Rough Seas

It's been a very rough couple of days. The baby got his vaccines yesterday and he just hasn't been himself since. You can tell he doesn't feel well. He got a huge whelp on his leg from the DTap. He's been running a slight fever around 100 degrees and he hasn't pooped for 2 days. No big cause for alarm. I think the hardest thing to handle is his crying. He's not a cryer except when he's bored usually. I can always get him calm very quickly but the last couple of days I haven't been able to. I'm pretty sure it's the soreness from the injection site. Last night I was thanking God that I moved him to the nursery because he was up off and on. I'm always afraid of him waking Chris but with both the nursery door and our door shut, Chris can't hear him. I keep the baby monitor low.  George has not needed me to come in to soothe him. He gets the job done all on his own. He is just cranky.

The doctor was full of information. He said absolutely no TV for mister. He stated not even in the background, but I don't know about that. I don't use the TV as a babysitter. He has toys that he plays with. Sometimes things will catch his eye and he may watch, but he's with me when he does. It's usually things that have water, like the Olympic swimming that's been on. The doctor says even a little can contribute to ADD/ADHD. I of course did some research online and there are quite a few studies, but most of them attribute it to the parents plopping the kids down in front of the TV for a video and then they go off and do their chores or whatever. I will definitely be more aware of whether or not he watches.  

The doctor also talked about limiting the number of feedings to 4 a day and naps to 2 a day and no longer than an hour each. I'm okay with the sleeping but I told him George can only eat 6 ounces at a time so I was keeping him at 5/day. He said there was no minimum amount of food and if he only eats 6 ounces 4 times a day it would be okay. I'll try it but if that causes him to wake up because he's hungry, I'm going to go with my own instinct and feed him more. The doctor also said that George is at an age where he learns to cry for attention or to get what he wants. "Love him but leave him alone sometimes" is what he told me. Again, I'm not a parent that will interrupt his self soothing but if he cries for more than 15 minutes, I'm not going to listen to it. So far he only cries for long periods of time in the car or stroller when I can't do anything about it. The doctor was friendly enough. I don't really have a choice but to see him because he was the only one accepting new patients with my type of insurance, in the area. I hope when I take George back at his 6 month mark, he listens to me a little more. (When you ask if the baby has diaper rash and I say he's never had it, don't proceed to tell me how to prevent or cure it.) 

George is a very long, skinny baby. I keep waiting for rolls to appear but instead his feet get scrunched in his pj's and I have to cut the feet out so he fits. He's in the 50th percentile for weight (I guess my feeding method has been working) and the 95th percentile for length. I was expecting the doctor to tell me what a bouncy, healthy baby boy I have. Tell me I'm doing a great job. Poke my baby a few times for the vaccines and send me on my way. Instead I felt like all the things I've been doing up to this point have been wrong. I know...I'm going on and on about it. I'm just a teensy bit offended.

This is our first month in our new place and I paid bills for the first time here. Today is the day I realized how short on money we really are. I'm glad I bought those books on how to freeze and stretch the food. We're going to need to. I know once Chris starts making money as a doctor, things will be a little easier. I'm grateful that he had the sense to save some money before he met me. It may be the only thing that keeps food in our mouths and gas in his car. Luckily we have enough for the roof over our head and wares for the baby.

Good night for now.