6 Weeks Today!

Erin is 6 weeks old today. Where has the time gone???? I really can't believe that I would have to go back to work next week! How do people do it?

We've had some tummy time lately and I tried to get a video of it, but wasn't fast enough before she got upset. Maybe tomorrow.

Pawpaw and Grandma are fighting over who gets to hold Erin as I write this. Mom has her now and has to give her up at 4:30. (I'm serious!) They time each other like little kids. They are getting as much time with her as possible before they leave in the morning for their trip to Washington.

Rox went to the vet today. She got blood work done and an antibiotic shot. He isn't sure what's wrong with her. He thinks she has an abscess tooth. She hasn't eaten much in 5 days. So, I was told to boil chicken for her tonight. If she turns her nose up at that, then it's back to the hospital tomorrow to be admitted and put on IV fluids. Say your prayers for her. He's suppose to call tomorrow when the blood work is back.

Little Ballerina Girl

Here's a video I shot today. Not much to it. Erin had been smiling and cooing right before I got the camera out. Of course, she decided to get grumpy when I stared filming.

I'm posting it because it's a good shot of her little outfit. I'm sure she'll be dancing in no time.

Tommy is at the Texans game and Erin and I are kicking it at the house. Grandma and Pawpaw are coming over to spend the night again tonight. They are trying to get as much Erin time as they can before they leave for Washington for 2 whole weeks! (I'm not sure how they're going to make it for 2 weeks without seeing Erin!)

I'm acutally wearing Erin now in our pink Baby Bjorn. She was fussy, so I put this on and she went to sleep. It's nice because I've been able to be hands free.

A Good Report & an Explosion

We were up bright and early today to get down to Texas Childrens's Hospital for our appointment. That place is incredible. The hospital is beautiful and the people are so nice. When you get to your "section", you check in and they give you a pager like at a restaurant. We only had to wait about 10 minutes before it went off. From there we were instantly put in the exam room and seen by a doctor immediately. No sitting in the exam room for 45 minutes.

The doctor we saw was a "Fellow" which I assume means student of some sort. She looked at Erin, reviewed the films and gave her report. The main doctor then came in and basically confirmed what the fellow had diagnosed. (I guess if you're going to learn to be a pediatric doc, this is the hospital to do it in!)

Erin is mending great. The spot that the radiologist was concerned about is where the two broken bones are coming together. There is still space there and it isn't filling in. As it turns out, the bones heal from the outside in. So, the calcification formed around the outside of the fracture is good. It's holding the bone in place and the doctor said it will be months before the bone starts filling in and looking reattached. They want us back in 3 months for another set of x-rays and a follow up.

We got the all clear on travel and no more pinning her arm to her outfits. I am so happy. Erin has a closet full of clothes she hasn't been able to wear. Most of them were gifts so I was feeling terrible that she hasn't been wearing them. But now, I can dress her like the little doll that she is.

Erin is very thoughtful too. After the appointment, we went to lunch and then came home. It was time to feed Erin. I changed her diaper, fed her and she fell asleep as usual. I didn't get the chance to put her in another outfit and didn't want to wake her up to do it. I put her down and tried to lay down myself. I was just drifting off when she started crying. I got up and tried to give her the paci. She wasn't having it. I reached down and picked her up only to get a handful of pooh. Yes, we had our first exploding diaper. It was everywhere in her blanket and swing. Erin was only thinking of me, knowing I really wanted to put another outfit on her. She's giving that way. (We had been warned that this would eventually happen, but it was still shocking. I ran out of wipes while I was cleaning it all up and had to call in Tommy for reinforcements. For reinforcements, and to be grossed out with me!!)

Rox isn't feeling very good today. We're going to watch her tonight and if she doesn't start feeling better, she'll be going to the vet tomorrow. Not sure what's wrong with her. She's moving really slowly and I gave her a treat earlier and she didn't eat it. She's been sleeping under the bed all day, so we're hoping its just a virus. (We get one sweet girl well and the other takes sick!)

