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<\/a><\/p>\nOur babies look so much alike David jokes that we only have one mold. \u00a0Apparently we only have one mold in other ways, too. \u00a0They all, to varying degrees, end up with same tummy troubles. \u00a0They spit up a lot. \u00a0They have a lot of gas issues. \u00a0And they can’t lie down to sleep during the day because of reflux (seriously, you can hear the gurgling as it come up their throat); but they sleep well at night (more on that later) most of the time from tiny on.<\/p>\n
Oddly enough, Liam was our easiest little baby. \u00a0I still look back and wonder how in the world that happened because he had umpteen food issues later.<\/p>\n You would think by now I’d know what works. \u00a0I thought I did. \u00a0But somehow every baby still has its own road map. \u00a0I’ve talked to a lactation consultant three times. \u00a0I’ve tried every position I can think of … boppy pillow, side lying with the head of her crib elevated, bouncy seat ….<\/p>\n The other day I got so desperate I put her on her tummy hoping to buy myself ten minutes. \u00a0She was sleeping soundly, completely limp. \u00a0I gingerly placed her on her tummy and eased out the door. \u00a0By the time I’d used the bathroom and washed my hands she was crying again.<\/p>\n They should make 0-10 scales for fussy babies like they do for pain management. \u00a0I remember when I had Adam I felt like I wasn’t supposed to say I had a fussy baby because I heard people describing babies with colic who literally screamed for hours while you paced the floor.<\/p>\n He didn’t scream. \u00a0He just cried and we could often find a good position while sitting on the rocker for part of that time. \u00a0It was just that we needed to plan on doing nothing from 5:00PM to 11:00PM except take turns rocking, feeding, patting, jiggling, and burping. \u00a0Not fussy, right? \ud83d\ude42 Ha ha.<\/p>\n I think I just thought that was normal for babies. \u00a0Kind of like I thought it was normal that we were soaking 10-12 burp diapers with spit up (some of them I could have wrung out) and he would occasionally hit the wall behind my rocker in the morning.<\/p>\n We’ve come a long way from those days. \u00a0I wish I would have known then what I know now. \u00a0It wouldn’t have taken care of everything, but I definitely could have helped him be more comfortable those first two months.<\/p>\n The good thing is, that one mold we have? So far all of them have gotten exponentially better after the two month mark. \u00a0Their little digestive systems work better and their little tummies apparently expand a bit more so there isn’t quite as much reflux.<\/p>\n Now there is Bella. \u00a0Bella, who on some days, has to be held the entire time because even a bathroom break is too long. \u00a0On good days, she sleeps for ten minutes in her crib and although the monitor is turned up, I go flying back into her room terrified she’s died because she never sleeps this long. \u00a0And then there are strangely miraculous days where she sleeps lying down for forty-five minutes. \u00a0Bella is probably a 6 on that 0-10 scale.<\/p>\n What is most boggling of all is the fact that she sleeps at night. \u00a0There are a few nights here and there where she only sleeps a four hour stretch (and of course, the worst would happen when David is gone), but for the most part she can do a six to seven hour stretch between feedings. \u00a0Rarely eight. \u00a0Which means about six hours in her crib since it often takes an hour afterward until her tummy can manage lying down. \u00a0How can the same baby drink the same milk and be laid in the same crib with the same blankets and sleep for hours at night but not even do ten minutes during the day? \u00a0I will NEVER figure this out; but I am eternally grateful for the sleep at night. \u00a0Thank God it’s not reversed.<\/p>\n I’ve gotten lots of helpful advice. \u00a0Anything from eliminating dairy to which probiotic to meds for reflux to the possibility of a tongue tie. \u00a0I’m grateful. \u00a0Even though we won’t do all or even most of it, it is helpful to have pieces to sift through and see how they fit into her puzzle. \u00a0Over and over again I am amazed at the community that women can be for each other. \u00a0It is an eNORmous gift … this thing of holding up each other’s arms. \u00a0(More on that later, too, I hope, but there are too many things to write about and precious few minutes available for it.)<\/p>\n I started eliminating dairy last Monday. \u00a0Monday and Tuesday were terrible. \u00a0Wednesday and Thursday she was so angelically quiet we worried she was sick. She slept and slept and slept. \u00a0I woke her several times to feed her. \u00a0Her body language was so relaxed it made me realize how much she had been hurting. \u00a0And when she opened her eyes, she focused well instead of having that glazed look I assumed was newborn, but actually was because of pain. \u00a0There was one poopy diaper per feeding instead of three.<\/p>\n I was in awe. \u00a0Getting rid of dairy was worth it. \u00a0Then came Friday and the crying started all over again. \u00a0I walked and walked and bounced and swayed and shhhh, shhh, shhhh’d and bounced and swayed some more. \u00a0That night I got exactly four hours of sleep and she didn’t get much more. \u00a0It wasn’t until sometime Saturday morning as I kept bouncing that I realized I’d had a piece of biscotti Friday morning. \u00a0Made with butter.<\/p>\n Seriously. \u00a0I used to be the food hawk because I had no choice. \u00a0I could sniff out “May contain traces of residual milk protein” labels like a bloodhound. \u00a0You would think I’d remember things like 1 cup of butter per recipe kind of things. \u00a0But we’ve gotten so far away from those days I’ve forgotten how terribly, terribly careful I had to be. \u00a0So I’m off again. \u00a0For real. \u00a0And today? Today is heaven in a baby package. \u00a0She sleeps and sleeps. \u00a0Except for when the milk gurgles up into her throat.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n