This morning we had Rylee's 2 month well baby check up. She is up to 11 pounds 7 ounces and is 23 inches long! She is growing great! The doctor is impressed with her sleeping (at night!) as much as she is and said that she's an "eater." HAHA Those cheeks give that away! I can't believe she's gained 5 pounds since birth and 4lb7oz since her 2 week check-up.
I talked to the doctor about a tremor in her legs. For the past few weeks, her legs will randomly tremor for a few seconds. At first, it was only her right leg but now it is both. The doctor isn't too worried about it right now, but if it becomes longer or starts to favor one side we have to call him immediately. There's a possibility it could be seizures if either of those things happen. We will go back next month so he can check it out again. I was happy when it happened while he was looking her over, so that he could see it first hand and not just have my description of what was going on. If it gets worse, she will have to have an EEG to make sure it's nothing in her brain going on. We're going to pray (and ask for prayers) that this isn't the case and it's just something she grows out of.
The appointment ended with that horrible S word: shots. She did wonderfully after the fact, better than me anyways. She screamed throughout the whole process but as soon as I got her in my arms she quieted down. We got her dressed and in her car seat and she was out! She woke up for about an hour or so. I fed her at noon and she's been asleep ever since. I hope she still sleeps tonight, but she obviously needs her rest.
I'm so proud of her and how well she did and is doing. I'm curious to see how she is once she wakes up since she's basically been asleep or out of it since the appointment. I have tylenol and advil at the ready just in case!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Day 62: Two Months Old
Happy 2 months to my little girl!
Though she still hates naps, sleeping at night is going wonderful. She sleeps anywhere from 5 to 7 hours straight, then it's followed by 3 hours. Sometimes, even 2 or 3 more hours after that. I'm thinking I need to start going to bed when she does though, because 8pm-2am is wonderful but when I'm going to bed between 10pm and 11pm, it's not as nice as it could be.
She loves to be carried and held and has a newfound love for a bouncer seat. She is starting to bat at things, so we added some toys to her carseat handle. She usually misses but the few times she gets it, she gets very excited. She also loves sucking on her fingers, and if she can get a hold of my fingers she tries to get them in her mouth as well. She is learning about things by sucking on and licking them if it's near her mouth.
She's still hating on tummy time, but spends a lot of time on her tummy because she sleeps on it. So when she wakes up she pushes herself up, and looks around, so I think that counts. She also has been pushing herself from the middle of the crib all the way to the edge on the other side. Little girl is wanting to crawl, haha! Also, when we have her sit with her back up against our legs in bed, she is starting to lean forward and hold herself up. She is just learning new things all the time! I think we're probably ready to try the Bumbo again!
I don't know her weight or length yet, but we will find out tomorrow when we go in for her appointment and to get her s-h-o-t-s. I got Paul to take the day off to go with me, because I don't think I can handle her first shots by myself.
After she wakes up from her naps, I will take her 2 month pictures and post them!
Here are some of her 2 month pictures:
Though she still hates naps, sleeping at night is going wonderful. She sleeps anywhere from 5 to 7 hours straight, then it's followed by 3 hours. Sometimes, even 2 or 3 more hours after that. I'm thinking I need to start going to bed when she does though, because 8pm-2am is wonderful but when I'm going to bed between 10pm and 11pm, it's not as nice as it could be.
She loves to be carried and held and has a newfound love for a bouncer seat. She is starting to bat at things, so we added some toys to her carseat handle. She usually misses but the few times she gets it, she gets very excited. She also loves sucking on her fingers, and if she can get a hold of my fingers she tries to get them in her mouth as well. She is learning about things by sucking on and licking them if it's near her mouth.
She's still hating on tummy time, but spends a lot of time on her tummy because she sleeps on it. So when she wakes up she pushes herself up, and looks around, so I think that counts. She also has been pushing herself from the middle of the crib all the way to the edge on the other side. Little girl is wanting to crawl, haha! Also, when we have her sit with her back up against our legs in bed, she is starting to lean forward and hold herself up. She is just learning new things all the time! I think we're probably ready to try the Bumbo again!
