Easter Photoshoot

This past week has been a crazy one! As I get more used to being a mom (Ha!) I’m starting to actually behave once again like a human being and get my lazy a** out of the house! It’s still really hard though. Case in point: Rob had Tuesday off, and he’s been really great lately so I decided that we would all go out to lunch at his favorite place – Taco Mac.
This was the first time that we’d brought Holden to a restaurant, and I thought he was doing well. He had fallen asleep in his car seat on the way to Taco Mac, and then I put him in the Moby and he continued to doze while we each sipped a beer, worked on a plate of nachos, and acted like a couple again. Things were going sportingly until we decided we were still hungry and ordered a burger to share. Then, of course, Holden decided that he, too, was hungry and began to fuss.

Of course I had forgotten the nursing wrap. Of course! So I had to make do with a blanket. Which did not want to do an effective job of staying put and not exposing my boobage to the world. Holden did not want to play along either. He established a good latch and nursed well for about 10 minutes or so, then he unlatched and started crying and would not latch on again or stop crying for the life of me! After a handful of unsuccessful attempts to remedy the situation I escaped to the truck before the other diners turned into an angry mob. Needless to say I did not get to eat my half of the burger, nor finish my beer.

When I got to the truck, I lifted Holden out of the Moby wrap and discovered the problem: a huge blow-out of a poo that had leaked out of the diaper, all over him and all over me (well, the Moby). Grrreat. Now, normally he doesn’t cry when he has a poo, but then again I usually notice and change him as soon as it happens. This time, as he was ensconced in the Moby, I wasn’t aware. So while Rob chugged down the remainder of his (and my) beer and paid the check I got Holden cleaned up and changed and decided that we didn’t really need to go by Trader Joe’s.

On Wednesday, I had to go to the doctor (twice, for they screwed up my appointment time) and on Thursday we took Holden to get his shots. He had to get four of them, poor thing! I held his little hands still, and put my face on his and when he cried it broke my heart! Seriously, if I had to get four shots – two at a time – I would cry too! Luckily, he didn’t cry but for a few minutes, I breastfed him and we left the doctor.

Then we had to go to a business meeting, because of course it would be on the most inconvenient day possible. Then we had to hightail it home so Rob could help his friend change his brake pads. Well, he and Rob had literally JUST left when Holden began to scream bloody murder. I had been nursing him and all of a sudden after I burped him he just started screaming. And screaming. And screaming. I sang. I rocked. I danced. I offered boob soothage. I called the pediatrician’s office and they said that he was probably just reacting to the vaccines but if he kept it up for 2 hours without stopping I should take him to the hospital. Two hours?

Luckily, he only cried for about thirty minutes before I think he tired himself out and fell asleep in my arms. Of course, my dumbass had to go and sneeze and wake him up! But the second time he only screamed for about fifteen minutes before he fell asleep again. The poor guy pretty much slept and nursed for the rest of the night, but no more screaming Thank Goodness!

Saturday was my busiest day of all! In the morning we took Holden’s Easter pictures! Aren’t they cute! I seriously took over a hundred pictures… I may have a problem! He did surprisingly well! I thought he was going to fuss, but Rob held up his Cap’n Calamari and he calmed right down. In the afternoon I met some of my girlfriend’s at Pure Taquera for my bff Misty’s baby shower. After Pure, we went back to my friends’ house and had some champagne and Misty opened her presents.

Holden had slept through my outing and was still asleep when I made it home, so I quickly went through the photos and sent some to Wolf Camera to be printed so I could give them out on Sunday. My mom came over after that so I could run to pick up the prints and the market and stayed to entertain him while I made beignet dough and grit casserole for Easter breakfast & cherry filled chocolate cupcakes for Easter lunch.
Yeah, I didn’t finish until 10:30! And of course Holden wouldn’t fall asleep for my mom so he didn’t make it down till 11. Then I had to clean the kitchen and finish this! Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep! Who needs sleep anyway, right!

Holden has Colic

I cannot believe that Holden is 7 weeks old already! Every day he gets just a bit more aware of the world around him and it is so awesome! He is also growing up a storm! When we got back from the doctor’s office Monday, we found out his weight is 9lb 4oz! I couldn’t believe it!

So why were at the pediatricians you may ask? Good question. The short answer is, Sunday was mommy’s breaking point. The longer answer is, well:

For the past couple of weeks Holden has been sneezing a bit, and he has also been extremely fussy with so-bad-you-can-feel-them gas bubbles in his tummy. Anyway, flash forward to Sunday. We spent the whole day at my in-laws (well, I spent the whole day, Rob had to go into the rink at 2). Holden was grumpy for most of the day, his fussiness seemed to be getting worse over the past couple of days. It was nice to have someone else to hold him and comfort him, but at the same time as a mom you just want to be the one to do it every time he cries!

When I finally managed to pry him from Grandma’s grasp ;-) she drove us home. He cried on the way, but eventually we missed enough red lights for him to fall asleep. Then we got home and he, of course, woke up. And proceeded to cry and cry and cry, well, you get the idea. Then I cried and cried and cried. Not just because it pains me to hear him cry, but because I felt like crap: achey, neck hurty, throat hurty, dizzy, stomach crampy, nauseated. (Could it be sympathy pains you ask? Nah, nothing so awesome. I took myself to the doc on Tuesday and I just have sinusitis & gastritis.)

