Abel's 2 Month Checkup

Monday I was back at the pediatrician's office for Abel's 2 month checkup.  He weighed in at 9 pounds, 5 ounces and was 22.5 inches long.  He's really growing!  He was 6.11 lbs and 19.25 inches long at birth.  We were there the Monday before for his reflux, so in a week he had gained 5 ounces.  Dr. Meredith was pleased with his growth this go around, so he said our breastfeeding/cereal breastmilk bottle routine was working fine.

My main concern going into this visit was his reflux.  I knew the Zantac had given him a lot relief, but I thought something else may help him more.  Dr. Meredith gave me Nexium samples to try and to let him know how it worked for him.  Everything else looked good.  He's on track developmentally and the hydrocortisone has really helped his eczema.  Dr. Meredith told me I could bring back in dairy in the next week or so and see if Abel had any adverse reactions once I started eating it again.  I also asked him about the Zika virus and if I should have any concerns since Abel is so little.  He told me I shouldn't since he's completely developed already, so that made me feel better.

He had to get shots, and that poor baby was pitiful.  He screamed like crazy, then had a REALLY rough afternoon once we got home.  He screamed inconsolably for about an hour or so, to the point where he could hardly breathe.  I was getting ready to call the doctor and see what I needed to do, but Andy came in at that point and got him to sleep.  He didn't eat for 7 hours and slept most of the evening, but once he woke up he seemed to feel better.  Cooper and Clark had a bad reaction to their first round of shots, but seemed to do fine after that, so I'm hoping it'll be the same for Abel.  One of his legs is still red and swollen, so he'll whimper if we accidentally touch it.

*An update on the Nexium:  The Nexium samples were powder, so I had to dissolve it in 5ml of breastmilk or water, then give it to Abel.  That sounded simple enough when Dr. Meredith explained it, but it was an absolute nightmare.  I couldn't get the medicine to completely dissolve, so I couldn't get it all down him.  What I did get down him he'd turn around and throw back up.  We did that medicine for 3 days, and over those 3 days he stopped napping in his bed, was up all hours of the night again, cried in pain, was projectile vomiting, and just unhappy.  I put him back on the Zantac last night and he had a much better night, and he's been napping for 2.5 hours now in his bed.  I guess we'll leave him on this for now!

An Update on Cooper

And last, but definitely not least, here's an update on my oldest man, Cooper.  He's grown and changed so much in the several months (and even the last few weeks), that sometimes I feel like he's a completely different child than the one we've raised over the last 5 years.  He's my sweet boy who tells me he loves me about every 5 minutes and hugs, kisses, and cuddles all over me at any given time.  He's 100% a momma's boy, and I love it!  He's reached the age where he has a very silly, little boy personality and wants Andy and I to laugh at everything he says.  He loves to help Andy with any kind of project he's working on, and he's reached the age where he can be a real help instead of kind of being in the way.  Since he started pre-k he's really big into having friends, and he had his first sleepover last week with one of his cousins.  He loves school and learning, and comes home every day bursting at the seams with all kinds of new knowledge.  He wants to read so badly that it's driving him crazy, so I'm really looking forward to what all he learns in kindergarten.  

He's definitely the oldest child and leader of the pac.  He loves to boss poor Clark around, and Clark just goes along with it.  He always comes up with the games they play, what toys they play with, and where they play at.  He likes wrestling on the trampoline too, but is more sensitive to playing rough, so he doesn't last as long as Clark.  He could play outside all day, but he still likes playing with toys in his room.  He loves my iPad too, and he's turned into quite the movie buff.  Even though him and Clark fight a ton, he really loves his brothers.  He's a great help with Abel, and really loves holding and kissing him.  Most of the time he's pretty good for us, but when he's upset, he'll fight and argue like no other.  He's also got a pretty strong defiant streak in him, so that's a challenge.  It comes out more with me, and I have to threaten to call Andy anytime he gets an attitude with me.  He's started getting an allowance, so we hang that over his head for good behavior.  

Over the past couple of weeks Cooper has come alive with trying new things to eat.  He's always been picky, but he'd always eat a lot of whatever he likes.  These past two weeks thought it's like someone flipped a switch and he's tries a ton of things.  He's tried mashed potatoes, pizza, cheese bread, cheese quesadillas, hamburgers, hotdogs, biscuits, fish nuggets, chicken marsala, trail mix, and other stuff that I've forgotten.  Andy and I are shocked every time he tries something new!  He doesn't sit there and gag and throw up either, so he's come a long way!  This is the exact same thing he did with talking and potty training, so he's just a stubborn little thing who has to put his mind to something before he'll do it.  Once again, I could go on and on, but I'll leave you with some pictures.  He definitely doesn't look like a baby anymore, huh?

An Update on Clark

Oh my goodness... where do I even start with this crazy cat.  Clark is my child who keeps me laughing on days when I feel like I'm about to have a nervous breakdown and want to pull my hair out.  To be honest though, he keeps me laughing pretty much all the time.  He's hilarious when he tries to be and hilarious when he doesn't try.  A few weeks ago I told him we had to go to the doctor for mommy (I had to go see Dr. Sanders), and he said, "Eww, that doesn't sound good!"  I laughed hysterically!  He says "Oh, mercy!" all the time, and out of nowhere a few weeks ago when were out for dinner he said to me, "Mom, don't worry about us, just worry about you."  He's also big into making "deals" with us.  Yesterday he told me his nap time deal was that he'd take a nap once I let him have three cookies.  I have no clue where he comes up with this stuff!  

