Micah has found a new favorite past time....fake coughing. He has been doing it for a while now, and part of me knew it was fake, and the other part thought that maybe he just needed to clear his throat or something. But this morning, he proved to me that it is in fact a complete attention-getting maneuver, with the fact that he is now mimicking me when I fake cough back to him. Here is a video from this morning....
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Not producing :(
One of the scariest things about being a new parent is the huge responsibility of being in charge of another person's life. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually, Micah depends on Leon and me for his needs to be met all day, every day. But in order for Micah to get what he needs from me emotionally, I need to make sure that I myself am emotionally sound. Same with spirituality...if Micah even has a prayer of getting any spiritual modeling, I have to be in a good place spiritually.
Well, recently (and while I realize that some people aren't really interested in talking about this subject, I made a commitment to be real, and this is a real part of my life, so I have to talk about it...) I have had a problem meeting one of Micah's basic needs. I am not producing much breastmilk anymore, and therefore feel like I am not giving him one of the basic of things that he needs right now.
I know many people will argue that there is always formula, and that though it is proven that breastmilk is in fact the best thing for babies, formula is not a bad thing, and I am not a bad mother for having to use breastmilk right now. But my own personal goal was to keep Micah on breastmilk until he switched to regular milk just because I want what is healthiest for my baby, with no exception. I do not think formula is inherently bad, nor do I think that mothers who make a decision to use formula are not doing what is best for their babies. But personally, I had a goal that I set for myself and my child, and it looks like I am not going to live up to that goal, and that is where my frustration lies.
I have tried all-natural fenugreek seeds (which Leon researched and found for me), I am eating and drinking lots of water, I am getting plenty of rest, and still nothing. I admit I am under some stress right now, dealing with our dog Coco's brain tumor and all that, but I cannot figure out what to do. And beating myself up over it isn't helping me one bit.
So I pose two questions...first of all, if anyone who is reading this has gone through the same thing and has found something that worked for them, what was it?? I am willing to try anything at this point! And secondly, if in fact nothing can be done, and I just have to accept my fate as an unwilling formula convert, how do I change my frame of mind to not think of myself as a terrible mother every time I have to mix up a bottle for Micah?
Well, recently (and while I realize that some people aren't really interested in talking about this subject, I made a commitment to be real, and this is a real part of my life, so I have to talk about it...) I have had a problem meeting one of Micah's basic needs. I am not producing much breastmilk anymore, and therefore feel like I am not giving him one of the basic of things that he needs right now.
I know many people will argue that there is always formula, and that though it is proven that breastmilk is in fact the best thing for babies, formula is not a bad thing, and I am not a bad mother for having to use breastmilk right now. But my own personal goal was to keep Micah on breastmilk until he switched to regular milk just because I want what is healthiest for my baby, with no exception. I do not think formula is inherently bad, nor do I think that mothers who make a decision to use formula are not doing what is best for their babies. But personally, I had a goal that I set for myself and my child, and it looks like I am not going to live up to that goal, and that is where my frustration lies.
I have tried all-natural fenugreek seeds (which Leon researched and found for me), I am eating and drinking lots of water, I am getting plenty of rest, and still nothing. I admit I am under some stress right now, dealing with our dog Coco's brain tumor and all that, but I cannot figure out what to do. And beating myself up over it isn't helping me one bit.
So I pose two questions...first of all, if anyone who is reading this has gone through the same thing and has found something that worked for them, what was it?? I am willing to try anything at this point! And secondly, if in fact nothing can be done, and I just have to accept my fate as an unwilling formula convert, how do I change my frame of mind to not think of myself as a terrible mother every time I have to mix up a bottle for Micah?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Micah's 2 month pictures
Here are some of Micah's 2 month pictures. The rest are on my Facebook, but here is just a little peek at our cutie! 3 month pics are coming soon.....
Monday, September 13, 2010
Our little rock star
We took this video a couple weeks ago, but Micah has recently developed a love of singing with his dad. I think we have a little musician on our hands!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The horror of public restroom changing tables!
The other day I did something I swore my whole entire life I would NEVER do....I used the little changing table thingy in a public restroom!
*pause for reaction*
Those of you who know me, and are well aware of the fact that I rarely use public restrooms myself, will appreciate this story all the more. And for those of you who do not know me all that well, I will take this time to give you a little insight into my somewhat neurotic personality (and I use the word "somewhat" loosely)...
In a nutshell, I am a complete germophobe. I am a freak about hand sanitizer (and especially since Micah was born), insanely long road trips and emergencies are the only things that can even make me enter a public restroom. I grew up never wanting to smell like "outside," or get dirty. And when I go to the restroom, I am that weird person who never touches anything (faucet, door handle, etc.), except with a dry paper towel....literally, I am a freak about germs.
