Sweet Baby Blues

Another baby with my childhood eyes.
Sweet baby grey blue eyes.
Even bluer than Caden’s.

Speaking of, who thinks they are looking at Caden?
Nope…it’s Everett.

baby twins

A Trying 3

Everett is 3 months old!
(a week ago)

Remember how last month I said we had been making progress, especially in the sleeping department?  Well, then all hell broke loose with sickness and the whole ordeal threw everything off.  The poor guy went through it and back and ever since everyone has been floundering for normalcy.This has been a trying month in Everett and our life for sure. It is challenging to think of anything that happened leading up to him turning 3 months other than being sick, not sleeping, puking every morning at exactly 5:30, back and forth to the pediatrician, lots of holding, lots of crying and more sickness.

However, in between it all there were still many sweet moments with our little man.  While it is tricky to catch him smiling on camera, Mr. Everett smiles and coos ALL THE TIME.  I swear he smiles even more than Caden did and you can’t help but sweet talk back to his grinning face. So precious.  As soon as he locks eyes with me he gets a GIANT smile on his face and chuckles.   

Oh the chuckle.  At 3 months this baby boy already laughs himself straight to the hiccups.  It always starts with a chuckle (usually during peek a boo or as I make noises at him or laugh myself) and progresses to a full on laugh fest. So despite all of his troubles this past month and the colic from his first month that still pops up he is quite the happy boy and finds plenty of things in life to smile and laugh about.

At three months he is just under 14 pounds and eats all the time.  Just prior to him getting sick he had spread his feedings out but now in what seems to adjusting from being sick backing straight up to a growth spurt has him eating every 1 1/2 to 2 hours day and night.  It is most definitely not the best schedule. 

I can’t help but constantly see glimpses of his future relationship with Caden.  He loves him. Whenever Caden comes into view or brings something to share with him he grins and starts excitedly squirming.  Sometimes Caden can get a reaction out of him even when we can’t.   Too sweet.

Everett is very strong and even though he had a 3 week hiatus from tummy time while sick/coughing he continues to progress with his rolling (rolls tummy to back) and is working hard to go from his back to his tummy (pushes to his side and gets stuck).  He still prefers to be carried in the Baby Bjorn while we are shopping or running errands but he is finally getting a little more patient in his car seat but only if he is freshly fed, a little sleepy and it is moving.  A lot of conditions right?  I still have hope that he will one day hang out a little bit better but at least he no longer demands to be held 24/7!  Recently Everett has decided that he would like to have his hands in his mouth as much as possible which he them drools all over. Yummy!

We had planned on moving him up to his room shortly after he turned 2 months because he was doing so well.  But, as I have said plenty this post all of the hospital/healing hubbub through that off and since he is still waking up like crazy he has only been up in his room prior to 3 months a couple very unsuccessful times. (I have to tell you that now, a week later he is up there full time.)

Now that he loves his playmat, can grab and play with his toys and move around without startling himself he is enjoying his playtime.  Soon enough we will be getting out the bouncer for him to try out too! Little by little he is making progress again and we are able to get out and about and function like a normal family.  We here are keeping our fingers crossed for a happy and healthy fourth month! (Then I will be able to give a real update with fun things and not just “since they’ve been sick” news!)

Poor E

Poor Everett
(and his parents)

We have been MIA again because we have been under quarantine and poor Everett has been through it and back.  Hellacious things have been around here, absolutely hellacious.

As mentioned yesterday, Everett was in the hospital all last weekend.
(I bet you want more information.)

Little E had had a runny nose for about a week, and then last Monday (9th) started with a little cough.  It didn’t seem to bother him much and he was handling it well so other than us being sad that our little man was a little sick that was that.  Well, by Thursday the little cough and turned into a big deep cough and while he still didn’t seem to upset by it off to the pediatrician we went.  Diagnosis?  The dreaded RSV.

Here is the thing, RSV is adults feels just like a bad cold.  The younger you are the worse it is.  So, at ten weeks old it was definitely not a good thing to get.  We were told that this year it appears to be a much more aggressive strand than in years past.  Lucky us! Since it is a virus it is a wait it out game but since he is so little you have to watch their breathing close etc.

Oky doky, got it.

