Life Update

It's been a long time...I shouldn't have left you...without a dope beat to step to.
Okay, enough of my singing.  We've had a lot going on at the Haylett household over the past few months and blogging just really wasn't at the top of the list.  What, with chasing around a one year old and all.  One!? One year old.  Yup!  Aaron has turned 1 and is quickly moving into 13 months old!  He's walking as he feels so inclined, so nothing consistent.  Why walk when crawling gets you there SOOO much faster?
A is a big boy.  Not "BIG" but tall with a big head.  He's 31 1/2 inches tall (90%), 23 1/2 pounds (50%), and a BIG head.  I don't remember the measurement specifically but I remember it being in the 95th percentile.  Whew!  Glad that wasn't the case at birth!  (sorry for that)
Here's some fun Aaron facts:
-loves buttons, particularly pushing them (both literally and figuratively)
-points at everything, all day, wanting us to name them
-said 'kee' for tree over the holiday
-points at different pictures in books and makes noise 'guh'
-loves books, especially touch/feel books - He picked one up and brought it to me the other day and we read for 10 minutes.  This is amazing because he DOES NOT SIT DOWN!  :)  So cute!
-loves stuffed animals, particularly his puppy (we so need to find a replacement as I fear puppy will need a washing some day in the near future)
-when he likes something, will say 'ooooh' and/or jabber at it (such as holiday lights or something shiny)
-sleeps like a champ (hope I didn't jinx us), he's been going to be around 7:30 and we wake him up at 6:30 to get ready for daycare (sorry to my friends suffering from sleepless nights)
-loves people watching
-does not like jack-in-the-box or getting scared
-eats like a teenager
-loves fruit (especially pears)
-loves loves loves anything bread related (toast, sandwiches, pancakes, cornbread, waffles, you name it, he will eat bread)
-walks, when he wants to, where he wants to, and no, there is nothing we can do about it.
-wobbles as he walks-A's balance isn't the greatest, which is likely a developmental thing, but may be related to fluid behind his ears.  We're keeping an eye on it...

Here I will leave you with a little photo of my bitty gnome.  Hat is handmade by me, coat a gift from Aunt Jacque, location Botanical Center in Des Moines.  Photo taken by Stephanie Doll.

Crochet School & Baby Calder

I'm learning how to crochet.  I think that makes me old, but it's so rewarding!  You can see your progress right in front of you AND you get something when you are done!  I'm using Crafty Minx, who is a great teacher with her videos and explanations.
I'm looking forward to making a blanket in particular and plan to sell it or auction it off to help raise funds for my friend's baby, Calder.  Click his name if you can donate to their fundraising for his heart transplant!  Also there is a Scentsy party where all profits are being donated to Calder, Becky and Zac.  Donate to that HERE.  Also, you can eat at Buffalo Wild Wings on Merle Hay on the 19th of October, 2011.  Let them know that you are with Baby Calder and 10% of your bill goes towards the Seabrooke family.
I just can't even imagine the thoughts and feelings I would be having if my newborn infant suffered heart damage and needed a transplant.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers that everything will be successful and Calder will recover safely, as well as Zac and Becky will not be burdened by the financial weight of this challenge.  Thanks everyone for your thoughts and support!

10 Months OLD?

Crazy!  Time has flown by and it's all been amazing and challenging!  Aaron is busy bustling around the house via crawling, cruising, and walking with a walker.  We had 9 month photos taken by Stephanie Doll Photography.  She does an amazing job catching Aaron "in the moment" and really captures his personality each session!  I can't believe we have only one more left in our package!  It's really almost been a year already!  Here are some of my favorites from the day, but to be honest, it was hard to choose just three!
I thought for sure by now I'd feel like I had some sense of balance back in my life.  Well...that has NOT happened.  I'm still working out how to even have time for myself - to work out, create crafty stuff, bake, etc.  I have to take time off of work just to get my car worked on, a hair cut, or to get groceries.  That is CRAZY!  I'm hoping to figure out how to afford to work a little less to get a little time in for me. Yes, even grocery shopping alone is considered "me" time now.  Ben and I don't get much "us" time either.  We need to work on that.  It's hard to leave but it's nice to get a break as well.
We are gearing up for Halloween.  We have visited two pumpkin patches, taken photos with pumpkins, made some Halloween-y crafts and are ready for the candy!  Okay, Ben and I are ready for candy.  We hope to get out and trick-or-treat with some friends and their kids.  Will post pictures soon!  Okay, that's all for now!  Hope you enjoyed the photos as much as we do!

Daily Grind

So with the arrival of new teeth, Aaron has begun to grind them together, making an awful awful noise.  In addition, he's learned that he can grab his head, ears, etc, making us very aware that he's got some aching related to teething.  Poor kiddo!  Despite this, he really doesn't act like he is in pain and plays contentedly most of the time.  Someday I'll try to snap a photo of those chompers but he's so protective of his mouth, I can hardly get in there to "brush."  We have 9 month photos this weekend before we head over to Gramma Connie's and Ben and I get an evening out!!  Gramma might be more excited than we are!  Look for 9 month photos soon!

