Monday, March 31, 2008
The weekend and the busy week ahead! Current mood: breezy
It is amazing to me how fast the days go by now. I remember being pregnant and thinking that 40 weeks seemed like such a long time and that it was going to go soooo slow. My my, how my outlook has changed. There are not enough hours in the day to get the things I need to get done, done. However, I am re-prioritizing what I need and want to get done in a day and cutting back on my internet time. It is so easy for me to sit here for a few hours a night or day and lose total track of time. I can’t do that anymore though, I have things to do!
Macy Jane has had a rough few days. Poor thing has been puking, lots. I just don’t understand it!! I know that she is refluxing, I hear her swallowing 1000 times while she is being fed. However, I often wonder if something else is going on as well like some type of allergy or difficulty digesting the formula. I have been trying to think back. She has always had some type of milk product, except when she was on TPN. She wretched while on the TPN, but she had also had the Nissen done, and that is a side effect of the Nissen. She always does great when she has pedialyte going in, she has never puked that up. Formula however, yes. You would think that at 10 months old I wouldn’t even be thinking about this, or have to rather. Anyways, I know that pedialyte is like water with some electrolytes and very easy to digest. But, if a child refluxes, wouldn’t she reflux that as well? She started out on 100% breastmilk for the first approximate 2 months, then they had to fortify it, then she had stomach surgery and my supply ran out in August and she has been on straight formula since. Started with Enfamil, then switched to GoodStart, then Elecare for a couple of days, then back to GoodStart. She is very restless when she is being fed, tosses and turns until it is over. When she was younger she had blood in her stools for a little bit and noone ever knew why, she had severely dry skin on her face, arms, and legs and she was SO gassy. To the point that she got Mylicon drops around the clock for the first 9 months of her life. Perhaps she has an allergy to milk? I don’t have a clue. I mentioned changing her formula to her pediatrician in December and he said that changing it wouldn’t help reflux because reflux is a mechanical problem...yadda yadda yadda. DUH. However, what I was getting at is that maybe she has an allergy of some type as well. Noone seemed interested in my concerns out of the 5 doctors that she sees. So, after knowing that she went almost 2 weeks without puking when she had her cold and knowing that she CAN go that long without throwing up, I am on a mission to help her, if I can. After much thought, I trotted my happy butt to Wal-Mart today and picked up some GoodStart SOY based formula. I will give this a couple of weeks and see how she does. If that doesn’t seem to help, I may order some Neocate, which is the most hypoallergenic formula...and the most expensive and difficult to find (you have to order it through a pharmacy or the manufacturer) or try Nutramigin. I know that you are supposed to change formula with your doctor’s advice, but what do you do when the doctor’s don’t listen and your gut is telling you to try other things, even if it is to just give me some peace of mind that I have done everything I possibly can. I would never do anything to harm MJ and would just be thrilled if this was the answer to our problems.
Speaking of MJ, she is quite the little chubby checker these days. I have probably commented like that previously, but I have the memory of a 90 year old with alzheimers. At the pediatric surgeon on Tuesday, she weighed in at 19 pounds, right on target for tripling her birthweight by one year!! Only 2 more pounds and she will be there....haha she should have that on in a month at the rate she gains, but her pediatrician is decreasing her calories each visit that we see him and she will drop down to 22cal/oz at the visit on the 11th....he hopes by her birthday to have her down to standard formula (20cal/oz) WOW that would be nice.....we go through so many cans of formula every week and that gets expensive. She’s worth it though!
Today I took her to wal-mart by myself for the first time. She overflowed her diaper for the 4th day in a row and messed up her clothing AGAIN, so I decided that she simply must go up a size in her diapers. Size 3 here we come! I have been putting it off because I have a whole box of size 2 pampers, but decided that I would give them to my cousin and his wife who are going to have a baby this summer. Hopefully we won’t have any more accidents Anyways, I put her shopping cart cover in the seat and sat her up just like a big girl. She acted like one too....trying to grab my pen and shopping list, trying to grab the crinkly bags as I put them in the cart. It was fun. Lots of people stopped to comment on the one red streak that is still left in her hair on top. The rest is a pretty blonde. Others said she was a biiiiiiigggggg content baby. She eventually got tired of the cart and laid her head down on the pillow that is attached to the cover. She was very cute
Thursday is the BIG day. We have to be at LeBonheur at 6am. Sheesh the buttcrack of dawn. Her heart cath is scheduled for 8am, unless there is an emergency with another baby. We have been told it could take up to 2 hours depending on what they see etc. I am SO nervous about this one. This one will kind of give us a big picture as to how to map out the future for MJ and her future heart caths and surgeries. PLEASE pray that we get an excellent report or even a half way decent one. I just don’t know if I could handle bad news. However, she has done so remarkably well since her 2nd surgery that I can’t imagine that there could be too much going wrong inside of that little body. She pretty much breathes normally and has great coloring and no shortness of breath. Before when there were problems, she let us know! Also, please pray for mine and everyone else’s nerves in my family!!!! God is in control and I just have to keep telling myself that every day multiple times a day.
My brother is coming in to town on Tuesday and my sister is flying in on Wednesday to be with us for the procedure. I have such an amazing set of siblings (and parents), they have always been there for me and I can only hope to return the favor if the time ever comes. MJ just has a way of pricking everyone’s heart and wrapping them around her finger. She must get that from her mommy, just kidding. I do hope and pray that MJ is released to go home late Thursday afternoon. I dread the thought of staying another night at LeBonheur, but will do it if I have to. Hopefully it will only be for one night also.....grrrrrr. I get a sick feeling every time I think about that place. They saved MJs life and I am forever grateful, ya just gotta understand that I HATE hospital’s right now.
Hmmm.....what else what else. I had the striking thought today that eventually I wouldn’t mind going back to school to get my Nurse Practitioner degree (masters...whatever you want to call it) I already have my BSN so it wouldn’t take THAT long to do it. Hmmm...will have to think about that one though. It’s not like I don’t have enough on my plate. How wierd would it be if I ended up working with heart babies later on in the future? I could definately sympathize with the parents and give them some advice. Ah....who knows.
Ah yes, weight watchers. That is going really really well. I have lost almost 33 pounds in 11 weeks and I feel so much better. I was looking at a picture from Christmas and compared it with one taken at Easter and I could actually tell a difference. I am my toughest critic, so for me to notice I must be different. HAHA I still have right at 100 pounds to lose, but I will get there....one day at a time....and one 100calorie snack at a time My jeans are too big, way to big, but the next size down is still too snug for my comfort. I need to go shopping and try on other brands in that size because the jeans I have are starting to look pretty darn bad. My dad always jokes me that it looks like a tribe of gypsies moved out of the seat of my pants I can’t help it that I was cursed with a flat butt. Thanks dad, since I get it from him anyways.
Well, I think that is all of my ramblings for now. I need to get in bed so I can beat MJ waking up in the morning. I love it when that happens so that I have time to shower and eat breakfast before she gets up. Most of the time I wake up to her throwing toys at me, "talking", or screaming. AHHHH motherhood. I wouldn’t trade it for the most high paying job in the world.
Much Love,
Bethany
p.s. Please pray for a girl I work with.....or used to. One of my friends called and told me that this girl’s water broke at 27 weeks and they are going to have to take the baby on Tuesday, I believe. They were able to wait one week, but still the odds are agaist the little girl. God can work miracles so please just pray for them. Her name is Karen, btw. Thanks!