Month Three Must-Haves

It's so amazing that another month has flown by! It has been so much fun watching Baby Tuna grow and change this month. And, as much as I would love for her to have stayed a snuggly little newborn, I'm loving the goofy personality that has been emerging in the last few weeks. Here's some of our favorites from the last month.

1. Aden & Anais Sleep Sack: Now that the babe is sleeping flat, and grabbing everything she can get her hands on and pulling it up to her face, we put her in a sleep sack every night. We have a few different kinds, but the Aden & Anais are my favorite. Same lightweight muslin as the blankets, and they are longer than the other brands, which is perfect for Baby Tuna and her restless limbs.

2. O-Ball: I saw this in the bin at Target and thought it looked like something baby girl would have fun trying to put in her mouth (cuz, let's face it, from now on, EVERYTHING is going in her mouth!). And, well, the only negative I can come up with is that both the babe and the pup like to put it in their mouths. Let's just say that it's spent some time in the dishwasher!

3. Ring o' Links: This is perfect for the new grabber in the family. This toy was the first solid object Zoey could wrap her little fingers around. We always keep this close by, hooked to the carseat, thrown in the diaper bag, on the floor for tummy time. It's definitely a favorite!

4. Tommee Tippee Bibs: My kid might be the world's messiest eater. We go through A LOT of bibs. These are great because they have a ring around the collar that absorbs all of the dribbles.

5. Goodnight Moon: A childhood bedtime staple.

6. Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag: We must have looked at a zillion diaper bags. The perfect one had to be cute, but not too cute. It couldn't be too girly, or too big. And since I thrive on organization, pockets and compartments were a must. This bag checks off all of those, and it hangs nicely off the handlebar of the stroller with special clips.

7. Prince Lionheart BebePOD: So much cuter than the Bumbo, and with better leg openings for those chubby little baby thighs. We chose the watermelon, but it also comes in kiwi and orange slice, too. I first put Baby Tuna in this about a month ago, and she loooved it! Our kiddo is so ready to sit up on her own, so she loves being in her big girl chair.


And now...

Baby Tuna's Medical Update

A few of you guys have asked about Zoey's medical situation. As most know, she was born with a sacral dimple and a tethered cord. There's a chance that the cord issue may be hereditary, possibly passed down from my side of the gene pool (as far as I know, I don't have it). You can read about her trip to the NICU here.

On Monday, the babe had her second MRI, in preparation for surgery next month. Because her first one was done while she was in the NICU, we were not involved. This one was kind of an awful experience. We weren't able to feed her for six hours before her 7:30am appointment. That meant we had to wake her up at 12:30am and make sure our sleepy babe downed a full bottle. In the end, she went about 10 hours without food... at three months old! Zoey was such a champ. She was chirpy and happy right up to the moment when they started sticking needles in her. 

First, they fed her a pink liquid to help her stay asleep during the MRI. Then, the very sweet nurse went on the hunt for a vein. Zoey's doctor needed a contrast MRI, which meant that some kind of dye needed to be injected. To do this, they had to set up a port, which was impossible because the kid was so dehydrated. She tried both feet and twice in one hand, leaving horrible bruises behind. And while the nurse (whose ass I was ready to beat by this point) was poking and prodding my baby girl, Zoey was screaming her face off while half asleep from the medication. I was bent down, with my face next to hers, humming You Are My Sunshine as the Hubs stroked her sweaty forehead. I'm not sure how either of us kept it together. It was total hell and it felt like it went on for an hour.

Next came the MRI, which is something I've been lucky enough to have never needed in my life. I laid Zoey down on the table and watched as they strapped my precious girl down (perhaps the source of her hatred of swaddling and restraints in the carseat?). The Hubs and I were allowed to sit in the room with her, and the nurse handed us each earplugs before she left. Now, I knew that these things were noisy, but I was not prepared for just how noisy it was. I have sensitive ears, something that's a bit if a joke in my family. Even with the earplugs, there were moments during the hour-long test that I was hurting. I'm still wondering if Zoey had some sort of ear protection...something to find out before the next one. You'd think, with all the technology happening in this world, someone could create a quieter MRI machine. Good lord!