Much delayed update

Whew!  It has been busy!  I've discovered Pinterest and it is a great way to let other's scour the internet for great ideas and then "pin" them to the virtual board for future use.  A great way to keep track of things you want to do or try!  Anyway, here's where we are at:
Eating some table food (still nothing with milk).
Always interested in whatever everyone else is eating.
Crawling on hands and knees more consistently.
"Cruising" minimally along furniture.
Babbling with multiple syllables ALL THE TIME.
Seems to prefer "momm, momm, momm," especially when he's upset.
Trying to really "figure out" his toys and things.
Pouts and cries when told "no" or otherwise gets in trouble.
Shakes his head when you say no, no, no.
Sleeping 11 hours straight.
Has 7, going on 10, teeth.
Pulls up on furniture.
Follows us around the house (into the kitchen, bathroom - okay, that's about all the bigger our house it but he really does follow us everywhere)
Naps like a champ!
LOVES daycare and smiles and babbles as we walk in each day.
Tried the swing at the park a few times.  He likes it for a little while.
Sucks down juice likes it's going out of style.
Feeds himself finger foods.
Getting more picky about what he wants to eat.
LOVES bath time and splashing everyone and everything within a 6 foot radius.
Starting to learn to wave bye-bye
Is a technology junky, making a bee-line for cell phones, lap tops, and tv receivers
We have successfully eliminated 2 bottles and moved to sippy cups!

That's all I can come up with for now.  We'll give an update again probably in another three months, when we get time!

Now what?

Okay...I think Aaron has tried all of the "1st Foods."  Short of mixing them now...where do I go next?  I can't believe we've made it through the 1st foods already!  I just noticed that next week, Aaron will be 7 month old.  I feel like I just posted about him turning 6 months old.  I don't realize how fast time is going until I realize, usually at work, that it's the end of the month, again!
One thing that is "up and coming," a TOOTH!  Maybe two!  Definitely could tell it was bothering him tonight as he kept rubbing and tugging at his ears and jaw.  Poor kiddo.  Last night he was in bed by 7:30 and slept almost 11 hours without a peep.  Tonight he was in bed by 7:45.  I feel like just the other day, he started rolling over!  Now he's sitting almost independently with a few crashes, chewing his food/puree, cutting a tooth, playing peek-a-boo, hide and seek with daddy, and babbling da-ba-ga-la.  Whew, and all that is within the last month, maybe even two weeks.  Friends say it goes fast...  I had no idea it would go this fast and I would already be forgetting when Aaron first slept through the night.  After thinking, I did remember (thanks Laura).  All we seem to think and talk about is Aaron...when he poo'd, when he ate, when he spit up, when he slept, the time he giggled and giggled and giggled, baths, story time, snuggling.  While it is different from our "old life" we've settled into a groove and I am enjoying every minute.  We will be getting some one on one time for ourselves in July for Ben's birthday.  I'm excited for that but nervous all at once.  New daycare has really helped me relax about who takes care of Aaron, but we are having grandma come up and stay with him for the night.  The following week, aunt Jess and my parents are coming up to watch him while we go to a wedding of a college friend.
Wow...this blog is pretty lame.  Sorry.  I'm too lazy to delete it.  I apologize for the time you may have wasted reading it.

Half Birthday!?

Yes...Aaron celebrated his half birthday last week.  I have managed to keep a child alive and healthy, who knew, for six entire months.  I'm starting to feel like Aaron has been a part of our life for years, though I still remember what it was like to go out to dinner, visit friends, and family without packing an entire extra wardrobe; toys, bibs, burp cloths, clothes, and all.  Speaking of toys, I just HAD to go out and get Aaron a couple of 1/2 birthday presents...of course!  He got a little snail that rolls when he pushes it, plays a couple of songs and has a mirror to look into.  He digs it, but I think he'll like it more in a few weeks when he can push it while sitting.  I also got him a vtech book that has nursery rhymes and three pages.  Grandma and Grandpa "Flash" have one and he loved it when we visited in Nashville.  This thing is a life saver.  I actually only get it out when NOTHING else helps...especially long car trips.  Over the past weekend, we travelled back to NW Iowa to visit family, the long way to avoid the flooded stretch of I-29, unfortunately. The "long way" is only 20 minutes longer than the "short way" but Aaron has decided to sleep less and less on car rides and fuss more and more.  Can't blame the kid...I don't like being cooped up in the car either, not being able to roll around and stretch out and stuff.  I think our plan will be to keep traveling as often as we can afford and desire to keep him used to car trips.  With family more than 2 hours away in either direction, we are going to have to travel if we want to see them.  He just better get used to it...and I guess we might have to get used to fussy car trips.  Here's Aaron getting ready to drive.  Not sure how he'll reach the pedals but he was pretty excited about it.  I went into the convenience store and came back out to him in my seat.  He was smiling and laughing, thought it was a pretty funny joke.  Definitely not expected, and so totally cute!

