I took this cute video of Jac one morning while he was thinking about eating with Grandma.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Round head
I took this picture of Jac, hoping to use it for a passport photo (Aunty Alexis's wedding is in Europe) -- it came out a little too blurry for that, but it is a great picture to show off how round his head is!
Looking cute with Grandma
Grandma and I took Jac out to lunch a few days ago. He was flirting with waitresses and looking very cute - as usual!
Lack of sleep
Jac was up - 3 or 4 times last night. I think it was 4. He took two bottles for a total of 100 ml - but over 3 or 4 feedings! Augh! So tired! Jac is awake and happy, no worse for wear!
He then woke me up at 8:15 am - crying - and so I get Grandma - thinking he wants to eat (fortunately she was already awake this time!) Then he falls asleep again! For an hour! I took his picture while he slept in his car seat this morning!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Mommy's new haircut
My hair has been getting longer and longer sine Jac was born - I had only had it trimmed once. My hair is not falling out as quickly now and some of it has started to grow back. I decided to have it cut and here are the results!
It will probably never be styled this cleanly again!
Visit from Grandma Silvia
Grandma Silvia came to visit on Monday and she and Jac and Grandma had a great time while I went out to do a little work and a little shopping.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Visiting Los Angeles
Jac and Joseph and I arrived in LA on Saturday morning. We spent the weekend visiting family. Joseph has now gone back to Boulder (he had a meeting in Beverly Hills this morning) and Jac and I are staying with my parents. We are going to Las Vegas with them this weekend fo my Aunt's birthday party and a chance for Jac to meet more of his family. We are flying back to Denver from Las Vegas on Sunday.
Jac did very well on the airplane, and this time without oxygen. He looked all around the airplane at the people and only fussed a bit for take off and landing. This is his third flight now and he is becoming a real veteran traveler. He likes the airport with all of the people and activity to watch!
Jac did very well on the airplane, and this time without oxygen. He looked all around the airplane at the people and only fussed a bit for take off and landing. This is his third flight now and he is becoming a real veteran traveler. He likes the airport with all of the people and activity to watch!
Jac and his Diet Coke can
We took a new picture of Jac and his Diet Coke can. He has definitely gotten longer! He weighs approximately 8.5 pounds in this picture.
An update, finally
Mommy has not been feeling so well. So tired. It has been hard to get myself to do anything extra!
Okay - so here are the updates.
Diaper rash - gone! Amazing. Jac had a diaper rash from Christmas until last Monday. The diaper rash was fungal - and had been diagnosed by a dermatologist and we were given a medication called Vusion. It is a new medication on the market for diaper rashes that are yeast infections. Man - it does not work AT ALL. We used it for a month - and the rash just continued to spread and looked worse. When we made it back to the dermatologist (after Mommy slept through one appointment) she was concerned that he still had the rash so she gave him the old standby, Nystatin ointment, for treating yeast infections. We were told to use it at each diaper change in place of petroleum jelly (it is a petroleum jelly based ointment). Within 12 hours his entire diaper area was almost entirely clear - and in 24 hours if I had now known he had a rash the previous day I would not have been able to tell.
Weight - at his last weight check he was 8 pounds, 8.5 ounces.
Formula - Jac is now taking Similac Alimentum as a fortifier to EBM (expressed breast milk). We are adding between 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp to each of his feeds. This should be giving him between 22 and 24 kcal per ounce (up from an approx. 20 kcal from EBM). When we first started giving it to him he seemed to be really rejecting the formula - but as per usual Joseph forged on and Jac started taking the bottles with the formula without a problem. We are now fortifying all of his feeds this way. Hopefully this is going to help Jac gain weight more quickly.
GI doctor - She agreed that it seems like Jac has a milk protein allergy. She said the normal age to challenge the allergy is 12 months - so we would do it at 14 months (adjusted age 12 months). She offered us a prescription for Reglan, which we took, but are not going to fill. Reglan is a very serious medication and I don't feel that Jac's reflux is bad enough to warrant the possible effects of Reglan. She said that the Alimentum is a good idea and we should work on getting Jac to take it.
Fever - Jac's fever went away on its own. We went in and saw his pediatrician and he did not have a fever when we got there. It seems like he is a bit more stuffy than usual but other than that he seems completely normal.
Okay - so here are the updates.
