Carson {3 months}

Carson, you are 3 months old!

Weight/Height/Head Circumference:

Last Tuesday, when we went to the GI doctor, you weighed 12 pounds, 4 ounces, and you were 24 inches long. They measured your head circumference, but you were so wiggly that I can't remember what she said it was! ;o)  

Clothing Size:

You are still wearing 0-3 months, but you can wear a few 3-6 months pieces. I am going to try & go through your 3-6 months clothes bins this week, because I can tell it won't be too long until you will be in those. 

Diapers:

You are still wearing a size 1 diaper. Since you came off of the Nutramigen, we have had no issues with diaper rash, so we finished out our packs of Target brand diapers, and we have stuck with Pampers Swaddlers since then. 

Feeding:

Well, what a month we have had with your feeding issues! We stopped giving you the Nutramigen on January 29 because your spit-up was out of control, not to mention the horrible diaper rash it gave you. We started Gerber Soothe & Prevacid, still no change...then, we switched to Enfamil AR. It constipated you, so we added the Enfamil Gentlease to it. The constipation went away, but you were still very, very cranky, & your spit-up continued to be pretty bad. We ended up scheduling an appointment with GI for Kids on February 5. Dr. Al-Tawil put you on Enfamil Puramino, took you off of Zantac & Prevacid, and put you on Carafate to coat your esophagus. You also had to have blood drawn, and that was NO fun at all! Here you are with your battle scars (& a wet diaper!) when we got home.

 We were seeing no change with the Puramino, so we went back to the doctor on Tuesday, February 18. He upped your dose of Carafate and put you on Neocate. Both of these formulas (Puramino & Neocate) were amino acid based formulas, and both of their first ingredients were corn syrup solids (which 90% of all formulas are, I have learned). You had not gained any weight since your last visit, so Dr. Al-Tawil also scheduled you for an abdomen ultrasound & upper GI study, which we did on Thursday. We still haven't heard the results from these tests, but they told me no news is good news, & we will find out for sure what the results are at your next appointment on March 7. You did fine for the ultrasound, but the upper GI study was so painful to watch! You had to be NPO for 4 hours, which made you really mad in the first place, but then, you had to be strapped down to a little table in order for them to feed you barium & take pictures. It made mama & daddy so sad. :o(

 Watching The Lion King with daddy after your ultrasound

Right before your upper GI study. You were about to eat daddy's thumb off because you were so hungry!

By Friday, I could tell that the Neocate was just going to be a continuation of the Puramino, so I called & spoke with the dietitian at the office. She & I both agreed that you may have a corn allergy. She suggested trying the Similac Alimentum ready-to-feed again because it is the only formula on the market without corn as a filler. The first ingredient in it is water (87%), which sounded better to me! So far, it is working much, much better than before. We're giving you 4 oz. every 3 hours & 5 oz. at bedtime. The first two days, your spit-up had not changed much, but by the third day, it was 75% better and has continued to improve. I'm thinking that upping the Carafate dose might be helping, too.


Hair/Eyes:

Your hair is still a dirty blonde color, and you have started to develop a little bald spot in the back from where you sleep! ;o) Your eyes are still blue!

Sleeping:

You continue to do amazing at night! Last night, you slept from 8:35 p.m.-6:15 a.m.! Last week, there was only one night when you woke up in the middle of the night to eat (& you busted out of your swaddle). Mama & daddy are so grateful for your sleep! You are still not a great napper during the day, but you don't cry as much when you're awake now, so it's ok! You typically take about four 30 minute naps a day. One of those may be an hour and a half, but it just depends on how you're doing that day. 

Other Stuff:

You still LOVE bath time, and you're used to afterwards now! You love for me to put lotion on you, but after we're all done, you let me know that you're ready for your bedtime bottle!

You rolled over from your back to your belly when you were 11 weeks, 6 days old!

Granny Deb got you this piano for Valentine's Day, and you LOVE it! It can occupy you for quite a while!

Your eczema took a turn for the worse last week. It was SO sad! I know you were miserable, and we tried everything to soothe it. Finally, I stopped using all washes/lotions by Johnson & Johnson. I started only using body wash & lotion by The Honest Co. For your face, we started using Mustela Stelatopia Lipid-replenishing Balm. What a miracle this combo is. Seriously, within 24 hours, your face completely cleared up. Praise the Lord!

Before:

After:

You are starting to grab things. You love grabbing this Dr. Brown's teether & any kind of toy that hangs.

You have started to make the funniest sound with the back of your throat. It kind of sounds like you are growling, and it is so funny!

