Week 3 with Andrew George

Week 3

Andrew's reflux/fussiness continued, he took to the formula, and we tried different things to calm him down from one of his "meltdowns" - to put it nicely..

Im tellin ya.. this kid cried ALL THE TIME, and not just a fuss, a shreiking, pinching, painful tear filled cry. The bath took it away (temporarily)...
First warm bath in the sink. He was quiet for about 3 whole minutes.

It was a rough week.. Me sleeping on the couch with him, holding him, crying with him.. Mathew would come down and releive me and try to calm him.. we'd get him down, and he'd be up again sometimes in 10 minutes, sometimes in 1 hour.. he wasnt sleeping at ALL...

Neither were we... I probably got a good 2 hours every night last week.. I was feeling like I was loosing my mind.. I couldnt function, and I also couldnt take care of Samantha.. which was making it even more emotionally draining.. ALL I was doing was holding him, calming him down all the time.. round the clock

Mid-week I got this adorable package of goodies from my dear friend Leslie in TX

It was a very nice surprise and pick-me-up... I just love all these squishy baby clothes!

Love you Leslie!

This was the ONLY way he'd calm and take a nap, and give me a break...except he was ON me, so I was a prisoner on the couch till he woke up...
But only for a maximum of 30 minutes, before he'd wake up screaming like this..

I felt bad taking a pic, but I will (hopefully) look back and rememeber all we'd gone through with our poor little baby.. who was in soo much pain, and I didnt know and still dont know how to fix him.
So that was our week.. I pretty much stayed in my pajamas, lived on the couch, slept a few hours a night, and slowly am loosing my mind.. just kidding..(or am I?)

A Little Scare {Trip to the ER with Andrew}

Trip to the Emergency Room {2.23.11}

Thursday we were having an awful day... but the whole week was awful.

So stressful but for some reason it seemed Andrew was worse with the screaming fits, and pain.

I had been giving him formula, and pumping and freezing my milk as well - double duty.. (very time consuming. He'd eat, and I'd have to put him down sleeping for the short time he would sleep.. and then I'd pump store and label and freeze bags.)

So Thursday I noticed he was miserable, but also not eating and pooping/peeing which made us really nervous.

He had literally been crying and screaming in pain for 2.5 hours, we could not calm him.

My Mom was over watching Samantha and she saw how he was .. she suggested we take him to the ER. Crazy, right? But I was afraid it may have been something that we were unaware of, something in his intestines, or stomach, or worse..

So we packed bags (again) for the hospital. I felt like I was JUST there.. We went to another hospital though, Children's Hospital. We spent about 2 hours waiting, and they decided to do an abdominal x-ray to see if anything showed up.

I brought him into the xray room, and saw a tiny little board with straps, it looked like some kind of device they use to constrain mental patients, and they put my 3 week old baby in there.. They said we had to wait outside.. and as I stood outside the door I heard my baby screaming and screaming.. and I lost it... Crying uncontrollably.. I had been soo spent at that point, dealing with my poor miserable baby and his suffering for over a week.. now we're in the ER and Im scared to death that something else is wrong...Mat just hugged me tight and put his head on mine.. We feel so helpless.. and we're so emotionally and physically exhausted.

No one wants their baby to be in pain, but worse, to not be able to console them? That is the worst. And o see a poor 3 week old baby be in such pain, my heart breaks every time he cries.

The xray came back negative, everything looked great.. What a releif. But they wanted to admit Andrew anyways.. to see if anything else is going on, and to observe.

So it was around 1am at that time, we got to our room and finally all settled to sleep a little around 4am. We were beat. Daddy slept in a chair with his head resting on my diaper bag sitting on a table, and I got a fold out chair/bed.
Poor thing was hooked up to a bunch of monitors... its so scary to see your tiny baby in a hospital crib, and hooked up to wires..
I was trying to thank God during all this and remember how blessed we were.
Andrew is healthy, he is just having a few minor issues, which in the grand scheme of things are not a big deal, just painful and emotionally draining.
We were on a floor with some very unfortunate children and small babies whom Im sure would love to trade places with Andrew, who only stayed a mere 12 hours at the hospital.

Andrew slept pretty well in the hospital, go figure! The staff must have thought we were crazy making up such stories about a screaming, vomiting, uncontrollable baby.. But he was good.

They said he was suffering from a few things..

Colic, Severe Reflux, and Hyperlactation (my issue- my milk coming in too fast for him)

So I met with a bunch of Nurses and Doctors, giving us tips, what to watch for etc..

And we have an appt to have a scan of his tummy done to see how sever the reflux is.

