Today our little man turns
6 months old!!! I cannot believe how quickly the past 6 months have flown by…it seems like just yesterday that I was anxiously awaiting his arrival – drinking raspberry tea, walking, bouncing, squatting and doing just about everything else I could think of to
get that baby out of my belly! Now, there are days when I wish I could put him back in
…I kid, I kid…but a few hours of sleep would be nice! Seriously though, the past 3 months have consisted of exhausting days and sleepless nights. I chuckle when I read my three month post…you know, the one where I brag that Collin
“has slept through the night since he was about a month old.” Yeah, I guess I must have jinxed myself because the kid has not slept through the night ONCE in the past 3 months. Actually, he has made a habit of waking up every 1-2 hours (more frequently before midnight…sometimes we get a whopping 3 HOUR stretch from 12-3 and he is WIDE AWAKE at 6:00 every morning) and he continues to nap for less than 45 minutes. He is genuinely happy throughout the day…he loves to play with his sister, jump is his jumperoo, roll around on the floor, and has even started sitting up with minimal assistance. He has really gained control over his hands and grabs just about everything within his reach. He loves to eat and I am proud to say that I am continuing to make all of his food from scratch. His favorites are sweet potatoes and peas...he also loves bananas fresh out of the peel. Regretfully, I had to stop nursing him last week. We made it almost 6 months, which is great but I just wish I could have nursed him a little longer. I blame this solely on his reflux and the fact that I had dwindled my diet down to practically nothing and would still blame myself every time he spit up or had a bad night. He is now on a special formula for reflux babies, which he really likes so I guess that makes it a little easier. However, we still struggle with his reflux and still have sleepless nights. Collin has been on Zantac and Prevacid for two months now. Both seemed to help for a day or two, but then stopped working after that. Last week, we decided to take him off of everything and saw absolutely no change. I gave him some Prevacid last night just to see if it might help, but it didn’t. After bugging his pediatrician for two months, we finally have a referral to see a pediatric gastroenterologist next week. I’m PRAYING that a specialist will be able to help my baby (and that there is nothing more serious going on with him than reflux). I read A LOT of message boards and other postings online and have discovered that reflux is pretty common and that it really is a pain in the ass for a lot of people. We have friends whose kids have struggled with it as well. The good news is that kids always outgrow it, but for some it can take a LONG time. I’m hoping that Collin can get some relief, whether through medication or otherwise, so that he can go back to being that happy and RESTED baby that we enjoyed for three months. I feel horrible for him when he is up all night screaming in pain…and there is NOTHING I can do to soothe him. He is NOT spoiled and is NOT just crying so I will pick him up…although if holding him ALL night would help him sleep better, I would do it. I also feel bad for Maddie and Chris because I am stretched so thin dealing with Collin, I know I am not always pleasant to be around. Thank GOD for coffee!!!
Despite his “issues” Collin is just about the CUTEST and SWEETEST little guy we have ever known. He already has such a personality and is just a joy to be around. He’s a HUGE flirt…he does this little thing with his eyebrows when he smiles and has this cute little dimple in his left cheek that just melts your heart. Here he is in all of his cuteness just being a happy little guy:
I'm going to go out on an optomistic limb here and say that by my 7 month post, our baby will be feeling better and sleeping better...keep your fingers crossed for us!!!
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