Thank you for visiting my blog! If you are visiting because you have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss, let me say that I am so very sorry. I started this blog shortly after our Baby Grady was stillborn on November 12, 2008. Please visit the sidebar below called "Labels" to find the topic in which you are interested, or just read as your heart desires.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Matthew at 4 Months



(See the bubbles on his chin just below his bottom lip? One of his favorite things to do these days is drool and blow bubbles!)

I say this every time I write a post like this, but I can't believe Matthew is already 4 months old! I really don't know where the time has gone. I just know it's passing way too quickly.

As usual, I'm late in getting this written. He turned 4 months on Monday, November 16th. I took him for his check up that day. He weighed in at a whopping 14 pounds, 2 ounces (35th percentile), and he is 23 3/4 inches long (10th percentile). For some crazy reason, my doctor is not using an adjusted age for his stats, so Matthew is holding his own pretty well. I bet his percentiles would be much higher on an adjusted scale. Dr. E is cutting him a little slack where his motor development is concerned, but praise God, not much has been needed.

For the life of me, I can't get any good pictures of him smiling at the camera. He always turns his head!



Let's see what's new with this little guy...

First and foremost, HE HAS STOPPED HOLDING HIS BREATH WHEN HE EATS! Praise the Lord! And it was like magic. I started to see a little improvement around his 3 month birthday, but one day something just clicked, and he hasn't held his breath since. You just don't know what a relief it is. I can finally cradle him in my arm during feeds instead of propping him on my leg with his head in my hand to give me better control.

He was holding his breath with breast and bottle, but I always said that once he stopped, I would try to nurse him again. And try I did. But only twice. As I expected, it didn't go very well. And I'm okay with it. I'm still pumping (about 30-34 ounces a day!) and he's still getting nothing but breast milk. If I'm honest, I kinda like the freedom it gives me. In a way, I'm still a slave to the pump, but I'm only pumping about 6 times a day. It's manageable.

I decided not to start him on solids just yet. If I can, I want to hold off until he gets his first tooth. With the way his appetite is increasing, I may not be able to wait that long, but we will see. He eats 6 ounces every 3 hours. Sometimes he doesn't make it a full 3 hours, and I'm not such a stickler...if he's hungry, I feed him! His last full bottle is around 6pm. He gets a little "night cap" of 2-3 ounces between 7:30-8:30 before he goes to bed.

Speaking of bed, he slept the whole night in his crib for the first time last night! It's such a mix for me. On one hand it's a YAY! On the other it's a BOO HOO! He's growing up! Call me a wimp, but I can't let him cry it out. I tried early in the week. I let him cry for 15 minutes and caved. I can handle the fussing, but not the pitiful cry and screaming. He was hoarse for two days afterwards! It broke my heart, and I felt like the worst mom ever. I've been trying to catch him before he gets overtired. I rock and sing a couple of songs and put him down drowsy but awake. Granted he has his paci to soothe him, but he has been falling asleep alone. And he spits his paci out within 10 minutes of going to sleep. When I put him in his crib last night at 8:45, I fully expected to transfer him to my bed later (he has been starting out in my bed and staying there). But that sweet boy didn't make a peep until 5:15 this morning. I gave him his paci, and he slept until 7:10. WOW! He has been sleeping like a champ in the bed with me, but this was the first time in his own bed. I'm anxious to see what tonight holds... (It is now Sunday morning and I'm trying to finish this post. Seems it wasn't a fluke...he slept in his crib from 8:15 last night until 7 this morning. I didn't have to give him his paci once. Big boy. Now, if he could get his naps to go just as well...)

Motor wise, he is holding his head up pretty much by himself with just a little bobbing. He has found that he can stand on his feet, but I don't let him do it for too long. He loves his hands, especially his left one. I'm a little concerned because he doesn't move his right arm/hand as much as his left. The only reason I'm concerned is because his brain bleed was on the left side. He has started swatting at the toys on the toy bar of his bouncy seat. He kicks his legs with equal gusto and strength which has become one of my favorite things to watch when I change his diaper. He gets so excited for himself. He likes to be in the swing and just last night found the mirror above him.




He hasn't rolled over yet, but he's working on it with some help from Mommy. He likes to be on his activity mat when we try this.




