You might recall my post from yesterday where I asked G-d to please create one more hour in my day (preferably between 5:30-6:30/7 PM) so I could spend more time with Maya.

Well, he clearly heard my plea and had a good laugh at my expense.

Last night, we were up from roughly 2 AM on and off til 4 AM and then again at 6 AM.

Hardy har har, Big Man! We got plenty of time together … just not the kind of time I’d been hoping for!

Now, a few months ago, this would have been normal and expected … but now that she’s four months old and on a good sleep schedule/routine, nights like this are definitely the exception. Usually if she wakes up that early it’s because she’s a diva and has a diaper situation. She might chat a little, but usually within 5-10 minutes she’d be back asleep.

But this time we’d lay her down, she’d scream and moan in what appeared to be pain. It was totally breaking my heart, seeing her in agony. At first we suspected it was her gums (she seems to be showing teething symptoms) but then she started clawing at her left ear.

Then it became clear: ear infection. Ear infections are one of the most common illnesses for infants. They say breastfed babies get them less often (and truthfully, the fact that it took four months for her to get one is actually pretty decent) but I have plenty of friends with BF babies who have gotten them … so who knows.

Anyway, we already had her four-month well-baby visit scheduled for today and when we got there, our pediatrician could tell something was wrong. He did a full exam (with her screaming, which killed all of us–the doctor included) but skipped the vaccinations; we’ll do those in two weeks when she’s off the antibiotics or if she’s feeling better next week we can do it then.

Sure enough, she has an ear infection and is now on an antibiotic. She didn’t get sick from Luis or I; it’s surely something she picked up at daycare. It sucks, but it’s a fact of life.

I’ve long known that baby school would be a breeding ground for germs, but Maya’s been there just one month and has gotten sick twice already–including a stomach bug her first week there! Still, I know she can’t live in a bubble and is going to need to build up her immunities and, well, I guess you could say she’s doing just that!

In good news, our little peanut has some exciting stats to report!

Birth: 6 lbs 4 oz/19.75 inches

2-Month: 9 lbs 11 oz/21.75 inches

4-Month: 12 lbs 11 oz/23.75 inches

So she has doubled (and then some!) in size from her birth weight and has grown 4 inches taller! She’s in the 30th percentile for weight and the 25th for height, making her still on the smaller side overall, but our doctor was really pleased with her steady growth and encouraged us to keep doing what we’re doing … and start some solids!

Moral of the story: careful what you wish for! Now we have a sick baby to contend with so until the antibiotics kick in, the time I’m spending with her this weekend won’t likely be the quality kind I envisioned.

<<Sigh>>