And yet, I found myself at Chuy's hatch chili festival....
(we had a photo op in the "Peace, Love and Green Chilis" picture board)
...having fun with a bunch of our friends, when all of a sudden Micah decided to have a dirty diaper right in the middle of our happy hour! (The nerve!)
I was in a bind. I could go all the way out to the car, suffer heat exhaustion, and bend Micah in weird ways because he is too big to be changed on the seat anymore, or I could slip into the bathroom that is 10 feet away, and change him really quickly. So I traipsed into the bathroom, Micah and diaper bag in hand, and attempted to make a nasty changing table a germ-free diaper change for the both of us.
I wouldn't set the diaper bag down because of all the nastiness that would get on it, so I kept it on my shoulder the whole time. I of course didn't want to just set Micah down on the changer, so I got my little foldable changing pad out of the bag. And I didn't want to just set the changing pad down on the nasty public changer, so I had the brilliant idea to douse the changer in hand sanitizer, and wipe down every edge, crack and crevice with a couple paper towels. It already started to look and smell cleaner. I put the pad down, put Micah down, and changed his dirty diaper, realizing that I have a new irrational fear that I never would have known I have without this experience...that the changer will break and fall to the ground, taking Micah with it...so when I say I changed his diaper, I mean that I did it on one foot, with my other knee supporting it from underneath, all the while keeping his hands (and mine) from touching anything else in that restroom. And the act of washing my hands with an infant in my arms is in itself worthy of another blog post altogether!
It was definitely an experience. But I did it, Micah survived and doesn't seem to be sick from all the nastiness, and I was able to return to happy hour virtually unscathed. Do I want to do it again? Of course not! But do I feel like a strong, super-mommy for making it as germ-free as is humanly possible? You bet ya!
*pause for reaction*
Those of you who know me, and are well aware of the fact that I rarely use public restrooms myself, will appreciate this story all the more. And for those of you who do not know me all that well, I will take this time to give you a little insight into my somewhat neurotic personality (and I use the word "somewhat" loosely)...
In a nutshell, I am a complete germophobe. I am a freak about hand sanitizer (and especially since Micah was born), insanely long road trips and emergencies are the only things that can even make me enter a public restroom. I grew up never wanting to smell like "outside," or get dirty. And when I go to the restroom, I am that weird person who never touches anything (faucet, door handle, etc.), except with a dry paper towel....literally, I am a freak about germs.
And yet, I found myself at Chuy's hatch chili festival....
...having fun with a bunch of our friends, when all of a sudden Micah decided to have a dirty diaper right in the middle of our happy hour! (The nerve!)
I was in a bind. I could go all the way out to the car, suffer heat exhaustion, and bend Micah in weird ways because he is too big to be changed on the seat anymore, or I could slip into the bathroom that is 10 feet away, and change him really quickly. So I traipsed into the bathroom, Micah and diaper bag in hand, and attempted to make a nasty changing table a germ-free diaper change for the both of us.
I wouldn't set the diaper bag down because of all the nastiness that would get on it, so I kept it on my shoulder the whole time. I of course didn't want to just set Micah down on the changer, so I got my little foldable changing pad out of the bag. And I didn't want to just set the changing pad down on the nasty public changer, so I had the brilliant idea to douse the changer in hand sanitizer, and wipe down every edge, crack and crevice with a couple paper towels. It already started to look and smell cleaner. I put the pad down, put Micah down, and changed his dirty diaper, realizing that I have a new irrational fear that I never would have known I have without this experience...that the changer will break and fall to the ground, taking Micah with it...so when I say I changed his diaper, I mean that I did it on one foot, with my other knee supporting it from underneath, all the while keeping his hands (and mine) from touching anything else in that restroom. And the act of washing my hands with an infant in my arms is in itself worthy of another blog post altogether!
It was definitely an experience. But I did it, Micah survived and doesn't seem to be sick from all the nastiness, and I was able to return to happy hour virtually unscathed. Do I want to do it again? Of course not! But do I feel like a strong, super-mommy for making it as germ-free as is humanly possible? You bet ya!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Micah is 3!
3 months that is! Today our baby has officially crossed into the 3 month zone, and I still find myself in awe that he has been here for 3 months already. On one hand, it feels like we just got home from the hospital, and on the other hand, it feels like I cannot even remember life without him. The greatest joy (and also the saddest thing) of mommyhood is watching your baby turn into a little man with every passing day.
Last week, he woke up one day and it was just like he said to himself "today is the day I will start cooing." He just started really cooing all the time, and everyday since then, he has cooed and cooed and talked, and sang all day, and Leon and I are completely mesmerized by him (not that we weren't already).