Thanks for all the thoughts and especially for the prayers.

Back to the Doctor

Well, we got a call today from the pediatrician's office. They sent Erin's x-rays to a radiologist for reading. (This is standard practice for all x-rays.) The report came back with a hiccup. We haven't actually seen the report but apparently, the radiologist wasn't happy with a portion of Erin's collarbone.

They said the concern was the progress of the healing in one spot. So, they referred us to Texas Children's Hospital. I called them and they were able to get us in tomorrow morning. We'll have to run by her regular pediatrician's office to pick up her films and then head downtown. Apparently, this is the only place in Houston with a pediatric orthopedic doctor. In fact, when I made the appointment, they told me we'll be on the 8th floor and in the orthopedic department. It makes me feel better knowing they have a whole department dedicated to this.

We're both sad and a little scared. We've prayed about it and know it's all in God's hands but I can't sleep because I'm too busy thinking about tomorrow (today).

Tommy is frustrated because when we left the pediatrician's office yesterday they told us it was healing fine. Dr. Elahee (our pediatrician) did preface her talk with us with the fact that she will have the films read by a radiologist but it looked good to her. Her nurse said they are referring us to be safe. They are a primary care physician and wanted to have a specialist look it is to be on the safe side. I guess I'm a little confused as to why we didn't do this in the first place, but I guess until the radiologist report came back they had no reason to do it.

More tomorrow after we know something. If you need me, I'll be up pacing the floor.

Bath Time

(I posted this to Facebook too, so it might be a repeat for some of you.)

We like bath time. We use the baby bath that has lavendar in it and it helps calm us down. I guess the warm water feels good too.

It takes Momma and Daddy to do this. One of us has to clean her and the other has to hold her arm in place. That's been a bit of a challenge for us, but we're on the mend.

Roxie hides when she hears the water running. She lives in fear that she's next!

What's Up Doc?

We went back to the pediatrician today. Erin got checked from head to toe again.

Here are her stats:

Weight: 10 lbs (75%)
Height: 22 inches (76%)
Head: 39 cm (90%)

Check out the big brain on Erin... No wonder we had a difficult birth with that big ol' noggin'.

They also x-rayed her collar bone. It's healing nicely, but we still have a little ways to go. I saw the x-ray and it's pretty clear on the break. We have more time in our make shift sling (pinning her arm to her body) and we go back for more x-rays later this month.

While we were there, Erin was spitting up as she normally does. Turns out, this is reflux. We got a Rx for Prevacid while we were there. We'll start that tonight and I was told I needed to completely cut out the Diet Dr. Pepper and Root Beer. I'm also suppose to stay away from dairy and chocolate. The things we do for our kids!!! I had been drinking a little 6 oz Diet D.P. a day, but was drinking more Root Beer because it doesn't have caffeine. Turns out the carbonation is not her friend.

We go back next Friday for her shots. We're doing them a little earlier then 8 weeks so she can be around her cousins. The pediatrician said not to have her around other kids, especially toddlers, until about a week after her shots. We're going to Centerville on 9/11 for the Mize's 40th Anniversary and we wanted to make sure it was safe to be around Luke and Jake. Tommy was able to go to this appointment with me today and we'll make sure he can go next week as well. I don't want to have to take her for her shots by myself!

Roxie said better Erin then her :)

Hey There!

This is a little video I shot tonight. It's nothing special. I'm warning you so you don't feel cheated when you waste your 2:04 minutes.

This was in between crying spells tonight. It's what we call "Naked Time". That's when she has a wet diaper and we lay her on the bed to change her and let her lay there half naked for a little bit to kick and stretch. (Don't worry, there is no below the waist video!)

You can see her head and neck moving as she kicks. She's getting used to my voice too and she follows it when I talk to her. I was trying to get a smile out of her for the video, but she was having a diva moment and told me to speak to her agent about that.

A Taste of Freedom!

Well, I'm late getting this posted. Sorry!