When it was over, the babe slowly woke up and we were able to feed her, and all was right with our little world. Next we headed to the ultrasound lab to have one done of Zoey's hips. On top of everything else, there is also a small chance she could have hip dysplasia, which I didn't even know people could get. None of us really think she has it, but someone in the NICU did and now we have to follow up. We'll get the results on that during her 4 month check up with the pediatrician.

Finally we were done with St. Mary's for the day, but we still had one obstacle to overcome. During the MRI, a horrible gully-washer of a storm had hit. The rain was so heavy, we could hear it hitting the roof with our earplugs in! It hadn't let up by the time we were ready to get the hell out of there, so it made things a bit difficult. Something else that made things difficult, the Hubs had parked in a section of the lot that was at an angle, causing a flash flood under the front half of my car. He ran out in the deluge, climbed in the back and somehow got his 6'4" body into the drivers seat!

This poor kid was zonked after her MRI!

On Tuesday, we met with Zoey's neurosurgeon to review the MRI results. I won't lie, I was secretly hoping that the issue had corrected itself, sparing her from having spinal cord surgery. No such luck. In fact, the problem has grown and developed as Zoey has grown.

For those who are not familiar with a tethered cord, the short and simple explanation is this: the spinal cord extends farther down the spine than it is supposed to, and is abnormally attached to the tissue around the base of the spine. In Zoey's case, there's also a fatty mass that surrounds the base of the cord. Because of all this, the spinal cord can't move as Zoey grows, leading to nerve damage, bowel and bladder problems, and mobility issues. There is a chance that she could grow up and never experience a single problem. In fact, Olympic hurdler LoLo Jones found out that she had a tethered cord a few years ago when she started missing hurdles and later had difficulty walking. She had the surgery and went on to compete in the London games. She didn't medal, but the point is that she competed. And in my opinion, fourth place ain't that bad!

When Zoey has her surgery next month (we're still waiting for it to be scheduled), her pediatric neurosurgeon will also be working with a plastic surgeon. It will be his job to remove the sacral dimple above her butt crack (there really is no classy way of saying that) as he stitches her up, ensuring that she will be bikini ready for the end of summer. 

The prognosis is very good, Zoey's doctors are among the best in the field, and our baby girl is one tough cookie. Apparently, this is more common than I ever knew, as evidenced by the number of you who reached out to tell me that you knew someone whose child had gone through this. Of course, there's a chance that her cord will re-tether as she goes through growth spurts, but she will have periodic MRIs to check on it. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. 

Don't let my optimism and matter-of-factness fool you...I'm terrified. We both are. But you can't live in the fear. I know that there are so many moms out there, some of you guys even, whose babes have issues that aren't fixable. Zoey's is. And provided that the surgery goes as planned, she will hit all of her milestones, ride a bike, kick a soccer ball, swim, and dance. We have total faith in the doctors and their teams, and in our baby girl, who is 100% healthy in spite of this little blip. (See how I play it down? Coping mechanism.) But even so, we ask that you say a prayer, light a candle, wish on a star, plant a tree, whatever it is you do in this kind of situation. And on my end, I'll keep you posted and promise to continue to bombard you with photos of the Baby Tuna every week, whether you like it or not! 

Three Month Update

Guess who is three months old today!!! 

Here she is at one, two, and three months. Amazing how much she has changed in such a short amount of time. It's also amazing how three months can go by so fast, but it also feels like so long ago that we brought our babe home from the NICU.

Weight: No doctor visit this month to get a true measurement, but according to my scale, the babe is weighing in at 12 pounds. I'm not sure where she is packing that weight, though, cuz she is still a squirt.  She is still in 0-3 month clothes, although her legs are so long, most of her pants are 3-6 month and I just roll down the waist.

Length: I'm pretty sure Baby Tuna is 23ish inches long. I tried measuring her on the changing pad, but since this kid is in constant motion, it's impossible to know for sure. If she is indeed 23 inches, that means she's grown an inch and a half in the last month, maybe more!