Diaper rash - gone! Amazing. Jac had a diaper rash from Christmas until last Monday. The diaper rash was fungal - and had been diagnosed by a dermatologist and we were given a medication called Vusion. It is a new medication on the market for diaper rashes that are yeast infections. Man - it does not work AT ALL. We used it for a month - and the rash just continued to spread and looked worse. When we made it back to the dermatologist (after Mommy slept through one appointment) she was concerned that he still had the rash so she gave him the old standby, Nystatin ointment, for treating yeast infections. We were told to use it at each diaper change in place of petroleum jelly (it is a petroleum jelly based ointment). Within 12 hours his entire diaper area was almost entirely clear - and in 24 hours if I had now known he had a rash the previous day I would not have been able to tell.
Weight - at his last weight check he was 8 pounds, 8.5 ounces.
Formula - Jac is now taking Similac Alimentum as a fortifier to EBM (expressed breast milk). We are adding between 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp to each of his feeds. This should be giving him between 22 and 24 kcal per ounce (up from an approx. 20 kcal from EBM). When we first started giving it to him he seemed to be really rejecting the formula - but as per usual Joseph forged on and Jac started taking the bottles with the formula without a problem. We are now fortifying all of his feeds this way. Hopefully this is going to help Jac gain weight more quickly.
GI doctor - She agreed that it seems like Jac has a milk protein allergy. She said the normal age to challenge the allergy is 12 months - so we would do it at 14 months (adjusted age 12 months). She offered us a prescription for Reglan, which we took, but are not going to fill. Reglan is a very serious medication and I don't feel that Jac's reflux is bad enough to warrant the possible effects of Reglan. She said that the Alimentum is a good idea and we should work on getting Jac to take it.
Fever - Jac's fever went away on its own. We went in and saw his pediatrician and he did not have a fever when we got there. It seems like he is a bit more stuffy than usual but other than that he seems completely normal.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Milestone: First roll and first laugh
Jac had a big day today. We had an appointment with the GI, the dermatologist, and his pediatrician - and in the middle of all of it Daddy had his own doctors appointment!
We had quite the day! But the big news of the day is that Jacie rolled from his tummy to his back for the first time ever!
While we were at the dermatologist's office today Daddy placed Jacie on his tummy - and be promptly rolled onto his back. I started the video after he had done it two or three times. The is the first time he has ever rolled any direction on his own. It looks a little more like falling over than rolling over but we will take what we can get!
He also laughed for the first confirmed time. I have been quite sure he has given me a few laughs before this - but Daddy never believed me - and whenever I would call him in to see, Jac would stop laughing. Well - today he was laughing for sure. Daddy was making crazy moves with his head and Jacie thought it was really funny! And he was laughing - and he kept on laughing even when I got the camera.
We had quite the day! But the big news of the day is that Jacie rolled from his tummy to his back for the first time ever!
While we were at the dermatologist's office today Daddy placed Jacie on his tummy - and be promptly rolled onto his back. I started the video after he had done it two or three times. The is the first time he has ever rolled any direction on his own. It looks a little more like falling over than rolling over but we will take what we can get!
He also laughed for the first confirmed time. I have been quite sure he has given me a few laughs before this - but Daddy never believed me - and whenever I would call him in to see, Jac would stop laughing. Well - today he was laughing for sure. Daddy was making crazy moves with his head and Jacie thought it was really funny! And he was laughing - and he kept on laughing even when I got the camera.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
March for Babies - April 26, 2008
Jac and I are going to participate in the March of Dimes, March for Babies on April 26 in Griffith Park. We will be visiting LA that weekend so we are going to do the walk without Daddy!
We are raising money to support the work of the March of Dimes to help all babies be born healthy! Please help us by donating on our personal page at http://www.marchforbabies.org/jacandmommy
Thanks!
We are raising money to support the work of the March of Dimes to help all babies be born healthy! Please help us by donating on our personal page at http://www.marchforbabies.org/jacandmommy
Thanks!
Update on HUTH
I have decided to keep pumping until our trip to Las Vegas in April. It seems to me that I really need to for the sake of Jac's health. His little immune system can use all of the help that my big immune system can give him until winter is over - at least. We have a trip to LA and to Vegas in the meantime (at the end of February) with my parents but I am going to pump through that. It will not be easy but it is important and I am going to do it.
In April I will decide if I want to keep pumping past that point.
In April I will decide if I want to keep pumping past that point.
Update on fever
Jac's fever seems to have come down. It is hard to measure his temperature accurately, but we think it is now down to almost normal or close to it. He last had Tylenol at 3 am and he no longer feels hot although he does still feel a bit warmer than normal. Yeah!
I decided to take some stronger meds to knock myself out last night in the hopes that a really good sleep would help me start to turn the corner. It seems to have worked. I am not feeling great, and I definitely still have a cold, but I don't feel as dragged down as I did yesterday.