We are loving watching you grow & learn. Everyday is different, and it seems like you are always learning something new!

You went to your first basketball game on Saturday to watch Aunt J play! You really seemed to love it!

You are really starting to drool a TON! I started putting a bib on you yesterday because if I don't, your outfit ends up being soaked in drool! You love chewing on your hands, too, so I am just waiting for a tooth to appear soon! ;o)

You started smiling so much more this month! I will never get enough of your smiles! :o)

And just because I want to remember it...here was our schedule today:

6:15-awake for the day, eat
6:45-play
7:45-nap (1 hour)
8:50-eat
9:15-play
10:10-nap (2 hours)
12:20-eat
12:45-play
2:00-nap (30 minutes)
3:00-eat
3:30-play
4:10-nap (30 minutes, awake, then down again for an hour and half)
6:00-eat (suppertime bottle)
7:00-nap (an hour and a half)
8:30-bath
8:50-eat (bedtime bottle)
9:20-bedtime!

Pictures from your 3rd month:

Products we love @ 3 months:

Mustela Stelatopia Lipid-replenishing Balm

This is the only product that has treated your eczema and kept it away!

The Honest Co. Shampoo & Body Wash

The Honest Co. Body Lotion

Similac Alimentum

So far, so great, on this formula! :o) truly praying that this is our final answer when it comes to choosing a formula!

Arm & Hammer Diaper Bag Dispensers

I keep one of these hooked to the diaper bag, and they really come in handy for dirty diapers or wet clothes when we're out!

Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water

No other brand...this is the best, hands down better than gas drops, and it's like magic in a bottle!

Jack Tickle Books

Carson's Aunt J got him these two books at her school's book fair, and they are by far his favorite because of the pictures, & they make noises! 

Carson {2 months}

Carson, you are 2 months old today!

Weight/Height/Head Circumference:

You haven't been to the doctor since you were 6 weeks old, but then, you weighed 9 pounds, 13 ounces & were 23.5 inches long! Your head circumference was in the 90th percentile!  

Clothing Size:

You are wearing 0-3 months in everything!

Diapers:

You are wearing a size 1 diaper. We still love Pampers, but you developed a little bit of a diaper rash from your new formula, & we switched to Target brand, & that helped clear it right up! We also love seventh generation & The Honest Co. wipes, especially when you have diaper rash!

Feeding:

You are now eating 5 ounces of formula every 3 hours. We switched you to formula when you were 6 weeks old because you started having feeding issues. You would take a bottle of my milk just fine, but your spit-up got much, much worse, you weren't napping during the day for any length of time, & you pretty much cried all day long...if you weren't eating or sleeping, you were crying, and you never slept except for at night, so we had a good time for 30 minutes about 6-7 times a day, when you were eating & and that was it! On 12/27, we started you on the concentrated Enfamil Nutramigen, after a couple of friends had suggested it...their kiddos had the very same symptoms as you, so we thought we would give it a try. We ended up only being on it a couple of days because you spit it up & choked on it so bad. It was so sad! During this time, I ended up taking you in to see the dr. on a Saturday to beg for Zantac because I just knew you had reflux. You would arch your back at just about every feeding, and you would always spit-up & cry after every single feeding. We started it on 12/28, and you are still on it now. It has definitely helped a ton!! We then tried Enfamil Prosobee, and you did amazing on it for like two weeks, but you then relapsed back into the constant crying, etc...& it constipated you so bad! We tried Similac Alimentum after that, but it was just like the liquid Nutramigen...lots of spit-up & chocking. Then, we tried Enfamil Gentlease...you didn't spit it up, but it gave you constant diarrhea! whew...we sure have had a time! Finally, we went back to the dr. to check for a milk protein allergy. You didn't have the allergy, but he diagnosed you with colic, and they gave us 6 sample cans of Enfamil Nutramigen powder (the powder has probiotics, which are supposed to be great for colic) & a prescription for Levsin drops to try to manage the colic. It has taken a week, & there is still lots of spit-up due to the reflux, but you are a completely different baby! On the same day we went to the dr., we started giving you Gerber probiotic drops in one of your bottles each day, too, and all of it combined has truly helped! I am just so grateful...I may be writing a completely different post a month from now, but today, 1/22, has been your best day since you have been born. I was beginning to think you would never be a happy baby, and it made me so sad. Since the day you were born, you never have been a calm or "easy" baby. You've always been on the go, never wanting to stay in one place, and you have ALWAYS wanted to be in motion. I have longed for the day that you would just sit with me on the couch & not wiggle around or cry. It has been hard, too, because colic is such a confusing condition. I know some drs. say you just have to get through it, but I want to do everything I can to help & ease you. These last 2 months have been hard, really hard. The days have been long, but the months have flown. I truly hope & pray that we have found the best "recipe" for you, and I pray that each day continues to get better & better! Your mommy & daddy love you MORE THAN ANYTHING!


