Reflux
I seem to often write posts right before we go to the doctor, but I'm not good about following up on here and giving an update. As previously mentioned, Will went to his pediatric GI a few weeks ago for a weight check and to see how he was doing since we started giving him bottles of pumped breast milk with 1.5 tsp of formula added for extra calories. He was 14 lbs, which meant he didn't gain any weight for at least 2 weeks because at his 6-month appointment 2 weeks before that, he weighed 14lbs 1oz. Since he wasn't gaining well enough with the bottles of pumped milk, the doctor said I didn't have to do that anymore if it was stressing me out (which it was). I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders! Pumping was incredibly stressful because it was more constricting than nursing, and Will is more efficient than the pump, so I could never pump enough.
The issue (as I thought) is his reflux medicine is just not doing the trick. The actual dosage of the medicine is 1.5mL, but he can't tolerate that dose because it makes his intestines cramp. So we cut back to 1mL, and bumped it back up to 1.2mL when 1mL wasn't helping, which still isn't working. The only thing it does is keep him from spitting up as much as he did before he started the medicine. So the poor little guy is still in pain from the acid that keeps coming back up during and after he eats, which makes him not want to eat much.
The GI has referred us to a feeding therapist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Since I've never heard of a feeding therapist, I don't know much about what she will do. I do know that she's also a speech therapist and has 11 letters after her name, so that must mean she knows what she's talking about, right? When I asked the doctor why he was sending us to her, he mostly said, "I think she can help you." I don't really know what that means. In my mind, I'm wondering why not a lactation consultant? But I see one every Friday at my mom group, and we've never had any physical issues with Will's mouth that would normally lead a nursing baby to physical or occupational therapy, so I'm still confused. The one thing the GI said that made the most sense to me was that often babies with severe reflux like Will can develop a food aversion, so the feeding therapist will help us avoid that hopefully. I've also learned that it's the common next step for reflux babies to go to a feeding therapist when the medicine isn't cutting it. Has anyone out there ever been to one or know what we can expect when we go?
As with most specialists, the first appointment we could get was for a month later. That month is almost up now, finally. Our appointment is for Monday October 3rd, and I'm looking forward to being one step closer to finding a solution for my little man.
Peanut Allergy
The last time I wrote about Will's peanut allergy, we thought that perhaps his allergy wasn't that bad. When we got the blood work results back, we learned that's not the case. Unfortunately, Will's peanut allergy is in the "Very High" category. I asked the allergist, based on his experience what he thought Will's prognosis will be (while knowing he can't know 100% for sure). He said that in his experience, babies or kids with it this high do not grow out of it. :( This news made me very sad for my baby boy. Wayne's favorite food is peanut butter. I've always gotten him Reese's cakes for his birthday, his mom makes her famous peanut butter cookies every Christmas, he could eat a bucket of boiled peanuts in one sitting, and overall, peanut butter is a staple in our house. The good news is Will won't know what he's missing. The bad news is we are now armed with Epi Pens. Since the allergy is much worse than originally thought, we'll have to be extra cautious to make sure Will doesn't come into contact with any peanuts. If we ever eat peanuts or peanut butter (not me until I'm done nursing, obviously), we'll have to wash our hands and mouth before touching Will. If it gets on his skin, it makes him break out in a rash.
When I was pregnant, I couldn't eat deli meat (there's a bacteria that can cause miscarriage), so peanut butter and jelly sandwiches replaced turkey sandwiches. I ate a lot of them. I can't help but wonder if that caused his allergy. It already has me wondering what kind of sandwiches I'll eat the next time I get pregnant. Peanut allergies are so common these days, especially in boys. What are we eating that's causing this? I wish I knew.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
7 Months
Will is getting more and more fun every day. I love the age he is at right now. He's discovering new things, and it's so fun to watch him react to sounds, people, toys, etc. Everything we've read has said that separation anxiety peaks at this age, but so far, he doesn't seem to have it too badly. We notice it the most if he's in his crib and we walk out of his line of vision. He gets over it pretty quickly, though. Of course, he's never been left with a stranger, but he does fine when he meets someone new for the first time. And if it's a female's arms he's passed to, forget it. All he has to do is flash that gummy smile of his, and he'll have her wrapped around his finger in 5 seconds. He is such a little flirt!
