12 Month Recap

Since I haven't been doing my regualar blogging over summer. I am simply recapping what Madelyn does at 12 months for my own records. If you are bored and don't wish to read, I understand. Before Madelyn, I was so bored when people went on and on about what their little child did this time. So here it is:

At 12 Months Madelyn:
Crawls everywhere
walks while holding on to something, ie. furniture, walls, etc.
babbles continuously - she likes to stand up, raise her arm up in the air, and declare all kinds of things that I'm sure are very important to her, it's just I don't understand.
We can hold a toddler converstion, she babbles, I say, yes or sure, and then she continues to babble. It's great to have someone to talk to when you are at home all day!?
Her favorite things to do are look at books, play with a shape sorter, and unload all the kitchen drawers.
Madelyn can crawl up and down stairs on her own-yes, I know, I watch her closely, but she is very independant.
Puzzle the cat and Madelyn have a good understanding about petting, and when petting is done. So cute to see them together looking out the patio window!
Feeding - lots of changes there. After reducing her formula from 1.0cal/ml to .61kcal/ml she is eating a whole lot better. Madelyn's loves fingers foods and has been feeding herself from about 9 months.
Madelyn likes swimming, bike rides, and LOVES to swing!


Feeding story:
Most of you already know that Madelyn has a feeding aversion. Since the NICU powder formula was added to the breast milk for her to gain back some of the weight she lost due to surgery. Madelyn was never able to comsume a high enough volume to gain weight without the added calories. Over the first month at home we slowly climbed the later to more and more added calories to her breast milk. Then after the breast milk ran out after seven months, she was on strat formula at 1.1cal/ml. This was working well until she plateaued on her curve at about five months. Dr. C. suggested that I could start her on rice cereal if I wanted to. So, I did and Madelyn ate it very well. She was like a birdie opening her month for the next spoonfull. I thought that this was great; she won't have any problems moving to solid foods. But I was wrong, oh, so very wrong. As soon as I started with veggies and fruit, Madelyn, the little independant child she is decided that she would feed herself. I did "hand over hand" feeding so that the food would get into her mouth, very messy, but it worked. Then one Saturday lunchtime she decided that it was okay for me to spoon feed her again. Once again I thought okay this is great, we have concurred the feeding aversion. And again I was wrong. That only lasted about a month until she decided she would like to eat nothing on a spoon. Only finger foods and very few of them. Nothing mushy, and no pasta, no meat. But Madelyn was gaining weight so I was reassured by Dr. C. and Dr. H. and the Public Health nurse that it was okay.

Just after seeing Dr. C, Madelyn had her first appointment with the OT - Nancy. She asked me what I thought the problem was, and I guess I told the heartfelt truth. Madelyn can eat if she wants to. I really think the continued added calories where now holding her back. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want you to think I don't think added calories to a diet are important, they very much are! But I was feeling that Madelyn was never hungry because she never had to be with the formula mixture at 1.1cal/ml. I had seen a slight increase in diet when I moved her to 1.0cal/ml. So, Nancy encouraged me to try giving water at night time feeding so Madelyn would eat during the day. I did this and it didn't work. What I did instead was changed the formula to a regular mixture that any other baby would drink. And WHOLA! Madelyn now eats four to five small meals a day! I can starting over with the cereals and slowly she is now consuming up to a tablespoon twice a day. Yogurt is a hit, and fruit is okay sometimes too.

As a mother, I have to say that my mood is directly related to how Madelyn feeds in a day. Let's just say it's much happier in our house this last month! Now my prayer is that Madelyn doesn't loose weight, because if she does, up go the kcals/ml again.

Back to School?!

So last week the day arrived for all the kiddos to go back to school here in Manitoba. There is no one in my house that is going to school, but the "poggie" ran out and so I went back to work the same day most kids went back to school. The night before as I was lying in bed trying to go to sleep, I couldn't help but feel like a kid again. You know, the anticipation of a new school/work year. The near future use of new office supplies (I love new paper, pens, etc.). And then of course the thought of office politics came and smashed me in the face. Kapow!



I'm sorry but I will rant just a little here. I know this is a blog for CDH and Madelyn, but it does relate a little bit. Now first of all I work at a great job, with great empolyers, and great co-workers, for ten years. I am the first one to admit that I am guilty of this. Why does office politics have to exist, and why do I allow myself to get sucked into it? This last year I was really not missing that part going to work. And after being pregnant with a CDH baby, that has only a 50/50 chance at survival, and after seeing your only child struggle to breath, struggle to live, and fight to over come this huge birth defect, and then when you actually get to take the precious gift that God has given us home. And now that she is a year old and looking back on all the things that she has had to over come and think about all the things that she has yet to over come. Are any of the issues of any significance really in the grand scheme of things; just think about it a little. I know, I will be trying.





There now that my rant is over with I can continue.....I had a great day at work. It was only for a few hours to get to know what my section of billing will be. Although I have to admit that there were a few moments that I was wondering if I could do this again. Reading words that had more than four syllables , and have an intelligent conversation that lasted more than two minutes without a baby crying. But it worked out just fine and then my time was up and I got to pick up Madelyn. She did great being away from me, I was a little worried as I don't have a regular babysitter. Now the real challange will be for me to stay disaplined enough to actually work when Madelyn is sleeping. Which reminds me, I should be getting back to work.......:)

Remember When......

Today was one year ago that Madelyn had her organs placed into her abdomen and her diaphragm was repaired. I have to say, I LOVE DR. WISEMAN! I think he is the greatest physician alive. I know I am putting him on a pedastel that he would say was for nothing at all. But when a man is able to do a surgery that will save your child's life in only an hour and a half; I just feel so greatful, and I always will.

So to celebrate this day I made jam, jam, and more jam. The cherries where ready and so I needed to get them out of the pails and into some jars. Grandpa came to do some babysitting while I was busy. Thanks Grandpa!

Later after supper Carl and I took Madelyn for a bike ride. She is really enjoying the bike trailer. It was great to get out as a little family.