Daniel is getting better. He is up and about and able to help out, but he is not close to being back to normal. He still has a lot of congestion and a bad cough and barely any voice at all. It makes communicating with him kind of frustrating!
I thought Audrey was better, but then she started complaining that her ears hurt yesterday. She also started acting out and throwing lots of fits. I think she was in time out more times yesterday than the past three months combined. We took her with us to Isla's doctor's appointment, and the doctor looked in her ears. Sure enough, a bad infection in both ears!!
Isla is just a mess. No fever, but she is congested and coughing and looks miserable. She is not eating well, and she is really not sleeping well. Last night, she slept with us (first with me, then with Daniel) propped up on our chests for pretty much the whole night. But she didn't sleep well at all and fussed through much of the night. She didn't get a good nap in today, and tonight she was just inconsolable. The doctor did look at her ears today as well, but said they were not infected...yet. She thought there was a good chance they could become infected in the future with all the loose mucous that is filling Isla's head right now.
At the check up today, Isla weighed in at 18 lbs, 8 oz (46%, which is exactly what Audrey weighed at this age. That really surprised me, as I predicted a weight between 19-20 pounds! Maybe she has lost a little weight this week since she has been sick. She was 27 1/2 inches long (57%).
The doctor was not too concerned about her not rolling over or liking her tummy. She said that since Isla sits and stands so well, she appears to have the core strength that she needs. She will roll over and move on her tummy when she is ready. Just give her more time. (This is also what her physical therapist told us in January). Our doctor is normally really proactive when concerns arise, so the fact that she was not concerned about Isla's development made me feel better. I'm going to try to be patient and let Isla do things on her timetable not mine.
The other concern that I wanted to talk to the doctor about was Isla's skin. Since she was a newborn, Isla has had skin issues, with breakouts and rashes in various places. Audrey also has some eczema problems, as does Daniel. The doctor had previously prescribed a steroid cream and the use of sensitive skin soaps and lotions, which we have been using since she was born. I haven't been too worried about it, but lately it seems that it is getting worse. Today, actually, her skin looked the worst that I have ever seen it, as she has a rash all over her tummy and chest and up onto her face and head.
It was convenient that her eczema decided to flare up on the day we were scheduled to see the doctor, so the doctor got to see how bad it can get. She thinks it could be caused by a milk allergy and wants us to switch formulas. Up til this point, we have been using the Target brand of Enfamil Gentlease. Now, she wants us to use Similac Alimentum. (Holy cow! That stuff is expensive, I just looked it up and it is like 3 times what we pay now). She also had some bloodwork done today (more on that later) to get a a definite diagnosis on whether Isla has a milk allergy or not. If she does have an allergy, I feel bad that she has made it until 9 months without us doing something about it.
So, about that bloodwork. At 9 month baby visits, they do a lead test and hemoglobin check. This used to happen at 12 month visits, which is when this was done to Audrey (a horrible experience!). I was NOT expecting it today, otherwise I would have brought Daniel along as back up. To make things worse, they normally have a lab tech who comes into the exam room and draws the blood right there. But of course, today the tech was not in, so we had to go down to the Urgent Care lab instead.
Going downstairs to the Urgent Care lab wouldn't have been a big deal, except that I had to carry Isla, drag Audrey by the hand (who was crying at this point), and carry my diaper bag which was stuffed to overflowing with the huge box of formula samples the doctor had given me. I'm glad she was so generous in giving us the free formula, but how did she expect me to carry it all?
We made it to the lab only slightly out of breath and extremely disheveled. Isla screamed while they pinned her down and tried to find a vein. Audrey clung tightly to my leg and covered her eyes, unsure about why her sister was screaming and no one was helping her. But we survived! I managed to get the girls and all of our stuff to the car and back home all in one piece.
Then we got home and Isla refused to sleep. and she cried and fussed most of the rest of the day, while Audrey threw temper tantrums every time she was not touching one of us.
Now, I am listening to Isla cough in her crib and prepping myself for yet another long night with a fussy baby. Get well SOON everyone! This sickness has long overstayed its welcome.
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