Quiet Sunday

Once again John was great at church.  Matt and I are still grappling with attending the 730a mass.  But I imagine it's a matter of forming a habit.  (Do you ever get used to getting up for mass that early?)

John playing with his hand.

John received a visit from Aunt AA, Uncle Gary and Uncle Kerby.  He showed off during the visit laughing and smiling.  And to John's delight, Grandma Ellen arrived today.  He's been cuddling and getting love from his grandma all evening.

John conversing with Lion.

Some good news:  The dietary changes appear to finally be working!  We are hopeful that John will continue to get better and we won't have a repeat scare.

Busy, Busy Bees!

"Weekends are for working!"  Yes, I actually said it.  And, frankly, it doesn't freak me out as much anymore.  At least not as much as the first time I said it.  Growing up, dad would wake us up EARLY on saturday mornings with that saying.  I remember how surprised I was when I learned in college that most people (GASP!) slept in, some 'til noon, on saturdays.  And now, I actually look forward to all the things I can accomplish.  It's specially important now that John is here.  It's become considerably harder to get projects finished.

Right now, John is enjoying his morning nap.  He had a great night last night.  It has been an improvement from the last few nights.  And Blogger and my computer are cooperating; we have pictures!

John has continued to surprise me every day with new things he can do.  He is now doing the pushups regularly.  And yesterday, he did one with full extension of the arms!  I do have to admit that I am cheating.  John, unfortunately, discovered the TV a few days ago.  (Yes, I am my father's daughter.  His TV time will be limited.)  But we decided to us this new found love to our advantage.  We place his playmat so that he has to do pushups to see the TV.  It's getting us results.  And I am dealing with it because we only do it for a few minutes in the morning and the afternoon.

Below is a series of pictures.  I tried to upload as many as I could since my computer is being temperamental.

John at our favorite sushi restaurant. 

At first, we couldn't figure out where he was looking.  

He found the Mavs on TV.

John meeting MeMe 'Licia.

We are so blessed with how many people love our little one.

I am convinced this is showing the true nature

of our four-legged babies.

John entertained with his hand.

I just love this picture.  

Doesn't he look good in burnt orange?

My burnt-orange boys!

Daddy and John were playing peek-a-boo.

Have to go now.  John is awake and NOT happy.

TGIF!

I have learned that even stay-at-home moms are thrilled about the upcoming weekend; we get to spend more time with Matt.

John is currently doing tummy time right next to me.  But he is trying to sneak a nap so I have to entertain him while I try to type.

Yesterday we had our first baptism preparation class.  It was not bad.  There were other classes also taking place in the same wing.  I loved seeing some of my teachers from other classes I was taking before John was born.  And John was a model little baby boy (DUH!) during the class.  He did not misbehave at all. 

Will have to continue entry later since John is falling asleep....

Cool Moves John!

John rolled over today from front to back during morning tummy time!  And during afternoon tummy time he did at least 3 push ups where his head was off the floor about 45 degrees!  I did not get a repeat occurrence.  And yes, he did it backwards since he is supposed to do pushups before he rolls over, but we are thrilled!  Both times he was one ticked off baby.  Anger appears to be a good incentive for him to move.  

Right now, he is enjoying some cuddle time with Aunt Pau while he waits for bath time.

John continues to have what we assume are digestive issues.  It does not appear that the change in diet has made a difference.  But John appears to be fine otherwise.  He wakes up every morning in a good mood.  He now likes to talk while he gets changed.  His smiles are so common now, yet they do not lose their magic.  He spends most of the day playing with his new favorite toy: his hand.  John will hold it up, move it around, and touch his nose and cheek with it.  It is only the right hand.  Surprisingly, he's still to discover the left one.  

Blessings!

What a long road we have travelled.... 

Today was John's 4 month birthday.  We are so blessed to be here now....  Even with the current diet problems, we are blessed with an adorable, healthy little boy.  And we will never be able to repay all of you for your support and prayers during these last four months.

Thank you!

Hurry Up and Wait

John still has occasional (and substantial) blood in his stool. His cultures and X-Rays from the hospital came back negative, so we are focusing on a possible allergic reaction to Ruth's diet. Ruth is now avoiding beef and dairy products.