I don't know her weight or length yet, but we will find out tomorrow when we go in for her appointment and to get her s-h-o-t-s. I got Paul to take the day off to go with me, because I don't think I can handle her first shots by myself.
After she wakes up from her naps, I will take her 2 month pictures and post them!
Here are some of her 2 month pictures:
Oh and she took 3 naps today! Maybe now that she is 2 months old she realizes that sleep is a good thing!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Day 56: Tired of the Negativity
I started this blog so that one day, when she's old enough, Rylee could read it and know what happened every step of the way. I've realized a lot of my posts are complaining about her lack of wanting to sleep, etc. and I don't want her to think the first few weeks of her life were absolutely horrible, because they haven't been! So, this post will be all about the amazing things Rylee has brought to my life.
Right now, I'm lying in bed, with a head/sinus cold and a fever. Paul is taking care of Rylee and it's killing me. Not that I worry about him having her or anything, Monday through Friday is just our time. We lay in bed and talk and laugh and watch the ceiling fan and dance. I'm missing her, even though she is in the room right next to me. I would just hate myself if I got her sick, especially right before her 2 month appointment next Monday. So I'm keeping my distance, in the hopes, that she doesn't get whatever I have.
Rylee has taught me what it means to truly love unconditionally. I love Paul with all of my heart, but it's different kind of love with Rylee. She can scream and cry and yell and be uncooperative and the entire time I think "What am I doing wrong? Why can't I make her happy?" Never does "what is wrong with this child? Why won't she just quit crying?" come to mind. She is so fragile right now and I know it's my job to protect her and love her and guide her through this brand new world that she was brought in to. I happily forgo sleep and rock or walk and bounce for hours in order to make her happy. I don't think about eating or drinking, she is my complete focus and I wouldn't have it any other way. There is so many times when Paul will come home from work and ask me what I had for lunch, to which I usually respond, "Oh, nothing! I didn't even think about lunch." When I'm with Rylee, Rylee is all that matters, she has taught me to be self-less.
Rylee has given me a sense of youth and health back. I want to be healthy FOR her. I've never had a strong desire to work out, I just would do it sometimes because I didn't like the number that was on the scale. Now that I have Rylee in my life, I want to be healthy. I don't want her to want to sit in front of the TV and eat potato chips. I want her to want to play outside with her dogs and us, I want her to participate in sports, whatever she wants to do actively! If I'm laying around all the time, she's not going to understand why mommy wants her to play outside but mommy doesn't ever play outside. For the first time in my life, I have a WANT to run, I want to take Rylee outside and let her see the world, from the eyes of the jogging stroller of course. I just can't wait for the weather to get better, and we will be spending a lot of time outside, whether we are running, or planting in the garden. I want that little girl to spend as much time as possible outside!
Rylee has brought so much to mine and Paul's lives. It's only been 8 weeks, but in my mind, there was no life before Rylee. That time was such a blur, and everything just seems so clear now. Even through the lack of sleep, I still clearly remember the day Rylee was born (duh!), the day we brought her home, our first day alone together, the first time she truly smiled, the first time she laughed, etc. I know this won't always be the case, so I'm trying to cherish it as much as possible. I know I'm where I'm supposed to be in my life. When she snuggles into me for comfort, that thought is solidified. She loves me and knows I'm there to comfort her and usually do a pretty good job at it. She associates me with that, and even now, that brings a tear to my eye and makes my heart skip a beat! I haven't given her a snuggle or a kiss today, and when I was in the kitchen earlier, she just stared at me from across the room, like ummm come love me!
She's just an amazing little being that has brought so much to my life and will bring so much more in the days, weeks, months, and years to come!
