Poor little guy

Every kid is different, right? I figured that Landon just wasn't the easiest baby, since we had already had the easiest baby. Then all of a sudden last Friday evening he spit up blood... yes, blood. Of course, I was worried. I called the doctor and long story short, he said that Landon may need to be started on some Zantac. Acid reflux. The doctor also suggested starting to mix some cereal with his milk (at only a month old!). Monday we went in and got the prescription, but it can take a couple of weeks to be in "full effect." Yesterday and today have been his best yet... coincidence, maybe, but I'll take it.

Please keep him in your prayers. If he doesn't seem to get better, they may need to do an upper GI (make him drink this terribly tasting stuff - barium, sedate and strap him to a table while they stick a scope down his tiny little throat).

A parents worst nightmare

Our typical morning consists of Madisyn waking up between 7:00 and 7:30, Rob getting her out of bed and putting her in her highchair with breakfast and some cartoons to watch while he gets ready and until I get up (yes, since Landon, I've given into letting her watch morning cartoons). This morning...

7:40 - Rob comes in to give me a kiss good-bye (I hardly wake up)

8:45 - Landon wakes up

8:46 - I realize what time it is and wonder if Madisyn has been watching cartoons this whole time or if she hasn't woken up yet, and if not... why?

8:46:30 - I get Landon up

8:47 - I notice that the tv is off and Madisyn is not in her highchair watching cartoons

8:47:10 - Despite Landon's hunger cues and surely soaking diaper, I figure I better make sure Madisyn's okay

8:48 - I get upstairs to her room... and she's not in her bed. WHAT?! Not in her bed?

8:48:02 - I begin to freak out

8:48:04 - I search her room, rocking horse, upper bunk, floor, around the dresser (as if she was going to fit into a space a tenth of her size... wishful thinking) and no sign of Madisyn

8:48:10 - I check her bed again, just to make sure I wasn't imagining things

8:48:14 - I look in Landon's room and the bathroom to see if she's there (even though I realize she couldn't be there since her door was still closed and she doesn't know how to open it yet)

8:48:21 - I look in her room again and realize that "bear" (her nighttime necessity) is also gone

8:48:22 - I'm REALLY freaking out

8:48:29 - "Madisyn, Madisyn, where are you? Madisyn?" I start heading downstairs to call Rob, praying that I can get ahold of him, not knowing what to say or how to say it

8:48:33 - I decide to double check her closet, even though her closet door is closed, we always close it when we put her to bed, and again she doesn't know how to open a door yet

8:48:39 - I open the door, "Thunk"... found her (and woke her up)

Obviously we don't "always" remember to close her closet door. Who knows when she went into her closet or why. I am just so relieved that my worst nightmare didn't come true! In actuality, this morning was probably our best morning yet... Landon got up once between midnight and 8:45 and I got to sleep in since Madisyn slept in.

A few days ago...

Rob and I were able to celebrate the union of Miss Angela Adrianse and Mr. Ryan Vannoy. Congratulations Ang and Ryan! Angie has had many rolls in our lives... First a coworker, then a friend of an old friend, then a friend, then a roommate, at times a babysitter, and now a friend, coworker, and wife of a friend.

Angie allowed us to invade, or otherwise takeover, her house last year for a couple of months. Who in their right mind would allow a married couple and their one year old move in for an undefined period of time... only a wonderfully caring and loving friend. Rob and I often reminisce of those times and how much we enjoyed living with her... maybe it was the many hotdogs consumed around the bonfire, the beautiful sunsets we witnessed, having someone to hang out with, having someone to eat dinner with (when Rob worked late), having somewhere nearby to go fishing, having someone to go running with, having someone to watch Madisyn while I showered, not having a mortgage payment, or... who knows, but regardless, it was a great time! For those of you less familiar with our lives last year, we were homeless since we had sold our house sooner than expected (like 14 days or something crazy like that) and hadn't found a new house yet.


