Life, of late

Again with my lack of updates!! My sincerest apologies - life has been so hectic, but I feel like we finally have somewhat of a normal routine.

Noah will be five months old tomorrow, and he is the easiest, most portable kid. His body clock is my best friend, because he's so easy to read. He eats every three hours like clockwork and is usually asleep within two hours of waking (thank you Dr. Weissbluth!). He's been eating cereal for over a month. It was slow going at first, but we recently figured out that feeding him cereal after a slightly smaller bottle makes all the difference! Now he's gobbling it up, save for when he's too sleepy (like this morning). We started the oatmeal cereal a few days ago, and he really seems to like it. He started imitating me by opening big and screeching "AHH!"

Our trip to Arizona was fantastic. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, as was the newest love in our lives, baby Laine. We are so happy for Amanda, Robert, & Isaac, who, by the way, is Noah's new best friend. Noah would light up and laugh hystericallly for Isaac! Noah enjoyed playing on Laine's pink playmat - his favorite toy here at home too (his isn't pink though...) He "enjoyed" two Cubs games, including one where they beat the Sox 13-0!! He was very overwhelmed by the experience, to say the least. The Cubs/Sox game was a very exciting game - lots of hits, including a grand slam - so when people would get loud and cheer, he would dissolve into a full on cry. His eyes would crunch, and he'd do the whole "eh, eh, eh, eh, EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" I just kept clapping and whispering "yay" in his ear when good things happened, since that's how we applaud him at home. The second game was not as exciting (the Cubs lost, and the average age of the crowd was probably about 30 years older than the previous game), so he did much better. He even got a souvenir! He got a "Spring Training 2009" baseball cap, that's child size, but fits his huge noggin!

Speaking of his nog, at his four month appointment, Noah's head was in the 99th percentile, and had grown over an inch in one month. The percent and growth were a little disconcerting to me, so I asked the pediatrician if we should be concerned. He said probably not, especially if big heads run in the family (they do), but said he wanted to consult with a neurosurgeon from Children's to be safe. The neuro suggested a cranial ultrasound through his soft spot to check for extra fluid. Turns out, little man does have some extra fluid outside of his brain, but the ped said he's not concerned. The neuro, however, wants to see Noah for a consultation. I think they're just being cautious, and I'm less worried now than I initially was, but I just feel bad for the poor kid getting toted from doctor to doctor, and getting test after test... We go back to Children's in two weeks for that appt, and we go back to the ped this Monday to get another measurement of his head. My biggest concern at this point is how his head size is impeding his development. I feel like his huge head is making it hard for him push up onto his arms and hands and to roll over. He does these things, but not as frequently as I think I'd like. Technically he's still getting PT once a month, but we're sort of on the fence if he really needs it... I guess it's sort of a crutch for me. Not that he really needs to be getting therapy for me to talk to his therapist about things.... :)

As for the hematology piece, he's doing great. We went to Children's this past Thursday for a follow up, and his hemoglobin is up to 10.5, which is great for him! The doc told us he'd see us back in 6 months! Yay! At that time, Noah will be almost a year, so they'll be able to do the testing to officially diagnose him with spherocytosis. The doc said that since I have such a mind case of it, Noah's will probably be mild as well. Thanks goodness! I'm anticipating no more transfusions in his future!!

I've been back to work now for a while. I'm starting to get back into the routine, but I can't seem to catch up. I think in a couple more months I'll feel a lot better, but right now I have good days and bad days. I feel like I might be hitting the wall... I've never felt as burned out as I do lately, and I don't feel like I'm doing my best, which is really hard for me, since I'm sort of a perfectionist. The thought of changing jobs terrifies me on so many levels. After doing something for five years, it's hard to imagine a change. But comfort is no reason to stay at a job... however, in this economy, job security is, so I'm kind of torn. I don't even know what I'd want to do if I made a change. Would I stay in the field or is it time to branch out? I wonder about it every day...

Time to jump through the shower before Noah wakes up. I'll post some new pics and videos soon!