I decided to take some stronger meds to knock myself out last night in the hopes that a really good sleep would help me start to turn the corner. It seems to have worked. I am not feeling great, and I definitely still have a cold, but I don't feel as dragged down as I did yesterday.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Jac has a fever
Jac has a fever. We have measured it in a variety of ways and it is somewhere between 100.5 and 102. He does not seem to have any other symptoms. We have given him Tylenol. He has been with Daddy all day as I have been feeling ot so hot - and have sleeping on and off all day. Currently I am pumping and Daddy and Jacie are asleep on the couch. Jac woke up a little bit ago, crying. I got him milk with Tylenol. He drank a tiny bit with Daddy and they have gone back to sleep. I hope we are all able to sleep tonight.
We called the doctor and the nurse from Children's Hospital called us back. She told us to take him in to Urgent Care if his fever lasts for more than 24 hours. She said he could have a UTI or an ear infection if he does not have any other symptoms - just the fever.
We called the doctor and the nurse from Children's Hospital called us back. She told us to take him in to Urgent Care if his fever lasts for more than 24 hours. She said he could have a UTI or an ear infection if he does not have any other symptoms - just the fever.
Home alone
I am home alone. Just me and the dogs. I am still sick and I was asleep all morning. Joseph decided to take Jac out to go to the almost shut-down CompUSA and to see more people (Jac's favorite!).
So weird.
So weird.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Jac sleeping and playing with a sheet
Today while I was folding laundry I set Jac down on the bed and started playing "Where's Mommy, Where's Jacie?" with a sheet I was folding. Jac seemed to enjoy this game and gave me lots of big smiles. But he really lighted up when I offered him the sheet to play with himself. He pushed and pulled it and had a grand old time.
I also took a picture of him this morning this morning while he was still asleep. He looked so peaceful. He slept from midnight until 9:45 am!
I also took a picture of him this morning this morning while he was still asleep. He looked so peaceful. He slept from midnight until 9:45 am!
Happy Valentine's Day - Mommy's sick
Seriously, what is up with me and holidays? I am sick. I have a cold. Not too bad yet - but really - what is up?!
Fortunately, Jac is not sick! Yeah! This is why I am still pumping! Let's hope he stays healthy!
Jac gave me a very nice Valentine's Day present from Tiffany. It is a heart pendant on a short chain. The pendant is engraved with the word "Mom." It is very sweet and I love it!
Fortunately, Jac is not sick! Yeah! This is why I am still pumping! Let's hope he stays healthy!
Jac gave me a very nice Valentine's Day present from Tiffany. It is a heart pendant on a short chain. The pendant is engraved with the word "Mom." It is very sweet and I love it!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Playing with his ear
Jac has started playing with his ear while he eats. This either started yesterday or today - it is a bit of a blur! It is quite cute! He only does it with his right hand, which is the one that is closest to my body when he is eating. He does not seem to have discovered his left ear yet. I have not managed to get a video yet - I will try tomorrow when Joseph is feeding him!
Jac playing with a diaper cloth
We use white diaper clothes - sort of burp cloths - to try to keep Jac and ourselves clean when he spits up. In the last few days he has started to play with aper towels and other pieces of soft paper. Tonight he started playing with the diaper cloth that was over Daddy's shoulder. When Daddy was changing his diaper I offered him the diaper cloth and he took it and started playing with it.Sunday, February 10, 2008
Another day on the town
Today we took Jac to the mall in Louisville, and to Costco! Who doesn't like Costco!
Jac had a very nice time at the mall. He spent the entire time looking around and watching all of the people. As usual, he attracted a lot of attention. People think he is very cute and are always astonished that he is 7 months old! Today!
I hope that eventually Jac's size will not be so remarkable. The cute part is fine though!
I took a video of Jac eating today. When he is awake and eating he frequently pulls off of his bottle. He sucks a few times, pulls off, swallows and breathes, and then is ready to take the bottle again. His OT says that is because he is at the age where babies lose their suck reflex, and so now he has to coordinate it on his own. When he is sleepy the reflex is probably still kicking in, which is why he eats more cleanly when he is sleepy and tired.
Jac also had fun "curling" a one pound weight at Dick's Sporting Goods in the mall.
Joseph couldn't resist putting Jac on a trike at Costco.
Jac had a very nice time at the mall. He spent the entire time looking around and watching all of the people. As usual, he attracted a lot of attention. People think he is very cute and are always astonished that he is 7 months old! Today!
I hope that eventually Jac's size will not be so remarkable. The cute part is fine though!
I took a video of Jac eating today. When he is awake and eating he frequently pulls off of his bottle. He sucks a few times, pulls off, swallows and breathes, and then is ready to take the bottle again. His OT says that is because he is at the age where babies lose their suck reflex, and so now he has to coordinate it on his own. When he is sleepy the reflex is probably still kicking in, which is why he eats more cleanly when he is sleepy and tired.
