I have a few tidbits to fill everyone in on from the past month or so, so here goes. Almost exactly at the four month mark the babies started to notice each other and it is positively the cutest thing I have ever witnessed. Both boys are rolling 360s across the floor to get from one side of the room to the other (and have been for a long while) and they are also starting to hold the weight from the front of their bodies on their arms, Brennan more so than Carter. You can tell that once they get their butts up in the air over their knees they are going to be on the move, and fast!
They each have their bottom two front teeth in the beginning phases of coming in and the drooling has officially begun. The babies are starting to try to hold their own bottles. Carter is my little conversationalist and Brennan is my mover and shaker; definitely starting to see two very different personalities forming.
We started solids off this last week and the boys quite thoroughly enjoy their meal time, but are also still really digging the bottle.
Life is also starting to settle down a bit and things are getting easier to handle as both boys have started to sleep through the night some nights. The nights they don't, they typically will only wake once for a bottle and I think Kevin and I are going to break them of that before too long if they don't do it on their own.
They love sucking on blankies, so for Christmas Santa is bringing them each their very own taggie blanket and matching linky squeak toy. Evan is getting a train table with the works and a bunch of Thomas engines and accessories. He also will have a new Thomas dvd in his stocking along with plenty of treats, a new Elmo toothbrush, some Crayons, a few wooden cars, a few Hot Wheels cars and the list goes on.
Today I'm beginning to feel refreshed from my busy life and for the first time in a while and I am reminded how lucky I am to have such a beautiful family. We are so blessed and I can't wait to put up the Christmas decorations to help spread even more cheer and goodwill around our house. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Just when I think life is starting to get easier...
I was finally feeling like I was starting to figure this MoM thing out and the world had to snap me back into the reality of my life. Things have been pretty crazy 'round these parts the past week. At one point I contemplated putting a giant "sick tent" around our house, but that would just exhaust me even more.
The whole family spent last weekend down at my parents' house (yes, again!) and it started out pretty routine and escalated into disaster rather quickly. In the wee hours of Sunday morning Carter woke up crying like he had done several times that night. Kevin went in to the kitchen to make him a bottle and I fed him while still half asleep. When I was changing his diaper I noticed his body felt warmer than usual, so I grabbed the medical kit in my diaper bag and pulled out the thermometer...101.5. Not great, but not terrible. I gave him a dose of Tylenol and put him back to bed hoping it was nothing more.
The family got up for the day around 9 a.m. after a night of terrible sleep. Throughout the day Carter's temp continued to rise into the 103s. We kept up with the Tylenol, but the medicine would do little, if anything to help my poor little bug. My mom helped give him tepid baths and drape him in cool, wet cloths which would work temporarily, but we always ended up back in the same place.
You could tell the he felt absolutely miserable and he cried and whimpered the whole time unless by some miracle you were able to get him to sleep. Night started to set in and his situation was not getting any better and my mind started to wonder myself into nervousness with thoughts of the swine flu and death rates among infants. I decided to call a nearby hospital to seek advice - they wanted me to bring him in.
By the time we packed up and got on the road it was nearly 10:30 at night and there was a steady rain for the entire half hour drive. We were admitted and seen almost right away and the ER pediatrician diagnosed Carter with a double ear infection. A nurse came in to give him some numbing drops and Motrin to make him a little more comfortable.
The doctor told us he would be prescribing some antibiotics, so we waited in our room for a while. Mom went with me and she struck up conversation with a mom of a little baby girl in the next room over, she also had a high temperature. The mother said the pediatrician was prescribing her daughter some IV fluids. We were so thankful our little buddy wasn't getting the same...or so we thought.
Another nurse came in and stated she was ready to start his IV. My mother and I looked at eachother and said we thought she had the wrong room and should be in the next one over. She looked confused at first and then actually agreed with us, but went to ask the doctor just in case.
She came back with a sorrowful look on her face and I stood by with tears streaming down my face as my tiny four month old son had an IV line placed in his foot after first trying in his left arm. He was also prescribed some antibiotics through his IV. It took about an hour to get everything into his body and we waited a few more minutes to be discharged.
