Is it two minutes later?
Yep.
Well, then, you won't be surprised to know that I am now totally freaking out about Sawyer's weight situation.
Mike came home yesterday and told me his dad called him and said the head pediatrician at the naval hospital here is strongly recommending that Sawyer come in for 3 days for tests, monitoring, time with a dietician, etc.
At first, we both blew it off as being a ridiculous overreaction. Mike's dad was once the commanding officer at this naval hospital I speak of, so we figured when the former CO calls and says, "I'm concerned about my grandson", the doctors aren't very likely to say, "Oh. No Worries. Everything Is Fine."
At about 10:30 that night, I received an email from Mike's dad that went into detail about this specific pediatrician's concerns and why it is imperative that we take care of this right away.
I actually slept that night, and when I woke up it was one of those times where I was carefree for a moment and then I remembered and was like oh. right. that. :(
So I called my mom and discussed. More. As if I hadn't already talked to her about this specific subject for hours on end. I had decided as soon as I read that email from Mike's dad that it was time to put my big girl pants on and take my darn baby to the hospital to get him the care that he needs. Maybe it will be nothing. Maybe they will say, "Oh. False Alarm. Your Baby is Perfect. Just as you Thought." But I'm starting to get the feeling it's not really going to go like that.
I'd like to go on record saying that it really pays to know people in high places. I'm almost completely certain that never in the history of naval medicine has anything moved quite as swiftly as it did for me this morning. I spoke with Mike's dad for a minute. He gave me the cell phone number of the head pediatrician and told me to call him. I called him. He didn't answer. He called me back 10 minutes later apologizing for not answering my phone call. He's traveling. He spoke to me about the situation for a few minutes. While speaking to him the sick feeling in my stomach slowly started to disappear. A little bit of relief took its place. He told me I had to have my pediatrician refer Sawyer to their care. My pediatrician did. And, in less then two hours, I was speaking to the on-call pediatrician at the hospital and he was telling me they were ready for me when I got there
....
I told him this was all moving a bit fast for me. Could I bring Sawyer in tomorrow?
Sure thing, he said.
It's settled. Tomorrow we go to the hospital, and maybe it will be the worst couple of days of my entire life. Maybe it will be incredibly stressful and anxiety inducing and not really very convenient At. ALL. But at least I know. Know for sure that I am doing everything I can to make sure that my little baby is getting the best possible care he can get.
My mom is flying in tonight.
She told me on the phone... I'm coming.
I cried.
Did you know Mike's going through an intense training right now for the military? He's more than halfway finished, and if he were to take off even an hour he would have to drop out? I don't want him to drop out. So having my mom here for support will be priceless.
Please pray for my little baby. He is my world, and I just want him to be healthy.
healthy and happy.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
my olympic gymnast
When I had my first real prenatal check-up, I was incredibly nervous. I was afraid that during that first ultrasound we would find that my baby was not thriving. Instead, we found an Olympic gymnast flipping around in there. That image fortified me beyond belief. During those early days when I was oh so very nervous that something would go wrong, all I had to do was think about that baby flipping around in there having the time of his or her life, and it would bring a smile to my face.
During the late days of pregnancy, I would sit in awe staring at my belly shift and contort in the most amazing ways as my very active little man would find some way to roll around despite his constantly shrinking living quarters.
He was 10 days late, so I had to go into the doctor a few times for those stress tests where they strap a monitor to your belly and observe the motion and heartbeat for an extended period of time. I was supposed to click a button every time my baby moved. The first time I went I clicked it every two seconds the entire time. Literally. He would not stop moving. Something about the monitor got him going.
These days, now that my little man has achieved the mobility he has so greatly yearned for over the past many months, I am seeing a bit of that olympic gymnast in real life.
We purchased one of those video camera monitors for Sawyer's room because every time I would go in to get him in the morning he would be in a different corner of his crib in a totally different position from how I left him. It totally freaked me out.
