Audiology Part Deux

Elliott passed his second attempt at the hearing test!  Yay!!!

A First Foray into Audiology

To check things off the list of possible factors for speech delay, Elliott had a hearing exam today.  Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as checking the box for hearing impairment:
     o NO

The hearing exam was well set up for a little guy, so I was glad to have chosen the children's hospital over the local audiologist from the town rehab hospital (who, I am sure, excels at hearing aids).  They had a special room for Elliott to sit in my lap and play with toys while speakers played at various frequencies and volumes.  When he looked up to see from where the sound was coming, he was rewarded by a TV screen or animatronic pig turning on.  It was enough to keep my interest, let alone a toddler!  Add to that the technician, who played with toys to keep him focused between the audio distractions - but not so focused he would miss the cues from the speakers.  Not a very controlled scientific endeavor, but well orchestrated to minimize the random chaos inherent in the test subject.

So the troubling part was that Elliott appears to be missing some mid-to-high range of sounds in both ears.  Possibly a fluke, whim or the day, fluid obstruction, etc... but left the results inconclusive.  Even more strangely, I remember having similar results at a hearing test when I was young.

Now because his ear drums were restricted we have to follow up with our primary to check for water in his ears (why no one at a children's medical center is qualified to do this is beyond me).  And we get to do the hearing test again in a couple months.  Sigh.

Family Teethbrushing Party

I finally gave up on the finger brush and gave Elliott a kids' toothbrush (for the safety of my finger).  He has been loving to climb up on the stool at the sink and brush his own teeth beside his brother!  I have to fight for a turn to help make sure his teeth get brushed... he takes great ownership and pride in his little green toothbrush!

A Hopeful Improvement

Today was Elliott's ultrasound to check up on his hydronephrosis.  We were hoping to see that things hadn't gotten more swollen over the last few months.  To our great surprise and joy, it looked like his kidney and ureter are actually improved!  The ureter wasn't even visible on the ultrasound (which it shouldn't be, but it was so enlarged that it previously appeared more prominently than the kidney).  So we assume that the ureter isn't ectopic, as it seems to be draining. The nephrosis of the kidney also showed improvement, and more than was expected in such a short time.  We're going to keep watching and waiting, but the signs are good that it is self-correcting and we he may not need surgery after all!

Bath Times 2

In a brilliantly prohibited move, I found a way to bathe both kids at once.  Hallelujah!  The second warning on the side of the infant tub (immediately after 'never leave child unattended') is 'never place the infant tub in a filled bathtub'.  Phooey to that.  Elliott sat safely in his little tub, Jonah splashed in the remaining 3/8 of the big tub and mom gave herself a gold star while the boys played together with buckets and squirters.

Two Months Gone!

Elliott is now two months old!  He measures 23-1/4 inches long and weighs in at 13lb 3.5oz.  At 16.5in, his head is above the 90th percentile curve!  Prior to the visit Daddy and I had a friendly wager on his weight.  Daddy guessed 12lb 2oz, Mommy 13lb 4oz.  I suppose by TPiR rules I lost!  We retired all the 0-3mo clothes and most 3mo.  His belly button sticks out, but I'm told it's an umbilical hernia that will resolve itself, not a permament outtie.  We're still waiting and hoping the kidney clears, too.

Elliott is doing everything a baby should!  He sleeps well in his moses basket and has even given me a couple full nights until 6am, though not consistently.  Still, I seem to be past the anguish of constant sleep deprivation.  With only one middle-of-the-night feeding around 3am, I'm getting full sleep cycles before and after.  Elliott eats efficiently, and quite frequently in the early morning to make up for lost time.  During tummy time he can pick up his head and chest, but only a few seconds at a time.  Full head control is  a work in progress, and I suuport his head most of the time.  (I think both my boys are a little delayed in this respect, owing to the additional weight.)  Elliott smiles occasionally and tracks movements with his eyes and head - particularly Mommy's.  He found his tongue and will mimic me in sticking it out.  He also figured out how to suck his fist, though it seems to be a disappointment when no milk comes out!

