Another one for the baby book!

Today when I went to get Reagan after her afternoon nap, I found her sitting up in her crib and trying to pull up to standing. Time to put the crib mattress down lower!

One for the baby book!

Reagan pooped on the potty for the first time today. No, I am not confusing my children. Reagan, my 8-month-old, pooped on the potty. That's what happens when the grunting begins in the bathtub...

I Hate Baby Food

Let me start out by saying that Jocelyn never ate baby food. I tried and tried, but she never took to it. She went straight to table food. I mention this because I think it is important to note that me feeding Reagan baby food is a whole new experience. I'm like a first-time mom all over again.

Reagan likes baby food. It took a little getting used to, but now she enjoys eating it. It was a much easier experience starting Reagan on baby food than it was with Jocelyn. I was excited to get her on solids...The thing is that now: I hate it. It's so messy! Reagan wants to feed herself, so unless I tie her hands down (which I'm thinking isn't a good idea due to CYS concerns) she's grabbing the spoon. When she grabs the spoon she usually grabs it very close to the spoon part rather than the handle part, which means half the food goes on her hand and half goes in her mouth. Or her eye. Or on her head. Or in her ear. What a Mess!

The other thing about Reagan that makes baby food messy is that she's a spitter. She loves blowing Raspberries. Let me just say she's great at blowing raspberries. I'm sure I need not explain any further than that.

Then there's the spoon-throwing. Fun! I just can't believe how quick she is to toss that spoon on the floor once she's done making a mess of herself with it. I know it's coming but I can't, for the life of me, catch it before it makes it to the floor!

So when eating time is finally over. I take the bowls and 300 spoons to the kitchen, get a washcloth (or 5), and go back to my messy baby. She HATES being wiped off by the way. So, I wipe down a wiggly, whining baby. Her face, her hands, her ears, her head, her arms. I take the bib off to find that I might as well have left her bib-less and wore the darn thing myself (raspberries). I then must find a new outfit to put her in before I can possibly sit her down somewhere. Change her clothes and then tackle the highchair, floor and dishes. Too. Much. Mess!!!!!!

Table food was MUCH easier and a ton less messy! Some table foods have already been introduced and will continue. She likes those too and does a great job feeding herself which seems to be what she really wants. Little Miss Independent. We just love her! Mess and all! Oh, and that picture above was one of the lucky she-let-me-feed-her days. Notice how little of a mess was created. Her left hand was trapped under the tray. Oops! ;-)

Reagan Live

Valentine's Day Cookies

The Tale of Two Balloons

Today was speech day. After every speech session Jocelyn wants to go to Chick Fil A. We pass it on the way home. I can't get her to forget about the place! Today I gave in and said YES (thanks mom for the gift card--it helped with my decision).

After lunch, and playing, and ice cream for dessert, Jocelyn spotted the other kids getting balloons. She wanted one too. We went over to get one and Jocelyn insisted on getting one for Reagan as well (she's such a nice big sister). The lady asked her what colors she wanted and Jocelyn picked out yellow for herself and green for Reagan. I just knew she was going to pick out those two colors. We had a similar problem at PALS the week before the AFC championship game when she wanted to color her football player Jets green. No way! Not happening!

Normally, I would allow her free reign of choice, but not today when it came down to these two colors. Not this weekend anyway. I very calmly looked down at my beautiful daughter (who was dressed in black and gold), and then looked at the lady and said, "I don't think Daddy will be very happy with green and yellow balloons floating around in his house!" Thank goodness the lady, was also adorned in black and gold, and agreed with me completely. Jocelyn picked out two new colors without a fuss. Blue and Orange. So what if they are Broncos colors? They aren't' in the Super Bowl!

Jocelyn's First Car

A Conversation Between Sisters

Reagan: Looking at Jocelyn and blowing a raspberry

Jocelyn: "Reagan, you are just a baby and you don't know better. When you get bigger you will know better." "You're just a baby."

Reagan, still looking at Jocelyn, has a two-second delay (to process what Jocelyn has just told her, of course) and then blows yet another raspberry.

Jocelyn & Mommy: Laughter

Reagan: Laughter

What a wonderful lunchtime conversation! I love it!

Speech News

It wasn't very long ago that I was blindsided by Jocelyn's Apraxia diagnosis.