Now that we can watch him, though, it is quite a sight to see. All night long our precious little baby rolls, turns, flails, and basically covers every square inch of that crib.... all while he is sleeping.
He is a very active little boy, and that active little boy is my world.
.................................................................................................................
No. I'm not really worried about him. My father-in-law spoke with a pediatrician he knows and respects in Bethesda, MD. He was not alarmed or worried about the situation. When we are on the East Coast in only a few weeks we will see this doctor for his second opinion. In the meantime, he has requested that we keep a record of everything that Sawyer eats. For my part, I have been pumping a lot more and giving Sawyer bottles much more often, so that I can really be sure that my supply is up to par and that he really is taking in a decent amount of breastmilk. So far my experiment has proven that all is well in the breastmilk department, and he certainly has a healthy appetite.
My honest belief is that he is just fine. I think he started out in life bigger than he's really meant to be and his body is now adjusting. I know he's eating well. He's active. Happy. Content. Babbling. Sleeping well. His eyes shine with life and personality. He is everything you would expect a healthy baby to be. I just cannot believe that there is something wrong. That's how I feel.
At least... that's how I feel right now. Ask me in 2 minutes, and I might be panicking again.
During the late days of pregnancy, I would sit in awe staring at my belly shift and contort in the most amazing ways as my very active little man would find some way to roll around despite his constantly shrinking living quarters.
He was 10 days late, so I had to go into the doctor a few times for those stress tests where they strap a monitor to your belly and observe the motion and heartbeat for an extended period of time. I was supposed to click a button every time my baby moved. The first time I went I clicked it every two seconds the entire time. Literally. He would not stop moving. Something about the monitor got him going.
These days, now that my little man has achieved the mobility he has so greatly yearned for over the past many months, I am seeing a bit of that olympic gymnast in real life.
We purchased one of those video camera monitors for Sawyer's room because every time I would go in to get him in the morning he would be in a different corner of his crib in a totally different position from how I left him. It totally freaked me out.
Now that we can watch him, though, it is quite a sight to see. All night long our precious little baby rolls, turns, flails, and basically covers every square inch of that crib.... all while he is sleeping.
He is a very active little boy, and that active little boy is my world.
.................................................................................................................
No. I'm not really worried about him. My father-in-law spoke with a pediatrician he knows and respects in Bethesda, MD. He was not alarmed or worried about the situation. When we are on the East Coast in only a few weeks we will see this doctor for his second opinion. In the meantime, he has requested that we keep a record of everything that Sawyer eats. For my part, I have been pumping a lot more and giving Sawyer bottles much more often, so that I can really be sure that my supply is up to par and that he really is taking in a decent amount of breastmilk. So far my experiment has proven that all is well in the breastmilk department, and he certainly has a healthy appetite.
My honest belief is that he is just fine. I think he started out in life bigger than he's really meant to be and his body is now adjusting. I know he's eating well. He's active. Happy. Content. Babbling. Sleeping well. His eyes shine with life and personality. He is everything you would expect a healthy baby to be. I just cannot believe that there is something wrong. That's how I feel.
At least... that's how I feel right now. Ask me in 2 minutes, and I might be panicking again.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
attempting to put that which plagues me into words
I have this problem where I obsess over certain things that people say to me. Things that at the time I often shrug off or barely notice but that later come back to haunt me.
Like the lady who attempted to draw Sawyer's blood yesterday. Of that entire traumatic experience and the two actually very inappropriate things that she said, the one that keeps resounding in my head is, "Did he lose his shoes?"
After the blood draw wasn't successful, I was attempting to make a speedy exit fighting through my tears, and she was trying to help me leave. She handed my diaper bag to me. She opened the door, and then innocently inquired, "Did he lose his shoes?"
To me it insinuated that my 7 month old, non-walking baby who stayed in my arms the entire time he was at the doctor's office should have been wearing shoes in the dead heat of summer. To me it insinuated that I was somehow lesser of a mother because I brought my baby out of the house with nothing to cover his precious little toes.
