Santa, The Lip Tie Finale and Standing Ovations!

Someone went to visit Santa last week!

This was taken approximately 3 seconds before a total meltdown... I died laughing. 

Great looking Santa though, right?

SO, We went to the dentist a couple days ago and it was confirmed that Easy does have a lip tie, one of the thicker ones he's seen. He told me a bit of information about it (already off to a better start than my ped) and then advised me that we should wait until his baby teeth are all in (3-5 years old) to do anything UNLESS there is a speech impediment, then you have it clipped by way of laser surgery immediately. most likely, Easy will need to have his lip tie taken care of before school starts for him. Did it probably affect his breastfeeding failure? YES. absolutely. 

 He also let me know that getting your fang teeth before your front teeth is NOT normal. At all. but it does happen with some kids, and a lot of times it means that there is 3 sets of teeth there! WHAT? 

Okay. Wait. 

im not going to even let that one get into my brain yet. I don't need anything else to stress about. I am staying off of Dr Google regarding this one all together until I feel like there is something to worry about (i.e.... 2 teeth in the same place... ugh)

Moving on!

This little man loves walking along furniture... 

Everywhere is somewhere to climb and walk along. 

But lately, he has been doing THIS!

 Standing!

Wozers! This kid isnt even 8 months old! What a butthead. 

Usually after about 15 seconds he falls on his butt and does this. 

Crawls over and hugs me. 

He has a bit of a "Kim Kardashian, unflattering cry"

But usually, within a minute or two, Hes happy again. 

Bless his heart. 

Im in Love! 

Waiting on those infamous firsts steps! 

xx - r

The Lip Tie - An update.

I called the paediatricians office right when they opened this morning

They got me an appointment for that day a noon. 

So far so good!

When my P walked into the room, she asked me what was the matter. 

"Im pretty sure he has a lip tie"

She looked at me a little sideways and proceeded to take a tongue depressor and check under his tongue and above his teeth. 

"Its nothing to worry about"

uh, what do you mean? is there a lip tie or not?

"it will not affect him at all"

I ran through all of the questions I had, quickly, as she was already making me feel silly for even coming in. 

I asked about the things I read online, prefacing that I am obviously NOT a doctor. 

Is this why I couldn't breast feed? - no. definitely not. 

why isn't he gaining weight? - just feed him more. he is doing fine. 

He has trouble eating anything but purees. - Then let him eat purees, there is nothing wrong with that. 

I asked a few more questions, and then relented. 

I picked up my baby and got ready to leave. 

I think she could tell that I was annoyed, so before she left I got a snarky

 "you don't have to believe me, but I have been a paediatrician for 25 years, its nothing to worry about."

I am happy that there is a good diagnosis from the doctor.

And I want to believe her,

but something still doesn't feel right. 

I called my dentist to see if he would take a look and tell me if he could see any foreseeable dental problems. 

He agreed and said if he thought anything was wrong, he would refer me to a paediatric dentist. 

tomorrow, we continue. 

I have had an amazing outpouring of support from Facebook and other social groups I am involved with. I have even had complete strangers reach out to me with their experiences. 

Tonight, I had a conversation with a lovely lady named lee-Ann with Lactopialactation.ca

She had two children with lip ties and tongue ties. She had them corrected and has since worked with training local dentists in assessing and treating this problem. She also just had an article on tongue and lip tie published in birthing magazine. 

She advised me that the lip tie and posterior tongue tie are a new diagnosis, but are real, and CAN affect your child. 

She even offered to help me re-lactate and breastfeed my son. I was touched. I really had given up on myself.  I chose not to go that direction, as I have a huge freezer full of milk for him and I'm in a good place about it. 

I had a lot of moms I know tell me that they have now noticed lip ties on their children, some also have said that they resolved by tearing on their own, some are just realizing now that they have them themselves!

My journey to figure this whole thing out is continuing, and I will keep everyone updated on how it turns out. 

until then,

I recommend going with your gut.

I really wouldn't be pushing this if I didn't really feel like it has some ground underneath of it. If I didn't really think that something should be done, and that it would help my baby. 

And yes, that was the last time I will be going to that paediatrician. Not because I disagree with her diagnosis... I just think that we hate each other  have very different attitudes... 

ha ha ha...

now, I have a sleepy, teething baby to cuddle.

xx - r

The Lip Tie. I'm About To Go Mamma Bear.

I believe that moms need support. 

everyone gets that support in different ways

Some need to be with friends, some call their moms

I am part of a mommy group. 

now, my social capacities are not built for a "real life" mommy group

so when I was pregnant, I lived on my "What to Expect When Your Expecting" app

I communicated with hundred of other moms due in March 2013. 

