Two Weeks Old!
It is hard to believe that my little boy is a whole two weeks old today!! He has changed our lives so much that I can't even remember what it was like before him-sleep being included in that statement. He had his first check-up yesterday and the doctor said that overall he is doing very well, but he is still a bit on the "peanut" side and has only managed to put one ounce back on since he left the hospital. So we have another appointment in a week to see if he has gained anymore- no sure what the plan of action will be if he hasn't and I don't want to think about it either.
The other big problem is that he is tongue tied- the little flap under his tongue is longer than it should be and rather than cupping up towards the roof of his mouth and making suction to eat- it just flaps up and down- so he gets alot of air and not alot of food for a massive amount of effort. It makes feeding times incredibly long and nursing impossible. Along with that, we are pretty sure he has some sinus issues going on- he sounds like a weed whacker when he is on his stomach breathing. Like he is congested- but there isn't anything there. The doc suggested to rinse him out, something neither daddy or I want to do because we can't imagine doing it to ourselves!
I called the Ear Nose Throat Specialist, and after a few calls- we are headed back to Children's for a minor "surgery" on his little tongue. The lactation specialist and my aunt both said that it is a quick procedure- they numb his mouth and clip his tongue and he is good to go. It sound much worse than it is, and thankfully daddy will be there too. I hate that Caden has to keep going through things- I just want him to be happy and healthy. He is still the most content little boy, even with everything he has been through. He doesn't cry or fuss and has no problem just sitting awake and observing everything around him.
After making his appointment for his weight, and his appointment for his sinus' and tongue- i also made an appointment with the lactation specialist to try and get him nursing. So by his three week mark- I am hoping to be getting a little more sleep and be the happy mother of a heavier baby! Since he is still not gaining like he should, I am still waking him up every three hours to eat. Since he has problems eating- he will either suck down two ounces and then puke up half of it- or eat half an ounce to an ounce and then sleep and be up an hour or so later wanting another half to ounce. That makes for a very tired mommy! I have given up trying to keep him awake to take a "full" bottle (2 ounces)- because it takes me an hour to get through a feeding, and half the time he spits most of it back up.
Tonight we tried to put his hand and footprints on a frame that Uncle T got him- we got the foot, but the hand was a battle and daddy got too flustered and we decided to try another day. I have yet to see anything from the hospital that has his hand or foot prints on it from birth- it makes me a little sad and slightly ticked off. That is like a hallmark of every babies birth, and I don't have it. I guess you win some and you lose some- and for the next baby I will certainly know to ask for one!
So how is mommy holding up? Well- I feel like a zombie... I know that people would come and sit with me for the day, but there isn't much that they can do to help me- they can't pump, and they can't nurse him- and that is really what takes up time. Even if they were to feed him, I would feel weird pumping while they fed him and then I napped. Especially since I usually nap with him, it would be like here- do the dirty work, and I am going to take him and enjoy the content baby that sleeps. Also, with his feeding still being a little off- I am still in protective mommy mode, and not really a fan of letting others feed him. So there isn;t much I can do.
Daddy planned on cutting back to eight hour work days instead of his normal twelve- but the nature of his work doesn't always allow him to leave when he should. So today he still worked a twelve hour day when I was at home at 1:30 counting the minutes until when he would be home with an unhappy baby that was hungry- a chest that needed emptied, a puppy that wanted out, and I am pretty sure I smelled. Add to this that Caden hadn't really slept longer than an hour and a half and we didn't get any of our naps in- and I was fast approaching a break down. Daddy finally did make it home at six, and we were napping on the couch. A whole two hour stretch!
We are doing Thanksgiving at our house with his mom Thursday, and she had asked about staying the night to get the turkey in the oven- to which I responded (probably faster than I should have) was not necessary- I still sleep upstairs with Caden and spend most of the night up with him of half exposed- not exactly company etiquette. I suggested to my husband that we get the turkey from her and start it ourselves- not because I don't want her over- which is the story my husband chooses to believe, but because I am trying to stick with a routine, and when people are over I have to change that routine. I have to move my pump and I can't nap, I can't walk around in my pj's or with my chest exposed- Yes it sounds like I am living in some crazy house- but it is the "routine" that we have become accustomed to. So I am slightly dreading Thanksgiving- I can alreday sense the exhaustion I will have by the end of the day. I can't just sit around and let then do all the work, which means I will be up in my zombie state trying to help. I know grandma and her friend will wnat to hold Caden, and I will be protective like I am when anyone has him, and I just don't know how our routine is going to work.
Saturday is posing another problem- my mother got married last Friday (for the third time)- Saturday is the OSU-Michigan football game. I don't watch/ like foozeball- but at half time they are having a "flash wedding" of sorts and doing vows and announcing the marriage. So we are somewhat obligated to be there, and I am already fighting off hives of anxiety for people wanting to hold Caden or touch him with their dirty hands- I will have Purell glued to my hands and Lysol spray in my back pocket, all while having a death grip on my son.
Oh the joys of mommyhood!! I have been sick to my stomach for the past four days as well, and I think I will have to break down tomorrow and call the doc. If I don't I know I will be knocking on dehydrations door. I am sure that part of the problem is my lack of decent diet- maybe one meal a day when I find time, of course that meal is cold and has sat out for an hour by the time I get to it. I really don't know how the whole going back to work thing is supposed to go- I can't even manage going to the doctors with him for two hours- let alone a full work day complete with two 45 minute drives and a drop off and pick up accompanied by a side of guilt and tears.
