Jay update

Jay is ONE MONTH old. Time really did go by fast.
He is smiling now (not a lot, but it is definitely happy awake smiles). He weighs over 9 lbs, and favors looking to the right when he sleeps. He has baby acne and cradle cap, but that is normal for his age. He is super cute and LOVES staring at a white bear contrasted with the dark colored shelf which is above the changing table.

About his crabbiness: I have been trying a lot of things people have mentioned and I wanted to let you guys know how it has been.
FYI- My mom and sister (with 2 boys) are here visiting for a few days helping out and they agree that he is a crabby baby:(

Swinging:
First, we watched "Happiest baby on the Block", and tried the 5 S's. All in all they helped out and they give us techniques to try, but they don't really work for long. I did learn that "swinging" only works when they are already calm (After they are calm then you put them in the swing). It HAS worked that way sometimes. He slept for 3 hours one time in it. I have also been swinging him or swaying in big motions more. My sister is really good at this!

Sucking:
I learned that the green soothies are more flexible than the blue soothies. The green ones are better for newborns. I also tried another kind of pacifier, he didn't really like it either. We have also been holding the paci in his mouth during his crabby times, which sorta works. He is not fooled at all by finger sucking. He sometimes likes an arm or a hand and eats it like a drumstick.

Vibrating bouncy chair: We got one at a garage sale for $1. He was calm in it for 10 min. once when he was full and rested. He doesn't like it when he is screaming. I'm not giving up on it yet, I hope to try it some more.

Chiropractor:
We went on Friday and he slept A LOT on Friday (a 3 hour nap, and a bunch of 30 min naps.) But today (Saturday) he barely slept at all, and was REALLY crabby most of the day (except when mom took him in the porch swing outside). So...I can't really tell if it helped him. The chiropractor did say that colicky babies are over-stimulated and like darkness, wooshing noises and swaying motion (some of which I already knew).

Slings:
I found another type of sling and my sister showed me how to use it. I am borrowing a moby wrap from a friend tomorrow. He still hasn't liked it so far, but I will keep trying.

Shushing:
We learned from "Happiest baby on the block" that the white noise needs to be loud, so shushing right in his ear seems to work a little better. We also tried the hairdryer, but haven't turned on the vacuum yet.

Rubbing:
My mom and mother-in-law have both done a lot of tummy, back and butt rubbing on Jay. He seems to like it sometimes. I need to try it a little more to see if it works for me.

Still to try:
Gripe water, Vacuum, Lavender lotion, probiotic,

Thank You so much to my mom and sister who took so many turns babysitting and holding him especially during the crabby times:)
I love Aunt Lori:
Shopping with Grandma:)

He cries so much...

So, like I said a couple of posts ago, our little man is not a happy camper a lot of the time. To be fair, he has had a few good days too (like when we had a BBQ at a friends house, or sometimes at church when he just sleeps).

I have considered things like reflux, lactose intolerance, boredom, not adequate food, and lack of sleep. I (and the pediatrician) have ruled them out because:
Reflux-He doesn't puke or spit up a lot- unless we feed him over 1.5 ounces of formula at one time...then he will.
Lactose- he isn't super irritable after only BF sessions,
Boredom-we have tried stimulation with toys,
Food-he is gaining plenty of weight (he is up to 9 lbs now!) AND he likes to eat every 45 min.,
Sleep-and we already know he doesn't sleep a lot, but he does sleep pretty well at night.

SO...The doctor thinks it is just Colic. Part of me thinks it still could be something else because it started BEFORE he was 3 weeks old (he has been crabby since birth), but I'll go with this.
I would LOVE feedback from any and all moms on what to try, if I need to reconsider something I thought I ruled out, and any other advice.
Major issues:
-He cries a lot
-He is kind of gassy
-He hates pretty much all the stuff I have tried
-He doesn't sleep for more than 10 min. at a time (pretty much all day 8-5) on his crabby days. (Other days I get lucky and he (and I) will take a 1-3 hour nap and is WAY happier)
-Most of the time when I hold him he roots (he smells me)

