annoys me that I'm being so emotional. That so much feeling goes into a decision that probably should be 99.9% logic. Tory would approach it that way. He would just scrap the mediocre relationship & move on. But then again, he's not the one who would have to go through the pain of finding a new doctor, which is about as much fun as finding a new church.