Pediatric visit #1 & Spoiled Rotten

Today we had our first pediatric visit with Dr.Collins. She was referred to us by many PSHU nurses and doctors, she's also a specialist in infectious disease and cares for many kids with special hearts just like JJ's. Since Dr. Collins will be caring for John, I wanted to have one less place to go to for this busy mama so I decided to transfer Emily to her as well. With the help of grandma we took both kids in. It was one of the longest visits because she needed to get all the history on both kids. Funny how John is one month old and has a longer history than his 2 1/2 year old sister. Anyways here's the lowdown:

John weighs a whopping 9 pounds and 5 ounces and is 21 3/4 inches long and is average right on target for his age group. Lungs clear heart rate good, etc. He got his Hep B vaccine and didn't even flinch from his sleep in my lap. The nurse joked that after all he's been through this is a walk in the park for him. Also he will not get his Synergies shot since the flu season ends officially in March and today is the 30th. Overall John did well with minimal crying as he spent most of the time in my arms, but I will get to that later in the post.

Emily weighs 32 pounds and is 38 inches tall so that puts her at the above average for height and average for weight. She did phenomenal compared to our old pediatrician, she stepped on the scale, allowed the doctor to look into her ears and throat and do all the other things the physical required... until the nurse with the shots and nurse for the blood drawing came in.  At first Emily had no idea what was going to happen so she sat on grandmas lap and was fine, when her finger was pricked, blood collected and 3 separate shots put into her arms SHE LOST IT !!!!! I mean kicking and screaming, all while I still have a month old to console because he doesn't like the car seat if it's not in the car and moving.  So grandma took John and I took Emily in my arms and we were headed home. She cried the entire way home, through out her lunch (while eating) and through her nap. She slept and woke up crying, slept some more and then woke up crying AGAIN ! She cried from the time of the shots (around noon) to at least 5:30 pm. 

The doctor also did a small "physical" on me with another post pardum depression questionnaire on how i feel about life and if I've been crying, feel like things are my fault and such. I answered as truthfully as I could but realizing I dont' want to sound like a basket case on paper. Than she asks if I get at least 6 hours of sleep during 42 hour period. I wanted to laugh in her face. If I get 4 total and not consecutive I'm lucky.  Anyways I think she backed off and went to the next item on her agenda.

Now to the spoiled part. John will be one spoiled baby and he for sure knows it. This child as most could spend the entire 24 hours in my arms, sleeping, eating and all other baby actions at one month old.  I'm sure he already caught on that as soon as he peeps we rush and pick him up and he goes soundly back to sleep.  He doesn't just want to be held, he needs to be rocked shading up and not sitting... he knows when you're sitting. It's well deserved as he wasn't held for the first 3 weeks of his life, but this mama now has her hands full, literally. I have learned to make his bottle, dispense medicine, eat, wash my one free hand much much more all one handed. So by the time that this kiddo will know how to self soothe, I will have some major biceps, considering his rapid weight gain and much leaner hips and behind ( the rocking and walking back and forth). Now I wish there was a way to work in an ab routine and I would be all set. For some reason the weight has redistributed and even though the scale says close to pre baby weight, the mirror and clothes say another :-( . I did figure out that once he does fall asleep he needs to be swaddled and placed in the crib or on the bed so that it feels as tight as in mama's arms. This works about 50% of the time, the other 50% the moment I put him down, he realized hes not in the arms and starts crying and the game begins all over again. I love this little munchkin but when you got one on the arms and one hanging on to your leg (Emily) things can get a little hectic.  Especially since I was used to Emily, sitting nicely in her bouncy chair from the beginning and looking at the entire world. I could get a lot done that way, but nope, John does NOT like the bouncy.

Tomorrow, another cardio appointment and hopefully rest.