For two of the cutest elves you've ever seen...
Thanks to my blogger/Facebook/Instagram friend, Lindsay (whom I've actually never met), for modeling her precious son in these pjs and then telling me where to find them (Target!).
Happy Friday y'all!
Friday, December 12, 2014
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Walker-6 months
Welp, our sweet boy was half a year old on Saturday. He had his six month well check on Monday. Despite some major concerns with eating (more on that in a minute), he is growing and we are thankful for a healthy baby!
Measurements-
Weight-16 pounds, 11 ounces (33rd %tile). At 6 months Gray weighed 17 pounds, 1 ounce (42nd %tile).
Length- 27 and 1/4 inches (75th %tile). Gray had the exact same length measurement at 6 months!
Head-17 and 1/2 inches (82 %tile), which is also exactly what big brother's was at 6 months.
Wears mostly 9 month clothes, size 2 diapers
Eating Habits-I mentioned in the 5 month post that Walker was getting hard to nurse again because he was so distracted and interested in everything going on around him. Well that got significantly worse over the last month. He was already nursing less and less and then he got sick and literally only took a few ounces a day for over a week. Once he was feeling better and still not nursing or taking a bottle well, I got concerned. One night he slept 11 straight hours and I had already pumped when he woke up so I could tell how much he would drink and he only took ONE ounce! So I called the doctor and he wanted to see him that day. The doctor and I were both shocked to see that he weighed 16 pounds, 13 ounces (which was 42% and he was 38th % at 4 months). I had been giving him a lot of oatmeal with breast milk mixed in and that must have been helping a lot. After talking to the doctor about him seeming uninterested in nursing and taking a bottle and his physical exam checking out fine, he said he really thought it was just related to his swallowing dysfunction. You can imagine my surprise to him saying that since his swallowing test that he had done at Brenner's several months ago showed everything was "fine." To make a long story short, although he was not aspirating (milk going into his lungs), the test did show some mild swallowing dysfunctions. They told us at the hospital that day that everything was fine and the problems must be just from his bad reflux. So when the pediatrician's office called me a few days after the test to ask me if I wanted them to go over the results I told them no. I never asked for a copy of the report because we were told everything was fine. Needless to say I wasn't a very happy mama. It's my own fault for not getting the report but I trusted what they told us at Brenner's that day. Anyway, there isn't anything we can do about that now and it probably wouldn't have changed what we could have done over the last couple of months, other than help me not to worry about him as much. Our pediatrician said babies with swallowing issues tend to start drinking less and less between 4-6 months but will usually eat solids well, which he certainly does. He should grow out of it around a year but he told me not to expect him to drink very well before then. Of course a couple of days after that appointment he started nursing a lot better again but when we went to the doctor on Monday he had actually lost two ounces, which completely baffled the doctor and me. I think I am going to start adding some formula to his oatmeal and a scoop when he gets a bottle to add some extra calories. He goes back in 30 days for his second round flu shot and a weight check.
Because of his eating issues, Walker really isn't on a set eating schedule. He eats oatmeal and other solids three times a day and I pretty much offer nursing feedings to him before and after every nap. He could eat oatmeal and fruit all day long but isn't too wild about most veggies, although after I keep trying for a few minutes he does get them down. He still takes his Prevacid but we are hoping to try taking him of soon.
And I'm sure by now only my mom and Gram are still reading this but I am happy to report that I've added dairy back into my diet (slowly but surely) and it hasn't bothered Walker. Praise the Lord!!
Sleeping Habits-3-4 naps a day, sleeping anywhere from 1-3 hours. He goes to bed around 7:30, usually sleeps at least 9-10 straight hours at night waking between 4:00-6:00 to eat and will usually go right back to sleep until around 7:00/7:30. Still takes an occasional nap in his swing and falls asleep pretty easily in the car.
Milestones/New Discoveries-Sitting up and first tooth! One of his bottom teeth finally broke through the skin last week and I imagine the other one is close behind. He is babbling more and more and I just love his sweet little voice. He is really reaching and grabbing for things. Wearing jewelry and my hair down are things of the past. He pushes up on his arms and is already trying to crawl. If he keeps this up I think he will be crawling before Gray did, which was at 8 months. Walker is also really starting to respond to his name and gets excited when we praise and/or clap for him. He also does this new thing where he smiles really big and buries his sweet little face in my neck or shoulder when Daddy talks to him-it is sooooo stinkin cute!!
Temperament/Mood-Happy most of the time these days, especially if we are out and about. He smiles at everybody and people tell me I have such a happy baby, which is something I wondered if I would ever hear. He gets pretty cranky after 5:00 or so when the witching hour sets in. No matter how late he has napped, he just is so tired and can't hang very happily. His teeth have given some fussy moments too but he is happy more than not and I am so thankful for that!!
Likes-LOVES his big brother, sitting up, his feet, grabbing at my face, Sophie, exersaucer, jumper, the bath, his mobile, crawl ball, his Sophie giraffe, toys with buttons and lights, being read to, watching us clap and hearing us praise him and get excited for him
Dislikes-he gets really ticked when solid feedings are over (I think he would eat until he made himself sick if I would let him), being put in his car seat (though thankfully he is still happy once we get going), being tired, those mean 'ol teeth
Special memories-Going to Boone for Thanksgiving and picking out our Christmas tree.
I really can't imagine our lives without sweet Walker and can't wait to watch him continue to grow.
Measurements-
Weight-16 pounds, 11 ounces (33rd %tile). At 6 months Gray weighed 17 pounds, 1 ounce (42nd %tile).
Length- 27 and 1/4 inches (75th %tile). Gray had the exact same length measurement at 6 months!
Head-17 and 1/2 inches (82 %tile), which is also exactly what big brother's was at 6 months.
Wears mostly 9 month clothes, size 2 diapers
Eating Habits-I mentioned in the 5 month post that Walker was getting hard to nurse again because he was so distracted and interested in everything going on around him. Well that got significantly worse over the last month. He was already nursing less and less and then he got sick and literally only took a few ounces a day for over a week. Once he was feeling better and still not nursing or taking a bottle well, I got concerned. One night he slept 11 straight hours and I had already pumped when he woke up so I could tell how much he would drink and he only took ONE ounce! So I called the doctor and he wanted to see him that day. The doctor and I were both shocked to see that he weighed 16 pounds, 13 ounces (which was 42% and he was 38th % at 4 months). I had been giving him a lot of oatmeal with breast milk mixed in and that must have been helping a lot. After talking to the doctor about him seeming uninterested in nursing and taking a bottle and his physical exam checking out fine, he said he really thought it was just related to his swallowing dysfunction. You can imagine my surprise to him saying that since his swallowing test that he had done at Brenner's several months ago showed everything was "fine." To make a long story short, although he was not aspirating (milk going into his lungs), the test did show some mild swallowing dysfunctions. They told us at the hospital that day that everything was fine and the problems must be just from his bad reflux. So when the pediatrician's office called me a few days after the test to ask me if I wanted them to go over the results I told them no. I never asked for a copy of the report because we were told everything was fine. Needless to say I wasn't a very happy mama. It's my own fault for not getting the report but I trusted what they told us at Brenner's that day. Anyway, there isn't anything we can do about that now and it probably wouldn't have changed what we could have done over the last couple of months, other than help me not to worry about him as much. Our pediatrician said babies with swallowing issues tend to start drinking less and less between 4-6 months but will usually eat solids well, which he certainly does. He should grow out of it around a year but he told me not to expect him to drink very well before then. Of course a couple of days after that appointment he started nursing a lot better again but when we went to the doctor on Monday he had actually lost two ounces, which completely baffled the doctor and me. I think I am going to start adding some formula to his oatmeal and a scoop when he gets a bottle to add some extra calories. He goes back in 30 days for his second round flu shot and a weight check.
Because of his eating issues, Walker really isn't on a set eating schedule. He eats oatmeal and other solids three times a day and I pretty much offer nursing feedings to him before and after every nap. He could eat oatmeal and fruit all day long but isn't too wild about most veggies, although after I keep trying for a few minutes he does get them down. He still takes his Prevacid but we are hoping to try taking him of soon.
And I'm sure by now only my mom and Gram are still reading this but I am happy to report that I've added dairy back into my diet (slowly but surely) and it hasn't bothered Walker. Praise the Lord!!
Sleeping Habits-3-4 naps a day, sleeping anywhere from 1-3 hours. He goes to bed around 7:30, usually sleeps at least 9-10 straight hours at night waking between 4:00-6:00 to eat and will usually go right back to sleep until around 7:00/7:30. Still takes an occasional nap in his swing and falls asleep pretty easily in the car.
Milestones/New Discoveries-Sitting up and first tooth! One of his bottom teeth finally broke through the skin last week and I imagine the other one is close behind. He is babbling more and more and I just love his sweet little voice. He is really reaching and grabbing for things. Wearing jewelry and my hair down are things of the past. He pushes up on his arms and is already trying to crawl. If he keeps this up I think he will be crawling before Gray did, which was at 8 months. Walker is also really starting to respond to his name and gets excited when we praise and/or clap for him. He also does this new thing where he smiles really big and buries his sweet little face in my neck or shoulder when Daddy talks to him-it is sooooo stinkin cute!!
Temperament/Mood-Happy most of the time these days, especially if we are out and about. He smiles at everybody and people tell me I have such a happy baby, which is something I wondered if I would ever hear. He gets pretty cranky after 5:00 or so when the witching hour sets in. No matter how late he has napped, he just is so tired and can't hang very happily. His teeth have given some fussy moments too but he is happy more than not and I am so thankful for that!!
