On the move!

This boy is all over the place now! I was pumping yesterday. I watched Wyatt army crawl (because he hasn't yet figured out that he can go forward on his hands and knees) around the side of the couch and out of my line of sight. So of course I had to turn the pump off and figure out what he was up to. Because every cord in the house looks like it needs to me wrestled and eaten ... NOW! Because the chihuahua is Wyatt sized and her ears are fun to pull and her eyes even more fun to poke. Because the carpet is coming up in front of the recliner and apparently Wyatt has taken up the art of carpet removal. Can some one teach him to mop or vacuum instead? Because people throw things towards the bathroom garbage can but make no effort to pick it up when they miss by a mile. So I turn off the pump and walk around the couch. Wyatt was in front of the bookcase playing with the movies on the bottom shelf. He had pulled one out. I informed him that he was far to young to watch Resident Evil and told him to get out of there. But instead of backing up are turning around he gets on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth. Then screams in anger when he cracks his head on the book shelf over and over again. *sigh* It is a good thing he is cute.

Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety has set in ... lucky me. Don't get me wrong I love snuggling the baby. But he wanted to be in my arms for large amounts of time yesterday. And if I wasn't snuggling him while sitting in the middle of a pile of laundry that I only got half folded and that he was wiping his nose on then I was chasing him around. He does not crawl yet but he does creep. He pulls himself around on his belly with his arms like some kind of tiny little zombie child. (He bites with that one little tooth so be careful) It gets him around and it gets him there pretty fast. And the Christmas tree is still up. I have been sick. He decided that his big brother's Christmas ornaments and the string of lights looked like fabulous things to chew on. With out the presents there to block him it was a free for all. My tree skirt is no longer under the tree. He pulled it out, rolled around in it and left it for dead in the middle of the living room. *sigh* Why are boys so messy?

6 months old

I am so far behind on blogging it is crazy. Wyatt and work have been keeping me so busy I just not had time to sit down and write. Which is sad because I love writing. So here is a quick update on my little baby boo!

Wyatt is 6 months old ... almost 7 months old now. He is rolling every where and creeps around the floor. It is not exactly crawling because he is on his belly not his knees. But he gets to anything he wants to get to and a whole lot that he isn't suppose to be getting to. I am so happy to see him playing with toys. I would be a little more happy if he wasn't launching them across the room half the time. Wyatt loves his jumparoo. He can jump and play with the toys on the tray for hours.

While Wyatt is still mostly just on milk he has started solid foods. He isn't the biggest fan but slowly he is accepting more and more food. Wyatt LOVES the mashed potatoes at one of our favorite restaurants. We usually run out before he gets full. I am looking forward to giving him finger foods soon. I think he will do well. Everything else ends up in his mouth. Why not a little food every now and then. I continue to pump breast milk for Wyatt but I do not make much. A bought of the flu recently made a bad situation worse. So I only pump a few ounces a day. It is very frustrating that my body is weaning long before I am ready to. But I am happy that I have given Wyatt almost 7 months of breast milk. Even if it is largely supplemented now with formula. I will continue to pump until my body gives up completely or Wyatt turns one year old. Which ever comes first.

We have had some rotten illnesses lately. It sucks pretty bad when Wyatt is sick. He just lays there and whines non stop. Very exhausting and frustrating. I wish I could explain to him that sleeping will make him better. Moaning at the top of his lungs not so much. But of course he doesn't understand that.

So we are doing well. Wyatt is growing and developing well. His weight is on the low end but Bryan was the same way. I am sure Wyatt will catch up too. Until his next appointment at 9 months I will just have to fatten the baby bear up.

Update on Wyatt's metabolic disorder

Ethan called and talked to the geneticist this morning. We have been waiting for several weeks for the test results from the skin sample (Wyatt's foreskin) that they were using to do more extensive testing. The blood tests that they were doing were not giving them a clear answer. The man who made the test for the newborn screening said Wyatt does not have VLCAD. But they wanted to do more testing. The tests came back negative. Wyatt MIGHT be a carrier of VLCAD like Ethan and I are. But he does not seem to have the disorder. The doctors of course still won't give us an absolute. I personally don't think they want to admit they were wrong. Wyatt appears to be healthy and maybe the newborn screening test was to sensitive and needs to be adjusted. I would never want another family to go through what we have been through.

