Poop-obsessed!

Kasper will be 2 months old tomorrow! Hooray! Here is a picture of Kasper during his tummy time! He's working very hard, but it's hard to tell with his face stuck to the mattress.



So how is Kasper doing? (I've been asked that question a lot lately since many people have not seen me since my post-labour hibernation.) Hmmm...how do I answer that question?

- He eats very well. He's definitely his father's son.
- He is pretty easy to take care of and fusses very little.
- He slept through the night from 11pm - almost 6am for the 1st time last night!!! Woohoo!
- He can sleep very well on his own with very little comforting. Just turn on that mobile and he's set to go!
- He loves bath time and coos a lot as soon as daddy puts him in the warm water.

BUT.... (you knew there was a but coming right?!)

HIS POOP DRIVES ME CRAZY! I know I'm not the only mother who obsesses over their babies poo, but I never thought I'd be like this! I breastfeed Kasper and according to all books and websites that I've read, "normal" breastfed babies have yellow-mustardy poop that can range in consistency from creamy, seedy to curdly. This is what it should look like.



Well 2 weeks ago we had a little scare with Kasper's poop and there was a little bit of blood in his poop. So we brought him to the hospital and we ended up staying there for 3 nights with an IV stuck in Kasper's arm, as we waited for the lab results on whether there was severe bacterial infection. It was not very pleasant. In the end, the doctor said it was normal intestinal bacteria that was causing the diarrhea and we were given antibiotics and sent home. Eventually his poop returned back to normal.

Well a few days ago, Kasper's poop turned greenish AGAIN! But this time it was frothy (which is really similar to mucousy from my point of view). I am now OBSESSED with his bowel movements. Each bowel movement sets my heart a-racing. As I feed him I listen to the sound and feel the pressure and force of his poop as it ejects from his rectum. I've researched the symptoms on countless websites and narrowed it down to either foremilk/hindmilk imbalance or an allergy to something I've eaten. And even though I've talked to so many people and read so many websites that have said it's nothing to be too concerned about, it would really really really help if Kasper's poop will just be "normal" again!

SIGH!

I am free!...or not...

Main Entry: free·dom

Pronunciation: \ˈfrē-dəm\

Function: noun

1: the quality or state of being free: as
a: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
b: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence
c: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous <freedom from care>
d: ease , facility freedom>
e: the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken freedom>
f: improper familiarity
g: boldness of conception or execution
h: unrestricted use freedom of their home>

So my "Zuo Yue Zi" time is up. It's been up for about 13 days now. In the meantime I've had several opportunities to go out. I've gone shopping several times, cleaned my teeth at the dentist, visited the library at school, gone to a baptism service for a student, seen the doctor, gone to the Canadian Trade office and had a fancy dinner celebrating Kasper's 1 month. I've even managed to do several of these things on my own without my dad as a chaperone! Yes...I would say I'm more free.

BUT...on the other hand if freedom entails the "absence of constraint in choice of action"

• I'm still not allowed to have cold vegetables.
• Cold drinks are frowned upon.
• I have to sneak out to eat my ice cream. (do you see a trend?...)
  
• I have to eat Chinese concoctions for healing at every meal.
• I'm not allowed to take Kasper out for fear of germs.

SO.... maybe I'm not so free after all. But then are any of us really?

Galations 5:1 " 1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

I guess it depends on how you define freedom.