We have a 2 year old!

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Sunday, May 27, 2012

38 Weeks Old & Camping!!

Turned 38 weeks while camping
First and foremost - Cael can stand on his own, UNASSISTED!!! He did this while we were camping with my family, on Friday. I can't believe it! I wanted to let him feel the grass on his feet, so I went over to a nice, plushy area, and stood him up in it while holding his hands. I wanted to see what he would do if I let go, not expecting much, and he stayed there, standing! I was beside myself! My mom wasn't around, and neither was any family, so I was on my own to revel in this great milestone. There was a fellow camper a few sites down that was mowing the grass, and he saw. He said he's doing good, and that he's going to be all over the place soon. I replied with, "Oh, you have no idea!", because he is already all over the place!

Cael standing for the first time!!
5.25.12
My mom was at the country store picking up some things, and I couldn't wait for her to get home so I could show her. She was with my brother and his friend, so when she came back, she was a little cranky. I tried showing her what Cael could do, but I think at that point, he was tired from standing for such a long time, that when I tried to get him to stand, he just immediately sat down on his butt. He didn't do it, so I told my mom what he had done. I was so shocked, surprised and upset at the same time. My baby is growing up, and before I know it, he's going to be walking and talking. I wish I could keep him little forever.

Chick Magnet!
Flirty eyes
Additionally, Matt hasn't seen him stand yet. We just got to the campsite that Friday he stood, and we are staying until Tuesday. Matt and I have an agreement that if Cael does something major while I'm away with him, that I won't tell him over the phone, but instead wait to get home so he can see it for himself. I completely understand, because if Cael was in daycare, that is exactly what I would tell the daycare to do - not tell me so I can see it for myself for the first time. I can't wait for Matt to see. However, Friday is the only day that Cael has had any interest in standing. I've tried for the past 2 days, and he just doesn't want to stand. It's like he lost interest. Oh well, you know that's fine with me. If he's good just crawling around and not standing until he's over a year old, I'm fine with it!! Ha!

Friday night was rough with getting Cael to bed. It's a completely new environment that he's not used to, so it's understandable. By Saturday night it was a little better for him, and tonight he went to sleep right away. Hopefully he continues to do well tomorrow night as well, and then we go home Tuesday.

His top right lateral incisor is slow to come in. Just the tippy tip of the tooth is peaking through the gums. The tip has cut through the gums, but it has a ways to go. That's another thing that is ok with me too. He hasn't bitten me yet (fortunately!), and I hope he doesn't have plans to anytime soon (or at all).


Monday, May 21, 2012

37 Weeks Old!

Walking for Dylan!
Today, Cael and I walked in another March of Dimes walk, in memory of baby Dylan. This walk was here in PA, closer to us. I joined a local moms group last month, and I found out that they had a team, and were walking in the same walk today. So I joined them, and walked with them. It was nice to not walk alone, but I don't think I would have minded. I would have years ago - I would have been uncomfortable being by myself (even though I had Cael with me) - but not anymore. It turned out to be a beautiful day for the walk. it was around 82 degrees, and not a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately, there were no trees for shade, because it was on a track at a college. So the sun was beating down on us. I got some color on my arms and face, but luckily I had pants and a long sleeve shirt on Cael. It was really hot though, so by the end of the walk, I stripped Cael down to just his onesie.

We finished Cael's antibiotic this week, so hopefully it worked for his ear infection. He's been really fussy the past few days, but that upper side tooth is finally breaking through. He constantly has his fingers in his mouth, and he's drooling a TON. There's no doubt he's teething.

We've introduced a few new foods to Cael this past week. I made pasta fagioli and chicken & dumplings in the crock pot. When Matt and I sat down to eat, we decided to give him some of what we were eating. It was very exciting! I loved the fact that he can now eat whatever I make for dinner. He loves chicken and ground beef, and enjoyed eating beans for the first time. Over the past few weeks, Cael has been getting more and more away from eating purees. Some nights are a real challenge to get him to eat purees off a spoon. He's enjoying feeding himself, so sometimes the only way to get him to eat a puree, is to put it on toast. That's his new favorite food - toast. I can put any puree on it, even if he's not fond of it, and he'll pick it up and eat it. I wrote previously that our Baby Brezza broke, and I sent it back. Well, we got the gift card to replace it, but I'm not going to buy a new one. I guess it was luck that it broke, because I have the feeling that I'm not going to need to make purees for much longer. Plus, I still find it pretty easy to steam food in a put with a little water, and then use the food processor my mom gave me to use when I was down on Long Island. Works just as well! So now we have a gift card for Babies R' Us that I have to figure out what to use it on :).

