Poop Doctor Follow-Up

We saw GI last week for another follow-up. Though he's one of my favorites, he's still the poop doctor. We didn't have to take in a sample this time, but Becca oh-so-graciously decided to break her 3-day poop strike while we were in his office. This was actually really handy because he decided he did want a sample after all. Thanks, Becca.

This visit replaced our normal weigh-in at the pediatrician's office, so she was on a different scale and measuring table...which is important to note when you look at these measurements.

Last weeks ago: 8.55 kg (18 pounds, 14 ounces), 31 inches

This week: 8.75 kg (19 pounds, 4 ounces), 30.5 inches

Week's change: +200 grams/6 ounces, -0.5 inch

Net change: +1050 grams/30 ounces, +1.5 inches

WOWZAS! Some of that weight gain can be attributed to the change in scales, but some of it has to be due to the fact that.....

....wait for it...

....BECCA DIDN'T THROW UP FOR A FULL WEEK!

So maybe the secret to her growth is not so much in adding calories everywhere possible (though I'm sure her Halloween candy did help), but in keeping what she eats in her stomach. Novel concept, I know. She did throw up during her snack yesterday afternoon (because she gagged on her apple), but she hasn't thrown up during her tube feedings in 9 days! We are, of course, ecstatic for many reasons, not the least of which is that we were d.o.n.e. with vomit. Every parent has to wake up in the middle of the night and clean up vomit occasionally, but every night, whether we were at home or travelling had gotten pretty old. I'm not so naive as to think that we've bid a final adieu to our vomity child, but it sure has been nice to have a break. Any maybe now the doctors and nutritionists will listen to me when I say stopping the vomit is a priority. (Heretofore, they generally have been wanting us to get every possible drop of formula in her.) After her stomach bug last week, we cut way back on her nightly feeds and are just now bumping back up her rate...I don't know, maybe they just can't imagine the amount of vomit we see in the night or in the mornings when she throws up....it's a lot of formula and calories down the drain (and in her hair, and all over her pajamas, and soaking her sheets, and covering her blankey, Lamby, bear, and pacis), so to speak. (We even stopped giving her regular baths at bedtime because we knew she'd just end up back in the bath in a few hours.)

Anyway, the doc was happy with her weight gain, so we're not changing much, but since we are dealing with a lot of vomit, he wanted the poop sample so that he could double-check some of the findings from her scope this summer. Apparently she had a small area of inflammation in her bowels that he didn't think much of at the time, but it could be a sign of some kind of infection that could be causing the upchucking. (Wow, haven't heard that word in a long time!) Also, if she keeps tossing her cookies (nice one...love the '90's!), he's going to change her reflux prescription from Zantac (or "minty fresh," as we've come to call it - Becca LOVES the "mint" (i.e. medicine) flavor!) to something stronger that not only neutralizes the acid in her stomach but reduces the overall amount of gastric juices.

For now, though, I'm just grateful for every night and morning that goes by without my baby covered in puke! :)

And just because I haven't posted pictures in a while, here's a little teaser from Halloween!