It was 5 o'clock, Thanksgiving Eve and Paige's screeches were ringing through our house. She had barely eaten all day and every time a bottle or breast graced her lips, she would eat frantically for a few seconds and begin her protests anew.
After Reese we consider ourselves pretty used to screaming babies. Reese screamed non-stop most of her first 4 months alive. Colic? Milk issues? We can't be sure now, but we were frazzled to say the least when dealing with a baby who seemed so disturbed so much of the time.
Paige is different--she hasn't been the complainer her sister was. Generally, she cries when hungry, or when over-tired and in need of soothing. But unlike her big sis, she can be soothed with some cuddling in a rocking chair (not the hall-pacing hell of two years ago). Sure, she's not a great sleeper (much like her sister), but I'm hoping that comes with time.
So, when her screams escalated at each feeding Thanksgiving week, we couldn't take it anymore. Kevin called the after hours clinic and he took over toddler-bedtime so I could make a 7:20PM doctor's appointment with Paige.
I saw a doctor from our clinic and explained our situation--was all this feeding trouble the lingering effects of her cold or something else? I had switched to mainly bottles of expressed milk, so flow rate, latch, and other factors could be ruled out, so why were we still struggling so much? The poor kid was obviously hungry, she just wouldn't eat.
When I explained the situation, the doctor said it sounded like a classic case of reflux. He prescribed us some meds and I RACED out the door to HEB before their 9PM closing time (knowing they'd be closed Thanksgiving Day). Our pharmacy didn't have the meds, so I raced to another HEB only to fight the last minute turkey shoppers and BEG for the pharmacist to fill my prescription before close--I couldn't bear the idea of enduring another two days of such feeding hell.
Just two doses of meds later, Paige has been eating without protest. Hallelujah!
Sure, the grape flavored meds aren't her favorite part of the day, and they stain everything in sight if/when she spits it back at me, but I'll take it. If a kid is going to eat 8-10 times a day, they might as well enjoy it.
Now, if only she'd sleep a little longer than 2-3 hours at a time...
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Reese-in-the-Box
When we moved Reese into her big girl room this summer and into a twin-sized bed, I got lots of questions from other moms: "Doesn't she get out of bed now?"; "Is she sleeping ok?"; "Aren't you worried she'll fall out?" etc. etc. "No, everything is fine, " was my consummate answer. Well, the joke's on me now.
Unlike other parents, we made her move on our terms. We weren't prompted by repeated attempts to escape her crib, and as I wrote soon after the transition, things went fine with sleeping in a big bed. In fact, Kevin and I joked together when she dropped Ellie out of bed and called us in for help. She obviously hadn't figured out she could get out of bed and retrieve her beloved animal herself.
Well...in the last week, she's definitely figured out how to get out of bed, and we're all suffering for it.
It all started about a month ago: a few missed naps, a few trips out of bed (viewed on the video monitor) to turn her CD player back on or get an extra sip of water. She always (eventually) got back in the bed by herself and went to sleep. Now, there's a new skill to contend with, though: opening her door.
Now every sleep period (nap or night-time) is punctuated by trips out of her bed, and sometimes down the hallway. The first few times it happened I figured I hadn't latched the door properly, but recently I've seen otherwise.
The first time I rolled over and saw our two-year old standing next to our bed staring at me, my reaction was something out of a horror movie. My heart was in my throat, and I had to reconcile what I saw. Now, every time I lay down I realize that my ear is on the monitor listening for her sister, and my brain is prepped for a chance encounter with Reese at our bedside. It doesn't make for great sleeping--as if I'm getting many hours as it is.
We've resorted to trying to move bedtime a little earlier--anticipating at least two silent, no-eye-contact, escorts back down the hall to her room. Today at nap time it was three.
Please let this phase pass quickly.
Unlike other parents, we made her move on our terms. We weren't prompted by repeated attempts to escape her crib, and as I wrote soon after the transition, things went fine with sleeping in a big bed. In fact, Kevin and I joked together when she dropped Ellie out of bed and called us in for help. She obviously hadn't figured out she could get out of bed and retrieve her beloved animal herself.
