My Hero...

I've blogged previously about Macie's issues with throwing up at least once a day (though she took the day off yesterday - YEA!). After talking with a friend about this, I've learned that she is exhibiting, at least some of the time, a classic symptom of reflux - a phenomenon in which I can actually HEAR the milk coming back up and her fighting to swallow it back down, again and again, until she finally (generally after 5 or 6 swallows) gives up the battle and throws up. Kind of graphic, I know, but there's really no other way to describe it (sorry, Lance!).

So this evening at bedtime, I'm feeling pretty good about my chances of feeding her and getting her to sleep without an "episode". I say this, because she'd already disgorged (isn't that a better word than "vomit" or "throw up"?!?) earlier today... After the standard 5 minutes of eating, a good burp, and 5 more minutes of eating, I sat Macie up to burp her. And, much to my chagrin, it started...

But this time was different. As Mac was fighting it off, time after time, I leaned over and whispered in her ear that it was okay for her to give in. She was working so hard! I was obviously trying to calm her down, but I must admit that a tiny part of me was hoping that a comforting voice might somehow "talk down" the milk. Silly, I know.

She must have swallowed 20 times, and that's no exaggeration. All the while, there was such a look of persistence on her tiny face. I know it sounds funny (or insane, maybe), but that look almost made me cry (though that could really have been a result of me not having had a shower in two days). Finally, after being SUCH a trooper, she couldn't fight it any more. And she gave in. But she succeeded in keeping most of it down - only about a quarter of the normal amount made its way to the ground.

When it was over, she slumped back, exhausted, into my arms. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell sound asleep. What a gut-wrenching (literally!) battle she'd just been through!

I know I've only known her for 5 weeks, but at that moment, I couldn't have been more proud of my sweet baby girl. All she knows how to do is eat, poop, cry, and sleep. Yet she's already doing everything she can to fight off what ails her. She's destined for success, huh?

Who knew that a hero could come in such a small package?