Well I'm VERY excited to report that Kaitlyn fed herself today!! Well she is working on it and she managed to get a "Puff" in her mouth about four times. I'm so excited! She still can't pick things up between her thumb and index finger but she finally grabs them in her hand and trys very hard to get them in her mouth. I'm sure she'll be a pro in no time though!
For about a week or so Kaitlyn has really been working on crawling and she's getting better and better at pushing herself backwards, though she cries the whole time she is going backwards because it's not the way she wants to be going! She'll get it, she is practicing a lot lately.
Kaitlyn has also graduated to the bigger pacifier! My baby is really growing up. We decided last night to try the bigger one since she seemed to be having a bit of trouble sucking the other one and we couldnt figure out why. As soon as we popped the 6mo+ one in her mouth we noticed a difference!
Lately Kaitlyn has been doing so many things, she is drinking more from her sippy cup now but still chews on it more than drinking from it. She's learning her Baby Signs too, she started waving Hi by opening and closing her hand and she has been doing the sign for Daddy for a couple weeks. She loves to lay on her belly on the couch and wave Hi to the kitties when they walk near her. It's great to watch her, she's still learning to do it and she turns her hand as if she is saying Hi to herself. I think she does it to make sure she is doing it right. Kaitlyn also lifts her arms up to be picked up now, she's been doing it for a few days now.
Now on to the most important new Milestone! Kaitlyn has always loved to stand, since she was born practically. Well for the last few days she has been working on pulling herself up to standing and absolutely loves doing it. I think she would rather do that than crawl! She needs to learn to crawl so she can get to something to pull herself up. Anyway, I guess Kaitlyn is going to be taking after her daddy, Jon started walking at about 9 months so at the rate Kaitlyn is going she probably will be too.
It's so amazing to watch the progress she makes everyday. Watching how much stronger she's getting and the new things she can do. I love seeing her face when she pulls herself up with my arm and stands there next to me. It's the most amazing thing and she gets so happy that she did it! Jon and I both love hearing Kaitlyn laugh as well, it's the cutest thing. We usually "get" her belly when we change her diaper and she just laughs and laughs and laughs. She's starting to laugh now at silly faces when I make them and I just love it, it helps that I love acting silly too though!
So far Christmas has been good, we spent the afternoon today at Aunt Donna & Uncle Charlie's house and had chinese food for dinner. It was a nice quiet afternoon and Kaitlyn enjoyed playing on the floor with Aunt Donna and her stuffed animals.
Well we're off to practice more crawling!
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Saturday, December 24, 2005
The Plague This Close to Christmas?!?!
Well I see it has been awhile since I've had a chance to write. I have tried many times to catch up and well, I'll explain...
First of all, Kaitlyn turned 6 months on Dec 13th and we went to the Dr and she was 25" long and 15lbs 13oz. The Dr said she looks great and was so amazed at how well she sits up (even though she has been doing it for 2 months now). She was sitting on the exam table tearing up the paper again and having a riot doing it. Her Zantac was increased too and other than that everything is wonderful. She got one shot and did really well with it. Kaitlyn doesn't go back for another "Well visit" until she is 9 months! That's in March!! I can't believe how fast the time goes, I'm enjoying every minute of it while I can!!
Now, about our trip to the City, it was great! We went to Toys R Us in Times Square and bought Kaitlyn a shirt and a Geoffery the Giraffe doll as her first souvenir. We had lunch/dinner in Times Square too at the Applebees and Kaitlyn actually enjoyed eating some of my rice. In fact she was very vocal about wanting some... especially if I wasnt fast enough in giving it to her hehehehe. Then we took the trip up to see the tree and other than the 18 million people all doing the same thing, it was as beautiful as ever. We took some pictures, Ooo'd and Ahh'd and then headed for home! The weather wasn't too bad that day and it really did turn out to be a great first trip into the city with Kaitlyn.
After our trip to the city it was just about time to head to Michigan again to see Grandma Debbie and Grandpa and Kaitlyn's cousins. We left on Wednesday night and spent time with my niece Lisa and her family and the babies loved playing with each other. I wish we lived closer so they could play more often but at least when we go home to visit it will be special because she will get to see them again. Lisa and Brian got Kaitlyn a cute gift too, it was a little Bongo and Tamborine toy that plays music, she loves it too and plays with it constantly!
After spending sometime with the cousins, Kaitlyn got to see and spend some time with Grandpa! Friday we celebrated Christmas with them and they gave Kaitlyn some money to help buy her car seat that was have to get soon. They also gave her a little Cow hand puppet. Then we went to dinner at the Chinese buffet and had a good time eating! Kaitlyn enjoyed having more rice there! She spent a little more time with Grandpa and then it was time to go see Grandma Debbie.
We spent some time with Grandma Debbie and cousins Kinsley and Derek on Friday night and then Saturday was the Christmas celebration with Grandma and her family. We had a really good time, there was lots of food and Kaitlyn had some broccoli, ham and buscuit. She really enjoyed all the people and the food! She got some really great gifts too. She got some Little Touch Leap Frog books and a beautiful outfit from Aunt Sheri and Uncle Glenn, A bath toy from Jimbo and Peggy, A Turtle toy from Uncle Jim and Aunt Erica and I think that was it. Later that night we went back to Grandma's house and Grandma had even MORE presents for little Miss K-T-Poo. Grandma bought her two great "Baby's first Christmas" ornaments and got her some little bath toy squirters and also a pretty white "Baby's First Christmas" stocking. She also gave her some money to help pay for her new car seat too!
Anyway, we had a great time in Michigan, and it will be exciting to see everyone when we go back next year! Kaitlyn will be a year old and it will be interesting to see how much she will have changed by then!
Now on to the PLAGUE! Sunday we got up at 4:30am to leave and drive home from Michigan. When I woke up I had a sore throat, as we were driving home I just kept getting sicker and sicker and noticed Kaitlyn started getting a runny nose as well. By Monday Kaitlyn and I were MISERABLE we both had colds (or so I thought). This entire past week Kaitlyn and I have been very sick with sore throats, coughs, congestion, stuffy head and nose, and fevers! I finally decided to go to the Dr because after 5 days my sore throat was not going away. I found out I had Strep throat and 2 ear infections. I took Kaitlyn by the Ped's office and she was fine. They said it's very rare for a child her age to get Strep and that it doesnt usually stick to their throats. Other than her runny, stuffy nose and congestion she is doing very well. I'm on antibiotics and I'm feeling much better too! I have been using Little Colds to treat Kaitlyn's symptoms and it's a great product. I use it twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed and it helps to keep her nose dry and her cough supressed. Though she doesnt seem to be clearing up yet... I'll have to keep watch and see how she is in a few days.
Now on to bigger and better things!! Kaitlyn is very very very close to crawling! She is now scooting on her butt, slowly inching her way around and she can now push herself backwards while on her knees. She just has to figure out the going forward part! She really is doing well. She still can not go from lying flat to sitting and chooses not to roll over, instead she would rather yell until Mommy comes to sit her up! hehehehe It's so amazing to watch her learn and perfect her movements. We watched her practicing and exercising last night. She was on her knees and she was switching back and forth leaning on her right hand, then left, then right, then left. It's just incredible how much she can learn in only a couple days.
We put the tree up last night as well. It was actually quite emotional for Jon and me both. Decorating the tree and listening to Christmas carols with Kaitlyn as a family. Kaitlyn even hung her own ornaments (the one's Grandma Debbie got her), sort of. She did need our help because all she wanted to do was chew on them, but she did finally let us put them on the tree. Today, Christmas Eve, we're going to be celebrating with Grandma Lois, Aunt Donna & Uncle Charlie, and Aunt Michelle. Tonight Grandma, Kaitlyn, Jon and I will be going to Church and then tomorrow we get to have our first official Fuchs Family Christmas! The stockings are hung on the entertainment center with care (yeah, no mantel hahahaha) and we're just waiting for Santa to bring us good Cheer! Tomorrow afternoon we're going to go out to Uncle Charlie & Aunt Donna's to have Chinese food for Christmas dinner!! It should be a great weekend!
I think that about sums it up.
Hopefully Kaitlyn will enjoy her first Christmas, or at least be able to look back and like the pictures we took! :) I know I have a lot to celebrate this year, my Christmas present came early and she is the most amazing, most precious gift I could have ever received and I Thank God everyday that I was blessed with my little Miracle. Last year at this time Kaitlyn was in my belly about the size of a grain of rice and I was only imagining what Motherhood and being a Family was really going to be like. It is everything I imagined and a heck of a lot more and I wouldnt trade it for all the money or gifts in the world.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good weekend!
First of all, Kaitlyn turned 6 months on Dec 13th and we went to the Dr and she was 25" long and 15lbs 13oz. The Dr said she looks great and was so amazed at how well she sits up (even though she has been doing it for 2 months now). She was sitting on the exam table tearing up the paper again and having a riot doing it. Her Zantac was increased too and other than that everything is wonderful. She got one shot and did really well with it. Kaitlyn doesn't go back for another "Well visit" until she is 9 months! That's in March!! I can't believe how fast the time goes, I'm enjoying every minute of it while I can!!
Now, about our trip to the City, it was great! We went to Toys R Us in Times Square and bought Kaitlyn a shirt and a Geoffery the Giraffe doll as her first souvenir. We had lunch/dinner in Times Square too at the Applebees and Kaitlyn actually enjoyed eating some of my rice. In fact she was very vocal about wanting some... especially if I wasnt fast enough in giving it to her hehehehe. Then we took the trip up to see the tree and other than the 18 million people all doing the same thing, it was as beautiful as ever. We took some pictures, Ooo'd and Ahh'd and then headed for home! The weather wasn't too bad that day and it really did turn out to be a great first trip into the city with Kaitlyn.
After our trip to the city it was just about time to head to Michigan again to see Grandma Debbie and Grandpa and Kaitlyn's cousins. We left on Wednesday night and spent time with my niece Lisa and her family and the babies loved playing with each other. I wish we lived closer so they could play more often but at least when we go home to visit it will be special because she will get to see them again. Lisa and Brian got Kaitlyn a cute gift too, it was a little Bongo and Tamborine toy that plays music, she loves it too and plays with it constantly!
After spending sometime with the cousins, Kaitlyn got to see and spend some time with Grandpa! Friday we celebrated Christmas with them and they gave Kaitlyn some money to help buy her car seat that was have to get soon. They also gave her a little Cow hand puppet. Then we went to dinner at the Chinese buffet and had a good time eating! Kaitlyn enjoyed having more rice there! She spent a little more time with Grandpa and then it was time to go see Grandma Debbie.
We spent some time with Grandma Debbie and cousins Kinsley and Derek on Friday night and then Saturday was the Christmas celebration with Grandma and her family. We had a really good time, there was lots of food and Kaitlyn had some broccoli, ham and buscuit. She really enjoyed all the people and the food! She got some really great gifts too. She got some Little Touch Leap Frog books and a beautiful outfit from Aunt Sheri and Uncle Glenn, A bath toy from Jimbo and Peggy, A Turtle toy from Uncle Jim and Aunt Erica and I think that was it. Later that night we went back to Grandma's house and Grandma had even MORE presents for little Miss K-T-Poo. Grandma bought her two great "Baby's first Christmas" ornaments and got her some little bath toy squirters and also a pretty white "Baby's First Christmas" stocking. She also gave her some money to help pay for her new car seat too!
Anyway, we had a great time in Michigan, and it will be exciting to see everyone when we go back next year! Kaitlyn will be a year old and it will be interesting to see how much she will have changed by then!
Now on to the PLAGUE! Sunday we got up at 4:30am to leave and drive home from Michigan. When I woke up I had a sore throat, as we were driving home I just kept getting sicker and sicker and noticed Kaitlyn started getting a runny nose as well. By Monday Kaitlyn and I were MISERABLE we both had colds (or so I thought). This entire past week Kaitlyn and I have been very sick with sore throats, coughs, congestion, stuffy head and nose, and fevers! I finally decided to go to the Dr because after 5 days my sore throat was not going away. I found out I had Strep throat and 2 ear infections. I took Kaitlyn by the Ped's office and she was fine. They said it's very rare for a child her age to get Strep and that it doesnt usually stick to their throats. Other than her runny, stuffy nose and congestion she is doing very well. I'm on antibiotics and I'm feeling much better too! I have been using Little Colds to treat Kaitlyn's symptoms and it's a great product. I use it twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed and it helps to keep her nose dry and her cough supressed. Though she doesnt seem to be clearing up yet... I'll have to keep watch and see how she is in a few days.
Now on to bigger and better things!! Kaitlyn is very very very close to crawling! She is now scooting on her butt, slowly inching her way around and she can now push herself backwards while on her knees. She just has to figure out the going forward part! She really is doing well. She still can not go from lying flat to sitting and chooses not to roll over, instead she would rather yell until Mommy comes to sit her up! hehehehe It's so amazing to watch her learn and perfect her movements. We watched her practicing and exercising last night. She was on her knees and she was switching back and forth leaning on her right hand, then left, then right, then left. It's just incredible how much she can learn in only a couple days.
We put the tree up last night as well. It was actually quite emotional for Jon and me both. Decorating the tree and listening to Christmas carols with Kaitlyn as a family. Kaitlyn even hung her own ornaments (the one's Grandma Debbie got her), sort of. She did need our help because all she wanted to do was chew on them, but she did finally let us put them on the tree. Today, Christmas Eve, we're going to be celebrating with Grandma Lois, Aunt Donna & Uncle Charlie, and Aunt Michelle. Tonight Grandma, Kaitlyn, Jon and I will be going to Church and then tomorrow we get to have our first official Fuchs Family Christmas! The stockings are hung on the entertainment center with care (yeah, no mantel hahahaha) and we're just waiting for Santa to bring us good Cheer! Tomorrow afternoon we're going to go out to Uncle Charlie & Aunt Donna's to have Chinese food for Christmas dinner!! It should be a great weekend!
I think that about sums it up.
Hopefully Kaitlyn will enjoy her first Christmas, or at least be able to look back and like the pictures we took! :) I know I have a lot to celebrate this year, my Christmas present came early and she is the most amazing, most precious gift I could have ever received and I Thank God everyday that I was blessed with my little Miracle. Last year at this time Kaitlyn was in my belly about the size of a grain of rice and I was only imagining what Motherhood and being a Family was really going to be like. It is everything I imagined and a heck of a lot more and I wouldnt trade it for all the money or gifts in the world.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good weekend!
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Pureed Pears Between My Toes
So last night I'm feeding Kaitlyn some pears and she was only wearing a onesie. Since she just loves her feet now and they have become one of her favorite new toys she decided to stick them in her mouth while eating. Hahahaha It was so funny, she had pears all over her hands and feet and between her little toes. Each time I would give her a bite she would stick a finger or toe in her mouth. Then she would suck on it a bit to get the pears down. She is a little crazy girl! I just love her! Hahahahaha
I forgot to mention last time I wrote that Kaitlyn actually used her sippy cup the other day and drank out of it. She did it all by herself, she loves to hold it and put it in her mouth and this time she actually sucked on it and drank a little bit of the water that was in it. I only put a very small amount because the water is so thin and she can't handle it but she did it. She's getting so very big and every day more independant!
So far the soy is still going good. We'll see in a few days onces the other formula is out of her system. She did sleep a bit better last night than the past few days but I still need a good nights rest!
Anyway, today we are taking a trip into New York City to see the big tree and all of the wonderful Christmas lights! It should be a good day today, it's supposed to be nice weather! We'll write all about it later!
I forgot to mention last time I wrote that Kaitlyn actually used her sippy cup the other day and drank out of it. She did it all by herself, she loves to hold it and put it in her mouth and this time she actually sucked on it and drank a little bit of the water that was in it. I only put a very small amount because the water is so thin and she can't handle it but she did it. She's getting so very big and every day more independant!
So far the soy is still going good. We'll see in a few days onces the other formula is out of her system. She did sleep a bit better last night than the past few days but I still need a good nights rest!
Anyway, today we are taking a trip into New York City to see the big tree and all of the wonderful Christmas lights! It should be a good day today, it's supposed to be nice weather! We'll write all about it later!
Friday, December 09, 2005
So Much in so Little Time
Well in the past two days so much has happened! Yesterday after about 2 months of being in her Exersaucer and us showing her how to make the music play, she finally did it herself. Only once but she did it! There is a button in the shape of a monkey on top of a little truck that you push to make animal sounds and music play, I'm so glad she knows what it does, even if she only pushed it once so far!!!
Kaitlyn has been getting Soy formula since yesterday, she doesnt seem to be doing too bad on it either. So far, we woke up this morning with no diarrhea! She did have a bad night last night with gas and everything and was up all night with tummy pains, but we got through it. The Soy hasn't changed her spit up or puking at all, she is still doing both. It seems to be thicker when it comes up as compared to the Alimentum.
Anyway, today she seems to be doing ok on the Soy and she had a big appetite at lunch! She ate Sweet Potatos, a few noodles, Gerber Veggie Puffs and had her Biter Cookie in her new Net feeder thing. She can't actually grab the little food yet but she is working on it. She does very well chewing on things sort of and was enjoying her lunch. She did puke a few times after but at least she enjoyed it and it wasnt painful coming back up!
Last night was Kaitlyn's first bath in the big tub and she had a good time. She was splashing around trying to get her little mini ducks. She really doesnt have any bath toys and I think it's time to get her some but she seemed to enjoy herself anyway.
