Ava - Birth to 6 Months

Happy 6 Months Ava.. Today is your half birthday and Mommy's 26th birthday!! We had a fun week with your grandmother, granddaddy, Bella Sue and Bailey dog. You were spoiled rotten as usual. You had your first birthday cake.. Not really to eat but just to say you had one.

I will be honest it has been a hard 6 months but things are getting better every day. We tried breastfeeding for two weeks but with a combination of weight loss from her and her feeding dysphagia, we made the decision to switch to formula. We tried 9 different formulas and had multiple problems with each one until we put her on soy. Soy makes her very very constipated but it was better than any of the other formulas on her tummy. The others would make her scream bloody murder all day and night, be super gassy, projectile vomit and have diarrhea. We also had an ultrasound of her stomach and esophagus to see if she needed surgery and thank goodness everything was fine with that.

We made all these decisions about formula and not breastfeeding anymore with our pediatrician. This meant being at his office some times 3 times a week and on weekends, plus multiple phone calls with the nurses.

Ava was also diagnosed with Laryngomalacia, which means a soft larynx. The night we brought Ava home from the hospital she started wheezing horribly. We took her to the pediatrician multiple times for this all the while being told by multiple doctors that I was just a new worried mom and that everything was fine with her; the noise was just baby sounds. I put my foot down and demand she see an ENT. Which is where she was diagnosed with Laryngomalacia. Ava will have this until she is older and her Larynx calcifies. We see an ENT every 2-3 months just to keep an eye on it. If she cries for too long or too hard, if her reflux is bad, or if she happens to gulp her milk and it coats her larynx she will sound like a little wheezing/ asthmatic seal as I say.

Reflux hit our house when she was 2 weeks old and has been horrible up until about 3 weeks ago.We have been on up to 3 different medications at a time. We started going to a feeding dysphagia clinic recommended to us by our pediatrician after I noticed she was having a very hard time taking a bottle at times. They found a combination of her chewing the nipple, not sucking properly, gulping and reflux as the source of her feeding problems. We also found out she was aspirating some when she was taking a bottle. We had a swallow test done and that helped so much in showing us how much to thicken her formula. This helped some with her reflux but helped stop her from aspirating. They also showed us a special way of feeding her by pushing up on her jaw with my hand to teach her how to properly suck. This also helped with the reflux and aspirating. I am the only one that can really feed her. Jarod can feed her if it's a good day for her but mostly it's just me. Which has been hard at times for all of us. 

She is now on just one reflux medication, but preparing a bottle is more like mixing a cocktail for her. We have a glass jar that we fill with rice cereal. We have to blend two boxes of rice cereal once a week and we keep it in the jar for easy access since we need it for every bottle. We blend the cereal to help it not get stuck in the nipple or chuck up while she sucks the bottle. We also warm her formula or use pre-mixed formula when we are out because it is room temperature. We then add one teaspoon of rice cereal per ounce of formula and blend it in with a cocktail/formula mixer. We add fiber, probiotic and milk of magnesia twice a day since she has horrible constipation from the soy formula. 

This all has been extremely hard on this momma. It was hard on me stoping breastfeeding and watching her in pain for months at a time. We had some terribly long days and nights. I have honestly learned a lot about myself in these past 6 months. I know that the Lord puts us through all of these things for a reason. And I know that there are plenty of children out there with way bigger problems than Ava has come close to facing, but when it's your child it feels like the worst thing in the world. I look at her and look at everything we have been through together and I know I would do it again for her in a heart beat.  I know that it was also hard on our families. I went through most of this with me being diagnosed with PPD (which I will write another post on).

This has been a fun month for her! We are starting to go out more and more and she is noticing everything and everyone. She love people and love to watch them but can get shy at times which is so cute. She has started getting stranger danger, if someone she hasn't  met before or hasnt seen in awhile is holding her. I have to be in sight of her or she will get pretty up set. 

She is in size 2 diapers, size 6/9 months clothes depending on the brand.

She is grabbing for everything and giggles and smiles all the time now. She has finally gotten into somewhat of a schedule. It has been rough on us not having one for so long. Her reflux would mess up every schedule depending on the day we are having. It's not a solid schedule but it's getting there. We are still on 4 oz bottles and still see our feeding specialist to help with her reflux feeding.

She loves to jump, it's really her favorite thing to do. This child is full of energy and I mean full of it. I think she sucks all of mine out and uses it. LOL

She can sit up by herself for a good amount of time.

She is starting to make the sound for mama, but has not said it yet.

She has start scooting herself around with her tummy to get to toys, but not moving her legs enough to crawl.

She has her first tooth coming in and it is giving her a fit. 

She also loves using her sippy cup for meal time and especially loves exploring new foods we are trying her on.

She is very spoiled already.. She doesn't like it if she can't see me and has been having a hard time sleeping. We are working on that slowly. 

She lost all of her hair except for a little in the back and it is finally growing back this month.. We have to keep bows in her hair because of the multiple of older women asking if she is a boy or girl. And she has tons of pink on when they ask too. That doesn't make momma too happy.

She love loves dogs just like her mama and daddy. 

Her favorite foods are prunes, carrots and green beans.

She loves books and music.

Her favorite toys are the Baby Einstein Exersaucer, Sophie, Sassy Baby Books, Rings, her Jenny Jump up and VTech - Rhyme and Discover Book.

Ava,

It's so hard to believe you are already 6 months old!! You are growing up so fast. Slow down.. Every day you are doing something new and funny! We think you are the cutest baby in the world and love more than you ever know! We thank the Lord everyday he gave us such a special girl.. Mommy and Daddy love you so so much little girl! Happy half birthday little one!

Love you forever and ever,

Mommy and Daddy