Seagulls, Heartburn, and a Cozy Baby

My baby squeaks. There really isnt another way to put it, he squeaks. Well no, to be fair he sounds like when seagulls fly overhead, but at first your initial thought is "is that a baby or a chew toy". Mikey has made this sound since birth, and at first it can be a bit unnerving. The sound is loud, not a typical baby sound, and if you are unfamiliar with it, he sounds like he is struggling to breathe. In the hospital they checked his oxygen levels frequently, the pediatrician has checked him, and yes we have even taken him to a pediatric ENT to get his throat scoaped (twice)- the results have been pretty conclusive- he is fine, he just squeaks. No really, he is fine. As of yesterday the ENT concluded (for now) that the sound is caused by... acid reflux or heartburn. He doenst spit up a ton, doesnt cry when he does, and doesnt really give any indication that this might be the problem... except the sound (and the swelling we saw inside his throat). The acid has caused swelling in the vocal chords which have resulted in not only this sound, but also a hoarse voice- what does that mean in an infant? It means he has a very quiet cry. Poor little guy he needs some TUMS, no really he is now on medication for his acid reflux. For his sake I hope it works, heartburn is the worst!

Despite his quiet cry, Mikey makes plenty of sounds, not just the squeak, but lots of sighns, groans, and shrieks. When he is in the other room napping and we are listening on the baby monitor we often have difficulty disguishing between awake and asleep because there is so much sound all the time.

Sitting nearby while Mikey cuddled with Daddy.... who knew two weeks in I would look this tired.

Mikey and Daddy cuddling
Mikey and Daddy napping, if you listen carefully you can hear them both snoring.