My boss is already counting down the weeks until I return- assuming I am taking the minimum amount of time off- so nice to feel appreciated! It took another coworker emailing pictures and commenting that I would like to hear from everyone for my own boss to even email me a "congrats"- just shows how things work and the real appreciation for employees. But I can't even let myself dwell on it because it just ticks me off and encourages me to want to do more with my life- especially when I see my little boy laying beside me- I want to be able to give him a better life, and I want to be able to be there for him and the things he does.
The other big problem is that he is tongue tied- the little flap under his tongue is longer than it should be and rather than cupping up towards the roof of his mouth and making suction to eat- it just flaps up and down- so he gets alot of air and not alot of food for a massive amount of effort. It makes feeding times incredibly long and nursing impossible. Along with that, we are pretty sure he has some sinus issues going on- he sounds like a weed whacker when he is on his stomach breathing. Like he is congested- but there isn't anything there. The doc suggested to rinse him out, something neither daddy or I want to do because we can't imagine doing it to ourselves!
I called the Ear Nose Throat Specialist, and after a few calls- we are headed back to Children's for a minor "surgery" on his little tongue. The lactation specialist and my aunt both said that it is a quick procedure- they numb his mouth and clip his tongue and he is good to go. It sound much worse than it is, and thankfully daddy will be there too. I hate that Caden has to keep going through things- I just want him to be happy and healthy. He is still the most content little boy, even with everything he has been through. He doesn't cry or fuss and has no problem just sitting awake and observing everything around him.
After making his appointment for his weight, and his appointment for his sinus' and tongue- i also made an appointment with the lactation specialist to try and get him nursing. So by his three week mark- I am hoping to be getting a little more sleep and be the happy mother of a heavier baby! Since he is still not gaining like he should, I am still waking him up every three hours to eat. Since he has problems eating- he will either suck down two ounces and then puke up half of it- or eat half an ounce to an ounce and then sleep and be up an hour or so later wanting another half to ounce. That makes for a very tired mommy! I have given up trying to keep him awake to take a "full" bottle (2 ounces)- because it takes me an hour to get through a feeding, and half the time he spits most of it back up.
Tonight we tried to put his hand and footprints on a frame that Uncle T got him- we got the foot, but the hand was a battle and daddy got too flustered and we decided to try another day. I have yet to see anything from the hospital that has his hand or foot prints on it from birth- it makes me a little sad and slightly ticked off. That is like a hallmark of every babies birth, and I don't have it. I guess you win some and you lose some- and for the next baby I will certainly know to ask for one!
So how is mommy holding up? Well- I feel like a zombie... I know that people would come and sit with me for the day, but there isn't much that they can do to help me- they can't pump, and they can't nurse him- and that is really what takes up time. Even if they were to feed him, I would feel weird pumping while they fed him and then I napped. Especially since I usually nap with him, it would be like here- do the dirty work, and I am going to take him and enjoy the content baby that sleeps. Also, with his feeding still being a little off- I am still in protective mommy mode, and not really a fan of letting others feed him. So there isn;t much I can do.
Daddy planned on cutting back to eight hour work days instead of his normal twelve- but the nature of his work doesn't always allow him to leave when he should. So today he still worked a twelve hour day when I was at home at 1:30 counting the minutes until when he would be home with an unhappy baby that was hungry- a chest that needed emptied, a puppy that wanted out, and I am pretty sure I smelled. Add to this that Caden hadn't really slept longer than an hour and a half and we didn't get any of our naps in- and I was fast approaching a break down. Daddy finally did make it home at six, and we were napping on the couch. A whole two hour stretch!
We are doing Thanksgiving at our house with his mom Thursday, and she had asked about staying the night to get the turkey in the oven- to which I responded (probably faster than I should have) was not necessary- I still sleep upstairs with Caden and spend most of the night up with him of half exposed- not exactly company etiquette. I suggested to my husband that we get the turkey from her and start it ourselves- not because I don't want her over- which is the story my husband chooses to believe, but because I am trying to stick with a routine, and when people are over I have to change that routine. I have to move my pump and I can't nap, I can't walk around in my pj's or with my chest exposed- Yes it sounds like I am living in some crazy house- but it is the "routine" that we have become accustomed to. So I am slightly dreading Thanksgiving- I can alreday sense the exhaustion I will have by the end of the day. I can't just sit around and let then do all the work, which means I will be up in my zombie state trying to help. I know grandma and her friend will wnat to hold Caden, and I will be protective like I am when anyone has him, and I just don't know how our routine is going to work.
Saturday is posing another problem- my mother got married last Friday (for the third time)- Saturday is the OSU-Michigan football game. I don't watch/ like foozeball- but at half time they are having a "flash wedding" of sorts and doing vows and announcing the marriage. So we are somewhat obligated to be there, and I am already fighting off hives of anxiety for people wanting to hold Caden or touch him with their dirty hands- I will have Purell glued to my hands and Lysol spray in my back pocket, all while having a death grip on my son.
My boss is already counting down the weeks until I return- assuming I am taking the minimum amount of time off- so nice to feel appreciated! It took another coworker emailing pictures and commenting that I would like to hear from everyone for my own boss to even email me a "congrats"- just shows how things work and the real appreciation for employees. But I can't even let myself dwell on it because it just ticks me off and encourages me to want to do more with my life- especially when I see my little boy laying beside me- I want to be able to give him a better life, and I want to be able to be there for him and the things he does.
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