Tummy Time Revisited

It's no secret that Iyla has NEVER liked Tummy Time. One of the first moves she mastered was flipping from stomach to back, in order to quickly get off her belly.

At her last myofascial therapy appointment, the therapist did some releases toward hopefully helping Iyla be more comfortable on her belly. Amazingly enough, ever since that visit she seems much more at ease in that position- though still isn't preferring to stay there very long to play. When we hold her in a standing position, she has started to lean forward and have us help her down to her belly, at which point she kicks out her legs behind her in a preliminary crawl position. I wouldn't be surprised if the next month brings us a more mobile baby!

Last night after I put Iyla to bed I was watching her on our video monitor (which we affectionately call "Boo-Boo TV"). That little lady did a couple complete barrel rolls in her crib! I couldn't believe my eyes. I have NEVER seen Iyla roll from back to tummy before. She was just chatting away and rolling all over the place. After about 15 minutes of this, she totally passed out on her side without so much as a whimper.

When I checked the monitor an hour later, this is what I saw:

She had rolled onto her belly again and was sound asleep in that position! I freaked out a little bit, since she has never slept like that before. A quick post to my November Mamas online board resulted in about 15 ladies reassuring me that she'd be just fine, and that many babies end up preferring to sleep on their tummies.

Iyla did a lot of flipping around throughout the night, alternating between her side and her belly to sleep. I was checking in on the monitor many, many times to make SURE I could see her breathing. I am super tired today, but my baby is ALIVE and FINE.

Just another chapter in the "just when you think you know your kid..." book!

Torti-what?

TortiCOLLIS.

It's confirmed that Iyla has Torticollis- which literally means "twisted neck." Not that this is any surprise. We've noticed from the beginning that Iyla preferred looking to her left. At her 2 month appointment I brought it up with the Pediatrician filling in for our regular one, who didn't seem to think it was a big deal (in retrospect I am a little annoyed by that- obviously we thought there was a concern, and interventions should probably have begun then). Since that appointment her tilt has become more pronounced, and when I visited our chiropractor this week he confirmed that indeed she had toriticollis, and that he wanted to now see her weekly for treatments.

So just what causes this pasta sounding ailment? With babies it can either develop in utero from being a bit cramped and having the neck tilted in one direction, or during the birth process if the neck gets strained. In both instances one side of the neck can become restricted and tight. As far as treatment goes, our Pediatrician said that one school of thought would refer her at this stage for a corrective helmet (NOOO- not the helmet!) while another school of thought opts to do daily stretching to hopefully correct the tightness. She is in the vein of following a stretching regime- and I will also continue our weekly visits to the chiropractor. I am hopeful that is all it will take!

You can see in this shot how her head shape is flat on the bottom and elongated on the top... which should hopefully normalize with sleeping flat & stretching. 

More importantly- how cute is this picture?

When we move back into our house Sunday (we have renters there now during Austin's SXSW Music Festival) another shift we'll have to make is to go cold turkey on the bed routine with no more swaddling and no more Rock n Play inclined sleeping. I expect to be a walking zombie for awhile as Iyla gets adjusted to sleeping flat on her back with occasional flailing arms waking her (this is a girl who LOVES her swaddle!). I was a big weenie when I tried to transition her to her flat Pack n Play last month- after 2 nights of poor sleep I resigned and put her back in the Rock n Play. Apparently the Rock n Play sleeper doesn't encourage her to be moving her neck around as much as she should be (first time mom FAIL) -so sadly it will be a thing of the past.

We are also supposed to have her doing tummy time a LOT more (avoiding lying her flat on her back as much as possible save for sleeping). Good thing this little one loves standing strong on her feet (which is acceptable); bad thing that she screams after about 1 minute of tummy time. We have a lot of adjusting to do!

Limiting the play time on her back will definitely be a challenge! 

She and Sam love laying on the play mat together.

This is how tummy time begins.....

And this is what happens after about one minute

I hate tummy time!

Iyla's stats, as I suspected, are still long and lean! At her 4 month appointment today she was 24 inches tall (25-50%), 10 pounds 12.2 ounces (5-10%) and her head's circumference was 15 1/4 (5-10%). And that girl was charming our Pediatrician! She was smiling, cooing and squawking away while being examined. She cried hard when her shots were administered but settled quickly once I nursed her. She was in great spirits for the first couple of hours after we got home- but had a bit of a meltdown at bedtime, prompting me to give her a very low dose of Tylenol.