It was a scary scary 12 hours, but we have piece of mind now, and know it is nothing more severe, and that to me is worth it to know.

Im glad he will eventually be alright, but every day is a challenge.

Im taking it one day at a time.

The main challenge for me, is that he's so high maintenance AND I have a 2 year old to watch on top of it all.

So this too shall pass..
I hope this is the one and only time I ever have to see any of my babies in a teeny hospital crib like this.

Update on Andrew {Boobs are on Vacay}

Here's a little update on my sweet baby...

So recap, Andrew has been miserable, screams and cries ALL DAY LONG.. we cant put him down for more than 10 min, at MOST, he'd wake up screaming.. he'd scream while I was nursing, during and after.. but still wanted to latch for comfort.

We were without a doubt loosing our minds.. Colic?Gas?Something else more severe?

So I called my dr's again.. and he said I should come in and get some samples of formula to try..

NOT WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR,...

Everyone has their own plan and what works best for their situation and as a mother, but for me, Breastfeeding was ALWAYS the plan... so I had a little breakdown.. okay many breakdowns and many tears yesterday at home, car and at Dr's office.. Bless them for they could see I was a mess.. I literally drove there in my pajamas... and later noticed I didnt even latch up my nursing bra.. so one boob was almost hanging out of my bra the entire time.. nice.. real nice..

But seriously I couldnt pull myself together.. and I was a hot hot mess.. and going on 2 hours at BEST of sleep snippets during our horrible night/morning and afternoon.

But my baby was in pain.. that was obvious.. and I had to come to terms with the fact that my milk just wasnt agreeing with him right now. So the plan is trial and error right now, to see what works for baby.

This is what they gave me, and I went home and basically was sobbing the entire time I was giving him a bottle, and whispering to him how sorry I was.. and feeling like such a failure.
But he took only 1.5 ounces.. and slept for 2 hours straight..
This was HUGE for us.. seeing as he hasnt slept past 10 minutes for days....
I was thinking... does this stuff really work that fast???
And I guess it did, because he slept pretty good overnight, waking 2 times, and he's been taking good naps all day today..
So Im coming to terms with this stuff, and realizing its whats best for my little peanut right now.
We're taking him for a synthoscan to make sure his belly is ok, and Im pumping and freezing my milk.
The plan is to NOT give up breastfeeding, but to pump and store right now, and re-introduce it to him ... All this is breaking my heart but to see a whole new baby today.. well, its worth it.
So my Boobs are on vacay.... but hopefully not an extended one..
Its been a rough week, but hopefully we can figure out a formula (no pun intended) that works, that involves my breastmilk.

Poor Baby {3 Weeks Old}

My precious little man.

The first three weeks of life have been challenging for him lately.

Seems he has some gas and reflux issues.. poor baby

Nights have been miserable.. I am like a zombie.

I sleep maybe 4 hours .. interrupted.. not all at once.

He cries real tears and is clearly in pain.. and there is not much I can do to comfort him.

I end up in tears most nights around 6am when I've been trying to just get him to calm down.

This big sister has been an angel... so patient and so self-sufficient.

She said yesterday "I wish we could get a band-aid and brother's tummy would feel better"... I teared up again... (its the new reaction)

I will say this is all new.. the last week or so.. before this he was sleeping decent for a 2 week old, even threw in a 5 hour sleep during the night which was awesome. Then all of the sudden things got ugly.. fast...
The docs, nurses, and lactation nurse (who's been to our house 4 times in the past 3 weeks) all have their theories.. Overfeeding, Reflux, Colic, Gas, ... etc..
But no one knows for sure, and our poor baby continues to suffer

This is all VERY new to me. Samantha took longer to GET nursing down, but she never was in this much pain, or didnt sleep as much for us in the beginning.
I dont mean to complain. We are blessed beyond measure with these two healthy children whom we just adore.. I guess Im looking for some answers from people who have gone through this.

One thing the lactation nurse mentioned was formula....which is fine, but then she mentioned giving up nursing.. which is not in the cards.. I really DO NOT want to even think about not breastfeeding...

Nursing is the one thing that comforts him.

Nursing is the only way I can get him to calm down from his blood-curdling screams and cries which breaks my heart.

So I think Im going to alter my diet dramatically .. cutting all dairy.. which also breaks my heart, cause I love love MILK!!!

But this little face is more important.

And he isnt so happy these days.. OR MAINLY NIGHTS!

And its really taking a toll on me, and Daddy, and everyone..

I just want a happy baby!!

So suggestions and PRAYERS! are being welcomed... New diet starts right NOW!

