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Being a step-parent is hard ass work. Might be harder than being a parent because you have to hold your tongue and count to 10...A LOT.

Visit with friends

Met up with my friends and former co-workers this week while in Louisville. I miss them. I wish that I could pick them up and move them to my new place of employment.

Yadi brought Isaac and he is a cutey. Looks like a little man with beautiful full lips. Yadi looked great and I am still in awe of her natural delivery. She rocks.


One of Miss C's future boyfriends, Isaac, and my friend Mitzi.

Yadi and Isaac

Danny and Miss C multi-tasking. Danny has 4 boys but seems to do ok with a little girl.

Vickie and Isaac

Smiley Coyote

SP likes to come up with nicknames as terms of endearment. I, for example, am never called by my name. I am either Mel, Melvin, Calliope or some other name that strikes his fancy. Miss C is no exception. He has taken to calling her Smiley Coyote for some reason...I guess these pics kinda show why.

Generations

I am saddened by that fact that two women, my grandmother's, who were such an integral part of my life for the last 33 years will never know my baby and vice versa. It sucks.

Today was tough going to the hospital to see Grandma S. I am not sure what I expected but to see her so frail broke my heart. They have her on the list for Hospice and are just trying to make her comfortable at this point.

I am not really sure what else to say...please say a prayer for my family.

Coincidence? I think not.

Tuesday we changed Miss C's formula to the hypoallergenic, very expense, stuff and today her face is 99% cleared up. Monday and Tuesday her little face and head looked awful with both entirely broke out with bumps and redness. Today, smooth and almost all clear.

I had told the doctor I thought her face might be a reaction to the formula but she assured me that it was just baby acne. I am starting to think I was right because I doubt it would have cleared up that quickly otherwise. Regardless, I am glad it cleared up.

She is still a little fussy and has gas A LOT but her stools aren't rock hard which is a plus. I am telling myself some of it is just an adjustment to the new formula because yesterday all she wanted to do was be held. That was EXHAUSTING because she wouldn't sleep unless held. She'd be OUT and I'd lay her down and BAM! she'd wake up.

On the plus side, there was a period where she was on her little exerciser mat and just loving all the things to stare at and explore. She layed there forever just checking things out and didn't cry or spit up. Wonderful!

Cross your fingers this formula works.

Yet another switch

We make the decision to go to the ball game and have Miss C spend her first nights away from home and she decides to have blood in her stool. Just once and then she continued with her play-doh and pebble poo until the prune juice that Nana gave her cleared her out a bit.

So, I called the doctor yet again. I did some research yesterday online, which can be both a blessing and a curse, and found a lot of info about formula intolerance and the signs. Miss C has them all. For example: spitting up - check, vomiting - check, fussiness - check, skin problems - check, blood in stool and hard stools - check, etc.

I had pretty much decided before I ever talked to the doctor that I was switching her formula because what was going on wasn't working. She really is a pleasant and happy baby but man, the BMs are difficult for her and her belly is upset a lot. And her little face...it's so broke out and while they say baby acne is normal this sure seems like a VERY bad case all over her face, head and neck.

Much to my pleasure it was the doctor who recommended changing to a hypoallergenic formula and even gave us samples that will take us through her next appointment in 3 weeks. I have given her one bottle. We'll see how it goes.

And, for those keeping track we have done: breastmilk, Simil@c Advanced + breastmilk, Simil@c Sensitive, Enf@mil AR and now this. Cross your fingers it works.

Just like her parents