He was really sick for an additional two days before he started showing signs of improvement. Mom called in sick to work on Monday since we didn't get back to her house until almost four in the morning, so that was a big help. On Tuesday, Carter was still wanting to be held 24/7, so I sent Brennan off to my mother-in-law's house and Kevin and I went for a follow up visit at our regular pediatrician's office. Carter still had an ear infection in his right ear, but the left one was already cleared.
On the drive there, we got a call from Kevin's mom and she told us that Brennan felt a little warm. Crap...here it comes! After our appointment we went to pick up Brennan and went back home. Kevin went back to work for a few hours and I had things under control and both babies napping. Then they woke up and all chaos ensued as I tried to calm them down. Which by the way, did not work - I need help. I frantically called Kevin, who by the grace of God somehow must have read my mind. He had already picked Evan up from school and was driving through our neighborhood.
That afternoon and night were delivered straight from the depths of hell. Nobody seemed to rest, although we did notice Carter was sleeping better than he had been. The next morning he seemed a lot better, so we sent him over to my Mother-in-law's house. Same song, different verse. Brennan ended up with an ear infection and was also given some antibiotics.
My mom, dad, and also Kevin and I think that it was possibly the swine flu and that it weakened their immune systems so badly that they developed ear infections. Carter was swabbed and tested at the hospital and it came back negative, but our pediatrician said she has read the tests are only anywhere from 10 to 70% accurate. I guess we'll never know for sure.
Today is the first day they are both feeling well and I hope to catch my breath sometime next week!
The whole family spent last weekend down at my parents' house (yes, again!) and it started out pretty routine and escalated into disaster rather quickly. In the wee hours of Sunday morning Carter woke up crying like he had done several times that night. Kevin went in to the kitchen to make him a bottle and I fed him while still half asleep. When I was changing his diaper I noticed his body felt warmer than usual, so I grabbed the medical kit in my diaper bag and pulled out the thermometer...101.5. Not great, but not terrible. I gave him a dose of Tylenol and put him back to bed hoping it was nothing more.
The family got up for the day around 9 a.m. after a night of terrible sleep. Throughout the day Carter's temp continued to rise into the 103s. We kept up with the Tylenol, but the medicine would do little, if anything to help my poor little bug. My mom helped give him tepid baths and drape him in cool, wet cloths which would work temporarily, but we always ended up back in the same place.
You could tell the he felt absolutely miserable and he cried and whimpered the whole time unless by some miracle you were able to get him to sleep. Night started to set in and his situation was not getting any better and my mind started to wonder myself into nervousness with thoughts of the swine flu and death rates among infants. I decided to call a nearby hospital to seek advice - they wanted me to bring him in.
By the time we packed up and got on the road it was nearly 10:30 at night and there was a steady rain for the entire half hour drive. We were admitted and seen almost right away and the ER pediatrician diagnosed Carter with a double ear infection. A nurse came in to give him some numbing drops and Motrin to make him a little more comfortable.
The doctor told us he would be prescribing some antibiotics, so we waited in our room for a while. Mom went with me and she struck up conversation with a mom of a little baby girl in the next room over, she also had a high temperature. The mother said the pediatrician was prescribing her daughter some IV fluids. We were so thankful our little buddy wasn't getting the same...or so we thought.
Another nurse came in and stated she was ready to start his IV. My mother and I looked at eachother and said we thought she had the wrong room and should be in the next one over. She looked confused at first and then actually agreed with us, but went to ask the doctor just in case.
She came back with a sorrowful look on her face and I stood by with tears streaming down my face as my tiny four month old son had an IV line placed in his foot after first trying in his left arm. He was also prescribed some antibiotics through his IV. It took about an hour to get everything into his body and we waited a few more minutes to be discharged.
He was really sick for an additional two days before he started showing signs of improvement. Mom called in sick to work on Monday since we didn't get back to her house until almost four in the morning, so that was a big help. On Tuesday, Carter was still wanting to be held 24/7, so I sent Brennan off to my mother-in-law's house and Kevin and I went for a follow up visit at our regular pediatrician's office. Carter still had an ear infection in his right ear, but the left one was already cleared.
On the drive there, we got a call from Kevin's mom and she told us that Brennan felt a little warm. Crap...here it comes! After our appointment we went to pick up Brennan and went back home. Kevin went back to work for a few hours and I had things under control and both babies napping. Then they woke up and all chaos ensued as I tried to calm them down. Which by the way, did not work - I need help. I frantically called Kevin, who by the grace of God somehow must have read my mind. He had already picked Evan up from school and was driving through our neighborhood.
