Snippets from my day/night

It turns out that baby R does indeed have reflux, but luckily doesn't suffer from it nearly as severely as his brothers did. Still, the hours between 4:00 and 6:00 {both AM and PM} tend to be his most difficult. On really bad days/nights, we don't get a reprieve no matter what the hour, and must sleep in 20 minute increments. Those times blur together in a series of images. Like the bed, which never gets made because I'm constantly collapsing into it, then forcing myself to crawl back out of it a short time later.

This book is still the best I've found on treating a baby with reflux. It led me to put L on Prevacid, which was a huge scary step but worked wonders. It remains on the nightstand for constant reference.

I know, giving a baby Maalox {I just dip his pacifier in a capful when he's suffering} sounds bizarre, but it works well enough that we haven't had to put him on a prescription. I have chalky Maalox stains on all my clothes.

When he isn't feeling well, he sleeps best by being held. Second to that, being propped up in the carseat, or with a Boppy pillow, or in the swing buys enough time for mommy to rest as well. {notice his little Maalox goatee? Poor boy.}

And since I become delirious when not sleeping, I wear bracelets that I switch from wrist to wrist to remind myself which side he's supposed to nurse on next. Who says you can't wear jewelry with pajamas? :)