I know this post was random and all over the place, but I wanted everyone to know that I consider this time in my life the most wonderful time.
Right now, I'm lying in bed, with a head/sinus cold and a fever. Paul is taking care of Rylee and it's killing me. Not that I worry about him having her or anything, Monday through Friday is just our time. We lay in bed and talk and laugh and watch the ceiling fan and dance. I'm missing her, even though she is in the room right next to me. I would just hate myself if I got her sick, especially right before her 2 month appointment next Monday. So I'm keeping my distance, in the hopes, that she doesn't get whatever I have.
Rylee has taught me what it means to truly love unconditionally. I love Paul with all of my heart, but it's different kind of love with Rylee. She can scream and cry and yell and be uncooperative and the entire time I think "What am I doing wrong? Why can't I make her happy?" Never does "what is wrong with this child? Why won't she just quit crying?" come to mind. She is so fragile right now and I know it's my job to protect her and love her and guide her through this brand new world that she was brought in to. I happily forgo sleep and rock or walk and bounce for hours in order to make her happy. I don't think about eating or drinking, she is my complete focus and I wouldn't have it any other way. There is so many times when Paul will come home from work and ask me what I had for lunch, to which I usually respond, "Oh, nothing! I didn't even think about lunch." When I'm with Rylee, Rylee is all that matters, she has taught me to be self-less.
Rylee has given me a sense of youth and health back. I want to be healthy FOR her. I've never had a strong desire to work out, I just would do it sometimes because I didn't like the number that was on the scale. Now that I have Rylee in my life, I want to be healthy. I don't want her to want to sit in front of the TV and eat potato chips. I want her to want to play outside with her dogs and us, I want her to participate in sports, whatever she wants to do actively! If I'm laying around all the time, she's not going to understand why mommy wants her to play outside but mommy doesn't ever play outside. For the first time in my life, I have a WANT to run, I want to take Rylee outside and let her see the world, from the eyes of the jogging stroller of course. I just can't wait for the weather to get better, and we will be spending a lot of time outside, whether we are running, or planting in the garden. I want that little girl to spend as much time as possible outside!
Rylee has brought so much to mine and Paul's lives. It's only been 8 weeks, but in my mind, there was no life before Rylee. That time was such a blur, and everything just seems so clear now. Even through the lack of sleep, I still clearly remember the day Rylee was born (duh!), the day we brought her home, our first day alone together, the first time she truly smiled, the first time she laughed, etc. I know this won't always be the case, so I'm trying to cherish it as much as possible. I know I'm where I'm supposed to be in my life. When she snuggles into me for comfort, that thought is solidified. She loves me and knows I'm there to comfort her and usually do a pretty good job at it. She associates me with that, and even now, that brings a tear to my eye and makes my heart skip a beat! I haven't given her a snuggle or a kiss today, and when I was in the kitchen earlier, she just stared at me from across the room, like ummm come love me!
She's just an amazing little being that has brought so much to my life and will bring so much more in the days, weeks, months, and years to come!
I know this post was random and all over the place, but I wanted everyone to know that I consider this time in my life the most wonderful time.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Day 53: What a Week
So the week started out about how last week ended, rough. There was more crying from the both of us and more begging of Paul to stay home to help out just one day.
Then came Wednesday. Holy cow, it was like someone replaced my baby with one that likes to sleep and be happy. I always know when Rylee is going to be in a good mood and not cry all day and that is when she takes naps during the day. And did she nap! She took several 1 hour naps throughout the day and I even went to the store with her alone (aka Paul wasn't there as backup!).
