Yo Gaba Gaba live!!

One Tuesday afternoon I was sitting listening to Layla walk around saying "Diba Diba Diba" and thought I think Yo Gaba Gaba live is coming to Raleigh soon. You see Layla has fallen in love with this show. We don't want her to watch a lot of T.V but I am not against some. And she has chosen this one, will sit for 5minutes straight and watch it!

So off to the computer I went to see when, just to find out it was today at 6 down town Raleigh. Thank fully as I was reading it Jatovi walked in it was 4:44. So I told him and asked him if he thought we could get there by 5:30 since the web site stated the box office closed then. Of course ever positive Jatovi said sure lets go. So we were in the car and on our way, during rush hour. I of course gave up several times during the drive and said lets just go home we are never going to make it by 5:30. Jatovi then said maybe you can buy tickets right up to show time, so we will just try to get there by 6. I had given up, but sat there on edge, I really wanted Layla to see this. Jatovi dropped me off close to the door at 5:43 and in I ran. The box office was open!! In fact it was quicker to be buying tickets then because the pick up ticket line was like 50 people and but tickets now line...2 people!

So we go tickets and were off. It was worth every bit of running and stress. Layla loved it. At first just quite and taking things in, but after a bit she was dancing with all the other kids. Priceless.

Halloween

Halloween 2011 was a rainy one. Aunt Janora was int own so we went to Aunt Jamels and hung out with the big kids. Layla wasn't so sure of the masks but did enjoy watching them get dressed up. Layla was Minnie mouse and was so adorable. It was raining so we went out with the others but only went to 3 houses. That was enough, she didn't need to get a bunch of candy this year. She seemed to love it. Next year will only be better!!

18 months...I can't believe it

Our sweet girl is growing up...18 months. I can not believe that our "baby" is a little girl now. Layla has turned into an average toddler, full of fun, tantrums, and falls! She continues to have no fear climbing and crawling on everything and anything. She has had her fair share of bruises on her legs and even her face. Her 18month appointment had her weighing in at 26.4lbs(fully dressed, diaper and all) and 33 inches. That is 75%in weight and 83% in height, so is consistently big! She had 2 needles at this appointment and did NOT cry....it is kinda weird to me that she doesn't cry with needles anymore? She is right on track with her development, no concerns. The doctor suggested we start potty training her....I thinks it's too early. But we did go buy her a potty, but no pee yet.

Layla continues to have more and more words. I really can't even tell you how many at this point...but we are having a much easier time communicating with her. And if Layla doesn't like what you are telling her she is not above throwing herself to the floor and crying. Most times it is just plain funny but sometimes it drives me crazy. Thankfully it doesn't happen a lot, but if she is tired watch out. Just like her Mommy, the girl needs her sleep. She still sleeps at least 12 hours a night with a afternoon nap. She is completely feeding herself, although this can be messy. But she is to independent for help, and she loves using her spoon. Her two biggest issues with life...the car and her bath have both gotten sooooo much better! She doesn't cry EVERY TIME we get in the car and she even seems to enjoy her bath, hair wash and all. This makes life so much better because I could have cried with her it drove me so nuts.

Layla loves, loves, loves school. I can't say it enough. The teachers say they love her and she is well behaved. She has never cried, except when she has to leave with us. She will put her back pack on and go to the door and say "go school". I also love my free time!

Layla's laugh through out the house is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. Jatovi is not convinced we won't have another baby. I however tell him" We created perfection the first time, why do we need to do it again"

Fun Times

Layla has been enjoying fall. The cooler weather has meant for some great out door activities.

A trip to Hillridge farm and a day at Duke Gardens!

Layla had her first pony ride! She doesn't tend to like rides but I was surprised that once the lady helped Jatovi to get her sitting on it, she stayed.

Parents Morning Out!

