Babies & Oatmeal

Basti had his first taste of non-breastmilk food yesterday...  we started with oatmeal cereal.  I'd read and heard that rice cereal can be constipating, so we went straight for the oatmeal which has more fiber.  Mixed 1 Tbs cereal + 3 Tbs cold breastmilk.  Basti very eagerly awaited his first taste...  and then made a face of confusion.  Wait a minute...  this isn't what you guys eat!  Not sure he swallowed any, although his tummy was rumbly afterwards.  And I thought his poop today smelled a bit of oatmeal...  HA HA.

Today we had oatmeal cereal attempt #2.  This time mixed 1/2 Tbs cereal + 2 Tbs warm breastmilk, and it went down much better.  Tomorrow will increase the cereal amount, keep same ratio.

This morning had a meet-up with the mommies from my birthing class!  We had a good turnout, considering...  6 out of 8 mommies!
-  3 girls and 4 boys, including a set of twins (interesting fact: one of the twins has brown eyes and the other has blue eyes).
-  All born between mid July to mid August.
-  Only one C-sec, baby breached (had same doctor as me!).
-  Only one baby is on a set nap schedule...  he likes his nap at 10, sharp.  All others on variable nap schedules.
-  One baby can sit up on his own.
-  One baby had 2 teeth.
-  One baby can blow raspberries.
-  Basti has the most hair.  =P
We will attempt to meet twice a month for various activities.

My favorites:

POP

Oops, the lightbulb in the lamp above my desk at home just popped.  Weird.

I want to give a shout out to awesome Maja for being a wonderful doggie big sister.  Maja can't wait for Basti to be big enough to play with her.  In the meantime, she likes to cuddle up to him in the mornings and give him kisses.  She has been so patient with us parental units when Basti requires most of our attention.  And Maja has been great about not taking Basti's toys, amazing!

During the "winter" (is what we have in CA really a winter?), Maja is growing out her fluffy fur and looking oh so cuddly and cute.  Love this photo Philipp took of her the other night with her new squeaky ball.  Makes me want to curl up in bed with her.

It's funny yesterday I wrote about no poop and no rocking to sleep.  So of course, Basti did poop (and again today!  Who thought I'd be so excited about his bowel movements?) and last night required Poppy to rock him to almost unconciousness.  Tsk tsk.  That's how it goes when I write about a hot topic.

Unfortunately, Basti's eczema doesn't seem to be getting much better.  Well, some days it seems better than others.  I really can't tell what makes it flare up or clear out.  Grumble grumble.  But since Friday, it has made a turn for the worse.  Darn.  He has blotches all over his shoulders and going down his back, behind his knees, ankles, neck, even his chubby cheeks now.  Fortunately, he doesn't seem uncomfortable or itchy.  Still it really is quite frustrating as I am not sure what to do, and all my online research has been inconclusive.  It could be any number of things: soap, clothes, layers, detergent, weather, heating, food.  With that many variables, hard to decide where to start.  The toughest one on the list is food (even though the doctor thought this would be the least likely one but it seems to be the most popular online)...  because I would have to keep track of everything I eat (and I eat a lot) and eliminate food groups (starting with dairy and soy).  And what about the month supply of milk I have frozen in the fridge and is only good for 3 months, I can't just let it go to waste!  And then it is supposed to take a couple of weeks of not consuming a food for the body (and breastmilk) to be truly be free of it.  All this to mean...  it's going to take a long time and lots of dedication.  By the time we really figure it out (if it is indeed a food allergy) we may not even be breastfeeding anymore.  SO I'll start by adding an extra rinse to the wash, and using the baby eczema cream I got.  

No Poop

Basti has not pooped in a while.  Last time he had a significant poop was 2 weeks ago Monday...  it exploded out of his diaper and Nanny had to give him an emergency bath.  After that, he didn't poop for days and his farts were getting increasingly stinkier.  Until that following Sunday he had a small but very concentrated poop...  looked like dark yellow mustard.  Surely you appreciate the image in your mind.  HA HA.  Well, he hasn't pooped again since then.  And the gas is quite strong.  I called the pediatrician's office but was told that it is normal at this stage because babies bodies are just that much more efficient in digesting the breastmilk.  As long as he is still peeing throughout the day, his belly is not hard, and he doesn't seem uncomfortable or extra cranky.  So we continue to be on high alert for poop...

On the input, Basti seems quite eager to start eating what Mommy eats.  He watches me eat and reaches out for whatever I have in my hand.  So this weekend we got him spoons, bibs, and oatmeal cereal.  When will that first non-breastmilk meal be?  Not sure.  I am looking forward to mealtime fun and mess.  But concerned about the effect it will have on poop.

