Acid Reflux

This blog is being written after a ROUGH couple of weeks that we are finally on the upswing from! In my last post I mentioned how Vance was a big spitter upper, especially when he was on his back, and he was not a good sleeper, except when he was being held upright crunched in a ball on his tummy. Well, after two weeks of getting what felt like no sleep and Vance only eating and crying we took him to the doctor and got our answer as to why we had a great baby the first two weeks and then a very unhappy baby. Vance was diagnosed with acid reflux. Apparently acid reflux babies hate their backs (check), spit up often (check), cry after they spit up (check), are soothed only by eating- even though they are not hungry (check), and have breath that smells like sour milk (check). The doctor explained that around 2 1/2-3 weeks is when a baby's stomach acid gets stronger and that is why he really didn't seem to show his discomfort until then. Vance was put on Prilosec and after a dose increase he is back to the extremely sweet baby he naturally is:) He has successfully slept flat on his back the entire course of the night for four nights now (something that he couldn't tolerate at all before- even if he was reclined on his back). Once he started getting better, however, it didn't end because I got mastitis, we all got colds, and Weston started cutting more teeth (causing him to wake up in the middle of the night too)! WHEW! I don't want to relive those six weeks! 

Now that Vance is a much happier baby he has started cooing and smiling more and more. I have tried to capture his smile for quite some time now, but this is the best I have gotten so far.

Weston is also enjoying his baby brother more now that he isn't always eating or crying. He likes to give Vance kisses and his latest thing is wanting to carry Vance. I can't leave Weston alone in the same room with Vance or he will try to pick him up on his own!

Speaking of Weston, he is turning into quite the comedian. He knows when he is doing something funny and will keep doing it to get a laugh. Today during lunch he decided to wear his bib as a hat and kept saying "Mommy hat" and then he would give me his fake laugh. He proceeded to eat the rest of his lunch this way:)

Along with Weston's increased ability to understand things is his increased capacity to remember things. We have come to dread hearing the "b" word- bubbles. He will repeat this word over and over may times through out the day and always wants to blow bubbles! It is no longer a case of out of sight out of mind.  Here is a video of him and his latest obsession.

Finally, since I have been terrible at posting toddler activities, here is an amazing book for anyone looking for ideas on what to do with their toddler and beyond.  Many of the activities are still too old for Weston, but there is still lots that he can do and some activities can be adapted for his age.  It is put out by Publications International, Ltd.

Baptism, Easter, and Rolling

Here is a little update. We are a month into adjusting to life with two kids! Those that told us going from one to two is the hardest- I believe you! While things have gotten a little smoother over the past four weeks, we are still waiting for it to get easier. One thing is for sure- my parents and sisters have been our life savers- we would have gone crazy by now without them!!Michael and I are adjusting (at times better than others) to little sleep. On a good night we get about five to six hours of interrupted sleep. Vance is not a very good sleeper (unless he is being held) and seems to have his days and nights mixed up. He is also a big spitter upper, so the whole "back to sleep" thing is a challenge because when he is on his back he spits up more and wakes himself up. On a positive note we ADORE him and truly feel BLESSED to have him- lack of sleep and all!! Weston is also loving his brother:) He is getting very good at being gentle and gets a huge grin on his face when we tell him he is being such a good big brother:) Here are a few pictures since my last update and a few videos I have been meaning to share.

On Palm Sunday Vance was baptized

Michael's brother Jacob and his wife Tamie are Van's godparents

Claimed for Christ!

We enjoyed some beautiful weather for Easter Sunday

Aunt Chrissy gave Weston a bubble gun that he absolutely

loves- even when he is shooting himself in the face:)

Weston loves to lay next to Van when I have him on the floor

One month old!

Vance first rolled when he was only ten days old and

has been doing it almost every time he is on his belly since.

I thought this little moment was cute when Weston

was trying to share his jelly bean with Vance.

2 Weeks Old

I am trying to do this blog with the little free time that I have, so I will leave you with pictures and hopefully in the near future I will have some time to write a few things. 

One of Weston's favorite things about having a new brother at home is this giant jug that came home with him.  Weston has enjoyed drinking from mommy's hospital jug that is almost the size of him!

Weston likes his new brother "Bance" but he prefers to poke him rather than hold him.  We are working on gentle touching and after two weeks he is starting to catch on.

First Bath

Snoozing any chance we get!

Gianna loves her new baby cousin:) 

 (Notice Weston in the background could care less about holding Vance)

This is a very common face when Vance is sleeping:)

He's Here!

Well, Vance Michael joined the world on March 7th, 2010 at 8:53am.  He caught us a little by surprise because we thought we had at least another week, but the date he ended up being born was special because it was my dad's birthday!  He weighed in at 6 lbs 12 oz and was 20 3/4 inches long.  The labor and delivery went well and I was so happy to be able to successfully do a VBAC. 

Almost 37 Weeks

Well, here is the photo asked for by some. I will be considered 37 weeks this Saturday, and that means if Vance arrived any day from that point he would be considered full term.