Layla started a parents morning out class this morning! She will go on Tuesdays and Thursday from 09:15 to 1200. She eats lunch there as well. Although I am terrified and sad all at the time to leave her with strangers I think it will be good for all of us. I plan to use my time wisely, lunch dates, shopping cleaning...the ideas are endless. How ever I really think Layla will benfit the most. She loves watching older kids and she doens't get to play with others as much as I wish. She needs to lean to share and other basic social skills. Because lets face it, her Grandparents and Jatovi and I give her what ever she wants!
The program goes until 1300 but because she is the youngest in the class I will be picking her up at 1200 for a couple of months. After the kids eat lunch at 1130 they go out to the playground. Although Layla loves the playground we do superivse her closely still. The teachers have alot of children to montior so the kids generally play on their own. The program director moved Layla up into the older class. This class is from 18 months - 3 years old. Layla along with two others kids won't be 18 months until this fall sometime so they will all get the ealry pick up until they turn 18months.
I was so proud of Layla she didn't cry at all, and boy some other kids sure did! When I picked her up both days this week the teachers said she did great and played well. Other than them taking her down from the tables that she had climbed up on:)
Her one teacher even asked me how old my other children were? I looked at her confused, she stated she was sure Layla had older siblings beacuse her speach and play were "advanced". I am sure she says that to all the parents, but it made me proud anyways!!

Follow up...

As I sit here writing this I am scared...Layla has been asleep for almost 3 hours. Before last Friday I would have been in heaven. A long morning nap, when she hasn't take a morning nap in over a month would be awesome. Instead I have to keep telling myself it is ok, she was up late last night and is just tried.
Since last Friday Layla has been just fine. No signs that anything is wrong at all. I wrote the doctor an email telling her about my history of seizures and that I was wondering if this information changed anything? She wrote back a very nice email. The bottom line is she doesn't know what happened last week and she agrees that just plain dehydration probably isn't the cause. If it were after the juice and teddy grahams she would have been awake not sleeping in food lion. I later that day received a phone call from Layla's regular doctor. Dr Deimling had called her and notified her of the events so she could do a follow up. Yesterday we took Layla in to see Dr Sloik. Layla was active and crazy as usual. The Dr said she has ruled out dehydration completely and she believes that a seizure is a possibility. After a long talk we have decided that seeing a neurologist now is not needed and we will wait and see if it happens again. The Dr wanted to repeat her labs to see if they were normal now with her "acting" normal. We were off to the lab and I was scared to see them hurt my baby. I said to Jatovi" we are going to see the reaction we all wanted last week". Jatovi held her body and I held her arm, e were prepared for a fight....and go nothing again. They took 5ml of blood with Layla just watching her. She smiled at the lady when she put the bandage on her, didn't seem to mind at all. So maybe that wasn't such a sign last week after all. What kinda kid doesn't mind lab draws??
So we left believing it was probably a seizure and if it happens again I am to call 911( that's what the doctor wants me to do).
That lasted for 3 hours when the doctor called me. Her labs were all completely normal now, bicarb was 23 and fasting BS was 81. Perfect!! And after giving it thought she doesn't know if it was a seizure either. She said possibly metabolic since the bicarb was 15 at the time. The key is waiting to see if it happens again. She really just doesn't know what happened.
So I take from this the fact that everyone is just as confused as I was. And we just need it to not happen again!!!
As you can see she was just fine during her appointment!

Follow up to the follow up.....

Layla had more labs done this week (September 12 2011) at the advice of a metabolic specialist. We are still waiting for the results, however Layla is acting so well I really try not to even think about it.

Another Scary Day

Friday started off great, we all got to sleep in. Thursday we had gone to the pool to meet Hilary and Mary so Layla had had a tone of fun. She had so much fun she fell asleep in the car on the way home. She slept for the 35min drive home and refused to take her nap. This made for a long afternoon. By 6:45 she was a cranky mess so I put her to bed. That brings me back to Friday...I woke up at 6:55 to Layla crying alittle. I told Jatovi the time and said "It is too early she is not getting up". Not a problem she went back to sleep. Jatovi and I both stayed in bed awhile longer. Then got up, showered and ready for the day. I peaked in on her around 9 and she was sound asleep sucking on her pacy. So I went about enjoying my free time. I figured she was just still sleepy from her busy nap free day the day before. By 1030 I was starting to worry...15hours of sleep?? I walked into her room and she rolled over and sat up. I picked her up and she laid her head down on my shoulder. I sat down on my chair in her room. I was talking to her and looking at her. She was half asleep still. Then I could hear her stomach making noises and she started to vomit. It was a small amount of clear fluid but it worried me none the less. I laid her down on the change table to clean her up and she was asleep again. WHAT IS GOING ON??? I started to pinch her and call her name. She would open her eyes and look at me but not cry. I didn't know what to do. Could she just be that tired? I called the nurse advise line and she of course made it worse by saying I needed to bring her in immediately.