Jac also had fun "curling" a one pound weight at Dick's Sporting Goods in the mall.
Joseph couldn't resist putting Jac on a trike at Costco.
Asleep for eight hours
Jac has been asleep for eight hours. we got him to sleep around midnight last night - and he is still asleep - he and Daddy have both been snoring! Wow! Go Jac!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Drive to Fort Collins
It was a very beautiful day here in Boulder. Clear and warmer than it has been in a long time - 50s! We decided that it would be a nice day for a drive and to explore a little bit of Colorado (we haven't been anywhere but Boulder and Denver and a few of the intervening towns).
We started out on our way to Fort Collins and went the wrong way - and then I realized that I had brought pump stuff but not the pump! So we went home and I pumped. And then we set out again. The right way this time.
We made it to Fort Collins mid-afternoon. We walked around a tiny bit and then decided to try the local Mongolian BBQ place. It was pretty good and we had a nice late lunch.
Jac did pretty well in the car. We braved feeding him in the car seat and made liberal use of his paci. Between those two things and a little bit of Freddy he did well (we did have to stop a few times to change his diaper!)
Jac feel asleep in my arms (in a funny outward looking position) while we were looking around in a cookware store.
We started out on our way to Fort Collins and went the wrong way - and then I realized that I had brought pump stuff but not the pump! So we went home and I pumped. And then we set out again. The right way this time.
We made it to Fort Collins mid-afternoon. We walked around a tiny bit and then decided to try the local Mongolian BBQ place. It was pretty good and we had a nice late lunch.
Jac did pretty well in the car. We braved feeding him in the car seat and made liberal use of his paci. Between those two things and a little bit of Freddy he did well (we did have to stop a few times to change his diaper!)
Jac feel asleep in my arms (in a funny outward looking position) while we were looking around in a cookware store.
Daddy's son...
Dave's Top 10 List of ways that Jac resembles daddy:
#10... Round head.
#9... Flat nose.
#8... Likes being the center of attention.
#7... Snoring keeps mommy up at nights.
#6... Hates being bored.
#5... Pulls blanket over head when sleeping.
#4... Easily fascinated... Oh, look at that!
#3... Won't go to sleep when he's supposed to.
#2... It feels good to be naked.
and, #1 way that Jac resembles daddy: Stinky tummy gas!
#10... Round head.
#9... Flat nose.
#8... Likes being the center of attention.
#7... Snoring keeps mommy up at nights.
#6... Hates being bored.
#5... Pulls blanket over head when sleeping.
#4... Easily fascinated... Oh, look at that!
#3... Won't go to sleep when he's supposed to.
#2... It feels good to be naked.
and, #1 way that Jac resembles daddy: Stinky tummy gas!
Thinking about HUTH
I am thinking about HUTH (Hanging up the Horns). This means stopping pumping breast milk.
Tomorrow Jac will be 7 months old - so I will have been pumping for 7 months. This seems like an eternity to be hooking my poor, beleagured breasts up to a machine and extracting milk from them. Some days I can't stand it anymore.
It is very trying, and tiring to balance taking care of Jac with pumping. I feel like I am tethered to the pump. I wouldn't mind being tethered to him but the pump is terrible.
In the last 2 days I have twice looked down to find my left breast bleeding and the milk in the bottle full of blood. I am so used to my nipples hurting that it probably took me 5 minutes to notice that I was bleeding.
We have quite a few trips coming up and I am literally dreading the logistics of pumping and taking care of Jac by myself. Argh!
I feel like a terrible mother for even considering this, but I feel like I can be a better mother to Jac in other ways if I stop pumping. I feel anxious and stressed about when/how I am going to pump - all of the time. It is getting harder and harder to feed him and pump at the same time as he gets bigger. I know he is still tiny but it is much harder than it was a few pounds ago.
Yesterday, Joseph mentioned that he is going to have to go out of town some more times for work, leaving me along with Jac - and the pump. Augh! The thought of this strikes fear into my heart. The last time he left - for 3 days and 2 nights - were the seemingly longest of my life. I was counting the hours until he came home.
So - what are the alternatives. Use our freezer stash of milk to supplement - and I can pump less (I don't know if this would work - it is possible my breasts will stop making milk if I pump a lot less - my supply dropped so much over Christmas and Jac has started to eat more - so he and I are pretty much in a dead heat now in terms of production and consumption).
We can try to find a formula that he can tolerate. It is a possibility that he will be okay on Alimentum. We could supplement him with formula and start to use the freezer stash.
