It’s Not All So Perfect

 

If you follow me on IG (homemadehappenings) then you saw earlier this week that I was having a rough go of it with Mr. Tate.  I am the type of person that won’t talk about things that aren’t going so well for me (for the most part).  For instance, if Andy and I have had a fight no one will know about it because I would hate for anyone to think we don’t have a great relationship because of that.  Because I don’t want anyone to think I don’t have the perfect baby I don’t talk about how fussy he is some days.  It’s silly, I know, but that’s how I am.

For the past few weeks (maybe 6?) the little Mister has not been a super happy, content baby.  In fact, he’s been very needy and has had these fits where he’ll cry and scream  non stop for sometimes up to an hour.  We can do nothing for him to make him happy.  Because these fits were happening mostly in the evenings we chalked them up to colic.  Monday I decided enough was enough, so I googled ‘colic’ and found that it’s usually gone by 3 months of age.  Tate is 3 1/2 months old.  I called our dr. right away. 

We are now trying 1/2 tsp of Maalox whenever he gets into one of these crying jags.  I have given it to him twice, and both times he instantly stopped crying.  The first time I wondered if it was a coincidence, but when it happened again the second time it made me think that maybe this whole time he’s been having acid reflux, which totally makes me feel like the worst mom ever.  I’ve let my poor baby suffer this whole time because I just thought it was colic!  Oh the poor poor little baby! *insert sad face*

I will try it again today, just to be sure, then will call the dr. back and we’ll probably start him on some tummy med’s.  Then the challenge of giving it to him begins since he doesn’t take a bottle.  Hopefully there is some liquid form of whatever we are to give him instead of crushing a pill and adding it to a bottle like we did with the boys.

Now you know my sweet little shmumpkin isn’t the perfect baby, although he’s the perfect baby for us.  Yesterday in the morning Tate was the happiest, most content baby he’s been in weeks.  That was before I gave him the med’s, but it was so nice to see him like that and know that hopefully we’ll figure this crying thing out and he’ll be like that much more often. 

My next challenge with Tate, after figuring this all out, is getting him to nap in his crib and for longer than 20 minutes.  He will nap very well in his swing, in my arms, or in his car seat if we’re on the go.  But once I lay him in his crib for a nap he wakes up shortly after (or right away, depending).  Because of this he will take many tiny catnaps throughout the day, which translates to me not getting anything done around here because I can’t start anything major (hello weeds in my flower beds!) because he’ll be needing me shortly.  And it also means that he’s fussy more often because he’s tired all the time.  I think I’m going to need to just commit myself to staying home for a week or 2 straight, no running errands and meeting Andy for lunch, so we can work out a real schedule.  I’ve never had to do this with the other 2 boys because when I went to work at 3 months their new sitters somehow got them on a schedule. 

Obviously it’s not all doom and gloom like this post suggests.  I love going in to Tate’s room in the morning when he first wakes up – he lays in there talking to his stuffed animals and the walls until I get him up, then he gives me the biggest, widest, most open-mouthed smiles I’ve ever seen!  When he’s getting sleepy he likes to rub his little face on mine and then snuggle in close.  He gives me big open-mouthed kisses on my cheeks.  He lights up when he sees his Daddy.  He sleeps all night long!  He’s a sweet little guy, I hope we can figure out the crying stuff so he isn’t suffering anymore. 

 

P.S.  I am so sorry my posting has been so sporadic lately.  I really hate that and will try harder to be more consistent.

 

Have a GREAT Thursday!