1 year update

3 miserable shots and lots of crying. I couldn't understand why she was so emotional this time but when we got to the car I saw we had been there 45 minutes. Guess I had too many questions for the doctor but she's so easy to talk to. I absolutely love our pediatrician. First thing she said was "Mom, you got your haircut. It's really cute". She's so personable and has an amazing memory. After our first visit, the doctor called me to see how Tim and I were handling things. She said "first shots are more traumatic for the parents then the child". She always has such kind words and Abby actually reaches for her to pick her up. I think part of it is that they make the poor nurses give the shots so Ab's always suspicious of them. Any worry I have ever had she has given a clear explanation and then told a personal antidote about her own parenting experiences. It's amazing that Tim picked her name from a brochure the day we were discharging the hospital and she has been a perfect match for us. Her lead and anemia tests were normal. Her height was 29.5 inches (55th%ile). I was looking back at her old stats. She was 75-90th percentile for height for most of her little life. I don't want her to be so short like me. Alot of my friends worry about their children's weights and here I am worrying about her being short like most of my family. I just want her to be 5'8". That's a magic number to me. Tall enough to always look amazing but not too tall to tower over your husband. She continues to fall lower on the weight curve like all children this age. She was 20lb 13 oz (45th%ile) and still has her dad's gigantic head (90th%ile). Tim asked me if we should be worried that her head is so much bigger than her body. Of course I did ask this question and she said they only worry if there is a big jump up or down. Maybe she'll be an absolute genius with all the room for a big brain. No ear infection this time but her ear was red so we have yet another antibiotic because she still has a cold and Dr K wants to make sure it doesn't become another infection. Obstacles to come: 1)The doctor wrote on our sheets "Stop bottle now". Abigail has always transitioned well, better than us. It's just so easy. I don't want to give it up. I love snuggling her while she drinks. I asked realistically when this should be done and she said 15 months. Well, maybe we'll wait until after vacation then. 2) Eating. I asked her is there "like a food guide pyramid for toddlers. What do we give her? How much?". Of course she said just keep offering her different fruits and veggies and a cookie now and then. "everyone needs a cookie". This is going to be challenging for me as she begins to have opinions about foods and starts being picky. Tim is not picky at all - the only think he doesn't like is black olives. I don't know how I'll handle a true food critic. I love cooking. It's the only think I really feel I'm good at. Also I'm going to constantly worry about her Vitamin D levels, her prealbumin, her hct/hgb. Sometimes working in health care is a curse. 3) Teaching her to be nice to the cat. This is one thing I forgot to ask about. At least every other day I just want to throw in the towel and give the cat to a nice couple in their 70s or 80s that she can snuggle with and get the attention we can't give her because we are trying to protect her from Abby's constant attacks. What's she doing now? Stacking blocks - amazing to me. Putting shapes into her shape sorter. Cruising and climbing everywhere. "Reading". Dancing. Giving hugs. Waving bye bye as soon as you put her coat on. Crying whenever Tim has to leave for work or we leave her at a babysitters house. Feeding (I use this word loosely) herself with a spoon. Walking in shoes. Listening attentively in the learning circle at daycare. And a ton of other things I can't think of now. Here's hoping we won't be back into the doctor for 3 more months. Fingers crossed.