Likes-LOVES his big brother, sitting up, his feet, grabbing at my face, Sophie, exersaucer, jumper, the bath, his mobile, crawl ball, his Sophie giraffe, toys with buttons and lights, being read to, watching us clap and hearing us praise him and get excited for him
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| One might think he was teething on his brother's face but this was definitely a kiss ;) |
Dislikes-he gets really ticked when solid feedings are over (I think he would eat until he made himself sick if I would let him), being put in his car seat (though thankfully he is still happy once we get going), being tired, those mean 'ol teeth
Special memories-Going to Boone for Thanksgiving and picking out our Christmas tree.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Thankful
I wrote this post four years ago on Thanksgiving. Though I've been to Kenya four times and even seen hunger and poverty in my own city, it's often easy to get wrapped up in my own little world and take things for granted. Today I am thankful God brought this post to my attention. I can't even begin to list all of the many things I have to be thankful for all year long.
Happy Thanksgiving week, y'all. May we praise Him from whom all blessings flow!
Happy Thanksgiving week, y'all. May we praise Him from whom all blessings flow!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Five on Friday
How has it been almost a month since I've actually posted on here? I have so many posts in draft mode that I really doubt will ever make it out. It has just been a crazy season of life and although I get sad thinking that I won't have documented enough about our family, I know my family needs me and is taking first priority and that is far more important than writing about it. So let me get on with it before this one stays in draft with the rest.
ONE.
I really doubt this is news to anyone reading this, BUT-Paul's team won the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! I am so proud of him and his boys and it still seems so surreal. It's such an accomplishment for anyone, but especially for him considering he started the soccer program at Reagan just ten years ago. I hope to blog more (I stay ambitious about this whole blogging thing) about the play-offs and championship game day sometime soon. But just in case I don't get around to it, I must post this sweet picture of our big boy running to his Daddy's arms shortly after the big win. It makes my heart nearly explode into a million pieces.
TWO.
Number one means that soccer is over. I might be almost as excited about that as I am the championship. I don't want to be a complainer or a negative Nancy, but y'all-soccer season is HARD! It's been in full swing for six months now and there were so many weekends and nights we didn't see Daddy at all, not to mention I often wondered how in the world I could make it through the day by myself with a screaming baby and a busy, challenging toddler. But God saw me through, often giving me a humble perspective that some families don't have a husband or Daddy at all. There are a lot of events and celebrations in the near future because of the championship, but we will be seeing a lot more of Daddy now and I know two little boys and a Mommy that are so happy about that!
THREE.
My boys have been sick, sick, sick! Gray was sick over a month ago for weeks and his nasty virus ended up as a sinus infection. Just a few days after finishing his antibiotic, he woke up with a new virus, which happened to be the day of the State Championship game-yes, I picked up another "mom of the year award" for letting him go to Raleigh and sit in the freezing cold to watch his Daddy's team. Anywho, Walker has had a nasty virus for over a week now too and was just plain pitiful until just a day or two ago. I took both boys to the doctor on Wednesday mostly concerned that Walker is barely nursing and/or taking a bottle (more on that in a 6 month post coming soon) but also wanted to get Gray checked out too because I thought he was wheezing. Two hours later, we left with a negative RSV test but a report of low oxygen and wheezing for Gray. Now he is on Albuterol and Prednisone (which should be illegal for toddlers) and I am stuck somewhere between thanking God that I get to be home taking care of my babies and wanting to run away for the next week. Oh, and did I mention Daddy was in bed for four days and also on steroids earlier this week?
FOUR.
I usually wait until Thanksgiving weekend to decorate for Christmas but am planning on getting started this weekend. We won't be able to decorate full on this year because of some things we still need to do to our new house, but stockings will be hung and Nativities will be set out. And I can hardly wait to cut down our Christmas tree when we go to Boone for Thanksgiving next week. And I may or may not have already busted out my Michael Buble Christmas CD.
FIVE.
I can't believe our baby boy is almost half of a year old. Wait, yes I sort of can. You see, the first almost four and a half months were so hard with him that time really crept by for me. I don't wish it away but the older he gets, the happier he is so for that I am ready to welcome month six and hoping to have a full post about our baby boy before he turns seven months ;)
Happy Friday, y'all!
ONE.
I really doubt this is news to anyone reading this, BUT-Paul's team won the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! I am so proud of him and his boys and it still seems so surreal. It's such an accomplishment for anyone, but especially for him considering he started the soccer program at Reagan just ten years ago. I hope to blog more (I stay ambitious about this whole blogging thing) about the play-offs and championship game day sometime soon. But just in case I don't get around to it, I must post this sweet picture of our big boy running to his Daddy's arms shortly after the big win. It makes my heart nearly explode into a million pieces.
TWO.
Number one means that soccer is over. I might be almost as excited about that as I am the championship. I don't want to be a complainer or a negative Nancy, but y'all-soccer season is HARD! It's been in full swing for six months now and there were so many weekends and nights we didn't see Daddy at all, not to mention I often wondered how in the world I could make it through the day by myself with a screaming baby and a busy, challenging toddler. But God saw me through, often giving me a humble perspective that some families don't have a husband or Daddy at all. There are a lot of events and celebrations in the near future because of the championship, but we will be seeing a lot more of Daddy now and I know two little boys and a Mommy that are so happy about that!
THREE.
My boys have been sick, sick, sick! Gray was sick over a month ago for weeks and his nasty virus ended up as a sinus infection. Just a few days after finishing his antibiotic, he woke up with a new virus, which happened to be the day of the State Championship game-yes, I picked up another "mom of the year award" for letting him go to Raleigh and sit in the freezing cold to watch his Daddy's team. Anywho, Walker has had a nasty virus for over a week now too and was just plain pitiful until just a day or two ago. I took both boys to the doctor on Wednesday mostly concerned that Walker is barely nursing and/or taking a bottle (more on that in a 6 month post coming soon) but also wanted to get Gray checked out too because I thought he was wheezing. Two hours later, we left with a negative RSV test but a report of low oxygen and wheezing for Gray. Now he is on Albuterol and Prednisone (which should be illegal for toddlers) and I am stuck somewhere between thanking God that I get to be home taking care of my babies and wanting to run away for the next week. Oh, and did I mention Daddy was in bed for four days and also on steroids earlier this week?
FOUR.
I usually wait until Thanksgiving weekend to decorate for Christmas but am planning on getting started this weekend. We won't be able to decorate full on this year because of some things we still need to do to our new house, but stockings will be hung and Nativities will be set out. And I can hardly wait to cut down our Christmas tree when we go to Boone for Thanksgiving next week. And I may or may not have already busted out my Michael Buble Christmas CD.
FIVE.
I can't believe our baby boy is almost half of a year old. Wait, yes I sort of can. You see, the first almost four and a half months were so hard with him that time really crept by for me. I don't wish it away but the older he gets, the happier he is so for that I am ready to welcome month six and hoping to have a full post about our baby boy before he turns seven months ;)
Happy Friday, y'all!
Friday, October 31, 2014
Walker-Five months
This last month we have finally started to see a happier baby-praise the Lord!!! He is still having some trouble with his reflux but his overall temperament has improved tremendously! I've loved going back and reading detailed monthly posts about Gray so though most people won't be too interested in all this, I know I'll be glad to have it to look back on one day. So, more about our sweet guy at five months...
Weight-16 pounds, 4 ounces. The only reason we have an accurate weight at 5 months is because we had to take Gray to the doctor the other day. He has a gained a little over a pound in the last month (was 15.1 at four months), which the doctor said was good for his age. I am really hoping to see his curve come back up a little at his 6 month visit.
Eating habits-nursing has become quite a challenge again. If it's not a reflux flare up, it's him taking a million "breaks" while nursing to look around, put his thumb in his mouth or just stare and grin at me. As much as possible I try to nurse him in a really quiet room with minimal distractions. He nurses about seven times a day and is loving solids, which he gets 2-3 times a day. We give mostly oatmeal though I have slowly started introducing more fruits and veggies. So far he has loved everything-carrots, green beans, apples, pears and prunes- and I hope he will be as good of an eater as his big brother is. He still has days when he spits up a LOT but I think the solids are helping with that for the most part.
Eating habits-nursing has become quite a challenge again. If it's not a reflux flare up, it's him taking a million "breaks" while nursing to look around, put his thumb in his mouth or just stare and grin at me. As much as possible I try to nurse him in a really quiet room with minimal distractions. He nurses about seven times a day and is loving solids, which he gets 2-3 times a day. We give mostly oatmeal though I have slowly started introducing more fruits and veggies. So far he has loved everything-carrots, green beans, apples, pears and prunes- and I hope he will be as good of an eater as his big brother is. He still has days when he spits up a LOT but I think the solids are helping with that for the most part.
Sleeping habits-Walker is still waking up once a night. I personally think it's habit but I am going to keep nursing him until we go back at six months and I know his weight is better. He goes down around 8:00 every night, wakes once around 4:00-5:00 and goes back to sleep until 7:00/7:30. He isn't on a very strict nap schedule because we are out and about quite a bit but I do try to make sure we are home for at least one nap a day, which is anywhere from 1.5-3 hours. He falls asleep in the car pretty easy now but puts up quite a fight in the church nursery or when he is being held.
Milestones/New Discoveries-Does happiness count as a milestone? It does for this baby!! His first teeth still haven't broken through the skin but are sure giving him some pain so I'm hoping it will be soon.
Milestones/New Discoveries-Does happiness count as a milestone? It does for this baby!! His first teeth still haven't broken through the skin but are sure giving him some pain so I'm hoping it will be soon.
Likes-his thumb, big brother, Sophie, fans and lights, solids, any and everything he can put in his mouth, being read to, starting to last a little longer in his exersaucer, his mobile in his crib, being outside, rolling over! If he is on the floor playing, he almost never stays on his back. He has rolled almost all the way across the room a few times.
