Its fun being One!

Can you believe it??? I sure can't- Roselyn is one year old! Time sure does fly when you are having fun- and that includes her birthday weekend as well. I was very grateful that her birthday fell on Labor Day weekend this year so we have a long weekend to celebrate this milestone (even though if I got a dollar for everytime people laughed that her birthday was on Labor day thinking she was born on the holiday- come on ya'll, it is a different day of the month each year!). Anyways, the festivities began with Grandpa Steve and Grandma Kim coming on Saturday, September 5th to visit for the weekend. Roselyn had a great time playing with them and couldn't get enough attention- I mean, who needs parents when there are grandparents?:) Roselyn woke up on the big day all smiles. Rob and I had to rush out to get things ready for the party, but we knew Roselyn was in good hands with her Grandparents. Unfortunately, Grandma Kim was feeling under the weather, but Roselyn's other Grandparents were on their way to help. All grandparents arrived right on time (10 am) with Roselyn to the Carl Miller Park. We reserved Pavilion 1 which is the first and largest Pavilion in the park. It is right next to the bathrooms (super handy after the smash cake) and close to the spraying fountain and smaller jungle gym area. Roselyn came in her Grandmother's arms wearing her pretty butterfly dress made by my mom (butterflies were the theme for the party). The Pavilion had ten tables and seven had white table clothes and balloon and butterfly centerpieces for people to eat. One remaining table was for the gifts, one for the food, and the final one was for the cake, punch, and guest of honor. During the first hour of the party guest came and socialized, making sure to say hello to Roselyn and sign her one year photo frame. At about 11am it was time for Roselyn to dive into her smash cake. We made sure to take off her dress, but left her in her bloomers and placed a 1st birthday crown on her head and bib around her neck. As we sang happy birthday you could tell she was ready for the cake- I kept having to hold her hand back from grabbing for it. After Roselyn and I blew out her one candle we let her dive in. Oh boy, did she like it! She was not the messiest of eaters, but she definitely made sure to get big handfuls of frosting and cake and put it directly in her mouth. Mouth, hands, and forearms were covered in the yummy goo. After a few minutes half the cake was demolished and we figured it was enough for her. She was taken to the bathroom by Mimi and Nannie to be cleaned off. People began to slowly leave and we prepared for the after party at our house.
Since it was Labor day we decided for any guests that wanted to come, we would have a cookout of hamburgers and hotdogs at the house. Most out of town people came by as well as a few close local friends. Since it was about 1pm when this half of the celebration started, Roselyn missed most of it since it was her nap time. You would think that with about 20-30 people in the house (including other crying babies) she would have trouble taking her nap. But we didn't hear one peep from her for nearly 3 hours. I guess she was wiped out! Once she did awake, it was time to open gifts. The only people remaining was family, which was a perfect amount of people to view this unveiling. Roselyn loved taking the tissue paper out of bags and ripping wrapping paper off of boxes. Each gift brought a even bigger smile to her face. Truthfully, that entire day I do not believe she ever stopped smiling. I guess she knew it was her first birthday.
A couple of side notes. Roselyn went for her one year appointment Thursday and received three shots (one being the flu shot). She did fantastic with them- thank goodness. We also had her iron level checked and she still needs to stay on Poly Vi Sol. She was 29 inches long and 22lb 10oz- both are in the 75th percentile. She head was still in the 90th percentile, however:)
More big news! Roselyn is crawling AND standing on her own! I guess she figured she was a year old it was about time she did both things. It certainly has changed the dynamics in the house, however. Watch out picture frames and candles- nothing is safe now! She actually got a hold of the ironing board the other day and it fell opposite of her (thank goodness!). Baby proofing- here we come!

Almost One and so much Fun!!!

It is two days before Roselyn's first birthday, but she has already accomplished two big milestones. First, she rode in a toddler (forward facing) car seat for the first time today. Lately, she would cry once she was placed in her infant car seat and we left to sit in the front seats. Today when she was being placed in the seat, she began to start crying, until she realized there was something different about her perspective. She had a huge smile on her face when we looked back at her and she realized that she could see us. She also was consumed with looking at everything in the car she had never had a chance to observe before- the back of the front seats, the dashboard, the arm rest, etc. The reason for the car seat was the trip to complete another milestone- getting her ears pierced. The Merle Norman was recommended as the best place for babies, and I would definitely agree. Only the owner does the piercings and one could tell she was well experienced at working with babies. She was very gentle and very patient. Roselyn did not seem to mind the marker on her ear, but when her ear was held for the gun, you knew she knew something was up. The first earring went in quickly. Roselyn let out a short cry, but seemed to get over it quickly. However, the second ear took quite a bit of work. Roselyn recognized what the lady was doing and would move her head every time the gun approached her ear. Luckily, the lady piercing her ear was patient. I wish Rob and I had that patience. I begin to get nervous and hot and sweaty. Finally the moment was exactly right and the earring went in. Another quick cry, and it was over. Roselyn now has two beautiful earrings in her ears. I am so proud of her!!!

Vacation Time!

