Saturday, January 12, 2013

We've been dealing with cradle cap and baby acne with Abigail, both of which we never dealt with on Olivia. I think the cradle cap is looking pretty good, but her poor acne!! At least I'm assuming that's what it is?? We've switched to Dreft detergent and Aveeno baby wash. It seems to be worse after she wakes up or if she's the least bit hot and sweaty. I pretty much just wash her face and leave it alone. I am just hoping its not some sort of allergic reaction.

I have felt like my milk supply is dwindling, but I think it's my breast pump. Abigail seems to be getting plenty (she's 8.5 lbs) but when I try to pump I don't hardly get anything. I even turned the vacuum and speed on high and still didn't. So, not sure what to do. My pump is only 5 years old. It's been very difficult to build up my frozen supply because of it which makes it hard to be away from Abigail for even a small while. Is it hard on their digestive system to switch between breast milk and formula. Not sure what to do.

Anyway, things are just really stressful around here lately. And now Olivia is complaining of a sore throat. Just praying for some relief soon.

Ryan

I just thought I'd update you all on my husband, Ryan. Ever since Abigail was born and Ryan had pneumonia, his breathing has gotten progressively worse. He has shortness of breath and his heart will race to 140 without exertion. He has left arm pain and feels like a band is across his chest. He is just not doing well at all. He has seen multiple doctors and has been to the emergency room. His oxygen saturation and blood pressure are fine. Today he had a pulmonary function test and failed miserably which points to some sort of possible lung disease. My husband has never smoked and other than mild asthma, has never had breathing difficulties before. After the pulmonary test, we saw another doctor who ordered a CT scan to definitively rule out a blood clot in his lungs. It was clear. Now they are wondering about problems with his heart and we see a cardiologist on Monday. So for now we wait as he gasps for each breath. My husband is unable to go into work and is not cleared to drive. He can't take the trash out or walk up stairs without almost passing out. I'd appreciate any prayers that we could get. It's challenging to deal with this while taking care of a newborn on little to no sleep. I'm starting to have trouble maintaining my milk supply. Not sure if stress is contributing to that?? Anyway, I will keep you updated.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Olivia is better and actually went to preschool this afternoon. She was so excited because they were going to learn about penguins and she was sure they'd get to make a penguin ( and they did.) I cannot say enough good things about her teacher and her preschool. What a blessing it has been and she has grown so much!!

I had a doctor's appointment today ( my 6 week post op) and had my cerclage removed. Boy, I thought it was like a thread, but it was more like a rope! Holy cow! Out of the 40 lbs that I gained, I only have 15 more lbs to lose. I have a feeling, though, they may stick with me for awhile. Then, we took Abigail into the doctor for suspected reflux. He thought that was the problem as well and prescribed some Zantac. She screams and arches her back and you can hear her swallowing it back down. Praying for some relief, because honestly I really need some sleep and her crying is breaking my heart! Olivia isn't as patient about it as Ryan and I because she doesn't understand. She starts screaming for Abigail to quit crying which really worsens the calm, relaxing atmosphere of the home that I was going for. Poor Abigail is also getting some bad baby acne, which I know is common but Olivia never had it! Experts say it's caused by hormones a baby receives at the end of the pregnancy. Maybe that's why Olivia never had it? And on top of that Abigail has cradle cap. It's not too bad on her head, but it's on her eyelids and eyebrows. :( So, the doctor recommended a shampoo called Sebulex that wouldn't burn her eyes quite as bad. She has, however, gained 2 lbs in the past month and is well over 8 lbs now. Yay! After continually worrying about Olivia's weight gain, I could use a chubby baby.

And, since I'm sure you all need some humor in your lives. . .here is a story that I'm sure I'll find humorous and ironic one of these days. I got a brand new comforter for Christmas and when Olivia had the flu, I took it off "just in case." Im glad I did because she threw up in her sleep all over the sheets and blanket. Last night I put it back on and my CAT threw up on it. Seriously???