That afternoon and night were delivered straight from the depths of hell. Nobody seemed to rest, although we did notice Carter was sleeping better than he had been. The next morning he seemed a lot better, so we sent him over to my Mother-in-law's house. Same song, different verse. Brennan ended up with an ear infection and was also given some antibiotics.
My mom, dad, and also Kevin and I think that it was possibly the swine flu and that it weakened their immune systems so badly that they developed ear infections. Carter was swabbed and tested at the hospital and it came back negative, but our pediatrician said she has read the tests are only anywhere from 10 to 70% accurate. I guess we'll never know for sure.
Today is the first day they are both feeling well and I hope to catch my breath sometime next week!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Mommy Instinct
So ever since last Saturday the boys have been projectile vomiting a few times a day. We took them to see Dr. G, our pediatrician on Monday. She suspected they had a bug and instructed us to call back in a few days if it continued. I called back yesterday (Thursday) and talked to the nurse, who relayed my message to the doctor. The nurse called back and informed us that Dr. G would not be prescribing us anything for it.
I immediately became upset after hanging up the phone. About six or eight weeks earlier we made a same day appointment to be seen for the same issue, but Dr. G was not in the office so we saw Dr. C. Dr. C strongly felt the boys were indeed battling reflux, but did not want to prescribe anything, because he wanted to stick with what he thought Dr. G might do. He gave us a few different samples of formula to try and sent us on our way.
We tried each type of formula and one of them seemed to help just a bit, so we continued it's use and quite honestly, got used to changing their clothes and ours many times a day. After receiving the return phone call yesterday I immediately began the search for a second opinion and possibly a new pediatrician.
Dr. G seemed to have been getting on a medical, anti-medicine high horse lately. We used to really be on the same page but I recently started to notice she was getting a little more extreme in her practicing. We just don't agree anymore.
Today we went to see Dr. Y and we loved her! It felt so good to have my concerns validated and listened to, you can never go wrong listening to your mommy instinct. The boys are going to get some kind of special medicine, not zantac....not sure what exactly it is though since they send the script over electronically to our pharmacist. We haven't picked it up yet, but are excited to give it a try and possibly get some relief.
Kevin and I decided rather quickly that we will begin the switch to the new doctor. On Monday we will have all of the records faxed over and have our official four month well baby(s) visit. I'm also excited because the new office is literally a two minute drive from our house, the old one was a good 25-30 minute drive.
I think it's safe to say that I've learned my lesson: your mommy instinct is always right; go with your gut! My boys have been in pain and not getting any relief for nearly two months now and it makes me sad to know that I didn't question the doctor sooner.
I immediately became upset after hanging up the phone. About six or eight weeks earlier we made a same day appointment to be seen for the same issue, but Dr. G was not in the office so we saw Dr. C. Dr. C strongly felt the boys were indeed battling reflux, but did not want to prescribe anything, because he wanted to stick with what he thought Dr. G might do. He gave us a few different samples of formula to try and sent us on our way.
We tried each type of formula and one of them seemed to help just a bit, so we continued it's use and quite honestly, got used to changing their clothes and ours many times a day. After receiving the return phone call yesterday I immediately began the search for a second opinion and possibly a new pediatrician.
Dr. G seemed to have been getting on a medical, anti-medicine high horse lately. We used to really be on the same page but I recently started to notice she was getting a little more extreme in her practicing. We just don't agree anymore.
Today we went to see Dr. Y and we loved her! It felt so good to have my concerns validated and listened to, you can never go wrong listening to your mommy instinct. The boys are going to get some kind of special medicine, not zantac....not sure what exactly it is though since they send the script over electronically to our pharmacist. We haven't picked it up yet, but are excited to give it a try and possibly get some relief.
Kevin and I decided rather quickly that we will begin the switch to the new doctor. On Monday we will have all of the records faxed over and have our official four month well baby(s) visit. I'm also excited because the new office is literally a two minute drive from our house, the old one was a good 25-30 minute drive.
I think it's safe to say that I've learned my lesson: your mommy instinct is always right; go with your gut! My boys have been in pain and not getting any relief for nearly two months now and it makes me sad to know that I didn't question the doctor sooner.
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