Getting better

Well, the Genetian violet treatment is finished and Tanner did not turn purple! My breasts did, but that's wearing off and now it just looks like I am severely bruised. I also think we are both yeast infection-free! He is still a little fussy, but not nearly as bad as he was. His doctor mentioned that I should cut out dairy if at all possible. I really only have milk with cereal and yogurt, oh yea...ice cream, but I guess I will limit that because infants have trouble processing cow's milk. Makes sense. That might have been part of the fussiness problem, but we'll never know. He gets really red when he goes poo and fights and appears to be in pain. I mentioned this to his doctor and he has now been put on rice cereal!!!!! CRAZY! He isn't even full-term yet and most babies are 4 months old when they receive rice cereal, but it is a very small amount. He gets 2 teaspoons twice a day. My mom and sister wisely advised that I split that up and test his little tummy with it, so he received 1/4 tsp, then 1/2 tsp and so on...I haven't noticed him sleeping any longer, but we'll see.

Tanner has made great strides in breastfeeding!! He actually stayed latched on for 30minutes or so several times in the last few days. As a transition, I am using a breast shield to simulate the plastic bottle. He actually prefers it and turns his head if it isn't there. Eventually that will be removed, but I plan to give him some time to get comfortable with this new source of nutrition! I still have to supplement each feeding with a bottle for several reasons: he doesn't seem completely satiated and I don't know how much he ingested, plus he supposed to get his vitamins (0.8 mL daily) and Enfacare(1/4 tsp per 45 mL every feeding.) I hear him swallowing and he seems content. He doesn't fall right to sleep like he used to. They say that was a preemie thing and since he isn't preemie anymore, I am hoping things continue to improve!


Being a Type A personality, I really want to make a list of all the things I have gotten done while he naps, but I won't. I need the sense of accomplishment and seeing those things get marked off the list does something for me! haha Just getting to eat cereal before he needs me again is sometimes I real hurdle to cross! I am not going to say that I was naive about how much work it is to have a baby, but there have been frustrating times, maddening times when I totally lost my cool, and times when I just wanted to walk out the door, seriously. My sister lovingly said that will get better so I am banking on that. Thank God these trying, sleepless times are during the summer months because I really don't know how working moms do it during the school year.

I want to mention that I am going to make this blog into a book, so I like to try to include any and all details that I will want to reflect upon someday! In fact, when I am typing, I am thinking about how it will read years from now, rather than how you are reading it today. I know several of my students read this and are probably learning WAY more about me than they care to know. So, in case you ever read a detail here or there that didn't suit you, just know that some of the detail I put on this blog is actually for me and my family to read many years down the road.