Dani 4 months

What, it’s the end of May? I guess we were having lots of fun this month....

I am still excited when I get to write an update on the 31st, ie when Dani has a “real” month birthday.

I have filled the car with gas 3 times since Dani was born. (It was full the day of.) I will one day lose count but I haven’t yet. Obviously I am driving less which is good as gas prices  have sure gone up.

Anytime it’s a full moon I think of Dani’s birthday.

I had to delete the photos and video from Dani’s birth and early weeks off my phone a couple of weeks ago. And even though they are on the hard drive I feel kinda crappy about it because it means I can’t see them anytime I want. I struggle to organize media but I really would like to some way make photos and videos more accessible while keeping them safe. I feel like there’s some kind of cloud technology I should learn how to use.  I like the hard drive backup but I’d like a virtual backup too. People who know about this sort of thing, feel free to comment.

Dani continues to meet her milestones. She is long and lean like her sister. I forgot to write down her length and weight at the doctors’, oops. She is a solid little cutie, though.

What’s new the past month:

• Sits with support, and tries to sit up from a lying down or reclined position
• Pushes up when she’s on her tummy and holds up her head

• Rolls onto her side (usually in pursuit of her thumb). Doctor thinks she is getrting ready to roll all the way and will do this early.
• We saw a specialist about the hip dysplasia, but he was not convinced there is a problem (apparently only one photo showed an issue, and there are no physical signs of a problem). So we will go back for a follow up ultrasound.
• Squeals and giggles. I have a fitful career as a comedian, as in I sometimes discover a silly sound or word that will make her giggle for a few minutes, until she’s bored with the joke.
• Blowing Raspberries
• Grabs her toes

• Still loves to suck her thumb
• Taking a bottle better: last date night she stayed with grandparents and actually drank all the milk I left her
• Sleeps  through night for most part, but starting to wake up to be fed between 4 and 5am....usually I can get her, and myself, back to sleep for another hour or two though. Self soothes with her thumb.....no more swaddled arms.
• Dani is increasingly full of charm and personality. Sibling interactions continue to go well. AJ and Dani can interact for a few minutes together, smiling and cuddling. AJ shows great caring to her baby sister. 
• Nicknames: Dani, Dani Bear, or simply Bear

Me:

• Had a period of time this month when I felt really exhausted, but energy seems to have returned
• Breastfeeding going well. Boobs don’t feel so huge and heavy anymore  so I think my body has found a balance 
• On the other hand I wonder if hormones are being weird. I have been waking up hot lately, even when it isn’t a hot night. It’s not exactly how I’ve heard a hot flash described, not so dramatic, but I wonder? Also woke up nauseous in the night which sometimes occurs during menstrual cycle (though it has not returned)
• Weight is slowly coming off. I don’t usually pay much attention to my weight so I imagined myself losing 5 lbs a month which isn’t apparently realistic, especially since I’m not interested in making any major lifestyle changes. I go for walks with the kids, take a weekly exercise class and try not to snack on junk food.  I’m down to about 12 lbs over pre preg weight and consistently dropping and I’m good with that.

Plans:

• Vacation next week, to Mr Turtle’s convocation ceremony and then a few days in the city where he was born. MIL and husband will be there too. Should be fun.
• We are enjoying the summer and play date opportunities. And relax time, either inside or outside.

Wishing everyone a wonderful June.

Dani 3 months

Our baby girl is 3 months, and so cuddly and fun!  This is such a super snuggly age: old enough to not be too wobbly but little enough to fit perfectly in the crook of my arm.

I’ve bern writing this when I have a chance in my phone. Haphazard bullet points it is: 

• Dani learned to suck her thumb. I joke that she has accomplished her first life goal because she has been trying so hard for weeks. Not sure how I feel about thumb sucking in general but I have to give her “thumbs up” for persistence anyway. AJ also learned to suck her thumb at the same age but interestingly lost interest in it shortly after. Dani does seem to like to self soothe though, so she might be a longer term commitment.
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• Smiles and laughs. It’s wonderful to see her sheer joy at being in the world. 

• Wearing 6 month size clothes 
• Favourite toy is a knotted ribbon I call the jellyfish.  It was on one of her shower presents and she can be entertained for long periods of time watching it dangled over her head.

• Enjoys music, lately the musical “Cats”. Why Cats? Well we were playing with the jellyfish, (see above) and that brought to mind jellicle cats, so I played her a couple of songs and she seemed to like them, so now we regularly listen to the whole soundtrack. I like the poetry, the variety in instrumentation, and the general playful absurdity of it.
• Dani likes to be upright and tries to sit up. Increasingly I hold her in a supported seated position. 
• Loves being sung to and having her feet played with while we sing a song: eg hokey pokey, wheels on the bus, this is the way we ride our bicycle, if you’re happy and you know it
• Sleep is getting a bit rougher? Dani was sleeping through the night consistently, but the past couple of weeks have seem more early morning and middle of the night wake ups.  Perhaps it is the warmer weather which makes it harder  to get cozy without being hot? She will quickly go back to sleep after a feed but I have not been able to get back to sleep as easily, so I have had long wakeful periods at night. It still works best to swaddle Dani’s arms in in the Halo sleep sack, but she will outgrow the swaddle soon I think. So there could be more challenges on the horizon.
• Brings hand together, can hold a toy kind of and tries to bring it to her mouth. She is opening and closing her fingers and appears to be using them to grasp.
• Rolls onto her side 
• Lifting head slightly during tummy time. She can fairly easily move it from side to side now.
• Watches and listens while AJ tells her a story. Dani really does seem to like her big sister. AJ is very affectionate with her and I encourage her to talk to and interact with her little sister.
  
   
  
• Diagnosed with mild hip dyplasia in her right hip. The screening is protocol for all breech babies, and being female increases the risk.  I am currently waiting to hear back for consult with orthopaedic surgeon. At this age the interventions are non surgical from what I have read. I’m hoping it is no big deal, but I’m still disappointed she has it as I’d convinced myself she didn’t and the screening was only a precaution.
• I feel like Dani’s emotions are more intense than AJ’s. She shows happiness much of the time but when she is displeased the fury rains down on the just and the unjust. Other family members also have difficulty soothing her: it usually has to be me (and my boobs). Mr Turtle can also do a pretty good job short term if he lets her suck his finger.
• Dani enjoys her bath and we have also taken her to the swimming pool a few times. She enjoys splashing in the warm water of the shallow kiddie pool. Both the girls have a fun time there though I find it a bit revolting: there were unidentified brown particulates floating in the water once for example. Also AJ likes to point to things on the floor and say “What’s that Mommy?” I finally told her that if she kept pointing out to me what was on the floor, we might never come to the pool again.
• Outside time is still enjoyed. Dani has not been too fond of the mei tai so mostly we use the stroller. She will still sleep in the stroller though not as much as she used to. Still it’s highly likely on any given day that she has her nap outside. She also seems to enjoy the playpen outside so we will likely do more of that.

In summary, I am just so happy our baby girl chose to manifest in our family a year ago. Already memory is editing the past and it’s hard to imagine a time when she wasn’t here (though the blog does help preserve the record of those times, with their questions and uncertainties.) I am simultaneously trying to savour every moment and so excited for what is to come.