Well...in the last week, she's definitely figured out how to get out of bed, and we're all suffering for it.
It all started about a month ago: a few missed naps, a few trips out of bed (viewed on the video monitor) to turn her CD player back on or get an extra sip of water. She always (eventually) got back in the bed by herself and went to sleep. Now, there's a new skill to contend with, though: opening her door.
Now every sleep period (nap or night-time) is punctuated by trips out of her bed, and sometimes down the hallway. The first few times it happened I figured I hadn't latched the door properly, but recently I've seen otherwise.
The first time I rolled over and saw our two-year old standing next to our bed staring at me, my reaction was something out of a horror movie. My heart was in my throat, and I had to reconcile what I saw. Now, every time I lay down I realize that my ear is on the monitor listening for her sister, and my brain is prepped for a chance encounter with Reese at our bedside. It doesn't make for great sleeping--as if I'm getting many hours as it is.
We've resorted to trying to move bedtime a little earlier--anticipating at least two silent, no-eye-contact, escorts back down the hall to her room. Today at nap time it was three.
Please let this phase pass quickly.
School Photo
Here's Reese's first school photo. I've now forgotten if it was taken in September or October, but either way, we received our copies two weeks ago. Gotta love the serious look.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Paige in Pictures
Napping with Daddy on the couch--they fell asleep during "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving"
Watching Grandpa Bailey
We call this video "Zombie Baby." Check out how Paige decided to sleep in her bouncy chair.Lactation Ladies
Breastfeeding Reese was a miserable experience from beginning to end. It started with the formula-filled, drippy, smelly SNS system in the hospital, and continued at home with nipple shields, constant screaming, and the hunt for a "perfect" bottle. By January I was D-O-N-E.
Before Paige's birth I tried to "give myself permission" to stop nursing sooner if things went like they did with Reese. I'm not sure it's Austin, my peer group, or hormones, but breastfeeding seems to be a badge of "successful mothering" in some circles. Not just the act itself, but the duration of your commitment to it.
When Paige took to breastfeeding so easily at the hospital I breathed a huge sigh of relief. No extra materials required, just me and the baby.
Then, two weeks ago, my easy-to-feed, weight-gaining baby stopped being so easy. Feeding sessions (8-10 of them a day) were full of grunting, crying, and VERY short feeds at the breast. I tried everything I could think of: I pulled out my nipple shields, tried every position and hold imaginable (including standing up), and tried to stay calm.
I knew that her stuffy nose might be effecting her eating, but just in case I made an appointment with the lactation consultants at the hospital. (It's a free service for babies delivered there.)
After one failed attempt to meet up with the specialists (and a very nasty phone message left by me since I was left high-and-dry without notice), I met with an LC named Linda on Saturday.
I will admit that LCs intimidate me--I assume (perhaps wrongly) that they all want you to breastfeed your child until they're 4, and shun the idea that formula or a bottle would ever grace the lips of your infant. Or at least, that's the vibe I get.
I brought Paige in and Linda watched us feeding. Luckily, Paige did exactly what she had been doing for the last week: feed well for about five minutes and then pitched a fit for the next forty-five minutes. We determined that in her 5 minute feeding she was getting about 1oz of milk (not enough). Linda was extremely patient, asked lots of questions, listened well, and tried every trick in her book. About forty-five minutes into our session, she looked at me and said, "I see why you're frustrated. I think I'd been loosing my mind if I had to deal with this all day and night." I did a double take. Validating my feelings?!? That was not something I was prepared for. I was ready to hear something more along the lines of "These are growing pains, she'll learn, just power through--breast milk is best!"