Coming Home

Poor Jonah had a terrible cough the night I went into labor, and got significantly worse during his vacation at Grandmama and PopPop's house.  We were thrilled to have him home with us today, but a little under-prepared for how much attention he would need!  If this continues I'll never make it as a parent of 2.  For now, we are blessed to have a newborn so new that he would rather sleep the day away.

Extended Stay

Already the difference is apparent between having a first and second child.  With Jonah, it was comforting to stay in the hospital under the watchful eye of nurses and experienced hospital staff.  This time around, we were eager to rest at home with fewer late-night pokes and prods.  The nurse was in the midst of completing the discharge checklist when a page from the pediatrician slammed the door in our faces.  Elliott would need a VCUG, which couldn't be scheduled until tomorrow.  Of course his health is our top priority, but it was a little disappointing to be imprisoned another day.  I've been feeling remarkably well and look forward to the beginning of our new chapter!

Uncle Kevin and Aunt Lindsay came to visit and helped pass the time.  And, sweetly, brought dinner!  :-)

Elliott's Birth Story

Welcome Elliott Roy!  Elliott was born at 7:16am on Saturday, January 24, 2015 after a short 4 hour labor and natural delivery.  He came out healthy and screaming, music to a mother's ears!

Now for the long version:  :-)

Friday, January 23.  We're on yellow alert, 3 days past the expected date of delivery, but given my personal history I'm certain we'll be waiting another week.  A pre-natal ultrasound this morning showed good movement and plenty of fluid, so no reason for concern.  The ultrasound was at the hospital, and we complete a successful drill to practice loading the car and driving.  Our next appointment is scheduled for Tues. when I expect to be pressured to schedule an induction by Thurs. (41weeks 2 days) at the latest, earlier if there is any real cause for concern.  I am very hopeful for natural and spontaneous labor this time around and am already calculating in my head the risks of pushing off the pitocen until a week from Monday (41weeks  6 days).  Since I have been more tired than usual recently, I don't wait for my usual 8pm bedtime and head straight to bed.

Saturday, January 24.  I am dreaming about waterfalls and rivers and oceans, when suddenly I realize I am sleeping in one.  I wake up Daddy and call the medical doctor, who tells me I could consider taking a shower before coming in to the hospital, if I'm not concerned about the baby's movements.  It doesn't sound urgent, and I'm not having any real contractions yet, so I go back to bed.  Besides, labor is supposed to take 12 hours or so, so I want to save my strength.

Before I can fall back asleep I am reasonably sure I had my first real contraction, and Daddy calls Pop-Pop and raises our alert status to "Red."  Among the things you might expect, this includes cool "red alert" visuals on our tv screen.  No klaxons, because that would be stressful.  I try timing a few contractions as they grow stronger, but some are less than five minutes apart, and some are like ten minutes apart.  I figure the ones after three minutes are aftershocks and skip them in my counting.  Since they are still irregular I try to relax with a shower.  During the shower though, the contractions get to be all less than five minutes apart, so I end the shower and get dressed.  By this time I have given up on going back to bed, and Pop-Pop arrives to watch Jonah.

Within two minutes, we are off to the hospital.  By now it is a little before 5:30, and it is snowing heavily.  The drive to the hospital is precarious, but Daddy manages to keep us on the road and keep the stress level down with rather mundane topics of conversation.  It doesn't make for good heroic drama, but it was what the situation called for.  Meanwhile I am climbing the walls every three minutes in contractions and don't even notice the crazy truck driver or that an inch of snow obscures all the lanes of the highway.

We get to the hospital a minute after 6am and 8 cm dilated.  Daddy walks me from the curb to the emergency room, where they seem pretty surprised to see anyone come in with this weather.  Pretty soon we are in the delivery room, where nurses, a midwife, and the doctors start wandering in.  Each time someone would come in, they would ask me my date of birth, medical history, etc., even though I had already filled this out in the prenatal paperwork they had me mail in.  Meanwhile, Daddy gives all the insurance information from the same paperwork over the phone to registration.  It just made me sick to my stomach how poorly information was communicated.