In October, Jocelyn began outpatient therapy with Children's Hospital. She had two 30-minute sessions a week. In December, Jocelyn's therapist was impressed with how far she had come in two months and reevaluated her. From that evaluation we learned that Jocelyn's speech was nearly age-appropriate and her therapist reduced sessions to once per week! We were excited!! Everyone I came into contact with who knew anything about Apraxia and who knew Jocelyn never agreed with the diagnosis. They would say that if it was true it was a very, very mild case. I of course wanted to agree, but didn't want to be a blind parent who ignored the "truth" and didn't get my child the help she needed. The therapy surely wasn't going to hurt Jocelyn. She continued therapy twice a week at Children's and once in our home through the Alliance.

In November, to get ready to transition from the Alliance (a program for children birth through 2) to the 3-year-old program DART, she needed to be reevaluated. She didn't qualify for services! That's a good thing because it meant that her speech had been improving and she no longer showed a 25% delay. Jocelyn had her last session with her therapist from the Alliance right before her third birthday. It was very weird saying goodbye to the therapist who had been working with Jocelyn in our home every week since she was nearly 2-years-old. Todd and I couldn't have been more thankful to have had her helping Jocelyn and helping us help Jocelyn. We are forever grateful! Below is a picture of Jocelyn and Maureen, her therapist through the Alliance.
Now for the BIG news! Yesterday at Jocelyn's session, the therapist informed me that she doesn't foresee therapy lasting much past Valentines day. She said her speech is age appropriate and she is progressing wonderfully. She still struggles with specific speech sounds, but those speech sounds are the sounds that children her age typically struggle with. She will most likely overcome them on her own as she gets older and with a little help from us. This is wonderful news! It almost seems surreal that soon I won't have to take Jocelyn to any therapy sessions. It's bittersweet, though, as I think Jocelyn is going to miss it. She really enjoys going to speech to "play".

As for the diagnosis of Apraxia: I'm thinking it was a misdiagnosis. Typically children with Apraxia do not overcome it as quickly as Jocelyn has. Am I upset that she was misdiagnosed? No. She was able to get more therapy with the diagnosis and that certainly has helped in her quick progression. I was warned by many that I was not allowed to blame them when Jocelyn was talking and wouldn't shut up. We are most definitely at that point now, where we can't get her to shut up, but I still am only thankful for her progression. Ask me again when's she's 8...

Here We Go Steelers!!!!!!!!!!!

Sisters!

Bath Time

When I took Reagan to her 6-month well-baby exam the doctor commented on what nice skin she has. Both Jocelyn and Reagan always receive compliments on their skin and how beautiful it is. Genetically, I cannot take any credit for it. Actually, I'm not sure I can take any credit for it in a non-genetic way either. Either way, when the doctor asked me what I do to keep Reagan's skin so beautiful, I told her that I did nothing special. Reagan occasionally gets rubbed down with Eucerin cream if she looks a bit dry, but other than that I couldn't think of anything other than breastfeeding that may have had an effect on her skin. The doctor didn't seem to believe me. She told me that with Reagan's super-fair skin she should be "eczema city".

When I got home, I got to thinking that maybe her skin is so great because she has never had a bath. YEP. I said it. Reagan never had a real bath until January 15th. She was 6 months and 4 days old before she was immersed in water. I admit it! Okay, it's not like she wasn't ever cleaned. She just had sponge baths up until the time I finally put her into a bathtub full of water. It worked for both of us--she got clean, and it was much easier and more convenient for me. I could do it right on the living room floor while Jocelyn watched something on TV to occupy herself. Reagan didn't mind it at all. It's not like she was out playing in mud or getting super sweaty doing anything. How dirty can a baby really get?

I finally decided it was time for a real bath when she was in the bathroom one time while Jocelyn was taking a bath and she was literally trying to jump from my lap to get into the tub. I ordered a little bath seat so she could take a bath in the big tub with Jocelyn. I knew it was what she wanted anyway. She loves it!

In the first picture she looks a little hesitant, but believe me, that only lasted for the half-second it took to take a picture. She was probably wondering why she was sitting in a chair in the bathtub and was shocked that she was actually allowed to take a real bath. Poor baby!
She splashed around like she had been taking baths for months!

She especially loved that she was with her big sister! How fun!!

So, Reagan's days of sponge bathing are over. She will never go back. She loves her bath chair too much! That's okay with Mommy, but the big question is: Will she still have beautiful skin? I'm thinking she probably will--Jocelyn screamed through "real" baths at a very young age and still had many compliments on her skin! Time will tell...