Us Lately

Just a quick update on our happenings this past 3rd week with our little man.

Andrew seemed to be very very fussy, screaming and in a lot of pain (so we think)

So we took him into the doctor's on Wednesday.. AND Thursday.. (keep reading)

I was afraid it might be a case of reflux...

Our doctor wasnt there that day.. so another doc saw Andrew.. and said it could be reflux, but she wasnt sure. She said could be a case of over-feeding..and that I was to limit his milk intake to 5 min per side...So we did that and nothing changed.. I was beside myself.. sobbing in the middle of the night.. Mathew would rock him, swaddle him, rub his tummy, gas drops, more feeding, swinging, bouncing.. Nothing would work and my poor baby had REAL tears in his little newborn eyes..

He was mainly really fussy the worst at night.. of course.

He sleeps great during the day, and a little screaming during the day but mostly its worst between the hours of 12 midnight and 7am...

Little Sassy I can tell doesnt really know what to think .. and Im trying not to show my concern or frustration, and trying to play it off jokingly... She loves playing piano for him, I told her that Andrew likes when she plays for him, and maybe it would make him feel better

Thursday... Back at the Dr's... to see our main Dr.

He said sounds like a case of acid reflux, and perscribed Andrew 2 medicines to help with the pain and even out the acidity. Poor guy.
After the doc's I braved Target by myself with him for the first time.. He was as quiet as a mouse and slept the entire time... (of course)

Friday I had the kids all to myself, and it went really well. Only a few meltdowns by Sass, and Andrew.. but by 3pm when Daddy came home I realized it wasnt that bad by myself. I just need to take it one day at a time, and maybe eventually I can go somewhere with them!... Eventually.....

Lateley this is what we've been doing..

Lots of Laundry....and folding...

Project Diaper Bag:

I organized and stocked my diaper bag with the essentials this weekend...

I really stopped carrying one with Samantha.. so I had to get back into the groove with Breast Pads, Paci's, Wipes, Anti-Bacterial Wipes, Nursing Covers, and Blankets.

We headed out last night to a few stores, and I picked up some new frames for his newborn photos that came in the mail the other day.. I just love these pictures!

We also made a stopat Babies R Us to get some supplies for my diaper bag, Lansinoh Wipes, Pee Pee Tee Pee, Anti-Bac Wipes, and Nusery Wipes.

We also hit up the craft store and Samantha and Daddy got some goolie eyes, and puff balls to make little "puffy balls" for her to play with..

This weekend, no major plans, today Samantha and Daddy went to the zoo this morning, and this evening Im dropping her off to Grammy's house and going to pick up a ladder shelf that we bought last night for the living room.

Tomorrow (Sunday) my cousin and her daughter are coming by for a visit in the morning, and then I might make pulled chicken sandwiches for dinner.. Its a cold weekend here.. so we're doing lots of indoor playing and snuggles on the couch.

Valentine's Day 2012

We had a cozy little Valentine's Day

Lately I've been craving garbage.. candy, cookies, ice cream shakes, fries, hotdogs... you name it.

So naturally I was looking for any excuse to bake, and so was Samantha.
So we made these cupcakes to warm the house today while it was snowing/sleeting outside

This little man is 2 weeks old today and I can hardly beleive how FAST he is growing before our eyes...some newborn onesies and sleepers are already too small for my little (big) man.

He has the sweetest little disposition lately.

Some gas problems though with my milk I think so we stocked up on some Mylicon.

He wakes at least 2 times overnight and usually goes back to sleep easily...usually...

Today we all hung out and Daddy went back to work 1/2 day...Tomorrow he's going back full time, and Friday he goes into the office which I am scared to death about being alone with the two kids!

Daddy slipped out around 430 and came back with a most delicious sushi dinner, and banana tempura for dessert.. ahh it was so good.. and I even got to take a shower and wash my hair tonight! Ahh the little things I took for granted before .. so funny to think about it now.

But I am loving this newborn stage ... its all squishy and wonderful!

Hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day.

Family of 4 {First Week}

Our first week as a family of four was ... eventful.. tiring..fun...new...emotional...exciting.. so many emotions.. I'll stop now...and Im just speaking for myself!

Overall it has been great. I feel so blessed to have 2 healthy wonderful children.. and although this time is "glorious and hard"..(in the words of my dear cousin Jeanne)... I wouldnt trade it for the world.

Andrew George is doing well.. sleeping like a newborn should.. waking every 3-4 hours for feedings..pooping, peeing, crying, cooing, and smiling a lot!