What I am worried about with the freezer stash is that during the storage of most of it I was eating dairy. Joseph thinks that it will be okay. During the last part of November and early December I was eating a lot more dairy (ah - Costco pizza) which is when Jac seemed to start having problems. Prior to that I was not having as much dairy and Jac didn't seem to have quite as many problems. Joseph thinks that that means that most of my stash is okay and won't cause Jac major problems. I am not so sure but we are going to need to test it.
This is such an emotional issue for me it is hard to face the idea of stopping and it is hard to face the idea of continuing. I would like to be able to just enjoy my son, and enjoy him growing up, without this darn pump (which I have of course been hooked up while writing this entire post).
Augh!
Tomorrow Jac will be 7 months old - so I will have been pumping for 7 months. This seems like an eternity to be hooking my poor, beleagured breasts up to a machine and extracting milk from them. Some days I can't stand it anymore.
It is very trying, and tiring to balance taking care of Jac with pumping. I feel like I am tethered to the pump. I wouldn't mind being tethered to him but the pump is terrible.
In the last 2 days I have twice looked down to find my left breast bleeding and the milk in the bottle full of blood. I am so used to my nipples hurting that it probably took me 5 minutes to notice that I was bleeding.
We have quite a few trips coming up and I am literally dreading the logistics of pumping and taking care of Jac by myself. Argh!
I feel like a terrible mother for even considering this, but I feel like I can be a better mother to Jac in other ways if I stop pumping. I feel anxious and stressed about when/how I am going to pump - all of the time. It is getting harder and harder to feed him and pump at the same time as he gets bigger. I know he is still tiny but it is much harder than it was a few pounds ago.
Yesterday, Joseph mentioned that he is going to have to go out of town some more times for work, leaving me along with Jac - and the pump. Augh! The thought of this strikes fear into my heart. The last time he left - for 3 days and 2 nights - were the seemingly longest of my life. I was counting the hours until he came home.
So - what are the alternatives. Use our freezer stash of milk to supplement - and I can pump less (I don't know if this would work - it is possible my breasts will stop making milk if I pump a lot less - my supply dropped so much over Christmas and Jac has started to eat more - so he and I are pretty much in a dead heat now in terms of production and consumption).
We can try to find a formula that he can tolerate. It is a possibility that he will be okay on Alimentum. We could supplement him with formula and start to use the freezer stash.
What I am worried about with the freezer stash is that during the storage of most of it I was eating dairy. Joseph thinks that it will be okay. During the last part of November and early December I was eating a lot more dairy (ah - Costco pizza) which is when Jac seemed to start having problems. Prior to that I was not having as much dairy and Jac didn't seem to have quite as many problems. Joseph thinks that that means that most of my stash is okay and won't cause Jac major problems. I am not so sure but we are going to need to test it.
This is such an emotional issue for me it is hard to face the idea of stopping and it is hard to face the idea of continuing. I would like to be able to just enjoy my son, and enjoy him growing up, without this darn pump (which I have of course been hooked up while writing this entire post).
Augh!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Occupational Therapy
We had our first official OT appointment today at Mapleton. Jac's therapist was happy with his progress in terms of holding his head up and thinking about rolling.
She gave us the following homework (we will now have an OT appointment every other week).
1. Roll over on the ball: This means that we help Jac roll over while we hold him on the exercise ball. This is quite a feat and not for the faint of heart. Jac and I did it together under his OT's watchful eye and we managed it - but it is definitely a lot harder than last week's assignment of going back and forth on the ball for tummy time!
2. On back on the ball: This means that we are supposed to put Jac on his back on the ball and move him around in this position. We are then suppose to bounce his bottom into our bodies a few times - so that he sort of runs into us. We are also supposed to move him around in all directions and move him while his hands are held to his knees. (We also do the hands held to the knees position on his back on the bed, rolling from side to side).
3. Fly through the air: We are supposed to hold Jac in a sitting position, and then move him to a flying position, dive him down to a supporting surface that he can touch and do a little weight bearing with his arms, and then rotate him back up into a sitting position. This is to help him develop his balance systems, get used to bearing weight on his arms (as a prelude to crawling), and get used to rotating into a sitting position as a prelude to sitting up on his own.
4. Help him pace his eating better: Jac has a tendency when he is wide awake to not pace his eating. This means that he he does not pause while he is sucking to take a little break and get some extra breaths. What he does is suck too much, run out of breath, and then pull off the bottle, rather than pausing sooner and keeping the bottle in his mouth while he takes a few breaths (he does this more when he is tired). His OT told us to help him pace his eating when he is not by taking the bottle out of his mouth at intervals and then giving it right back to him as soon as he opens his mouth again.
