A big update

First, and probably most important, I found this on Yahoo!.



The caption says: "NASA-released ultraviolet image of the sun. The big news: Earth is doomed to fry and then be gobbled up by the dying Sun." This sounds pretty bad.

Also, I want to show you my new rug.



I went out and bought this rug just so that when the physical therapist came to visit Anne Marie, there would be a good place for her to practice crawling and show what she could do(we have carpet in the basement too, but usually, people mostly visit upstairs).

Sadly, the appointment that I thought was a physical therapist coming to do an evaluation was actually another paperwork appointment, where they asked a bunch of questions concerning Anne Marie's abilities. It was easy when the woman was here, but it was a bit harder when she called back with the results. In most things, Anne Marie is normal, although she is a bit low on communication skills. In physical development, it turns out she is 7 months behind, meaning she is at the equivalent of a six-month old in terms of motor skills. I knew she was a bit behind, but when I heard that yesterday, it just about devastated me.

I know I was being silly - I know my daughter is smart, sweet and funny, and she will eventually catch up, but it's still tough. I think you always worry about your child, no matter how many times people tell you not to.

So I guess there will be a physical therapist calling next week to do another evaluation and set up a plan. Hopefully, she just needs a little boost. She is actually getting a little faster at her version of crawling every day. I'm going to try to figure out how to put up a video.

Crawling update

Before anyone gets too excited, Anne Marie isn't quite up on her hands and knees yet. But she is definitely getting closer! She now can get up on her hands and knees, then she uses her legs to catapult onto her stomach so she can army crawl.

But, if my pediatric physical therapist friend's predictions are correct, she might not worry too much about crawling, and isn't as delayed as she seems. She has good balance, and when she is standing against something, she has no problem pivoting arolund to look at something, which I guess is a good sign.
I was over at my friend's house last night to see her new baby and bring them dinner, and she asked about the infant/toddler referral. She told me sometimes the program takes awhile to kick in, and showed me some exercises to help Anne Marie walk. She said Anne Marie is actually quite close to being able to walk, and was just missing something-centric strength (I can't remember what she called it). She showed me how to move her legs for her, and some exercises that will make Anne Marie bend her legs. Right now, she just stiffens them up whenever she tries to use them.

I think people are more excited about this girl crawling then they are about a kid first walking. At playgroup yesterday, the people who watch the babies while the parents talk told me they had to take off her shoes so she could "crawl all over the place." They are thrilled with her army crawl and her brief moments on hands and knees. It feels really great to see people cheering her on like that.

The real cost of day care

Poor little Anne Marie started throwing up at about 1:30 a.m. again this morning. She's finally asleep, and I'm hoping the storm is over, but it's always a rough ride.

This little girl has not been cold or puke-free for more than two weeks since she was 6 months old. I have her in what is widely-known as the best child care in town, and she isn't there full-time, but she still catches absolutely every bug that comes around the building. Even with only part-time work, I have almost completely depleted my sick leave, and she has missed several days of day care (which of course, you still have to pay for). It makes you wonder if the $172 a month I pay is really worth it. I'm hoping that she'll have a killer immune system when she hits kindergarten.

The upside is, she really doesn't seem to notice when she's sick. This morning, she would throw up, then play, then throw up again. She was desperately thirsty, and when I nursed her, she threw up, then started playing. Later, she was begging me for a sippy cup, so I gave her some pedialyte. She drank an ounce, immediately threw it up, then played again. She stays happy through stuffy noses, fevers, earaches and more. She is one tough kid.

Also in Anne Marie health news, I went to the infant/toddler screening, and they referred me to a formal physical therapy evaluation. They sent me a follow-up letter today that said they will be setting up an appointment soon. I'm really excited to have something I can do to help her get moving. She's actually been moving really well on her stomach the last few days, and this morning (despite the puke-fest), she got up on her hands and knees for a few seconds, and rocked. I yelled at Matt to come see, but she stopped as quickly as she started. I've read that this is pre-crawling behavior, though, so it's definitely progress.

The neat thing about the physical therapy evaluation is that they do it in the home. They said they'd give me exercises, etc. using tools I have at home, so we can practice more. I think this baby is going to be on the move in no time. :)





Doesn't that look a bit demonic? :)

A new love affair begins...

From first birthday

The Baugh sugar gene is alive and well.

The first year, a tour

It all started on January 22, 2007. I went to my daily blood pressure/pee check, and they said, "You need to walk over to the hospital and have your baby." Two days later, TA-DA!



The first few weeks were in the hospital, but, after 18 LONG days, TA-DA again!



We had some good times,



Checked a few books off our "must reads":



Did some exercises,



tried some new food,



and charmed the uncles.



We took some hikes,


checked out some beaches,



and learned how to swim.



We enjoyed some great sunny days,



And some snowy ones.



We chatted with friends.



We embraced the inner bear.



We shared with friends,


And they shared with us.


Happy Birthday!

A solitary life

In the world of "mom," especially in the Internet world, I hear a lot of talk about how isolating it can be to stay at home full-time with your kids. I imagine it's true. It would be really hard to go without adult conversation for the whole day, and I imagine it can sometimes get monotonous, especially with a baby. (Just so everyone knows, I wasn't angry in the above photo. I was just trying to match Anne Marie's mood. :))

But, sitting at lunch the other day with my co-workers, I realized how solitary it can be to be a working mother as well. I work in a profession that is definitely not family-friendly. The hours are long and unpredictable, and the pay is abismal. Few of my co-workers have children. The ones who do have never been real friends because, up until now, we had nothing in common.

So I was sitting there, enjoying my sandwich, when I realized I had very little left to say to these people who have been co-workers and friends forever. I haven't been out to the bars, listened to live music, or even to a movie for a very long time. We can still talk politics and work, but not much else. They don't really want to hear how Anne Marie can't get enough of the song, "Mr. Golden Sun," and I have nothing to say about how much fun I had the evening before.

For the stay-at-home types, there are mother's groups, play times, etc. For the full-time working mother, there simply isn't time to think about it. For those of us who work 25 hours a week, however, we can sometimes feel a bit out of place in both worlds.

On the other hand, I think I'm incredibly lucky that Matt and I are able to co-parent, even though sometimes it's tough to come home from a whole day of work and look after your baby by yourself while your spouse heads to the office. Behold, the toll it takes on Matt and Anne Marie:

Mustang Sally

I learned how to put music on my phone today. It turns out Anne Marie LOVES Mustang Sally. She also loves "Another One Bites the Dust." When they play on my phone, she grabs it, waves it and bops like a wild woman. I wish I had a photo, but I got some great pictures of her winking last week:





I swear the filthy toy is the background isn't one she plays with. It's Rosa's. :)

Anne Marie and I took the week after Christmas off to spend our days together, and I absolutely loved it. It made me wish I was at home full-time, although I did enjoy going back to work as well. I told my boss I would go up to 30 hours in February, but now I'm not sure that's exactly what I want to do. I work from home sometimes now, so I think I'll just work from home a bit more maybe.

In other news, I'm still worried about Anne Marie and her motor skills. She still isn't really crawling, and she's almost 1. She just recently started trying. Here's what she looks like. That one pesky leg won't go behind her. She is way flexible though! There is absolutely no way I could make my leg do that. We have her 12 month well check in two weeks, so perhaps I'll ask then.