Maddy's teething-related fever

Sometime 2 weeks ago, Maddy developed a fever which we suspected was related to her teething, specifically her incisors coming out. The gum area was sore and she kept wanting to bite or chew things, and she would grind her teeth sometimes.

Her fever reached 39.2 maybe at its highest. We only gave her tempra when her fever reaches 38.5 and above, as per pedia advice. We didn't administer any meds but just monitored her temperature. We didn't give her a shower like we always do in the mornings, but just sponge baths throughout the day. Sleep time was worse because her gums or teething would give her such a hard time and she kept moaning in her sleep.

I feel like breastfeeding helped her get well better, since sucking supposedly helps alleviate the teething pains. We also put KoolFever patches 2-3 times a day.

She was so kawawa when she had her fever. She refused to be put down, she wanted to be carried all the time, and she would only sleep if on top of someone (except for me, I think the breastfeeding helped her sleep more soundly and I can manage to put her on the bed).

Her fever disappeared in 3 days, but she developed roseola or some post-fever rash. We weren't sure if it was itchy, but just in case, pedia prescribed some cetirizine drops. The rash was also gone in 3 days.

As with all her sickness, I wished that her sickness would transfer to me instead. And as always, wish granted.

I developed a sore throat not long after, care of some post-nasal dripping. Fortunately *cross-fingers*, I haven't developed a cold. I attached it immediately with Manuka Honey, Echinacea, lots of Vit C, and hot water or salabat with lemon, cayenne pepper and honey. I also took Sinupret, to thin out the mucus.

Now, it's more of an irritating hacking cough interspersed throughout the day. Damn mucus along the throat lining, irritating the nerve endings. The Company Physician also prescribed Kamillosan spray for the throat to reduce inflammation, and some mucolytic tablets to be taken 2x a day, by dissolving the same in 1/4 cup water and drinking it. Let's hope this works.

(the dissolved mucolytic tablet makes it look like Sprite!)

Starting with walking

Around 8-9 months, Maddy's exhibited interest in walking. They say that you don't force the babies to walk, they have to want to do it themselves. So only during the times that Maddy herself seemed to want to stand up do we hold her up for a period of time.

Eventually, she got used to it and started "running" around assisted. We had to get her walking shoes, which are essentially just crib shoes. She prefers it to those chunky shoes, and it's better than socks.

But I think eventually we'll need to let her wear actual shoes, since the crib shoes have no traction on the floor and at the speed that she "runs", she keeps slipping!

We already have pink Stans for her, but we purposely got it 2-3 sizes bigger so she can wear them when she can actually already walk!

Co-sleeping with Maddy

Early on, I've already decided that I wanted to co-sleep with Maddy. Not necessarily right beside each other on the bed, but definitely in the same room, if only because I would be breastfeeding, so it's more convenient for the both of us. And no, I was not inclined to have the yaya sleep together with us in the room. It will kill the romance between hubby and I, diba?!

So we got/asked for a co-sleeper, and I got one from my baby shower. Sadly, it didn't get much use since Maddy preferred and slept longer and better when lying on top of me or beside me.

Even until now that she's 11 months old, she sleeps between hubby and me, but more of towards me. It's hard to sleep, given the little wiggle room I have, but I've managed so far and have gotten used to it already. Maybe around 7-8 months she's started sleeping longer, usually 3-4 hours. There were a couple of times she's slept for 5 hours straight.

I think the solution for her sleeping even longer would be if she slept a bit away from me. I gathered from some of the mommy FB groups that the babies can smell your milk especially when you're right next to each other, which triggers them to keep waking up and wanting to suck. Unfortunately, we can't fit a pack and play and crib beside the bed, and she can't fit her co-sleeper anymore. 

She's also started rolling around in her sleep!!! So we had to attach a safety bed rail at the foot of the bed.

Here's to hoping for longer sleeping time and less rolling around.

Maddy Sharapova

So we dressed up Maddy as a tennis player for Enzo's 1st Birthday, since his theme was Olympics!

I bought a ping pong racket, printed out a tennis racket image on sticker paper, wrapped neon sticker strips around the handle, and voila - Tennis Racket!

She also already had an RL tennis dress onesie care of MIL.

I got a sweatbands from the department store to complete the look.

"Maddy" Sharapova won best costume for girls!

Maddy finally enjoys swimming!

The first time we took Maddy swimming (Malapascua pa, no less!), she hated it! She was 5-6months old and found the water disorienting. But she cried slightly less in the ocean than in the pool.

Fast forward to 9 months old, we took her swimming again at Blue Waters Maribago Resort, and she loved it! Granted we didn't get to take a dip in the seawater (wasn't that clean), but she loved the pool! It also helped that the water was warm.

Since then, we've been taking her for a dip in the condo pool once in a while, even with her yaya bibit! But we make sure to take her between 4-5pm when the sun had sufficiently warmed the water already, and we only swim for less than 20min. Most times, we just bring down her Stokke bathtub so she can rinse and shower downstairs instead of having to bundle her up and shower her back home.

On that note, she seems to dislike showers and prefers sitting on her bathtub "swimming" around during bathtime. We go so far as to keep her in her bathtub in the morning for 15-20min after she's already bathed, because she just likes to sit there in the water and play with her squeaky water toys!