What I have tried:
1. Walks- (in his car seat)He hates them and screams the whole time. He won't keep a pacifier in his mouth either. I have also tried carriers outside (and inside)- he doesn't like the sling, or the Infantino carrier (where he faces me)
2. Music/Sounds- I have tried soothing music, loud music, soft music, loud TV, heartbeat sounds, running water, fans, and other soothing sounds. Nothing seems to calm him.
3. Hot/Cold temperatures- he seems to sleep a little better when he is warmer, but I can't seem to come to a concrete conclusion that he is better in the heat or cool.
4. Swaddle- I have two different swaddle wraps (and blankets) and lately I have been doing the TOGA swaddle:) (one arm in, one arm out) at night (so he can suck on his other hand to calm himself) and it seems to work. During the day...not so much.
5. Brand of diapers- I have tried Huggies, Pampers, and generic...they all work fine and he doesn't seem to like one better.
6. Gas drops- I think they help some with the times he seems REALLY gassy, but I only give it to him if he hasn't pooed in over 10 hours.
7. Driving (riding in car seat while I drive places)- He hates it. He screams the whole way to church (14 min.) or anywhere else- unless he is sleeping. He won't take a pacifier. (I don't go anywhere except church unless I HAVE to:()
8. Sensitive formula- I think it might make a little bit of a difference, but not en ought to significantly notice.
9. Burping him lots- It doesn't mean he actually burps all the time, or that he feels better...but I have tried it.?.
10. Swing- Yep, he hates it too (even if he was happy when I put him in it).
11. Ocean Wonder music/bubble thing- He stares at it for a few min. during his happy time, then starts crying again.

Things I would like to try:
Side to side swing (instead of front to back)
Moby Wrap (anyone have one I can borrow?)
Baby Bjorn (I think they have the baby facing out-word?)
Bouncy Seat with vibrator


What does work so far:
Food- he never refuses food (bottle or BF), and is gaining at least an ounce a day and eats every 45 min. or less during the day...
Holding him facing out word at a slight down word angle while he sucks on my forearm. (This has been known to work for 10-15 min. at times)
Me swinging with him in our porch swing outside (sometimes)
Sleeping on daddy's chest (sometimes)

PLEASE tell me what worked for your little one, or give me any feedback you can:)

We are doing pretty well considering. Our family (especially John's mom) have helped out when they can, and John is amazing at helping out when he gets home from work. I am just looking for some fresh thoughts/ideas.

Oh, and does anyone know how long after you eat or drink something it takes to get into your breast milk?
THANKS.

My Dad Rocks...

My sister made this awesome shirt for Jay and he finally got a chance to wear it to church today (John plays drums for worship). If you click on the picture and make it bigger it is even cuter:)
I think it's kind of funny that John has a wet spot on his shirt. He either spilled water on it...or Jay got hungry and went searching for food:) Not with daddy honey!

Visit with friends

We visited with friends this weekend who got a chance to meet Jay. Here is Kathryn and Kelly holding him.



John spent some time playing a drumming game on wii...and wanted to give Jay a chance to hold his first drumsticks:)

Thanks Rob and Christine- we had a blast!

The sleeping habits of my boyz.

Here is a picture of 4 John Elwoods (II,III, IV, V) pretending to sleep.

John's sleeping habits:
John has always said that co-sleeping with a baby was not an option for us, but in the last few weeks I've figured out why. John has been working very hard (physically) at work, and has helped out a lot at home with the new baby so he is very tired when he goes to bed.
The last 2 nights I have woken up to violent movements (him flinging his legs and arms in one direction and plopping them down on my side of the bed). Last week he woke up in the middle of the night yelling "Where is the other kid?" I had no idea what he was asking so I told him "he is in there" (and I pointed to the bassinet). Then he said "Don't we have 2 kids?" I responded with "no" and laid back down to get some sleep for myself:) Luckily he doesn't wake up to the baby crying, so he can get some good sleep.

Jay's sleeping habits:
Jay has a bad habit of sleeping for 5-10 min. when I put him down anywhere. When someone is holding him, he will sleep for hours. I don't have patience to hold him for hours, so he sleeps in small increments most of the time. John and his mom both have more patience than I will ever have and let him sleep:) Here is how he sleeps:

Any ideas on how to get an overtired newborn to sleep? He also gets so tired that he just wants to eat and that's it. Then he falls asleep eating, but wont stay sleeping. ???

Who does he look like?

Jay is 3 weeks old today!
People keep asking who he looks like, John or I? We really aren't sure. Here are some picture of us as kids.
Here is me (Angie) in the hospital when I was little.

And here is a picture of me at 11 days.


Here is John when he was born.

Here is John at at 2 weeks.


You can scroll down to the other posts to find pictures of Jay and decide who he looks like:)

Picture of John and Jay

This was a funny picture that my mother in law sent me:)

Wide awake and dreaming

The Parents have requested more pictures, so here they are:

Here was his first bath-which he hated:)

Just chillin (for about 5 min. before he started screaming again).




Asleep and peaceful.



