I decided to try a natural treatment, gentian violet, which is usually effective although very messy. I had to paint the inside of Malcolm's mouth with the tincture, which turned it bright purple. Then, he'd nurse and I'd turn purple, too. We now have a lot of purple tinged baby and adult clothing, receiving blankets and towels, although I've been told that will fade within a few washes. I also got a prescription for an ointment that contained a small amount of medication to ease some of the pain. Within a few days, we were on the mend. I wish I'd taken a picture of Malcolm with purple tongue/lips/chin/cheeks//ears/nose... It was quite a sight to behold.
Then, we noticed that Malcolm was having some digestive issues overnight resulting in some very messy diapers. Two days later, the problem was a little better, but Malcolm had a low-grade fever. I took him in to the pediatrician, who told me it was likely a virus. I wasn't entirely satisfied with his answer; and Malcolm, although no longer feverish, was increasingly gassy and fussy. Having had a colicky baby, and two babies with reflux, I understand gassy, fussy babies. It's almost a given that newborns will be both, a lot of the time. However, Malcolm was taking it to a different level. On Friday evening, I realized that he had cried almost every minute he was awake. In the early mornings, he'd writhe and shriek in serious discomfort. I suspected he might be lactose intolerant; Keith had been, as an infant, so I knew to look for blood in the stool. Sure enough, on Friday afternoon, the evidence was indisputable. I promptly went off all dairy. So far, we have noticed an improvement in both his gassiness and fussiness, but it will take another few days for his gut to repair.
Otherwise, our little Muppet continues to eat well, and is still gaining a lot of weight. The pediatrician weighed him at 10 lb 8 oz on Thursday. He's able to hold his head up for long periods of time, probably because he's in the sling for almost all of the day when he's not nursing, so he gets a lot of tummy time. He's still feeding every 2 to 3 hours, although we have had one 4 hour stretch the past two nights, so we might be slowly moving into more of a routine. Or not. We're taking each day at a time, and our expectations are pretty reasonable (read: non existent).
Today, Edward and The Ducklings are enjoying the first cool weather we've had in a while - we were dealing with hot and humid temperatures that felt like it was in the mid 40s for the whole week. This culminated in a series of massive storms that left us unscathed, but my sister in Petawawa has been without power since Friday afternoon, with damage to her house. And my aunt and uncle are marooned at their cottage in Muskoka, unable to get through the roads blocked with fallen trees and other debris. It was just a total fluke that they weren't injured.
I'm off to finish making their lunch, and then fingers crossed they'll nap for a bit in the afternoon. They're having macaroni and cheese, which is still a hit - although last time, Keith insisted on being served pasta with "visible cheese"... well, at least they know what they like!
A gratuitous picture of Keith and Colin, at the Arboretum a few weeks ago.
Malcolm, taken this morning. Most of the strawberry blonde hair he was born with has fallen out, leaving just a fringe around the sides and back. The hair growing in looks almost white.
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