2 Years and 3 months

Sweet boys

It's been a few weeks.  The boys had their first "double doctor's appointment" for Dominic's 2 year check up and Blake's 2 month check up.  Now that Blake is over 3 months old, I guess I can stop counting weeks and just count months, right?  Anyway, the check up went well as the boys didn't have to get any shots other than Dominic's finger prick.  Apparently, Dominic doesn't get another shot until he is 4 years old.  Blake was supposed to get some vaccines, but because he was wheezing, Dr. Smith opted to put off his shots until he was better.  In fact, he prescribed Albuterol for both boys as Dominic is coughing as well from the same cold that they had a couple of weeks before the appointment.  While Dominic's cough got better, Blake's wheezing continued even on the Albuterol, so he was put on the antibiotic Zithromax for 10 days which seemed to kill the infection and stop his wheezing.

Our first double doctor's appointment

Along with his lung problems, Blake has also been suffering from reflux issues.  His Prevacid had been working, but unfortunately the generic form he had been taking has been discontinued, leaving us with just a couple of options.  Blake could take the real Prevacid solutabs, which are very expensive, or we could give him the over-the-counter Prevacid, which is what adults take.  We tried the OTC ones, but the problem is that even when you open the capsule these are not solutabs, making them very difficult to administer to a person who eats nothing but a liquid diet. Blake has gagged on the beads inside the capsules and threw the Prevacid up - like full-on Exorcist projectile vomiting.  Not fun.  We've even tried giving Blake some of Dominic's old Prevacid which was expired, but the effectiveness had obviously decreased because poor Blake has been miserable on it.  We decided on the non-generic Prevacid despite how expensive it is, but ordered it in a 3 month supply to get it a little cheaper.  Unfortunately, it took over two weeks to arrive, so we were stuck using the OTC Prevacid till then to avoid poor Blake from being completely miserable. 


Blake's 2 month stats were: 14 pounds 3 oz (80th percentile) in weight, 25 1/4 inches (90th percentile) in length and 40 cm for head circumference.  Dominic's 2 year stats were: 29 pounds 2 oz (60th percentile) in weight and 35 inches (almost 3 feet - 65th percentile) in height.  It amazes me what a difference in size these two boys are.  Dominic's percentiles went down from his 18 month checkup some (I think they were in the 80's), but that is supposed to be normal.  As long as he continues to be longer in percentile than for weight, that is supposed to be good (in other words no weight problems).  

Blake, 3 months

Now that Blake is 3 months old, I started stretching Blake's feedings from every 3 hours during the day to every 4.  I remember when I did this with Dominic how much it seemed to change my life.  With feedings every 3 hours, by the time you're done feeding the baby you turn around and have to feed him again just a couple of hours later.  It makes it hard to get anything done or go anywhere (although I've found this to be less the case the 2nd time around since I've become so accustomed to making short, quick trips - with a toddler).  Anyway, Blake's new schedule looks like this:  


8:30 - wake up
9:00 - breakfast feeding 
10:30 - nap (30 min - 1 1/2 hours - varies)
12:45/1:00 - lunch feeding
1:30 - nap (2 hours)
5:00 - dinner feeding
6:00 - nap (1 hour)
9:00 - bedtime feeding 
9:30 - bedtime (still sleeping 11 hours straight)

the happiest baby ever

Only 4 meals a day seems so much less to me.  With this change, Blake is drinking more breastmilk at each meal.  We played with how much exactly, but in theory he should be having about 8 1/2 oz of breastmilk at each feeding.  This kid can eat!  In a couple of months we'll start introducing baby food!  

Blake on the Monkey Mat

Enjoying the Exersaucer

Blake continues to do a lot of lying around (mostly on his back since he hates being on his stomach) and swinging.  I try to give him tummy time, but he screams the whole time, so I often just let him lie on his stomach during the 10 minutes before feedings when he's often already a bit upset anyway.  Dominic hardly ever seems phased by Blake's crying.  Blake loves his big brother!  He watches him and smiles at him a ton now.  Blake also enjoys batting and grabbing the toys that hang on his activity gym and car seat frog (the same one that Dominic has always adored too - and still does).  Blake didn't love the Exersaucer at first but it seems to be growing on him.  We have to stick a stuffed animal in front of him to keep him completely upright. Of course, Dominic now is obsessed with the Exersaucer and wanting to get in it.  What's funny is that we put the Exersaucer away about a year ago because Dominic was very disinterested in it but now that we brought it back out for Blake, Dominic can't get enough of it.  

