A Riddle

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On Rearfacing

I was going to compile a bunch of links for someone tonight, anyways, and so I thought I would turn this into a blog. So here, simply stated, are my thoughts on rearfacing (a child in a carseat). Please feel free to disagree, but be nice…you won't change my mind anyways.

Alright. So, my friend, Kirsten, who is a carseat queen, has her toddler rearfacing. I'm not going to lie (and don't take offense Kirsten!), I thought she was crazy for a longtime. And I can tell you that 90 percent of my reasoning was because I thought it was cruel and that a child should be able to see out a window. And besides, I get carsick if I'm rearfacing, so my child must too! I also thought that if a child's feet were touching the seat, they would break. Besides, isn't the law just 1 years old and 20 pounds? The law is always right. Well. Let me tell you – after countless hours of researched I have (proudly) changed my mind. And I don't think you're crazy anymore Kirsten!! I'll share some links with you…but please take note. I'm no carseat specialist.

Example 1 (Video)
Example 2 (AAP Article and Recommendation)
Example 3 (Dr. Sears' Article)

There's at least a bazillion things on the internet you could look up concerning children safety and rearfacing. The statistics are mind-boggling. I'd rather have a baby with broken legs then dead. And Alexys has long legs, just so you know. She will be rearfacing until her carseat hits the weight restriction for rearfacing.

Just thought I'd share my thoughts. And be prepared – the law, too will soon support age 2 rearfacing at the very least!!
kortney elise xoxo

I LOVE this Baby!!!

Look how cute this little girl is. I can't tell you how much I like this stage of Alexys' life. I love that she's into everything (I know, I'm crazy). I think it's hilarious (I know, I know, I'll regret those words shortly). I love watching her discover things. I love watching her ditch her toys for more interesting things, like remote controls and the Xbox. I love that when she's excited she makes a pig face and snuffs her nose in and out really fast (see picture!). I love that she put fingerprints all over Grandma's dishwasher and then proceeded to lick it. I love when she tries to make her Grandma laugh, by chuckling at her over and over. I like when she calls out Mamamama…even if it's in her crib wanting to be picked up at 5am. I love that she wants me to pick her up. I love that she's cuddly and sometimes even when she's busy crawling around she crawls over to me just for a snuggle. I love that she makes a "bah bah bah" sound with her mouth and hand. I like that when you say "Gimme Five" she politely touches your hand. I love that she claps when you say "Yah Alexys" and I like that she claps for herself when she does something she is proud of. I love that she still nurses and I love that she can take a bottle sometimes too. I like that she spent over 6 hours without her Mama today and she was a good girl – that makes being a mamma that much easier and relieving. I like that she gives me random kisses just because.

I love that there's so much to love about this sweet girl and that, even when I'm grumpy at her, I still can't wait for the next day…hour…minute…second with her. I LOVE watching who she is turning into. I wish I could spend every minute playing and cuddling this baby. I am excited for her to be a little older to talk and play with more, but I really like this stage. I never knew a love could grow stronger each moment that passes. But it can and does. Especially when she's just so easy to love.

kortney elise xoxo

Doctors are Funny – Edition 1

I wish I could share with you the details of lots of the stuff I transcribe. Some of it is hilarious and I find myself laughing right out loud quite frequently. Most of the details have been changed during the practicum (like names, dates, and locations) so I do feel comfortable sharing some of this stuff. BUT for legal purposes I'm supposed to add…if you think the following dictation is about you. It's not. So don't worry about it! Favourite dictations to date:

• The doctor who tripped, fell, and yelled "ufda" in the middle of her dictation. Wouldn't you pause and rerecord? I would. How embarrassing.
  
• The doctor who explained that the patient goes to the woman's health clinic for her, "uh, womanly issues." Really? You're a doctor and you can't talk about her "womanly issues." I wonder if he laughs when a patient tells him about certain body parts.
  
• The doctor who includes whether or not the patient wears a seatbelt regularly in every transcription under social history, even if it is unrelated. For example, the patient comes in complaining of a sore throat for two weeks. The doctor includes the following: "The patient does not drink alcohol, smokes 1 pack daily, and wears seatbelts regularly." Right. And besides, if you didn't wear a seatbelt and the doctor asked, wouldn't you just say you did? I would (if I didn't always wear my seatbelt).
  
• I really liked the doctor who explained to his (morbidly) obese patient that he needs to lose weight. The patient's response? He laughed in the doctor's face. The doctor seemed surprised. You don't think that the patient had heard that before?
  
• I might have a sick mind, but I still laughed with the doctor stated that the patient could be discharged and use his hands the way he wants.
  
