Top Photos of 2013: 16

So I tried to take pictures of Stella every month for the first year.  I believe I got about 9 or 10 months.  Not too bad.  Some shoots were easy and I got a boatload of great pictures.  Other times she was difficult and I only walked away with a few decent pictures for my troubles.  

Today's pictures come from her 7th Month photos back in January.  It was one of the times when I had many great pictures to choose from.  She was in a happy mood, smiling and giggling the entire time.  Easy.

I'm a big fan of black and white pictures, especially when it is for landscapes or portraits.  I am also a fan of high contrast in black and white pictures.  Today's picture is an example of both.

#16

It was one of the final pictures I took that day.  I love everything about this picture I think.  The fact that she is offset.  Her eyes.  The contrast.  The black and white.  The look on her face.  It is one of my favorite pictures of her.  From this shoot at least.  There are so many pictures of her; it is hard to choose which are favorites.  But this one would be up there.

Winding down the count now.  The heat is on.  What can top today's picture for Day 17?  Hmmmmm?  I'd better start hunting.

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Sunday Snapshot - 1

The long-awaited Sunday Snapshot post has returned to Drosche Land.

I know I have eagerly been anticipating its return and am happy it is finally here.  Time is finally on my side again now that summer is here, even though we have been keeping busy and I'm not blogging as much as I'd like.  But its here.

The theme of this post is slightly outdated as it refers to Stella's 1st birthday.  I did, of course, celebrate the occasion with a photo shoot and this post shows off those pictures. She has grown and changed so much, as we all have, over the past year.  I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did taking them and sharing them!

She's full-on walking now and she gets into everything!  Neither of the boys were ever as busy as she is.  We are constantly chasing her down, taking things away, and telling her no.  Not that the word "no" means much to her; other than a signaling to smile adorably and run in the other direction!

Stella has always been a happy baby, but ever since we have zeroed in on her allergies and altered her diet accordingly she has been happier than ever.  I guess living without constant intestinal issues will keep you in a pleasant disposition!

This past year has been a whirlwind of changes and new experiences for us here in Drosche Land and the addition of Stella into our lives has been a major part of that.  She is, as each of her brothers were, a complete blessing in a time when we needed her.  A time HE orchestrated and knew perfectly.  I am constantly in awe of this little girl and how much she has changed us.  Being a father to a little girl has been very different than being a father to little boys.  It is a continual learning experience, but one that I am always enjoying.

And a final picture.  It's not a perfect shot and I haven't edited it too much.  But it is hilarious.  It shows our girl's little attitude.  This is her mad face.  She makes it a lot.  Most of the time she is playing and being silly, not really mad.  She does this quite often at dinner.  However, sometimes she is mad, and those times she means it.  Trust me.  It is one of our favorite things about her since it shows her feistiness and expressiveness!  Oh this little girl!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

The Diagnosis - Part 2

Ok, so this post took a little longer in coming than I had originally intended.  But last week was VBS and time just got away from me.  Anywho, here we are.

Amy finally got ahold of the doctor's office and we received the remaining pathology results we had been waiting on.  Turns out her mast cells were high, but not terribly.  They were in the limits of an allergic reaction.  So, her doctor is thinking it is not Mastocytosis.  This is great news.  However, we still have a long road ahead of us filled with learning.

As I'd mentioned before she has now been diagnosed with an allergy to soy as well as the milk protein.  We also suspect that she may have an intolerance to gluten as well.  Ugh.  We've been monitoring her rash/hives, demeanor, and tummy issues (diaper fillings).  We're not totally sure, but have a strong suspicion.  So here we sit on the precipice of raising a child with allergies.  Now I know that her allergies are minor in comparison to others' but it is still a lot for us to handle having never experienced it before firsthand.  We are learning to research and read labels to ensure that she is not getting dairy or soy.  We are also thinking and praying about the gluten, trying to decide if we cut that out as well.  That is a huge undertaking so we are being sure to make as educated decision as possible.  I'll update on it more.

In the meantime Amy, my heroine, spent the better part of last week on the phone arguing/pleading/discussing/talking with insurance regarding the special formula that the doctor prescribed for Stella.  I'll keep it short, but suffice it to say it has been a difficult and frustrating journey and the insurance company was not much help at all.  Luckily, late yesterday afternoon we received word that it was taken care of and we would be receiving our first shipment of formula next week.  I have to give total credit to Amy for this all as she single-handedly took care of this last week.  It was rough, but she was awesome.  

