Sunday, November 7, 2010

A Long Overdue Update

I know many people check in periodically to see what's going on in Andrea's life, and I'm sorry for not posting in so long. Our lives are insanely busy, and there's precious little time left over. On the up side, Andrea's life is fairly typical, so there's less to report.

Halloween was a bunch of fun... We went to a local farm with all the kids for some pumpkin picking. So far, Andrea is NOT nature girl. There was too much grass, dirt and hay for her liking, but she tolerated the fields long enough to get a pumpkin, and to let me take this picture.



Andrea wore her same giraffe costume from last year. It's funny, because it was a little big last year, and a little small this year. In the picture below, she's eating the one piece of trick or treat candy she got to keep. A KitKat. She wasn't sure at first if she liked it, but by the second bite she was a fan. Kenny George was a good sport and let her kind of tag along with him as he went around with his friends. She didn't make it to many doors, but I think she enjoyed being out with her big brother.



On Halloween, Andrea finally figured out the walking thing. She had taken a few toddling steps here and there before, but not with any consistency. For some reason, it all clicked on Halloween, and she's been walking more and more each day. She still looks like she's been drinking more than milk in her bottles, but she's getting better as she practices. We had her at the New York Aquarium yesterday, and she was able to enjoy the tanks on her own two feet. Ken got some video on his phone, which I'll have to post once he sends it to me.

Andrea had her first trip to the dentist on Friday. She has all of six teeth, although the dentist says that she should have 4 or 5 more before her next visit (in 6 months). You know I rarely plug businesses, but the dentist we see is AWESOME. It's Sparkles Dentistry in Montclair, and they are a pediatric only practice. I've been taking Kenny there for about a year, and Dr. Matthais is wonderful. It's the first time I've been to a dentist where she asked questions about the patient besides her teeth. Of course, Andrea HATES having anyone poking around in her mouth, so she wasn't overly cooperative with the exam. You can see her on the exam chair in this picture.



The last picture, below, is my current favorite. For some time, Andrea has been wanting a baby doll. She has a few that are like rag dolls... soft bodies and sewn on clothes. She got a Cabbage Patch doll for her birthday, which is in her closet until she's old enough for it. (Ages 3 and up) Still, every time she sees it, she points and reaches for the box. So I finally got her a doll, appropriate for ages 18 months, and she loves it. We've named her Sarah, after my niece in North Carolina. Andrea likes holding Sarah's pictures, and Sarah likes hearing about Andrea, so it seemed appropriate. Anyway, in the picture below, Andrea is holding baby Sarah, and the doll is wearing one of the preemie outfits we bought for Andrea when she was still in the hospital. The most amazing thing is that the clothing really fits the doll well, and it's quite a small doll. At her last doctor's visit, Andrea was 29 inches long and 19.5 pounds, so she's not a big girl for her age. You can see how small the doll is in comparison. We vividly remember how excited we were when Andrea was able to wear clothes in the NICU, and how big we thought she was. Perspective is everything.



"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

- Buddha