GERD

Every Mommy out there knows that one of the worst experiences is seeing your child in pain.  As much as you don't like pain yourself, you would rather have the pain yourself rather than watch your child hurt.  With that said, I'm sad to say that Leeland was diagnosed with GERD today.  GERD stands for Gastro-Esophaggeal Reflux Disease.  Without using all of the fancy dancy medical terms it is basically caused when the junction between the stomach and esophagus is underdeveloped in some babies.  At the lower end of your esophagus there is a band of muscles that tightens after you eat to keep your food down.  In babies who have GERD, those muscles relax rather than tighten and the food comes back up along with acid from the stomach causing irratation, pain and sort of a form of heartburn.

Some symptoms of GERD in infants are:
-Sudden fussiness that's inconsolable
-Arching their back during feedings
-Excessive spitting up and vommiting
-Erratic feeding patterns and fussiness during some or all feedings
-Slow weigh gain
-Poor sleeping habits
-Excessive drooling
-Gagging or choking
Sometimes:
-Chronic coughing
-Frequent red or sore throat
-Frequent ear infections

How do you treat it?:
-Feed the baby in a more upright position
-Put cereal in the babies bottles
-Wedge the crib mattress so the baby sleeps in a more inclined position
-Frequently burp the baby
-Avoid overfeeding and feed smaller more frequent meals
-And some pediatricians will perscribe an antacid 

Now that everyone is thoroughly educated about infant acid reflux, you now know what we have been dealing with.  Frequent fussiness, LOADS of drool and Mommy is doing LOTS of laundry from spit up.... Leeland's laundry and Mommy's.  I had acid reflux when I was pregnant and I just remember being absolutely miserable, so I really do hate to see Leeland hurt.  However if he were going to be diagnosed with something, there are worse things out there, so this isn't all too bad.  Also an added bonus is that supposedly it won't stick around forever.  In most babies it only sticks around until age 1 or 2.  And I read that it peaks at 4 months, which is how old Leeland is, so we're dealing with the worst of it now.... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! :D

A Newborn's Conversation With God

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you.  And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the small child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

God said, "You will simply call her, Mommy."

4 month check-up!

Today was Leeland's 4 month check-up at Dr. Rubin's office and it went really well.  Of course we always love to see Dr. Rubin-- he's a very funny, sarcastic, gentle man.  Going into today's appointment however it didn't dawn on me that Leeland would be getting 4 shots! :0(  He seemed to take them pretty well though, screamed and cried on the table but calmed down pretty quickly once in Mommy's arms.  

 One thing I do know, is that our little boy is growing fast! Today he weighed 14 pounds even and measured 26 inches long.  He was only in the 30th percentile for his weight which means he weighs more than 30% of most 4 month olds.  Basically, he could put on a couple more pounds and not be hurt by it.  And he was in the 88th percentile in his height.  We could potentially have a great basketball player on our hands.  :D

Daddy tickling the baby before the Dr. came in.

4 shots and 2 bright orange band-aids to make it all better!

One cool thing that came out of today's appointment is that Dr. Rubin didn't seem to mind at all that we had given Leeland rice cereal a little early.... maybe because he's not heavy anyways.  And we got the clear to start introducing fruits and vegetable purees to him! Tonight we started with GREEN BEANS!

  At first he was a little unsure, but they grew on him!

    Now Mommy's just hoping that green beans come out of baby Leeland's clothes!                    

Teach your children....

Since becoming a Mother I have discovered the MANY joys of being a parent.  Babies are SO much fun!!! Granted there is a lot of work involved, but the reward is so worth it.  Leeland is like a little sponge! He's very active and lately has become VERY observative. It's so much fun to watch him look at the world around him and learn new things.  All the baby books talk about the importance of naming objects and reading books to him so I've tried my best to use proper words for things and have made it my goal to teach him what he needs to know.  It's so crazy to think that Daniel and I are responsible for him learning his first words, putting together sentences, learning the stove is hot, not to trust strange dogs.... and the list goes on.   But in the Kroh family it's also important for him to learn about Jesus.  

Psalms says this, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior; So are the children of one's youth.  Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;" (127:3-5)  Daniel and I have been blessed with Leeland and hope to raise him up to be a Godly man.  Daniel and I aren't perfect and we don't know it all but we will teach him what we can and rely on friends and family to help also.  Recently I have spent some time reading Leeland the Bible while he plays.  For me, it's just enjoying my time in the Word with God, and for him he's just playing with his toys, but he hears his Mommy's voice, and he hears the Word of God. 

