The trip back home was uneventful. Nora slept for much of the way with only a few fussy periods. We stopped at a Wal-Mart somewhere along 75 and bought some gas drops for Nora. I have been sceptical of those things since Gavin was an infant. They never, ever worked for Gavin or Greta. This is why we were just now, in desperation, trying them again. For her first bottle after they were administered, they seemed to have done the trick!!!! She was actually smiling and cooing instead of writhing and screaming!
“You mean this is all it took?????” I yelled at myself. By the 2nd and 3rd bottles, despite being armed with the gas drops, it was back to screaming as usual. All hopes were dashed and I reinstated my opinion that gas drops are a scam.
We made it to the pediatrician’s office just in the nick of time… just as they were about to call it a day, and just seconds before the weather unleashed a wicked storm. Dr. Bolling didn’t notice anything outwardly wrong with Nora, no signs of heart failure or pneumonia, which were the big questions. I am such a nervous wreck about anything that pertains to doctor and hospital visits, terrified that we will be given grim news. I feel like I hold my breath the whole time I’m at any appointment for anything, waiting to be handed a lit stick of dynamite. This time a simple switch of formulas was suggested, and a trial can of soy formula was handed to us instead. I can deal with that, and with Nora’s fussiness, as long as it just means she’s being a typical fussy baby. I heaved a sigh of relief as we exited the building, only to quickly gasp it back in. There in the sky was a big low rainbow!! Perfect reminder, perfect timing, once again.
It's just above the roof of the building in the distance
We are finally and safely back home after a long day in the car without much sleep the night before. Nora is so fresh and so clean from her relaxing bathies with Mommy. She really, really enjoyed that! Then we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics for a little while.
Jolly good, it was!
William and I are completely exhausted and are so looking forward to a good night’s rest in our own cozy bed! Thank you Bryan and Jen for reporting for Night Time Nora Duty at the last minute! We love you!
The rest of our family is still up in Michigan, living the good life, apparently…
Please keep them in your prayers for travel safety as they embark on their journey back home bright and early tomorrow morning!
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
(Romans 12:12 NIV)
iwillcarryyou 
Is Miss Nora on any medications for reflux? My son used to scream for hours too and gas drops never worked, but they started him on Prevacid and it really helped within a week. It sounds like her crying could be reflux related top, since its associated with her “milkies.” It was just an idea. I read your blog every day and I feel like I know your family personally, you are an amazing writer with an amazing family to write about! You guys are in my prayers every day!
I’m so happy to hear that Nora is doing better, and had a good check-up. Your family has been on my mind all day. Constant prayers! I hope the formula change works and she’s less fussy, and less worrisome. Oh, and loved the pictures! Nora is such a little darling! Now, you get some rest too, and be assured that I’ll keep you all in my prayers!
I always wonder if those drops really do ANYTHING at all….
This made me laugh becauseae can’t function without those drops! She sounds lIke she’s been to Empress Chili if she doesn’t get them. Maybe it’s the placebo effect 😉
Give the new formula a shot and why don’t you try Dr. Brown’s bottles?. They did wonders for one of my friend’s gassy/ fussy/ colicky baby along with a new formula. I think it can also be infant reflux. Ask Dr. Bollinger.
Poor Aleisa & William, hope you got a good night sleep. But I guess every time you look at those big blue eyes, that little nose ( it’s yours, Aleisa!), those perfect lips and that cute messy hair, you forget all the crying jags and sleep deprivation. She’s soooo
beautiful!!. Love this little girl. Big kiss 🙂
Does Nora wiggle around a lot or arch her back while she is taking her bottle. Does she spit up much? She may have reflux and may need something like Zantac or pPevacid. My oldest had reflux and I remember a 10 hour crying jag and many more shorter ones. She was definitely not relaxed when eating because the milk burned her esphagus as it went down. If that is the case you should also keep her upright after her feeds and not put her in swing or anything that moves her a lot after her feeds. I would talk to her doctor about the possibility of reflux. It does take those medications a little while to work because they do not stop the reflux but decrease the acidity in the stomach so the acid does not burn their esophagus, so basicllay the esophagus has to heal.
Hi! I’ve never commented, but read daily as I pray for your sweet baby girl, and for you. Just wanted to mention something. We adopted a baby last year and had bouts of fussing and screaming, too. So hard! I had breastfed our bio kids, so I felt kinda clueless in the bottle/formula department. Anyway, after a month, on the recommendation of many, we switched formulas to Similac Sensitive, which helped a lot! BUT, what really helped was switching bottles to Dr. Brown’s!!! Oh my goodness!!! Seriously, check them out online, at Target…they are amazing. We had a completely different baby after we switched to only using them. I recommend them to everyone! !! Blessings!
My first child had reflux really bad and had to be on prevacid also she was put on nutramigen formula. Just in case the soy doesn’t work try the Nutramigen. Its pretty much the miracle formula. 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend.
I hope the new formula does the trick to stop little Miss from fussing! I pray daily for your family and look forward to reading the blog.
Little Miss Nora was a rock star last night! She ate all of her bottles and slept like the little angel she is. We cherish cuddling &spending those hours with her! We love you guys and hope the big kids get home safe! God bless.
Poor little Miss Nora with the tummy ache. My daughter really had colic problems and we started her on drops. It worked so quickly and she went to sleep immediately that I worried about the side effects of it and wouldn’t give it to her anymore. I was nursing and so had to watch what I ate and that helped. I hope that the change in formula does the job for her. Love the pictures of her and pray that she will be relieved and you and William can get some sleep. Worry and lack of sleep doesn’t help with the concerns you have. But I am thankful that the dr. appointment didn’t send up any flags. I will be praying for her and for you as well. Also for the rest of the family on the trip home. God bless all of you.
I am also wondering if it could be reflex. Both of my girls had it. With the first one it was obvious because she was spitting up a ton, but with the second one we discovered it just based on her being uncomfortable during her feedings, arching her back and turning away from the bottle. .They were both on Renitadine and our first one was on Prevacid as well. Glad it’s nothing major though. Praying for you. Hugs!
Gas drops do work – but only if gas is the problem. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. I have found from using them on myself (well, the same medication, pills though) that the dose on the package does nothing – but if I double or triple it it does. And I have read that simethicone can’t be absorbed by the body so you really can’t OD on it. So when using it on my kids I give more than is suggested – otherwise it truly does nothing. And of course if gas isn’t the issue, they won’t work even if you give the entire bottle. Now I am not saying to trust some random stranger on he internet and give your child the whole bottle – just saying what I have read and what I have found works for us. More people than not find they do nothing and I think the reason is 1. fussing is due to something else and 2. the dose is too low. I hope you find something that helps!!!!
I AM SOOOO HAPPY THAT THERE WAS NOTHING BAD WRONG. I AM ALSO SOOOO HAPPY THAT YOUR FRIENDS SURPRISED YOU BY COMING TO BE WITH NORA ALL NIGHT, AND HOPEFULLY YOU AND WILLIAM GOT A REALLY GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP. NORA LOOKS SO CUTE IN HER OLYMPIC OUTFIT. SHE IS SUCH A BEAUTY. I BET SHE IS SO HAPPY TO BE BACK HOME AND IN THE BIG TUB. GAVIN LOOKED REALLY CUTE AND COMPHY RESTING UNDER THE BIG TREE, BESIDE THOSE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS. YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN. WELL TO THE NEXT BLOG, BECAUSE I AM NOT GOING TO BED BEFORE I AM COMPLETELY CAUGHT UP ON MY NORA FIX. GOD BLESS.