Andy got a new job! He will be working for Amazon.com. His last day of reporting to work for Google will be this Friday, October 25. Then he will continue to get paid by Google, but he'll have almost a month off! He will probably start work at Amazon on November 24th. They made him an offer he couldn't refuse, we feel so happy that things have turned out well.
John is still sleeping very well. He is eating lots of new foods, including green beans, peaches and pears. He is getting very big, I'll let you know how big after his 6 month appointment on November 4th. I can't believe he is almost 6 months old already!
Opera rehearsals are going well. I'm still getting to have lots of time with John because we are mostly rehearsing after John goes to bed. I'm having a great time in the opera, and I can't wait to keep working toward opening night.
We took our first vacation with John in early October. We went down to Rocky Point, Mexico with my family. It was absolutely beautiful. I can't believe we can drive 4 hours and play in the ocean in October!
John also finished his helmet treatment. Check out our web album (linked on our website) for Rocky Point and helmet before and after pictures.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
The end of an era
There are several eras I'm referring to that relate to each of our family members. So off we go with a monster update!!
- Last night John slept through the night. He went down at 7:45, we gave him a bottle while asleep at 11, and he slept through until 8:00. I just can't describe what a relief this is. It has been almost 3 months since he started waking 2-10 times a night because of the reflux. Then when the reflux was under control, he had some bad habits and wasn't able to fall back asleep. I had the week off from high school lessons this week, so I stayed home with John and really worked with him on his ability to self-settle. We got rid of the pacifier as well. He used to wake up every 30 minutes or so during naps needing the paci, now I'll put him down, he'll fall asleep within 5 minutes and stay asleep until the end of the nap. It's just heaven, both for us and for him.
- John's reflux is so much better. The increased dosage of Prevacid has really done the trick. He is so happy and not fussy now that he's feeling better!! He's been eating lots of baby food. So far, he's had squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and peas. Next up is green beans, and then we'll move on to fruit!!
- John is getting his helmet off in 12 days! I'm so excited. His little head is looking really awesome. I'll be sure to post before and after photos when treatment is over.
- I have been back at school for a while now, but I've really enjoyed having Tuesdays off to stay home with John. My schedule is probably going to change a little bit more because I got cast as the lead in the opera at school. There are only 4 characters in the opera, and it's in Italian, so it will be a LOT of work. But it's a great opportunity to learn such a big role. I'm so excited to get back onstage again after a relatively performing-free year last year during my pregnancy. Andy is such a great husband and daddy for being so supportive!
- Speaking of Andy, we don't have great news about him. Unfortunately, Google has decided to close their Phoenix office. We were pretty devastated. Of course he is welcome to stay with the company if he's willing to relocate, which we're not. So he's looking for a local position. We're just very disappointed since Andy absolutely adored working for Google. I am just praying he can find something he likes as well.
Other than that, we are doing very well. We are enjoying watching John grow and develop. Right now he loves to "stand" with us holding him. He also has an Exersaucer where he can stand up and play with his toys. He is so happy and sweet and is such a blessing!
- Last night John slept through the night. He went down at 7:45, we gave him a bottle while asleep at 11, and he slept through until 8:00. I just can't describe what a relief this is. It has been almost 3 months since he started waking 2-10 times a night because of the reflux. Then when the reflux was under control, he had some bad habits and wasn't able to fall back asleep. I had the week off from high school lessons this week, so I stayed home with John and really worked with him on his ability to self-settle. We got rid of the pacifier as well. He used to wake up every 30 minutes or so during naps needing the paci, now I'll put him down, he'll fall asleep within 5 minutes and stay asleep until the end of the nap. It's just heaven, both for us and for him.
- John's reflux is so much better. The increased dosage of Prevacid has really done the trick. He is so happy and not fussy now that he's feeling better!! He's been eating lots of baby food. So far, he's had squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and peas. Next up is green beans, and then we'll move on to fruit!!
- John is getting his helmet off in 12 days! I'm so excited. His little head is looking really awesome. I'll be sure to post before and after photos when treatment is over.
- I have been back at school for a while now, but I've really enjoyed having Tuesdays off to stay home with John. My schedule is probably going to change a little bit more because I got cast as the lead in the opera at school. There are only 4 characters in the opera, and it's in Italian, so it will be a LOT of work. But it's a great opportunity to learn such a big role. I'm so excited to get back onstage again after a relatively performing-free year last year during my pregnancy. Andy is such a great husband and daddy for being so supportive!
- Speaking of Andy, we don't have great news about him. Unfortunately, Google has decided to close their Phoenix office. We were pretty devastated. Of course he is welcome to stay with the company if he's willing to relocate, which we're not. So he's looking for a local position. We're just very disappointed since Andy absolutely adored working for Google. I am just praying he can find something he likes as well.
