Eat-Sleep-Love | Maryland DC & Virginia Sleep Coach, Baby Planner, Maternity & Child Consultant

Maternity & Parenting Center

Checkup Time

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Today we took the kids to the doctor. Maya needed a weight check, and Micah was due for his 18 month checkup. It was a bit chaotic trying to coordinate the visit with two kids…naturally, the appointment was smack dab in the middle of Micah’s nap time, and just as we were getting ready to walk out the door, Maya decided she was hungry. The car ride to the doctors was a bit of a challenge…Maya started to shriek bloody murder a little ways into the trip, and I felt awful. I knew she was hungry and wanted to be nursed, but there was nothing I could do to calm her down until we got there. Thankfully, it was only a 15 minute drive, but the poor little thing cried for most of the trip.

We arrived and were seen rather quickly. We saw a different doctor than we usually see (there are 5 doctors in the practice, and we really like 3 of them and usually see one of them, but this was the only appointment we could get). I had heard that this doctor is very pro-breastfeeding, but she can be very opinionated (well, really a hard-ass with a not-so-nice bedside manner), but I figured that was no reason to avoid her. I had one experience on the phone with her that left a bad taste in my mouth about a year ago, but Elliot had a good experience with her one time when Micah was sick.

She started off checking out Maya – who is doing great! She gained weight (she was about 6 lbs 6 ozs), so gaining weight exactly as she should. She took her measurements (Maya was in the 25th percentile for both height and weight) and looked her over and told us we did not need to return until she is 2 weeks old. I raised my concerns about breastfeeding and supply, and got the same speech I always get (“she is gaining weight so don’t worry about it”). I wish I could be that confident…Micah was gaining weight, too, until he was 5 weeks old and outgrew my supply. I really hope things are different this time around. It does seem that my supply is more abundant than with Micah, but I have a hard time believing that it will all work out.

Then we moved on to Micah. Naturally, Micah was grumpy (since we woke him up early from his nap). He was also hungry since we were approaching snack time, and he has been out of sorts since the baby came home. He wanted something to eat/drink, and I went to offer him his milk…and the doctor snapped at me. She gave me a lecture about how I should not allow Micah to drink his milk on demand, and he should only be permitted to drink at meals, and she would not let me give him any milk while she was in the room. Micah was crying and misbehaving, and she basically told me he needed to learn a lesson and behave better. Needless to say, I was fairly irked at her.

She examined Micah, and we pointed out a rash that was popping up on his legs and belly. She asked if he had a fever the past week, and we said he had not. She said it could be a post-viral rash, but most post-viral rashes are preceded by a high fever. She checked his throat and said it was red, so she ran a strep test (since strep can also come with a rash). She told us not to worry about the rash at all and that it would likely go away. We also discussed the chronic congestion and coughing, and she suggested that we try Micah on Zyrtec for allergies (ironic…since all the other doctors insist children cannot have allergies until they are 2 years old). She also said that Micah might have a sinus infection and she took a nose culture. She suggested that if his congestion had not cleared up by Tuesday, to give her a call and she would put him on antibiotics. Now, for his stats…Micah weighed 22 lbs (7th percentile) and measured 33 inches (75th percentile).

We then started to discuss Micah’s language development and eating habits. We talked about the foods he eats, and she again gave me a hard time about the choices I’m making. She kept mentioning obesity (hello…did you see that my son is in the 7th percentile for weight?) and gave me a very hard time about the fact that sometimes I let him eat graham crackers. She also made me feel horrible that he won’t eat vegetables (unless I hide them) – she actually told me I should try exposing him to them (ummm…what does she think I’ve been doing?). She asked Micah a few questions (and, of course, he said “no” to all of them), and he would not perform his “tricks” on command (I said can you show us your belly? and he said no). I’ve been trying not to be so insulted about her comments…I think we work really hard to give Micah organic foods and make sure he eats healthy. He does not eat sugared snacks or drink any juice. He eats fruit three times per day, and we make sure he eats proteins and whole grains, and we do our best to sneak some veggies in there as often as we can. We make most of his food and try to keep him away from processed foods. We do not eat any fast food, and he has only had junk like french fries a few times in his life. If we give him things with sugar, it is homemade jelly, peanut butter, and the occasional graham cracker. He has had cake one time (on his first birthday) and ice cream twice.