John's date Tammie took this bath photo of him on Valentine's Day

Old Pics I needed to put up

First Picture of John Smiling!

Mixed Weekend

John had a terrific time on Saturday with his date, Tammie. He and his date accompanied Mom and Dad to dinner. Unfortunately John fell asleep at dinner. Tammie also saw him naked on their first date as she helped bathe him after dinner.

Sunday has been mixed for John - he enjoyed his breakfast with Aunt Pau but there is blood in his stool again and lots of gas and reflux giving him problems. Mom will check in with the pediatrician again tomorrow and we are trying to keep him comfortable in the meantime.

ED Visit (Update)

Rereading the entry, we wanted to clarify some things.  The hospital itself was quite clean considering it was the emergency department.  The people were courteous and friendly.  The waiting room was actually "cleaned" twice while we waited (2 hours).  But there is not much that can be done when a sniffling kid wipes her nose and then touches the chairs or little kids run around the room while coughing (not covering their mouths).  

In truth, the most frustrating part was watching the parents.  As an adult, you should have learned to cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.  It's not that hard to remember!  But maybe it was too much to ask considering we saw a couple not realize the toddler they brought to the ED was missing for 10 minutes before they looked for her!!!  She was playing with some other children a few rows behind them.  

ED Visit

We are up and semi-functional.  We had a little scare yesterday.  At 230p, John had some blood in his stool.  It was just a few streaks but not normal.  Two diaper changes later (at 8p) it had continued to increase.  The pediatrician's triage RN sent us to the  ED.  

We have spent the last two months taking measures to limit John's exposure to any possible illnesses and germs.   And then, we spent two long hours in the cesspool of biowarfare that is the ED waiting room of a children's hospital.  We adore children.  Yesterday, we did not see cute little faces and chubby cheeks.  We just saw pint-size blobs of germs and illness closing in on John.

Once we were in the back, they ran some tests to make sure it was blood.  Then did a culture and gave John an X-ray to rule out distended bowls or bowl obstruction.  It was blood, but the X-rays came back normal.  So we were discharged.  The ED doctor said that in most cases (they see many of them every week) they never find out the cause.  It resolves on its own. 

We headed back home in the wee hours of the morning.  John blissfully asleep in his car seat; he was no problem once he was allowed to eat again.

This morning John woke up in his usually cheerful mood.  He is currently playing with his newest toy: his right hand.  There was just a little bit of blood in his last diaper but noticeably decreased.  Now we just hope and pray that he did not catch anything worse because of this field trip.  

Sorry there haven't been any pictures lately.  My computer has decided it won't work with Blogger.  We'll try to get some up soon.

A Lesson in Texas Weather

We were just dressing John after his bath when the severe weather sirens went off last night.  We had been watching the storm move across the area so it was not a surprise.  Matt rounded up the puppies (Sandy knows the routine, but Bevo is new to it).  I got John with B oppy, bottle and blanket, and we all settled in the hallway closet.  Thankfully the storm was moving so fast that it was soon past us with nothing but lots of rain to show for it.  John did quite well for being a tad bit crowded.  But as long as he was getting his food, he was happy.  It's just something that he is going to have to live with as long as we are in Texas.  You get used to it.

We are not sure if it was because of the change in his routine but John was fussy from 230a - 6a.  We were so sleep-deprived that we almost missed our 4-month check up this morning.

John is doing great.  He now weighs 10 lbs and measures 21".  He is still way under the curve for height and weight by chronological age, but on track for his adjusted age.  More importantly (and surprising), developmentally he is closer to his chronological age.  However, he is still closer to a 7-week old when it comes to neck control and, of course, he is not rolling over yet.  The doctor is not concerned.  So, it's more tummy time for John.  

The doctor did encourage us to wean him off his night feeding by the time he reaches 12 lbs or in about a month.  It is a pretty arbitrary demarcation line in my opinion.  But since he is already sleeping 6 hours a night, it should not be a problem.  We hope.

