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January 24, 2004
Two years ago I decided to write a diary for Ryan. The following entry is one that I wrote when Ryan was 6 months old on 1/6/02. Even though I didn't have my diary here, I started one so that when this diary was up and going, I never expected it take so long, I could already have entries ready to go. Well, that only last a couple months BUT, I want to be able to post those messages so we have them forever. Going back and reading these entries I wrote over 2yrs ago reminds me of everything Ryan had to go through. I wrote these entries as if talking to Ryan in person so when he reads them, he will know that they were written just for him.
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(Going back in time)
1-6-02
6 months old today!! How time has flown! It has been a rough 6 months though. Ryan has had trouble with being sick ever since he was 2 months old. It all started with Reflux. The spitting up was enough to make anyone a little crazy! You were put on medicine to help with the reflux but it really didn’t make much of a difference. After some trials with your medicine we finally found something that worked. Liquid Zantac and Reglan. I felt so bad as you were taking Zantac 4x a day and Reglan 3x a day. I just thought that was too much medicine for such a little person, but you needed it badly. It seemed to really help slow down the reflux. Then, you got sick.
A cold that seemed to last forever. Once you would get better it seemed that you would get sick within a week. It was hard with the lack of sleep and the crying almost all the time. Mommy thought that things couldn’t get any worse until you ended up in the hospital because of dehydration. You had been really sick with vomiting to the point that you ended up at the hospital for some IV fluids. That seemed to do the trick because once you got those fluids you were a different baby. Like magic! Then about a week later you got another cold….UGH…how could it happen! I thought we were so careful not to expose you. I thought there was something wrong with our house but as it turns out, you were just getting all those germs that your sister had brought home to us. I figured that would happen but wasn’t ready for the constant crying and lack of sleep that accompanied it all. Your pediatrician said that when you have two kids in the mix this is what happens, especially during the season of colds and flu. So we went on our way, giving you medicine, antibiotics and whatever else the Dr. said to give you. We truely were desperate! You and your sister seemed to share the same cold/virus for several weeks. If it wasn’t you it was her or your daddy or I. We all had about a month where at least two of us were sick. It was MISERABLE and I was beginning to get very depressed.
Then you got another cold. This time it was different. You were miserable and completely out of your wits. Crying constantly, not sleeping and very irritated. After several trips to the Dr. and urgent care it was discovered that whatever you had developed into RSV. Thank goodness you weren’t sent to the hospital. We caught it early enough that we were able to give you breathing treatments at home. So we started with 4 breathing treatments a day at home. It wasn’t easy but it was obvious that those treatments made you feel much better. Within 4 days you were so much better, beginning to sleep better and even eat better. Finally the light at the end of the tunnel was beginning to shine through!
So finally we are all better except for a lingering cold that you and your sister have had for a week now. It doesn’t seem to be bothering either of you though. Sniffles, coughing and congestion for both of you and mommy and daddy are fighting it off as well. We all feel pretty good though. Let’s just hope that this is the end of a very long battle with sickness in our home.
Once you got better from your RSV I started you on solid food. You loved it! Your favorite things are bananas, carrots and sweet potatoes. You will eat applesauce if it is mixed with oatmeal but you don’t care for it alone. Butternut squash isn’t a real hit with you either. So far you are eating 3 meals a day in addition to your normal bottles. You are sleeping on a pretty good schedule and almost sleep through the night. Your bedtime is around 7:30-8pm. You get up at 11pm for a bottle and then sleep until 7am on most nights. Some nights you still have trouble and wake up ever few hours but mommy gives you your pacifier and off to dreamland you go. Unless of course you are all stuffed up, then mommy or daddy has to suction your nose out and you just hate that!! Boy, you can scream like nobodies business!
On a very positive note, you seem to be growing out of your reflux! We haven’t given you your medicine for about 2wks now. There were a few times you got it if you were spitting a lot but other than that, we have pretty much stopped giving it to you because you just don’t need it anymore. We are very happy about that because your Dr. was beginning to talk about surgery to correct the problem.
You are developing very well. You aren’t the biggest bean on the block but you are a good size. At your last Dr. visit you weighed 14lbs 2oz. You are a bit behind on things that your sister was doing at your age but I am really trying hard not to compare you with her. It would be like comparing apples to oranges and that just wouldn’t be fair. I think that because you were under the weather for such a long time you just need to catch up. We couldn’t play all the time or practice things with you because all you wanted to do was be held constantly. Being sick so many times at such a young age really is a detriment to your growth.
You are trying really hard to sit up on your own. You can’t do it yet but we practice all the time! You really hate being on your belly but, if mommy puts you on the floor, you roll over to your belly, look around and then cry until you either roll back over or someone puts you on your back again. You sure are demanding! There are times when I come to get you out of your crib and you are completely opposite of how I laid you down – I am not sure how you get that way. I wish we could afford one of those video monitors so I could watch what you do in there!
So that is it in a nutshell. We are very hopeful that the hardest times are behind us for now. I know there will be many more but the start of your little life was very challenging….a whole lot more than I ever bargained for!
Until next time, let’s hope we stay healthy and happy!
I love you little bean!!
Mommy
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