After our discussion, it was time for Micah’s vaccinations. What we thought was going to be a single vaccination turned into three…apparently, the prevnar vaccine just came out with a newer version that is broader in scope than the prior vaccination, so he needed one more booster (even though we thought he had completed the series). They could not find the record of his final H1B vaccination (although I KNOW he had it), but without proof from the doctor, he would not be allowed to go to school. The third vaccination was the only one we expected to be getting – the DTaP. Poor Micah cried through all three shots – he was a mess! He clung to me screaming “Mommy” – it was NOT a good day. Luckily, I got him calmed back down afterwards, but I felt terrible for my little boy. He had a really rough day!

So, all in all, a good appointment…but I think I’m not a huge fan of this doctor.

It still talks!

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I’m sure you will all be happy to know that my pump still talks. Ever since the baby arrived, I have been fairly torn about whether or not I should pump. I struggled with milk supply when I had Micah, and one of the mistakes I made was letting things go too long before I began to pump. I swore that this time, I would not make that same mistake.

In the hospital, before we even arrived at our room, I requested a pump. I had everything set up and ready to go “just in case.” Much to my surprise, the baby latched really well at her first nursing session. She fell asleep for about 6 hours after that, but the lactation consultant said that they advise moms of preemies who will be exclusively pumping not to begin pumping until the 6 hour mark. She further suggested that if the baby latched well again and stayed on for 20-30 minutes, that she felt that I should hold off on pumping and only pump if the baby refused to latch or nurse.

Right at the 6 hour mark, we had another great nursing session. The baby continued to latch at least every 3 hours for 20-60 minutes each time. She had the requisite number of wet diapers (and stools, too), and by morning everyone was telling me how well she was nursing and how perfectly everything was going. In the back of my head, however, I kept wondering if it was just too good to be true. I mentioned my supply issues and my concerns, and most felt that if I were to face supply issues, it would likely not crop up for a little while as I should easily be able to meet the baby’s early demand…I just might start to fall behind later. It made sense to me, so I decided to trust the “experts.” Besides…I always hated pumping, and in the early days, you pump and pump and NOTHING comes out until after your milk starts to come in – who needs that frustration?

At the end of day two, I began to get nervous again. It was our first sign of trouble…salmon colored urine in the diapers. It is a sign that the baby is passing uric acid and not getting enough fluid. Once we saw that with Micah, everything went downhill quickly, so I was fairly concerned. We spoke to the nurse and to the doctor, and everyone pretty much told us it was “nothing” – just feed the baby more often. I asked about supplementing and I asked about pumping, and everyone felt that the baby was doing a great job on her own and I should just trust that it would be okay.

The salmon-colored diapers continued all day on Sunday (and even this morning). She is supposed to be passing 3 stools a day, and she has barely been doing one since Saturday (she did 3 on Friday, and then 1 on Saturday morning, 1 on Sunday morning and none since then). She is definitely hitting the requisite number of wet diapers, but I think my supply might be the issue. we called our pediatrician and we are going in later today for an appointment, but over the phone they said I should start supplementing.

So, this morning, after she nursed on one side, I bit the bullet…and got cozy with my pump. And yes, it still talks. I think it is still pretty salty, too. It started out telling me to “Let it go” and then it called me “Whacko.” When my pump switched to the faster pumping setting, it started to tell me to “back up” – since it was hurting, I decided the pump was asking me to turn down the tempo to a lower speed, and I happily obliged. Then it started to say “back hoe” – I’m thinking it was trying to make conversation about our upcoming renovations?

