I love this little boy. The first few weeks have definitely had some challenges, but don't get me wrong, I LOVE my new job. I love how he likes to cuddle after he's got a full belly, and the new happy sounds he's starting to make. I love his little feet and hands and I can't help but laugh every time he gets spastic right before he eats. I love how he props his head up on his fist and looks like he's just kicked back enjoying life while he nurses. I love how he sleeps with his mouth wide open and how cute he looks in his pj's. I can't believe 4 weeks have already gone by.
I'm already starting to think about how hard it's going to be to go back to work 4 weeks from now. Thankfully, it's only 2 days a week, and it's temporary, but it's going to be harder than I thought. Sometimes it feels like no one else knows what he needs like I do, but I know he'll be in good hands with his daddy one day and his grandma the other. I'll definitely miss him though!! But we have 4 more weeks to enjoy before I have to deal with that anyway!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
For the First Time
It's been a week of "firsts" for us.
Josiah went to church today.
He did great... drifted off during worship and slept right through Pastor Scott's sermon! Everyone was excited to meet him and Pastor Chris even introduced him during announcements.
Josiah went to Grandma & Grandpa Wheatley's house for the first time. Justine and Grandma watched him while he napped so Mommy & Daddy could nap too! There is no shortage of willing arms to hold him there!
Josiah got his first bottle. 
We had planned to introduce it soon, since I'll be going back to work 2 days a week when he's 8 weeks old. But Wednesday, it actually happened in an "emergency." I'll spare you some of the details, but let's just say my digestive tract has not been flowing well since surgery. I'd heard this was common, but was not prepared for just how bad it could get. Well nature finally called, and it was the most difficult, excruciatingly painful, slow thing I have EVER experienced. While I was stuck (literally) in the bathroom, it was well past Josiah's dinner-time! I contemplated attepting to feed him on the toilet, but was in too much pain. I tried holding it and managed to feed him on one side long enough for Mike to get home and then I just couldn't take it. So we thawed some of the milk I had pumped and frozen, put it in a bottle for Mike to feed him, and after just a couple of attempts, Josiah gulped it down! We've given him one more since then and he has no trouble switching back to the breast. This boy just loves to eat! Meanwhile, Iam still having major issues and all the foods I need to eat for my sake are exactly what I've been told to avoid for Josiah's gas/reflux! Nothing has happened since that horrible experience Wednesday, and though I've taken Miralax and stool softeners religiously,I'm getting really nervous!
We had planned to introduce it soon, since I'll be going back to work 2 days a week when he's 8 weeks old. But Wednesday, it actually happened in an "emergency." I'll spare you some of the details, but let's just say my digestive tract has not been flowing well since surgery. I'd heard this was common, but was not prepared for just how bad it could get. Well nature finally called, and it was the most difficult, excruciatingly painful, slow thing I have EVER experienced. While I was stuck (literally) in the bathroom, it was well past Josiah's dinner-time! I contemplated attepting to feed him on the toilet, but was in too much pain. I tried holding it and managed to feed him on one side long enough for Mike to get home and then I just couldn't take it. So we thawed some of the milk I had pumped and frozen, put it in a bottle for Mike to feed him, and after just a couple of attempts, Josiah gulped it down! We've given him one more since then and he has no trouble switching back to the breast. This boy just loves to eat! Meanwhile, Iam still having major issues and all the foods I need to eat for my sake are exactly what I've been told to avoid for Josiah's gas/reflux! Nothing has happened since that horrible experience Wednesday, and though I've taken Miralax and stool softeners religiously,I'm getting really nervous!Josiah went to church today.
He did great... drifted off during worship and slept right through Pastor Scott's sermon! Everyone was excited to meet him and Pastor Chris even introduced him during announcements. Josiah went to Grandma & Grandpa Wheatley's house for the first time. Justine and Grandma watched him while he napped so Mommy & Daddy could nap too! There is no shortage of willing arms to hold him there!
Mommy fit into non-maternity clothes for the first time this weekend.
Now I just can't wait until I can say that Josiah slept through the night for the first time! Hopefully one day soon!
Now I just can't wait until I can say that Josiah slept through the night for the first time! Hopefully one day soon!
Friday, August 14, 2009
So Far So Good!
Here's a picture of his poor belly yesterday. But, Josiah has had a GREAT 24 hours! He slept well last night and all day today! He's basically been eating, a few periods of awake time and then slept... several 2 1/2 hour naps today! He still seems gassy after he eats, but I've been trying to really keep him upright for a while after he eats and we've started him on the Zantac and cut out the Nystatin, and so far, so good! I definitely didn't expect today to be a good day, so it's been an awesome surprise! 