Napping on Mommy
Cael is still having some issues with going to the bathroom. I feel so bad for him. Lately, I know exactly when he goes to the bathroom (again - this happened a month or so ago too), because he cries and screams while sticking his butt in the air. We call it the poop stance. He has another bad, bleeding diaper rash, so I'm sure going to the bathroom burns as well once "it's out". My heart just breaks for him. I'm not sure if it's from the antibiotic, teething, or from not going to the bathroom for several days, and then going. Or a combination of everything. But it's not like he sits with poop in his diaper for several hours. I change him right away, as soon as I know he's gone. I keep putting Butt Paste on him, so I hope that helps.

Some of Cael's Likes:
  • Water bottles
  • Drinking from a cup or water bottle
  • Finger foods
  • His bink-a-bink
  • Pear juice
Some of Cael's Dislikes:
  • Diaper changes (even if he doesn't have a rash)
  • Prunes/prune juice
  • Being away from me (he has some pretty bad separation anxiety)







Saturday, May 19, 2012

My Doctor Appointment Today

I had my consultation appointment today with a new Gyne doctor. I knew it would take me about an hour to get to the hospital, but I wanted to leave 1.5 hours before my appointment, because I had never been there before, and wanted to make sure I had enough time. So after a very productive morning, which included going to Walmart, getting dinner going in the crock pot, making cookies from SCRATCH!, and separating and freezing 5 pounds of ground beef, I was ready to leave at 2 pm.

I got there, checked in, signed two papers, and then sat down and waited. I was almost immediately called in. It was a very efficient office. I was weighed (I'm happy to report that I'm 108), my blood pressure taken, and then my history gone over. I explained why I was there to the nurse, and she typed in her notes for the doctor. She left, and I got undressed. I waited for about 10 minutes or so in the exam room. I had Cael in with me, because no one could come with me. He was okay at first, but then quickly started fussing and crying. I did the best I could with being naked from the waist down. After he was screaming for 10 minutes, 2 nurses came in to see what was going on. They were so sweet, and offered to walk him around in the stroller while I was examined. I thankfully agreed, telling them he just needs to keep moving, and that he's tired, so he may fall asleep. After they left, I no longer heard him crying, and the doctor came right in.

He examined me, and called what is wrong a granuloma. He saw it right away. He said it formed when the two sides of the tear healed, and turned inside out. He explained it like if you curl your lip outward, the inner part is outward, and it wouldn't like to be that way for an extended time. Which is why it bleeds and hurts, because it's not mean to be external. The examination hurt, since the area is still very sensitive. He decided that the best course of treatment would be to apply silver nitrate. I was warned by someone in my Sweet Pea group that SN burns really bad, and that it hurts, so I was prepared. However, at the same time, I wasn't prepared. That stuff set my vagina on fire! It hurt so bad, that I started crying. It was worse than childbirth, I'm pretty sure. I went medication-free with Cael, and I didn't cry. Whimper, yes, but not crying. This stuff hurts. 

He said that the granuloma may fall off, and that is normal. It should be good after that, but he wants to recheck it in 2 weeks, so I have a follow-up appointment on the 30th. He said if it hasn't fallen off completely by then, that he might use a forcep to grab it, and then just "snip it off" (his words..::shudder::), and use silver nitrate again so I wouldn't need stitches. I really hope it falls off on it's own. The snipping can't be pleasant. 