Several unpleasant contractions later, the doctor says we might as well start pushing.  I don't really feel any strong urge, but the contractions are uncomfortable and it is something to do.  When I push I don't think anything is happening, but after just five pushes or so, out comes Elliott.  Daddy and I are thrilled he is alive, but Elliott gives us a mouthful about the whole experience.  Eventually I let Daddy have a turn holding Elliott, and even though the cord had been hastily cut already, Daddy gets to trim it a little bit further.  I feel much better than last time, and in fact good enough to make a 10am client meeting in Providence.  However, it being a Saturday there is no client meeting scheduled, so I assent to recuperate in the maternity ward with the mortals and take a nap.

Elliott is a pretty good tempered kid.  He likes his sleep, especially during the afternoons, and feeds somewhat irregularly.  He doesn't like to open his eyes too widely, and prefers to look sidelong at his surroundings than at whomever is holding him.  He has a little problem with one of his kidneys, but most newborns with this issue resolve it naturally in the first few weeks.

2 Year Update

Now that Jonah is 2, I thought it time to (try) record the things he is doing now:

Language:
Jonah's communication has just exploded, and I long ago stopped trying to track all his new words.  He's up to sentences, such as:

• Mommy and Daddy all done working
• I come, too!
• Mama hold this one ("this one" is a Jonah-ism for "this")

Jonah can sing the ABC song with 90% accuracy and recognize a dozen letters by sight, though he knows them by word association, so "A" is airplane, "D" is Daddy, etc.

Jonah can count to 10, and everything thereafter is 13.  When left on his own, he will keep going instead of stopping when he runs out of items to count.

Sings "ABC", "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", "Twinkle, Twinkle", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Baa Baa Black Sheep", "Old McDonald" and others.

Gross Motor:

Jonah can actually get off the ground when he jumps!  He climbs the playground by himself, but only occasionally does the slide.  (And holds Mommy's hand for the tall twirly slide.)  He loves anything sport, so any objects become bats and balls inside or outside.  He has some success with throwing a ball up and hitting it with a bat.  He can also throw a ball with some accuracy, though catching is still a challenge.  He can shoot a basket on the highest setting, which is just above his reach.  He loves to run, and scoots on his tricycle with his feet or sometimes tries the pedals with assistance.  He's not much of a climber, but has figured out to move the ottoman or stool where he wants so he can reach up high.

Fine Motor:

Jonah has mastered peg / shape puzzles and has them complete in a flash.  Can use a fork, but usually prefers not to.  He tries to use the side of his fork to cut food the way Mommy and Daddy do.  Brushes his own teeth, and likes to unscrew the toothpaste cap on his own.  Has a lot of trouble taking off his clothes or even socks, but we're working on it!  Loves to build with Duplos and make long trains.  Favorite craft involves gluing beads.  Hates to have paint on his hands.

Potty Training:

We have begun in earnest!  Jonah finally associates sitting on the potty with doing his business, which is a huge accomplishment.  As a reward, we sing a very boisterous song and let him play on the iPad.  Gifts of books and toys had no effect and he rejected any sort of candy treat!

Food:

Jonah is a fan of starches.  He devours multiple servings of rice, noodles and breads.  He also eats his meats and veggies, but sometimes as a trade for more of his favorites.  Jonah also loves fruits, cheese, and beans of any color/variety.  Skip the squash and potatoes.  He drinks only milk and water.  We've tried juices and strawberry/chocolate milk, but he doesn't like either.  Tries, then spits out any type of dessert, candy or sweet.

Dr. Jonah

The ear thermometer was left out after Jonah's recent fever.  He picked it up today to play doctor.  He pressed all the buttons and then took his own temperature by reaching it behind his bum!  (He must remember the rectal thermometer.)  Then he did the same with the Tylenol syringe.  I'm not sure where he got that idea! ;-)

I was feeling sluggish today after a rough night up with Jonah.  We were watching Elmo in the morning while I woke up over a bowl of cereal.  Jonah took care of Mommy by feeding me Cheerios, one spoonful after another.

