GI Joe

Chloe saw the GI yesterday. Her bili is "within normal limits" YAY! For some reason (which is unknown to me) they have chosen to keep her on the Actigal and have increased the dose per her weight gain. She weighs 12.9 pounds. I could have sworn that she was up to about 14, but she's just at 13. They were very happy with her weight gain. They are keeping her on Elecare (damn!) until her next appointment in 2.5 months. That's like $12,000 worth of formula (rough estimate). They have also advised me to add 1 Tablespoon per 2 oz of formula of baby cereal. It is to thicken her formula so that she won't have so much reflux. I think it's sort of funny -- this is one of those things grandma's tell you to do so that your baby will sleep through the night -- add cereal to the bottle to "weigh down" their tummy so they won't get hungry. Then doctors came out and said "NO! That's harmful for your baby!" and I never, ever did it with my girls. Now, with Chloe, it's an order.
They ordered a swallow study to see where her formula is going -- into her tummy? Into her lungs? What a question to be asking now - months and months later. Her chest is retracting a lot lately and she is taking really shallow breaths. I pointed it out to the GI and she said Chloe sounds clear -- so there shouldn't be anything to worry about, but then she scheduled the swallow study. I don't know too much about it other than they lace something with barium and do a bunch of Xrays. That should be tons o' fun. The nurse at the doctor's office said that they are scheduling into September -- which to me sounds like too far out. If they are concerned, shouldn't it be done sooner than 5 months away? I'm sure they have no control over scheduling, I'm just saying -- really?

They increased her Prevacid med, too, to an entire tablet, now crushed and mixed with water. I was just crushing the tablet in her mouth, but according to the PA this isn't a good way to do it (that is the way that they told me to do it at the last appointment). Chloe doesn't mind the med, though, so it's fine by me. She DOES mind her Flovent breathing treatment. It must taste gross or something, because she hates it and fights me on it now. She used to have no problem with it at all, but now she really doesn't like it.

We got her a bouncy-rainforesty-thing instead of an exersaucer. It takes up way too much room and she is too small for it...but I think she'll like it in a few months. We have to stack up pillows under her feet so that she can push off and try to jump up. It seemed like it would be a good fit - but she is still a little small for it. I think this will be the last enormous piece of baby equipment that I purchase. Our livingroom is starting to look like Amazing Jakes.


She is sleeping through the night - from about 10 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. (that's when I begin my chauffeur service). She doesn't like her new formula/oatmeal food - so we'll have to work on that some. She is entertaining herself more and more - on her playmat especially. She still isn't rolling from back to tummy, but she's almost there. My friend gave us a Baby Einstein dvd (ironically, this is Chloe's nickname) and she seems to enjoy the music. I know it's a little early to expose her to TV, but it's better she learn about it at home than from her friends.