Catch Up time

SO I've been a bit of a slacker keeping up with my blogging. Really I've checked email and paid bills and that's pretty much it for quite sometime. The last few days I got caught up on facebook and I'm now finally going to get some photos up.

Reese has formed some new habits in the past couple of weeks. He LOVES to drink out of his own coffee cup. This is actually the cup and saucer to my Longaberger dishes he just doesn't get the saucer. This started with a smidge of coffee--Daddy was hoping to get to drink his coffee somewhat undisturbed. But Reese really likes his coffee so continues to beg for Dad's coffee anyway. He also drinks his water out of this cup now.
He also insists on a regular grown up dinner plate. That's his egg remnants on a butternut colored Longaberger plate.

It makes him quite happy.

Here's Gus in a cute summer golf pants suit--his expression seems to show he thinks it's sissified.

Here he is hanging out on the boppy. He likes to be propped up so he can look around.

Gus turns 6 weeks old! This is the first day of wearing 3 month old sized sleepers.

He wants to get the show on the road. Once he decided it's time to eat--it is time!Gus turns 7 weeks old!He sure is chunkier than his brother was!!!

Glasses

Seriously we are going to have to put a can out to collect coins towards our medical costs this year! Reese went to the eye doctor this week. He goes every 6 months----not sure why it's not once a year---and he needs a new prescription! We just bought $200 glasses in February! There are such limited options in his tiny size. The only place that carries his size doesn't take our insurance. GRRR....... Here's the cutie in his post-dilation sun glasses. He thought they were pretty cool and he was super cooperative this visit. This was really the first time he could take direction about what to do and he actually listened!

Kidney Stones

So here's my what my poor boy has been up to since Daddy returned to work and Mommy had kidney stones:Chillin' in his camp chair, feet propped on his picnic table bench watching DVDs. Previously he had only seen Sesame Street, but now.....he loves Monsters, Inc and Elmo in Grouchland.

I have seen the urologist. I got some meds to help dissolve and pass the non-calcium stones and a surgery date (8/12) for the calcium one. I also got a lovely list of bad foods.
The DO NOT EAT list includes: tea, chocolate, COLA products, ground pepper, nuts, parsley, poppy seeds, rhubarb and spinach. The stuff I don't eat anyway I didn't mention.
The LIMITED QUANTITIES list: green beans, blackberries, blueberries, carrots, celery, coffee, grapes, green onions, green peppers, raspberries, strawberries and sweet potatoes.

What the heck am I allowed to eat you may ask? Well thank goodness you don't see Big Mac or fries on these lists!!!!

Visiting Grandpop

My Dad came to visit July 14-20. Reese and Grandpop played outside a bit each day while Gus and Mommy napped, so that worked out to be quite helpful.We also went to Penny's for family portraits, but for some reason the website won't show me the proofs--I was going to try to post one here. Something I know I've seen other people do---how else do Grandparents order what they want?

Reese enjoyed the visit. I think he was overjoyed to have someone around that was awake enough to pay attention to him.

Gus is 5 Weeks Old!

Wow it sure is going by fast. Reese was at the UW NICU for 6 weeks before transferring to our local hospital and it felt like a lifetime. Gus is already 5 weeks old and it felt like a nanosecond!! He is an eating machine! He's growing fast---he's filling out his newborn onesies, something Reese never quite did.

Reese finds Gus quite amusing. He makes tons of funny noises, namely giant loud "toots." Reese loves to give the baby kisses. He is smackinig him a lot less too. Still I'm not leaving them alone together in a room which makes it difficult to get much done!

Tuesday morning I saw the urologist then that afternoon I went to the hypertension clinic at UW. I have lots of little kidney stones that hopefully will pass on their own. I got a liquid that is supposed to help disolve them and another drug (flomax) to do something to help them pass. BUT requires "pumping and dumping" which really is just too much, so I decided not to take the flomax. I also got on the surgery schedule for lythotrypsy--not sure how to spell---basically sound waves break up the one BIG stone that I have. Then at the hypertension clinic I got a new BP drug, Lisinopril that is an ACE inhibitor which may conflict with the dissolve the kidney medicine. I found out my perinatologist has had lots of kidney stones, but he got the "basket" surgery instead of what I'm getting. I put in a call to the urologist to find out why he picked the option he did instead of the basket method.
Since the hypertension guy is also my perinatologist I talked to him about the flomax and decided to take it--and still breast feed. 3 more stones have passed since I started taking it on Wednesday. By Friday my BP was not down--still 170s over 90s. SO....they added a third drug--nyefedipin--not sure of spelling. It gave me a ferocious headache the first time I took it but yesterday I took it with tylenol and it seems to be helping. AND my BP is creeping down. So this may be the right cocktail to fix my issues. Hopefully my BP just goes back to normal so I can dump the drugs all together!

Gus is 4 weeks old!

On Friday the 24th Gus turned 4 weeks old!

He had a doctor appointment to check the proper healing of his circumcision. It looks great. He is now 7 pounds and 11 ounces! They didn't measure his length this time, but we go back in August for his 2 month check so we'll get length then.

