Today we had LJ's first visit to the doctor. I was very excited...because I was going to be able to get out of the house! See, it has been raining here...pretty much non-stop, so I haven't been able to take LJ for a walk. I haven't even wanted to take him out in the car. When I say raining, I mean pouring. The lack of sunshine hasn't really helped my "baby blues" much. I still have one little crying bout a day, but I actually feel like myself while having it. Last week, I didn't really feel like myself. RJ and I have been going for car rides when he gets home from work. That is my brush with normalcy and it quiets LJ. Last night, we drove around town...got a milk shake from Dairy Queen (DQ is the only place to get a milk shake...all the other places mix their machines and you end up getting a strawberry flavored chocolate shake)...and listened to Laura Ingraham. It was nice. Then LJ was asleep. BUT, last night he wanted to eat every 2 hours throughout the night. Once we feed him for about 30-40 minutes...even if he goes right back to sleep...we are only getting about an hour of sleep at a time. That is tough. Unfortunately, I am not sleepy during the day time...until about 5:00 pm. It is all an adjustment.
Ok, back to the title of this post! So, our appointment was for 10:30 am. I tried to "top off" LJ right before we left. I overfilled him as he spit up! Ha! He sure looked surprised to get to eat when he hadn't asked for it. We were about 5 minutes late for the appointment, but had to fill out some paperwork anyway. At 11:15 we still hadn't been called back. So, I told them LJ was about 15 minutes past his eating time (RJ had him outside because he was crying) and they told us we could go back to the exam room. At 11:45 the doctor finally saw us. That was a crazy time to wait, but the doctor does take her time with her patients. LJ weighed 9# 7 oz. So, he is doing well! I think he left the hospital at 8# 10 oz, so he has gained back his weight and then some. He should...he eats enough! The problem is...when he eats he falls asleep, so he is a SLOW eater. And, he wants to eat every 2 hours during the day. The doctor says to try to go 2 1/2 hours between feedings...so he gets good and hungry...then he will not fall asleep (probably). So, RJ and I agreed (although, I know I'll use it before Richard will) that IF he is screaming fussy for a while (like 1/2 an hour) AND he is rooting around AND he has a while before his next feeding THEN we can give him a pacifier. We have not wanted to give him one because we don't want to trade this evil for another one. We don't want him to depend on the pacifier to calm him down or to get to sleep...then we'll just have to get up and put the pacifier in his mouth when he plops it out. But, I don't need to involve you in the struggle! Did your kids have pacifiers? Were they dependant on them? How did you "use" them? What was your experience?
After the doctor, RJ and I picked up some lunch. LJ was asleep by the time we got home and napped until his next feeding (a little over 2 and 1/2 hours thank you!). I fed him and then Mawmaw and I took him to Target. LJ slept the whole time and I felt like a real person out in the real world! Two outings in one day! LJ made it almost 3 hours to his next feeding...I fed him and he's been asleep ever since. Ok, yesterday, LJ didn't sleep more than 1-2 hours ALL DAY. Today he's barely been awake 1-2 hours ALL DAY. I'm hoping this doesn't mean he'll be up ALL NIGHT. Does how much a baby sleeps during the day influence how much they sleep at night? I figure there is no reason to wake a sleeping baby (unless they are sleeping through their feeding time) right?
Tomorrow, RJ gets off at noon. The new chancellor at school cancelled classes and closed the university at noon. Mawmaw leaves on Thanksgiving to go to my brother's and RJ, LJ, and I will have our first Thanksgiving as a family!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We wish you and your family many things for which to be thankful this year.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Sounds like you are getting the hang of being a Mommy, and that LJ is really thriving. He sure does look like Richard, especially in that picture at the bottom of the email you sent out, where he has a trace of a smile on his face. Happy Thankgsiving! (My niece Rebecca turns one year old on Thanksgiving Day!).
KK
Glad to hear LJ is gaining his weight!
To comment on your pacifier dilemma, Morgan did use
a pacifier but I was as reluctant as you, I did not
want her to become so dependant and then one day turn around to see a 5 year old sucking on a "passy". But it didn't turn out like that at all. Babies just like sucking and it satisfies them when they aren't hungry. I don't see anything wrong with it. I tend to think it's better than them finding their thumb, because you can't take away their thumb!
The only challenge is when it's time to ween them from it and for that I suggest going cold turkey! Morgan never really sucked her thumb and I do believe it is because she got enough sucking satisfaction and got through that stage with a pacifier.(and me, of course)
I didn't let her have it ALL the time, she didn't even want it when she was just playing and happy, and she didn't wake up when it fell out of her mouth, it just helped soothe her to sleep, and then after a feeding, kept her sucking till she fell asleep again.
It took about a week to get used to not having it(right around her 2nd birthday) and then she was fine!
My niece only used one until she was about 18 months, then she didn't really want it anymore.
...Hope that helps.
We are off to Lubbock tomorrow!
Have a wonderful family day on Thanksgiving!
love,
Amanda
OK, here is my pacifier comment. Annie uses one, and she is not dependent. I only give it to her when she is screaming because she is tired and cannot fall asleep. I use it about once a day, and she can totally fall asleep without it most of the time. Sometimes babies just want to suck, and they don't care if milk comes with it. It is also convenient for public fussiness. And, when it falls out of her mouth after she falls asleep she usually doesn't wake up.
Have a good holiday.
Love,
Chrissy
I tried a pacifier with Emma and she was into it until at 2 months she found her thumb and then it was ALL thumb! I gave it to Hanna too and she used it a little but was never that interested in it and so I gave up after a while. So neither one of the girls ever got attached to it, but I don't think there is anything wrong with them at all. Babies just like to suck and its soothing to them. Have a great Thanksgiving!! We are headed to Midland this afternoon.
Lena
Pacifier? Pacifier? We don't need no stinkin Pacifiers... Except for when the child is fussy in public. They seem to work better than attempting to suck on a lemon wedge at one of your finer eating establishments (you ought to see what happens when that lemon juice get's in their eye). Oh and I guess they come in handy when they won't accept sucking the back of your hand or the tip of your nose (and the back of the hand is not a reference to hitting them, my kids really did chew on my hand sometimes).
At what age should they be weaned from the pacifier? When they take it out to tell you that the phone is for you and then put it back in...
Big Bro
Alexandra never liked the pacifier, I tried very hard to give it to her, but she would spit it out every time. So to gett to the 2 1/2 hrs. between feedings I just lett her gett fussy and cry. It took her like 2 to 3 days to get used to it and then she would eather sleep the 2 1/2 hrs. or wake up and look arround (no crying) while she waited. So do not worry about it crying a little won´t hurt him and he will get used to the schedule very fast. (Do send me a picture of him because I have not seen one yet). Love Nora.
What, oh WHAT, would you do without the advice of Big Bro?!?!?!!?
Post a Comment