Roselyn became a beach baby a week ago! The Prout family made our way down to Destin, FL for our first family beach vacation. The trip down left something to be desired- it rained all the way- but Destin was beautiful and sunny, and it stayed that way the entire time we were there! We stayed four nights in the Embassy Suites. Having a suite was perfect when you have a baby- the Pack in Play stays in the bedroom during the day for naps, and the "living room" are for nightly bedtime. The first full day there we walked across the street with Roselyn in her stroller to the beach. We did not anticipate a couple of things: 1) there were stairs leading up and then down to the beach, 2) the sand was super soft and definitely not conducive to strollers. We attempted to walk down the beach, but eventually gave up and took a bunch of pictures before we returned to the hotel. Luckily, there were a pool at the hotel that did not have the difficulties of stairs or sand. Rob and I spent our afternoons at the pool while Roselyn napped in the room. Don't worry, the pool was outside our bedroom and we had a monitor with us in case she woke up from her nap early. We brought food with us to have lunch in the hotel, but dinners were always out at a local restaurant- Pompano Joe's was our favorite! Prior to dinner, there was always a Manager's Reception with snacks and free drinks. This was a perfect time to enjoy a glass of wine and feed Roselyn her snack before dinner. While on vacation Roselyn discovered some new food she has grown to love- pancakes, bacon, eggs, and saltine crackers. Now that she is eating more "regular" food she always reaches for everything that we put in our mouths. We often have to turn our heads to eat the last piece of cheesecake or tiramisu.
We did attempt the beach two more times with Roselyn. The second time we actually sat in the sand to get some sun while Roselyn sat under an infant sun shade. Unfortunately, Rob's concern over the heat of the sun and Roselyn's skin had us out there a mere fifteen minutes. The last opportunity at the beach was on our way out of town for more pictures. I was disappointed that Roselyn did not have more time on the beach, but I guess she has many more years to experience it.
We did experience two fun excursions in Destin. First, we drove to Seaside to see the pastel homes found in The Truman Show. They truly made me want to move there. Roselyn sleep during that excursion so we were unable to get her opinion. However, the next day we went to Fudpuckers to see the alligators and Roselyn definitely enjoyed that. We walked around their mini reptile museum and she reached out for every critter behind the glass. I hope she always stays that brave!
Overall, the vacation was a fantastic getaway. Rosleyn must have loved it- I have never seen that girl sleep harder than the couple of nights after we returned.

Teething- need I say more?

It happens to all babies, and now it is happening to Roselyn. She is getting new teeth ( at least two on top and two on bottom by my count) and her mouth hurts- bad. So she cries...and cries...and cries (yes, she is even crying now as I write this blog). As a mother, you feel helpless. You want to relieve the pain, but there is only so much one can do. I used to say I would stay clear of Orajel and other numbing agents, but at this point Roselyn is getting her dose of Tylenol (or Motrin), Orajel, and teething tablets. Do they make a difference? Hard to tell since even when Roselyn is not crying she seems so unhappy. Or it could just be her being tired. Sleep has been hard to come by these last few days. When I check on her crying at night she usually has her fist in her mouth with an expression on her face that reads, "I am in pain". Roselyn also tends to have conjestion when she is teething. That means with the tears and drool comes snot. I was only giving her the pacifier at bedtime, but seeing that is one of the few things that kind of relaxes her, it has been a permanent feature in her mouth the last three days. I have tried cold items for her to chew, but she refuses to put anything in her mouth. Well, besides Cheerios, that is. Now that I think about it, any food seems to make she half way normal again. Could there be a baby Tylenol made out of Cheerios?
On the flip side, her mind was definitely off her teeth when we visited Nathan and Anna Woods in Kennesaw and attended the Pork and Peaches festival. Rob ate BBQ while I enjoyed looking at all the purses, aprons, and jams for sale. Roselyn was content sitting in her stroller playing with the paper fan given out at one of the booths. Nathan and Anna have a greyhound at their home that Roselyn also found amusing. That is something else that tends to relieve teething pain- dogs. Sometimes I feel Roselyn loves our dog Mac best of all. She is always so happy when he walks by. Roselyn makes Mac happy because she feeds him, you guessed it, Cheerios.

Another birthday party!

All of Roselyn's friends are turning 1! Today we celebrated Roselyn's "boyfriend" Hudson Zidar's birthday. We started celebrating at 6pm at the Zidar house. Once at the house Roselyn immediately started playing with birthday boy Hudson and friend Addison on the floor. Kids swapped toys (and drool) as parents relaxed and talked. Soon it became dinner time and babies were fed by moms as dads had BBQ and made plates for their wives. Roselyn had cut up asparagus for dinner and a big jar of beef pasta- probably not as tasty as BBQ and potato salad, but she ate it up. However, I did not think about her nice dress and gave her a strawberry in her chewing net. Quickly her pastel dress had red blotches all over it. I used a couple of stain removers borrowed from Shana Bevill and Stephanie Zidar, but only was able to minimize (not remove) the damage. However, it was good enough for outside pictures in the wheel barrow. Hudson saw his girlfriend Roselyn having pictures taken and walked over to the wheelbarrow to join her- it was so sweet! The cake came next. I remembered the crying scene at the Bellamy birthday party and did not offer Roselyn any cake. Hudson was real hesitant with the cake and just got a little in his mouth (mainly from Stephanie shoving it in for pictures). Since the party was in the evening all the babies quickly became tired and we headed home by 8:15pm. Roselyn fell asleep in the car- having pleasant birthday dreams I'm sure.

A Quicker Update!

Believe it or not- I am already updating! Roselyn has had a busy week recently. First, she went for her three month appointment to see Dr. Van Meter. She was 28 inches and 21 1/2 lbs. He thought she looked good and developing well (duh!) and due to her low numbers the last check-up, saw no need to draw blood and check her on the same amount of thyroid medicine. I was pleasantly surprised the appointment went so quick and easy. It was scheduled right at the beginning of Roselyn's nap time and I feared that the day would be completely thrown off by her nap starting late and being shortened. Luckily, the day went smoothly.
On Saturday, Roselyn attended a birthday party for her "boyfriends" Brendan and Brooks Bellamy. She played with them for a few minutes, but their toys were far more interesting to her, not to mention the boys were walking and crawling everywhere while Roselyn sat and watched the hectic scene. Seeing that the boys where unsure about the birthday cake, Rob and I decided to give Roselyn a few small bites to "prepare" her for her first birthday party. No worries about her being timid on her big day, when the cake was gone and I was throwing the plate away she went crazy- she would not stop crying wanting more cake:) After gifts were open (Roselyn was very well behaved- we were so proud), we tried to put Roselyn down in a crib for a nap. She would have nothing of it, which meant it was time to go home. Thankfully, Roselyn sleeps well in the car, so we drove through Atlanta trying to make up 2 hours so Roselyn would have her full nap. Once we were back in the neighborhood, we visited the Tchantz's and Roselyn played with her friend Bailey until dinner time, and finally, bedtime!
Sunday was the Sunday school picnic at Newnan Utilities park. Roselyn enjoyed socializing with the other people and eating her lunch- of course! We took her to the castle jungle gym and she loves swinging and trying out the rings and other things. It wasn't long before it was nap time and time to go home and rest.