John also got another round of vaccines.  I should be used to needles by now after a month of giving insulin shots to my father in law and two IVF cycles.  I still bothers me to see him get his shots.  And does anyone else think those needles are unnecessarily long for such little babies?  He spent the morning sleeping on Mom.  Mom needed it more than John.  Now he's sleeping in his bouncy after a long conversation with a ducky from his playmat.  He's becoming quite the talker now that he's found his voice.

Hey, I Have a Hand!

John has found his hand!  He was staring at it in between trying to eat it.  At some point he was even going cross-eyed.  But he clearly would look at it and move it and follow it.  It was awesome!  And the best thing is that Matt was here to see it happen.   

Mellow Tuesday

John is currently taking his mid-morning nap listening to Fleetwood Mac.  John also listens to some children's songs although probably not as many.  Grandma Ellen gave us some CDs with children's music in English.  This has been great since I did not grow up with English nursery songs or games.  (I don't even know all of Patti Cake.)  John also has a collection of Spanish CDs from Cri-Cri.  My parents and I grew up listening to these songs.  So far, he doesn't appear to have a preference.  We'll see what he prefers as he gets older. 

We are slowly doing more things with him outside the house.  Although, I still panic about sick people getting too close to him.  Thankfully, most people are pretty respectful and don't try to touch him.  We have come to love the car seats privacy screen.  I feel like he is a little more protected from all those germs flying around. 

John spent almost 20 minutes last night talking and laughing with the moon on his bouncer.  We are not sure what was so funny.  But the conversation was quite entertaining to watch.  He makes so many sounds now. 

John laughing at something the Moon must have said.

SHOW & TELL

We had to add a picture of Uncle Jeff and Jerry to the blog. 

(That's the '92 Superbowl ring.)

Does anyone else find it interesting that Jerry was out clubbing?

Hungry, Hungry Bubeaner

Sunday went by extremely fast.  John insisted on eating every 1 - 1.5 hours!  And he is not exactly a patient little person when it comes to food.  His screaming at one point actually hurt our ears.  How can someone so little create so much noise?

Thankfully, he still slept 5.5 hours last night.  We were concerned he was going to keep the feeding pattern up during the night.  This morning he appears to have gone back to his regular routine.  YAY!

John and I took a little trip to Denton today.  We picked Matt up from work and headed to the county court house to apply for his 1st passport.  It was also the first time going through a metal detector with John and his stroller.  It was interesting.  It highlighted how different our lives are now... and how much more fun it will be to go through airport security.

As to the actual passport picture process, I was not too worried.  John almost poses for his pictures at home.  He looks directly at the camera; he loves the camera.  See where this is going?  John cried during almost the entire process.  Finally we were able to get one semi-decent picture.  We were lucky to have a nice and patient lady helping us.  We can't imagine how much more difficult this would have been with a sourly person.

Random Story:

These are pictures from the day we went to see the surgeon.  On the way back we stopped at a restaurant to eat.  (We waited for the doctor for 2.5 hours after our appointment before seeing her and were starving.)  Thankfully, the restaurant was empty and we got our food right away.  Before we left John needed to be changed.  (Note to self: carry Clorox wipes.  I used almost all my hand sanitizer cleaning the changing table.)  In the end I ended up changing his outfits twice.  Once, I was not fast enough in putting the diaper on and the second time he threw up on himself.  John thought it was hilarious!  He was giggling.  John is teaching me that it's much more fun to just laugh when things are going wrong.  It was quite amusing. 

John after his last change.

(Don't worry I was a lot closer than the picture appears.)

A close up of the diapers and dirty clothes.

Now I know why I have that John emergency box in the car.  

(Lucia, that was a great idea!)

And That Makes Two (Catching Up III)

Once again John slept for 6 hours straight.  And this time, he had taken his afternoon naps.  We are thrilled with this new development.  

Somehow in the chaos of preparing for the surgery, we forgot to mention that John now laughs out loud! He did it for the first time on Monday, January 26th.  Yes, I know the exact date (after the 3 pm feeding).  It's obviously 1st-child syndrome.  He has done it a few more times since then, but still not as much as he smiles.  And John now graces us with beautiful smiles everyday.  He specially loves it when you kiss him on the neck.  Of course, not as much as he loves cuddling on his daddy's tummy.

He has found the puppies.  Or, more likely, he is actually paying attention to them.  And the puppies now also appear to realize that John is a human... a tiny one, but human none the less.  Two days ago Sandy, the cocker spaniel, started bringing John one of her favorite toys.  She places it on his lap while he is on his bouncer and stares at John.  I tried explaining that John can't throw yet.  The concept appears to be lost on her as she continues to do it.  

As to Bevo, the beagle, he is bound and determined to make sure John sticks to his feeding routine specially during the night.  Bevo will get up and shake his head making his tags jingle trying to wake us and John up.  This morning, Bevo tried waking up John multiple times because he wasn't up for the 430 am feeding.  Try explaining to a beagle that John's schedule is off because he ate at 3 am instead.

Today we have a busy day: Costo, "Home Depot, maybe Beth Bath and Beyond.  We just don't know if we'll have time. We just don't know."  

RANDOM PICTURES:

Yes, almost every aspect of John's life is recorded.

Tammie holding John.  

She kept mom from going nuts in the waiting room.

The inpatient unit was quite nice and 

John's room was large.

Catching Up! (Part II)

We are back.  Oh, and what a wonderful night we had last night!  

John did not take his longer naps yesterday during the day.  He only slept about 15 minutes from 3p - 9p while I updated the blog.  And then he had his first full bath since the surgery last night.  John really enjoyed soaking in the water.  I wanted to make sure that all the grime and stink from the previous week came off.  Don't get me wrong we had been giving him sponge baths but somehow it did not feel like he was truly clean.  

In any case, John slept for almost 6 hours straight!  We are not sure how long he would have gone because we woke him up to eat.  At that point Matt and I were waking up every 10-15 minutes to make sure he was OK (i.e. still breathing).  So, it just seemed like the best option.  Oh, how Matt and I have missed the nighttime bath routine.  Since the surgery (and no baths), John was only sleeping 3 hours between feedings at night.

Right now, he is taking his midmorning nap listening to Sinatra.  He loves music.  We haven't found any genre he dislikes.  I did make a funny musical discovery the other day.  John will calm down even if he is crying if you sing Cielito Lindo.  I sang it one day because his crying reminded me of the "ay, ay, ay, ay" and then the "canta y no llores" seemed appropriate.  It works like a charm every time.  He had not heard it before, not even in utero.  In fact, I had to look up the remainder of the lyrics because I couldn't remember them.  But it's a good thing to know.

Hysterical crying in his "Hamburglar" outfit.

Maybe that was why he was crying.

John was done with play time.

John napping

John break.  The baby is awake.

Catching Up! (Part I)

Ok, it's been a little while since we have shared some of the little cute (and sometimes stinky) things that John has done.  John is now sleeping and the house is clean so we have some time.

First of all, I am convinced our pediatrician is nuts.  He told us with a straight face that we could not spoil John while he was this little and not too worry about holding him too much.  Well, let me tell you this young man is CONNING us!  Granted we were coddling him because of his surgery and my illogical fear that his belly button will pop out.  Yes, I actually had a nightmare about it.  But now he is refusing to take a nap unless he is being held.  That is until today.  I forced myself to let him fuss for a while (6 incredibly LONG minutes) before he fell asleep.  

Taking a nap on Mom

He's lucky he's so darn cute!

Today we also worked for the first time after the surgery on belly time.  John cried and hated it.  He did "crawl" around the mat by pushing off my hand.  In fact that was the only time that he was not screaming his little head off.  We are now trying the b umbo out for a few minutes everyday since he still refuses to do any pushups.  John appears to like it even though he is a little small still.  Ok, John is up again.... and crying hysterically.  We'll continue the update later.

Not-so-happy face in the b umbo

The Monday After

John had a difficult Sunday, crying in pain often during the afternoon and evening and having obvious abnormal discomfort when pooping or passing gas. Ruth and Pauline took him to see the surgeon on call at Cooks Children's today. She told them that John was having normal post-surgical pain and upped his Tylenol frequency to every four hours.

Bevo, John's beagle, had a vet visit today for soft-tissue damage making him wake on three legs. Evidently both John and Bevo will recover soon.

