Okay, so I addressed the biggest part of Ella's two month appointment yesterday--the shots. But aside from the pain of the immunizations, everything else went well. When our pediatrician pulled up her growth chart, she laughed and proclaimed "Wow--she's tall!". Sure enough, Ella is right up there with the tallest/longest babies (sorry, I don't know the exact percentile). I wish I had a copy of the growth chart to show (perhaps I'll ask for a printout next time), but you can see the "average" curve, and all the other "normal range" curves, and there are Ella's three little measurements from birth, one month, and two months--along the curve for the longest babies. She is now 24-1/2 inches--or already about a third the length of my husband! Her weight is pretty much average, and her head circumference is just a little bit on the smaller side--not that it necessarily made child birth any less painful. I have a long and lean baby.
I talked in more detail with the pediatrician about the tiny occasional bits of blood in her stools, and my perplexity about milk allergies or a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. I cut out the main areas of dairy, but I haven't gone to extremes in checking every label for milk proteins--which are in so many items. Even without dairy in my diet for the last week, we had another little episode with the blood yesterday morning. So I brought that diaper in, and she confirmed that it was indeed a tiny tiny amount. She checked with the attending pediatrician (who I also really like--though he's not quite as fabulous as the pediatrician who is retiring any day now), and he said that it seems like the amount and the frequency are so minimal that it's okay to just keep an eye on it but not to worry too much. He said it's probably even okay to feed her the milk I had pumped before eliminating dairy--slowly but surely--and just to monitor her diapers to see if things get any worse. This feels really reasonable to me, but I think I'll continue to cut out dairy where I can, just to be safe.
Today's blessing was a good heart-to-heart conversation with my husband about breast-pumps. As if it's not going to be hard enough to go back to work and leave Ella at day care, the thought of pumping 3-4 more times per day makes me miserable. And then to have to lug the pump around with me (not to mention the various pieces and the milk itself)...that was just too much for me to consider. I am 100% committed to breast feeding Ella, and I would tolerate bringing the pump to and from work, but I am so grateful that he agreed to let me buy a second pump so that I can have one at home and one at work. I know that there are plenty of women who get by with just one (and my mom had to rely on a hand pump!), but it will be such a blessing to have two (and it's also a blessing that one was given to us and I only had to buy new parts for it).
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
It Hurts Me More Than It Hurts You
Ella had her first round of immunizations today. I wish I could say "it hurts me more than it hurts you", but I know that she's the one who had to tolerate the physical pain. Yes, it "hurts" to see my child in pain, but I'm not the one wearing the band-aids. It was hard to watch though.
Ella seems to have survived the first round of shots well enough. She screamed, and her poor little face turned bright red. I nursed her afterwards--mostly for comfort (for both of us), and she fell asleep by the time I got back out to the car. She has been perhaps a tad bit more fussy tonight, but she's also given us some of her gorgeous smiles and adorable coos as well.
As a parent, I'm finding that it's tough to have an infant go through this sort of inflicted pain. If she were four years old, we could "prepare" her for it, and could "reward" her for her bravery afterwards. But I can't exactly explain to her at this early age why it's important to have the shots, nor can I treat her to ice cream after enduring them (especially if she has a milk allergy..more on that later).
I realize that there are parents out there who are choosing not to vaccinate, or who are postponing them, and ultimately I believe that is there right to choose. But I trust my doctor, and I trust my very-dear friend (who is also a doctor, and will be vaccinating her son next week). For me, I feel that vaccinations are the "responsible" thing for me to do as a parent--not only for Ella, but for every other kid out there with whom she will come in contact. I don't want her to be sick, and I equally wouldn't want her sharing a serious illness with another child if I could prevent it. (Likewise, I hope that the parents of the children that she comes in contact with have had them immunized...but like I said, I believe it is the right of the parent to choose...I just hope that they choose to have their children immunized).
Today's blessing was a warm winter day. I know that I was praising God for the cool and brisk weather a few weeks ago, but it makes it tough to go for walks with Ella when it's so chilly (well...chilly for Arizona standards). The weather is supposed to be in the mid-70s all week, and I'm loving it!
