It's been a long time since I last updated. It has been stressful around here!
At John's two-month appointment on 7/7, he was in a real state. Even before he got his shots, he was clearly in terrible pain. I'd be holding him upright against my chest and he'd be sleeping calmly, but when I put him down on his back for any of the procedures, he'd scream in pain. I hated to see it, but the timing was good because our regular doctor was able to see what had been going on.
Based on his presentation and my descriptions of his symptoms, he was really quite sure that John had acid reflux. He prescribed baby Zantac and a special formula. The new formula is really helping a lot. It is quite expensive though, at $9 a day. It is worth it, John's temperament has definitely improved.
I didn't know that nearly 50% of infants have reflux, due to an underdeveloped digestive system. He was also at increased risk because I had a c-section. Who knew?!? Anyway, it has been a rough two weeks as we've waited for his system to recover with the new formula and medicine. He's just now returning to his normal eating and naps. We're happy to have him back to his old self!
John has gotten so smiley lately. I posted some new smiling pics on our website (see upper right for link.) At church on Sunday, he was smiling at the ladies talking to him. Then we took him up to our priest, Father Ron, and said "John wanted to say hi." Father Ron said, "Well, hi John!" and John gave him the biggest, sweetest smile right on cue. It's really nice that he likes strangers!
I took John for his second swim today. He didn't sleep through it, but he was tired, so we stayed in there for about four minutes before he started crying. Oh well. :)
Today when John woke up from his nap, I started talking to him and he laughed! Just started chuckling at me. It was so cute and endearing. I can't believe how he's developing. It seems like he is growing up so fast!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Happy Fourth of July!
We had a very nice Independence Day. In the morning, Andy, John and I just hung around the house with Ollie. Then we went over to my mom's house for a barbecue. It was quite the full house. Besides the three of us and my parents, we had Robyn, Mike and Noah, Andy's parents, and Mike's parents.
We took John swimming before dinner. I had really been looking forward to taking him in the pool for the first time, and had waited for Fourth of July on purpose so Andy would be there. I even bought him a sun hat and SPF protective clothing! Well, it was completely anticlimactic, since he pretty much slept through the whole thing! We did take lots of pictures, and a few videos, so head over to our website (linked at right) and check them out!
We took John to the doctor today. His tummy has been acting up again. Last night I fed him at 11 and put him to bed around 11:30. Between 3 and 4 a.m. he woke up screaming four times because he had spit up and his tummy hurt. He had also started acting weird during feedings; I'd feed him 2 ounces and after I burped him, he'd start to cry when I tilted him back to feed him more. It sure seemed like his tummy was hurting him. The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with him, but hypothesized that it could be a formula problem, or acid reflux. So we're going to try a new formula for sensitive stomachs and see if that works. Otherwise it's on to some gastric system evaluations, which would not be fun for John!
Today at the doctor's, he weighed over 13 pounds! He has his regular 2 month appointment for vaccinations on Monday, so I'm sure that won't be a fun day for him!
We took John swimming before dinner. I had really been looking forward to taking him in the pool for the first time, and had waited for Fourth of July on purpose so Andy would be there. I even bought him a sun hat and SPF protective clothing! Well, it was completely anticlimactic, since he pretty much slept through the whole thing! We did take lots of pictures, and a few videos, so head over to our website (linked at right) and check them out!
We took John to the doctor today. His tummy has been acting up again. Last night I fed him at 11 and put him to bed around 11:30. Between 3 and 4 a.m. he woke up screaming four times because he had spit up and his tummy hurt. He had also started acting weird during feedings; I'd feed him 2 ounces and after I burped him, he'd start to cry when I tilted him back to feed him more. It sure seemed like his tummy was hurting him. The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with him, but hypothesized that it could be a formula problem, or acid reflux. So we're going to try a new formula for sensitive stomachs and see if that works. Otherwise it's on to some gastric system evaluations, which would not be fun for John!
Today at the doctor's, he weighed over 13 pounds! He has his regular 2 month appointment for vaccinations on Monday, so I'm sure that won't be a fun day for him!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Getting so big!
I've really noticed how big John is getting! Today I put him in a cute overalls outfit that he also wore last Sunday. Last week it was long on him and this week it fit him well! It won't be too long before he starts growing out of his 0-3 month clothes!
I also took a couple of pictures of him with Ollie and in his carseat to really see his growth. Here's a slideshow to illustrate:
Finally, it looks like John is technically sleeping through the night, going 7 hours between feedings. The last two nights he ate at 11:30 and didn't wake up until 6:45. Triumph! :)
I also took a couple of pictures of him with Ollie and in his carseat to really see his growth. Here's a slideshow to illustrate:
Finally, it looks like John is technically sleeping through the night, going 7 hours between feedings. The last two nights he ate at 11:30 and didn't wake up until 6:45. Triumph! :)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Thoughts on schedules
I've been thinking a lot lately about how John is on a schedule. I've HAD to think about it because complete strangers have been giving me a hard time about it. It's funny how people who don't even know you presume to know what is best for your family.