Logically I know I'm overreacting. Logically I know that she was making no such insinuation, but rather, was trying to be helpful as I made my harried exit.
What I should be offended by, rather, was how she kept muttering under her breath, but oh so loud enough for me to hear: "Why does such a little baby need such a big blood draw??"
or, how after she was unsuccessful in drawing any blood and as my baby screamed bloody murder she grabbed the order for the blood draw and exclaimed, "What is wrong with him anyway?!?"
Those are the words that I should be simmering over as I lay awake in my bed at 3 am, but no. It's the shoes comment. I can't get over the comment about the shoes.
And though it's hard for me to put my feelings into words right now, the weight check didn't go well. He gained a little over half a pound but grew zero inches in 3 weeks. He's still in the low single digit percentile for weight and continues to drop in height. The doctor thinks he's not getting enough calories but wanted to run all these tests anyway. I didn't go through with the blood draw, though. I don't know if I will. I gave it a shot, and it was a disturbing experience to say the least. I can't sleep because I am tormented by the thought that I cannot/am not providing my baby with enough nutrition for him to gain and grow properly. My instincts tell me my baby is happy and glowing and beautiful and perfect, but what if my instincts are wrong? What if he is, in some way, starving. Breast is best, but I have no way of knowing if he's getting enough to eat. Everything says if he's gaining well he's getting enough to eat, but my doctor says he's not gaining well. She wants me to load him up on the solids which I will attempt to do, but I still can't get the idea out of my head that somehow the milk that my body is producing is in some way not enough... that if it were he would not be in this situation.
My father-in-law is on the case... a retired medical officer in the Navy he has contacts near and far and is contacting every pediatrician he knows. Mike's grandfather was a renowned pediatrician, and Mike's dad lamented that he wishes he were around today to help us crack this case. That made me feel sad too. What I'm looking for right now is a second opinion from a doctor I feel that I can trust, because I haven't run into too many of them lately...
One thing I know for sure is that Sawyer is loved so deeply and by so many. If love alone could sustain him, he would be in the 100th percentile. That's for sure.
Like the lady who attempted to draw Sawyer's blood yesterday. Of that entire traumatic experience and the two actually very inappropriate things that she said, the one that keeps resounding in my head is, "Did he lose his shoes?"
After the blood draw wasn't successful, I was attempting to make a speedy exit fighting through my tears, and she was trying to help me leave. She handed my diaper bag to me. She opened the door, and then innocently inquired, "Did he lose his shoes?"
To me it insinuated that my 7 month old, non-walking baby who stayed in my arms the entire time he was at the doctor's office should have been wearing shoes in the dead heat of summer. To me it insinuated that I was somehow lesser of a mother because I brought my baby out of the house with nothing to cover his precious little toes.
Logically I know I'm overreacting. Logically I know that she was making no such insinuation, but rather, was trying to be helpful as I made my harried exit.
What I should be offended by, rather, was how she kept muttering under her breath, but oh so loud enough for me to hear: "Why does such a little baby need such a big blood draw??"
or, how after she was unsuccessful in drawing any blood and as my baby screamed bloody murder she grabbed the order for the blood draw and exclaimed, "What is wrong with him anyway?!?"
Those are the words that I should be simmering over as I lay awake in my bed at 3 am, but no. It's the shoes comment. I can't get over the comment about the shoes.
And though it's hard for me to put my feelings into words right now, the weight check didn't go well. He gained a little over half a pound but grew zero inches in 3 weeks. He's still in the low single digit percentile for weight and continues to drop in height. The doctor thinks he's not getting enough calories but wanted to run all these tests anyway. I didn't go through with the blood draw, though. I don't know if I will. I gave it a shot, and it was a disturbing experience to say the least. I can't sleep because I am tormented by the thought that I cannot/am not providing my baby with enough nutrition for him to gain and grow properly. My instincts tell me my baby is happy and glowing and beautiful and perfect, but what if my instincts are wrong? What if he is, in some way, starving. Breast is best, but I have no way of knowing if he's getting enough to eat. Everything says if he's gaining well he's getting enough to eat, but my doctor says he's not gaining well. She wants me to load him up on the solids which I will attempt to do, but I still can't get the idea out of my head that somehow the milk that my body is producing is in some way not enough... that if it were he would not be in this situation.