The good news is we have been given the ok to treat Wyatt like a normal baby. I no longer have to wake him up to eat ever 4 hours at night! They still don't want him to go longer then 8 hours with out feeding. I can't imagine him going that long during the day at this age. And 8 hours straight at night would be a blessing! I can't wait to let Wyatt sleep as long as he wants! I am sure I will be nervous tonight and maybe not sleep so great. I have no idea how long Wyatt will actually sleep. He is so used to getting up every 4 hours to eat he might wake up on his own out of habit. But I broke the eating every 2 hours habit. So hopefully he will eventually start sleeping longer now that I can let him sleep. I look forward to being more rested!

Another perk is we no longer have to test his glucose. We were not doing it often. Only if we were worried about him or if he accidentally went longer then 4 hours with out eating. His blood sugars have been great. So the doctor gave us the ok to stop completely. Of course if we are worried that Wyatt is showing signs of low glucose we can still test him. If for no other reason then to make us feel better. But we don't HAVE to anymore.

The geneticist told us we still should be careful if he gets sick. Illness can be a trigger that could cause him to have some kind of metabolic disorder flare up and get really sick. If Wyatt is not keeping anything down or has not been able to eat for more then 8 hours we are suppose to call his office. He would prefer we call him instead of our family med doctor because he obviously knows more about metabolic disorders. He will instruct us where to go and what to do to help Wyatt. But he wants the ER to be our absolute last resort for Wyatt. He admitted that the ER handled Wyatt's situation HORRIBLY and Pediatrics wasn't much better. The Dr. does not want us to end up in the same miserable situation. So if Wyatt is sick enough to contact a doctor he wants to be that doctor. He will be available to us at all times. I trust him when he says that because he was when Wyatt was in the hospital. He called every 2 hours from his home all night long. He fought for us to go home with Wyatt when the other doctors wanted to keep him jacked up on glucose water. It is nice to know that we have some one in our corner.

The geneticist said he is having a conference this afternoon. There will be a bunch of doctors from the Mayo Clinic there to discuss Wyatt. It is weird to think there is an entire conference happening today because of our little Wy Wy. I hope that our story can teach other doctors and help any family that might some day be in our position. Hopefully they will never have to go through the hell we went through.

Thank you to every one for your prayers and positive thoughts. They truly helped Wyatt and got us through a tough time. I reaffirmed two truths. The power of prayer and the power of mother's milk are amazing and healing! Thank you!

2 months & 12 years

Bryan and Wyatt had their well child visits today. It went very well and both boys are healthy. They both had to have shots. No fun! And they both got weight and measured and poked and prodded. I am glad it is over and that they are both doing great.

Wyatt went first. He is 9 weeks old today. Wyatt weighed 11 pounds 3 ounces. He is 21 inches long and his head is 15 inches around. The doctor said he is short but gaining weight very well. That is a good sign considering we still do not know for sure what is going on with the metabolic disorder. Bryan was pretty short when he was little too. And look at him now! Wyatt is growing steadily and the doctor says that is more important then where he technically falls on the growth chart. All things I have heard before when Bryan was a baby but still nice to hear again for reassurance.

The doctor checked Wyatt over and said that every thing looked good. There is no longer a click in his hip. He has a swollen lymph node but it is no big deal. I asked him if he thought Wyatt's right testicle was descending yet. It has been hanging out pretty high but I knew it was there. He said that it was down. WHAT?! I told him it was not down when we left the house to come to the appointment. Well isn't that a nifty trick? The doctor laughed and told Wyatt he had pretty good timing! I swear they live to prove you wrong!

I asked about the reflux too. He said it was pretty normal in babies. He is not worried about Wyatt puking some of his feedings up as that is also pretty common. We should just continue to do the things we are doing (keeping him upright during and after feedings, burping him really well, the gas drops as needed) and he will out grown it very soon. Wyatt's digestive system should start maturing more in the next few weeks and the reflux will likely go away on it's own before we know it. I hope it is soon ... I am sick of getting puked on. LOL

I asked how long Wyatt can go with out pooping and the doctor said 5 or 6 days is not uncommon. We can try a little juice after a few days but otherwise don't worry about it. Being that Wyatt drinks breast milk only if his BMs become hard and pebble like then I should give him a call. But otherwise he should be good.

The doctor asked several questions about different milestones Wyatt should be meeting. He was doing them all which is always a relief. The doctor asked if Wyatt laughs yet. I said not really but I have heard him giggle a few times while he was asleep. He asked if Wyatt was smiling when he laughed and I said yes. The doctor said then that counts! Wyatt must have been having a really good dream. LOL He says that Wyatt should start doing it while awake in the next few weeks. But even him laughing in his sleep was a good sign. Good to know!

