Anna's nine-month doctor appointment was today, and boy did she have some fits! In the first place, the waiting time was unusually long, and then, being stripped of one's garments only to lay down on a paper "blanket" while being poked and prodded doesn't bring out the best in anyone. Then the doctor picked her up, and boy, stranger anxiety has kicked in full gear, and she was not having any of it!
That's my girl!
Our Anna Lynn is still our chubby cherub! Her weight is no concern at all, since she is thriving in that regard. And she still eats very little solids. I had a great chat with the nurse about solid foods. I actually had prayed about it before I went. Anna simply hasn't been eating much solids; she just hasn't had much of an interest. She still has a pretty good gag reflex and gags on the slightest bump in pureed carrots, for example. It has been a major concern for me; this is my third child, and I feel like a new parent! I prayed that I would get some kind of positive encouragement about Anna's feeding, or lack thereof. Turns out it was the nurse who offered what I needed! She has a thirteen-month old who didn't want food either, and also gagged to the point of throwing up. When he turned a year, all the sudden his interest kicked in, and he started eating regularly, kind of bypassing the pureed foods in favor of the real deal.
So, it was just a moment of taking a deep breath for me. A reminder that it really is okay. She is growing and thriving, and it isn't a race to the finish line. She'll get there her own way, when she wants to. I am so glad God answered my prayer and gave me encouragement today instead of something negative.
As for me, I recently found myself dehydrated with awful dizzy spells. I realized I was neglecting my water intake, and Anna is still nursing strong (obviously, since she is bypassing solids). This was a definite reminder to keep taking care of myself, too. How easy it is as a mama to forget yourself while caring for your young ones (and your husband, too!) Stopping right now to take some sips...
Anna is learning some fun games like "Peek-A-Boo", and she reaches her arms to be picked up. She definitely knows routines, and we play a little game, whenever I take her into my room for nap or bedtime, I tiptoe toward the mirror and all of the sudden bring us both in front. She loves it and waits for it.
She's got four teeth! She is sipping from her new water cup. I need to hold it for her at this point since it is still new for her. Silas never understood the concept of a sippy cup or straw or anything like it, and finally we had to give him a coffee cup type of thing with a hole. If we go out with him, we bring a water cup with a lid and take off the lid for him to drink it. Anna understood how to sip right away, so that was a good bit of relief. She loves drinking water, and she seems to like that better than eating!
Anna is clapping and waving and banging toys all over the place. She only just started babbling, so we'll see how that progresses at this point. She is a busy girl, studying everything around her, especially her brothers. She can't quite figure Silas out. He keeps his distance more than Caleb, and she tries to touch him whenever he is near. He doesn't like that so much. Sometimes he gets her eye and she gets his eye and they laugh together. Caleb dotes on her, as always.
If my house has shredded papers and napkins all over the place, you know who to blame. I feel like I am forever picking up ripped pieces. Oh, well, she's cute, so who's gonna stop her?
I am so looking forward to the holidays this year as a family of five. We are so blessed to have our girl with us this year! Truly, she has been in our hearts for years, so it's about time!
Coincidentally, you can't see it in these pics, but it shows up in some of the outtakes, Anna is holding one of Caleb's number blocks and the number she is holding is nine! Yay for nine months!