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Poor Baby
We appreciate your prayers for Josiah (and for Mommy & Daddy too). In the past week, we have noticed that he's gotten so much fussier and seems to be in a lot of discomfort and pain for several hours of the day. He'd typically been quite content after eating, happy to just stare around and then goes to sleep well.... but not in the past few days. He's been so uncomfortable and his belly has been super bloated. Well, I called the pediatrician, and we went in today. When she saw his belly, she was quite concerned at how tight and distended that it was so she had us go down immediately for x-rays of his abdomen. That was quite traumatic for Josiah (and for me, as I had to stretch out his arms and legs and hold him down while they strapped him down and did the x-rays... and then had to redo them because one didn't turn out) The great news is that there was nothing abnormal on the x-rays.... except that he has a ton of air/gas in his digestive tract. So we are treating him for acid reflux and for gas.... with medicine and by me being on a very strict/bland diet for a while. His crying has definitely been for a reason. Poor boy is soooo uncomfortable. It's really sad. The medicine will probably take a few days to kick in, and we have some other options to try to help in the meantime... but I think we're in for a rough few days at least. The worst part is seeing your baby in pain and not being able to do much for him. It was a hard day to say the least. But he's had some good spells tonight... it just seems to come and go. The doctor did tell us to stop the thrush medicine immediately because it can cause gassiness in babies and his mouth looks fine now... so maybe that's been a big part of the problem. Please just pray that he'll feel better soon and that we'll get through this tough time.
In fun news, he now weighs 9 lbs 13 oz! He gained 15 oz in just 8 days! All this nursing is definitely not in vain. He's getting plenty of nourisment!!
In fun news, he now weighs 9 lbs 13 oz! He gained 15 oz in just 8 days! All this nursing is definitely not in vain. He's getting plenty of nourisment!!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Guessing Game
Some moms make it look so natural and easy... I guess I'm not one of those! Whenever Josiah cuddles or makes cute faces in his sleep or sweet sounds when he's eating, I know it's worth it, but this is definitely hard work! And everyday is a new day... just when I think I'm figuring him out, the next day is totally different. The last 24 hours, he seems to be on a milk-binge! He wants to nurse constantly... I've heard that babies hit a growth spurt around 3 weeks, so hopefully that's it and it'll go back to "normal" soon. Even so, it's going pretty well. Hopefully this thrush will be gone soon, thankfully it's starting to improve a little bit.
He has been doing really well during the middle of the night. He doesn't sleep for long stretches, but he does go right to sleep after each feeding and that's a blessing. During the day... not so much. I'm pretty sure he's suffering from some bad gassiness, because about 30-45 minutes after eating, he gets really fussy and seems to be in pain. So this means he's not getting much sleep during the day (and Mommy isn't either) but we'll get through it. When it hits, nothing seems to console him well other than nursing... but that's not always the answer either. He definitely prefers to be held and bounced or walked, but that only lasts for so long if he doesn't get into a deep sleep. The swing, baby-bjorn, sling, bouncy chair... he either wants nothing to do with them or they sometimes soothe him temporarily.... very temporarily. The carseat works well if we go for a drive or a walk in the stroller, but even that doesn't help for long if he's having bad gas pains. Poor boy.
His crying spells definitely don't last long, but just when he's almost asleep, it'll hit him again and we have to start the soothing process all over again. And then other days, he's just fine and hardly cries at all. So I don't know. It's really not so bad, it's just unpredictable enough that I'm not real comfortable going out anywhere. He has been sleeping for almost 2 hours right now though... so that's great! :) Meanwhile, Shelby is enjoying having my lap all to herself.
He has been doing really well during the middle of the night. He doesn't sleep for long stretches, but he does go right to sleep after each feeding and that's a blessing. During the day... not so much. I'm pretty sure he's suffering from some bad gassiness, because about 30-45 minutes after eating, he gets really fussy and seems to be in pain. So this means he's not getting much sleep during the day (and Mommy isn't either) but we'll get through it. When it hits, nothing seems to console him well other than nursing... but that's not always the answer either. He definitely prefers to be held and bounced or walked, but that only lasts for so long if he doesn't get into a deep sleep. The swing, baby-bjorn, sling, bouncy chair... he either wants nothing to do with them or they sometimes soothe him temporarily.... very temporarily. The carseat works well if we go for a drive or a walk in the stroller, but even that doesn't help for long if he's having bad gas pains. Poor boy.
His crying spells definitely don't last long, but just when he's almost asleep, it'll hit him again and we have to start the soothing process all over again. And then other days, he's just fine and hardly cries at all. So I don't know. It's really not so bad, it's just unpredictable enough that I'm not real comfortable going out anywhere. He has been sleeping for almost 2 hours right now though... so that's great! :) Meanwhile, Shelby is enjoying having my lap all to herself.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
3 Weeks
Well, I know I haven't updated this in a whole week, but I have a few good excuses! Besides the fact that I am 3 weeks into parenthood and it's extremely busy and demanding, my computer also got a nasty virus, and I haven't had time to get it fixed yet. So tonight I'm using Mike's computer while Josiah is sleeping. I have about 20 minutes before he's ready to dine again at Mama's Milk Cafe, so I thought I'd write an update.
