From our Lil Punkin head!
Monthly Archive for October, 2004
This passed week Gavi had another trip to the Pediatrician. Our poor little GaGooGa Bear has a yeast infection in his, um, diaper area. It started with a few blisters when we switched him from Swaddlers to Luvs (which are shitty diapers). From there it developed into a messy rash. The rash started to clear up with A&D ointment. But it got worst. I felt like a horrible parent. I swear I change his diaper all the time. I blame John, yeah, that seems fair. So now he is on Nystatin ointment, hydrocortisone cream, and A&D ointment. We have to change his diapers anytime he pees. Slowly it is clearing up, and I see fussy free diaper changes in the future. But it still made me feel like shit that this has happened.
To add to the above, Gavi-GaGooGa along with the parents, are sick as dogs. A cold has hit our house, and we are all miserable. Gavi is so congested, he sounds like a 700lb walrus when he breaths, poor guy. We have been giving him saline drops like his pediatrician suggested, along with a dose of “Little Coldsâ€, and of course bulb syringing the hell outta the poor kid. It’s so hard having a sick little GaGooGa. Okay it’s not really hard on him, just on me. He is acting as if nothing is going on. In fact he is a bit sleepier then usually, which just makes things more pleasant. I on the other hand, am a paranoid mess and think he is dying every time he breathes. It’s so scary, he’s so little! John is sure he’ll live, and has to give me words of reassurance every time I want to rush him to the ER. I think his Pediatrician is going to get so sick of hearing from me soon enough.
Mommy and Daddy are sick too. My throat is incredibly sore, my nose is drippy, and the rest of my body feels like it has been hit by a car. I need drugs, but I am too sick to go get any. John’s been complaining or a runny nose and stuffy head too. It royally sucks getting sick when you’re a parent, because there are NO sick days. Not to mention it sucks to have to survive a cold on little to no sleep. This reminds me that I need to set my clock back in a few minutes here. In the past, setting my clock back would excite the hell out of me, I mean one extra hour of sleep, Yum! However, now that GaGooGa is here, there is no such thing as an extra hour of sleep. In fact there is no such thing as sleep. I mean he is a GREAT sleeper. But 8 hours of interrupted sleep is not nearly as good as 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
So its fun times here in the Grotegut household. I hope we can all get over this really fast, because I am not interested in spending the next week miserable. And certainly I don’t want my little man feeling bad.
With all that bitching said and done…isn’t my kid cute? Seriously, I never imagined this level of cuteness. He’s just this butterball of delicious irresistibility.
I, Gavi, and John had the opportunity to go Trick or Treating today at my office. And of course Gavi was a hit! It was so fun dressing him up. His costume is supposed to be a cow (that is what it was advertised as on eBay), but he looks more like a little Panda Bear. So I am finding a middle ground and just calling him a bear. His costume is 5x too big for him, but I still made him wear it. I think he is adorable.
Trick or treating is a lot of work. I was getting quite a few judgmental stares as I was collecting candy for my 5 week old baby (by the way HAPPY 5 week birthday Gavi-GaGooGa). But come on, the number one reason I wanted a child was so I could eat their Halloween candy. It’s a parents God given right to be entitled to at least one third of their child’s Halloween candy. There should be a law set up for that. I give you life; you give me some Halloween candy once a year. It seems like a fair enough trade. Of course in this case, we get all the candy, and boy did we get a lot. I have been engorging myself since I got home, mmmm, candy. I can already feel those 50lbs starting to float back onto my thighs and ass. Ah well, it’s that time of year, and I feel entitled.
We had a blast though! It was a lot of fun showing off Gavi to all my co-workers. They all thought he was the cutest thing ever (which he is). He slept the entire time we were there. But man was he cute. I just wanted to swallow his fuzzy little body whole. What a cute little bear we made.
Click below for the album I created of all the trick or treating pictures…..
PS….Groucho got that little mouse today. We came home and he was throwing his kill around like it was a soccer ball. It was disgusting. I spent an hour sanatizing the house. But I am so glad that he got it though.
Today John and I discovered we have a mouse under our cabninets. It scared the shit out of me. I hate those little disgusting disease bags. John took off the bottom sliding drawer from the stove to get a better look. I decided we needed to set a mouse trap, and so we did:
His name is Groucho, and he takes his job very seriously:
This mouse has either got to be very brave, or really stupid ot take up camp in a house with two cats. Than again we have two of the fatest and laziest cats ever. I really hope they catch him.
