slow days….

Taking flight on their imaginary plane. Notice the hoop steering wheel and backboard seat…and their beloved stuffed animals waiting patiently in the grass.

My big boys are away visiting David’s parents for a few days this week. They love to visit, the grandparents love to see them, and I love having a little time to focus on just the baby while they’re away.

This has been perfect timing for a mildly troubling reason. I took Ben in for his checkup on Friday. Thank the Lord I had gotten a babysitter because we ended up being there for awhile.

Ben hadn’t gained any weight since his last check up two months before. He’d actually lost 5 oz.

There are many things to be thankful for here. I love and trust my doctor, and he isn’t usually concerned that we have skinny boys. When he is concerned, I can trust that he’s not overreacting. And though they’ve all been skinny, nobody has lost weight before.

Poor Ben got blood drawn for a full panel of tests. They had to take a urine sample to rule out infection. And I was sent home with 3 cans of high protein formula and instructions to try and feed it to him in baby cereal twice a day and give it to him in a bottle after I nurse.

My doctor doesn’t really think that there is anything wrong with Ben. I don’t either. But it’s hard not to worry. I’m very thankful that this isn’t my first baby. If it was, I would be absolutely freaked. As it is, I’m just sad and concerned.

I strongly suspect that at least one reason that Ben is underweight is because he is the 3rd of 3 children under age 6. I haven’t taken the time to nurse him in as leisurely of a fashion as I should’ve, bringing him back to the breast a few times after he seemed done to make sure he was getting the hind milk. I waited later than I should’ve to start him on cereal because the whole family came down with the stomach flu. And now that he’s on cereal, I have wanted to rush him through his bowl so I can be on to other things, not paying enough attention to whether he’d like another bowl. I haven’t taken enough care at times to make sure that I’m getting the water I need to make the milk he needs.

These things have become painfully apparent now that I have to slow down and focus on them. They’re not pleasant thoughts.

I’m thankful that I have this time alone with him to focus on getting us back on track. We’re mostly staying home to eat and nap slowly. I haven’t planned much. He comes first… far above errands and cleaning and visiting.

Weight check is in a week and a half. He’s taking in lots of cereal with formula twice a day… though he’s uninterested in extra bottles after nursing. I am popping fenugreek again. I may see about adding some organic coconut oil to his baby food.

We’ll keep ya posted… and please pray that he’ll start gaining again quickly.