Linda confirmed that it wasn't an issue of Paige knowing how to latch, or an issue of supply on my end. Her hypotheses were: the stuffy nose is making it hard for her to eat (possible), or she's having reflux issues (would also explain all her grunting, coughing, and other strange behaviors). Either way, she recommended taking a break from breast feeding and just pumping to give her bottles. She even uttered the words, "After taking bottles for awhile she may not want to go back to the breast, and that's ok. Eating should be a pleasant experience for everyone involved, and you should do whatever it takes to make that happen."
I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders--here was a professional telling me that I shouldn't feel guilty about bottle feeding--whether with breast milk or not. It sounds so silly, and so simple, but it was worth it for me to hear.
Of course when I got home and told Kevin the news he said, "I'm glad you're happy, but I could have told you that."
Since then, Paige has been eating primarily from bottles, with a few feeds a day on the breast, and I can tell she's eating more and feeling better. We're waiting to see if her cough subsides (and is related to her cold), and if not we might talk to the pedi about it and how it relates to reflux at her next check up.
Before Paige's birth I tried to "give myself permission" to stop nursing sooner if things went like they did with Reese. I'm not sure it's Austin, my peer group, or hormones, but breastfeeding seems to be a badge of "successful mothering" in some circles. Not just the act itself, but the duration of your commitment to it.
When Paige took to breastfeeding so easily at the hospital I breathed a huge sigh of relief. No extra materials required, just me and the baby.
Then, two weeks ago, my easy-to-feed, weight-gaining baby stopped being so easy. Feeding sessions (8-10 of them a day) were full of grunting, crying, and VERY short feeds at the breast. I tried everything I could think of: I pulled out my nipple shields, tried every position and hold imaginable (including standing up), and tried to stay calm.
I knew that her stuffy nose might be effecting her eating, but just in case I made an appointment with the lactation consultants at the hospital. (It's a free service for babies delivered there.)
After one failed attempt to meet up with the specialists (and a very nasty phone message left by me since I was left high-and-dry without notice), I met with an LC named Linda on Saturday.
I will admit that LCs intimidate me--I assume (perhaps wrongly) that they all want you to breastfeed your child until they're 4, and shun the idea that formula or a bottle would ever grace the lips of your infant. Or at least, that's the vibe I get.
I brought Paige in and Linda watched us feeding. Luckily, Paige did exactly what she had been doing for the last week: feed well for about five minutes and then pitched a fit for the next forty-five minutes. We determined that in her 5 minute feeding she was getting about 1oz of milk (not enough). Linda was extremely patient, asked lots of questions, listened well, and tried every trick in her book. About forty-five minutes into our session, she looked at me and said, "I see why you're frustrated. I think I'd been loosing my mind if I had to deal with this all day and night." I did a double take. Validating my feelings?!? That was not something I was prepared for. I was ready to hear something more along the lines of "These are growing pains, she'll learn, just power through--breast milk is best!"
Linda confirmed that it wasn't an issue of Paige knowing how to latch, or an issue of supply on my end. Her hypotheses were: the stuffy nose is making it hard for her to eat (possible), or she's having reflux issues (would also explain all her grunting, coughing, and other strange behaviors). Either way, she recommended taking a break from breast feeding and just pumping to give her bottles. She even uttered the words, "After taking bottles for awhile she may not want to go back to the breast, and that's ok. Eating should be a pleasant experience for everyone involved, and you should do whatever it takes to make that happen."
I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders--here was a professional telling me that I shouldn't feel guilty about bottle feeding--whether with breast milk or not. It sounds so silly, and so simple, but it was worth it for me to hear.
Of course when I got home and told Kevin the news he said, "I'm glad you're happy, but I could have told you that."
Since then, Paige has been eating primarily from bottles, with a few feeds a day on the breast, and I can tell she's eating more and feeling better. We're waiting to see if her cough subsides (and is related to her cold), and if not we might talk to the pedi about it and how it relates to reflux at her next check up.
OCD Much?