My baby is really growing up!! I went to the store yesterday and got her a bunch of Stage 2 foods so we can try them out soon. I want to get her over the diarrhea first but even that seems to be coming along well. Hopefully it will all be over soon!!
Kaitlyn has been getting Soy formula since yesterday, she doesnt seem to be doing too bad on it either. So far, we woke up this morning with no diarrhea! She did have a bad night last night with gas and everything and was up all night with tummy pains, but we got through it. The Soy hasn't changed her spit up or puking at all, she is still doing both. It seems to be thicker when it comes up as compared to the Alimentum.
Anyway, today she seems to be doing ok on the Soy and she had a big appetite at lunch! She ate Sweet Potatos, a few noodles, Gerber Veggie Puffs and had her Biter Cookie in her new Net feeder thing. She can't actually grab the little food yet but she is working on it. She does very well chewing on things sort of and was enjoying her lunch. She did puke a few times after but at least she enjoyed it and it wasnt painful coming back up!
Last night was Kaitlyn's first bath in the big tub and she had a good time. She was splashing around trying to get her little mini ducks. She really doesnt have any bath toys and I think it's time to get her some but she seemed to enjoy herself anyway.
My baby is really growing up!! I went to the store yesterday and got her a bunch of Stage 2 foods so we can try them out soon. I want to get her over the diarrhea first but even that seems to be coming along well. Hopefully it will all be over soon!!
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Little People Eating Big People Food
Just wanted to make sure I got it down. Kaitlyn sat with me and ate my KFC mashed potatos tonight out of the container. She enjoyed it so much and really liked the potatos!! She ate quite a bit and I'm hoping it will help her diarrhea.
We did go see the Pediatrician today because since she has been going on with diarrhea for 5 days now they wanted to make sure she was ok. She's fine and we just have to keep lubing up her butt so the rash stays under control.
I found out recently that tummy viruses can cause temporary Lactose intolerance and I'm going to try some Soy formula for a few days and see if Kaitlyn's diarrhea gets better and it will also be a trial run for next month. After we get to the end of this batch of Alimentum we bought, we want to see if Kaitlyn can be switched to Soy, so this will be a test to see how she does for almost a week. It should give us a good idea.
Well... she is whining and I think it's time for bed so I'll update in a few days after we see how the Soy is going.
We did go see the Pediatrician today because since she has been going on with diarrhea for 5 days now they wanted to make sure she was ok. She's fine and we just have to keep lubing up her butt so the rash stays under control.
I found out recently that tummy viruses can cause temporary Lactose intolerance and I'm going to try some Soy formula for a few days and see if Kaitlyn's diarrhea gets better and it will also be a trial run for next month. After we get to the end of this batch of Alimentum we bought, we want to see if Kaitlyn can be switched to Soy, so this will be a test to see how she does for almost a week. It should give us a good idea.
Well... she is whining and I think it's time for bed so I'll update in a few days after we see how the Soy is going.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Visit to the Pediatric GI
Kaitlyn had a blast today at the GI, she sat on the exam table and mutilated the paper she was sitting on. By the time she was done (the Dr came in) she had only the piece left under her butt, legs and feet left. Jon and I wished we would have had the camera!! We laughed for a good 20 minutes while she shredded the paper and loved every minute of it. Anyway besides her tummy issues and diarrhea the GI said she looked great and wanted to up her Zantac a bit for her weight gain but wants to wait until she gets over the diarrhea since Zantac can make diarrhea worse.
Anyway Kaitlyn is now 26 inches (I didnt think we would be here yet... it's TIME to stress about a new car seat now...) and she is 15lbs 7ounces. I'm amazed she is so big. She is still perfectly on her curve and thats great, 50% for both height and weight!!
Kaitlyn still has her diarrhea today, bad... she's pooped green water about 8 times a day... poor thing. She has a bad rash on her butt from the diarrhea irritating the skin too and I've been lathering on the Balmex and Vaseline... it seems to help a bit when it's nice and thick.
She is handling being sick very well and even the GI noticed how great she is acting even though her butt and tummy hurt. I'm so proud of her for dealing with things so well. She's such a strong girl, sometimes I think she is much stronger than her mommy!!!
The GI also mentioned what a great sitter she was at such a young age. She said she cant believe she's sitting so perfectly and that her 7 month old cant even sit yet! YAY!! Way to go Kaitlyn!
Anyway Kaitlyn is now 26 inches (I didnt think we would be here yet... it's TIME to stress about a new car seat now...) and she is 15lbs 7ounces. I'm amazed she is so big. She is still perfectly on her curve and thats great, 50% for both height and weight!!
Kaitlyn still has her diarrhea today, bad... she's pooped green water about 8 times a day... poor thing. She has a bad rash on her butt from the diarrhea irritating the skin too and I've been lathering on the Balmex and Vaseline... it seems to help a bit when it's nice and thick.
She is handling being sick very well and even the GI noticed how great she is acting even though her butt and tummy hurt. I'm so proud of her for dealing with things so well. She's such a strong girl, sometimes I think she is much stronger than her mommy!!!
The GI also mentioned what a great sitter she was at such a young age. She said she cant believe she's sitting so perfectly and that her 7 month old cant even sit yet! YAY!! Way to go Kaitlyn!
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Baby's 1st Snow Day!
Well first of all Kaitlyn slept all night in her crib!! She looked like such a big girl in there last night. I decided since she wasnt feeling well to leave her be in her crib and she did great. She slept there all night and woke up this morning at 7!
When we got up this morning there was SNOW SNOW SNOW! It's beautiful out and it's Kaitlyn's very first snow day! I even took a picture out of Kaitlyn's bedroom window today so she can look back and see her very first snow day!
Hopefully she will be feeling a bit better today and not so sick. I think I will give her some Pedialyte today if she still has diarrhea. I know I hate when I'm sick, so it must be really hard for someone so little and who doesnt really know whats going on.
I'll be here for her though so we'll all get through this! In the mean time we can try to enjoy the snow!
When we got up this morning there was SNOW SNOW SNOW! It's beautiful out and it's Kaitlyn's very first snow day! I even took a picture out of Kaitlyn's bedroom window today so she can look back and see her very first snow day!
Hopefully she will be feeling a bit better today and not so sick. I think I will give her some Pedialyte today if she still has diarrhea. I know I hate when I'm sick, so it must be really hard for someone so little and who doesnt really know whats going on.
I'll be here for her though so we'll all get through this! In the mean time we can try to enjoy the snow!
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Crying, Tummy Aching, Pooping and Miserable
Well I think it's official that Kaitlyn is sick. She had mucosy poop this morning and diarrhea the rest of the day. She has been grunting and whining and crying all day because her tummy hurts. The poor girl is miserable. She has a fever of 101 and has been crying most of the day because she just doesnt feel well at all.
Well the good thing is that she's eating again but it hurts her tummy when she does so she grunts and crunches up her tummy for awhile afterwards and I feel bad but she needs to eat. She's still puking like crazy but hopefull she will get through this soon. She's also got her first diaper rash which I'm sure is a result of the diarrhea! I feel so bad for her because I know it hurts. The weird thing is, is that it looks just like the rash she just got over on her face not too long ago.
I just feel so bad for my poor little baby, she has never been sick like this. She is sleeping in her crib tonight for the first night ever... not sure if we are going to leave her there especailly while being sick, but she is there now and sleeping so we'll see when we decide to go to bed if we will leave her there or take her down to the bassinett... she had a VERY rough time going to sleep last night. She had to lay with me in bed to even go to sleep. I was going to let her sleep with us but finally did put her in the bassinet and she woke up screaming so many times.
Well, I'm hoping she starts feeling better tomorrow and we can all get out of this funk. The poor baby is miserable and I hate seeing her like this. This is her first time ever getting watery diarhea like she has and I know she doesnt like it either. I guess we'll just see how things are going and how she is feeling in the morning.
Well the good thing is that she's eating again but it hurts her tummy when she does so she grunts and crunches up her tummy for awhile afterwards and I feel bad but she needs to eat. She's still puking like crazy but hopefull she will get through this soon. She's also got her first diaper rash which I'm sure is a result of the diarrhea! I feel so bad for her because I know it hurts. The weird thing is, is that it looks just like the rash she just got over on her face not too long ago.
I just feel so bad for my poor little baby, she has never been sick like this. She is sleeping in her crib tonight for the first night ever... not sure if we are going to leave her there especailly while being sick, but she is there now and sleeping so we'll see when we decide to go to bed if we will leave her there or take her down to the bassinett... she had a VERY rough time going to sleep last night. She had to lay with me in bed to even go to sleep. I was going to let her sleep with us but finally did put her in the bassinet and she woke up screaming so many times.
Well, I'm hoping she starts feeling better tomorrow and we can all get out of this funk. The poor baby is miserable and I hate seeing her like this. This is her first time ever getting watery diarhea like she has and I know she doesnt like it either. I guess we'll just see how things are going and how she is feeling in the morning.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Upside Down Through the Roller Coaster Loops
Well it looks like we are back on the Reflux Roller Coaster again. Today has been bad for Kaitlyn. She has been puking and not eating again. She ate this morning while half asleep and then went back to sleep. Then she only ate an ounce and a half from her next bottle and even getting that in her was a battle. She was fighting me and hitting the bottle away and turning her body around to get away from her bottle. She was also taking a suck and then crying, sucking then crying and it was just a pure battle trying to get her to eat the small amount she did eat. She was fighting her baby food earlier too and was spitting it out and wiping it all over herself today. I know she isnt feeling well.
For the last couple days she has been crying a lot, most of the day and nothing was really soothing her. Today is no different except for she isnt eating and she is puking more.
I feel bad for her today and I wish there was something I could do to make her feel better.
Here is a picture of Kaitlyn in her high chair, this is how she likes to sit in it after eating. She's so cute, even if she does feel miserable today. You can see it on her face, huh?
For the last couple days she has been crying a lot, most of the day and nothing was really soothing her. Today is no different except for she isnt eating and she is puking more.
I feel bad for her today and I wish there was something I could do to make her feel better.
Here is a picture of Kaitlyn in her high chair, this is how she likes to sit in it after eating. She's so cute, even if she does feel miserable today. You can see it on her face, huh?
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Big Girl in the High Chair
Today was the first day Kaitlyn sat and ate in her High Chair. She's so little in it but it worked. I had to dig it out from behind all the stuff in her room but it's finally out here so we can use it. She's getting so big now she is going to have to learn how to be in it! After she ate I put the toys on the chair from her swing and she decided to put her feet up and kick at them. Like I said, she is still little in the chair so she can put her feet over the littl "play" tray. I think she would be ok in there with the big eating tray but for now we'll just get her used to it!!
I think she likes that she can watch tv at a normal height in it too!! We'll see how things go. My job is to clean the rest of the room here so we have room to actually have her high chair in it!
She's sleeping right now so I'm off to get her laundry!
I think she likes that she can watch tv at a normal height in it too!! We'll see how things go. My job is to clean the rest of the room here so we have room to actually have her high chair in it!
She's sleeping right now so I'm off to get her laundry!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
So much in So Little Time
Well the past few days a lot has happened. Saturday we went to get our Family photo, Christmas and Winter photos. It was such a long long day too. Our appointment was at 11am and we didnt get in to get our pictures done until almost 2pm. Kaitlyn started to get tired towards the end of the photos but she did a fabulous job and smiled and laughed in every one! All of our pictures are posted in our Fuchs Family Shutterfly collection as well as many pictures from Thanksgiving and our visit to Michigan a couple weekends ago.
I dont think the pictures of us as a family came out too bad! The ones of Kaitlyn are amazing! She is so beautiful and I was so proud of her for posing and smiling and being so good even though she was tired!
Kaitlyn is getting even more independent than ever! She sits up like a pro now and has been for a couple weeks now. Since she started sitting for only a few seconds at 4 months to now where she can sit for minutes at a time playing with her toys. She sits on the couch and sits on the floor she sits anywhere. She really wants to get going too. She isn't the best at rolling around, but she can roll over. She doesnt put herself in a sitting position from laying down but she will get down on her belly from a sitting position and then roll to her back.
Kaitlyn is really trying so very hard to crawl. She will get down on her belly and pull her knees up and pull herself forward with her arms. She is very active and get so very frustrated when she cant get where she wants to be fast enough! I think it will be happening very soon she can not sit still at all! She wont lay still anymore after eating, she has to roll around the couch or sit up and play.
Kaitlyn also chooses which toy she wants to play with. She picks them up and changes hands with them and she knows which parts are the teething parts and everything. She is very smart. Today she was hanging toys on her feet.I kept giving them to her and she would toss them on the floor. I would pick them up and give them back... we did this over and over until I realized she only threw one on the floor so I gave it back again and when I looked at her she had the toys hanging off of her foot. I got a picture and of course I have to put it in here.
She's such a cutie!
Let's see what else is new... the foods Kaitlyn has eaten now are Apples, Pears, Bananas, Squash, Sweet Potatos and YoBaby Apples & Cereal. Next week we might try peas again or Carrots. We're still staying away from Peaches for now but perhaps soon we'll get back into those. Kaitlyn loves her foods now. She even cries when it's time to have some! We've even tried some mixed things and she likes them so far. She had some Apples, Pears and Bananas mixed and we have a jar of Apples and Cherries to try too soon!
Kaitlyn is getting very helpful with her bottle as well. She has been trying to hold it and was holding it for a bit with help but now she holds it for a few seconds by herself. I think the Dr Browns bottles are a little long and harder for her to keep up. They always seem to fall down while she is holding them. She's having fun practicing though!
I'm sure she'll get it in time. She really loves practicing all the things she is learning. I'm sure there are more things to come too!
I dont think the pictures of us as a family came out too bad! The ones of Kaitlyn are amazing! She is so beautiful and I was so proud of her for posing and smiling and being so good even though she was tired!Kaitlyn is getting even more independent than ever! She sits up like a pro now and has been for a couple weeks now. Since she started sitting for only a few seconds at 4 months to now where she can sit for minutes at a time playing with her toys. She sits on the couch and sits on the floor she sits anywhere. She really wants to get going too. She isn't the best at rolling around, but she can roll over. She doesnt put herself in a sitting position from laying down but she will get down on her belly from a sitting position and then roll to her back.
Kaitlyn is really trying so very hard to crawl. She will get down on her belly and pull her knees up and pull herself forward with her arms. She is very active and get so very frustrated when she cant get where she wants to be fast enough! I think it will be happening very soon she can not sit still at all! She wont lay still anymore after eating, she has to roll around the couch or sit up and play.
Kaitlyn also chooses which toy she wants to play with. She picks them up and changes hands with them and she knows which parts are the teething parts and everything. She is very smart. Today she was hanging toys on her feet.I kept giving them to her and she would toss them on the floor. I would pick them up and give them back... we did this over and over until I realized she only threw one on the floor so I gave it back again and when I looked at her she had the toys hanging off of her foot. I got a picture and of course I have to put it in here.
She's such a cutie! Let's see what else is new... the foods Kaitlyn has eaten now are Apples, Pears, Bananas, Squash, Sweet Potatos and YoBaby Apples & Cereal. Next week we might try peas again or Carrots. We're still staying away from Peaches for now but perhaps soon we'll get back into those. Kaitlyn loves her foods now. She even cries when it's time to have some! We've even tried some mixed things and she likes them so far. She had some Apples, Pears and Bananas mixed and we have a jar of Apples and Cherries to try too soon!
Kaitlyn is getting very helpful with her bottle as well. She has been trying to hold it and was holding it for a bit with help but now she holds it for a few seconds by herself. I think the Dr Browns bottles are a little long and harder for her to keep up. They always seem to fall down while she is holding them. She's having fun practicing though!
I'm sure she'll get it in time. She really loves practicing all the things she is learning. I'm sure there are more things to come too!
Friday, November 25, 2005
First Thansgiving!
Kaitlyn had celebrated her first Thanksgiving at her Aunt Donna's house in Ronkonkoma, NY this year. Everyone was there, Mommy, Daddy, Kaitlyn, Grandma Lois, Aunt Michelle, Aunt Donna, Uncle Charlie, Cousin Nancy, Cousin Tom, Great Aunt Janet and Great Aunt Marilyn. Uncle Charlie and Aunt Donna's kitty Jack was there too of course! She had a great time visiting with everyone. She did get tired and had to nap but overall it wasnt too bad of a day for her. She isnt used to being around large groups of people yet so she got a bit overstimulated and was fussy, however, we all enjoyed the day very much.
Kaitlyn got to try a couple of new foods that day, she got a very tiny piece of turkey, a spot of mashed potatos and a tiny bit of turnips. She only really swallowed the piece of turkey and spit everything else back out but I'm hoping she got a taste of it anyway.
As for new foods we started Kaitlyn on some new foods! So far she has been eating Butternut Squash baby food and she really likes it. She also gets her fruit during the day too. Not to mention the fact that she is eating more solids now at each feeding. She is still only eating her 4 bottles a day which have dwindled down to only 4 or 5 ounces each but she is eating 4oz Stage 2 jars of baby food 2-3 times a day as well! She does puke a lot of it up but she is still eating it.
Once a week now I also give Kaitlyn some YoBaby yogurt. She has only had the Apple & Cereal flavor but she seems to like it. I don't give her much as I think she has a bit of a sensitivity to dairy but she seems to be able to handle a little bit once a week or so.
Our next goal is to try more veggies now so we can get her into eating more of a variety of foods.