{AG - 5 days old - Feb 5th, 2012}

We had a doc's visit to make sure his weight was up since leaving the hospital. He was born at 8lbs, 2oz. When we left the hospital he was 7lbs, 50z, so the docs were naturally concerned. So we ate and ate over the weekend, and he weighed in at over his birthweight on Monday, Feb 6th (my due date) ha! My lactation lady is wonderful, she has helped me soooo much, just learning some tricks and methods that NO ONE ever told me about with SJ.. so I feel like I have a better grip on breastfeeding this time around with Andrew. He's a really good eater.. and he latched on IMMEDIATELEY after birth .. which is something SJ didnt do till day 4 at home.. what a releif!

{2-6-12 - weight check}

We've had a lot of gifts and visitors arrive at our house this week.. bringing so many yummy treats and meals, and gifts for both Andrew and Samantha..

{gifts from Auntie Shauna}

And even thought its freeeeeezing outside.. I managed to get him in the warm sun through the window the other day.. I
He even went some long stretches of sleep his fiit rst week at night.. A few times he slept from 10pm-2:30am... woah..it was lovely.

More loot...

My Aunt Maureen brought us some delicious Chicken Stew (Ina Garten recipe) and Banana Coconut Cake one night.. I am definately trying this recipe.. it was so good..

and she sent me flowers in the hospital as well.. I had to take a pic, they were so pretty

SO...our first week was really good.. momma's a bit sleep deprived, but it doesnt seem that extreme this time... im used to not sleeping sound anyways since SJ was born.. so this time it isnt that big of an adjustment for me ... but some days I am dragging more than others.. and I have hubby home till tomorrow...Im nervous for taking care of two ...especially since Andrew is so dependent on me for nursing, holding, changing.. etc.. Okay and so is SJ.. minus the nursing! ha!

Andrew George - Birth Story

Andrew George Malenic
Birth Story

January 30, 2012 – Monday
9:00pm – started getting regular pains 5 min apart. We had just finished getting Samantha ready for bed, and I was sitting on the couch with my contraction timer application on my phone timing what I thought were contractions.
10:00pm – the first wave of contractions were gone.
10:30pm – they were back again, coming at 4-5 minutes apart this time. I took a shower and called my Doctor. She called me back and said, “do you want to come in?” I told her I wanted to make sure this is the real thing. She said.. “well I think I will probably see you there tonight, so Im going to call and let them know to expect you. Why don’t you go get some sleep, and if they truly are contractions, you’ll know, and call me back if you are going to the hospital”
I was so thankful that I had started to labor in the middle of the night, because it avoided saying goodbye to Samantha, which was a huge relief. I felt almost guilty leaving her in the middle of the night, I was so emotional over it, I mean, we were leaving and when I would return home, her little world was about to change DRAMATICALLY. And somehow I felt guilty about it.

1/31/2012
12:45am – Woke up with contractions again. I had to go to the bathroom, so I went, and when I went, I noticed a little blood/red and mucus.. I pretty much freaked out.. calling for Mathew… I ran back into the bedroom, and said “Im bleeding! I think this is it!” So he got out of bed and started getting ready. I called the doctor again, and she said.. “get to the hospital, they are all ready for you”. I called my Mom to come over, and she was here by 1:15am. We got everything ready and headed out the door!
1:30am- Arrived at the hospital, checked in, and hooked up to the monitors. They confirmed that I was having contractions, and that I was dialated to about 3-4cm.

The contractions started off "manageable".. and we brought the laptop thank goodness. I listened to "The Time Traveler's Wife" soundtrack the ENTIRE time I labored up to and including pushing.. it soothed me and helped me make it through the tough contractions.

{I even wrote a little into the baby book while contracting}

2:00am- Changed into hospital gown, and hopped on the birthing ball for about 2 hours.. It really felt good and I tried to last as LONG as I could. The labor was progressing fast, and by 5am I was dialated to 6cm! I thought.. woah.. I got to a 6 … I only got to a 4 with SJ and asked for the epidural

{on the birthing ball}

The nurse asked if I wanted an epidural around 4am, and the contractions were coming so fast and painful .. I was gripping the bed during them, and knew I probably couldn’t handle much more… and I was proud of myself for getting this far without any drugs. But I wasn’t going for an award winning mom of the year award.. I knew I wanted an epidural, and I also knew if I waited any longer and progressed it might be too late! So she talked me into it.. and called down for it to be done.

{gripping the bed.. so so painful... epidural was next for sure}

6:15am – Got my epidural. Was 6 cm dialated. I forgot how weird getting an epidural is…numbness in your back and a pinching sensation, then its over, and you cant get out of bed and you start to feel numbness in your entire body from the waist down.
Things slowed down dramatically from this point on… which is what I thought would happen, but since I got to a 6 very very fast I never anticipated being in labor again for almost 24 hours… like with Samantha.