Remember how I said last month teeth were coming? Well, they did! He got the bottom two front teeth within one week. He never got a fever with the teeth, and it mostly seemed to bother him at night.
We are on week 3 of rice cereal, so next week, we'll start with actual foods. I'm sure some good pics will come out of that experience.
Will has already outgrown his 3-6 month clothes. He was in 6 month sleepers for maybe 3 weeks before we had to move on up to 9 months. He needs them for the length, but they are huge around his skinny little belly. His legs are chunking up, which is exciting. He's got a good roll on them now. He's still in size 2 diapers, but I think he's ready to move on up to size 3. I'm a member of Amazon Mom, and our diapers are shipped to us monthly for free through their free subscribe and save service. If you're a mom and not a member, you've got to check it out! All that to say, his next shipment of diapers will be size 3. Yay for my growing boy!
He is sitting up like a champ, now. I still like to keep a pillow nearby (if I'm up moving around) for the occasional topple, but that's to be expected. When he lays on his tummy, he pushes himself up with his arms straight now. It's so cute to walk in his room after a nap and find him trying to peek up over his crib. He's also started with a new trick...supporting himself while standing!
Remember how I said last month teeth were coming? Well, they did! He got the bottom two front teeth within one week. He never got a fever with the teeth, and it mostly seemed to bother him at night.
We are on week 3 of rice cereal, so next week, we'll start with actual foods. I'm sure some good pics will come out of that experience.
Will has already outgrown his 3-6 month clothes. He was in 6 month sleepers for maybe 3 weeks before we had to move on up to 9 months. He needs them for the length, but they are huge around his skinny little belly. His legs are chunking up, which is exciting. He's got a good roll on them now. He's still in size 2 diapers, but I think he's ready to move on up to size 3. I'm a member of Amazon Mom, and our diapers are shipped to us monthly for free through their free subscribe and save service. If you're a mom and not a member, you've got to check it out! All that to say, his next shipment of diapers will be size 3. Yay for my growing boy!
He is sitting up like a champ, now. I still like to keep a pillow nearby (if I'm up moving around) for the occasional topple, but that's to be expected. When he lays on his tummy, he pushes himself up with his arms straight now. It's so cute to walk in his room after a nap and find him trying to peek up over his crib. He's also started with a new trick...supporting himself while standing!
He likes to use his thumbs to feel/play with new things. The most obvious time he's doing this is when he's in his crib and scratches his sheets with his thumbs. He also does it if he's holding onto one of my fingers.
He is a babbling fool! The kid likes to talk, and we love to hear him (for now). He has added "blah blah blah" and "gagaga" to his plethora of syllables. His most common syllable is "dadada" now. He still also loves to blow raspberries. He has also started copying us if we say "da" or blow raspberries. So fun! He does it, then we'll do it, and he watches with excitement and joy as he studies our mouths and then does it back to us. When he says "da" just once, it's usually more like "ha da". Sometimes, that turns into "hi ya," which is fitting for his first word considering Wayne is a black belt and his Bebe owns a martial arts school. :)
While I've yet to catch a good video of him talking, here's one that's still quite funny and showcases how vocal he is. He blinks whenever he hears loud noises, which is all-the-more cute/funny when the loud noise causing him to blink is coming from him.
Here's a new funny face that pops up every now and then...
His favorite "toy" is his pacifier clip. He is so fascinated by the different ends. He holds it up and studies it. It makes me wonder what he's thinking when he's looking at it so intently. He also loves to chew on it. Even when he's laying on his floor jungle gym with all of the cool lights and toys that make noise, if he finds his paci holder, he chooses that. When it's attached to his paci, he often doesn't understand why he keeps pulling his paci out. He grabs the blue strap and pop! Out comes the paci. Then he turns and twists it studying how and why it's attached.
One of my fay-vo-rite new things Will does is give kisses! Oh my word, it is so cute. He grabs your face with both hands and gives you a big open mouth kiss. It is so sweet!