We had a great trip visiting Papa and Nana in LeMars.  All of Nana's siblings were in town and Aaron got to meet LOTS of new people.  He did pretty well and even gave smiles to new strangers.  It was great seeing everyone and spending some time with family.  While there, Aaron started sitting up on his own.  He is now sitting for nearly a minute by himself consistently!!  He even fusses when he's laying and rolling on the floor because he can't figure out how to sit up on his own.  Grrrrumpy!  Here's a photo of some of our first sitting!  The new toy great aunt Deb bought Aaron was very motivating for him.  Thanks Deb!!

Today was Aaron's 6 month well baby check.  Despite some gas and achy belly, Aaron took the shots like a champ again!  He cried for less than 30 seconds, sucked his pacifier for 2 minutes and was ready to go, smiling at the nurses checking us out.  Such a ladies man!  So here are the stats on our guy!
Height: 28 inches (95%)
Weight: 16lbs 12oz (40%)
Head size: 45cm (75%)
Long and lean.  I don't think I could possibly feed this kiddo more!  He eats constantly, formula and now veggies too!  We have tried peas, green beans, and now squash.  Aaron sucks them down and likes sitting up at the table and eating with us.  He opens his mouth like a baby bird, makes little groaning noises if I'm not moving fast enough and  swallows it all down.  So far, I've made a pea puree and a green bean puree.  A little thicker than the Stage 1 foods you'd buy at the store but it was my first attempt.  Aaron still seemed to handle it okay.  Squash was definitely his favorite.  Peas are probably a close second.  Very fun to see him getting excited and so interested in eating foods with us.
With all the activity and rolling, we've definitely had more spit up.  So ANNOYING...but I guess expected for a spitty baby.  We are looking at stopping Aaron's prilosec.  Not really seeming to make much of a difference at this point and with the addition of more solid foods, we are hoping to keep more food in the belly.  Scary...all of the milestones already achieved and shortly down the road.  More to come!

Trip to Nashville

We travelled to Nashville over the Memorial Day weekend again this year to visit Ben's dad and step mom.  I was nervous to fly with Aaron but he was a champ and even fell asleep in the middle of our second take off.  We had a lot of firsts throughout our trip.  Aaron's first plane ride, then his first "train" ride, automobiles, and a boat ride!  Aaron wasn't sure what to think of the boat and just closed his eyes for much of it as it was sunny and windy but all in all a great trip.  He also went to the Nashville Zoo.  Amazing zoo for photos if you've never been as most of the animals have natural enclosures.  A good telephoto lens will get some great pics!  Lastly, Aaron went swimming for the first time!!!  A photo link will be available shortly for all of our pics from the trip.  He loved the water and didn't even flinch when we got in!  He never stops surprising me.  Case in point, the trip home.  He did so well on the way to Nashville, I was not even concerned on the way home.  Aaron had other plans and fussed for most of the flight from Nashville to Minneapolis.  He was beyond hungry when we landed, then had an "open-air accident" while trying to change him, soaking his clothes.  We noticed we had an hour delay so we thought we'd have just enough time to grab dinner ourselves then board.  Upon walking by the departures board, Ben noticed our flight was cancelled...the only flight that was cancelled.  WTH?  Upon speaking with a very lazy Delta agent, he advised that we were on standby for the 9:50PM flight.  I don't think so, I'm NOT sitting in the airport with a fussy baby and limited formula/diapers/entertainment until then to MAYBE get on a flight.  Our next option was staying at the Ramada at MOA(Mall of America).  Flight guaranteed the next morning at 9-something in the morning.  Okay...I was coming to terms with us not going home tonight when I realized...I don't think we have enough formula or diapers to get us through the night.  We said screw it and rented a car...which by the way was RIDICULOUSLY expensive (starts with A, ends with lamo) and drove down to the city from the cities.  Arriving home at 11pm, we change Aaron into pajamas, which he slept through while smiling and giggling.  Finally unpacked and in bed near midnight to be up by 5:30am and to work by 7am.  I need a vacation from my vacation, or at least the last 24 hours of it!  Here are a few photos from our trip. Generally a great trip with the hiccups at the end.  There's some law about that isn't there?

Flu bugs

A big YUCK!  Aaron spent three days experiencing vomiting and diarrhea.  We spent three days dealing with the aftermath of laundry and an uncomfortable babe.  Mostly, he was in pretty good spirits, just a little less energy and motivation to do anything.  So we spent a lot of time cuddling, which was fine by me.  He is starting to get his appetite back this morning and is currently taking his morning cat nap.  Last night, however, was pretty rough, but for Ben, not Aaron.  He's been hit with the bug and was sick three times in two hours.  If any of you know Ben, he's NEVER sick, so he's pretty miserable.  We were both up from 2:30-4:30am, him in the bathroom and me putting A back to bed.  So this post is nothing but me rambling about the illness and lack of sleep we are currently experiencing.
On another note, I'm going to paint our guest bathroom sometime...hopefully in the near future.  Additionally plan to repaint our bathroom upstairs as well, but I have already painted it twice since we moved in.
Another note, we fly to Nashville next week and my task this weekend is to make a packing list, purchase some luggage and do LOTS of laundry to prepare us for the trip.  Wish us luck!  It'll be Aaron's first flight and I'm crossing my fingers that it will go well!

