Hard to believe, but it's true. I took Penny Jane in for her six month appointment today. She's a whopping 27.25 inches and 17 lbs. 11 oz. Wow. Doc said she looked great, checked out fine, wouldn't be surprised if she was cruising along the furniture by the next (9 month) appointment, which would be about right if she follows in Abby's footsteps. (No pun intended.) Abby started pulling up to standing around 7 months, but, like, 3 days later she learned how to crawl and did that for a month before showing much interest in standing again. But she was full-on walking at 9.5 months. Oi!!
Unfortunately this was the second trip to the ped in the last week, because the girls got that stupid cough AGAIN. When I checked the calendar I realized they've been getting it every 8 weeks. The ped thinks it's seasonal allergies--she said the mold and pollen counts have been roller-coastering all summer--and on top of it she thinks Penny Jane has asthma. :( Each time she's gotten the cough she's ended up wheezing, and it takes twice as long for her to get over it as it does Abby. I'm taking her in for an allergy test to see if there's a food allergy causing the asthma; I'm really hoping there is so we can just cut out that food and not have to put her on medication. She was supposed to get her first of four hib vaccinations today, but I'm putting it off until she's totally over the cough so her system has time to heal and strengthen. Now I just have to remember to take her back in for it!
It's been a rough couple of months with her. This teething thing is just *killing* us. She just yells and yells and squawks and isn't happy so much of the time. It breaks my heart. It also brings me close to a psychotic episode when coupled with Abby's relentless asking. ("I want to go outside." "No." But I want to go outside!" "No." "But I *want* to!" Etc. etc. etc.) Penny Jane has also hit the separation anxiety stage, so that gives us the added bonus of wailing like she's being tortured every time I leave the room.
I've been feeling a lot of mommy guilt in regards to Penny Jane lately. I'm not nearly as patient with her as I was with Abby at this stage. I'm not as empathetic, I'm not as doting, I'm not as hands-on. I am utterly sick at the amount of television she's seen. Abby didn't watch a TV show until she was a year old! All those little neurons I've killed...it's just awful.
I resolved this week to start taking more pictures of her. The camera keeps getting put away and I just don't think of it, and then suddenly a month has passed without a single image being taken. So, from recent days...
With Cousin Gavin:
"Why yes, I do occasionally like a bit of ball before supper..."
Okay, this one isn't that recent, but it's cute. She loves the swing, just like Abby!
