Robert is SIX WEEKS OLD!
If I look back at the past 6 weeks, I sometimes think that time has stood still and it has been the longest 6 weeks of my entire life. At other times, I can't believe that 6 weeks have gone by either. I don't know if its because I compare the first 6 weeks of life to my only other experience - Emerson - or if its just exhaustion.
As for what Robert is up to these days...It pretty much includes sleeping. He sleeps ALL day. He does have moments of being awake, but those are fleeting and we make a big deal about it only to look down and see him asleep again. You can't help but feel sorry for the little guy, his heart is working really hard to keep up with his tiny body. And now that he has the shunt, it will actually be more tiring for his heart to keep up (having to pump more blood as he has the ability to send more to the lungs). Robert has perfected the sleeping through a feeding...and even burping. I still have to wake him in the middle of the night to eat.
We have had issues with feeding since birth practically, so just in the past week we have switched from Enfamil Nutramigen to Similac Isomil to Similac Alimentum. If you are just dying to know the reason...It includes blood in his stool (to be polite). He also had severe reflux (spitting up at any and all times of the day out of mouth and nose...gross)...The Zantac prescription has improved that problem greatly. But the other is still a work in progress. The Similac Alimentum was just started today. We will see how that goes. On the other side, I have had to restrict my own diet to a gluten free, soy free, vegan diet. Oh, the plethora of food options...[sarcasm]. Maybe the baby weight will fall off sooner than the previous 9 months after Emerson. For anyone else suffering along with me...Check out this blog: Collins Cooking.
So...to sum it all up...He probably isn't hitting any milestones. And its pretty much due to having to lie on his back, only being picked up like a newborn infant (the scoop technique), and sleeping through any type of interaction. He does seem to want to focus in on our face and study certain baby type objects we place in front of him, but it is only for a few minutes (if that long) until he falls asleep again. As for growth...I don't know how much he weighs exactly. He was 8 lbs 9 oz at birth and 9 lbs 3 oz before his heart surgery on July 22nd. I highly doubt he is over 10 lbs right now. He can still wear his newborn outfits and easily wears 0-3 months. And he is still wearing newborn diapers as the size 1's are too big.
As for Emerson (let us not forget the other child), she is insane. More energy than I have ever dreamed of having. With all this energetic enthusiasm, we are all learning the value of "time out" this past week. I am not sure if that is the best form of 2 year old punishment. But she has been acting out...I don't know if it is the fact that she is 2 or we have been transferring her back and forth from us (home or in Birmingham) and between grandparents almost daily. Nothing has been the same for any of us for a long while.
As for the next week, we will be traveling back home! We have 2 more doctor's appointments before we make the drive. And then hopefully, using the weekend to become acclimated to our house again...I just hope our pool isn't green upon return.
One more picture before I go...Robert sleeping [shocker!] in the Moses basket. The blue bean bag came from his last hospital stay in the RNICU. These are made and donated by volunteers from Threads of Love. It gives the babies a sense of security like being held. The nurses will drape it across their chest or shoulder when fussy...It's quite effective actually. We have continued using it when we have to put him down to do things like eat...or blog. :)