One in the bed and the little one said...

Roll OVER!  Aaron rolled over almost two weeks ago now, but I haven't gotten around to blogging about it.  Click on the link and watch the video!  Yup, that's right, we actually caught the first one on video!  It was awesome and he acted like he does it all the time and couldn't figure out what we were fussing about.  Silly baby boy!  Since then, lots has happened around the house.  Or at least I feel that way.  Aaron is putting everything straight into his mouth and drooling like a fool.  I bet we go through bibs every couple hours due to drooling and spit up.  He has also started "talking" all the time.  He makes a noise that starts like a really sick car trying to start and if only I had it on video.  I can't even describe the sounds that come out of this kid!  We are also getting close to rolling over back to front but he doesn't really prefer the front so I can't see this being something he does often.  And actually, he has not rolled over again from tummy to back.  He's just happy where he's at and when he's not, he start whining.  Oh well.  It's been fun and exciting to see how he's developing!  I feel like that last month has been a lot of firsts.  Aaron also tried cereal for the first time.  He continues to eat some, less than 1/2 an ounce every other night or so, but I think he'd rather not.  We do have a few photos of that one.  I can't wait to see even more milestones.  Life is crazy, but it's a good crazy.

Aaron Loooong Legs

We had our 4 month check up this week.  Despite getting a little cold, again, everything is going well!  Aaron is growing evenly and rapidly.  He is 14 pounds, 11oz (50th %), 26 1/2 inches long (95th %), and his head is just shy of 17 inches(64%).  If you'll remember, Aaron was at the 65th percentile for height last time.  After measuring him THREE times and checking records from the multiple doctor's visits in March, it was finally accepted as accurate.  He grew 2 inches in 1 month!!!!  I told them I was not surprised but they just kept rechecking and double checking measurements.  So now, he needs to wear 6/9 month clothes for length, but they fall off of his skinny little waist.  He is definitely just like his dad!  The little peanut took shots like a champ this time around too!  We did DTaP and polio, plus rotavirus this time around.  Two sticks and some oral gunk.  We thought ahead this time and fed him just before and after he had the shots which worked amazingly to calm him down!  No tears after!  Made me feel better about it, though it is still hard to watch.  So far, our only reaction to shots has been extra sleepiness and gassy belly.  Whew!  Thank goodness.  He is not currently taking juice on a regular basis and has been able to have a bowel movement all by himself!  We are slowly getting out of the challenging stage.  Though naps are sometimes still a thing he wants to negotiate.  We are working on that one.  He is giggling and smiling all the time and really figuring out how to use his hands.  It's so fun to watch him and see the wheels turning behind his eyes to figure out how something is working or which finger is moving.  I can't wait to see what happens in another month!  Contemplating starting cereal, but concerned about possible constipation that may accompany it.  Guess we may just have to try it and see.

Nap Battle Royale

So....Aaron continues to battle nap time and bed time.  He wants to interact with us...and vice versa.  However, if we put him down too early, he takes an hour to fall asleep or more.  What's more is that we have to sit with him until he falls asleep to keep popping the damn pacifier back in his mouth because when it falls out, he wakes up.  Grrrr!!!  If we wait until we know he is exhausted or even just tired, it's usually tooooooo late and he's over tired and over stimulated.  THEN, he screams...for 30-60 minutes and NOTHING works to calm him down.  We've put him in the crib and let him cry, for an hour.  Only made him more worked up and screamed louder.  We've rocked him until he falls asleep, only to have him wake up crying as soon as we put him down.  We've put him in his swing, which works on an inconsistent basis or until it stops swinging.  I'm so frustrated, feeling like I crappy mom who can't console her child or even get him to relax enough to fall asleep.  I know that's not true but more days are feeling like that than not.  I look forward to Mondays...regretfully...because Aaron goes to daycare and I don't have to worry about getting him to fall asleep for a nap.  THAT makes me feel awful as well.  I should want to spend time with my child, want to rock him to sleep and snuggle.  I'm starting to dread weekends and evenings because I know he's just going to scream and there is nothing that I can do about it.  I'm just feeling inadequate, depressed, and guilty.  Never thought that this would be part of motherhood.

