She really is changing!

Peanut and I spent a few hours in a hospital room yesterday, complete with a tech that didn't know how to put the BP cuff on right (resulting in inaccurate readings and multiple squeezing which Peanut hates), IV nurses trying multiple times to start an IV, vitals monitoring, a hospital prison crib, and IV machines taking turns having problems with their loud annoying constant beepings! - you know, the whole shebang! And let me tell you I DO NOT miss it one bit! We did have a really good nurse which I'm always grateful for! And being there in the hospital helped me see how much better Peanut really is doing. There's something about spending a good length of time somewhere, spending time away from that certain place and then going back that makes you recognize change. I always knew that she was doing better but the progress was so gradual that I don't think I ever really realized how much better she's doing! I loved spending time with her and watching her actually playing with the toys herself rather than me playing with them for her! And noticing how much stronger she was while she fought the IV techs. And actually ordering real food for her off the room service menu! She's doing SO good! And I am so thankful for that!

Some things about my peanut:

-She is all smiles and jibber jabbers. She's really friendly too. Every time I take her somewhere she makes at least one new friend. I'll be sitting in line to check out and look down at her and she's smiling at and talking to the person behind me. It's just too cute.

-She loves other kids. She watches 'em like a hawk! And I love to watch her interact with them because she just gets so excited and you can tell that she just wants to jump up and go run around with them! I also love how little kids, that can't quite talk yet, babble to each other and seem to know what the other one is saying. It's so funny!

-She loves to play the Wii. We went and played MarioKart at a neighbors house the other night and she was all whinny and fussy until we gave her a controller of her own. Then she just laughed right along with us and loved it! She actually moved her character a little bit and ran into a fence. Haha

-Along with the top two front teeth, she's getting the ones to the side of them as well. And for a tot who's teething you'd never guess it! She doesn't get more fussy or anything!

-She loves her bath letters and always has to take one of them with her out of the tub to gnaw on. (Hence the picture above of her standing on her changing table in her PJ's chewing on a purple J. There's no feeding tube because she had pulled it out and we hadn't put it back in yet.)

-She taps. It's so dainty and cute. She'll tap on her belly, the table, her toys, everything! A lot of the time it starts as tapping and then ends in banging which is too cute!

-She's a good little eater and not picky like her mom. She'll try pretty much anything and we haven't found too many things she doesn't like -besides fluids! The little stinker.

-About the drinking thing. She likes water and will only drink things straight from a cup, which gets pretty wet and messy but that's okay!

-She loves spiders! That is hand spiders anyways. Grandma started it when she was up here a couple of weeks ago and, while Luke and I can't quite do it as good with out the nails, she stills loves them!

-She can now scoot backwards when on her belly. She'll try SO hard to go forwards but she always ends up turning sideways or going backwards. But she'll stay on her belly a lot longer now so we're making progress!

-She started clapping this morning. It was the cutest thing! I clapped for her when she put the egg in her mouth and then she copied me! Then she would clap on her own and get super excited when I copied her and clapped with her. Too cute! I love my Peanut!

We also had a doctors appointment yesterday and everything checked out great! They discontinued one more med, decreased some others, and gave permission to take her to church (if we feel comfortable doing so and are careful not to go around sick people or let her around a bunch of kids). So we'll see what we decide. It still kinda scares me and I'm pretty sure Luke will be nervous about it so I don't know if we'll take her or not.

She's still pretty little for her age (20.6 lbs and 27 3/4 in) which is still too small for her new car seat! :( I really just want to get her forward facing! So I might break down and get a different car seat. If anyone has a forward facing car seat for a 20 pounder that you're not using and are willing to lend to us for a month or so we'd give it a home for a little bit and treat it well! :)

Some other news that I think I'm excited for is that we're getting a van! I am excited for the roominess, easy access sliding doors, and such. But I'm not excited to be driving a minivan! It makes me feel so old!