Two-Month Appointment

First, the stats: Elsa now weighs in at 11 pounds, 3 ounces (still right at the 75th percentile), is 24 inches long (still hovering around the 95th percentile), and I didn't get the exact head circumference, but she's at the 75th percentile. So she is growing well, and Dr. Owen is pleased. However, there are other issues we are having to deal with that actually prevented the doctor from administering the first round of vaccinations today. The poor little girl is still dealing with acid reflux. She ran out of the medication we were giving her post-ER-visit about a week ago, and I told the doctor that I didn't really think it was doing much for her anyway. Sure, it probably did help heal the initial problem, but it certainly has not made her any less fussy. Of course I knew I could count on Elsa to act out that fussiness in front of Dr. Owen, which actually did help her see what we were dealing with. She again told me that this just is not the norm for babies -- that something must be bothering her. At first she said we should continue her on the original acid reducer, but as the appointment progressed, other issues emerged. We have been treating what we thought was just a diaper rash for a few days now, and it had started looking better over the weekend, but then looked a bit worse today. Dr. Owen took one look at it and said it is yeast. She said this could be caused by a number of issues -- something in my diet that she is allergic to, something tied to the acid reflux problem, something related to the medication she has been on, etc. Elsa again had a fussy moment and was arching her back quite dramatically, and it was then that it was decided to put her on a stronger medication for the reflux. Neither one of us really wants to have her on something stronger, but both of us do want her to feel better. I can't stand to see the little one in pain. So we are going to try this medication for two weeks, and if there is no obvious improvement, she will be taken off of it and I will likely try the no-dairy diet again -- this time longer than two days. I have been trying to limit my dairy intake anyway, but I have definitely not been avoiding it completely. We are also applying anti-fungal cream to Elsa's diaper area, and have her on two types of probiotics -- one that is more general, and one that is specifically formulated to fight fungus. I sure hope she starts feeling better soon. So because of all of this, there were no shots today. Dr. Owen did not want to put her little body through anything else at this point. Typically she would not see us again until Elsa is four months, but we are going back in a month and Elsa will likely get her first vaccinations then. So we will just be a month behind Dr. Owen's schedule. No big deal.

As for the good news, 9:00-9:30 p.m. seems to be the new magic bedtime, as Elsa slept ten hours straight last night! Hooray!