3 months old!

Happy 3 month Birthday, Audrey Elizabeth! Time is just flying by, right before our eyes! You've had a pretty exciting month, little one. The coolest thing you've done this month? You found your voice. One day, you just started babbling and cooing away, and let me tell you, its the cutest thing we've ever heard. Your voice is completely girly and so very sweet. You love to "talk" to us, but even if we aren't right there, you don't mind talking to anyone who will listen -- even if that means the animals on your crib mobile, your reflection, or even the ceiling. We think you just like to hear the sound of your own voice -- but that's okay, because so do we :)

You don't go to the doctor for your next check up until next month, so I don't have an official height/weight for you. However, mommy stepped on the scale with you the other day and it seems you are close to 15 lbs now, our sweet girl. Growing like a weed! We know that you are getting even longer now, because your 0-3 month sleepers that fit just a couple weeks ago, are starting to get to small in the legs! As for your other clothes, you still fit comfortably in a 0-3 month and some 3 month sizes. And somehow, amazingly enough, Mommy was able to get you in your newborn sized onesie for your monthly photo (though somehow, I think that might be the last time you will be able to wear it!)

As far as sleeping longer at night? Well, you are getting better at it. Quite a few times now, you've slept in longer stretches, allowing for us to get more than just a couple hours of sleep at a time! Most nights now, you sleep until at least 4:30a, eat, and go right back to sleep. Some nights are still better than others, of course, but we have faith that soon enough, you'll make it a nightly habit ;) I have to mention though, that one night this past month, you slept from 8p-7:30a! Mommy woke up in shock (and fully rested, as she got 7 hours of sleep herself that night!) and so proud of you. You haven't done that little trick since, but maybe someday! You still do not like to nap much, though. You refuse to nap in your crib for some reason, but we can usually get you to take a few short naps in your swing. By dinner time, you are at your crankiest! We swear you have an internal clock that just knows its getting close to your bath and bed time, so you are not a happy camper until you get those things! Luckily though, you are very easy to put to bed. Once you finish eating, we lay you down in your crib, and even if you aren't asleep, you eventually put yourself to sleep without a fuss. For that, we are grateful!

Some more exciting things you did this month -- you got to meet your Grandma Leslie who flew in from Arizona to see you and you got to watch your Daddy graduate from college! You were SUCH a good girl during the 3-hour ceremony. Mommy was proud how well you behaved. You napped during some of it, and when you were awake, you enjoyed looking around at everything. You really enjoyed your time with Grandma too, who even babysat you one night while mommy and daddy went on a date to the movies. While Grandma was here, we took a trip to Cleveland to visit the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. You, of course, were such a good girl during the trip. It makes us happy to know that we can take you places and not worry that you will misbehave!

This month, we got you an exersaucer (Thanks, Grandma!) and you really seem to enjoy it. You're still a little small for it, so we need to wedge you in the seat with some towels so you don't flop around. Your head is very strong though, so you have no problems holding it up while you play. You've recently decided that you like to be upright on your feet and you're really into grabbing things, so this was the perfect toy for you! You even figured out how to maneuver your feet and spin the seat around! What a smart girl :)

You are such a happy and easy going baby, always making us laugh or smile. Everyday is a new experience for all of us as you grow and change. As much as we hate seeing you grow up so fast, we are so eager to see what each month holds!

Love Always,

Mommy

strawberry hemangioma

For awhile now, I've wondered whether or not I should write a blog about it. At first I thought "is it REALLY anyone's business?" but then I realized that maybe I should blog about it, and explain what it is to inquiring minds that may want to know, but don't ask. With that said, we HAVE had people ask, and that's completely fine -- because it doesn't bother us and because I've found out it's so common.

The "it" I am referring to, is Audrey's forehead.

Today in Walmart while we were waiting in line, I overheard a little girl ask her mom "does that baby have a boo boo?" and it got me thinking "Do other people think this?"..obviously not that its a "boo-boo" (or, at least, I'd hope adults would have common sense) but see it, and are left wondering -- especially if they've never seen another child with a hemangioma, and aren't familiar with what one is. So with that, I decided a blog post was due, and I'd "let it all out there" so for the people who don't know, but are afraid to ask, can know ;)

When she was first born, she had just a tiny, barely there mark on her forehead. A few days after she was born, it started becoming a little more pink. So because of this, we thought it was a stork bite, or an angel kiss (I like that description!) which is extremely common in infants.

After the first month, it became noticeably darker, but was still flat. It was a little funny & we'd laugh because whenever she was really mad, it got even redder -- which is still a characteristic of a stork bite.

Around the time she turned 2 months, we noticed that not only was it getting even darker, it was starting to raise up a little from the surface of her skin. I did a little googling, and discovered that stork bites do not do this, and it was most likely a strawberry hemangioma.

At her 2 month checkup, we brought this up with the doctor. She immediately said (in her fun Polish accent, lol) "Oh yes, its a strawberry hemangioma. Completely normal!" and of course I asked her a few questions. The most important being, does it hurt her? No, it does not. She said the only thing they do for them is just watch it. She said we could take her to a pediatric dermatologist if it bugs US (which, it doesn't) and while there are some new treatments out there, we do not feel like subjecting our baby to painful laser treatments for something cosmetic and superficial.

So what IS a strawberry hemangioma? According to a handy medical dictionary, its described as a red, firm, dome-shaped hemangioma seen at birth or soon after, usually on the head or neck, that grows rapidly and usually regresses and involutes without scarring.

I did some of my own research and discovered that its very common, specifically in premature, Caucasian females. Audrey was certainly not premature (far from it, actually haha), but she's 2 for 3!

The good news? They almost always go away, on their own, and without treatment. They begin to shrink around the age of 1, and are usually gone by the time a child is 2. Anyone I have talked to who has had a child with the same thing, has said it went away, usually around 18-24 months. Are we worried? Absolutely not. To be honest, when I look at my perfect baby, I barely even notice it. With that said though, I know other people do -- and that's okay.

My hope is for people to look at our sweet daughter exactly like we do and see nothing but a beautiful little girl with an adorable smile and the sweetest little personality ;)