Dental Hygiene

I have come to a good appreciation for product characters, particularly when it comes to dental hygiene products.  For months we have been enjoying tooth brushing thanks to Baby Orajel.  Jonah asks for Elmo and studies his picture on the tube while I use the little finger brush.  That is, until Jonah insisted on putting the silicone brush on his finger and sucking off the toothpaste - I mean - brushing his own teeth.

Recently, we came to a crossroads where a.) the Elmo toothpaste ran dry b.) Jonah's molars started inflicting serious pain on Mommy's brushing finger and c.) the finger brush never quite got the food out from between his bottom teeth and Jonah screamed when Mommy came at him with a floss pick.

I was able to find an Elmo toddler toothbrush, but the store only had Thomas the Train toothpaste!  I was incredibly nervous as I tried to delay the inevitable by using the new toothbrush with the scant remains of the Elmo toothpaste.  To my surprise, Jonah pointed up at the medicine cabinet and started saying "coockooo!" (choo-choo).  He was so excited by the train toothpaste (still in its box), I needn't have worried!

Strangely, Jonah's appreciation of trains is void of almost all "train-ness".  He gets very upset when we attach a second car or run his toy train along a track.  He'd much rather hold the engine and listen to it sing train songs.  Daddy asked me if I thought "Training Toothpaste" was a pun.  "Certainly not!" I thought, until I noticed the flavor: "Tooty Fruity".

The Mother of Sore Bottoms!

While I was making dinner Jonah started fussing more and more until he was uncontrollably crying.  Oddly, he screamed even harder when I picked him up to console his tortured little soul.  Sitting at the table seemed to make him even worse, and he refused to eat.  (This is very alarming!)  I suspected some sort of stomach upset and made him sit through dinner before we went up for bath... and found a huge rash in his diaper area.  It was so bad he couldn't even sit in the tub without howling!  I felt so terrible, particularly in the knowledge that picking him up under the bum and sitting him on my lap were causing him pain.

After a little research and a visit to his pediatrician, we finally concluded that the diaper rash was caused by the grapes and raisins we had for snack earlier in the day.  The acidic foods caused a chemical burn on his sensitive little tush.  It's happened before once or twice on rare occasion, though usually smaller and less severe.  I'm so relieved to know the cause so I can help prevent future outbreaks of such a terrible rash.

Vomit: Silent Grossness

I slept in past 7am and casually wondered in to get Jonah for breakfast.  As usual, he was happily sitting and babbling in his crib... in a mess of regurgitated dinner!  My heart absolutely broke that he had been sleeping in his own vomit.  There were bits in the hair.  I hadn't even checked in on him before bed, as I usually do.  There was no telling how long the mess had been there, except it certainly was not "fresh".

Jonah, please cry and wake Mommy if you need me!!!

Jonah nursed for breakfast and, immediately after one side, all the milk came back out.  All over him.  All over Mommy.  And I didn't care.  In fact, I was glad that I was there to take care of him this time.  (And hoped that my nightgown was enough to absorb the milk that kept coming and coming...)  As we took a bath and cleaned up, Jonah was in a surprisingly normal, happy mood.  He was only upset later when I only allowed him a few sips of water or Cheerios at a time.

Bump Bump BUMP!

Jonah has been pretty clumsy in getting around.  Granted, he hasn't had as much practice as most of us.  Crawling, standing and cruising are all pretty new.  So it isn't surprising that he frequently falls... on his head.  He seems to have gotten a new bump every day this week.

Yesterday, while Jonah was home with Daddy with a sick tummy, Daddy called Mommy to deliver my "incident notice".  It wasn't until I got home that I realized why he went out of his way to warn me - Jonah had a huge, nasty mark on his forehead!  I guess Daddy was a little worried he would be in trouble.  I understand how heart-wrenching it is to be within an arm's reach and not be able to prevent the boo-boo.  Just Tuesday he dropped a toy into the tub and fell head-first climbing in after it.  Although, you couldn't even see that bump or the one Jonah got with Mommy today next to yesterday's giant gash!  All three in a row on his forehead.  It's a little embarrassing to go out in public with a child who looks neglected.

