Merry belated Christmas! I had no idea it had been such a long time since I'd blogged until someone said something to me the other day. Over THREE months?! I may never shut up!
This last time we visited, Amelia had taken a few steps but we couldn't quite call her a full fledged walker. Of course, that has changed, making shopping a whole new experience. She likes to help push the cart until she sees something she MUST have. Then, she'll do her best to pick it up, no matter if it's as light as a feather or a shiny red washing machine. True story.
She's jabbers constantly with quite a few real words thrown in. Her first three syllable word was, "Abigee" for David's mom's little yorkie named Abigail and she says "Mommy" and "Daddy" with a very distinct British accent. I have NO clue where that came from, but it's super cute!
After a bazillion ear infection diagnosis, she'd finally had enough within a 6 month period to qualify for an appointment with an Otolaryngologist to discuss his recommendations. After the second to last ear infection, I really started researching and had come to the conclusion I wouldn't use antibiotics the next time she had one. Less than a month later, she was diagnosed with another DOUBLE ear infection but we waited on the antibiotics. The next day, she was perfectly fine.
That lead to even more research and I began to think she may not even be having ear infections. I kept my thoughts to myself, waiting to see the ENT specialist. Nine days after her double ear infection diagnosis, he says her ears look perfectly normal but discusses the option of having tubes inserted into her ears. Without any form of rational thought, I instantly felt that would be the wrong decision, but we watched the little informational video anyway. Half way through, David looks at me and shakes his head.
When the doctor came back in, we asked him a few questions and have come to the conclusion that we may have been right; she may not have been having ear infections. We think the pain and discomfort was coming from teething, and the ENT confirmed, the redness in her ears could have just simply been from crying. Munch like our eyes and nose get red when we cry, the inside of our ears will, too. Since there was never any fluid associated with the "infections," it's not likely there really was an infection.
Part of me feels completely stupid for taking her in for being cranky and unbalanced, when she was "just" teething. The other part of me knows I would've never done that had they not been diagnosing ear infections each time. It upsets me so much to think of all the antibiotics Amelia was given, possibly unnecessarily! The next time she acts in the manner that lead us to take her in to be examined, we're going to wait it out and see if she's better the next day and see if she feels better with a little Motrin or Tylenol like she usually does. Ugh.
The ENT appointment was yesterday, so this is all still a little aggravating. lol
This is our Santa Picture for last Christmas. We were at church and David's grandpa sat down in a chair beside the Christmas tree. Never one to pass up a photo op, I grabbed my camera from the van, David's mom plopped Amelia down on PaPaw's lap and this is what happened. She knows him and had just been playing with him in church. I have NO idea what her problem was, but I took full advantage of the comedic value!
We actually took her to visit the Mall Santa a couple days before these pictures were taken, but he was skinny, had bad teeth and just looked creepy. We stood in line for about 15 minutes, then chickened out when it was our turn. I'm a sucker for sentimental things and moments that will become fond memories, so I think we ended up with a MUCH better picture(s)!
I told my mother-in-law (MIL) the other day that there were 3 main things I wanted instilled in Amelia from the very beginning. She needs to know how to act in public, she needs to have good table manners, and she needs to be taught responsibility appropriate to her age and abilities. In other words - I'm her mother, not her maid and she needs to act like she has some sense both at home and in public.
Surely that's not too much to ask. If she takes something off the shelf of a store, she needs to put it back instead of throwing it in the floor. I've learned that I have WAY more patience than I ever thought imaginable, and I will stand in the same spot until they kick me out of the store, waiting on her to pick the item up. I've also learned that she is just as stubborn as I am! Thankfully for all involved, she really does listen well and wants to please.
*sigh* I love my Bunny! She's such a smart and funny little girl. That's right, she's more little girl than she is baby BUT she will always, always, always be MY baby. ALWAYS. If she wakes up in the night and I'm not there, she cries for me, even if David is lying beside her. She'll either reach up for me to hold her for just a minute before we lay back down or she'll lay back down, waiting for me to join her. She quickly drifts back to sleep and then I can get back up to do whatever it was I was doing.
David tries to put her to bed, but 9 times out of 10, I have to lay down with them for her to go to sleep. Some of you are probably shaking your heads, thinking to yourself that she should be in her own bed, putting herself to sleep and part of me agrees. The part of me that was taught that very same way of doing things, but with all my heart, this just FEELS like the right way to do things for now.
I think we're going to go ahead and convert her crib to a toddler bed so she can become accustomed to the idea of it. Just like every other human being, she does things in her own time, and I think she'll want to move to her room, to her big girl bed, whenever it feels right to her. I'll sure miss her snuggly little self, though! :D
I asked her for kisses last night. She cocked her pretty little head to the side and said, "ay peeze." So of course, I said, "PLEASE give Mommy kisses." She grinned, wrapped her chubby arms around my neck and gave me the best slobbery kisses EVER! At least she's been listening!
These two pictures are just funny! She confiscated my bowl of sour cream and commenced to bathing in it!
This past Sunday at church, our pastor let out a "whoo" in the middle of his sermon. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you've never been to a Pentecostal/Church of God church, have you? LOL Anyway, Amelia heard him, "whooed" back at him, raised her little hand and exclaimed, "Amen!"
I'm back, 10 hours later. lol I'm going to post this one and then start another one tonight.
Bunches of hugs,
LaLa