Friday night, the shit hit the fan.  He struggled a little during the day but about what we expected.  Around 8:00 pm that night, just after we got Caden down, Everett started wailing. I mean WAILING. He didn’t stop for twelve hours.  Long story short, at 4:30 a.m I made a solo trip to the ER with him because he had completely stopped eating, was inconsolable (and had been since 8 pm) yet lethargic, couldn’t get his breath, wheezing and coughing and had spiked a fever that was steadily rising.  Add those changes to the diagnosis we already had and mommy instinct that something was wrong and off we went.

FYI. When you bring a baby to the ER, you jump the wait.
Especially a washed out, crying yet wimpy baby who sounds like he is gargling mucus.

Never have I ever been through anything as hard as watching them try to start an IV on a teeny baby who has teeny tiny veins that are dehydrated making them even teeny tinier and trying to console him by getting in his face so he can see me over all these strangers who are causing him pain.  Two sticks in one arm (while fishing around for the vein mind you), one in the another and a stick in each foot later we got the IV and bloodwork.  Then there was the catheter for the urine sample…two times over. I will never, ever in my whole life forget the look in my sweet infant’s eyes as they were poking him – never.  It was awful – AWFUL, and I couldn’t explain it to him.

Did I mention I was alone?

That is the thing about having two kids.  Someone has to stay with the other sleeping child and waking him to try to wrangle him in the ER in the middle of the night just so the hubs could be there didn’t sound like a better plan.

Adulthood man – sometimes it hits like a brick.

Because he was dehydrated, and not eating and had coarse,shallow breathing (from all the mucus) with retractions (pulling his belly in around his ribs) I was readily informed that they would likely be admitting him.  A couple hours later I tried nursing him because he seemed interested for the first time 14 hours and he immediately vomitted.  Repeat that an hour later.  Add that to the list with a fever that is still at 101 after Tylenol and up to a room we went.

Know what is sad?
A hospital baby crib.
Sad, sad, sad.
(which he was only in during some of the exams bc snuggling was obviously more comforting)

Then because it was RSV and highly contagious, we were put under quarantine.  So, anyone entering the room had to gown and mask up.  It was ridiculous.  There I am covered, literally covered in baby vomit yet still snuggling this sad, puny baby while nurses and respiratory therapists are in and out, in and out. 

Colter got Caden to Nonna and Pa Pa’s and came up shortly after with some clothes for me and some support.  We were sad, Everett was sad, and we all were exhausted. It was a long day of a lot of check ups, poking, vacuum suctioning of his nose (think that little suction ball you get at the hospital when they are born X 100), puking, pooping, you name it.

The poor thing.
So sad and puny.

Next saddest thing?
From crying so much and coughing so hard, he lost his little voice!
So when we would cry that evening I could tell he was crying as hard as he could as they did things by the redness of his face and strain in his muscles but only this small, hoarse whimper wail was able to come out. So pathetic.

After a very long day I made Colter go get Caden to bring him home and put him in his own bed to sleep in.  I mean, there was only one bed in the hospital room so what it the point of having another sleepless night for two parents when one can give our other child a semi normal night.  I was exhausted, and crying, and overwhelmed and worried and Colter was so conflicted but I made him go.

5 hours later at 2 a.m. Igot a migraine in the hospital and started vomitting from that. Unable to hold Everett or function I had to call Colter to get him to get to the hospital for a middle of the night shift change.  This is where Nonna and Pa Pa really saved the day.  They drove to our house.  Carolyn stayed at the house while Colter and Pa Pa came to the hospital in separate cars – Colter to stay with Everett, Pa Pa to take me home.  Once I got home, they bravely roused Caden to take him back to their house. (If you believe it he went back to sleep once he got there.)  Thankfully Everett had finally fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion in his car seat (he had to be upright) as the headache was hitting.

So we all had a middle of the night adventure – just what we needed.

Sunday was a lot of the same but since he had stayed hydrated without an IV for a long period of time (it fell out the evening before so instead of sticking him again we watched his feedings), he had started eating (a few min every hour) and his breathing was no longer coarse with no retractions, we got to come home! (a much pinker exhausted baby seen here)

Sunday night was another awful night (crying, worsening cough, lack of appetite, vomitting) leading us back to the doc first thing, but with his breathing under control, a steady pulse/ox, a low grade fever and him thankfully feeding some it is all a waiting game.  Waiting for his body to heal and this virus to give.  It has been a sleepless week full of a crying baby who doesn’t feel good and a crying toddler who so desperately just needs some attention and two parents who have not slept a wink. 

