Iris's 6-month Doctor Visit

For some reason, we went into this visit thinking that Iris wouldn't get any shots. Wrong! And worse, we didn't give her any tylenol ahead of time.. But she was a champ!

Before they poked and prodded, they weighed and measured:

Length: 26"
Weight: 15 lbs, 7.5 oz (what accuracy!)

Our doctor, upon seeing that Iris's bottom two teeth had come in already, declared that she was now fit to start eating solid foods! Cereal and "the oranges" were her first recommendation: carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash.

And with that, we stepped into a whole new phase of parenting!

naM

Iris's Turns 1/2

It's cliche I know, but it really is hard to believe how quickly Iris's first six months have passed! She's such a big girl! She has two teeth, sits up and stays there, has tremendous hand-eye coordination, laughs daily, and the worn bald spot on her head is finally filling back in, albeit with thinner, lighter hair... She's outgrown her first tub, her swing, and her jumperoo, and we've already filled a big container with clothes too small... She's been on size 3 diapers for weeks, which make the newborn ones look like a band aid.. She "dances" by rocking back and forth to music when she hears it...

So to celebrate all of the wonders and joy Iris has touched us with these past six months, we threw a little party for her. naM made psychedelic (in appearance only) cupcakes and got party favors with little "1/2" signs written in, since it was decided that he would be in charge of half-birthdays...

Tooth #2

Today Iris second tooth emerged from her small, soft red gums. The biggest relief came with the first tooth, but she has steadily kept teething all week. Viola!

If it keeps going at this rate, she'll have all of her teeth in no time!?

Iris Pops Out A Tooth

So that's what all of the fuss was!

All of the books we've been reading have been generally hinting at 7 months as being the approximate age when teeth start arriving on the scene. So when Iris started showing signs of a different kind of grumpiness two weeks ago, shortly after beginning her 5th month, we were hesitant to write it off to the teething phenomenon.

Then this past weekend it got really bad, with Iris getting so grumpy during few feedings where she just BIT DOWN. Aside from the extreme amount of physical pain Mama D felt, probably for the first time since the first two weeks of Iris's life, there was other pain. Still hesitant to play the teething card, Mama D couldn't escape her own feelings of inadequacy- that Iris was rejecting her in place of the bottle which she had now been regularly using for two months, that she wasn't making enough milk and Iris was fiendishly starved, and others I'm sure...

But today Mama D put her finger in Iris's mouth and felt something a bit out of the ordinary... Could it be? Yes, it was indeed the very tippy top of a tooth poking out, her right front bottom tooth!! As soon as this was discovered, the tension in the household melted almost immediately, and we threw a teether in the fridge..

All was good with the world again, and our amazing little daughter started down yet another new path..

Rubber Soul Blues

So yesterday was quite a day. For my feet. After years of living with them, and months of trying to get rid of them "diplomatically", I finally decided to have my plantar warts on the bottom of both heels cut out with a laser.

To anyone out there with such an ailment, I recommend that you get it fixed as soon as possible. I'd also recommend that you stay away from pansy-ass podiatrists who prefer to go about this process using acid/freeze treatments that are repeated every two weeks for months on end. Go with the doctor who greets you with an attitude of "we're gonna cut these suckers out and be done with it!". Trade in tomorrow's discomfort for today's pain, it's worth it!

Pain indeed; getting stuck with the numbing needles in the sides of my heels was no picnic. Realizing that the initial numbing job wasn't sufficient after the stench of laser-charred flesh was already filling room wasn't either. And the 3 weeks or so of recovery will surely have its moments. But at least they're gone.

Here's proof:



(my apologies to those who came across this picture in the Iris photo galleries- I never meant for them to stay in there so long, contaminating the population of otherwise cute pictures)