Sunset from Angie's back porch


Madisyn bathing in Angie's bathtub

So, thanks to Angie and Ryan I had free drinks on my birthday :) It was the first time that Rob and I had left the two little ones. I dare to admit that I'm becoming more like an uptight worry-wart mom with my old age, as I'm sure my mom and my in-laws can attest to from the nearly hourly calls. Moreover, it's always an experience attempting to keep yourself concealed while pumping in a packed parking lot, sitting in the back of the car, blanket closed in the window and draped over the front seats just praying that the two cars next to you will not move for the next 20 minutes.

Lastly, I have to say that my wonderful husband got me just about the greatest birthday gift a self-proclaimed runner, despite not running for the last 5 months of my pregnancy, and hope to be marathoner again some day could ever receive. NEW RUNNING CLOTHES! I've been wearing them non-stop since I received them at 12:04 AM of my birthday. I'd post a picture with me in my new hot running gear, but it's not a very pretty one, give me a few months (or maybe years). Thank you, honey!

Babywise

I have heard some concerns and I feel that I should clarify my post regarding Babywise. I do apologize for those concerned about what sounded like an outlandish approach to parenting while Landon was so young. After rereading the post, I completely understand where you're coming from and I don't feel that I gave a clear representation of what exactly we were doing at that point in time.

I believe that Babywise is a wonderful book that worked well for us and for Madisyn, and hopefully it will for Landon too. We have only started the process with trying to feed him when he wakes up, but we do make sure that he's eating frequently enough and gets enough at each feeding as suggested by our doctor. The "crying himself to sleep", as noted previously, has been more of not running to his attention every time that he makes noise and letting him have a few minutes (which is all he needs at times) before we run to pick him up. I hope that this rests all concerns about Landon's health. I promise that he is doing wonderfully well!

Almost Three Weeks

I swear he doesn't always sleep in this position



I love that outfit!


Landon's first Easter outfit (from my Aunt Darlene)... more Easter photo's to come

Landon's hand compared to Daddy's hand


A little love from big sister Madisyn


Things are still going well at the Dykema household. Rob is finishing his last week at Grand and starts his new job at SoundOff Signal Monday. I think I'm more excited than he is. He's always had to work one or two nights per week and Saturdays, and now he'll work 8-5 Monday-Friday! We're so excited to spend evenings together and more weekends at the cottage.

Other than that, Landon is still doing well. He is getting used to sleeping while not being held :) Madisyn is still going to daycare ("school" as she calls it) two days per week, which I think has really been good for her... and me :) When I can't take both of them outside (due to the crazy winter weather), she gets stir crazy (as any two year old would). It also gives me some quality one-on-one time with Landon. Thanks to Rob, I have been able to get out running a couple more times this past week. It's the perfect close to a long and sometimes exhausting day at home :)

Another baby boy!

Kate had a baby boy on Monday, March 26th. You have to see the pictures, he is absolutely adorable! Congratulations to Kate, Josh & Joshua II!

One week update...

We have all been adjusting wonderfully well! The first couple of evenings home Landon really struggled. He cried for hours on end and we were worried that something was wrong. Luckily, we realized that it was probably just that he wasn't getting enough to eat (since he was falling asleep all of the time and he eats more than most newborns... 3-4 oz. per feeding!).

Now he seems to be getting on a great schedule (I give all credit to the book "Babywise" by Ezzo and my girlfriend Marianne who has two under the age of two). "Babywise" basically suggests getting your baby on a flexible schedule and feeding when they wake (sleep, eat, awake time), so that they can put themselves to sleep. It also suggests to let your baby cry themselves to sleep for up to 10 minutes so that they learn their own soothing techniques (we just started this and it is definitely the most difficult thing to do... but it works! Madisyn consistently slept through the night by the time she was 5 weeks old.). Marianne let me in on pumping and bottle feeding her youngest, mostly for ease of convenience. I found that it allowed Landon to get a full feeding in without falling asleep. Now he's been only waking during the night once, which makes for a very happy mommy! Not to mention, I finally got out running yesterday, which I've been dying to do for months. To my great surprise, it was easier than I had anticipated.