milkin' it

We just got home from S's one-year check up. Pretty uneventful...unless you count the shots as events, but I think of them more as traumas than events. I think the word event has too positive a connotation to apply to vaccinations.

She got three shots this time. One in her leg and one in each arm. These were her first shots in her arms, and she did not like it. Who does? I felt bad for her, but she's tough, and she was completely fine 15 seconds later. She's still a monster baby. 24 pounds, six ounces, which lands her in the 89.98th percentile, and she's 31 inches long, which is the 94th percentile. And, she's still a total ham. She was walking around the waiting room, smiling at everyone. I think she was waiting for them all to say how cute she is. I think I'm going to have to stop telling her that she's pretty because I think she's getting a big head.

I did talk to the doctor about the weaning issues and our newest sleep issues, and he made me feel better about both. I seriously love Dr. Childers, and I am bummed that this is the last time we'll likely see him. He's very laid back and practical in his approach to medicine. He recommended that we go ahead and wean her before we move. And he's "not above bribing" a kid to drink milk. He said if she continues to refuse whole milk, put a couple of drops of flavoring in it to get her drinking it, then gradually take it away. But, I realize now that she may be getting enough calcium from yogurt and cheese that I may not need to worry too much. Maybe she can just drink water before bed. She has a cup of water in her bed anyway. We'll figure it out somehow. The good news is that we have successfully eliminated the post-nap nursing sessions altogether. I guess I'll move on to pre-nap feedings this week. Wish me luck.

We also talked about her new sleep routine...she's been ready for bed around six...and ready to start her day at five. This really isn't acceptable. He said we just needed to struggle through a couple of rough nights of keeping her awake until we're ready for her to go to bed...and then make her stay in bed a little longer each morning. He said it would be rough. If we can get her back on track, it's worth it, though. I wake up stressed every morning when she wakes up so early because I know the whole day will be messed up. It sucks. So, I guess we'll be trying this out, too. Besides, I need to get her bedtime back to something seemingly normal before we move as we'll be headed back to central time (thank God!), and her current routine would have her waking up at 4am there. Holy moly.

Lastly, in case anyone is interested, I did ask him how he felt about BPAs in plastic cups (as S threw her eighteen pound Foogo weapon, I mean cup, at him). He said that the concern is so negligible that it's not really a problem. There are a lot of other concerns that are more pressing. I even asked him if I needed to be hand-washing all of her plastic cups. He said, "if you've got time, great. If not, don't worry about it." It was good to hear. I hate the Born Free cups because they leak everywhere, and the Foogo cups are bound to cause Otis brain damage if he continues to be hit in the head with them...or I'll end up with a broken bone from them. It's just a matter of time. So, I'll continue to use the Playtex sippy cups that never leak and that don't frighten my metatarpals. When she gets older, I'll get her a Kleen Kanteen or a Sigg, but for now, I'm crossing this off my "to-stress about" list. That way, I can get back to stressing about more important things. Like what kinds of tomatoes I want to grow in the garden this year.

Enjoy Fat Tuesday. And, if you're in a state that's voting today, get off your butt and show your love for a democrat.