Bryan was up next and was fairly simple. He is 5 feet 1 inch tall and 140 pounds. That puts him in the 75% for height and 97% for weight. The doctor said while the percentages look a little scary he does not think Bryan is over weight in anyway . Because of his height it kind of counter balances his weight. Yes he is heavier then most kids his age but he is also a LOT taller then they are too. And visually he could see that Bryan is not at all over weight. So he felt there was no concern. Bryan has hit puberty a bit early and it shows in his measurements. It was hilarious to look back through his records and see how he was in the 8% for height and 23% for weight when he was 2 years old. 10 years later he is a moose! HA HA HA

I thought it was pretty funny to watch the doctor doing similar movements to check Bryan's hips as he does with Wyatt. Makes you realize just how long Bryan's legs have gotten. I always feel bad for the kid during the hernia check. The first look of terror comes when the doctor tells him to drop his shorts. Then again when he tells Bryan to turn his head and cough. LOL

The doctor asked him a bunch of questions. Does he play any sports? How much TV does he watch? How much time does he play video games? I mentioned that we live on a farm and that Bryan does help with the chores. The doctor was happy to hear that and said farm kids tend to be pretty active kids. So he was happy with that even though Bryan shows no interest in sports. I have a geek not a jock. I am fine with that. Especially since my geek could probably bench press most of the jocks his age ... he he he!

They both got shots. Bryan got 3 and barely flinched when he got his. He made it look far easier then it was for Wyatt. Poor baby! Wyatt also had 3 shots but boy howdy did he scream! The first one went in and he didn't react right away. You saw this slow realization of pain, his face turned red and then WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! The boy was NOT happy. The nurse said "And that was only the first one!" She rushed through the other 2 so I could pick him up to calm him down. I felt awful for the poor kid but also couldn't stop laughing. He would wail in this funny siren like increasing and then decreasing and then increasing again pattern. He was pretty ticked off for a while after that. I am glad he doesn't need any more shots until 4 months. I wonder if he will be more or less dramatic at that point. LOL

So the boys are good. Wyatt goes back again in 2 months and Bryan goes back in 6 months for a second dose of the Hep A vaccine. We are still waiting for more info on the VLCAD situation. There doesn't seem to be anything new in Wyatt's records and the geneticist has not called us back yet. So we will have to continue to make sure that Wyatt does not go past 4 hours with out eating. But then he wakes up every 3-4 hours anyway so it is not a stretch and not like I am waking a sleeping baby or anything. Hopefully we will know more soon. Hopefully it will be nothing and we can put that whole mess behind us soon.

6 week postpartum check up

I had my 6 week postpartum check up today. I can't believe it has already been 6 weeks! I remember when OB called my room in the maternity ward the day Wyatt was born. I could not believe they were already scheduling my check up. It seemed SO very far away. And now it is here and gone! LOL Time goes by crazy fast when you get no sleep. HA HA HA

Everything went very well. I brought Wyatt with me. The nurses oohed and aaaahed over him. One commented on how the 6 week check ups were always her favorite part because she got to see all the cute little babies. Wyatt of course would not be ignored. He ate while I waited for the midwife to come in. Wyatt "talked" during the entire exam. The midwife held him for me while I changed back into my clothes. As soon as we were done and started heading back to the car he passed out fast asleep. LOL Wyatt my little attention piggie! If you are willing to hold him and snuggle him then you will be his best friend.

They made me fill out a survey for postpartum depression. I must have passed because they never said another word about it. I was honest and admitted to the midwife that I still struggle with anxiety from time to time because of Wyatt's stay in pediatrics during his first week. She said that was perfectly normal considering what happened. As long as the anxiety was not keeping me from normal activities or allowing Wyatt to participate in normal activities then it was fine. But of course if it ever got to be to overwhelming then I should call them or Gyn or my regular doctor and let them know. I have my bad days of course and I am utterly exhausted most of the time. But over all I feel great and am very happy to have my little Wy Wy. So I think I am doing well.

My c-section incision has healed well. I still have a very small opening between my ab muscles right below my belly button. She said a few crunches every day should heal that up in no time. She did a pelvic exam and said my uterus is back to normal. During the pelvic exam she commented on how strong my stomach muscles were. She laughed about just telling me to do crunches every day and then having a little trouble finding my uterus through all my muscles. HA HA HA YEAH ME! My weight is down 25 pounds from my pre pregnancy weight. She was shocked to see that not only did I not gain any weight while pregnant but I am also skinner now then I was when I found out I was pregnant with him. That is always fun!