Ella seems to have survived the first round of shots well enough. She screamed, and her poor little face turned bright red. I nursed her afterwards--mostly for comfort (for both of us), and she fell asleep by the time I got back out to the car. She has been perhaps a tad bit more fussy tonight, but she's also given us some of her gorgeous smiles and adorable coos as well.
As a parent, I'm finding that it's tough to have an infant go through this sort of inflicted pain. If she were four years old, we could "prepare" her for it, and could "reward" her for her bravery afterwards. But I can't exactly explain to her at this early age why it's important to have the shots, nor can I treat her to ice cream after enduring them (especially if she has a milk allergy..more on that later).
I realize that there are parents out there who are choosing not to vaccinate, or who are postponing them, and ultimately I believe that is there right to choose. But I trust my doctor, and I trust my very-dear friend (who is also a doctor, and will be vaccinating her son next week). For me, I feel that vaccinations are the "responsible" thing for me to do as a parent--not only for Ella, but for every other kid out there with whom she will come in contact. I don't want her to be sick, and I equally wouldn't want her sharing a serious illness with another child if I could prevent it. (Likewise, I hope that the parents of the children that she comes in contact with have had them immunized...but like I said, I believe it is the right of the parent to choose...I just hope that they choose to have their children immunized).
Today's blessing was a warm winter day. I know that I was praising God for the cool and brisk weather a few weeks ago, but it makes it tough to go for walks with Ella when it's so chilly (well...chilly for Arizona standards). The weather is supposed to be in the mid-70s all week, and I'm loving it!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Dude, Where's My Thumb?
Ella may be super sweet...but she's not super coordinated--at least not yet. For the last week or so, she has diligently and determinedly been trying to get her thumb in her mouth. But she typically has her thumb tucked into a fist under her other fingers, making it a challenge. But she doesn't seem frustrated by it at this point. Rather, the challenge is keeping her (and us) highly entertained.
I thought that perhaps it was a developmental stage; that babies start to look for their thumbs somewhere around 8 weeks. But apparently, my youngest brother found his thumb on Day 3 (my mom says that she was elated, because it meant that she wouldn't have to go looking for lost pacifiers in the middle of the night). So either my brother is extremely gifted...or Ella is totally uncoordinated.
I know that there is a lot of debate over thumb vs. pacifier. As my very-dear friend pointed out--you can take away a pacifier, but you can't take away a thumb! She has a point...but so does my mom with the late-night pacifier searches. We figure that we'll wait and see what Ella prefers (that is, if she ever truly finds her thumb). She's not really a big fan of the pacifier. She'll take it from time to time, but if its intent is to "pacify" a fussy child, then it doesn't really do its trick with her. We didn't introduce it right away--I was afraid that it would interfere with breastfeeding. But when I went into surgery on that return trip to the hospital, Ella (9 days old at the time) had a meltdown and the nurses helped my husband out by giving her a pacifier. Perhaps she would like it more if we introduced it sooner...or perhaps she's just the type of kid who doesn't really like them.
It's kind of fun to watch her try to get her thumb in her mouth. I realize that babies are born with a desire to suck, and she's definitely a pro at the breast. But what tells our brains--as infants--to try to get something attached to our hand into something built into our face? Why does thumb-sucking (or pacifier-sucking) have a self-calming/self-entertaining effect? Why isn't it rubbing your elbows? Or patting your knees? Human development amazes me! Her little brain is such an awesome thing! I just hope she doesn't give herself a black eye or a bloody nose from her flying fists!
Yesterday's blessing was the chance to hang out with my very-dear friend and her little boy (who, at 7 weeks, is comfortably wearing 6 months clothing!) and another mom and boy from church. We made baby hand-print and foot-print ornaments, and had a really nice visit. God has blessed us with friends who are at the same stage as us, and it's so reassuring to have someone to chat with about all of these new parenting adventures.
I thought that perhaps it was a developmental stage; that babies start to look for their thumbs somewhere around 8 weeks. But apparently, my youngest brother found his thumb on Day 3 (my mom says that she was elated, because it meant that she wouldn't have to go looking for lost pacifiers in the middle of the night). So either my brother is extremely gifted...or Ella is totally uncoordinated.