So, that's that.  Things seem to be settling down a bit on this adventure as we learn how to live with a child with allergies and work around conventional thinking when it comes to eating and meals.  It's been very interesting and eye-opening though.  We are all eating healthier as a result too, so that's a plus.

Thanks for all of your thoughts, prayers, and kind words along the way as we have dealt with this.  It's been a long couple of months, but I think HE has finally brought us through it to the other side and we can now begin to breath again.  Thank you.  

All is well, learning, in Drosche Land.    

1

Well, it came.  

Stella's 1st birthday.

I'm sure you had it marked on your calendar, right?  :)

I can't believe it, but on Monday we celebrated one year with our little girl.  Wow, has time flown.  Saturday we had family and friends over to celebrate with us and a great time was had by all.  The birthday girl looked adorable, as always, and had a great time.  It was so special to be able to spend time with everyone to honor Stella.  As Amy put it, this was our victory lap.  We were able to commemorate the first birthday of our last baby.

Baby.  can we even call her that anymore?  She's walking now.  Talking/babbling.  Signing what she wants. She wears 2T/24 month clothes, our little chunky monkey.  So I guess in many ways she is no longer a baby.

As I have mentioned numerous times before, as you well know, the road to get Stella was paved with hardships and stress.  This past year was great, but had it's share of stresses as well.  With so much exciting change pending here in Drosche Land, Stella's birthday was just the beginning of celebrations and fun times.  

Yesterday I took her 1 year photos.  I know I have slacked off a bit lately, missing 10 and 11 months.  Life just got in the way, as did her health related drama.  But I promise, her 1 year pictures more than make up for the lack of the last few photoshoots.  I'll save the pictures for this Sunday as I have missed my weekly Sunday Snapshot posts.  What a great way to begin them again.  However, I will include many pictures below of her birthday party.  

So, I hope you enjoy them and join in celebrating her 1st birthday with us.  It means a lot and she has been such a blessing to our family.  Tomorrow is her endoscopy/colonoscopy that will help determine, once and for all (hopefully), what is going on.  I'll keep you posted of course, but thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers on the matter.  They are greatly appreciated and still needed, so keep them coming.  But for now, it's still Happy Birthday Stella!

All is well, one year later, in Drosche Land.

Opening gifts with Mommy!

Cheese!

More presents!

A baby!

Family & friends! 

Family & friends!

Jewelry!

Lighting the candle on my little girl's cake!

Happy Birthday Stella!

Not a fan of the angel food cake, but she made some hilarious faces!

But she tore up the strawberries!

1 year old!

A-Z Reflections

Reflections.

Just titling this email gets the Diana Ross & the Supremes song stuck in my head.  Did I mention that last year?  Or is this just deja vu?  Either way it's in there and it's stuck, but on with the post.

So, I finished the challenge last week and I intended to post this reflections post quickly, but life got busy quickly and here I am now, almost a week later.  But still well within the parameters of the guidelines so let's go!

I finished!  A second year!  Woo hoo!  It was a lot of fun and I again enjoyed it very much.  I signed up with the intention of scheduling the majority of the posts well in advance.  That didn't happen.  However, for most of the month I did write them the night before.  Some the morning of, and a few (mostly toward the end) the night of.  But I did it!

My favorite part was, again, the interactions with readers.  I love getting and replying to comments.  It is so interesting and fun to see what people around the country and world think.  It always amazed me just how far reaching technology can be.  So, that was by far my favorite part.

Getting around to visiting many other blogs was the biggest challenge.  I didn't make it to nearly as many as I'd hoped to, but I plan on going back to the list and continuing to work my way through it.  That way I won't feel so bad about not making the rounds in April.

Overall though I am so glad that I participated again this year.  It always serves as a reminder to why blogging is so much fun and just one of the reasons I love it!  I hope that if you found my blog through the challenge that you have enjoyed it.  Thanks to everyone who visited throughout the month!

All is well, reflected, in Drosche Land.  

Z = The End

The end?

I know what you're thinking.  "The End" doesn't start with a "Z".  Well dear readers, you have 2 options.  1 - continue reading the post to see what it's about and how they're related.  2 - read the title with a heavy fake French accent to get your zzzz fix.  You choose.

