It's a once a week thing

We frequent the Dr. these days. Not because we're sick (thank goodness) It has been established that she is, well, not fat...lol

So we mainly visit the scale and make sure she's not getting skinnier.

She has a double chin still and some tiny little rolls, but she is petite, delicate and dainty.

So we wait...Parker and I. I'm actually kind of grateful. Not that we're at the Dr. a lot, but that we have that time, just her and I, to stare at each other and smile and practice skills like sitting.

What a wonder to see this tiny little being, who was inside by belly just 5 short months ago, now has discovered her feet.

Sure, we could stare at each other at home, but we don't always have the time to do so. So we do it where we can. It happens to be at the Dr. a lot.

I am grateful.

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Happy February and Happy 1/2 Birthday to Lane!

February is good because it is my birthday month and also the month Lane celebrates his 1/2 birthday. If you need a refresher, I blogged about it here last year. I just checked out the post and it's fun to go back and read the comments. So sweet! Well I don't have a cute video or anything, but I do have plenty from the past 18 months that I think have documented Life with Lane pretty well.

We went to his 18 month well check today. He is exactly 18 months old today. He weighs 24 lbs. the same as he did at his 15 month, but he has grown 2 inches to put him at 33 and some change. The weight didn't surprise me. He is not a good eater.

His lungs sounded clear, but he still has a tight cough and his ribs and chest pull when he breathes. They tried to get an oxygen level, but his hands were so cold, it wouldn't read it. The first time it was 94 and the second it was 99. When we went to his appointment last Tuesday it was 96 and that was a true reading. So needless to say we have to go back in a week and hope that his cough is gone and also his ear infection is cleared up.

He is right at all the developmental milestones they ask you and both Dr. Nelson and the nurse said he was so good and mellow...not a typical toddler in her words. (Is that good or bad?) I guess cause he was sitting forever while they were trying to get his oxygen reading and not making a peep. Plus after the 6th try I pulled out a book and he looked at that. And he must have remembered from last time because as soon as he saw the little machine that gets the reading, he put his finger out. It was so cute.

Here are some pics I took with my phone...I like to make appointments for first thing in the morning with the thinking that the wait time will be reasonable (aka: they won't be so behind) we waited maybe 5-10 minutes for the Dr. so this series of photos is within a few minutes...normal toddler? I think so!

Started off mellow. He was content to sit in my lap and finish his 2nd waffle. He had one at home and when we were walking out the door he was asking for more "walfl" so I toasted another one.

The I said "Say Cheese!" (didn't know I would be in the pic)

Tried again, this time hoping not to be in the pic and he decided to take a bite.

Waffle was done now onto some blueberries.

Then he wanted milk and to get down.

Then he wanted back up.

Then he spotted this stool which occupied him until the Dr. came in.

Something tells me he's ready for a nap.

Although he's mostly just taking one nap, I opted to put him down after this pic and haven't heard a peep since.

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Operation Fatten up!

At your 12 month well check, you weighed 19.97 lbs (I was really hoping you would crack the 20lb mark!) and measured 31 inches long. You got 5 shots and a heel prick to check your hemoglobin. You took the heel prick like a champ, watching the nurse insert the pointy object into your little foot. Then it was time for shots. I held your arms to your chest and kissed your little cheeks telling you it would be over soon. When you felt the first shot you cried a little and then it was over. Just to make sure you were feeling really good, I nursed you before we left. You filled your belly with milk and off we went! Works every time! You fell asleep on the 10 minute ride back home from the hospital...you were pooped!

So Lane, you are a lot of things and one thing you aren't is chunky. Dr. Greene told us to start including lots of dairy and even butter and syrup to give you lots of calories. So Daddy says you basically need my diet...but unfortunately my diet hasn't helped me pack on too many pounds! You're talking to a girl that went to the Dr. for issues with that and also for 'something hard in her stomach' and was worried sick...until the Dr. looked at her and said 'Um, Angela, those are your abdominal muscles'...oh, right, is that where those belong? What can I say Lane, we have good genes!

And that's a big thanks to Papa Dave. He can put away a large pizza by himself on a Friday night and I also have been known to finish a whole frozen DiGiornio by myself...not sure I can tackle a large Palermos or Alfonos though! So try as we will, to fatten you up, but I can't promise anything!

At 12 months:

• You can crawl very fast.
• You can stand by yourself, but won't take a step.
• And when we try to "practice" walking with you from mommy to daddy, you buckle your knees and crawl away as fast as you can. Stinker!
• You cruise all over the furniture.
• You love the lazy susan cupboard and often crawl in.

• You have a sense of humor and laugh when we laugh. It cracks us up!
• You love pushing around the ottoman or big boxes. (Maybe I need to get you a toy that does that!?!?!)
• You can say mamamama, dadadada, Har EE, Hi.
• You understand and "sign" 'more', 'milk', 'all done', 'drink', 'eat.'
• When I talk on the phone, you put your shoulder to your ear and 'talk' too.
• You can make scary monster sounds on command!
• You eat just about anything, but are very hesitant to try stuff at first.
• You hate mac-n-cheese from a box and hot dogs. Hopefully that will change.
• You still take a paci, but I really don't let you have it unless you are going to sleep...Daddy sometimes is a softy and let's you bring it out of your crib.
• When I get you from your nap, I say "throw it down" and you chuck your paci in the crib.
• You love books right now.
• You smile at everyone when we are out.
• Video chatting is getting harder and harder and often turns into "watch Lane crawl around the room." But I don't think they mind!
• You love to be with me in the kitchen cruising around from cabinet to cabinet and crawling up the back of my legs while I cook or clean up.
• You also love to go go go in your walker cornering Harley and I as we make Daddy's lunch or bag baby food.
• You love to stand on things like the side rails of your walker or your toys and you look at me with a very proud mischievous look until I start heading your way and then you quickly get down.
• You also KNOW what 'no' is, but don't always listen.
• And when you have something you KNOW you shouldn't have, you kindly offer it up to me as I head toward you. You're polite like that!
• You love to clap when we say "YAY!" or if you hear clapping on TV.
• You also give "kiss kiss" by leaning your head into ours or opening your mouth to our nose!
• While trying to get a few things done one day, I gave you some finger food for lunch and turned on Sesame Street...who knew you loved it so much! You laugh at Elmo a lot.
• It's very tempting but I try to limit your viewing of Sesame Street to a few times a week!