Saturday After Surgery

John had a good night last night - he saw Uncle Jeff last night and had a great time with him. In fact Ruth had to wake him up after 4 hours to feed fim since the poor little guy was so exhausted. He slept well and threw up little. He is getting Grandma Ellen time today before she returns to New Mexico tomorrow.

John needs a lot of rest and care right now, so it's a good thing this is the weekend! Thanks again to Tammie for coming for his surgery, as that meant a lot to us and made John very happy

John OK after Surgery

John's surgery yesterday went well. They fixed two inguinal hernias in his groin and the umbilical hernia in his belly button (since they were there). He was under for about an hour and was very cranky when awakened. He resumed his normal routine, albeit uncomfortably given the amount of gas inside him from the surgery. We had a long night with the apnea monitors going off every few minutes due to mechanical issues and his reflux, but he did fine. He will be discharged later today. Grandma Ellen is here to spend some time with him and spell us during the day.

Pre-Surgical Prep

John was especially fussy over the early part of the weekend, almost as if he knew what was coming on Thursday. However he settled down on Sunday and had a relatively good night. We were looking at early photos and must admit that John is a chunk now compared to his early start. We are very nervous about the idea of having him in general anesthetic but are hopeful that this surgery will not only fix his hernias but might make him a little more comfortable as well.

The basic surgical plan calls for about a 30 minute surgery to repair two inguinal hernias. We are hoping that the insurance company allows them to fix the intermediate hernia on his belly button as well. If all goes well Thursday morning we will spend Thursday night in the hospital and take him home Friday morning. We'll post as soon as we return home with an update.

A Long, long Day

Today has been a long, long, day.  And even though John is cooing and smiling at me right now (quite adorable), he's been pretty fussy all day.  

His reflux had been gradually improving every day.  He was not throwing up that much either which was wonderful.  Yet for some reason today he just regressed.  He's back to projectile vomit during feedings, after feedings, before feedings.  In reality, he's doing it pretty much all the time.  We both have had multiple wardrobe changes.  More distressing was the painful gas.  He just cried and cried.  He is still doing it on and off.  But it seems to be tapering off. 

It is distressing not being able to do anything about it other than cuddle and comfort him.

On the bright side, he just keeps surprising us with his developmental strides.  A minute ago he was holding his head straight up looking at me and then looking around.  He would rest against my shoulder for a little while and then do it again.  

And he really enjoys pushing off with his legs no matter how you hold him.  During tummy time he actually moves from one end of the play mat to the other.  In fact he gets pretty frustrated if he can't push off something.

Lisa, one of his NICU nurses, used to say that John never got the memo that he was a preemie.  We are convinced she might be right.

RANDOM PICTURES

(Aunt AA mentioned there weren't any pics of me with John...)

Mom giving John lots of kisses

Aunt Pau, John, and Mom

Surgery Update

It turns out that John has a large bilateral inguinal hernia.  He is scheduled for surgery this coming Thursday morning.  John will stay overnight because of his age even though this is usually an outpatient procedure.  Mom and Dad can stay with him.

So Thankful For Sisters!

My mom is probably thrilled right now to hear me say that, but it's true.  I did not get Mary Poppins, but Pauline took care of John for 3 long hours last night while I ran around like Speedy Gonzalez cleaning.  I would not say the house is immaculate, but at least it's not an embarrassment any more.  She also stayed over last night.  It's always harder to relax and sleep when Matt is not home.

John cuddling with Aunt Pau

As to John, he slept well last night although only 3 hours between feedings.  It's so hard to go back to that again.  And he would only sleep if he was being held.  On the bright side, I am now pretty good at sleeping sitting up.  And this morning was wonderful.  We spent a pretty good chunk of the morning just cuddling and staring into each others eyes.  I know why he is so fascinating to me.  I am just not sure why I am so to him. 

We did manage to get to church and catch the ladies group.  They were amazing.  I, of course, agreed with all their comments.  After all he is a beautiful child.  We also stopped by the office to say hi to some of the people from study group.  And most importantly, we signed up for baptism preparation classes.  Time is going by so fast that I am afraid he'll be talking by the time he's baptized if we don't hurry up.

Is Mary Poppins Out There?

Look at those cheeks!