I know that there is a lot of debate over thumb vs. pacifier. As my very-dear friend pointed out--you can take away a pacifier, but you can't take away a thumb! She has a point...but so does my mom with the late-night pacifier searches. We figure that we'll wait and see what Ella prefers (that is, if she ever truly finds her thumb). She's not really a big fan of the pacifier. She'll take it from time to time, but if its intent is to "pacify" a fussy child, then it doesn't really do its trick with her. We didn't introduce it right away--I was afraid that it would interfere with breastfeeding. But when I went into surgery on that return trip to the hospital, Ella (9 days old at the time) had a meltdown and the nurses helped my husband out by giving her a pacifier. Perhaps she would like it more if we introduced it sooner...or perhaps she's just the type of kid who doesn't really like them.
It's kind of fun to watch her try to get her thumb in her mouth. I realize that babies are born with a desire to suck, and she's definitely a pro at the breast. But what tells our brains--as infants--to try to get something attached to our hand into something built into our face? Why does thumb-sucking (or pacifier-sucking) have a self-calming/self-entertaining effect? Why isn't it rubbing your elbows? Or patting your knees? Human development amazes me! Her little brain is such an awesome thing! I just hope she doesn't give herself a black eye or a bloody nose from her flying fists!
Yesterday's blessing was the chance to hang out with my very-dear friend and her little boy (who, at 7 weeks, is comfortably wearing 6 months clothing!) and another mom and boy from church. We made baby hand-print and foot-print ornaments, and had a really nice visit. God has blessed us with friends who are at the same stage as us, and it's so reassuring to have someone to chat with about all of these new parenting adventures.
Friday, December 3, 2010
One More Month
It dawned on me last night that today is December 3rd. I go back to work on January 3rd. That gives me just one more precious month at home with Ella.
I'm really resenting going back to work, but I know that it needs to be done. My husband and I can't live on his salary alone--at least not at this point in our lives. I work in education, so I make less than half of what he does, but at least I contribute with the better-than-decent insurance. My husband is finishing his masters degree this spring, at which point he feels that he can either ask for a raise and/or look for another job (there is another facility at which he could potentially work that is just six miles up the road from us, rather than his current job which is sixty miles south of us). We've run (well really I should say "he ran") the numbers, and it makes sense--financially--for me to return to work and Ella to go to day care. (If and when we have a second child, then it would probably makes more sense for me to stay at home, rather than have two children in day care).
I do love my job and I know that I am effective at helping my students, but I love my job of being a mom so much more. It's just not the time for me to be a "stay at home mom"...at least not yet. My husband asked if there were any jobs I could do from home. Sadly, I don't think I would be very effective. When I do something, I want to do it right, so for me, "working from home" and "being a stay at home mom" are two independently exclusive roles. I know that there are plenty of amazing women out there who do it, but I think I would suck at it. I know myself--I would want to play with Ella all day, and would totally slack at the "work" I was supposed to be doing. So as much as it breaks my heart, I know that the best thing to do is to put her in a day care facility where people will be able to focus their love and attention to her all day long.
Until then, I'm going to simply enjoy this last month I have at home with her...and what an exciting month of holidays and celebrations it will be!
Today's blessing is recognizing that even though it feels too short for me, it is such a blessing to have this time at home with Ella on maternity leave. I've been working at the University for seven years now, so I had plenty of vacation and sick time saved up. Even if I had simply taken FMLA unpaid, it would have been worth it.
I'm really resenting going back to work, but I know that it needs to be done. My husband and I can't live on his salary alone--at least not at this point in our lives. I work in education, so I make less than half of what he does, but at least I contribute with the better-than-decent insurance. My husband is finishing his masters degree this spring, at which point he feels that he can either ask for a raise and/or look for another job (there is another facility at which he could potentially work that is just six miles up the road from us, rather than his current job which is sixty miles south of us). We've run (well really I should say "he ran") the numbers, and it makes sense--financially--for me to return to work and Ella to go to day care. (If and when we have a second child, then it would probably makes more sense for me to stay at home, rather than have two children in day care).