At the beginning of this week I was ready for Vance to come anytime, but then Tuesday afternoon I got a call informing me that my doctor fell ice skating with his kids and broke his shoulder and won't be back until April. This put me in a panic because I really liked my doctor, and now I have to have a different doctor deliver Vance. As far as another doctor goes, I basically just had to go with the only doctor who had an opening this week that fit my schedule. Well, needless to say, he didn't win me over in our first visit, and at this point I feel like there is no time to meet with other doctors until I find another one I like. So, I will just stick with the one I got and hope that his obvious experience will be exactly what I need to do a successful VBAC. I also have to trust in Our Lord's guiding hand and know that He will never leave me and Vance through this whole experience.

As far as the pregnancy goes, I think my nesting phase has ended or has been put on hold. Now, I just feel the need to take naps in the afternoon while I still can! I am experiencing the practice Braxton Hicks contractions quite often now with some of them being on the verge of painful and leaving me feeling like I can't get enough air. Other than that, I really don't have much to complain about except the typical tiredness, frequent bathroom breaks, and trouble staying comfortable at night.

Speaking of nights, Michael and I feel even more prepared for Vance to get here now that we have successfully taught Weston to fall asleep on his own and sleep through the night. We hadn't done it sooner because I was under the impression that the only way to accomplish this was the "cry it out" method and I just didn't feel right about this method. Up until this point, our bedtime routine was so peaceful and positive, but the waking up at night was getting tiring. Well, after some good advice from his doctor and my own intuition, we developed our own process that in the end left Weston feeling safe and secure to fall asleep on his own without any fuss. As a result, we (well, at least Michael because he doesn't have another baby keeping him up) are getting a good night's rest because Weston isn't needing us to help him fall back to sleep in the middle of the night. I think I was the only one sad in the end because I didn't realize how much I would miss having Weston fall asleep in my arms! I think I was more addicted to it than he was:)

Happy Birthday "Bichael"!

Thursday we celebrated Michael's 27th birthday! In the evening my parents, his mom and his brother joined us for dinner, cake, and presents. However, we almost didn't have a birthday celebration because Michael forgot about his own birthday and scheduled an appointment that evening. Luckily, it was one that he could easily reschedule and he was able to join us for his birthday:) Weston enjoyed helping Daddy blow out his candles and would have put his face right on them if Michael didn't hold him back.

In fact, Weston liked the candles so much that he insisted on eating his cake using the candle instead of his spoon. A little wax never hurt anybody, right???

Michael's birthday, of course, is right before Valentine's Day. This means that I have to plan for two special occasions right in a row. I never used to be the Valentine's Day planner in our relationship, but this time last year I attended a book study to help me grow in my role as a wife, and it was at one of these meetings that my friend Mary's mom, Elaine, shared some information that really made so much sense to me. She told us how in their relationship she planned Valentine's Day every year because she enjoyed doing it so much and liked surprising her husband. Up until that point I had it in my head that it was the man's job to plan Valentine's Day, but (not trying to insult Michael here) this almost always lead to some disappointment. It wasn't until this meeting that it hit me that I too enjoy, and have more fun, being the surpriser rather than the surprisee! So, last year I planned Valentine's Day and it worked out wonderful for both of us. I had so much fun planning the day and Michael enjoyed having a pressure free Valentine's Day that he got to simply enjoy and not plan:) This year, I again had a blast planning Valentine's Day and was so excited I could barely wait until the day got here! This year, the highlight was playing a game I created. Michael and I are both big game people, so it was very fitting for us. The game involved answering questions, like those found on the Newlywed Game Show, or competing against each other to do certain tasks. We laughed lots and had a good time learning more about each other. (Yes, we still have lots to learn about each other after 5 1/2 years!)

Our Valentine's Day also involved solving a mystery. For weeks now Weston has been saying "bichael" and we couldn't figure out what he was trying to say. He never said it pointing at anything and said it in different situations. Well, we were over at my parent's house for supper when it hit us what he has been saying. As he walked around the house talking on Daddy's phone saying "bichael" over and over we realized he was saying "Michael, Michael, Michael!" DUH!! Once we realized it, it seemed totally obvious! (And I am sure it looks obvious when I type the word out like "bichael".) Weston has heard me say Michael (especially on the phone) many times and was repeating it. I might also add that when he says this word, he usually says it loud and I am sure that is because most of the time when I use Michael's name I am trying to get his help from another room:) I don't think he understands that Michael and Daddy are the same person, but it sure is cute to hear him say it:) Oh, and after a couple times of emphasizing the "m" in Michael, he now says "Michael" and not "bichael":)

Colors

It seems like since Weston has turned 1 1/2 he is learning something new everyday! Michael and I are enjoying this stage very much and love to watch him absorb new information like a sponge:) He has been working on his colors and is beginning to recognize them:) He still gets confused, but definitely has a concept of what colors are. When he has to name a color on his own he mostly says orange, but he is getting good at picking out what color is what when we say it. Check it out!