After all of that pumping…I barely got 5ccs. I hate pumping! I know that I did breastfeed shortly before pumping, and that the pump does not do as good a job getting the colostrum out, but I just find the whole process so discouraging! I ended up giving the baby all 5ccs, and I called the pediatrician to discuss her salmon-colored diapers. The pediatrician who had answered the phone read me the riot act about not supplementing yet, and how it was necessary and the baby would get sick and dehydrate…so after giving her the 5ccs, I caved and gave her another 10ccs of formula. I decided that maybe that would be all she would need to “get over the hump” and I would wait and see what they said at her doctor’s appointment.

At 2:30, we headed to her appointment. We saw a different doctor, and he thought she looked great and maybe put on an ounce or two. I was just thrilled she is no longer losing weight! We discussed the salmon-colored diapers, and he thought that it was not a big deal before my milk came in, especially since she was gaining weight. He thought her color looked good and everything else was perfect. Naturally, after our long discussion about her lack of normal urine, he checked her diaper and…you guessed it – a beautiful yellow-colored urine-filled diaper! The little stinker made me into a liar…or at least one of those crazy, hypochondriac parents. I am pleased to report she has had two more normal diapers since our appointment, so it looks like all the extra nursing (or perhaps the touch of formula this morning) did the trick. Now, we just need to get her pooping again…she has not pooped since about 5:00 am on Sunday morning. I’m sure when we have a nasty diaper, I’ll be regretting WISHING for more poop, but what else can I do? We will return to the doctor on Thursday for another weight check. Hopefully, she’ll continue to do well.

In the meantime, Micah shows absolutely NO INTEREST in his sister. I did manage to snap a few photos of him nearby – I’ll try to post them soon. We’ve been doing well during the days – she is nursing easily and so far I’m trying not to worry about my supply. Elliot and I have been trying to take turns caring for each of the kids, and my parents have come by a few times to help out with the baby. She seems to get very sleepy in the late afternoon/early evening, and then is wide awake from about 10:30 until 3:00 am. Last night, she just did not want to be put down, and I was exhausted – since Wednesday night, I had only had 5 hours of sleep – TOTAL. I finally just latched her on, propped myself up in bed, and the two of us took a 3 hour nap together that way. Yes, I know it is a bad idea to sleep in bed that way, but we needed our rest, and I just could not figure out another way to make it work because she wanted Mommy and no one else to hold her. Hopefully, tonight will be easier, but we shall see.

She has been nursing VERY frequently all day today. The little lady has such sensitive skin – she has completely scratched up her face with her fingernails, and every time she rubs up against something she gets these terrible abrasions/rashes that can last 3-12 hours.

Okay – that is our update for now!

Return of Reflux

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Yesterday morning, Micah woke up again at 5:00 am, screaming. It has been a rough few weeks – even when we do not have to go in and get him, he has been waking a few times a night coughing and crying. This morning, his voice was raspy and I could hear all the congestion in his nose and throat. I started to wonder if perhaps Micah was really sick…either fighting a low-grade sinus infection or an ear infection. So, we called the doctor and made an appointment to go get Micah checked out.

We saw one of the female doctors we like. She checked out Micah, and immediately pronounced that while he was congested, he was definitely not sick. Naturally, I felt like a crazy mother bringing my child in for absolutely no good reason. As we got to talking about what to do and possible causes, we circled back to the question of Micah’s reflux. She said that Micah was definitely teething, could have allergies (or congestion from teething), and that everything we were seeing *could* be related to that. BUT, she also said that the congestion and coughing could be a sign that Micah was still suffering from reflux. For some babies, the reflux can back into their noses and irritate the nasal passages, causing congestion and coughing. She suggested that we try putting Micah back on Zantac, at least at night, and see if it made a difference.

