Time for an update!!!

So I've recently been told that I needed to "update" my blog.  I mainly started this for people who aren't on facebook and don't have access to our family site.  I guess I let it slide because I didn't think very many people were reading it but apparently there are more of you then I realized! :)  Life has moved at lightning speed since Christmas.  Elaina had so many milestones all at once I couldn't keep up.  On January 28th (6months 3 days) Elaina fully rolled over from her back to her belly.  We missed it!  Ben was in the computer room and he called me up and told me that he had turned around and the next second she was over.  I got the video camera out and it took her a few minutes but we finally got a roll!!!  You would have thought we'd won the lottery from all the clapping and cheering Ben, Dana, and I did!  We had a couple days of her rolling over in the crib and screaming to be flipped back (she hadn't figured  out that she already knew had to do that).  She hated being on her tummy (she still does) and quickly decided rolling onto her tummy was old hat and was done with that!  We were slightly relieved because we were tired of her waking us to flip her back over! LOL.  January 31st rolls around (monday) and she decided to sit up by herself for a few minutes with no help from mom or dad!  She continues to improve on this and can sit for LONG periods of time but we still need pillows around in case she falls over.  That friday on Feburary 4th Elaina got her first set of bottom teeth.   

2 Teeth!!!

By this time I was ready to rope her back in.  Rolling, sitting, and teeth were just to close together and I felt like I was losing my baby! :)  That quickly took a back sit to my concern when, by Sunday, Elaina had a fairly high fever and was acting very sick.  I was thinking it was from the teething but called the Dr after getting to work on Monday (Dana was babysitting).  They got me in for a 2pm visit.  By the time I got home at about 1pm Elaina was worse.  She was very  lifeless and on fire.  She had an extremely high temp.  For the first time I understand when they say "when it's YOUR child.....you can't think straight!"  I've always been very non-emotional when dealing with someone else sick or injured.  I might feel weak or sick AFTERWARDS but during it I'm pretty calm.  Not this time!!!!  I quickly got her in the car and felt like a HORRIBLE mother for going into work and not staying home with her to see that she was getting worse.  She would cry so hard when you laid her down and seemed in SO much pain.  I prayed the whole way to the dr's that it wasn't serious and to give them wisdom and me peace.  Immediately the nurse thought it might be an earache.  I thought they wouldn't eat well when they had an earache but Elaina had been eating fine.  The nurse was right!  Elaina had a raging infection probably due to all the saliva from her teething pooled in that inner ear.  Even though I didn't want to I put her on a mild antibiotic.  Within a day or 2 she was doing better.  EXCEPT.....she was starting to cough....a LOT.....by Friday the cough was so bad she couldn't sleep very well and seemed MISERABLE.  I called the Dr and his first concern was RSV and told me to tak her to the ER.  Again......not the way I want to spend my Friday OR have my daughter be poked and prodded.  After Kari told me that sometimes yawning is not just  a sign of tiredness but could be a lack of oxygen (which is the concern with RSV) and that babies can go from bad to worse VERY quickly.  We decided to head into the ER.  They tested her for RSV and Influenza.  The dr. said that RSV was seeming to be going around and they had just put a 3 month old upstairs for oxygen earlier that day.  Not encouraging words.  The tests came back that she had influenza A.  Poor little thing.   He said she was probably at the peak and there was not a lot to do but keep her comfortable and let it ride it out.  Thankfully by Monday she was doing MUCH better and by Tues seemed back to her old, laughing self.  Elaina and I had a very long talk about dumping to much stuff on mommy.  3 major milestones, ear infection, ER visit, and the Flu was just a LITTLE too much for mommy to deal with within a 2 week period!   I think she has agreed to give things to me in much smaller doses in the future! =)

         On valentine's day Ben and I celebrated it by spending the evening at home and having Naomi babysit Elaina at her house.  I had been sick for a few days and just wasn't up for going out and probably not enjoying myself....so we relaxed at home. It was the first time the 2 of us were home and Elaina was not there.  Very weird feeling! :)  I took some 6 month pics of Elaina for Valentine's day and here is one of my favorites.

       We celebrated dad's 72nd b-day very low key this year.  He wanted to go to a little burger joint in Waynesboro called Wayne's Burger (original?)  Anyways....even Elaina got in on the action!

Elaina with Pappap!

She also officially moved into her big girl car seat!   I hate it because the seat is to big rearfacing to fit behind our seats so I had to put it in the middle (which is safer anyways) but I have to climb in and out each time I put her in or get her out.  I think I've bumped her head almost each time I've put her in....poor girl. Here she is trying it out the night we got it home.  Another first was her first time in her stroller minus the car seat.  She wasn't sure what to make of it!

 Elaina is now 7 1/2 months and thriving.  I definetly think she will be a slow crawler or not crawl at all because she HATES HATES HATES to be on her tummy.  If I leave her there she'll just cry and roll over.  She LOVES to sit up and launch herself at things which ends up being a scary thing for me because she can't catch herself with her arms and face planting is a new pastime!  As of  about 2 weeks ago Elaina was 18lbs 12oz, 27 3/4" long, and 17 3/4" head.  Honestly I think she is more like 25lbs now!! Geez she has gotten  heavy.      

As for Ben and I....Ben is still working hard at the plant and I just finished my last day of Whitetail on Wednesday.  Even though I only worked a few days a week it was nice to work with all my friends and have some adult conversation! :)  Hopefully I will be more faithfull with this blog in the coming months! Happy Spring Forward!!!! :)