9 months!

We've had a pretty rough few months over here and I've been slacking big time on the blog front. Luke's been pretty sick, we've had a lot of issues, and I was working more.
This is a long post because I feel like I've left a lot out...

Happy New Year!

Right around 8 months, Luke got sick with another virus including a bad cough. We were cleared to travel to Florida and while we were there it turned into pneumonia (Merry Christmas to him). We were at an urgent care that knew nothing about babies in a senior citizen part of Florida (I know not all of FL is old people but this place was). It was horrible being so sick away from our trusted doctors, children's hospital and away from home. It was a pretty miserable Christmas. Dave and I were also sick with a horrible cough but not as sick as him.
   

   

During this time we also gave him one bite of scrambled egg. I wasn't happy with his reaction (red rash, vomiting) and I suspected a food allergy to egg white. So, about a week later, I decided to do a little experiment and dab some egg white on his back (he didn't eat any). Within 10 minutes, his back/neck was welted, he vomited and was very sick. We rushed him to the doctor who confirmed the egg white allergy. For now we are avoiding all eggs but soon we will slowly try out yolk and eggs baked in things (pancakes, cake, etc)

suspicion of allergy

my egg white experiment- pictures 10 min apart

 
Luke got better for about a week, went back to daycare and was his old-happy self. Then, he got a bad cough, high fever (spiked at 103) and breathing issues. All this made him not drink or eat at all and then we started worrying about dehydration. He also has lost a bunch of weight and at his 9 month appointment weighs what he did at 7months. We ended up at the ER twice and pediatrician twice this week to eventually get a diagnosis of asthma. They were hesitant to call it asthma this young so it started the week as asthmatic tendencies but when the normal inhaler didn't help and steroids were called in- it was diagnosed as asthma. My mom flew out to help me and it's so great to have the help with a sick baby. Yesterday was his first dose of the steroids and after 2 doses he was a new baby- he was eating again, breathing normally, stopped coughing and slept all night! He still gets tired easily and needs more sleep but he's playing in between.

Luke in ER

Somehow midweek he had a good day and decided to crawl forward! He did it a bunch of times and hasn't done his helpless backward scoot since! I'm such a proud mom!

Since mid-November, the first time Luke got sick with the cough and breathing issue I've been having a rough time with anxiety. I've been extremely worried about him (breathing issues are scary!) and not doing well. At the same time, I got a cold which made me lose about 5 oz per day from pumping then got a miserable post-partum period. By the time November was over, I was down about 10 ounces per day. The lack of supply caused me more stress and anxiety. Then after I got sick at Christmas, I was down to about 20 oz per day. I knew I needed to a) start weaning from the pump and b) talk to my dr about the anxiety. I planned to do both in January. I'll write a separate post about weaning from the pump.

We introduced formula in mid January, the week that he wasn't sick and he took to it just fine. He was also in a growth spurt that week drinking over 40 oz per day so it was really good timing- I would've burned through a huge chunk of my stash if I tried to stick with just BM.

 So now we're at 9 months, 3/4 of a year old. I'm hoping the last quarter of his first year he is happier and healthier and starts to thrive. Regardless, I love my little boy and his hugs make me so happy. And now it's ok to start planning his first birthday bash :)