• I laughed out loud when the ESL doctor stated that the blood pressure was 110 stroking 80…most dictators would say 110 over 80 or simply 110 80. But stroking? Ha.
  
• This isn't so much a doctor's error as much as a "Hmmm…people REALLY go to the doctor for that?" This patient went to the EMERGENCY ROOM for insomnia, tiredness, irritability, and forgetfulness. That's the story of my life no?
  

I have a feeling many more laughs and good times are ahead.
kortney elise xoxo

A Quick Note

I just wanted you to note that I made it through my crazy weekend.

I have a lot of schoolwork to catch up on though, so I'll blog another day.

kortney elise xoxo

On Sleep…Part 5?!

Technically it's only my third post with the title "On Sleep," but in looking through it's about my fifth update concerning these matters recently. I figured it was time for another update…well, mostly because we had a GREAT night last night! Last night was the first night in a VERY long time that Alexys had long stretches of sleep. She slept from 8pm until 7:50am, waking just once at 4 a.m. to nurse. And the best part? 100 percent in her own bed! She only came into my bed when she was up for the day to nurse and cuddle. I will count this as success, even if it happened just once. I have faith that slowly this will happen more and more frequently. More on this later.

How does life look right now in regards to sleep? Well, let's see. Perhaps a bulleted, schedule type post would be best! We'll do the regularly scheduled program pretending last night never happened…remembering there are always exception days – in this household those are still frequent – maybe once or twice a week.

• 8-9am: Wakeup. Cuddle in Mama's bed and nurse.
  
• 9-11am: Play. Breakfast of self-fed puffs, followed by something else (pabulum sometimes, but usually fresh fruit or applesauce).
  
• 11am: (Well, two hours after she wakes up, so this changes often). Naptime. See notes on naps below. Usually has a bottle (about 4oz) of formula. Not always, though.
  
• 12-2pm: Naptime is very varied. It is anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours. She has lunch when she wakes up, which is usually a vegetable and almost always a self-feed thing.
  
• 2pm – 5pm: If her nap was short, there is another short nap during this time. If it was a longer nap, that doesn't happen. She has a snack (which is usually a pickle or a cookie) and another bottle. Sometimes two so 4-8oz.
  
• 5-7pm: Somewhere in there she has dinner…which is what we're eating that night most of the time. If we're having something she can't have (like last night we had sushi), I either make her something separate or try and give her baby food. Usually the latter option fails. She has a bottle in there as well, usually, especially if dinner is later. Again, about 4 oz. She often nurses somewhere in there, too, if we're just at home.
  
• 7:30-8:30pm: Bath time. Book time (which we're working on trying to teach her that this is her devotional time, so we often read from the Bible or a baby devotional book). Nurse. Sometimes a bottle, sometimes she doesn't want it. Bedtime.
  

Great, huh? Life is much more organized I feel like and it makes us all feel better. We know what to expect and when to expect it. Oh, Alexys will also have a third nap around 6 or so if we're going somewhere for the night wherein I want her to stay up later. She's good about that. I like the flexibility my baby has and that she doesn't have to sleep in her own crib at a specific time. I like having options with this kid.

As for how bedtime works. We nurse and cuddle in HER room at night now. All the lights off. I put her down in her bed and feed her the bottle while she's lying down. I know that's not the greatest, but I don't let her hold it. I do it, so I'm okay with it. I give her the soother and turn on her aquarium (best invention ever!) and she generally falls asleep pretty quickly. I say goodnight, Mama loves you, and I'll be here when you wake up. I close the door. Usually she'll cry and whine for no more than 15 minutes at most and then silence. I wait another 10 minutes before I go in after its quiet and generally she's asleep. Sometimes she's sitting up, so I lie her back down, rub her back for a few minutes, and leave again.

She generally wakes up twice a night – once around 12:30 and once around 4. Last night was an exception that I'm hoping becomes a regular habit. Sometimes she wakes up around 6:30 too and most times I bring her in to my bed at that point and she nurses and goes back to sleep. I don't mind a little cuddle time! When I feed her DURING the night, I nurse her on the couch in the dark and put her back in her own bed. She does cry sometimes, but usually not longer than 5 minutes.

I didn't use the full cry-it-out method, but one night I was too exhausted to deal with her, put her in her bed and let her cry. I definitely fell asleep before she stopped crying (I have no idea when it ended), but it worked. Ever since then she's been good about it. I am still glad I stuck to my guns and didn't let her cry-it-out when she was younger. It was not what this baby needed at that time in her life. She needed cuddles and loving during the night. As frustrating as it was to see success for other moms, I knew it wasn't right FOR MY KID. And I was right. How will other children be? Only time will tell.