Lots of Updating to Do!!!

Golly, I was looking over my posts and realized I might have missed a most important holiday- FATHER'S DAY. How could I have done that? It was definitely a day to remember. That Sunday started off normal with us attending Sunday school, but we stayed after to work on the Sunday school classroom bulletin board in leiu of attending the service. Rob liked this idea because it gave us a chance to be together and talk. Lunch was at La Parrea (his choice- Mexican) with his mother and step father Bill. Before we left for lunch Roselyn and I gave Rob his father's day gifts. I gave Rob a CD by (believe it or not) Paul Anka called Rock Swings. Roselyn gave Rob a canvas to place in our former office with her hands and feet that states, "Daddy's Art Room". Rob was impressed with these gifts, but I think he really enjoyed lunch because no sooner than we got home he went to sleep on the couch. Roselyn and I visited with Janice and Bill as well as my father, Ray, who came after lunch. I believe overall Rob enjoyed his first Father's day. Many more to come.

More recently was our trip to Mississippi to see the family. Roselyn and I left on the Tuesday before 4th of July for my yearly visit to Nannie and Papa (my grandparents). They were thrilled to see Roselyn and immediately gave her tons of attention and love. Nannie enjoyed changing her diaper (yeah!:) and looked forward to each morning getting Roselyn up and taking Roselyn to her room. Nannie even rocked Roselyn to sleep during her morning naps. I allowed Nannie and Papa to enjoy Roselyn as much as possible because you never know how much longer this will be possible. On Friday Rob came with Dad and we drove to Hattiesburg to visit Rob's Uncle Bill, Aunt Cookie, and family. This was the first time for them to meet Roselyn so she was a huge hit! We went to dinner with Bill, Cookie, their daughter Paula and family, and Rob's grandmother Richie. She is 95 and very frail, but you could tell she was thrilled to meet her new great-grandchild. Saturday wasd the 4th of July and off to Meridian to meet up with my family again. This time we were at my Great Uncle Larry's house for the annual Hatten family reunion (my grandmother' side of the family). Again, Roselyn was a hit since so many had never seen her before. The Hatten's have a pool so twice were made sure she had a chance to swim. Nannie and my dad (grandfather Yates) had a great time playing with her the pool. Between pool times Roselyn and Rob took a nap on the floor of one of the bedroom's in the home. That evening we drove to Jimerson to visit Rob's Dad and stepmother. Both were happy to see Roselyn and even had some new clothes for her. Finally, the whirlwind trip ended when we came home Sunday. But that is not the end of the story...

Tuesday/Wednesday Rob, Roselyn, and I visited John and Shelley Clifford and their baby son Colin at Lake Martin. They had won a week stay at a home on the lake during an auction and were nice enough to ask us to join them for a night. Roselyn loved playing with Colin! She enjoyed his toys very much (so much she enjoyed taking them from him:) She also watched him closely has he played on his stomach, crawled and went from a laying to sitting position. Colin seemed to be impressed with Roselyn's standing. However, he was not too fond of her talking. Each time Roselyn loudly said "Ahhhh" while playing, Colin would start to cry. Really makes me wonder what Roselyn is saying. Wednesday morning we all went on the lake. Roselyn wasn't thrilled with the life vest and cried a bit while out, but we think that was because she was missing her morning nap. She did seem to enjoy the boat bouncing in the water and the wind in her facing was refreshing (she actually fell asleep sitting up on Rob's lap). It did rain on us coming back to the house which made her really fussy. We tried to cover her with a towel, but in the end, we realized she just wanted to play with her toys and her "boyfriend" Colin.

Sippy cups, Tiny Tunes, and Adams Farm!

A lot is going on in Roselyn's life lately! First of all, as we continue to work on Roselyn's finger foods we now have introduced another new object- a sippy cup! The first time I gave it to her I was probably a little optimistic and filled the cup to 5 ounces. At first I placed it in her mouth so she could taste the apple juice/water mixture without dealing with holding the cup as well. She gave a strange look and let the juice dribble out of her mouth. I then allowed her to hold the cup since I figured maybe she just wanted to explore it herself. She did a great job holding onto the cup, but had no interest in drinking from it, she only wanted to chew the nipple of the cup. Once that bored her she took the cup by one hand and swung it around allowing all the juice to fly out. I placed it back in her hands and tilted the cup in her mouth- she dealt with the situation, but you could tell she rather chew the cup than drink from it. Since the first time we are slowly making progress- I think she is actually swallowing some now:)
Tiny Tunes is a music class for babies and toddlers that Roselyn attends on Tuesdays. The class has about 9 kids, and thankfully, Roselyn is not the youngest. The ages range from 6 months to 4 years. There is a "curicullum" that includes a CD for the kids to listen to at home and a music book with all the songs. Roselyn loves listening to the songs and experimenting with the musical instruments. Some of what takes place is for kids that are more mobile (there is time for kids to dance with scarfs and such), but Roselyn LOVES to watch the other kids. She also enjoys the bubbles at the end. She truly does not stop smiling the entire time! I work with her on the songs at home and in the car and she always perks up when she hears them. She sometimes will "sing" along too, and it is too cute!
Adams Farms is a u-pick berries farm in Fayetteville. In the past I have gone in the summer by myself and have picked a few things for fun. Rob actually suggested we go and take Roselyn with us. We went at 10am in the morning hoping it would not be too hot, but it was still nearly 90 degrees when we arrived. Luckily, the aisles for the raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries were wide enough to take Roselyn's stroller and we could angle her stroller so she always had shade. Rob and I picked berries while Roselyn watched and smiled. We let her hold onto the small baskets and touch some of the raspberries and strawberries. I did watch carefully that she did not squeeze the the berries because she was wearing a white top and there was no way to clean off red fruit stains. Roselyn loved looking at all the berry plants and receiving complements from the other pickers!