Ok, here goes.  So, the letter "Z" is at the end of the alphabet right?  The theme of this year's A-Z Challenge was baby/Stella/kids right?  Well, that's how it all fits together.  See, just as "Z" is the final letter in our alphabet, Stella is the final child in our family.  I've mentioned this before but it seems like an appropriate time to mention it again seeing as how it fits the theme and ends the theme.

The road to Stella was unexpected and not nearly an easy one.  None of the pregnancies were in fact, but hers was extra dramatic.  Life was crazy during the pregnancy, it was a roller coaster, Amy went on bed rest.  I could go on, but it's nearly a year in the past so it's well over by now and is far behind us.  The blessing that Stella has been to us all has far outweighed the troubles we experienced on the road to have her.  

It was not a decision that Amy and I took lightly when we decided to stop at 3 children.  Sure, we wanted more but it just wasn't the best idea for our family.  God has blessed us with 3 amazing children and Amy and I both feel our family is complete.  This makes it easier as we watch Stella grow and change, hitting and passing milestones.  Sure, sometimes it is bittersweet as we realize that it is the last time we will have a baby doing this or that, but at the same time there is a peacefulness about it.  A sense that everything is as it should be.  As HE would have it be.

So, now you see how "Z" = the end.  Told you it worked.  Although saying it with a French accent works well too!

All is well, 26/26 down and challenge completed, in Drosche Land.        

Y = Yo Gabba Gabba

Yo Gabba Gabba.

You know, the TV show.  On Nick Jr.  With DJ Lance Rock.  And the weird characters.  Well, if you've never seen it, look it up so I don't sound crazy myself for talking about it. It'll give you a frame of reference  for this post.  Go ahead.  I'll wait.

Ok, are you back?  Good.  First of all I have to thank Amy for helping me to think of a topic for this post.  "Y" isn't necessarily a difficult letter, I just hadn't thought of one yet. And here I am, barely getting it squeezed in for the "Y" day!  Yikes!  I'd better get on with it.

Anyways, Yo Gabba Gabba.  It's Stella's first favorite show.  Yes, she watches TV.  Don't judge me.  She doesn't watch it all day and it isn't used as a babysitter.  I know there are tons of people out there that think that kids shouldn't watch TV before a certain age and/or shouldn't watch too much.  Clearly I'm not one of them.  Yes, I know about the studies and correlations to behavior and whatnot.  But, at the same time, for every study that proves one thing, there's at least one study that proves the opposite.  So yes, Stella watches TV.  So do the boys.  We love us some TV in Drosche Land.  I watched TV lots when I was a kid and am still addicted now.  I grew up to be perfectly fine.  Most of the time.  :)

Ok, enough soapbox.  Yo Gabba Gabba.  Stella loves it.  She loves the characters.  The music.  The movement.  She actually dances to it sometimes.  I think it's dancing.  It is a mixture of jerky movements and a rocking/bouncing.  Yeah, I think it's dancing.  We're thinking about a Yo Gabba Gabba theme for her 1st birthday, but I'm not sold on it yet.  We will see.  

With a toddler back in the house these kind of kiddie shows are back.  Truthfully though, they have never fully left as the boys still enjoy watching them, although they won't always admit it.  They actually get a kick out of Yo Gabba Gabba too, but if you ask them, they'll deny it and say it's for babies.  But between you and I, we know the truth!

So, Stella watches TV and she loves Yo Gabba Gabba.  Soon enough the television will be taken over by princesses and fairies I'm sure.  But for now we have these quasi-educational "baby" shows with cutesy songs and characters.  But it keeps us all entertained!

All is well, 25/26 down, in Drosche Land.

X = ?

I'm not sure what x is for today.  

There aren't many words that begin with x period, much less ones that pertain to my theme.  

Stella isn't the 10th child of mine, or even the 10th grandchild so that's out.  

I could describe Stella has having been xanthic when she was a newborn, but I've already blogged about jaundice.

She's not shaped like a sword, so she can't be xiphoid.  Nor is she a toungeless, clawed frog native to South Africa, so xenopus is out.  One of her favorite toys are wooden blocks, which are xyloid objects since they're made of wood, but that wouldn't make for an interesting post.  I've taken hundreds of pictures of her over the past 10 months, but I haven't xeroxed any.

