Megan - 5 months! It's Christmas! And a milk story, and a bit of poop.

So cute! A week after these pictures were taken we took Megan in for her belated 4 month check up (12/30).

Deja - vu...

"Previously healthy baby has now dropped below the 5th percentile for weight gain... please give her lots of formula."

Height 2 feet 2.58" (88%)

Weight 12lb 5.7 oz (4%)

Thhhppptttt. So of course I didn't. I told God that this was the one thing I could NOT do again. Obviously he knows that I am stronger than I think and need to learn a few things.

This was so hard for me - it is truly my weak spot. The stress of failing to give my baby all that she needed was such a blow. I just cried. I wanted to do all I could - more than what I did with Lauren even, so I went on a mission to get my supply up.

We went downtown to the hospital straight from the appt. to rent a breastpump. (And while we were gone the sewer backed up downstairs - thanks to my visiting sister's help disaster was avoided... But what a mess! And on such a crappy day!) I bought Fenugreek. I proceeded to pump after each feeding, popped 3 pills with each meal and prayed and cried. I fed Megan alone, lying down, in hopes of increasing the face time we were getting. Every 2 hours all day and 3 hours all night. We started rice cereal a week early. Crossed our fingers.

And then she got sick. Ugh. Coughing so hard she was vomiting. She wouldn't sleep. One day she only cat-napped all evening/night and cried the rest of the time. We took her in - double ear infections. Can we not catch a break? Never mind that Lauren has been sick with the same cough/fever and Ashlyn and Nathan are taking turns throwing up every other day. This was one of the most trying times of my life so far. I know, I whine a lot. But it was terrible.

But - when we took her in for the ear infections (1/6) - she'd gained weight! 12 lb 12 oz. Almost an ounce a day. A miracle!

Starting today I've stopped pumping and pilling. We'll see how she does for the next day or so and re-eval to see what we need to do. If I have to pump for months I will (but I hope not - so sore!) but it's good to know that I didn't have to resort to a bottle. Truly, that is my biggest blessing in this. After Lauren, I really need to feel like I can do this for my baby. She's such a trooper!

And during all this my sister came to visit! For her first visit to Colorado she arrived Dec 24th, 2002. Just in time for me to go into labor with Nathan. And on Dec 24th, 2009 she visited for the second time. We did some crafty things and had a nice visit - even if we were all sick and we sent her home with it. (Ooops!) It was so nice to have her!