Medicine and More Medicine...

Poor boy...he's on all sorts of medicine! Today, at 10 weeks, I'd venture to say Luke is easily over 10 pounds, hooray! At the doctor last week, he was about 9 lbs., 10 or so ounces, though he was clothed. That was Thursday, so I bet he's at 10 or more now. Which is good information to know, seeing as his name is written on various medicinal bottles throughout the house and we have to adjust dosages.

He's still on Zantac for reflux. Which seems to work, provided the dosage is appropriate.

He takes Colic Calm (he really loves the black licorice flavor!) for his hiccups--mainly because he gets hiccups a good bit and they are often wet because of the reflux, so I try to nip them in the bud when they appear.

He has an eye cream prescribed for his infected tear duct...although I am still dousing his eye with breast milk at each feeding and that helps. It just isn't clearing it up fast enough, so I think we are going to start administering the cream.

He has hydrocortisone cream for his cradle crap (and seriously, we think cradle cap is CRAP!) because his poor little face is just awful without it. I am using it sparingly, but if I go more than about 2-3 days without the cream, he ends up with a horrible rash that gets crusty yellow and just looks like it hurts terribly.

And now, after the visit with the pediatric urologist, he has an antibiotic added to the mix. We saw her on Thursday (loved her, by the way!) and basically Luke either has an obstruction of the kidney or ureter or reflux of either. He has to be on an antibiotic for maybe a year or longer to ward off urinary tract infections. The doctor said that if he even has a hint of a fever, we have to have his urine tested. We also have to go to Childrens in DC on April 1 for a procedure which will require a catheter to check the plumbing out. I am going to HATE that for him.

Poor boy! Through all of this, he is still such a sweet and happy baby. He's just so calm and mellow...you'd never know about all the meds and issues.

We aren't worried much. After researching all the stuff that goes with infant kidney issues for Matthew, I feel like I am pretty prepared for just about anything with Luke. It could be as benign as just this being his anatomy and we will keep on the antibiotics for a while or require more invasive treatment...I have come to learn though that even if we had to remove his kidney (SO NOT where we are headed, I am sure!) that we'd still be ok. People live without one all the time and don't even know it.

When you've buried a child, somehow taking another to the doctor for a procedure, albeit a not fun one, still is a blessing.

It's just a procedure. I'll immediately comfort him. He'll know his mommy loves him and will take care of him. It will only hurt a little bit.

He'll come home. He'll come home. He'll come home.

This will be a piece of cake, comparatively.

We also confirmed that we will be moving in June! Looks like I will be 'Doing Maryland' by remote from sunny Jacksonville, North Carolina! I admit it is bittersweet. We loved living in North Carolina and are excited about being back and seeing friends. I love the beach. I love the warmer weather. We love the Shrimp Festival!

But...we have obligations and responsibilities here. Financially, things will be very different. We will have to put much of our stuff in storage while we are in NC. We will miss our friends and family here.

I sat in church on Sunday and cried. It was a service where both of our campuses got together, so it was HUGE. There were so many people there who have touched our lives...people I've come to meet since Matthew died and people I haven't even met yet who prayed for us and sent us cards after Matthew died and after Luke was born. The thought of having to leave so much of what holds intense sentimental memory just makes my stomach churn.

Not to mention the thought of my sweet boy's grave just being alone. Thinking about it just hurts my heart.

In any event, we are a military family, and as such, home is where the Marine Corps sends us. I've come to accept that I could live in a box without $10 in the bank but have John and Luke safe and happy and healthy and life will be good. So...we prepare to go!

Luke still loves, loves, loves his baths! They are his favorite part of his bedtime routine. He is eating about every 3 hours or so still, including at night. I keep waiting for the longer stretches everyone says should be happening at this point, or the dropping of a feed during the night, but no such luck. I am glad he eats well, so certainly not complaining, but I won't lie and say that I don't miss sleep! I do! So, just trying to keep some sort of schedule and hope his little body starts regulating more in the evening to sleep longer stretches than 2 hours. Part of the problem is a swaddling problem...he must be swaddled to go to sleep but once asleep, he'll sort of stir in the middle of the night and try to work himself out--to the point that he gets really mad...mad enough to be good and awake! I'm in a catch-22...he still flails his arms around and won't settle to sleep unless swaddled (but swaddled, he is instantly calmed and goes right down) but gets so mad because he's restrained during the night that he wakes himself up. I have tried every blanket/swaddler out there--as I've said before--and no luck. I read that swaddled babies sleep longer stretches, but I feel like I'm going to have to take him off the swaddle so that he won't wake himself up and be angry in the night.

It's frustrating...poor thing. Just can't make up his mind!

He's really strong! I hold him and he tries to stand and really puts a lot of weight on his legs. He is getting better with control of his neck (sort of!) and hands (sort of!) and once he gets more control, I think he'll be loving things! He has started to try and stuff his fingers in his mouth more and more--I can't imagine he's teething yet, but it could be possible. He is also making more and more faces, and in many pictures, with those chubby cheeks, he looks a bit jowl-y even! He looks like a little old man many times of the day!

He is strictly in 0-3 month clothes now...no more newborn! Even though he and Matthew were close in birth months, there's enough difference that Luke doesn't have much to wear. Don't get me wrong, there's a TON of baby boy clothing in my house. Most of it was for Matthew, though, and I didn't buy much for Luke because I figured they'd be able to share since they were so close--end of November to beginning of January. Unfortunately, that's enough time to not be close enough. The things that he has won't fit him until it's too warm--so there are tons of sweet overalls and sweaters and cute pants/jackets outfits that just won't be won because they are too big for him. I am basically just throwing things on him whether or not they are too big--just rolling up the pants so he can get some wear! I guess we'll have some great, great stuff to consign!

Here are some pictures from this week: