It's Been a While....

hasn't it? I am sure everyone knows what or should I say who is occupying my time. Yes, that little Nicholas keeps me busy!

He's just growing like a little weed, but thankfully not too terribly fast (though, I still think it's too fast sometimes!). He's flashing his adorable smile and smiling eyes on a regular basis now. He has quite a few smiles actually to amuse his mommy. One of my favorite activities as of late is watching him while he sleeps (okay, it's been one of my favorite activities since he came out!) because he smiles intermittantly. I often wonder what he's dreaming about. He seems to have lots of little baby dreams...very cute!

He also has begun coo-ing. He is sooooo cute when he "talks." You just want to pick the little guy up and kiss him and kiss him and kiss him. I'm definitely making up for the teenage "eww, Mom...not in front of the guys!" episodes that are probably in my future. I can't help but kiss those little chubby cheeks.

And, yes, they are getting chubby. He even has a bit of a double chin now and his legs seem to have filled out as well. He's still a small little guy, though....he weighs about 10 pounds and still doesn't quite fit into size one diapers. I think it is kind of funny that I had bought one box of newborn diapers before he came home thinking he'd probably wear them for a week yet he's still in them. I said I wanted a baby that looked like a baby and I think I got one! :) Actually, I get asked a lot whether Nicholas was born prematurely because he is so small for his age. I think people are just so used to seeing bigger babies now days for some reason!

Let's see what else can I think of to update you on what's going on. Oh, well, the gas problem is still around. Thanks to everyone for the tips. We have tried pretty much everything. We've even tried, on our pediatrician's recommendation, a couple of different formulas. Lactose free formula was a big mistake. The poor little guy just did not take to it well. So, now we're trying the other hypoallergenic formula on the market Nutrimagen by Enfamil. It's supposed to be slightly more broken down than the Similac Allimentum we have been using. I can't tell honestly...and he's still not feeling well though it is an improvement over the lactose free stuff.

It's quite distressing watching him suffer through the gas stuff. He just looks and sounds like he's in so much pain (and he probably is). So, we're still looking at ways to help him out. I found a formula that is geared for infants and children with food allergies...it is free from both milk and soy ingredients. We may give that a go at some point in the future, but it is expensivo stuff - $35 for a 14 oz. can of powder. I also wrote our health insurance to see if they would pick up the cost of feeding him donated breastmilk. They didn't say they would, but they didn't say no either so Nick's pediatrician is in the process of trying to get it authorized through his medical group. This is actually a bit bittersweet since I had planned to donate whatever milk I produced that Nicholas didn't need...

For now, I am making an effort to increase my supply to decrease what we do need to feed him in formula thus hopefully decreasing his overall discomfort. I can't say that I've seen much improvement at this point, but I recently came across a little technique that I think could be helpful and I am taking various supplements to promote milk production as well. The other thing we're going to try is using a goat's milk formula. Goat's milk is the closest to human milk so we are hoping it will work better with Nicholas' system. It will only require that we give him a vitamin supplement and some fish oil (joy....unless I can find an odorless kind!) to ensure that he gets all the nutrients he needs to grow up big and strong. It comes highly recommended by many of Mark's instructors.

Other than this, we are trying to get ready to go to Memphis this coming Thursday. It should be a fun time. I'm not sure what all we'll do there - we might visit Graceland...maybe if for no other reason than to see crazed Elvis fans. Oh, and of course, we'll be tossing the allergy list to the wind and having lots of yummy BBQ ribs and what not. I plan on taking a lot of claritin with me...

I think I mentioned that we're stopping in Colorado on our way back. We are going to let my parents have a little time with their grandson and look at a couple of chiropractic offices that Mark is considering. Since we'll be there on our 3rd anniversary we're also going to go for lunch at Marigold's Cafe...if you're in the mood for some of that triple chocolate mousse cake we served at the wedding, please join us. :)

Well, until we get back (assuming I don't make it back to the computer before then), I hope all is going well for all of you!