When will this bout of illnesses leave our family? Fortunately, Dan and I are healthy for the time being. But poor Ethan, he (and I) barely got any sleep late Friday night/early Saturday morning. The poor kid cried his eyes out until 4am, when I think he finally passed out from sheer exhaustion. The only time he would calm down is when I'd pick him up from his crib and hold him and rock him in the glider. I could tell he wasn't feeling well but couldn't pinpoint what was wrong - no fever, no runny nose, no symptoms of any kind as far as I could tell. Saturday morning, Ethan woke up at 8:30 and did develop a 2 degree fever and was still fussy (who blames him with only 4 hours sleep!). So while I got to sleep in a bit and get ready for the day, I urged Dan to call the urgent care office of our pediatrician to figure out what was wrong. Dan managed to get Ethan a 10am appt. and graciously took Ethan to it so I could have some time off.
What did I do with that time off? Last year for Mother's Day/my birthday (same weekend), Dan gave me a spa certificate and here it is, a week from my birthday (aka - the expiration date on the certificate!) and I had yet to redeem it. So Friday morning, I called and booked myself a 1 hour Swedish massage appointment that I couldn't cancel. So I took full advantage of my morning off to pamper myself (funny that Pampering Ourselves was the topic at MOPS last week!). And while I had a nice, leisurely morning/afternoon, my boys anxiously waited at the peds for 30+ minutes past their appt. time before being taken to an exam room for their appt.
Turns out that our poor little man has a double ear infection. Nothing that more Amoxicillin can't cure, huh? So, we took it easy the rest of the weekend to catch up on rest and let the little guy try to get better. We're keeping him comfortable with children's ibuprofen and treating the infection with a more expensive form of Amoxicillin than what we were prescribed 2 weeks ago for the "possible" strep.
Showing posts with label pediatrician. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pediatrician. Show all posts
Monday, May 4, 2009
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Health and Family Update
I (Julie) took Ethan for his 15 month pediatrician checkup yesterday and all is well. He weighed in at 23 lb. 9.6 oz.! He's also grown to 32" long. He got his shots and was pretty brave - only cried for a moment. Then he fell asleep on the 7 minute drive home and slept for a couple of hours afterward.
He slept well last night and is pretty much on schedule today, not really feeling any side effects of the vaccines, although he is pretty clingy and cuddly! He's had a cough for about 2 weeks now so we had the doc check it out while we were there and they said he's fine and didn't really give a reason for the cough but didn't seem concerned so I guess there's no need for me to worry either. It's kind of odd to actually hear him cough because he spent all last year not being able to cough, and thus the reason for the thickened bottle feeds, due to some paralyzation of his nerves in his chest/throat area from his surgeries. Before I realized he didn't know how to really cough, he would just (how do I describe it?) kind of start to cough but turn it into a yell/loud noise/extended cough. Oh, the little things we take for granted! Poor little guy - I always thought coughing was more of an involuntary action that we do in response to choking or having something bother our airway. I guess it's encouraging that we definitely know he's regained the feeling in his throat in order to have the need to cough!
Well there's Ethan's health udate, now for the family update. We had a really nice Thanksgiving and trust you did as well. Dan and I both are fortunate to have our parents and siblings here in town so it's always fun to get to pitch in together for two big Thanksgiving day meals - one with each family! Ethan loves food in general (except any kind of meat/poultry) and found a new favorite food this holiday - cranberry relish! He mainly loves cheese and fruit (same things I craved when I was pregnant with him!) so it's really no surprise that he likes the tangy/sweet taste of the cranberries - he had several helpings at each meal and again for leftovers.
The rest of our family and extended families are doing well. I've got some kind of sinus problem that I've put off going to see the doctor about for the last couple of weeks but otherwise feeling good. I've also finally started going back to the gym to try to get in shape and hope to get in a good routine before the new year when the gym will be crowded with people trying to start their resolutions. My mom (aka Mimi) is also starting to finally feel better from her mono that she's had for nearly a year and a half. That's probably the biggest answer to prayer lately!
Uh-oh, I left the gate open and Ethan's headed for the stairs so I better run (he can crawl all the way up but doesn't know how to get back down without falling)!
He slept well last night and is pretty much on schedule today, not really feeling any side effects of the vaccines, although he is pretty clingy and cuddly! He's had a cough for about 2 weeks now so we had the doc check it out while we were there and they said he's fine and didn't really give a reason for the cough but didn't seem concerned so I guess there's no need for me to worry either. It's kind of odd to actually hear him cough because he spent all last year not being able to cough, and thus the reason for the thickened bottle feeds, due to some paralyzation of his nerves in his chest/throat area from his surgeries. Before I realized he didn't know how to really cough, he would just (how do I describe it?) kind of start to cough but turn it into a yell/loud noise/extended cough. Oh, the little things we take for granted! Poor little guy - I always thought coughing was more of an involuntary action that we do in response to choking or having something bother our airway. I guess it's encouraging that we definitely know he's regained the feeling in his throat in order to have the need to cough!