In other news, the prescription I went on for my milk supply seems to be working, so that is awesome. I am still very tired and I get frustrated easily because baby Jay won't sleep very well on me (of course I am impatient and want to put him down when he falls asleep so that I can get something done, or go sleep myself). He smells me when I try to let him sleep on me, and stays crabby. He sleeps very well on John and John took him for most of yesterday afternoon, so I could rest a bit. John is an amazing dad!!! Today has been going better than yesterday, and I can only take it a day at a time:)

Things I can't live without since baby is here...

Being a somewhat type A personality, these things help keep me organized and sane.
1. Angel Care monitor. Since I was younger and did a school report on SIDS, I have always been paranoid with making sure babies are breathing. I don't think I would sleep more than 30 min. at a time if I didn't have this monitor which senses the slightest movement (including breathing) and beeps if no movement is detected. It is awesome!

2. Itzbeen Timer This timer is something I read about in another blog...it looked so great that I had to have it. I used it consistently to time my contractions before baby was born, and now I use it to time feedings, my pills, and sometimes baby sleep patterns.
My Itzbeen Baby Care Timer

3. Baby Daze book. I got this book as a gift, and wasn't sure I was going to use it, but since I had trouble with breastfeeding it was GREAT to record when I was feeding/supplementing, diaper changes and everything else. It really helped when the lactation consultants ask what we had been doing so far. I can whip out my book and say "see":)

Baby Daze

4. Ice Packs. I don't think I need to show a picture or tell you how I use them...but they are great (especially because we don't have AC)

5. My glider and ottoman. I spend a lot of time in this chair, so much that John hooked up a TV and DVD player so I can watch DVD's while I BF or pump.

Rocking Chair

6. Swaddle wraps. These are awesome for night time because they don't come un-tied and they keep the little man swaddled. I got one at a garage sale, but I bought another one because they are so handy dandy.

7. Family members who help out. My mom and John's mom have been amazing helping out in whatever way they can. I especially love when they take baby Jay and rock him to sleep, cuddle him when he is sad or pat him while he is crying- while I take a nap:)

Random things from Week 2

Baby Jay is doing great. He still has his moments of sheer crabbiness, but overall he is doing much better.
He now weighs 7lbs. 15 oz. so he has surpassed his birth weight and is growing like a weed:)

Breastfeeding:
I have been breastfeeding and have been producing milk, but have struggled with producing enough milk, so we have been supplementing quite a bit. I have also tried things like herbal supplements, pumping on a schedule, cluster pumping and other things. Now I am trying a prescription to see if that will help. It's not that bad to feed and then supplement (and maybe pump), but it is time consuming and it's getting annoying to record it all.
I have LOVED the lactation consultants and free breastfeeding clinic that my hospital offers every day of the week in the afternoon. We go in and get him weighed, feed him, weigh him again and then talk to the consultant about the best plan of action for the next day or for the week. It was also great to have a lactation consultant say it was good to supplement so that he is getting what he needs and isn't on me 24/7.

Pictures:
I have been taking a bunch of pictures, but still don't have that "perfect shot" for the baby announcements:)
Here he is wearing his monster shirt staring at a monster toy:)

Here he is in his "pirate monster" shirt. John is trying to be a pirate monster too...baby Jay is just mad:)
This was another happy time for him today:



I hope to do another post on things that make being a mom that much better/easier soon.

Labor and Delivery- Jay's birth story

This is a lot of detail mostly for a few blogging friends who are pregnant and might appreciate it. For anyone who wants the short story...scroll down to the bottom and read CONDENSED VERSION :)

Back story:
Baby Jay was breech until 39 weeks. We did an external version at 36 1/2 weeks which didn't work, and we had a c-section scheduled for 39 weeks. A few days before that appointment I felt significant movement in my belly- but didn't really know if he flipped or what it meant. When we went in for the C-section we were ready to meet our little man. When we found out he flipped, we were happy (for the chance to deliver vaginally) but sad because we would have to wait longer to meet him. My due date came and went. Finally we scheduled an induction for 10 days after my due date. Then, the day before the induction date I started having contractions and went into labor naturally:)

Labor and Delivery story:

9 days overdue I woke up at 3am in the morning with contraction pains. They were stronger than I had felt before but I didn't have to focus on breathing through all of them. I DID learn quickly that I couldn't sleep through them. An hour later at 4am I got up and started timing them. They were 5 min. apart and I was starting to have to use breathing techniques. I was pleasantly surprised, but wasn't sure this was "real labor" I continued to time them for the next 6 hours. During that time they were not consistent. 5 min, 8 min, 10 min, 5 min, 11 min.....

I actually slept in between contractions for about an hour and a half. I was so surprised to find out I was only sleeping for 8-10 min. at a time because it felt like 30-40 min sometimes- but I was timing them all and my Itzbeen timer doesn't lie:)

After a while I stopped timing them. My mom could tell when I was having a contraction because I would stop what I was doing and breath slower and deeper. Then contractions kept getting slowly stronger all day, but the times were still inconsistent. I called my Midwife's nurse and she said to keep timing and look for consistency of 4-5 min apart for at least an hour. I got sick of timing at about 6pm, so I just dealt with contractions and ditched the timer and notebook. At this point in time John and my mom knew when contractions were coming because I was breathing through them harder and wincing a lot.

By 9pm they were pretty intense, and I couldn't get much relief from any position (except when my mom rubbed my lower back during the contractions) and I couldn't talk or walk during them, so I started timing again. John noticed I was in a lot of pain and decided to try and get some sleep to prepare for the night ahead. They were 4-5 min apart, so at 10:30PM I called my midwife. She asked a bunch of questions and then said..."It sounds like true labor, but I don't want you to get to the hospital and then have to send you home, so time contractions for one more hour and call me back."

Immediately after I hung up the phone they started coming at 2-3 min. apart. After a 1/2 hour of that I called her back, and she said to come in to the hospital. At 11:15 I woke up John and we finished our last min. packing (although every 2-3 min. I was down on all fours doing labor breathing and in pain). The ride to the hospital wasn't so bad and although I was in pain, I never felt the urge to push or anything. We went to the front door...and it was locked-which was when we remembered we needed to go to the ER entrance. I had a few more contractions before we got there, which sucked. We met our friend Amy who is an ER nurse at the door. She hooked us up with a wheelchair and I got a room in Labor and Delivery right away at about midnight. Baby was destined to be born on our anniversary:) They asked a bunch of questions and then checked me and I was 6cm dilated so they called the midwife to come in.

I continued having contractions while they put in my IV's and gave me fluids, nausea medication and antibiotics. The contractions spaced out to 4-5 min. again, but they were still intense. My midwife asked what I planned to do for pain management and I said... "an epidural I think". She informed me that it was a good decision and it was the right time for it. My nurse asked me a few min. later if I wanted the epidural now, or if I wanted to wait. I had read so many horror stories online about people who got an epidural and it slowed labor and they ended up with a c-section...so I said "let's wait 15 min." A few minutes later the nurse came back and said, "the midwife thought you wanted it now so the anesthesiologist is on his way up...do you want it now?" I didn't hesitate, because the pain was intense so I said "Yes". The epidural guy (anesthesiologist is a long word!!) was awesome and took his time but did a great job. By 1:45 he was set up and about ready to give me the epidural when I had to go to the bathroom. I told them and they said they had to check me to make sure I wasn't fully dilated first. I was at 7cm, so they let me go and then gave me the epidural. From 2:45am (when the epidural took full effect) to 4:15am John slept and I relaxed and slept for about an hour. IT WAS AWESOME! Really, to have comfort from the contractions, and even be able to sleep a bit was great. I couldn't feel my legs much, but it didn't matter. At 4:15 the nurse came in and checked me and I was FULLY dilated. My bag of waters was still in tact (barely) and they wanted the antibiotics (for GBS) to take full effect, so they told me they would come back at 5:30.

At 5:30 they broke my water and we started pushing by 5:50. It was really weird to push when I didn't know what I was doing, and I couldn't really feel much. I made some progress in pushing and they could see the tip of his head, but then my contractions slowed down and we were waiting like 8 min. between each push. By 6:15 my midwife ordered pitocin and that got placed in my IV. Then we waited about an hour for it to take effect. It didn't really feel any different. By 7:30 we were pushing again with John and the nurse holding my legs because I couldn't lift them. I also had a new midwife because their shifts changed at 7am. My first midwife stayed and helped out until he was born- which was awesome. Both midwifes did an amazing job. In between contractions/pushing I started feeling queasy and told them I thought I was going to puke. They got me a container and I did puke. I AM SOO GLAD MY NAUSEA IS OVER NOW!! John was enthralled with the head coming out, and the midwife and nurse were so encouraging. I needed coaching on how to push, because I wasn't sure what I was doing was making any progress. Eventually I figured out how to arch my back, and my midwife had me do resistance pulling on a towel which helped a lot.

