When I got pregnant they estimated my due date by asking the first day of my last period. It happened to be the day after I got my IUD removed. Since they calculate your due date by saying you got pregnant the week before your cycle began (ovulation and all) they determined Lucy was 28 weeks when she was born. However, the obvious, I couldn't have gotten pregnant with her then. I was banking on maybe she's 37 weeks or something. She's not too tiny so there was no big concern.
I am so thankful she is a good eater. She is really packing on the pounds way faster than her siblings ever did. I'm going to guess she's at least 7lb 3 or even 5 oz now. She's getting some buns finally! Hooray!
But there are a couple things which have led us to multiple dr appointments and great sadness to her parents. She's still struggling with jaundice, she's still having some trouble sleeping at night because of her tummy cramps and most of all this diaper rash thing.
She was about 3 or 4 days old when she started getting this diaper rash. Just redness mostly and I kind of left it because I didn't want to put anything on her skin yet ya know? So by 2 weeks when she went in for her 2 week appointment it was just horrible and has gotten even worse this week.
Our pediatrician told me he thinks she was only about 34 or 35 weeks when she was born which would explain the amount of vernix she was covered in, the amount of hair under all that vernix that's still covering her body and her tummy cramps. The problem is that her stomach lining isn't fully developed and so her stomach acid is doing some weird things not staying in her stomach. Babies naturally suck and have a "pooping" reflex when they're born from when they're in utero, that's how the amniotic fluid goes through their little bodies. Well every time Lucy sucks her bottom is leaking stomach acid onto her skin.
I seriously feel sick AND it makes me cry to see her terrible horrible diaper rash. At her 2 week appointment she had developed little tiny bumps which have now turned into large seeping blisters all over her bottom and *ahem* other areas. Her skin is peeling and her bottom is just a really terrible bright burning red.
So far I've tried baby powder, A&D cream, cornstarch and tonight we're starting baking soda baths.
I took her to the dr. again and he said it looks like the stomach acid has burned her skin and it looks like it's infected. Obviously I want it to get better but want to try some other remedies besides going straight to steroid cream and antibiotics. She's just too little! I'm also letting her bottom air out after she gets changed and I've been trying to wake her up to change her diaper every 2 hours but that poses another problem because then I have to feed her and we're not always home every 2 hours.
ANYWAY all that to be said, it's REALLY REALLY frustrating.
I am so thankful though that her stomach problems have nothing to do with what I'm eating so as soon as we get this diaper rash cleared up the whole nursing/eating/pooping stuff should be great. :)
Another note of sadness. I dropped my iPhone on my first shopping trip out alone. I was already stressed and when I put Lucy into the van her carseat bumped my pocket and my phone flew out of my pocket and landed directly on the face. It cracked. Sadness overwhelmed me and Mommy had to have quiet time. I am so glad the boys are in the waay back seat and I can turn on Veggie Tales (or Michale Buble - whatever) and not hear too much whining :)
And my last note of sadness is that I tried a new rice crispy treat recipe with cheerios and half the marshmallows and it turned out nasty. I probably spent $3 on it but STILL ugh! So obnoxious!
Enough complaining... on to some good sweet things.
Molly is surprising me by her older sisterliness. She should have been the oldest. :) She will gather any laundry, garbage, diapers, dishes... and put them where they belong. If she sees a baby blanket or baby hat or binki she brings them to me and if she sees the baby without a blanket or a hat she will run and get her a clean one and bring it to me. She is so sweet and so loving to Lucy as well as her brothers. I think she likes sitting in her highchair and bossing the boys around. "Joe -sit DOWN", "Sam use your fork". lol. She is just so vundubah-gut :)
Sam started school today and had a great time. It was so nice getting him off to school and knowing he would be doing something productive, positive and learning something for 4 hours of the day and it took off so much more pressure than I knew was even there. I think God specifically gave me this as a little present to remind me I can and SHOULD ask for help. There's no reason to have to do it all on my own and since I most definitely don't (I utilize my husband at every turn - he's such an amazing man) and I shouldn't bottle up feeling like I do it all. Anyway back to it, I had put Sam on the waiting list and totally forgot about it then his old teacher called on Friday and said a spot had become available and he could start on Monday (today!) and we went in, filled out the gobs of paperwork and took home 3 months worth of hand outs and projects. lol. And I didn't get started on any of that today! :)
Joe has suddenly bloomed into a little artist! His little pictures he colors are just SO precious. He has so much talent for one spindly little 3 year old. No kidding, his art work (mostly coloring pictures of Curious George) are very evident of his talents. He spends an hour to 2 hours coloring his little pictures. He holds his crayons very carefully and leans in and pays very close attention... I know what Santa will be bringing him! :)
And last of all is little Lucy. I can't stress enough how completely sweet and calm she is. I'm sure anyone who has spent any amount of time with her can attest to her relaxing personality. If you hold her you instantly feel calm and like you could take a little nap too. She is by far the snuggliest little baby we've had. You hold her up to your shoulder to burp her or whatever and she actually wraps her arm around your arm and snuggles her face into your neck. Every time. Last night I slept with her in the recliner and she just snuggled all night and slept really well. She's just a tiny sweet snuggly peanut.
Oh yeah and the hobo cat still lives with us for all you wondering souls. He still nurses on everything. Apparently he has separation anxiety disorder... that's right, he's SAD. lol. Our vet said it happens when kittens are separated from their mothers too early. I refer to him as the hobo cat because he acts like a hobo. Despite the fact that we feed him regularly he will jump up to the table/counter/cupboard or stove and eat food off of plates or out of the garbage or even out of a hot pan like he's a starving cat! It is SO disgusting but we stay on top of beating him (just kidding) and are trying to rehabilitate him. At least he does all his bathrooming in the cat box (which has a lid and a door on the front so I never have to see or smell) so I'm still liking him. He's a really nice cat. :)
I am so thankful she is a good eater. She is really packing on the pounds way faster than her siblings ever did. I'm going to guess she's at least 7lb 3 or even 5 oz now. She's getting some buns finally! Hooray!