Naptimes, however, are not quite at the same point as bedtime. She prefers napping in my bed still, and cry-it-out does not work for naptime. She'll cry for an hour. Trust me I tried. I've come to the conclusion that if I don't force her to nap, she won't. When I see that she's getting tired we go to my bed and cuddle until she falls asleep. She needs to be held until she falls asleep. And that is fine. I have noticed on days where I have forced her to nap in her own bed, by holding her down, she doesn't sleep as well at night. She NEEDS the cuddles. And that is fine with me. I'm a touchy person. So is Alexys. Fair deal.

She also still takes her soother during naptime and bedtime, but doesn't seem to be waking for it. She has not had it during the day for about a week.

I'm glad that I stuck to my intuition even when I was frustrated. I'm glad that I let her cry-it-out, just a little bit. I'm glad that she still likes to cuddle and needs that human touch.

I really like my baby! Obviously, I love her, but I just really like the person she is becoming!!!
kortney elise xoxo

PS: I had a friend tell me 4 to 8 month was the worst age…the most frustrating chunk anyways. I had multiple friends affirm that. I couldn't agree more. The past few weeks have been so much more fabulous (she's 9 months tomorrow!). Alexys is more content now that she is moving and communicating better. She's more independent. She's fun and gets stuff. I'm sad that she's not as much of a baby anymore, but I find that I'm enjoying her more and more with each passing day!

Wordless Wednesday

Well, it's Thursday, but not by long :)
kortney elise xoxo

Good Things

Today was good because:

• I forgot I have money coming from a different source this week and we need it this week. A lot.
  
• I got all my errands done, except going to the post office...because it was a stat holiday today.
  
• The shower and stagette is coming together nicely. Phew. Location is secured. Gifts are wrapped. Things are all coming together and I'm less stressed about it.
  
• There is a skating meeting on Friday that I don't have time to go to, but still will and look forward to.
  
• Alexys went to bed easily again (after a minor hiccup...err, barfup). I can now do schoolwork for 2 hours.
  

I'm thankful for my husband today for watching Alexys and helping out with everything I told him to...so I baked him apple crisp. ONLY for him - ha. :)

kortney elise xoxo

Stress

It's amazing to me what stress can do to a body. In the past it has caused my body canker sores – painful ones at that. It's been known to cause stomach ulcers, skin conditions like eczema, digestive problems, heart disease, depression…the list goes on and on. I'm feeling the effects of stress right now at night. It's terrible. Alexys is finally starting to sleep a little bit better at night and yet I still lie there wide awake. Last night, I finally gave in and took a T3, because my neck hurt so bad (also a result of stress) and I just could not sleep. As it settled in, I could literally feel my body relax. It started in my toes and worked its way through my body. I really need that last night and I woke up this morning (well and twice during the night for Alexys) feeling refreshed. I don't take medication very often anymore – since being pregnant I found that I just don't need it like I used to. Phew. But last night? Last night I really needed that relaxation technique. I wish I could teach myself to feel that way without taking something to help me sleep, but that's a worry for another day.

Why am I stressed? I suppose I create my own stress and I don't need to be stressed about anything. There's nothing terrible, per se. Jacquelyn's shower and stagette is this weekend (that I am hosting) and I have MUCH to do. I have a giant list and time is a ticking. Jordon is going to watch Alexys later though, so I can run out for a while and do some errands, baby-free. That's the thing about "little" errands. I can't just run into the store for 2 seconds. It's a 20 minute ordeal in and out of the car, etc. I think that's the one thing I miss most about being not a mom. Easy errands in the car. Anyways, hopefully I will be able to cross a bunch of things off my list today and that would make life easier. I'm going to attempt all my quick errands today and save the bigger stuff for when Alexys is with me. It doesn't help that people will be staying at my house following the stagette, which I don't essentially mind but…I really need to clean my house. I do have time today, but I fear cleaning it four days in advance will result in me having to clean it again later on in the week. So I'll just live in my mess for another day or two and do a big clean later on.

School is always a worry, because I need to finish earlier than scheduled (which is March). I know I need to work my butt off right now, but it seems other things so easily become the focus around here. I need to settle into a routine and stick to it, but so many things come up that I prefer. Ya know? It'll be a challenge to work from home, but I know I need to settle in NOW and practice NOW while my pay is not affected.

There's always other worries that add to stress, and I'm sure I'll feel better after some errands are run today and my house is clean. Cleanliness always makes me feel better.
kortney elise xoxo

Puffs and Signs

Hey team, let's do our thing. Ticka, ticka, ticka, ticka, tee, tee, ta. I got a rhythm going share it with ya. I mean…Four Square songs don't permanently get stuck in my head and that is NOT what I thought of when I typed the words "hey team." Ridiculous. I don't even know why I was typing hey team. Reminiscent of my McDonalds days perhaps.

