white noise

 we got Dr. Karp's (happiest baby on the block technique) white noise cd.  It is a mix of disturbing sounds like loud hair driers, thumping, and then a soothing rain one.  Baby likes it though!  It helps him sleep I think.  He wakes himself up less.  Today he napped 2-3 hours in a row and he woke himself up at the beginning, as usual, but I had the cd on and I vibrated his crib a little to soothe him back to sleep without picking him up and it worked.

Videos of his creepy white noise CD

He's been sleeping 3-4 hours in a row at the beginning of the night, and then gets progressively more difficult to put back to sleep after the next 2 night feeds but that's ok.  We'll make progress slowly.

He has been sleeping in his crib for about half his naps and every night since Friday.  No baby monitor -- we are going old school and trusting that his little cries will be enough to signal us.  And, they are.

We started Prevacid today, a different med for reflux.  I don't want to jinx myself but immediately after I gave it to him he was happy and smiling.  his feeds became almost miraculously easy and he has not spit up much at all.  I can tell he's still spitting some up silently and re-swallowing it but it doesn't make him cry like before and he hasn't ruined his outfits.  He also had 2 BMs and didn't cry for either of those.  I have been getting better at burping techniques, knowing his body and what he likes, and he has been clicking much less.  He does still click a little, even with the shield, and sometimes he hates the shield and doesn't seem to know what's going on with it, but I have been able to feed him without the shield at least 50% of the time and have him do a really good job!

He has been smiling and happy ever since I gave him his medicine around 4 pm today.  I hope this keeps up, it is so nice!

 

photos week 10 1/2

burping face

crib

It's his first night trying out his crib in his own room...

He took 1-2 hour naps in his crib today.  I was trying to get him accustomed to it today before trying it out tonight.  It's only working right at this very moment because he happened to get super sleepy after eating right at 10pm (we usually try to put him down at 10:30ish).

wish us luck!!  haha

10 weeks

Events this week:

• Went to a breastfeeding clinic to get assessed in person
• He weighed 10 lbs 3 oz at the breastfeeding clinic
• Had a big "family dinner" with friends
• Bought baby some bigger, warmer clothes for his wardrobe
• Still on Zantac, not sure yet if it's working
• Trying to start getting him on a nap routine and sleeping PEACEFULLY for once - in his crib
• Dad came over and painted the living room and halls!

"Manhattan Mist" - these walls are begging for some artwork now!

I'm so happy in my swing!

 Tummy time

He hates the taste of his Zantac...I have to hide it in his bottles

 Spits it right out...what a waster!

Sitting...sortof

More tummy time

Visiting Aunt Cathy for "family dinner".  She's a good burper

Scarlet and Elliott... Pitbulls are our friends

 Brad takes a shift

So for the breastfeeding clinic experience:

It is at a local hospital, a large one, near our house.  I was referred there by our pediatrician at Lakeview Peds and there was another Pediatrician at the appointment today who is part of the Ped group at Lakeview, so she said she recognized us from the office.  A lactation consultant was also there.  They did a pre-assessment, did a physical on Elliott, weighed him, and had me feed him normally.  Then they put him on a pillow at an incline so he digests better and gave me a shield to wear that will help him because he has a combination of bad latch habits and an immature physical size mouth/tongue.  It worked well, I did not hear clicking except for a few short moments but it was easily fixed by shifting position.  He was weighed after, ate 2 ounces while they had watched me feed him, so that was nice to know.  He was very happy afterward - smiling at the pediatrician and did not spit up much at all.  He also did not choke like he normally does during the feed which was good.  Less stressful for both of us without his choking and not breathing and pushing away and gulping air!

Hopefully it works - I have a follow up in a few weeks.