9 Months Old!

Hard to believe, but Roselyn is 9 months old! Of course, that means another doctor's appointment. Luckily, there are no shots this time around! She certainly has grown- 20lb 5oz, 28inches (she is in the 75th percentile). I can't remember the head circumference, but that is in the 95th percentile (she has a big brain!). Roselyn did not like the doctor checking out all her nooks and cranies- she showed Dr. Cheeks how she can "talk"- dadada and ahhhh were heard a lot. The consensus was that Roselyn is a healthy and happy baby. I asked about finger foods and a sippy cup. I was told both were a great idea to start as soon as possible. I was also told the normal summer precautions (sunscreen and bug repellent) and given a list of food for Roselyn to avoid. I ask if I could ween Roselyn off nursing from 4 times a day- luckily (or maybe unluckily since it is a joy) I was told yes, but hold off on cow's milk until she is a year old. Lastly, it was recommend that I have Roselyn's finger pricked for an iron check. Thankfully, Roselyn is used to being poked and got over this pretty quickly. However, I did recieve a call later that day telling me that Roselyn will need to take Poly-Vi-Sol plus iron since her count was a bit low. Oh well, that is the way things go...
So Friday I tried strawberry yogurt melts for Roselyn's first dinger foods. I placed one in her mouth and she contemplated what it was while it dissolved in her mouth. The next one I placed in her hand, which she seemed to like to hold, but did not quite understand it was FOOD and needed to be directed to the mouth. The third piece I placed om her tray which she picked up and played with- again she was having trouble realizing it was food. The forth piece was much like the third. Still, I was happy she did eat them, and my fear of choking was unfounded. Yes, it will take time, but she will be a big eater before you know it! On to the sipply cup...

Memorial Day, Dahlonega, and POOL TIME

Finally another long awaited update! This time I will back track to the end of May and describe Roselyn's Memorial Day. First of all, the Memorial Day festivities actually took place on Sunday, May 24th. On Sunday Roselyn's Aunt Stephanie, Uncle Ted, cousins Brett and Carl, and Mimi and Grandpa Bill all came to visit and have dinner. Also visiting was John and Shelley Clifford with their son, Colin (he was born one month after Roselyn). When Roselyn woke from her nap she was surprised to see all the people in her living room, but seemed happy to have some many people to play with her and give her attention. Colin and Roselyn played on the floor the entire time everyone was visiting- even during the meal time people watched out for them while eating dinner. Roselyn still did something special on Memorial Day, however- she attended a wedding for Ken Ferguson and Christina Paino. The wedding was outdoor in Dunaway Gardens and was gorgeous! Roselyn enjoyed the attention given to her by the wedding attendees. She also danced with Rob several times and seemed to love the dance floor (or maybe it was just who she was dancing with).
As for Dahlonega, we went to stay at Lily Creek Lodge like we always do a couple times a year and visit the local wineries. This was the first time the innkeepers had a chance to meet Roselyn and she was a hit! Unfortunately, she was tired the first night and very fussy- so off to bed early she went. Luckily, our monitor worked great in the lodge and we were able to stay with Don and Sharon downstairs while Roselyn slept (and cried a little- she is teething after all) upstairs. Day one in Dahlonega we visited wineries. However, due to a sleepy baby needing an afternoon nap, we cut our wine excursion short and relaxed on the deck at the lodge (with baby monitor in hand). When Roselyn would not sleep (lots of noise coming from the baby monitor) we went on to the Oar House for an early dinner. Roselyn finally fell asleep on the way to dinner and so Rob and I had a relaxing meal with a sleeping baby in her stroller beside us. Day two in Dahlonega was the Georgia Wine Country Festival. Again, Roselyn was a hit. Everyone asked if we were "starting her early". As most nursing moms can relate, the only place to feed and change Roselyn was in the bathroom. I sat in a stall on the toilet (with pants still up) and gave Roselyn her lunch. However, I did not realize there was a line generating outside the stall and its services were needed. When I left the bathroom I apologized and quickly gave Roselyn to Rob so that I could get in line to use the bathroom for myself (I wasn't going to preoccupy it any longer than necessary the first time).
Once we arrive back at the house from Dahlonega it was POOL TIME. We had tried to take Roselyn to the pool before, but it was too crowded. At the Lodge, the water was way too cold. We were told the pool in the neighborhood also had cold water, but we were determined to get Roselyn in a pool. Unfortunately, Roselyn was in rare form and cried the entire time we got her ready for the big event. Thankfully, pacifiers do wonders. Her attitude did change once we hit the pool. Rob gently put her in her penguin float in the water and she let out the biggest smile! Both Rob and I joined her (me for short duration because I hate cold water). Our friends the Bevills were there with their 5 month old daughter, Addison. It was fun to watch them interact and enjoy the pool. Roselyn really got into splashing the water and kicking her feel. Overall, a successful ifrst experience!