But there are a couple things which have led us to multiple dr appointments and great sadness to her parents. She's still struggling with jaundice, she's still having some trouble sleeping at night because of her tummy cramps and most of all this diaper rash thing.
She was about 3 or 4 days old when she started getting this diaper rash. Just redness mostly and I kind of left it because I didn't want to put anything on her skin yet ya know? So by 2 weeks when she went in for her 2 week appointment it was just horrible and has gotten even worse this week.
Our pediatrician told me he thinks she was only about 34 or 35 weeks when she was born which would explain the amount of vernix she was covered in, the amount of hair under all that vernix that's still covering her body and her tummy cramps. The problem is that her stomach lining isn't fully developed and so her stomach acid is doing some weird things not staying in her stomach. Babies naturally suck and have a "pooping" reflex when they're born from when they're in utero, that's how the amniotic fluid goes through their little bodies. Well every time Lucy sucks her bottom is leaking stomach acid onto her skin.
I seriously feel sick AND it makes me cry to see her terrible horrible diaper rash. At her 2 week appointment she had developed little tiny bumps which have now turned into large seeping blisters all over her bottom and *ahem* other areas. Her skin is peeling and her bottom is just a really terrible bright burning red.
So far I've tried baby powder, A&D cream, cornstarch and tonight we're starting baking soda baths.
I took her to the dr. again and he said it looks like the stomach acid has burned her skin and it looks like it's infected. Obviously I want it to get better but want to try some other remedies besides going straight to steroid cream and antibiotics. She's just too little! I'm also letting her bottom air out after she gets changed and I've been trying to wake her up to change her diaper every 2 hours but that poses another problem because then I have to feed her and we're not always home every 2 hours.
ANYWAY all that to be said, it's REALLY REALLY frustrating.
I am so thankful though that her stomach problems have nothing to do with what I'm eating so as soon as we get this diaper rash cleared up the whole nursing/eating/pooping stuff should be great. :)
Another note of sadness. I dropped my iPhone on my first shopping trip out alone. I was already stressed and when I put Lucy into the van her carseat bumped my pocket and my phone flew out of my pocket and landed directly on the face. It cracked. Sadness overwhelmed me and Mommy had to have quiet time. I am so glad the boys are in the waay back seat and I can turn on Veggie Tales (or Michale Buble - whatever) and not hear too much whining :)
And my last note of sadness is that I tried a new rice crispy treat recipe with cheerios and half the marshmallows and it turned out nasty. I probably spent $3 on it but STILL ugh! So obnoxious!
Enough complaining... on to some good sweet things.
Molly is surprising me by her older sisterliness. She should have been the oldest. :) She will gather any laundry, garbage, diapers, dishes... and put them where they belong. If she sees a baby blanket or baby hat or binki she brings them to me and if she sees the baby without a blanket or a hat she will run and get her a clean one and bring it to me. She is so sweet and so loving to Lucy as well as her brothers. I think she likes sitting in her highchair and bossing the boys around. "Joe -sit DOWN", "Sam use your fork". lol. She is just so vundubah-gut :)
Sam started school today and had a great time. It was so nice getting him off to school and knowing he would be doing something productive, positive and learning something for 4 hours of the day and it took off so much more pressure than I knew was even there. I think God specifically gave me this as a little present to remind me I can and SHOULD ask for help. There's no reason to have to do it all on my own and since I most definitely don't (I utilize my husband at every turn - he's such an amazing man) and I shouldn't bottle up feeling like I do it all. Anyway back to it, I had put Sam on the waiting list and totally forgot about it then his old teacher called on Friday and said a spot had become available and he could start on Monday (today!) and we went in, filled out the gobs of paperwork and took home 3 months worth of hand outs and projects. lol. And I didn't get started on any of that today! :)
Joe has suddenly bloomed into a little artist! His little pictures he colors are just SO precious. He has so much talent for one spindly little 3 year old. No kidding, his art work (mostly coloring pictures of Curious George) are very evident of his talents. He spends an hour to 2 hours coloring his little pictures. He holds his crayons very carefully and leans in and pays very close attention... I know what Santa will be bringing him! :)
And last of all is little Lucy. I can't stress enough how completely sweet and calm she is. I'm sure anyone who has spent any amount of time with her can attest to her relaxing personality. If you hold her you instantly feel calm and like you could take a little nap too. She is by far the snuggliest little baby we've had. You hold her up to your shoulder to burp her or whatever and she actually wraps her arm around your arm and snuggles her face into your neck. Every time. Last night I slept with her in the recliner and she just snuggled all night and slept really well. She's just a tiny sweet snuggly peanut.
Oh yeah and the hobo cat still lives with us for all you wondering souls. He still nurses on everything. Apparently he has separation anxiety disorder... that's right, he's SAD. lol. Our vet said it happens when kittens are separated from their mothers too early. I refer to him as the hobo cat because he acts like a hobo. Despite the fact that we feed him regularly he will jump up to the table/counter/cupboard or stove and eat food off of plates or out of the garbage or even out of a hot pan like he's a starving cat! It is SO disgusting but we stay on top of beating him (just kidding) and are trying to rehabilitate him. At least he does all his bathrooming in the cat box (which has a lid and a door on the front so I never have to see or smell) so I'm still liking him. He's a really nice cat. :)
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