The Trouble with Tyler

For those of you that don't know...Tyler has been losing weight.  He's gone down a size in his diapers and his pants.  Last Monday we went to the doctor because he had a nasty cough, and so I  weighed him while there just to see if my instincts were right and he hadn't been gaining any weight.  Well, since his 4 month check-up in December, he had lost one ounce.  The doctor sent us for some blood work to see what was going on inside his body, and today we went back for the results.  I weighed him again while there, and he had lost 4 ounces.  The results from his blood work are as follows:  his iron levels are low and his liver levels are high.  They aren't SO high that there is immediate cause for concern, but they are high enough to keep an eye on them.  The doctor gave us iron drops to take twice a day, and strict orders to start feeding him iron fortified cereal three times a day.  We go back at the beginning of March after another round of blood work to see if there is any change.

Later this afternoon, we headed over to the health unit for his 6 month shot.  I have to admit that it's pretty nice (for me anyway) that because he had so many shots 2 months ago (three) he only had to have one needle today!  He did AWESOME!  There was no crying whatsoever.  He sat there, sucked on a soother, and then giggled.  That boy is so brave!  Anyway, we weighed him again while there, and compared today's results with his 4 month results.  He was weighed naked both times, and in the past two months, Tyler has lost 1 pound.  The health nurse shuffled me over to the breastfeeding nurse who tried to see if maybe he and I were having latching problems and so he wasn't getting enough to eat.  That does not seem to be the case.  She suggested I start feeding Tyler meat instead of cereal and cluster feeding, and we'll go from there.  I now have to go every Monday afternoon this month for a weigh-in to see if he's gaining anything. 

*On a side note, there was an interning doctor at the breastfeeding clinic today.  I have to admit that it kind of embarrassed me to have to feed Tyler in front of them, and have him ask the nurse questions about latching while watching what Tyler was doing.  I think Tyler had a bit of performance anxiety as well!*

Anyway, that's all I have for an update at this time.  No answers.  I have been told by the doctor and several nurses not to panic, since that seems to be part of my nature, but I find it rather hard to do.  I have to keep remembering that verse in Matthew:

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Matthew 6:27

I know that my worrying isn't going to make Tyler start gaining weight, but I wish that it would, that kid would be huge by now!