After the appointment, I had to sit in a car for an hour to drive myself home. That wasn't pleasant either. At that point, it wasn't as painful as when he applied it, but it still hurt. It's a very uncomfortable feeling. Earlier this evening, it started bleeding/spotting again, so I hope that's normal. I really hope that this is all healed soon, so that I can get back to having a normal sex life again. That would be nice.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Post-Partum Issues...Still

:::TMI Warning. This post has some details in it that may not be for the weak:::

I've been dealing with an issue for the past few months. Actually, if you think about it, it's been since I delivered Cael. But I kept telling myself it wasn't a problem, and that I would heal. But here we are, 8.5 months after I delivered Cael, and it's still going on. It was time to go to the doctor.

I thought I have been spotting for the past 1.5 months. Everyday, there would be a little bit of blood on my underwear (panty liner, really). Just enough to look like spotting. Almost every time I wipe after going to the bathroom, the toilet paper would be tinged pink. Every day. I figured it was hormones causing me to spot. Until I actually checked things out "down there". Upon examination with a mirror, I discovered what looked like a tear that was still bleeding. It was bright red, towards the back part of my lady bits, where I originally tore during delivery. Ah-hah! That was the culprit. That is why Matt and I still can't have sex without it hurting, and that is why I've been "spotting" for the past month+.

Matt had wanted me to make an appointment for a few months now, since it's still painful during sex. It burns, like there is a razor on his penis, cutting me. I can usually only last about 5 minutes before we have to stop because it hurts. I think there was one time that I was able to last.

So anyway, I went to a new midwife on Monday. She was really nice, and I really like the office. I think there is also general practice there as well. It's a pretty big building with a lot of space. I arrived a little early, expecting to fill out tons of paperwork because I was a new patient. But nope - the receptionist just verified my address, phone number and insurance (without looking at my card), and told me to have a seat. I gave them that info over the phone when I made the appointment, but still, I thought they would need to see my card. I was promptly called in, vitals taken, and then put in a room with a nurse to take my history. That's why I didn't need to fill out paperwork about my history, because they verbally took it. Which is nice.

So the outcome of the appointment was this. The midwife saw what I was talking about, but said it wasn't a tear. She called it a "skin tag type of formation" that looked to be caused by not healing properly. She said it was definitely caused by my tear, and should have been healed by now. Because of that, it needed to be fixed/repaired. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything for me, and said she wanted me to see a doctor at the main office in the hospital (which is about an hour from me). She said he would probably have to remove/cut off the skin tag, and re-stitch me up. :::Enter shudders::: Yikes! But ok, I knew something would probably have to be done, but wasn't thinking a surgical procedure.

Turns out she wanted me seen by the doctor within 2 days preferably. They couldn't get me an appointment right there, and told me that the supervisor would have to call me with an appointment because there weren't any available. They'd have to fit me in. So I waited all of Monday, and called yesterday to find out what was going on. After being transferred 3 times, and talking to the triage nurse (who could override appointments), I finally got an appointment on Friday at 3:30. I'm very nervous for what he'll say. But I did ask the nurse if anything surgical would be done at that appointment, just so I know if I have to bring someone to watch Cael, and she said no, that it was a consultation. So I shall find out on Friday what needs to be done. Hopefully this will be it, and I can begin to finally heal.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

36 Weeks Old & Happy Mother's Day To Me!

My first Mother's Day. It was an absolutely incredible day, made perfect by having Matt and Cael around. I didn't get breakfast in bed, or to sleep in while Matt took Cael, but at the same time, I wasn't expecting that. Last year, when I was pregnant, I hinted that I wanted breakfast in bed, and Matt came through. It was nice. But this year, Matt, Cael and I slept in until around 8:30, when we were awoken by Cael slapping us in the face. He's so mushy in the morning, and I absolutely love it. I couldn't imagine a better way to start my first Mother's Day - waking up next to the most important men in my life.

Cael and I on my
first Mother's Day
Matt went WAY overboard with getting me gifts. I wasn't expecting much, since he said he was limited with how much he could spend on me (he gets bonuses that we have agreed would be his spending money, since he earned it). Which is fine - I never expect him to spend a lot of money on me. I would have honestly been happy with just a nice card and a bouquet of flowers. But he went well over that. He gave me 2 gift certificates, to Gap and Charlotte Russe, so that I could get myself some nice clothes that fit me. None of my summer stuff fits me because I've lost so much weight with breastfeeding. The shorts I have just fall down on my waist. I was really excited about that, and thought that was my gift. And then Matt pulled another shocker out of his ass.