9:00am – My doctor ordered some Pitocin and broke my water. After she broke my water I swear my belly decreased in size by half. She noted that I had a TON of fluid in there, and when she broke my water all you heard was a huge GUSH of water.. for at least a few minutes.. it was so strange, but relieved pressure and actually felt pretty good!

The next several hours I was staying at a 6-7cm. I had a fever that spiked really quickly which made the docs nervous, Andrew’s heart rate dipped a few times (assumed while he was turning) … He was posterior for a while and they kept rotating me from side to side hoping he would cooperate and turn for us.

{the dreaded heart monitors... I kept listening and paying attention after the scare, finally one of the nurses turned it down.....}

I had a migraine headache that I kept applying ice to my forehead, and taking Tylenol for.
3:00pm – I heard beeping from one of the monitors and the nurses ran in 5 of them, they told me to lay on my back and they whipped an oxygen mask on me. They had lost his heartbeat for a minute and I was freaking out cause NO ONE would tell me what the hell was going on!!! I started bawling my eyes out, and they got his heartbeat back thank goodness, but it was so scary.
After that they attached a monitor internally to his head to keep a closer eye on him and the contractions.. that felt great… NOT!

{the weather outside was sunny at 54 degrees...}
I layed there for the next few hours hoping to make progress, and hearing babies being born and crying from the other room, I just had a stream of tears down my face, I could not stop sobbing. I just kept thinking “why is this so hard for me again” … “I thought this labor would be easier!”
I was praying and praying.. asking God to please see me through this labor, and praying to him that I could have Andrew naturally and avoid a c-section after all these hours of labor.
4:30pm – Dialated to 8cm.. Hallelujah! Best news I got all day. I looked at my Doctor and said I really want to have this baby naturally, and she was so positive and re-assuring.. (even though later she admitted she thought a c-section would be necessary)

5:15pm- Dialeted to a full 9cm. Andrew had turned and I was dialating on my own. She said we would start pushing in the next hour as long as things keep moving.. I was so relieved, nervous, happy, freaked out.. I mean, this is what I wanted.. but the reality of talking about pushing , and then actually pushing.. freaked me out too
6:30pm – I was a 10.. finally thank God. But I was also feeling my legs.. the epidural had worn off… and I felt my “female parts” my butt, my legs… so I freaked out and I asked for more drugs! She said they could give me a “top off” but that’s all they could give me. So they did.. but it didn’t work. I was so afraid of feeling ANYTHING in that lower “pushing region” if you get me.. that knowing I was going to labor naturally with only a small amount of drugs left in me was scary.
With SJ I was so numb I couldn’t even feel myself pushing at ALL.
I gave my doctor and the nurses fair warning.. I didn’t want them giving me any updates to create any visual images in my head.. I didn’t want anyone saying “I see the head” or .. “this baby has hair” .. etc..
6:40pm – Got my legs up, and started pushing..Head to my chest, breathe in, and count to 10 three times. I pushed, and waited for contractions… and pushed and finally started making progress. I knew it wasn’t long because my doctor after about ½ hour got in front of me instead of on the side, she had her mask on, and they turned on the baby’s little placement area, uncovered all the tools… etc..
7:30pm – She started helping me, by using the suction on my babydoll’s head.. she used it for a WHILE Mathew said.. and finally I felt his head coming out.. I remember hearing her say “okay good.. now the shoulders .. PUSH HARD!!!!
Mathew knew it was the last one.. he had his head against mine and said “come on LAST time” …
7:48pm - I gave it all I had and felt EVERYTHING!!!! And pushed and felt him come down and out..

They plopped him on my chest at 7:48pm...and he immediately started crying.. what a relief…
He was here.. crying.. pooping on the doctor, peeing on the nurses.. and sounding great.
Mathew was saying.. “he’s big!” … Oh god .. what did I just push out?? 9lbs? 8, what is he??
I remember asking “how big is he??” – 8lbs 2oz. – HOLY COW…. A whole pound more than Samantha. It was over, and looking back it wasnt as bad as it was in the moment...

so surreal that he was here....

{Welcome to the World Andrew George}

Andrew George Malenic - 1-31-2012

Introducing:

Andrew George

Born January 31, 2012

at

7:48pm

8lbs - 2oz.

21 inches long

After 23 hours of difficult labor.. I finally pushed him out

We are adjusting to a family of four, and we are so in love with our new little man.

More posts on his birth story and our first week coming soon!