So, last night, just before bed, we gave Micah a dosage of Zantac. We knew that it can take a few weeks to fully kick in, so we certainly did not expect any immediate response. Much to our amazement, Micah slept through the night last night! No wakings, no crying, and even better…no snoring or coughing. It might be premature for us to proclaim victory after just one night, but I do think that we might just have identified the source of Micah’s crankiness and night wakings. I feel awful that it took us so long to figure it out, but I hope putting him back on Zantac will take care of his discomfort.

Whirlwind, 15 month checkup, Twoey

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What a crazy day we had today! Micah is not quite back on schedule yet since we changed to daylight savings time. Last night, he was exhausted but would not go to bed before 9:15. He was falling asleep, so we took him upstairs at 8 to give him a bath and put him to bed. When we put him in his crib, he started to wail. We gave him a while to calm down, but the poor thing worked himself up into a state of absolute hysteria. He just wanted more time to cuddle with Mommy. We ended up bringing him downstairs to cuddle and relax a bit. After another 40 minutes, Daddy was able to take him upstairs and put him to sleep. Not surprisingly, he slept until 9 am this morning.

Because Micah slept in, we were in a bit of a rush. We fed Micah a scrambled egg, cereal and a banana for breakfast. I quickly got him dressed and at 9:30, we raced off to class. Micah danced, played an instrument, and thoroughly enjoyed himself. By the end of class, he was clearly exhausted. We drove back home, and Micah immediately went down for his nap. I made a quick business conference call (it was insane here – the phone would not stop ringing, the cleaning lady showed up, the landscaper who was working on removing our broken trees/fallen fence damaged by the blizzards arrived to start working, and the architect showed up early for our meeting – I can multitask with the best, but this was a bit much!).

Our meeting with the architect was…frustrating. We were not pleased with some of the proposals, and any time we raised a concern, he kept telling us to “take a chill.” For me, that phrase was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. After a frustrating 2 hour meeting, we realized we were late for our doctor’s appointment with Micah. While trying to graciously throw out our architect, Elliot worked on waking Micah up from his nap while I quickly packed up a lunch for him. We raced off to our appointment and arrived about 10 or 15 minutes late…oops.

Micah was such a good boy at his 15 month checkup! The doctor was lovely (and he made sure to flirt with her). She kept telling us how sweet Micah is, and he showed off his walking and eating skills. She asked us about his language development and we discussed the kind of foods he eats (and doesn’t eat). She checked out his teeth (she admired his 6 teeth and told us it looks like there are another 2-6 on the way). We talked about the vaccinations and his sleep habits, and she told us Micah is doing very well. He weighed in at 20 lbs 9 ozs (3-5%) and he was 31 3/4 inches tall (50-75%). Micah got three vaccinations today – MMR, chicken pox and Hepatitis A. His first shot was in his left thigh – he looked a bit perturbed when the nurse stuck him, but he did not cry at all. When the nurse stuck him for the 2nd shot in his left arm, he again looked a bit surprised and maybe mildly annoyed, but he did not cry at all. The third and final shot was in his right arm. The nurse warned me that the shot would likely sting. She stuck him again, and once again, he seemed a bit irritated at her. When she actually started to push in the vaccine, he started to scream. He was MISERABLE, and I felt awful for him. It took us a bit to get him to calm back down again – actually, I bribed him with a carrot/apple crusher, and that seemed to soothe him.

We arrived back home just in time for the babysitter to arrive! Today, Micah’s babysitter from last summer, Christin, was home from college for Spring Break, and she agreed to come by to watch Micah while we went for an ultrasound. We also discussed re-hiring her for this summer, and she agreed! We are so excited that in May she will be working with us again on Tuesdays and Thursdays (and we may decide to add more days than that later). After catching up a bit, Elliot & I headed out for our ultrasound.