Nomming on a rice cake :)
My favorite picture of Cael and I thus far
He bought me a tablet!! I absolutely love it! We both share Matt's laptop, and I'm sure he is tired of that by now - lol. By getting me a tablet, I'll use the laptop less, and have my own means to do all internet stuff. It's powered by Droid, which is also awesome, because I'm used to the platform. Ah.Maze.Ing!

You can see his teeth!
So typical of Matt, going way overboard. I was mad at him, but that didn't last long. I guess he had saved up more money than he led on that he had. The best part of it all though, is when he had Cael hand me my card. It was the sweetest and cutest thing ever. The card made me cry. Like, not just tear up, but actually cry. What Matt wrote in it just tugged at my heartstrings. I really made me feel loved and special.

So now about Cael. He is getting more active and more promiscuous with each passing week. Whenever he gets into something that he's not supposed to (i.e. wires by the tv), and I tell him "No", he just looks at me with a grinny smile. I try not to smile or laugh myself, but it's hard. He can't possibly understand defiance at this age, right?!

He loves his baths even more now that he's in the main tub. I fill it with only a few inches this way it's shallow enough that he can lay on his belly with his head up. He loves having all the extra room to swim around in, and chase after his toys. It's so cute seeing his little baby butt when he's on his belly. I'm glad he enjoys moving around the tub now. And I'm sure he likes all the extra room.

Another thing that he has started to do is pull up on me and Matt. He will crawl up to me/Matt, and hold on to the pants, and pull up. If I'm sitting on the couch, he'll crawl over, pull up on the couch, cruise over to between my legs, and grab my shirt while whining to pull up on me. He'll even pull my shirt down and claw at me. It's cute, but I can see it getting a little too much in the future.

Still no signs of more teeth. The lateral incisor looks like it's still peeking through the gums, but doesn't look like it's moved out anymore. It's just right there. And no signs of the two top middle teeth. The gums still look swollen and white, but no signs of teeth immediately under his gums.

My 2 favorite boys
For a couple of days this past week, it seemed as though Cael was turning against purees, and favoring solids/chunkier foods. He just wasn't eating for a couple of days when I offered him purees, but would gobble up real food, like toast and pearsauce or pasta. After a few days of that, though, he started eating purees again. I have to realize that I need to cater to what Cael wants if I want him to eat. I don't mean spoil him with whatever he wants, but I have to be more aware of what he wants to eat, and changes in his food preferences. Another option is that he still wasn't feeling well from his ear infection, so he just wasn't feeling like eating. We'll have to see how he does over the next few weeks.

Cael has shown a dramatic increase in his interest in food. If he sees you with something to eat, he will do anything he can to get to you. And then when he does get to you, if you don't give him any, he cries, whines and pulls at you. He'll follow you all over the house if he has to. And then if you give him some, and stop, he cries even more. The kid does love food, that's for sure.







Friday, May 11, 2012

Cantaloupe!


We gave cantaloupe to Cael yesterday in the mesh feeder, and it was a hit. He loved it, and made squishy faces the entire time. Or, at least I call them squishy faces. Matt calls it the "ugly face" because he makes the same face, and has been making that face well before Cael was born. I really want to get the two of them making that face at the same time. It would be cute.

Ok, ok - so I took a ton of pictures. I was using my 55-200mm lens, and loved how they were coming out, so I couldn't just take one picture. Or 5. I think I took like 20! 








Working On 3 More Teeth!

Cael's top gums look pitiful. They're all swollen and white in the middle, where the 2 middle teeth would come in. And his top right lateral incisor is just about to break through the gum. He's going to look like a vampire! You can definitely feel it with your finger.

His gums changed in a matter of days. It was maybe 2 days since I last looked at his gums, and when I did again 2 days later, they were completely different. The top middle was completely swollen. I felt (and still feel) so bad for him. You can't see the two top middle teeth yet, but I know they're working they're way down. His gums wouldn't change like that for nothing.
Chewing on Sophie
From happy and smiling to crying and fussy
in a minute flat. This was my day today.
Today was a horrible day for Cael. We were supposed to go out to a birthday party tonight for someone within our bowling league, but Cael was so miserable that we just stayed home. He cried so much today, and just wanted me to hold him. I'm lucky I even got to shower today. He even screams when Matt holds him, so we didn't want to torture him, or Matt's mom with him screaming. He just wouldn't calm down if we left him, so we stayed in with him.