Other than that, we are doing very well. We are enjoying watching John grow and develop. Right now he loves to "stand" with us holding him. He also has an Exersaucer where he can stand up and play with his toys. He is so happy and sweet and is such a blessing!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
4 months old
John is 4 months old today and had his appointment. He was a good boy for his shots - he only cried a little, but it always makes me cry too.
We stopped using the Zantac about a week ago after noticing that John seemed to be agitated and have trouble sleeping about 4 hours after taking it. Sure enough, when I called the pharmacy, the side effects include agitation and insomnia. Perfect for your baby, right?!?!
The doctor seemed pleased about how he was doing on just Prevacid, and we adjusted his dosage for his weight. He's 17.5 pounds (90%) and 26 inches (90%). At least he is proportional now, last time he was 95% and 50%!
I also talked to him about John's sleeping. It has definitely been better since dropping the Zantac, but I wanted to know what the doctor thought was normal. He said that a 6 hour stretch is considered sleeping through the night, and anything after that is just gravy. I thought that was really interesting.
Then I told him that John isn't quite there yet, most nights he only goes 5 to 5 1/2 hours. It could be the pacifier or it could be hunger. The doctor recommended that we start solids to help him with his reflux and sleeping. The rice cereal in his bottle is doing wonders for his reflux by thickening the formula, but isn't really calorically enough for him, so we'll start yellow veggies this week.
He also had a middle-of-the-road suggestion regarding John's pacifier, since we're a little hesitant to let him cry for too long until the reflux is definitely under control. He suggested to let him fall almost all the way asleep with it, and then take it out just before he falls asleep. That way he can still soothe himself some, but won't expect it to be there when he wakes up. We'll give it until the end of September, if this doesn't work by then, I have a 4 day weekend that I'm going to use to go paci free!!
Then we had a helmet appointment. He goes in every week for adjustments. 2 weeks down, 4-6 to go! It was a busy day!
(New helmet pics posted in our online photo album)
We stopped using the Zantac about a week ago after noticing that John seemed to be agitated and have trouble sleeping about 4 hours after taking it. Sure enough, when I called the pharmacy, the side effects include agitation and insomnia. Perfect for your baby, right?!?!
The doctor seemed pleased about how he was doing on just Prevacid, and we adjusted his dosage for his weight. He's 17.5 pounds (90%) and 26 inches (90%). At least he is proportional now, last time he was 95% and 50%!
I also talked to him about John's sleeping. It has definitely been better since dropping the Zantac, but I wanted to know what the doctor thought was normal. He said that a 6 hour stretch is considered sleeping through the night, and anything after that is just gravy. I thought that was really interesting.
Then I told him that John isn't quite there yet, most nights he only goes 5 to 5 1/2 hours. It could be the pacifier or it could be hunger. The doctor recommended that we start solids to help him with his reflux and sleeping. The rice cereal in his bottle is doing wonders for his reflux by thickening the formula, but isn't really calorically enough for him, so we'll start yellow veggies this week.
He also had a middle-of-the-road suggestion regarding John's pacifier, since we're a little hesitant to let him cry for too long until the reflux is definitely under control. He suggested to let him fall almost all the way asleep with it, and then take it out just before he falls asleep. That way he can still soothe himself some, but won't expect it to be there when he wakes up. We'll give it until the end of September, if this doesn't work by then, I have a 4 day weekend that I'm going to use to go paci free!!
Then we had a helmet appointment. He goes in every week for adjustments. 2 weeks down, 4-6 to go! It was a busy day!
(New helmet pics posted in our online photo album)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Little helmet head boy...
John is 14 weeks old, and his reflux is definitely getting better every day. I am back to school and we are starting to settle into a new routine, with John at my mom's for 2 full days and 2 half days during the week.
You may notice in the pictures on our website that Johnny now has a DOC band, or helmet, to reshape his head.
Problems included:
- one ear higher than the other, as well as more forward
- back left side of his head much flatter than back right, despite us positioning him opposite that for the last 6 weeks
- head is taller than it is wide, and slopes up and back from his forehead.
None of these problems are very severe, and his young age means he'll only have to wear it for 6-8 weeks, which is nothing. My nephew had to wear his for 4 months!
It was partially caused in utero, as he didn't move around very much toward the end of my pregnancy, so his head grew a certain way. And of course they are seeing more cases of misshapen heads with the "Back to Sleep" campaign, since babies are spending more and more time on their backs instead of tummies.
It was interesting to hear some reasons why this correction is for medical reasons, not just cosmetic. First of all, left untreated as he grows, it could cause him to have an underbite, requiring serious orthodontic work. Also, protective helmets (football, baseball, bike, etc.) are made for heads that are wider than they are tall, i.e. "perfect" heads. If John's head is taller than it is wide, he would need to get a bigger helmet that wasn't as tight fitting. Under impact, his head could still rattle around inside a helmet, and get concussions or even brain damage more easily. Finally, it can cause problems like TMJ and chronic ear infections.