I have had some pain in my breasts. She checked them both for signs of infection or clogged milk ducts and found none. She thinks the pain is simply my breasts refilling with milk and should go away as my breasts adjust to being milk makers. That is a relief. I did not think I had any infection but was still worried about the pain. She praised me for being an exclusive pumper. That was wonderful to hear. Some people can be very judgmental about not breastfeeding even if you are pumping. She said it is easier to do one or the other. Either breastfeed or formula feed. But to pump AND bottle feed takes a lot of time and dedication. She said a lot of woman do not stick with it. I told her I was dead set on pumping for his first year and then feeding him from my freezer stash that I plan on building up until that is gone some time during his second year. She said that was a great idea and made me feel really good about my decision. It is nice to be complemented and recognized for your hard work sometimes.

I got the ok to return to my normal pre pregnancy life. I can lift and work and other fun past times. *wink* *wink* I loaded Wyatt back up into his car seat and we headed back out to my car. I got us all settled back in and was about to leave when I realized that I had forgotten to get my doctor note to return to work. Crap! So I unload and head back up to OB. I tell the nurse at the desk that I needed a note. She got a little snotty with me and acted like I had just asked her for a kidney. She also seemed very surprised that I needed a note. *shrugs* I didn't think that was an odd request but what do I know. The nurse said that all of the midwifes were in a staff meeting and I would be unable to get my note then. I could wait and come back later. Ummm ... no ... I am paying for parking as long as I am here. So I asked her if I could call back later with the HR fax number and have some one fax my note for me instead. Again she acted like I now needed her other kidney. UGH! So I guess that will be fine.

So everything is well. I don't have to go back to the doctor any time soon. The boys have check ups in August. But other then that it is life back to normal!

5 weeks old

Wyatt is now 5 weeks old! He is 9 pounds even and 20 1/2 inches long. He is doing well and getting so big already! I can't believe he has started to out grow his newborn clothes. I know that is a good thing. Especially since we are still waiting to find out the results of that final test for metabolic disorders of what ever kind me MIGHT have. It can't be bad since he is growing so well.

Wyatt has had some trouble with reflux. It can be kinda rough sometimes. He screamed this afternoon for I don't even know how long because his belly hurt. I did my best to get all the bubblies out and try and make him better. But it took a while and a lot of walking and patting and bouncing up and down to get enough of the gas out. Then he slept like an angel! We have been feeding him sitting up, keeping him sitting up for 30 minutes afterward, letting him sleep in his bouncy chair (it keeps him upright) and using gas drops when he gets really fussy like he did this afternoon. It all seems to be helping. Wyatt hasn't thrown up in days. The fussing is getting less and less and he is sleeping much better at night. WOOHOO! I can't wait for him to out grow this. I want to avoid prescription medications if we can. So far I think we will be able to.

Wyatt is developing well. He is holding his head up more and more. I don't put him on his belly us much as I should. But he does push up from my shoulder while burping him. When I do put him on his belly on the floor he tends to stick his butt in the air instead. LOL Wrong end buddy ... wrong end. Bryan was playing with him today while he was sitting in my lap. Wyatt was watching Bryan and was able to track Bryan's face from side to side several times. I was pretty impressed that not only was he able to focus on Bryan's face so well but to keep moving just his eyes back and forth over and over again. Good job little man!

Wyatt has always been a noisy baby. (As I write this he is laying in my lap groaning) He just "talks" a lot. Wyatt is always grunting and groaning and making this weird noise that reminds me of the T-rex from the Jurrasic Park movie. LOL He is just starting to coo during the last week. He only makes short little sounds. But he is starting to make them. That is good. This morning he made one of those short cooing sounds and I mimicked him. His eyes got big and he did it again. We will just have to keep talking to each other. I can't wait for the full on cooing. I remember how cute it was when Bryan did it. I can't wait!!!

I am still pumping breast milk. Wyatt will occasionally breast feed. It is getting more and more frequent. But he will only do it for a few minutes. Then he gets mad and screams until I give him the bottle. He does not have a lot of patience to wait for my milk to let down. So he quickly gets frustrated and fusses. He can be a bit opinionated so if he is fussy and my milk isn't letting down fast enough in his mind then all hell breaks loose and nursing is a bust. If I try early in the morning around 6 am when he is the most alert and calm then it works better. Also around 10 pm when he is settling down for the night. But other then that he just gets mad and refuses the breast. But I am pumping 3-4 times a day and making 30 ounces. That is enough to feed him every day and freeze a little bit. My pump is awesome and I can get it done in 15 minutes or so. I plan on continuing to pump breast milk and bottle feed Wyatt until he is a year old. 1 month down 11 months to go!

Everything is going well and Wyatt is great. I could not be more happy and feel more blessed. I am exhausted but totally in love with my little man. Being home with all my boys every day is amazing. There is nothing I love more then being a wife and a mother. An amazing dream come true.