Two Months Old!

Ruby, your second month brought some fun times and some not so fun times. It has probably been the most stressful (for all of us) so far. Here's a quick chronicle of the ups and the downs.

Ups:
- You started to really enjoy looking at yourself in your mirror, making eye contact and smiling, looking at your toys, staring at colorful objects, staring at spinning objects (you love the fan!), taking baths, and sleeping. At 8 weeks you started sleeping anywhere from 6-12 hours per night.
- You love to kick your little legs at all times!

Downs:
- You didn't gain any weight from month 1 to month 2, so at your 2 month checkup you still weighed in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces. I, of course, felt like a horrible mom, but I tried really hard not to make it all about me and my performance! The doctor was worried at first, but after she listened to your heart and lungs and checked you over, she reported that there was nothing physiologically wrong...so it must be me. With you sleeping through the night and missing so many feedings, my milk supply had plummeted and you were not eating enough. I felt so silly that I didn't really even realize. I knew you were small, but I didn't realize just how small. So began the weight gaining mission! We started feeding every 2 hours around the clock and every 3 at night. I started pumping, drinking Mother's Milk tea, taking Fenugreek tablets, and supplementing with formula after you nursed. Sadly, you HATED the formula, but I finally got some in you one night while you were too sleepy to notice what you were drinking. The next morning I woke you up, and you had a full body rash. It was so bad that I checked to make sure you were breathing. Yikes. Good thing we were supposed to see the doctor that day anyway. I took you in to All For Kids a little early, and after a few doctors came in and looked at you they referred me to a dermatologist with whom I was NOT impressed. At the end of the day, though, all the medical health professionals agreed you probably are allergic to cow's milk. Aha! This would explain your facial rashes that continued to come and go and the reaction to the formula. After this hurdle, I gave up dairy, and (after a lot of prayer!) you finally developed a taste for Nutramagin. We are now nursing, supplementing, feeding and weighing often. My milk supply is back up. You gained a pound last week and are back in the 23rd percentile. Yay Rubes! Whew. It's been a crazy month. I'm thankful to get to continue nursing you and that you are now thriving. This saga was great experience as a feeding therapist but not so great as a mommy.
- More eating means less sleeping, so you are no longer sleeping through the night. I never thought I would have to wake up my baby consistently to make them eat, but it is so very important that we get you fattened up.
- You spit up a lot more thanks to the formula.

Here are some precious pictures of what you have been up to!

Looking at your sweet little face in the mirror

Playin'

Tummy time

Chillin' with your cow

Lovin' your cow

Sweetie pie!

Sound asleep in your Snugabunny

Love you Rubes and so thankful that you are getting fatter by the day! :)

Doctor, doctor.

Going to doctor's appointments are so much more exciting now than they ever were in the past. When I am at the OB/GYN clinic, I feel like a rockstar. Most every healthcare professional working there has some sort of passion for pregnancy/reproduction, and they are (for the most part) so kind and encouraging as they notice my protruding tummy. I truly am thankful for a doctor that genuinely seems interested in what is going on with me and my uterus. He listens to me, validates my concerns, and gives me truly helpful feedback. Today I think he even said, "Bless your heart!". No, Dr. Breniman, bless YOUR heart for being such a peach.

I usually smile and try not to complain too much, but today when he asked if I had any questions, I did not hold much back. After discussing with him all of my ailments (most of which are not appropriate to publish), I was delighted to hear Ruby's strong heartbeat and to feel a few strong kicks. Earlier that morning, as part of my glucose tolerance test, I had consumed 10 ounces of sugary goodness, so Ruby was wide awake.

So far, everything is right on track. I am measuring right at 25 weeks. My weight gain is maybe a little above average, but I am okay with that. My blood pressure is perfect, and I do not have gestational diabetes, which is wonderful. I tried to convince myself while waiting for the results of my test that it would be okay to have GD, but honestly, carbohydrates would have been so hard to cut out during a time when they are so fun to consume. Besides my ribs and pelvis feeling like they are about to crack in half at any given moment, everything is going well, and I was reminded of what an awe-inspiring thing pregnancy really is. Incredible? Yes. Comfortable and enjoyable? No. I needed the encouragement today, and it was good to be reminded of how precious and invaluable is the little blessing God has chosen for Levi and me.