Baby Jay came out at 8:04 and it was surreal. John started crying as they cleaned out his mouth and put him on my chest. He was beautiful right away and I couldn't believe that something that big came out of my stomach! He was wide eyed and alert for the first 2-3 hours. After some time John cut the umbilical cord, and took him over to the scale to do the initial checkups with the baby nurse. Baby Jay got great apgar scores, and weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. I got stitched up (because I had a 3rd degree tear- apparently partly because baby had his hand up by his head when he came out) and watched John and baby from a distance, but I knew that John was having the time of his life with baby and let them enjoy it. When they were finished stitching the grandparents came in and met him and took some pictures. After about an hour after he was born we started feeding. By 10:30 am I was moved to a different room which was significantly smaller, but because we got a little bit smaller room (than the normal postpartum rooms)- John got 3 complimentary meals each day we were there.

Apparently there were 8 births at the hospital between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday so they were busy!

I am VERY HAPPY with our experience. The epidural was a great decision for me. (After baby was born we heard a lady in the next room screaming at the top of her lungs and like 4 other people yelling at her "You're doing great!" "Keep it up!". Kudos to her, but I am a fan of my experience:)

CONDENSED VERSION:

I had contractions all day Tuesday (9 days overdue), they intensified at night, and by 11:30 PM we were heading to the hospital. I was dilated to a 6 when we got there, and a 7 by the time I got the epidural. By 4:15 am I was fully dilated, but had to wait over an hour for the antibiotics to take effect. At 5:30 they broke my water and I started pushing. Contractions slowed down so I needed pitocin to speed them back up. By 7:30 we were pushing again and baby Jay was born at 8:04!

it's going :)

If you've had a chance to talk to me you've probably asked how's it going?

Well, it's hard...not really because of lack of sleep, mostly because if baby Jay is not sleeping or eating..he is crying. I got 10 min. of walking around with him awake yesterday and it was awesome.

After the first few days of feeding him almost every hour so he would stop crying, we went to the doctor and breastfeeding clinic and found out he wasn't getting quite enough to eat. Since then we have been supplementing with formula after each feeding. I have noticed a difference in his behavior during the night (he has slept for one or two- 2-3 hour stretches), but not much consistent change during the day. I have a feeling we will get the feedings figured out and it will get easier, I just might need another week.

My mom was a HUGE help this past week. She cooked and cleaned and did lots of baby duty (even if he was crabby). Our house was spotless when we came home from the hospital...it was a great welcome home present! She left yesterday and we miss her already:)

John is back at work this week and loves his father-son time when he gets home. I was on baby duty by myself for the first time yesterday. Baby Jay slept for 2 hours in the morning and then only for 10 min at a time until 5:00 when John came home. It was...frustrating. I called for reinforcements today (John's mom came to help) because I had to go to BF clinic and a doctor's appointment. Baby Jay was WAY better today. He slept for many good stretches, had more awake happy time than I have seen since the first day he was born, and we were able to calm him down a little easier when he cried than some other days. I think that when I hold and cuddle him the same way my mom and mother-in-law do, he smells me and won't stop rooting for food.

He gained 6 oz. since Monday (when we started supplementing) and he is now 7lbs. 9oz. (on 7-9-2010):).

Funny story about today:

Baby Jay had only peed when we took off his diaper once before, so I hadn't been covering it up...but today was a different story.

1. At BF clinic when I took off his diaper he "turned on the fountain" and hit the wall, a poster and went all over his blanket. I got quite a few laughs from other mothers feeding, but it was worth it.

2. At the doctors office he needed a rectal temp, and when we had part of the diaper off (he was laying on my lap) he peed a little on my pants. Then when we put the diaper back on he exploded it with poop and got that on my pants too.

3. When we got home some friends from church brought us supper and were holding him when he peed so much it soaked the front of her shirt in two places (sorry!!).

4. When I changed him his evening he turned on the fountain again and hit the changing table, wall, and his own face! Poor little guy. Mommy learned her lesson. Maybe I should invest in a Pee-pee tee-pee:)

I have other posts started, but I need to finish them. Hopefully the labor & delivery story will come this weekend.

Now, a few pictures.

He doesn't enjoy being changed, or getting his sponge baths:)

Pretty much where I permanently reside because of feedings John hooked up a TV and DVD player to keep me occupied if I get bored:)

My next post won't have so many crying pictures:)

Another picture...

I have tons of awesome pictures but no time to post them.
Here is one (a sleeping smile) that I happen to catch on camera.

Another picture of baby Jay

We came home today. It is such a blessing that he is finally here and doing well. The first 24 hours of feeding was fine, then after he got circumcised it has been pretty crazy. We have had a little better luck this afternoon, but I probably won't get a chance to post his birth story for another day or so because of it. He is also borderline jaundice, so we have to get him checked again tomorrow. Thanks for all the well wishes and encouragement! Daddy and Grandma have been a huge help. We can't wait for him to meet Grandpa N tomorrow.