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| He wants to crawl so bad already! |
Special places/memories-Daddy's soccer game, the pumpkin patch
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| Walker/Gray |
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| Happy boy! |
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| I love my thumb! |
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| Gray/Walker at 5 months |
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Five on Friday
Well I missed two weeks in a row if that tells you anything about our life lately. To be perfectly honest, most days I still feel like we are in survival mode. I'll keep up with the pattern of an update on all three of my boys plus a couple other random happenings.
ONE.
Paul's regular conference season is officially over. They are conference champions with a record of 19 wins, 3 loses and are ranked 3rd in the state!! Play offs start next week and they will keep advancing towards the state championship as long as they keep winning. I'm proud of my husband and his team for such a successful season. Go Raiders!
TWO.
We are finally seeing more smiles and hearing less crying from our sweet baby. He still isn't the easiest, happiest, most flexible baby on the planet but that's ok because he has come so far! He still has reflux flare ups here and there and isn't the easiest to nurse most of the time lately but he is loving solids and has gained a pound in the last couple of weeks! He rarely screams in the car anymore which in and of itself deserves a big 'ol HALLELUJAH!! I'll include more details about him next week in a FIVE MONTH post.
THREE.
Gray. Oh my sweet Gray. He has been quite a challenge lately. He decided several months ago to drop his nap for the most part. Some days he can hang but most days, not so much. He wears me out and tests my patience. But then he says things like "Mommy's my girl!" and "I love our new house!" and without prompting, "Dear God, thank you for the day, for my friends coming over and for my quesadilla!" Last night when we were eating spaghetti for dinner he was having trouble getting the noodles on his fork and he said "things aren't going well"-we laughed so hard!! He picks up on everything we say. Two is hard but man, it's so fun too!
FOUR.
My best friend Lindsey does some photography for friends and family as a hobby. She took pictures of Gray every couple of months his entire first year of life. We had hoped to do the same for Walker but we've both been busy and haven't gotten around to it since his newborn pictures. We took some at a local park last Friday and they turned out great. You can see the whole album onFacebook but here are a few of my favorites.
FIVE.
I think we are a little ambitious about our weekend plans, which include: a fall festival, a Wake Forest football game, hair cuts for the big boys, a few small projects around the house and Boo at the Zoo. We will see how much of that really happens. Regardless, I'm so excited about a beautiful fall weekend with my three boys!
Have a good one, y'all!
Monday, October 6, 2014
Walker-4 months
Walker's three month post is still in my drafts- I never got any good pictures with his three month tie sticker and kept wanting Paul to be home to help me get some good ones and it just never happened. Anywho, here I am with a detailed post about our sweet boy who was four months a week ago today. He went to the doctor on Friday for his well visit and his weight percentage had dropped significantly on his curve. The doctor was concerned and of course Mama was too. I knew he wasn't looking as big to me and he's started spitting up really, really bad over the last 3-4 weeks so I knew that had to be affecting his weight gain. We have started him on oatmeal and will introduce other solids soon too. The doctor thinks the solids will help his milk stay down and also add some extra calories. He spits up almost every single time he eats now and it's almost always a lot and several times after each feeding. It's SO frustrating and it's hard not to feel like every feeding is a waste. He definitely won't be going off the Prevacid anytime soon either so I'm hoping the solids will help his tummy issues and not make them even worse.
Here's hoping for a happy, happy, happy baby by month 5! :)
Weight-15 pounds, 1 ounce-38th percentile, down from the 75th at his 2 month visit
Length-26 inches-81st %tile, up 4.5 inches since birth! Gray was exactly 26 inches at his 4 month visit too.
Head measurement-42.5 centimeters-73rd %tile
Wears size 6 months (some 6-9!) clothes and size 2 diapers
Eating Habits-Still takes Prevacid for reflux and likes Mommy's diet to be free of dairy and all kinds of other good things (you are so worth it sweet boy!!). He nurses 7-8 times a day and takes 5-6 ounces when he has a pumped bottle. He has been nursing great until the last couple of days and today he even screamed, arched his back and refused to nurse twice. I had to thicken a bottle with rice cereal in order to get a full feeding in. It hasn't been that bad in a long time. Acid reflux, please go away and leave my sweet baby boy alone!!! We are going to the chiropractor tomorrow and I am hoping it does the trick like it has before. I can't imagine going down the road we were on two months ago. We gave Walker his first oatmeal over the weekend and he wasn't sure what to think of it but by the second feeding he was happy to see that spoon! I am hoping he will take to other solids as easy as Gray did and his weight gain will speed up again.
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| Second oatmeal and happy about it! |
Milestones-Rolls over both ways consistently now. As if we don't have a fussy enough boy on our hands, now he is teething! I thought he was but didn't want to even speak it and the nurse said she saw white on his bottom gums the other day and to expect his first teeth soon. Gray was a very early teether (his first two teeth were all the way up at 5 months and he had 16 teeth by 13 months) and I was hoping for the opposite with Walker.
Sleeping habits-We transitioned him to his crib pretty soon after we moved and he has done pretty good. We have had and still have a few "cry it out" times during the day but doesn't cry at all at bedtime. He takes 3-4 naps a day, depending on how long he sleeps. He sometimes still takes a nap in his swing but usually doesn't sleep as long as he would in his bed. He slept 12 straight hours one night and has done 9-10 several times, but usually he goes down at 8:00 and is up anywhere from 2:00-5:00. The doctor said he really didn't think he was keeping enough ounces down during the day to get him through 12 straight hours consistently so I have to keep feeding him when he wakes up. Major bummer, Mama's tired!
New discoveries-Has started reaching out and grabbing objects and is able to hold onto things longer. He has also found his feet and loves playing with them and putting his toes in his mouth.
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He started sucking his thumb several weeks ago. For the most part he can only do it when he is in the laying down and/or nursing position. It's so sweet! He seems so excited about it that he will often stop eating and put his thumb in his mouth-feedings are sometimes taking quite a while these days. He has figured out how to do it a time or two in the car and I'm hoping this will make car rides more enjoyable.
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He has also really started paying attention to Gray and Sophie (our dog). In the car he tries to sit up and look at Gray the whole time which is so precious to me.
Likes-being held, his playmat, his swing, lights, ceiling fans, facing outward so he can see everything, his thumb, being outside, his hands and feet, usually likes his bumbo seat, watching Gray and Sophie
Dislikes-the car (though the car hasn't been as bad the last week or so-hopeful for a positive change here!), his bouncer, being restrained, being up on your shoulder looking over your back (he gets mad bc he can't see what's going on in that position), his exersaucer (I sure hope this changes soon!) being put on his tummy unless he is going to sleep, being put down
Special places/memories-Walker was dedicated at church on September 14th. It was such a special day as we committed to raise him in a Christian home, pray for him and hope that he comes to know the Lord at an early age.
Special places/memories-Walker was dedicated at church on September 14th. It was such a special day as we committed to raise him in a Christian home, pray for him and hope that he comes to know the Lord at an early age.
Overall temperament/mood-We continue to be on our toes with this sweet baby! I am SO thankful he doesn't scream through feedings anymore but I hate to report that if he isn't sleeping, eating or being held, he is crying pretty much all of the time. It's wearing on me and starting to really bother Gray too. I just hope and pray with each new day that he will become more content and independent. Despite the fussiness, we are so in love with this boy!
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| He gets these thighs from his Mama. If only they were this cute on me ;) |
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| Finally got some smiles on camera! |
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| I love this sweet face! |
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| And then there's this face with his nose turned up...cracks me up! |
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| Gray/Walker |
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Five on Friday-Happy October y'all!
ONE.
Walker had his four month well visit today. I'm hoping to write a more detailed monthly post for my own memory's sake but I thought I would report his stats here too. He weighed 15 pounds, 1 ounce and was 26 inches long. Believe it or not by the look of his cheeks and legs, his weight curve had come way down and the doctor was a tad concerned. He has gone from his weight being in the 80/85th percentile to it being just below 50th. He thinks several things are to blame, a big one being the amount he spits up, which started getting bad several weeks ago. He doesn't want us to wait until 6 months to start solids and I can't let him cry it out at night to sleep 12 straight hours yet (he still gets up once, come times twice a night). It was not the appointment I expected or was hoping for but overall he is healthy and if this is our "problem" with him then I would say we are very blessed. More on him in a 4 month post, hopefully coming soon.
TWO.
Gray has officially entered the questions stage! He would ask questions here and there before, but now almost everything that comes out of his mouth is a question. Some are really smart, good questions that I LOVE to answer and watch him soak in the information in his sweet little brain. But others are going to drive me crazy! Like "what's this?" a million and five times a day. And "where's Walker? Where's Mommy? Where's Daddy? What you doing Mommy?"....and those types of questions that I know he knows the answer too. And I know what's coming next-the "WHY?" stage, which he already asks sometimes. Lord, I'm gonna need a lot of patience with this boy! :)
THREE.
I get my hair done today and am so excited! I've been stretching my appointments out by several more weeks which makes me look forward to them even more. I think I'll be taking off several inches since my hair is falling out in clumps and is so thin and raggedy-thanks post partum hair loss!
FOUR.
I am such a beach girl but every year I grow to love fall more and more. We have a lot of things to look forward to this month. The Dixie Classic Fair starts today-hello fried Oreos and corn dogs!! I sure hope Walker's tummy can handle some indulgences! We also plan to make visits to pumpkin patches, fall festivals and Boo at the Zoo day later this month. And have I mentioned that I won a free mini session with a local photographer? I am SO excited!! Aside from the fact that I never win anything, I am really looking forward to having some quality, updated pictures of our boys.
FIVE.
I am sooooo excited about a weekend with Paul home! It will be the first WHOLE weekend he has been home since sometime in June. His team is exhausted and they had two more big wins this week so he decided to give them a couple of days off. I'm ready to soak in some quality hubby/family time and maybe even get a few projects done around the house.
Have a good weekend, y'all!
Friday, September 26, 2014
Five on Friday
Welp, I missed last week but I'm back again and will keep trying to make more time for the 'ol blog. It's been a long week and I am so happy to see Friday.
