Week 6: The Weighting Game

The World War II Memorial in Washington, DC

Total Weight Lost:  9 lbs

My weight didn’t go down, but it didn’t go up either; I think that’s the best I could have hoped for this week.  My mom flew in on Tuesday, and I’ve been having too much fun shopping and tromping around DC with her to concern myself with such menial tasks as counting how many of my dad’s famous chocolate chip cookies I’ve eaten.  But I can’t say I haven’t spent any time thinking about weight this week; I just haven’t been thinking about my own.

Nicole at 6 months (12 lbs 13 oz, 25.25")

Nicole had her 6 month well baby visit on Wednesday, and she’s lost 3 ounces since last month.  I know that sounds like an insignificant amount, but Nicole only gained 4 ounces the previous month.  Our doctor was concerned enough to order labwork and a urinalysis.  For an adult, those orders are not a big deal.  You pee into a cup, get a small needle stick, and you are done in all of 5 minutes.  For my baby, it was the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to her  (excluding labor and delivery of course).

I cannot begin to describe how horrific it was to have to assist the nurses in holding Nicole down while she got a catheter.  She wailed the entire time, stopping only once to look up at me with huge, tearful brown eyes as if to ask, “how could you let them do this to me, mommy?!?”  When it was over and Nicole and I had both stopped crying, they sent us downstairs for the labwork.

I don’t think our hospital does many blood draws for babies Nicole’s age.  They called a nurse in from another department that had a reputation for never missing a vein.  She was very nice and didn’t miss, but Nicole’s veins were so little, and the blood just wouldn’t come out.  She screamed with rage and indignation while they tried drawing the blood out with a syringe, but after two needle sticks on one arm and one on the other, the nurses finally called it and broke the bad news that we would have to go through the entire thing again the next day.

The following day was better, if only because Nicole had a two hour nap before we went and was well rested.  The lab must have called for back up when they saw us coming because there were about three times more nurses buzzing around.  The lab supervisor poked Nicole twice and moved the needles around under her skin, but again there was not enough blood for the test.  Finally, the nurses let me hold Nicole while they stuck her finger and collected the blood as it dripped out.  She cried at the initial poke, but then she just snuggled against me for the rest of the time, happy as a clam.  I asked, with barely concealed irritation, why they hadn’t tried the finger prick to begin with.  Apparently, most babies don’t bleed enough that way, but I think they could have switched methods before sticking her with a needle five times.  We should get the lab results today.  Best case scenario, everything comes back normal and we conclude that Nicole is just a petite little girl.  Send healthy thoughts our way!

Mom watched the girls so we could go on our first date in 5 months!