I do love my job and I know that I am effective at helping my students, but I love my job of being a mom so much more. It's just not the time for me to be a "stay at home mom"...at least not yet. My husband asked if there were any jobs I could do from home. Sadly, I don't think I would be very effective. When I do something, I want to do it right, so for me, "working from home" and "being a stay at home mom" are two independently exclusive roles. I know that there are plenty of amazing women out there who do it, but I think I would suck at it. I know myself--I would want to play with Ella all day, and would totally slack at the "work" I was supposed to be doing. So as much as it breaks my heart, I know that the best thing to do is to put her in a day care facility where people will be able to focus their love and attention to her all day long.
Until then, I'm going to simply enjoy this last month I have at home with her...and what an exciting month of holidays and celebrations it will be!
Today's blessing is recognizing that even though it feels too short for me, it is such a blessing to have this time at home with Ella on maternity leave. I've been working at the University for seven years now, so I had plenty of vacation and sick time saved up. Even if I had simply taken FMLA unpaid, it would have been worth it.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Milk Allergy? (Or Perhaps Over Supply?)
On Thanksgiving morning, I noticed that Ella had a tiny bit of what appeared to be blood in her stool. She seemed perfectly happy and didn't appear to be in any sort of pain or discomfort. Since it was Thanksgiving, I didn't want to bother the pediatrician, so I figured I'd just wait and see. She had a tiny bit more on Saturday morning--but again, since it was the weekend, I didn't want to bother the pediatrician. Again, she didn't seem upset--if anything, like I previously mentioned, she has seemed happier than normal lately. I also did a little research on my own, and found that most of the time blood in the stool indicated some sort of allergy--typically milk. She has her two month appointment scheduled for next Monday, but I promised myself that if it happened again during regular office hours, that I would call.
Sure enough, I found the tiniest amount of blood on Tuesday morning, so I called and spoke with the triage nurse, who consulted with the pediatrician, who said that it didn't sound like an emergency but that I might as well bring her in sooner than her appointment on Monday. So we went in this morning, and the resident who we saw confirmed that she thinks it's probably a milk allergy. I had already started cutting out dairy from my diet, so hopefully it helps.
Life is boring without milk and dairy. My husband insists on "Taco Tuesday" every Tuesday night, and I give in to his quirky request. But my tacos just weren't as much fun last night without cheese and sour cream. I realize that there are so many foods out there that have milk protein in them, but since Ella doesn't seem to be upset and the blood in her stools is so minimal, I think I'm going to start with eliminating the main sources of dairy and see if that is enough before I start checking every label. Perhaps it's a "mild" allergy...her symptoms just seem so minimal. Concerning, yes...but minimal.
It's interesting that she just now developed this allergy at two months of age--just when she's starting to get happier and sleep longer. The resident explained that sometimes it takes a while for babies' little bodies to essentially realize that they don't like a particular substance. I understand that babies can also "grow out" of milk allergies, so I'm hoping that's the case.
The thing that sucks the most...I'm afraid I'm going to have to throw out all of the milk that I've pumped for the last month. I've been drinking rice milk all along, even through my pregnancy, to eliminate some hormones (and thus hopefully balance mine), but I ate cheese on my sandwiches, cottage cheese for breakfast nearly daily, and an occasional bowl of ice cream. The appointment today was rather rushed and wasn't with our regular pediatrician, so I'll be sure to go in with more questions on Monday for the real appointment.
I also admit that I'm not 100% certain that it is a milk allergy. I was looking on the LLLI website and found an article about over supply which could also match Ella's symptoms. I've noticed that my supply has been increasing when I pump, and I can feel a pretty intense let-down (both when I pump and when I nurse). I can't help but wonder if she's getting too much of the "thin" stuff and not enough of the "thick" stuff, thus making her intestines a little sensitive. So in addition to chatting with the pediatrician, I think I'll put in a call or an email to my lactation consultant as well.
Thoughts? Suggestions? (Dawn, I know that you struggled with some of this with Addy...)
