4 months and a stomach virus

Poor Sami has a stomach virus.

On Monday I got a telephone call from the pediatrician's office, following up on how Sami was doing since I spoke to the nurse on Sunday evening. After I quick update, I was advised to bring Sami into the office that afternoon so the doctor could examine her. She was scheduled to have her four-month well-appointment this morning (she turned 4 months old last Friday) and to have a few more vaccinations (she's on a different vaccination schedule than most babies due to her small size), but that appointment is now being put off until next week when we are sure she is better.

Anyway, yesterday's appointment was traumatizing! Every orifice on Sami's tiny body was invaded! She had a throat culture, a long swab up each nostril probing for samples to test, her body temperature taken rectally, a plastic bag tightly placed to collect urine to test, and had blood taken. First they tried to take blood from her finger, which didn't work out well, so they proceeded to take blood from the sole of her right foot. However, the nurse couldn't get enough blood from that foot, so then they had to take blood from her left foot. Sami screamed and cried so loudly, that I felt so bad I began to cry. It was a nightmare. The nurse said that in all her years of being a medical professional, she has never seen a baby with such an attitude, the way she screams and fights from everything the nurse and/or doctor tries to do to her. She also said that she remembered when Sami came for her first appointment after she was discharged from the hospital weighing just 4 pounds that she had the biggest attitude even then for a baby than she had ever witnessed before. She wished me lots of luck, and said she hopes she can see what Sami is like as a teenager.

Anyway, at 4 months old, Sami now weighs 10 pounds and 8 ounces. Next week when she goes back for her shots (hopefully she will be all better by then) she will have her height measured, and we will discuss letting Sami began to eat rice cereal.

In the meantime, Sami will be continuing her regular formula, in addition to having a bottle of pedialyte per day to prevent dehydration from the stomach virus (which isn't pretty). I was told that if her vomiting or diarrhea become much, much worse to call the doctor right away as she would need to be admitted to the hospital for IV fluid.

However, today Sami seems to be doing much better. She did lose the contents of her first bottle of the day (through both ends ... ewww) this morning, but her temperature is now only 99.2, and so far the pedialyte has stayed with her, along with the three ounces she just had of her formula before falling asleep.

For the next few days, Sami and I will be staying in, as the doctor said her resistance is very low due to the virus, and she wants her to stay home and away from people and other germs.