Atlanta Trip - Part 2

Monday we got up for a busy day of tourist stuff in Atlanta. Our first stop was the Inside CNN Studio Tour. It was pretty interesting, but you couldn't take any pictures inside. We did get to ride the world's tallest free standing escalator - 8 stories!

Next stop was Georgia Aquarium. We were just there in May on our stopover on the way to Kentucky. Our City Pass included the 3-D movie and behind the scenes "Quick Dip" tour. We didn't do those last time, so we went back specifically for that. We did spend some time going back through the exhibits because our last trip was packed with kids on field trips. Melia LOVED the underwater tunnel. The fish really got her attention, especially the giant grouper!

From there we headed next door to the World of Coca Cola. It is a really neat place to visit. I am one of those people that watches the Superbowl for the ads, so I get into all of the marketing and branding. They have a 4-D show that we watched - they even gave Melia her own glasses!

My favorite part at the World of Coca-Cola is the Taste It room. They let you sample Coke brand products from all over the globe. Some were great and some were just nasty! No, I did not let Melia sample any.

Tuesday was our last day in Atlanta. To finish off our City Pass we went to the High Museum of Art. We stopped at The Varsity for lunch on the way back to the airport. After flight delays in Atlanta and Miami we are very happy to be home!

Atlanta Trip - Part 1

On Friday, October 23rd we flew to Atlanta for a work conference. Friday and Saturday Melia and Chris hung out at the hotel while I worked. Then it was time for vacation!

Saturday night we took Melia to her first hockey game. Atlanta Thrashers vs San Jose Sharks. I thought it was neat that they were playing the Sharks, since Chris and I went to a Sharks game in San Jose when I was pregnant. She was really into the game and everything going on in the Arena. Before the game we grabbed dinner at The Varsity. "What'll ya have?" We had a chili cheese dog and chili cheese burger, onion rings, and an orange freeze shake. YUM!

Sunday we slept in (thank you Melia!) and then went to church. From there we went to Zoo Atlanta. Today was their Boo at the Zoo event, so there were a ton of kids dressed up in costume. We got to trick or treat around the zoo and listen to spooky stories. So much fun!

Afterwards we headed to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. They were also having a halloween event - Scarecrows in the Park. They had a lot of really neat scarecrows all over. They also had haunted storytime, pumpkin decorating and a costume parade. It was really cute.

For dinner we headed to Gladys and Ron's. Famous for their waffles and fried chicken! Yes, dinner both nights have been a heart attack waiting to happen, but we are exercising and eating good the rest of the day!

We bought a City Pass, so lots more fun is in store the next two days!

First Steps!

Melia took her first steps last night! Unassisted, stood up on her own and walked! She is a long way from being a "walker", but is making progress. She took a few steps a couple different times today too! Just like Mommy! (I walked at 9 months - child prodigy!)

Pumpkin Patch!

Last night we took Melia to a local pumpkin patch for some pictures. Every year we go with Lisa and her family to take pictures there. We have taken Molly in the past - she loves to get dressed up too! The place does a great job creating "backdrops" for pictures. Here are a few. More will be posted to Webbsyght today.

Boo Boo

No, this is not a Halloween post. Last night Melia got a boo-boo on her index finger. She reached to the table and grabbed Chris' soda can. As he grabbed it away from her, the rim of the can slit her finger. It cut her right where the finger bends. She didn't cry but it bled a lot.

I put multiple bandaids on it, as well as wrapping it with paper towel and tape. She kept sticking her finger in her mouth so the bandaids wouldn't stay on. It just kept bleeding thru everything. Because of the recent blood test, I freaked out and took her to urgent care. One of the concerns our ped had was her blood taking a long time to clot, so I was a panicked mommy.
There is a new urgent care center really close to our house. They were fabulous. They took us right back and even filled out my paperwork for me so I could hold Melia. It took a long time for them to get the bleeding to stop. They finally got it stopped enough to apply dermabond.

Of course she is still sticking it in her mouth all the time! I followed up with our pediatrician today because daycare called and Melia is still bleeding under the dermabond. They said to apply firm pressure for 5 minutes (don't cheat) to get the blood to clot. Good luck with that! Holding her hand to get it to stop in the first place made her one unhappy camper!

Follow up from the blood test: Melia's results were 36 seconds on the PTT test. Normal is 16-32 seconds. So she is a little long, but nothing really abnormal. Like I said before, just something else to make mommy worry!

Melia's Big Sister

Molly is a great big sister to Melia. From the time we brought her home from the hospital, Molly has been in love with Melia. When we walk in the door Molly greets her with kisses. Molly sleeps in the floor right next to the crib at night with her baby sister. They even try to share toys.

Molly has always been a spoiled dog, so I have been surprised at how well she has adjusted to having a baby in the house. And also to not having all of my attention! Molly is a great dog and we are so happy they get along so well.

Each October our church has a blessing of the animals - in honor of St Francis of Assisi. We took Molly and Melia this year to the service. They had a great time!

Test Results

The pediatrician called today with Melia's blood work results. Not the nurse, but the actual doctor. I thought that was nice, but strange.

3 of her 4 tests came back normal. The PTT test came back in the abnormal range according to the lab. The doctor said her reference book said the results are normal for Melia's size and age. I am not really sure what that means. I probably should have asked more questions, but I was caught off guard.

They did the test because she bruises really easily. She seems to clot fine, the few times she has bled, so the doctor is not overly concerned.

Unfortunately, this means she has to have bloodwork done again at 12 months. Earlier if she has any bleeding issues or if the bruises seem larger than normal.

It is probably nothing, but I still worry. I guess that is part of being a mommy. So send prayers our way for good results in a few months!

9 Month Check Up

Today is Melia's 9 month birthday! It was also her 9 month check up. So here is her update:
She weighs 16 lb 14 oz and is 26 inches long. She is in the 10th percentile for height and 20th percentile for weight.

She is doing all of the thing she should be at this stage: pulling to stand, saying Mama and Dada (she prefers to say Dada), eating finger foods and responding to her name. She is also walking along furniture and trying to walk on her own (when you hold her hands). She plays patty cake and makes the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round! The doctor said she is doing very well developmentally.

She got her first flu shot today. She was a champ and didn't cry at all. Infants get 2 flu shots, so she will be back in 4 weeks for another one. We also did some blood work. Some standard blood work is done between 9-15 months, but we had some concerns about her bruising, so the doctor decided to do the tests now. We will get the results when she goes back for the next flu shot.

It is kind of strange to think she has been out of me just as long as she was in me now. It is also amazing to see the way she continues to develop. Now my baby is really closer to being a toddler!

Swine Flu

We went through a debate about getting regularly scheduled vaccines when Melia was first born. After talking to our pediatrician and doing a lot of research we have kept her pretty close to the AAP recommended vaccine schedule. Knock on wood, she has done well so far.

I always get a flu shot. I also always get sick, so I don't know if it really helps. Chris gets the flu shot at work because of being around children. I am pretty sure I want Melia to get a flu shot because she is in daycare.

The question I have is, do I get her the H1N1 vaccine also? Chris' office is providing them to employees, so he will get one. I just worry since the vaccine seems so rushed coming out. Have they really had time to test it? So give me your thoughts - H1N1 or no? We don't want to see this in her room...