A brief conversation about her doctor appointment

In other news, Iyla is rockin' some seriously ADORABLE new headbands I found on Etsy. I haven't been a fan of any head bows or head gear on her save for cute hats- but these headbands are a whole different story. I am a bit obsessed!

Melt my heart! 

And this was taken post shots- what a trooper! You can tell her eyes are a bit glazed, but she was doing everything she could to remain in good spirits. 

Can you say DROOL!?!

Yes, I am cute. Even with my drool neck.

We've been enjoying our time staying in our sweet little garage apartment. Iyla is back to bathing in her baby bathtub (there is only a shower up here)... and BC has been spearheading the bath time. She loves it!

Absolute delight for her Papa

Tomorrow we are hoping to make it out to enjoy some of the SXSW Festival action. I've purchased baby headphones, and we will make the most of the ONE baby wearing item Iyla will tolerate- my Maya Ring Sling:

Here's hoping our little one gets a good night's sleep tonight so she can be back to her joyful spirits tomorrow!

4 Months Old!

Sweet Iyla Grace, today you are 4 months old. Your Papa and I agree it feels like you've been with us much longer (in a good way!). You just spent 3 nights with us out in a Wimberley country cabin and did so well. You slept soundly (your nightly routine was down for 8 hours/nurse, then 3/nurse, then 1/nurse though the night) and were in good spirits. It appears you just may be a country gal.

 This was a short walk from where we stayed

 In the upper left corner you can see our cabin, which overlooked this creek

Your Papa and I had big plans Saturday night for an early celebration dinner with you in San Marcos at our favorite spot from last year- Palmers. You had other ideas! Namely, you decided you did NOT want to sit with us to eat, so Papa and I had to take turns eating alone while the other one walked with you outside by the fountain. I also nursed you standing up in a tiny bathroom stall which was quite difficult & in retrospect, comedic (though in the moment quite stressful!).

You and your Papa have a definite family resemblance

Here are your 4 month updates!

How old? 4 months today

How big? We see your Pediatrician for your 4 month appointment on Friday so will update stats in another post then. I suspect you will still be measuring long & lean.

Milestones? So many this month! To include:

*Becoming SO aware & tracking movement with your eyes. If something changes or moves in your peripheral vision, you turn your head to see what is going on.

*Rolling side to side, and when doing tummy time on a pillow, sometimes you flip yourself over (always to your left). You've also managed to flip yourself back from flat on your tummy a couple of times, but usually you just get really mad & cry until we turn you back around.

*Vocalizing! You have been experimenting with the volume of your voice, and have added squawking sounds to your cooing. You are blowing lots of spit bubbles & drooling like crazy. You also love to 'sing' with me, which is the cutest thing ever. When I sing your nighttime songs or sing while sitting with you in the backseat of the car, you'll look directly in my eyes and squawk sing along.

Like this!

*Wanting to stand on your feet- you are so strong! You LOVE when we hold your hands & help pull you up to standing. I wonder if- like your Papa- you will be an early walker (he apparently started at 7 months).

*I can tell you have a silly spirit in you- this is something I wished for you in my nightly prayers while pregnant. You have a mischievous sparkle in your eyes- and when nursing will 'play' with me- going on and off the boob, smiling, eyes twinkling all the while.

Sleep? We are usually up at least 2x/night, sometimes 3. You have been giving me an initial 7-8 hour stretch, then 2-3 hours, then a final 1 hour before you are up for the day. You catnap during the daytime every 2 hours or so for 15-60 minutes.

So happy in the morning

Current likes:
*Standing up straight and tall
*Being outside! You love going for walks
*Baths in the big tub
*"Talking" and practicing all your vocalizations
*Music! If you are fussy in the car turning the radio up always does the trick. You also seem to enjoy the Bluegrass Pandora station I play every morning while getting ready

One of my absolute favorite things? When you nurse, you twist your top arm and nuzzle your little fist into the warmth of my cleavage. Then you knead like a little kitten. It is the sweetest thing ever and always melts my heart.

Dislikes:
*Diaper changes- you fuss a lot more during these now. Speaking of diapers, your current MO for your baby potty is peeing on it first thing in the morning, then usually you will do your #2 on it as well at some point during the day. You haven't been wanting to pee on it after the morning. But you do enjoy peeing all over just AFTER getting off the potty! I've learned to have several layers of padding under you at all times.
*Being patient. If it is time to nurse and I am taking too long getting ready, you definitely let me know you aren't happy! When we return home from an outing you also have to be out of that car seat almost immediately or you will be quite mad.
*Red lights (this feeds into the "patient" part- you love to keep moving).
*Any type of baby carrier. You tolerate the Maya ring sling, but really hate the Moby & the Beco I just bought.