So, I' not sure what to say today.  I could get cutesy and talk about how eXcited I was to finally have a girl.  Or I could once again talk about her cute, chunky, XXL arms and legs.  But I really wanted a word that began with an "X".  Oh well.  I should have foreseen this problem.  Sadly, last year's X post was more interesting I guess.  Although, once again I have to thank Google for helping me, and through me you dear readers, to learn some new words.  Even if it is only for a few minutes while I write this post!  

All is well, 24/26 down, in Drosche Land.  

W = Walking

Walking. 

No, not yet. But soon. Very soon. 

Stella has been cruising around for a few weeks. Holding on to legs, tables, couches, and whatever else she can grasp onto as she works on strengthening her walking skills. She still has a way to go, but we're close.  I'd say maybe a month. By summer for sure. 

Braeden walked very early, around 9 months.  That was crazy.  Jackson waited until a little past his first birthday. I think Stella will be about the same. Quite honestly, even though it means she's growing up quickly, I'm ready for her to walk. I some aspects it will make life easier. She will be able to do more and go where she wants. In other ways it will make life far more difficult. She will be able to do more and go where she wants.  

So we wait. It's the next big milestone for her. She wants it badly too. So badly. She's had a couple of face plants this week at school as she is starting to let go of things to stand unassisted, but she's not been too successful. But she's persistent. And she knows she'll get her way. Eventually. 

All is well, 23/26 down, in Drosche Land. 

V = Virus

Virus.

A dreaded word if you're a parent.  It means your kid is sick.  You knew that.  It also means there is nothing, i.e. medicinal, that you can do to help.  Darn.

If the virus is also accompanied by a fever, as they usually are, then you're also staying home with them until they are fever-free.  Ugh.  

Now, you know we've had our share of sick kids in these parts, but luckily Stella has managed to avoid it for the most part.  Sure, she's been out sick a few times, but nothing compared to what the boys were like at her age or even in recent years.  Amy and I often ponder her good health and why she is blessed with it.  Is it her healthy weight?  Her healthy appetite?  Just luck of the draw?  Whatever the reason we are glad that she is, by far, the healthiest of the 3.

I know I'm tempting fate by publishing this and I hope I don't end up regretting it.  Knowing my luck some sickness will take hold of us here and we'll be at home once again.  Hopefully these gloom and doom thoughts are for naught and all will remain calm in our house for the next month until summer hits.  Ahhhhh, the joy that would bring!

All is well, 22/26 down, in Drosche Land.

U = Ultrasound

Ultrasound.

The blessed time when you get to see your baby for the first time.  I have always loved seeing the ultrasounds of all of the kids.  Even though, admittedly, I am horrible at seeing/recognizing anything in them.  Luckily for me, Amy is excellent at that.  

We waited the standard allotted time, 20 weeks right?, with the boys.  I remember finding out their genders.  Braeden was our first so we had no clue.  Well, at least I didn't.  Amy knew he was a boy from the start.  The same with Jackson.  Everyone was thinking/wondering if he would be a girl since we had a boy, but Amy knew better.

Stella's pregnancy was different though.  Amy was unsure (shocking I know).  I was hoping it was a girl.  Everyone was hoping it was a girl.  We'd made up our minds to be surprised.  Yeah right!  That didn't last long.  Amy and I gave in but still couldn't wait until 20 weeks so we booked an appointment at an ultrasound place outside of our doctor's office.  We took the boys.  At first she wasn't cooperative at all.  We got great face and body shots, but nothing gender-specific.  We were on the verge of giving up when bam!  GIRL!  We were shocked actually.  I'd been hoping for it but the confirmation still came as a surprise.  The boys were excited, even though they'd both been hoping for a little brother to torment play with.

As soon as we returned to the car we called our families at the same time and shared the joyous news.  It was awesome!  I can still remember it clearly.  I still look at the kids' ultrasound pictures often, we have them in frames at home.  I love seeing them and mentally reliving the time when they were in utero (I love that term).  Great times.  Stressful, but great.

All is well, 21/26 down, in Drosche Land.   

T = Teeth

Teeth.

A big milestone for any baby.  However, I speculate that Stella is especially pleased with her teeth because they allow her to eat food! She loves to eat and before she had teeth she seemed to be growing tired of pureed food and things she could gum up.  At least that's my impression.  

