Seriously?!?!

Apparently Jackson just can't get enough of our pediatrician, because he decided it was time to head back for visit number five this past Wednesday. Seriously?!?! I need to just keep my mouth shut. Didn't I just say I did not want to go back until his one month check up?

Turns out baby boy has silent reflux, which was causing his congestion along with a slew of other symptoms. He has been eating a lot lately, which I attributed to a growth spurt and to the stuffy nose. But most recently he has started crying while nursing and arching his back in pain. This was coupled with scary gagging episodes. When I told Dr. Douglass about all of these symptoms, she immediately said it sounded like silent reflux. Silent reflux because Jackson does not actually spit up. The stomach acid comes up into his mouth, but he swallows it back down. This makes the condition twice as painful because it burns him on the way up and again on the way down. Poor little man!!! She prescribed an antacid and gave me a ton of helpful tips for sleeping and feeding.

We have been doing everything the doctor said, but the prescription takes about a week to start fully working. Plus, it tastes awful, and Jackson spits about half of it out every time I give it to him. Today is the first day that I have noticed a difference. He is crying a lot less while nursing and has been able to go 2-3 hours between feedings. This is a huge improvement from 1-2 hours. All of the frequent feedings have really helped make Jackson into a chunky monkey. We found out at the appointment that Jackson weighs a whopping 10 pounds at 3.5 weeks old. I was shocked! Charlie only weighed a little over 11 pounds at 2 months old. Jackson really is a big boy.

Keep our little puppy in your thoughts. It is so sad watching him when he is in pain. I know we have only known him for a month, but he really does have the sweetest little personality. He rarely cries, and to see him screaming in pain is just awful. The worst part is that even when he is in pain, he will still look up at me and give me a big, gummy smile...sweet baby.