He has tummy time every day. Sometimes on just the flat surface of his crib or the activity mat. Sometimes propped up on his boppy pillow. He loves to look at himself in the mirror. His hands are the perfect snack to help him through his hard work!




He loves to "talk" to me and his smile just melts my heart. He will lock eyes with me for a long time, and we converse back and forth with each other. It is one of my most favorite things about him right now.

He is wearing 3-6 and 6 month clothes, depending on how they're made. I have had dilemma over sleepers lately. I'm so picky. I have found that I'm not crazy about sleepers with zippers because of the huge hump that it creates on his chest. I love the snap ones. The other problem is that his feet don't stay in the feet part, so when he stretches and kicks his legs, his toes get squished. Sigh. I try to think about what would be comfortable to me, and neither of those would be. One night he slept in a white onesie, soft pants and socks. I guess I need to find sleepers with snaps and without feet. Picky or what!?!?

He is in size 1-2 diapers. I think he will be a Pampers baby because leaks from these Huggies far too often for my liking.

I can't think of much more to update about him. He looks a lot like his sisters when they were babies, especially Jessica. Maybe I can get Gib to scan a few pictures to compare at some point. He's growing like a weed and is developing his personality nicely. He's still a very good baby. He has fussy times like all babies do, but I find that if I put him down for a nap soon enough, he's much happier. He had a few days of just plain ole being unhappy, and I realized he was overtired. He can only stay up for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours at a time.

His MRI is coming up this Wednesday, November 24th, the day before Thanksgiving. Please pray for him and us. I will wake him up at 2:30 to feed him because he can't have anything to eat after 3am. We check in at 7am and his scan is at 8am. Please pray that he won't be screaming hungry, and if he is that his paci will soothe him enough to get him through. He was a hard stick in the NICU, so please pray that they can get his IV started easily. (I wish Suzanne could go with us and start it for them!) Please pray that he will do well with the sedation and not have any negative side effects, that he will stay still for the scan, and most importantly that the scan will be clear!

Dr. E also discovered that he has a hydrocele, which is fluid in one of his testicles. From what I've read it's pretty common and most of them close themselves. I think his is a communicating hydrocele because I notice that it's smaller in the morning and larger in the evening. This means there is still an opening between his abdomen and testicle and fluid can flow freely between the two. These more commonly require surgery than a noncommunicating one. Time will tell. I'm praying that it will close before he turns one and that it doesn't get worse or develop into a hernia. (I've read too much as usual!)

I hope to post about Grady's birthday soon. Have a great weekend!

Love,
Tonya

5 comments:

  1. Tonya, I still can't wait to hear about Grady's birthday... I can't help but wonder how much Grady and Matthew would look alike or not...

    Tonya, Matthew is such a cutie... so full faced... he looks so healthy:) I can not believe that 4 months has gone by... but then I remember you and I talking when I was in LA for the transfer and that was 4 months ago...just wild though. I am so thankful that he isn't holding his breath, I know you will breath easier. And I have to say that I am so impressed Tonya at how well you take things in stride, the nursing and such... I think after losing a baby, it changes the perspective a bit... we are just soooooo thankful for the little things as well as the big things...

    Thankful for you today!
    Sara

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  2. How sweet this little guy is! Love the smiles. He actually is a wonderful size...and so healthy looking. I am so happy for you Tonya.

    That's wonderful that he is now sleeping through the night....so that mama can get more sleep.

    I hope the test goes well. I am praying.

    Linda

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  3. What a sweet post! Love those smiles! Praying for a wonderful report:)

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  4. He is SOOO precious!!!

    I will say a prayer for him for his MRI on Wednesday. Although are stories are not similar, my daughter has to be put to sleep tomorrow (10 months old) for a kidney scan and I am scared to death!!! She will also be unable to eat after 2:30am. It just breaks my heart because she is SO young and it's not like she understand why mommy and daddy aren't feeding her! :( I will pray that everything goes well for Matthew and the results are positive! :)

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  5. What a cutie pie! And he's getting so so big! I love it!

    Just read your other post about how the MRI went and I'm so thankful.
    Praying his other issues resolve on their own- stay away from Dr. Google! I have to admit that I consult him frequently too.

    Have a great day tomorrow!
    love,
    ebe

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