My father-in-law is on the case... a retired medical officer in the Navy he has contacts near and far and is contacting every pediatrician he knows. Mike's grandfather was a renowned pediatrician, and Mike's dad lamented that he wishes he were around today to help us crack this case. That made me feel sad too. What I'm looking for right now is a second opinion from a doctor I feel that I can trust, because I haven't run into too many of them lately...
One thing I know for sure is that Sawyer is loved so deeply and by so many. If love alone could sustain him, he would be in the 100th percentile. That's for sure.
Monday, July 11, 2011
feelings about a move
A few people have inquired about how I feel about this upcoming move. The truth is, while there are tons of feelings floating around in my general area, I'm just moving too fast right now to stop and contemplate any of them for very long.
While I have a moment of peace, I think it's about time I elaborate on these feelings.
The first feeling that comes to mind when I think of this move is excited. I'm ready for a new beginning. San Diego has been lovely, but I'm ready for a change of scenery. I'm ready to be closer to family. I'm ready to live in a small military town again. I eagerly anticipate a larger home and new friends. I'm happy that this move ensures 2 years when Michael will not deploy. There's much to look forward to.
The second feeling that comes to mind is anxious. Renting our house is quite scary. Will we have good renters? Will we even have renters? Will money be an issue? There are many question marks involved in this new venture.
Another feeling that comes to mind quite prevalently is stressed. Even though the military comes in, packs up all of our belongings, and carts them across the country for us, moving is still stressful - especially now that we have a baby. In the back of my head I have been running a regular commentary on what we need to take with us. Just getting all of that in order will be a bit overwhelming. Then there's the actual traveling across country. As I mentioned before, I am very happy that we will be visiting with so much family on our trip, but just going to the grocery store is imminently more stressful with a baby than it is without, so I'm counting on a stress level that will most likely skyrocket during our journeys.
sad. Yes. I am a little bit sad. Did you know that one of my childhood best friends lives here in San Diego? Though I have not made the life-long friends I once hoped to make here in California, I have had one of my very best friends here with me.... and it has been amazing. I will miss her presence in my life very much, and I fear that being so far apart will inevitably put some emotional distance between us...
Last... I feel hopeful. This latest move marks a new beginning for us. Sawyer will spend the next few years of his life there. He will make friends. Hit milestones. Amaze us. We hope to expand our family while in South Carolina. I hope to make wonderful memories there. I have hope that South Carolina will be an incredible place for us to enjoy this next chapter in our lives.
While I have a moment of peace, I think it's about time I elaborate on these feelings.
The first feeling that comes to mind when I think of this move is excited. I'm ready for a new beginning. San Diego has been lovely, but I'm ready for a change of scenery. I'm ready to be closer to family. I'm ready to live in a small military town again. I eagerly anticipate a larger home and new friends. I'm happy that this move ensures 2 years when Michael will not deploy. There's much to look forward to.
The second feeling that comes to mind is anxious. Renting our house is quite scary. Will we have good renters? Will we even have renters? Will money be an issue? There are many question marks involved in this new venture.
