Bows

I have never been very impressed by bows on babies, but then I got Anna. Every now and then when I really want to dress her up, I stick a bow or flower on her head. But I'm learning that I'm still not that much of a bow person. I've heard that there are some moms that put bows on their kids when they're not even going anywhere. That never occurred to me--a bow for just around the house. But in our house, Dan is the most anti-bow. These days he takes Anna during Priesthood and whenever I meet up with the two of them, the bow is stuffed into the diaper bag because according to Dan, it's too much hassle to keep on her head.

She may have a flat head but she's no dummy

Yes, Anna has developed a flat side to her head. So my proactive pediatrician had me take her to a physical therapist, which turned out to be a very positive experience. Mary, the PT, spent almost an hour talking to me about why Anna's head is flat and how to fix it. She also told me that my baby is ahead of the game in the way she can hold her head up and focus on far off objects. So I know that neck strength isn't usually a sign of intelligence and around high school age it tends to signal the opposite, but I choose to see it as evidence that even if she's getting a flat head, her brain isn't getting smashed.

Smile Hunting

A few weeks ago Anna became a social smiler. She started to smile in response to Mom or Dad's voice, but we've had a hard time catching a good smile on camera. We've caught the hint of a smile every now and then, but I'm holding out for a wide-mouthed smile that comes with a happy squeal. She always seems to get tired of smiling right when we get the camera out. Or maybe it's the red laser beam that shines from our camera (I think it's supposed to help with red eye elimination) that zaps those smiles away.

Painting with Grandpa

Last night Anna met Dan's parents for the first time. It was sweet to see how they embraced her. After Grandpa held her, he didn't want to give her up, but he did agree to let her go when I said she needed a diaper change. But after that he wanted her right back so he could read a bedtime story to her. At first she was a little fussy but after a few minutes, it quieted down in the bedroom. The rest of us were watching the news in the living room. Then Grandpa called out, "I think I need a little help in here." Anna had spewed all over him, and I mean all over him. Maybe it was the vaccines, but that was the second time she gurgled up like a little geyser that day. After we got her cleaned up and Grandpa borrowed a change of clothes from Dan, she was still a little fussy so Sandy took her and calmed her down. Now they just need to change a dirty diaper and they'll have the full Anna experience.

Stepping Out

As I've mentioned before, Anna and I have been sneaking out occasionally and I decided to take her to Church the last Sunday in April. But I didn't want to be too crazy, so I decided I'd take her for the last hour and a half of Church. We sneaked into the back of Sunday School, but wouldn't you know it, a toddler spotted her. I think it's pretty cute how little kids like babies, so I wasn't too worried until the toddler sneezed on Anna. Oh well, I figured.

Sunday night was a rough night in our house. Anna woke up more than usual and seemed especially stuffy. And I was exhausted from not getting enough sleep over the weekend. She seemed a little warm to me, so I took her temperature under her arm and it was 99.2 degrees. I was sure that meant that her real temperature was actually 100.2 degrees and if I called the pediatrician she would hospitalize her. I never thought I would do the mother guilt freak out thing, but I did. I was sure that her fever was all my fault because I cheated and took her to church (and a family baby shower) before she was officially two months old.

After crying all morning (remeber that I was a bit sleep deprived), I called the doctor's office and they made an appointment for me. When I got her in there, her rectal temperature was only 99.2 and she had no signs of an ear infection. So the diagnosis was a simple cold. In the end, she was fine and I didn't get busted for taking her out.

Today she finally hit her two-month mark and received the first major vaccinations, so now we're free and clear to take her to Church and out into the real world. To celebrate, I stopped at the grocery store on the way home. But that's not to say that she's ready for the full grocery shopping experience. I think we'll put that off as long as possible.