Zofran pump, Matt's surgery, and Autumn!!!!

~Zofran Pump~
        I got my Zofran pump a week ago today, and I'll start off with telling you what it is. Zofran is a nausea drug. The Zofran that I'm taking is in liquid form that is administered through this pump that is like an IV. Only difference is it doesn't go into a vein, it's just a little catheter that goes either into your stomach or thigh. The pump puts the meds into my body every few minutes and that adds up to 1mg per hour. If I'm feeling really sick or get sick, I can give myself a dose of 1mg additional every 6 hrs. A home nurse came to the house with all the stuff I needed and showed me how to use it.  The first day I got it the home nurse put it into my stomach and I had the pump on that evening and through the night. When I woke up my stomach hurt so bad from where it was attached to me. So I took it out after I ate. I then had to do the brave thing and attach it back to me lol. I tired my stomach but it was still so sore, so I decided I'd try the thigh. The nurse said people normally got the sore spots in their thighs (a side affect from the drug). I did the deed and stuck myself with a needle (The catheter is what covers the needle and once you get the needle all the way in, you hold the butterfly wings down and pull the needle out. Then your all set to go) and what do you know it didn't even hurt. Haha I did the unthinkable (at least to me) and it was a piece of cake. Now for the rest of the week I put it in my thigh and have yet to get the sore spots! I guess there's more fat in my thigh than stomach.
   So you ask, "Rachael, how are you feeling? Does this work?" And I say, it's amazing!!!! I haven't gotten sick in over a week, I can eat whatever I want and feel great! I'm picking up weight now. I've been able to eat and drink milk products, which I couldn't do the whole pregnancy with Autumn and this pregnancy because they would make me so sick. I've been able to get up and get my day started earlier than I was. Normally I'd get Autumn up, change and feed her, then I'd get sick and then try to eat something light and get sick again and again and again, then it's be 1 or 2 before I could do anything (either do the things around the house or go out and do my to do list). Now I can start my day off earlier and have time to rest or whatever else. The plan is to use this another week or two and be able to function without it. To get me off the pump we just lower the amount that is given to me until it not needed. We have probably met our insurance deductible for the rest of the year in one week of using this. Plus side to that everything else will be paid at 100% by the insurance. Down side is Matt or I will have to probably sell an organ to pay the bill (our deductible for a calendar year is 3000.00) lol.

~Matt's Surgery~
        Matt had his surgery yesterday to remove the mass in his cheek along with his 4 wisdom teeth. The wisdom teeth were a breeze to get out they said (so easy to get out that he was only numbed and WASN'T out to sleep). They had to take a molar out to get to the mass in his cheek (they were thinking the tooth was the cause of the mass). The tooth came out so easy that it scared the surgeon at first, Matt said. The tooth was in good shape except the tips of the roots. The root tips were infected, Matt said it looked like a jelly fish was attached the the ends (eww). The mass in his cheek ended up just being puss and a little blood from the root tips. So they gave him pain meds and antibiotics. Matt has to go back in two weeks (first week of July) to get everything checked out. He was in no pain yesterday. Matt went back to work today and has been feeling normal all day. What a trooper!!!!!!

~Autumn~
        Our little Autumn is doing so well!!!! She just loves to eat :) she is now using a sippy cup. I can't believe that next month she'll be 8 months old. Autumn is still only crawling backwards, but is very close to going forward. Her arms just need to get a little stronger. She's still working on getting her front top two teeth, they are so close to coming in that we can feel them trying to break through her gums. She's still sleeping 11 hrs a night. We've got her on a very good schedule that includes a morning and evening nap. We are doing the summer reading program at the library. Autumn loves to be read to, and loves flipping the pages.

Well that should catch you up!!!!!

Matt's visit to the Oral Surgeon

Matt's appointment went very well today. We went to an Oral Surgeon today because he has a mass that you can see on his lower cheek (right on the jaw). They think it's an abscess that is caused by a tooth. They said it looks to be good news because it is free moving (which means you can touch it and it wiggles instead of being attached to the bone which could mean possible cancer). So He will be going in on 5/26 to remove the tooth and clean out the tooth pocket and bone and send the mass off to be looked at. He will also be getting his wisdom teeth removed at the same time (they're all through the gums). He was going in to our dentist on 6/2 to get them removed. They said it would be easier on him. And it is going to end up costing us less money too . So we feel very good about it all and so does the Oral Surgeon. Matt is going to be awake during the process so they can talk to him on what they're finding and what the mass looks like (his choice). We will be glad when this is over, we were worried at first for not nothing what the mass was and having members on both sides of our families having cancer. We are very blessed to have gotten into the Surgeon so quickly and get this taken care of.