Well there's Ethan's health udate, now for the family update. We had a really nice Thanksgiving and trust you did as well. Dan and I both are fortunate to have our parents and siblings here in town so it's always fun to get to pitch in together for two big Thanksgiving day meals - one with each family! Ethan loves food in general (except any kind of meat/poultry) and found a new favorite food this holiday - cranberry relish! He mainly loves cheese and fruit (same things I craved when I was pregnant with him!) so it's really no surprise that he likes the tangy/sweet taste of the cranberries - he had several helpings at each meal and again for leftovers.
The rest of our family and extended families are doing well. I've got some kind of sinus problem that I've put off going to see the doctor about for the last couple of weeks but otherwise feeling good. I've also finally started going back to the gym to try to get in shape and hope to get in a good routine before the new year when the gym will be crowded with people trying to start their resolutions. My mom (aka Mimi) is also starting to finally feel better from her mono that she's had for nearly a year and a half. That's probably the biggest answer to prayer lately!
Uh-oh, I left the gate open and Ethan's headed for the stairs so I better run (he can crawl all the way up but doesn't know how to get back down without falling)!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
checkup
Ok, so Ethan's always been a good sleeper - from the time he was about 2 months old until 2 weeks ago, he's never had a problem sleeping through the night. Starting the day we went for his 1 year checkup, he's started waking up every night - exactly 8 hours after going to sleep - screaming his little lungs out for 2 hours straight then falling back asleep for a couple more hours before getting up for the day. So now I'm back to being a sleep-deprived momma again. I'd rather have the sleep-deprived days of taking care of a newborn than this any day though. At least when he was a newborn, I knew it was just hunger and could feed him and he'd fall right back asleep. But with constant screaming with nothing working to console him is downright exhausting and frustrating. I gave in and finally took him to the pediatrician yesterday (of course the night before I went - Monday night - he chose to sleep through the night!).
The doctor looked Ethan over and diagnosed him as teething - why didn't I think of that! But with a heart baby, you don't want to take any unusual behavior lightly. The doc pointed out to me that he's getting ready to cut 4 more teeth - 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom right next to the center 4 top & bottom teeth he already has! So she told me to give him Children's Tylenol or Motrin right before bed, which should last him through the night. So before bed last night, I gave him a dose and prayed for a good night sleep but to my dismay, he woke up 8 hours after bedtime, so I gave him more Tylenol but he continued his pattern of screaming again for 2 straight hours. I'm just glad that teething doesn't last forever!
Tomorrow we go to the cardiologist for a checkup. If everything goes well, we hopefully won't have to go back for 6 months this time instead of our usual 3 month checkups!
The doctor looked Ethan over and diagnosed him as teething - why didn't I think of that! But with a heart baby, you don't want to take any unusual behavior lightly. The doc pointed out to me that he's getting ready to cut 4 more teeth - 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom right next to the center 4 top & bottom teeth he already has! So she told me to give him Children's Tylenol or Motrin right before bed, which should last him through the night. So before bed last night, I gave him a dose and prayed for a good night sleep but to my dismay, he woke up 8 hours after bedtime, so I gave him more Tylenol but he continued his pattern of screaming again for 2 straight hours. I'm just glad that teething doesn't last forever!
Tomorrow we go to the cardiologist for a checkup. If everything goes well, we hopefully won't have to go back for 6 months this time instead of our usual 3 month checkups!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
1 year checkup
Dan and I took Ethan for his 1 year checkup on Monday morning (yes, I know he'll be 13 months tomorrow but that was the only appointment they had when I called the week of his birthday last month). Everything looked good! They said he passed his developmental milestones (which is encouraging since not all heart babies are on track developmentally due to their condition plus extended time spent cooped up in a hospital bed). He weighed in at 21 lb. 12 3/4 oz. He is in the 50% range for head circumference and weight and in the 90% range for length! What a tall boy we've got!
Ethan had his finger pricked to test his blood for lead levels and also anemia (standard 12mo. checkup test - nothing related to his heart defect). All those levels came back normal! Then he had to get 4 vaccines, one of which (MMR) the doc said could cause a fever spike of 103 in about 10 days so we'll be watching out for that. So far he seems to be doing fine from the shots, although he did wak up about 3 hours early yesterday morning (around 5am) whining and crying a little so I gave him some extended cuddle time and a little Tylenol and he was able to settle back down and nap from 7-9am, until it was time for us to leave to go to church for MOPS.