And of course, he would not go to sleep for the life of me: I nursed him, rocked him, walked him, sang to him. No dice, he was still fussing with wide open eyes. And I know he was overexcited and overtired from being out all day, but it was more than that. This was all that compounded with a hurting tummy. I felt so badly for my little guy, but finally I admitted defeat. I mean, I'll be the first to admit that I am not supermom and I can only rock him and walk him around for so long. I cuddled him against my chest, snuggled into the cozy-corner of the sectional, surrounded us with pillows and allowed myself to doze.

I feel ashamed to say that I passed out before him, but he eventually dozed with me for about an hour, and then woke up again with a vengeance when I tried to move him cus my back was killing and so I could get a snack (I was ravenous, breastfeeding does that to me). Mommy would get no snack or drink of water. My bawling almost resumed as well but luckily Daddy texted at just the right moment to say he was about to be on his way home. Hallelujah! After a changed diaper and some struggling a latch was successful and Holden quieted down while nursing.

Daddy got home soon after Holden finished nursing bearing grilled cheese and sprite for Mommy and a trade was made. While I ate, we discussed Holden’s fussiness & decided a trip to the pediatrician was in order. So Monday afternoon we made the trek to see Dr. Midani. Well, guess what? The sneezing is nothing to worry about; the fussiness and gassiness however... Colic! Yes, colic. The ailment that puts The Fear in all new mommies and daddies. And my baby has it.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised; according to my mother I had horrendous colic. Colic so bad that I would scream at the top of my lungs for hours on end. Luckily (thank goodness!) Holden's isn't that bad. He merely fusses for a few hours - worse in the evenings, of course- and has just a few screaming moments. It still really sucks. It really sucks that Rob works a lot of late nights... the time when he's worst! Go figure.

The doctor gave us some drops stronger than the Mylicon we'd been using and he got his first does this afternoon. I really (knock on wood!!) think it's working! At least, he was chilling & even fell asleep in his infant positioner while I wrote part of this with no screaming fit (well, till the shutter sound on my Nikon woke him up… oops!), most definitely an improvement. Also, he slept for 7 hours in a row last night. 7! And he actually napped today! I bet it’s a lot easier to sleep when you don’t feel like your tummy’s gonna explode! But will the good sleeping continue or is it just a coincidence? Only time will tell, but a mom can hope!

Holden Tags Along to the Eye Doctor

Yesterday was a hard day. Today was a hard day too, but yesterday was worse. Well, the morning was ok, besides rushing around in the A.M. trying to get myself and Holden ready in time. It was the afternoon that was hardest.

I went to the OBGYN office for my 6-week check up (everything is back to... Well, not normal, but I guess as close as I'm gonna get!) in the morning.

Rob came with me, so that was good. I had to nurse Holden once we got into an exam room, and Rob was able to hold him when I finished so he didn't fuss. Of course, as soon as I nursed him he pretty much dozed off. Story of my life. (can we say foreshadowing?)

Rob had to go into work soon after we got home, but Holden & I got to relax (ha!) for a few short hours in the early afternoon. In between his Grumpings I
managed to scarf down some lunch. This pretty much consisted of me holding Holden in my left arm and dipping toast into hummus with my right. It was delicious in any case.

Too soon it was time to head out for my eye appointment. Holden of course fell asleep in the car, but he woke up once we got into the waiting room. He was quiet for awhile, looking around with his wide eyes like he does, like everything in the world is new and fresh, which to him I suppose it is.

However, the quiet wonderment did not last long. Soon, it was replaced with screaming that no amount of cuddling, kissing, rocking, walking, anything could fix. He wanted The Boob and he wanted it now. Unfortunately, I am not quite comfortable nursing in public so I did my best boob-less soothing. It went on for almost 20 minutes. It was AWFUL. I just wanted to cry & scream myself. I felt bad for Holden, I felt bad for all the other patrons, I felt bad for the receptionists... And I felt bad for myself.

Luckily, the very second before I was either going to a) pull my hair out or b) make a run for it one of the nurses came over and said to me: "Is he crying cus he's hungry? I just had my first grandbaby so I thought that might be it. Want me to find an empty room for you to nurse in?"

Bless that women. She took me to the back, put me in a room ("put the chair against the door so no one cam walk in on you") and said not to worry about missing my appointment time, I could take 30 minutes if I needed to.

Of course, I still felt badly about being an inconvenience, but at least Holden was happy. Well, until he finished nursing; he started fussing again as soon as he was full. I luckily got to wait in the special in-the-back waiting room with a tv until the OD could see me because I had to hold Holden in
my arms & let him suck my finger the whole time. And the whole time I was waiting in the exam room. And during the exam.

Happily, all the staff was wonderful and Dr. Hobson was wonderful as well. Thank goodness!

And thank goodness Holden is so cute & I love him so much: because sometimes it's hard to stay positive when it gets overwhelming and I just wanna cry too.