6 month Well Baby visit

Autumn's 6 month appointment went very well. She is 15 lbs 12 oz 26 1/2 in long. She got 3 shots and 1 oral med (she's not crazy about the shots but one day she'll thank us). She move from the 10th percentile in weight to the 50th!!!!! And is still in the 75th percentile for height. Her spit-up is getting better and she is now only on 2 meds for that. Autumn is sitting up and starting to crawl backwards lol (she'll be moving forward in no time). She loves to eat her baby food. We are having a little trouble with nap times b/c she wants to play ALL the time :) but she sleeping very well at nights. All in all she's a very healthy and happy baby. I'm feeling really blessed :)

Go bye Infant Car Seat :)

We have finally transferred to the big car seats now!!!! No more infant car seat :) Autumn has learned to sit up all by herself (well more the most part), So that means we don't have to use the infant car seat any more. Which I'm so happy about because she was getting so heavy to carry. We went to Target last night and she got to ride in the shopping cart for the first time. She loved it!!!
Autumn is growing so fast it's unbelievable. She's starting to put herself to sleep. She's also getting her own  little personality, and she has also gotten her laugh which just warms my heart every time I hear it. She loves being down in the floor playing with her toys and rolling around. Autumn is also getting very good at reaching for everything.

My little trick to get Autumn to sleep

So tonight Matt and I were having a little trouble getting Autumn (who was too tired for her own good) to go to bed. I had also had trouble getting Autumn to take naps today, I finally got her to take one from 11:30 am to 2:15pm. To give you a picture of our night, we went out for dinner and on the way home Autumn took a very tiny nap. Then when we got home we gave Autumn a bath, and Matt has trying to rock Autumn to sleep in her room (after we got her in her pj's and her Easter outfit laid out), needless to say ricking her wasn't working. So I laid on the floor in her room and said "Here honey let me show you a trick of mine I use to put her to sleep, lay her down next to me." And so he did and he and April laid next to us. We all four laid on her floor and within 15 minutes she was asleep. I got up and laid Autumn in her crib and turned to Matt asleep on the floor and said "hurry lets go before we wake her". Now normally I does this in mine and Matt's bed or on the couch and then carry her to the crib, but the whole house was lighted and I used what I could :) Autumn is very much a mama's girl which is why laying with me helps put her to sleep. I did this for her nap too today. Autumn has been sleeping in her own room in her crib now for over a week now. She normally sleeps from 9:30 pm to 7:30 am without a sound (not bad if you ask me). We have also moved up to 6 ounces of formula every 3 hours now, YAY! We are also doing very well with solid feeding. I can't feed Autumn fast enough now, she grunts at me to put more food in her mouth. I think this is so cute because at first she really wanted to take her time eating. Well tomorrow is Easter and we have lots planned as usual for our holidays. I hope everyone has a good Easter and remember the true meaning, God sent his only Son to die on the cross so our sins could be washed away.

Autumn, Autumn, Autumn

Autumn has learned how to roll from her back to her tummy (4/9). I called Matt at work and told him she had just rolled over and his voice sounded sad, I'm sure it was because he had wished he was at home watching it happen too. But there is no doubt that Autumn has showed her Daddy she can roll over MANY times lol. Every time we put her on the floor to play she's rolling all over the place.
Autumn's crib is still in our room :( She had been sleeping very well through the night, only waking up once for her paci. But the last few nights she's woken up a lot for her paci. Funny thing is we were getting ready to put her crib back in her room lol. Guess we'll just have to wait a little while longer.
Autumn is getting such a personality, she's all smiles until she's so tired she can't put herself to sleep. She wants to play all the time and doesn't want to take naps :(  She's eating a lot of different baby foods. Autumn loves to eat her food mixed together, she can't have just bananas, it has to be bananas and pears lol. This is more of a Matt thing, as everyone knows I hate my food mixed together.
We are teaching Autumn a few basic sign language symbols, like Mommy, Daddy, more, and diaper. We read that it's easier for them to learn sooner than talking.So we think it will be good for her before she can use her words. It's going pretty good she's watching us and you can see in her eyes that she's trying to learn. Well it's time for me to try to get Autumn down for her morning nap and get a shower!!!!

New Car

This week we traded in Matt's SUV for another Malibu, it's silver (I have a gold Malibu). It's the same payment but at least it will be better on gas (we were looking for one or the other since gas is so much). It's going to make a really nice car. My car is a lease so I'll be driving the new car when I have to give mine up. Hopefully when we give mine up we will be able to buy a car with cash.
On another note, Autumn has only wanted to sleep in her crib this past week. Which has had affected our sleep. I'm hoping she'll sleep in her bed tonight. She also has had a crying phase every day at 4pm and I have no clue what is causing other than I think it might be nap time.
Matt and I groomed April (our dog) this week too. We are trying to save money and that will save us 40.00 every 6 weeks. We didn't do too bad lol. April didn't like us doing it at all but she turned out looking good.
I've been looking into going back to work, but I'm not sure I'm ready. Then there's the part of me that is ready to work again. I'm having trouble deciding what I want to do, also. Well it's time to feed Autumn, so that's it for now.