18 months old

Sami turned 18 months old last Friday, and today she had her 18-month checkup. 18 months old!!! How did we get here so quickly?

Sami weighs 24 pounds and is 33 inches tall. She is between the 75th and 90th percentile for height and in the 60th percentile for weight. It's hard to believe this is the same child who was born weighing 3 pounds.

It's been so long since I've written. There have been so many days in which I say to myself "Tonight I am going to blog." But then the day and night get the best of my time, and before I know it, the time is well into the early A.M. hours and I'm exhausted. So I obviously have a lot to say in this update.

Needless to say, Sami keeps me extremely busy. Saying she is an active child is putting it VERY mildly. She is on the go from the time she wakes up until the time she goes to sleep every day. Though she does nap some days, she doesn't nap every day anymore, and she is always on the go. She doesn't even sit down when she plays. She walks around with her toys and plays with them standing up. She climbs her changing table and the furniture and any stair she can find. She loves stairs. She really has become her own little person, and in case you didn't already know, I'm madly in love with this little person.

She says more words than I can count, give me tons of hugs and kisses, and quickly returns my smile with a smile of her own. People still stop us wherever we go to comment on how beautiful/adorable/cute/precious etc. etc. etc. they find Sami to be.

Sami and our greyhound, Penny, have gotten extremely close. In fact on a recent day when were out of the house all day, Sami came home and ran over to Penny and gave her a kiss.

She has so much hair that she's now wearing it in a little pony tail on top of her head most days, as I'm trying to avoid getting her hair cut as long as I can. She loves hats, and is always putting anything on her head and pretending it's a hat. Her new favorite is the spaghetti colander at my mom's house. She even knows which kitchen cabinet my mother keeps it in, and takes it out and wears it around the house when we visit my mom.

Going to the park has become a favorite pastime for both Sami and me. We go to the park very often, in addition to Mommy & Me classes, and lots of playdates with friends we have made. I've posted a photo here of Sami in a swing at the park, which she'd do for hours if I'd let her. I've also posted a recent photo of bubble time at Mommy & Me.

I am still working from home, and it's more challenging than ever balancing working and taking care of Sami throughout the days. Most days I wind up working after she goes to sleep at night and staying up late. I'm tired almost all of the time. Sometimes I don't even realize I am tired anymore. I guess I'm getting used to it. Then of course there are other days in which I'm so exhausted I can barely see straight. But of course it's worth it.

Going into Sami's room every morning when she wakes up is still the highlight of my day. When she sees me come in her room, she immediately starts clapping and saying "Yay!" And then when I pick her out of her crib, she generously grants me with a hug and kiss.

As you can tell, I can go on and on about Sami, and I promise to try and write updates more often. The days just go by so quickly, and unfortunately this blog is getting lost in the shuffle.

Thanks to everyone who continues to read when I do post here. Love to you all. :)

15 months and walking

On Monday night, at 15 months and 2 days old, Sami finally walked! She's taken a few steps before here and there in the past, but this was different. I'm not saying she is ready to run a marathon, but she walked across the playroom downstairs, and she did it several times. And while she did it each time, she laughed aloud the whole time, obviously very proud of herself!

Tomorrow is the last day Sami is contagious for the chicken pox, according to the pediatrician's office. Since we've been stuck at home for almost two weeks, I've really been working with her trying to get her to walk. I know she may have walked tonight regardless, but it gave Sami and I something to do to pass the time. I've really been going stir crazy being stuck at home, but Sami and I have had a lot of fun playing together. That said, I am really looking forward to us getting out the house!

Sami is also talking even more, and dancing and clapping every time she hears music. She is really quite a character and makes us laugh every day. We have to be really careful what we say now, as she repeats so many things she hears.

I can't believe she is already 15 months old. She is really her own little person, with her own personality (and her own huge temper, of course). She has so many teeth now, including molars on both the top and the bottom in the back of her mouth. She's growing so quickly, and I'm thinking she might even need her first haircut soon. :)

Chicken pox!

It's been a long week.

Last Monday, Sami developed a fever that began around 101 and wound up going to 104.4. Then on Thursday morning, she came down with the chicken pox as a reaction from the vaccine. It's a mild case of about 10 or so pox, and for some reason all of them are on her face. It's rare, but it happens. It follows a couple of months ago when she got a similar reaction after getting the MMR vaccine. One theory is that because she was born so early, she didn't get immunities in utero, as this usually takes place during the last two months of pregnancy.

Anyway, the first morning she scratched them a little, but since then she doesn't seem to even know they are there. But because they are contagious, Sami and I are stuck at home all day, every day. The last thing I want to do is spread the chicken pox around to anyone.

Meanwhile I am hoping that my one vaccine a couple of weeks ago will be enough to protect me. Adults are supposed to get two vaccines, four to eight weeks apart, to be fully protected. It's a few weeks too soon for me to get the second shot, so for now I am just hoping for the best!

Aside from that, things are going well. Steven's grandmother recently celebrated her 99th birthday, and Sami got to spend time with her grandparents (Steven's parents) while they were here visiting for the occasion. And of course Sami showed off for them, talking like she loves to do.

I also received my 40th birthday present from Steven, which he saved up for by doing extra freelance jobs, last week, as the jeweler needed some extra time to create it. I got beautiful diamond earrings that I will always cherish, remembering this special birthday. I haven't taken them off since I got them, and have no plans for them to leave my ears.

