So, Bella is only 5 months away from her 1st Birthday!
Today is Bella's 7-month "birthday"! It's hard to believe that in only 5 months we will be celebrating her 1st Birthday. I've already started "planning" her birthday party because a lot of her friends also have April birthdays. I think we're going to have to pull straws to divvy up the weekends. Bella did not have a 7-month wellness appointment, but she does go to the pediatrician on Monday for her 2nd flu shot. I busted out the scale and tape measure this morning, so I can share some unofficial stats:
Height: about 28 inches (She's grown about an inch over the last month)
Weight: about 22.5 pounds (She's still our little chunky monkey!)
Sleeping Pattern: So... I thought 7-month-olds were supposed to sleep through the night, however Bella is not your typical 7-month-old and wakes up once a night to be fed. She is still taking pretty good morning and afternoon naps for about 1-2 hours each time.
Eating Pattern: Bella eats about 5-6 ounces every 3-4 hours and is eating solids 3 times a day. She really likes chicken with sweet potatoes and her rice puffs. We have decided (at the nagging, uh, suggestion of Bella's grandma) that Bella will eat primarily organic foods. We have switched her to organic formula because we really enjoy the convenience of the Similac pre-made nursers for her middle of the night feeding. We may or may not switch her to organic formula... the jury is still out.
Milestones: Bella has TWO teeth and has two more on the way. She has her two bottom teeth and it appears that her two top teeth are about to cut in. Ahh, the joys of teething! Bella sits up quite well, unassisted. She also rolls and scoots herself around on the floor. We can no longer leave her alone in one place and expect her to be there when we return.
Friends: The usual suspects... Connor and Taylan. She has been spending a lot of time recently with a new friend, Layla.
Current Events: Election season is finally over! Rick Scott is the governor elect for the State of Florida and Marco Rubio is the Senator elect for the US Senate!!! Yay for the Republicans! We are looking forward to the things this men have to offer and we hope they get the job done! Unfortunately, Maryland (where Pop and Didi live) didn't fair as well. O'Malley was re-elected... boo!
I'm sad to report that Bella has had some health issues that we've had to deal with. Bella was diagnosed with torticollis. Congenital torticollis is most often due to tightness in the muscle that connects the breastbone and the collarbone to the skull (it's called the sternocleidomastoid muscle). This is called congenital muscular torticollis. The tightness might have developed because of the way Bella was positioned in my uterus (i.e. head tilted to one side) or because the muscles were damaged during delivery. The physical therapist seems to think the torticollis was caused due to Bella being cramped in my belly. Small mommy + big baby = torticollis. Bella has been referred for physical therapy and has been attending twice a week. She is doing well with the physical therapy and her torticollis is slowly improving. Unfortunately torticollis often goes hand-in-hand with plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome). Bella will meet with a specialist next week to address the severity of her plagiocephaly. We're very thankful that Bella is healthy and this is just a little bump in the road. We're bracing ourselves for the possibility of Bella needing to wear a helmet to even out the shape of her skull. We think she'll look cute in a helmet, don't you? =)
I'm sad to report that Bella has had some health issues that we've had to deal with. Bella was diagnosed with torticollis. Congenital torticollis is most often due to tightness in the muscle that connects the breastbone and the collarbone to the skull (it's called the sternocleidomastoid muscle). This is called congenital muscular torticollis. The tightness might have developed because of the way Bella was positioned in my uterus (i.e. head tilted to one side) or because the muscles were damaged during delivery. The physical therapist seems to think the torticollis was caused due to Bella being cramped in my belly. Small mommy + big baby = torticollis. Bella has been referred for physical therapy and has been attending twice a week. She is doing well with the physical therapy and her torticollis is slowly improving. Unfortunately torticollis often goes hand-in-hand with plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome). Bella will meet with a specialist next week to address the severity of her plagiocephaly. We're very thankful that Bella is healthy and this is just a little bump in the road. We're bracing ourselves for the possibility of Bella needing to wear a helmet to even out the shape of her skull. We think she'll look cute in a helmet, don't you? =)
Happy 7-Month Birthday, Isabella Eve!
Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella
