Baby J Is 8 Months Today

I have no picture like I promised...today has been just too hectic. If I take Baby J to get his 8 month pictures today, I'll try to remember to take one myself. Have you ever gone to Wal-Mart for their $5.99 packages? We do it every month, plus we belong to their baby club, and it is a good deal!

I was at the doctor at 7:20 this morning with Baby J. He is 13#, 12 1/2 oz. Last weight check he was 14# 1 oz. He is still 26 inches...not sure you can go backwards on that unless you are Benjamin Button. He is 5 inches longer and 6# 11 1/2 oz bigger than the day he was born. In other words, he hasn't doubled his weight. At four months he was bigger than he is today. That is so scary to me. If they take Baby J back to his original due date (he was 3 weeks early) and put his length on a chart he is about the 4th percentile. He is well below 0 for weight.

He has cranky days, and is crankier than Snug ever was, but we still enjoy smiles and laughs and he is very cuddly with his daddy. Have you seen his beautiful eyes? Would you look at him and think something was wrong?

Our doctor is concerned about the developmental issues I brought up too. He said he would normally just keep a "close eye on them", but in light of the growth problems he isn't taking any risks and his language delays aren't good either. It is too many things wrong at once. He is sending us to Children's Hospital for a developmental screening and also to 4 Oaks, the county developmental and speech specialists. We have to wait for them to call us and get an apointment.

The doctor was surprised (not sure that is the word) at how many different foods Baby J is eating, and when I told him how often/how much/what it deepened his concern on the weight gain...with as much as he eats, as often as he eats, and what he is eating he should be gaining weight.

He was also very insistent that I go to MVH and see my lactation consultant today. He wants tests run on my milk to see if there is a protein missing. He is convinced that Baby J is getting enough to drink, and is a firm believer that breastmilk is best for babies. However, in light of the situation he wants us to also give Baby J a soy based formula along with breastmilk incase there is a protein deficiency in my milk. It doesn't happen aften because almost always breastmilk is the perfect food for babies. He wasn't even happy to recommend we give him formula, but he is very concerned for Baby J's health at this point. Getting out a bottle and giving him formula today (he took some ok, not his biggest thrill) was very hard for me. #1 said we are going to look at it as 'medicine' not food.

I haven't been to MVH today thought because I can't get ahold of anyone!!!!!
Oh this is getting rambly...I think I may just drive him to MVH and walk in. What is the worst they can say? I mean either they can tell me to my face they can't see me today or I can sit here and wait for a phone call that may or may not come saying they can't see me today.

I want to thank everyone for the e-mails, comments, and phone calls today. It is so good to know so many people care and are praying. There are so many other children out there with much more serious health issues, but you all are taking time to pray for my little (no pun intended) boy. Thank you.