One Month Shots and an unexpected trip to Scottish Rite

I can't believe our babies are already 5 weeks old and that it's time for their one month appointment and hep b shot. Time certainly does go by quickly. They are growing up so fast!

We first checked their weights and heights. Here is their progress:

Luke:
8.11 oz 21.5" long Head measurement: 14.5"
Weight: 18% Length: 42% Head circumference: 18%

Olivia:
7.1 oz 20" long Head measurement: 13.5"
Weight: 3% Length: 9% Head circumference: 2%

We can't say enough good things about our pediatrician, Dr. Mona. We had a 30 minute appt scheduled for both babies, and she ended up spending almost an hour with us. The past few days have been especially rough, as Luke hasn't slept much in the past 48 hours (and neither have we!). Olivia has been quite fussy as well. We have been trying different formula/breastmilk combinations as well as anything else we can think of (warm baths, bouncers, swings, swaddling...) and neither one was really sleeping in between feedings.

Luke has been spitting up a good bit of his milk, and seems upset during feeding time. After speaking with Dr. Mona, she was concerned it could be a condition called pyloric stenosis. Apparently the only way to correct the condition is through surgery. When we heard that, Dan and I got very anxious. She wanted us to schedule an ultrasound at Scottish Rite Children's Hospital for later in the day. She was pretty sure he has reflux/GERD, but better safe than sorry. We had a 1:30pm doctors appointment, and by 5pm the office had scheduled us for the ultrasound at the hospital.

It is very eye opening as new parents to be at a children's hospital. We were so worried about Luke, but thankful at the same time that they were born so healthy. A really nice tech performed the ultrasound on Luke while Olivia slept, and luckily it was negative. Whew! Our pediatrician called in a prescription for him, and we will see if it makes a difference over the next few days. We will go back in about 2weeks to follow up and see if we need to make any changes.

She also said we could attempt the 4 hour feeding schedule, especially at night. Yay! We know it will take some time to transition them to that point, but it's nice to know we are making progress. She also suggested we mix a little rice cereal with their bottles to help them sleep longer, and it also helps with the reflux. There are different schools of thought on when to introduce the rice cereal, and Dan and I have differing opinions. We compromised on the amount and are starting with 1/2 teaspoon per 2 ounces of formula (they recommend 1-1 ratio). They can still take their milk through the slow nipple, so it's not very thick at all. We will try this combination for a couple of days and see how it works.