The Pink Stuff

Little did we know, it all started the day of her birthday party. She was running a low grade fever that morning stemming from what I thought was a mix of a minor cold and cutting another tooth. She had the beginning sniffles and a rather wet cough that only got worse as the days passed. Fast forward through one fantastic first birthday party, Christmas eve, Christmas Day and saying goodbye to Grandma K and we landed ourselves back at the pediatricians office. Only 10 days had passed since we were there for her 12 month checkup. Doc Nielsen took one glance in her ear and a lengthy listen through the stethoscope switching from her back to her chest then back again. Claire has a double ear infection (the left one worse than the right) and bronchitis. Poor baby! Her first real sickness. One trip to the pharmacy and we made it home with a bottle of amoxicillin, otherwise known as the pink stuff. One teaspoon, straight from the fridge, administered orally three times a day for ten days. Let's just say...Claire is not a fan! Here's hoping a combo of hugs, kisses and this thick, pink sludge will work quickly. 

Happy Hips

Today, it finally came. The call we had been waiting for. Dr. Nielsen was happy to inform us that Claire's x-rays are clear, showing no signs of congenital hip dysplasia or other possible hip problems. She said we can now stop worrying. It is still unclear why her thigh folds are uneven (probably just because shes growing like a weed, in my humble opinion) or why she has a peculiar walk sometimes, but I'm choosing not to sweat the small stuff. Doc noticed something off, thought it was better to be safe than sorry, so we had it checked out and now we know. I'm just so overjoyed that my baby girl is healthy. Praise God for He is good!

12 Month Checkup

Just like the 7 well-baby checks before, we assumed Claire's 12-month checkup would send us home with an updated immunization chart, a new set of growth percentiles for the baby book, a clean bill of health and most likely 1-2 samples to try out. Instead, we were sent to the radiology department of Willamette Falls Hospital in Oregon City with little more than a pocket full of worry.

Let's start from the beginning: It was the regular routine check-up. Measuring her height and weight. Checking her ears. Listening to her lungs. Administering immunizations as needed. Question and answer: how many poops per day? how much is she eating? how much is she sleeping? does she still have her binky? does she still take a bottle? how much water does she drink a day? will she take a sippy cup? have you noticed anything odd about her development? any weird reactions to food? do you have any questions? Baby girl passed the test with flying colors. We talked about Claire's lack of speech, but Dr. Nielsen assured me that Claire has been working on her gross motor skills instead and that it will all fall into place with time. Then, Dr. Nielsen asked to see her walk. In just her diaper, I put Claire down and smiled as she showed her peditrician all her latest moves. In that moment, I was completely unaware that she was analyzing and entering notes into my beautiful baby girl's chart.

Has she always had that funny gate to her walk?
What do you mean?
Well, do you see how she tends to lift one leg up higher and her hips kind-of tilt with each step?
Yes. I just thought that was from her still learning. I thought it was cute.
Have you ever noticed that her thigh folds are uneven?
Her what?
Those folds, mid-thigh - they are supposed to be even and symmetrical. That, in combination with the peculiar gate to her step, could be signs of congenital hip dysplasia or other developmental hip problems. I think you should take her to get x-rays done of her hips. 
::insert my baffled, blank stare and silence here::
Here you go, as she handed me a referral to a larger hospital capable of capturing images of Claire's hips.

Thirty minutes and about a million calls/texts to my husband, my dad, my mom and Kevin's mom later, I was sitting in the waiting room trying to entertain a tired, hungry toddler while distracting myself enough to keep from google-ing everything that could be possibly wrong. As Kevin says, no good comes of that.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Claire's name was finally called. We made it back to the procedure room and I think the x-ray technician could see the dark, dense worry cloud hanging over my head. He, also a parent with kids that see Dr. Nielsen, asked to see Claire's walk and said I'm no expert, but I don't see anything wrong with her walk - let's take a look! After swearing to the guy about 50 times that I was absolutely not pregnant, he hung a heavy lead jacket across the front of me and said Good, because I need your help. Naked from the diaper down and covered with a folded pillowcase (the sheets were too large), Claire laid on her back in the middle of the adult-sized hospital bed and I held her arms down as the images were taken from a large machine hanging over her little body. I don't think she has ever looked so tiny in that big bed, under those big lights. In that moment, I truly felt helpless. There's nothing wrong with her, I told myself. She's fine.

The technician gave me two thumbs up when he got the images he needed and we were on our way. He told me not to worry, but it was far too late for that. We should get the results in 2-3 days.

On a positive note, here are the new details from her growth:
HEIGHT: 29 and 3/4 inches (71%)
She grew 2 and 1/4 inches in 3 months!
WEIGHT: 19 lbs and 14 oz (30%)
She gained 2 and 1/2 lbs in 3 months!
HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE: 46 centimeters (76%)
Her head grew only one centimeter, but right on track!
Our girl is tall and lean.

I miss it already.

My baby turns one tomorrow. It's hard to believe. I just finished writing the first pages in her book of life. What the first days, first hours, first minutes looked like when she transformed me into her mother. I can remember it all like it was yesterday. The most silent car ride Kevin and I had ever taken, both in our own little worlds of worry and excitement. The chill in the air that morning when we arrived before dawn to start our induction. The awkwardness as I tried to balance a bursting belly and equally-bursting hospital bag full of birth plans and all things baby. The smile on the nurses face at check-in and the smell of that hospital corridor as we made our way into the room where we would spend our first days as parents. The first time seeing Doc Johnson outside of the typical, uneventful checkup. The look on my mom's face, giving me one last kiss, as they wheeled me down the hallway into the bright lights of the operating room. Laying Jesus-style on the table, covered in warming blankets and looking down to see nothing but a faded blue tarp separating me from my body. My first vision of my baby in the arms of her papa standing next to me but too far to reach. The weight of my baby in my arms instead of my stomach. Our first photo. The warmth of that first post-partum, life-altering shower. The pride when showing off my new little doll to my many visitors. I could go on and on and on with the details of that day. Claire's arrival changed me. This past year, although the most stretching and perplexing year of my life, has also been the most fulfilling.

Tonight, I held my baby for the last time. My heart is heavy as tomorrow is now less than one hour away. She is sleeping so sweetly, unaware that the next phase of her life begins now.

Not a fan of Jolly Old St Nick

Judging from the photo, you can probably make an accurate assessment of how Claire's first experience with Santa went. There were no bellies jiggling like a bowl full of jelly as the song suggests. We got dressed up. We drove there. We stood in line. We relished as people ooo'd and aaa'd over our cute baby girl. But, the moment we stepped into Santa's home at Bridgeport Village and placed Claire on the knee of the over-sized man in crushed red velvet, she freaked! Red face, alligator tears, shrieks of terror, clawing for mama and papa, the works. So, after a few chuckles by us mean parents, we graciously (over)paid for the Christmas memory, apologized to Santa for his new-found deafness in his right ear, thanked the elves for the priceless photo and we skedaddled. Can't wait until next year...