I am still amazed at how fast the house gets turned upside down and completely messy now that John is here.  It looks like a tornado went through our home.  Thankfully, Aunt Pau came by tonight and is holding John while I speed-clean and waste time updating the blog.  

Poor John had a tough day today.  He cried every time he had a BM.  Obviously not a great sign considering the hernia.  He wanted to be held most of the day as a result.  Maybe he will have a better night.  However, I am not hopeful.  I just realized that the reason he has been waking up more frequently (usually screaming) could be because of the hernia too.

We did, however, have some fun times with tummy time and just playing.  During tummy time, John would cry and get restless unless he could push off my hand.  So, it almost looked like he was crawling.  The puppies were intrigued by this new "moving" John.  Tummy time always tires him out, and he slept for a little while in his bassinet.

On the funny side, John's bath yesterday ended a little quick and in the sink.  He thought it was funny to go in his tub.  Boys! 

We are a little concerned about what the surgeon will tell us and the surgery.  We know that this is quite a common surgery.  But to us it's not.  It's disconcerting to think of him going to surgery under general anesthesia.  He is so little.

Tomorrow morning John may meet some of his honorary grandmothers from the ladies church group.  But it will depend on how well he is doing.  I am excited about introducing him to them.  We are so blessed that he is so loved by so many people.  He is lucky to have so many honorary grandparents to spoil him.

Startled John.

Quite Common in Preemies

John is currently enjoying a nap on Matt's chest. 

My boys sleeping.

Cuddling time with Daddy after eating.

He went back to waking up every 3 hours for feeding.  It's harder to wake up now that I am used to sleeping 4 - 5 hours between feedings.  It's amazing how much difference and hour makes.

We had an unplanned visit to the pediatrician this morning.  I had noticed something looked different in the last few days when I changed his diaper.  It appears John has an inguinal hernia.  They are fairly common and even more common in premature babies.  (I am really getting tired of hearing that phrase.)  It will need surgery.  Leaving it alone can lead to the intestines getting caught in the inguinal canal and losing its blood supply.  We have an appointment with the surgeon this week.  Thankfully, Matt will be done with his heavy work load by then.

As to John, he doesn't appear to even notice there is anything wrong.  He continues to smile and coo.  He is doing quite well in pushing off with his legs.  Bathing him is  a little more challenging now though even more fun.  John's still not as strong in his arms, but he does push off from the shoulder almost every time.  He prefers to look around.  He is getting better every day  about controlling his head movements.  The reflux, though not gone, appears to be improving slightly every day.  

An Exciting Weekend

It appears that the triage nurse was right.  John continued to be in a good mood without a repeat incident.  We continued bottle feeding him all day Saturday and part of the day Sunday just to make sure.  He was a little fussy on Saturday night.  It was probably all the extra activity, but nothing concerning.  It's a relief that he is doing better. 

On Saturday, Uncle Ivan and Sarah came to visit for Pauline's birthday.  The original plan was for the boys (Matt, Ivan and John) to stay home and bond while the girls went to the Stars game.  After some convincing and reassuring that John would be OK, we headed out.  It was a lot of fun.  The seats and game were great.  It went into OT and shootout!  Go Stars!

Uncle Ivan and John watching the Stars game on TV.

John's wearing his 1st Stars jersey.

John did NOT like this outfit.

But he looked so cute!

John really took to his uncle.  Although we teased that he preferred Sarah since he would calm down when she held him.

Uncle Ivan, Sarah and John

On puppy news, we are convinced Bevo is trying to get attention.  He took a few bites out of the pumice-like, grill-cleaning stone.  Yes, he actually bit into it!  The emergency vet said just to watch him, but that since it was labeled as non-toxic and safe for pets, he should be fine.  Puppies!

Oh, and I owe the grandmothers video.  I'll try to get some on here soon. 

John, John, John... Tsk, Tsk, Tsk

John once again slept 5 hours last night.  He did pretty good with reflux too.  And that is why it surprised us that he threw up so much after his morning feeding.  Of course, the bright red and dark brown blood streaks on the burp cloth were even more disconcerting.