The only other "new" thing is that we finally got Kaitlyn a sippy cup, which she loves to put up to her mouth and chew on. She loves that she can hold it and move it around but she hasnt quite figured out how to actually drink from it yet.
Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Kaitlyn got to try a couple of new foods that day, she got a very tiny piece of turkey, a spot of mashed potatos and a tiny bit of turnips. She only really swallowed the piece of turkey and spit everything else back out but I'm hoping she got a taste of it anyway.
As for new foods we started Kaitlyn on some new foods! So far she has been eating Butternut Squash baby food and she really likes it. She also gets her fruit during the day too. Not to mention the fact that she is eating more solids now at each feeding. She is still only eating her 4 bottles a day which have dwindled down to only 4 or 5 ounces each but she is eating 4oz Stage 2 jars of baby food 2-3 times a day as well! She does puke a lot of it up but she is still eating it.
Once a week now I also give Kaitlyn some YoBaby yogurt. She has only had the Apple & Cereal flavor but she seems to like it. I don't give her much as I think she has a bit of a sensitivity to dairy but she seems to be able to handle a little bit once a week or so.
Our next goal is to try more veggies now so we can get her into eating more of a variety of foods.
The only other "new" thing is that we finally got Kaitlyn a sippy cup, which she loves to put up to her mouth and chew on. She loves that she can hold it and move it around but she hasnt quite figured out how to actually drink from it yet.
Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Longest Short Trip ever
Well Kaitlyn got to take her second trip to Michigan this past weekend. Overall it was a great trip and seeing Grandma and Grandpa was wonderful.
On Friday when Jon got home from work he took a little nap after dinner and we left that night right after Kaitlyn's last bottle and she slept the entire 10 hour drive there. We got to my moms (where we were staying) at 8am Saturday. Jon was tired from driving most of the way and took about an hour nap or so, I stayed up and fed Kaitlyn and visited with my mother for awhile. My mother went over and got Kaitlyn's cousins Derek and Kinsley and at 11:30 we went to JCPenny and got some Christmas photos of the three kids together. When we got back I got ready quick and we drove 45 mins to the other side of town to my Dad's birthday party. We had a great time at the party and we loved seeing Grandpa!! I probably had tears in my eyes the whole time because he looked so happy and he told me just having me there was the one thing he wanted most for his birthday! Jon kept trying to get Kaitlyn to take a nap at the party because all day she had not slept but maybe 10 mins here or there. She desperatly needed a nap. He tried everything, even taking her out to the car and she would not sleep. She was SOOOOO overly tired. Anyway, we left the party and drove another 45 mins back to my moms and Jon went to bed. I fed Kaitlyn her last bottle and tried everything to get her to go to sleep but since she was so overly tired she couldnt sleep. I was so incredibly tired myself since I hadn't slept since Thursday night. I thought maybe if I took Kaitlyn in the bedroom in the dark and rocked her she would fall asleep. She DID! I was so happy, I went to put her down in the Pack N Play (not hers - one my mom put up for her) and she laid there for about 5 mins and woke up screaming. We went through this about 5 times before I finally decided since she was sleeping just fine in my arms that I would just leave her there and let her sleep with us in the bed. So her and I got a few hours of sleep after all that trying to get her to sleep. I think she just didnt like the pack n play because she wasnt used to it or something. I was extremely grateful about my mother being so nice as to let Jon and I have the bed and she and her hubby slept in the living room. It was great, after driving so long, to have a comfortable place to sleep!!
So we got up Sunday morning (I got up at 6:30 and woke Jon at 730), my mom made us breakfast (Thank God hahaha she makes good food!), we visited for a bit and we left at 8am just after Kaitlyn's first bottle. She did really well in the car on the way home until we got to New Jersey (I HATE THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE!!!!). She was so sick of sitting in her seat so I did the worst thing ever and while caught in traffic at the GW Bridge I took her out of her seat and let her look around and stuff... She was crying and fussy by then and who wouldnt be after being in the car seat for 12 hours?? We finally got home at 9pm and when she went to bed I could see how happy she was to be in her bassinet!! Hahaha
Anyway, it was a good trip besides all the driving and Kaitlyn is finally getting back to herself.
Besides the trip, Kaitlyn tasted mashed potato for the first time Monday night and gagged on them. We also picked up some YoBaby yogurt and she seems to like it. We got the Apples and Cereal kind and she ate it. It seems to be a little thin for her but at least she likes it. I'm only going to give her one or two a month for now while she is still young. We picked up more fruit for her and we also got her a couple of mixed jars too. They have Apples, Bananas and Pears in one and Apples and Cherries in the other. We'll see how she does with them after we give the yogurt a few days. She also tried Butternut Squash yesterday too which she didnt seem to gag on but she was crying while eating it. We'll try that again a little later today and see how it goes.
Oh my mother also got Kaitlyn some beautiful clothes! I havent decided which outfit she is going to wear for Thanksgiving but it's a toss up between two of them! They're adorable. She got her some larger ones too that I cant wait til she fits into. She got her a really cute Christmas dress too that hopefully she will fit into by the time Christmas comes and when we go home to Michigan again in a few weeks. It's a 6-9 months so it will probably be big but hopefully she can wear it.
We're going Saturday to get Kaitlyn's Christmas/Winter pictures done too. I cant wait to see how beautiful she will be in her little outfits. We're going to get a family picture done too, which will be our first one since she was born. Then later in December we're going to take Kaitlyn to get her first picture at the Mall with Santa!
Well I've got laundry to do if Kaitlyn is going to wear one of these outfits tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow should be an exciting day!
On Friday when Jon got home from work he took a little nap after dinner and we left that night right after Kaitlyn's last bottle and she slept the entire 10 hour drive there. We got to my moms (where we were staying) at 8am Saturday. Jon was tired from driving most of the way and took about an hour nap or so, I stayed up and fed Kaitlyn and visited with my mother for awhile. My mother went over and got Kaitlyn's cousins Derek and Kinsley and at 11:30 we went to JCPenny and got some Christmas photos of the three kids together. When we got back I got ready quick and we drove 45 mins to the other side of town to my Dad's birthday party. We had a great time at the party and we loved seeing Grandpa!! I probably had tears in my eyes the whole time because he looked so happy and he told me just having me there was the one thing he wanted most for his birthday! Jon kept trying to get Kaitlyn to take a nap at the party because all day she had not slept but maybe 10 mins here or there. She desperatly needed a nap. He tried everything, even taking her out to the car and she would not sleep. She was SOOOOO overly tired. Anyway, we left the party and drove another 45 mins back to my moms and Jon went to bed. I fed Kaitlyn her last bottle and tried everything to get her to go to sleep but since she was so overly tired she couldnt sleep. I was so incredibly tired myself since I hadn't slept since Thursday night. I thought maybe if I took Kaitlyn in the bedroom in the dark and rocked her she would fall asleep. She DID! I was so happy, I went to put her down in the Pack N Play (not hers - one my mom put up for her) and she laid there for about 5 mins and woke up screaming. We went through this about 5 times before I finally decided since she was sleeping just fine in my arms that I would just leave her there and let her sleep with us in the bed. So her and I got a few hours of sleep after all that trying to get her to sleep. I think she just didnt like the pack n play because she wasnt used to it or something. I was extremely grateful about my mother being so nice as to let Jon and I have the bed and she and her hubby slept in the living room. It was great, after driving so long, to have a comfortable place to sleep!!
So we got up Sunday morning (I got up at 6:30 and woke Jon at 730), my mom made us breakfast (Thank God hahaha she makes good food!), we visited for a bit and we left at 8am just after Kaitlyn's first bottle. She did really well in the car on the way home until we got to New Jersey (I HATE THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE!!!!). She was so sick of sitting in her seat so I did the worst thing ever and while caught in traffic at the GW Bridge I took her out of her seat and let her look around and stuff... She was crying and fussy by then and who wouldnt be after being in the car seat for 12 hours?? We finally got home at 9pm and when she went to bed I could see how happy she was to be in her bassinet!! Hahaha
Anyway, it was a good trip besides all the driving and Kaitlyn is finally getting back to herself.
Besides the trip, Kaitlyn tasted mashed potato for the first time Monday night and gagged on them. We also picked up some YoBaby yogurt and she seems to like it. We got the Apples and Cereal kind and she ate it. It seems to be a little thin for her but at least she likes it. I'm only going to give her one or two a month for now while she is still young. We picked up more fruit for her and we also got her a couple of mixed jars too. They have Apples, Bananas and Pears in one and Apples and Cherries in the other. We'll see how she does with them after we give the yogurt a few days. She also tried Butternut Squash yesterday too which she didnt seem to gag on but she was crying while eating it. We'll try that again a little later today and see how it goes.
Oh my mother also got Kaitlyn some beautiful clothes! I havent decided which outfit she is going to wear for Thanksgiving but it's a toss up between two of them! They're adorable. She got her some larger ones too that I cant wait til she fits into. She got her a really cute Christmas dress too that hopefully she will fit into by the time Christmas comes and when we go home to Michigan again in a few weeks. It's a 6-9 months so it will probably be big but hopefully she can wear it.
We're going Saturday to get Kaitlyn's Christmas/Winter pictures done too. I cant wait to see how beautiful she will be in her little outfits. We're going to get a family picture done too, which will be our first one since she was born. Then later in December we're going to take Kaitlyn to get her first picture at the Mall with Santa!
Well I've got laundry to do if Kaitlyn is going to wear one of these outfits tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow should be an exciting day!
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Damn Those Shots!
Well Monday Kaitlyn had her shots and Tuesday she had a 102 fever and was miserable all day. She was crying and crying and crying and just felt horrible. She slept a lot and she was puking and just having a rough day... poor girl.
Tuesday and Wednesday weren't terrible, actually besides all the puking, but today is a whole other story. She has been miserable just about since she woke up. She's been crying and fussy all day and she was up about 5 times last night screaming and I had to get her back to sleep. I hate how she does that... she must get so freaked out... I know I would if I kept getting woken up by something causing me to scream and cry. I wish I could stop it for her. She's been doing it all day today while napping too. Her reflux is bad today, she's been coughing and choking and spitting up and puking from the time the bottle is done and leaves her mouth until she either falls asleep or eats again. Although she is still refluxing in her sleep because she gets woken up by it and chokes and coughs and starts to cry.
It's really terrible that this poor tiny defenseless girl has to deal with this everyday of her life. I hate it for her... I hate it for me... I hate it for all the babies!
Tuesday and Wednesday weren't terrible, actually besides all the puking, but today is a whole other story. She has been miserable just about since she woke up. She's been crying and fussy all day and she was up about 5 times last night screaming and I had to get her back to sleep. I hate how she does that... she must get so freaked out... I know I would if I kept getting woken up by something causing me to scream and cry. I wish I could stop it for her. She's been doing it all day today while napping too. Her reflux is bad today, she's been coughing and choking and spitting up and puking from the time the bottle is done and leaves her mouth until she either falls asleep or eats again. Although she is still refluxing in her sleep because she gets woken up by it and chokes and coughs and starts to cry.
It's really terrible that this poor tiny defenseless girl has to deal with this everyday of her life. I hate it for her... I hate it for me... I hate it for all the babies!
Monday, November 14, 2005
5 Months Old Now
We went to see the Pediatrician today who says Kaitlyn looks wonderful and healthy. She was a whopping 14lbs 13oz and 24 1/4" tall. Kaitlyn even thought it was funny when she farted at the Doctor while she was examining her! The Doctor also complimented me on how well I am doing as a parent. She said I have come a long way especially when having to deal with a baby with reflux. As far as Kaitlyn's reflux goes, she is doing very well... the Pediatric GI Dr increased her dosage of Zantac to 1mL 3x's a day now and since she did Kaitlyn hasn't needed Maalox much at all and has really only been whiney because of her teeth. She got two shots today too so I'm sure she will be crabby and have a fever for the next couple days. Thats ok though... thats what they make Tylenol for!
The Dr also said since Kaitlyn doesn't like the baby food veggies that we can start to let her taste whatever we're eating!! If we have veggies, we can smoosh 'em up and let her taste it. She said we can let her try anything we want... even meats. Of course they have to be chopped very very tiny but she said even just to get it in her mouth so she gets the taste is great. She gets to try a sippy cup soon too!! She's getting so big I can't believe it. I think it's time to put her in her highchair finally... still looking for a place to put the darn thing though! Hahahaha
I think we're going to take a big step too and put Kaitlyn to bed at night in her big girl crib. I think 5 months of sleeping in her bassinet next to mommy is long enough. It just means when she wakes up screaming, mommy's gotta run up the stairs to get her!! Oh well, I need the work out! She hasnt been waking up much lately so I think she'll be just fine! I think I'm the one that will miss her being there most!! hahahahaha Yeah mommy has some attachment issues but how could I not be attached to someone so amazing and beautiful?? I'm sure I'll be writing about how thats going down the road but we'll see how it goes.
Coming up this month Kaitlyn has 2 trips to go on!! This coming weekend, November 18th is Grandpa's 70th birthday so we're taking a trip home only for one day to see him for his birthday and we're going to see Grandma Debbie too. It's going to be so nice to see them and they can see how much Kaitlyn has grown. We're also going to be taking a trip again to Michigan in Dec to see Grandma Debbie for her birthday too! While we are there we are going to get together with Great Aunt Sheri and Uncle Glenn and Cousin Lindsey to have dinner and celebrate Christmas. We're very excited about that and can't wait to see everyone!!
We're going to take Kaitlyn to get her Christmas photo's done and a family photo. YAY! My very first family photo! It's just too bad we can't get the kitties in the picture with us... I'll have to put them in it with a picture editor!! hahahahaha
Well I'll add a picture of Kaitlyn in her Christmas dress when we go get the photos done. That's all for now!
The Dr also said since Kaitlyn doesn't like the baby food veggies that we can start to let her taste whatever we're eating!! If we have veggies, we can smoosh 'em up and let her taste it. She said we can let her try anything we want... even meats. Of course they have to be chopped very very tiny but she said even just to get it in her mouth so she gets the taste is great. She gets to try a sippy cup soon too!! She's getting so big I can't believe it. I think it's time to put her in her highchair finally... still looking for a place to put the darn thing though! Hahahaha
I think we're going to take a big step too and put Kaitlyn to bed at night in her big girl crib. I think 5 months of sleeping in her bassinet next to mommy is long enough. It just means when she wakes up screaming, mommy's gotta run up the stairs to get her!! Oh well, I need the work out! She hasnt been waking up much lately so I think she'll be just fine! I think I'm the one that will miss her being there most!! hahahahaha Yeah mommy has some attachment issues but how could I not be attached to someone so amazing and beautiful?? I'm sure I'll be writing about how thats going down the road but we'll see how it goes.
Coming up this month Kaitlyn has 2 trips to go on!! This coming weekend, November 18th is Grandpa's 70th birthday so we're taking a trip home only for one day to see him for his birthday and we're going to see Grandma Debbie too. It's going to be so nice to see them and they can see how much Kaitlyn has grown. We're also going to be taking a trip again to Michigan in Dec to see Grandma Debbie for her birthday too! While we are there we are going to get together with Great Aunt Sheri and Uncle Glenn and Cousin Lindsey to have dinner and celebrate Christmas. We're very excited about that and can't wait to see everyone!!
We're going to take Kaitlyn to get her Christmas photo's done and a family photo. YAY! My very first family photo! It's just too bad we can't get the kitties in the picture with us... I'll have to put them in it with a picture editor!! hahahahaha
Well I'll add a picture of Kaitlyn in her Christmas dress when we go get the photos done. That's all for now!
Friday, November 11, 2005
Mastered a New Trick
Well Kaitlyn has been doing raspberries since the one she did out of the blue earlier. She had no prompting today at all other than the past week or so we've been doing it to her to try to get her to do it. She didnt seem to have any interest in it... then out of no where tonight she does it and she has been doing it all night long!!! She's got it just about mastered!
Kaitlyn continues to amaze me with how she seems to instantly start doing things. I just love it... she made me so incredibily happy tonight by doing this. I cant help but laugh when she does it because it is so cute!! I'm so glad I got video of her doing it!!
Well... now on to the next thing... "saaaaaaaaay Mmmma mmmma!!!!" :)
Kaitlyn continues to amaze me with how she seems to instantly start doing things. I just love it... she made me so incredibily happy tonight by doing this. I cant help but laugh when she does it because it is so cute!! I'm so glad I got video of her doing it!!
Well... now on to the next thing... "saaaaaaaaay Mmmma mmmma!!!!" :)
Raspberries
Today Kaitlyn finally tried doing a "raspberry" today!! She was doing her favorite things as of late and flipping out of her boppy pillow and laying face down in the couch. She ended up on the couch right side up and she was ptttttttth-ing while laying there. I have been trying to get her to do it for about a week now. She just now started to try it!! I hope she can get it, it's so cute when she does the things I teach her!! Like her screeching!! hahahaha it's great!!
Now she is standing on Daddy's lap and screeching in his face. She's so beautiful!!
Ok I'm off to play!
Now she is standing on Daddy's lap and screeching in his face. She's so beautiful!!
Ok I'm off to play!
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Things I've Noticed...
There are things I have noticed about Kaitlyn and her growth that I'm not sure I have mentioned here. I just want to make sure I take the time to write them down.
