9 MONTHS and trip to Mobile

The time that it took for me to carry Carsyn in my belly sure seemed to go slower than these past 9 months that she has been in the world! She is now her own little person with her own opinions!

We headed to Mobile for her 9 month check-up and to take care of a few other things. Why did I not change her doctor to Mccomb you ask? Well, trying to get individual insurance is not only an aggrivation but also insanely expensive. I was trying to find the best route and I had a feeling that the insurance would not be effective in time for her visit. I had kept her on BCBS of Al so that I could still go to her doc in Al. Also she missed a shot at her 6 month and was going to receive it at 9 mos and I didnt want to chance an error in medical records being forwarded. To give you a short synopsis on the insurance situation that I have been dealing with....after a month of going back and forth with Assurant Health the day I was to receive confirmation (one day before the doctor appointments, both me and Carsyn) I was informed that because I had a C-section they were shooting my deductible for maternity coverage up to $15000!!!!! No I didnt add an extra zero....15 THOUSAND dollars! That is more than it cost to have Carsyn! So needless to say I had to cancel my very important dr appt until I get BCBS of MS coverage. A WHOPPING $475 a month for the both of us!!!!

So we headed to Mobile at 7:40 Thursday morning and arrived just in time for the appointment at 11. I had a list of questions prepared for the doctor...see below

1. Her left eye still waters...what gives? Does she have allergies?
Well I still think it is just a typical infant drainage problem but if it still persists at 12 mos I will suggest a visit to the eye dr.
2. She has terrible ear wax problems that are hereditary anything I can do?
Her ears look fine...no you cant do anything.
3. She sleeps around 11 hrs at night but still wakes sometimes. And her naps sometime only last 30 minutes? Any suggestions?
Put her down awake and dont go get her unless something is wrong. Be thankful for the 30 min nap it is fine. ( I dont know if I agree with this because she goes back to sleep after fussing so I will continue this)
Even after she cries for an hour at night still dont go get her?
Nope
4. She is such a restless sleeper- any problems this my indicate.
Nope babies are terriby restless sleepers that is why it is not good to sleep with them.
5. Is it normal for food to still be in stooles?
Yes especially carrots, corn, and peas.
So long story short he said she was fine and healthy and no worries. She weighed 23lbs and is 28.5inches...much smaller than I thought! He was amazed with her developmental stages and said that she was doing great! He suggested getting her off of the bottle as soon as I want but he didnt tell me what to put in the sippy cup and she can't have milk yet?! He gave a pamplet on discipline and infant dentistry. She also had to get the make-up shot but only cried for a second and then was smiling again!

After the doctor we went to lunch with my old co-worker Joe! It was good to visit with him :) and hear how the office had been since I departed. I stayed with my good friend Mary Caron (the girl who initiated my original move to MObile) and got to visit with other friends. I rode by our old house to see what the new owners had done. The feeling was like seeing your first real ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend! :(

While Carsyn did not nap nor sleep well on our trip I did not allow myself to stress out over it. During the night I started her out in the pack and play but it is just too small for her so when she awoke I moved her into the bed with me. All kids like to sleep with their parents right? Nope, not my angel. I think she is such a restless sleeper and moves all night that when she awakes away from home she gets scared and doesnt know how to go back to sleep. This time though instead of trying to get her back to sleep like I normally do I just let her sit up and play until she finally laid herself back down and went to sleep. Luckily she did pretty much sleep the entire 2hr 45 min trip back to Mccomb the next day. Before we departed Mobile I went to get my haircut by my fave hair stylist. Let's just say that a tired 9month old does not sit well in a hair salon even thought my friends Kristy was with me and tried to help her! When Carsyn is tired she only wants Momma. That was the fastest haircut I have ever received!

I am really glad that I have allowed myself to "Let Go" about Carsyn's schedule and sleep. I feel like what I would assume a smoker finally kicking the habit feels like. It had such control over me and I have been a much more patient parent now that I can relax better. Last night upon returning home I thought since she was so tired that she would sleep hard and long, but nope she woke at 12, 2, and 3. At 3 she was screaming hysterically and cried for 45 minutes. I finally caved in and as soon as I picked her up she went back to sleep until 7:30. While I agree with the lesson of let them put themselves back to sleep I have come to the conclusion that all babies are different and the same thing doesnt work for all. Apparently I will just have to help her from time to time and it probably wont stop until she is a teenager!

Well tomorrow is Sunday so Daddy will be home to play with us! New post later! :)