Another feeling that comes to mind quite prevalently is stressed. Even though the military comes in, packs up all of our belongings, and carts them across the country for us, moving is still stressful - especially now that we have a baby. In the back of my head I have been running a regular commentary on what we need to take with us. Just getting all of that in order will be a bit overwhelming. Then there's the actual traveling across country. As I mentioned before, I am very happy that we will be visiting with so much family on our trip, but just going to the grocery store is imminently more stressful with a baby than it is without, so I'm counting on a stress level that will most likely skyrocket during our journeys.
sad. Yes. I am a little bit sad. Did you know that one of my childhood best friends lives here in San Diego? Though I have not made the life-long friends I once hoped to make here in California, I have had one of my very best friends here with me.... and it has been amazing. I will miss her presence in my life very much, and I fear that being so far apart will inevitably put some emotional distance between us...
Last... I feel hopeful. This latest move marks a new beginning for us. Sawyer will spend the next few years of his life there. He will make friends. Hit milestones. Amaze us. We hope to expand our family while in South Carolina. I hope to make wonderful memories there. I have hope that South Carolina will be an incredible place for us to enjoy this next chapter in our lives.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Bringing You Up-to-Date
These next two months are sure to be some of the craziest of our lives. Beginning this coming Monday, Mike will be traveling 50 miles every day for 3 weeks to undergo intensive training to be a Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor. Sawyer and I only expect to see him on the weekends. I would actually prefer that he spend the night there when he can because that long of a drive when he is sure to be fatigued sounds like a worry wart's nightmare. We shall see.
In the meantime, we're showing our house.... like pretty much all the time. Which is hugely stressful, and though it's only been just over 2 weeks I'm feeling pretty discouraged and tired of the process already. The incessant cleaning and rearranging of our lives around these showings is incredibly difficult when you have 2 dogs and a baby to work around. We do have a lot of interest in the house, but no takers so far. Well, I take that back. We have had 2 applications. One the rental company didn't recommend that we accept after their credit check and the other they took back after they found something they liked better. *sigh. Time will tell. Our ace in the hole is that our community boasts the best school district in San Diego County and we accept pets which according to our rental company most people in our community do not. Thankfully, we will still be getting our San Diego basic allowance for housing (which is much more than what they give you in South Carolina since it's all based on the cost of living in an area) until the end of August. If we haven't found renters by then, then you will find me curled up in the fetal position in a corner somewhere.... but we won't worry about that until we have to, ok?
We finally scheduled our movers and are heading out of here the first week of August. We will stop to see Mike's sisters and their families and then stop to see my family before arriving in our new home. The entire process will take a couple of weeks and while I am absolutely DYING for everyone to see Sawyer, I imagine all that time of being transients is going to take quite a toll on Sawyer and us. As my mom said to Sawyer, he will have traveled across the country twice by the time he is 8 months old. Such is the life of a military brat, eh?
We put in our application for base housing which I am over-the-top-thrilled about because the lady Mike has been in communication with seems to think we shouldn't have a problem getting a house. After living in San Diego for 5 years where our military community is spread out over a stretch of 50 miles or more, it will be SO GREAT to have built in friends living right next door. (That's my daydream anyway, so please don't shatter it).
Other than that, I am still having moment where I totally freak out and panic about this weight percentile thing. I have spent a lot of time scouring the internet for some assurance, but everything seems to say that it's ok if they're in a low percentile as long as it's a consistently low percentile. It's not. OR. It's ok if the weight drops as this typically happens to exclusively breastfed babies... as long as the height isn't dropping, too. His height is dropping. So I panic sometimes. I don't know which would be more devastating: if there's somethign wrong with him that he is not gaining weight properly or if he is not getting as much food as he needs and so isn't gaining weight properly. Let's just say, this has taken a great toll on my confidence as a mommy. Now we're into the whole "solid" foods thing, and I am very confused about how all that is supposed to work. I would prefer to have been given exact written instructions on exactly when, what, and how much to feed your baby, but all of the information is VERY vague. When we both have time, I plan to have an in-depth conversation with my sister about this... (you hear that, Aim? Give me a call when you get a chance) ;)
Seriously. Seriously, though. Look at the picture up there at the top and tell me that there's something wrong with that kid's weight! *sigh.
Happy July 4th, by the way.
:)
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