This blog post is for YOU. No, really. You have to do the work by replying in the comments sections. It's really easy. I promise. And if you're scared about sharing your real name and having it attached to your comment, well I'd be okay if you left your comment anonymously. Really. Although, I do appreciate real comments from real people, it has come to my understanding that some people are scared to put their name to a comment. Hmmm. That's why there's the anonymous section, FYI. Now, on to your work.

1. Alexys eats a lot of puffs. A LOT OF PUFFS. It is essential I highlight that. You know the kinds. They're like cheerios, but not quite, because they dissolve better. She likes Nutrio's (baby Cheerio's), but they don't dissolve as well and Alexys sometimes chokes on them. So here's what I need from you? Do you have any recipes for puffs or something similar? The puffs at the store are quite expensive when you go through them at the rate Alexys does and I hate that they have random ingredients in them that I can't even pronounce…and a lot of sugar. Why do they feel the need to load everything with sugar. Anyways. Recipes? Ideas? Anyone?

2. We decided. Okay, I decided, on a whim kind of, to take Alexys' soother away during the daytime hours. My Mom calls me Kate, but there's method to my madness. Aside from generally hating when like 10 year olds walk around with soothers, Alexys can now put her own soother in, and does it even when she doesn't really need soothing. Unnecessary, in my opinion. So, she can have it at naptimes and at night, because I don't mind that for now. Anyways, I also decided to teach her to sign a little bit, because without her soother in constantly I've noticed that she really is trying to communicate things with me. I totally thought this was crazy before, too much work, and not really the greatest idea…after all, just teach them to talk, right? Well, I've done my own research and decided I would like Alexys to sign a little bit. We're starting with basic things (please, thank you, more, all done) and seeing how those go. I'll still encourage words at the same time, but I think this is a good thing. Your job? Ideas, hints, and advice concerning baby signing. Worth it? Not worth it? Delayed speech? Whatever.

That's all. For now, anyways.
kortney elise xoxo

PS: Sleeping around here is getting MUCH better. We're not doing a full cry-it-out method, but there's bits and pieces of it. To go down to bed at night, we've had to let her cry a bit lately, and there's usually no more than 5 minutes of crying in a row. Phew. THAT I can handle. Aside from Alexys falling asleep whilst sitting up (see picture) multiple times lately, bedtimes are getting easier. She usually has at least one 4-hour stretch, sometimes 2, so those are big improvements. She still comes into bed with us at night sometimes, but is spending more and more time in her own bed!

BFF

Everyone needs a best friend. I have always been the kind of girl who has lots of acquaintances, but only a few close friends. And I like it that way. I have different best friends for different "reasons" in my life…reason isn't the right word, but I'm not sure which one I'm searching for.

What I am sure of is this – I am the luckiest girl in the world when it comes to the best friends I have. I don't need to name all my best friends, because you know who you are, but this post is about my BFF Anne. She is officially Alexys' Auntie Anne, because this weekend she came and stood up as Alexys' godmother, as Alexys got baptized. I'll post about that in a separate post, but for now I wanted to share something of another kind.

I am so blessed to have Anne in my life. I'm not sure how we're friends really – we're truly opposites and have been since day 1. Anne is quiet and thoughtful, mature and wise. I am exactly the opposite. I don't know why, but we click. Life is instantly comfortable when Anne is around. Everyone needs a BFF like Anne, trust me. I wish I had better words to explain, but Anne came at the perfect time for me. She was just what the doctor ordered.

I hope you have an Anne in your life. A friend you can always count on to say the right thing, hug you at just the right moment, and eat McDonalds on go to the beach with. Alexys doesn't even know how lucky she is to have a godmother like Anne – I know and trust that my daughter is being prayed for so regularly. I know that she has a godmother who cares about her and loves her so much – but that's a whole other post.

Anyways, Anne…I know you're reading this – so thanks for being my BFF. And for the Starbucks card.
kortney elise xoxo

PS: Yes, Anne is the same one who had brain surgery not so long ago. I never did update and thank you for your prayers – but all is well with Anne at this point. She is recovered from brain surgery as well as one could from having her head cut open. Her head is not shaved (like I thought it would be!) and we're hoping she's all better. Not all results are in from the doctor at this point, but things are looking great.

PPS: It smells like curry and popcorn outside right now. I don't know why, it's raining and shouldn't smell gross, but it does. Barf.