She is growing..oh my!

Sophia had her 4 month appointment on 2/18/09. She had to get her vaccines and get a general wellness exam. She is doing fantastic. She only cried for a second when she got her shots. It didn't seem to phase her at all. The doctor did say that she thinks the snotty nose she has is completely related to allergies (most likely the dogs) she checked her lungs and her ears and all looked good. Sandro said the appointment was short and sweet and not nearly as stressful as the last time. (he took her when she was sick with her first cold) Below is the stats from 2 months ago and this appointment. Girl is growing! She is 5 inches away from needing a new car seat. Which require a new stroller as well.

Stats from 12/16/09

Length 23.5" (90%)
Weight 11 pounds 3 ounces (50-75%)
FOC 15.25" (50%)

Stats from 2/18/10
Length 27" (>95%)
Weight 15 pounds 1 ounce (75-90%)
FOC 16" (25-50%)

The doctor did recommend that we keep her on BF and forumla for the time being. She said she prone to allergies and we shouldn't rush her belly. I found this great article explaining 6 good reason why you should wait. The one that explains it enough for me is this one:

1. Baby's intestines need to mature. The intestines are the body's filtering system, screening out potentially harmful substances and letting in healthy nutrients. In the early months, this filtering system is immature. Between four and seven months a baby's intestinal lining goes through a developmental growth spurt called closure, meaning the intestinal lining becomes more selective about what to let through. To prevent potentially-allergenic foods from entering the bloodstream, the maturing intestines secrete IgA , a protein immunoglobulin that acts like a protective paint, coating the intestines and preventing the passage of harmful allergens. In the early months, infant IgA production is low (although there is lots of IgA in human milk), and it is easier for potentially-allergenic food molecules to enter the baby's system. Once food molecules are in the blood, the immune system may produce antibodies to that food, creating a food allergy . By six to seven months of age the intestines are more mature and able to filter out more of the offending allergens. This is why it's particularly important to delay solids if there is a family history of food allergy, and especially to delay the introduction of foods to which other family members are allergic.

This makes me feel better about my decision and also motivates me to keep breasfeeding for the time being. What I am trying do now is keep focused on thing I can control. Limit my sugar intake (which is so hard) and eat protein rich snacks. I am also going to increase my workouts from 3 times a week to 5 times a week. I will start lifting weights on Tuesday and Thursday during lunch. Once I am able to go back to counting calories again I should see some results but for now at least I can control this part of the problem.

On to the pictures of the week:

Sophia LOVES to chew stuff right now. She can't get enough of her Sophie.

Daddy was dancing with Sophia. She was loving it.

And all the kisses I am sure.

Just look at that smile.

She likes to attack her flower on her exesaucer. She gets a little fustrated sometimes because it won't come off.

Trying to get a shot of her blue eyes. She is so beautiful!

For Nana! :) More pretty in purple.

One of her 4 month pictures.

Sandro calls this the Russian hat! A little bit big but she looks cute in it.