15 month check-up

Today was Sydney’s 15 month check-up.  She is 30.5” tall (50 percentile), 22 lbs 10 oz (55 percentile), and her head measures 50 cm (still in the upper 98 percentile, which is normal for her).  She’s right on track for her milestones.  Everything was looking good until the doctor checked her ears….she has an ear infection!  We didn’t even know it!  She’s not been acting different or even messing with her ear.  She has had a cough ever since she had a cold a couple of weeks ago and the doctor said her cough and ear infection could be from the little bit of drainage that she has had.  I’m so glad that even when she’s sick or doesn’t feel 100% she is totally happy. J

15 months!

I’m a day late because I was debating on posting something Friday after Sydney’s 15 month check-up but I was able to get some video that I wanted to share!  It won’t be long and she’ll be walking everywhere!!

Happy Halloween!

Hurricane Sandy, PT, and Christmas (yes, Christmas)

Luckily we did not get hit with the worst of Hurricane Sandy.  We did have a lot of rain and wind but luckily didn’t lose power (which is unusual).  Steve manned the Emergency Operations Center and Sydney and I hung out at home. 

Today was our two week PT appointment and we’ve been scaled back to once a month visits!  Sydney is keeping her head midline more often so it’s just a matter of breaking her habit of the head tilt when she’s really concentrating or reaching for something.  Breaking that habit will happen over time and with her wearing her TOT Collar.  She will remain in PT until she is walking on her own.  Once she is walking, they just want to make sure she’s not tilting or using one side more than the other.  Which actually brings me to this….she took 2 steps all on her own today!!!!  She did this a couple of times walking from Steve to me or from me back to Steve.  She let go of our hands and took a couple steps!  So, it won’t be long before she is walking on her own and we’ll hopefully have PT behind us!!  Oh, on a side note, I don’t think I mentioned but she is currently getting 5 (maybe 6) teeth all at the same time!  Thank goodness they haven’t really bothered her!  Pretty soon, she’ll have a mouth full of teeth!

I’ve started making a Christmas list for Sydney in case anyone wants to look at it.  I decided to make it at Target this year because Toys R Us aggravates me (that’s a story for later).  Here’s the link: http://www.target.com/ot/list/I-eHQ7ERbvApHsgVdbYOAw  or you can search for the list at Target.com under TargetLists using her name or Nikki Basham.  There’s not much on there right now but it’s a start and I’ll keep trying to add to it.  Don’t feel obligated to buy specifically from Target or this list or at all for that matter…this is just an idea of things she would like.  She still LOVES books and is currently wearing 12mo clothes now so will probably be wearing 18mo clothes by the time Christmas gets here or shortly after and it won’t be long before she is in a size 3 shoe.  Then there’s also the option of cash for her car/college/wedding fund…LOL J.

14 months, PT, and the Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend we took Sydney to Belvedere Plantation to the Pumpkin Patch.  She loves to be outside so she loved all of the activities there.  We didn’t get any pumpkins because we are going back this coming Saturday with Mom (her work has a bon fire event each year at Belvedere).  Here are some pictures from our outing and her 14 month picture:

 

 

This past Tuesday was our PT appointment.  Things are going well but pretty much holding steady as far as her tilt goes.  We’ll go back in two weeks and see if there has been any improvement.  She holds her head midline more often since she’s been wearing the TOT Collar but still tilts her head slightly.

13 months, Swimming, TOT collar, and PT

I’m really late on posting a 13 month photo but here you go!  I’ll get back on track in a few days with her 14 month picture J She loves being outside and this is her on the trike we got her for her birthday.

We started a water class a couple of weeks ago.  It’s not really swim class since she’s so young but they teach the babies how to play safely in the water.  During water class she and I get into the pool and we practice putting Sydney on her back and floating, kicking her feet, and climbing in and out of the pool.  She really enjoys being in the pool and there is only one other baby in the class and Sydney likes talking to her.

Sydney has been wearing her TOT collar for about a week now.  She wears it while she is playing and it doesn’t seem to bother her.  She will pull at it when it is first put on but then she leaves it alone.  She’s not limited in her movements and plays as usual.  It really does help her remember to keep her hedr midline.  Today was the first visit back to PT since she’s had it on and she is looking great!  Her therapist said that Sydney is doing much better already and that we’ll go back in 2 weeks for our normal appointment and she will decide then if we are totally done with PT or if we have to go back in maybe 3 or 4 week intervals…cross your fingers!! J

Here are a couple of pictures of the TOT collar:

Clear flexible tubing goes around her neck with hard plastic "struts" to keep her head in midline.



You can see the clear tubing under her chin



PT Update and Dentist Visit

Sydney is still going to PT once every other week.  This past week her therapist took measurements and the good news is that she is turning her head the same number of degrees left and right and the same range with her tilt left and right.  The bad news is when she plays, she still tilts her head 6 degrees (so she’s not in midline all the time).  The therapist believes the tilt is due to muscle memory and the only way to really correct that is to have Sydney wear a TOT collar (to read more about the TOT collar click here:  http://www.symmetric-designs.com/index82.html).  The collar will basically keep her head in midline while she plays and hopefully remind her to keep her head straight.  We have to get the collar ordered and the therapist will fit her and she’ll only wear it when she plays.  We’ll take it off for feeding, bath, and sleeping.

Today was Sydney’s first dentist appointment.  We saw Dr. Elsner in Fredericksburg (not our family dentist because he doesn’t seen children until they are 3) and he was excellent!  He was very personable and met and talked with Sydney before he brought us back and checked her teeth.  She did great!  She didn't cry or try to get away from him!  He said that everything looks good and her teeth are coming in at the right place and pace so she’s on track.  He gave us a Sydney sized toothbrush too J She’ll go back in one year for another check-up.