"C" is for Child (cont.)

September 11, 2011

 
Tully's visit to the doctor isn't until next month, so the only stat I have for September is his weight: 16 lb 9 oz (57%).  I would note that the charts used in the US are set by the CDC, and they differ significantly from those of the World Health Organization (WHO), which are used internationally and specifically for breastfed babies.  The CDC charts show his weight to be declining (62% --> 57%) since our last weight check, but the WHO charts show him to be consistently on track (49% --> 49%).  In any case, he's happy and healthy, so I don't really care what the charts say.  It's interesting to me that there's a difference nonetheless. 

Interesting things in Tully's world this month included:

• Rolling over and over and over to get from point A to point B (10 ft+)
• Sitting up unassisted!
• Sitting up and facing me to nurse instead of being in a cradle position (weird!)
• Waking every 2-3 hours to eat at night (shoot me now)
• Arching back and pulling arms out of car seat straps when we put him in it
• Showing much more interest in our dog, ZachZach (Grammy's blog post on that here)
• Sitting in the high chair for dinner (eats his toys for now)
• Still loves bath time (I can hear him squeal with delight upstairs EVERY night)
• Sits in the portable chair with us at restaurants (looks like pic below)

Tully had his first sickness this month.  I'm not sure what it was, but it lasted about three days, and of course those days fell on a weekend.  He was acting out of sorts on Friday, being fussy, not sleeping (not unusual), and not nursing.  Fussy I can handle.  Minor cough, OK.  Snotty nose, no big deal.  Not eating?!  I draw the line there.  Since he usually gets bottles of pumped milk during the day with Nanna, I thought he was trying to hold out for a bottle on Friday.  I can't imagine why I thought nipple confusion or a preference for the bottle would rear it's ugly head this late in the game, but I am always questioning my ability to sustain this little being.  Since I'm off work on Fridays, I usually don't give him any bottles on Fridays or the weekends.  Turns out his disinterest in food had nothing to do with the bottle.  He just didn't feel good.  Teething? Allergies? Cold? Virus?  I dunno.  I told myself I would take him to the doc, if he was still sick on Monday but by the time Monday rolled around he was back to better, so I saved myself a trip.  I did call my local LLL leader, and she was super helpful in reassuring me that he would come back to nursing and that I was doing the right things to take care of him.  We got a humidifier as a baby gift, which I thought we wouldn't need until winter when the air is dry, but we actually got it out and used it.  I think it really helped with his cough.  As any mom knows, having a sick baby is the pits.  And having a sick baby who can't tell you what's wrong is even worse.  Glad we have that behind us, and it didn't require a doctor or any meds.

Since Tully isn't sleeping through the night at all, it's been a rough month.  Getting up every two hours or so is exhausting and reminds me of how things were when he was a newborn.  The good news is that I think we're moving past this phase for a bit because he made it until 1 am a few nights ago, then 2, 3, and last night 4 am before waking up.  I'll take it!  Fingers crossed we continue on this path until teething or some other major milestone interrupts his sleep again.

We have our first major trip planned to DC this coming month, so that should be fun and interesting (read: I'm TOTALLY freaking out!).  I have to work at NRC's HQ office for a week, so Grammy and Tully are going on an East Coast vacation with me. 

We're also starting baby sign language with a couple other moms and babies.  They come over on Fridays, so the kids can have a play date, and eventually we'll all be learning sign language from videos.  We know the kids won't sign back to us for months, but Tully does listen and tries to mimic what we say, so I know he's at least aware that something is going on.  I'm really excited for him to be able to communicate with us.  And in true Mommy Brain fashion, I left our TV on the DVD home screen this past Friday because, well... I don't know why.  I just did, and it burned into the TV screen. John found it the next day.  Awesomesauce.

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