This was her St. Patrick's outfit. Still a little roomy in the middle, but it really shows how much Z has grown!

Loves: She is ob-sessed with her Woobie. I mentioned this guy in her two month posting. I think they're technically called lovies or soothers, kind of a cross between a blanket and a stuffed animal, but infant sized. She clings to it when she falls asleep, and tries to eat his face when she plays. It's pretty cute.

She is still a big fan of her nightly bath (especially kicking and splashing) and the routine that follows it: getting wrapped up like a burrito in her towel and we dance our way back to her bedroom, diaper, lotion and massage as we play the wrap-up game with her blanket, then into her pjs and sleep sack to read Good Night Moon.

Baby Tuna really enjoys sitting in her Lionheart chair. It's similar to the Bumbo, and dont worry, I'm always right there and she's always buckled in. I put her up on the kitchen counter while I wash bottles or make my lunch, then she will sit with me on the floor while I eat. She is so ready to start sitting up on her own, and this little chair is perfect!

Oh look! There's Woobie again!

This kid is such a chatterbox. We "talk" all day long. I'd love to know what she's trying to say. Her babbles and squeals are just about the cutest thing ever!

It should come as no surprise to those who know me well that my child is drawn to the TV. I really try not to let her watch, in fact it's off for the majority of the day. But I do sneak in a little Sesame Street every morning. I figure if she's gonna watch, she might as well learn something. She only lasts about ten minutes, but is enthralled by the music and colors.

And I don't know if this counts as a "love", but this kid drools like it's her job, complete with bubble blowing and wet everything. She also loves sucking on her hands, which used to be a sign that she was ready to eat, but now she is constantly putting those things in her mouth.

Hates: The carseat. And anything else that causes her to be restrained, including swaddling and being strapped into the bouncer or swing. It has gotten better in the last month, but there are still a minimum of five minutes of screaming dramarama. I'm about over it.

Milestones: Baby Tuna is grabbing and grasping more and more every day. Last month it was more of a clutch, and only soft things like blankets and our shirts. But now, she is grabbing solid objects... and my hair. She's also trying to put the things she can grab into her mouth, which is easily done with soft things, but when she tries with other stuff, like her link ring, it's usually her hand that makes into the mouth.

She has become very good at following us around with her eyes and even turns her head from side to side. Sometimes she will turn her head towards a sound to see what is causing it. I've also noticed that she's started watching me eat, almost like she's studying for the future.

Sleep: Zoey's sleep habits are kind of all over the place. At night, she usually goes down between 7:30 and 8:30 (depending on when she wakes up from her late afternoon catnap) and will wake for a feeding anywhere between 1:00am and 3:30am. From there, she may wake up again at 5:00am or not until 7:00. There is no rhyme or reason to it. It makes for a lousy night's sleep for us because we are always on high alert. I'm also proud to say that Z is sleeping in her pack n play at night, instead of the bouncer. She had started scootching herself down in the bouncer so that her torso was almost totally horizontal and her little legs were hanging off. It finally dawned on me that she might be trying to tell us that she was ready to sleep flat. Duh!

During the day, the babe used to take two long three hour naps and a few catnaps. In the last week or so, all that changed. Now she will nap for 30-45 minutes at a time. It is impossible for me to get anything done in that amount of time! So frustrating.  She's also started screaming her face off as soon as I get her into snuggle position just before a nap. That lasts about five minutes, then she sleeps pretty peacefully. I don't get it and I'm hoping she grows out of it quick!

Diet: After all of our struggles with nursing, pumping, and the babe's digestive troubles, we have decided to transition her to formula. It was something we went back and forth on for quite some time, but it really is what's best for Zoey.  I think our biggest fear is that she will experience her digestive pain  (which includes lots of kicking and flailing, screaming, and torso twisting) while in recovery after her surgery next month, causing an even bigger problem. I won't go into a lot of detail here, cuz I plan to do a posting all about it. The plan is to increase the mix by half an ounce every few days. So far, Zoey is only up to one ounce of formula in each bottle, but things are going well. Fingers crossed!

