Eye Doctor

We went to see Dr. Kurdirka this morning about Anna Riley's blocked tear duct.  This is also Riley's optometrist so it was a familiar face.  We were there for 2 hours which was not fun trying to keep her entertained for that long.  They had to numb and dilate her eyes which she absolutely hated!  Then we finally got to meet with Dr. Kurdirka and he checked her over.  He said she seemed to be a little far sighted but nothing to worry about now.  But we would just keep a close check on it.  Riley did have to get glasses at a very young age so this may be repeated with Anna Riley.  He said that after 6 months of age, most tear ducts do not open up on their own.  He said with her being 9 months now, it is not likely that it will.  Her case is not in the "really bad" category but he said it is something that needs to be taken care of  or it could cause infections.  He said that if not taken care of simple surgery could turn into a more complicated surgery.  Riley and I told him our concerns of putting her to sleep at such an early age.  He said that is most every parent he talks with.  He said that they only give them enough anesthesia to not feel it and to not be moving and its only for 10 minutes so its not like they are knocked out cold for a while.  He suggested to wait a month and do aggressive massaging to her eye at least 4 times a day and come back and discuss the surgery again.  So keep us in your prayers that we make the right decision on that.  I know it is a very minor surgery but anytime my baby is put to sleep, it is not so minor to me!

9 months and Dr. appointment

Anna Riley turned 9 months last Thursday.  She is just growing up so fast.  This past month is just feels like she really has started moving closer and closer to a toddler.  Here is what she is up to at 9 months old:

 *She weighs 20.2 lbs and is 30 inches tall! (75% for weight and 99% for height)

*She wears size 3 diapers and mostly all 12 month clothes now.
*She eats anything and everything! We have been giving her pretty much what we are eating and Dr. Roberts let me know today that anything was fine now (except whole milk)...even peanut butter. yay!
She even had mushrooms (not Daddy's favorite but defintely Mommy's) and loved them. I tell you, she doesnt turn down much of anything!

 

*She is in to everything now! She finally crawls on her knees. She also cruises around to get where she wants to be and is constantly pulling up on anything. She can now pull up by just putting her hand on the wall.

*She has 2 bottom teeth and a top tooth just popped through.
*She can walk with assistance.
*Gets told "no ma'am" a lot! She always turns and looks...sometimes she listens and sometimes she just smiles and keeps doing it!
*When you show her a picture of herself, she thinks it is so funny!
*She giggles all the time.

 *Puts everything in her mouth!

*Is able to pick up the smallest things now...and where do you think it goes if I dont get it first?!
*Bathtime is still her favorite
*Her favorite song is "The wheels on the bus"
*Loves being outside!
*Says "dada" and has said "mama" but doesnt really say it anymore. Her favorite saying is "ahh gong"...yeah I have no clue but she says it all day long! She doesnt really say "hey" much anymore either.
 

*She also immediately grabs glasses off your face if you are wearing them.

*Will not sleep in her carseat much anymore. And sometimes I am really, really wanting her to! I am thinking once we get a new carseat it might help at least to be more comfortable and it is on our list of things to do we just havent gotten it yet.
*Claps when she wants to.
*We have been working on "where is your nose" so she grabs everyones nose!

*Posed picture taking is not so easy anymore...can you tell.  But she does like to cheese for the camera occasionally.  You can say Anna Riley "Cheese" and she will smile really big!  I think she will eventually like to have her picture taken. (Those of you that knew me when I was little know exactly where she gets that from!)
 *Sleeps through the night unless she is teething really bad.

*Still a great napper...until we are out of town and then she thinks it is party time!
*She is extremely flexible! My friends named her "the pretzel" this weekend.
* She loves other kids.  Its so cute watching her interact with them.

Now on to the Dr. Appointment:

This morning, I took Anna Riley for her 9 month checkup. While doing her normal scan and listening, Dr. Roberts felt concerned about Anna Riley's heart rhythm. She said that she had never heard her heart like that before and she just wanted to make sure everything was ok. She is sending us to a cardiologist at UAB next Tuesday for an EKG, ultrasound and Xrays. She said she has sent several before because she would rather be safe than sorry and sometimes it just comes back that they had some congestion causing it to skip around and sometimes its more serious and ends in surgery. While I am still worried about it and will be until we go Tuesday, I am so glad that she is sending us (even if it turns out to be nothing, which is what we are hoping for!)

