A bit of an update

I've been seriously MIA lately.  Life has been crazy busy!! Let's see...I don't know that I can even do this update in chronological order, so here goes this will be seriously random.

I quit my job, I couldn't stand that my in-laws were spending more quality time with Pierce than I was.  So, we're going to make sacrifices for a while until I can find something with better hours.
I couldn't have quit at a better time!  I ended up having surgery the Thursday before Christmas.Read about why, here
Not working enabled me to take Pierce to see my family in Mississippi who had never seen him.  That was great!  My mom drove our car down, since we left on Saturday and I needed the extra recovery time.  We came home Christmas Eve to spend our first Christmas as a family with J.
The Tuesday before surgery, I had to go to the doctor for an ear and sinus infection.  I was starting to feel a little better Wednesday.  Thursday, in pre-op, I started coughing and the pre-op nurse found my temperature to be 99, rechecked 101, and again another check 102.2.  They still did my surgery, but we didn't know what in the world was going on.  J and I chalked it up to a possible infection from the Mirena.
We have figured it out, I caught RSV...yes, the virus that babies/toddlers get.  I showed symptoms Thursday, and Pierce started coughing Friday.  I called his doctor and he said to just watch him since all it was at the time was a dry cough.  It just progressed, for both of us, over the weekend.  I was going to take him to the doctor Wednesday morning, but we didn't wait that long.
Pierce spent his first Christmas morning in the ER!  Little man has RSV, and an ear infection.  Let me tell you, it's been fun times in this house!  Pierce and I sent his daddy on to my in-laws to spend Christmas day with them.  He brought back bags upon bags of gifts for Pierce!  Wow.  What a blessed, loved baby!
We kept him home until his follow-up appointment on Friday.  The doctor sent him home with a nebulizer.  While that worked well, we watched him yesterday (Saturday) & decided to bring him back to the ER.  After a few hours of observation, they decided to keep him.  What was started as a one night observation has turned into 2.  Last night, the little bit he slept, his oxygen saturations dipped to 88 and stayed for a while.  When I would try to make him stir, he would only correct it to 91.  His pulmonologist likes for it to be 92 or higher for 24 hours.  So, off J went back to the house and is packing up more stuff for me and Pierce.

I got about an hour and a half worth of sleep last night, so when J got here I passed out for 3ish hours!  There's only room for one of us, so I'm staying.  Poor J though, he's going back and forth, guessing what I want brought back lol.
Pierce isn't on an IV, only connected to a pulse oximeter.  The doctor explained to us that he doesn't see this case of RSV being a precursor to asthma.  So, we're really hoping we can keep him from getting another infection that will possibly cause asthma.

Maybe he'll sleep some tonight!!  I'm exhausted!

Whatever you do, do NOT get a Mirena IUD

I wrote this the day of surgery (12/20/12)...and apparently was too loopy to hit publish lol  so...here ya go.  Me in all my goofy glory

After having Pierce, I knew I wanted to get on some sort of birth control.  Goodness knows, I didn't want to end up with an Ooops Baby just months after Pierce was born.  I'm not even 100% sure that I want another child.  Pierce is more than I deserve to begin with.
In the past I have taken The Pill, but that makes me bat sh*t crazy!  And I'm not even kidding.  I'll be happy and fine one minute, then next I'd be boohooing, sobbing.  J would ask what in the world was wrong with me, "I doooont knoooowwww" between sobs.  My already sensitive temper was heightened.  Nope, no longer want to be on The Pill.
Before J, I had Mirena.  I LOVED it.  No period, none, not even spotting, nothing to remember every day, nothing to "check".  Birth Control you don't have to think about?  It was awesome!
I tried NuvaRing.  Without getting too graphic on the blog, let's just say that thing doesn't come with an applicator, you have to check it often to make sure it's still there.  And, ahem, um...it falls out at the MOST inopportune times.  Add all that to the cost of the dang thing, and $80/month was a no go.
Then, we decided to start trying for a baby.  So, I went about a year with out any birth control at all.  Found out I have very regular cycles.  Not bad cramps, easy peasy lemon squeezy.