For the past few weeks or so Kaitlyn has been doing so well eating. Even trying her hardest to help hold her bottle and feed herself. Although most of the time she is ripping the bottle out of her mouth and making a mess of her face.... she is still trying!! Most of her bottles are 6 ounces now and she gets about 24 ounces total a day. There are a few days here and there that she only eats 20 ounces but still most of them are 24 ounce days. She also loves her fruit, Bananas, Apples and Pears being her most favorite. She has been eating about 2 full Stage 1 jars of fruit twice a day. We're actually going to start buying the Stage 2 jars since she is wanting to eat more and it is more quantity for about the same amount of money as the Stage 1 jars!!
We recently found out that we may be able to get some help with Kaitlyn's formula through our health insurance company. We're working with the Pediatrician now to get it all worked out so they can help us pay for it. It's so very expensive... we figured it to be about $50 a week just for her formula. That doesn't include the cereal and baby food she is eating as well... so she's a bit of an expensive kid but worth every penny and more!!
Kaitlyn has been able to spend more and more time on her back and tummy lately and I'm grateful! She's really learning to roll over quite well and she's trying so very hard to get moving!! I got some wonderful video of her playing with her "soft" books and of her trying to crawl!! She's working on it and getting there but she does have a lot of fun playing with her toys on the blanket! She's really getting mobile even though she isn't crawling! I can put her on the floor and go do dishes and turn around a couple minutes later only to see her 3 feet from where she was!! She's a very good inch-wormer! hahahaha Today she was even laying on her tummy with her small monkey pillow under her chest and she push that along under her as she moved on the blanket. She probably moved better with it since it's a soft satin-like nylon material!! She never stays put, even in her boppy on the couch... she used to lay in it or sit up and play with her toys but now she goes rolling out of it, ends up laying across it sideways and practically flips over on her belly in it. It's great!! She's getting so big so fast!
She's very chatty as well, not really saying anything in particular but trying to get the constants sounds now. She loves to make this growling-like throaty sound and her and I do it back and forth to each other all day. She loves to screech and squeal and giggle. I even MADE her laugh outloud at me yesterday! Sometimes she will just giggle on her own at things but I was playing with her and she looked right at me and laughed out loud! It was great and it made me feel all gooey inside!
I've noticed too that Kaitlyn is very into touching things now and feeling new textures. I went and got some toys for her from a lady I know with kids and a few of them are soft blocks with texture on them and she likes to feel them. She feels my pants, the pillows on the couch, the blankets and our shirts. She just puts her little hand on things and slides it up and down and scratches her nails on it and is really trying to learn about the world around her. It's amazing to watch her grow into this little person.
Well she just woke up from her nap and is screeching in the monitor, I guess she wants out! It's time for some fruit anyway!!
She's almost 5 months now so that big update will be coming up soon!! I'm going to look into Baby proofing materials and getting out the instructions for the baby gate for the top of the stairs!!
For the past few weeks or so Kaitlyn has been doing so well eating. Even trying her hardest to help hold her bottle and feed herself. Although most of the time she is ripping the bottle out of her mouth and making a mess of her face.... she is still trying!! Most of her bottles are 6 ounces now and she gets about 24 ounces total a day. There are a few days here and there that she only eats 20 ounces but still most of them are 24 ounce days. She also loves her fruit, Bananas, Apples and Pears being her most favorite. She has been eating about 2 full Stage 1 jars of fruit twice a day. We're actually going to start buying the Stage 2 jars since she is wanting to eat more and it is more quantity for about the same amount of money as the Stage 1 jars!!
We recently found out that we may be able to get some help with Kaitlyn's formula through our health insurance company. We're working with the Pediatrician now to get it all worked out so they can help us pay for it. It's so very expensive... we figured it to be about $50 a week just for her formula. That doesn't include the cereal and baby food she is eating as well... so she's a bit of an expensive kid but worth every penny and more!!
Kaitlyn has been able to spend more and more time on her back and tummy lately and I'm grateful! She's really learning to roll over quite well and she's trying so very hard to get moving!! I got some wonderful video of her playing with her "soft" books and of her trying to crawl!! She's working on it and getting there but she does have a lot of fun playing with her toys on the blanket! She's really getting mobile even though she isn't crawling! I can put her on the floor and go do dishes and turn around a couple minutes later only to see her 3 feet from where she was!! She's a very good inch-wormer! hahahaha Today she was even laying on her tummy with her small monkey pillow under her chest and she push that along under her as she moved on the blanket. She probably moved better with it since it's a soft satin-like nylon material!! She never stays put, even in her boppy on the couch... she used to lay in it or sit up and play with her toys but now she goes rolling out of it, ends up laying across it sideways and practically flips over on her belly in it. It's great!! She's getting so big so fast!
She's very chatty as well, not really saying anything in particular but trying to get the constants sounds now. She loves to make this growling-like throaty sound and her and I do it back and forth to each other all day. She loves to screech and squeal and giggle. I even MADE her laugh outloud at me yesterday! Sometimes she will just giggle on her own at things but I was playing with her and she looked right at me and laughed out loud! It was great and it made me feel all gooey inside!
I've noticed too that Kaitlyn is very into touching things now and feeling new textures. I went and got some toys for her from a lady I know with kids and a few of them are soft blocks with texture on them and she likes to feel them. She feels my pants, the pillows on the couch, the blankets and our shirts. She just puts her little hand on things and slides it up and down and scratches her nails on it and is really trying to learn about the world around her. It's amazing to watch her grow into this little person.
Well she just woke up from her nap and is screeching in the monitor, I guess she wants out! It's time for some fruit anyway!!
She's almost 5 months now so that big update will be coming up soon!! I'm going to look into Baby proofing materials and getting out the instructions for the baby gate for the top of the stairs!!
Monday, November 07, 2005
Miles of Stones
Well it seems everyday Kaitlyn is getting bigger and getting better at everything she does. Lately Kaitlyn has spent more time on her back and belly and she is working on mastering rolling over from front to back and she also pulls her knees up under her. She really wants to get going and gets frustrated when she can't. It's so cute to watch her as she figures out what she can and can't do. She has so much fun lately playing with her "soft books" on the floor. She has a set of Sesame Street books that each make a noise and we also got her a "My Kitty" soft book which she LOVES to chew on.
Kaitlyn is GREAT at night, when it's bed time she goes in her bassinet and she will play for a few minutes with her baby doll, who we call "Baby" and then she will go to sleep on her own. She wakes up and doesnt cry either, she is all smiley and when she sees me come to get her she kicks her legs and flings her arms. She even did VERY well with her nap yesterday. She went to sleep in her crib and woke up a couple times but fell back asleep and had a good 2 hour nap in her crib. I was so proud of her! She's really getting to be a big girl.
Kaitlyn has been feeling a lot better lately. The increased Zantac seems to be helping a lot. She has only needed to get Maalox one time since we started the bigger dose. She gets it three times a day and it seems to cover her all day now. She's still spitting up but not in pain when it happens so thats a good thing. Her rash is completely cleared up and she is a happy little baby again!! She's been eating 20-24 ounces of formula a day still and eating 2 whole jars of fruit!! Sometimes she wants more than that too but we dont want to push it. If she starts getting more she starts throwing up the food. She loves her fruit though!
We did try to do veggies and she continues to gag and puke on them and spit them out. We're going to give that a break for awhile and concentrate on the fruits for now since she enjoys them so much. Kaitlyn even lets me know when it's time for fruit. She cries at about 11am and 7pm and thats "food from a spoon" time!! :) She's so much fun and she loves to eat like mommy and daddy. She's very interested in what we are doing.
She's been teething a LOT lately too. It's a pain because sometimes it makes her reflux worse and she is cranky a lot too. Sometimes I wish she would just get the teeth already to give her a break. If it's not puke or spit up or pain from reflux it's teething pain. I wish for her to have just a normal happy day as a baby. She's getting there though. She's a lot happier these days and a lot more happy than she is cranky so thats a relief!
She still loves to grab her foot... I say foot because she really only sits there with the left foot in her left hand. She doesn't do anything with her foot, just sits there holding it. Ah well, I'm happy she is discovering her parts! :) Although I've noticed one of her favorite "toys" is my hand. She loves to look at me open and close it and he loves to hold it and move my fingers around and chew on them.
On Nov 18th, which is Grandpa's 70th birthday, we're leaving to take another trip to Michigan. We're only going for the day to have lunch with Grandma Debbie and then have a Birthday dinner with Grandpa. It's going to be a long weekend but it will be great to see my dad and for Kaitlyn to get to see Grandma and Grandpa again.
Kaitlyn is GREAT at night, when it's bed time she goes in her bassinet and she will play for a few minutes with her baby doll, who we call "Baby" and then she will go to sleep on her own. She wakes up and doesnt cry either, she is all smiley and when she sees me come to get her she kicks her legs and flings her arms. She even did VERY well with her nap yesterday. She went to sleep in her crib and woke up a couple times but fell back asleep and had a good 2 hour nap in her crib. I was so proud of her! She's really getting to be a big girl.
Kaitlyn has been feeling a lot better lately. The increased Zantac seems to be helping a lot. She has only needed to get Maalox one time since we started the bigger dose. She gets it three times a day and it seems to cover her all day now. She's still spitting up but not in pain when it happens so thats a good thing. Her rash is completely cleared up and she is a happy little baby again!! She's been eating 20-24 ounces of formula a day still and eating 2 whole jars of fruit!! Sometimes she wants more than that too but we dont want to push it. If she starts getting more she starts throwing up the food. She loves her fruit though!
We did try to do veggies and she continues to gag and puke on them and spit them out. We're going to give that a break for awhile and concentrate on the fruits for now since she enjoys them so much. Kaitlyn even lets me know when it's time for fruit. She cries at about 11am and 7pm and thats "food from a spoon" time!! :) She's so much fun and she loves to eat like mommy and daddy. She's very interested in what we are doing.
She's been teething a LOT lately too. It's a pain because sometimes it makes her reflux worse and she is cranky a lot too. Sometimes I wish she would just get the teeth already to give her a break. If it's not puke or spit up or pain from reflux it's teething pain. I wish for her to have just a normal happy day as a baby. She's getting there though. She's a lot happier these days and a lot more happy than she is cranky so thats a relief!
She still loves to grab her foot... I say foot because she really only sits there with the left foot in her left hand. She doesn't do anything with her foot, just sits there holding it. Ah well, I'm happy she is discovering her parts! :) Although I've noticed one of her favorite "toys" is my hand. She loves to look at me open and close it and he loves to hold it and move my fingers around and chew on them. On Nov 18th, which is Grandpa's 70th birthday, we're leaving to take another trip to Michigan. We're only going for the day to have lunch with Grandma Debbie and then have a Birthday dinner with Grandpa. It's going to be a long weekend but it will be great to see my dad and for Kaitlyn to get to see Grandma and Grandpa again.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
I Can Touch my Toes!!
Well we figured out that Kaitlyn had to have had some kind of virus for the last two weeks. The Dr's think it might have been Fifths Disease or something but they dont know. That is where the rash, extra reflux and puking and miserableness came from. Kaitlyn is feeling better and her rash is pretty much gone. She has a couple dry spots on her cheeks but hopefully they will go away soon. Her puking has subsided a bit so thats good for her and us!!
Kaitlyn went to see the Pediatric Gastroenterologist (Dr. Hample) yesterday and she increased her Zantac to 1mL THREE times a day now to see if that helps in giving her all day coverage. It seems we were using the Maalox more throughout the day between doses so hopefully this will help some. They also weighed Kaitlyn there and she was 14lbs!!! She's getting so big now!
Kaitlyn tried carrots for the first time last night and didnt like them all that much. She kept gagging on them and spitting them out but she ate 3/4 of a jar after awhile. She also ate half of a jar of pears too which she REALLY liked! So far I will have to say that Apples, Pears and Bananas are her favorite. I think thats just because they are smoother and sweeter and easier to get down... although they do taste yummy!! :) hehehe
The other thing Kaitlyn has started doing is sitting herself up now and grabbing on to her feet. She knew her feet were there before but never really bothered with them, now she sits up and holds them or falls back and holds on to them!! :) It's so cute to watch her. She did this for the first time last night and it was neat... now I just hope she doesnt start chewing on them!! hahahaha
Kaitlyn has been teething something fierce too!! She's drooling like a faucet and sometimes her teeth/gums are bothering her so much she is a little "fusser butt." She's starting to get a little bumpy rash on her chin from all the drool. She chews on her fingers so much that she makes them all red. We try to give her toys and she will chew on them for a minute or two and then it's right back to her hands... they are the perfect size I guess. I just wish she could get all of her teeth at once, all this teething stuff does is make her miserable and make her reflux act up.
It just amazes me that she seems to do things and discover things overnight. Like playing with toys or her feet or anything... one day she does nothing but stare at things and the next she is playing with them like she has been doing it for weeks. I just love how smart she is... now I'm just waiting for her to say Mama or Dada!! Everyday we sing the alphabet a few times and I say Mama and Dada over and over and try to get her to say it. I'm sure THAT will happen overnight too... one day she will just come out with Mama! I think I might just cry! :)
Kaitlyn went to see the Pediatric Gastroenterologist (Dr. Hample) yesterday and she increased her Zantac to 1mL THREE times a day now to see if that helps in giving her all day coverage. It seems we were using the Maalox more throughout the day between doses so hopefully this will help some. They also weighed Kaitlyn there and she was 14lbs!!! She's getting so big now!
Kaitlyn tried carrots for the first time last night and didnt like them all that much. She kept gagging on them and spitting them out but she ate 3/4 of a jar after awhile. She also ate half of a jar of pears too which she REALLY liked! So far I will have to say that Apples, Pears and Bananas are her favorite. I think thats just because they are smoother and sweeter and easier to get down... although they do taste yummy!! :) hehehe
The other thing Kaitlyn has started doing is sitting herself up now and grabbing on to her feet. She knew her feet were there before but never really bothered with them, now she sits up and holds them or falls back and holds on to them!! :) It's so cute to watch her. She did this for the first time last night and it was neat... now I just hope she doesnt start chewing on them!! hahahaha
Kaitlyn has been teething something fierce too!! She's drooling like a faucet and sometimes her teeth/gums are bothering her so much she is a little "fusser butt." She's starting to get a little bumpy rash on her chin from all the drool. She chews on her fingers so much that she makes them all red. We try to give her toys and she will chew on them for a minute or two and then it's right back to her hands... they are the perfect size I guess. I just wish she could get all of her teeth at once, all this teething stuff does is make her miserable and make her reflux act up.
It just amazes me that she seems to do things and discover things overnight. Like playing with toys or her feet or anything... one day she does nothing but stare at things and the next she is playing with them like she has been doing it for weeks. I just love how smart she is... now I'm just waiting for her to say Mama or Dada!! Everyday we sing the alphabet a few times and I say Mama and Dada over and over and try to get her to say it. I'm sure THAT will happen overnight too... one day she will just come out with Mama! I think I might just cry! :)
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Awake for 2 hours and it happens
Well Kaitlyn and I got up this morning at about 7 after a long night of her waking up constantly in discomfort. She hasnt been sleeping well in a few days now... which is making her and I both crabby, since I get up with her everytime through the night.
Anyway, I fed her this morning at about 7:15 and at about 9:15 or so she projectile vomitted all over her, me, her boppy pillow and the futon. It was pretty much most of her morning bottle.
I spoke to the Ped. GI's office yesterday and we have an appointment now for this coming Monday (Halloween) to see them. They told us to continue giving Kaitlyn the Zantac 1mL twice a day which I started back up last night. She spent the entire night scrunching up her tummy and grunting and screaming because she was not feeling well and obviously her tummy hurt! This is what she did every time she woke up last night too and once I did hear her get some gas out. Anyway, I gave her the Zantac this morning too and then this happens.
I wish I knew why all of a sudden Kaitlyn is 10 times worse than she was and she is seemingly continuing to get worse. I guess we'll see how things go til Monday and then we'll see what the Ped GI has to say about possibly different medications and maybe adding a motility medication to help her tummy with emptying.
Until the next thing...
Anyway, I fed her this morning at about 7:15 and at about 9:15 or so she projectile vomitted all over her, me, her boppy pillow and the futon. It was pretty much most of her morning bottle.
I spoke to the Ped. GI's office yesterday and we have an appointment now for this coming Monday (Halloween) to see them. They told us to continue giving Kaitlyn the Zantac 1mL twice a day which I started back up last night. She spent the entire night scrunching up her tummy and grunting and screaming because she was not feeling well and obviously her tummy hurt! This is what she did every time she woke up last night too and once I did hear her get some gas out. Anyway, I gave her the Zantac this morning too and then this happens.
I wish I knew why all of a sudden Kaitlyn is 10 times worse than she was and she is seemingly continuing to get worse. I guess we'll see how things go til Monday and then we'll see what the Ped GI has to say about possibly different medications and maybe adding a motility medication to help her tummy with emptying.
Until the next thing...
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Tootsie Roll
So today I decided to give Kaitlyn some tummy time since she doesnt get it really. She seems to be feeling ok so far today too.
Well she JUST rolled over from her tummy to her back on the right side!!! YAY!!! WOOOHOOOOO!!! This is probably the 3rd time she has spent any time on her belly and the first time on a flat surface!! I'm so happy for her!! After she rolled I wanted to see if she could do it again and I put her back on her belly. One of her rings was on the blanket about a foot ahead of her and she really wanted it. Well while I was writing this she decided to go get it... she scrunched up her knees under her belly and pushed her belly up and did a little "inch worm" thing a few times til she got to her ring!!!