5. Use distractions for fedding during the day if necessary: Jac cries at his bottle sometimes. He is hungry, you show him the bottle and he starts crying. As you can imagine this is very distressing for all involved. We believe that is is because of the reflux that he does this. He has learned to associate pain with eating, and so when he is awake, and thinks about it, he cries because of the pain that eating can cause. This is very sad and really breas my heart. His OT suggested than when he does this we try to distract him with something to help him move past it. Right now we sing to him, or make kissy sounds, or anything to distract him. Her suggestion was some sort of toy with bright lights, which she used to distract him while we were there today.
6. Keep arms forward: Jac has a tendency to hold his arms out to his sides, rather than holding them out in front of him. His OT says that this is because of his reflux (a tendency to arch backward and hence hold his arms out to the side and back) and because of his low muscle tone from being a preemie. She wants us to encourage and move his arms into a forward position whenever we can. For example, when he is being held on our shoulder, he has a tendency to keep his arms down to his sides, so she wants us to bring them up to rest on our shoulder. This should help him learn to do a little more weight bearing on his arms and get used to having them in front which he will need to crawl.
7. Do leg massage on the outside of his shin bones: Jac's OT says that in Chinese medicine this area of the body is associated with the stomach and intestines and massaging this area will help his digestion and intestinal health.
So - lots to do! We have all of these things plus the others from the previous session. If you click on the OT label at the bottom of this post you will be taken a page with all of the posts that have that label - if you would like to see them all in one place (you can do this with any label).
She gave us the following homework (we will now have an OT appointment every other week).
1. Roll over on the ball: This means that we help Jac roll over while we hold him on the exercise ball. This is quite a feat and not for the faint of heart. Jac and I did it together under his OT's watchful eye and we managed it - but it is definitely a lot harder than last week's assignment of going back and forth on the ball for tummy time!
2. On back on the ball: This means that we are supposed to put Jac on his back on the ball and move him around in this position. We are then suppose to bounce his bottom into our bodies a few times - so that he sort of runs into us. We are also supposed to move him around in all directions and move him while his hands are held to his knees. (We also do the hands held to the knees position on his back on the bed, rolling from side to side).
3. Fly through the air: We are supposed to hold Jac in a sitting position, and then move him to a flying position, dive him down to a supporting surface that he can touch and do a little weight bearing with his arms, and then rotate him back up into a sitting position. This is to help him develop his balance systems, get used to bearing weight on his arms (as a prelude to crawling), and get used to rotating into a sitting position as a prelude to sitting up on his own.
4. Help him pace his eating better: Jac has a tendency when he is wide awake to not pace his eating. This means that he he does not pause while he is sucking to take a little break and get some extra breaths. What he does is suck too much, run out of breath, and then pull off the bottle, rather than pausing sooner and keeping the bottle in his mouth while he takes a few breaths (he does this more when he is tired). His OT told us to help him pace his eating when he is not by taking the bottle out of his mouth at intervals and then giving it right back to him as soon as he opens his mouth again.
5. Use distractions for fedding during the day if necessary: Jac cries at his bottle sometimes. He is hungry, you show him the bottle and he starts crying. As you can imagine this is very distressing for all involved. We believe that is is because of the reflux that he does this. He has learned to associate pain with eating, and so when he is awake, and thinks about it, he cries because of the pain that eating can cause. This is very sad and really breas my heart. His OT suggested than when he does this we try to distract him with something to help him move past it. Right now we sing to him, or make kissy sounds, or anything to distract him. Her suggestion was some sort of toy with bright lights, which she used to distract him while we were there today.
6. Keep arms forward: Jac has a tendency to hold his arms out to his sides, rather than holding them out in front of him. His OT says that this is because of his reflux (a tendency to arch backward and hence hold his arms out to the side and back) and because of his low muscle tone from being a preemie. She wants us to encourage and move his arms into a forward position whenever we can. For example, when he is being held on our shoulder, he has a tendency to keep his arms down to his sides, so she wants us to bring them up to rest on our shoulder. This should help him learn to do a little more weight bearing on his arms and get used to having them in front which he will need to crawl.
7. Do leg massage on the outside of his shin bones: Jac's OT says that in Chinese medicine this area of the body is associated with the stomach and intestines and massaging this area will help his digestion and intestinal health.
So - lots to do! We have all of these things plus the others from the previous session. If you click on the OT label at the bottom of this post you will be taken a page with all of the posts that have that label - if you would like to see them all in one place (you can do this with any label).