Today's blessing was running into one of my student leaders when I was doing a little shopping after Ella's appointment. It's nice to be able to introduce Ella to some of the students who are so important to me and my job.
Sure enough, I found the tiniest amount of blood on Tuesday morning, so I called and spoke with the triage nurse, who consulted with the pediatrician, who said that it didn't sound like an emergency but that I might as well bring her in sooner than her appointment on Monday. So we went in this morning, and the resident who we saw confirmed that she thinks it's probably a milk allergy. I had already started cutting out dairy from my diet, so hopefully it helps.
Life is boring without milk and dairy. My husband insists on "Taco Tuesday" every Tuesday night, and I give in to his quirky request. But my tacos just weren't as much fun last night without cheese and sour cream. I realize that there are so many foods out there that have milk protein in them, but since Ella doesn't seem to be upset and the blood in her stools is so minimal, I think I'm going to start with eliminating the main sources of dairy and see if that is enough before I start checking every label. Perhaps it's a "mild" allergy...her symptoms just seem so minimal. Concerning, yes...but minimal.
It's interesting that she just now developed this allergy at two months of age--just when she's starting to get happier and sleep longer. The resident explained that sometimes it takes a while for babies' little bodies to essentially realize that they don't like a particular substance. I understand that babies can also "grow out" of milk allergies, so I'm hoping that's the case.
The thing that sucks the most...I'm afraid I'm going to have to throw out all of the milk that I've pumped for the last month. I've been drinking rice milk all along, even through my pregnancy, to eliminate some hormones (and thus hopefully balance mine), but I ate cheese on my sandwiches, cottage cheese for breakfast nearly daily, and an occasional bowl of ice cream. The appointment today was rather rushed and wasn't with our regular pediatrician, so I'll be sure to go in with more questions on Monday for the real appointment.
I also admit that I'm not 100% certain that it is a milk allergy. I was looking on the LLLI website and found an article about over supply which could also match Ella's symptoms. I've noticed that my supply has been increasing when I pump, and I can feel a pretty intense let-down (both when I pump and when I nurse). I can't help but wonder if she's getting too much of the "thin" stuff and not enough of the "thick" stuff, thus making her intestines a little sensitive. So in addition to chatting with the pediatrician, I think I'll put in a call or an email to my lactation consultant as well.
Thoughts? Suggestions? (Dawn, I know that you struggled with some of this with Addy...)
Today's blessing was running into one of my student leaders when I was doing a little shopping after Ella's appointment. It's nice to be able to introduce Ella to some of the students who are so important to me and my job.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Morning Girl
Ella is apparently a "morning girl"--at least at this stage in her life. She is so so so happy in the mornings! She wakes up with a huge grin and just wiggles with delight. I'll then bring her into our bed, where she's very content to just smile and stretch next to my half-asleep husband while I get up and eat breakfast, take a shower, or do whatever else I need to do before feeding her. She really is so sweet in the mornings!
Like many babies, she seems to have a bit of a "fussy time" in the evenings--but she's been improving there as well. It seemed like she always wanted to be held right when it was time to prepare and eat dinner. I tried to plan our meals around when she would be fed and happy, but even then, sometimes she wanted our undivided attention. My husband was great about helping to cook and caring for her. It got to the point in the two weeks or so leading up to Thanksgiving that we would take turns between eating and holding her. I admit that I was looking forward to my parents and brother coming because it meant three more sets of hands in our rotation. But she seemed to turn the corner when they arrived, and sat peacefully in her bouncer through our evening meals (at least long enough for me to quickly stuff my face). And she's continuing to "behave" in the evenings--I was able to finish all of the ironing for the week while she hung out in her bouncer (just as a sidenote--my husband and I use the bouncer as a seat, but we have opted not to use the vibrating function--she, however, can get herself bouncing simply by kicking her legs, which I imagine is great exercise).
Now if only I could convince her that it's not the end of the world to get out of the bath or shower at night... I'm sure it must be a rude shock to go from the warm water to the cool(er) house, but she absolutely hates it! Any suggestions for how to make it a more pleasant transition?
