Happy TEN MONTH Birthday!

Melanie Grace Worzala is TEN MONTHS old!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where does the time go??? She can now do SO many tricks. She's walking full-time now; she falls quite a bit, but she rarely crawls as the alternative. She waves a lot (sometimes it corresponds to coming or going).... She claps a LOT. She dances! She just started this week putting things "back in" the container - mind you, not putting her toys away - but putting the ball in the basket, etc. She continues with the nonstop "dadadadadadada" - but is also saying "baba." She even says it while waving "bye-bye." Tonight, she did almost the whole "itsy-bitsy spider" with Grandma Doan (all the hand motions). She has discovered her tongue - running it all over her FIVE teeth and all the gums corresponding. She also makes noises while hitting her hand against her mouth (is it politically incorrect to say it's "Indian noises"? - I want to try to describe it better).
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She continues with a cereal & fruit every morning, veggie at lunch, and "something" at dinner. Usually it's mac & cheese. Last night it was a veggie AND a fruit. She's been averaging over 30 oz of formula a day, but that may have been a growth spurt. She's comfortably in 3-6 month clothes, and also wearing 6-9 month clothes. She's in a Size 2 diaper, and she now takes baths in the "big tub" - no infant tub for her!
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I babyproofed the living room a little better last night, so now Melanie can roam a little bit freer. She likes to sit in a corner and play by herself for longer periods of time; she's getting a longer attention span with some of her toys, too. Today she started "kissing" (open mouthed) her toys and her mommy. She also gave Molly some hugs. She continues her reign as the happiest baby in Indiana. I've now realized the one thing cuter than Melanie sucking her thumb......
Melanie sucking her thumb while walking around the living room!
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Melanie has been home from daycare for the last two weeks; I'm anxious to see how Monday goes with her going back! She loves daycare, but she's had a lot of home time - we'll see how it all goes!! It's been SUCH a trip to have her home; her daddy has had a lot of fun time with her!!

Happy 2009!!

I hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday season! We had a great Christmas week, spending time with all of our immediate family. Jeff's parents arrived Monday 12/22 and were here through Monday 12/29 (more on that in a minute!) Randy, Cory, Charlie and Sammie stayed the night Tuesday night due to the weather - it took me TWO AND A HALF HOURS to travel the 20 miles home from work that night, so I was soooo glad they stayed and didn't fight the roads! Christmas morning we spent here at the house with Jeff's parents and Melanie, and then we all headed to the Doan house for Christmas with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Julie, Uncle Matt, and Molly.

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Melanie enjoyed Christmas, at least what she understood of it. She understood that there were a lot of people around her a lot of the time making a fuss about her (she liked that). She understood that there were a LOT of new toys (she liked that - especially OTHER people's toys). One of the highlights of Mel's first Christmas was when she was climbing on Molly's still-wrapped mirror/microphone set, and "fell through" it, breaking the wrapping paper and initiating songs. While she was freaked out at first, that became her favorite toy - and the toy to which we first saw her dance! Now she dances occasionally to some of her own toys too - as long as you don't ask her to!

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Friday, Cory & Randy and the kids came back for dinner, and Sammie was having some breathing issues. Cory, being the Super-Mom that she is, decided that something didn't seem right, and she took her to Clarian North - the hospital that Mel was born in and is about 10 minutes from our house. Well, mother's instincts proved right yet again, and Miss Samantha was in the hospital through Monday!! She is doing much better now, and we pray that 2009 is a healthy year for both Charlie and Sammie! We were able to enjoy the company of Jeff's parents, Randy, and Charlie for that much longer, but under the circumstances, we would have rather them be gone and safe at home (you know what I mean!)

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All in all, we are very very blessed, and Christmas is yet another time to celebrate our family. We hope nothing but the best for you and yours in 2009!

15lbs, 14.8oz

Jeff took Melanie in to get weighed yesterday, and it looks like a week of 30+oz days of formula is finally paying off! She's getting close to 16 pounds, and we've also noticed her growing into her clothes better. She's wearing 6-9 month clothes finally (still wearing some 3-6), and seems to be doing great! She's been a bit spoiled the last two weeks with a break from daycare; I'm a little nervous about sending her back, since every time we leave her sight she freaks out (especially when tired)

I need to get pictures posted of Christmas; there are so many to weed through! In the meantime, I wanted to give an update on Melanie. Also, she is walking across the room now. 4 nights with Charlie convinced her she needs to master walking!

Follow up GI appointment

Mel hasn't gained even an ounce since her appointment last Tuesday, but at her appointment yesterday (one week later), her prognosis was much better. She is now eating more than 30 ounces of formula a day, in addition to her cereal, fruits, veggies, etc - and she's keeping it all down. The doctor was pleased with her progress. He took her off the Prevacid that she's been on for a while now (I was never a fan of having her on it, because I didn't think she truly had reflux). We're hoping she continues her eating habits and gains a few pounds for her January 9th appointment. Jeff is thrilled by the fact that Miss Melanie has such discriminating tastes in formula. If we bought this at the pharmacy (because, alas, you can't actually buy it off the shelf), it would cost $300 for 6 cans. Ordering straight from the manufacturer saves about $120 - and so our daughter's elite tastes begin! It's worth every penny!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Melanie ate over 30oz of formula today in addition to her cereal, fruits, veggies, and mac&Cheese. She hasn't thrown up since Thursday, and everyone in the Worzala house is doing better because of it!

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We spent the night in Frankfort Saturday night to help my parents celebrate their new kitchen - it looks great! We had a good dinner with Julie, Matt, Molly, and Laura, and the cousins got their picture taken with Santa. Both of them did great! (this may be due to the fact that neither of them actually LOOKED at Santa. They were placed on his lap, photographed, and whisked away...)

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We're looking forward to a weeklong celebration of the true reason for the season. Jeff's parents arrive tomorrow, and we'll have a lot of time with them, my parents, Randy, Cory, Charlie, Sammie, Julie, Matt and Molly! Doesn't get any better than that! Have a very Merry Christmas!!

She's Eating!

The little monkey seems to have her appetite for the bottle back. She did throw up on Friday night, but it didn't seem as bad, and she still got 20 oz in her belly. I have a prediction that she will be walking consistently by the end of the year - she's up to a dozen or so steps at once now!!

Never mind, she vomited again!

Miss Melanie got sick today at daycare.... so maybe it's not just bananas. Still happy little baby though - she had a zerbert war with me the entire way home from daycare, came home and played on her new rocking horse, and was happy all night. We can't even get 15oz per day in the kid's tummy, though. Ugh.