We are in a wait and see pattern right now per the pediatrician's office.  He appears to be fine other wise.  John was even cooing and smiling (a lot) while we waited for the triage nurse's call back.  He does not appear to be in pain, is not crying, and does not have a fever.  So we are hopeful that it may be related to breast feeding;  John has recently acquired a new "talent" of gnawing which could have led to some bleeding from me without us realizing.  We are convinced John has delusions of a great white shark. (Matt is having a dad-son talk with him about being nicer to mom.)

So to eliminate that as a cause we are just bottle feeding him the EBM.  So hopefully, he will be fine and we won't see any more blood. 

Happy 3-Month birthday, John!  (Didn't we call the ambulance for his apnea episode at the 2 month mark?  And then there was his dramatic entrance into the world....  We really need a new way of celebrating milestones.)

It Figures

I should have known that things would change as soon as I mentioned how well John was sleeping.  Wednesday night he didn't fuss much, but he did wake up every 2-2.5 hours compared to every 4 hours of the previous days.  And during the day, he wanted to be fed every 1.5-2 hours.  He also wanted to be held or wanted me within sight the remainder of the time.  It just made for a long day since I couldn't get much done.  

I eagerly awaited Matt getting home... but unfortunately, he wasn't able to help.  Matt had spent the morning working with a coworker.  The same coworker was diagnosed with whooping cough at her MD appointment that afternoon.  YAY (oozing sarcasm)!  Our pediatrician recommended contacting our PCP for a prophylactic dose of antibiotics and no contact with John until 12 hours after starting the ABX (There appears to be a small whooping cough outbreak in NTX).  Needless to say, everyone in the office with young children at home was concerned.

But then last night, John surprised me.  I had to look at the clock twice to realize that he has slept 5 hours!!!  Yes, we had 5 glorious hours of sleep.  He was in a much better mood today.  His reflux also appears a little better.  Other than a big scary episode in the middle of the night, he has only had a few "regular" issues.

We spent most of the day playing and entertaining ourselves.  John is getting so strong.  And he is pretty stubborn.  He refuses to let me hold his head while I burp him.  He insists on looking around, moving his head whichever way he pleases.

John's surprised look.

Legs?  (The pants are for 0-3 months)

John showing displeasure at the outfit.

Shortly after this picture he threw up on it.

Eating, sleeping...and some cleaning

Another week is halfway over.  The Christmas decorations are finally stored in their boxes.  I like to make sure everything is properly put away ready for next year.  I just underestimated how long it would take now that John is here.  But now everything is waiting to be put up in the attic.  It may not happen until this weekend since it's earnings time, and Matt's pretty busy.

Thankfully, John has been sleeping better.  He has consistently feed every 4 hours at night with minimal fussiness between feedings.  And I have taken to heart a valuable lesson:  as soon as John closes his eyes at night, I am in bed going to sleep too.  There is no more cleaning, or doing just one more thing.  It's lights out.  This is also the reason why I had not blogged.  I'll just have to make time for it earlier in the day.

John's reflux has also improved slightly.  It's back to when he came home.  The doctor increased his Axid dose.  We are not sure this is working.  But he did take him off the PolyViSol (oral vitamins).  It smells horrid, stains everything, tastes horrible and upsets John's stomach.  John still needs the iron supplement.  We just have to make sure to continue to fortify at least 2 bottles a day of EBM.  In the end, it just matters that he is doing better.

John continues to smile and coo.  He is getting pretty good about controlling his head movements better.  And he is getting huge!  He is getting weighed again on Friday.  I can't wait to see how big he's gotten.

Quiet moment with John

On to Another Week

Last night John extended his feeding times to 4 hours (6p, 10p, 2a, 6a)!  It's pretty amazing how much sleep you can get in that time.  His reflux was pretty light today too.  He spent most of the morning cuddling and playing with Daddy.  He graced us with several smiles today and a little cooing.  He also bonded with his Aunt Pauline over her lunch - they enjoy talking about food.

As Aunt Pau pointed out, mom lasts about a week stuck at home before she needs to get out.  So we took a little trip to Lake Worth to visit Aunt AA and Uncle Gary today.  It was nice to spend some time with them.  John seemed to enjoy them very much. 