As for now, not many people feel safe coming into our home, with Sami having the chicken pox. I do not blame anyone, and I almost feel as though we are living in isolation. LOL. Thank goodness for the telephone and Internet or I'd have no communication with the outside world! It's been difficult keeping Sami entertained, but playdates are out the question. So I've playing with her and trying to keep her as busy as possible at home, working while she naps.

Finally back to sleep

It's after 2 a.m. and I finally just got Sami back to sleep. She woke up at midnight, seeming to think it was morning and wanting to play. I read her about eight stories, sang her a bunch of songs, and then just sat in her room talking to her. I was determined not to take her out of her crib, because I knew once I did that, she'd never go back in. So I just stayed in her room with her, until she finally got tired of listening to me talk and sing and went back to sleep.

So now here I am at 2:15 a.m., and since I'm awake I'm doing a little bit of work and making Steven's lunch before heading to bed.

Though I am tired, and I'm sure I'll be even more tired in the morning, I must admit I kind of enjoyed the quiet time with Sami in her room. I know one day she'll be "too cool" to hang out with me, so I try to really relish these moments.

14 months old

This week Sami and I both had our chicken pox vaccinations––Sami at 14 months, and me on the 11th anniversary year of my 29th birthday. After Sami had her shot, the pediatrician talked me into getting one, too, since somehow I have managed to get through 40 years without getting the chicken pox. Way back, my regular internist had advised me not to bother getting the shot since he believed there were so few cases of chicken pox out there anyway, so there wouldn't really be anyone to catch it from. However, I learned that if Sami is one of the children that gets a rash from the shot, then she would be contagious. Also, if I am ever exposed to anyone with the shingles, I would be able to contract chicken pox from them. So after all of these years, I was convinced. Sami will not be getting her second chicken pox vaccine until she is 5 years old; but as an adult, I will getting my second shot in 4 to 8 weeks from now. So now I hope neither Sami or I gets a reaction to the vaccine, which could include a fever and/or rash, and it can happen anytime up to 1 month after the shot.

The rest of Sami's doctor appointment went really well. The pediatrician looked at the shape her head, and agreed with the physical therapist that she looked great, and no longer needed therapy. Also, she now weighs 21 pounds! It's hard to believe she once weighed just three tiny pounds. The pediatrician said that Sami looked really well, and he was impressed with how much she is speaking. She says so many words now, and is extremely active and busy. She isn't really walking on her own yet, although she does stand up and let go of the walls of her pack and play and tries to take steps in there, but only if she thinks we aren't looking. She does walk throughout the house with her push toy; she just isn't ready to let go and walk without holding onto something. She'll walk when she is ready––she is just not ready yet. :)

Sami will be getting more vaccinations at 15 months, and then more at 18 months. Then after that, she has a break from shots until she is 5 years old.

As for everything else, we've been keeping busy, going to birthday parties, getting together with friends and family, and working, of course.

Happy Birthday, and Happy New Year!

So it's after midnight, and officially my birthday, which also means Sami is 14 months old today.

Today is a big birthday for me. It's the 11th anniversary of my 29th birthday. :) It's hard to believe.

It's also just a few days after welcoming in 2012--something else that's hard to believe. We had a really fun New Year's Eve. We went bowling, and yes, Sami came along. She hung out and clapped for us and had a great time.

Getting older never really bothered me before, but now with Sami here, I find myself thinking about my own mortality on this birthday, wanting to always be with Sami for every one of her lifetime milestones. So this year I'm feeling a bit melancholy.

Yesterday was also the Hebrew anniversary of my father's passing, and as I lit a Yartzeit candle for him, while holding Sami in my arms, I shared some happy memories of him with her.

That said, as a whole, I am really happy today--happy and grateful, for my wonderful husband and daughter, and for the family on both of our sides who we know are always there. Happy New Year. This year I hope for health and happiness for all of our loved ones.

Every day is different

I am expecting Sami to be walking any day now. She's standing up by herself in the middle of the room, but won't take a step. She just stands there and looks down at her feet and claps and laughs. Of course I then laugh with her.

Sami really raked in the Hanukkah gifts this year. She received clothes, toys, and books from her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins (and of course from us.) She may not understand that it was a holiday yet, but she definitely knows she has even more stuff to play with now. We also learned that she loves potato latkes, but then again Sami loves all food. We have yet to find something she will not eat. The pediatrician tells me to enjoy it now, because she may become picky later, but as for now, Sami is very far from picky. She amazed everyone last night when we got together with my family to exchange presents, when she pigged out on pizza, lasagna, a garlic roll, potato latkes and ice cream cake.

At home, she is eating and drinking mostly organic now, including organic milk and juice. After learning a couple of months ago about most apple juices containing arsenic, I switched to organic products. And of course, now Steven and I eating more organic food, too. I am a serious "couponer," and save 50 to 60 percent each week. This percentage has gone down a little bit since adding in organic products, but it's worth it knowing we are doing whatever we can in Sami's best interest.

Sami continues to amaze me each day. The truth is that most days I forget that I didn't give birth to her. We are connected in a way that I can't imagine would be any stronger if we shared the same DNA. One look at her beautiful face makes everything better, makes me calmer and seems to give me a sense of purpose.