ONE.
I have to start by bragging on my husband. He is having a very successful soccer season so far. They opened the season by taking home the championship for the Forsyth Cup and continue to win game after game. Their record is 13 and 2 and are ranked #10 in the state!! Thanks to my mom for watching the boys, I was able to go to a game last Saturday and a big game last night against one of their biggest rivals who they beat 4-1! Before we had Gray I had never missed a game but it's been hard to get to many since then. Paul knows I'm his biggest fan whether I'm there or not but I do miss cheering him on from the stands. Although it will make soccer season much longer, I am really hoping they can win the state championship this year. Go Raiders!!
TWO.
Speaking of soccer, Gray started Soccer Tots yesterday. I can't even handle the cuteness of him in a jersey and soccer shoes. Daddy was able to sop by for the first few minutes yesterday on his way to soccer. Unfortunately things went down hill fast after he left and I would call the first "practice" a near disaster. Gray didn't nap yesterday (he maybe naps once a week these days) and he was exhausted. He didn't want to participate and was super clingy to me for most of the time. Hopefully next week will be better. It sure was enterainjng watching 2 year olds play soccer!
THREE.
I don't have much new news to report on Walker. He has his good days and his bad days but is still pretty fussy overall. He hates the car and doesn't handle independent time very well (you'd yhink he was my first baby). He is starting to smile a lot more though and is really starting to watch and pay attention to his big brother, which I LOVE! His reflux started flaring up again so I took him back to the chiropractor this week and it's been fine since then. I want to talk to his pediatrician at his four month well visit about trying to take him off the Prevacid soon. It continues to cause major tummy issues for him and this week has been rough in that department. He also still seems to have an intolerance to dairy and lots of veggies so my diet continues to be pretty boring. I was able to add back in everything I wanted when Gray was six months so I'm hoping for the same with Walker. Baby boy will be four months on Monday so I'll update with growth stats and more sometime next week.
FOUR.
We are getting blinds installed tomorrow! Never ever did I think I could be so excited about blinds. We have this huge window in our living room, which I love, but any and everybody can see into our house, which of course I don't love.
Paul was going to hang them several weeks ago but because the house is so old, the window seals cause for some pretty difficult installation. It was a two week process for Lowe's to come measure, cut the blinds and schedule an installation appointment so I feel like its been a long time coming and it will be the highlight of my weekend!
FIVE.
We are pretty close to sealing the deal on a lease to purchase prospect for our townhouse. Our realtor/property manager is almost done running credit reports, background checks, etc. but the people love it and want to move in next weekend! We are hoping and praying it works out. This weekend will be devoted to getting the rest of our things out (it's been a long process since Paul has been so busy with soccer) and cleaning over there. We are so excited to be done with it and enjoy spending more time on our new home.
Have a good weekend, y'all!
Monday, September 22, 2014
If Jesus came to our house...
Today before I put Gray down for his nap we read the story of Zacchaeus. After we read it I asked Gray what he would say if Jesus came to our house...
"Thank you for the food."
"That's nice buddy, what else?"
"Please heal Mommy's back." (My back hurt for a month or so after Walker was born but I haven't mentioned it in a long time which made this even more sweet.)
"Thanks buddy, anything else you would want to tell him?"
"Please kill the bees!" (We've had a problem with yellow jackets in our backyard.)
He says sweet and funny things like this all the time and I have GOT to start writing them down because I so easily forget.
What would you say if Jesus came to your house? I wouldn't know where to begin in thanking and praising Him for all of the blessings He has freely given to me.
Happy Monday, y'all!
Thursday, September 11, 2014
My first ever Five on Friday
Y'all...life continues to be crazy and my blog has been on the back burner for months now. I really want to get back on the blogging train because I know one day I'll want to look back and remember the details of our life. Several of my friends have inspired me to start this and I'm really hoping it will be an easy way to blog at least once a week. With all that's been going on and not much blogging, it's hard for me to know where to start and pick just five things but here goes...
ONE.
We have been in our new home almost two weeks and are loving it! There are boxes everywhere and we will probably be unpacking and sorting trough things and hanging pictures a year from now. God continues to give me opportunities to refine my type A personality ;) One of these days I truly do hope to blog with some pictures of the house, especially some before and after pics. We got a new couch that's being delivered tomorrow and I am so excited! Maybe, just maybe our TV will get mounted this weekend and off of the floor and our living room will actually look like a living room ;)
TWO.
Walker has been feeling MUCH better for about two weeks now. He still isn't by any means a totally happy, laid back baby but compared to screaming pretty much every minute he was awake, we have really turned a corner. His reflux is under control and he is nursing great again (except for when he is distracted by big brother and wants to look around). His gas and tummy are much better too and I am just so, so, so thankful! Now if only he would not hate the car. I guess beggars can't be choosers, right?! Hoping to get his three month blog post finished before he turns four months.
THREE.
Gray seems so much bigger and older to me everyday in the way he talks and plays. He wears me out and tests my patience but for the most part he is so sweet and smart and silly and fun and I really just feel so blessed to be able to spend my days with him. I am kicking myself for not being better about writing down things he says and does am hope to get better at that too. He is having a ball at our new house. Our half acre fenced in yard seems huge compared to the concrete slab that made up our yard at the townhouse and we spend as many minutes outside every day as possible. And yet he has only been taking 1-2 naps a week. But that's a whole 'nother astory!
FOUR.
The Bible study I go to at my church just started again this week. I am doing Beth Moore's new Thessalonians study and am so excited about it. Time in the Word, Beth Moore and fellowship with good friends makes me a happy Mama!
FIVE.
I saved this for last trying to keep a positive attitude as best as possible but y'all, soccer season has been harder on me this year than ever. Paul is gone A LOT. I miss him, Gray misses him and doing this whole Mom gig by myself all day every day and most every night by myself is tough. He has had something to do with his soccer team every weekend for the last 6 weeks and a lot of those weekends he has been out of town. I haven't been able to go to a game yet and that's hard too, being his number one fan and all. I know it's just a season and in another two months or so we will have him around more. He has off from soccer today and only practice tomorrow morning so we are looking forward to some family time this weekend.
Happy Friday y'all!
Friday, August 22, 2014
Another Walker/house update
I don't even know where to begin; so much is going on in our lives! So many of our friends and family have called and/or texted asking about Walker and the house and we haven't had enough quiet minutes to respond the way we would like to so I thought I'd do it here again.
As for Walker...
The day of his swallow test we switched from rice cereal to oatmeal because we'd heard it would be better on his tummy. Unfortunately we didn't see any difference and the oatmeal was even harder for him to get down. There is a reason babies aren't supposed to have anything other than breast milk or formula before six months of age-their poor little tummies and digestive systems just aren't developed and mature enough to handle it. So while thickening his bottles was helping some with the reflux, it was making his tummy hurt so bad that he screamed all day with gas pains and constipation. We were feeling so desperate at this point. I've been afraid to switch to Prilosec (a third and final medicine option) in fear of it not working as good and us taking steps back while giving it a two week trial. A friend of mine told me about taking her week old baby to a chiropractor for an adjustment and it healing her reflux. I've never necessarily had a reason to, but have always been very leery of chiropractors and the thought of taking my BABY to one really seemed out there so I didn't even consider it. I was texting with an old college friend one day about two weeks ago who I haven't seen or talked to in months and was filling her in on what's been going on with Walker. She told me they took their first child (who was born at 27 weeks) to a chiropractor when she only weighed five pounds and it also cured her reflux. Really trusting this friend and her maternal instincts and decisions, I thought it might be worth a shot. I called the same chiropractor she used and had an appointment scheduled for the following day. He was able to get a good look at Walker's spine without x-rays and said he was in fact out of alignment in several places. He explained to us how our spine really controls every part of our body and how certain things can be affected when out of alignment. It all seemed to make perfect sense but I still wasn't buying that it could fix our baby. He showed us what he would do to Walker to align him and let us feel what it would feel like to him. It didn't hurt at all so we decided we were willing to give it a try. Y'all! For the rest of the day Walker was the most peaceful and content he's been in two months. He NURSED for every single feeding the rest of the day. It was like a miracle! I was beginning to think my nursing days were over. He went back that Friday (a week ago today) for a second exam and two places needed adjusting again. Since the first adjustment we have only thickened ONE bottle, and that was before his second adjustment. We are so thankful that he has been eating better and I am so happy to be nursing him again and not having to plug up that dang pump every couple of hours!
I really thought if we could get the reflux under control Walker would be the most happy, content baby. Unfortunately he has still been very fussy. Despite him being off of rice and oatmeal, his tummy is still giving him a lot of issues. He screams out in gas pain a lot even though my diet has been extremely bland for over two months now. At this point I have to think the Prevacid is what's causing the trouble. Thankfully he naps great and has been giving us some eight hour stretches at night but he is usually crying or screaming most of the time he's awake. I'm lucky to catch a smile or two each day. He has a good day here and there and I get my hopes up that he's grown out of it but then it's back to screaming the next day. Because he is so fussy we don't make it out much and that has been very hard on Gray, who is used to being out and about most of the day. As hard as it's been, I know from experience with Gray that he will get better and this isn't an indication of what his personality will be like. I try to remind myself that the days are long but the years are so short. Here's hoping for a happier, more content fourth month of life.
As for the house...
We closed last Friday, praise the Lord!! It got pushed back several days because the sellers were out of town and weren't here to sign their part of the paperwork. Because of that, they agreed to let us in the house last Tuesday, which was our original closing date. The painter started that day is almost finished with the whole house now. The hallway, living room, dining room and both bathrooms were wall papered so we spent a lot of time last weekend tearing it down. We didn't even come close to finishing it. Paul started back to school Monday for teacher work days and is be gone every evening with soccer. I can't get anything done over there when the boys are with me so we had to pay someone (a family member a awesome handy man!) to finish it along with some other things we weren't going to have time to do before moving in. It's already looking so much better over there and it's been so exciting to see the transformation. Fresh paint and new lighting alone will make it seem like a brand new house.