Speaking of MOPS (Mothers Of Preschoolers), I'm excited about getting together bi-monthly with other moms of young kids (really birth-kindergarten age) and build some new friendships and let Ethan get a chance to socialize in the nursery. Hopefully I'll be able to attend all fall/winter without having to keep him out of the nursery too much.
I really debated about whether or not to get involved since we're getting ready to hit cold/flu/RSV season in a few months. Even though Ethan's been staying so healthy and doesn't have his final surgery for a few more years, we still have to be extra cautious during the cold/flu and especially RSV season. Ethan's pediatrician wants us to get the RSV antibody shots again this year but we just don't think we're going to be able to afford it. Based on our most recent medical bills from Ethan's hospital for his 2nd surgery and the bills for the RSV shots, Ethan's surgery and hospital stay was a lot cheaper than the shots - INSANE! I don't like to talk about finances on here much (although it is a real part of life and we do help teach a finance course at our church) so I won't say anything else about this issue. Just please pray for wisdom for us as we decide what to do. The pediatrician said that he was even surprised at our out of pocket costs (even with the help of insurance) and said that they'd talk to their insurance rep to make sure that everythings getting filed properly so hopefully it won't cost as much this time. But even if we took insurance out of the picture, the cost of the RSV shots was still much higher than the surgery/hospital stay!
Well enough rambling for today. Thanks for checking in on us and continuing to think about and pray for us. We continue to praise God daily for keeping Ethan's heart functioning so well and for all the days He's given us with our sweet little boy. We go back to the cardiologist in about 2 weeks for another checkup and we just pray the docs continue to be amazed at Ethan's good health. Well I hear Ethan screaming in the other room so I better go check on him!
Ethan had his finger pricked to test his blood for lead levels and also anemia (standard 12mo. checkup test - nothing related to his heart defect). All those levels came back normal! Then he had to get 4 vaccines, one of which (MMR) the doc said could cause a fever spike of 103 in about 10 days so we'll be watching out for that. So far he seems to be doing fine from the shots, although he did wak up about 3 hours early yesterday morning (around 5am) whining and crying a little so I gave him some extended cuddle time and a little Tylenol and he was able to settle back down and nap from 7-9am, until it was time for us to leave to go to church for MOPS.
Speaking of MOPS (Mothers Of Preschoolers), I'm excited about getting together bi-monthly with other moms of young kids (really birth-kindergarten age) and build some new friendships and let Ethan get a chance to socialize in the nursery. Hopefully I'll be able to attend all fall/winter without having to keep him out of the nursery too much.
I really debated about whether or not to get involved since we're getting ready to hit cold/flu/RSV season in a few months. Even though Ethan's been staying so healthy and doesn't have his final surgery for a few more years, we still have to be extra cautious during the cold/flu and especially RSV season. Ethan's pediatrician wants us to get the RSV antibody shots again this year but we just don't think we're going to be able to afford it. Based on our most recent medical bills from Ethan's hospital for his 2nd surgery and the bills for the RSV shots, Ethan's surgery and hospital stay was a lot cheaper than the shots - INSANE! I don't like to talk about finances on here much (although it is a real part of life and we do help teach a finance course at our church) so I won't say anything else about this issue. Just please pray for wisdom for us as we decide what to do. The pediatrician said that he was even surprised at our out of pocket costs (even with the help of insurance) and said that they'd talk to their insurance rep to make sure that everythings getting filed properly so hopefully it won't cost as much this time. But even if we took insurance out of the picture, the cost of the RSV shots was still much higher than the surgery/hospital stay!
Well enough rambling for today. Thanks for checking in on us and continuing to think about and pray for us. We continue to praise God daily for keeping Ethan's heart functioning so well and for all the days He's given us with our sweet little boy. We go back to the cardiologist in about 2 weeks for another checkup and we just pray the docs continue to be amazed at Ethan's good health. Well I hear Ethan screaming in the other room so I better go check on him!
Monday, May 26, 2008
more firsts
Wow, this has been a busy month for us. Sorry for the long delay in updating. This month, Ethan had lots of "firsts"! We hope to have some new pictures soon too.
Here's a quick rundown of all Ethan's "firsts" for this month:
- May 10th: we went Strawberry Pickin' (for my birthday - a family tradition for me growing up)
- Also on May 10th: Ethan had his first late night of staying out past "curfew" (aka bedtime) with his cousins and aunts & uncles while Dan took me to a nice birthday dinner!
- May 11th: first Mother's Day (he even colored a card for me with Daddy's help) and he turned 9 months old!
- May 17th: first time in the church nursery while Dan & I helped lead a budget conference (he was very good, didn't cry at all and kept the workers entertained with his babbling & overall cuteness!)