Today’s ultrasound was just a cervical length check. Last visit, my cervix measurements ranged from 3.3 – 3.7, with most of the measurements in the 3.5 or 3.6 range. Today, the measurements ranged from 3.0-3.3. In pregnancy, they like to see the cervix long and closed, and do not want to see the cervix drop below 3.0 cms. Once you fall below 3.0, you are in the “danger” zone. Naturally, when I saw that the measurement had dropped down to 3.0, I was a bit concerned. We met with the doctor to discuss the changes and my continued contractions. At this point, he is not ready to aggressively work to stop the contractions. He is hoping the shots will help a bit (although I’ve seen no evidence of that so far), but until my cervix falls below 3.0, he does not feel they are a cause for concern. My fibroids also grew a bit – he thinks the contractions and the size of the fibroids are related, and the fibroids may be why the shots do not seem to be reducing the contractions. For now, I am still not officially on bedrest, and he feels I am doing “great” for 26 weeks pregnant. He seems confident we will be able to keep Twoey in place long enough to finish baking…my concern is about how miserable things might get for me. I know…selfish. I just know that dealing with all those contractions and trips to labor and delivery and the medications and the bedrest was MISERABLE last time – it was a terrible 8 weeks. I’m dreading doing that all over again. I think the anticipation makes it worse – I know what to expect now. I really hope we can be more proactive and reduce the bedrest time. I wish I could say I left that appointment in good spirits…but I’m actually kind of dreading my next appointments and feel like bedrest is looming ahead. For now, I am going to try and enjoy what time I have left on my feet, and try to “take it easy” as much as I can.

After our appointment, we came back home. We found Micah and Christin playing outside and finishing up a walk. They had a wonderful time together! We came inside, said our goodbyes for now, and went back to playing. We fed Micah chicken nuggets for dinner. At first, he refused to even try it, but he eventually ate 2 of them and 1/2 a peanut butter sandwich. We decided it was a successful meal! Elliot headed off to a meeting, and Micah and I stayed behind to play before bedtime. He had been awake without a second nap since 1:00, so by 7:30 Micah was pretty cranky and grumpy. I picked him up and took him upstairs to change him into his pajamas. We cuddled for a bit, and right at 8:00, I put him to bed. For the second night in a row, Micah became hysterical – he did NOT like leaving the comfort of Mommy’s arms for that crib. He screamed for a while, and I eventually gave up and went and got him. He had a rough day – no sleep, vaccinations, etc. We came back downstairs and curled up on the couch together, Micah laying across me and sucking his thumb.

I had the television on with American Idol in the background. Micah LOVES American Idol. He was smiling at the songs, swaying back and forth to the music, and he even clapped a few times. When Casey came on, Micah sat right up and hopped off the couch. He reached into his basket and grabbed his kazoo and started to play along with Casey. He then started to mimic Casey’s guitar playing, and Micah did his own version of an “air guitar” – he strummed his belly! He was so cute dancing, playing the belly guitar and the kazoo, and clapping. Finally, at 9:15 I thought Micah was completely exhausted, so I took him upstairs and tried once again to put him to bed. I gave him a hug, told him night night and gently put him in the crib. I held his hand for a few minutes and kissed his forehead. I slowly pulled away and left. He fussed for a few minutes, but finally crashed for the night. I hope this grumpiness is just teething and that it will pass soon!

What a long day…I can’t believe it is only Tuesday.

One year appointment

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We took Micah in for his one year checkup today. We had to postpone it from last week because he was sick (and they won’t vaccinate when the baby is sick). Micah weighed in at 18 lbs 15 ounces, and about 31 inches. He is a tiny little thing – in the 3rd percentile for weight, but around the 75th for height. We gave him several vaccinations – the last one against meningitis and a flu vaccine. We opted not to do the chicken pox vaccination at this time. He is hitting all of his developmental milestones, and he showed off (and flirted) for the doctor. She told us he looks great, we were okayed to start him on whole milk, and we do not have to go back until he is 15 months old.