Adventures in Baby Food

I decided to do it. I am far from a hippie tree-hugger, but I thought, why not? Today I decided to make my own baby food. Rob (or I should say, Roselyn) gave me a baby food cookbook for Mother's Day and I figured I might as well try a few recipes. They seemed easy enough. Just puree some fruits or vegetables. I even went "all out" and bought organic produce. I decided to try items I have not seen "pre-made" in jars- zucchini, cauliflower, and blueberries. The zucchini was cut, steamed, and pureed- super easy. I was so impressed and confident with myself I went straight on to the cauliflower. The cauliflower steamed great, but the pureeing was another story. The cauliflower was having trouble getting to the blades, so I pushed it down with a spoon- a wooden spoon. Yeah, you guessed it- the wood in the spoon became part of the pureed cauliflower. Yum, fiber. Luckily, I still had more cauliflower to try, and this time I pushed the cauliflower down with metal spoon. However, with the lid off the mixer the cauliflower decided to take flight- and land on my counter, cabinets, and yes, even my ceiling. I hoped the blueberries would be better. Unfortunately, the quantity of blueberries that come in a container at the store makes very little baby food. By the time you puree the blueberries, push it through a sieve to remove the skins, and heat it up, I had about an ounce of baby food. I also have a battle wound from making the blueberries. You were to heat the blueberries to make it easier to "digest". The directions read 3-5 minutes, but that was for two cups of blueberries. At 3 minutes my blueberries were burning. I quickly took the blueberries off the stove and tried to spoon them into the ice tray. Because they were slightly burned they stuck to the spoon and I used my finger to try to help them fall into the ice tray. Yeah, I burned my finger as a result. Even with all the drama, I am pretty proud that I made my own baby food. Next step, let's see if Roselyn will eat it...

Long awaited update

So I did write about Mother's Day, but what has happened between Mother's Day and the middle of April? It is hard to know where to begin- there has been so many little things. First, Roselyn now eats both fruits and vegetables and is down to four nursings a day. She is eating mixed veggies and LOVES them! I am surprised that pureed spinach, peas, and grain can be so appetizing! Roselyn seemed to have her first episode of constipation at the beginning of May. Luckily, I have purchased prunes, and they work great! Thankfully, I was at a friend's house when the prunes corrected the constipation, but I arrived home just in time to hear Rob yell LAURA in a shaky voice begging for help. You can't expect a dad to do a mom's job:) Roselyn seems to be enjoying her belly more and more, though she tends to do bend her elbows and lays "Superman" style. She likes to roll to her side which causes her body to turn- there are times I leave her for a moment and she had done a 180 degree turn in a couple minutes! There have been some fluke times she has kind of rolled over-finally!
Roselyn has had a couple of dates with her friends Addison and Hudson. First we all went to Newnan Utilities park and had a picnic lunch and swinged in the swings. Roselyn had a great time, but by the time we were at the swings she literally was falling asleep as the swing rocked her back and forth. The next day we all met was at our house. Hudson loved Roselyn's toys (at least chewing on them) and Addison loved Roselyn's Sweetpeace swing. I have recently started working two mornings a week at Atlanta Fitness' childcare. Roselyn seems to like me there, but she is getting used to seeing me holding other babies and playing with other children. I have been impressed with her patience overall.
Lastly, we finally seem to have some sort of insurance resolution. We appealed Blue Cross Blue Shield's decline of Roselyn. They then approved her- starting May 1. We now have applied for a conversion policy for the month of April so we are not beyond the 63 days and show a lapse in coverage. Because Roselyn has coverage for May (YEAH) we went to have her bloodwork done. I returned to LabCorp worried about the insurance coverage elsewhere. Like before, they stuck her in her arm and could not get anything. Roselyn cried and cried and I asked them not to stick her again (they tried four times the last time and never got anything). When I asked if they could prick her heel, I was told they had too much blood to draw to do that. I then asked them to call Dr. Van Meter. I was told to bring her to his office at 1:45 that afternoon. When I arrived there I found out it was Dr. Van Meter himself drawing her blood. He took it from a vein in her hand. What a difference! She cried for three seconds when the needle came in, and cried for three seconds when the needle came out and that was it. I wish blood was drawn regularly there because it was such a huge relief to have a happy baby. And the result came back today- her levels were normal and there is no need for an increase in her medication. Good news!

Mother's Day!

Yes, it as been a while since there was an update, and I will have another post soon about the time between the last post and today, but I had to write about MOTHER'S DAY. I hoped that Rob and Roselyn had something special planned because even pregnant last Mother'd Day, Rob did not think I was ready to hear the words, "Happy Mother's Day". We started early, on Saturday, and went to Gwinnett to visit the family. First, we met Rob's mom and stepdad and sister and family at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Roselyn had a great time seeing everyone and being in such a neat restaurant. She was also able to show the family that she could sit in a high chair on her own. After lunch we went to Mimi's house where Roselyn planned with toys Mimi bought especially for when Roselyn visits. She definitely was worn out by the time we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa Yates' house and slept for a while in her carseat in the dining room. When Roselyn did wake up she played with cousins Avery and Kendall Yates before we all enjoyed dinner (Roselyn had spring vegetables and grain). Shortly afterwards we could tell Roselyn was ready to go to bed so we made our way home.
On Sunday (the actually Mother's Day) Rob and I woke up to Roselyn stirring in bed. When I went into the kitchen I saw that Rob and Roselyn had gotten me a gift, a card, and a dozen pink roses. Rob went to get Roselyn so that I could feed her in bed. While we were all there I opened the gift from the two of them- a book "Are you My Mommy?" and a book on preparing baby food. Rob then took the both of us to Panera for lunch where he revealed the big Mother's Day gift- he wanted to start a tradition where we purchased a tree each year and plant it for Mother's Day. Roselyn and I decided on a peach tree and also purchased an Astor plant (that is the plant for the month of September- the month Roselyn was born). Overall, it was a wonderful day- and weekend!