YAY! What a big girl she is!! She only spit up a little bit so far on her blanket so no biggie.
Well I'll be sure to write if anything more happens!!
Well she JUST rolled over from her tummy to her back on the right side!!! YAY!!! WOOOHOOOOO!!! This is probably the 3rd time she has spent any time on her belly and the first time on a flat surface!! I'm so happy for her!! After she rolled I wanted to see if she could do it again and I put her back on her belly. One of her rings was on the blanket about a foot ahead of her and she really wanted it. Well while I was writing this she decided to go get it... she scrunched up her knees under her belly and pushed her belly up and did a little "inch worm" thing a few times til she got to her ring!!!
YAY! What a big girl she is!! She only spit up a little bit so far on her blanket so no biggie.
Well I'll be sure to write if anything more happens!!
Monday, October 24, 2005
What a week...
Well the last week has been hell to say the least! Kaitlyn developed a rash on her cheeks, started puking a lot and her reflux was at an all time high. She has been miserable and screaming for about 85% of her waking hours and screaming while eating and like I said miserable.
At first I thought Kaitlyn was allergic to the peaches we gave her last week because thats when the rash and reflux upset started. We went to the Dr on Thursday and she upped her Zantac dose and gave me some Cetophil lotion to put on her cheeks. When I put the lotion on Friday Kaitlyn screamed because it hurt... I looked at the bottle and it has alcohol in it!! I can only imagine that was like lemon juice on a paper cut!! Anyway, since we gave her the higher dose of Zantac her rash got worse and ugly (*see pic - both cheeks look like that) and she was throwing up even more! Jon and I decided it might be better to NOT give her the Zantac and go see the Dr. So yesterday she got NO Zantac and has yet to have any today either and so far this morning she has spit up a few times (it was clear gooey liquid with curdled formula in it) and so far she hasnt this afternoon. Yesterday she had a few reflux episodes and screamed during them but she didnt spend the entire day screaming which was a relief for me! We just treated them with some Maalox and helped her get through them.
We went this morning to see the Dr again and she wants us to put her back on the 1mL of Zantac instead of the higher dose of 1.4mL to see if that works she also says the rash getting like that might just be coincidental and that if it was a reaction she would have a rash all over her face and body and not limited to the cheeks. I'm skeptical myself and I will talk to Jon later when he gets home to see what he thinks. If he wants to start her back on it then we will do it this evening. The Dr also wants us to go back to the Pediatric Gastroenterologist again because this is all still such a battle for Kaitlyn and she is still in pain after 4 months. She said the only thing more she can do is suggest Neocate (Prescription) Formula so she wants us to see the GI, which I'm happy about because I think I'd like to see about getting Kaitlyn on a different medicine. Maybe we could try Prevacid now that she is bigger and can eat off a spoon.
I'm waiting on the GI Dr to call me back now and to set up an appointment and I guess we'll see where things go from here.
Sometimes I wish we could just go back to the beginning and start all over again...
At first I thought Kaitlyn was allergic to the peaches we gave her last week because thats when the rash and reflux upset started. We went to the Dr on Thursday and she upped her Zantac dose and gave me some Cetophil lotion to put on her cheeks. When I put the lotion on Friday Kaitlyn screamed because it hurt... I looked at the bottle and it has alcohol in it!! I can only imagine that was like lemon juice on a paper cut!! Anyway, since we gave her the higher dose of Zantac her rash got worse and ugly (*see pic - both cheeks look like that) and she was throwing up even more! Jon and I decided it might be better to NOT give her the Zantac and go see the Dr. So yesterday she got NO Zantac and has yet to have any today either and so far this morning she has spit up a few times (it was clear gooey liquid with curdled formula in it) and so far she hasnt this afternoon. Yesterday she had a few reflux episodes and screamed during them but she didnt spend the entire day screaming which was a relief for me! We just treated them with some Maalox and helped her get through them.We went this morning to see the Dr again and she wants us to put her back on the 1mL of Zantac instead of the higher dose of 1.4mL to see if that works she also says the rash getting like that might just be coincidental and that if it was a reaction she would have a rash all over her face and body and not limited to the cheeks. I'm skeptical myself and I will talk to Jon later when he gets home to see what he thinks. If he wants to start her back on it then we will do it this evening. The Dr also wants us to go back to the Pediatric Gastroenterologist again because this is all still such a battle for Kaitlyn and she is still in pain after 4 months. She said the only thing more she can do is suggest Neocate (Prescription) Formula so she wants us to see the GI, which I'm happy about because I think I'd like to see about getting Kaitlyn on a different medicine. Maybe we could try Prevacid now that she is bigger and can eat off a spoon.
I'm waiting on the GI Dr to call me back now and to set up an appointment and I guess we'll see where things go from here.
Sometimes I wish we could just go back to the beginning and start all over again...
Monday, October 17, 2005
Baby Sitting
This morning has been quite the pukey morning so far. Kaitlyn doesnt seem to be in much pain from it so I'm ok with it. That just means we use more bibs and burp cloths today and change clothes a few times. She's already in the second outfit and she's only been up a couple hours.
She's napping right now and I'm so pleased that she has started to take naps... kind of. She still doesnt take good long naps like she needs too although she is getting better. Yesterday she took a few little cat naps here and there but she must have been really tired by late afternoon or evening because she fell asleep and I put her in her crib and she slept about 2 hours in there. Well... she wakes up about 5 times while she is sleeping because her pacifier falls out and she cries because she wants it. If I'm able to get to her fast enough she will go right back to sleep - if not she's either up or I have to get her to fall back asleep. She is getting much better than when she was a newborn... she didnt nap at all then!
Kaitlyn is becoming a regular little sitter! No matter where she is now she tries to sit and loves to sit. I think she is sick of laying around. She can sit supported almost perfectly now... no problems at all. She can even sit unsupported for a few seconds before she tips to the side. She is getting there though and I think thats one reason her reflux is acting up. She is trying so hard to sit and using her tummy muscles that it's causing her to throw up. Once she gets it mastered and she doesnt even know she is using her tummy muscles to sit she might not puke as much. Well, a mom can hope right?
Anyway, I know she loves new things and loves doing them when she realizes she can! Just like with her Exersaucer, the first day we put her in it she wasnt quite sure of it and then the next day she played with the toys a bit and now, she's a mad woman in there banging on things, spinning things, standing up, turning herself (the seat) around and loving every minute of it. Right now she can play for about 15 or 20 mins alone in there and be happy. Although it might be longer if she werent puking all over herself while doing it. She still has fun though! Mommy has it all set up to cover her clothes and the seat cover so she doesnt get puke on them and so far it works pretty well.
Kaitlyn tried Peaches for the first time yesterday and so did I... they're actually very strong tasting and she made a funny face too when she ate them. She didnt like them at first, she was gagging on them and stuff but after a few bites or so she started to get used to the taste. She will be getting some Peaches this morning too soon so we'll see how that goes!
For now we just try to enjoy the rest of this chilly windy day and try not to puke so much anymore!!
She's napping right now and I'm so pleased that she has started to take naps... kind of. She still doesnt take good long naps like she needs too although she is getting better. Yesterday she took a few little cat naps here and there but she must have been really tired by late afternoon or evening because she fell asleep and I put her in her crib and she slept about 2 hours in there. Well... she wakes up about 5 times while she is sleeping because her pacifier falls out and she cries because she wants it. If I'm able to get to her fast enough she will go right back to sleep - if not she's either up or I have to get her to fall back asleep. She is getting much better than when she was a newborn... she didnt nap at all then!
Kaitlyn is becoming a regular little sitter! No matter where she is now she tries to sit and loves to sit. I think she is sick of laying around. She can sit supported almost perfectly now... no problems at all. She can even sit unsupported for a few seconds before she tips to the side. She is getting there though and I think thats one reason her reflux is acting up. She is trying so hard to sit and using her tummy muscles that it's causing her to throw up. Once she gets it mastered and she doesnt even know she is using her tummy muscles to sit she might not puke as much. Well, a mom can hope right?
Anyway, I know she loves new things and loves doing them when she realizes she can! Just like with her Exersaucer, the first day we put her in it she wasnt quite sure of it and then the next day she played with the toys a bit and now, she's a mad woman in there banging on things, spinning things, standing up, turning herself (the seat) around and loving every minute of it. Right now she can play for about 15 or 20 mins alone in there and be happy. Although it might be longer if she werent puking all over herself while doing it. She still has fun though! Mommy has it all set up to cover her clothes and the seat cover so she doesnt get puke on them and so far it works pretty well.
Kaitlyn tried Peaches for the first time yesterday and so did I... they're actually very strong tasting and she made a funny face too when she ate them. She didnt like them at first, she was gagging on them and stuff but after a few bites or so she started to get used to the taste. She will be getting some Peaches this morning too soon so we'll see how that goes!
For now we just try to enjoy the rest of this chilly windy day and try not to puke so much anymore!!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
I Have Holes in my Lobes
Well we took Kaitlyn to get her ears pierced today and they look wonderful!! She did such a good job too getting them done. She cried for about a minute and then started people watching like she does. She was great!!
Thursday, October 13, 2005
4 Months... My Big Girl.
Well today is October 13th and Kaitlyn is now 4 months old. She's getting so big and so much more independant!!! She had her Dr appointment today and she weighed 13lbs 9oz and was 24" long (2 whole feet tall!) She only gained 1 pound in a month which is low but she is staying at her own little growth curve and thats a good thing. So we're not so worried about all that anymore. I'm really tired of worrying and fighting with her about eating. She wins! I will feed her only what she will eat... it's all I can do. On a good note she is eating more! Actually an amazing amount! First of all for her size, age and weight and all that she should be eating about 33 ounces a day to gain weight like she needs to. She was eating 12-15 ounces for a very long time and about month ago she started eating 16 ounces steadily. Then more recently she has wanted to eat more and more so she was getting 18 ounces a day and sometimes 20. Although sometimes she was still acting hungry and since yesterday she has started eating just about 24 ounces a day! We're doing four 6 ounce bottles a day and so far she is doing great. We did realize that keeping the cereal to formula ratio the same in the larger bottle made her puke. So I lessened the cereal in her formula and she seems to be doing a lot better with the 6 oz bottles at each feeding. She also started eating some solids about a week or so ago off and on... on the days her reflux is bad we tend to stick to bottles to make it easier on her tummy. Soon she will be eating more of them too but she sure does love Apples!! :)
Her reflux is still hard but we have learned and realized that it is simply part of life now and that no matter what she is going to puke and we are going to clean it up, she is going to be in pain sometimes and we just deal with it. She is still on her Zantac and seems to be doing well right now. I have a GERDling and she will be, we cant sit around waiting for it to go away and hoping that it does and then keep gettin stressed out and upset when it doesnt. Life is too short to be stressed out about puke all the time! :)
She has been teething for awhile but lately it has gotten worse... or at least it seems to be bothering her more. She chews on everything and she screams and growls at things. Although I encourage it so it's no big deal!! I love to hear her talk so much and make all the noise she is making. Her vocabulary is really coming along great! Hehehehe
Her favorite things right now are Mommy singing the ABC's song to her, Mommy doing Itsy Bitsy Spider with her, Daddy doing his own Cheeky, Nose, Chin game with her and her Baby Einstein DVD's. She just cracks up and laughs and smiles at all of them. SHe also has recently started actually playing with her toys. She bangs them around and grabs them now and pulls on them and chews on them. It seems like these things just happen one day... there is no gradual thing about it... one day she isnt touching them at all, the next day she punches them and chews on them and loves them!!! It's amazing! She also just started going in her Exersaucer and so far she likes it but she still needs some encouraging to play with the toys.
Well I think that about covers all of the news with the baby... She's getting so big so fast now it seems... soon she will be crawling and sitting and then walking and talking!!
Her reflux is still hard but we have learned and realized that it is simply part of life now and that no matter what she is going to puke and we are going to clean it up, she is going to be in pain sometimes and we just deal with it. She is still on her Zantac and seems to be doing well right now. I have a GERDling and she will be, we cant sit around waiting for it to go away and hoping that it does and then keep gettin stressed out and upset when it doesnt. Life is too short to be stressed out about puke all the time! :)
She has been teething for awhile but lately it has gotten worse... or at least it seems to be bothering her more. She chews on everything and she screams and growls at things. Although I encourage it so it's no big deal!! I love to hear her talk so much and make all the noise she is making. Her vocabulary is really coming along great! Hehehehe
Her favorite things right now are Mommy singing the ABC's song to her, Mommy doing Itsy Bitsy Spider with her, Daddy doing his own Cheeky, Nose, Chin game with her and her Baby Einstein DVD's. She just cracks up and laughs and smiles at all of them. SHe also has recently started actually playing with her toys. She bangs them around and grabs them now and pulls on them and chews on them. It seems like these things just happen one day... there is no gradual thing about it... one day she isnt touching them at all, the next day she punches them and chews on them and loves them!!! It's amazing! She also just started going in her Exersaucer and so far she likes it but she still needs some encouraging to play with the toys.
Well I think that about covers all of the news with the baby... She's getting so big so fast now it seems... soon she will be crawling and sitting and then walking and talking!!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Puke, Puke and More Puke
Well the last three days have been pretty rough for all of us. Kaitlyn has been puking and spitting up all day for three days and she has had a low fever for the past three days too. I think the fever is due to her teething which seems to have become worse. She sounds like she might have a cold or something because her nose is stuffy and she sounds congested. It's just so hard to tell since sometimes she just sounds like that from the reflux. Anyway, I just hope she is feeling better soon, I hate when my baby is sick or not feeling well. The good thing is that most of the time when she pukes she isnt in pain lately. The Zantac mustbe doing it's job for the most part which makes me happy!
Just a side note: Jon and I went and traded in our car for something bigger. We figured since we have the baby and lug all of her stuff around and with us when we go to Michigan that we should get something larger. We bought a 2004 Santa Fe, it is pre-owned but it's in perfect condition. It's beautiful and has sattellite radio in it and lots of options. It's nice, we really like it and the ride is great too. It has lots of room and we will have no problems getting stuff to Michigan when we go next. It will also give us plenty of room as a family when/if we have another baby. This way we wont have to go looking for another car when that time comes.
Well Kaitlyn's 4 month appointment is on Thursday so we'll see how much she has grown in the past month... it sure feels like a lot!! :)
Just a side note: Jon and I went and traded in our car for something bigger. We figured since we have the baby and lug all of her stuff around and with us when we go to Michigan that we should get something larger. We bought a 2004 Santa Fe, it is pre-owned but it's in perfect condition. It's beautiful and has sattellite radio in it and lots of options. It's nice, we really like it and the ride is great too. It has lots of room and we will have no problems getting stuff to Michigan when we go next. It will also give us plenty of room as a family when/if we have another baby. This way we wont have to go looking for another car when that time comes.
Well Kaitlyn's 4 month appointment is on Thursday so we'll see how much she has grown in the past month... it sure feels like a lot!! :)
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Hand - Eye
Well for the last two days I wake up to Kaitlyn rubbing her eyes with her little fists! It's soooooooooooooo adorable! She has tried to do it before and once in a while would get one hand somewhere near her eye but she has got it down good. She even does it when she is tired and it is amazingly cute! I just cant believe how beautiful she is and how much she can do now. I remember holding her limp little body just a few months ago. She's growing so fast now!
She's still doing very well with her Apples and we are going to go a few more days with the Apples before trying anything else. I think we might try carrots next and see if she likes that. I havent decided. She did great again today too, she was opening her mouth and chasing the spoon because she likes them so much!
She loves playing with Daddy too... they play "Cheekie, Chin, Nose" and she laughs and smiles and tries to bite his hands when he gets them. She's so much fun!! :)
She's still doing very well with her Apples and we are going to go a few more days with the Apples before trying anything else. I think we might try carrots next and see if she likes that. I havent decided. She did great again today too, she was opening her mouth and chasing the spoon because she likes them so much!
She loves playing with Daddy too... they play "Cheekie, Chin, Nose" and she laughs and smiles and tries to bite his hands when he gets them. She's so much fun!! :)
Monday, October 03, 2005
Toys, Eggs and Apples
Well... I'm in awe at my own child! So much has happened in the last few days! Kaitlyn's hand-eye coordination has gotten sooooooooo much better! She's grabbing things and putting them in her mouth like a pro! Up until Friday 9/30/05 Kaitlyn really hadn't played with the toys on her little rocker seat. I hardly ever put them on there because she never attempted to get them. On Friday for some reason I got the urge to put the toy bar on and I wasn't really paying all that much attention to her and all of a sudden I heard the toys banging against each other and banging on the bar. I was shocked to see her playing with them. She was grabbing them, trying to eat them, banging them with her hands and just having a good time. She even pulled the little cows "handle" and made the music play a few times. She was there playing with them for about 10 to 15 mins! It was great to see such progress!
Then this weekend she was sitting in her carseat where she has a few toys hanging from the handle and until this weekend she had never touched or even tried to grab at them either. She plays with them almost constantly now!! I LOVE IT!
