The Spit Up-Date - Part 2

We are amost two weeks post Upper GI test.  The test results were 'normal.'  It didn't even show that he has reflux - which I could have told them that he wouldn't spit up if they fed him while he was lying down.  Of course, 'normal' is good - but it doesn't explain why he is such a horrid spitter. 

Currently, we are holding off on a visit to the pediatric GI.  Dr. Jimmy was trying to get us into see one because on one occasion Cole spit up his Prevacid 9 hours after he took it - which is very concerning to us.  But, since the Upper GI test, Cole has been doing much, much better.  Here is just a list of things we've changed in an effort to plug up our leaky faucet:

• We are using bottles:  Since Cole is a breast-fed baby, he has never taken a bottle - until recently.  So, now for every feeding with the exception of bed-time and night-time feedings, we are using bottles.  This has been wonderful!  You read about the convenience of breast feeding (no warming or washing of bottles), but breast feeding is really only convenient at night (in my opinion).  Bottles have been able to free me!  I don't feel so trapped anymore!    ...as a side note, can I just say how wonderful the Avent bottles are?!  We love these bottles!
• We are supplementing breast milk with soy formula:  Cole was hungry.  I couldn't supply the demand.  So, we supplement with soy formula.  I hate spending the money on formula, but at least he is adjusting well to the soy formula.  The next step will be the $26 can of alementum formula, which will last no time....  I so hope that we do not have to budget for this expense!
• We are adding rice cereal to each bottle:  Cole gets 1 tablespoon of rice cereal for every 2 oz of milk.  This seems to have made the biggest difference. 
• I am on a no dairy diet:  NO DAIRY!  Did you hear me?!  No ice cream, no cheese, no sour cream, no cottage cheese, no milk, no cream cheese, no butter (gasp!).  Do you realize that all of my favorite convenience foods and snacks contain dairy?!  There will be no brownies, cakes, cookies, no chocolate, no quick stops through the McDonald's drive thru for a $0.69 cone, no fried chicken (cause they prolly dipped it in milk), no cheese burgers, no popcorn, no Cheez-its.  This makes me very sad.  VERY, VERY SAD - and hungry!  The only thing I've found to snack on are strawberry Pop Tarts and I'm coming close to reaching my limit on those.
• We've backed off on giving him solids:  We were shoving jars of baby food down his throat like they were about to expire, but we've realized that he spits up his solids on days that he was able to keep the majority of his bottles down.  I feel bad that he's not getting tastier meals than bland, thickened bottles, but he's been doing so well, that I don't want to feed him things that I fear will make him barf ( as little Zack puts it).  I think tonight, however, we may start to try to ease back into the solids.

We are very hopeful that this spitting problem is only temporary, but I still wonder if we shouldn't just go ahead and see the pediatric GI....  The only thing holding me back is that he will have to be scoped - and I don't want him to have to go through that if it isn't needed - I think he will have to have anesthesia for that.....

On a happier note, Cole is sitting up very, very well.  I can put him down and leave the room and not worry about him falling over on his head.  He is very content to play by himself for a little while as I try to clean up here and there (ie, wash bottles and clothes!).  He is starting to try to crawl!  ...I am so not ready for him to be crawling....  And, we have a tooth!  We can't get a good picture of it, but I'll post one as soon as I get one!

It has been a lazy Sunday afternoon.  Both of the boys are asleep - which is not good because it is so late.  Jeremy is asleep on the couch.  Cole knocked out on a blanket in the living room floor.  One minute he was playing and the next he was asleep!  I wish bed time was that easy!  ...why don't I ever take time for a nap?  ...because there is always something for me to do - I've got dirty bottles and clothes in the dryer calling my name right now.  ...ear plugs.  I think I need some ear plugs!

I am thankful for empty clothes baskets.  Thank you, Jeremy, for helping to keep our clothes baskets emptied.

 

I am thankful for trips to the park with my boys.

I am thankful for these Avent bottles.

I am thankful for amazon.com.  I cannot tell you how much money we've saved by buying diapers through the subscribe and save program.  Not only are the huggies we buy a deal, but they are delivered for free right to my door step.  Finding a box of diapers on my door step is the high light of my day!

The Spit Up-date

Yesterday I said that Cole's spitting up was some better and for the most part that seems to be an accurate statement.  However, yesterday after I posted, his spitting up was the worst we'd seen it.  He wasn't able to keep his medicine, milk, or solids down - most days are somewhat similar, but yesterday was awful.  Last night was also rough; I was finally able to go to bed at 12:30 am - this was after we started the bed time routine at 7:00. 

I spend my days wiping up puddles.

After discussions with the nurse again, we've scheduled an upper GI test for tomorrow morning.  Please keep us in your prayers - I hope to not find that there is a problem, but if there is a problem I'd like to be able to find it so we can more effectively treat it.  Updates will come.