Three Month Photos

So here they are!  Aaron's 3 month photos!  And as I post this, he is 3 1/2 months old already!  Time sure flies!  Finally starting to feel better after his hospital stay and recovering from RSV and an ear infection.  Poor kiddo has had a rough couple of weeks.  Anyway, enjoy the photos!
http://gallery.me.com/bhaylett#100263&bgcolor=black&view=grid

RSV, a nasty little bug

We had our first stay in the hospital this week due to complications from RSV.  Basically a nasty cold bug that takes a long time to get over.  It causes lots of secretions, snotty nose, cough, sore throat, headache, etc.  How do I know?  Because I now have the nasty thing myself.  Oh the things we do for our kiddos.  So here's how the story unfolded:
Aaron had a cold since Saturday, including stuffy nose and cough.  It just kept getting worse so we took him to the pediatrician on Tuesday morning to make sure he wasn't developing something worse.  They diagnosed him with RSV and an ear infection and sent us home with nebulizer treatments and amoxicillin. After a day of those treatments, they didn't seem to be improving his breathing, despite nasal aspirations of his snot with a bulb syringe. He spiked a fever at 101.8 and was just  burning up.  After calling the pediatrician, we decided it would be best to take him in to the ER to have him looked at.  So we spent 3 hours in the ER, having yet another nebulizer treatment and x-rays to be sent home to monitor him.  Aaron slept in his car seat most of the night...for what little he did sleep.  The next morning, he was still working really hard to breathe.  We went in to see the pediatrician and after another nebulizer treatment and no change in his oxygen levels, that it would be best to go to the hospital for observation.  We arrived at Blank around noon, and were soon told that we would be staying over for observation to make sure that Aaron didn't need oxygen over night.  I think the best thing we experienced at the hospital was the awesome nasal aspirator they have!  That thing sucked so much snot out of Aaron's nose that he was able to breathe and sleep fairly well for the first time in 3 days!  Our sleep however, was not restorative so we are planning on catching up this weekend.  We hope.  So they discharged us 24 hours later.  Aaron is still feeling a little crummy, with quite the cough but is feeling a lot better.  We got to see a smile and he's starting to babble again, which we didn't see for at least two days.  Currently, he's napping and I should be too.  Thankfully Grandma Connie came to help out through the recovery process.  We didn't realize how sick the little guy was until we ended up getting it.  Hoping to recover quickly and all of us can be on the mend.

Happy Birthday, Aaron!

He is 3 months old today!  How time flies!  We had a visit with our new pediatrician in Ankeny, Dr. C.  She is AWESOME!  Gives tons of information, guidance on vaccinations, support...I just love her.  Aaron did a great job too, considering he hadn't had a real nap all day.  Yah, buddy!  Here's the stats:

24 1/4 inches long (60%), 13lbs 5oz (50%), and 16 3/4 inch head circumference (65%).  So...pretty average.  We talked about trying some pear juice to help with bowel movements.  Going to try 2 - 1oz bottles throughout the day of straight juice to see if that helps.  We have to try to incorporate this on top of his feedings, as we don't want to just give him empty calories.  Could prove challenging with the timing we deal with for medicine and the fact that he is pretty full after a bottle of formula.  The doc said he is growing well, everything is looking good and he was quite bright eyed for her.  Even gave a little smile.  She was glad that we are scheduled to see the Pediatric Gastroenterologist, which is next week.  She agreed that the bowel problems are of concern, especially now that he's 3 months old.  Hopefully they will be able to tell us some good news.  There are many possibilities, some of which are scary.  But I will not dwell on them now, as we don't know anything yet!  :)  Aaron also had some shots today.  I felt bad because I am altering his vaccine schedule which means more sticks.  But, I also have to tell myself I'm doing what I think is in the best interest of my child.  So every month until he's 7 months old...2 sticks at the doctor's office.  Hopefully he doesn't figure out the correlation by then or he is going to hate me.  I wish I could say he did great with shots but this time...not so much.  He SCREAMED!  I used to think he screamed before.  I was wrong.  Poor kiddo took 20 minutes to calm down enough just to eat a bottle, which significantly helped him relax.  Then the car ride home put him to sleep, which is what he is still doing almost 2 hours later.  Hope we don't have much/any reaction.  Last shots we were just a bit more sleepy and a little fussy but not too bad.  Crossing our fingers.
Aaron also had his 3 month pictures taken on Saturday.  He did a great job, despite still feeling a little crummy after having a little bug on Thursday/Friday!  Pictures will be available soon!  Here's a peak to tide you over.

Balance, does it exist?