Let me digress and talk about this store trip for a moment. What makes people think it is OK to touch a stranger's baby?! Never would I walk up to someone I don't know and start caressing their baby. Obviously, this happened on Wednesday. I had walked into Wal-Mart and was getting Rylee situated in the Moby (she would have gotten too cranky if I had left her in the car seat), when all of a sudden two people (one was a little old lady, so that didn't bother me too much) walked up to me and started rubbing her head and face. If you don't know what a Moby Wrap is, google image it and you will see this means I had her strapped pretty tightly to my chest, and these people were rubbing her! Ummm WHAT?! After that incident, and wiping her down, we went on undisturbed for the rest of the trip, though people did look at me funny when they saw I had a baby strapped to my chest. Try it out, and see how much easier it is! She fell asleep within 5 minutes and woke up when I was standing in the check-out line because I had quit walking around.
Ok, back to the sleeping... Wednesday was wonderful! That night after the bedtime routine she slept for 6-1/2 hours! Then she went back to sleep for 3 more! Had I gone to bed when she did, I would have been in heaven (or at least felt like it)! Thursday was back to being a normal Rylee cranky/fussy day. However, I don't think she felt very well. She cried through a lot of her feedings and had a runny poop, and felt warm (when I used the temporal thermometer it came back at 99*).
Then there's today. Another fabulous day! She slept for 5 hours then had two 3 hour stretches, and ended up with a final 1-1/2 hour stint on my chest with me. We woke up for the day at 9am. She woke up smiling and a laughing. She got a little fussy around 11am, but I could tell she was getting tired. I fed her and then got her down for a nap. Now, if you know Rylee, you know she doesn't usually nap for long, I feel lucky if it's 45 minutes. Well, I again knew it was going to be a good afternoon when she slept 2-1/2 hours! She woke up smiling and laughing again. We spent the afternoon talking, playing peekaboo, singing and dancing!
When Paul got home, we decided to test out a new babysteals purchase, the ergoBaby Sport carrier and so we went for a walk with the dogs. She of course fell asleep within minutes of starting the walk, and it felt fabulous outside. We are thinking about going to the zoo tomorrow and using the carrier again! Paul enjoys it because it doesn't hurt his back like the BabyBjorn, because it's positioned on the shoulders and hips, and though she's still too small for it with 2 receiving blankets rolled up under her bum it was perfection.
Then came Wednesday. Holy cow, it was like someone replaced my baby with one that likes to sleep and be happy. I always know when Rylee is going to be in a good mood and not cry all day and that is when she takes naps during the day. And did she nap! She took several 1 hour naps throughout the day and I even went to the store with her alone (aka Paul wasn't there as backup!).
Let me digress and talk about this store trip for a moment. What makes people think it is OK to touch a stranger's baby?! Never would I walk up to someone I don't know and start caressing their baby. Obviously, this happened on Wednesday. I had walked into Wal-Mart and was getting Rylee situated in the Moby (she would have gotten too cranky if I had left her in the car seat), when all of a sudden two people (one was a little old lady, so that didn't bother me too much) walked up to me and started rubbing her head and face. If you don't know what a Moby Wrap is, google image it and you will see this means I had her strapped pretty tightly to my chest, and these people were rubbing her! Ummm WHAT?! After that incident, and wiping her down, we went on undisturbed for the rest of the trip, though people did look at me funny when they saw I had a baby strapped to my chest. Try it out, and see how much easier it is! She fell asleep within 5 minutes and woke up when I was standing in the check-out line because I had quit walking around.
Ok, back to the sleeping... Wednesday was wonderful! That night after the bedtime routine she slept for 6-1/2 hours! Then she went back to sleep for 3 more! Had I gone to bed when she did, I would have been in heaven (or at least felt like it)! Thursday was back to being a normal Rylee cranky/fussy day. However, I don't think she felt very well. She cried through a lot of her feedings and had a runny poop, and felt warm (when I used the temporal thermometer it came back at 99*).