Our happy 2 year old

Big Brother Dominic is doing well too.  Each day he is saying more and more words.  I strongly believe that as a result of his increase in language, he is having fewer and fewer tantrums (thank God!).  Most of the time when he does have tantrums, it seems to be the result of being frustrated that he can't communicate to us what he wants.  Of course, there are still those tantrums that are the result of not getting what he wants.  Those tantrums get ignored or result in him being sent the timeout chair.  That's something new...instead of putting Dominic in the dining room with the door closed and the gate on the other doorway to the room (making the dining room the "Time-Out Room"), I started just putting him in a little chair in the dining room, leaving the gate off of the doorway and the actual door to the room open. I tried it one day and was shocked when he actually remained in the Time-Out Chair for the entire 2 minutes of time-out and has continued to do so since (knock on wood).  

Dominic, our little meatball

Dominic loves identifying objects to us, repeating the names of them over and over again, becoming louder and louder each time until we acknowledge him.  That's pretty easy to do when it's just us, but when I'm talking on the phone or in person to someone, it can get a little loud.  haha  Dominic is also becoming more teenager-like independent especially when going down the stairs.  Yes, this is something he can easily do, but just in case I always like to stand a few steps down just in case.  I'm his mom after all.  However, in the last week or two, he becomes insistent that I go to the bottom of the stairs away from him.  He is also not holding on to the railings going up the stairs, now that his legs have finally gotten tall enough.  Of course, this takes a lot more energy for him, so after doing that for a few stairs, he usually starts holding on again.  He additionally is not holding on at the top of the stairs going down often, which scares me to death.  

Dominic loves his daddy

Dominic's continuing to challenge me between all of the difference instances of him making me laugh hysterically each day.  He loves taking his pants off himself - even when he's not supposed to.  Tooth brushing, something that he used to love, has become a huge ordeal.  Now I understand why God gave us baby teeth that fall out.  When we take Dominic to the dentist (when he's 3 unless a problem comes up), I'm sure he'll have cavities because the kid refuses to let us brush his teeth anymore or to do it himself.  It becomes a wrestling match almost every time.  Washing his hands before meals had been pretty similar for a bit, but these days that's getting easier (mostly) and part of our routine before meals, so hopefully tooth brushing will become easier again too.  


Aside from Blake's reflux issues, things are continuing to get a little more manageable for me.  However, as I approached 12 weeks post-partum, my milk supply started to decrease, so I had to increase to 4 pumping sessions in order to avoid giving Blake formula.  It's become very time-consuming having to fit that extra pumping session in (in addition to feeding Blake) but well worth it.  I doubt that I'll be able to continue giving Blake breastmilk as long as I did for Dominic (almost 15 months), but I hope to get to as close to a year as possible.


In addition to my milk supply lowering, I have started to experience the other postpartum symptom of hair loss again.  Around 3 months after having Dominic, I noticed my hair starting to shed.  Upon research, I found out this was a side effect of the hormonal changes that occur.  It went on till Dominic was around 6 months old, and I was left with thin hair in the front of my hair line as well as hair all over the house - much to Brian's annoyance.  I had to start wearing headbands religiously to cover the thin spots and then to control the hair as it grew back.  This is one of those side effects that they never tell you about before you get pregnant.  It's not a huge deal, but when you're already feeling self-conscious about your weight, stretch marks, and different body, going partially bald doesn't help your self-esteem at all.  Thankfully, having an adorable baby around really helps keep your mind off of all of these things and is well worth all of these crazy side effects. :)

The Children's Museum

As we are at the end of winter, I don't remember ever experiencing such a warm winter.  I hate the cold to begin with, but with kids cold weather that keeps you stuck inside and allows for the spread of cold germs is like torture.  The mild weather hasn't kept us healthy by any stretch, but it has allowed us to get outside and enjoy the playgrounds around the area.  Getting Dominic out of the house to run around and release some of that energy really seems to help his behavior.  Plus Blake seems to really enjoy being outside as well.  I really love the weekends because it's fun for the 4 of us - Brian, Dominic, Blake, and me - to all go on these family outings to the park, Children's Museum, and other fun places.  I love spending time with our little family more than anything else!  

Best friends forever!