Thursday, December 23, 2010

Merry Christmas

What a year it has been! I can't believe 2010 is coming to a close. 2011 holds many possibilities. I may be returning to school. Will is going back to school... Terrell is graduating from high school and Olivia will begin school for the first time. Gabriel will just start daycare in 2011 and Will and I will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary. I have many things to be thankful for, including Gabriel... our little messenger. I want to thank all that have stopped by to read my blog and share my ups and downs, the good and the bad, the struggles and the triumphs. Here's to a wonderful and joyous 2011 for each and everyone of us!!

Friday, December 17, 2010

2 Month Update; Milk Allergy, Eczema, Relux and Asthma



G had his 2 month check up today with Dr. T. He's weighing in at 11 lbs, 6 oz and is 23 inches. This puts him in the 50th percentile (Olivia is in the 90th percentile for height). He's just a little peanut. He barely fits his 3 month clothes. In fact he is still wearing some newborn outfits!

Lately G has been very cranky due to his Acid Reflux. It's hard to watch helplessly while my child is in pain. All I can do is hold him. Although he is often crying at the top of his lungs Olivia never becomes impatient. She doesn't get upset when his crying drowns out her favorite Nick Jr. show. Or if his screams interrupt a very important conversation about something that happened in daycare, her favorite songs or what Santa will bring her. Lately, she has been telling me G is crying because his tummy still hurts. I can't help but wonder there may be a special connection between them.

Hopefully, G's dosage increase will help ease his pain. The Dr. says a weight increase as little as 1 pound can affect his medication. So as he grows, his medication dosage will have to be increased. Dr. T also thinks his eczema is a sign of asthma. We're thinking G will take after his Daddy. Allergies, sensitive skin and asthma. We will have to wait and see.

Due to G's reflux the Dr. wants him to start oatmeal cereal mixed with fruits and veggies that begin with "P". Peaches, pears, plums, peas, etc. The "P" foods will help with the chronic constipation that soybeans cause. The heaviness of the solid foods are supposed to help keep things contained in his stomach and keep the reflux at bay. I don't want to ask what could be next, but I'm hoping to have a healthy and happy baby in the New Year!


Monday, December 6, 2010

Snip! Snip!

I thought I would continue the subject of penises. But today I'm thinking about Will's. It's been 6 weeks since I gave birth to Gabriel and now it's time to decide on our method of birth control. It seems so crazy that we went from worrying about trying to get pregnant to worrying about preventing pregnancy. We tried many years to get pregnant with Olivia. We used fertility treatment to get pregnant with Willow and who would have thought that 7 1/2 weeks after we lost our baby girl, that we would have a surprise pregnancy... Gabriel! PCOS can be unpredictable, so it's important that we cover our basis. With our luck we would conceive natural triplets or something crazy.

I'm a horrible pill taker. I always forget. I never finish prescription antibiotics. I was even terrible about taking my prenatal vitamins. So a birth control pill would be a very bad option for me. So Will decided he will get a vasectomy. That's right! His idea. I know there are other options out there, but we can't afford another baby. But, something inside me feels a little sad knowing this will be my last baby. My last pregnancy. My last chance to nurture a newborn! A vasectomy is so final. I asked Will if he was even a little bit concerned with pursuing this. Without hesitation he exclaimed, "No!". Well, besides, the (minor) surgery itself.

I know this is it for us. Our family is as complete as it will ever be (sans Willow). I just have to try and savor every day with Gabriel, Olivia and Terrell. They grow up so fast and before I know it they will be adults having children of their own!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

With or Without?

I've been a mother for 17 years, so I am no stranger to unsolicited parenting advice. But, this takes the cake! Recently, while changing my son's diaper I was approached by a curious elderly lady. She then gave me a strange look and commented on his uncircumcised penis. I ignored her rude comment not because I wasn't ready for a debate, but I was only trying to not get poop on my fingers at that very moment. Then it happened last week at a friend's house. I peeled the tape back on my son's disposable diaper and my friend announces, "Look at his Puerto Rican Penis!" And again yesterday I was asked why I did not circumcise Gabriel's penis. Which prompts me to ask, "Why should I?"

When my first son was born I did not have him circumcised. The thought of him being in pain was reason enough. There is nothing anyone can say to me that would prove babies don't feel the skin being ripped from their genitals. I may be exaggerating because I know medical advancements have reduced the amount of pain felt during this procedure, but any pain is too much pain. So there was nothing to think about. I knew I would not do it to him. But when I found out we were having a boy this time, I knew there would be a debate. Will wanted Gabriel circumcised, like him. I debated, I showed him videos online, I huffed and puffed but he would not agree. He thought Gabriel should look like his daddy. Finally I gave in, only saying I would not change a single diaper for the first 2 weeks of his life while his poor little pee pee healed! But I continued to research circumcision.

I searched online... debated over lunch with coworkers... spoke with my Dr... interrogated my pediatrician and ObGyn. I inquired about their own children. There was no medical evidence proving it should be done, but nothing saying that it can't. Which led me to believe that this was not a medical issue, but rather a one based on presentation. I decided to ask T how he felt about my decision to not have him circumcised. First of all, this was going to be a sensitive subject. So I had to tread lightly. Seems like teenage boys don't care to talk about their penises with their mothers. (If only he knew I was blogging about it too). I was surprised to learn he didn't mind his penis. He was not teased in school or embarrassed at the gym. I asked him what he thought about having Gabriel circumcised and he thought I shouldn't do it.

That conversation gave me more ammunition. I was ready to argue my points with my husband and prove him wrong. Then something happened. My husband gave in. Suddenly he no longer "cared". So it was settled. Gabriel would remain intact. (you can thank me later Gabriel!)

I personally have never slept with a man who was intact. And I've only seen an uncircumcised penis on a baby. I hear many women talk about how "gross" or "weird" it is. I recently saw an episode of Mario Lopez where he and his wife debated about circumcising their unborn baby. She even admitted she was weirded out by her own husband's penis. This made me curious about other celebrities who may not have been circumcised and I was (somewhat) surprised there is an entire website dedicated to this very subject. After finding a few of my celebrity crushes on the list like Will Smith, Paul Walker and Jay Hernandez, I thought to myself, "Knowing their circumcision status doesn't change the fantasy for me". So if some woman fell in love with my son, I'm sure she would care less if his penis still had a "turtleneck"!