Roselyn sees Dr. Van Meter

Roselyn went in today for her 3 month appointment with her Endrocronologist, Dr. Van Meter. It came at a good time since Roselyn has a TERRIBLE cold, and it is nice to have a doctor appointment to reaffirm that all she has is a cold and what we are doing for it is fine. Roselyn and I arrived right on time, and then were surprised a few minutes later by Rob. He was concerned about how Roselyn was feeling and wanted to be at the doctor as well. Roselyn was weighted (18lb) and measured (26.3 inches) then we went into a room to wait and watch the movie Enchanted and wait on the doctor. When Dr. Van Meter arrived he asked the usual wellness questions (what milestones is she reaching, how is she taking her medicine) and checked all the normal vitals. He confirmed our belief that Roselyn had a cold and saline spray and a humidier is the way to go. He thought she was doing great and then prepared to send us on to get the bloodwork done. That was when I reminded him that we were still in the process of getting insurance for her and thanked him for the letter he work for the appeal. He decided the best thing to do was to hold off on the bloodwork until we has insurance and assured me that Roselyn dosage would be fine for now. He even gave me a month supply of his sample Synthroid pills so I would not have to pay for a prescription. He really gained a lot of respect from me for that. We did not even have to pay for the appointment right away until the decision on the appeal is made. Now lets hope that one of the insurances comes through soon because I do not want to wait too long for the bloodwork.

Easter Time!

It is Spring (believe it or not, considering the cold weather), so that means Easter! Easter really snuck in on us. Roselyn saw the Easter Bunny a couple of weeks ago and had a great shot with him (it was even on the homepage for the photographer that took the picture). It wasn't until the day before Easter that I thought about getting Roselyn an Easter basket. Luckily, we were able to go to a couple of stores and get a few cute things (and since Roselyn is only 7 months old, it didn't make a difference if she was with us). We bought her a Baby's First Easter book, a bowl and spoon for her cereal, a bag for her medicine, a rubber ducky, and some food. She seemed to like the items in her basket (as you can see in the pictures). After Roselyn saw her basket we went to church. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day! We had lunch with the Mattke's next door after church. Roselyn was a big hit with all the kids and adults a like. She was happy playing and watching everyone from the center of the living room. The evening finished with dinner with Resurgent church. By that point of the day Roselyn was tired and was suffering with a cough due to a cold. We came home and off to bed with Roselyn. Next year Roselyn will have to join in on an Easter egg hunt!

Roselyn is sitting up!

Yes, Roselyn is definitely progressing! For a while (maybe a month to 6 weeks?) Roselyn has been sitting over, but leaning forward on her hands. You could let go of her and her would stay at a 45% angle for a few seconds, but then she would slowly fold her body forward like she wanted to kiss her toes. She would also fall to her side and look up at you like "why did that happen". However, on Friday Rob placed her on the bed in our bedroom and see did something amazing- she sat up for a couple minutes! Yes, she did eventually fall on her side, but she did sit up longer and taller than ever! We realized separating her legs gives her more space to balance. Yet, as the days have gone on she can sit taller with less balancing area. She is also sitting up longer. Our baby is going old!

Roselyn eats peas and green beans!

So the last couple of weeks have been an adventure in eating for Roselyn. First, the rice cereal is going very well. She opens her mouth wide when I am bringing the spoon with the cereal close to her mouth and swallows happily. She eats it so fast! I started with one tablespoon of rice cereal, but now we are close to 3 tablespoons. After rice cereal I decided the next step was vegetables. Yes, fruit normally go over better, but it is important babies do not get used to the sweet taste of fruit- then it is likely they will refuse vegetables. I started with one of my favorite vegetables- peas! Like the rice cereal, Roselyn has a painful look on her face when the food first entered her mouth. The difference was the look of the food coming out of her mouth because she was not interested in swallowing- green goop that looked like it came from Slimmer from Ghostbusters. She cried, but I was determined to get through the container. Well, we got through half of it and I decided that was a feat considering her attitude about it. A couple of hours later we tried again and the container was finished- without crying! This week green beans were introduced. The experience was the same as peas, but I knew, like peas, she would get used to it.

All About Baby Prout

Time to eat solids

The day finally came. Roselyn is no longer exclusively nursing- it was time to start the solids. The solid of choice for most parents is rice cereal. I bought a box of rice cereal Friday knowing the day would come Monday. This morning (Monday) was the day. I got Roselyn out of bed and changed her diaper and changed her clothes (some how, she peed out of her diaper). I nursed her a little then brought her downstairs to the high chair. I had taken some breast milk and mixed it with one tablespoon of rice cereal in a cup. I sat her in the high chair and went to find Rob (he was on picture and video duty). I placed the cup in front of Roselyn and she immediately grabbed for it. I realized it was better to keep the cup with me at the table and spoon out small portions of the cereal. The first time the spoon went to Roselyn's lips she slowly opened and I gently poured the substance in. And it slowly came out- thank goodness for bibs! Future attempts went better, but Roselyn had a strange look on her face every time the mixture went into her mouth (I envision her wondering "what is this junk in my milk?"). She did seem to swallow a bit, but by the end she was just spitting and coughing it out. She nearly finished the one ounce I made for her, so I felt it was mission accomplished. Now on to many more days and eventually, many other types of food (and the stinky poop that accompanies it).

Roselyn stays with Mimi!

Saturday, March 14th was Roselyn's first night away from Mommy and Daddy. Rob and I had tickets for the Billy Joel/Elton John concert for the evening and decided this was a perfect opportunity for a night away from baby Prout. It was decided that Mimi (Rob's mom) would keep her along with her cousins Brett and Carl (their parents were attending the same concert). Were we nervous? Yes. We didn't doubt she would be well taken care of, but there is always the unknown (not to mention a 4 and 6 year old) to deal with. Were we going to miss her? Oh yeah. However, as we walked out of the house looking at Roselyn on Mimi's lap reading a book- a sense of peace and relief came over us. We deserved a time away to remind us that first of all, we are a married couple. The evening went well for us, and after a phone call from Mimi, we knew the evening went well with Roselyn too. Sunday morning was the first morning in a while I slept passed 7:30am and did not have to rush out of bed to feed a baby. Rob and I took our time getting ready, had breakfast, then went to pick up Roselyn. There she was, happy as she could be, playing with her cousins. We were very proud of her, and of ourselves for allowing her to stay the night somewhere else. Now we have done it once, I am sure more will come in the future.

Roselyn is 6 month old!!!

So Roselyn is now 1/2 a year old! Where does the time go? Of course, that means time for her 6 month check up. I was a bit nervous because the last time Roselyn had vaccinations she did get a low grade fever and was grouchy and unhappy all day. I prayed God would comfort her (and me!). The day of the appointment I was coming down with a cold, but Roselyn was all smiles. At the doctor's office she continued to laugh and smile at everyone. Her weight was 16lb 10oz and length of 15 3/4in. She was in the 50 percentile for both. Her head, however, was in the 75th percentile (she's one smart cookie!). Dr. Cheeks checked all the regular development markers and told me that Roselyn looked great. We discussed starting her on solids, which will being Monday. Then came the vaccinations. Roselyn was given the same three shots as before and one oral. Yes, she cried when she had the needles stuck in her, but she seemed to get over them faster than before. I nursed her afterwards, which seemed to calm her down. She even was smiling when we left the doctor's office! I gave her tylonal every six hours, but really, she never seemed to get a fever, and was as happy as ever the rest of the day. What a relief! And was an answer to prayer! On to the 9 month appointment (but there are no shots again until 12 months!).

Happy Birthday to mom!

I (Roselyn's mom, Laura) is offically thirty. Luckily, it doesn't feel any different than twenty nine. For my birthday my husband (and Roselyn's dad) Rob organized a surprise birthday for me. What started as a small group coming to the house Saturday evening ended being about fifty people! I knew we were having a few people so I spent much of the day cleaning. Rob and I did take Roselyn for a walk in downtown Newnan, and she loved the beautiful weather. I made sure to dress Roselyn in a cute dress for the people to see. When the "small group" began to arrive we were all on the front porch enjoying the afternoon. Roselyn was able to spend time with her friend, Rachel, and we held by our neighbor Donna. I took her upstairs for a feeding and that is when the surprise happened. After the feeding I left Roselyn's room to use the restroom. When I walked out of the bathroom I looked down into the den and noticed our small group was a large group! I immediately grabbed Roselyn and came downstairs. Unfortunately, lack of an afternoon nap caught up with her, and she was very fussy and tired. Luckily, Mimi was there and took her for a walk in the stroller. When they returned Roselyn was asleep in the car seat, and she remained asleep in the car seat in our bedroom until her 9pm feeding when I put her to bed.

Snow!

It was Roselyn's first snow! Both Rob and I didn't expect to see snow since the night before it was nearly 70 degrees. However, the weather men were right, and by 11am we could see snow falling through the windows at church. The drive home from church was very slow and controlled. The snow was coming down so hard we could not see very far in front of us and snow covered the road just as quickly as someone drove over it. Once we were home Rob and I got lunch while Roselyn watched the snow out the window. When the snow finally slowed down a bit it was time for Roselyn to play in the snow. Unfortunately, it was close to her nap time- and you could tell by her behavior! But I was determined to get the pictures and video I wanted. We bundled Roselyn and headed outside. Mac led the way and immediately went to the bathroom on a bush along the sidewalk. Roselyn didn't know what to think of the wet flakes hitting her face. I stood her in the snow hoping it would make her smile. She really seemed consumed with figuring what was going on- there was such a serious look on her face. Since it was so close to Roselyn's nap time we were probably outside a total of 3 minutes. It didn't take long for her to get unhappy and start to cry a bit. Luckily, we got a few cute pictures of Roselyn in the snow. She immediately went to sleep afterwards in her crib, which tells you she was very tired since she normally will not nap in her crib.

Babytime at the Library

Roselyn does not have a lot of outings just for her, but each Monday she does have special time at the library. At 11am each Monday Roselyn and I attend babytime at the Newnan library along with one of her "boyfriends" Hudson and Hudson's mom Stephanie. The time starts with play time with simple toys (blocks, etc) on a large brightly colored mat. Roselyn cannot sit up yet on her own so I have to either hold her up or lie her down on the mat. She plays with the toys some, but tends to like to play with her pacifier or watch Hudson play (he is 7 weeks older than her and does sit up and play with the toys). After play time is bubble time. The two librarians blow bubbles to the babies delight. The babies then choose a book (well, I choose a book) and we have a few minutes to read. Letters are also placed on the floor for the babies to explore. Roselyn is just starting to feel the books and notice the letters. Next is song time. The librarians lead the babies through different nursery rhymes and silly songs. Roselyn loves to watch the puppets and the expressions on the librarians. She wants to stand during all the songs (with my assistance, of course). There is normally a theme each week with a large book to go along with the theme. Today's theme was cats. Roselyn sometimes pays attention to the story, but today she seemed interested in looking at the other babies- especially Hudson. The who event takes 45 minutes. That is just enough for Roselyn because by the end she is tired and hungry. We then rush home for lunch and relax until the next Monday.

Updating long over due!!!

I know- it has been too long since the last blog! I really have been meaning to write an update, but there have been so much going on here it has not been a priority. However, things seem to be calming down and I can focus on our REAL priority- Roselyn. Roselyn went with Rob and I to Dahlonega to celebrate our 7th anniversary. This year was definitely more low key due to the money crunch, but having Roselyn there made it so much more worthwhile. First, on Friday February 13th we visited Brandon and Christy Bellamy and their sons Brennan and Brooks. Roselyn enjoyed seeing her "boyfriends" again and they were nice enough to share their toys, excersaucer, and door bouncer. Oh, and they lent her a sleeper after she pooped all in her dress she wore to meet them:) The night ended with the parents talking and the kids watching a video on barnyard animals. All in all, a great night! In Dahlonega we always stay at the Lily Creek Lodge. Unfortunately, the innkeepers where not there- but that just means we will have to come back another time for them to meet Roselyn. Saturday we visited several of the wineries in Dahlonega. Roselyn was a hit everywhere we went. People kept making comments like "she is precious" or "she is so cute". Since Roselyn stayed in her car seat the entire time she spent most of her time napping. She did have to get out of her car seat for me to feed her, which I need in the car in the Wal-Mart parking lot. For dinner, we all went to a local Cajun restaurant (very romantic for a Valentine's dinner, huh?) Roselyn again, was in her car seat- observing and sleeping. Roselyn did get out of her car seat for breakfast at the bed and breakfast- when but her in her bumbo at the table. Bed time was interesting. We were all accustomed to Roselyn being in her own room. Roselyn had a hard time going to sleep in the same room as us, but with patience (and a pacifier) she finally went to sleep Friday and Saturday nights.
There are no real developmental updates. Roselyn is still rolling to one side, but not all the way over. She still does not like being on her belly, but we are working on it:) She continues to notice her rattle and other toys more and more. She also is working harder at putting her pacifier back in her mouth. She tends to place it in backwards- but it is still getting to her mouth. Eventually I am sure she will have all sorts of things in her mouth:)

Roselyn meets Kendall!

