Big event for a little baby

Little Annika had her first big event - at least the first big event meant especially for her. She was baptized on Saturday, and it was beautiful. The ceremony was quick and special, and Annika was an absolute angel (pun intended). She never cried nor fussed - though she was chatty for much of the priest's homily (to his chagrin).

Afterwards, we had much of Annika's friends and family to the house. Well, mostly family. The house was packed and we were busy, but as usual, Annika just loved the energy. She was very calm throughout despite the fact that she was passed from person to person. In fact, she prefers it that way.

Later that night she went to sleep without a fuss - a big day for the little girl!

The new normal

The last few days (nights) have been trying. Annika has shed her former reputation for being a sleep queen. Like anything, I know it's not going to last, but darm if I ain't very very tired, My body literally aches with exhaustian. I stare at my computer screen and work, and my eyes play tricks on me. It's like one of those 3-D poster things that were popular in the 80s. So far, I've seen a fireworks display, the Grand Canyon and a balloon.

What is more disturbing than the sleepiness is my worry. Is it normal to worry so much about your baby? Before you parents respond with your raucous "YES!'s" please remember that I'm new at this Mommy thing. The sinking feeling I get in the pit of my stomach if I consider for any length of time the things that can go wrong with Annika...well, it's a new feeling. A new normal, if you will.

My father was a worrier. He would wait up for me when I went out with friends when I was in high school. Not too bad, you think. Well, I was in band, and hung out with like-minded-bandy type folks. In essence, there was nothing to worry about. In addition, I was rarely home past 10. I think I was late by 20 minutes once, and both my father and I had to give each other CPR because of our mutual heart attacks. Mine because I would feel guilty making him worry, his because he was freaked I was in the bottom of a well with no dog to save me.

As sweet as it is to think about in retrospect, I have to admit, I didn't want to be that kind of parent. I want to trust my kids and sleep soundly when they're out, or in their cribs...but yeah, that's impossible. Usually my vision of Annika alone in her crib includes some sort of rope that she's found mysteriously halfway down her throat, and as she gasps for air...well, let's not think about this too much. My point being: I worry. I worry a lot. It literally keeps me up (beyond her cries) and if I were honest, the fact that she wakes up is sort of comforting, if not *tiring*.

I love her so very much. If I could get some sort of contract that she'll live and be healthy until the year 2109, that'd be great.

Checking in with the check-up

Annika had her 6-month check-up this Friday. Of course, she is healhty as a horse (how healthy are horses?), but we were able to get a few of our questions answered. Most of these questions were about food since when the nurses from the post-partum ward send you out into the world with your newborn, they neglect to indicate that kids need to eat beyond breastfeeding. Around 4-6 months, you start to worry - do I feed this kid milk forever, or shove a piece of pizza in its face? Well, no to both of those, but you get the idea.

For about a month, we've been feeding Annika oatmeal and a 2.5 ounce serving of Gerber Stage 1 foods. She likes pears the best. She tolerates green beans. Anyway, Annika always seems hungry so we never know if we're doing this right. And don't get me started on scary books that imply we're doing everything wrong.

Well, our pediatrician was comforting, for once, and seemed pleased with our food decisions. He even encouraged us to give her more solids if she seemed hungry after the servings we were providing.

We were also told to give her a dose of flouride each day since she's growing teeth. And he told us to probably stay away from juice since excess juice consumption can lead to obesity. We'll start to use water when feeding her from the cup. At Annika's age, it's time to start teaching cup drinking. Who knew?

Here are the latest stats:

Weight: 17 pounds, 10 ounces
Height: 26.75 inches
Head Circumference: 17.25 inches

Chris and I chuckled when we heard that Annika's head size remained in the 90th percentile. But our pediatrician did not find this funny, as he indicated that larger heads could have brain abnormalities or excess fluid! We were like...um, it runs in the family, trust us. He took a second look at Chris's head, and seemed to agree.

Had to share

Don't have much to post, but how cute is this???

Houston, we have a tooth

I thought this day would never come, or rather - I had hoped. (If you're wondering why I am simultaneously excited and chagrined by this development, it's simply because I have a sensitive "chestal" region, and frankly...I'm scared.)

Annika's first little tooth has broken through the skin. It still has a few millimeters to grow, but the stub is definitely there. This image is proof! OK, hardly decipherable proof, but you'll have to trust us.

We'd like to thank good genetics, hearty breastmilk and of course, the Academy, for this tiny tooth. May she grow many more! And may we never have to go to an orthodontist!

2006 and counting

It has been a while since a post because Annika and her family have been quite busy. In fact, we've been so busy that I don't even know where to begin to give you the latest updates. But you know I'm going to try.

- Annika's first Christmas: As expected, Annika is coocoo for wrapping paper. She just can't get enough. She is very good at opening gifts, and even better at shoving the paper in her mouth while she growls and screeches. It is quite a sight to behold. As for the actual presents, she sure did rake it in, and I'm going to be spending the rest of 2006 writing thank you notes on her behalf.

- Annika's tricks: Annika is now the proud owner of a number of exciting tricks. These include (but are not limited to) sitting up unassisted for long periods of time, smiling a great deal at things that make sense, laughing even more - usually when her parents are being silly and eating large amounts of food in all forms. Her favorite foods so far seem to be pears and sweet potatoes. However, she will eat almost anything with gusto. She has a morning meal of oatmeal that she gobbles up - and it's not like it has brown sugar in it!

- Traveling, Annika style: As part of the holiday festivities, we brought Annika by car to her maternal grandparents' home in the Los Angeles area. This drive usually takes Chris and I about 5.5 hours, but with a baby that needs to eat, it took 7. It wasn't too bad though because she rarely complained, but quite happy to either play with her many toys or to sleep most of the way. I only had to sit in the back with her a couple of times. As usual, she exceeded our expectations. On a slightly related note, she slept through the night every night at her grandparents' house, which isn't rare at our house any more, but the fact that she could do it in a new environment was awesome.

2006 looks to be a great year for little Annika. Can't wait to share the updates of her life with the people that love her!

P.S. Did anyone see Dick Clark on New Year's Rockin' Eve? Chris and I were simultaneously saddened and uplifted by his appearance and voice. So amazing that he decided to ring in the new year with America despite the fact that he's not yet 100% after his stroke. You go, Dick!