Sick

So it's official, I'm sick. Actually, I've been sick since Saturday. I went to the Dr. today and was put on a cocktail of medications + told to sleep sleep sleep. While I was there they gave me some IV fluids because I was dehydrated.

They're supposed to call with the blood test results on Monday. If I'm not better by Monday evening, they want to hospitalize me.

Here's to hoping I'm better by Monday evening!

Emotions

So I've been a puddle of emotions for the last 2 days. Actually, I've been a puddle of tears. But let's back up a little bit...to Saturday.

Saturday I was sick...twice.

Sunday I was okay, just didn't eat anything.

Monday was sick again. Took a long nap & felt better. Got out of bed to get some water and burst into tears. No reason why, nothing triggered it, nadda, nothin. Cried on and off all day.

Tuesday got up, felt okay. Ate breakfast, burst into tears again, couldn't figure out why, but couldn't stop crying. Cried for 3 hours straight, unable to stop. It sucked.

So, now it's Tuesday evening, I've still been crying on and off, though no more 3 hour crying spree's *knock on wood* and I think I've pinpointed the reason why....

I'm homesick. I've never been homesick before in my life. Not when I went to college, not when I went to Europe for a month, not even when I first moved down here. Nope, I'm homesick now...6.5 weeks AFTER I moved down here. I'm not even bothering to figure out why I'm homesick. I'm too damn tired to even care why.

Lack of Updates

I apologize for the lack of updates recently. I'm having a bit of trouble emotionally right now. I'll be back soon. I'm still reading the regular blogs, just not posting any blogs myself.

Hunger Cues Part 2

Now that we have covered the early, active, and late hunger cues, let's cover the process.

Whenever I see an infant exibiting early hunger cues, I make a mental note that they are beginning to exibit signs of hunger. Now, I don't generally take these early hunger cues as gold because the early hunger cues are things that babies generally do even when they aren't hungry. The active hunger cues are when I start to take action.

If you are formula feeding, active hunger cues is the time to either make or warm-(if cold, never warm room temperature bottles), the bottle.

If you are breast feeding, active hunger cues is the time to get everything 'set' for the nursing session.

Next, change babies diaper if it is wet/dirty. I like to change the diaper before a feeding just in case baby falls asleep while feeding.

Once all is set and baby has a clean nappy on, it's feeding time! While feeding, whether bottle or breast feeding, try to look into your babies eyes. If you choose to talk to your child while feeding, speak in a soft voice. Try not to distract your child from eating. Distraction can cause an infant to not eat enough, or eat too much.

Hunger Cues Part 1

All babies have one or more hunger cues. They all have them. Usually when a parents says "my baby doesn't give hunger cues" it's a case of the parent not realizing that what they are seeing is a hunger cue. Here's a generalized list of hunger cues for infants:

Early hunger cues: licking lips, opening and closing mouth, sucking on tongue/hands

Active hunger cues: bobbing head on chest/arm/shoulder of person holding and/or carrying the baby, hitting the adult on the arm/chest repeatedly, fussing/breathing fast

Late hunger cues: Frantically moving head from side to side, usually with mouth open. Crying.

Babies have hunger cues even at night. Generally, parents and/or caregivers hear baby crying in the middle of the night for food. Crying is a very late sign of hunger. Even though parents will often say "she just wakes up screaming for food" the baby has actually gone through both the early and active hunger cues without the parents and/or caregivers realizing it.

Not all babies go through all of the cues. Additionally, sucking on the hands is not a realiable hunger cue after the first 6-8 weeks because at this age babies tend to gain more control over their arms and hands, thus being able to get their hands/fingers to their mouth for comfort sucking.

1 Month Stats

Baby gained 3 lbs 1 oz since birth and grew one inch. Oh, and she hates shots.

Oh boy

In 1 hour me, mama, and baby will be trekking to the pediatrician's office-(with Valet parking no less)-to get babies first round of immunizations. Mama's nervous, I'm tired, and at the appointment time it will be time for baby to feed.

I think we're all in for a looooooooong day.

My Stuff!!!!

I have my stuff I have my stuff!!!!!!!!! My parents were passing through on their way to Florida and they dropped off my 10 boxes of stuff. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy!!!!!! My bookshelves are now full, and I have my guitar! Twas a good weekend in Georgia!

All I do

All I do is wash bottles these days. Bottle, nipples, bottle rings, dome caps, more bottles, more nipples, more bottle rings. Wanna know why?

Well the obvious reason is that there's a baby in the house. The less obvious reason is that Avent, the type of bottle that baby prefer's, jacked their prices since going BPA free.

$10 a bottle is a bit steep if you ask me. So, thanks to the uber expensive Avent BPA free bottles---we have a limited number of them.

Basically unless the price of Avent bottles comes down soon-(not likely)-I will be washing bottles 3 times a day, every day, for quite awhile.

Howdy

Update, in bullets:

• Baby is back to her normal self after being put back on her original formula
• I officially joined Curves for Women today
• My muscles ache
• I'm eating Skittles
• 6 more days until I see my parents
• 8 more days until baby's 1 month appt.
• It's 8:30 and I'm in bed for the night. Sad

Update

Well baby is constipated. Not to place blame on anybody or anything but I really thing the "latest and greatest" formula that mom put baby on 2 days ago is a contributing factor--actually, I think it's the only factor.

So baby is back on the normal formula that she did well on. It's not the latest and greatest out there but darn it all, it works---and it doesn't make baby scream and scream and scream for hours.

Here's to hoping tomorrow is better. Cheers.

Send Help

Momma changed baby's formula for the 3rd time. Baby isn't happy about the change. Send help.