Anyway, there are some definite misunderstandings that abound. First of all, we don't make John wait 3 hours to eat. If he is hungry sooner, we feed him! We're not monsters, people!
We do wake him up every 3 hours to eat. This is the optimal schedule for newborns, as it is used for preemies and other babies with growth problems. Research shows it's not good for them to go more than 3 hours during the day. And if he slept all day, he'd be up all night. We think it's important for him to have his days and nights straight.
Anyway, most of the time this is a moot point, as he wakes himself up every 3 hours like clockwork to eat. He eats, then stays awake playing or just chilling for about an hour, and then goes back to sleep. It's a predictable routine for his benefit.
Some people say we're doing it selfishly to fit him into our schedule. To the contrary, we work our schedules around him. He's due to eat at 7:00 p.m.? Well, you can be sure he will wake up hungry then, and it doesn't matter if we've eaten yet or not, or whether we're at a restaurant or at home. That's when he wants to eat, so we put our dinner on hold. How is that us fitting him into our schedule?
Another misconception is that we are somehow not giving him enough physical love. The boy is plenty snuggled and played with and loved! It is quite frankly insulting to suggest that just because he will sleep somewhere besides my arms that he is not getting enough love and affection.
The best part about the routine, though, is that we know why he's crying based on where he is in a sleep cycle. I know if he's crying if he's hungry, as opposed to just crying because he is tired and needs a nap. So we can attend to his need and not have to guess, so therefore he doesn't have to cry that much. Isn't that a good thing?
None of this really matters, though. I'm explaining my reasoning, but the point is, I really don't need to justify why we're doing what we're doing. If it works for John, then isn't that all that matters? Not sure why a flexible schedule or routine is such a hot-button topic, but apparently it is! I just get tired of know-it-alls, but I guess having other people tell you how to parent your children is just part of life...
Anyway, there are some definite misunderstandings that abound. First of all, we don't make John wait 3 hours to eat. If he is hungry sooner, we feed him! We're not monsters, people!
We do wake him up every 3 hours to eat. This is the optimal schedule for newborns, as it is used for preemies and other babies with growth problems. Research shows it's not good for them to go more than 3 hours during the day. And if he slept all day, he'd be up all night. We think it's important for him to have his days and nights straight.
Anyway, most of the time this is a moot point, as he wakes himself up every 3 hours like clockwork to eat. He eats, then stays awake playing or just chilling for about an hour, and then goes back to sleep. It's a predictable routine for his benefit.
Some people say we're doing it selfishly to fit him into our schedule. To the contrary, we work our schedules around him. He's due to eat at 7:00 p.m.? Well, you can be sure he will wake up hungry then, and it doesn't matter if we've eaten yet or not, or whether we're at a restaurant or at home. That's when he wants to eat, so we put our dinner on hold. How is that us fitting him into our schedule?
Another misconception is that we are somehow not giving him enough physical love. The boy is plenty snuggled and played with and loved! It is quite frankly insulting to suggest that just because he will sleep somewhere besides my arms that he is not getting enough love and affection.
The best part about the routine, though, is that we know why he's crying based on where he is in a sleep cycle. I know if he's crying if he's hungry, as opposed to just crying because he is tired and needs a nap. So we can attend to his need and not have to guess, so therefore he doesn't have to cry that much. Isn't that a good thing?
None of this really matters, though. I'm explaining my reasoning, but the point is, I really don't need to justify why we're doing what we're doing. If it works for John, then isn't that all that matters? Not sure why a flexible schedule or routine is such a hot-button topic, but apparently it is! I just get tired of know-it-alls, but I guess having other people tell you how to parent your children is just part of life...
We have a website, too...
It has come to my attention that our website links to our blog, but our blog doesn't link to our website. Andy said he's just been giving out the blog address because he forgot the web address. :)
We've got tons of pictures and a few (mostly newborn) videos over there. Here's the address: willfamilyaz.googlepages.com. For future reference, I've added a link at the top right of this blog. Enjoy!
We've got tons of pictures and a few (mostly newborn) videos over there. Here's the address: willfamilyaz.googlepages.com. For future reference, I've added a link at the top right of this blog. Enjoy!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Lots of doctor consultations! Plus getting back to normal...
It's been busy around here! Yesterday I had an emergency dental appointment for pain in my mouth - it's fine now.
John had some tummy troubles yesterday, so I called the pediatrician and gave him the facts. He'd been having some diapers that were, shall we say, different. He'd also been eating less and spitting up more. The doctor put John on Pedialyte for 24 hours. I'm not sure it's helping, but John sure does like it! He's eating a ton!
Then today, I noticed John's eyes getting worse. They've been teary with a little goop in the corners, and I figured that was normal. But today they are so goopy that his eyes stick shut while he's sleeping. So we've got an appointment for tomorrow morning. Hopefully we will get all of our questions about goopy eyes and funky digestive systems answered!