He has been sleeping quietly in his crib for at least 2 hours now (!) which is alot for him, and he has NEVER slept in his crib before.  I always let him doze off in his swing, bad mom, but I think he's big enough now to switch him to his own room.  It's much more peaceful for him in there - nice colors, things to look at, soothing lights and fans.  He cried a few times and I let him cry a little while but when it was obvious he was not going to self-soothe I held him a little, gave him a pacifier, and he went back to sleep in his crib again.  I'm a little surprised how smoothly it's going so far.  I'm sure it will be up and down but as of now I'm blogging away, had lunch in peace, and am doing some research study work!

We also went shopping for some big boy clothes today - got him a few pairs of pants, longsleeve onesies, pajamas, and a sweatshirt.  He wears a smaller 3 month size now, or 0-3 month stuff too.

2 month appointment

Baby had his 2 month appointment today. 

He is 9 1/2 weeks

10 lbs, 22 inches, about 12th percentile for both.  25th percentile for head circumference

We have a prescription for Zantac that we're giving twice a day in liquid form to see if reflux was the cause.  I've tried every other homeopathic method and I'd love to see something work

I'm not convinced the dairy free is helping any, but I am still continuing it because it is not as hard as you'd think it is to avoid dairy (except in baked goods), and I don't want to re-introduce something back into my diet while I'm simultaneously giving him a new medicine.  If Zantac seems to work then in a few weeks I may slowly start reintegrating dairy back in.  Probably mostly just when I bake goods.

He cried a lot when he got his 3 vaccine shots today, and he bled quite a bit out one leg because he tensed it up when being poked.

He's been pretty fussy ever since the shots so I've been having to coddle him and feed him more this evening.

And an "I'm pooping" face photo for good measure! : )

the monster of all spit-ups

It's my daily routine to wake up to crying and then to feeding and then to a major spit-up of some sort

It's usually my reason for showering so early in the day

But today was a totally different ballgame...

On my shirt, on the boppy, on the chair, in my hair, on my pants, on the baby.

 The spit-up on the chair is on the back of it because, yes, it projectiled over my shoulder and also down my back.

Literally had to quick throw him in his swing and take a shower immediately; every piece of clothing I was wearing was dirtied and I tried to soak up all the spit-up from the furniture but it didn't really help.

I get out of the shower to baby hiccupping and watching his mobile smiling up a storm.  He is having a great morning apparently!  haha

 

sunflower shoot

Sunflower shoot photo finals (only a few of the many!)

I think they turned out great.  Hopefully we can get another session done when Elliott is a little older at 5 months during another one of Holli's christmas season shoots

holli ann studios

week 9 videos

 

first giggle

There's always that string of really awful days and then one magical day when it makes it seem like everything is great.

Today was that magical day!

We started the day with our typical screaming over bowel movements but after he got those out he was perfect (knock on wood) all day.  Slept 3 hour blocks, when he was awake he was alert and content, and he gave one little giggle when he started smiling this evening.  So cute!

 

week 7 and 8 videos

 

 

 

 

colic?

well, i think it's time to consider that i may have a colicky baby on my hands.

every 2 hours, or less, he will wake from his sleep and start fussing and crying unless fed.  holding does not console him.  and when i start to feed him he'll only eat a tiny bit and fall asleep only to wake again in less than an hour to do the same exact thing.  i will bottle feed him a larger quantity but it really does not seem to knock him out any longer.

as i sit here he has been screaming and crying in his crib for about ten minutes but i just cannot physically keep up with his routine of sleep 30 minutes (or less), wake, fuss 15 minutes, feed 5 minutes.

it is literally like i am feeding him tiny snacky bits every hour just trying to console him.

from what i read, colic will often present itself as gassiness and that is exactly what is happening.  unfortunately his prematurity may have been a trigger too. 

i'm going to literally lose my mind in a few short hours.  i am home alone all day every day and when jared gets home he only "helps out" for 3-4 hours and then goes to bed.

basically, i feel like a single parent who is about to go crazy here pretty soon.

also, he is still doing the clicking sound when feeding.  this does not help his gas, it makes him less efficient at feeding, and it is FREAKING ANNOYING.

sunflower shoot preview

sneak peek of the photos we had taken by holli ann studios