Morella Bomb

It's been a rough couple of days. Starting after her morning bottle on Sunday, Morella has gone on strike. No more bottles. None. Nada. Don't even go near her with a bottle or she will melt down. Subsequently, she has only had the following countable ounces of liquid:

Sunday: 10 oz
Monday: 8 oz
Tuesday: 5 oz

During this process I fired my former pediatrician -- she was a way for a funeral and I was stuck with the incompetent staff and other pediatrician who just wrote a nurse for the worst mumbley nurse ever to recite back to me -- none of which actually helped me. I was feeling overwhelmed, alone and lost and then yesterday it occurred to me that there are other pediatricians -- like at a different location for example. So I called our insurance and switched pediatricians effective immediately for the Capitol location. You know, it's actually closer to me too. I had stayed with the East side because that was were my OB was, and I thought it would be easier. Pft.

The new pediatrician's nurse is already much better. She talked to me yesterday about signs to watch for -- no wet diaper in 6-8 diapers, lack of tears, and if she drank less than 10 ounces again to give them a call today and maybe they can squeeze her in for a dehydration evaluation. Since Morella drank less than 5 ounces yesterday I called her. She now has an appointment today at 3:45PM.

The bright side to this, is that I get to meet her new pediatrician and decide if I like her with enough time to still switch insurance companies by their deadline of November 12th. Hopefully I won't have to do that. I already feel like she cares more about Morella and I than the cold, dispassionate people at the East side location.

In the mean time, I still am offering her a thick bottle of milk AND apple juice at eating times, and in between I am chasing after her with a medium flow sippy cup of unthickened watered down juice, and a medium flow sippy cup of unthickened breastmilk. I know, I know -- this totally goes against the specialist recommendation of her not having ANY unthickened liquids based on her 4 month evaluation -- but it's the only thing she will drink! What am I supposed to do? For the record, she is able to drink it just fine, when she does. No choking at all.

The bright side of this whole fiasco, is that Morella is making up for this missed calories in the breastmilk by eating. Oh boy is she eating. She is eating like ... well a kid and not at all like the picky nibbler she was two weeks ago. Since she is not drinking, I have been trying to give her as many water rich things as possible like pears halves, peaches and peeled, quartered grapes. It's still best to give her foods that she can feed herself because she gets really mad if you go near her face with a spoon more than once or twice.

In fact, I need to go and buy more grapes today if this strike continues for much longer.

Overall, I am trying to remain hopeful today. I have a mini mantra going of "Babies are very resilient...she will still live." For the record, right now I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am beginning to believe she will never drink a bottle again, that she will never drink breastmilk again, she will take only minimal amounts of liquid for the rest of her life. Be a camel. Get all her liquids from food.

In other news, I am making Morella a fleece sleep sack. Those thin cotton ones just don't seem like they are going to cut it this winter, and her room is like the second coldest room in the house (the kitchen holds that honor), but it is right next to it. I wonder if it's because it leeches warmth from her room? Hm. I just have to sew on a zipper I cut off from an old hoodie.

I roasted a bunch of pumpkin seeds yesterday. I need to remember to bring them over to Laima's, along with her crock pots before I eat them all.

I am switching summer clothes over to winter clothes. Good bye summer clothes, I hope to see you again soon before long. Hello boring, heavy winter clothes. I wish I could say I was excited to see you again, but I am not.

Election day is a week away! We are going to have a new president soon...I hope it's the good one. I hope everyone votes. It really pisses me off that I potentially know women especially who don't vote. Every time a woman doesn't vote they are disrespecting the sacrifice and hard work of their ancestors, taking away their own liberties and perpetuating inequality between men and women. The same thing applies if you are a minority. Since I am both, I consider it doubly important to cast my ballot every time I am presented with the opportunity.