She currently has 6 teeth and we think that she is working on some new ones.  All of our kids get their first teeth fairly early in life.  Braeden had teeth by 5 months, Jackson and Stella had their first ones come in around 6 months.  Just one of the few things they all share in common.

My favorite part of new teeth is the adorable smile that comes with the new chompers.  Sure, a gummy, toothless smile is cute, but I love the huge grins filled with tiny little teeth.  So cute.

However, in Stella's case (or Amy's rather) the teeth have brought an unfortunate side effect.  Biting.  Stella loves to bite.  Oddly enough the only one she seems to bite is Amy.  Arms, legs, shoulder; no body part is safe from the random roaming nips she gives out.  They're just that too, random.  One minute she's cuddling and all cute, the next it's "OUCH!".  Well at least that's been my observance between Stella and Amy.  It just must be some weird bonding experience they share, albeit one that I am sure Amy wish didn't exist.  Hopefully it will pass soon before it extends to others - family members and classmates.

With the boys we had one of each.  A biter and a bitee (I think that's a word).  I'll let you guess about who was who, but suffice it to say their personalities go hand in hand with their role.  Having had both I really would love to have a bitee again.  Well, I mean I don't want them to get bitten, but it's better than having the kid that bites everyone else's.  Trust me.  Hopefully Stella doesn't take after her younger big brother!  Time will tell!

All is well, 20/26 down, in Drosche Land.  

S = Slobber

Slobber.

Ok, so maybe a more appropriate word would be drool, but I already had a "D" themed word.  So I'll go with slobber.  Plus, trust me, sometimes if is quite applicable in Stella's case.

When this girl teethes, it is like she has sprung a leak.  Neither boy drooled so much when teething.  That or I just hopped in a boat and forgot.  We can always tell when she's teething because the front of her outfit is soaked through and we find little puddles on the floor where she's been.  Thank goodness for tile floors.

This, along with the acid reflux, is a reason why the majority of photos of Stella show her in a bib.  Ugh.  I hate bibs.  I mean, I'm happy for them, they serve a purpose.  But she has so many cute clothes and a soggy bib just ruins the look.  Luckily the spitting up has slowed dramatically and she's holding steady with her 6 teeth so she goes bib-less quite often now!

I do have an affectionate term for her when she is in full on drool mode.  It's the same I used for the boys.  Drool Monkey.  I don't know where it came from, but it fits.  It also makes her laugh.  So it's a win-win.

So, I can't wait for all of her teeth to be in so we can move past this wet stage of life and onto bigger, dryer times!  Until then the bibs and burp cloths are always within reach.  As is an extra, dry outfit!

All is well, 19/26 down, in Drosche Land.  

R = Roly Poly

Roly Poly.  

As in Stella's chunky little legs.  And arms.  And feet.  The girl's got the cutest little fat feet.

A chunky baby is something totally new for us.  Both of the boys, Braeden especially, were long and lanky; sometimes bordering on the scrawny edge of things.  Like little spider monkeys.  But not Stella.  She came out looking just like one of those cute pudgy cherubs.  She loves her milk.  She loves her food.  She's our healthy little eater.  The boys were never really into food and honestly, have just begun to become good eaters on a regular basis.

Just another new learning experience we've had as parents of a little girl.  I'm telling you, everything about this 3rd child has been different than the others.  It's refreshing in a way.  Keeps us on our toes.  Keeps it interesting.  

I have a feeling that Stella will always be a good eater.  She doesn't really have foods that she doesn't enjoy.  She attacks nearly everything we put on her plate with such ferocity that we are often lucky to keep our fingers!  But seriously, she loves to eat.  She even is a noisy eater, especially when she really likes what she is eating, which is often.  She'll sit there and  babble, "mmmmmmm" the entire time she is eating.  It is hilarious!

I'm sure she'll lose her baby fat as she begins to enter toddlerhood, but for now we are enjoying the cute, chubby little baby we have.

All is well, 18/26 down, in Drosche Land.  

Q = Quiet

Quiet.

Something Stella definitely is not.  Not at all.  Ever.  Seriously, the girl is loud.