Hair/Eyes:

Your hair is still a dirty blonde color & you haven't seemed to lose much since you were born. Your eyes are definitely blue now, too!

Sleeping:

Up until a couple of days ago, (since you turned a month old) you would never nap during the day, unless you were in my arms or in your carseat (we have taken road trips during the day, just to get you to nap). You have continuously done great at night though. Last night, you slept from 9:00pm-6:05am! I couldn't believe it! I went in around 5:30, just to make sure you were still breathing! ;o)
We learned on Monday that you will finally take naps during the day in the swing. Today, you took 4 naps, each about 1.5 hours each, and a catnap around 6:45 for about 20-30 minutes. You're not much of a fan anymore of rocking during the day, you would rather be walked & sang to (loudly!), but once we get you asleep, you are out, unless you sneeze, and then we usually have to get you back to sleep again. ;o) & we still swaddle you for all naps & at night. We still LOVE the Summer SwaddleMe wraps! They are awesome! We moved you from your Rock 'N Play to your crib when you were about 7 weeks old, and you do great in it for sleeping at night, you just will not sleep in it for any length of time during the day! I still rock you at night while I'm giving you your bedtime bottle, and you drift right off to sleep. It's one of my favorite parts of the day besides bath time!

Other Stuff:

You still LOVE bath time! You hate afterwards though, until you get your bedtime bottle, and then you're fine!
You rolled over from your belly to your back when you were 6 weeks, 2 days old!
You will roll over from you back to you belly, but only when you're in your crib & swaddled. It is hilarious because you look like a little burrito rolling around!
And just because I want to remember it...here was our schedule today:

6:05-awake for the day, eat
6:30-play
7:00-nap
9:05-eat
9:30-play
10:30-nap
12:00-eat
12:30-play
1:30-nap
3:00-eat
3:30-play
4:15-nap
5:45-eat (suppertime bottle)
6:30-catnap
8:00-bath
8:30-eat (bedtime bottle)
8:50-bedtime!

*I'm anxious to see how well you sleep tonight, since last night was so great. I never know what you've got up your sleeve! :o)

I have had you on the eat, play, sleep schedule since you were about 3 weeks old, and I think that is the only thing that has helped you sleep so well at night & keep mommy & daddy sane during the day!

Pictures from your 2nd month:

Products we love @ 2 months:

Dr. Brown's Bottles

I have literally tried just about every bottle on the market, hoping to ease your colic & spit-up (FYI, almost every bottle out there promises to reduce colic, I have learned...I have also learned that none do!). These bottles have been your favorite. We used these in the very beginning, but then after all of your issues, I thought maybe trying a different one would help you (we have tried Tommee Tippee, Playtex Nursers with the drop-in liners, Gerber Essentials, & Avent<

Nursery Water

We just picked up a jug of this yesterday from Babies "R" Us, and we love it! We were using bottled water to mix with his formula, and it was working just fine, I just like the convenience of this better. and...we don't have to buy packs of water bottles all the time because this should last a good while!

Enfamil Nutramigen Formula

Hopefully, I won't be eating my words next month, but so far, this formula has changed our lives! It's the most expensive formula Enfamil has, but it is totally worth it for your happiness! I honestly believe the Enflora LGG probiotic has helped you tremendously! 

Target Diapers

Thanks to Mica for the suggestion to use these when you had diaper rash! 

The Honest Co. & seventh generation Wipes

These are thick, soft & gentle on your booty! I pretty much love every product I have received from The Honest Co., too!

The Honest Co. Healing Balm

You have eczema, and this has worked the best for you. I tried baby Aquaphor, too, but this just seems to work better.

Gerber Essentials & Dr. Brown's Pacis

These Gerber pacis are the ugliest ones, in my opinion, but it truly is your favorite paci. You really like the Dr. Brown's ones, too. We still love the MAMs & Wubbanubs, too! 

Burp Cloths

These Gerber burp cloths, along with all of the personalized cloth diaper burp cloths we have are mommy's favorites! We go through LOTS & LOTS of burp cloths every day!

Gerber Colic Drops

We give you 5 drops of these in one bottle every day. I really feel like they help you! 

& last but not least Gas Drops...any brand! 

*I feel like I could be a spokesperson for Gerber, Dr. Brown's & The Honest Co. I love all of their products!