Today I had a mini-conniption fit.  Had to look up that spelling on dictionary.com (Shout out to them).  Life is BUSY and it is not easy to juggle everything.  I felt I had a pretty good handle on things prior to the arrival of our little monster and thought that it wouldn't be too bad to just incorporate him into our current functioning. HA!  Boy was everyone else right and I was wrong.  I've neglected friends, especially one in particular who is in great need of support and friendship, I've neglected the gym (but keep paying for it), I've neglected school work, I've neglected work (and I just started back), and I've neglected the relationship with my husband.  Finding a balance between everything seems damn near impossible.  How do I get to the gym and feel good about myself, while still getting in time as a couple, spending as much time as possible with my child who is essentially being raised by daycare (this obviously bothers me), putting in enough effort at work to be a benefit for my families, putting in enough effort in school to graduate and finally get my master's degree which I may or may not use, AND still have enough time for socializing and friends?  We are slowly getting into a more predictable routine but honestly, if I want to get in everything every day, I need 40 hour days.  Anyone know how to slow the turning of the Earth's axis in order for this to occur?  I'm open to all options at this point.  Oh, I forgot about housework...keeping the house clean?  Impossible!  I know, we live here, but when I live here and feel the litter that has snuck into my sock and is covering the stairs...something NEEDS to be done.  Okay, so I'm planning to work on that balance in the next month.  I don't expect miracles.  My life is significantly different than it was 3 months ago.  So I need to start with one thing and try to get that worked back in before I move on to another.  A week and half ago I started working again after 10 weeks off.  Not so sure about this forty hours per week business.  It seems absolutely daunting and at around 3pm every day, I want to leave so I can go pick up Aaron and spend a few hours with him before he goes to bed at 7pm.  Not to mention all of the candy and CRAP food that is around, which along with the limited, tight-fitting wardrobe, does not help the self image (enter lack of gym activity here).  BUT, I have bills to pay, families who need support and a team that is counting on me to get my work done.  So I have to choose what I'm going to try to increase my focus on in the next two weeks.  School?  Work?  Aaron?  Ben?  Gym?  Social life/friendship?  After realizing that I really lost focus on a certain friend in particular who really needs my support, I'm planning on working on re-establishing our friendship and supporting her through her challenges.  I know that it's not going to be easy but life changes and as it changes, I need to learn to roll with the punches and get the most of out each experience.  I'll let ya know how it goes.  Wish me luck!

Poop

So, I already gave you fair warning about what this post is about, so if you choose to read further, it is at your own informed risk.  Aaron has pooped on his own for the first time in over a month!  We'd been struggling with constipation since we switched to a soy-based formula.  After asking multiple professionals about changing back to a milk-based formula and getting the same answer ("No, that likely won't make the constipation issue improve"), we decided to go for it anyway.  It was originally believed that Aaron had a milk intolerance, so we stopped nursing after I couldn't handle the stress of making sure I didn't eat ANY dairy, or coffee or chocolate or garlic or onions or pretty much anything.  I just wasn't 100% sold on the idea that he had a milk intolerance, as he was not breaking out in a rash, didn't have bloody stools or anything.  The only symptoms that could have been related were fussiness, gas and spit up.  A lot of a spit up.  Since then, we had visited the chiropractor which significantly improved Aaron's fussiness!  Though now the pediatrician is telling me that it is extremely risky for him to be seeing a chiro at his young age.  I flat out told her that I disagree and that it worked better for his disposition than changing his diet has.  She still doesn't believe me.  Oh well.  So.......we switched back to milk-based formula with broken down proteins to make it a little easier to digest.  Well folks, it worked like a charm, though not without some side-effects.  Aaron spits more again, but more along the lines of a typically spitty baby.  He is still on Prevacid and we are afraid to take him off for fear that the spit will increase.  For now, we will plug along with our new found fix!  Also, belly/gas pains, significantly decreased!  So now we have a generally content baby who just happens to almost constantly be covered in spit up.  And content parents who happen to be covered in spit up as well!  I've had many friends who are parents tell me to go with my gut, despite what the doctors may say at times.  That is my new best advice to new parents.  Go with your gut, with some caution.  Pediatricians, I feel, tend to play down issues, especially for new parents.  But if your child needs help pooping twice a day for over a month...it's not just something they are going to work through.  Just make changes one step at a time to better identify a possible cause!
So we are thankful for poop today folks!  I'll spare you the photograph, but I did make Ben come and see it.  He didn't even flinch when I made that request!  Welcome to Parenthood

