Week 5 - Growing Pains

Day 25: Growing Pains

Fun Fact: She doesn't fit either of these anymore..

Our darling daughter has gained over two pounds in her, as yet, brief stint here in what we call Life.  She passed the 10 lb marker last Monday, and four days later rang in at 10 lb 4 oz! 

While, an ounce a day means I'm already resorting the clothes in her drawers, the doctors are quite pleased.

The only problem seems to be this nasty thing call "reflux."  Which in adults is: heart burn, possibly ulcers and a general adjustment to diet plus medication.

In infants, it means: pain, projectile vomiting and really evil medication.  She hasn't turned quite as red as she did during her first shots, but the arching back and pained cries might be worse given their frequency and duration.

And so what do we do?  Try everything.  First suggestion from one doctor: hold her upright during feeds, hold her upright after feeds, and give her mattress an incline.  While she is quite content in her now-slanted bassinet, daytime finds her fussy unless somehow resting on me.  As much as I'd love to be her mattress for 10 hours a day, the dishes and laundry need me, too.  So we find ourselves strapped together via Ergo while she snores and I scrub.

Okay, keep her upright?  Check.  Next, try eliminating possible foods that exacerbate it.  First potential culprit?  Milk protein. (i.e. all dairy)

So we went through all my snacks and rounded up a large shopping bag of things I can no longer eat...

Day 20: Sacrifice


Honestly.  We really need to talk about how many things contain dairy.  Poptarts, muffins, oatmeal, muddy buddies, granola bars, cereal, ... So much of my diet apparently relied on my dear friends butter and milk.  And let us not forget my beloved cheese.

Lastly, our primary pediatrician wrote a prescription for Zantac, which smells like menthol and apparently tastes like death.  So she spends five minutes twice a day red faced and determined to spit out the offensive liquid while I calmly repeat "swallow, swallow" and massage her throat.  The Otter has an impressive innate ability to keep a liquid from going down her through and cry at the same time, but mama has had nearly 30 more years' worth of stubbornness and (usually) wins.  She looks like she hate me during them, but those ten minutes are worth the other more peaceful and restful 1,430 minutes.

Thankfully she will grow out of this, too.

Feb 26: Morning Cuddles


Feb 26 (alt): Baby Headlock


Feb 27: Good Morning


Feb 28: Tummy Time


Mar 1: Keeping Warm

Mar 2: Grandparents