When we all had our babies, some early and some late

We started a Facebook group. 

I am daily on that group, showing off my guy and asking question about how his development measures up to their babies. 

I love it. seriously. 

So when I had a question about Easton's fangs (See that post by clicking HERE)

someone came back at me with an interesting theory. 

"check his top lip for a lip tie - sometimes that can affect how teeth come in"

hm, I had never heard of a lip tie!

I know when Easy was born he had a tongue tie  

(See that post by clicking HERE and read it in Easton's Birth story)

But when that tongue tie was clipped, I thought it was over.

so I dug into Easton's mouth (hence the angry crying face in the photo)

and found this. 

see where his lip meets his gums?

There is a "tie" attaching his lip all the way down to where his teeth should be coming in. 

He most definitely has a lip tie. 

When I got online and researched a little more I read some of the complications of lip ties

I did a little check list. 

Complications include things like painful nursing/weaning because the child gets frustrated because he cant latch and nurse, colic/reflux/sleep problems, speech problems when they get older, large gaps and teeth growing in improperly, inability to gain weight due to not being able to drink properly and swallowing too much air instead of liquid. 

Heres a good one - it also said that when there is a tongue tie... generally there is a lip tie... why didn't anyone check this?)

I went and asked my husband for a second opinion

when he agreed with me

I got angry

The kind of angry that made me sit down and start crying. 

I just pumped my brains out for 7 months thinking my son just didn't like my boobs. 

my crummy ped wouldn't give me a referral to a lactation consultant because she told me it was "too late" and he was too used to the bottle. 

He doesn't even eat very well out of the bottle. 

He takes in a lot of air because he cant even suck that properly, he's gassy. 

and hes not thriving. he's moved from the 75th percentile for weight to the 10th. 

and NOBODY THOUGHT THAT WAS A PROBLEM?

I thought it was my fault. 

mommy guilt is hard like that.

I feel bad I didn't catch it sooner. but really? I'm not a doctor. I cant let this mommy guilt get me down. 

On monday I go mamma bear. 

for those of you who have never met a "mamma bear"

A mamma bear is the mother you see storming around, teeth gritted, looking for someone to rip apart. 

anyone who has wronged her baby in any way,

 In this case the doctors and LC's and the specialist that clipped his tongue, the health nurse that looked at his teeth 3 days ago and said she thought he was getting a canker sore not a tooth ( ps - he was getting a tooth)... not OH LOOK... A lip tie!

I have been beating myself up for 8 months because my son was either not nursing, or really gassy and miserable, or was losing weight. 

And now I feel like that was why. 

I apologize for the rant... and I obviously just diagnosed my son off the internet... but look at that photo and then google "lip ties" - am I wrong?

Monday

Monday we find a solution for the lip tie. 

xx - r

  

Fangs.

SO 

 I missed the little update that about a month ago Big Easy cut his 2 bottom teeth, a few days apart. 

We dealt with it, and he was pretty good. 

I thought I was pretty awesome at this teething thing! 

BUT

A few days ago I took him in for his weight check (they are keeping an eye on him because he still isnt growing great - no duh, the kid is everywhere)

While we were there I asked the nurse about a sore looking spot on his gums, about where his fangs would be. 

"looks like a canker sore to me"

hm, okay. 

Over the next 2 days our nights were practically no existent. 

our days were similar with naps and E wouldnt take a bottle to save his life. He cut his daily intake in half and was dehydrated and constipated from the lack of fluids. 

I was frantic. I didn't know how to deal with my already underweight kid not eating!

I checked his top middle teeth, those are the next ones that should come in right?

right. 

RIGHT!

Apparently not. 

yesterday Easy cut one if his fang teeth. 

The other one is close behind it. 

How weird!

I am noticing this afternoon that all 4 top teeth might be coming in (That is also the only explanation I have for the cranky drooly butthead that just wants cuddles.)

I cant imagine teeth cutting through my gums. can you?

like, ouch. I get angry if I floss my teeth too hard. 

So we continue with the tooth watch!

This is Easy's new favorite thing. 

He HATES crawling. he just wants to take this walker everywhere. 

He walks into something and then hits the walker against it until we turn it around. 

Its hilarious. 

A little exhausting, and he falls ALOT (with the walker usually ending up on his face)

but hilarious. 

Another little note. 

This kid loves books. 

He has a teeny tiny attention span, so he only likes certain books for a certain amount of time. 

but when daddy reads "hop on pop"

He is glued. 

he looks to taylor then back at the book. Its adorable to watch. 

every night he reads it to him after his bath before bed. 