Then there's today. Another fabulous day! She slept for 5 hours then had two 3 hour stretches, and ended up with a final 1-1/2 hour stint on my chest with me. We woke up for the day at 9am. She woke up smiling and a laughing. She got a little fussy around 11am, but I could tell she was getting tired. I fed her and then got her down for a nap. Now, if you know Rylee, you know she doesn't usually nap for long, I feel lucky if it's 45 minutes. Well, I again knew it was going to be a good afternoon when she slept 2-1/2 hours! She woke up smiling and laughing again. We spent the afternoon talking, playing peekaboo, singing and dancing!
When Paul got home, we decided to test out a new babysteals purchase, the ergoBaby Sport carrier and so we went for a walk with the dogs. She of course fell asleep within minutes of starting the walk, and it felt fabulous outside. We are thinking about going to the zoo tomorrow and using the carrier again! Paul enjoys it because it doesn't hurt his back like the BabyBjorn, because it's positioned on the shoulders and hips, and though she's still too small for it with 2 receiving blankets rolled up under her bum it was perfection.
Paul wearing the Ergo. Look how red her hair looks against his yellow shirt!
She loves being carried!
Tomorrow if the weather cooperates we are thinking about going to the park or the zoo. Hopefully Rylee sleeps well tonight, she went to be about 45 minutes before she normally does. She was exhausted after a fun day I guess! Paul is going to be getting up with her, but if she sleeps well tonight, I'm sure we will have another great day tomorrow!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Day 48: Sleeping
After almost a week of crib sleeping and a consistent bedtime routine, I would say we have a success! She doesn't cry when we put her in the crib or anything. I say that because we haven't tried laying her down awake yet, and probably won't until she's around 12 weeks old. I want her to be able to self-soothe, not have to learn it through crying. I am in the process of reading the No Cry Sleep Solution so that I am prepared and can start using the tips now.
Yesterday was rough and it's partially my fault. We took Rylee to my parents so that we could run to the store and pick up a few things. She hadn't really napped before that (maybe 20 minutes) so when we got back to my mom's a few hours later (around 4pm) I was shocked to hear that she had just laid down for the first time not 10 minutes before. Within 15 minutes, she was up and so the crying/screaming/purple-facedness began. I am not a fan of "crying it out" and never plan on doing it, so my mom, Paul, and myself spent the next several hours trying to calm her down and help her sleep. She would calm down for a bit and then it would start over again. Around 8pm, I decided to try our bedtime routine at my mom's, this involved me taking a bath with her at my mom's and busting out the books we bought her that day. This calmed her, but by no means was she going to sleep. We decided at that point to head home. We took the long way home in hopes that the car ride would help her sleep. When we got home, she was still wide awake, so I rocked her. She was asleep in about 20 minutes, but it didn't last. So I busted out the MobyWrap, and within 5 minutes she was asleep. I kept her in the Moby and walked around for about 30 minutes and then slowly unwrapped her and laid her down around 10:30, which is several hours later than what she's been going to sleep.
The reason I say it was partially my fault is that after we got her down, Paul and I started cleaning the bottles and preparing them for the next day. To get her to take her Zantac I use a Medela bottle (so she doesn't associate the medicine nastiness with her normal bottles) with less than an ounce of formula and put the Zantac directly in it, then give her that bottle. Well earlier that day before going to my mom's, I made her 2nd dosage and tried to give it to her, but she had just finished eating not long before and wouldn't take it, so I set it to the side. Well then we left, and all I remembered (mommy brain) was fixing the medicine and putting the bottle in her mouth, so when my mom asked I told her she had already had both doses, and not to worry about it. Poor little girl was probably in reflux hell because of this! I felt so bad when I saw this, knowing that she was probably not only crying because she was tired but also because she was in pain.
Paul took the night shift last night, but I told him if she was fussy and he was having problems to wake me up and I would be glad to help. Well he woke me up at 6, and told me she had slept until 5 AM! That's 6-1/2 hours! HOLY COW! She was exhausted! He had fed and changed her but she wasn't getting any happier. Well I started to think she missed a normal feeding, so I got another bottle and after drinking a few ounces she was out for another few hours. She even took a 2-1/2 hour nap today! However, she is starting to get fussy again, so I hope it's not a repeat of last night (she has had both doses of Zantac today, no worries).