Josiah is doing great. He is gaining weight well (he was 8 lbs 14 oz on Wednesday)... gaining about 1.5 oz per day! He's been so good this weekend... sleeping well and being very content when he's awake, and of course, eating lots. Each day we learn more about his needs and the cues that he's getting sleepy, and we've been able to soothe him and keep him relaxed until he falls asleep. Swaddling is key! If we catch him before he's overtired, we can even lay him down in his bed while he's still awake and he'll fall asleep on his own. He's pretty funny when it comes to eating. He's so spastic! He shakes his head like crazy and pushes away with his arms and head, so I have to practially force him still to latch on, but once he's on, he's quite the vigorous eater! And he's no gentleman when it comes to making digestive sounds. He's all boy: noisy, and not shy about passing gas! :)
Mommy is having a bit of a rough time. Breastfeeding is much harder than I ever imagined. We've had several bumps in the road that have made it a quite painful experience for me, so we're trying hard to get past them in hopes that the pain will decrease and I can continue breastfeeding him. We have thrush (it's very minor in Josiah, but I have a lot of pain) and it's the kind of thing that we have to completely wipe out so we don't pass it back and forth to each other. The newest pain this weekend is a milk blister (plugged milk duct) which causes extreme pain when feeding and even between feedings. The blister was likely caused by the thrush, so I'll be calling my doctor in the morning to see if there's additional treatment I can get besides the Nystatin the pediatrician prescribed so we can get this cleared up. I'm thankful Josiah is still getting plenty of nourishment, but we have to get this pain under control for my sake. We're still using the nipple shield because of his high-arched palate, and at this point, that's the least of my worries. I'm open for tips... so far I've heard to use ice chips, vinegar soak, saline soak, black tea bags, lansinoh cream and heat compresses. Fun times. I'm thinking maybe I need to go back to taking the Percoset that was prescribed to recover from the c-section! Ha! Anyway, we may just have to start introducing a bottle with breastmilk soon so I can at least get a break for one or two feedings a day.
Well... the little man is waking up and sounds hungry, so I guess this is it for now....
:) Melissa
Josiah is doing great. He is gaining weight well (he was 8 lbs 14 oz on Wednesday)... gaining about 1.5 oz per day! He's been so good this weekend... sleeping well and being very content when he's awake, and of course, eating lots. Each day we learn more about his needs and the cues that he's getting sleepy, and we've been able to soothe him and keep him relaxed until he falls asleep. Swaddling is key! If we catch him before he's overtired, we can even lay him down in his bed while he's still awake and he'll fall asleep on his own. He's pretty funny when it comes to eating. He's so spastic! He shakes his head like crazy and pushes away with his arms and head, so I have to practially force him still to latch on, but once he's on, he's quite the vigorous eater! And he's no gentleman when it comes to making digestive sounds. He's all boy: noisy, and not shy about passing gas! :)
Mommy is having a bit of a rough time. Breastfeeding is much harder than I ever imagined. We've had several bumps in the road that have made it a quite painful experience for me, so we're trying hard to get past them in hopes that the pain will decrease and I can continue breastfeeding him. We have thrush (it's very minor in Josiah, but I have a lot of pain) and it's the kind of thing that we have to completely wipe out so we don't pass it back and forth to each other. The newest pain this weekend is a milk blister (plugged milk duct) which causes extreme pain when feeding and even between feedings. The blister was likely caused by the thrush, so I'll be calling my doctor in the morning to see if there's additional treatment I can get besides the Nystatin the pediatrician prescribed so we can get this cleared up. I'm thankful Josiah is still getting plenty of nourishment, but we have to get this pain under control for my sake. We're still using the nipple shield because of his high-arched palate, and at this point, that's the least of my worries. I'm open for tips... so far I've heard to use ice chips, vinegar soak, saline soak, black tea bags, lansinoh cream and heat compresses. Fun times. I'm thinking maybe I need to go back to taking the Percoset that was prescribed to recover from the c-section! Ha! Anyway, we may just have to start introducing a bottle with breastmilk soon so I can at least get a break for one or two feedings a day.
Well... the little man is waking up and sounds hungry, so I guess this is it for now....
:) Melissa
Monday, August 3, 2009
Fun at 2 Weeks
Josiah is 2 Weeks Old today! Yesterday he got some good Grandparent time in... and you know they enjoyed it! We bought him this little bouncer chair last night... and it's sooo worth it! I've had him in it twice today when he's awake and alert and he's pretty content to just sit there and watch the world around him! Today is my first day at home all by myself and so far it's going pretty well... it's busy, my hands are constantly full, and the hours seem to be going slow, but we're surviving! I'll be glad when Mike gets home in an hour though! Well, Josiah is almost asleep, so I better go...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