T is really busy, and this is a special time for them. 

They really are best buddies. 

Well, thats a small amount of our life right now!

xx - r

Little Box of Sunshine.

I said I was working on a little project

here it is!

I went and did some shopping and made up these little boxes of "sunshine!"

I picked up all things YELLOW....

Put them all into a little box

 Added a little note...

and tied it all up with a bow!

I delivered a few of these boxes last week and I have to say, I was looking for sunshine

and I think I found it when I focused on people other than myself and my problems. 

__

Easy and I have been hiding out from the weather. 

We all went to grandma Campbells house last weekend and he picked up some new tricks! 

(Thanks Gram)

He can now crawl up stairs

hes officially a harasser of dogs...

and I swear he will be walking by christmas

This kid would rather hold your hand and walk with you or walk along furniture than crawl any day. 

Trust me, if there is something he wants

or shouldn't be in

Hes THERE!

My little trouble maker...

I guess I have more sunshine in my life than I notice sometimes. 

SO.

Go do service for someone this week!

Even if you don't think you need the sunshine in your life right now

maybe someone else does. 

xx - r

The shadows will fall behind you.

The snow and cold weather has only been here a few days, but I can feel the effect on my emotional state. 

I need to live in Florida or something. 

I need to find sunshine!

But I cant. not here anyways. 

SO instead

Im working on a project.

Im trying to combat negative feelings by providing some service.

i'll let you know if I actually complete this task...

hopefully,

There is sunshine coming!

xx-r

Spaghetti Night.

Allow me to take you through...

SPAGHETTI NIGHT. 

Im pretty sure that maybe... 9% of this made it through his digestive system?

more of it got under his fingernails

This spoon probably spent more time in his mouth than the noodles...

LOOK! HE GOT ONE!

Mooove those noodles around!

 WAIT...

You mean im supposed to eat this stuff?

 Ya, okay mom... Like thats gonna happen. 

Okay! DONE!

I thought there was less on the tray than when we started.

Maybe he ate some!

But nope. 

It was hiding in, on and all around his diaper!

Off to the bath!

We love spaghetti night!

xx - r

Skinny mini - Im on the hunt for a new Pediatrician.

It is GROSS outside. 

Just had to get that off my chest.

______________________________________________

Easy has been sleeping like a maniac the last few days! 

im talking like 12 hours at night and then 2-2 hour naps during the day. Incredible!

I want to share this picture of Easy's cousins! 

(we are missing one, who just joined us last weekend! Welcome baby Dante!)

Im glad we finally got a picture of my whole family together. its literally been 7 YEARS since our last family photos! I set up the old tripod and finally got em done!

Check out and "like" my photography page HERE

Easy went in for his 7 month appointment on halloween day. 

it was a little stressful. 

Since he was about 4 months old, he pretty much stopped gaining weight. 

dont get me wrong, he's a healthy kid at 17 pounds...

but he used to be so chubby!

ha ha ha ha ha...

okay, I DIED when I saw these old pictures. What a little brick!

Now he's like this skinny little adult

And let me tell you this, 

He is MOBILE. 

Every time I put him down and walk away to do something, he is at my legs pulling himself up with my pants within a minute. he's pulled himself up on things I didn't even know we had! he crawls and rolls and sits up... its a little overwhelming at times!

So I can see why he maybe isnt gaining as much weight as he did being a little lump in a bumbo...

But my paediatrician made me feel like a criminal!

asking me things like, "how often do you feed him?"

"uh, when hes hungry? like 5, 7 ounce bottles a day?"

"thats not enough!"

"okay... thats every 3 hours... he sleeps all night...should I be force feeding him then? waking him up to feed?"

"well... no, just have him eat more"

ummm okay?

I was also rudely  politely told that I needed to feed him more meat. 2 meals a day needed to have meat in them, or he would become anemic, and never gain weight.

Im sure some of you have seen the trouble I have giving this kid fruit and veggies on good days! Meat is definitely not his favourite thing. but I told her I would try, and after some pokes and prods on E, she gave us the nod and we were off.

I left the ped office a little dejected and frustrated... 

But

 After some pep talks by mom's and some friends, Im in the market for a new paediatrician. 

Turns out im a little more sensitive than I thought I would be about how people feel about how I raise my kid. 

But, I will continue to so the best I can with my little monster. 7 months! wow!

hes also popped through 2 little bottom teeth! 

FINALLY! 

That was a rough few weeks...

more updates soon!

xx - r