Happy Leap Day everyone! It's hard to believe Olivia will be four the next time February 29th rolls around. I am amazed at how quickly this first year is flying by. It's hard to imagine what Olivia will look like and be doing the next time we have a leap year. Best to just focus on the present. This week Olivia weighed 17 pounds, 12.3 ounces.
This week we had our picture taken for our church directory. A baby dressed in leopard is totally appropriate for the occasion, don't you think? I thought she looked very cute and the photographer managed to get some very cute smiles out of her.
If this whole school psychologist thing doesn't work out, I'm thinking Olivia could be a child model...
As Olivia has started to eat more solids, Josh has started to become her primary chef. He makes most of her purees in big batches so that she can mainly eat fresh fruits and veggies. Check out the fridge filled with some of her favs: squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots.
Here's our happy girl at daycare ready to feast on some yogurt and puffs. Even though she's skinny, this girl loves to eat!
Hard to believe it was time for another well visit! Another good report! Olivia continues to move up the growth charts and is meeting all of her milestones. I also filled out her first rating scale, the "Ages and Stages Questionnaire". I have to say, it was little odd being the "rater" instead of the examiner! But, the ASQ confirmed what we already know...Olivia is doing well!
This weekend we headed north to celebrate Grandpa and Grampy's birthday. (Both share a birthday of February 21st) Olivia always loves spending time with both sets of her grandparents. Could it be because they spoil her rotten?
Lemme at that cake!
Always a voracious reader! Thanks for the books, Grammy and Grampy!
It may have been a party for Grandpa and Grampy, but that doesn't mean the ladies can't pose for a photo too!
The only down side when we travel north is the long drive back. Olivia would probably prefer to travel like this.
Obviously, that is not an option! So, sometimes you have to get creative and think outside the box about what might entertain a nine month old. This did the trick (at least for a few miles!).
The big event this week was Olivia's ear tube surgery. Dr. Dugan said Olivia needed to have the surgery as soon as possible. So when they were able to fit her in on Monday, we jumped at the opening. We had to be there at 6:30, which was actually a good thing since Olivia had to fast before surgery. I have to say Dr. Dugan and the entire staff at the Indiana Surgery Center were top notch. They were so kind and compassionate. In the grand scheme of things, this was a pretty minor surgery. But as a parent it's still very scary! Especially when you have to dress your baby in a surgical gown. However, she was only gone for maybe five minutes. When she came back, she was very disoriented and crying like she did as a newborn. But after a nap at home (which we all needed!) she was back to her happy self.
Dr. Dugan said she was able to remove the rest of the infection during the surgery. What she removed was the color of molasses and the consistency of rubber cement. She also said that it unlikely it would have ever cleared up on its own even with antibiotics. At her nine month check-up a few days after the surgery, they said the tubes looked great. They would never have guessed that the surgery had just been two days before. So, we are feeling good about the decision and are optimistic that the tubes will keep those ear infections away!
Another month older (and of course cuter)! Her weight stayed the same this week (17 pounds, 5 ounces).
This weekend, Olivia attended her first birthday party for her good friend, Spencer. She had an absolute blast! As usual, Spencer was very sweet with her!
We also had an appointment this week with ENT, Dr. Charlotte Dugan. If we hadn't already had the appointment scheduled, we would have been going to the pediatrician that day. That's right Olivia has another double ear infection. Dr. Dugan said it is once again pretty bad and recommended we have the ear tubes put in as soon as possible. She prescribed more antibiotics in the mean time because she feared Olivia's eardrums would rupture if she didn't. As part of the appointment, Olivia also had her hearing testing. She failed the test further solidifying her need for the tubes. Sigh, this poor kid!
Dr. Dugan also said something that nearly broke my heart as a mom. She commented on how happy Olivia seemed and that you would never know she was sick by the way she was acting. She went on to say, "She's had so many ear infections that this is probably what feels normal to her." Seriously, we have to get this kid well. I do not want her to think it is "normal" to feel sick all the time.
But, in happier news it was also Valentine's Day this week! Could you ask for a cuter Valentine? I don't think so!
All the Banks kids got to have "candy" (aka yogurt bites) for Valentine's Day. I'm not sure who was more excited, Tinker or Olivia!
So, keep your fingers that all goes well with Livi's ear tube surgery on Monday! This kiddo deserves to feel well for a change!
Oh what a week! It has been a very exciting time to live so close to the Circle City. With the Super Bowl in town, there has been so much to see and do! We had a great time visiting the Super Bowl village. You couldn't ask for better weather for this time of year in Indiana and the crowd really wasn't too bad...until we mistakenly tried to get too close to the LMFAO concert. Whoops!
Grandma Sue came down to check out all the Super Bowl action and let Olivia play hooky from daycare. This meant I got to have some very fun lunch dates with my girlie! Grandma Sue also bailed us out as Olivia experienced yet another first...pink eye. ACK! Unfortunately, it was going around at daycare last week and kids love to share! Josh was also an unlucky recipient along with a yucky sinus infection. Grandma Sue to the rescue! On the upside, the pediatrician said Olivia's ears looked MUCH when we took her in for antibiotics for the pink eye infection. Thank heaven for small favors!
Olivia is really starting to pull her self up to a standing position. She's even trying to "cruise" along the furniture. She did manage to put some weight back on and is back up to 17 pounds, 5.1 ounces.
Well, that yucky cold turned out to be something much worse. Poor Olivia has ANOTHER double ear infection. For anyone keeping score that is her fourth "new" (some of her previous ear infections were just a re-occurrence of an infection that hadn't completely cleared up) ear infection. The pediatrician took one look in her ears and said this was a pretty bad infection and likely very painful. He is also throwing in the towel and referring us on to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist to discuss ear tubes. While we aren't really excited about the possibility of surgery, we are eager to hear about something that will give Olivia more lasting relief than the oral antibiotics are currently providing. This poor kiddo has been experiencing monthly ear infections since September and something has to change!
Even with all these cruddy ear infections, she is still such a happy girl! You'd never know from the look on her face that we took this picture just before heading to the doctor. She's such a trooper! Unfortunately, the ear infection appears to be impacting her appetite. She lost a bit of weight this week and weighed in at 16 pounds, 14.2 ounces.
She still loves her baths! She has such fun playing with her toys and laughing. It often helps turn her mood around if she's having a rough night.
And check out my little "helper"...perhaps I should've been a little more specific when I asked her if she wanted to help me put the laundry away.