I switched Gavi to Soy formula yesterday, and what a difference it has made. He is a new baby! I had a feeling that something wasn’t right with him the last few weeks. He was spitting up frequently (I’m talking sour milk smelling vomit at least 10x day), gassy, had a bad blistered diaper rash, and he was congested (spitting up mucus). His peditrician didn’t seem to think it was reflux. So I searched the internet, and these are symptoms of lactose intolerance. So yesterday afternoon I took the initiative and headed to Wal-mart for some Isomil made by Similac. According to their advertising, they guarantee a less fussy, gassy, spitty baby in three days. Well it’s only been one day and I already see a huge difference. He still spits up some, but not as often or as much as he was. I imagine that his spit up will lessen over the next few days too.
It’s so nice not to be afraid to feed him. Before I was scared to feed him because he would engorge himself, and then spit it all back up and be hungry again. So we started feeding him one ounce at a time, what a pain that was. Now he can eat 4-5oz and only spit a little back up, and he seems so satisfied. Also his blistered diaper rash (which the pediatrician told me was from his diapers, so we switched brands, and then switched back because it wasn’t helping) is now almost gone. I think maybe in part to the fact that I switched from Aveeno ointment to A&D. Did I mention he is less gassy and congested sounding too? This is after only 24 hours. I am hoping he will be 100% by day three, I am just so excited.
Okay I have to brag and say that I am finally getting pretty good at this mom stuff. It made me so excited that I actually remedied a situation and made him feel better. Way to go me! I am also getting really good at recognizing what cry belongs with what problem. He has a cry when he is hungry, another for poopy, and another for sleepy. This morning John decided to let me sleep some more, so I moved down to the couch. Well I had just fallen asleep when I heard Gavin screaming. I figured John was changing his diaper. But he cried for quite awhile. So it made me think John might be dead because that is so unlike Gavin. About five minutes later John came down and told me he couldn’t get him to stop crying. As soon as he handed him to me he stopped crying. WOW! This made me feel like a million bucks. Of course I wouldn’t let John live down the fact that I am Gavi’s favorite (okay I am a horrible bitch, but come on he prefers me!). Motherhood is awesomely rewarding.
Today you are one month old. When and how did this happen? It truly feels like yesterday that we meet for the first time and I fell in love with you, and at the same time, it feels like you have always been here. Over the past month we have had our share of ups and downs. It hasn’t always been cake and ice cream. But overall I think we have made excellent progress. Sure, we are still adjusting to one another. There are a lot of things we will have to learn to live with. You hate when I eat over you and crumbs fall, and I am not found that when I change your diaper and you pee all over me. Not to mention the pooping. Seriously, do you have to start pooping during every diaper change?
You are growing too fast for my liking. Today I tried to put on the outfit we brought you home in the hospital in. It was a size “preemieâ€, and it was incredibly tight on you, which makes sense. I guess I have been in complete denial that you are getting bigger. It’s obvious though. Your head is gigantic, if you could walk, you would topple over from its weight. Your cheeks are filling in, and you’re also getting chubby thighs; it looks like you have two vaginas on each leg. This I am excited about. There is really nothing more deliciously adorable than fat baby thighs. I am going to be sad when you are no longer my Shrimps.
You are very aware of your surroundings now. You’ve exhibited excitement over your hands this passed week. You hold them up above your head and just stare at them with this look on your face that says “Holy shit, where did these come fromâ€? Lately you have started to recognize me. When you wake up after a nap and you are sad, as soon as I pick you up and you look at me you will instantly stop crying. Wow does that make me feel so good. Today I was making you listen to my version of Baby Beluga entitled “Gavi-GaGooGaâ€, when all of a sudden you looked right at me and made the cutest cooing noise. I can’t believe you cooed. You cooed for Christ sakes, do you know how exciting that is? Well it’s pretty damn exciting. It’s like all these weeks of not sleeping have finally paid off.
Slowly you are becoming more independent, as funny as that sounds. You don’t need me to hold you as often as you used to. You have become content with sitting in your bouncer vibrating, or swinging. Not to mention you have started exhibiting mobility. I didn’t realize that four-week-old babies had mobility. But you defy the odds. You are constantly trying to roll yourself over, you hate being flat on your back. This makes it hard to change you. You squirm all over the place, and then of course baptize me with your lovely hose. You are evil when it comes to the peeing-on-whoever-you-can factor, most of the time it is Mommy who gets the brunt of your soakings.