Saturday night Grandma and Pawpaw came and stayed with Erin. Tommy and I were able to go see a movie and go out to eat. It was funny because as we were driving away, Tommy reminded me that this was the first time we'd been out alone since August 19th! We knew Erin was in good hands so we didn't even call to check in on her. Even better was that Grandma and Pawpaw spent the night, so they kept Erin all night and we got to sleep the whole night thru! Yay!!!

The movie we saw was "The Other Guys". It was okay. Pretty sure there will be no Academy Awards for it. It fit the time slot we needed the best and I'm never going to turn down a chance to see Marky Mark.

Craig and Allison met us at Tommy Bahamas for dinner after the movie. Of course, the food was great. The service wasn't stellar, but we were not in a big hurry. From there we had to go to the office to fax the insurance forms to add Erin. They were slow in mailing them to us and the doctor's office has been on our butts to submit it. Tommy actually got in a little tiff with one of the doctor's office workers today. She kept telling him tomorrow's visit wasn't covered and Erin needed her 2 month shots. He kept telling her she's only 5 weeks old and that it will be covered as soon as they process the paperwork. Anyway, he got it all straightened out for us and Erin now has coverage.

Erin has had a good day today. Minimal crying. (I say this as I'm knocking on wood.) Hopefully we'll all have a good night too.

Happy Friday

Another week down. Where have they gone? If I wasn't taking extended maternity time I would be getting ready to go back to work week after next. Yikes. That is just too soon!

Tommy's first week back went well. He was able to leave early in the mornings so he could get back to help out in the afternoons. Of course, that is when Erin gets cranky. I felt sorry for him. He would get home and she would get to crying. He didn't get much time with the sweet Erin this week.

I was commenting on a schedule and then Little E turns around and kind of puts herself on one. We still eat when we're hungry (anywhere from 2 to 4 hours) but I think we're getting a routine for night time down. She cries until 10:30 or 11:00 then settles down for a little while. I've been giving her a bottle around this time and that seems to last her for a while. I set my alarm for 4 hours after she goes down and I get up and feed her again. Sometimes I have to wake her up, other times she lets me know. I feed her in the middle of the night, pump and go back to bed. We sleep again for a while and do the same thing.

Some days we're able to go back to bed after the 6:00 - 7:00 am feeding, but not everyday. Today I figured out I can get a quick shower in while she sleeps in the morning, if I'm fast. She likes the blow dryer, so that wasn't a problem. I had been waiting for Tommy to get home and showering at night, but she so fussy I feel bad for leaving him with her. I feel like we handle it better as a team during those hours. I just put her in her bouncy chair and looked like Flash Gordon in the shower.

Tomorrow we have a big day. Grandpa and Granny are coming in from the country and then Pawpaw and Grandma are coming over to stay with Erin while we go out to eat and to the movies. They will spend the night as well and help with her during the night.

Sorry, Her Highness beckons again...

Almost One Month...

Tomorrow will be our one month birthday. (You know I'm not getting out much if this is what I have to post about!)

We haven't established a routine yet. We do whatever we can to make it through the nights! We go back to the doctor next week and I'm going to ask about setting up a routine and feeding/sleeping schedule. As a new mom, I'm just not sure what we should and shouldn't be doing right now! It seems the internet and books are all full of contradictory advice. I think we'll see what the doctor says and go with that.

Our goal for this week is an outing in the stroller one evening. Our hiccup is the fact that we still have to wear the long sleeved clothes to pin her arm. I don't want her to get too hot, so I think we'll try it late one evening. I'm pretty sure we won't go far. If she likes it, we might have to make it a regular outing.

Last night we had a party for Grandma. She turned 65 yesterday. Tommy fried fish and shrimp and Amy made a cake. As usual, the food was excellent. Grandma and Pawpaw spent the night so Mommy and Daddy slept like the dead. We were both so tired that it was actually hard to go to sleep! We ended up laying in bed talking for about an hour before we fell asleep.

