Thursday, February 2, 2006

Rebecca update: almost 8 weeks

Rebecca continues to develop rapidly. It's a little bittersweet - she is so wonderful and cuddly right now, but before I know it, she'll be racing around the house.
We have noticed a major change in Rebecca's behaviour lately: she seems to be able to focus on objects that are further away. Also, she has a keen interest in the world around her and spends time examining objects in her environment. She appears quite inquisitive. Maybe she'll be ready to enjoy her wrist rattles soon - who knows! I have no doubt that when I take her in for vaccinations next week, she'll be weighing in at 11 pounds. It used to be that Rebecca was as long as Greg's forearm, but now she exceeds that length. Her hair continues to lighten and is now a light brown with some red in it. Her appetite has increased and she is more deliberate about indicating when she has had enough food (she uses her mouth or tongue to push away the bottle). She is able to lift her head for quite a long time on her own now - although she can't raise it forever. Rebecca's upper body strength is building nicely. If she is lying on my chest or stomach and she grows unhappy with her current positioning, she will use her legs and arms to pull and push herself along my body until she reaches her desired destination. If I am sleeping with Rebecca on me and she determines that she needs to be fed, she gnaws at me or she headbutts me in the neck. It is a very effective technique for getting my attention.
As for me - a heads-up for those of you who may breastfeed in the future: fluconazole is expensive! Fluconazole is a medication used to treat Candida infections of the nipple. Two week's worth of treatment cost a whopping 200$!!! On the advice of my physician, I am continuing with nifedipine for one more week, and then stopping. My blood pressure is on the low side of normal as a result of the nifedipine treatment (it is a calcium channel blocker after all). The fluconazole is slightly synergistic with the nifedipine, so I have to watch for dizziness or other signs of low blood pressure and I have to be sure I keep my fluid intake high.

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