Deuteronomy says, "You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall TEACH them DILIGENTLY to your children, and shall TALK of them when you sit in your house, when you WALK by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." (6:5-7)  I pray daily for Leeland, and pray every night when I put him to bed that he comes to know the Lord as his Savior just as Daniel and I have.  We are doing our best to surround him with the Word and be good examples to him.  He has verses posted all over his room, Daniel and I cut out secular music several years ago so he gets to hear songs of praise to the Lord ALL day long.  Daniel and I sing many of our favorites to him.  My hope is that he will never know who Lady GaGa or (insert latest rapper's name here) is! To some, they may think that we are depriving our child, or sheltering him from society.  But honestly our hope is that he will find peace and insurmountable joy in Christ which is better than anything that society has to offer!

To take it a step further, I have even found myself praying for Leeland's future wife.  If it is in the Lord's plan for him to be married, my hope is that he find's a Godly woman, a woman of the Word, the virtuous wife of Proverbs 31.  I pray for her most days and she may not even be born yet.  The Lord knows her and knows her family though, and knows the day that they may meet. 

When it all boils down, there will be a day when Leeland will choose for himself whether he will follow the Lord or whether he will be led astray.  I hope that Daniel and I are planting the seeds necessary for him to choose the narrow path, the path of righteousness.  Proverbs says, "A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother." (10:1) From this we learn that we should raise our children with the end in sight knowing that one day they will make their own choices.  And in our house, if Leeland chooses a different direction, it won't be because we didn't pray, and it won't be because he didn't hear God's word, and it won't be because we didn't do our best to follow the Lord.  

Quotes About Family I Like...

"People before things, People before projects; Family before friends, husband before children, husband before parents; Tithe before wants; Bible before opinions, Jesus before all."
      --Jo Ann Leavell

"A child's security is based not on how much his parents love him but on how much his parents love each other."
        --Susan Alexander yates

"Proper parenting God's way is to ponder and pray."
      --Joyce Rogers

"In raising children, all you can do is your best... we take care of the possible and leave the impossible to God."
       --Ruth Bell Graham

***Are there family quotes that you like?  Feel Free to add a comment!!***

8-10

I am so stoked to announce that Leeland has been sleeping about 8-10 hours through the night for a little over a week now! WOO HOO! The Kroh's nest was in desperate need of this abundance of rest. (haha.)  Not sure what we will do when the baby starts teething, but for now we are enjoying it! 

How did we do it? Well we broke down and gave the baby rice cereal.  My whole family has been telling me for a little over a month to give the baby some cereal that he's waking up because he's hungry.  Get his belly good and full and he'll sleep. Blah, blah, blah.... I have to admit that I was a skeptic for sure! I did lots of research online about how you shouldn't give your baby cereal until they are ready and how it did not help them sleep through the night.  Even his baby books said it wouldn't help them sleep through the night.  I was nervous, but according to my family, me and my siblings were eating cereal at like 2 weeks... And we turned out okay.

The first night was a complete mess! I read online not to put cereal in his bottle (don't remember the reasons), so it was his 1st time eating with a spoon.  He spit it out several times wasn't sure what to do with it.  The second night was about the same as the first.  The third night though, a friend of mine had told me to try leaving the spoon in his mouth for a few seconds so he can sort of suck on it. And it worked! Hallelujah!! Now he didn't sleep through the night right away but after a week of cereal he was sleeping 8 hours through the night.  9pm-5am, he would wake up at 5, drink a bottle and go back to sleep till 730 or 8am.  And since then he has even slept 10 hours a few times! Things are beginning to turn around.  I think that I am starting to get the hang of this being a mommy stuff.  Now I just hope the doctor doesn't get too mad at me next week when I tell him that I have already given him cereal!?

Growing little boy!

My 3 1/2 month old can.....

-Sit and stand supported.

-Roll over from tummy to back and also from back to tummy.
-Eat rice cereal with a spoon

-Scoot around
-Hold and tug on toys....he's also been know to put toys in his mouth
-Laugh, smile and "sing"
-Jump when excited

-Sleep 8 hours through the night! HALLELUJAH!

-Love, hug and cuddle on Mommy and Daddy!