He is changing so quickly and learning new things everyday. I'm trying to soak up each moment because the time is suddenly flying. Look how big he is now!
He realized he's not alone in the chair...
Oh, are you for me to eat? Poor Henry the Hippo...
He also discovered that his name is on his chair
Mmm...toes
I love this precious boy so much!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
First Rice Cereal
Will had his first tastes of rice cereal this morning. He seemed to like it okay, and I think some of it actually went down!
Wayne took video of the event...6 minutes of exciting entertainment. I commend you if you watch the whole thing. It's hard for me to sit and watch it all, but there are definitely some cute moments in there. I need to learn how to edit movies...
Big Boy in his high chair for the first time!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
A few of my favorite things...3-6 months
I left a favorite out of the 0-3 months favorites list. He used to grab onto us really tightly and tense up when we'd carry him down the stairs. The feeling of going down used to bother him, but he's a big boy now and isn't scared anymore. :) I didn't love that he was scared, but I did love how he'd grab on to me tightly.
Now for the new favorites...
How he still holds his legs up like a frog when I pick him up
How he has frog legs when he's eating from a bottle
How he grabs the bottle and holds it himself
How he reaches for me when he wants me to pick him up (swoon!)
How he chews on his paci and smiles
His laugh!
How he tries to chew on another toy while he still has the paci in his mouth
How excited he gets in the exersaucer
How his arms and legs go straight out when he's excited or upset
How he loves standing up and looks so proud of himself while standing
How he loves touching our faces when he can reach them
When I'm holding him, how he turns his whole head to look at me
How one second he's here...
And the next, he's there...
or there...
or there...
How he sticks 3 fingers from one hand and 2 from the other in his mouth when his paci isn't available
How he takes his paci out of his mouth and tries to put it back in but usually gets it backwards
He's ticklish :)
How he smiles at you if you smile at him (even if he's fussing)
How easily distractable he is ("waaaaaaah!!!! oh, what's that?")
How anything that winds up in his hand is shaken back and forth (toy, burp cloth, blanket, paci, etc)
How he likes to hold my hand when I stand over his crib
How he will sit with me and cuddle for a few minutes
How he already knows to smile for the camera
How curious and observant he is...I love watching him soak in the world around him!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
6 Months
Will turned 6 months on August 20th...I need to get this post up before he's 7 months. August was a very busy month for us and included our first overnight trip with Will to San Francisco! (I'll write about that later.) Wayne had another huge show to work on and was gone for three weeks again. This time, Will and I were able to join him for 10 days, which was really nice. We got home a few days ago, and I'm working on getting back into the swing of things (including sleeping and blogging!).
Okay, moving on.
Will has really changed a lot in the past month. He is "talking" a lot more but still finds time to give us plenty of squeals. His favorite words are "mamamama" "babababa" "dadadada" and he also enjoys blowing raspberries. (why are they called raspberries anyway?)
He has many new tricks that he likes to show us. I've tried to capture them on video. The first is his new "dance move." He lies on his back and moves his hips to the side. He started doing it one day in his crib, and it was cracking me up! The shaking in the video is from me laughing.
His other new trick is sitting up! We're still working on perfecting it, but he's getting the hang of it. It's hard to get him to sit because he locks his legs and hips and only wants to stand. He's already showing a stubborn side! I realize how much easier life will be when he can sit up on his own. I'm looking forward to that!
I don't have video or pictures of this yet, but another thing Will loves to do is slam his legs down when he's laying on his back. I'll have to get some video of that. It's definitely an expression for him, showing he's happy or excited.
As previously mentioned in my list of favorites from 0-3 months, I loved it when Will rooted. For those of you who don't know (because I sure didn't know what it was), "rooting" is a reflex babies have when they are looking for food. They shake their heads back and forth, basically looking for a nipple. It always cracked me up when he did it because it's very funny to watch, and it also let us know when he was hungry. I got sad when I realized a month or two ago that he didn't really do it anymore. Recently, however, he has started back up doing it, but now it seems to have a different meaning. Sometimes it's obvious that he's looking for something to suck on, but other times he does it when he's already got his paci in his mouth, and he's not hungry. It seems to often be a reflection that he's happy. It cracks us up! Here are a couple of examples of him doing it. The first is something that happens often. He grabs my hair (his right fist), pulls me close and goes to town. He's very strong...it hurts! I call this "Attack of the rooting baby."
Here is another video (from San Francisco) where I was trying to capture the head shake. Isn't it a little too early for him to say "no" to everything?
Will LOVES bath time! I do have some great video of him playing, but unfortunately, it's a little inappropriate to show his man parts on the internet. One of these days, I'll put him in the tub in his swim suit so I can share because it's pretty great. He kicks and splashes and makes himself laugh...it is so cute! I've tried to get video by strategically placing a wash cloth, but he pulls it off and waves it around in the air. The man likes his naked time!
We accomplished a major goal I had by 6 months...we dropped the swaddle! I was so scared to do this for a while because it really helped calm him down and go to sleep. And he had finally started sleeping through the night again at 5 months. I was really hesitant to do anything to mess that up! But almost more importantly, I did not want to have to worry about keeping him in the swaddle in San Francisco. So after having lunch with some of my friends from my mom group one day and learning that the two moms with boys older than Will still had to help their boys to sleep (rocking or holding), I decided that perhaps my expectations for Will were too high. I came home, put him in footie pajamas and decided I would stay with him and help him to sleep as long as it took. I was surprised that he rolled over onto his belly and fell asleep that way...and it really didn't take that long! Since then, not every time he goes down for a nap is that easy, but at least we're done with the (stupid) swaddle.
Since we've had to start giving him more bottles, it's been fun to see what a big boy he is and how quickly he learns. He already holds it all by himself! And I love the "frog legs" he has when he drinks from the bottle. He can't hold it the whole time and feed himself, but he certainly tries. He usually shoves the entire nipple in his mouth, so he still needs a little help.
Speaking of his 6 month doctor's appointment, he once again, did really well with the shots. He only cried for a second. He's such a brave little boy! While his doctor was pleased to see how much better his skin is doing, she is still really concerned with his weight. He has dropped 5 trend lines to the 2nd percentile. I am working very hard to get him to eat more, but it's a struggle. For a while, he did better eating from a bottle than he did nursing, but now he's kind of switched. He has an appointment tomorrow with his GI for another weight check (he was impressed with his weight gain at the last weight check... 12.7 lbs to 13.3 lbs (13lbs 6oz) in a week), so hopefully he's gaining well enough. I'm also going to talk to him about his reflux medicine because I really don't think it's working. It's so hard for me to watch him struggle and cry every time he eats.
Here are his stats from his 6 month appointment:
weight: 14lbs 1oz, 2nd percentile
height: 26.75 inches, 60th percentile
head circumference: 17 inches, 32nd percentile
As much of a struggle as it can be some days, this little boy has blessed my life more than I ever thought possible. I love him beyond measure, and thank the Lord every day for him! His laugh is infectious, and his smile is contagious. All you have to do is smile at him to get one in return. We are truly blessed with such a happy baby!
Okay, moving on.
Will has really changed a lot in the past month. He is "talking" a lot more but still finds time to give us plenty of squeals. His favorite words are "mamamama" "babababa" "dadadada" and he also enjoys blowing raspberries. (why are they called raspberries anyway?)
He has many new tricks that he likes to show us. I've tried to capture them on video. The first is his new "dance move." He lies on his back and moves his hips to the side. He started doing it one day in his crib, and it was cracking me up! The shaking in the video is from me laughing.
His other new trick is sitting up! We're still working on perfecting it, but he's getting the hang of it. It's hard to get him to sit because he locks his legs and hips and only wants to stand. He's already showing a stubborn side! I realize how much easier life will be when he can sit up on his own. I'm looking forward to that!
I don't have video or pictures of this yet, but another thing Will loves to do is slam his legs down when he's laying on his back. I'll have to get some video of that. It's definitely an expression for him, showing he's happy or excited.
