Lowry Family

Like Daddy Like Ellie

I can not get over how much Ellie loves to dance/wiggle. I had to snap some photos of her watching SO You Think You Can Dance. I see dance class in her future. Just like mommy :-)

First thing this morning we took Eliza to the doctor's office to discuss going back on prilosec. She has had a lot of reflux and I can tell that it burns her throat coming up because she cries when it happens. So she is back on the medication for now. The doctor didn't want to adjust her dose higher for her weight. She wants to keep it the same and see if we can slowly whine her off of it in the next few months. We will reassess if the dosage is okay at her 9 month appointment. If we have problems before then, we can always come in sooner.

Since Eliza has been doing well with her baby oatmeal, I decided to add a little flavor. The peaches looked great at the store so I added a little peach puree to her oatmeal cereal. She loved it. She didn't care for the peaches by themselves, but the peach oatmeal was a hit. Will continue it for the next week or two.

Did I mention that I gave her a little apple juice last night. It was only an ounce (no sugar added, Mott's brand). She wasn't sure about the flavor but sucked it down. It really helped with her constipation. She pooped twice in one day. Unheard of for our little gal.

6 Month Check-Up

Eliza had her 6 month check-up on Tuesday. We went to a new practice that one of the mom's at my church recommended. They were fabulous!!! They gave us a huge book for free "Caring for Your Baby & Young Child, Birth to Age 5." They said that it cuts down on hospital visit if parents can refer to the book first before thinking they have a crisis.

After going through all of Eliza's medical information, the pediatrician told us we could take her off prilosec. If we see an increase in her reflux we can go back on, but she seems to be spiting up no more than some babies her age. So we will monitor that. She also went through information on sleeping and eating with us. Eliza can start solid foods. Since she only poops every couple of days, the doctor recommended avoiding rice cereal and bananas (they can be constipating). So we will probably start with baby oatmeal cereal. If Eliza does get a little constipated in the future we can give her a little apple or pear juice.

The pediatrician had so much advice and input. It was a welcome change. I am always open to advice since I have never done this before and sometimes it takes trying a few different things before something sticks.

There has been a few changes in Eliza's growth since her 4 month check-up.
Height: 25 1/4 inches (25%) - this is an increase from the 10%
Weight: 14 lbs 6 oz (10%) - still in the 10%
Head Circumference: 17 inches (35%) - she was in the 50% so her body is evening out

The highchair is HERE

I am so excited that our highchair is here. I did a lot of research before choosing the Graco 4-in-1 Seating System. Thank you grandma!!
http://blog.gracobaby.com/2009/03/13/the-new-graco-blossom-4-in-1-seating-system

I'm sure she was thinking, "Mommy don't make me eat that. It smells worse than my bottle. Got anything in a berry flavor?"

I think Eliza was more excited about posing for the camera than trying baby oatmeal cereal for the first time. We started with oatmeal instead or rice because the doctor said rice cereal can be constipating and Eliza already has problems with that.

She played with the spoon for a while. I am not convinced that any of it actually went done. At least she got used to the texture (super watery since I mixed it with her formula) and sitting in a highchair.

Eliza's first swim with Daddy!

Note to reader: If you are reading this, I wrote this post as more of a journal entry to remember this time in my life rather than a typical update.

I think most mothers say, “Where did the time go?” I guess I never fit the bill of a typical mother. I’ve been asking myself, “Has it only been six months?” Don’t get me wrong, I love my little Eli Belly, but I also love sleeping through the night, wearing clothing absent of drool spots, and embracing the sweet sounds of absolutely nothing at all (no rattling, screaming, baby toy music, and the not-so-soothing buzzing from the baby monitor). I have left the life of a professional and become a fulltime baby entertainer. I specialize in goo-goo-ga-ga sound effects, munchkin physical therapy, drool-ology, pooh-pooh sanitation, and gourmet baba making.

During those brief, and I mean brief moments to myself, I wonder what life would be like if I were a “working mom.” Then I think about how no one would take as good a care of Eli as her momma. I would hate to spend all day working with other children while mine was somewhere else. I take pride in making sure she is clean, fed, and happy. A lot goes into those three things esp. with a post colic baby. Our day usually consists of 2-4 outfit changes and an average of six bibs just to keep her dry. Not only does she drool a lot but she also spits up quiet a bit. I usually change my shirt 2-3 times because it is soaked in spit up. I also like to keep a close eye on how many wet and solid diapers she goes through. For the past couple of weeks Eli has only been pooping once every 1-3 days. Yes, sometimes she goes 72 hours before having a solid diaper. We only use special baby water in making her bottles in an attempt to keep heavy minerals in tap water out of her body. No idea if this is helpful but we will do anything to get things move more frequently.

I hope the pooh-pooh discussion didn’t make you queasy.

Then there is all the extra work involved in cloth diapers and formula. Don’t get me wrong, I want to do my part to “safe the planet,” but we only use clothes diapers because Eli seems to have sensitivity to plastics/latex. This runs in my family so we were not surprised.

Last but not least, there is her reflux medication. We have heard that the prilosec can lower her immune system since it kills some of the healthy stomach enzymes. I need to remember to ask her doctor about that at her next visit. Anyway, we wash all her bottles with soak and water, and then steam them in the microwave just to be extra sanitary.

It sounds like a lot of work and it is a lot of work. Then there are those moments when she falls a sleep with her hand around my finger or when she giggles at something silly. Moments that make everything worth it.