We hope to start moving in next weekend and I can't wait to blog with some before and after pictures when I get some spare time-ha! Have I mentioned we've only packed one box?
Have a good weekend, y'all!
As for Walker...
The day of his swallow test we switched from rice cereal to oatmeal because we'd heard it would be better on his tummy. Unfortunately we didn't see any difference and the oatmeal was even harder for him to get down. There is a reason babies aren't supposed to have anything other than breast milk or formula before six months of age-their poor little tummies and digestive systems just aren't developed and mature enough to handle it. So while thickening his bottles was helping some with the reflux, it was making his tummy hurt so bad that he screamed all day with gas pains and constipation. We were feeling so desperate at this point. I've been afraid to switch to Prilosec (a third and final medicine option) in fear of it not working as good and us taking steps back while giving it a two week trial. A friend of mine told me about taking her week old baby to a chiropractor for an adjustment and it healing her reflux. I've never necessarily had a reason to, but have always been very leery of chiropractors and the thought of taking my BABY to one really seemed out there so I didn't even consider it. I was texting with an old college friend one day about two weeks ago who I haven't seen or talked to in months and was filling her in on what's been going on with Walker. She told me they took their first child (who was born at 27 weeks) to a chiropractor when she only weighed five pounds and it also cured her reflux. Really trusting this friend and her maternal instincts and decisions, I thought it might be worth a shot. I called the same chiropractor she used and had an appointment scheduled for the following day. He was able to get a good look at Walker's spine without x-rays and said he was in fact out of alignment in several places. He explained to us how our spine really controls every part of our body and how certain things can be affected when out of alignment. It all seemed to make perfect sense but I still wasn't buying that it could fix our baby. He showed us what he would do to Walker to align him and let us feel what it would feel like to him. It didn't hurt at all so we decided we were willing to give it a try. Y'all! For the rest of the day Walker was the most peaceful and content he's been in two months. He NURSED for every single feeding the rest of the day. It was like a miracle! I was beginning to think my nursing days were over. He went back that Friday (a week ago today) for a second exam and two places needed adjusting again. Since the first adjustment we have only thickened ONE bottle, and that was before his second adjustment. We are so thankful that he has been eating better and I am so happy to be nursing him again and not having to plug up that dang pump every couple of hours!
I really thought if we could get the reflux under control Walker would be the most happy, content baby. Unfortunately he has still been very fussy. Despite him being off of rice and oatmeal, his tummy is still giving him a lot of issues. He screams out in gas pain a lot even though my diet has been extremely bland for over two months now. At this point I have to think the Prevacid is what's causing the trouble. Thankfully he naps great and has been giving us some eight hour stretches at night but he is usually crying or screaming most of the time he's awake. I'm lucky to catch a smile or two each day. He has a good day here and there and I get my hopes up that he's grown out of it but then it's back to screaming the next day. Because he is so fussy we don't make it out much and that has been very hard on Gray, who is used to being out and about most of the day. As hard as it's been, I know from experience with Gray that he will get better and this isn't an indication of what his personality will be like. I try to remind myself that the days are long but the years are so short. Here's hoping for a happier, more content fourth month of life.
As for the house...
We closed last Friday, praise the Lord!! It got pushed back several days because the sellers were out of town and weren't here to sign their part of the paperwork. Because of that, they agreed to let us in the house last Tuesday, which was our original closing date. The painter started that day is almost finished with the whole house now. The hallway, living room, dining room and both bathrooms were wall papered so we spent a lot of time last weekend tearing it down. We didn't even come close to finishing it. Paul started back to school Monday for teacher work days and is be gone every evening with soccer. I can't get anything done over there when the boys are with me so we had to pay someone (a family member a awesome handy man!) to finish it along with some other things we weren't going to have time to do before moving in. It's already looking so much better over there and it's been so exciting to see the transformation. Fresh paint and new lighting alone will make it seem like a brand new house.
We hope to start moving in next weekend and I can't wait to blog with some before and after pictures when I get some spare time-ha! Have I mentioned we've only packed one box?
Have a good weekend, y'all!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Walker update/house update
Walker had his swallow test yesterday at Brenner's Children's Hospital. It was a pretty simple test and he was a little champ. They basically just buckled him in a seat and x-rayed him as he took a bottle of pumped breast milk. The images showed that his milk is going to the right place and he is not aspirating at all. We are so thankful because it sounded like a swallowing dysfunction could be difficult to treat, mean all bottles (I'm still holding out hope that he will be able to nurse more regularly again), and last for at least a year.
Though we are very thankful for the good news we got yesterday, we are still hoping there is an answer to why our sweet boy is still having so much trouble with feedings. He almost never nurses anymore, which still makes me so sad. I miss the sweet bonding experience and quite frankly, I HATE pumping and am having a really hard time finding it possible to do so every couple of hours during the day. But for now I'm going to keep trying.
Walker's overall temperament is still getting better and he is much more content, even the witching hours are starting to improve. But feedings are still really inconsistent. Sometimes he takes a bottle with no problem but usually it's a fight to get it down and sometimes takes almost an hour. You can imagine how difficult that is with a two year old on my hands!
At Walker's well visit the doctor told us to increase the amount of rice cereal in his bottles substantially. The bottles seemed
to be going down a little better but within just a day or two he was constipated (I'm guessing from all the iron in the cereal) and screaming out with really bad gas. We have switched to oatmeal now and are hoping that gets better but haven't seemed to get the amount of oatmeal and correct bottle nipple size down pat for him. It's either flowing out too fast and he screams or it's too thick and he is ticked that he can't get it out. Ahhh! One day we will figure this out, surely! I'm not sure what the next steps are yet. We are probably going to give Prilosec a try, it's a third and final medicine option for reflux. We may be referred to a GI specialist as well.
Being at Brenner's yesterday was another reminder and perspective that this is such a minor issue. Though it's frustrating for Walker and for us, it's not anything life threatening and we are just so thankful for that.
Now for an update on the new house...we had to walk away last week while negotiating with the sellers over the inspection list regarding repairs. It was so nerve racking! Thankfully within a short time they came back to us with something acceptable. All major road blocks in that department are cleared now and we are scheduled to close next Friday! They are actually going to let us in on Tuesday (original closing date) to start cleaning and tearing down wall paper. We ordered our paint yesterday and the painter will start next week. It's starting to feel real and we are really getting excited. We still haven't packed one box and I've yet to find a minute to start. We are going to be relying a lot on family and friends to help and are so thankful for the time we know they are willing to spend helping us in this crazy time.
Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us. We know this crazy season of life is so brief in the grand scheme of things. God is more than good!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Though we are very thankful for the good news we got yesterday, we are still hoping there is an answer to why our sweet boy is still having so much trouble with feedings. He almost never nurses anymore, which still makes me so sad. I miss the sweet bonding experience and quite frankly, I HATE pumping and am having a really hard time finding it possible to do so every couple of hours during the day. But for now I'm going to keep trying.
Walker's overall temperament is still getting better and he is much more content, even the witching hours are starting to improve. But feedings are still really inconsistent. Sometimes he takes a bottle with no problem but usually it's a fight to get it down and sometimes takes almost an hour. You can imagine how difficult that is with a two year old on my hands!
At Walker's well visit the doctor told us to increase the amount of rice cereal in his bottles substantially. The bottles seemed
to be going down a little better but within just a day or two he was constipated (I'm guessing from all the iron in the cereal) and screaming out with really bad gas. We have switched to oatmeal now and are hoping that gets better but haven't seemed to get the amount of oatmeal and correct bottle nipple size down pat for him. It's either flowing out too fast and he screams or it's too thick and he is ticked that he can't get it out. Ahhh! One day we will figure this out, surely! I'm not sure what the next steps are yet. We are probably going to give Prilosec a try, it's a third and final medicine option for reflux. We may be referred to a GI specialist as well.
Being at Brenner's yesterday was another reminder and perspective that this is such a minor issue. Though it's frustrating for Walker and for us, it's not anything life threatening and we are just so thankful for that.
Now for an update on the new house...we had to walk away last week while negotiating with the sellers over the inspection list regarding repairs. It was so nerve racking! Thankfully within a short time they came back to us with something acceptable. All major road blocks in that department are cleared now and we are scheduled to close next Friday! They are actually going to let us in on Tuesday (original closing date) to start cleaning and tearing down wall paper. We ordered our paint yesterday and the painter will start next week. It's starting to feel real and we are really getting excited. We still haven't packed one box and I've yet to find a minute to start. We are going to be relying a lot on family and friends to help and are so thankful for the time we know they are willing to spend helping us in this crazy time.
Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us. We know this crazy season of life is so brief in the grand scheme of things. God is more than good!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Walker-Two months
Baby boy was two months old on Tuesday, the 29th. He had a pretty rough second month of life with lots of fussy days and a difficult time with feedings. His overall temperament has been much better the last two weeks and feedings have gotten better for the most part over the last week. We are finally getting more smiles and he is actually content to just sit in his bouncer or be on his play mat. He is getting mostly pumped bottles thickened with rice cereal to help with his reflux. My boy likes milkshakes-can you blame him? He has only been nursing once or twice a day and some days not even that much. It makes my heart so sad but I don't want to nurse him bad enough to make it painful for him and frustrating for the both of us. We went to the doctor yesterday for his two month well visit and growth stats. He had his first shots which resulted in the longest silent cry I've ever seen. It broke my Mommy heart! The doctor was pleased with his growth and we will check in after his swallowing test, which is scheduled for this Wednesday.