Things are going well otherwise. John's still sleeping 5-6 hours at night. Andy's taking the 10:00ish feeding, I'm taking the 4:00ish feeding, and Andy's taking the 7:00ish feeding. So we are both getting around 7 hours of sleep at a time. This makes things SO much easier.
To that end, I went back to Weight Watchers today. It felt good to take some action. I'm a Lifetime Member, so I don't have to pay for the next three months while I lose my baby weight, which is nice. I'm also going to lead a Biggest Loser Challenge on my May 2008 babies message board starting next month.
Also, I SANG TODAY!! For reals, not just singing lullabies (or Do-Re-Mi, or ABBA) to John. I actually stood in front of my piano in my studio and sang some actual classical exercises and part of an Italian aria!
Being completely honest, it sounded like absolute crap! But hey, I haven't sung in exactly 8 weeks AND I had major abdominal surgery. My voice was definitely very rusty, but it didn't seem to hurt my abs.
I quit early, thinking I didn't want to push it. But it felt good to sing again! It's one more step toward feeling like the old me!
John had some tummy troubles yesterday, so I called the pediatrician and gave him the facts. He'd been having some diapers that were, shall we say, different. He'd also been eating less and spitting up more. The doctor put John on Pedialyte for 24 hours. I'm not sure it's helping, but John sure does like it! He's eating a ton!
Then today, I noticed John's eyes getting worse. They've been teary with a little goop in the corners, and I figured that was normal. But today they are so goopy that his eyes stick shut while he's sleeping. So we've got an appointment for tomorrow morning. Hopefully we will get all of our questions about goopy eyes and funky digestive systems answered!
Things are going well otherwise. John's still sleeping 5-6 hours at night. Andy's taking the 10:00ish feeding, I'm taking the 4:00ish feeding, and Andy's taking the 7:00ish feeding. So we are both getting around 7 hours of sleep at a time. This makes things SO much easier.
To that end, I went back to Weight Watchers today. It felt good to take some action. I'm a Lifetime Member, so I don't have to pay for the next three months while I lose my baby weight, which is nice. I'm also going to lead a Biggest Loser Challenge on my May 2008 babies message board starting next month.
Also, I SANG TODAY!! For reals, not just singing lullabies (or Do-Re-Mi, or ABBA) to John. I actually stood in front of my piano in my studio and sang some actual classical exercises and part of an Italian aria!
Being completely honest, it sounded like absolute crap! But hey, I haven't sung in exactly 8 weeks AND I had major abdominal surgery. My voice was definitely very rusty, but it didn't seem to hurt my abs.
I quit early, thinking I didn't want to push it. But it felt good to sing again! It's one more step toward feeling like the old me!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
He smiled!
John turned six weeks old yesterday. John's been getting ready to smile for a while. He'd give us the hint of a smile, or grin while sleeping, but not a real smile in response to us.
Yesterday, he yawned and I smiled and said "Oh, big yawn!" and when he saw me smiling the yawn turned into a big smile. It was so cute. I still wasn't sure, though, if it was accidental or not.
Then this morning Andy came in while I was brushing my teeth with the biggest smile on his face. He said, "You have to come see this. I was talking to John and he was totally smiling at me. He kept doing it, it is totally real and not just accidental! Come look!" So I went into the family room where John was in his swing, and sure enough, as soon as Andy started talking to him, he started smiling like crazy!
It was so precious. He has such a cute little smile. It totally brought a tear to my eye, what a special moment! I didn't get any pictures because I was so busy enjoying it. I'm sure I'll be able to take pictures once it becomes a little more commonplace, but for now, I'm just going to watch and smile back!
And a quick sleeping update: He was sleeping for a full 6 hours at a time earlier in the week, but has fallen back to 4. I think he's having a growth spurt. Ah well.
Andy's been great about taking the night feeds on weekends so that I can try to catch up on my sleep. He's such a great daddy and a great husband! In fact, I will use this post to wish him a happy first Father's Day!
Yesterday, he yawned and I smiled and said "Oh, big yawn!" and when he saw me smiling the yawn turned into a big smile. It was so cute. I still wasn't sure, though, if it was accidental or not.
Then this morning Andy came in while I was brushing my teeth with the biggest smile on his face. He said, "You have to come see this. I was talking to John and he was totally smiling at me. He kept doing it, it is totally real and not just accidental! Come look!" So I went into the family room where John was in his swing, and sure enough, as soon as Andy started talking to him, he started smiling like crazy!
It was so precious. He has such a cute little smile. It totally brought a tear to my eye, what a special moment! I didn't get any pictures because I was so busy enjoying it. I'm sure I'll be able to take pictures once it becomes a little more commonplace, but for now, I'm just going to watch and smile back!
And a quick sleeping update: He was sleeping for a full 6 hours at a time earlier in the week, but has fallen back to 4. I think he's having a growth spurt. Ah well.
Andy's been great about taking the night feeds on weekends so that I can try to catch up on my sleep. He's such a great daddy and a great husband! In fact, I will use this post to wish him a happy first Father's Day!
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