Reese had watermelon for the first time and as you can see he REALLY liked it.

As for my saga. By Wednesday my BP was still not back to normal, but my OB is out all week so I called my perinatologist at the hypertension clinic at UW. He increased my atenolol from 25 mg to 100 mg per day. WOW--that's a huge dose! They said my heart rate could plummet as a result so watch for that and call them. Since Kyle works evenings the boys and I went to my mom's for babysitting---my heart rate did not drop but I did get to nap a little. My pain medicine did not take pain all the way away though. By the next day we decided to head back to the ER. The ER doc said it's likely the persistent pain is due to the stone getting lodged somewhere stuck where it's irritating a pain sensor. Friday the boys and I were home alone for the first time since Gus came home --- the first 2 weeks Kyle was off work. The first day back to work we went to my mom's then my dad came Tuesday-Monday and Monday we hit the ER. Tuesday Reese went to Kyle's mom's house, Wednesday we all went to my mom's, Thursday ER again--that was 4 whole weeks of never being alone until Gus' 4 week birthday. Tuesday I go to the urologist at 8am. So hopefully we'll have a solution by then. I left messages for my OB and perinatologist because even though I'm on 100mg of atenolol my BP is taying about 170/100. So hopefully one will call me back tomorrow with some kind of plan for that. By this time with Reese we were weaning my BP drugs not increasing them!
Then Wednesday is my GigiHill purse/totebag party! COme buy stuff and you can hold the baby!

Our Financial Plan

So after much thought and consideration we've decided to earmark Kyle's entire salary for the medical community. Sunday night my back really ached. I thought it must be from poor nursing posture. I sat against a heating pad for a bit before bed and went to sleep. The next day it was the same and then got worse and I felt mild nausea. Eventually I thought hmmm....I wonder if this is a kidney stone? Reese playing outside

Kyle and Reese had a hairdo so we decided he'd drop me off at the ER then go to the hairdo and my mom would meet them there to get the boys. They took about 50 minutes to get drugs on board which felt like forever, but they worked immediately and I felt much better. Off to the cat scan machine---I never had one before...very Stargate looking. Then I went back to my ER room (huge waive of nausea, but no vomiting) to wait for the results---they are digitally sent to the radiologist at Bremerton Harrison who calls my Silverdale ER doc with the results. The doc finally comes in to say I have a gravel pit in both kidneys. Apparently as kidney stones go I have an abnormal number of stones in each kidney. So he gave me a referral to a urologist. I'm supposed to try to catch the stone in strainer for testing. Depending on its composition there are things they can do to prevent future stones. SO---I'm all set to be discharged and the pain came back. I felt like it seems wrong to leave the ER still having pain, but I'm discharged so...we start to go and then the vomiting started. So of course my discharge dose of pain med is gone. Back to the room I went to wait for further instruction. Gus hanging out after his bath

They came back with a different anti nausea med and a nice high dose of pain med. I had to get a shot in my hip/butt muscle since it's a large volume of medicine---wow, my muscle still aches today. Off we went. Once we got home my mom brought the boys back. Poor Gus had to have 2 bottles of formula. I pumped as soon as I got home. I spent the rest of the evening in varying degrees of sleep/dozing. For some reason every time I nursed I woke up hunched over biting my tongue--so of course my tongue is a little sensitive today. Gus proceeded to nurse every 45 to 90 minutes ALL NIGHT LONG!!! This morning I fed him the 4 ounces I had pumped to give myself a chance to produce some new milk----I pretty sure there was not a drop left for the hungry hippo. They sent me home with pain killers I can take every 4-6 hours. Last night I took them every 6, but then this morning at 3 1/2 I couldn't wait any longer. This has never happened to me in the past. The 3 other kidney stones I've had never hurt again after leaving the hospital. So this is a bit disconcerting. The urologist that the ER doc insists I see in the next 2 days can't see me for 9 days---ugh!!! I can't really function that long with kidney stone pain. I'm going to try to see if there is another urologist group who can see me faster and get the ER doc to write me a new referrel. We shall see.

Gus is 3 weeks old

On Friday the 17th Gus turned 3 weeks old. He had his "2 week well baby" appointment that day. He weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and was 21 inches long. He's growing like crazy already! That's 2 inches in length and 19 ounces counting from his lowest weight.

He has his AC/DC binky and his guitar suit on to honor his Angus Young connection.

and here he is with his cow...another Angus connection...ha ha ha

Here he is snuggling with his brother's elephant.

Crazy Sleep Schedule

.....or should I say lack of sleep schedule. Sunday night Gus finished nursing at about 12:45 am I got in bed by 1:30am. He woke up about 3:15am, then Reese woke--screaming hysterically. I got him to go back to sleep in his own bed, then fed Gus until about 4:05am. Reese woke up at 5am (back to sleep in his own bed) then Gus got up at 5:55am. I forgot to check the time when he finished eating but it had to be at least 6:15-6:25ish then he got up again at 7:13!!!!!!! Kyle went to work Monday so the boys and I went to my mom's where I did get to nap on the couch for about an hour and a half. Hopefully this growth spurt adjusts to a more demanding day time feeding schedule with some sleep at night!!!! I'll load up some photos tomorrow.

Meeting the Great Grandparents

Kyle's grandparents came into town for a visit this weekend to meet Gus for the first time.

Reese hopped up to investigate Great Grandpa Bob holding Gus.

Great Grandma Joyce and Great Grandpa Bob with Gus.

Gus during the heatwave finally has short sleeves on. Reese serenading us on the piano.

Gus is 2 weeks old!

Gus was 2 weeks old on Friday the 10th. We are finally getting some eyes open photos---he is awake more AND the flash doesn't automatically make him close his eyes.
He is starting to get the hang of eating and going back to sleep at night. Of course he still wants to eat for about an hour to an hour and a half starting right as I am getting into bed to go to sleep.
He still seems so tiny even though Reese was tremendously smaller. He's very sweet and pretty agreeable even when big brother whacks him in the head.

Reese is getting used to him staying around. He has stopped asking me to get up and go somewhere in the middle of feeding Gus at any rate.

Happy Birthday to Me!

We went to El Sombrero for my birthday, yesterday.

Me and my brother, Travis.

Kyle and Reese

my brothers Dylan and Travis
Mimi and Gus

4th of July

This is how Gus spent most of the 4th---asleep on his tempurpedic pillow (you know the kind with the molded shape for neck support is a perfect concave spot for baby) on the counter

hmm, however should I eat this guacamole with no chips?

Reese riding his trike

Reese trying on Daddy's hat

Reese watering the plants

blowing the pinwheel

throwing poppers

couldn't get enough of the poppers

One Week Old

Friday, July 3rd Gus turned one week old
His beanie baby, the cow...the flash kept making him squeeze his eyes shut

yummy hands

finally awake and keeping his eyes open

First Outing

Wednesday night Reese spent the night with Mimi so Thursday Gus had his first outing to Costco! He slept in his car seat carrier in the shopping cart for the whole trip. Not sure how we're going to work it when Reese goes too. I guess we won't be able to leave Gus in his carrier.
Gus at Costco 1st outing, 6 days old

Reese wants to hold Gus all the time. He likes to give him lots of kisses. Unfortunately he also gives forceful hugs and the occasional smack.

Reese is also very into going outside. He is constantly grabbing shoes to put on wanting to go bye-bye. He can put his slip on Vans by himself now. Then he is raring to go so you better be ready too.

The boys getting ready for bed. After holding Gus for awhile we read our book and Reese hit the sack.

And Gus demonstrated his new skill: shifting to his side for a more comfy sleeping position.

P.S. Gus lost his umbilical cord today while Kyle was changing his diaper.

A Day of Doctor Appointments

Reese and Gus cuddling

We "started" the day with a pediatrician appointment for Gus. He was 6 pounds 9 ounces at birth and 5 pounds 14 ounces at discharge. The pediatrician sent us home with some ready to drink formula. We were supposed to "top him off" with formula after breastfeeding. Sunday night we did and he really ate almost none. Mostly it was on his shirt collar and his burp cloth. Overnight I didn't bother, but he did breast feed every 2 hours or so. Monday I realized he really got none of the formula in his mouth--he sucked it but it all ran back out. So we just stopped the formula. I was kind of worried it would compromise my milk supply by supplementing so early since I ran out of milk with Reese pretty early on. Monday night Gus ate for about 1 hour and a half straight. Still I was a little worried going in to the pediatrician on Tuesday that show would scold us for not doing the formula.

Reese and Gus

So back to when I said we "started" the day. Our appointment was at 1:30pm. We barely made it on time. WOW getting out the door with 2 babies and a really slow moving Mama is pretty time consuming. So we got there about 1:33 or so. The doctor was happy with his color--no jaundice. Also happy I had a list of times and which side he ate from and how long and what kind of diaper activity he had. Apparently some crazy people think they can actually remember this stuff without writing it down. But mostly the doctor was happy with his monster weight gain--today he weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces. Woo hoo! His feeding frenzy paid off.

Bright eyed Gus

After Gus' appointment we swung over to my OB for a "quick" blood pressure check. It was okay enough that we are not going to adjust my drugs. I have obscenely swollen feet, ankles and shins---way more than I experienced while pregnant that stayed even though I had them propped on an ottoman all evening and then I woke up still swollen. Yesterday I had a headache ALL day and I woke up still with a headache. And I have quite a lower back ache, since I"m only lifting 6 pounds it seems odd. SOOOO we were there forever waiting to see the doctor when I really had no appointment--the BP check just requires a quick check with the medical assistant---and then waiting for him to get in touch with the anesthesiologist. Apparently the swollen feet after delivery is quite common I just didn't experience it with Reese so I was surprised. And apparently a "spinal headache" while not a common side effect it is also not a rare side effect of having a spinal. Usually it is essesntially debilitating, but not necessarily. Treatment is to lie flat. Of course who ever lays down flat? So I tried it and it works so tonight I'll try sleeping sans pillow to see if it works. Next followup is July 10. After Reese this is the appointment when we cut my BP drugs in half. I suspect we'll be able to do the same this time. Gus has a 2 week check up also.