103.8

I wish that number was the channel of Jonah's radio show, but it was his temperature Wednesday night through Friday.  Infant acetaminophen brought it down to a mild 102 for about 3 1/2 hours at a time, but there was always a spike between doses.  Last Friday, school had emailed home a notice that they had a "confirmed case of hand, foot and mouth disease."  Great.  Daddy and I had talked about keeping Jonah home on Monday, but where does that end?  The next kid gets sick and the room is now a hazard area for another week, etc.  So instead, Jonah stayed home on Thursday with Mommy and a temperature of 103.8.

After two days (and before the weekend), I finally called the doctor's office to get a professional opinion.  I was probably the most calm first-time Mom to call: "my son has a fever... I'm not worried, but I wanted your opinion if we should come in..."  The nurse didn't seem any more concerned than I was, so we were told to wait another day and add ibuprofen to his medication to keep the fever down.  His fever seemed to break Friday night (or was it the ibuprofen?), then rose to the 102s on Saturday.  This brings us to the grey area of a.) not really worried since the fever is down but b.) well into day 3 of fever.  We stuck with our gut, to keep him home, cool, rested and hydrated.  The medical professionals couldn't do much for a virus anyway.

Jonah handled it pretty well.  I took it as a good sign that he was still able to fuss and eat, but mostly he just wanted to be held.  Mommy selfishly enjoyed almost 4 days of snuggling and cuddle naps.  As he recovered a little, he was still too lethargic to play but got a little bored of books.  Mommy downloaded the PBS Kids app and let him watch videos!  (To those moms who pledge off TV entirely, don't judge!)  I don't want this to become habit, but it was a good distraction for a sick kid.  He liked to touch the screen and would jump to the next episode, so we never saw more than 3 min. of any one thing.

I'm not really up on my toddler television programming, but was pleased to see an animated Mr. Roger's spin-off, "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood".  At first it seemed weird that Daniel, who lives in the world of make-believe, goes into his own dreamlike visions of make-believe... but admittedly, an animated kitten playing is less weird than a grown man with a model train running through his house.  For another show, someone came up with the idea to combine little boys' two most favorite things ever: "Dinosaur Train"!  I can imagine that was the extent of the sales pitch before it went on the air.

Jonah is back to normal temperature (though not completely himself) and I think he'll be back to school tomorrow.  No sign of sores on his hands, feet or mouth, so maybe we escaped that discomfort...

9mo. Check-Up

Jonah passed his 9mo. check-up with flying colors! Today's tough question for Mommy: can he eat a cracker on his own? Maybe??? He's never had one! All his food comes in little bite-sized pieces. Maybe it's time to try.
Jonah got off easy this time - no shots! The bloodwork was postponed until next time. Strangely, because we live in an older home (with a potential for lead paint) the test is done later to make sure it picks up possible exposure.
The pediatrician also agreed with Dr. Dad that it would be best not to let the midnight feedings become a habit.  I thought it was just a growth spurt that Jonah has been looking for a midnight snack for the last week, and I certainly didn't want to let him starve!  Daddy was of the opinion that his own sleep was more important than Jonah's hunger.  Since it's been a full week, and he has the doctor's backing, I guess Daddy wins.
As a prize, the doctor made him a "sticky-stick". I thought he was being cute referring to a sticker, but he put two stickers back to back on a tongue depressor and Jonah LOVED it! It occupied him for an hour. So much for fancy toys...

Sick... again.

Poor Jonah got sick again!  This is by far the thing I enjoy least about school.  Not only is it terrible to watch Jonah suffering, but Mommy and Daddy inevitably get sick, too.

Last week, all the kids at school were coughing.  On Friday, I found Jonah in a sea of dried mucus flakes in his crib in the morning.  On Saturday, he became the star producer in Daddy's lucrative (and imaginary) mucus-export business - out of every orifice: his eyes, nose and mouth.  On Sunday morning, his eyes were sealed shut with dried goo.  He didn't so much like that Mommy was constantly attacking his face with a washcloth to remove excess secretions, and would play defense, batting his hands to protect his face or offence, stealing the washcloth from Mommy.