Erin was a good girl for the old folks. Grandma was able to sleep early in the evening and her and Pawpaw fell asleep in the recliner. Grandma got up to check on them a couple of times and they were both passed out. She's so sweet and such a snuggle bug when she's good and sleepy. And her grandparents NEVER put her down!!

Here's a picture of the real Erin Mize and then here's another picture of her chillin' in her swing.

Another Week Down...

Well, we made it another week. Erin's three week birthday was Tuesday. Tommy and I sang to her. Silly, I know.

Granny came and stayed with us on Tuesday. She got here Tuesday afternoon and stayed until Wednesday afternoon. Erin likes to get cranky around midnight and screams until around 4:00. She was good for Granny though. She fussed some but then relaxed.

This morning we went to our bedroom with her about 4:00 am. While we were sleeping the neighbor's yard man came and cut their grass. Apparently, they kicked up a rock. It hit our front door and shattered the leaded glass insert. Tommy looked at it this morning and told me. I got up and looked, sure enough, it's in a million pieces. It's safety glass, so it held, but they are coming tomorrow to put in a new insert. Crazy!

Roxie slept thru it all. Some guard dog she turned out to be. I think she may have still had her earmuffs on and just didn't hear it shatter.

Grandparents, Thank You!

Jim and Sandy to the rescue. On Tuesday night, Momma and Daddy came over and spent the night to give us a little bit of a break. We headed to bed about 11:00 and they took the night shift. I had to get up to pump every couple of hours but they were more than happy to give her bottles and sit with her all night. We got to rest and it was great to know that she was being so well taken care of.

My poor parents. They didn't get any sleep. Daddy was holding her and nodded off in the recliner. (I should point out that they fight over who gets to hold her!) Mom said she didn't want me to get up and catch him napping so she stayed awake to keep waking Daddy up! She finally crashed about 4:00 or 5:00. I told her later that we both nap in the recliners with her when we can. She's up all night and you have to get sleep when you can get it. They are on their way back over tonight. They are having dinner with us, but not sure if they're spending the night again. If I were them, I would eat and run!

We had our first tinkle accident today. I was sitting on the bed pumping and Tommy and Erin were laying on our bed talking to me and each other. We had just changed her clothes and diaper. Tommy said, "whoa, her back is all wet." We still have no idea how it happened. The diaper was in place and she was laying on her side. But, she christened the bed and had another wardrobe change right after that. We needed to wash those sheets and blankets anyway!

I just sat down at the kitchen table to do this post and noticed Roxie was outside at the door. I'm not sure when Tommy let her out. I let her in and she promptly ran over to him and flipped him off, after she drank water for 10 minutes. Poor dog.

Two Weeks

Well, the three of us have hit the two week mark. I can't say it's been easy. The three of us are getting to know each other and it's been too soon to set up a routine. Maybe next week we'll start on that! A little "normal" would be a welcomed thing.

Colic has set in. It's early by normal standards, but I think we're an over-achiever. Every night just like clock work she cranks up at 10:00. She starts crying and you can see her in pain from the gas. It hurts us to watch her. I've modified my diet and we're giving her the Mylicon, but the doc says we just have to ride it out. Last night I put her in her swing and she was soothed for a little while. We put her in there before and she hated it. Things change. So, for now, the swing is our best friend.

I had a little set back last week. I started running fever and had to call my doctor. They got me in. They took blood and a urine sample. He narrowed it down to a uterine infection, appendicitis or urinary tract infection. He didn't think it was a uterine infection because the fever would come down with Motrin. The appendix was an option, but once I started taking the antibiotics for the UTI, the pain in my abdomen cleared up. So, they think in the end it was a UTI. I'm much better now. Infection was bound to happen with the long labor and stitches. Just glad that was all it was. The other two options would have landed me back in the hospital. They were super nice there, but I have no plans on going back!!

Right now, "Little E" as her Daddy calls her, is sitting in his lap. She looks so sweet and little when she sits there. Just melts my heart.