3.82 kg = 8.4 pounds
Our little boy is really starting to gain some weight now! We can feel it in our arms! I know he is still small and weighs less than many newborns but to us he is starting to feel heavy. Since I am used to carrying him around all day - half a pound makes a big difference!
I weighed him today while we were at OT and he was 3.82 kg which is 8.4 pounds! That is another 3.5 ounces in 8 days!
He is starting grow out of some of the clothes that he has been wearing for a long time. He is getting a little too long (but not too fat!) for the Carter's Just One Year NB (Newborn) sleep suits (which are warm and snuggly!). Last night, for the first time, we put him in a Circo NB (Newborn) sleep suit. These are very cute but not quite as snuggly. They look really big for him but they fit quite nicely!
We buy almost all of his clothes at Target! They are inexpensive and frequently on sale and we go to Target ALL the TIME! We do have some new clothes that should start fitting him soon that Ali's brother Jay sent us (that his son has already grown out of!) Thanks Jay and Kate!
I weighed him today while we were at OT and he was 3.82 kg which is 8.4 pounds! That is another 3.5 ounces in 8 days!
He is starting grow out of some of the clothes that he has been wearing for a long time. He is getting a little too long (but not too fat!) for the Carter's Just One Year NB (Newborn) sleep suits (which are warm and snuggly!). Last night, for the first time, we put him in a Circo NB (Newborn) sleep suit. These are very cute but not quite as snuggly. They look really big for him but they fit quite nicely!
We buy almost all of his clothes at Target! They are inexpensive and frequently on sale and we go to Target ALL the TIME! We do have some new clothes that should start fitting him soon that Ali's brother Jay sent us (that his son has already grown out of!) Thanks Jay and Kate!
A long chat
Jac had a long chat with me this evening while he sat on Daddy's lap. He had been eating and had taken a break. It turned out that he was "explaining" that he was still hungry and would like some more milk!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Physical Therapy (PT) Evaluation
Jac had his Physical Therapy (PT) evaluation this afternoon at the Mapleton Center in Boulder (The same place he is getting OT). His therapist was another therapist that we had worked with while he was in the hospital and another one we like (we liked all of them!)
She said that he is doing very well - expecially given his tough road. She actually seemed surprised by how well he is doing! She said that the main work that we need to do is to counteract Jac's overuse of the muscles involved in arching (extension) and work on the muscles used for crunching (flexion). Because of his reflux Jac (and most babies that have reflux) arches his body to get away from the pain of the reflux. After they have been doing this for months and months the muscles they use to do this get very strong and the muscles needed to crunch down are relatively weak because they don't use them as much.
She said he is doing very well with his head control and that it is very good to see he does not have any torticolis (a shortening of the muscles in his neck causing him to hold his head more to on side). Torticolis is also common in babies with reflux as they tend to turn their heads in one direction as they arch away from the pain.
She said that we should continue to work on what the OT has asked us to work on (tummy time, ball, rolling). It will take a little time to get into her schedule but the plan is that we would alternate weeks between PT and OT.
The visit was very uplifting. She said she is not worried about Jac at all. That we will make progress to help him get more comfortable and combat the effects of reflux and that she is confident he will start growing! Go Jac!
She also said that he is clearly ready to go - he just has to figure out how to move. She predicted that he will go from crawling to running with only a slight pause for walking! She also thinks that he is bored at home and that we will both be much better off once it is Spring and we are allowed (by the Ped.) to see other kids and play!
The Ped has asked us to wait until April to see other kids - until Spring - to reduce the chances of him getting sick. This is very sensible but it feels like we are under house arrest!
She also commented on how social he is, and how well he handled the more than hour worth of time we spent together - being handled the entire time. He did really well, he had bouts of reflux (arching, coughing, hiccuping) but he recovered from them well and was able to continue with the evaluation. She commented on how well he did with a stranger, but looked to me as soon as the reflux started to help him.
She said that he is doing very well - expecially given his tough road. She actually seemed surprised by how well he is doing! She said that the main work that we need to do is to counteract Jac's overuse of the muscles involved in arching (extension) and work on the muscles used for crunching (flexion). Because of his reflux Jac (and most babies that have reflux) arches his body to get away from the pain of the reflux. After they have been doing this for months and months the muscles they use to do this get very strong and the muscles needed to crunch down are relatively weak because they don't use them as much.
She said he is doing very well with his head control and that it is very good to see he does not have any torticolis (a shortening of the muscles in his neck causing him to hold his head more to on side). Torticolis is also common in babies with reflux as they tend to turn their heads in one direction as they arch away from the pain.
She said that we should continue to work on what the OT has asked us to work on (tummy time, ball, rolling). It will take a little time to get into her schedule but the plan is that we would alternate weeks between PT and OT.