Then just yesterday, we had a big diaper blowout in the car on the way to the lake, and I had to change his diaper in the front seat of the car, which was pretty awkward. And when I didn't have enough space to change his clothes without bending his neck weirdly against the seat, I just stood him up, leaned him against the back of the seat, and he just stood there while I changed his clothes.
He is now eating rice cereal like a champ (which according to pediatricians today, he shouldn't start that until 6 months now....but I cheated because he was so big, just to see how he would handle it, and it was a breeze!), and can hold his own bottle for a little while...
oops, I mean this bottle....
He sits really well all by himself in his bumbo seat,
we just switched the baby swing out for the exersaucer, which he loves,
and he constantly chews on his fingers now that he has discovered them.
All in all, I would say he is probably the best 3 month old anyone could have ever ask for! :) So today, on September 4, 2010, I want to wish my cute precious amazing baby boy a very happy 3 month birthday!!! We love you, Micah!
Last week, he woke up one day and it was just like he said to himself "today is the day I will start cooing." He just started really cooing all the time, and everyday since then, he has cooed and cooed and talked, and sang all day, and Leon and I are completely mesmerized by him (not that we weren't already).
Then just yesterday, we had a big diaper blowout in the car on the way to the lake, and I had to change his diaper in the front seat of the car, which was pretty awkward. And when I didn't have enough space to change his clothes without bending his neck weirdly against the seat, I just stood him up, leaned him against the back of the seat, and he just stood there while I changed his clothes.
He is now eating rice cereal like a champ (which according to pediatricians today, he shouldn't start that until 6 months now....but I cheated because he was so big, just to see how he would handle it, and it was a breeze!), and can hold his own bottle for a little while...
oops, I mean this bottle....
He sits really well all by himself in his bumbo seat,
we just switched the baby swing out for the exersaucer, which he loves,
and he constantly chews on his fingers now that he has discovered them.
All in all, I would say he is probably the best 3 month old anyone could have ever ask for! :) So today, on September 4, 2010, I want to wish my cute precious amazing baby boy a very happy 3 month birthday!!! We love you, Micah!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Poor Baby Coco
Just thought I should update everyone on how our sweet little baby dog, Coco is doing. Over the past couple months, we have noticed a crazy change in her behavior. Those of you who know her, know that she is a crazy, high-energy little morkie. She plays with dogs 10 times her size, pesters everyone, and runs at the speed of light. But lately she had been real low on energy, not wanting to play, and has random shakes and tremors. Her head shakes when she just sits still, she loses balance really easily, and she just wants to cuddle up next to you and do nothing.
So, we took her to the vet, they didn't know what was wrong with her, and referred us to a doggie neurologist. In lieu of the $3000 MRI they wanted to do, we opted just for the exam which was quite a bit cheaper. The doctor said she thinks it is either encephalitis or a brain tumor, with the more likely diagnosis being a brain tumor, given how quickly her symptoms have progressed. The good thing is that both options are treated with the same drugs...steroids. So that is what we are currently doing....giving her steroids, and we will go back to the neurologist in a few weeks and see how she is doing.
We will never fully know what it is without the MRI, but the doctor is pretty confident that she has a good idea what it is. And as of today, Coco has been on the steroids for about 2 days, and I am already seeing an improvement in her symptoms. All we can do from here is see how she does on the treatment. Thankfully, she is not in any pain, and the minute she starts to be in pain, we will have to have some difficult conversations on what to do about her.
I happen to be one of those people who thinks that we will see our little animals in Heaven, so if you feel the urge, pray for our little baby Coco, and definitely for us as we think about some things we never wanted to think about when it comes to our little baby dog!
So in honor of Coco, here is a cute little video of her when she was healthy. This is what she does when she thinks she is in trouble:
So, we took her to the vet, they didn't know what was wrong with her, and referred us to a doggie neurologist. In lieu of the $3000 MRI they wanted to do, we opted just for the exam which was quite a bit cheaper. The doctor said she thinks it is either encephalitis or a brain tumor, with the more likely diagnosis being a brain tumor, given how quickly her symptoms have progressed. The good thing is that both options are treated with the same drugs...steroids. So that is what we are currently doing....giving her steroids, and we will go back to the neurologist in a few weeks and see how she is doing.
We will never fully know what it is without the MRI, but the doctor is pretty confident that she has a good idea what it is. And as of today, Coco has been on the steroids for about 2 days, and I am already seeing an improvement in her symptoms. All we can do from here is see how she does on the treatment. Thankfully, she is not in any pain, and the minute she starts to be in pain, we will have to have some difficult conversations on what to do about her.
I happen to be one of those people who thinks that we will see our little animals in Heaven, so if you feel the urge, pray for our little baby Coco, and definitely for us as we think about some things we never wanted to think about when it comes to our little baby dog!
So in honor of Coco, here is a cute little video of her when she was healthy. This is what she does when she thinks she is in trouble:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)