Busy Busy Busy

Where to begin?

On Monday June 6 I took Fiona for her 12 month Well Baby Visit. She weighed 17 pounds 10 ounces, which puts her between the 10th and the 25th percentiles for her weight, but she grew almost 3 inches in length. She was 29.25 inches long, the 50th percentile for her actual age!!!

On Tuesday we went to the park and then to the last math department meeting of my school and saw some friends I haven’t seen all year, save a few chance meetings, and it was really nice. Wednesday I took Fiona to the end of the year luncheon and saw lots of dear co-workers. While there, Fiona stood up using a plant, then let go and stood without holding on to anything for about 10 seconds. Later that day, she stood up from the floor by herself without holding on to anything at all. I don’t think she realized she was doing any of this. On Wednesday I also had a book club meeting.

Thursday I woke up with a yucky cold. Fiona started it on Tuesday, but I thought she was teething. Thursday morning confirmed that it was cold because last time I looked, teething was not contagious. Friday I went to graduation and watched some of my favorite students walk the line and get diplomas. It was bittersweet for me. I am so happy for them but I am going to miss them terribly next year. Saturday I went to a graduation party for them and got to see another former student that is now in college. It’s so exciting to watch these “kids” growing up and becoming adults and to talk to the ones in college about their experiences. It brings back so many memories and feelings that I had when I was that age. It also made me feel really old, because I know that if they are getting older, it means I am getting older too.

Cue “Sunrise, Sunset”.

Here are the photos (because I believe they are now all at least 18):

I finished and emailed off all of my papers, so I am finished with school until September. I plan to do a lot of reading so I can start my second year research project sometime next year.

The rest of the weekend was spent feeling like crap and sucking snot out of Fiona’s nose using the NoseFrida. While effective, it takes both of us and is not easy. One person has to hold Fiona down and pin her arms so she doesn’t wave them, all the while she screams in terror. The other person must administer saline drops to moisten her nose, then suck out the mucous that is making it hard for her to breath. Fortunately or unfortunately, she is starting to get used to it and is not protesting as much. It is awful but necessary. First, because she couldn’t breath through her nose, she ate almost nothing on Wednesday and Thursday, and then refused solids and only nursed occasionally. There were two nights with little sleep, one with so little sleep, I think it is second in awfulness only to her first night home from the hospital. Needless to say both John and I have been exhausted! I’m glad to report that she is eating more again, but she lost at least half a pound this week, which is a lot on her little body.

Our weather has been cold and crappy lately, so I took advantage of the sun today to take Fiona to the park. We played on the swings, the slide, and the jungle gym.

Here is another trip, in which Fiona put on my hat:

Side note, if you are a god owner and you take them to a park where children play, please keep your pets on a leash. A dog came running through the sandbox while Fiona was playing in the dirt. I spoke with the owner who dismissed my concerns. This is just not ok! It happens all the time. Once, a dog ran over the blanket that my friend and I were using and that had our babies on it. The dog ran between the babies. I love dogs and am a dog person, but leash laws are there for everyone’s safety. Just like a person is not allowed to smoke in a restaurant for everyone else’s safety, dogs need to remain on leashes unless they are at a leashless dog park. And please, PLEASE, PLEASE pick up after dog! NO ONE wants to step in or have their children play in dog poop! Aye! Ok, end rant.

Here is Fiona getting interested in a Pre-Calculus textbook. Notice the furtive sideways glance:

  

Fiona picking out clothing to wear:

 

She is getting into EVERYTHING these days. She is very interested in what is in closets. We cannot leave the pantry open or she will get in and start removing items. The same is true of the refrigerator, my closet, her closet, John’s closet and laundry basket, and my t-shirt drawer. Last week I had to refold my shirts 4 times.

She has a very strict sense of what should be on a person’s head. If anything out of the ordinary is there, she will remove it immediately. I have a video but it is not uploaded to Youtube yet so I can’t post it.

Recently I bought some preemie clothes to donate to our local NICU. I just had to take some comparison shots of Fiona’s current sleepers that just barely fit her in length, and the preemie sleepers that used to be too big for her. It’s hard to believe there was a time she had to grow into these tiny little clothes:

 

I also bought a Keurig coffee maker and a box of K-cups as gifts to the NICU staff for taking care of Fiona while she was in the hospital. I intended to take the gifts on her first birthday, but didn’t get around to it. Hoping to do it this Monday (which is also my birthday).

Here is Fiona after eating some yogurt and then rubbing her face:

She likes the kitchen faucet, especially when it sprays:

 

In the hammock:

John:

Last, we bought a barbecue. It’s our first. I feel like a real American now. We decided that we should get one before our big barbecue celebration this weekend. I’m nervous and excited about it at the same time. I’m sure there are million things, or at least a few things, that I am forgetting, but I’m going to stop here.