Craniosynostosis

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I think I mentioned before that we have been concerned about Micah’s skull. Back in October, Elliot noticed that Micah had a “bump” on his head. I felt it, and quickly realized it wasn’t just a bump. One of my best friends’ child had a problem with her skull – it fused too early, and she required major brain/skull surgery to fix the problem. The problem is called “craniosynostosis.” I remembered her describing the issue as a ridge on her forehead, and the minute I felt Micah’s bump, I *knew* it was a ridge. I did a bit of research online, and I quickly realized that there are different “sutures” (spaces) on the skull that can fuse too early, and Micah’s ridge was along the metopic suture (it runs from the nose vertically back to the softspot). Elliot and I decided to wait a bit and talk to the pediatrician at our next appointment.

Our next appointment came up in November – I think it was a sick visit for Micah (we’ve had so many the past few months)! We showed the doctor the ridge, and he said we did not need to worry about it unless his head “started to look really deformed.” Immediately, warning bells went off in my head. I knew from talking to my friend that even mild craniosynostosis can cause swelling and pressure in the brain and can result in developmental problems. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I immediately started researching specialists in this area, and tried to call and make an appointment. Not so easy to do! We were given the run around at the hospital, and it was incredibly frustrating. I called my friend and asked for her advice. She immediately put me in touch with her doctor’s office just before Thanksgiving.

I called up to the cranio-facial specialist in New York, but waited almost 2 weeks before I heard back. I was getting very anxious and frustrated. When they called back, they asked me to send photos of Micah’s head, and told me to make an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist to check his intracranial pressure and eye sockets. I found a pediatric ophthalmologist and made the appointment, but I still heard nothing from the specialist in New York. I asked around and spoke to a few other friends, and they gave me the direct email of the head cranio-facial team in charge of pediatrics in our area. I sent him an email, and he immediately responded and told me to come in for an appointment.

On December 11, we had our appointment with the ophthalmologist. They dilated Micah’s eyes, and did a funduscopic exam. We learned that there was no obvious intracranial pressure (great news) but that Micah’s eyes are very close together (although within the range of normal), and he has a fairly big difference in the vision between his right and left eyes. We will have to bring him in for more follow-up in 6 months, and regularly for the next few years.

On December 17, we had our appointment with the cranio-facial specialist. He did an initial exam and told us that Micah definitely has a ridge. He said that while craniosynostosis can only be formally diagnosed by CT scan, he felt that it was fairly obvious that Micah has it, but a mild case. He felt that Micah’s skull had fused a bit early, but late enough that it should not cause any real problems, just “cosmetic” issues. He said that the ridge was fairly small and Micah showed no other signs of developmental delays or other skull deformities. He suggested that we did not need to put Micah through additional testing, but we should come back again in 6 months if things worsen, and sooner if Micah exhibits any developmental problems (such as not walking by 15 months).

Along this journey, we noticed that my niece also has a ridge on her head, but she has no developmental delays or other skull issues. While discussing this with the doctor, he said it puts Twoey at an increased risk for having this issue, so he suggested that we might want to bring Twoey in for an evaluation visit around the 6 month mark.

I can’t even tell you the relief we have – we are so thrilled that we do not have to put Micah through surgery! I’ve been so worried for the past two months, that this news really was an incredible relief for us. Of course, now I just have to convince Elliot to stop telling everyone that Micah is part Klingon.

9 month checkup

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Yesterday was Micah’s 9 month checkup! He is doing really well – he weighed 17 lbs 13 ozs (still a little guy) and he measured around 28.5 inches. That puts him in the 10th percentile for weight (at least he is consistent!) and somewhere between the 40th and 90th percentile for height. Actually, they measured him 3 times and got 3 different heights – 27.5, 28.5 and 29. That little guy can squirm!! Developmentally, he is hitting all of his milestones right on target, and all is well. We talked about food and growth, and then my poor little guy needed a blood test (he didn’t mind the prick on his finger, but WOW did he hate the fact that the lady was squeezing his finger to get the blood out) and two vaccinations (flu and his final Hepatitis B shot). He needs to go back in 30 days for another flu vaccination. We also had them culture his nose because it has been dripping for one month. All-in-all, a good checkup!