John with Uncle Gary

As for tonight, well, we will see how that goes.  At least we had a really nice and restful weekend.  John got his Polyvisol late today, so that may give him trouble tonight.  Mom has her work cut out for her.  

Reflux Watch 2009

That is what it feels like we do as soon as the sun starts setting.  

"Watching.  Judging.  Look at the baby.  Look at the baby."   (OK, so I'm a little loopy tonight.)

But on the bright side, he is a pretty cute baby to watch.

John napping with Mom and Sandy this morning.

On John updates, he pays more attention now to his surroundings, his brain trying to figure things out.  It's specially adorable when we make different sounds.  He opens his eyes very wide and stares at you.  And he finds lights pretty intriguing too.  He loved looking at the Christmas tree.  He is also getting pretty strong.  He likes to push off anything if you give him the chance.  

So in truth, the only problem he has is the reflux.  On Monday, we are making a doctor's appointment with his pediatrician.  We just want to make sure that it's just reflux due to the prematurity and not something else since it appears to be worse since he was discharged.  It would be good to know if it's aggravated by something I'm eating or doing.  That can easily be changed.  

Oh, and John is getting a more defined color in his eyes.  Sometimes you can see a hint of green and some brown.  So, he may indeed end up with "vitamins from grandma" although in his case it would be his BisBis (greatgrandmother).

Just took this picture. 

He is almost an hour past his 9 pm feeding. 

If only we had know he was going to sleep longer....

Sleep, Oh Blissful Sleep

We are back.  I was too sleep deprived to be coherent on a blog.  John was so fussy with reflux, throwing up and diarrhea that from Tuesday morning to Wednesday night I slept maybe 3 hours.  Poor Matt and Aunt Pau had to deal with a really crabby Mommy and Bubeaner.  

This one is for Grandma Ellen.

John tired.

I was desperate enough that John and I almost flew to ELP for some help from the grandmothers.  But before that I tried a home remedy my aunts and great aunts had used: atole de arroz (drink made from rice flour and water).  I do not know if it was coincidence or it actually worked.   All I know is that John started acting like he was feeling better.  And at night, he slept 3.5 and then 4.5 hours between feedings!  And today he was so much better too.  

Even if it was just a fluke, it gave me enough resting time to reach the weekend.  Matt is able to help out a little more since he doesn't go into work Saturday and Sunday.  

John finally asleep.

Of course, this has convinced me that my parents are worthy of sainthood.  I was like that for the entire first month of life.  I am still not sure how they survived.

We have also decided that we are bathing John every night.  He appears to sleep better those nights.  The books we have been reading all recommended only bathing 2-3 times a week.  But even we feel and rest better when we take a relaxing shower or bath at night.

He is actually calms down during the bath.

I took John to get weighed today.  He is now an amazing 8 pounds 6 ounces and measures 21.25 inches!  It's quite a way from the 3 lbs 13 oz and 17.75 inches at birth.  

John is so long now.

While we were out, John and I ventured out to buy larger receiving blankets.  The lady at checkout asked me how old John was... and I actually had to think about it!  Before pregnancy we counted on cycle days, days to ER, days to ET.  During the pregnancy we started counting by days after week 5 when we were told it was inevitable that we would miscarry.  And during our 8 week NICU stint, we counted every day that would get us closer to our original due date.  I had the answer (both chronological and adjusted) ready.  Now, I guess we moved from worrying and counting to just parenting.  By the way John is 12 weeks old today; I had to look it up.  Next Saturday, he will be 3 months old!

BONUS PICTURE

Bevo decided to sleep on all three beds.

I had stacked them while the floors were being cleaned. 

Another Day

Last night John slept peacefully from midnight to 3 am.  Then after his feeding it was play time.  He was wide awake and even smiling.  It did not matter that the room was dark; John was up.  He was very cute except for the fact that it was 3 am!  He did not go back to sleep until Matt gave him his bottle at 6 am.  

He did a little better today during the day.  He even accepted sleeping in his glider/swing for a couple of hours.  

John with Bumblebee on his glider.  I often wonder if he is scared by it.

Right now, John is giving Dad a hard time because he is insisting on being walked otherwise he cries.  No doubt that he is definitely my child.  It does not bode well for the night.  He's lucky he's so cute.