Ty has reached some very important milestones. First. He graduated from the straight jacket, I mean, swaddle blanket. Yes, I retired it before his 6-month mark which is in a few weeks. I'm not sure if this is the longest I've swaddled a baby yet or not but I sure got a lot of crap for it from guilty bystanders. Let the record show I did not give into peer pressure by removing the swaddle blanket like a lost sheep blindly following would-be persuasive leaders. I removed it when I felt he was good and ready. He is sleeping about 12 hours a night (yay!), always on his stomach with his little bum in the air. I love his little bum in the air. It makes me smile every time I see it.
We also tried some solids yesterday with a some success. I've tried some rice cereal a few times before, in hopes he 'd keep it down better than milk, but he hated it. Yesterday, I mixed some banana with oatmeal and he decided baby cereal isn't so bad.
Now on to what I consider to be the most exciting. To be completely frank, these last 5 1/2 months have been rough. Tough. Brutal. Oh wait, maybe I already mentioned that in a previous post. Are you sick of hearing about it yet? While he hasn't been the hardest baby on the planet, he has been extremely hard for me, especially for kid #3. Since he was born, if he was awake and not eating, he was unhappy. And then as he got older, he decided to only take a nap every 3-4 days. Literally, he'd go 4 days sometimes without shutting his eyes all day. Unless he was being walked around, there was a whole lot of crying going on. He was also spitting up buckets and buckets, blowing out of diapers at least 2 times a day, had constant diaper rash, and hasn't been gaining much weight. Oh, and did I mention he WILL NOT take a pacifier? Hours of holding one in his mouth and 5 different types of pacifiers later, has confirmed that he is officially not a binky baby. We tried several medicines which reduced his spit-up a bit, but didn't help his fussiness. As a last resort, I decided to temporarily stop nursing to see if my milk was poisoning him. Well, after about 5 days, I am happy to report that he is doing a lot better. He has taken a nap everyday since I switched, he is spitting up less, he is less fussy, he rarely blows out of his diapers and his diaper rash is much better. I'm not ready to say Hallelujah quite yet, but I am so happy to see some improvement! But...What the heck? Isn't it ironic that the milk, or "liquid gold" as I've heard it referred to, that is supposed to be the best for him, was actually causing all of this crap? So frustrating. Anyway, we're hoping for some smoother months in the future and to start more fully enjoying our sweet little guy!
13 comments:
Cooper used a swaddle blanket until he was 7 months old. It was the only thing that would help him sleep. I didn't think using swaddle blankets was a bad thing, is it? Cooper also shoves food in his mouth, as if we don't feed him. Funny to watch. Can a baby be lactose intolerant from breast milk? Maybe that was his problem? He sounds like a tough little guy to handle. Glad to hear he's doing a little better. The pictures you posted are super cute!
Glad to hear he is doing better all the way around. These little ones are so hard to figure out. You think because you've done it before it might get easier, but I guess you have to start over with each new baby! I never would have thought to stop nursing. I hope that does the trick for good!
Oh wow I didn't know he was such a hard baby. Belle was the exact same way, I was staying up with her til 5 or 6 am walking around and doing various squats and swinging motions to calm her down. Then I had had it and switched her to formula, and she transformed. Weird. Anyway I hope this will make all the difference. good luck. He is sooooooo cute btw.
Brooklyn sleeps on her stomach with her bum up in the air a lot also. It always makes us smile. :) About the breast milk, just a thought, I know you like to eat a lot of fruits and veggies, maybe they were giving him gas? Just a thought. I had to eliminate a lot of things from my diet when I was nursing Jackson, including chocolate, dairy, and a lot of fruits and veg. Glad to hear he's doing better though.
Thats awesome that he is doing better! There is nothing cuter than his little bum sticking up in the air while he sleeps!
Hooray no more staight jacket! Doesn't he look so comfy and free? Maybe he couldn't get his little bum in the air while he was strapped in so tightly, thus the sleeping problems huh? Huh? Just given ya more crap! :)
I in no way was trying to give you a guilt trip about the medievil torture device, the so-called saddle blanket:) I just would want to kill myself (but would not be able to free my arms to do so) if someone did that to me. I do realize that some babies like it, so kudos to you for stickin to what worked for you. I just enjoy teasing you about that! And I am sooo glad the formula is working! If only Rachel and I could have talked you into it sooner! But atleast this way you know you tried other things and gave breastfeeding a good chance before switching. I hope he continues to improve!
Kelly-no, swaddle blankets are not bad! Don't ever let anyone make you think that! Babies love it and it helps to comfort them. I think you're (you know who you are...)CRAZY if you don't swaddle your newborn!
Katrina- Besides not taking naps during the day, Ty has mostly been a great sleeper at night (we went through that little stretch after Bear Lake that sucked). He was able to scootch his little bum in the air even with the swaddle blanket on- it was when he didn't have it that he wouldn't sleep!
Everyone- I will continue to defend my swaddle habit till the day I die! I know this sounds like I'm bragging, but really, I'm giving all the credit to the swaddle discoverer. All my babies have been sleeping through the night by 2 months old.
Liquid gold? That's gross.
i believe in swaddling shannon! i swaddled desmond until he was 7 months old. it was the only way he would sleep. and i sympathize with you about having a fussy baby that doesn't nap. desmond didn't nap at all, unless i was holding him and even then it would only be about a half an hour. he didn't nap on his own, or sleep through the night until he was 10 months old. it was horrible! i hope ty is on the mend for both of your sakes! good luck!
I was so looking forward to seeing Ty's little bum in the air today. He managed to spit up gobs and blow out his diaper (not completely, but a gross diaper) but no bum in the air for me. I guess Cameron arrived too soon. I still think you should keep trying the binky. It would help me out when I have him. He is such a cutie, I so enjoyed the big eyed stare even if I didn't get a bum in the air. As for the swaddeling, I'm all for it!
Hey Shannon good luck with the little one. Jake was a horrible newborn, maybe Rachel mentioned that at some point. We went through lots of medicines, formulas, books, allergy testing, and even an acid reflux wedge that totally looked like a torture device. If you ever are in need of more things to try give me a ring. It sounds like you are on the right track though. Good luck!
Ty is so adorable. Sorry that he has been such a hard baby. I am glad that he is doing better now. That is super weird that your "liquid gold" was the cause.
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