Tuesday, September 08, 2009

5 Week Well - Child - Visit


Today was Finnley's second official "well-child-visit" at the ped's office. Now, due to the reflux we have seen the docs more often, but these are the "important visits".

Finnley weighed in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. That is up from her birth weight of 6 lbs 1 oz...and her lowest weight of 5 lbs 8 oz. Last time she was in she was at 6 lbs 6 oz...a great improvement overall. She is now also 20 1/2 inches long. She finally made it on the charts for a full term babe for weight, albeit only the 10th percentile. And, she is still measuring at the 25th percentile for length. Long skinny girl!

Let's see, what else (she types, losing her train of thought because Finnley is crying off and on continuously and needs to have the HOLE PLUGGED!):The doc said that the colicky behavior could start improving in the next several weeks. Not sure I buy that, but whatever. It is good to have hope! She (at that point) should also start "cooing" and making other noises that happier babies make. We will see about that, too!

The doc does not think that Finnley will have any developmental delays, and she thinks that Finn looks and seems great, outside of the reflux. She is ok with the formula change I made (going against their recommendation of Soy), and she is ok that we are keeping her off the meds. If she loses weight or if she doesn't gain it well, then we will need to put her back on meds. Ok.

She also said that Finnley is responding to noise well, following light well, and looks at things / focuses well. All good news.

Cradle cap? Just put some baby oil on it, brush the flakes off, and shampoo her a few times a week. It will get better.

Jaundice? Nearly gone. Eyes are clear. Just a touch remains on her forehead, but this is "normal". It will get better, as well.

Spotting a trend? Apparently everything "will get better" as time goes on. One can only hope!

I told her (sheepishly) that Matt and I had started having Finnley sleep in her carseat.

I am a fast typer, and I seriously can't hardly type one sentence before she has spit out the pacifier and starts whaling again.

Where was I?

Carseat. Ok.


So, the doc is actually on board with us using the carseat! She said that her son had reflux, too, and that they used the carseat for bedtime because it made his reflux "feel better" and helped him sleep longer. Well, hallelujah to that! Finnley went from not being in the carseat (insert more crying here...oh, and here...diaper change...now let's see...) and letting me get only 3.5 hours of broken sleep one night, including a three hour awake session in the middle of the night TO letting me get two bouts of 3 hours of sleep last night. I will take that.

Oh, the screaming continues....AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Seriously, where is the duct tape?


Anything else? Oh, I don't know. How can anyone think or type with screaming in the background? Guess I will save any other updates from this visit for another day. Like, when Finnley turns 18 and stops crying for two seconds. yeah. Something like that.

OK...wow...she must have been reading this or my thoughts...she stopped crying for a minute!

So, the doctor told me candidly today that she was miserable with her son who had reflux. She said that she and her husband (especially her husband) questioned why they ever wanted to have kids in the first place...that is how bad it was. Well, I know the feeling. But? She says...IT WILL GET BETTER!

Crying resumes. Must go...damn, she is lucky she is so cute...