3 Months!

Little Lexi is 3 months old!  

I know I think/say this every month, but I can't believe she's 3 months old already!  We've had some ups and downs this past month mainly dealing with reflux.  Poor little girl has bad reflux.  She was spitting up so much that when we went to the doctor for her 2 month check up she had lost weight since her 1 month.  We were shocked (and of course I cried-mommy emotions)!  As first time parents you don't really know what's "normal" and we just figured all babies spit up.  But we realized it was extreme when you have about 12 burp cloths and you're still having to do laundry every day to every other day to get clean burp cloths.  So, needless to say Lexi was put on Zantac right away to help her hopefully gain weight and make it hurt less when she spit up.  Oh, Zantac. Ugh.  She HATED taking the Zantac and who can blame her when it smells like mint and tastes awful (Marshall said it tasted like mouthwash).  It was a battle 2 times a day to get her to take it and for the first several times she was gagging and throwing up.  I would end up crying a lot because I felt so bad.  I got some advice from people and one suggestion (thanks Alison!) was to get CVS to put some flavoring in the medicine to make it taste better.  The only thing approved for Zantac was grape which was really strong!  However, unfortunately, it did not change the taste.  Nothing could cover up that awful Zantac.  BUT it did make it smell better and more appealing.  We also got some other advice to hold Lexi's nose so she would open her mouth and taste the medicine less and then blow in her mouth once we had dropped the liquid in to get her to swallow it.  You can see how this was a major process to get her to take it!  Whew!  I'm tired just typing it!  The other thing the doctor wanted me to do was to start feeding her every hour and a half.  Wait, are you kidding me.  Did I hear you right? You mean every hour and a half!?  Yes.  And after feeding her, hold her upright for 30 minutes so she can digest the milk easier.  

We had another appointment scheduled to come back 2 weeks later to do another weight check and see how the medicine was working.  When we came back we had another weight check.  Even more weight loss.  And still no change in spitting up and fussiness.  So, her doctor seeing this wanted to check to make sure all her anatomy internally was fine.  So we were sent straight from her doctor's appt to the hospital for a barium swallow to check how her milk went from her stomach to small intestine (I believe). The doctor let us know that sometimes the passageway could be too small and the milk could be coming back up because it couldn't pass enough through and that would require surgery to fix (again, que mommy tears).  So after a grueling time watching her try to take the barium swallow 1.5 hours past her time to eat and first time taking anything resembling a bottle we were finished.  The doctor was watching the X-ray and let us know on the spot that he thought all her anatomy looked good.  SOOOO thankful for this, and him letting us know and not making us wait.  He said he would look more closely at the slides but from his initial review it looked good.  Now, to figure out how to get this girl to pack on the pounds!  

So the next day (April 12) we go back to the doctor to meet with her and the Lactation Consultant and try to get a game plan going of what to do next.  They inform me that they have discussed this at length and think I should continue the 1.5 hour feedings, holding her upright for 30 min, and now start waking her up at night to eat again.  Lexi had been sleeping all the way through the night for the past 5 days and we were so excited.  Again, did I hear you right?! You want me to wake her up?! Yes.  So we started waking her up around 3 a.m. to eat at night also. At that appt they also switched her medicine to Prevacid ($$$cha-ching!) and see if that helps her not to spit up as much and be more comfortable.  So, that's where we are now.  That was a Friday and they told me to call in with a weight check (thanks to Ginger we now have an at home baby scale!) on Wednesday.  We weighed Lexi on Wednesday and she was up 4 oz.!  So we will continue this week to call in again on Wednesday with another weight check and go from there.  So far so good with this new regimen and it seems like she's spitting up a little less and gaining some weight (and rolls!).  She is taking the Prevacid better- it tastes much better.  Although it's a lot more to take so it's still a process getting it down.  With all that said, she's still a good eater!  Still no problems breastfeeding and it doesn't seem to stop Lexi from wanting to eat- so thats a blessing!  

With this 1.5 hour thing it threw naps off a little bit but now we are starting to have a routine after her 2nd morning feeding to take a nap and then about 2 afternoon naps and 1 evening nap.  Still not hating her baths and starting to splash some!  She's in 3 month clothes and they are still a little big.  

We had our first giggle on April 8!  Since then we've had some more giggles and they are PRECIOUS!  Still lots of smiles and seeing her little personality coming out.  Lots of talking and cooing and I've got several videos that I tried to upload and for some reason they wouldn't upload.  I'll work it in all my free time ;)  She loves her "Ellie" which I brilliantly named her elephant lovey.  She is really into grabbing things and holds onto whatever's close- Ellie, a blanket, a shirt, her paci, her mobile over her changing table etc.  She also has found her hands and has them in her mouth all.the.time.

Prayers would be appreciated through this process and our little girl is a trooper.  Some have even called her "Scrappy". We just love her.  Lexi brings so much joy to our lives and we smile and laugh at her faces and shenanigans every day. 

Here are some pictures of Lexi this month:

Easter Sunday:

Lexi being burped after eating.  I just think the face she makes when this happens is SOOO cute.  

Eating her hands.

While Papa and Nana were visiting we took a walk at Swan Lake.  It was such a beautiful day! 

First time Aunt Jessica met Lexi.  They got some good snuggle time and Lexi doesn't mind passing out on anyone who will take her :)

Some adorable sunglasses given to her by Grandma.  Stylin'

Some classic pictures I took while I was trying to get Lexi's 3 month picture.  Her eyes right now are a really dark blue.