I'll end with a happy baby picture from yesterday
Yesterday was rough and it's partially my fault. We took Rylee to my parents so that we could run to the store and pick up a few things. She hadn't really napped before that (maybe 20 minutes) so when we got back to my mom's a few hours later (around 4pm) I was shocked to hear that she had just laid down for the first time not 10 minutes before. Within 15 minutes, she was up and so the crying/screaming/purple-facedness began. I am not a fan of "crying it out" and never plan on doing it, so my mom, Paul, and myself spent the next several hours trying to calm her down and help her sleep. She would calm down for a bit and then it would start over again. Around 8pm, I decided to try our bedtime routine at my mom's, this involved me taking a bath with her at my mom's and busting out the books we bought her that day. This calmed her, but by no means was she going to sleep. We decided at that point to head home. We took the long way home in hopes that the car ride would help her sleep. When we got home, she was still wide awake, so I rocked her. She was asleep in about 20 minutes, but it didn't last. So I busted out the MobyWrap, and within 5 minutes she was asleep. I kept her in the Moby and walked around for about 30 minutes and then slowly unwrapped her and laid her down around 10:30, which is several hours later than what she's been going to sleep.
The reason I say it was partially my fault is that after we got her down, Paul and I started cleaning the bottles and preparing them for the next day. To get her to take her Zantac I use a Medela bottle (so she doesn't associate the medicine nastiness with her normal bottles) with less than an ounce of formula and put the Zantac directly in it, then give her that bottle. Well earlier that day before going to my mom's, I made her 2nd dosage and tried to give it to her, but she had just finished eating not long before and wouldn't take it, so I set it to the side. Well then we left, and all I remembered (mommy brain) was fixing the medicine and putting the bottle in her mouth, so when my mom asked I told her she had already had both doses, and not to worry about it. Poor little girl was probably in reflux hell because of this! I felt so bad when I saw this, knowing that she was probably not only crying because she was tired but also because she was in pain.
Paul took the night shift last night, but I told him if she was fussy and he was having problems to wake me up and I would be glad to help. Well he woke me up at 6, and told me she had slept until 5 AM! That's 6-1/2 hours! HOLY COW! She was exhausted! He had fed and changed her but she wasn't getting any happier. Well I started to think she missed a normal feeding, so I got another bottle and after drinking a few ounces she was out for another few hours. She even took a 2-1/2 hour nap today! However, she is starting to get fussy again, so I hope it's not a repeat of last night (she has had both doses of Zantac today, no worries).
I'll end with a happy baby picture from yesterday
rocking her shades
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Day 43: Really Growing
6 weeks old! I can't believe it!
Rylee is finally too big for newborn sized clothes, but 0-3 months are big on her in areas, so dressing her is interesting at this point. We tried using size 1 diapers today but other than at nighttime, they are still way too big, but she will be in them soon enough, hopefully after we finish what newborn sizes we have left.
We also started experimenting with our cloth diapers on Sunday. She, of course, decided pooping in the first one was a great way to initiate us! Then, the second one leaked, so I'm not sure what happened with that one. We tried another brand today and it worked well. All of these cloths will grow with her so I won't have to buy multiple sizes. I plan on getting one or two other brands and trying them and then building my stash on what works best with us. I want to try Grovia and either gDiapers or bumGenius.
Here are some pictures of her in her Green Bay supporting cloth diaper from Super Bowl Sunday:
We are still doing good with the Similac Sensitive and Zantac, and I have a happy baby most of the day. She is going through her 6 week growth spurt so she is eating frequently and gets frustrated if the bottle isn't ready when she gets hungry, so I try to have a bottle fixed right after she finishes eating, so I am prepared for when she wants to eat again since I'm feeding on demand. But she is happy a lot more than what she has been since she was 2 weeks old. Plus, I have read from multiple sources that crying peaks at 6 weeks, so maybe that has something to do with it today.