Growing boy and Vaccine Woes

is growing like one!  Yesterday was Aaron's 2 month appointment, which I'll have to say did not go according to my plan.  Here's the fun and important info:
Weight: 12lbs 1oz (59th %)
Height: 23 1/2 inches (68th %)
Head: 16 inches (65th %)
I'd say we have a pretty average baby on our hands!  Aaron did a great job and didn't pee on anyone!  He didn't even hardly cry when he had his shot, which is probably due in part to the fact that it was dinner time and literally one second after the shot, he had the bottle in his mouth!  :)  Our challenge came when it was time to talk about vaccines.  I am NOT anti-vaccine.  I feel that there are legitimately bad diseases out there that cause many bad things to happen to not only kids but everyone.  Vaccines are great to help eradicate measles, mumps, polio, etc.  I've been doing a lot of research, interviewing, and pondering over the issue of vaccines.  I work with children with disabilities, many of whom have eerily similar stories of typical development until around 18 months of age.  While this portion of the population is small, it seems that there is still something that triggered a backslide in development around that time.  One thing that all kids get on schedule almost like clockwork?  Vaccines.  Does that mean that these shots are causing developmental disabilites...no!  Could they be?  Maybe.  Could these kiddos already have something else wrong that just doesn't start to manifest until 18 months, sure.  Could the vaccinations be triggering a halt in development at that age?  What is comes down to is, WE DON'T KNOW!  My attempt to avoid possible complications, reactions and problems:  SLOW DOWN!  Many of the diseases our kids are vaccinated for don't really even exist in the United States any more.  Polio, for example.  BUT! You say, that's due to the vaccinations and everyone being vaccinated!  You are correct.  If polio no longer exists, however, my kid is not going to catch it between now and 9 months from now when I want to vaccinate him for it.  Why give him the chemicals and bugs when his little immune system hasn't developed enough yet when the likelihood of him getting a disease like polio is next to nil!?!?  I don't find it necessary to give multiple vaccinations at one time, even if it is only one shot.  Vaccines have chemicals and strange components in them.  Little bodies with barely functioning immune systems need time to develop and get stronger.  Give them a dose of a vaccine, then wait a month and go get another.  Not only will it give them some time to recover but it also will make it easier to figure out what vaccine your little one may be reacting to, if there is a reaction.
Honestly, Aaron has been feeling pretty good today.  Maybe a little more sleepy than most days but no fever, as is usually common.  I guess I'm just frustrated at the lack of understanding from our pediatrician, who was filling in for our typical doc, but the practice has the same philosophy throughout. It turned into an argument instead of expressing concerns rationally until they finally agreed to start the schedule we have planned and to discuss concerns when our regular pediatrician returns.  Hopefully we can come to a compromise, and I am willing to do so with good reason to do so.  Otherwise, we will be looking for a new doctor, which is a daunting task!  We'll keep you updated!

Aaron, eight weeks

Today, Aaron is eight weeks old!  It has been a trying eight weeks, but I think we are seeing some light down the tunnel.  Not the end but definitely moving towards it.  Here's a recap of the past few weeks:
-Aaron was super gassy/fussy.  We gave up nursing at 5 weeks and switched from milked-based formula to soy-based.
-Aaron continues to be gassy and gets constipated.  Fussiness is extremely challenging.
-We started using gas drops and visited the chiropractor, which made a good difference in disposition.
-Aaron is still constipated.  Started prune juice with 1 bottle each day, plus glycerin suppositories.
-We continue to help stimulate BMs, but they are softer and regular.
-At 7 weeks, he started to smile, swing his hands at his play gym and coo.  Babbling and smiles are the best part of my day!

I'm so glad he's starting to feel better. He is really taking in his environment and looking around at everything.  He dislikes tummy time but is getting stronger every day.  How fun to see the changes he goes through so fast!  I'm sad thinking about going back to work in just 3 short weeks!  Wish me luck!  Until then, I'm heading back to playing with my little one!

Tips and Tricks

So, while I don't consider myself an expert, we have started to learn tips and tricks that are working or seem to be working for Aaron's digestive issues.  He is still on soy formula, taking Omeprezole for acid reflux and Similicon for gas.  He is also taking a homeopathic for candidiasis, which could also be contributing to gas.  I thought I would share some tips and tricks that seem to have been helping him through his constipation, spit up and flatulence.
1) Feed him before he's screaming!  Once he starts screaming, he swallows a ton of air and it's all over!  Spit, spit, spit.
2) Feed him holding him semi-upright.  This helps to get the bubbles up towards the top, not settled down in the bottom of his belly.
3) Let him get into a rhythm to eat.  Don't take the bottle out too often.  We burp about every ounce and I warn him when it's coming.  "Next break" we are going to burp.
4) Burping.  You gotta do it.  BUT, if a burp doesn't come, stop and let him eat some more.  Also, he usually screams when we try to burp, so after he finishes his ounce, we put in the pacifier for him to stay calm, give his food a second to settle, then sit up and burp.  With the paci in his mouth.  This has worked GREAT!
5) Similicon.  We give it after he's about 2/3 done with eating, that way it mixes in with what he's already eaten to help break up the bubbles.
6)  Don't over feed.  Aaron seems to think that he is still starving when he's done eating.  I don't think his brain recognizes that he is full fast enough, so he needs a little time to realize his belly is full.
7) Sit up for 10-20 minutes after eating.  While this has led to him being used to falling asleep while being held, it has almost all but eliminated spit up after he lays down for a nap.
8) We also do the Omeprezole.  2 hours after his morning bottle and 30-60 minutes prior to his next bottle.  This is tricky at times, as he likes to eat every 2 hours sometimes, so we've gotten creative to distract him from being hungry.  Snuggling and getting super warm to take a nap with his paci to distract from the hunger seems to help and then he'll sleep for 30 minutes.
9) Glycerin Suppositories:  Due to transitioning to formula, that formula being soy and all of his gas and spit up issues, we've started to use these.  It seems to help soften up his stools enough for him to be able to pass them more independently.  Previously, we had to push on his belly and stimulate his rectum with a rectal thermometer to help him pass stools.  We do still stimulate him to get him to go but it is getting softer and we are hoping we are getting through the constipation.
10) Juice: We've mixed in apple juice and prune juice into bottles to help motility in the little one's colon.  Hasn't seemed to work for us, except the stools are a little softer but still quite firm.
11) Chiropractic care!  This has been one of the things that has significantly helped our fussiness.  Aaron has some strain from delivery on his right side, possibly due to having to wait 20 minutes to finish pushing while the doctor was traveling to the hospital.  After a half dozen adjustments, he is less fussy and able to sleep more comfortably for more than 20 minutes at a time during the day and goes to bed more easily in the evening.  I know many people don't 'believe' in chiropractic care, my husband was one of them.  After adjustments, our little one seems happier and less fussy, which makes mom and dad less fussy as well.