Now, don't get me wrong.  The boys made noise.  But nothing like what Stella is capable of.  She is louder and everything is at a much higher pitch.  Happy? She squeals and screams.  Excited?  She squeals and screams.  Angry?  She squeals and screams.  Tired?    She squeals and screams.  Hungry?  She really squeals and screams.  Have you noticed a pattern here? The girl can make her some noise.

Maybe she just wants to make sure we know she is there?  Being the youngest in a family of 5 with 2 dogs can't be easy.  Let me assure you, she makes her presence known.

From my talks with other parents of boys and girls, I have found similar accounts.  Therefore I can hypothesize that it is because she is a girl.  It has to be.  What other explanation can there be for the large amount of noise that comes from such a tiny human.  Squealing, screaming, giggling, babbling, shrieking, etc.  Everything seems louder.

Then there's the pitch I mentioned earlier.  Whoa!  There are times I've worried that I might suffer hearing loss.  I didn't know that pitch could be reached outside of a dog whistle or Mariah Carey.  Yikes.

I'd like to say that we have become accustomed to it, but I don't want to lie.  It still surprises us when she belts out one of her earsplitting sounds.  Luckily though, it is generally not a bad thing and she is happy.  So I'll take that.  Better to have a loud and happy baby than a loud and cranky one.  Right?  On a related note, I may be in the market for ear plugs.

All is well, 17/26 down, in Drosche Land.

P = Pretty

Pretty.  

As in pretty baby.  Pretty girl.  Something we have heard a lot of in the past 10 months.  Something Stella has heard a lot of in the past 10 months.  It's also the nickname I have for Stella.

See, I love nicknames and diminutives.  Every time we've been pregnant and have been working on names, I have also focused on a nickname.  For Braeden it was Braedy, we decided that early on.  Jackson was Jack, but Jack-Jack was quickly created when he was born.  Braeden also has the nickname of Bubba because that is what Jack called him when he first learned to talk.

But what about Stella?  I fell in love with that name, but there isn't really a shortened version of it.  I actually did stress somewhat over what her nickname would be.  What would I call her?  What cute little name would we use?  Well, after she was born I quickly took to calling her Pretty.  She answers to it now.  She smiles when I call her Pretty.

We also call her by both her first and middle names, Stella Pearl, as well as Stells.  Apparently I was able to find, or at least create, a shortened version of her name.  But I'm the only one who calls her Pretty.  Amy doesn't, Braeden doesn't, Jackson doesn't.  And it had better be a very long time before any boy calls her that!  Until then it will be my special little nickname for her.  My pretty little girl.

All is well, 16/26 down, in Drosche Land.      

O = Old

Old.

Yes I know I'm only just dipping my toes in the waters of the 30's, but there's nothing like having a baby to make you realize that you aren't as young as you used to be.  See, we had the boys early.  I was 25 and Amy was 24 when Braeden was born and just a year older when Jackson came along.  So we were young parents.  We would often get asked why we didn't wait longer, why we chose to have kids so young.  Well, we both wanted them.  It's not like we had tons of money to travel or spend on ourselves anyway.  Plus, there will be plenty of time for that when the nest is empty.  Right?  Hope so.  At least if we continue on Dave Ramsey's plan there will be.

So we had kids young.  I remember going to parties/school functions/whatnot where the boys' classmates' parents were also present.  I felt so out of place at times.  Here I was in my 20's, basically just winging it and having fun along the way, while there were all of these "older" parents with established careers, 401Ks, and family-friendly transportation (not a tiny Cabrio).  Awkward.  We are still younger than many of the parents in either Braeden's or Jackson's class, so that keeps me feeling younger than I am (sorry other parents!).

Flash forward 6 years and Stella comes along.  Sure, we're "experienced" now.  Yes we have a house in the suburbs and a minivan.  We're the parents that used to intimidate me.  Yikes!  How did that happen?  I thought I was young?  Crap, the 30's came along and wrote me a reality check.  

Getting up with a newborn is harder when you're in your 30's.  Running around and chasing after a crawler who is into everything seems to be a bit more exhausting now than I remember.  Of course, having the other 2 running around doesn't help much in the busy department, but I think some of it has to do with being older.