He went to daycare after the appointment and did just fine all day. I’m off on another business trip – I leave this afternoon and will be back on Thursday. I’m so sad to leave my little guy again, and a bit scared that this is the first time I’m leaving him overnight with his Daddy (alone). My biggest fear is that Elliot won’t wake up if Micah cries – he just doesn’t hear things at all. I think he would sleep through World War III if it happened while he was sleeping. Wish us luck!

The off switch is in the tushy

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We’ve had a rough couple of days – Micah woke up a few times this week at 11:00 pm, and has insisted on being cuddled for a little while. Since we missed him, we have humored him a bit. Unfortunately, the minute we separate from him, he wakes up and starts crying again. Rather than pick him back up, we’ve started “potching his tushy” – lightly patting his bottom while he falls asleep. I cannot for the life of me figure out how this is comforting, or even desirable, but Micah seems to love it. I think I would deck anyone who did that to me. Unfortunately, Micah’s “off” switch is apparently in his tush – he only stays asleep and still while someone is patting his bottom! Elliot and I have each taken turns, and the process can go on forever. The minute we stop, his cute little head pops up, he takes a hand and reaches around to his own tush and starts potching it, or he reaches out to our hand to grab it and pull it back or to pat it – clearly indicating that the patting must resume.

Today was particularly harsh – Micah woke up crying at 5:00 am. I guess he must have been hungry. I went in to comfort him, but all he wanted was to crawl into my arms. I tried to take him back into our bed to see if snuggling would put him to sleep, but no such luck. I finally had Elliot make a bottle, and he guzzled all of it right down, but still no sleep (at least for Micah – Elliot fell right back to sleep). Micah stayed awake until 10:30 am before taking a nap! Of course, that messed up our whole schedule. Today was the second day of Rosh Hashana, and we were supposed to go back to synagogue for services. I sent Elliot over while Micah napped, and told him we would join him as soon as we could. Micah slept until after 12, and when he woke up, I quickly gave him a bottle and lunch and we ran over to services. We arrived just in time…for it to end. Oh well – next year we’ll try again.

Anyway, Micah took a great nap this afternoon, but he was a bit tough to put to bed. He just woke up a few moments ago, I spent 40 minutes potching his tush, and I hope he is down for the night. Let’s hope he sleeps until at least 7:30 tomorrow!

We’ve actually had a great holiday – we had dinner with my family on Friday night, and Micah got to spend time with his Aunt Jen, Uncle Jeremy and cousins Paige and Peyton. My friends Heather and Brad also joined our celebration. On Saturday, Micah slept late (until 9:00), and he fell asleep in the stroller on our way to synagogue. He was pretty good during services, although he felt the need to sing along – much to the chagrin of some of the people there. Overall, he was very well-behaved, and I was impressed he was able to stay as long as he did. He took another nap for about 30 minutes before we left services, and he drank his bottle on the walk home. He had a big lunch, and then we went back to my parents’ house for dinner. We actually took some time that afternoon to visit one of my parents’ neighbors, Arleen and Lorin – close family friends who were like second parents to me growing up. Their daughter Rayna was in town, and her grandmother Della was there, too, and everyone was thrilled to spend some time with Micah.

Tomorrow is Micah’s 9 month appointment, and we are back to the work/daycare grindstone. What a crazy week! I have to leave for Orlando on Tuesday, and I’ll be gone until Thursday. I hope Elliot can handle the time alone with Micah!

6 month checkup

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Micah had his 6 month appointment today (yes, I know it is nearly 2 weeks late!) and he did quite well. He was sitting in his diaper on the table ripping the paper cover to shreds when the doctor walked in – Micah flashed him a big grin then went back to his task of ultimate destruction. I probably should have taken a picture of our little guy – he was quite a sight. The doctor smiled, said that was a wonderful greeting (and the best he’d had all day), and then commented on Micah’s “mop of hair.”