Anyway, these are just a few of our tricks.  Obviously they will not work for every baby but I wanted to share them for those who are struggling with some of the same issues we have.  ALSO, PLEASE be sure you talk to a doctor before you make any changes and try any solutions for your baby!  Karo syrup is often a "home remedy" though it has been linked to cases of botchulism, just like honey.

I'm done...

I have decided to quit pumping.  This decision has been at least two weeks in the making.  After struggling and many tears over nursing, frequent pain and feeling like I never got a break, we have decided to stop pumping breast milk.  Aaron has had issues with SEVERE gas for the past several weeks and we are attempting to rule out a milk sensitivity as the cause.  Due to this, I am not allowed any dairy in my diet, nor coffee, chocolate, onions, garlic, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, basically anything that may give anyone gas.  By the way, milk is in EVERYTHING!  Not to mention, I felt deprived of everything I usually eat and it made me just want it more!  I ate dairy one day and the poor kid suffered through intense intestinal gas for a day and a half.  I finally swallowed my pride and decided to stop nursing.  It wasn't fair to Aaron for me to continue to feed him breastmilk because, "Dammit, I am going to breast feed."  He was so uncomfortable and I knew that it was my fault that he was feeling so awful.  We've gone exclusively to a soy formula now, which we are hoping makes it easier to discover what is causing him such intense pain.  He's also taking an acid reducer to help with spit up, which seems to work at times and not at others.  This was a tough decision for me, but I know that Aaron will still be a healthy child, even though I wasn't able to nurse him and I, will also be much happier and less stressed knowing that I don't have to try to search for time to pump on top of feeding him during the day, as well as stress about the foods that I am eating and the time it takes to prepare and the cost of buying dairy-free.  I'm hoping that it will allow us more time to bond and cuddle and I won't feel resentment towards him for the extreme diet restriction.  What a horrible feeling!  While I didn't want to make the decision, my mom, husband, and close friend helped me rationalize the benefit of doing so and I am mostly at peace with my decision.
Now I am dealing with attempts to more quickly dry up my milk while being as comfortable as possible. I am pumping about 5 minutes at a time a few times a day to relieve some pressure and taking ibuprofen for swelling.  I've read about using cold cabbage leaves in your bra, as well as sage tea but don't think I'm going to partake in those at this time.  We'll just use ice packs, anti-inflammatory medication, continue to drink fluids and decreasing pumping as I am able.  Not enjoying dealing with leaking and the pain of engorgement but it's gotta happen some time.  Better now than while I'm back at work, I guess.  Anyone else out there got any suggestions for more quickly drying up, or easing the ache?  I'd love to hear it!

Nursing...a full time job.

When I took time off from work for maternity leave, I expected that caring for my child would be a lot of work.  I intended to nurse him as much as possible and expected to get some reading done and movies watched.  I did not realize how time intensive just nursing was going to be, not to mention all of the other cares a newborn needs.  Nursing has proved exceptionally challenging.  For something that is supposed to be natural and my body is made to do it, it sure has rebelled.  Now for the TMI section:  My right breast produces at least 3 ounces less than my left, every time, no matter what.  Strange, yes.  Annoying, hell yes. Not to mention...the latch.  Right, no problem, no pain.  Left, painful!  Some days less so but always uncomfortable.  In addition, nursing exclusively means I am up with him all night to feed, which occurs every two hours if I'm lucky.  No matter what I eat, my milk does not keep the little guy full.  Then there is the spit up and gas.  Aaron spits up...A LOT!  We've tried different formulas, siting upright after eating for more than 15 minutes(which has gotten him used to falling asleep while being held), burping more often, less often, sigh!  As far as gas, we've tried burping more, rubbing his belly, bicycling his legs and Mylicon. Mylicon seems to have helped but now he's constipated.  No poop in 4 days.  We've made trips to the doctor and are now eating a dairy free diet, supplementing soy formula and also taking a $55 acid reducer compounded just for babies.  Which is challenging to give due to timing.  Poor guy isn't sleeping very well either, as gas pains wake him up every 20 minutes and he thinks that he is starving.  We are starting to learn when it is just belly pain or true hunger, but are not always accurate.  So until we get this solved, we are waiting on a poop and bouncing baby to shake out the gas. If you stop by to visit in the near future, parden my selfishness in not sharing the baby for long and asking you to put him down if he falls asleep.  We are looking to get back on routine and its taking some time.  Thanks in advance!