So speaking of this weekend, we went upstate to attend the Baby Harvest put on by Albany IVF Fertility Clinic. Each year they hold a "Baby Harvest" in October for all of the families that had given birth after successful fertility treatments. It was wonderful to see all of the little miracles there. Every one of them there was so special in their own way and each family there was so grateful for all of the staff at the fertility clinic. Radio Disney was there and they had door prizes and Costume contests too. Jon had decided to get me to make Kaitlyn a costume and so I did. On Saturday at the hotel I sat and made Kaitlyn's costume. We figured since we were going to a Fertility clinic get-together we would dress her up appropriately... she was dressed up as an Embryo! She kinda looked like a Potato but one of the Dr's there was able to figure her right out! hehehe It was so much fun and we ended up winning one of the door prizes from Gymboree and then Kaitlyn won Most Creative Costume and got a Build-A-Bear gift. We had a great weekend and Kaitlyn's reflux was on a low, thank God! hehehehe Oh and Kaitlyn's shoes were a HUGE hit, everyone we passed was commenting on them! The photographer there was in love with Kaitlyn too she kept taking pictures of all every chance she got. I guess we have a cute kid! hehehe
Today the reflux has been on a rampage but she has been amazing and handling it so well. She has been puking all day, not even spitting up but I mean puking and has had minimal crying as compared to other days! I'm so proud of her!!
We have also hit a HUGE milestone... since Kaitlyn is almost 4 months old we wanted to see how she would react to solids. We tried some cereal last week one day and she screamed when we put it in her mouth and made this horrible face and just cried and cried and hated it. I decided not to give up as a mommy and I just picked up one jar of Apples to see if maybe she is just sick of cereal, since she gets it in her bottles everyday. Well this evening before her bottle I got out the jar and gave her some. At first she was confused because she wasnt sure on the texture but she closed her mouth once and swallowed and there was no crying, no nothing.... she liked it! As a matter of fact, I gave her about 10 little spoonfuls and by the end of it she was opening her mouth wanting more!!! YAY!!! I'm so happy! She's eating solids!!!! She is such a big girl! Looks like it's time to get out the highchair soon!!! Wooohooooo!!! Awww my little girl is growing up already!! :)
Then this weekend she was sitting in her carseat where she has a few toys hanging from the handle and until this weekend she had never touched or even tried to grab at them either. She plays with them almost constantly now!! I LOVE IT!
So speaking of this weekend, we went upstate to attend the Baby Harvest put on by Albany IVF Fertility Clinic. Each year they hold a "Baby Harvest" in October for all of the families that had given birth after successful fertility treatments. It was wonderful to see all of the little miracles there. Every one of them there was so special in their own way and each family there was so grateful for all of the staff at the fertility clinic. Radio Disney was there and they had door prizes and Costume contests too. Jon had decided to get me to make Kaitlyn a costume and so I did. On Saturday at the hotel I sat and made Kaitlyn's costume. We figured since we were going to a Fertility clinic get-together we would dress her up appropriately... she was dressed up as an Embryo! She kinda looked like a Potato but one of the Dr's there was able to figure her right out! hehehe It was so much fun and we ended up winning one of the door prizes from Gymboree and then Kaitlyn won Most Creative Costume and got a Build-A-Bear gift. We had a great weekend and Kaitlyn's reflux was on a low, thank God! hehehehe Oh and Kaitlyn's shoes were a HUGE hit, everyone we passed was commenting on them! The photographer there was in love with Kaitlyn too she kept taking pictures of all every chance she got. I guess we have a cute kid! heheheToday the reflux has been on a rampage but she has been amazing and handling it so well. She has been puking all day, not even spitting up but I mean puking and has had minimal crying as compared to other days! I'm so proud of her!!
We have also hit a HUGE milestone... since Kaitlyn is almost 4 months old we wanted to see how she would react to solids. We tried some cereal last week one day and she screamed when we put it in her mouth and made this horrible face and just cried and cried and hated it. I decided not to give up as a mommy and I just picked up one jar of Apples to see if maybe she is just sick of cereal, since she gets it in her bottles everyday. Well this evening before her bottle I got out the jar and gave her some. At first she was confused because she wasnt sure on the texture but she closed her mouth once and swallowed and there was no crying, no nothing.... she liked it! As a matter of fact, I gave her about 10 little spoonfuls and by the end of it she was opening her mouth wanting more!!! YAY!!! I'm so happy! She's eating solids!!!! She is such a big girl! Looks like it's time to get out the highchair soon!!! Wooohooooo!!! Awww my little girl is growing up already!! :)
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
I Scream, You Scream, We All Need to Stop Screaming!
Kaitlyn hasnt been doing well since this last "cycle", as I call it, has come around. She is screaming almost constantly while awake and during feedings and even wakes up periodically during the night screaming. It seems like she is either having a nightmare or some reflux and it's waking her up. I have to help her back to sleep, which usually doesnt take too long but still... Her screaming when tired has gotten worse too, I kinda get the feeling like she is afraid to go to sleep or something. I dont mean she gets fussy when she is tired I mean she SCREAMS and screams until her little face turns beet red.
It doesnt help that Mommy has insomnia and can't sleep at all. Here I am at almost 3am wide awake. I guess I'm going to be taking a nap with her tomorrow morning.
If she is still screaming tomorrow like she has been, I'm going to call the Dr and see if there is something else we can do for her because it's horrible for her to spend majority of her waking hours screaming. She has a few happy moments during the day but they are usually ruined with puke, spit up or just pain in general. Sometimes she will smile and cry at the same time because she isnt sure what emotion she wants to or needs to show. It's sad sometimes 'cause I know she is happy but she is hurting!!
This morning, well Monday morning, Kaitlyn just had a plain old bad morning. She ate and I burped her and sat her up like we always do and then she shot puke all over the pillow she was laying on and my shorts and my leg. She managed to shoot it far enough that only a couple drops got on her PJ's! She puked a few more times today and we had to change her anyway, but still.
I don't like when my baby is hurting... Reflux Sux!
It doesnt help that Mommy has insomnia and can't sleep at all. Here I am at almost 3am wide awake. I guess I'm going to be taking a nap with her tomorrow morning.
If she is still screaming tomorrow like she has been, I'm going to call the Dr and see if there is something else we can do for her because it's horrible for her to spend majority of her waking hours screaming. She has a few happy moments during the day but they are usually ruined with puke, spit up or just pain in general. Sometimes she will smile and cry at the same time because she isnt sure what emotion she wants to or needs to show. It's sad sometimes 'cause I know she is happy but she is hurting!!
This morning, well Monday morning, Kaitlyn just had a plain old bad morning. She ate and I burped her and sat her up like we always do and then she shot puke all over the pillow she was laying on and my shorts and my leg. She managed to shoot it far enough that only a couple drops got on her PJ's! She puked a few more times today and we had to change her anyway, but still.
I don't like when my baby is hurting... Reflux Sux!
Thursday, September 22, 2005
... The Mushroom Cloud Forms
Well all good things must come to an end. Did I really think that things were getting better? I have to admit for a little bit I thought maybe, just maybe she was getting a little better.
Kaitlyn has had a terrible day! She has been refluxing all day, some puke, some spit up and lots of screaming and crying. She's not really eating again and it's taking over an hour again to get her to eat. She falls asleep during feeds too so she never finishes a bottle. I feel so bad for her, I have given her Maalox already so now she is stuck dealing with her pain and there is nothing I can do about it.
Thats all for today, I'm feeling very stressed and very depressed.
Kaitlyn has had a terrible day! She has been refluxing all day, some puke, some spit up and lots of screaming and crying. She's not really eating again and it's taking over an hour again to get her to eat. She falls asleep during feeds too so she never finishes a bottle. I feel so bad for her, I have given her Maalox already so now she is stuck dealing with her pain and there is nothing I can do about it.
Thats all for today, I'm feeling very stressed and very depressed.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Waiting for the Bomb to Hit...
For the past three days Kaitlyn has been eating great. She's been taking 6 ounces at once in the mornings and then having 4 more 4 ounce bottles through the day and still sleeping all night. She actually took a nice long nap yesterday and today.... with me. It seems she sleeps much better when I lay down with her and we sleep together. Today Kaitlyn had 6 ounces this morning and we took a nice long nap today and she had another 6 ounce bottle then a 4 ounce bottle and then another 6 ounces before bed. She has been keeping all of this formula down too no throwing up lately, however, she has been spitting up still but not a terrible amount. She still has problems with her reflux and is in pain sometimes but we give her some Maalox and it seems to help a bit. I do want to find out if we are able to give her more since it seems like soon after she gets it she has more reflux and then there is nothing we can do but cuddle her and try to help her through the pain.
I do love how she is eating and I hope she keeps it up, but I am sitting here waiting for the BOMB to hit where it all goes down... I'm waiting for the big throw ups, the non-stop incomsolable crying and the not eating. I'm hoping and praying for her that it doesnt happen and that she has turned a corner in her life here at the 3 month mark but time will tell.
Other than the eating and sleeping changes, Kaitlyn is getting sooooo great at her Hand-Eye coordination... she can take her toys now and get them in her mouth instead of just her hands. She seems to be Pre-Teething and drooling all over herself and everything and chewing on her hands, toys and us! :) She also "talks" so much more and more everyday. She is getting even more cuddly and I just love it. She curls up on my chest when I hold her and it just makes me melt. She is so wonderful and loving now. When Jon gets home from work she gets so happy and smiles huge when she sees him. She's getting to be more fun all the time. I think it's about time we get out her Exersaucer too - it says it's for 4 months and up but she already sits well assisted (and tries to sit on her own) and her swing just isnt cutting it anymore. The swing lasted a whole month or so and I think she is kinda bored of it. We also get to start some solid foods soon so the Swing has to go, the Exersaucer can come in and we gotta make some room for her highchair!! :)
Well besides her being her cute adorable self and the new changes everything else is the same, we'll be sure to update again soon!!
I do love how she is eating and I hope she keeps it up, but I am sitting here waiting for the BOMB to hit where it all goes down... I'm waiting for the big throw ups, the non-stop incomsolable crying and the not eating. I'm hoping and praying for her that it doesnt happen and that she has turned a corner in her life here at the 3 month mark but time will tell.
Other than the eating and sleeping changes, Kaitlyn is getting sooooo great at her Hand-Eye coordination... she can take her toys now and get them in her mouth instead of just her hands. She seems to be Pre-Teething and drooling all over herself and everything and chewing on her hands, toys and us! :) She also "talks" so much more and more everyday. She is getting even more cuddly and I just love it. She curls up on my chest when I hold her and it just makes me melt. She is so wonderful and loving now. When Jon gets home from work she gets so happy and smiles huge when she sees him. She's getting to be more fun all the time. I think it's about time we get out her Exersaucer too - it says it's for 4 months and up but she already sits well assisted (and tries to sit on her own) and her swing just isnt cutting it anymore. The swing lasted a whole month or so and I think she is kinda bored of it. We also get to start some solid foods soon so the Swing has to go, the Exersaucer can come in and we gotta make some room for her highchair!! :)
Well besides her being her cute adorable self and the new changes everything else is the same, we'll be sure to update again soon!!
Thursday, September 15, 2005
3 Months... Quarter of a Year...
Kaitlyn is three months old!! Ok I'm a little in shock that I've actually been a mom now for 3 months!!
Should have updated a couple days ago, I know, but a lot has been going on and I've been exhausted!
Anyway, she had her 3 month appointment at the Dr Tuesday and she was 12lbs!!! Such a big girl! She's also 23 inches now! Grown 4" in 3 months and gained 5.25 lbs. She is just now getting into the next size clothes and its so weird to put things on her that look so big in comparison and have them actually fit her!! The Dr was not overly concerned about her weight gain but said she would like her to be gaining more. She gained 7 ounces in 2 weeks and she said it should be about a pound. Kaitlyn's reflux is bad some days, worse others and not so bad others. Sometimes she eats all day without any big issues and others she hardly eats at all. The Dr says we are doing a good job managing it and to keep up what we are doing and try, if we can, to get her to eat a little more. Kaitlyn still takes her Zantac twice a day and gets cereal mixed with her formula.
She did get two shots at the visit too, one in each thigh and has been miserable the last couple days. I was giving her Tylenol yesterday to bring down her 101 fever too. She seems to get very irritable at even the slightest fever. I hope she does better today. She's also been waking up fussing during the night too. She will scream and have a fussy cry and I shhhh her, tell her its ok and give her her "nummy" (pacifier) and she will fall back asleep. It happens about every half hour from 4 to 6:30 or 7am depending on if I can get her to fall back asleep. This has been going on a few nights in a row now and besides me feeling very worn out, it makes me wonder why shes doing it. Is she dreaming? Is she having reflux? Is it from the shots? I just dont know... if it keeps up I may call the Dr and ask their opinion.
She has started to discover Cause and Effect now... she is starting to realize that she makes things happen. We got her a Kick N Play piano and she just loves to kick it and make music while laying on the couch. She also gets a HUGE kick out of watching the Baby Einstein DVD's she sits and laughs and squeals at the tv when watching them. She even has favorite parts too! She has also started eating her hands like crazy... she rarely takes her pacifier because she would rather eat a hand! Its very funny to watch her eating her hands and listening to the sounds she makes... I just love it! I just love her!!
I love that she is getting a little more cuddly every week. I like that I can hold her up against my chest and hug her and she will lay her head in my shoulder now. I love that when she is laying next to me she will turn towards me and curl up against me. She looked at me this morning as she was getting ready for her nap and I smiled at her and she smiled back with this beautiful smile you could even see in her eyes, as if to say, I love you too Mommy. I must admit I was a little choked up at it!!
ok, Thats about all the new stuff...
Should have updated a couple days ago, I know, but a lot has been going on and I've been exhausted!
Anyway, she had her 3 month appointment at the Dr Tuesday and she was 12lbs!!! Such a big girl! She's also 23 inches now! Grown 4" in 3 months and gained 5.25 lbs. She is just now getting into the next size clothes and its so weird to put things on her that look so big in comparison and have them actually fit her!! The Dr was not overly concerned about her weight gain but said she would like her to be gaining more. She gained 7 ounces in 2 weeks and she said it should be about a pound. Kaitlyn's reflux is bad some days, worse others and not so bad others. Sometimes she eats all day without any big issues and others she hardly eats at all. The Dr says we are doing a good job managing it and to keep up what we are doing and try, if we can, to get her to eat a little more. Kaitlyn still takes her Zantac twice a day and gets cereal mixed with her formula.
She did get two shots at the visit too, one in each thigh and has been miserable the last couple days. I was giving her Tylenol yesterday to bring down her 101 fever too. She seems to get very irritable at even the slightest fever. I hope she does better today. She's also been waking up fussing during the night too. She will scream and have a fussy cry and I shhhh her, tell her its ok and give her her "nummy" (pacifier) and she will fall back asleep. It happens about every half hour from 4 to 6:30 or 7am depending on if I can get her to fall back asleep. This has been going on a few nights in a row now and besides me feeling very worn out, it makes me wonder why shes doing it. Is she dreaming? Is she having reflux? Is it from the shots? I just dont know... if it keeps up I may call the Dr and ask their opinion.
She has started to discover Cause and Effect now... she is starting to realize that she makes things happen. We got her a Kick N Play piano and she just loves to kick it and make music while laying on the couch. She also gets a HUGE kick out of watching the Baby Einstein DVD's she sits and laughs and squeals at the tv when watching them. She even has favorite parts too! She has also started eating her hands like crazy... she rarely takes her pacifier because she would rather eat a hand! Its very funny to watch her eating her hands and listening to the sounds she makes... I just love it! I just love her!!
I love that she is getting a little more cuddly every week. I like that I can hold her up against my chest and hug her and she will lay her head in my shoulder now. I love that when she is laying next to me she will turn towards me and curl up against me. She looked at me this morning as she was getting ready for her nap and I smiled at her and she smiled back with this beautiful smile you could even see in her eyes, as if to say, I love you too Mommy. I must admit I was a little choked up at it!!
ok, Thats about all the new stuff...
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Trip to the Ped GI
Well I had to wake up this morning and drag my child out of bed to get my hubby to work so we could have the car today. Kaitlyn had her Dr appointment today at 10. I figured being by myself with her and not being sure of where I was going and all that, i'd better aim to leave at 9. So we get back home from dropping off my hubby at 7:30 and I feed her. She plays around awhile, falls asleep for a few minutes and I start getting a bottle and whatever else I need for her together to take downstairs and put in the diaper bag. 9 oclock comes and I call to make sure we have the right room number and directions and stuff. Then I grab the baby and stuff and head downstairs to get her in her car seat... its 9:15 already. I set the stuff down, get the baby strapped in and go to pack the extra diapers and burp cloths in the bag and Kaitlyn pukes all over herself and the car seat (which needs to be taken apart and washed sometime today). So I have to get her changed and soak up the puke that pooled in the car seat so I can throw a burp pad in there to keep her from getting all nasty. Its after 9:30 now... Shes in the car seat in a new outfit and we're ready to go. We're headed down the road at about 9:40 and I realize I forgot the bottle is sitting in her bassinet soooooooooo I turn around, come back and get it and FINALLY i'm off to the Dr at 9:45! It's at least a half hour drive, needless to say we were late!
Anyway, as I'm driving down the road I get this weird feeling in my mouth... feels like something is poking my gum. I eventually realize my tooth is broken in half and the one side of it is wiggling in my gum. We have no dental coverage until next month... I dont know what i'm going to do right now.
So after all this... we go to the GI and that was fine and I fed Kaitlyn while we were there talking to the Dr. Everything was fine with the Dr too, we really liked her, she was knowledgable and concerned but told me Kaitlyn was a "perfect baby with reflux." She was gaining weight and generally happy and thats what they like to see. Whatever we are doing and the meds we are using are working for her and she doesnt want to change anything. So we're doing a good job at handling this stuff. As for the choking episodes, there is nothing we can do but try to prevent them and when they happen just be there and make sure she doesnt stop breathing altogether.
