LONG DAY

I always knew Robbie was clearly advanced. I just didn't know we'd fast forwarded to college.

Ever have a night that you are missing a few pieces of? You vaguely remember losing some of your clothing, waking up sore but not sure why? Maybe you had puke in your hair? You're starving, but the minute food touches your stomach, you want to heave again?

Maybe it was just me. For what it's worth, I gave up vodka when I was 19.

I think Robbie is hungover.

He saw Dr. P today. She had lots and lots of truly wonderful things to say.

-He's up to 6lb 9oz
-If his weight gain continues as it has, he should catch up around a year old
-his head is giant. She says usually the head catches up first, then weight, then length. And he's right on track that way.
-we could have stopped the apnea monitor today but I hesitated, so she says we'll keep it another 4 weeks, then we're done.
-because of the great weight gain on plain breast milk, we officially are no longer required to supplement with formula. The boob juice is doing its job!
-his ears look great

However, she also had to do 2 terrible things:

-Remove a chunk of ear wax to she could see those great eardrums
-give vaccines


The first set off an ugly reaction. REAL TEARS, people. Well, okay, just one. But it was fat! A BIG, FAT, REAL TEAR. My heart was shredded. It was that hysterical cry of WHY, WHY, WHY would you intentionly hurt a helpless, tiny, adorable infant such as I? Even his beloved binky was no comfort.

I finally held/rocked/patted him into quiet. But the minute I pulled him away from my body, he fussed. If his butt hit the exam table- hysterics! Pull him back to me- quiet. Back to the table- hysterics!

Dr. P says he's quite intelligent. Didn't take much to get the association of TABLE BAD. MOMMY GOOD.

For that reason, she had me step out of the room while she had him vaccinated. Two oral and three IM. When he had his 2 month shots, you'd never have known it. He was totally fine. She recommended some tylenol, but I wasn't too concerned.

I went to make our next appointments (1 month for a weight check which might get cancelled if his weight is good at his GI appointment in a couple of weeks) and could hear him screaming from the front desk. I took deep breaths and assured myself that he was fine.

By the time I got back to the room, he was already calm again. He looked pissed, but he wasn't yelling. Honestly, the look on his face made me laugh. "I do NOT like this place very much. Very poor service. I'd like to see the manager."

Robbie's NICU BFF was in the next room, so we visited. As usual, they wore matching outfits. We were invited to a playdate and movie night at their place. (SOCIAL INTERACTION. I MIGHT HAVE A PANIC ATTACK!)

Then we headed to David's work. He's in an office with just him and his secretary who had a preemie herself (who is now an adult who had a preemie HERSELF) so she's cool with the no-touchy-my-delicate-baby thing.

I fed Robbie while David ran to Walgreens for some Tylenol. Then I visited the Honda dealer a block down because I'm considering trading my car in for a cheaper one. (We're still trying to see if we can arrange finances for me to stay home permanently at some point.) It was David's b-day today, so got to wish him a happy b-day as well.

I then picked him back up. He hadn't eaten well, but figured it was a combo of stress and over stimulation. He'd slept while I was gone and slept most of the way home. He started crying about 15 minutes from home and didn't stop for the next 10 years. Or something like that.

All afternoon, he fussed, he cried, he whined, he puked. He would barely eat, and what he DID eat either boiled out of the hole in his stomach or his mouth. Mid afternoon, he seemed warm. I took his temperature. 100.4 under the arm.
I stripped him down to a onesie and gave him a few minutes to cool down. 99.5. Still too warm.

Called the doctor. She said it should run its course in a day. I went back to rock/pat/sing/begging. I'd only slept 2 1/2 hours, so it was a rough one.

When David got home, he took over while I made him a FABULOUS birthday dinner. He'd settle down for a few minutes here or there, but mostly he whined and cried. David tried unsuccessfully to put him down several times.

Eventually I took over again while David ate dinner. I finally managed to get him in our bed, on a pillow and semi calm. Gave him some pedialyte hoping to settle his tummy. After he ate a little pedialyte, he seemed hungry. For the first time all day- hungry. I had David make a bottle and he actually ate and got really drowsy. David took over so I could eat and Robbie FINALLY slept. It was 9pm.

I really don't know how the kid does it. David must have said 100 times "he HAS to sleep eventually.."

Of course, he slept until 11 and woke up hungry again. I fed him and tried to get him back to sleep. No luck. It's now 4:40 am and he's still going.

It's taken me more than 2 hours to write this post. We've changed clothes twice (belly leaking) played on the play mat, rocked, patted, sang. I've sat on the couch and cried. He's currently in his crib grunting in frustration.

I really don't believe in cry it out. (At least, not for babies. It worked fairly well for me earlier.) But I'm not sure if grunt it out is part of that.

I had to pump, so I went for it.

I figure eventually he has to sleep. He's a 4 month/6 week old baby who has slept less than 6 hours out of the last 24. That's not normal. So he HAS TO SLEEP. Eventually. It's the best cure for a hangover.


--Trish