With Reese's ear infection clearing up, she's become slightly less clingy and has been better about playing independently while Mommy is dealing with Paige. One night she was happily playing in her room and Kevin went to check on her. He came out and asked me, "Did you stack Reese's shoes up?" I had no idea what he was talking about and I immediately envisioned a swaying tower of shoes in Reese's bedroom. Instead of explaining, he ran and got the camera. Here's what she had been up to:
Sure there's one mismatched pair, but still...
Always putting things in order...wonder who she gets that from?
Sure there's one mismatched pair, but still...Always putting things in order...wonder who she gets that from?
"Appointments please..."
I must have uttered the words "appointments please" no less than half a dozen times in the last two weeks, and I now know the words to the on-hold music for our pediatrician's office by heart.
It all started last weekend when Reese started to have yellowish-green discharge from her eyes. As a former school teacher, my immediate reaction was, "Oh no--pink eye!" I got a little suspicious of my initial reaction, though, when the discharge wasn't accompanied by itching or redness. A sinus infection, perhaps? (The Righter family is notorious for our chronic sinus issues.) So...off we went to the pedi on Monday morning with both girls in tow. Turns out the issue was NOT with Reese's eyes at all--she had a terrible double ear infection. (Lovely to think about how the drainage from the infection was seeping out of her eyes!) A year ago I would have been wracked with guilt about missing the "signs"of an infection, but now I don't have time. Besides, she never complained of pain and she never ran a fever. The doctor prescribed us amoxicillin and we were off.
Everything was looking good until the next morning when Reese woke up with a rash. While I figured it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotics (I've had my share of allergic reactions--my allergy bands when I'm hospitalized can barely contain the names of all the drugs I have issues with), the pedi wanted to see it in person.....so, off we went again. Moving on to antibiotic #2 seemed to help matters for Reese, but then it was Paige's turn.
Paige's eating had taken a real turn for the worse starting last weekend. She wasn't eating well, was fussing at the breast and had developed a stuffy nose. By Thursday the feedings were going miserably and she was having yellowish green discharge from her nose. Fearing an ear infection for her as well, I spent Friday night at the after-hours clinic getting her seen. For now her ears are clear, and the doctor said it may take up to another week for her nose to clear up. He told us to load up on saline drops, buy a humidifier, and keep her upright when sleeping to promote drainage. We've be doing as advised and her nose seems better, but now she's coughing and the feeding issue is still in limbo.
I knew that as a stay-at-home mom I would deal with two sick kids at some point, and I also knew that Reese would bring home every germ in the world from her 8 hours of school and infect her little sister, I just didn't expect it all to happen so soon.
It all started last weekend when Reese started to have yellowish-green discharge from her eyes. As a former school teacher, my immediate reaction was, "Oh no--pink eye!" I got a little suspicious of my initial reaction, though, when the discharge wasn't accompanied by itching or redness. A sinus infection, perhaps? (The Righter family is notorious for our chronic sinus issues.) So...off we went to the pedi on Monday morning with both girls in tow. Turns out the issue was NOT with Reese's eyes at all--she had a terrible double ear infection. (Lovely to think about how the drainage from the infection was seeping out of her eyes!) A year ago I would have been wracked with guilt about missing the "signs"of an infection, but now I don't have time. Besides, she never complained of pain and she never ran a fever. The doctor prescribed us amoxicillin and we were off.
Everything was looking good until the next morning when Reese woke up with a rash. While I figured it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotics (I've had my share of allergic reactions--my allergy bands when I'm hospitalized can barely contain the names of all the drugs I have issues with), the pedi wanted to see it in person.....so, off we went again. Moving on to antibiotic #2 seemed to help matters for Reese, but then it was Paige's turn.
Paige's eating had taken a real turn for the worse starting last weekend. She wasn't eating well, was fussing at the breast and had developed a stuffy nose. By Thursday the feedings were going miserably and she was having yellowish green discharge from her nose. Fearing an ear infection for her as well, I spent Friday night at the after-hours clinic getting her seen. For now her ears are clear, and the doctor said it may take up to another week for her nose to clear up. He told us to load up on saline drops, buy a humidifier, and keep her upright when sleeping to promote drainage. We've be doing as advised and her nose seems better, but now she's coughing and the feeding issue is still in limbo.
