reflux update

Acid reflux is just awful. I'm restless pretty much all the time. In the past week, I've only gotten worse. I started gagging and actually vomitting up mucous several time after each feeding. This is not just spit up either! This started about 3 weeks after I came home from the hospital and I was "officially" diagnosed about a month ago. My mom has taken an extended leave from work to take care of me. The drs. said that my reflux would probably get worse around 4 months old and they were right! We've done it all...elevate my head at all times, hold me in a vertical position 30 min. after each feed, hypoallergenic formula, thickening my formula with rice cereal, Dr. Brown's bottles, a feeding specialist, burping after each ounce, Zantac and now Previcid, a stay in the Children's Hospital, an apnea monitor and several hours of lost sleep and changes of clothes, a local support group so my mom can relate with other moms and possibly learn more, 2 pediatricians, a pulminologist and several calls and visits to them both. We are greatful to be headed to a pediatric gastrologist on Monday, in hopes of finding more answers. They say with the right dosage and mix of medicines, I should feel much better but we're just not there yet. My mom has become an internet junkie in search for answers at all hours of the night. Thank goodness for the internet! She actually found something, crossing our fingers, that seems to be making me feel better...at least in the last 24 hrs. Everyone on the message boards was talking about gripe water a natural rememdy for colic and reflux. It has fennel, caraway, peppermint, chamomile, ginger and aloe in it and is supposed to settle my stomach and relieve my gas and hiccups. After my first dose, I became a chatter box, cooing and laughing away. My parents were suprised as they rarely see this side of me. Maybe its coincidence, but we'll try anything at this point! Lets keep our fingers crossed that this is my miracle drug!

smile pretty

Here I am smiling away. You can't see my dimples in this picture but I do have them.

He thinks I'm cute:)

Wow..it's been a busy week! We started out the week with celebrating my mom and dad's first wedding anniversary. We had lunch at Maggiano's where my mom and dad had their wedding reception. Then my mom took me to her work to show me off. She had a meeting with her boss, and I listened while sucking on my pacifier. Then, on Wed. I turned 3 months old and saw Santa for the first time. My cousin, Lily, and I had our pictures taken with Santa. I had a fun time visiting with my cousins and my great aunt Sue and great uncle John Motzer who were in town visiting for Thanksgiving. On Thurs., my mom, dad, uncle Kyle, my dogs and I left town for FL. FL is where my Ree and Pop live (my grandparents). Our car was packed full! I was pretty good on the trip. My uncle Kyle only had to use his ear plugs a few times while I cried. My first Thanksgiving day was fun. I met my great uncle Jimmy, great aunt Barbara, cousin Heather and my Mimi (great grandma) for the first time. They enjoyed holding me. My stay in FL has been fun so far. I've met a lot of new friends! Here I am with my new friend Landon. He is so cute!! My daddy and his daddy are good friends. He lives in TX and was visiting his grandparents for Thanksgiving too. The other picture is of me enjoying my bath in my grandparent's sink. We will return home on Sunday. I hope that everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!

great news!

Last night I slept from 9:30PM until 5:30 this morning...yea!!!!!!! We tried something new last night. I slept upright in my bouncy seat and my bouncy seat was in my crib. I was all strapped in but slept much better sitting almost straight up. I didn't gag, choke or cough once! I hope this continues!!!

weight update

It's is raining cats and dogs today! My mom and I ventured to my pediatrician for a weight check. I now weigh 11 lbs, 3 oz. So, no issues gaining weight here! I'm starting to look like a little butterball....just in time for Thanksgiving!

action shot

Here I am playing on my activity mat. This is my favorite thing to do in the morning and evening. My uncle Dave and aunt Karen bought me this toy. I look scared here but really I'm just playing. I like to kick my legs and try to hit the hanging animals with my hands. I'm even starting to try to talk to the animals. I seem to be having a good morning. My dr. switched my reflux medicine to Previcid which is much stronger than Zantac. I seem to be sleeping better which makes me much happier while I'm awake. I have a rough time with my reflux but the good news is that I will never remember feeling this miserable. As for my mom and dad, they probably won't forget!:)

first photos

A few weeks ago my mom had my first photos taken (besides the ones taken in the hospital when I was born). We got the negatives back today. They turned out pretty good. Since I'm smiling now, maybe in the next photos I will have a smile and show off my dimples that are starting to surface. I definitely get them from my dad.

Me and the boys

Today, I had a date with the Kusar boys at Starbucks. They are my twin neighbors. I'm just 4 days older than them (wasn't supposed to be!) and was actually in the Northside NICU when they were born at Northside. My mom and Mika (their mom) enjoyed their chat over coffee. The boys peacefully slept the whole time...not me, I was my normal awake restless self. It's really not me being upset all the time, it's just the reflux talking. We had fun though and hope to do it again soon.

My new pet

Nah, not trying to ride my dogs yet...this is my new rocking horse. I'm not sure how much I like it ...maybe a little too much motion after I just ate, or maybe it's the bows that I don't like. My dogs seem to think that the horse is one of them. If you press my horse's ear it's head goes back and forth, it's tail wags and it says nay.

Back to the Hospital:(

I spent the latter part of this week at Scottish Rite Children's Hopsital in Atlanta. I came home today, and we are all so happy to be together at home again. I have a bad case of gastroesophageal reflux. Wow, that's a big word for me. The reflux would make me cry alot, be really restless, throw up. Sometimes I would even stop breathing when I'd throw up. That would really scare my mom and dad. So, I was put into the hospital for tests and observation. I had an upper GI done and everything was normal with my digestive system. My mom tricked me into thinking that she was feeding me a bottle, but really it was a horrible thick liquid of barium. I now take rice cereal with all my bottles to help thicken the formula so it stays in my stomach better. I also take Zantac twice a day to help with the burn of the reflux. So far, so good. I seem to be feeling much better but as we've learned only time will tell. I also came home with an apena monitor that will tell my mom and dad if I stop breathing because the burn is too bad. I was weighed at the hospital last night and I weighed 10 lbs, 1 oz. The drs. think that is wonderful, because usually reflux babies have a harder time gaining weight. Usually, the burn of the acid makes them not want to eat. So far that's not the case with me. I seem to even like my bottles better with the cereal in them. Also, this week I started smiling when my mom and dad talk to me. After several ups and downs the past few months, my smiling is very rewarding!