Times they are a changin'

So, my last post was about my schedule. The fun thing about babies is how fast they grow and how quickly their demands change, which means, their schedules change. So, Micah's long morning nap has suddenly become a thing of the past, and now we like baths at night! I keep telling Terry how I love that he keeps us on our toes, never letting us get bored. It's like Micah's editing his own routine and trying to get it as streamlined and easy as possible.

Except, this past week has not exactly been easy. Starting last Sunday night, Micah became extremely fussy. He had long crying spells lasting anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes. And it was a different sounding cry, more shrill, like he was in pain rather than just his tired cry. At first I thought he was just adjusting to being home after I'd spent a weekend away with him in Dallas. But when he started crying and pulling away during nursing I started to worry. And when he suddenly stopped sleeping through the night and Terry and I were going on 2 hours of sleep a night, I knew I had to do something. I haven't taken Micah to the Dr. yet, except for well check-ups. So far I'd been able to figure out what was wrong with him on my own.

But, I'd just heard a story that made me think twice about self-diagnosing. A woman put lotion and later cornstarch under her daughter's neck to treat dry skin that turned into a pussy rash. The rash got ten times worse and when the pediatrician finally saw her, it turned out the baby had a yeast infection under her neck! Needless to say, the cornstarch was not healing it...it was baking it! Ouch!

So, not wanting to play pediatrician to Micah, I went ahead and made an appointment. After checking him out, the Ped. said it's either Acid Reflux, Colic, or a growth spurt. After hearing her guess his ailment, my first thought was, "Well, I could have narrowed it down to 3 things, too!"

She gave me a prescription for acid reflux, but told me to hold off on giving it to him just to see if his symptoms went away. Since he wasn't spitting up more than normal, she said she couldn't be sure about acid reflux.
Next, she said that if the crying went away within a week, that we could chalk it up to an uncomfortable growth spurt. And if it hung around longer than that then she assumed it was colic.

Well, the c-word scared me to death!! Our sweet, happy, little baby just couldn't turn into a grouchy colicky baby! I'd read that most babies move past the colic stage by about 12 wks, so I figured it was a little late for it to be colic.

So far, it seems like I was right. We did try the prescription for the acid reflux but it took 2.5 days until we noticed a difference. Last night Micah seemed to handle the evening a little better, and miraculously, he slept until 3 a.m. before waking up. So, we can't be sure if it was the pills that helped him, or if the Pediatrician's third option- a growth spurt- was the case.

Whatever it was, I'm SO glad that it seems to be going away (knock on wood!). I know some people would call me crazy, but I really enjoy these little challenges. I feel like every hurdle we cross makes us better parents. For the most part, babies are so easy. They only require food and sleep. And, I'm so ready to give, give, give to Micah, that I enjoy when he requires a little more of me.