Now more about our chunky monkey at two months...
weighs 13 pounds, 8 ounces (75th %tile). Gray was 12.1 at two months.
is 23 and a half inches long-up two and a half inches since birth! (70th %tile). Gray was 24 inches at two months.
has a head measurement of 40.4 centimeters (84th %tile)
wears size 3 month clothes and size 2 diapers
still sleeps swaddled at night and for most long naps if we are home
takes two long naps a day, usually in his swing and sometimes a third one or either lots of dosing in the late afternoons/early evenings
is starting to give us more consistent 5-6 hour stretches at night (praise the Lord!!!). He usually goes down for the night around 9:30 or 10:00 and on a good night sleeps until 3:00 or 4:00 and goes back to sleep until 7:00/7:30. We had hoped he would be sleeping consistently in his crib by this point but will only sleep in an upright position and until we get his reflux or whatever else is going on under control we aren't pushing the crib. My friend Meredith let us borrow her rock n play and he sleeps in that at night.
takes four ounces with rice cereal in his bottles
is on 3mL of Prevacid twice a day for reflux
smiles at Mommy and Daddy's voices and if we touch his nose and lips. He smiled at Gray for the first time this week and I don't know who was happier, Mommy or big brother! :)
loves lights, ceiling fans and his mobile
is getting better about being a content car rider (PTL again!!)
loves the bath
loves tummy time and even falls asleep on his tummy sometimes
I really think we are going to have a very happy and content baby once we can get these feedings figured out.
I don't think they look alike here, but we've been seeing a lot more of Gray in Walker as he gets older. Both are just so handsome and perfect and we are so blessed.
I''ll post next week with results from Walker's swallowing test and an update on the new house.
Now more about our chunky monkey at two months...
weighs 13 pounds, 8 ounces (75th %tile). Gray was 12.1 at two months.
is 23 and a half inches long-up two and a half inches since birth! (70th %tile). Gray was 24 inches at two months.
has a head measurement of 40.4 centimeters (84th %tile)
wears size 3 month clothes and size 2 diapers
still sleeps swaddled at night and for most long naps if we are home
takes two long naps a day, usually in his swing and sometimes a third one or either lots of dosing in the late afternoons/early evenings
is starting to give us more consistent 5-6 hour stretches at night (praise the Lord!!!). He usually goes down for the night around 9:30 or 10:00 and on a good night sleeps until 3:00 or 4:00 and goes back to sleep until 7:00/7:30. We had hoped he would be sleeping consistently in his crib by this point but will only sleep in an upright position and until we get his reflux or whatever else is going on under control we aren't pushing the crib. My friend Meredith let us borrow her rock n play and he sleeps in that at night.
takes four ounces with rice cereal in his bottles
is on 3mL of Prevacid twice a day for reflux
smiles at Mommy and Daddy's voices and if we touch his nose and lips. He smiled at Gray for the first time this week and I don't know who was happier, Mommy or big brother! :)
loves lights, ceiling fans and his mobile
is getting better about being a content car rider (PTL again!!)
loves the bath
loves tummy time and even falls asleep on his tummy sometimes
I really think we are going to have a very happy and content baby once we can get these feedings figured out.
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| Bustin out of these 3 months jeans |
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| Gray 2 months/Walker 2 months |
Saturday, July 26, 2014
An update on life
I hope this post comes across more as "keeping it real" than being negative. Life has been a little crazy lately. All of the details with the house have been pretty stressful and time consuming, Paul has been gone a lot with soccer and we've had a rough few weeks with Walker.
As far as the house goes...we got our inspection report on Thursday night and it's 38 pages. There are over 60 items on there but the inspector was extremely thorough and many of the things are little and either don't need to be fixed or Paul can fix them. We really weren't surprised with the lengthy list knowing it's an older house. My friend Renna's dad is a builder and is meeting us out there today to give us his opinion on what things need to be fixed asap and give us an estimate a few things we want done that Paul can't do himself. We have to give a list of things we want fixed to the seller by tonight. We only have three days left in our due diligence period, which allows us to back out of the house without losing any money. We sure hope the negotiation regarding the inspection list doesn't cause us to have to walk away. After we settle up with that the appraisal will be ordered. It's not looking like we will be able close on August 12th but we hopefully it won't be too long after that. We will have the house painted and a few other things done before we even move in. We still don't have any serious bites on our house as far as a buyer but we have a few options as renters whenever we give the "go ahead" for that. We haven't packed one single box and I really have no idea when or how that will happen.
Soccer season is in full swing and Paul has been gone a lot. Thank the good Lord my mom or Gram have been able to come in the evenings to help me out during the rough witching hours. Walker usually cries from 5:00-9:00/10:00 every night which makes dinner, bath and bed with Gray a nightmare if I'm doing it solo. Daddy has a slow week this week and then no more down time until November and he will be gone overnight three nights again next week.
We went to the beach for four nights last week. Minus feeding Walker was great and Gray had so much fun. Maybe one of these days in my spare time (ha!) I'll post about our little vacay.
It's been a rough few weeks with Walker. He has a few good days here and there but has overall been very fussy. He is rarely awake and happy but thankfully sleeps good during the day. Nights have been so inconsistent; one night he gives us a six hour stretch and the next he's up every two-three hours. He switched to Prevacid for his reflux there weeks ago. Within a week we could tell a huge difference but shortly after took a turn for the worse. There were five days in a row that he screamed through every. single. feeding! It's pitiful and also very frustrating for both of us. Our pediatrician told us to add rice cereal to his bottles because thicker milk usually goes down better for reflux babies. It definitely helps so we've been giving a lot of bottles. Walker is also scheduled for a swallowing test at Brenner's next week because his doctor thinks there might be more going on. If he does have a swallowing dysfunction I will most likely have to exclusively pump. It makes me sad to think about not being able to nurse him and I'm really not sure how I'll find the time to pump for every bottle. I reckon we will cross that bridge when we get there. He has nursed pretty well the past few days so maybe, just maybe, things will start to get better for good. Our sweet chunky boy is two months old today but goes for his well visit on Friday so I will post after that.
Until then I'm off to soak in some time with all three of my boys!
As far as the house goes...we got our inspection report on Thursday night and it's 38 pages. There are over 60 items on there but the inspector was extremely thorough and many of the things are little and either don't need to be fixed or Paul can fix them. We really weren't surprised with the lengthy list knowing it's an older house. My friend Renna's dad is a builder and is meeting us out there today to give us his opinion on what things need to be fixed asap and give us an estimate a few things we want done that Paul can't do himself. We have to give a list of things we want fixed to the seller by tonight. We only have three days left in our due diligence period, which allows us to back out of the house without losing any money. We sure hope the negotiation regarding the inspection list doesn't cause us to have to walk away. After we settle up with that the appraisal will be ordered. It's not looking like we will be able close on August 12th but we hopefully it won't be too long after that. We will have the house painted and a few other things done before we even move in. We still don't have any serious bites on our house as far as a buyer but we have a few options as renters whenever we give the "go ahead" for that. We haven't packed one single box and I really have no idea when or how that will happen.
Soccer season is in full swing and Paul has been gone a lot. Thank the good Lord my mom or Gram have been able to come in the evenings to help me out during the rough witching hours. Walker usually cries from 5:00-9:00/10:00 every night which makes dinner, bath and bed with Gray a nightmare if I'm doing it solo. Daddy has a slow week this week and then no more down time until November and he will be gone overnight three nights again next week.
We went to the beach for four nights last week. Minus feeding Walker was great and Gray had so much fun. Maybe one of these days in my spare time (ha!) I'll post about our little vacay.
It's been a rough few weeks with Walker. He has a few good days here and there but has overall been very fussy. He is rarely awake and happy but thankfully sleeps good during the day. Nights have been so inconsistent; one night he gives us a six hour stretch and the next he's up every two-three hours. He switched to Prevacid for his reflux there weeks ago. Within a week we could tell a huge difference but shortly after took a turn for the worse. There were five days in a row that he screamed through every. single. feeding! It's pitiful and also very frustrating for both of us. Our pediatrician told us to add rice cereal to his bottles because thicker milk usually goes down better for reflux babies. It definitely helps so we've been giving a lot of bottles. Walker is also scheduled for a swallowing test at Brenner's next week because his doctor thinks there might be more going on. If he does have a swallowing dysfunction I will most likely have to exclusively pump. It makes me sad to think about not being able to nurse him and I'm really not sure how I'll find the time to pump for every bottle. I reckon we will cross that bridge when we get there. He has nursed pretty well the past few days so maybe, just maybe, things will start to get better for good. Our sweet chunky boy is two months old today but goes for his well visit on Friday so I will post after that.
Until then I'm off to soak in some time with all three of my boys!
Monday, July 14, 2014
Big news for the Hicksters!
Surely you didn't think that meant we were announcing that number three was on the way! ;)
After waiting several years our time has finally come to buy a house! We've had Paul's townhouse on the market five and a half years now and have been living here waiting for it to sell for three and a half. We've been praying that whole time for God to sell it or tell us it was ok to rent it and move on. I can't tell you how many times we've heard "God's timing is perfect" and we know it to be true but at the same time struggled with that reality a lot of days. We've watched countless friends and family members sell their homes and move on, often making us wonder "why not us?". But we remained faithful because we knew He is faithful. We have questioned the long timing so much. Was there something we were doing wrong in God's eyes? About a year or so ago we both finally felt like we knew the reason-God had something better for us than we could imagine and it (the house) just wasn't ready yet.
Fast forward a year. A little over a month ago we met with our realtor to discuss some strategies for our home. Unfortunately the condo and townhouse market hasn't seen much improvement and especially our neighborhood. There is foreclosure after foreclosure and it's hard to compete with that. We are priced to sell and have been for years but we still can't compete with a foreclosure. Our feedback from showings is almost always something like this, "beautiful, clean and well kept townhouse, best one in the neighborhood. Buyers have decided to buy a single family home for the same price/buyers have found a foreclosure with more square feet for ten-twenty thousand less." It's been so frustrating because we can't change those things. We've put quite a bit of money into our house over the years doing upgrades so ours would stand out amongst the many others, but it still hasn't been enough.
