Tuesdays With Henry - Week Twenty-Seven

Sitting! Finally! 

And falling!

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Twenty-Six

Halfway through with this insanity!!!

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Twenty-Five

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Twenty-Four

I'm still managing to take the pictures every week but I'm not so good at getting them posted obviously.

Bonus brother picture:

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Twenty Three

With a special appearance by Oliver:

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Twenty-Two

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Twenty-One

Our lives have been crazy busy so I apologize for the lack of real updates. But at least I'm managing to keep up with this silly project, right? 

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Twenty

Inventory kicked my butt. I still haven't fully recovered from the nineteen hour shift I worked Sunday night/Monday morning. I swear these pictures were taken on Tuesday despite the fact that it took me until Saturday to post them. 

Tuesdays With Henry- Week Nineteen

Inventory week and Oliver's been sick so no time for an update but here are the pictures.

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Eighteen

Henry got to spend a few days with Grandmommy this week while I had appointments at the store. And we started a little sleep training (more on that later) and Oliver started soccer (post and pictures to come) and we celebrated my birthday, Father's Day, and our eighth anniversary all in the last three days. Busy busy. 

Four Month Wellness Visit

Mom and I took Henry in for his four month wellness check on Monday. 

Here are the vital stats:

Weight: 15 pounds, 6 ounces (50th percentile)

Height: 24 inches (10th percentile)

Head Circumference: 44.2 cm (99-100th percentile)

I can't believe he's jumped all the way from the tenth to the fiftieth percentile for weight. Crazy. 

He checked out perfectly. He's a little behind on his gross motor skills but he's made huge gains in all the other areas of development. It seems to me that he's really catching up after a somewhat skow start.  

The only area of possible concern is his giant giant head. It's most likely just that Henry has a big old head but there's a very small chance that his giant head could be a symptom of something wrong - like hydrocephalus. We could wait and see if his head size levels off later on or we could get it checked now. After talking to Dr. Sharp we decided to get it checked now. But only because if they check him now they can do an ultrasound (since his soft spot is still open). If we waited any longer and needed to check it later then we would have to do a CAT scan. And that's a lot of radiation to point at a baby's head. This way is much less risky. We go on Thursday morning for the ultrasound. I'm feeling pretty confident it's nothing since Oliver always had a bigger head, too, so I'm not worried about it (which, considering my history of anxiety surrounding this kid, feels like a personal victory). 

How big is the baby? (Answer: Of average weight and less than average height!)

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Seventeen

Henry did two things this week for the first time:

1. He held his head up during tummy time.

2. He rolled over from belly to back.

And he did both of these things before I could go to the doctor next Monday morning for his four month appointment and freak out because he hadn't done either of those things. Thank you, Henry! You saved Mommy from looking crazy once again. 

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Sixteen

I survived my first trip away from Henry. Pumping for three days straight was no fun but it was nice to get a little more sleep than I have been getting. Brian had a busy week but I think really enjoyed getting to spend some time alone with Henry while Oliver was at school. He hasn't had much opportunity to be alone with Henry. 

Unfortunately three days on the pump did a number on my supply and I've been trying hard to keep up with Henry's demand since I got back. It didn't help that my trip seemed to coincide with a growth spurt on his part. I'm mostly having trouble keeping up with him in the evenings which means he's not sleeping very long stretches at night. In fact, since I've gotten home he's gone to bed around eight and woken up for the first time around 10:30 every night. And then he's up every two or three hours through the rest of the night. It's driving me crazy and has me counting down the days until we can start some sleep training. He's not ready yet but I sure am. 

Here are the pics from this week:

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Fifteen

I'm headed to New York early tomorrow morning for a quick three day trip and still have tons to do to get ready so I don't have time for a full post. Wish Brian luck as he embarks on a three day stint of being the sole parent on duty. Maybe I can convince him to write a post about what it was like. I'm sad to be leaving Henry and Oliver (and Brian) but I'm kind of looking forward to two nights of good sleep and three days of not wearing spit up on my shoulder. 

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Fourteen

Run Like a Mother.

The hardest part of bed rest for me was giving up the idea that I was going to be that eight and a half month pregnant lady hoofing it around Town Lake three times a week. I worked hard in the year before I got pregnant with Henry to become a runner and I was really looking forward to continuing that throughout my pregnancy. I ran three or more miles three times a week up until my first hospitalization when I was told that not only could I not run anymore but that all physical activity was out.

Three months of bed rest followed by eight weeks of limited activity after my c section left my body unrecognizable to me. I lost all of my muscle mass and all of my endurance and I was nervous about how long it was going to take me to recover.