Lucky Number Seven

Thursday evening, I did not cook dinner.  Jeremy said he was going to take me out to the Blue Ribbon Cafe so I could try their shrimp and grits.  I was excited.  So, here's my review: Shrimp and Grits - creamy, luscious, fluffy, melts in your mouth;  Seafood Bake - cheesy, creamy, makes you feel good.  The cheese sauce in my Seafood Bake would make a fantastic mac and cheese.  I give the Blue Ribbon Cafe two thumbs up!

12 weeks

13 weeks

Saturday evening, we ate at Wimpies Home Cooking (I think that is their name...).  It was just ok.  Maybe the hamburger steak isn't their specialty.  Or maybe the Powlas family spoiled us on their <awesome> hamburger steak and gravy.  We've decided that we'll give Wimpies one more chance, but probably not any time soon.

14 weeks

 

15 weeks old



16 weeks old

On our way to the Blue Ribbon Cafe on Thursday I spotted this big, wooden, castle type thing way off on the right.  It was raining on our way home so we didn't investigate.  On Saturday, I noticed that it was across the street from Wimpies.  After we ate, we investigated and found that the big castle thing is a fantastic park!  There were swings, slides, sand, monkey bars, tires to crawl through, bridges to cross, rope ladders to climb, and tons of places to crawl into and hide!  I see many trips to Scramble Alley (that's its name) in our future! 

17 weeks old - notice the empty house....
Moving day was the same day as Cole's 4 month check up.

18 weeks old

19 weeks old

We put Cole in the baby swing and gently pushed him.  It was his first time and he wasn't really all that excited about it - he was actually quite frightened but he calmed down and really came to enjoy it! 

20 weeks old

21 weeks old

22 weeks old

So, we've been in Soddy Daisy for three months now and it seems like home.  The small town feel is comforting and familiar.  We can't go anywhere without someone stopping us to chat or coo at Cole.  I've wondered if they are sincerely stopping us to chat or if they are scoping us out because they've never seen us before!  (I know how these small towns operate!)
  

23 weeks old - Easter Sunday. 
Cole's face is broken out because I fed him green beans.  We stayed at home and there was no Easter Egg Hunt. 
This was the week of sickness - on this day, Jeremy was in the bed and he spent the next few days in the hospital.

 

24 weeks old
We took time to take his belated Easter pictures since we'd had a rough week before!



25 weeks old

  Since we've been here, we've been hit with sickness.  Cole has had the stomach virus twice, and Jeremy and I have had it once ourselves.  Jeremy had to spend a few days in the hospital after he had it - that virus was some nasty stuff and it affected Jeremy and me differently than it affected Cole.  We've been healthy for about 6 weeks now and I hope this streak continues! 


6 months old - professional Olan Mills pic

 

26 weeks old



27 weeks old

Well, I guess healthy is a relative term - Cole's spitting up has been awful and he's been constipated.  After a discussion with a nurse at Dr. Jimmy's office last week, Dr. Jimmy changed Cole's medicine.  We've also been supplementing Cole's feedings with at least one bottle of formula a day.  We realized that Cole was not getting enough to eat - that is why he has been screaming and not able to poop; he needed more liquids in his diet.  So with more food and new meds, he has been much happier (and so have we)!  He is still spitting up, but for the most part we are not soaking everything in sight anymore.  I actually feel like I might be able to take him places or to others' homes and not worry about him ruining something by spewing all over it.  This is a first.  And it only took 7 months to get there.

28 weeks old



29 weeks - Eating a frozen banana

Yes, that's right.  He's 7 months old!  He is sitting up, rolling all over the place, eating solids, jumping in his Johnny Jump Up, hiking his rump in the air in prep for crawling, and "rollin' 'em up"!  He loves to eat bananas, any way you give them to him!  From a jar or frozen!  He loves to take a stroll in his stroller whether we are just walking the cul-de-sac outside or at the mall.  He finds it fun to roll off of his blanket onto the hardwood floor (and then he spits up and smears it all over mom's clean floor)!  {side story: Yesterday he was in his Johnny Jump Up while I was mopping the kitchen.  I always put a rug under the J.J.Up so he doesn't hurt his feet on the hard floor - the J.J.Up is in the door way where the hardwood and the tile meet, so I had to move the rug to mop.  Well, he spit up in the floor and then smeared his feet all in it!  He looked like he was ice skating!  But oh, how happy he was to be sliding all over!)  ok, end of side story!}  He likes to play pat-a-cake and you'll often find him doing "roll 'em up" when he's playing by himself or when he's supposed to be sleeping.  He loves to take a bath and has been sleeping through most nights (in his own bed)!


30 weeks old - at the park

He is still a big boy.  At his 6 month check up he weighed 18 lbs 9 oz and was 26.25 inches long.  He is still wearing his 6-9 month clothes, so I think his weight gain has slowed down just a bit but he is definitely getting taller by the week.  He is now able to sit in his walker and get some toes on the floor!  It won't be long and I'm going to be chasing him all over this house!

7 months old