Bottom middle teeth, and his top lateral incisor
coming in. You can see how swollen his gums are.
He only slept for a total of about 1.5 hours today for his nap. So he was just plain miserable today. To make it worse, he's developed a horrible diaper rash that is oozing. He screams when I change his diaper and wipe/blot him. I just want to cry when he screams, because I'm the one hurting him. His cries are just heart-wrenching pain screams. It just hurts me to the core. I'm sure it developed because of either the teething and/or the antibiotics he's on. He still has a good amount of antibiotic left, and we have to finish the bottle this time. He'll probably be on it for another week or so. In hopes of making the pain go away after putting a new diaper on him, I load his tush up with Butt Paste. After the diaper is back on, he seems to calm down some, especially when I pick him up and hold him. He just clutches onto me for dear life.

My poor little man. But I do love the extra cuddles, snuggles and hugs that he's giving me.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Sick. Again!

I thought that Cael and I had escaped getting sick while visiting Long Island for 2 weeks. However, I was greatly mistaken. On Friday afternoon, my throat started hurting. I thought it was allergies, because I had been around cats at that time. But when I woke up on Saturday morning, it was more than allergies - I had a sore throat, I ached, and my nose was both stuffy and runny. I felt like crap. I was supposed to visit my brother, sister-in-law and nephews, but I had to cancel because I didn't want them to get sick. I was really sad about that, but I'll just visit them when I'm down next time.

Saturday is also when Cael started a fever. He had a rash on his right cheek since Friday, and he had a glassy look to his eyes Saturday morning. Early in the afternoon, my mom and I noticed he felt warm, so I took his temperature. He had a 101.3 fever. Wonderful. Matt was really going to be upset now. It always seems that every time I visit LI, we come back sick. We got home Sunday afternoon, and I took his temperature again. It was a 103.3! He had never had a temperature this high before, and I became really concerned. He was just not himself. He was a giant mush, and just wanted to cling to him mommy.

I put a call into his pediatrician's office to find out what to do. A nurse called back, and the short of it was to control the fever, and if it gets to 105 rectally, to call right back. After going through all his symptoms, she said to just have him seen within 24 hours. I've been giving him Tylenol and Advil, and finally after having a high fever most of Sunday, we got it down to a "comfortable" 101 by Sunday night. My mommy instinct was telling me that he had an ear infection again. If I would touch anywhere around his ears, he would wince and scream in pain.

The problem that we had, was with what doctor to bring him to. Since we are now on Matt's health insurance, Cael's pediatrician isn't covered AT ALL because he's in a different state. There is no "Out of Network" with this insurance. It all in-network. So we would have to pay for the appointment completely out of pocket, and not to mention the hour and 15 minute drive to get there. Matt suggested bringing him to our doctor, since we love him so much. Plus, he's also board certified in pediatrics. I had a hard time thinking of switching pedi's, but we have to do what we have to do. And at least we know our doctor.

So yesterday morning, I called our doctor, and made an appointment for Cael. We saw the PA and she was nice. We only saw her because Cael was a "new patient" and needed an hour appointment that day, and our doctor was completely booked. Otherwise, we'd see our doctor.

Well, the mommy instinct was right, unfortunately. I hate that I was right. Cael has an infection in his right ear. His left ear looked a little pink, but not bad. We were given Amoxicillin for him to take, and I hope it works the first time around. Last time, it didn't work, and Cael's ear infection stuck around until we treated it with Omnicef. I asked about a follow appointment to make sure it's gone, because I'm concerned that it won't be treated the first round. She said that it's recommended (by the AAP?) to not do follow-ups for ear infections, because the ear may still look a little pink. It can be a little deceiving, as the provider won't be able to tell if it's healing or still active. She said that if he starts running a fever again after finishing the antibiotics, then to call, and they'll see him again. Good enough for me, I guess.