As soon as I got the go ahead from the doctor at my eight week appointment, I headed out to the trail. I knew it would be slow going so I resolved myself to start with my Couch To 5K program again (that's how I started last time and within nine months I was running a half marathon). The first day out felt great and every day after that has felt even better. I'm up to running eight minute stretches at a time over a thirty minute run and I've managed to run an entire mile in a row (I gave it a shot one day after I finished the C25K workout and was pleased with the results). My pace isn't what I want it to be but it's not too far off. All in all, my running recovery is going much more smoothly and quickly than I had thought possible. I plan to run a half marathon in November and my goal is to finish a full marathon before Henry turns one.

But the running hasn't been enough to help me start feeling strong again. My pregnancy and bed rest made me feel completely out of control (obviously) and like I couldn't rely on my body to do what it's supposed to do. I wanted something that would challenge me mentally and physically and let me see how strong I can become. So, three weeks ago Saturday I went to a free community workout at a local CrossFit gym. The workout kicked my butt. I was sore for four days afterwards but it felt good. The Monday after that I started the three day Elements class (a prerequisite you have to take before starting normal classes) and last Tuesday at 5:30 AM I found myself in my first official CrossFit class - trying my best to do a workout I never thought I'd be able to do.

I go every Tuesday and Thursday, and although it's not easy to get up at 4:45 two days a week (especially since Henry is still up three or four times a night), it feels pretty great to go, knock out a super tough work out, and be done by 6:30 in the morning. During the first class our workout included box jumps where we were to stand on the ground and then jump with both feet up onto a box 20 inches tall and then back down. I could only manage four or five before my legs felt crazy wobbly and I had to switch to just stepping up on the box and stepping back down. Today our workout called for box jumps again - 55 of them - and I jumped up on that box every. single. time. And I had a ridiculously huge grin on my face the whole time. I'm getting stronger. Slowly but surely, it's happening.

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Thirteen

Henry is now officially three months old (as of Sunday). How is that possible?

We were down in San Antonio this weekend to celebrate my mom's birthday and Mother's Day. We had a lot of fun just hanging out at the house - playing games with Oliver and cooing at Henry. And on Sunday, Brian made eggs benedict. So delicious.

Henry's new favorite thing is the mobile my mom has hanging above the changing table at her house. When he'd get his diaper changed, he'd stare up at the mobile and kick his feet and coo and smile. Ever since we came home on Sunday, he's looked up disappointed every time I lay him down on our mobile-free changing pad. 

Here are the pictures from this week. He hasn't been sleeping worth crap the past few days (very few naps and terrible night sleep) and we are battling a bunch of really bad rashes - diaper rash, a gnarly looking red rash in his neck fat, and cradle cap - but he doesn't look too miserable, right?

What's He Looking At?

So, we all know I'm crazy, right? I'm obsessed with the idea that there might be something wrong with Henry. I can't let the stress of my pregnancy go and I spend too much time on google second guessing everything that Henry is doing or not doing. He started smiling and even doing some cooing (and I swear even some giggling) a few weeks ago (way behind schedule as far as I was concerned) but I was still worried.

In the last two weeks I got really concerned that he couldn't see properly. He would smile at me but only in response to my voice. If I put my face in his and smiled without making a sound he wouldn't even look at me. And when he was smiling at me, he wasn't really looking at me. I kept telling myself it was all in my head but the thought that he couldn't see well kept creeping up on me. 

And then other people started noticing it. People would come up to him, stick their face in his and coo at him and he'd stare off into space. More than one person asked me: "What's he looking at anyway?" And then at dinner one night, I was holding in my lap facing out and Oliver was talking about something. Brian said: "Look, Oliver, Henry's looking at you!" and Oliver took one look at his brother and said: "No, he's not. I don't know what he's looking at." 

Commence paranoid Mommy tailspin.

I made an appointment last Tuesday with our pediatrician telling them that I have concerns about his vision - that he doesn't seem to be looking at me, that he doesn't track objects, that he doesn't enjoy looking at his mobile or any toys, etc. I timed our day so that when we got there Henry was in an awake and alert phase. So, we get back to the exam room and he's smiling and cooing and (I swear!) staring right at me. But I'm not sure. Maybe I'm just in the way of his eyes? And then we wait. And we wait. And we wait. And by the time the doctor finally comes in, he's tired and his eyes are glazing over and he's, once again, staring off into space despite repeated attempts by the doctor and myself to get him to look at us. Dr. Sharp tell me that she trusts me. That if I think there's something wrong, that we should get it checked out. She tries to get him to track an object and he won't. She gives me the name of a pediatric ophthalmologist and I leave feeling dejected - I was hoping she'd check him out and just tell me that I'm crazy. 

I called the eye doctor as soon as I left and he was booked through June. So, I called Dr. Sharp back and asked for a different recommendation. I called that office and got an appointment for Thursday. No way was I waiting until June to have my fears addressed. And then I made the decision to take the rest of the week off. I needed to stop trying to work and be a mom to Henry at the same time - if only for three days. My three day maternity leave! 