He's also my whiniest child, by far.  He's always had a bit of a whiney personality, but it's really been exaggerated since he's been three and since Abel came along.  We've also hit the "terrible threes" pretty hard.  He's still not bad by any means, but we're getting a lot more attitude, defiance, and lashing out.  I think Abel's arrival has made that worse, but we expected that.  He definitely loves Abel, but he usually doesn't want anything to do with him until someone outside of our immediately family wants to hold him, then he gets really possessive.  He's always makes sure to tell them that they can't keep him!  Thankfully though he takes out any baby brother frustrations on me and not Abel.  He loves to help me with him, and loves to make sure he has a pacifier at all times.  He's already starting to fill the role of the middle child and tells us stuff isn't fair ALL the time!  

He's been really into playing outside now that we have steps off the back deck, and loves to wrestle on the trampoline with anyone who is willing.  He's also gotten really good at playing in his room with Cooper, and pretty much wants to do anything Cooper is doing.  He loves to steal my phone and iPad and watch videos, and he's become a big scardy cat when it comes to movies.  I can't hardly get him to watch any of his favorite Disney movies because he says they all have scary bad guys in them, even if they don't!  He's obsessed with Bigfoot and works himself into a panic anytime he's in the backyard by himself, thinking Bigfoot is in our woods.  He's still the pickiest eater I've ever seen, so much worse than Cooper ever was, and pretty much lives off of yogurt and junk food.  We took him to the dentist last week, thinking all of teeth were rotten, but he was cavity free!  He'd eat pancakes at Susan's Diner or City Cafe for every meal if we'd let him, but refuses to eat pancakes I make at home.  He's taking gummy vitamins though, and would eat the whole bottle in a day if I didn't keep it hidden.  He's still my early riser, and loves to come and get in bed with me in the mornings once Cooper has left for school.  He gets mad if I don't get up as soon as he wants me to, but he loves to talk my ears off while he lays down with me.

I could go on and on about this sweet boy, but I'll save the rest for another time.  Here are some pictures of him from our dairy farm visit last week.  He's still obsessed with tractors, so he was in Heaven here.  

An Update on Abel

I ended up at the pediatrician yesterday with Abel for a number of reasons.  My main concern was the rash on his face, then how fussy he had been, how much he was spitting up, lack of sleep at night and during the day, and some noises he makes while eating.  I knew he probably had reflux, but I was worried about a milk allergy that would stop our breastfeeding as well.  

When we got to the doctor he weighed in at 9 pounds even, so he's doing fine in that department, thankfully.  When I described everything he was doing to Dr. Meredith, and while he showed half of his symptoms (including the lovely projectile vomiting he's become so good at lately), he quickly determined that he had reflux.  The rash on his face, neck, and chest is eczema, and the horrible sucking/screeching noise he makes when he breastfeeds is his trachea collapsing.  That really scared me, but Dr. Meredith said it's nothing to worry about.  I had recorded it on my phone the night before, so he listened to it to determine that.  I also recored a wheezing/congested sound he makes when he's done eating, and he said that is from the reflux.  We're having major issues with sleeping, and he said it's because when we lay him flat it makes his reflux hurt worse, so I feel so bad for the poor baby.  He said I could let him sleep in a swing, car seat, or with his mattress elevated with a wedge.  We tried the wedge last night and didn't get a whole lot of sleep... we're all exhausted.  He put him on Zantac twice a day and said to give it a week to see if it helps.  We also go the ok to give him rice cereal in any bottles I give him to help keep his milk down.  I still supplement some with breastmilk bottles to keep his weight up, especially right before he goes to bed each night, so we're adding that in now.  The two bottles he's had with cereal he's done fine with.  I'm hoping that'll help him sleep better too, but probably not.   We go back next Monday for his 2 month checkup, so if it's not working by then he said he'd change the medicine.  Abel's just been really fussy and inconsolable this past week or so, so I'm hoping he'll get some relief soon.  Dr. Meredith also told me to cut out all dairy from my diet to see if that helps him, so that's going to be extremely hard for me.  I rarely ever drink milk straight by itself, but I drink a lot of chocolate milk, milkshakes, eat a ton of cheese and butter, and I cook with milk ALL THE TIME.  Plus, I've craved chocolate more now that I'm breastfeeding than I ever had, so this is going to be a huge challenge for me.  We've dealt with colic and other issues before with the older boys, but never reflux.  We're kind of clueless as to what to do to help him.  Hopefully this medicine will make a big difference.  Keep us in your prayers!

He was still yellow, so Dr. Meredith checked his bilirubin levels again.  He called us this morning and said they're still elevated, but in the safe range, so thankfully he doesn't have to go back under a light.  He said it's probably just from breastfeeding and that it should go away with time.  

This sweet baby is 8 weeks old today, but here are some pictures from last week when we went to visit our friends' dairy farm.  He's definitely growing like a weed and looks different every day!

Easter Sunday

I know I'm very late for an Easter post, but such is life these days.  We didn't have great weather for Easter, but the boys had a good time at church and hunting eggs, so it was a good day.  We finished up our day at Cracker Barrel with my family, one of my favorite Easter traditions.  Abel isn't in a lot of these pictures because he was held most of the day, so he was happy as well.