Well Baby
We went in for a well baby visit at the doctor's office this week. Katie is weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces, right at 50% for her age.

I was sure the girl was over 20 pounds. Or should I say my back was convinced she was weighting over 20 pounds. In fact, we took the infant seat out of the car and installed the convertable car seat that kids over 20 pounds are supposed to use (Actually, I like the new seat much better). But oy! My back! Must practice better lifting techniques.

I tried to talk to the doc about Katie's eating issues. Yes, I know I should just relax about this topic, but Katie throws up every time we try to give her new food to eat with her fingers, no matter how small it is cut up. The only fingerfood she tolerates is cheerios (bless 'em!).

Ah, just as I was striking up the topic, the doc tried to inspect Katie's mouth. Katie didn't like this one bit and threw a wee fit. Actually, it was more of a crying tsunami. The doc beat a speedy retreat while Katie was still howling, so end of conversation.

Today, I found some stuff on the internet about "texture aversion." Kids with reflux can have texture aversion, and most grow out of it no problem. I know I could just hold off giving Katie bits of veggies or fruit for a while, but here is my real issue. I would love to have Katie eating more solids so I can cut back on pumping breastmilk at work. Pumping at work is a real PITA! Not only have I been walked in on mid-pumping session (so embarassing), but using that darn pump is much more uncomfortable (even painful) at work. I don't mind using it at home, so I could keep pumping in the morning before Katie goes to daycare. But I will celebrate mightily the day I can leave that blasted pump at home.

So, back to my research on texture aversion. I found some good ideas, like introducing a new food right at the beginning of the meal. That way, if Katie gags, there is less in her stomach to throw up. If she swallows without puking, then we can praise her. If she does puke, clean it up without any fussy. We can also try adding wheat germ to her baby food to get her used to a bit more texture in the food she already enjoys. And I might go back to making some baby food, since the homemade stuff has more texture to it than the jars. (I had a brief baby-food-making fling, but Katie tended to up-chuck the stuff, so I switched back to the jars.)

I learned all this from a brief session surfing. Much more info than I got from the doctor's office. I think being a new mom is a lot easier these days, with all the information available on the internet. Back in the dark ages (and I'm talking about the '80s), facing new problems with a baby probably felt a lot more daunting.

Let's wrap up this post with a quick picture. This is the tree across the street from our house on Wednesday morning. We woke up on Wednesday to some more snow and ice. It's been cold and windy all week, so many of the trees are still covered in ice. It is a beautiful sight, though man it is as cold as heck in that wind. More snow is expected this weekend. Luckily, I can just say home and play with my baby.

I've got a pot of beans cooking on the stove, and I'm going to use up the last of the Christmas ham left over form the holidays. Just like mom used to make! Sounds cozy, doesn't it?

- posted by Laurie @ 11:54 AM