Blonde moment and Update

Blonde or sleep deprived moment, you decide:

I am now sterilizing all bottles, pacifiers, medication droppers, etc...whatever touches Cali's mouth as part of the action plan to get rid of the yeast.  This consists of putting all those objects in a special bag in the microwave for a few minutes.  Well, i decided last night to sterilize the nasal aspirator as well.  About 3 minutes into it, i thought i smelled something burning.  I opened the microwave to some awesome fumes and a black softball size blob that looked like fungus.  Ahhh!  I rushed it outside and opened every window we have while John rushed Cali to the bedroom to quarantine her.  Um yeah, probably not a good idea to microwave rubber.  We now have a brand new microwave.  :)

The "poor baby" update:

I probably shouldn't have complained about my dairy-free diet, because the gods decided to show me that yes, it could be worse.  After doing it for 10 days, Cali still had blood in her stool and was getting diaper rash due to the frequency/consistency of the stool, so we took her back to the doctor.  The MD said the fastest way to a happier baby is to now also cut out ALL the other common allergens:  nuts, eggs, wheat, citrus, corn, and soy.  I guess the logic is that if we cut out one at a time to try and figure out exactly what it is that's causing her intestinal irritation, it would take a 2 week trial of each one.  So instead, we go cold turkey on all of them, and when things improve, we can slowly start to re-introduce one at a time.  So i threw out or stored away most of the stuff that I had just specially purchased after finding out i had to do non-dairy, and went back to the store to attempt to find foods that didn't contain ANY of the above allergens.  Believe me, there aren't many...but i'm NOT complaining, because i'm sure it could be worse!  :)  After a week of this new diet, we haven't noticed much change.  Every day continues to be extremely different.  Some days we think Cali is turning a corner, and then the next we struggle to console her.  We started her on a reflux medicine as well, but aren't sure that's made much of a difference either.  And after another lactation consultation and multiple treatments for the yeast, my pain continues to be a mystery.  Overall, there seems to be too many things going on to tease out what's causing what or what's helping what.  

But on a happy note, Cali is more alert now, and her times of being happy and awake are increasing.  We're having fun watching all her facial expressions and love to watch her smile.  She no longer screams through diaper changes, her acne and cradle cap is resolving, and she's starting to coo.  The doctor continues to be impressed with how strong she is and how much weight she's gaining (over 10 lbs a week ago).  

First Father's Day!

Today was my first Father's Day! It started off with a bang, Cali had explosive diarrhea which covered her clothes and herself. Then after breakfast, Cheyenne and I cleaned the apartment as I watched  a marathon of "Man Caves" on Do-it-Yourself Network. In the honor of Father's Day, Cheyenne allowed me to take a 2 hour nap -- it was glorious! Other than that, it was relatively uneventful. Did I mention I took an awesome nap? I highly recommend napping. 

We are preparing for our trip home to Wisconsin this coming weekend. It will be our first time traveling with Cali on an airplane. 

Are we ready? NO! 

Will it be Hell? YES!

Will it be worth it? I hope so!!!

Happy Father's Day.

Napping with my daughter. My favorite part of this photo is my hair.

Dimple?

All smiles--at least in this photo.

Cali relaxing in our bed.

Not-so-eventful Weekend at Home

This weekend was relatively uneventful. It seems as though Cali is turning a corner. She has been sleeping more, crying less, and reducing our stress levels. Who knows, maybe that medicine has been working. Or, maybe Cali just behaves when I am home in attempts to make Cheyenne look like a liar (I get calls at work during the week and Cheyenne informs me she has to constantly carry Cali around, she never sleeps, and cries all day). Hmmmmm, don't know what to think now. 

Cali sleeping in her "cocoon".

Cali sleeping to the left. Sienna sleeping to the right (between two black pillows). Apparently, they run this joint. They took over the couch, our blanket, and pillows. We just love to pamper our babies! Yes, Kathy, I am eating Sloppy Joes (see my plate)....YUMMY!!!

Big sis, Sienna, keeping a safe distance from Cali. God forbid you try to like the baby, but I do give you bonus points for being a lady and crossing your legs. 

Day in the Life of Sienna

Hello all. For those of you who don't know me, I am Sienna the Cat. I have stood by long enough and would like my voice to be heard. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, I just want the public to understand what I go through during an average day and how the new addition has affected my lifestyle.

I first wake up at 6am by the automatic food dispenser and sprint from where I had been catching some Zzzzz's, which is usually at the foot of my owner's bed, to binge eat. Typically, I like to eat as much as possible as fast as possible. My goal is to eventually puke up the food and leave a small present for my owners. Then I do a few stretches and may jump up into the window and watch the birds fly by. I usually lounge around either under the bed or on my post until around noon when Cheyenne will graciously dispense a few treats into my food dish. I just love these things, almost as much as Cheyenne loves chocolate! A few naps later, I wake up to the door opening and John coming home from work. I will typically run to the center of the living room carpet and wait for him to pet me. To entice him I will roll around on the floor and expose my belly (mainly because I want that region to receive a good scratching)! If time and space permits, I will cuddle with them on the couch and/or bed. For exercise, I will jump on the top of my post in the living room and chase my tail and suddenly bolt into the bedroom, jump on the bed, turn around, and sprint back to the post and jump on it again. It really gets the heart pumping and, of course, draws attention to me. I will stare out the window from my post until about 9:15pm and then strategically place myself in the living room carpet directly outside the kitchen and stare at the food dispenser until the food arrives--which is 10pm. After my exhausting day, I will run into the bedroom and lay on the bed until my owners go to bed. At this point, I have a battle with John as I usually lay in his spot. To get me to move, he will throw my all-time favorite toy in the world, the twistie-tie, around the room and have me chase it down and do some jumps and dives. Another trick I do is when my owners ask me to "Lay down." Because I do enjoy their company I entertain their pleading commands and do a stop-drop-and-roll maneuver. Silly humans. Once my owners go to bed, I will jump up and cuddle with them and just wait, patiently, for my 6am feeding. Oh, and did I mention I enjoy a good scratching post?