The Beco lasted literally 3 minutes before you were over it. 
I think you're still too small!

Postpartum body? Our almost daily walks are helping with the last of my baby weight- when I weighed myself last week I was only 1.5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. Carrying you around is making my arms very strong, and I'm still trying to get in an Ashtanga yoga practice a few times a week.

Taken from our studio garage apartment, where we'll be living until next Monday.

You photo bombed me!

What do I miss? I miss being able to take my time at dinner and have solo dates with your Papa. I think you are *just* about ready for a babysitter, now that your witching hours seem to be a thing of the past (yay!). You are such a happy, joyful little spirit...  but still a bit weary of strangers holding you.

Most looking forward to? I'm excited for you to be able to sit up on your own (even if just in the Bumbo)- as I can tell you are really wanting to master that! I am also looking forward to our first Easter celebration with you. We host this holiday at our home, and it will be extra special having you there with us this year (although I guess technically you were there last year!).

Your personality & spirit have really started to shine through this past month, and we continue to be absolutely smitten with you! We think you are the most beautiful, most intelligent, most entertaining baby in the world. Obviously!

Here are the excerpts from your photo shoot today- Happy 4 Months, sweet girl!

Growth Spurt

I have been reading a fascinating book called The Wonder Weeks (there is a great app for it too) which details the major growth & fussy periods in a baby's development. They define the growth spurts according to your baby's actual due date, not when he/she was born. So if you go according to our conception due date- November 29th- Iyla's adjusted developmental age would be 11.5-12 weeks (instead of her actual 14w3d today). Given that, she is in the midst of a big 'Wonder Week' of learning Smooth Transitions. At the end of this period babies tend to have much more fluid movements- following objects and people in a smooth movement with their eyes & head, and reaching for things in more fluid ways vs the previous robotic flailing.

With these big transitions comes some major fussy periods. I can honestly say that this past week was the first time I knew without a doubt that we were going through a growth spurt. On Monday my normally quick 5-10 minute nurser spent a couple crazy marathon sessions on the boob- the longest being FORTY FIVE minutes! Then that night she woke up wanting to nurse at 12am, 1:30am, 4:30am, 5:30am, & 7am. She was much harder than usual to get back to sleep after each feeding- cracking big smiles and playing some serious "Reinsert the Paci" games over and over and over again.

I get to. I'm cute.

How can you be mad at this face?!

This left us both quite tired on Tuesday- just in time for my parents to visit and see Iyla for the first time since Christmas. That little lady was so off all.day.long. Sleeping LONG stretches and when not sleeping, bringing out the serious fuss times. She didn't care for anyone but Mama to be holding her, and also had no interest in playtime. It was eat, sleep, fuss- repeat.

Naps with Papa were tolerated

Happily she slept better Tuesday night and awoke Wednesday her normal sunshiny self. I was so glad my parents got to see that side come out on their visit! Iyla Grace is definitely still 50% smiley joy and 50% fussy feist, but usually she gives you equal amounts of both in a given day. These growth spurts are some serious business!

Hooray for the return of smiley joy!

Iyla found her hands last week, and is still chewing on them 24-7. She is also a serious drool factory lately. I am not sure if she is officially teething, but erring on the side of caution I went ahead and dug out her amber teething necklace. I have heard amazing things about these as a natural soother for babies- the amber interacts with the skin's heat to help lessen the teething pain. Because Iyla still doesn't have full neck control yet, I opted to wrap the necklace around her wrist (many parents wrap it around the wrist or ankle for bedtime, though it is most effective left as a necklace). I am not sure if it is making a difference yet, but it sure is adorable to see Iyla rockin' some jewelry bling!

Post bath bling. We've been taking baths together every other morning. 
She LOVES being in the big tub! 

Just this week Iyla has begun trying to grasp things! Very tentatively, very slowly, very sporadically- with deep concentration (and drool!) as she works things out.

 Working it out on the play mat... just starting to reach for some of the toys.

Grasping!

Other achievements this week include:

*Adding gurgling & clicking to her cooing vocalizations.

She loves to talk while on the potty. And bibs are also being introduced into our lives due to all the drooling going on.

*When lying on her back, rolling to her right side.

*When on her stomach for tummy time, rolling over to the left and flipping onto her back (she doesn't do this when flat on her stomach, just when propped up on the nursing pillow).