I knew that as a stay-at-home mom I would deal with two sick kids at some point, and I also knew that Reese would bring home every germ in the world from her 8 hours of school and infect her little sister, I just didn't expect it all to happen so soon.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Precious Paige
Paige had her one month check up on Monday this week to make sure she was gaining weight on our breastfeeding only plan. I can tell she's growing quickly because she's filling out (and outgrowing!) clothes and she's starting to fill out her car seat better. Her official weight on Monday morning was 7lbs 3oz, meaning she gained 27oz in two weeks. The doctor said it was a phenomenal weight gain and he would have been happy with 12-14oz. Let's hope she keeps it up! She may be able to wear her sister's wardrobe after all.
Highlights of our month together:
* Paige grunts constantly...day, night, in her sleep, while awake. It's a loud and disturbing noise that led me to check with the pedi. His best guess is that it's gas or she's learning to clear her throat. Either way, after a check he said there's no obvious physical reason for it.
* Reese brought home a cold from school and Paige has it. If this is any indication of what's to come, her immune system is really going to get a work out being a little sister.
* While Reese practically lived in the Baby Bjorn her first few months, Paige is too small to fit in it. She may reach the 8lbs min weight limit soon, but even at that, I'm worried her hips won't be wide enough to fit through the leg openings for a while longer. In the meantime, a friend loaned me a Moby Wrap to use. I'll admit that I was a little skeptical since it takes some practice wrapping, but I'm totally sold now. Paige loves it and I can use it to carry her around when I take Reese out in the neighborhood. I think we'll eventually switch back to the Bjorn, but for now it's a great stand in.
* Due to her weight gain the doctor has given us the go ahead to let Paige sleep up to 5 hours at a stretch at night (if she can). So far she hasn't made it much past 3 consecutive hours of sleep, but who knows--at least for now we don't have to wake her up as often. For now, she's sleeping in her swing in our room.
* Paige is in desperate need of a pacifier and I'm on the hunt for one. She loves to suck to soothe herself and for now is using me as her pacifier before each nap. Sometimes it works out, but she often gets upset when she gets a mouth full of milk instead of just something to calm herself. I tried a smaller version of the kind Reese used as an infant (Playtex Binkys), but we haven't had any luck.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Aunt Kim's Photo Collage
A photo collage of Halloween night, complete with commentary, from Aunt Kim:
Halloween
Last weekend was a busy one at the Bailey house! On Saturday we attended a wedding/house warming party for our friends Thomas and Charissa who were celebrating their Friday nuptials at home with a game watching party and nacho bar. This was our first visit to their new house and we enjoyed getting the official tour. Reese was in love with Charissa and hardly left her alone. She spent most of the party climbing on Charissa or following her around the house. Paige slept through most of the activities and was admired in her "party" dress.
Sunday was Halloween and we began our celebrations by participating in a Halloween/Birthday/Costume party at Caroline and Steven's house (Caroline's birthday is on Halloween!). Reese enjoyed her first-ever lollipop and even convinced Reed to get into his Halloween costume--a feat his mom and dad had been struggling with.
After dinner, we headed home and got ready for trick-or-treating. Reese was accompanied by Daddy, Aunt Kim, and Uncle Ehren as she made her way up and down our street collecting goodies. When we asked her "Reese, what do you say after you knock on people's doors?" she quickly replied, "Thank you for the candy." Good manners, but not what we were going for. Mommy stayed home with Paige and passed out candy. We didn't have many trick-or-treaters this year, and once Reese was home and getting ready for bed, we decided to turn off our light early. (Leaving us with WAY too much candy at home for Mommy to snack on this week.)
Each day this week I've let Reese pick one of her Halloween candies as part of her afternoon snack--she has decided that lollipops are the best.
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