When it came time to talk to my Doctor about Birth Control, I had my choice!  I wanted Mirena back.  Up to 5 years of birth control, that would for sure be enough time to get Pierce out of diapers and be ready for another, should we chose.
I went to the Dr around 10/11 weeks postpartum.  Placing the Mirena was painful.  Longest 5 minutes of my life.  My doctor even admitted it was difficult to place.  I almost gave up!  I was about to throw in the towel and say, "STOP" when he finally placed it.  I had some cramping, which I remembered as normal from the last time I had it.  A little spotting, again, remembered that from last time.
Some doctors leave the strings on the end of the Mirena so that the patient can feel it, make sure it's still there where it's supposed to be.  My doctor trims the strings really short, and has you come in for an ultrasound to check it's proper placement 4 weeks after.
Four weeks rolled around, and I had to cancel my appointment for the ultrasound because I was having a very heavy period.  I thought, "Wow, how do I have this luck?!  Mirena and breastfeeding, and I still get a period?  And a heavy one at that?!"  I knew that was odd, because in my experience with Mirena the first time, I had a light first period, spotted for the second, and after that I had nothing.  But, I just had a baby, right?  Women's bodies are different after having a baby.  I chalked the heavy, 8 day period up to just being postpartum.
Two weeks later, I was scheduled for a Pap Smear.  Suddenly, I was bleeding again.  Had to cancel that appointment too.  Only, this time, I talked to a nurse.  This is strange, something is going on here that shouldn't be.
The nurse made me an appointment for the ultrasound and an exam.  Monday I went to my appointment at 2:30.  Ultrasound tech got me back, and started The Hunt.  Five or so minutes into the ultrasound, I could tell something wasn't right.  Then, she says, "Are you sure you didn't pass it?"  Um, I wouldn't be sitting here letting you do a vaginal ultrasound had I passed it!  Only, I was polite, "Does that mean you can't find it?!"  She left to go get my Dr.  He did an ultrasound, then had her do an abdominal ultrasound.  He kept asking me if I was sure I didn't pass it.  Have you seen a Mirena?  It's a one inch long T-shaped piece of plastic.  I would like to think I would notice something like that "passing" through my hooha!
Since it couldn't be found via ultrasound, I was sent to the hospital next door to get a CT Scan.
The CT tech said he wouldn't be able to tell me what was found, that my doctor would have to call me.  When the scan was over, the tech came back in and said, "Well, we're done, I guess they'll be calling you to see what they want to do with it"  I knew he was telling me he found it.  Because he then covered himself and said, "The results, they'll call you with the results"
I didn't leave the hospital until 530 that night.  3 hour ordeal to find a one inch piece of plastic in my guts...ugh
The next morning, I woke up sick as a dog, I'd been fighting off something since Thursday, and couldn't take it any more.  I went to the sick-doctor.  Sinus AND ear infection.  Antibiotics, rest.
At 11am, my OB/GYN called...found the IUD, it had perforated my uterine wall and was to the right of my uterus.  Surgery Thursday to remove it.  Ugh, ok.  I wasn't nervous, this would make my 10th or 11th surgery in my life.  I'm a pro at this surgery game!
Thursday morning rolled around, had to be at the hospital at 1030, for surgery at 1230.  Dropped Pierce off with my dear friend, Brittney so he could play with her little boy who's 10 weeks younger.  He had the best time!! First time being babysat by someone other than family and we weren't just minutes away.
Got to the hospital, got registered, and brought back for pre-surgery prep.  The nurse started taking my vitals, blood pressure is good, on to temperature.  Oral thermometer beeped at 99.7.  Odd, I didn't feel bad.  I've had these infections, but I actually felt better that day than I had since getting sick.  She checked it again, we watched it climb to 101, then 102.2.  What in the world is going on?!  My chest was flush with a red "rash" my face was just a flush and red as it could be...I was really concerned that they weren't going to do the surgery.  The anesthesiologist came in and checked me out.  Said he would do the surgery up to a temp of 103.  Listened to my lungs, said I sounded great.  He was a go on his end.  My doctor was notified of the issue and said it's still a go.  Off I went for surgery.
Thankfully, it was a simple in and out procedure.  It could have been SO much worse.  

Why we're choosing to "wait"...

Wait for what? Food.  
The newest thing we keep hearing is, "When are you going to feed him?" 
"It's time for him to get cereal"
"I fed (my baby) at x-months"

Whelp, folks...Pierce will get fed on his own time, his own schedule, and when he's ready...he isn't your kid. I've done a lot of research on when to feed him, what his first food should be, what it shouldn't be and why.  I'm not saying that if you chose to start feeding your kid at 12 weeks old that you're wrong.  Whatever works for you.  I just ask you, "Why?"  Just like I'm asked "Why" we chose to wait, if I don't have solid answers for family and friends, I'm just looked at as kooky...so, I look at you like you're kooky if you can't give me solid reasons why you feed your baby early! 
Pierce is 17 weeks old, and as it sits, he has zero interest in food.  He still eats anywhere from 5-6 ounces every 2.5-3 hours and is very pleased with that.  He's gaining and growing, he's meeting milestones.  He is a happy boy with just his Mommy Milk, so we're happy parents giving him just that.  
**Mommy Milk is nutritionally complete until 6 months of age, if he is "steadily gaining weight and seems content with milk feeds alone".  The current recommendation - from medical authorities such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, UK Department of Health, World Health Organization and UNICEF - is to wait until 6 months of age before introducing solids. (cite) (cite)
Pierce still has infant tongue thrust " Tongue thrust aids feeding from the breast or bottle but not solid foods....a tongue thrust is a sign that your baby is not ready to eat solid foods" I've learned that he still has tongue thrust when he's been given Tylenol recently (swollen gums); as soon as you stick the syringe in his mouth the tongue starts working, pushing the medicine right out of his mouth.  He also has a chewer that's shaped like a tiny baby mouth guard...it goes in his mouth, and here comes the tongue thrust!  (more info) 
Also, I've read, in several locations, that Pierce should be sitting up well, supported of course.  But, needing no neck support.  It keeps babies from choking on their food.
*Start solids when he can sit up, open his mouth when he sees something coming, and close his lips over the spoon cite (cite)
Pierce shows no interest in food.  He is watching everything, but doesn't fixate on food yet.  He really could care less.  No, I haven't even brought food near his mouth, but he's sat at the table in our laps while we're eating.  He will watch our movements from plate to mouth, but just as he finds that interesting, he watches the dog moving...I don't think he wants to eat the dog, so I'm going to continue to think that he is also just watching our movements. lol (cite)

Why no cereal?  No grains at all?  Because of a little enzyme named amylase.  Bambinos don't produce enough amylase to break down the grains in cereal/oatmeal/rice until their molars come in.  Until then, the grains just sit in their guts, and some research suggests that the grains can cause food allergies, "Undigested grains wreak havoc on your baby’s intestinal lining. It can throw off the balance of bacteria in their gut and lead to lots of complications as they age including: food allergies, behavioral problems, mood issues, and more." (cite)
Pierce will start on something else, something bland like avocados.  And we'll just go from there.     

We want nothing but the best for our son, and this is what we feel is best!