...how could you not???)But, I realized that I haven't written an "Abby Update" in quite a while. So, in honor of Abby's recent 1st birthday, here's the scoop on our little munchkin!
On Friday, September 11th, we went to the pediatrician's office for Abigail's 1 year check-up. Abby did great! Our (not so) little munchkin is 30 inches tall (75th percentile) and 22 pounds, 11 ounces (75th percentile). So, her height growth is slowing down, but her weight growth is speeding up. (Her mommy is so glad that she not losing that little baby belly or those chubby cheeks just yet!!) The doctor said that her motor development is great, and she got a clean bill of health.
Our only issues come in the food department. Abby is an eater, but she's very resistant to table food. I think that part of the problem is that we haven't been able to give her some of the tasty things that kids like to eat, like pancakes, mac and cheese, and yogurt, due to her milk protein allergy. But, of the foods that we have been able to give her, she seems very finicky about texture. For example, she will eat jarred food with bananas in it until the cows come home, but if we try to give her slices of banana, she spits them out or just plays with them. Dr. Caravella told us to approach this issue carefully, because we don't want to force her to eat something she doesn't want, which could possibly cause her to have an aversion to eating, which would be very, VERY difficult to overcome. So, he told us to be patient, give her ample opportunity to try table foods, and just supplement with baby food as necessary. He said that his own son refused table food and ate jarred baby food until he was almost 18 months old - his son is now 6'9", 280 pounds, and playing football in college! So, Dr. Caravella said that we might get funny looks from people who see us giving baby food to a toddler, but he said that it's more important that we follow Abby's signals and give her the nutrition that she needs, rather than worry too much about the mode of delivery.
The other big development from the doctor's office is that he would like us to give Abigail milk. Yipes! We've been avoiding dairy for so long, and I'm extremely nervous about how Abby's system will handle milk. The doctor said that upwards of 95% of infants with a milk protein allergy will eventually outgrow it, but in some cases it may take a bit longer than others. So, yesterday Abigail had some mashed potatoes with milk and butter. (Once again, we encountered some texture issues, but she had a few good bites...) We're also going to start putting milk into her formula (80% formula, 20% milk), gradually increasing the milk and decreasing the formula. After a few weeks, assuming that Abigail has no outward symptoms, we'll do a few more poop tests (remember this and this) to see if her little belly is tolerating milk. If not, we'll stay on the EleCare for a few more weeks and then try again. So, please say a prayer for Abigail, that her belly has developed and that she will soon be able to enjoy all the yummy, delicious foods that she hasn't been able to eat before!
Developmentally, Abby is doing very well. She's a very steady walker, toddling all over our house. The big problem is that now she's trying to walk faster, so she tends to lose her balance. But, as long as she slows down, she can usually right herself again without falling. She also loves squatting (I know, funny, huh?) and crawling on the couch. Abby has now learned how to clap - in fact, after the choir finished a hymn in church yesterday, Abby began clapping for them! She loves to point, usually at things that are above her head, like clouds, trees, and the ceiling. She's still muttering lots of syllables (da-da, ma-ma, na-na, ya-ya, la-la, ba-ba), but she's trying to say some "words." We've gotten "uh-oh" a few times (especially after she drops stuff) and she's taken to calling Carey "da-dee."
Abby loves playing with just about anything, but she's really into books right now. (The hard board books - she's not real gentle with pages just yet...) She'll sit and turn pages and look at pictures; it's very cute. She's also become very attached to her blankie. (Carey and I are in the process of purchasing a few spares, but right now, she doesn't really notice the difference between her little yellow blankie and big yellow blankie with the duckie on it. They're both yellow thermal blankets, so I think that's what's most important to her.) Abby also received some great toys for her birthday, including a magnetic farm for the fridge, a snail bath toy, and one of those popcorn poppers. She loves exploring, touching and grabbing as many different shapes and textures as she can get her hands on. She's also entered an "empty it out" phase. She'll pull all her books off her bookshelf or open her drawers and pull out all her clothes. (It's pretty cute until mommy remembers that Abby hasn't entered a "put it back" phase yet...)
So, that's Abby in a nutshell. She's growing and learning and laughing and hugging and just being a joy to both Carey and myself. There isn't a day that goes by that Carey and I do not thank God for entrusting Abigail into our care. She is precious to us and precious to Him!
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