I really hope that he doesn't continue to get ear infections. I would hate for him to have them all the time, and I hate the possibility that he could possible need tubes in his ears. BUT, that's a long time away, and it's all speculation. For now, I'm just cuddling my little man to make him feel better.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Friday, May 4, 2012

8 Months Old!

In just 4 short months, Cael will be celebrating his first birthday. You have no idea how upset that makes me. This means that he is now 8 months old. The last 8 months have flown by - or at least it feels like they did. I feel like I have so much to write about regarding Cael, that I'm going to break everything down into groups.

Mobility 

Cael is becoming much faster at crawling. And he's realized that by crawling, he can go where he wants, when he wants. For instance, if I walk into another room, or across the room, he figured out that he can follow me if he crawls. Of course, lately, he'll cry while crawling because I'm not holding him, and he's desperate for me to pick him up.

He can also easily pull himself up on anything and everything - couches, toys, chairs, and even his Pack n' Play. He's still pulling himself up by pushing off both feet at the same time - as opposed to putting one foot forward and pushing up with that foot. He'll roll his ankles inward at the same time in order to stand. It looks very uncomfortable, actually, and I'm surprised he is able to do it that way. He's been standing up like that for weeks now, so I attribute it to his ankles not being quite strong enough to support the weight of him standing.

He has started doing one new thing, though. He can now put himself into a sitting position. Whether he's crawling or laying on his belly, he's able to get himself sitting up. So now, I consider him very mobile. I figured it was only a matter of time before he started doing this. His balance is MUCH better. He's less wobbly while sitting, and also less wobbly while standing. In addition, because his balance is better, he can also bend over while standing. He's figured out how to get from a standing position, down to the floor. He usually bends over and reaches for the floor while holding onto whatever, and then he lets go and lands on his butt. He's become very good at doing this, and I'm less nervous watching him do it. I barely flinch when I see him doing it.

Food/Eating
Cael has figured out how to "chew" his food. He's not doing much chewing, since he has only 2 teeth, and they're not even fully out yet, but he's got the motions down. If he gets a puff, cheerio or chunks of food, he'll gum/chew it, and move it all around his mouth. It makes me feel a little better about him eating chunkier foods, because he knows he has to move it around his mouth, and chew it before he tries to swallow it.

This past week, we tried giving Cael pieces of chicken. I cut them up small, a little smaller than pea-sized, and put them on his tray. He's now fully capable of feeding himself, so anything we put on his tray in front of him is game. If it's something he really enjoys, like puffs, he'll ravenously grab them and shove them in his mouth. There's no doubt he's got that motor skill down!

So as of now, the list of food that Cael has had includes: peas, carrots, sweet potato, potato, zucchini, pear, apple, mango, avocado, butternut squash, plums, prunes (HATED), bananas, watermelon, puffs, cheerios, chicken, asparagus (only small pieces), cous-cous, pasta, yogurt, and egg yolk. There's still so much more that I want to try. I have broccoli already made, and I have a cantaloupe that I'm waiting to get ripe. I also can't wait to try beans and spinach.

Sleep

I think we've finally figured out a sleep schedule that works for Cael. He's been consistently going to bed around 8pm, and waking between 4:30am-5am to eat. During the day, he'll take 2 naps, and we're still following the 2-3-4 nap schedule. It's been working wonderfully, and I look forward to his nap times during the day so I can get things done, shower, and/or have "me time". It's also nice having him in bed kind of early, because then Matt and I have time with each other. His bed time used to be 9pm, and then we'd have only a half hour together to converse, watch tv, etc. It's much better with Cael having an earlier bed time.

Personality
I think he's going to be a goofy kid. He's very into everything around him, and any noise, flash of light or movement distracts him, and he has to investigate it. Especially while nursing. I've taken to nursing at night in the bedroom as to limit the distractions. He screeches with excitement while he's playing, and has started actually playing with his toys. He enjoys pushing his trucks around, and banging everything to make noise. Then he'll look up at you with this smile, where his lower lip is sucked in, and give a little giggle. He'll suck on his pacifier backwards, and crawl around with it like that as if it's normal. I'm really enjoying seeing his personality starting to come out.