You are getting the hang of this sleeping thing. I am getting more sleep now then I was when I was pregnant. You now go to bed around 6pm and wake up only about four times until 7:30am. But it’s not that you are really awake, you just start grunting. If I can put the bottle in your mouth before you open your eyes, you’ll fall asleep again after you get your fill. You’ll then pass out with a milk ring around your lips and your tongue halfway out of your mouth. Honestly, you look passed out after a heavy night of drinking. You need to stay off the sauce son. You will usually fall back to sleep around 9:30 and sleep until 1:30, this is Mommy’s nap time too. Mommy has to have naps.
Your personality is devolving more and more every day. It astounds me that you are so small, and yet such a character. You keep me laughing all day, it’s so wonderful. When you become upset because you are hungry, okay hungry is an understatement, starving is better word, you’ll throw a fit until that bottle is in your mouth. And even when it is, you will still complain in between aggravated sucks. You are the most alert baby I have ever met. Your eyes are constantly fixated on something.
It’s been a wonderful month with you Gavi-GaGooGa. Yeah I am tired of smelling like spit up, but I fall more in love with you everyday. I actually get excited to wake up with you and see your cute little face. There are a lot of things I feel like I should apologize to over. I am sorry that sometimes I get frustrated with you when you wake up at night. I’m sorry that George Bush is ahead in the polls. I’m sorry Daddy always accidentally pokes you in the eye with the bottle. Okay, I’m sorry for poking you in the eye with the bottle too. I’m so sorry for making you watch “The Nanny†reruns on Lifetime with me every morning. I’m sorry for bath time; diaper changes, your diaper rash, and making you endure a wardrobe change twice a day. Most of all I am sorry for thinking it was cute to make you dance around to “The Stripper Song†until you spit up all over me. I will try to improve, but no promises.
Click below for a cute little video of Gavi. Sorry the quality is poor, It was dark.
Gavi is asleep in his swing right now. It’s so nice to have a moment to myself. I appreciate everyone’s comments to my rough time. It’s so nice to know that what I am going through is normal. I really thought there would be a lot of judgmental individuals that would call me a bad mom. So I really love that you were all supportive. I think right now I am a good enough Mom and that is all I can really be.
Monday I visited with my family doctors. He started me on an antidepressant called Lexapro. I am basically sampling it to see how it goes. I have a hard time adjusting to antidepressants. So far no ill effects! My BP was 156/110 at the visit. This is while I was taking the blood pressure medication. Dr. Joe started me on a new blood pressure medication called Tarka. I can’t take it if I nurse, so I am feeling a lot less guilty about giving up. I guess I would have had to give it up anyway.
I had lab work done too. They checked my heart enzyme; it is within normal range, as is my iron. So we are back to the drawing board as to why I am so sick. I am going to meet with an Internist to have more extensive testing. At this point we feel like it may be my lungs. When I was admitted into the hospital I had water in the lining of my lungs that was never addressed. I am guessing that is why I am having trouble breathing. Either that or I have a damaged heart after all. Best case scenario is that it will turn out to be nothing. That is what I am hoping for. Realistically I know there has to be something wrong. I know have blurred vision and I am even more weak. It doesn’t help that I am getting migraines from the blood pressure medication. I am just miserable!
It’s starting to affect Gavin too. John has been watching Gavi at night for me. This morning he brought him upstairs so I could take over. Well I was too sick to even lift my head off the pillow. Well John left him and went downstairs to sleep. I somehow managed to get out of bed and go downstairs. I had to have John go and get the baby because I was feeling so dizzy I was afraid I would drop him. It’s scary! I hate that it is affecting me so badly. I feel so feeble. I want to go back to feeling normal again. I am more miserable now than I have ever been in my entire life. I really wish someone would just find out what is wrong with me. It’s not normal to be 22 years old and have all these problems.
Well Gavi is awake now but I have to mention one funny thing. We went and picked up my medical records today. They included my C-section. Anyway in the dictations they have to list a “Medical Finding” well my medical finding from my c-section was listed as the following:
Finding:
Healthy term infant male, 6lbs 3oz 19 1/2 inches, apgars 9 & 9
Holy shit! That is quite the find. Who knew that when the sliced me open that there would be a baby inside?
I’d like to welcome Lauren to the world! Leslie over at the Frisbeeflingers had her little LB over the weekend! Lauren Brin was born Sunday (I believe) 8lbs 5oz and 21 inches. I am told she is drop dead gorgeous (which I don’t doubt)! So everyone be sure to go over and congratulate Leslie and Bob, they have been through so much to bring this little girl into the world!
Here is a link to all of Gavin’s Birth Photos….
Ignore how swollen I look, I was hanging on to 50lbs of water. I promise I am not that grossly fat in real life.