And then I got the RSV,or as we say in this house “the risve”.
I hope you don’t get the risve because last night it literally felt like someone had broken my entire face while making me so cold it hurt.

A hot, tired, showered for the first time in 5 days yesterday, in our PJS bc there isn’t enough hands to change everyone, landmine of toys across the house, nothing ( I mean nothing) in the fridge, Lord help us, mess.

So if you think you see us, but then you say to yourself, “No, couldn’t have been them, they looked homeless.” that was definitely us.

To think…lately I had been praying for health for our family.
Thankful he is okay. Thankful to be home. Thankful to not have a truly chronically sick child (I don’t know how they do it), but ready to find normal again.

(Why am I not sleeping instead of blogging you ask?  Because I am not off duty. Currently rocking Everett in his bassinet with my foot hoping he stays content and even gets sleepy.)

Disclaimer: The pictures were to show Colter what was going on via text when he wasn’t there.

Progress A Plenty

My what a difference a month makes!

Sweet Everett has worked through his tummy troubles that dominated the first month of his life. Actually, I suppose I should say that I am so careful about what I eat that we avoid tummy troubles.  It appears to be nuts (as in the actual snack, not “crazy”) that throw him into a tailspin of colic sadness, (evidence from Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve)  however I am still particularly careful about dairy.  I don’t eat very much dairy but I tested it out with some decaf cappuccinos a couple days in a row and so far so good.  When it triggers a reaction it happens within 25 minutes or so – but it is strange because if that is it, it is from literally a couple of nuts. So, we will see but it is a welcome change!

Christmas was a whirlwind to say the least.  I almost have a hard time recalling the whole weekend but Everett definitely celebrated until he couldn’t anymore.  All in all, he was very overstimulated by the whole event.  So many people (“pass” the baby) , noises,(cousins laying, paper, dishes, etc)  lights at once caused him to be a bit fussy during most events.  Several times we had to just take him into a dark room, lay him out and sssshhh him or put on a noise machine while he stared at us just to give him some downtime – totally understandable.  I think he did what we all needed!  It was a memorable first Christmas for us for him and yes, I did stuff his stocking with some carseat toys…I couldn’t not do anything. Caden showed him presents and gave him lots of pats on Christmas morning and Thrasher himself tried to steal a few of Everett’s gifts.  It will be quite the change next year when Everett is going for the tree instead of being mesmerized by the lights!

Colter and I felt robbed of a few weeks with our boy since we didn’t truly get to see him since he was so upset so it is hard to believe he is already two months.  The hubs keeps looking at him and commenting on how grown up he seems now, especially in this last week.  I will say that Everett gave us a bonus gift of “waking up” out of the newborn-ness right around 6 weeks and really showing his personality so to speak.  “They say” by 3 months they really wake up but Everett has been smiling, interacting and “talking” back to us since about 6 weeks.  Just like his big brother he is particularly fond of his changing table.  He is comfy and has a great view of me from there so he will lock eyes and go to town with grins and his form of giggles.  It is nice and refreshing to have a sweet baby give you that love just because he can’t help himself and is happy to see your face!

Everett is checking off his “milestones” one by one as he is also now a rolling machine!  I thought since he hadn’t much cared for tummy time he might be on the slower side to do this and not get there until 3 months or so.  Wrong!  All of the sudden he was staying on his tummy longer and in a couple days he went from lifting his head for a minute and getting mad to hanging out, looking around and rolling himself right over. Maybe he just decided to solve the problem of being on his tummy himself!   I was excited for his accomplishment and also a little sad that he is that much closer to having to be supervised at all times because who knows where he will go and Caden isn’t used to him really going anywhere/flipping over.

At two months, Everett is still eating entirely too often so we are working on spreading that out.  He is a mama’s boy, but so was Caden for the first 6 months and I blame it on being his food source. His days in our room are numbered so by the next update he will surely be in his nursery.  His “stats” are all above average on their percentile scale so it seems as of now we have another tall, chunky baby on our hands.  His sleeping has been inconsistent (until this week – more on that later) waking every 2-3 hrs after a “long stretch” of 3-4 hrs.  Spreading his feedings out and moving him to his room should help with that!  Everett still hates the carseat whether it is moving or not so most of our errands get done with him in the Baby Bjourn and Caden in the cart. He is loving his playmat and really smiles at Caden when he comes to snuggle him. Sweet brothers!

Here is to hoping that we continue on this positive path with our boy as he seems to enjoy life outside the womb a bit more each and every day!