22 July 2009

Happy 17th Month

Dear Vera,

You turn 17 months today. This past month, you've become skinnier and lighter. You've lost some weight because you had the runs for nearly 10 days. Probably because mommy tried to change you to another formula milk too quickly and your system could not adjust to it. In getting you onto a milk that would help you gain, it made you lose weight instead. We'll have to treat your body more gently from now.

This month you became more 'knowing'. You seem to know - yes it's not just being aware. You seem to know mummy is trying to make you laugh, and you smile with anticipation. You seem to know when mummy scolds you (yes, I do) for fussing non-stop at night, and you stop (for a while). You seem to know when it's physio time, and you try to play along (for a while). You know certain songs when you hear them, because you'd break into a smile. How much do you know? I think you know our love - and that is all the language we need.

Happy One-More-Month, Vera. What a fun-filled, poop-filled month it was.

8 comments:

Cathy said...

So sorry for Vera's little bum. Also for her weight. It is so hard for them to maintain when they aren't feeling well. What milk is she on now? Also Happy Birthday to sweet Vera!
She just looks more away in her picture. I love it that you see all these changes.
That term severally mentally retarded that goes with the T18 diagnosis doesn't fly with me. Annabel can't communicate with words but she know exactly what she wants by reaching (choosing) and strong eye gaze. If she recognizes a certain sign language (baby sign) like eat or want, bath or more, etc. she smiles if she is interested. If not she just turns a way with no smile. I don't think this interprets into mentally retarded! Just developmental delays. I have always said who says our babies have to do everything when someone else says so!

Kathy said...

Happy 17 month birthday sweet girl!!! Hope there is lots of celebrating going on!

Sorry to hear that little Vera has lost some weight. Hopefully she will be regaining it soon.

Serene Ho said...

You are growing into a beautiful girl Vera. Love how you smile and the cute little 2 front teeth growing so nicely ;-) Hope you will gain back the weight you lost and be as chubby as before!

Anonymous said...

May, you are so beautifully candid.

You are a great mom and I am always so thrilled to see a new post about Vera.

Thanks for sharing her with the world. It is a true joy to watch her grow.

Barb
Annie's mom

Yin May said...

Cathy, she is on Nan2 and it happened when I switched her to Soy milk. Hope to switch her to Pediasure when her runs stop, cos she really needs to do some growing!

Thanks for reaffirming my belief too - "severely mentally retarded" just doesn't seem to describe Vera. Thanks for sharing what Annabel can do - I'd be very happy if Vera can just do those!

And thanks all for the birthday wishes and following Vera in her journey this far.

connie said...

What a lovely post. And a beautiful 17 month smile, as usual.

We caused something that looks like a 3rd degree burn on Mal's bottom from a week-long experiment with Compleat formula. We didn't even do it straight, but gave it 1/2 & 1/2 with milk! By the time we realized the watery diarrhea was a sign she probably wasn't absorbing much of anything, she still had 2-3 more days of watery poop ... and more damage to her diaper area skin. It takes so long to heal, once she gets a diaper rash. So if you have home remedies .. or any remedy .. for BAD diaper rash, send them our way, please! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Connie,

One home remedy we asian often use to feed our baby when they having diarrhea is " boiled rice water"
This is the website that help to explain further.

As for the barrier cream, destiny creamy works very well to block the poop from the delicated skin. As they are rather sticky, so to remove them I usual use a cotton ball with some baby oil on it to wide her butt clean and wash her butt under running water at the sink. Hope this info helps...

http://www.diarrhoea.org/dd/dd06.htm#page2

Yin May said...

guess what I was gonna recommend Desitin Creamy as well. Forget about all those expensive other brands this is the thing that works on 3rd degree burns haha. Good advice on the baby oil, i keep rubbing at it and it won't come off!