*Doing awesome at tummy time! She still doesn't last long but can now hold that head up strong.

Showing off tummy time strength to her friends

*Wanting to be more physical. She love love LOVES standing up on her legs and holding them strong & firm. She also loves kicking those little legs like crazy! She is less tolerant of lying on her back & enjoys being upright - either with the tummy time or standing.

Taken this morning- those little legs are primed to River Dance!

On a sidenote, I've been pleased to actually need a belt again with my pre-pregnancy jeans. 

I got on the scale with Iyla a couple of days ago, and it looks like she has gained a pound since her 2 month appointment- bringing her up to a whopping 9.5 pounds. I have had two friends birth 10 pound babies in the past week- I can't even imagine that big of a baby coming out of my lady parts! It's hilarious to me that Iyla is just now the weight that many babies are at birth. Growth spurt indeed!

3 Months Old!

Iyla Grace is 3 months old today! Here are her updates:

How old? 3 months old

How big?  Since we don't have another official doc visit to take her measurements until 4 months, I bring you photo documentation of Iyla's first 3 months' growth as compared to our kitty Sam:

Milestones?

*This past week Iyla found her hands and cannot.stop.sucking them.

*Just today she started watching her feet!

*While observing my face she has started shifting her gaze from my eyes to my mouth (best when it is talking or making silly sounds) then up to my eyes again.

*I think I've tricked her into tolerating (dare I say enjoying?) tummy time! I've been laying her on the My Breast Friend pillow facing an array of her stuffed animals, and that girl goes to town chatting away at them. It is a mix between complaining then cooing/wooing as she bobs her head around.

Tummy Time with her friends
(sorry this is turned funky!)

Sleep?
*Her first shift sleeping continues to be the longest, between 6-9 hours.

*She usually goes down between 7-8pm. I change her diaper, nurse her, turn out the lights, turn on the fan, swaddle, & sing songs. About 50% of the time she passes out with no pacifier needed, the other 50% she humors me when I lay her down, sucking vigorously on that paci.

*If she isn't sound asleep when I lay her down (or even sometimes when she is!) there is usually about an hour of the "let's spit out the pacifier and make Mama reinsert it over and over and over again" game. This is part of Iyla's finely attuned Baby Radar- the SECOND I think she is out for the night and I start reading or watching TV or checking emails, etc- it's out with the paci!

*After her first long sleep she'll wake to nurse and *typically* goes back to sleep easily.

*She usually pops up awake again an hour after going back to sleep (boo). Not super fun for me when that pop happens between 2-6am! At that point we commence the 'reinsert the pacifier' game, which Iyla always wins.

*When daylight creeps in (around 7am) she is up for the day- all smiles- initially for the ceiling fan, then for her Mama and Papa.

*This week she has been peeing in her baby potty first thing in the morning- but not again the rest of the day.

*I also just started putting her in footed sleepers for bedtime. I know- strange that I haven't been doing that all along! Typically I leave her day outfit on through the night; however, when I put together how many cute footed sleepers we have with the fact that I no longer change her diaper during the night (when she was needing to be changed multiple times during the night those sleepers annoyed me!) it made sense to unleash the pajama cuteness:

Iyla this morning, rocking the footed sleeper

Hot list:
*Jellycat baby books
*Stuffed animals
*Ceiling AC vents
*Babbling & cooing
*Her hands

Chatting with her lamb (don't mind my creepy voice saying 'soft' over and over)

Not so hot list:
*Sitting in her bouncy chair while Mama & Papa shower
*Moby wrap
*Patience
*Tutus

Postpartum body: I am now 4 pounds away from my pre pregnancy weight.... carrying much of that in a flotation device around my midsection. I am not leaking near as much during walks, and the addition of probiotics in my diet are definitely helping make things get *ahem* more regular.

What do I miss? I miss movie dates! Those are the one thing BC and I cannot do with Iyla. I am also craving a little getaway. BC and I have talked about possibly taking a night or two stay somewhere close to Austin, renting a little cottage in San Marcos or Wimberley for a weekend. Perhaps the outing to our own garage apartment next month will suffice- we'll be moving up there with Iyla & Sam for NINE nights as we rent our house out for the SXSW Music Festival.

Most looking forward to? Continuing to see Iyla's spirit & personality emerge! I can't wait to see her learn to sit up, crawl, start talking, etc. It's all so much fun to witness.

And here are some outtakes from today's photo shoot:

Happy 3 months sweet baby girl!