When do I get to eat with you?

Fingers crossed for chocolate milk!

For the last month or so, Basti has not wanted to be rocked to sleep.  Awww...  I'm surprised this happened so soon.  I miss watching him fall asleep in my arms and smiling in his sleep.  And the feeling of success putting him in his crib without him waking up.  HA HA.  Now he woos himself to sleep.  After cuddles, and kisses, we lay him down.  He will complain some...  but will be asleep within 10 minutes.  Sometimes it takes him longer, sometimes he cries and we go in to comfort him.  He is still sleeping swaddled...  although he has just outgrown the sleepsack with built in swaddle.  Sometimes during the day I will lay him down unswaddled but give him a soft blanky to play with...  and he will play himself to sleep.

I am exhasuted.  Basti's night time sleep schedule is unpredictable.  Sometimes he wakes only once.  Sometimes he wakes 3 times.  So after yet another night of fragmented sleep, it is hard for me to find the energy to get going in the morning and get ready for work.  Sometimes Basti takes his early morning nap at 7 something, which gives me enough time to be ready by 8 when Nanny arrives.  Other times Basti won't take his early morning nap till 8...  which means that is when I get to jump in the shower and barely make it to my 9am meeting (Mon to Thu there is a 9am meeting).  And once I am at work, I have to figure when to sneak out and pump (fortunately there is an empty office upstairs I use for this purpose...  although one time I forgot to lock the door and it so happened that "someone" was looking for something and opened the door.  I think he was more embarrassed than I was...  so to make it less awkward, I stopped by his office afterwards and asked him if he was scared for life and offered him a latte.  Muah ha ha ha).  Anyways, I try to leave work at 4pm to:
1. Go food shopping or
2. Take Maja for a walk at the park or
3. Get home with time to spare so I can get dinner started.
Although sometimes I have delayed my arrival at home till just before 5pm because I don't want to hear the Nanny's broken record of why Basti hasn't pooped yet.

This is Nanny's last week...  so starting next week add packing up Basti with drop off and pick up at school to the daily routine.  OMG.  Plus washing all the bottles which is the one thing I really dislike doing.

I know tons of Moms out there go through this every day...  And I still wonder how they do it all because some days I think I am going to lose my mind.

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UPDATE!

Nanny reported Basti pooped twice today!  WOOHOO!!!

Back to the "Real World"

I have been back at work for 1.5 weeks...  and in that short time I have:

1. Caught a cold...  nasty sore throat started the night before work started, geez.  I was feeling quite miserable and exhausted.  And worried Basti would get the cold from me...  but I was told and read that babies get antibodies through breastmilk and fortunately he was spared.  Very tiring first days of work.

2.  Missed Basti Bear tons.  It is really weird to be "sharing" my baby with a stranger.  It is comforting to see that the nanny really cares for him (even though she drives me nuts sometimes as she can be so repetitive).  I have tried to get home early...  but something or other always happens and I find myself pulling up into the driveway at 4:45pm.  Sigh.

3.  Realized that having a nanny in this neck of the woods is crazy expensive...  and just doesn't make sense for us.  At those rates, I might as well stay home with Basti.  Would I?  Could I?

4.  Found a Montessori school with an infant program a skip and a hop away from home.  So in a couple of weeks nanny will go bye-bye, and Basti will go hang out with 3 other babies.  My biggest anx about this is Basti getting sick...  But we will have to deal with the situations as they come.

5.  Caught a 24hr stomach flu...  oh come on!  Spent all day yesterday attempting to eat and drink...  and throwing up soon after.  By evening I was quite beat and dehydrated (stiff hands, twitchy eye, super dry lips), and worried I might be contagious.  I gave up on the solids and just tried taking sips of water, cat napping, and washing my hands (they are quite dry and rough now) at every move.  And of all nights...  Basti decided to wake up 3 times.  I survived it, goodness.  By early morning I was able to eat a slice of bread (squished, of course), and chug more water.  Today I was able to eat more...  random stuff here and there.

Could it be that the sleep deprivation and lack of eating fresh fruit (after Basti was born, I just don't have the appetite for it...  plus with my extra sensitive teeth it's no fun) has my immune system in the dumps...  and now that I have re-joined the "real-world" I can't fight off the bugs in the air.  Who knows.

Bathtime Funtime

Pre-Bath

During Bath

Post-Bath

Photo Update

Back to Work

Today is my first day back at work after 5 months of being with my little munchkin.  

I need some chocolate.