Last week our sweet Wyatt turned 4 months old... and AT HOME!!! How exciting are both of those facts! Four months ago, Wyatt weighed in at 4 pounds 8.3 ounces and as of a week ago he weighed 10 pounds 5.6 ounces. Who knows how much he weighs today, being an entire week later.
Here is Wyatt at birth on July 12, 2012
Wyatt at 1 month on August 12, 2012:
Wyatt at 2 months on September 12, 2012:
Wyatt at 3 months on October 13, 2012:
(we were a day late with pictures)
Wyatt at 4 months on November 12, 2012:
More 4 months pictures:
Growth: Wyatt is growing like a weed. I feel like I have a whole new kid some days. At our last weigh in, which was almost 2 weeks ago and we don't go back until the 26th. Geez, that's a long time to not know. In the NICU Wyatt was weighed each and every night! I may call the doctor in the morning and see about coming in this week.
Birth: weight- 4lbs 8.3oz, length- 18.5 in
Discharge Day: weight- 9lbs 12.4oz, length- 22.64 in
November 7th: weight- 10lbs 5.6oz, length- 23.31 in
I can't imagine where he is now! ...I did step on our home scale and then do it again with Wyatt in my arms and it showed he weighs 10.8lbs. I haven't done the math to see what that 0.8 is in ounces but I know it's more!
Teeth: Wyatt doesn't have any teeth yet! I am not looking forward to teething either. Ugh! I am putting this here so that when they do start to grow, I don't forget to talk about it! :-)
Favorites: Wyatt is such a happy little baby! I honestly can't complain any about his personality. He starts his day with a smile each and every morning. He loves to have his diaper changed. I mean LOVES! He knows it's happening and smiles, then sometimes it's all I can do to actually get the new diaper on him because he's kicking and throwing his arms around in excitement. I am not exaggerating one bit on this one. It's so cute.
He likes, not loves bath time. Right now we are currently giving him a bath every other morning. For a while he was having so much throw up from his reflux that a morning bath was absolutely necessary because he smelled like the formula we use to fortify his breast milk. There's an entire blog waiting to be written from that sentence alone. :-) I bought these cute little foam dinosaurs he can look at while I get his little body all clean.
He loves his great granny! She has been here all week and has spoiled him rotten! She and him both just adore one another. She'll sing and he'll laugh. She rocks and he falls asleep.
He loves to have his little nose and chin tickled. Eskimo kisses are a favorite too.
He still loves his mobile from the hospital. We have it on his crib. He's watch those friends circle his head all day long but he also has some new friends on his play mat.
He has found his hands a while back. They are always in front of his face discovering anything they can reach. Just last night, he began to chew on them a lot more. I'm okay with this as long as he doesn't start isolating a finger or thumb!
Wyatt loves play time. Even if we're just sitting there with him while he interacts with his toys, he's one happy camper.
Sleeping: I posted a picture earlier this week of Wyatt sleeping because the boy can sleep. :-) He sleeps 10-12 hours at night and takes numerous cat naps throughout the day. He usually gets a total of about 13-15 hours in a 24 hour period. He did not do this in the NICU. He had too much going on there and too many pretty nurses to flirt with! :-) And I don't say this to brag or "show off", please KNOW that! I promise I would trade to have sleepless nights to have a nonNICU/Healthy Wyatt any day of the week! I feel like it's one of God's gifts and graces... some relief I guess. I've been keeping track of when he falls asleep and wakes up through out the day to see if there's a pattern. I would like to try to "put" him down for a nap but we're just not there yet. He sleeps when he sleeps, except at night. We do put him down for bed time at night.
Feeding: Some of this may sound like gibberish and I'm sorry for that but hopefully I can make it all make sense...
Wyatt has not gone back to any breast feeding since his g-tube surgery. I try about once or twice a day and sometimes he will "play" for like a minute and then get fussy and other times he is fussy as soon as he realizes what is going on. He has NEVER taken anything from the bottle. He'd suck on the nipple and then as soon as you put milk in there, he'd gag and get angery. I think the most he's ever taken is 3 CCs.... that's nothing. A speech therepist came on Friday and she did an initial assessment with Wyatt. Everything she said was positive. Good suck on his paci, strong cheek muscles, good tongue and lip placement, ect.... He just doesn't want to eat by mouth. I get it, he refluxes and it's obviously so uncomfortable and so why would he want anything else back there when it feels bad all the other times? But I will say it makes me so sad and even frustrating at times. I so badly want to breast feed or have him take a full feed in 30 minutes like a "normal" baby but we aren't there yet. I have to just have faith that this is where God has us with purpose. So... where are we with out g-button? This is what it looks like- 10pm we begin his night continuous feed. It runs over 11 hours and he gets a total of 385mL (almost 13 ounces). When we came home, it equaled 35mL an hour. I've got it up to 38mL an hour. I know that doesn't sound like much, but every mL increase an hour, is time off the pump! Oh, and to keep all those 385mLs in his little body, James and I have decided not to fortify is night time feed at all. If he spits up at all, it's a tiny small amount at the end of the feed... and usually associated with a poop trying to come out. When it's fortified with formula, he spits up so much more. We just feel like there is a balance and we're testing to see if he can gain enough without it. During the day, we begin his first feed at 10am. Coming home, we were running it at 29mL an hour, totalling 85mL. It took 3 whole hours. Ugh! So, I started thinking... if we run 35 at night, why can't we do this during the day? So,I did and he has tolerated it! So, I am slowly continuing to go up. I do it 1 mL at a time and keep it there for a few days. We're up to 38mL an hour. That puts us being connected for just under 2.5 hours. We do this 3 times a day... 10, 2 & 6. He gets just over 21 ounces a day. :-) I have no clue if that is normal or not for his age. I'm not sure if I care as long as he is growing, comfortable and happy! I will also add that I am waiting for the day we can start solid foods (puree)! I think he'll really like it and want to explore all the flavors... or I'm hoping anyway!
Development: Wyatt is growing so much and so fast. I was warned by many moms that this would happen. I don't think I ever thought, "not my baby" or anything like that but let me tell you, I didn't expect it like this. It's a love/hate relationship. In one hand I am thinking "where did my tiny little 4 pound baby go" and in the other it's "yea! He's growing and thriving so much!" Even with all his growth, he's still at the bottom of the development charts. He's got his own curve and he owns that. He has progressed nicely! :-) That's all I can ask God for!
He reaches for things with his hands. He doesn't quite have control yet but he's improving! He interacts with toys and people. He giggles and laughs. He makes noises like he is talking. He responds. I love it! He is so much fun! And I know he is not talking but some of his noises really sound like real words. Again, it is so much fun! :-)
He isn't rolling over just yet. He will roll to his side but that's about it. He hates being put on his tummy for tummy time. We do it some anyway for develpoment but I don't blame him, his g-button is probably uncomfortable to lay on.
Wyatt, just in the last week has gotten so much stronger. He has more control of his head and back. He'll sit in his bumbo and last week he'd just slump down. We are always sitting right next to him in it because he's not strong enough to be in it for more then a few minites. And he'll get that "rolling" head going and we know it's time to take him out. :-)
COMING HOME PICTURES!
I totally forgot to post these, so here they are now! :-)
We do miss all our NICU nurse and doctor friends. We hope to visit when go to Children's at the end of the month! So, expect us Wednesday, November 28th! Who is going to be working?!?
We've had Granny visiting for the past week and it's been so fabulous. I miss her! Houston, you are one luckly city! :-)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
We are so thankful to each and every person following our story. Thank you so much for all of your prayers. You've been a part of something BIG! God has been so good and in charge! We are thankful for the cross!