I don't feel older, well not most of the time.  I don't think I look that much older, no gray hairs yet!  But then here comes this adorable, chunky little girl to make me realize otherwise!  Oddly enough though, she also makes me feel young sometimes.  Having a baby is fun, even though it's a ton of work.  She keeps me on my toes, literally.  So I guess it's not so bad being an "older" parent in the long run.  At least I won't be having these same worried in a decade!

All is well, 15/26 down, in Drosche Land.     

N = Naps

Naps.  

This post may harken back to the "F" post, but I am so pleased with Stella's sleep habits that it bears repeating.  Plus, it fits for "N" as well.

Ahhhhh, yet another area where Stella was, and is, a completely different baby than her brothers.  Neither of the boys were "good" or "easy" when it came to naps and bedtime (Braeden especially).  Stella though, she's a dream (pun intended).

She slept so often and so well when she was a newborn that Amy and I often worried that she was sleeping too much or that there was a problem.  But, we just kept with the saying, "Don't wake a sleeping baby.".  It worked.  She quickly and easily transitioned to sleeping through the night.  Although I have to admit that I owe this to Amy as this is one area where she shines as a parent.  I give in.  I fold.  One more hug, one more kiss.  Shhhhh.  But we firmly decided to make sure that Stella would not pull any of that foolishness.  We intended to proceed with the cry it out method but, luckily, didn't have to do it too often.  

She continues to sleep beautifully through the night.  It is so nice to have a good night's sleep on a regular basis.  However, it does seem as though she is already hard at work on eliminating her naps during the day.  She is pretty much down to one nap a day that ranges anywhere from 1 hour to 3; it just depends.  We're not too worried though, it's just another sign that she is growing up.  Plus it will come in handy next year at school when there is a designated nap time during the day.  

So naps, I may not get them often (although there are times I wish I still could) and the boys are long past that, are an area of strength for Stella.  It's amazing the difference it makes when a child is an "easy" sleeper.

All is well, 14/26 down, in Drosche Land.

M = Milk

Milk.

Seems innocent enough.  Well, at least it did until about 8 or so months ago.  When we discovered that Stella not only suffered from acid reflux, but she also had a milk protein allergy.  

Now, this isn't as simple as a lactose intolerance, not that that in and of itself is simple.  This is more complex.  This means no milk.  Of any kind.  In any thing.  Do you know how many things have milk in them?  Lots.  Trust me dear readers, lots.  We thought that over time it would get better.  But it hasn't.  We thought that maybe in small amounts, traces, she could handle it.  She can't.  Graham crackers.  She loves them.  They have milk in them.  Meatloaf tonight with Stovetop as the breadcrumb element (side note: delicious!), she couldn't have because the dressing mix has milk in it.  Anything with butter.  Nope.  Can't have it.

So we're having to become label-checkers.  At home.  At the grocery.  If we go out to eat.  Check.  Check.  Check.  It's not terrible, just a totally different lifestyle than we're used to.  But it's getting better.  We still have hopes that she will grow out of it.  Luckily the doctor agrees that it is likely.  We just hope it's sooner rather than later.

However, with Stella's first birthday rapidly approaching, we are finding that party planning, particularly in the cake area, is not as easy when there is an allergy involved.  Right now our plan is for her to have and angel food cake as it does not have milk in it.  Frosting-less of course.  Hopefully her second birthday will have a more traditional cake involved.  Only time will tell.  Until then we continue to check labels and look for milk-free foods and recipes.

All is well, 13/26 down, in Drosche Land.    

L = Leggings

Leggings. 

Yet another new and interesting thing we've experienced having a girl. It's like trying to shove a turkey into a sock. Sure they're adorable but boy are they work to get a baby into them. Especially when said baby has some chunky little thighs and squirms like crazy when getting dressed. 

No one prepared us for leggings. There are no warnings on the packaging. However, I'll admit that Amy seems to have an easier time with the leggings. This leads me to believe that to successfully use leggings requires the presence of estrogen. Sure I've put them on but it's not been easy and they always seem to be a bit crooked.  I guess there's a learning curve with this sort of thing. 

All this struggle with leggings has me wondering about tights.  Just the name alone implies it will be more difficult than leggings. We have a few pair unopened. They're just sitting there in a drawer, mocking me. Taunting me. Waiting for the day when we will do battle. Until then I guess I'd better get used to the idea and continue practicing with leggings. Oh the fun that comes along with all of the girl accessories. 

All is well, 12/26 down, in Drosche Land.