Jonah also ran a bit of fever Friday and Saturday nights.  I never understood how my mother knew when we had a fever just by touch, but lo, an behold!  It was rather obvious by his flushed cheeks and warm forehead that Jonah was more than 98.6deg.  This lead to an amusing bout of "new-parentness" in which Dr. Daddy tried to administer acetaminophen.  We were well stocked, thanks to Jonah's prepared and thoughtful Aunt Pamela, who gave us a pharmacy of baby remedies.  However, that left Daddy with a few too many choices of measuring implements (do you use a dropper, cup, or one of the three differently-sized syringes?) and vague directions "for dosage under 2yrs, ask a doctor."  Naturally, in this time of crisis, Mommy couldn't be expected to remember what the pediatrician instructed two months ago!  Fortunately Daddy is a doctor and was able to get a conservatively small dose in.  It wasn't until the second night and a little research that Mommy figured out how to get the suspension out and dosed properly.

As Jonah's cold ran its course, Daddy and Mommy each took a turn in their own way.  Daddy with a head cold lasting several days, and Mommy with a fever that came and went in a night.  Poor Jonah had both.

6 Month Update

Physical Development:

We have our check-up next week, when I'll have the official measurement and weigh-in.  We are packing up his 6-month clothes, and 9-month fit him beautifully.  Jonah's eyes have maintained a shade of blue that matches his Daddy's eyes perfectly.  We suspect the grey-blue is here to stay.  His hair has lightened to a sandy blonde.  Both birthmarks (below his nose and on the back of his neck) have faded away, but he still has a bright red patch on the inside of his lower lip.  His two bottom teeth have emerged, but still have some growing to do to be any more than stubs.

Activities/Play:

Jonah loves raspberries on his tummy!  Even when he is really upset with Mommy, it can coax a temporary smile or laugh before the screaming resumes.  Jonah outgrew interest in the swing and bouncer last month, though we still occasionally use the swing to put Jonah down in the kitchen.  His all-time favorite toy is the Jumperoo.  Daddy calls it "the best non-essential baby purchase".  Jonah has figured out the jumping, turning and all the toys!  When Jonah is happy of excited, he makes a jumping motion with his legs, whether he is lying down, sitting in a lap or standing (with assistance).  His favorite game is using Mommy or Daddy as a Jumperoo, where he can get a lot more height by having us lift him into the air.

Food:

Jonah is eating solid foods!  He sits with us at the table in his high chair for a late breakfast or dinner.  So far, he's tried rice cereal, oatmeal, squash, sweet potato and sweet peas.  He hated oatmeal.  Daddy received some looks of disgust at breakfast a couple days in a row before he gave up.  On the other hand, he gulped down the sweet potato and sweet peas, using both hands to "help"!  Think he has a sweet tooth?

Sleep:

Jonah is still a great sleeper (knock on wood).  He sleeps 7:30pm-6:30am give or take 30min. on each end.  He still takes 2-3 naps throughout the day of random length 30min - 2hrs.  He uses a sleepsack and often rolls to his left side.  A couple times I've found him sleeping on his tummy, face planted on the bed!

Motor Skills:

Jonah has (pretty much) stopped throwing his head backwards all the time.  He can sit unassisted for short periods with supervision (though I prefer to have a Boppy behind him in case of falls, and Jonah will place a hand on it for balance).   He also enjoys standing - and can push himself up to a stand from a lap!  Jonah is rolling over front to back and back to front, but always over the left shoulder.  He still sometimes gets upset on his tummy and forgets that he knows how to fix the situation.  Usually, he will spend 15min. or more on his tummy before screaming for assistance.  He pushes up into cobra, reaches for toys, and can spin himself around 180deg, but only when I'm not looking.  ;-)

Postpartum Meltdown

This week I had an emotional meltdown, while I was trying to cook dinner, take care of Jonah, do laundry, and all the things a good mother should be able to juggle at the same time.  Drew is back to work, and it has been 3 weeks after all.  Except I still can't stand for more than 2 minutes before I ache.  Maybe 5 if I sway my hips, clench my jaw, and tell my wimpy self through the tears that merely standing is not a difficult task.  Then I collapse in a chair to recover.  All I want to do is be able to take care of my family!  I just physically can't.  Yet.