I spent Wednesday at home with Henry - talking and singing to him and enjoying all the smiles and coos he threw my way (and there were a ton). On Wednesday afternoon, Henry was waking up from a nap in his room. I walked in, looked over the edge of his crib and smiled at him without making a sound. He looked up at me and flashed me a huge grin in response - marking the first time he ever smiled in response to just my face as opposed to my voice. Yep. I'm crazy.

On Thursday, Brian came home at eleven and we went and had lunch and then drove over to Henry's appointment. We got into the exam room and listed our (okay, my) concerns to the nurse. The nurse said that they would have to dilate his eyes to examine him but that the doctor would probably want to see him first. When the doctor came in, Henry was really fussy and wouldn't cooperate. They left us alone and we got him to calm down. I placed him in my lap looking up at me and started talking and he started smiling and cooing at me. The nurse came in to dilate him and Henry looked right at her face and smiled right at her (little stinker). The doctor came in twenty minutes later and Henry smiled right at her (seriously, kid, you're making me look bad). She examined his eyes and then held up a couple of different toys and objects and tried to get Henry to track them. Which he did. He followed them everywhere she moved them. She was very nice. She didn't say to me: "You're obviously crazy." She noted that he has a normal refractive error for a baby his age but that he seems to be focusing on objects and faces and his tracking is fine. Of course, while she's saying these things, Henry was staring off to this right - seemingly at nothing. The doctor said that could be a touch of torticollis or could be a response to his being tired. 

So, he's normal. Again. I should really just get that through my head but it's not working. Luckily the other thing I got done last week is a list of therapist recommendations. So, the next call for an appointment won't be for Henry. It will be for me.

When we were done at the doctor's we went and got Oliver and brought both boys home. I put Henry in his crib and turned his mobile on and he immediately stared up at him and started kicking his feet and smiling - for the first time ever. This kid is determined to teach me patience. 

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Twelve

We've had a good week. My insanity lead us to a few doctor's appointments this past week for Henry but, good news! He's not blind! (Long story - I'll post it later). 

I can't believe Henry is twelve weeks old already. The past three months have flown by and yet we still have no discernible schedule. Every day is different. Some days I take Henry into the store, some days we are at home. Some days I take Oliver to school but mostly it's Brian handling that. And it doesn't seem likely that we will have a regular schedule any time soon. Open Door called today and the good news is that Henry has a start date at school. The bad news is that the start date is the first Monday of September. I don't know how we are going to get through the summer. Being a work at home Mom is crazy stressful but it seems silly to try to find him a spot somewhere else for a few short months.

This week's Tuesdays With Henry marks a very important development - the first week in which he was awake, alert, and happy to participate! 

As Oliver says: "Look at that smile-lel!" (Oliver loves to add extra syllables to every word. His brother's name is Henarey in case you were curious).

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Eleven

In which Henry proves that he's still not a fan of this whole endeavor.

Tuesdays With Henry - Week Ten

Thanks to everyone for all of the kind words on my last post. I am still struggling with letting Henry be on his own timeline and keep finding my anxiety creeping up on me again. But it helps to know that people have been here before and come out on the other side and it helps to know I have so many people in my corner cheering me on.

We had a good week - managed to go a whole week without anyone needing to go to the doctor for a sick visit. Feels like a win. Henry, Oliver, and I went down to San Antonio this weekend. We took Henry to the zoo for the first time (he didn't really react to the zoo at all but when we took him on the train around the park, he smiled the whole time. He loves to be outside and feel the wind).

On Saturday night, my mom gave me the best gift ever. I set her up with a bunch of bottles and she let Henry sleep in her room. So, I got to sleep for four hours in a row. By far the longest stretch I've had since Henry was in the NICU. I went to bed at 11, woke up to pump at 3:30 and then went right back to sleep. Of course, at 5:30 I woke up to Oliver screaming for me but still... Almost five hours of sleep! In a row! I feel like a new woman. I came home dedicated to the idea of making this a more regular occurrence. So, Brian will take over night duty one night a week from here on out so that I can get at least one night off.

And, in case anyone wonders, even getting bottles all night, Henry woke up every two hours. I had a theory that maybe he wasn't sleeping long because he wasn't getting full feedings but apparently not. Apparently he's just still a peanut who can't go too long between feedings. Although on Sunday night, he went from 3:00 AM to 8:30 AM without eating. He woke up once there in the middle but we just changed his diaper and he went right back to sleep. I'm hopeful this means that longer sleep stretches are in my future and is not instead a reflection of the fact that he's still not feeling 100 percent.

Here are the pictures from this week: