Jake's New (Safer!) Highchair

So the yesterday we had a little scare during lunchtime. It wasn't really a big deal, but it rattled me a little! Jake's reflux has been acting up a little the past few days. He and Lily were in their highchairs when Jake spit up and started choking. Lily has a Graco highchair (pretty pink!) with a quick-release 5 point harness. Jake's was an Evenflow that had a 5 point harness, but the shoulder/waist straps were one solid loop. To get him in, you had to put his arms through the loops. Well, when he started choking, he started flailing his arms, and I couldn't get him out! I ended up having to tip the whole highchair forward with him in it until he coughed it all out. That was enough for me. That very day, I traded the Evenflow in to Kid to Kid for another Graco with a 5pt quick release. They even had a matching one in a blue pattern! So now our highchairs are equally safe and match too. Couldn't ask for more.

Getting Closer!

Jake's appointment with Dr. Yamashiro went great yesterday. He said Jake's nose is really shaping up and was happy with how close together the palate is. I'm still a little nervous about his lip. We just can't get tape to stick to that one little side because it's on a different level. The tape sticks to the right side of his lip, then skips straight to his left cheek. Ah well, I guess if there's nothing you can do, then there's no sense worrying about it (I will anyway though! :) Here's Jake getting some Daddy-Tickles!

Taping the NAM

We've worked out a great system for taping Jake's NAM, so I thought I'd share. Instead of the transpore, we use band-aids to make the rubber band tapes. The fabric kind are the best. We still use the dots because Jake's cheeks will react to the adhesive, but they stay so much better that we can keep them on for a few days at a time. This results in less overall irritation - yay! So here's what you do;
1. Cut bandaid in half while still in the package
2. Remove from the package and trim the ends
3. Remove one side of the adhesive covering
4. Thread the rubber band over the sticky end, all the way down to the bandaid's pad
5. Fold over the sticky end and you're done!

It's so much easier to store and get on his cheeks. The folded over part gives your a great place to hold onto it while the baby is squirming! We store them in one of those Gladware disposable containers. The lid is molded so that you can measure out the lip tapes ahead of time and just stick them to the lid. So handy! I've also started folding over a little bit of tape at each end, so we can get them off easier. Otherwise they really stick to the dots.

Getting Prepped

Since I was thinking about it (perhaps a little too much...) I decided to spend the morning gathering everything I need for after Jake's surgery. (Yes, I know it's over a month away but hey, obsessive preparedness is how I deal with stress. That, and excessive soda consumption. I could have worse coping mechanisms.) I got a Bumbo seat for him to sit up in (they already have another seat with a toy tray around it, but even without using his arms, he can lean forward and gnaw on the them.) and a few shirts and onsies that snap down the front. I don't want to be pulling anything over his head. Thank goodness for Kid to Kid stores! We're on a tight budget to begin with, and with the medical stuff coming up, we're trying not to spend anything. My mom is coming up to stay for a few days after the surgery to help me out. I can't afford any of the fancy restraint systems out there, so I'm making my own out of fabric I have stashed away (another coping mechanism actually - buying fabric!) It's really cute though! It has dinosaurs and green fleece on it. We call it Mr. Restrain-y Pants! Actually, that's what I call it. Eric just raises an eyebrow... :) After packing for the hospital,  all that's left to do is get the house clean... hmm, maybe I'm done getting prepared.

It's not a very clear shot, but here is Jake wearing his Mr. Restrain-y Pants (I only have one arm cuff done so far) And, like with everything else, he really doesn't seem to mind all that much.

Surgery Scheduled

Jake's surgery will be on September 14th. Trying to prepare for it mentally, but it's going to happen whether I'm ready or not. Best case scenario: it'll go great and he'll be all healed up within 2 weeks. Worst case scenario: his lip tissue won't be pliable enough so the surgeon will only be able to do a partial repair, and we'll have to repeat the whole thing a month later. Ok, so there are lots worse things that could happen, but I refuse to think about it. Besides, Primary Childrens' Hospital is quite literally the best facility in the West, so he'll be getting the best possible care. Anyway, here's a look at how far Jake has come in the past few months! Eating rice cereal (5mo), hanging out in the swing (3 mo), First visit with Nana (4 days).

Our Favorite Books!

Reading has become a regular part of our schedule. Before bed, or if someone can't fall asleep, we read a book to calm down and focus. It's really helped. They've even started turning the pages! Well, sort of. :) Lily likes to try to eat the books, and Jake likes to grab one page and not let go. Thank goodness for board and fabric books, especially the DK Baby Touch and Feel series! The covers are a little puffy, and the pages really sturdy, so they stand up to a lot of abuse. Here are our current favorites;
Jake loves the Trucks book! I picked it up just for some variety but it's quickly become his favorite! He likes to feel the texture of the tractor's tires the best. Lily likes it too but is much more interested in the Puppies and Kitties one. Her favorite thing to touch is fur and fuzzy things. I really didn't think those kinds of preferences would set in so early! Honestly, I thought boy/girl preferences were largely conditional, but I've had to rethink that!

But our favorite book of all is still Fluffy Chick. Lily will stare at the cover and pet Fluffy Chick. We really don't even have to read it anymore!

What am I reading, you ask? In the few, brief moments I have to myself, I've been reading "Bad Mother" by Ayelet Waldman. It's an exploration of why women of our generation (daughters of womens' libers) feel like we need to be career minded, domestic goddesses, and perfect mothers all at the same time, and how we end up feeling like we're failing at all three! It's hilarious, insightful, and incredibly comforting all at the same time.

Portraits!

Earlier I posted that I wanted to get a portrait of the kids before Jake's surgery. And here it is! It came out great!

I love this one, they're holding hands! Jake's got his hand in his mouth, but that's just what he does. :)

Eating Better

Boy, it's been a while since I last posted! Things have been real busy, but I'll try to catch up. We've had real success feeding Jake rice cereal with a 3cc open-mouth syringe. (The syringes come from the vet, by the way! Our local vet doesn't even charge us for them. They just gave us a handful and said I can get more if I ever need to.)Now he and Lily are eating about 2 tablespoons of rice a day, along with their bottles. My mother-in-law had given us these cute little bowls for Christmas a few years ago. They're actually sauce bowls and we've used them a lot (my husband's a chef, I certainly don't cook anything fancy enough to necessitate sauce!) But it turns out they're just the right size for baby-feeding right now!

Jake is lagging a little behind Lily as far as weight goes. We figure it's because he burns more calories trying to eat. Also, he puts a lot more energy into crying! Lily is more of a quiet whiner, but when Jake decides to throw a fit, he really goes for it! I'm thinking I might widen the Pigeon nipple openings a little bit and see if that helps. We moved Lily to fast-flow nipples now that she's bigger, so maybe Jake needs the same adjustment.