Happy September! I am so excited fall is around the corner... I'm ready to bring out the jeans and boots!
E Updates...
Elizabeth is now 24 weeks old! Around month four we started having difficulty breastfeeding (screaming, resisting but wanting to eat, got worse as the day went on, etc.) and started working with the doctor to see what was going on. Well after about a month of trying a hypoallergenic formula and going back each week for weigh ins we realized she has a milk protein intolerance (where the body sees the milk protein as something the body should fight off). The rash she had on her back (which I later realized was hives) left after 24 hours of being on the formula! 1 to 5 % of babies are diagnosed with this type of allergy and usually outgrow it between age 1 and 5. She is happier, talking again and gaining weight!
We are hoping at her six month check up we'll be able to try a different formula because this one is really expensive! And I also hope to start her on rice cereal! Some people have asked why I didn't just stop eating and drinking dairy but that is literally cutting almost everything out of my diet. You can find dairy in almost everything and we needed to find a solution fast because her weight percentile was dropping so quickly. If it had just been an eating thing and not a weight issue I would have cut out dairy. I had difficulty letting go of breastfeeding but now that I see her so happy and content I know it's worth it.
Elizabeth also has reflux. She vomits all day long and sometimes fusses right before she spits up. She loves to be on her tummy but that inevitably makes her spit up even more. Needless to say I do a lot of laundry- both our shirts (and shorts!), her onesies and lots of blankets and spit cloths. She cries when we burp her halfway through her bottle but it really does help get the bubbles. And now when we burp her she tries to turn back around to look for her bottle. It's so pitiful and so cute all at once! It also helps to keep her upright for a little while after she eats.
If you're wondering why babies even get reflux it's because their esophagus isn't fully developed enough to keep food down. The esophagus has to mature (usually between 6 and 12 months of age) so the only thing to fix reflux is time. Also it can sometimes be worse for babies with a milk protein intolerance (lovely news for us!).
She now weighs 13 lbs. 11 oz.! Also she is talking, laughing and playing more. As you can tell by the videos I posted a few days ago she talks all day now! We love hearing her voice and usually stop what we're doing to have a conversation with her!
Another neat trick she's been trying to master is pulling her paci out of her month and putting back in! She gets frustrated when it doesn't go back in the right way but we're working on it! She also has started loving her bounceroo and even tries to stand and bounce when I hold her! She's starting to scoot like a little inch worm when she's on her belly so I think we're going to have a crawler soon!
She has been experimenting with all types of noises now and has built quite the repetoire! They even have us laughing as we try to make them back to her. Sometimes Jonathan says, "I don't know who sounds sillier, you or her!"... as I try to make different combinations to get her to laugh.
Overall we are grateful to have found some solutions and praise God for a happy and healthy baby. We love our daughter so much!
Other updates...
We moved this past weekend, so we're still unpacking but it already feels better to have a little more room! We're in the same neighborhood because we love it so much. We are grateful that things have worked out in God's timing!
I started grad school last week and so far so good! It feels weird to be back to reading and writing papers but I'm enjoying it! Jonathan says I'm a nerd for missing school... but I so did and I don't care!
I'm super excited that our Financial Peace (FPU) class and Vinelife starts in two weeks! We're going to have a busy fall! Vinelife is our women's bible study through church... here's the link: http://www.gethope.net/node/692 for any Raleigh/Apex/Cary ladies that might be interested!
We're looking forward to Elizabeth turning 6 months old (whoa!), getting settled in our house and for some low-key weekends at home!
2 comments:
hey there. (i'm a friend of leah's). just wanted to tell you that you made a great decision for her because of her intolerance. as you've learned... babies with full bellies are happy babies!! so glad she's fattening up and feeling better.
breastfeeding didn't work out for my first son and i had a hard time giving it up too, but after about one day of both of us being happier, i was over it and never regretted it! and it's gone so much better with baby #2, so you just gotta do what you gotta do!
Hey Sara! I remember you! I've seen your blog too, your boys are precious! Thank you for your support! It was an update I really didn't want to talk about but maybe some moms out there can relate (like you!). My mom keeps telling me, "try again on the next one!" So you're right, do what you gotta do!
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