this and that

I feel like I haven't posted in forever. My days seem to fly away faster than I realize. We're all here and (thankfully) well. Rhys and I have gotten our H1N1 vaccine - yikes! - and I'm feeling much better that we've taken every precaution (in addition to being germ freaks) to keep us healthy. I really did not want to get it for him (or myself), but given our current family situation I didn't feel either of us could risk it. But boy did I have to scheme to get it for him! The pedi notified patients via e-mail that they received the shot version last Thursday. So I called to make an appointment never dreaming it would be total chaos. The office opens at 9 a.m., and by 9:30 (I had to call for 30 minutes to get anyone to answer the phone) they had quit making the required separate, to-get-the-vaccine-only, appointment. I was furious. There was absolutely no priority for who received the vaccine. I was told to call back Monday morning and they'd be making additional appointments provided there were vaccines still available. I called again first thing Monday morning and got through at 9:05 a.m. Awesome, I should have no problem now! But wait, they were now not making additional appointments until Tuesday. Um, sorry not acceptable that my 23 weeker is getting no consideration. I don't expect special treatment for my child for anything other than he is legitimately HIGH RISK! So, I schemed. I made Rhys an appointment to get his allergy sniffle checked out, which needed to be checked anyway to make sure his lungs and ears were okay, in hopes he could get the vaccine while he was there. They had an opening for a pedi visit that morning, so I get Rhys ready and into the office lickety split, all the while expecting a line out the door. Imagine my surprise when I get there and see only a handful of people waiting in the lobby. Not only that, but the receptionists were now telling people they were out of the vaccine completely. I was irked, but quickly discovered from the pedi that they did in fact have the vaccine and they were all too happy to give it to Rhys. I was glad we did in fact get the vaccine for Rhys, but I am still seriously annoyed I had to go to such lengths.

Rhys is such a funny little guy. He is loving the Pediasure and seems to be growing like a weed. He's gained nearly a pound since switching over and is starting to look more like a toddler than a baby. He is still taking things at his own pace, but he is definitely gaining more strength in his torso and arms. The coordination in his right arm is catching up to his left, though he is still a lefty more often than not. He can push himself up now and acts like he really wants to start moving. He'll bring his legs forward one at a time, but he just doesn't quite get it yet. He is still a ways from coordinating everything all together, but it's exciting seeing his progress nonetheless. We recently found him a (second) pair of shoes that are hard sole, but not so hard that he refuses to use his feet, as we found was the case with the first pair we purchased (and had to return) for him. We are really pushing new foods, trying to make him branch out from his yogurt and ice cream. He'll eat his yogurt or ice cream with his graham crackers crunched up in it (for texture) but he wont he mushed mac and cheese or spaghetti. He loves all his finger foods and will try to feed himself most anything you put in front of him, but we're still working on adequate chewing. His gag reflex is all but gone, though there are still a few occasions where something will get stuck in the back of his throat and he wants it out.

His four top teeth are now all poking through and partially in, and you can occasionally catch a peek of them when he smiles. He is still crabby a lot of time at night so we think they are still bothering him, or maybe he has some new ones working on coming through. Since the time change Rhys has been waking at 6 a.m. every morning. Who knew that a one hour time difference would make my child wake two hours earlier?! Sheesh, that has been a hard adjustment for me. I am trying to transition Rhys to only one nap a day. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. If he takes two naps a day he tends to fight bed time and/or wakes several times at night so I try really hard to keep him up and make him tired for one good nap after lunch and then a decent bed time.

All seems to be well with Little Baby too. My hips have seriously started to ache lately, which is odd because I never felt this with the boys. It could partially be because of the cold weather moving in and out. I finally have a real baby bump instead of a squishy beer looking belly. I have felt fluttering and occasional little thuds but not much movement overall. The minimal belly growth and baby movement (as compared to last time) has had me a bit worried that something was off, but I am comparing to the only other thing I know which is not the norm. I get a quick mini ultrasound (no audible heartbeat check, only from the screen) at every OB visit so I am certain they'd notice anything irregular. I have my 20 week anatomy scan next week so I am excited to see how Little Baby is growing. Tonight the home health nurse who gives my 17P injections (which btw hurt like h-e-double hockey sticks tonight) used her little machine and we found the heartbeat. As of yet we still do not know if said heartbeat belongs to a baby boy or a baby girl. One week it's a girl, the next it's a boy and so on and so forth. My OB finally threw up his hands and told me to let the perinatal doctor call it next week!

Since the home health nurse has been reviewing signs to watch for I've been concerned that maybe I wouldn't be able to recognize contractions if I were having them. That sounds ridiculous but when they tell me back aches and pelvic pressure, both of which I've had, can be signs of contractions I get a little confused. I truly don't think I am having them, but my situation isn't one where I can afford to be mistaken. So, I told this to my OB and I think I might have scared him a little. I also remembered to ask him about the throbbing/pulsing I'd been feeling occasionally. He looked a bit alarmed before he understood what I was telling him, and explained that it was increased blood flow and nothing to be worried about. So, because of my two concerns he is trying to get my home monitor and terbutaline pump now instead of in two week. Man! But, anything to keep Little Baby cooking for the next 18 weeks!