5 Months Old and RSV!

Today is Natalie's 5 month birthday!  However, today was not the best day for little miss Natalie.  She has had a pretty nasty cough for the last couple of days and hasn't been sleeping well at night at all.  If you know Natalie, then you know something is wrong if she isn't sleeping well!  Also, she coughed so much and so hard last night that she threw up carrots all over Derek at about 3 am.  Yuck!  So I called the pediatrician hoping they would call in some medicine to at least help her sleep better at night.  But, of course they wanted to see her in person.  So I brought her in this afternoon.  The doctor listened to her lungs and heard some major wheezing going on.  He then decided to do a test for RSV (a nasty respiratory virus, for those who aren't familiar) -- just a nasal swab -- and the test came back positive for RSV.  So now my life is full of breathing treatments (every 4-6 hours) with 2 types of medication.  Natalie actually does pretty well with them...she is getting used to the mask I think.  I'll be sure to take some pictures in the next few days of her getting her breathing treatment!  Hopefully these will help her expel any nastiness in her lungs and sleep a little better at night.  She is supposed to do these breathing treatments for about a week and can't go back to day care until Monday!  Thank goodness Nanny is able to come and keep her!

4 Month Checkup and Rice Cereal!

Yesterday Natalie visited her pediatrician, Dr. Bubenzer, for her 4 month checkup and shots.  She got three shots (2 in one leg and 1 in the other) as well as an oral vaccine.  The doctor said she looks great and seems to be a very happy baby.  She was really impressed with how strong Natalie is for her age, especially in her legs.  The doctor really thinks she will crawl early!  Here are some stats:

Weight:  13 pounds, 12 ounces

Length:  25 1/4 inches long

I didn't get percentiles, but I think she falls right around the 50% range for both categories.  

Dr. Bubenzer also said we could start her on rice cereal twice a day -- spoon fed!  So tonight we stripped her down to her diaper, put on a bib, tried out the high chair for the first time, and went for it!  As you can see, she absolutely LOVED it.  She really got the hang of it and wanted more when she was finished!  By the time we were halfway through, she would open her mouth really big when she saw the spoon coming at her!  I think she'll do great with baby food too in a few weeks!

Just for Susan!

This post is just for Susan, who threatened me yesterday with the statement, "If I look at your blog and it says 'Backwards in the Bouncer' one more time...."  Haha.  So I guess I am seriously terrible at this blogging thing.  I do forget that not everybody sees Natalie all the time.  AND of course I'll blame a little bit of it on Derek, who "misplaced" the little gadget we use to upload pictures from our camera to the computer.  Hopefully we will either find it soon or just suck it up and buy a new one.  ANYWAY, here is what Natalie has been up to lately:

1.  She can totally hold her head up now

2.  She is a rolling machine when you lay her down (I love going to her crib every morning and seeing what position she has gotten herself into!)

3.  She smiles A LOT, and loves to smile back at you when you smile at her

4.  She is beginning to laugh out loud, but I still can't get her to laugh whenever I want her too.  It seems pretty random so far.

5.  She "talks" all the time!  

6.  She is definitely teething -- always chewing her clothes, passy, fist, my hand, teething rings, or anything else she can find to put in her mouth.  Baby OraGel is my best friend.  Her daddy has stripped her of the "good baby" title for the time being, as she is quite fussy these days.

7.  She is losing her hair, especially in the back where it rubs off on her carseat and in her bed.  I have to lint roll her sheets every day to get the hair off that she loses at night.  Otherwise, I'd have to change her sheets every couple of days

8.  She is wearing 3-6 month size clothes (nothing 0-3 months fits her at all!)

9.  She will be 4 months old on October 11.

10.  She goes to the doctor Oct 15 for lots of shots and a general checkup.  Hopefully the doctor will tell us we can add rice cereal to her bottle and even maybe start her on baby food in a month or two.

11.  She lays on her "play gym" and actually grabs and swats at all the toys hanging down.  Her favorite is the monkey.

12.  She is moving up to size 2 diapers in the next week.

13.  She is drinking 5-6 ounces of formula every 3-4 hours.  Still sleeping at night for about a 10 hour stretch!

14.  She is known as "nosy Natalie" at day care because she is always looking around at everything that is going on.

15.  She is excited about Halloween and is going as a baby giraffe.  

Backwards in the Bouncer

This morning Natalie did something really funny!  Derek and I are pretty guilty of using the bouncer as a babysitter while we get ready, especially for church.  So this morning while we were getting ready, she was laying in her bouncer (on her back obviously) looking around and smiling as usual.  As we were getting dressed for church, we would pop in on her and make sure she was still OK.  Well, Derek checked on her and she was on her tummy, face down in the bouncer!  I guess this was her first rolling over attempt, although I'm not sure it counts because she wasn't flat on the floor.  Needless to say, we must definitely strap her in to her bouncer from now on!

Tomorrow I am starting work!  By the way, Derek is teaching PE and 7th grade social studies at Cloutierville Elementary/Jr. High as well as coaching basketball for all who didn't know.  Needless to say, it is taking him some getting used to!  He is really starting to appreciate how good his kids were these past 3 years at Summit View.  

2 Months Old and Lotsa Shots!

Natalie is officially two months old (as of yesterday)!  I can't believe it!  Today she went to get her 2 month shots, which consisted of 4 needles (2 shots in each leg) and an oral vaccine.  It was really funny watching her take the oral vaccine and her reaction to the medicine as they squirted it in her mouth!  It was not funny, however, to watch her reaction to the 4 shots.  As you can imagine, there was a lot of screaming.  But she pulled through like a champ.  Nothing a little Tylenol can't fix.  Here are some recent pictures.  Sorry they are a little blurry.

FINALLY all settled in....

So apparently I am the world's worst blogger.  To my credit, however, we've had a REALLY busy month!  On July 12th, we started the journey to move back home to Louisiana.  We got here the next day and have been getting settled in ever since!  We are currently living in my grandparents' vacant condo off of Jackson Street in Alexandria until our house sells and we can buy or rent another place.  It's small compared to what we were used to in Kentucky, but it's free, and very convenient.  So no complaints here!  

After spending lots and lots of time with our families, we are finally settled in and are staying in the condo for more than 2 nights at a time now!  It feels good to be in a routine!  Last week Derek and I went to the beach along with his sister and her husband.  We left Natalie as well as their 4 year old and 6 year old with Nanny (Derek's mom).  I must have really needed a vacation, because I did great!  I was really scared I would be miserable without Natalie, but I did just fine!  Hope that doesn't mean I'm a bad mom or anything....haha.  Gulf Shores was a blast and Derek and I had some much needed time together.  

Derek is starting work this week (teaching math at Dry Prong Jr High, unless something from ASH pulls through today) and Natalie is starting Day Care next week (the 11th).  She is getting so big!!!  I can't believe she is almost 8 weeks old!  She is smiling a lot now, especially in the morning, and is doing great with holding her head up more and more.  She is getting so LONG!  I know she'll be rolling over before I know it!  I am starting work on August 18th, so I'm going to enjoy my last couple of weeks!  Pictures of Natalie to come soon, I promise.

Some really great pictures!

Go to allisonhoopes.smugmug.com and click on the Natalie Claire link on the bottom right of the page.  My friend Allison took these really awesome pictures of Natalie a few days ago.  Enjoy!

Getting big!

Natalie is getting so big!  I have noticed in the last couple of days how filled out she is getting.  And longer too I think.  We are doing great with her -- in a good routine of feeding and finally feeling really comfortable with her.  I sometimes wonder what in the world I did with my time before she came along!  Tomorrow the girls are coming to visit for a few days and I am  SO excited.  I know Natalie will love meeting them and Mommy and Daddy will really love the extra 8 hands!  

Eat, Sleep, Poo, Repeat

Derek is a pro at playing PS3 and holding 

Natalie!

A little half-smile

I think Derek and I are getting into a little bit of routine!  And it only took us 2 weeks!  Natalie eats about every 3 hours during the day and every 4 hours at night (but only because we wake her up to eat!)....I think she could easily sleep in a 5 hour stretch if we let her.  She is already growing and looking more like her Daddy every day in my opinion!  

Recent Outings

Natalie sleeping at Max & Erma's

Aunt Kristen and Natalie

Natalie sleeping in her bed

Courtnie enjoying her outing @ OUTBACK

FINALLY A MARGARITA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ready to head out on our first family outing

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Recently Courtnie and I have felt comfortable enough to take Natalie out on the town a bit.  A couple days ago we went to OUTBACK and had dinner.  She slept through the whole thing.  Nobody bothered us and the food was great. It sure was great to finally get out, more so for Courtnie  b/c she can't drive yet so she can't get out on her own.  Yesterday we also took a short excursion.  We went to a local shopping center here called Crestview Hills.  Courtnie got a pedicure done while Natalie and I strolled up and down the street. After a while she(Natalie) and I went into Border's Books and I read her a few books.  She slept through most of story time but I think she liked it.  We have also had a recent round of company come over which was awesome.  Aunt Kristen,  Aunt Lori,  Aunt Becca, and Dave all came to visit.  Aunt Kristen said she does not hold Infants but by the end of the night she could not resist. I posted the picture to prove that as well as some others.  

P.S.

Natalie's cord/bellybutton thing finally fell off. Thank goodness.  That thing was gross......