Rylee finally let me put her in the MobyWrap. She wasn't happy at first, but then I looked down and she was passed out. I didn't need to do much, but I did get to dust mop the floors and wash all of the bottles.
We also seem to have a successful bedtime routine on our hands. It starts with about 15 minutes of naked time and she loves it! I rub different types of blankets on her and she smiles and coos almost the entire time. Then we do bath time with either Paul or myself, and then the other person lotions, dresses, and feeds dinner. Then we all go to her room and read a few books, followed by rocking. Once she's asleep I lay her in her crib on her tummy (I know, bad momma!) give her a few pats and she's stays asleep. We are on day 2 of this routine and it's quite nice to have the bed back to me and Paul. Plus I love having a video monitor so I can see her anytime I please.
I'll end with a happy picture of my growing baby girl.
Rylee is finally too big for newborn sized clothes, but 0-3 months are big on her in areas, so dressing her is interesting at this point. We tried using size 1 diapers today but other than at nighttime, they are still way too big, but she will be in them soon enough, hopefully after we finish what newborn sizes we have left.
We also started experimenting with our cloth diapers on Sunday. She, of course, decided pooping in the first one was a great way to initiate us! Then, the second one leaked, so I'm not sure what happened with that one. We tried another brand today and it worked well. All of these cloths will grow with her so I won't have to buy multiple sizes. I plan on getting one or two other brands and trying them and then building my stash on what works best with us. I want to try Grovia and either gDiapers or bumGenius.
Here are some pictures of her in her Green Bay supporting cloth diaper from Super Bowl Sunday:
We are still doing good with the Similac Sensitive and Zantac, and I have a happy baby most of the day. She is going through her 6 week growth spurt so she is eating frequently and gets frustrated if the bottle isn't ready when she gets hungry, so I try to have a bottle fixed right after she finishes eating, so I am prepared for when she wants to eat again since I'm feeding on demand. But she is happy a lot more than what she has been since she was 2 weeks old. Plus, I have read from multiple sources that crying peaks at 6 weeks, so maybe that has something to do with it today.
Rylee finally let me put her in the MobyWrap. She wasn't happy at first, but then I looked down and she was passed out. I didn't need to do much, but I did get to dust mop the floors and wash all of the bottles.
We also seem to have a successful bedtime routine on our hands. It starts with about 15 minutes of naked time and she loves it! I rub different types of blankets on her and she smiles and coos almost the entire time. Then we do bath time with either Paul or myself, and then the other person lotions, dresses, and feeds dinner. Then we all go to her room and read a few books, followed by rocking. Once she's asleep I lay her in her crib on her tummy (I know, bad momma!) give her a few pats and she's stays asleep. We are on day 2 of this routine and it's quite nice to have the bed back to me and Paul. Plus I love having a video monitor so I can see her anytime I please.
I'll end with a happy picture of my growing baby girl.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Day 38: Finally Home
Woo, it's been awhile since my last post. I've been snowed in at my mom's without internet since Tuesday due to Blizzard 2011! 20" of snow is insane and no fun! Being a refuge at my mom's was good and bad. Good because she cooked and helped me take care of Rylee during the crying spells, bad because I missed my bed and didn't bring enough clothes for 3 days. I didn't think I would be there more than a day at most.
So, Rylee is another week older, and on another formula yet again! The Similac Sensitive was working wonders until Saturday evening, when out of nowhere Rylee became inconsolable for most of the time. This lasted all Saturday night, all Sunday, and all Monday. I lost my mind on Monday. I cried all day with her, and by cry I mean she was wailing and I was uncontrollably sobbing. You might say "LeighAnn, do you have 'baby blues'?" And all I can say to that is sit with a baby crying in obvious tiredness and pain for 2-1/2 days, and see what you do. I felt completely helpless. All I wanted to do is make my baby feel better and nothing I did helped!