So after seeing the Dr we leave and I decide to stop for lunch and go see my old work (from when we lived here over 2 yrs ago). We're there and visiting and Kaitlyn refluxes and then after a bit ends up puking while in my arms. She puked all over her and the blanket I had around her (its like a fridge in my old work cause its a warehouse). Anyway, that trip was cut short and we came home a bit ago with a tired, cranky, pukey baby and Mom who just need some sleep.
I'm Keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow is a better day for her.
Anyway, as I'm driving down the road I get this weird feeling in my mouth... feels like something is poking my gum. I eventually realize my tooth is broken in half and the one side of it is wiggling in my gum. We have no dental coverage until next month... I dont know what i'm going to do right now.
So after all this... we go to the GI and that was fine and I fed Kaitlyn while we were there talking to the Dr. Everything was fine with the Dr too, we really liked her, she was knowledgable and concerned but told me Kaitlyn was a "perfect baby with reflux." She was gaining weight and generally happy and thats what they like to see. Whatever we are doing and the meds we are using are working for her and she doesnt want to change anything. So we're doing a good job at handling this stuff. As for the choking episodes, there is nothing we can do but try to prevent them and when they happen just be there and make sure she doesnt stop breathing altogether.
So after seeing the Dr we leave and I decide to stop for lunch and go see my old work (from when we lived here over 2 yrs ago). We're there and visiting and Kaitlyn refluxes and then after a bit ends up puking while in my arms. She puked all over her and the blanket I had around her (its like a fridge in my old work cause its a warehouse). Anyway, that trip was cut short and we came home a bit ago with a tired, cranky, pukey baby and Mom who just need some sleep.
I'm Keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow is a better day for her.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Everyday is Labor Day for Some
Well Kaitlyn has been eating a bit better the past couple days... she's getting in about 15-20 ounces now. Well for now anyway. We had a good day today, for the most part. She has been having trouble staying awake while trying to eat but eventually she will get the formula down.
We went over and had a BBQ at Donna and Charlies and really enjoyed the day and Kaitlyn was doing great. We got home this evening and she started to get fussy. She was screaming and fussing for over an hour and we couldnt figure out what was wrong with her.
After she was screaming for an hour and crying and we couldnt get her calmed down, I decided to rub her temples - she started to settle down. Well Jon is much better at it so I told him I think she has a headache and for him to rub her head to help relieve it. She instantly was in a better mood. We gave her a little Tylenol and now she is back to smiling and laughing. Sometimes it's so hard to figure out whats wrong with the baby. When she can talk things will be much easier but for now it's work just figuring it out.
Parenting is a lot of work when you have a healthy baby but when your baby needs much more from you - it adds to the work we have to do everyday. Parenting doesnt come with weekends, breaks, or vacations it's a 25 hour a day 8 day a week job. Actually it's not even something I can call a job anymore - it's a complete lifestyle change! It's better when the days are filled with eating and sleeping and happy laughing smiling babies for the most part.
Anyway, it's late...
We went over and had a BBQ at Donna and Charlies and really enjoyed the day and Kaitlyn was doing great. We got home this evening and she started to get fussy. She was screaming and fussing for over an hour and we couldnt figure out what was wrong with her.
After she was screaming for an hour and crying and we couldnt get her calmed down, I decided to rub her temples - she started to settle down. Well Jon is much better at it so I told him I think she has a headache and for him to rub her head to help relieve it. She instantly was in a better mood. We gave her a little Tylenol and now she is back to smiling and laughing. Sometimes it's so hard to figure out whats wrong with the baby. When she can talk things will be much easier but for now it's work just figuring it out.
Parenting is a lot of work when you have a healthy baby but when your baby needs much more from you - it adds to the work we have to do everyday. Parenting doesnt come with weekends, breaks, or vacations it's a 25 hour a day 8 day a week job. Actually it's not even something I can call a job anymore - it's a complete lifestyle change! It's better when the days are filled with eating and sleeping and happy laughing smiling babies for the most part.
Anyway, it's late...
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Life is a Vicious Cycle for Some of Us
Well the title of my journal entry says it all!! Sometimes life is hard even on the little ones!
Kaitlyn is doing well in the growing department... well with weight anyway. We have her 3 month check up on September 13th. We did end up going to her Pediatrician a couple days ago because her meds didnt seem to be working anymore. She got started on the Zantac at her last appointment over two weeks ago... a week and a half later she started puking and spitting up and screaming during and after feedings again and just being in pain again. I felt so bad for her and I knew something had to be done. I serisouly cant just sit by and watch my little girl hurt like that. Anyway, on the 1st when we went to the Dr, she was 11.5 pounds and she needed her dosage upped for her meds... that was why they weren't working as well for her. So far she is doing well again with the new dosage. When she has a bad day like she did they tend to run over into the next couple days. So she had a rough go at eating for the last couple days and she only ate 7 ounces Thursday and 12 yesterday... today she seems to be doing a bit better though.
Since Kaitlyn started the Zantac we noticed she is aspirtating a lot more and choking... we even have to be VERY careful changing her diaper. We lay her down and she has the chance of choking on her reflux. It happened to Jon the other night... it's so scary when it happens and since she is choking on fluid there is nothing we can do about it but sit and watch and hope we dont have to perform CPR. So far (knock on wood) we havent had to and she gets herself out of the episodes, but it's still the worst thing for a parent to watch!! It just makes the rest of your day a complete mess and you're nervous and worried that she may have more!
She is still sleeping very well, she goes to bed at about 11pm and wakes up at about 6:30 or 7am. Good for Mommy and Daddy!! She doesnt nap much at all during the day... 15 minutes here and there so I really don't get too much done during the day but at least I sleep!! hahahaha Oh yeah! She is oficially bigger because she does not fit in her size Small Onesies anymore!!! It's so weird to think she is REALLY growing. I broke out the next size and got them washed and ready for her to wear today.
She has been hanging out in her swing a lot more but she is so good at holding up her head and REALLY wants to sit up, that I think I am going to get her Exersaucer put together soon for her so she can play in that instead. I think it will take up less room than the swing 'cause well... it's not like we're living in a mansion here! hahaha
Jon and I are so amazed by her more and more every day... we just love her so much and we cant get enough! She's getting big enough now that she is starting to cuddle with me now. I REALLY cant wait until we can hug and she knows what she is doing. I'm telling you... seeing her beautiful smile just makes you melt! She LOVES to flirt with daddy too... she makes this cute face, smiles and sticks her tongue out when he's looking her way. She loves him so much!!
We're finally going to put her crib together this week too. It's still sitting in the box in her room. She is still in the bassinet in our room right now but, to be honest, she is getting really long and almost reaches from top to bottom in the bassinet!!!
Oh I just have to mention how GREAT she is with eating her hands... no, a thumb or finger are not good enough for her she needs to eat half of her hand instead! I offer her pacifier and she pushes me away and WANTS to eat her hand, so I let her. She enjoys it so I'm not complaining! She has a great personality already too, this being a mom thing is very exciting - even with a "High needs" baby.
Oh, dont let me forget that our health insurance kicked in on Thursday (Sept 1st) as well so that will be a big help. We also have an appointment with a Pediatric Gastroenterologist, too, on the 6th next week... I will definitly post how that goes. It's actually at Schneider Children's Hospital where Jon went as a kid for his liver check ups!
Well it's medicine time so we will update again soon!
Kaitlyn is doing well in the growing department... well with weight anyway. We have her 3 month check up on September 13th. We did end up going to her Pediatrician a couple days ago because her meds didnt seem to be working anymore. She got started on the Zantac at her last appointment over two weeks ago... a week and a half later she started puking and spitting up and screaming during and after feedings again and just being in pain again. I felt so bad for her and I knew something had to be done. I serisouly cant just sit by and watch my little girl hurt like that. Anyway, on the 1st when we went to the Dr, she was 11.5 pounds and she needed her dosage upped for her meds... that was why they weren't working as well for her. So far she is doing well again with the new dosage. When she has a bad day like she did they tend to run over into the next couple days. So she had a rough go at eating for the last couple days and she only ate 7 ounces Thursday and 12 yesterday... today she seems to be doing a bit better though.
Since Kaitlyn started the Zantac we noticed she is aspirtating a lot more and choking... we even have to be VERY careful changing her diaper. We lay her down and she has the chance of choking on her reflux. It happened to Jon the other night... it's so scary when it happens and since she is choking on fluid there is nothing we can do about it but sit and watch and hope we dont have to perform CPR. So far (knock on wood) we havent had to and she gets herself out of the episodes, but it's still the worst thing for a parent to watch!! It just makes the rest of your day a complete mess and you're nervous and worried that she may have more!
She is still sleeping very well, she goes to bed at about 11pm and wakes up at about 6:30 or 7am. Good for Mommy and Daddy!! She doesnt nap much at all during the day... 15 minutes here and there so I really don't get too much done during the day but at least I sleep!! hahahaha Oh yeah! She is oficially bigger because she does not fit in her size Small Onesies anymore!!! It's so weird to think she is REALLY growing. I broke out the next size and got them washed and ready for her to wear today.
She has been hanging out in her swing a lot more but she is so good at holding up her head and REALLY wants to sit up, that I think I am going to get her Exersaucer put together soon for her so she can play in that instead. I think it will take up less room than the swing 'cause well... it's not like we're living in a mansion here! hahaha
Jon and I are so amazed by her more and more every day... we just love her so much and we cant get enough! She's getting big enough now that she is starting to cuddle with me now. I REALLY cant wait until we can hug and she knows what she is doing. I'm telling you... seeing her beautiful smile just makes you melt! She LOVES to flirt with daddy too... she makes this cute face, smiles and sticks her tongue out when he's looking her way. She loves him so much!!
We're finally going to put her crib together this week too. It's still sitting in the box in her room. She is still in the bassinet in our room right now but, to be honest, she is getting really long and almost reaches from top to bottom in the bassinet!!!
Oh I just have to mention how GREAT she is with eating her hands... no, a thumb or finger are not good enough for her she needs to eat half of her hand instead! I offer her pacifier and she pushes me away and WANTS to eat her hand, so I let her. She enjoys it so I'm not complaining! She has a great personality already too, this being a mom thing is very exciting - even with a "High needs" baby.
Oh, dont let me forget that our health insurance kicked in on Thursday (Sept 1st) as well so that will be a big help. We also have an appointment with a Pediatric Gastroenterologist, too, on the 6th next week... I will definitly post how that goes. It's actually at Schneider Children's Hospital where Jon went as a kid for his liver check ups!
Well it's medicine time so we will update again soon!
Sunday, August 28, 2005
You Make Me so Proud!!
I keep saying what a big strong girl my 2 month old daughter is... she is amazing and I'm so proud of her! I just can't imagine what the reflux pain must feel like for her. We just do our best to get through it.
All in all, even with the episodes, we had a good trip with the baby and only did one load of laundry during the trip... although I need to do some now that we're home. hahahaha
Today has been terrible... the baby is feeling like crap and she had a fever today which I cant figure out why. She has refluxed bad today too and just been miserable and screaming all day. The trip we took to Target was sure fun as I was hiding in the bra section trying to stop her from screaming. We did just get her Tucker Sling (www.tuckersling.com) and hopefully she will be able to have some fun with that.
All in all, even with the episodes, we had a good trip with the baby and only did one load of laundry during the trip... although I need to do some now that we're home. hahahaha
Today has been terrible... the baby is feeling like crap and she had a fever today which I cant figure out why. She has refluxed bad today too and just been miserable and screaming all day. The trip we took to Target was sure fun as I was hiding in the bra section trying to stop her from screaming. We did just get her Tucker Sling (www.tuckersling.com) and hopefully she will be able to have some fun with that.
Friday, August 26, 2005
More Fun to Come...
Well this morning has been fun again... we had 2 EPISODES this morning!!! AHHHHH Talk about stress! I have to say, I'm handling them better though. Anyway, it seems like Kaitlyn may even be handling them better as well... I figured out though that she needs to be sleeping on more of an incline because even on her inclined sleeper I woke up to hearing her aspirating... I cant believe how quick I got across the hotel bed!!! hahahaha
Anyway... this trip has been pretty exciting to say the least... we did have a good trip to the Zoo yesterday though! Kaitlyn slept most of the way through... she basically woke up to poop and then eat!! We did get her some cute little souviners. She got a t-shirt with a little lion on it that says Detroit Zoo and a Giraffe rattle and a little tiny Stuffed Giraffe. She is going to love Giraffes and jungle animals since they are EVERYwhere now!! I'm thinking about decorating the bathroom in them now too! We'll see!
Anyway... this trip has been pretty exciting to say the least... we did have a good trip to the Zoo yesterday though! Kaitlyn slept most of the way through... she basically woke up to poop and then eat!! We did get her some cute little souviners. She got a t-shirt with a little lion on it that says Detroit Zoo and a Giraffe rattle and a little tiny Stuffed Giraffe. She is going to love Giraffes and jungle animals since they are EVERYwhere now!! I'm thinking about decorating the bathroom in them now too! We'll see!
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Baby's First Vacation
Baby's first vacation is a trip in the car to Michigan to see my parents and the rest of my family. It took us 15 hours to get here and Kaitlyn did super great in the car, seeing is she slept most of the way!! So here we are in Michigan visiting my family. My great niece came to stay at the hotel last night and this morning as we are getting ready to leave to take her back home, my daughter was sitting in her Car seat as we were just about to walk out and she has an "Episode". It was one of the 10 min bad ones again and I think my 6 yr old great niece thought the baby was going to die. Her eyes were the size of coconuts! Kaitlyn was, I guess it's called aspirating, because she was holding her breath again for about 3-10 secs then would scream for half a second and then hold her breath some more... I realize now how it feels for her... I mean if you've ever breathed in liquid or had something "go down the wrong pipe" and you cant breath and you are coughing and stuff... thats gotta be how it is for her but she obviously doesnt know how to handle it and freaks out... her body does a good job though helping her keep from dying.
Anyway... just wanted to update on how the vacation has been going... needless to say that led to a not so good day today... but on the up side that did follow two not so bad days!! We're off to see the Detroit Zoo tomorrow with Kaitlyn and her 3 second cousins (of which 2 are all around Kaitlyn's age). It's weird that both my niece and nephew had kids before me!!! hahahaha Oh well... wish us luck tomorrow!!
Anyway... just wanted to update on how the vacation has been going... needless to say that led to a not so good day today... but on the up side that did follow two not so bad days!! We're off to see the Detroit Zoo tomorrow with Kaitlyn and her 3 second cousins (of which 2 are all around Kaitlyn's age). It's weird that both my niece and nephew had kids before me!!! hahahaha Oh well... wish us luck tomorrow!!
Friday, August 19, 2005
And the Days Roll on...
So Kaitlyn got her shots on Monday when she was at the Dr. and she has had a fever in the 99's all week (5 days now) and been a little crabby butt! She is very whiney and just generally not feeling well. We have been giving her tylenol to keep her fever down but she still keeps getting one. Poor baby!!
Anyway, other than that she hasnt been so bad with the Reflux this week probably because she feels like crap and has been sleeping on and off most of the day. Just wish it was at longer intervals!! She only sleeps for like 5 or 10 mins so not a lot I can get done! I have gotten more done this week though than last so that makes me happy. I was also able to get our stuff packed to go away to Michigan for the week. We're leaving at 4am and heading there... it's amazing how much stuff Kaitlyn has!! hahaha
Well I cant wait for my father to meet her and I plan on getting LOTs of pictures of her and Grandpa! She even has a special Detroit Tigers outfit so we can get a picture of her with Grandpa in his Tigers Jersey and then we got him a Detroit Tigers Frame to put the picture in!! I'm so excited to see my family and let them meet Kaitlyn... it's goinh to be great!! I'd like to try to go to the Zoo while we are there too and maybe make it a summer tradition when we go home to see the family we go to the Detroit Zoo. I havent been there in years and I think she would love it even at this age. She would just sit back and take it all in! She loves looking at things now!!
Well I have a lot of stuff to get together before Jon gets home, if I get a chance to write how things are going while we are gone, I will. If not I'll have to update when we get back!
Anyway, other than that she hasnt been so bad with the Reflux this week probably because she feels like crap and has been sleeping on and off most of the day. Just wish it was at longer intervals!! She only sleeps for like 5 or 10 mins so not a lot I can get done! I have gotten more done this week though than last so that makes me happy. I was also able to get our stuff packed to go away to Michigan for the week. We're leaving at 4am and heading there... it's amazing how much stuff Kaitlyn has!! hahaha
Well I cant wait for my father to meet her and I plan on getting LOTs of pictures of her and Grandpa! She even has a special Detroit Tigers outfit so we can get a picture of her with Grandpa in his Tigers Jersey and then we got him a Detroit Tigers Frame to put the picture in!! I'm so excited to see my family and let them meet Kaitlyn... it's goinh to be great!! I'd like to try to go to the Zoo while we are there too and maybe make it a summer tradition when we go home to see the family we go to the Detroit Zoo. I havent been there in years and I think she would love it even at this age. She would just sit back and take it all in! She loves looking at things now!!
Well I have a lot of stuff to get together before Jon gets home, if I get a chance to write how things are going while we are gone, I will. If not I'll have to update when we get back!