Date Nights

Anyone who thinks having a kid doesn't change their relationship with their spouse is kidding themselves.  There's extra stress and an extra strain.... Not to say that you don't love it!  Being a first time parent brings new adventures and new stress.  Now typically when people think about stress they automatically assume that it's negative, but stress can be caused by good things too.  Like for instance, the 1st time you decide to host thanksgiving dinner at your home with all of your family.  That's a great thing, spending time with family-- all for it!  However, cooking a turkey along with fixings and cleaning the house.... that can be stressful.  A new mommy is exhausted physically and emotionally.  She's giving all of her attention to her new child, and sometimes there isn't much left over for the spouse.  It's important to remember that you loved your spouse first.  You married your spouse before your child was there (hopefully).  You vowed to them and promised to them that you would give them your all, therefore it's important to take breaks and go on a date!  Keep the passion... and the ROMANCE alive.  What?  A good Christian girl can't talk about romance?  Sex within marriage is spoken about in the Bible, and it's completely ordained by God.  In fact, I think it's encouraged! Both my Mom and my Mother-In-Law have mentioned to me the importance of romance in marriage.... in fact both have mentioned it since Leeland was born.  So to all of you new mommy's or soon to be mommy's keep that in mind, even when you are exhausted, and even when you have a "headache", keep the romance going.  

Now all of this aside, we all know that time alone with our spouses is important, but let's get straight to the point and the mistake that I made.  I didn't want to leave Leeland.  I didn't want to ever take a break.  I thought that I was some sort of SUPER Mom.  I thought it would make me a bad Mother if I left him too early.  Daniel and I waited until Leeland was 13 weeks to go on our first date.  Daniel had been begging to take me out and I just wouldn't have it.  Granted, I was nursing at the time so it did make it a little more difficult, but not impossible.  It took going through a battle of post-partum depression to go out on a date with my husband.  I was exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally.  I was crying everyday.  I wasn't doing my best to take care of Leeland, because physically I couldn't.  And I lost my milk supply (which sunk my depression lower, because I was the "bad mom who couldn't feed her kid").  If I could do it again, I wouldn't let it get that far.  You're not a bad parent to leave your child.  And if you're like us, you probably have plenty of family that's willing to take care of them and love them just as much as you do.  It's just a matter of setting aside the time.  We left Leeland for about 5 hours the 1st date.  We caught dinner at Carabba's and went to the movies to see "Despicable Me."  Leeland stayed with Daniel's parents and he was still alive when we got back. :D I will admit that I was sad the 1st time I left him, and even though he was left in completely capable hands, I'm not gonna lie, I thought about him the whole time and I even worried a little.  But the date however, was WELL WORTH IT.  Daniel and I needed that night SO much.  It was nice to have adult conversation, splurge a little on ourselves for once, be a spoiled wife, and give Daniel my complete attention.  For once we were in a restaurant and not sitting on pins and needles hoping our child doesn't wake up and start to cry.  It was wonderful! I looked forward to that date the WHOLE day.  I felt like a giddy little school girl waiting on her 1st crush to come pick her up.  Now I just can't wait for the second date!

Life as a mom.

When you first find out that you are expecting you have 9 months to prepare for your new life as being someone's mommy.  Nothing can prepare you though for what is to come.  I remember being incredibly overwhelmed with emotion after Leeland was born.  I laughed and I cried.  I wanted everything to be perfect for my little boy.  I had so many questions that would never be answered in a birthing class or in a baby book. And of course everyone has their own opinions. 

Now Leeland is almost 4 months old though and growing like CRAZY.  He is the most active little boy I have ever met in my life.  Looking back, I remember when his pediatrician visited the hospital after he was born to do his initial evaluation.  He wheeled him back to the nursery and when he brought him back he said "That's a very active boy you have."  I remember thinking to myself "What is he talking about? All the kid does is eat, sleep and poop.... mostly just sleep."  I definitely know what he's talking about now! Leeland is a mover and a shaker.  He can hardly sit still and he definitely doesn't like to be put down for a nap.  In fact he only naps for about 20 minutes at a time.  Just long enough for mommy to get a breather, put away some dishes and change over the laundry.  I wouldn't have it any other way though, I love my time with him, and I love watching him grow and do new things.

I remember the first time Leeland reached for a toy and held it on his own! I was in complete shock, and was overcome with joy.  To some that may be silly but to me that was just a sign of his growth and development.  Babies amaze me!  The ultra sound pictures went from a peanut like shape to an actual baby with eyes, ears, fingers and toes!  The miracle of life is so incredible! Babies truly are a miracle from God, and I am so happy to have been blessed with one.