Phoebe Milestones

The 27th was Dada's birthday and a day of milestones for Phoebe.  The day before, she had been soooo close to rolling from back to tummy, but her arm was a little bit stuck.  I took a lot of videos and filled up my phone's storage, hoping to capture the moment. She struggled, got uncomfortable, and started fussing in discomfort until she had to be helped to moved.  Then she took a nap on her tummy on the playmate.  The following day, I saw that she was again about to roll onto her tummy.  Then I turned away, doing something getting breakfast ready, just for a moment, and when I looked back, she had succeeded and was happily on her tummy.  She still had plenty of energy left to hold her head up for a while, but eventually took her morning nap on her tum on the playmate again.  She has been enjoying that position a lot!  

I won tickets to iceskating, so we went there for Jason's birthday.  Cordelia was very wobbly, but once she got a walker, Jason could push her and she could hold herself up. She loved going fast "whheeeeeee!!"  I wore Phoebe in the baby carrier for our outing and she was in good spirits, despite the cold. We went out to dinner with his parents and Papa commented on Phoebe's teething and drool.  When I got home, I checked in her mouth with my finger and there it was--- I felt a bottom left tooth!!  It was nice and sharp! The right tooth is soon to follow it, I'm sure.

Anyway, I think Phoebe was running a bit of a teething fever, but we had to add to her discomfort by finally taking her in for her 4 month check up and shots (even though she is almost 5 months… work and the holidays delayed me).  It was a sad trip to the doctors, because Jason's work is switching insurance companies, so we will no longer have Kaiser.  I am disappointed to lose our pediatrician, whom Cordelia really likes, but it was good to have a "good-bye" and we gave her a thank you card.  

I didn't get the exact numbers, only a graph chart.  Looks like her length is almost 26 inches/ 65.5 cm.  Her weight was around 16 lbs 3 oz, I think.  Both the percentiles were in the 70s, I think her head was in the 80s??

Then she had 3 shots and the rotovirus drink, so by that night, she had a big fever, going up as high as 102!  I know Cordelia had a bad time of it over the 4 month shots as well.  We gave her a bath and even though it was a little early, I gave her another dose of tylenol.  After that, it was 2 more doses of tylenol when she woke up in the night.  Poor little thing.  We have never seen her is so much distress.  She handled it well, just had to get through it.  She didn't need tylenol by day today, but I gave her some at bedtime because I know her teeth are hurting her.  I remember Cordelia had such a fussy night the night she got her first tooth in.  With Phoebe, I didn't even know until after! Little bird, your sweetness is so pure.  I love her warmth and her snuggles.  I am depressed thinking about vacation ending and going back to work for so long.  Her babyhood is slipping by.  Never again will I be nursing a gummy-mouthed little baby.  She is focusing on toys so much more… I am noticing her hand-eye coordination improving so much.  She tried to grab a cookie out of my hands. She saw the Hanukkah bear and wanted to get it.  She loves to grab things and put them in her mouth and is getting more intentional about it.  

She is starting to outgrow her bed basket.  I need to start thinking ahead about where she is going to sleep. The bassinet isn't much bigger.  Maybe the pack n play in our room? Is she ready for the crib? Maybe she can teach Cordelia to sleep ha ha ha ha.  But when I go back to work, I will hate to not even spend nights close to her!! There just isn't enough time.  Sigh….

December Times

Well, now we've hit December! Phoebe is a dear, sweet, mellow baby. She slept through the night a lot at 3-4 months, but lately has been waking up 1-2 times in the night.  She coos and laughs and is full of chubby checked baby goodness.  She is just a very sweet love and I am grateful to her good nature because her sister is becoming very demanding. She hasn't been taking as huge naps by day, but still can typically put herself to sleep for at least one nap in her swing, sometimes too.

I went back to work for 12 days, and Phoebe seemed to have adjusted well. With my group, it's like I hardly was gone, it's very easy to pick up where we left off.  But it was still hard to go back. I felt like I was just getting into the swing of things, and then boom! Maternity Leave Over. It was a blur. And then I'm spoiled by going back to that routine because now I'm back on winter vacation for 2 weeks. January is when the real challenge starts. In the meantime, I will enjoy not having to pump again for a while.  I hate pumping!!

Cordelia immediately got sick, and Phoebe had her first cold, but it was very mild.  I am praying that she can stay healthy, as Cordelia has her second (maybe going into third) cold of the month.

On Dec 4th, Phoebe rolled from tummy to back.  But she hasn't really done it since, but then again, I've been bad about making her do tummy time.  But she is getting stronger all the time and loves to kick kick kick her legs!

She is also teething like crazy, constantly drooling and everything immediately goes into her mouth. She is a thumb sucker, finger sucker, and toy nom-er. Nom nom nom.  Drool. Drool. Spectacular spit up!!

She rubbed away a lot of her hair, but it is finally starting to come back in on the sides. The hair on the top of her head is nice and long and will only keep growing!

Cordelia is giving us the delightful holiday gift of having extreme tantrums. I think we have been waffling a little big too much about following through with some limit setting. We having been using counting to be an incentive to get her in motion, but nothing really works and the last few days, she is just falling apart.  Last night and today turned into screaming, attacking, and total hysterics. She is also very very whiny.  It is kind of breaking my heart, to be a teacher, and still stuck in these helpless power struggles with my child. Last night, I couldn't really deal, but today I weathered through a tantrum that last like half and hour and felt like the techniques I've learned did help.  But just barely.  I hope this phase will pass soon because it is a real treat, let me tell you. I am worried that with the holidays starting tomorrow, it will only be extra stress upon her. I hope I can support her through this.  And to be honest, as Phoebe grows, I think more and more about how I miss the happy perfection that was toddler Cordelia. It breaks my heart.  She is such a ball of emotion in all her threenager glory.  I love her imagination and her curiosity and wonder, but her ego-centrism is off the charts. I hope she will open up more.