Micah weighed in this morning at a whopping 15 lbs 8 ounces and measured 26 inches! My big boy is growing!! He is now in the 20th percentile for weight (making progress!) and about the same for height. Like his mommy, he has a tiny head – only the 10th percentile. We spent a long time talking to the doctor about food and eating, and I got answers to all 9 million of my questions. We were told he should not be eating any yogurt yet (or really any protein foods) until he is 9 months old because he just doesn’t need it yet. He said Micah should be at the lower end for formula/milk intake because he is small (big relief to hear!) and he thought 24-28 ounces a day should be more than enough (which is great, because that is about all he is getting). The doctor gave us estimates for about how many times a day and how much food he should be eating at each meal, and we are right in the target range. I have been so unsure as to whether I am feeding him the right amount, or too much, or not enough, but it seems I’ve been guessing correctly. We were told that most babies will take three meals a day by seven months, so we will watch and see when Micah is ready to add another meal each day.
The doctor increased Micah’s dosage of Zantac and checked out his congestion. Unfortunately, all of the congestion returned this week. The doctor seemed to think that kind of congestion is typical with infants, and unless it lasts more than a few weeks or he develops a cough/fever, he is not concerned at this time. It seems we are hitting all of the correct milestones, and we will go back again in three months for our next checkup and round of vaccinations.
The last part of our appointment was the immunizations – 2 shots and an oral vaccine. Micah LOVES the oral vaccine – he kept grabbing it and trying to guzzle it faster. Clearly, he has not developed good taste yet! I think Micah is like his Daddy – he’ll eat just about anything, with gusto. Micah did not even flinch for the first shot, but he started shrieking with the second shot – the nurse thinks maybe it burns since most babies cry when they get that shot. I immediately started nursing Micah, and he calmed back down again.

On a side note, there was a 2 week old baby at the doctor’s office today. I was a bit emotional – I looked at her, and I already felt a loss of sorts that Micah was no longer that little baby. I was nostalgic for the times he just curled up on my chest and slept all day and was such a tiny little thing. Of course, Elliot then reminded me how much more fun Micah is now that he has a personality and is gaining independence and how much easier things are now, and I know he is right. It is just hard to believe how quickly the time passed, and that I’m already missing my little baby.

He has been fine so far this afternoon. He took a nap and he was playful when he woke up. He did have a cranky patch, but I gave him a teething biscuit and that seemed to hit the spot and keep him quite busy.
In other news – Micah discovered his penis today! Yes, I did say penis, and I’m sure you did not see that announcement coming. We were changing his diaper at the doctor’s office, and Micah’s hands when straight on down there and grabbed a hold. That has to be some kind of male rite of passage, right? One day, when Micah can read and he reads this blog, I’m sure he will hate me for sharing this story.

Sinus Infection

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Friday, I called the doctor for the results of the nasal culture the took from Micah on Wednesday. Naturally, they told me that I would have to wait until next week sometime. After I explained that I really wanted to get an answer because Micah’s cough was getting worse, the woman finally agreed to check into it and get back to me. Saturday morning, she called back and said the culture confirmed that Micah has a sinus infection. Additionally, they told me that with the type of infection he has, we do not “have” to treat it with antibiotics. I indicated that I would prefer to treat the infection (as he has already been sick for 2 months and it seems to be getting worse, not better). She consulted with the doctor on call, who wanted me to wait until Tuesday. She finally agreed to call in the prescription, so Micah is now on antibiotics. I hope I made the right decision! I certainly don’t want to over-medicate him, but I do not want him to end up with bronchitis, or a nasty ear infection, or even a chronic sinus infection that requires months of antibiotics instead of one week. Apparently, the doctor on call thought I should “just be patient.” I’m going to have to trust my instincts on this one.