   Also, we have an appointment with the eye doctor in the morning for him to take a look at Anna Riley's tear duct.  I think I have already decided to not go through with the surgery because they have to give her full anesthesia and I just don't know if I can do that just yet.  Not for something that is not hurting her.  I expressed my feelings to Dr. Roberts and she said her daughter had one as well and she ended up letting it clear up on its on and it did.  So Riley and I discussed waiting until at least a year and see if its gotten any better.  She said as long as it was not getting infected it was ok.  But she wants us to see the eye doctor just so he can look at it to make sure everything is ok with that and give us our options even if it is for future use. 
So please keep Anna Riley in your prayers that everything will turn out ok next week at the cardiologist. 

 

Give me some love!

We are about to head to Atlanta to celebrate this little ones big day!! Wow can't believe it has been a year! 

Look how cute these two are!  Zoe was really wanting some love! 

Trick or Treat

We took Anna Riley trick or treating to just a few of our neighbors and then went to Mimi's house (Riley's grandmother).  She lives in a neighborhood that is very close to us.  The kids do a costume parade and then all meet and eat pizza and then trick or treat.  Its the cutest thing!  After we left there we made a little stop by Riley's Aunt Grace's house before going to his Dad's.  She just loves seeing Anna Riley and we don't get to see her enough so we went to for a short visit and she had lots of goodies waiting on AR!  When we got home she got to eat part of a Halloween cupcake we had made and I think she was in heaven! :)  What a great weekend!

Happy Halloween Anna Riley!

Halloween Festival

We went to the Halloween Festival in Tannehill.  Wasn't really what I expected but the weather was amazing and the Phillips families met us there so all in all it was a great day with great friends! 

Pumpkin Carving

I just love all the traditions that come along in the fall...pumpkin patches, fall festivals, pumpkin carvings, trick or treating, cool weather (except that skipped us this year).  Some people make Halloween out to be so bad but to me, its what you put into it!  This was Anna Riley's first Halloween and she had a jam packed schedule!  I just love doing all of those fun things and even though she really couldn't enjoy it this year, didn't mean we weren't going to go and take part...and guess what, we will be doing even more next year! haha (Maybe its the elem. teacher in me!) 

She "helped" Daddy carve the pumpkin and she wasn't scared of this one! They carved a "girly" pumpkin with a hairbow of course!

A little of this and a little of that...

• We have been really busy around here lately with all the fall festival, Halloween, birthday parties, and moving.  Yes, you heard me right.  But no we are not moving for good.  We are doing some things to our house so we thought it was best to not have a crawling, cruising around baby in the middle of a construction zone   And my wonderful FIL opened up his home to us.  I don't know if it was really to us or for Anna Riley...but either was we are staying there! haha.   We moved over Sunday night and it has worked out perfect.  There was already a crib and everything at his house and every toy you could possibly imagine so we really just had to bring some clothes and we were good to go.  Anna Riley transitioned very well in her new room and has been sleeping SO good again...Hallelujah!!  I better not speak too soon though. 
• We are getting our family pics made Friday and I am hoping for some really good ones.  Anna Riley is all about cheezing for the camera right now so I hope she is in a good mood and puts on that big smile! 
• Anna Riley gets to see Zoe and Carson this weekend and of course I get to see my best friends too!! :)  We are going to the Tannehill Halloween Fairyland on Saturday. 
• Anna Riley has made little friends in her class at church.  Sunday, all the little girls were double names and they all began with Anna!  Those poor, poor teachers!  They said that her and Anna Ryan (also carries her Daddy's name) are just best friends and they play so good together every Sunday.  When we went to pick her up this Sunday, even though she was so ready for her nap (because we go to the early service), she was playing so hard...they had even tied her dress up.  It took her a while to notice we were there and even then, she kept on playing with her little friends.  I am so glad that she loves the teachers at our church and has little friends that she will grow up with there.