It has definitely been hard to get used to. It breaks my heart a little bit to feel cold hard plastic instead of sweet soft baby hair when I cuddle him. But Andy and I both agree that it is something that is important that we want to do for him. And I decorated it with ASU stickers, so he is ready for football season! :)
He seems to be taking to it fine. He did have a little trouble sleeping the first night but he seems used to it now. I hope the 6 weeks goes quickly!
You may notice in the pictures on our website that Johnny now has a DOC band, or helmet, to reshape his head.
Problems included:
- one ear higher than the other, as well as more forward
- back left side of his head much flatter than back right, despite us positioning him opposite that for the last 6 weeks
- head is taller than it is wide, and slopes up and back from his forehead.
None of these problems are very severe, and his young age means he'll only have to wear it for 6-8 weeks, which is nothing. My nephew had to wear his for 4 months!
It was partially caused in utero, as he didn't move around very much toward the end of my pregnancy, so his head grew a certain way. And of course they are seeing more cases of misshapen heads with the "Back to Sleep" campaign, since babies are spending more and more time on their backs instead of tummies.
It was interesting to hear some reasons why this correction is for medical reasons, not just cosmetic. First of all, left untreated as he grows, it could cause him to have an underbite, requiring serious orthodontic work. Also, protective helmets (football, baseball, bike, etc.) are made for heads that are wider than they are tall, i.e. "perfect" heads. If John's head is taller than it is wide, he would need to get a bigger helmet that wasn't as tight fitting. Under impact, his head could still rattle around inside a helmet, and get concussions or even brain damage more easily. Finally, it can cause problems like TMJ and chronic ear infections.
It has definitely been hard to get used to. It breaks my heart a little bit to feel cold hard plastic instead of sweet soft baby hair when I cuddle him. But Andy and I both agree that it is something that is important that we want to do for him. And I decorated it with ASU stickers, so he is ready for football season! :)
He seems to be taking to it fine. He did have a little trouble sleeping the first night but he seems used to it now. I hope the 6 weeks goes quickly!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
3 month update
Since the last post, the battle with reflux continued. After an additional doctor's appointment, we put John on Prevacid in addition to the Zantac, and started adding rice cereal to his bottle. We've been on this combination for about 2 weeks, and I think this is going to work. He's definitely in less pain. I hope this will continue to be the case.
Sleeping-wise, things are still kind of weird. John is going from 11 to 7 without needing to be fed, but still wakes up at least once a night for no reason, usually between 4:30 and 5:30. The 5:30 is doable, but the 4:30 is really killer. One of us gets up and reswaddles him, gives him a pacifier, puts him back up at the head of the crib after he's slid down to the bottom, or any number of random things. Sometimes he goes right back to sleep, sometimes he is restless and then that's it for your sleep for the night! And to give credit where credit is due, it's usually Andy getting up with him since I'm usually up until midnight for the last feeding. We've tried everything I can think of, I've done tons of reading, but I can only conclude that he's just restless at that time for some reason. I sure hope he grows out of it soon!!!
Today was John's baptism. We were so nervous that he was going to freak out during the ceremony, but he did really well!! Everyone thought he was a little angel! Andy's brother Dave and my sister Robyn were the godparents, and it was so nice to have both sets of grandparents there as well as our good friend Courtney.
Tomorrow I'm starting back to work. We're a little nervous about this. You know, we have a routine set here, and starting a new one is a little daunting. Luckily, I'm only starting back teaching at the high school this week, so it will be only an hour or two each day until ASU starts back later in the month. It is always nice to ease into things a little. My mom will be watching John this semester, so it will be nice to not have to worry about him being in daycare quite yet!
Sleeping-wise, things are still kind of weird. John is going from 11 to 7 without needing to be fed, but still wakes up at least once a night for no reason, usually between 4:30 and 5:30. The 5:30 is doable, but the 4:30 is really killer. One of us gets up and reswaddles him, gives him a pacifier, puts him back up at the head of the crib after he's slid down to the bottom, or any number of random things. Sometimes he goes right back to sleep, sometimes he is restless and then that's it for your sleep for the night! And to give credit where credit is due, it's usually Andy getting up with him since I'm usually up until midnight for the last feeding. We've tried everything I can think of, I've done tons of reading, but I can only conclude that he's just restless at that time for some reason. I sure hope he grows out of it soon!!!
Today was John's baptism. We were so nervous that he was going to freak out during the ceremony, but he did really well!! Everyone thought he was a little angel! Andy's brother Dave and my sister Robyn were the godparents, and it was so nice to have both sets of grandparents there as well as our good friend Courtney.
Tomorrow I'm starting back to work. We're a little nervous about this. You know, we have a routine set here, and starting a new one is a little daunting. Luckily, I'm only starting back teaching at the high school this week, so it will be only an hour or two each day until ASU starts back later in the month. It is always nice to ease into things a little. My mom will be watching John this semester, so it will be nice to not have to worry about him being in daycare quite yet!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Reflux
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!
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!
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!
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