The new 'thing' my owner's brought home is really annoying. First of all, it emits this horrendous high pitched and ear-piercing noise. Secondly, it excretes an awful pollutant; frankly, it is worse than my personal bathroom box. And for those of you who have not visited me, I am weary of visitors and strangers (i.e. Cecelia McConnon--my arch nemesis). Now, before you judge me I would like to say this, it's not you, it's me. I am just particular about those I let into my life; I have trust issues. Therefore, this tiny outsider just bugs me. Sure, every once in a while, I will slowly approach the mysterious human-like creature and sniff it's head, but then sprint the hell out of there. Damn that thing is creepy! Sure, you may say I don't like the new one because I am jealous, but that is just not true. Yes, my owners tend to ignore me more, don't play with me as often, and lately, have been neglecting to clean my personal bathroom box (are they trying to make me smell like the creepy alien baby?). Plus, I hear that when the alien thing gets older, it will pull my hair, ears, and tail -- NOT COOL! Some call cats selfish, I call it self-preservation.

All and all, I have a good life here. The temperature is nice. The food is great. My daily schedule is pretty sweet. Yes, I have my complaints, but don't we all. I do have to say my owners are good people, but I am concerned about them. The new addition seems like it is taking up a lot of their time. Cheyenne is losing weight because of her diet restrictions and lack of time to eat a decent meal. John is gaining weight because he has no time to exercise or eat a healthy meal. Oh well, as long as I keep healthy!

Here are a bunch of photos and videos from the past few days....

Cali loves the DVR.

Cali loves to suck on her fingers (see video below).

Cali loves to pose for the camera (no matter how unflattering or unusual).

Cali loves to feed--I now weigh 9 lbs 1 oz.

Daddy loves to feed Cali. 

Cali loves the slide (although this was her first time).

Cali loves to go on stroller rides.

Cali loves to suck her thumb.

Cheyenne will kill me for posting this (if you can't tell, Cali is sleeping in the baby carrier attached to Cheyenne).

Sienna, in the window sill, protecting the family from the birds on the fire escape (listen to her noises and watch her mouth!)

Poor Baby

Whoever said babies just eat, sleep, and poop?  We would like to add CRY to our list.  Not just a little... a LOT in our case.  Since our poor baby has been about 2 weeks old she has needed almost constant soothing.  After seeing the pediatrician and lactation consultant, we may have some answers.   

Cali seems to be a gastrointestinal disaster.  For about 2-3 hours at night she screams bloody murder with what looks like bad gas pain.  Then after she eats, she seems like she can't sleep because she gets acid reflux.  The pediatrician then also confirmed that she has blood in her stools which she thinks is due to a milk protein allergy causing her little intestines to bleed.  What does that mean for breastfeeding mom?--I can't eat anything dairy or anything that contains a dairy protein (which you also find in many breads, pasta, ...pretty much EVERYTHING).  I was wearing my WI-Madison t-shirt when I saw the doctor, and when she told me I may have to continue this diet for a YEAR or as long as I breastfeed, I said, "I'm from WI, I CAN'T do that!"  I'm pretty much devastated, but at least we now know why our little one has been so miserable.  Oh, and to top it all off, the lactation consultant also thinks the two of us may have a yeast infection causing ME lots of pain when I'm feeding.  The action plan for all of this is extensive, and who has time to do it all when you're soothing a baby all day?  Sorry, I don't mean to post such a negative blog...but if you're wondering why we seem to have fallen off the face of the earth, this is why.  I promise to have John post new pictures and a happy blog soon :)

It could be worse right?  When we both cry together, I tell myself, "This too shall pass..."  

The Little Things

The little things I am thankful for today:

1.  Cali seems to be coming off her week long pacifier strike.  Believe me, it's a LOT harder to soothe her if she doesn't want her pacifier.

2.  Gas drops--they seemed to give Cali a little relief last night...her 2-3 hour screaming fit that she's had the last 5 nights in a row seemed to be a little less intense

3.  The one 4+ hour stretch of sleep Cali allowed us last night

4.  Trying on my old jeans today and realizing they actually fit again

5.  Actually having a spare moment to write this blog... :)

6.  A hot shower after 2 days without one

7.  Remembering/having time to brush my teeth twice in one day...maybe i'll get back to 3 times someday

Grandma & Grandpa Heltemes Visit

This past weekend my parents came to visit their granddaughter, and I guess me and Chey. It was great to see them. My mom cooked some dinners and made one of my favorite desserts. My dad enjoyed carrying Cali around and keeping her calm--he was also determined to make our cat love him (unfortunately, the latter didn't happen). When Cali napped, we all sat down for some competitive games of Canasta, of course, the guys won each game! On Sunday we ventured out to a local street fair. It was good to get out of the house. My parents were a great help and it allowed Cheyenne and I to rest our arms, take some naps, and eat some real food! 

We have had many visitors lately, and although it is a challenge to entertain guests and a baby simultaneously, was always worth it. Now that we are visitor-free, it has been more challenging. So, ultimately, what I am saying...COME VISIT!!