When Paul made it home Monday evening, he called the pediatrician. The nurse said it sounds like Rylee has protein sensitivity and/or acid reflux. So Monday night we switched her formula to Similac Alimentum. It has predigested cow milk protein, so that her stomach doesn't have to work as hard to break down the protein. It has proven to help a little bit; however, she HATES the taste of it. You should see the disgusted look on her face after drinking a bottle.
She was still spitting up a lot, crying a lot after a bottle, arching her back, and shaking her head a lot. All of which are signs of reflux. So today, I called the pediatrician back, and we decided to try Zantac for acid reflux. She has yet to spit up or cry after a bottle since we gave her her first two doses. We'll see how it works. I'm hoping with the Alimentum and Zantac that we've found the right combination to a happy baby.
I just need to work on her not fighting sleep at naptime. She tries so hard not to fall asleep during the day, and has gotten to where unless she's being held won't stay asleep. Poor thing was so tired last night she slept for 5 hours (good for mama, though), ate, then slept another 3, ate a little bit more, and slept another 2, and today she even took a four hour nap! Right now, she is asleep in her swing and I don't have the heart to move her to the bed, plus I'm waiting on the laundry in the washing machine to finish up.
Other than that, nothing milestone-wise has happened. We've learned that she loves to do pull-ups into the sitting position (I think that's because the reflux stays down, but who knows), and if you make her "stand" while she's crying she will stop almost instantly. I'm hoping to use the Bumbo more in the next few days and see how she likes it. The few times I've put her in it before, she looked at me like I was crazy, but we will see.
Until next time...
So, Rylee is another week older, and on another formula yet again! The Similac Sensitive was working wonders until Saturday evening, when out of nowhere Rylee became inconsolable for most of the time. This lasted all Saturday night, all Sunday, and all Monday. I lost my mind on Monday. I cried all day with her, and by cry I mean she was wailing and I was uncontrollably sobbing. You might say "LeighAnn, do you have 'baby blues'?" And all I can say to that is sit with a baby crying in obvious tiredness and pain for 2-1/2 days, and see what you do. I felt completely helpless. All I wanted to do is make my baby feel better and nothing I did helped!
When Paul made it home Monday evening, he called the pediatrician. The nurse said it sounds like Rylee has protein sensitivity and/or acid reflux. So Monday night we switched her formula to Similac Alimentum. It has predigested cow milk protein, so that her stomach doesn't have to work as hard to break down the protein. It has proven to help a little bit; however, she HATES the taste of it. You should see the disgusted look on her face after drinking a bottle.
She was still spitting up a lot, crying a lot after a bottle, arching her back, and shaking her head a lot. All of which are signs of reflux. So today, I called the pediatrician back, and we decided to try Zantac for acid reflux. She has yet to spit up or cry after a bottle since we gave her her first two doses. We'll see how it works. I'm hoping with the Alimentum and Zantac that we've found the right combination to a happy baby.
I just need to work on her not fighting sleep at naptime. She tries so hard not to fall asleep during the day, and has gotten to where unless she's being held won't stay asleep. Poor thing was so tired last night she slept for 5 hours (good for mama, though), ate, then slept another 3, ate a little bit more, and slept another 2, and today she even took a four hour nap! Right now, she is asleep in her swing and I don't have the heart to move her to the bed, plus I'm waiting on the laundry in the washing machine to finish up.
Other than that, nothing milestone-wise has happened. We've learned that she loves to do pull-ups into the sitting position (I think that's because the reflux stays down, but who knows), and if you make her "stand" while she's crying she will stop almost instantly. I'm hoping to use the Bumbo more in the next few days and see how she likes it. The few times I've put her in it before, she looked at me like I was crazy, but we will see.
Until next time...
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