Not a bad day.

After quite a few rough days and nights, we finally had a relatively peaceful 24 hours. We started yesterday at the pediatrician's office. Jackson weighed in at 9lbs. 1.5 oz. Two and a half pounds in three weeks. If he keeps up that pace he'll be over fifty pounds by his first birthday. Then we'll have to take him around the country to various daytime talk shows. He'll be billed as "Hungry Jack! The fifty pound baby"


The doc thinks we may be dealing with colic and precribed some drops that should help. This morning the doctor called with a revelation. She realized that Betsy was given antibiotics before delivering and that may have killed off the "good" bacteria in Jackson's digestive system. So she reccomended we try a natural booster for these bacteria before we go on with the prescription colic medication. Makes pretty good sense to me.

Unfortunately, Jackson still insists on being held 24 hours a day. He's what is called a "high need" child. Once we came to accept this fact, life has gotten a little easier. By not trying to constantly put him down and then being disappointed when he doesn't stay down, our mental health started to get better.

*Update: I started writing this earlier today. While I was at work, Betsy and her mother took Jackson out with them to buy the suggested natural remedies. He screamed the whole time. The car seat, which is usually one of the few place that Jackson sleeps, was apparently a torture device today. He calmed only when carried at the stores and only once he was home and safely in someone's arms.

So that brings me back to 'high needs'. We came by this term online and in books. It seems to describe our situation perfectly. Basically it describes a child that needs to be held all the time.
Here are some traits of a high need baby: They need to be held all the time; they hate sleeping alone in a crib. They need to nurse all the time. If their needs are not met, they cry and cry and cry and cry. (from an article by Jeri Carr at http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/infants/81605)

Most articles say that with time it will all get easier. We're patient folks and Jackson is worth the work.