Thursday, August 18, 2005
8/15/05 Dr Visit Update
First of all I have uploaded ALL of Kaitlyn's photo's to our new shutterfly collection webpage... the web address is http://fuchs.shutterfly.com for anyone who is interested in viewing all of her pics including the ones from Sunday (8/14).
Well on to the update! Kaitlyn went to the Dr Monday 8/15 and I apologize for the delay in posting but things have been very hectic lately!!! So Kaitlyn is doing well with gaining weight so far. I really think the extra calories from the cereal are helping with all of that. Anyway, she is 10lbs 9oz and 21.5" tall and all of her parts are in working order.
Kaitlyn is not doing well in the GERD department. I cant tell you how stressful and scary it is to watch your child screaming in pain and puking their guts out 2-3 feet away from you! Just to catch up, She has been on Prevacid for the past month to help with her reflux but I'm not sure, if anything, what it was doing for her. She has also been getting her formula thickened with oatmeal so that she is able to hold it down and that it doesnt aggrivate her reflux anymore than it already does. About 2 weeks ago she pretty much was eating nothing for about 3 days... a few ounces of formula here and there and that was it. She has since started eating more which is good but it seems that her reflux episodes have gotten much worse. The dr now has Kaitlyn on some Zantac to see if this will help her. What she goes through is becoming unbearable for me as a mother. I am very stressed out with trying to get her to eat and trying to stop her pain. During the day she gets her two doses of Zantac and then she get Maalox inbetween when the Zantac isnt enough. Anyway... we dont have health insurance right now but we are going to try to get Kaitlyn in to see a Pediatric Gastroenterologist very soon because we want to make sure she doesnt have any other more serious problems to go with her Reflux. We may have to go to a Neurologist as well because when Kaitlyn eats or has an episode of reflux it looks like she is having some sort of seizure or going through convulsions... its truely horrible to watch, especially when you are the one holding her little body as it flails around and stiffens up and is all beat red.
Anyway, once we get all of that figured out we will write and let everyone know how she is doing. For now, we wait and hope and pray she gets through each day in as least amount of pain as possible.
Well on to the update! Kaitlyn went to the Dr Monday 8/15 and I apologize for the delay in posting but things have been very hectic lately!!! So Kaitlyn is doing well with gaining weight so far. I really think the extra calories from the cereal are helping with all of that. Anyway, she is 10lbs 9oz and 21.5" tall and all of her parts are in working order.
Kaitlyn is not doing well in the GERD department. I cant tell you how stressful and scary it is to watch your child screaming in pain and puking their guts out 2-3 feet away from you! Just to catch up, She has been on Prevacid for the past month to help with her reflux but I'm not sure, if anything, what it was doing for her. She has also been getting her formula thickened with oatmeal so that she is able to hold it down and that it doesnt aggrivate her reflux anymore than it already does. About 2 weeks ago she pretty much was eating nothing for about 3 days... a few ounces of formula here and there and that was it. She has since started eating more which is good but it seems that her reflux episodes have gotten much worse. The dr now has Kaitlyn on some Zantac to see if this will help her. What she goes through is becoming unbearable for me as a mother. I am very stressed out with trying to get her to eat and trying to stop her pain. During the day she gets her two doses of Zantac and then she get Maalox inbetween when the Zantac isnt enough. Anyway... we dont have health insurance right now but we are going to try to get Kaitlyn in to see a Pediatric Gastroenterologist very soon because we want to make sure she doesnt have any other more serious problems to go with her Reflux. We may have to go to a Neurologist as well because when Kaitlyn eats or has an episode of reflux it looks like she is having some sort of seizure or going through convulsions... its truely horrible to watch, especially when you are the one holding her little body as it flails around and stiffens up and is all beat red.
Anyway, once we get all of that figured out we will write and let everyone know how she is doing. For now, we wait and hope and pray she gets through each day in as least amount of pain as possible.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
2 Month's Old!!!!
YAY!!! Kaitlyn is 2 months old today!!! I can't believe I have been a Mommy for two months already! Anyway, Kaitlyn has her two month appointment at the Dr on Monday so I will do an update then with all of her stats and how things are going. It just makes more sense!
But she is beautiful and growing big and strong - hopefully she is still gaining weight - although she is eating much better again!! :)
It's amazing how quickly they grow and how much they achieve in a single day! I'm so proud of Kaitlyn and I love her so very much!
But she is beautiful and growing big and strong - hopefully she is still gaining weight - although she is eating much better again!! :)
It's amazing how quickly they grow and how much they achieve in a single day! I'm so proud of Kaitlyn and I love her so very much!
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Life's Full of Little Surprises
Wow... today has been surprising so far! I dont want to get my hopes up but Kaitlyn has been eating a bit more. She had 3.5 ounces this morning at 6 and then she had another 2.5 at 10. She slept from about 11pm until her 6am feeding and then slept again until her 10am feeding. Today seems to be a good day too! She actually had some reflux today and coughed and gagged a bit but she handled it rather well.
I know she still isnt eating a lot but eating more is more than I can ask for!! We still havent had any episodes of spitting up or throwing up since Monday which is great for all of us. Well she did have one very tiny spit up last night but Daddy was playing with her and bouncing her around so that really had nothing to do with the reflux I'm sure.
Speaking of playing... it's amazing how much more active and social she is. She smiles at you when you smile, she coos back at you when you coo, she laughs and tried to make the faces you make. It's really great and Jon is having such a good time playing and bonding with her. Expecially when he isnt looking at her and she coos really loud for him. He loves it and so do I!! We realized through all of this hardly eating stuff that she LOVES to play while lying on her back! We even laid her down for awhile yesterday to play on her Playmat. She was batting at the little dangling animals and making them play music and dance around. She was smiling and laughing and she just loved it. I really think she will be learning to roll over soon if she got some time on her back. She kicks nice and hard and pushes against anything she can and she is pretty strong. A lot of the time I will have her laying on my chest facing out while I'm sitting here checking my email and she will kick and push at the table the laptop is on. I have to be careful because sometimes she gets a good kick in and the table goes flying along with my drink usually!
Just to document it, We have gone for a couple walks now around the neighborhood and I really think Kaitlyn likes the wind and the trees and the sky outside. She just looks around at everything and enjoys our walks. The couple times we have gone now have been as a family. Jon and I take her around the block and to the little shopping center near the house. He and I get ice cream over there and hopefully when she gets a little older, we can all go there and get some ice cream on our family walks. I'd like to start walking more with her but right now the house is such a disaster that I cant begin to think about all that.
Well I'm going to keep praying that today is a good day. I'd like to be able to get a few things done upstairs in the living area as far as unpacking goes. I also need to get some laundry done too... I have a lot to do and it's hard to get anything done when Kaitlyn needs me all day and Jon wants to relax after work so I have her then too. I know things will get easier when she is a little older, but it's so much work right now to do all the housework and unpacking AND take care of the baby. My main concern is Kaitlyn though... her comfort and happiness comes before all the boxes piled up in the living room so the rest can wait if she is having a bad day!!
I know she still isnt eating a lot but eating more is more than I can ask for!! We still havent had any episodes of spitting up or throwing up since Monday which is great for all of us. Well she did have one very tiny spit up last night but Daddy was playing with her and bouncing her around so that really had nothing to do with the reflux I'm sure.
Speaking of playing... it's amazing how much more active and social she is. She smiles at you when you smile, she coos back at you when you coo, she laughs and tried to make the faces you make. It's really great and Jon is having such a good time playing and bonding with her. Expecially when he isnt looking at her and she coos really loud for him. He loves it and so do I!! We realized through all of this hardly eating stuff that she LOVES to play while lying on her back! We even laid her down for awhile yesterday to play on her Playmat. She was batting at the little dangling animals and making them play music and dance around. She was smiling and laughing and she just loved it. I really think she will be learning to roll over soon if she got some time on her back. She kicks nice and hard and pushes against anything she can and she is pretty strong. A lot of the time I will have her laying on my chest facing out while I'm sitting here checking my email and she will kick and push at the table the laptop is on. I have to be careful because sometimes she gets a good kick in and the table goes flying along with my drink usually!
Just to document it, We have gone for a couple walks now around the neighborhood and I really think Kaitlyn likes the wind and the trees and the sky outside. She just looks around at everything and enjoys our walks. The couple times we have gone now have been as a family. Jon and I take her around the block and to the little shopping center near the house. He and I get ice cream over there and hopefully when she gets a little older, we can all go there and get some ice cream on our family walks. I'd like to start walking more with her but right now the house is such a disaster that I cant begin to think about all that.
Well I'm going to keep praying that today is a good day. I'd like to be able to get a few things done upstairs in the living area as far as unpacking goes. I also need to get some laundry done too... I have a lot to do and it's hard to get anything done when Kaitlyn needs me all day and Jon wants to relax after work so I have her then too. I know things will get easier when she is a little older, but it's so much work right now to do all the housework and unpacking AND take care of the baby. My main concern is Kaitlyn though... her comfort and happiness comes before all the boxes piled up in the living room so the rest can wait if she is having a bad day!!
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
GERD Update
Ok so on a positive note... Kaitlyn has not spit up or thrown up at all so far since maybe the moring on Monday... been about 48 hours.
Here is the weird thing... On Saturday and Sunday she seemed to be going through a growth spurt and needing to eat so much more food... so we gave her more although not more than she should be eating. I'm not sure if that made her reflux worse but then all of a sudden on Monday she started refusing to eat and only eating a couple ounces at a time and screaming and crying during and after feedings again. She is still getting her Prevacid and we give her Maalox when she seems to be having a really bad time. Which is such an amazing help.
Now yesterday I decided to start charting her feedings and fussings again for my own sanity and to take a copy to the new Pediatrician we are going to see on Monday. I noticed she only at 16oz of food and at about 10 pounds she should be eating about 25 ounces!! For the last few days, she eats about 2 ounces and then Refluxes a few times and spends an hour crying and screaming and kicking and stiffening and eyes watering and just flipping out before I break down and give her Maalox. Then she finally settles down and like now, she is sleeping (THANK GOD - my back hurts from the stress). I know she is hurting because she wont take her pacifier or anything in her mouth and her breath and mouth smell like rancid tummy acids... it's nasty. The Cherry Maalox makes it smell so much better!!!
I guess I'm just confused as to why she is still refluxing tummy acids if the Prevacid is supposed to turn off some of the acid pumps in her belly! Anyway... I'm assuming she is not spitting up or puking now because she is only eating a couple ounces every 4 hours or so as opposed to the 4 oz per feeding. It has also been taking her anywhere from 30-60 minutes just to eat the 2 ounces... I know this isnt good for her but I guess I'm just going to wait and let her go how she wants til we see the Dr Monday.. at least she is eating something, I guess!
Here is the weird thing... On Saturday and Sunday she seemed to be going through a growth spurt and needing to eat so much more food... so we gave her more although not more than she should be eating. I'm not sure if that made her reflux worse but then all of a sudden on Monday she started refusing to eat and only eating a couple ounces at a time and screaming and crying during and after feedings again. She is still getting her Prevacid and we give her Maalox when she seems to be having a really bad time. Which is such an amazing help.
Now yesterday I decided to start charting her feedings and fussings again for my own sanity and to take a copy to the new Pediatrician we are going to see on Monday. I noticed she only at 16oz of food and at about 10 pounds she should be eating about 25 ounces!! For the last few days, she eats about 2 ounces and then Refluxes a few times and spends an hour crying and screaming and kicking and stiffening and eyes watering and just flipping out before I break down and give her Maalox. Then she finally settles down and like now, she is sleeping (THANK GOD - my back hurts from the stress). I know she is hurting because she wont take her pacifier or anything in her mouth and her breath and mouth smell like rancid tummy acids... it's nasty. The Cherry Maalox makes it smell so much better!!!
I guess I'm just confused as to why she is still refluxing tummy acids if the Prevacid is supposed to turn off some of the acid pumps in her belly! Anyway... I'm assuming she is not spitting up or puking now because she is only eating a couple ounces every 4 hours or so as opposed to the 4 oz per feeding. It has also been taking her anywhere from 30-60 minutes just to eat the 2 ounces... I know this isnt good for her but I guess I'm just going to wait and let her go how she wants til we see the Dr Monday.. at least she is eating something, I guess!
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Talking with Daddy
A little while ago Jon and I were sitting on the couch with Kaitlyn sitting up in her Boppy pillow between us and she was Cooing (kind of a sighing sound) so loud to get her daddy's attention every time he would look away to play his video game. It was like she got a little "name", or sound as it was, for daddy and thats how she called him to get his attention. After he would look she would just smile real big and giggle. Then he would look away and she would do it again and again... this went on for about a half an hour and I was dying because it was so amazing and watching them "play" together was so cute!!
I LOVE to see her happy and smiling and even the three times she refluxed during didnt seem to bother her as much because she was bonding with Daddy. She just got a little sad crunched up face and was about to cry, spit out the formula/tummy acids and then kept playing... it was such a great moment for all three of us !!
I LOVE to see her happy and smiling and even the three times she refluxed during didnt seem to bother her as much because she was bonding with Daddy. She just got a little sad crunched up face and was about to cry, spit out the formula/tummy acids and then kept playing... it was such a great moment for all three of us !!
Move Over, Unpacking Begins...
We FINALLY got our cable modem hooked up in our new place!! Still have a LOT of unpacking to do but trying our best to do what we can with a infant. We did have a garage sale and got rid of a few things so that was good. We ended up making about $80! I think Kaitlyn enjoyed her first Garage Sale at Aunt Donna and Uncle Charlie's house - she and I got to sit in the air conditioner!! Hahahaha
Anyway... Kaitlyn has had a rough time with her reflux this past week. She started projectile vomiting and all that and the Dr (we had to find a new Pediatrictian and his name is Dr William Gerba - we like him a lot so far he seems caring and knowedgable) was worried about her losing weight... but when we were there last monday she was 7 weeks and 9lbs 12oz. Exactly 3 pounds gained since birth and thats what she is supposed to be. He said they like to see about a pound every two weeks. Anyway we tried putting her on Zantac instead of the Prevacid and it was a disaster... so she is back on the Prevacid and when it wears off before its time for her next dose, she gets alittle Maalox to calm her tummy acids.
Last night was a horrible episode... she shot puke across our bedroom and it had her food in it and her meds, which she took 3 hours before that. It was a very scary episode because she stopped breathing for a bit and was starting to turn blue and I thought we were going to be going to the ER but finally she started coughing/screaming and was obviously breathing again. She was so scared and upset after that... it was the worst episode of projectile for her yet... I was extremely scared myself... I think I stopped breathing with her...
She is really growing too... besides getting bigger, she is really smiling and laughing and communicating... of course all she can do is cry when she needs something but she does coo and grunt and make little noises that melt our hearts! She even knows - and REALLY lets us know - when it's time to take her medicine. It seems the "milestones" are cruising along at warp speed right about now. Lately, besides kicking and punching and pushing her arms and legs, we've noticed she has been trying to refine her fine motor skills... she twists her wrists and feet now and pulls her toes up and points them down. It's amazing what we're able to do with our muscles that we dont realize we actually had to LEARN to do at some point!
Ok enough of my babbling... Kaitlyn will be going to the Dr again next week sometime for her 2 month check up and shots... We'll also know then if she is still gaining weight. I think she will be just fine, I'm sure the cereal in her food (so she keeps it down) is helping give her the calories she needs from throwing up so much. I'll post again on how it goes...
Now that we have the internet back, I will be here more often but not as often as I will be once we finally get unpacked!!!
Anyway... Kaitlyn has had a rough time with her reflux this past week. She started projectile vomiting and all that and the Dr (we had to find a new Pediatrictian and his name is Dr William Gerba - we like him a lot so far he seems caring and knowedgable) was worried about her losing weight... but when we were there last monday she was 7 weeks and 9lbs 12oz. Exactly 3 pounds gained since birth and thats what she is supposed to be. He said they like to see about a pound every two weeks. Anyway we tried putting her on Zantac instead of the Prevacid and it was a disaster... so she is back on the Prevacid and when it wears off before its time for her next dose, she gets alittle Maalox to calm her tummy acids.
Last night was a horrible episode... she shot puke across our bedroom and it had her food in it and her meds, which she took 3 hours before that. It was a very scary episode because she stopped breathing for a bit and was starting to turn blue and I thought we were going to be going to the ER but finally she started coughing/screaming and was obviously breathing again. She was so scared and upset after that... it was the worst episode of projectile for her yet... I was extremely scared myself... I think I stopped breathing with her...
She is really growing too... besides getting bigger, she is really smiling and laughing and communicating... of course all she can do is cry when she needs something but she does coo and grunt and make little noises that melt our hearts! She even knows - and REALLY lets us know - when it's time to take her medicine. It seems the "milestones" are cruising along at warp speed right about now. Lately, besides kicking and punching and pushing her arms and legs, we've noticed she has been trying to refine her fine motor skills... she twists her wrists and feet now and pulls her toes up and points them down. It's amazing what we're able to do with our muscles that we dont realize we actually had to LEARN to do at some point!
Ok enough of my babbling... Kaitlyn will be going to the Dr again next week sometime for her 2 month check up and shots... We'll also know then if she is still gaining weight. I think she will be just fine, I'm sure the cereal in her food (so she keeps it down) is helping give her the calories she needs from throwing up so much. I'll post again on how it goes...
Now that we have the internet back, I will be here more often but not as often as I will be once we finally get unpacked!!!
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