Pig Tails

Trying to put Reagan's hair in pig-tails is like trying to wrestle with an amoeba. She squirms and twists and wiggles and whines. When it's all said and done, though... those little pig tails are awfully cute! They look like little bug antennae. Not a HINT of curl anywhere - they stick straight up!

Baby Nightmares

Reagan awoke at 12:39 am this morning, screaming bloody murder at the top of her lungs. I ran in there, thinking she was hurt, leg stuck between the crib slats or something. Nope. Then I assumed she was thirsty because of her cough, so gave her some water. She threw it back at me. Changed her diaper, but it didn't really need it. Gave her some milk instead of water -- that quieted her down for a second or two, but not for long. I brought her into to bed with me, and held her tight. She quieted down. But then I turned off the light, and she started screaming again!! Turned back on the light - quiet instantly, as long as I held her. I eventually was able to turn off the light, but when I tried to ease her down off my belly, to lay beside me with my arm around her, she climbed right back on top of me and laid down. It took her an hour and a half to fall back to sleep. And even then, once asleep, she woke up a few times, and if I wasn't directly touching her, she'd wimper a bit, and then crawl back on top of me.

The only thing I can figure is that something scared her really bad. Can't imagine what that might be! Poor little girl. What in her little life experience would cause that kind of terror in a dream? She awoke this morning happy as a clam, though, so I'm hoping that whatever it was, she's forgotten all about it.

15 and a Half Month Well Child Visit

"Well-child visit" was kind of a misnomer today, as Reagan has a sinus infection requiring antibiotics. Still... here's the stats:

Weight: 18.3 pounds (STILL less than the 3rd percentile - not on the chart yet. We'll be in that rear-facing car seat FOREVER!!!!)
Height: 30.5 inches (50th% - exactly average!)
Head Circumference: 46 cm (75th %. Still a sizeable cranium. Lollipop-itis persists).

My goal was to have her walking by this doctor's visit, and I'm happy to announce that she can take about 10 steps now!!! It's coming, it's coming!!! The doctor agreed with my analysis of low muscle tone and lax ligaments, and suggested the possibility of weekly therapy. I said "uhhhhh, that'd be ME she'd be going to see." She quickly recovered and said "well, we'd probably send her to one of your co-workers, because it's always so hard to work with your own kids." I AM therapizing her at home. She gets relentlessly pushed to walk. And it's coming, slowly. I think I'll forgo paying money to someone else to do something that I've spent the last 14 years doing. May have to break down and get some orthotics for her, but I'm not willing to go there just yet.

Anyways, two shots and much crabbiness later (she slept all of about 3 hours last night because of her hacking cough!), we are home. Let's hope little girl gets well before our big trip to Florida next week!!!

Walking Update

I keep expecting Reagan's walking to just CLICK one day. I'm waiting for her to just take off at any second, and walk walk walk. That's not how this whole ambulatory thing is shaking out. She's decided to take a few more steps each day. She's up to about 10 now at a time. IF she's wearing shoes. Without shoes.... forget it. We're lucky if we get two. But ten steps is a respectable distance for now. If we keep increasing by three each day, by the time she's 21 or so, she'll be able to walk a mile! I'll post video as soon as I get it.

Oh, and poor little girl has croup. Or at least, that's my diagnosis. She sounds like a barking seal, and has raspy breathing. It's exactly what Quinn sounded like at her age, when he came down with croup. Yuck.

Still Practicing

The girl certainly LOOKS like she should be able to walk. She stands there non-chalantly, with or without holding on to her push-stroller. It's just that stepping thing that's not coming!!! She has a well-child visit next week, and I'm bound and determined to get her walking before then, so I don't have to make excuses to the doctor. We've been working really hard. Just that combination of stubbornness, low muscle tone, overly-flat feet, and a hint of fear keeps getting in the way!!!

Tired Girl

Reagan went to bed at 5:00 pm last night. She woke up at 8:45 this morning. WOW. She was TIRED!!! Fifteen and three-quarters hour sleep.

ALMOST......

At my staff meeting today, while we were all gathered around in a big circle and my boss was talking to the group.... Reagan decides to take her first steps, right in the center of everyone . You could hear us all gasp, and someone whispered "Look! She's doing it!!!" Four distinct little steps. And not a-one of us was paying attention to the actual meeting going on. I think the baby might be a distraction at work!

On the language front, she said the following words today:
"ooh" (shoe)
"ock" (sock)
"bye" (well, that's pretty clear. It wasn't bye-bye. Just once. Bye. But we WERE leaving work at the time, so it was appropriate).
"ah-duh" (all done)

She looks like such a TODDLER when she's standing up. My baby is gone. Boo hoo!

15 Month Birthday

Well, we didn't make our goal of walking by today, Reagan's 15 month birthday. We've been working darn hard on it, though, and she is getting BETTER. She walks while holding on with the lightest of support. It's just that those wobbly, goosey-loosey joints aren't stable enough to keep her upright for long. I've ordered some nice, practical, supportive shoes for her to help, but they're not here yet. At fifteen months, Reagan can now stand for about 15 to 20 seconds without holding on. She says "Mama" "Dada" "Nana" (banana), and "uh oh". She waves goodbye, smiles on cue, and is generally adorable. Her eyes are still dark blue around the edges, but JUST starting to show a hint of brown around the pupils. Weight: 17.5 pounds, which means she's still not yet on the growth chart, but she eats like a horse, so I'm not concerned. She insists on eating whatever we are, and has turned her nose up at nothing. She's a better eater than her brothers, that's for sure. Reagan loves music - listening, dancing, playing. She's even tried singing on occasion, and it's adorable, I assure you. She attacks her brothers with glee, moves constantly, has eight teeth (four up, four down), sleeps like a champ (two hearty naps a day and 12 to 13 hours at night), and is a delight in every sense of the word. We're tickled beyond measure to have her in our family.