As previously mentioned in my list of favorites from 0-3 months, I loved it when Will rooted. For those of you who don't know (because I sure didn't know what it was), "rooting" is a reflex babies have when they are looking for food. They shake their heads back and forth, basically looking for a nipple. It always cracked me up when he did it because it's very funny to watch, and it also let us know when he was hungry. I got sad when I realized a month or two ago that he didn't really do it anymore. Recently, however, he has started back up doing it, but now it seems to have a different meaning. Sometimes it's obvious that he's looking for something to suck on, but other times he does it when he's already got his paci in his mouth, and he's not hungry. It seems to often be a reflection that he's happy. It cracks us up! Here are a couple of examples of him doing it. The first is something that happens often. He grabs my hair (his right fist), pulls me close and goes to town. He's very strong...it hurts! I call this "Attack of the rooting baby."
Here is another video (from San Francisco) where I was trying to capture the head shake. Isn't it a little too early for him to say "no" to everything?
Will LOVES bath time! I do have some great video of him playing, but unfortunately, it's a little inappropriate to show his man parts on the internet. One of these days, I'll put him in the tub in his swim suit so I can share because it's pretty great. He kicks and splashes and makes himself laugh...it is so cute! I've tried to get video by strategically placing a wash cloth, but he pulls it off and waves it around in the air. The man likes his naked time!
We accomplished a major goal I had by 6 months...we dropped the swaddle! I was so scared to do this for a while because it really helped calm him down and go to sleep. And he had finally started sleeping through the night again at 5 months. I was really hesitant to do anything to mess that up! But almost more importantly, I did not want to have to worry about keeping him in the swaddle in San Francisco. So after having lunch with some of my friends from my mom group one day and learning that the two moms with boys older than Will still had to help their boys to sleep (rocking or holding), I decided that perhaps my expectations for Will were too high. I came home, put him in footie pajamas and decided I would stay with him and help him to sleep as long as it took. I was surprised that he rolled over onto his belly and fell asleep that way...and it really didn't take that long! Since then, not every time he goes down for a nap is that easy, but at least we're done with the (stupid) swaddle.
This was his first nap sans swaddle.
It is so cute to watch him sleep now. His favorite position is on his right side (like his mommy). It doesn't get any cuter than a little boy in footie pj's. I'm slightly obsessed with his feet.
Everything goes in his mouth! Teeth are on their way...
Love his feet in this one. :)
Since we've had to start giving him more bottles, it's been fun to see what a big boy he is and how quickly he learns. He already holds it all by himself! And I love the "frog legs" he has when he drinks from the bottle. He can't hold it the whole time and feed himself, but he certainly tries. He usually shoves the entire nipple in his mouth, so he still needs a little help.
Another new development...see that on top of his head? His hair is growing back! woohoo!
LOVE this face.
He's also discovered tags. He loves finding them on any and every toy, and that usually ends up being his favorite part of the toy.
He has finally moved from wearing 3-6 month size in clothing to 6 months. The 6 months sizes are usually huge in waist, but just right for the length.
He is still in size 2 diapers. (This is quite a wet diaper...after 6 month shots and right before his bath.)
Speaking of his 6 month doctor's appointment, he once again, did really well with the shots. He only cried for a second. He's such a brave little boy! While his doctor was pleased to see how much better his skin is doing, she is still really concerned with his weight. He has dropped 5 trend lines to the 2nd percentile. I am working very hard to get him to eat more, but it's a struggle. For a while, he did better eating from a bottle than he did nursing, but now he's kind of switched. He has an appointment tomorrow with his GI for another weight check (he was impressed with his weight gain at the last weight check... 12.7 lbs to 13.3 lbs (13lbs 6oz) in a week), so hopefully he's gaining well enough. I'm also going to talk to him about his reflux medicine because I really don't think it's working. It's so hard for me to watch him struggle and cry every time he eats.
Here are his stats from his 6 month appointment:
weight: 14lbs 1oz, 2nd percentile
height: 26.75 inches, 60th percentile
head circumference: 17 inches, 32nd percentile
As much of a struggle as it can be some days, this little boy has blessed my life more than I ever thought possible. I love him beyond measure, and thank the Lord every day for him! His laugh is infectious, and his smile is contagious. All you have to do is smile at him to get one in return. We are truly blessed with such a happy baby!
I love his toes in this one! Straight legs and spread toes = happy!
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