So we talked about some promotions and things we could offer to spark more interested buyers online. And then she brought up renting, something we had never even let our other realtors talk to us about because we knew it wasn't even an option. This time we both felt different. We heard her out, talked for over an hour about the pros and cons, got a lot of information and told her we would pray about it. We have come to the realization that with where the market is, we could easily be here another five years and at some point (for us it would be when God told us it was ok) we want to move on and be in a house a little better suited for raising a family-especially one of two boys!
After talking and praying about it over the next week, Paul and I both felt like God was telling us it was ok to move on. We told our realtor we wanted to make a big push for the rest of June and July to sell but if it didn't by then we would try the renting route. Several realtors and other people in the related business have told us we would have no problems renting our place. Of course there are risks involved and with where we are financially, those risks are scary. But after waiting for over five years, we have to trust that God will take care of us. If we have to rent, we will be able to make a little money each month to save up to make our mortgage payment if we don't have a renter for a month or two and/or for carpet cleaning, repairs, etc. It's not enough to consider an investment but we shouldn't lose any money as long as we can keep a renter and that is all we cared about. We have an interested buyer right now who says our house is in their top two so we are praying hard for an acceptable offer from her or someone else in the next several weeks. Of course the best case scenario is to sell.
Now on to the fun part...
Once we told our realtor we were ok going the renting route if our house didn't sell, she told us that we needed to start looking for a house because we would have a renter as soon as we marketed it that way. We began to wonder if there even would be a house we would be interested in that was in our price range. We looked at a lot of houses online and when we saw one we might be interested in, we drove out to see it to decide if it was worth a showing with our realtor. We toted up the boys one Sunday afternoon and went to look at a house in that sparked our interest online. The house was vacant so we peeked in all the windows and walked around the yard for a while. When we left I told Paul "this is the one!" We got a showing the next day with our realtor, went back again that Wednesday and made an offer on Thursday. After a long eight days of negotiating back and forth with the sellers our offer was accepted and we were under contract by the following Friday evening. More about the house...it's an old house, built in the 50s so there are A LOT of home improvement and renovations in our future, which we are actually looking forward to. The house is in an awesome location in Clemmons. There are three bedrooms, two of which are pretty small but big enough for boys and two full baths, which are first on our big list of projects (try to picture lavender tile, maroon counter tops and flowers painted INSIDE of the sink, just to name a few). There is a large, beautiful sunroom added on to the back of the house off of the kitchen. And the best parts-a finished basement and a big, fenced in backyard for our boys to play in. I will share more details and pictures of the house sometime soon and I'm sure there will be many before and after blog posts once we move in and start on some projects.
We are so very excited! Excited to have more space, excited to have all main living space on the one level, excited for a basement playroom and a backyard for our boys to run and play in, excited for something that feels like HOME, especially excited to be done with showings and the stress, headache and disappointment that comes along with it. I really could go on and on and on :)
We are scheduled to close on August 12th but our lender and realtor have both said it probably won't be able to happen that soon for several reasons. The timing of this all this is so crazy-Paul will be right in the middle of his busiest time with soccer, not to mention we have a six week old. BUT, if God waited this long for it to be our time then we know He will get us through the craziness of it. We are so excited and can't wait to share more soon.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
After waiting several years our time has finally come to buy a house! We've had Paul's townhouse on the market five and a half years now and have been living here waiting for it to sell for three and a half. We've been praying that whole time for God to sell it or tell us it was ok to rent it and move on. I can't tell you how many times we've heard "God's timing is perfect" and we know it to be true but at the same time struggled with that reality a lot of days. We've watched countless friends and family members sell their homes and move on, often making us wonder "why not us?". But we remained faithful because we knew He is faithful. We have questioned the long timing so much. Was there something we were doing wrong in God's eyes? About a year or so ago we both finally felt like we knew the reason-God had something better for us than we could imagine and it (the house) just wasn't ready yet.
Fast forward a year. A little over a month ago we met with our realtor to discuss some strategies for our home. Unfortunately the condo and townhouse market hasn't seen much improvement and especially our neighborhood. There is foreclosure after foreclosure and it's hard to compete with that. We are priced to sell and have been for years but we still can't compete with a foreclosure. Our feedback from showings is almost always something like this, "beautiful, clean and well kept townhouse, best one in the neighborhood. Buyers have decided to buy a single family home for the same price/buyers have found a foreclosure with more square feet for ten-twenty thousand less." It's been so frustrating because we can't change those things. We've put quite a bit of money into our house over the years doing upgrades so ours would stand out amongst the many others, but it still hasn't been enough.
So we talked about some promotions and things we could offer to spark more interested buyers online. And then she brought up renting, something we had never even let our other realtors talk to us about because we knew it wasn't even an option. This time we both felt different. We heard her out, talked for over an hour about the pros and cons, got a lot of information and told her we would pray about it. We have come to the realization that with where the market is, we could easily be here another five years and at some point (for us it would be when God told us it was ok) we want to move on and be in a house a little better suited for raising a family-especially one of two boys!
After talking and praying about it over the next week, Paul and I both felt like God was telling us it was ok to move on. We told our realtor we wanted to make a big push for the rest of June and July to sell but if it didn't by then we would try the renting route. Several realtors and other people in the related business have told us we would have no problems renting our place. Of course there are risks involved and with where we are financially, those risks are scary. But after waiting for over five years, we have to trust that God will take care of us. If we have to rent, we will be able to make a little money each month to save up to make our mortgage payment if we don't have a renter for a month or two and/or for carpet cleaning, repairs, etc. It's not enough to consider an investment but we shouldn't lose any money as long as we can keep a renter and that is all we cared about. We have an interested buyer right now who says our house is in their top two so we are praying hard for an acceptable offer from her or someone else in the next several weeks. Of course the best case scenario is to sell.
Now on to the fun part...
Once we told our realtor we were ok going the renting route if our house didn't sell, she told us that we needed to start looking for a house because we would have a renter as soon as we marketed it that way. We began to wonder if there even would be a house we would be interested in that was in our price range. We looked at a lot of houses online and when we saw one we might be interested in, we drove out to see it to decide if it was worth a showing with our realtor. We toted up the boys one Sunday afternoon and went to look at a house in that sparked our interest online. The house was vacant so we peeked in all the windows and walked around the yard for a while. When we left I told Paul "this is the one!" We got a showing the next day with our realtor, went back again that Wednesday and made an offer on Thursday. After a long eight days of negotiating back and forth with the sellers our offer was accepted and we were under contract by the following Friday evening. More about the house...it's an old house, built in the 50s so there are A LOT of home improvement and renovations in our future, which we are actually looking forward to. The house is in an awesome location in Clemmons. There are three bedrooms, two of which are pretty small but big enough for boys and two full baths, which are first on our big list of projects (try to picture lavender tile, maroon counter tops and flowers painted INSIDE of the sink, just to name a few). There is a large, beautiful sunroom added on to the back of the house off of the kitchen. And the best parts-a finished basement and a big, fenced in backyard for our boys to play in. I will share more details and pictures of the house sometime soon and I'm sure there will be many before and after blog posts once we move in and start on some projects.
We are so very excited! Excited to have more space, excited to have all main living space on the one level, excited for a basement playroom and a backyard for our boys to run and play in, excited for something that feels like HOME, especially excited to be done with showings and the stress, headache and disappointment that comes along with it. I really could go on and on and on :)
We are scheduled to close on August 12th but our lender and realtor have both said it probably won't be able to happen that soon for several reasons. The timing of this all this is so crazy-Paul will be right in the middle of his busiest time with soccer, not to mention we have a six week old. BUT, if God waited this long for it to be our time then we know He will get us through the craziness of it. We are so excited and can't wait to share more soon.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, July 4, 2014
Walker-One month
Our sweet Walker was one month old on Sunday. In a way the first month has flown by and then again it seems like forever ago that we were in the hospital.
Here are a few tidbits about Walker man at one month...
Weighs 10 pounds, 12 ounces (on 6/26)-80th percentile.
Is 22 inches long-80th percentile
Wears size one diapers and 0-3 month clothes.
Has acid reflux and takes Zantac twice a day. We have seen some improvement with this but still having quite a bit of screaming out in pain due to gas pains and/or when he is having a bowl movement and some difficult nursing sessions due to the reflux. I am still dairy free along with avoiding anything spicy and recently cut out tomatoes and really acidic fruits. Pretty soon I'll be living off of bread and water ;) But I'll do whatever it takes to keep our boy out of pain and the screaming to a minimal!
Loves to be swaddled. We try to leave him out of his swaddle for one or two naps a day but he won't stay asleep long without it.
Nurses every 2-4 hours during the day. When getting a pumped bottle he takes 4 ounces.
Nights are inconsistent. He will have several good nights in a row with 3-5 hour stretches and then some bad nights here and there two where he is up a lot and even if he isn't eating seems to be awake and fussy. Last night he had a five and a half hour stretch but that was after two really rough nights that just about led me to the crazy house.
Naps in his swing most of the time, sleeps in his bouncy seat at night unless things are rough and we come downstairs to the swing. We've started trying to put him in his crib some during the day in hopes that the transition to his bed can happen soon and be a smooth one.
Usually loves tummy time
Notices lights and ceiling fans
Doesn't like the car...big sad face here!
In general his mood is pretty fussy when he's awake. We definitely don't have one of those "only cries when he's hungry" babies, but hoping that is better by next month's post!