I think that is all for now. You are a very fun 1 year old! Daddy and I often wonder what we did before we had you to entertain us!

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A bloggy buffet...

if you will! A few random thoughts that don't at all go together. But I have been slacking on blogging because we have been BUSY! Lane is getting some more teeth....4, I believe, but he is a teething champ this time around! Yay! Either that or he's waiting until we go home in a week to show his true teething colors. ;-) Which is fine because then I will have help, relief, sanity....whatever you want to call it, it will be good.

He's doing so well at the Baby room at the gym. He LOVES it and rarely knows when I walk in to get him! I think it's partly because he can move about and do what HE wants! And of course, they all love him. His eyes especially....always talking about his eyes....seriously are they that BIG?! I would say the number one comment we get when we are out is about his eyes. His love of the baby room definitely motivates me to go and work out because then he can be social without me. And I of course can be working on my fitness...

Speaking of working out...today a girl got on the elliptical next to me and then a few minutes later got off and onto another one, 6 machines down. I may be paranoid, but I began to think of a reason why she would move. Then I started thinking about the herbs I take (in pill form) they make me smell of maple syrup.....ewwww...and she was also pregnant so maybe the smell was emulating out as I was sweating and she couldn't stand it....ya know, being pregnant and all. Or maybe heightened sense of smell and sensitivity to smells was a pregnancy symptom only I possessed?! Then I got really self-conscious because I thought I smelled! LOL!

But then I thought I may be the only anal one who actually wants to puke at the smell of maple syrup...pregnant or not! It's gross. And as luck would have it, the herbs I take make you smell like it. I eat pancakes with butter, waffles with butter, and french toast with powdered sugar....I HATE MAPLE SYRUP. I especially wasn't fond of "breakfast for lunch" day when I taught because then all the children in my class reeked of maple syrup. I blame this on my mother....she didn't give us syrup as children because she doesn't like it either. So one day Lane will probably blame his hate for maple syrup on me.

Speaking of Lane...So he is quickly approaching 10 months. As of 9 months 3 weeks and 5 days old he waves hi and especially when I bring out the camera (I'm sure you noticed in pictures of him always waving....not prompted by us), he loves his johnny jump-up, but especially gets to jumping when 'Dance Puppet Dance' is played (over and over and over and over), he has a thing with texture...in food that is...he will pick up new foods and play with them in his fingers and if the texture is not to his liking he will not put it in his mouth, he does 'so big' with at least one hand and he actually did it today for the first time. Even though we have been doing it for months, he finally gave me the satisfaction today. Aunt Cece says he can do it all, but only wants to bring out a few things at a time to catch us by surprise. He can sign milk, but only does it when he's eating, which kinda defeats the purpose. But today he skipped his 6 am feeding and slept until almost 9:30 so you bet he was signing milk as I picked him up out of his crib. So I guess he does know what's going on, he just chooses to do it on his terms! That's definitely my baby....

His 9 month appointment went well. He is growing and developing as he should. He's a skinny mini weighing in at 18lbs and he's 30 inches long. Took his shots like a champ and really liked the mirror next to the exam table. That kept him occupied while waiting for Dr. Greene.

He plays really well by himself. I just love watching him play and babble and just wonder what he is thinking and saying. He's a crawling champ and can be in the kitchen one second and behind the chair in the living room in another second. He also pulls up on anything and everything and loves crusing around his crib, but hasn't really attempted that on furniture yet. Of course he continues to love his bath or shower with one of us. He just sits/crawls/stands/plays while in there with one of us. He's a crazy man and has no fear of water being in his face or splashed on him. I attribute that to his Daddy who has made him so comfortable with the water. He's a pretty good sleeper, naps really well, but on days when we are out, he chooses to be awake instead. And most of the time handles a 'no-nap day' pretty well. I really love this age. Around 7 or 8 months is when the fun really started and it gets even better as he gets older.

Oh and lastly...we got his 9 month pics done so be expecting a pose or two when we come home. I didn't order like crazy, but we definitely have pictures to share. This time I picked pictures that really showed his personality. One captured his little 'one eyebrow raise' trick with a silly Lane smile and the other one is just cute! No CD this time, guess I didn't spend enough!

Wow! This will be a post for him to look back on and go 'what in the world was my mother taking on this day!' So anyway...think you're all caught up!

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6 month Well Check

My growing boy is 17.4 lbs. and 28 inches long. He is in the 85th percentle for length and only in the 30th percentile for weight, but you would think by looking at his thighs he was much heavier! He received 4 shots including a flu shot and the roto virus oral stuff he's been taking since 2 months. Dr. said all looks good and that Lane is the most handsome boy she's ever seen! I kinda think so too, but I am partial. :-) I still have to get his professional 6 month pics...I know, I know, I am a little behind, but I have taken the one next to Daddy's guitar that I try to do every month. It's fun to see the growth progress in comparison to the guitar. I'll post those sometime soon.

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