Frankie Update

What has been going on with The Frankster? Well, we’ve settled into life without sleep. A life in which a trip to Target to buy toilet paper and diapers is quite a treat. A life filled with Turner Classic Movies (I’m betting that my Trivial Pursuit skills in the “Entertainment” category have improved exponentially in the last month). A life in our living room and kitchen. We’ve finally moved our beautiful, modern glass and chrome coffee table to the corner to make room for a stack of blankets and pillows in the middle of the floor (we don’t have carpet). The cats certainly love it. We’ve just turned the room into a gigantic bed for them. Frankie alternates between the couch, floor and Lazy Boy and our principle duties as parents are: portable crib (he’s happiest sleeping on you), food dispensers and diaper changers. We think he likes us most of the time -- except when he’s screaming or grousing.

Health-wise, we’re doing well, though taking care of Frankie is not without its challenges. His acid reflux is still a serious issue and though he takes Prevacid and Zantac in increasing doses, it doesn’t stop the pain, it just curtails it. He has bouts of discomfort, wailing and other textbook reflux reactions. He could be called “colicky”, that catch all term for babies who experience pain or one variety of another. On the positive side, he is still gaining weight and eating fairly well with few instances of vomiting (though he had an episode the other day that was impressive in both the volume and distance of his stomach’s contents).

Taking care of Frankie can be tough and Dave and I see each other only in passing, it seems. But we both know it won’t be this way forever. Just until he goes to college. But simply looking at his peaceful sleeping face or his wide-eyed stare as he struggles to focus makes it all worthwhile, and we anxiously await the thrill of seeing him become his own person.