Today's blessing is that my husband gets to go to the Cardinals vs. 49ers game tonight. He's a big 49ers fan, and I'm glad that he'll get some quality guy-time with his friends. They made plans for the game a long time ago--before Ella was born--and he was very sweet about recognizing that he would be leaving me alone with her while he went out and had fun. I'm totally fine with him going, but it was still really sweet that he was concerned. So his mix of excitement and concern is a blessing to me.
Like many babies, she seems to have a bit of a "fussy time" in the evenings--but she's been improving there as well. It seemed like she always wanted to be held right when it was time to prepare and eat dinner. I tried to plan our meals around when she would be fed and happy, but even then, sometimes she wanted our undivided attention. My husband was great about helping to cook and caring for her. It got to the point in the two weeks or so leading up to Thanksgiving that we would take turns between eating and holding her. I admit that I was looking forward to my parents and brother coming because it meant three more sets of hands in our rotation. But she seemed to turn the corner when they arrived, and sat peacefully in her bouncer through our evening meals (at least long enough for me to quickly stuff my face). And she's continuing to "behave" in the evenings--I was able to finish all of the ironing for the week while she hung out in her bouncer (just as a sidenote--my husband and I use the bouncer as a seat, but we have opted not to use the vibrating function--she, however, can get herself bouncing simply by kicking her legs, which I imagine is great exercise).
Now if only I could convince her that it's not the end of the world to get out of the bath or shower at night... I'm sure it must be a rude shock to go from the warm water to the cool(er) house, but she absolutely hates it! Any suggestions for how to make it a more pleasant transition?
Today's blessing is that my husband gets to go to the Cardinals vs. 49ers game tonight. He's a big 49ers fan, and I'm glad that he'll get some quality guy-time with his friends. They made plans for the game a long time ago--before Ella was born--and he was very sweet about recognizing that he would be leaving me alone with her while he went out and had fun. I'm totally fine with him going, but it was still really sweet that he was concerned. So his mix of excitement and concern is a blessing to me.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Newborn Photo Shoot
As a shower gift, a family friend from back home gave us a newborn photo shoot. She was in town just a week or so after Ella was born to visit her parents, so it worked out perfectly. She then sent the disc of pictures down with my parents for their Thanksgiving visit. Here are some of my favorites*:
Ella was 12 days old in these pictures. She was 8 weeks old yesterday on Thanksgiving. I have so much for which to be thankful. As is customary, we went around and said what we were thankful for. In addition to being thankful for Ella, I shared that I was also thankful for the work that God has done in my life as we waited for Ella. My mom agreed that she has seen a change in me, which makes me happy. I want to be the best mother, daughter, wife, and friend that I can be--and I'm learning so much from loving Ella.
Today's blessing is the chance to buy a Christmas tree. Since we are always traveling to visit one set of parents or the other for Christmas, my husband and I have always skipped on the tree. But since we now have Ella, we want her first Christmas (and all subsequent holidays) to be special, so we're heading into town soon to purchase our first tree as a family.
*The rest of the pictures can be viewed here, then click on "View Your Pictures", then "Kids/Babies", then select the picture of Ella on the scale, and the password is simply "Ella". Special thanks to Georgia Gannon for the beautiful pictures!
Ella was 12 days old in these pictures. She was 8 weeks old yesterday on Thanksgiving. I have so much for which to be thankful. As is customary, we went around and said what we were thankful for. In addition to being thankful for Ella, I shared that I was also thankful for the work that God has done in my life as we waited for Ella. My mom agreed that she has seen a change in me, which makes me happy. I want to be the best mother, daughter, wife, and friend that I can be--and I'm learning so much from loving Ella.
Today's blessing is the chance to buy a Christmas tree. Since we are always traveling to visit one set of parents or the other for Christmas, my husband and I have always skipped on the tree. But since we now have Ella, we want her first Christmas (and all subsequent holidays) to be special, so we're heading into town soon to purchase our first tree as a family.
*The rest of the pictures can be viewed here, then click on "View Your Pictures", then "Kids/Babies", then select the picture of Ella on the scale, and the password is simply "Ella". Special thanks to Georgia Gannon for the beautiful pictures!
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