Last week, we also celebrated my first Mother's Day. Our mothers (and the Hubs' dad) made the trip south to celebrate with us. The Hubs made a yummy lunch rather than doing brunch since I'm on an elimination diet and my beloved dairy has been given the ax. Really tough to come up with brunchy foods that don't involve cheese! Next year, we will have brunch with all kinds of cheesy deliciousness and mimosas to boot! The babe was dressed up to celebrate the day, but with all the commotion, wouldn't nap and was a bit of a fussy butt. She looked adorable, though!

Of course, Woobie had to make it into the shot!

Later in the afternoon, after the family left, was the best part of my first Mother's Day. Storms rolled in, so the Babe, the Hubs, and I put on our pjs, had some key lime pie and vegged out on the couch with the pup at our feet. It was true perfection!

Month Two Must-Haves

Well, we've made it through month two (and then some)! It has not been an easy two months, but I think we're starting to get into a bit of a groove. (Read about it in the Two Month post.) Baby Tuna grows and changes every day and continues to amaze us. Here's some of the things that made Month Two a little easier.

1. Baby Jogger City Mini GT: I love this stroller! It turns on a dime, folds in half with the pull of one strap, and rolls easily over the lousy uneven sidewalks in our neighborhood. The best part, it easily fits in the back of my VW Rabbit...with room to spare, which isn't true of other strollers. It is a splurge, yes, but will last as she grows and can go pretty much anywhere. 

2. Jaques the Peacock: This is one of Baby Tuna's favorite toys during tummy time. His colors catch her eye, he has crinkly wings and a squeaky spot that drives Scout bananas, and Z will babble to him while she tries to roll over. We also have the firefly, but if it were up to me, we'd have the entire collection. They are so cute! 

3. Snugabunny Swing: Baby Z wasn't completely sold on this swing when we first got it, and it doesn't calm her when she's fussy like it does many other babies, but she does nap nicely in it during the day. She will also hang out in the swing, happily gazing up at herself in the little mirror, when I need to take a potty break or prepare a bottle. It swings a little "aggressively" for my taste, but we hang a blanket off the edge and it slows down nicely. 

4. Whale of a Tub: Baby Tuna loves her baths these days, and has even started kicking and splashing (early training for the Summer Olympics 2030). It fits nicely on the kitchen counter and has a little booty bumper to keep the kiddo in place. It also comes with a cute orange fishy cup that is perfect for rinsing out the shampoo. (Thanks Auntie Susan!!) 

5. Medela Pump In Style Advanced: I never thought I'd end up even needing a pump, but now that I am pumping exclusively (more on that later), this puppy is getting a ton of use. It comes with a nifty little cooler and a bag to carry the pump, cooler, and all the pieces parts when we travel. Worth the money if you plan to do a lot of pumping. 

6. Olivia: Who doesn't love that sassy little pig?! 

7. Avent Natural Bottles: We originally purchased these bottles to help lower the chances of the dreaded nipple confusion when I was still nursing. It must have worked, cuz we never had a problem with that. The best part is that they are easy to clean since they don't have a zillion little parts.

8. Very Hungry Caterpillar Rattle: Baby Tuna love loves the Very Hungry Caterpillar! The book is one of her faves and so is this rattle. Plus, it's way cute! 

9. Jack Johnson: I first discovered Jack Johnson a hundred years ago when I first heard Brushfire Fairytales. My love for him remains pure and true to this day. I celebrate the man's entire catalog. (Yep. I just rocked your world with an Office Space reference) So what's he doing on our must-haves list? Well, he is one of our go-tos for calming the babe when she's gone truly bonkers. She also falls asleep to his music from time to time. We try to mix it up when it comes to music, but the babe and I could listen to Jack all day long. Some of Zoey's other favorites for calming/sleep time are Norah Jones, Iron & Wine, and the Pandora Lullaby station. She also digs the Pandora Raffi station during playtime.


And with all of that out of the way, here's a bit of what you all came for:

The kid just moments before a big roll over. And how cute are those bubble shorts?!

These two are nothin' but trouble! And see what I mean about the babe in constant motion? It's ridiculous! 

I know, right?!