To make a long story short, we were then at the doctors 2hours with Layla basically asleep for most of the time. She would wake up with stimulation but not cry or doing anything. She would follow you with her eyes and respond to her name. But as soon as her head was down she was asleep again.Since Jatovi was at work I called Grannie on my way to the doctors. She took over trying to get a hold of Jatovi for me. Then her and Granddad came to the doctors as well. The doctor had me take her to the waiting room to see if she would react to them. Nope nothing, she starred at them like they were strangers. Her neuro exam was normal other than the sleeping. The doctor planned to take labs. If a blood draw didn't get her to respond she said we would then be transferred to the ER for a head CT. I was sure a blood draw would do the trick! When the lab tech arrived he had Jatovi hold her arm and me her body. We were prepared for a fight....and got nothing. She just lied there looking at all of us. Well that was enough for me, the tears came and didn't stop. What was wrong her my baby? A second doctor came into assess her and found nothing different. Since Layla had not ate anything since dinner, they said to try to get her to eat while they ran the lab work. With her favorites of juice(pedialyte) and teddy grahams to work with we woke her up and offered them to her. Two teddy grahams later her eyes her wide open. She took some juice and looked down at her band aid from the labs and said "WOW" and smiled!!! YAY, could it be alright? Maybe low blood sugar? The doctor came in and saw that she was perking up. Her blood sugar was 61...so not low enough to cause any issues. I was thrilled that Layla was starting to be her self again. I finally asked the doctor what do you really think is going on her. She said she really doesn't know but some ideas were a unwitnessed seizure in her crib, or a UTI. They had previously put a bag on her to collect urine. She peed around it which meant they needed to do a cath on her. I left the room...could not watch that. And I think Jatovi and I both needed to take a breath of fresh air. When they did it I heard her cry...wasn't sad at all. I was thrilled..the perfect reaction.

Her labs came back showing she had a slight infection, but no fever. Her urine did not look like it was the cause but it did have ketones. Since her diaper was almost dry when I had woke her up the doctor thought she possibley could be dehydrated. Since by this point Layla was running around acting like herself the doctor felt like sending her to the ER was not necessary. If she had had a seizure there was nothing that could be done at this point. We were sent home. Layla kept sleeping, in the car on the way home. I had to stop at food lion to get her pedialyte and she was so sound asleep that I had to carry her around the store. I tried to wake her up and put her in the cart but she looked drugged sound asleep slouched over. So I carried her trying not to cry. Why was she asleep again. I pinched her hard...and got her to wake up. It worked, she was awake until we got home.

The doctor called me later to let me know the rest of the labs were back. They had ran a tox screen in case she had ate something...all negative. But the doctor wanted me to know that her co2 on the BMP was low at 15. She was still concerned but since Layla had taken a nap and was eating her dinner at this point she said just make sure she drinks alot of fluid over the weekend. If anything like this happens again take her directly to the ER.

At this point I was so relieved that she was awake and eating (it was now 5:30) that I didn't ask many more questions. I went with ok she is dehydrated and she needs to drink.

That was fine until I spoke with my mom. I told her everything and she then reminded me that our family has a strong history of seizures....that includes me. I had several seizures from the time I was 6months until I went to school. They never found a reason, I just stopped having them. Our family history includes other people as well, so this has me a little more concerned. I completely forgot this while taking to the doctors because I really just didn't want to think she may have had a seizure.

So now 3 days later Layla is active and well. I am trying not to focus on what it was or what may happen again but it is hard. The doctor said we just have to wait and see if she does it again.

Boy I am terrified of that happening.

Precious Moments

Layla has been a good sleeper for the most part for months now. So at bedtime we just put her in her crib and walk away. I guess at some point she lies down and falls asleep. Well since reading books has become one of her favorite things to do I have added it to the bedtime routine. After she is in her pj's we sit and read a story.

During the day we read...and read books all day, But she won't sit on your lap to read them. She brings them to you and no matter what you are doing she expects you to stop and read. If your reading to slow she will try to change the page, or walk away to get the next book before that one is finished. How ever bedtime story has turned out to be one of my favorite times of the day....and not just because she is going to sleep! Layla will cuddle in, lean her head on you and just listen. I find it so relaxing and heart warming to spend these few quiet moments together at the end of the day.

I can't believe I love this little person so much!