Saturday Roselyn met her new cousin Kendall! Kendall Comfort Yates was born to David and Shelley Yates at Gwinnett Medical on Wednesday. She joins older brother Avery who is two years old. David and Shelley are doing well and adjusting to the new addition great. Shelley is staying close to home and monitoring her blood pressure, but after delivering a baby that is what she should be doing! Kendall is a cutie. A full head of dark her and beautiful blue eyes. It was Roselyn's first time to visit Uncle David and Aunt Shelley so she was content to look around at things. Cousin Avery is at such a cute age- it was fun to watch him play with toys and tell us about the Car's character Lightning McQueen. Check out the pictures of the cousins together! It is amazing that in couple of years Kendall and Roselyn will be the same size and doing the same things. Kendall was so small- it is hard to believe Roselyn was there just a few short months ago. We look forward to a great friendship out of these cousins!

Your Baby Can Read!

I know Roselyn is only 4 1/2 months old, but she is learning how to read! In December we purchased for her the "Your Baby Can Read" system. It includes DVDs, books, and word cards. There are five levels to the program and you can begin it as young as 3 months. Roselyn began nearly a month ago and seems to be getting into it. The program is simple. The baby watches the DVD twice a day and you supplement with the books and flashcards. The DVD shows the word with an arrow pointing left to right. The word is spoken a couple times. Then an image of the word is shown along with someone using a sentence with the word. There are also songs on the DVD. The DVD is only about 20 minutes long. It seems to keep Roselyn pretty well entertained. The first couple of weeks she couldn't focus well, but she seems to be enjoying it now. We watch it with her and repeat the words as well. We also point out what it is describing if the word is a part of her body (like mouth, eyes, nose, etc). They say it takes until about 9 months to notice the babies acknowledge the words. I think Rob and I have the DVD memorized by now. We will keep you updated on how it goes. Hey, something is better than nothing, right?:)

Doctor, Doctor, Give me the News!

This is the week of going to the doctor. Roselyn went to her pediatrician Monday and Endocrinologist Wednesday. I went for my pap smear Tuesday. Even Mac is going to see the vet today! As for Roselyn- she is a trooper! Monday's appointment went great. She currently weighs 15lb 3oz and is 26 1/2 inches long! Yes, she is still in the 90-95th precentile for both. Her head circumference is in the 75th precentile. Overall, a good healthy size. Dr. Cheeks did the normal examinations (place her on her stomach, lift her by her arms, mover her legs, etc). She was impressed with how strong Roselyn was! Because of her good weight, Dr. Cheeks would like me to continue breastfeeding exclusively until 6 months. We will discuss starting solids at our next visit (March 12th). The hardest part of the appointment was the vaccinations. She definitely does not like shots (but who does?). It was doubly hard since she has a cold and a real stuffy nose). Most of the day she did fine, but she definitely had a low grade fever at night and fussed throughout the night. We got through it and she is just fine now!
Wednesday was a trip to see Dr. Van Meter. He did the same sort of exams Dr. Cheeks did (which makes me wonder- why am I paying to see him?). At least it confirms to me that Roselyn is healthy and doing great. I was surprised that he asked me how often do I forget to give Roselyn her synthroid. Do people actually forget to give medicine to their children often??? He gave her a new prescription for three months and gave me an order to have blood work done. Here is another question- the blood work is to check to see if her dose of synthroid needs to be changed- so why does he give me a three month prescription I have to pay for BEFORE the results come back? Anyway, we went to Newnan hospital for the blood work. That was not fun. Roselyn definitely did not like the needle in her arm and they could not get the blood. They tried both arms without success. She was screaming and crying and there was nothing I could do to console her. We eventually pricked her heel. She actually didn't mind that much. I am not sure why it was so hard for the ladies to get blood from her arm. I have seen people do that when she was a month old- but not at Newnan hospital (that might be the difference- Newnan hospital is not known for the best quality).
On a good note- my doctor's appointment was super easy. Most people now I HATE pap smears. I have even taken Valium in the past to keep calm. I guess having a baby makes the difference. It was super easy and no discomfort:)

Happy New Year!

It is officially 2009! No longer are we in the year of Roselyn's birth. New Years was very low key for Roselyn. We went to visit Grandpa Steve and Grandma Kim in Birmingham, Alabama. This was the first time Grandpa Steve had seen Roselyn since she was born and Grandma Kim had never seen her. We reserved a suite at the La Quinta Inn to give us plently of room to relax on New Years. Relax is exactly what we did. Roselyn went with us to Locos for lunch New Years Eve, but got to relax in the room the rest of the day. She received plenty of love from Grandma and Grandpa all day long! We returned to Newnan on New Years day. Rob and I suddenly came down with a sickness. We determined it was food poisoning from the pizza we had New Years Eve night. All four of us were sick, but luckily, Roselyn was spared (I was worried because I am breastfeeding). Mimi came down Friday, January 2nd to help us take care of Roselyn since neither Rob nor I were in a state to entertain her. She really enjoyed Mimi's attention. Now we are all better and look forward to a great 2009:)