They are both perfect in their own special way but I love comparing pictures and stats of our two boys. Walker weighed 6 ounces more than Gray and birth but was a half inch shorter. At one month, Gray weighed 9 pounds, 12 ounces and Walker weighed 10 pounds, 12 ounces. Both grew a half inch in their first month of life-Gray was 22.5 inches, Walker was 22 inches. Sometimes we think Walker looks a lot like Gray but most of the time we think he looks a lot different and even more so the older he gets. Here's a comparison of them at one month...
 |
| I think he looks pretty similar to Gray here. |
 |
| And nothing like Gray here. |
 |
| Being one month old sure is exhausting! |
Weighs 10 pounds, 12 ounces (on 6/26)-80th percentile.
Is 22 inches long-80th percentile
Wears size one diapers and 0-3 month clothes.
Has acid reflux and takes Zantac twice a day. We have seen some improvement with this but still having quite a bit of screaming out in pain due to gas pains and/or when he is having a bowl movement and some difficult nursing sessions due to the reflux. I am still dairy free along with avoiding anything spicy and recently cut out tomatoes and really acidic fruits. Pretty soon I'll be living off of bread and water ;) But I'll do whatever it takes to keep our boy out of pain and the screaming to a minimal!
Loves to be swaddled. We try to leave him out of his swaddle for one or two naps a day but he won't stay asleep long without it.
Nurses every 2-4 hours during the day. When getting a pumped bottle he takes 4 ounces.
Nights are inconsistent. He will have several good nights in a row with 3-5 hour stretches and then some bad nights here and there two where he is up a lot and even if he isn't eating seems to be awake and fussy. Last night he had a five and a half hour stretch but that was after two really rough nights that just about led me to the crazy house.
Naps in his swing most of the time, sleeps in his bouncy seat at night unless things are rough and we come downstairs to the swing. We've started trying to put him in his crib some during the day in hopes that the transition to his bed can happen soon and be a smooth one.
Usually loves tummy time
Notices lights and ceiling fans
Doesn't like the car...big sad face here!
In general his mood is pretty fussy when he's awake. We definitely don't have one of those "only cries when he's hungry" babies, but hoping that is better by next month's post!
They are both perfect in their own special way but I love comparing pictures and stats of our two boys. Walker weighed 6 ounces more than Gray and birth but was a half inch shorter. At one month, Gray weighed 9 pounds, 12 ounces and Walker weighed 10 pounds, 12 ounces. Both grew a half inch in their first month of life-Gray was 22.5 inches, Walker was 22 inches. Sometimes we think Walker looks a lot like Gray but most of the time we think he looks a lot different and even more so the older he gets. Here's a comparison of them at one month...
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Life with two
We've been parents of two for almost four weeks now. Of course we are in love with our new addition to the family and our hearts seem like they couldn't be fuller. But it's also been crazy, hectic, busy, exhausting and at times frustrating. Paul had enough days built up to take off the rest of the school year so except for a few meetings here and there, he has been home with us this whole time so far.
The first week and a half was crazy in the sense of just adjusting to life with a newborn again and just life with two in general. Other than a few really fussy episodes, Walker pretty much slept for almost two weeks. Those really fussy episodes let me to cutting out dairy again but we saw improvement and started to think we'd "lucked out" with a really easy, laid back baby. And then he woke up from the newborn sleep all day, all night phase. He started having terrible gas pains and seemed more fussy by the day. At Gray's two year well check we talked to Dr. Bill about it and he explained that around his age, babies were having to learn to make themselves have a bowl movement, rather than it just happening out of their control. He said that was probably why he was being so fussy and that as he got more used to it, it would hopefully get better. Within a week we were calling the doctor again, just to see if there was anything else we could do for him because it had only gotten worse. When he was having gas or trying to poop, he screamed bloody murder in pain. It would sometimes last a minute, sometimes he would scream off and on for an hour. We felt like we were headed down an all too familiar route and I prayed so hard we would never hear the word "colic" again. The nurse recommended we give gas drops before he ate (we'd been giving them when he got fussy, which was too late) and start giving him gripe water before feedings. We tried those things and then some with Gray and had no luck, so I wasn't very optimistic. But within just a day or two things seemed a little better, at least as far as the gas pains were concerned. I'm not sure if he is just getting more used to it or if the gas drops and gripe water are working but we aren't ready to change anything to find out!
Things have still been better with his gas pains but last week I was noticing a different kind of fussy, mostly when he was nursing. This was stressful because he'd been a great nurser since day one. On Saturday we had family over to finally celebrate Gray's birthday. In the midst of presents and cake, Walker let me know he was ready to eat. I decided to give him a pumped bottle so I wouldn't have to go upstairs and miss anything with Gray. He refused the bottle and was screaming his head off so I went upstairs to nurse him and he completely refused that too, all the while screaming to the top of his lungs. It was stressful and bad timing and I just wanted to cry. At that point, along with some other symptoms we'd noticed over the past several days, I was pretty sure he had reflux. We got an appointment for Sunday morning and our suspensions were confirmed. I was so glad that Dr. Bill happened to be the on-call doctor that day and we left with a diagnosis of reflux and a prescription for Zantac. Thankfully Walker doesn't seem to have a super serious case and he doesn't (yet anyway) spit up like a lot of babies with reflux. In fact, despite his refusal to eat the evening before and having some other challenging feedings, he weighed 10 pounds, 6 ounces on Sunday. That's one ounce away from gaining two pounds in just a little over three weeks of life! We are hoping the Zantac will bring some relief to our sweet boy soon.
On a more positive note, Gray has adjusted pretty well to having a new brother. He had a few major meltdowns within the first few days and has overall been a little more whiny and needy, but he has been nothing but sweet to Walker and there have been very few times that he has seemed to be jealous. He hasn't seemed to be bothered at all by Walker's crying and/or screaming. In fact, every time he cries Gray runs to find him a paci or a blanky or a stuffed animal-it's so sweet!
Paul starts summer work outs with his soccer team today and he will be very busy and gone a lot for most of the summer. When school starts back he will be gone all day and won't get home until late every night. I am thankful for the time we had over the last several weeks and especially for how helpful he is when he's home. I'm not gonna lie, it's a little scary to think about tackling the next few months practically by myself. I am praying and hoping Walker gets less fussy and I can get back on a routine with my boys. Since we've been down this road once before, I know it gets easier and goes by fast. So even in the midst of the fussin, I'm trying to soak up these moments that I know one day I'd give anything to have back.
Walker will be one month on Sunday so hopefully a post about that will be coming soon!
The first week and a half was crazy in the sense of just adjusting to life with a newborn again and just life with two in general. Other than a few really fussy episodes, Walker pretty much slept for almost two weeks. Those really fussy episodes let me to cutting out dairy again but we saw improvement and started to think we'd "lucked out" with a really easy, laid back baby. And then he woke up from the newborn sleep all day, all night phase. He started having terrible gas pains and seemed more fussy by the day. At Gray's two year well check we talked to Dr. Bill about it and he explained that around his age, babies were having to learn to make themselves have a bowl movement, rather than it just happening out of their control. He said that was probably why he was being so fussy and that as he got more used to it, it would hopefully get better. Within a week we were calling the doctor again, just to see if there was anything else we could do for him because it had only gotten worse. When he was having gas or trying to poop, he screamed bloody murder in pain. It would sometimes last a minute, sometimes he would scream off and on for an hour. We felt like we were headed down an all too familiar route and I prayed so hard we would never hear the word "colic" again. The nurse recommended we give gas drops before he ate (we'd been giving them when he got fussy, which was too late) and start giving him gripe water before feedings. We tried those things and then some with Gray and had no luck, so I wasn't very optimistic. But within just a day or two things seemed a little better, at least as far as the gas pains were concerned. I'm not sure if he is just getting more used to it or if the gas drops and gripe water are working but we aren't ready to change anything to find out!
Things have still been better with his gas pains but last week I was noticing a different kind of fussy, mostly when he was nursing. This was stressful because he'd been a great nurser since day one. On Saturday we had family over to finally celebrate Gray's birthday. In the midst of presents and cake, Walker let me know he was ready to eat. I decided to give him a pumped bottle so I wouldn't have to go upstairs and miss anything with Gray. He refused the bottle and was screaming his head off so I went upstairs to nurse him and he completely refused that too, all the while screaming to the top of his lungs. It was stressful and bad timing and I just wanted to cry. At that point, along with some other symptoms we'd noticed over the past several days, I was pretty sure he had reflux. We got an appointment for Sunday morning and our suspensions were confirmed. I was so glad that Dr. Bill happened to be the on-call doctor that day and we left with a diagnosis of reflux and a prescription for Zantac. Thankfully Walker doesn't seem to have a super serious case and he doesn't (yet anyway) spit up like a lot of babies with reflux. In fact, despite his refusal to eat the evening before and having some other challenging feedings, he weighed 10 pounds, 6 ounces on Sunday. That's one ounce away from gaining two pounds in just a little over three weeks of life! We are hoping the Zantac will bring some relief to our sweet boy soon.
On a more positive note, Gray has adjusted pretty well to having a new brother. He had a few major meltdowns within the first few days and has overall been a little more whiny and needy, but he has been nothing but sweet to Walker and there have been very few times that he has seemed to be jealous. He hasn't seemed to be bothered at all by Walker's crying and/or screaming. In fact, every time he cries Gray runs to find him a paci or a blanky or a stuffed animal-it's so sweet!
Paul starts summer work outs with his soccer team today and he will be very busy and gone a lot for most of the summer. When school starts back he will be gone all day and won't get home until late every night. I am thankful for the time we had over the last several weeks and especially for how helpful he is when he's home. I'm not gonna lie, it's a little scary to think about tackling the next few months practically by myself. I am praying and hoping Walker gets less fussy and I can get back on a routine with my boys. Since we've been down this road once before, I know it gets easier and goes by fast. So even in the midst of the fussin, I'm trying to soak up these moments that I know one day I'd give anything to have back.
Walker will be one month on Sunday so hopefully a post about that will be coming soon!
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