The visit was very uplifting. She said she is not worried about Jac at all. That we will make progress to help him get more comfortable and combat the effects of reflux and that she is confident he will start growing! Go Jac!
She also said that he is clearly ready to go - he just has to figure out how to move. She predicted that he will go from crawling to running with only a slight pause for walking! She also thinks that he is bored at home and that we will both be much better off once it is Spring and we are allowed (by the Ped.) to see other kids and play!
The Ped has asked us to wait until April to see other kids - until Spring - to reduce the chances of him getting sick. This is very sensible but it feels like we are under house arrest!
She also commented on how social he is, and how well he handled the more than hour worth of time we spent together - being handled the entire time. He did really well, he had bouts of reflux (arching, coughing, hiccuping) but he recovered from them well and was able to continue with the evaluation. She commented on how well he did with a stranger, but looked to me as soon as the reflux started to help him.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Sleeping in Momma's arms
Jac and I spent the evening in the arm chair. Daddy was on the couch getting some work done on his computer. I read while he slept. So peaceful. He woke up a couple of times to eat and we had milk ready. He ate without changing position and promptly went back to sleep. So sweet!
Jac doing tummy time on the ball
Jac's OT has asked us to do tummy time on an exercise ball. We have been doing it once a day - and he seems to like it - and is good at it. He holds his head up well and tolerates the side to side motion and the back and forth and the bouncing!
Zegerid: How to get Jac to take it
We are supposed to give Jac Zegerid three times a day (Prevacid is twice a day). This has become a bit of a problems as he does not want to take it. We have always given Jac his Prevacid in his milk (which is actually not the correct way to give it, but it is what they taught us to do in the hospital) and he has always taken it without a problem. The dosing for the Zegerid is 1 ml of Zegerid plus 1 ml of Mylanta, Cherry Flavor.
Today, Jac refused to take it. He cried and cried when I tried to give it to him, and cried and cried when I tried to give him regular milk even. Not a good thing. Yesterday he only took 430 ml of milk and today he only took 345 (whereas he had been averaging in the mid-500s for the last week and a half or so. D'oh!
So, this evening when he would not take the Zegerid we gave him the Prevacid instead, and he promptly took it, and then went to sleep!
I am going to ask on my newsgroups for some ideas about how to make the Zegerid more palatable.
Today, Jac refused to take it. He cried and cried when I tried to give it to him, and cried and cried when I tried to give him regular milk even. Not a good thing. Yesterday he only took 430 ml of milk and today he only took 345 (whereas he had been averaging in the mid-500s for the last week and a half or so. D'oh!
So, this evening when he would not take the Zegerid we gave him the Prevacid instead, and he promptly took it, and then went to sleep!
I am going to ask on my newsgroups for some ideas about how to make the Zegerid more palatable.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Long tummy time!
Daddy put Jacie down on the changing table on his stomach to close his suit up. Wen he did Jac lifted his head right up, and held it up for nearly two minutes! Here is one and a half minutes of it.
Eating his hands
In the last week Jac has really started to eat his hands. Now they are drooly more times than not. He eats them all of the time but more when he is hungry!
I have been giving him the Nuk brush to play with a lot. He will hold th Nuk brush in one hand and put his other hand in his mouth! Not quite the point of the exercise ;)
Started the Zegerid
Yesterday Jac's pediatrician agreed to prescribe him Zegerid. Yeah! I sent her a lot of information from the Marci-Kids website which helped to convince her and gave her the appropriate dosing information.
Yeah! We started it tonight mixed with Mylanta and milk. We shall see how it goes.
I am still on my very limited diet. He spit up twice today but small ones. Tomorrow night we are going to have spaghetti at Leslie's house so well shall see on Sunday if this bothers Jac. I want to give my limited diet a few more days to settle in with his new meds and then I will start adding things back - slowly - and see if his reflux symptoms get worse again.
His feed volumes are pretty good - he is averaging around 550 ml (18.6 ounces) which is better than he was doing. You can see the graph here.
I am still ahead of him with pumping but barely!
Yeah! We started it tonight mixed with Mylanta and milk. We shall see how it goes.
I am still on my very limited diet. He spit up twice today but small ones. Tomorrow night we are going to have spaghetti at Leslie's house so well shall see on Sunday if this bothers Jac. I want to give my limited diet a few more days to settle in with his new meds and then I will start adding things back - slowly - and see if his reflux symptoms get worse again.
His feed volumes are pretty good - he is averaging around 550 ml (18.6 ounces) which is better than he was doing. You can see the graph here.
I am still ahead of him with pumping but barely!
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