- Also May 17th: Ethan & I went to our first heart reunion at UNC Hospital' Farm for all the pediatric cardiology patients (it was a fun cookout with games for the older kids and a chance to see alot of our nurses and of course the surgeons who have helped fix Ethan's heart)
- May 18-21: Ethan's first vacation (we went with my parents to North Myrtle Beach)
- May 19: first visit to a beach - he enjoyed playing with the sand and watching the waves but the water was a little too chilly for swimming
- May 20: first time in a swimming pool, again it was a little chilly but his Aunt Jenny had a fun time teaching him to kick and float with her help (she's a former infant/toddler swim instructor for the YMCA)
- May 26: first Memorial Day cookout
Ethan also went to the pediatrician last week for his 9 month well baby checkup. He weighed in at 19lb. 13 3/4oz., putting him about the 35% mark. He also measured 29 in., putting him about 70%. He continues to be a busy baby, exploring everything he gets a hold of. He's doing great with rolling all over the floor and has started making diaper changes a challenge by wanting to flip over onto his tummy. He seems on the verge of crawling but he may skip that phase altogether, we'll just have to wait and see. We continue to thank God daily for each day we have with him and for how well he's doing physically with his heart, developmental progress, and hearty appetite. Until we hear if we'll ever be able to do another swallow study, we continue to help him "practice" his unthickened bottles 2x/day and do the rest still thickened with the rice cereal. He enjoys eating Cheerios, Gerber Puffs and all his baby foods. Ethan has also started saying "Ma Ma" randomly!
Thanks for checking in on us, we should have some vacation pictures to post soon!
P.S. We are looking forward to an exciting event on Wednesday. We are going back to UNC to be on a parent panel for their annual cardiology conference. This year it's all about Single Ventricle heart defects like Ethan's! We are one of only 4 families selected to answer questions from all the nurses attending this conference. We pray that we can be of assistance by participating and that we glorify God through our responses.
Here's a quick rundown of all Ethan's "firsts" for this month:
- May 10th: we went Strawberry Pickin' (for my birthday - a family tradition for me growing up)
- Also on May 10th: Ethan had his first late night of staying out past "curfew" (aka bedtime) with his cousins and aunts & uncles while Dan took me to a nice birthday dinner!
- May 11th: first Mother's Day (he even colored a card for me with Daddy's help) and he turned 9 months old!
- May 17th: first time in the church nursery while Dan & I helped lead a budget conference (he was very good, didn't cry at all and kept the workers entertained with his babbling & overall cuteness!)
- Also May 17th: Ethan & I went to our first heart reunion at UNC Hospital' Farm for all the pediatric cardiology patients (it was a fun cookout with games for the older kids and a chance to see alot of our nurses and of course the surgeons who have helped fix Ethan's heart)
- May 18-21: Ethan's first vacation (we went with my parents to North Myrtle Beach)
- May 19: first visit to a beach - he enjoyed playing with the sand and watching the waves but the water was a little too chilly for swimming
- May 20: first time in a swimming pool, again it was a little chilly but his Aunt Jenny had a fun time teaching him to kick and float with her help (she's a former infant/toddler swim instructor for the YMCA)
- May 26: first Memorial Day cookout
Ethan also went to the pediatrician last week for his 9 month well baby checkup. He weighed in at 19lb. 13 3/4oz., putting him about the 35% mark. He also measured 29 in., putting him about 70%. He continues to be a busy baby, exploring everything he gets a hold of. He's doing great with rolling all over the floor and has started making diaper changes a challenge by wanting to flip over onto his tummy. He seems on the verge of crawling but he may skip that phase altogether, we'll just have to wait and see. We continue to thank God daily for each day we have with him and for how well he's doing physically with his heart, developmental progress, and hearty appetite. Until we hear if we'll ever be able to do another swallow study, we continue to help him "practice" his unthickened bottles 2x/day and do the rest still thickened with the rice cereal. He enjoys eating Cheerios, Gerber Puffs and all his baby foods. Ethan has also started saying "Ma Ma" randomly!
Thanks for checking in on us, we should have some vacation pictures to post soon!
P.S. We are looking forward to an exciting event on Wednesday. We are going back to UNC to be on a parent panel for their annual cardiology conference. This year it's all about Single Ventricle heart defects like Ethan's! We are one of only 4 families selected to answer questions from all the nurses attending this conference. We pray that we can be of assistance by participating and that we glorify God through our responses.
Monday, April 7, 2008
last RSV shot!
I nearly forgot about the appointment until about 30 minutes beforehand, but we did make it to the peds for Ethan's last RSV shot of the season! We won't have to do this again until October or November so that will be a nice break! Ethan's weight is looking good, he weighed in at 18lb. 11 1/4 oz. (8.5 kg) today so I'm pleased!
As always, thanks for checking in on us. Things are going so well that we haven't had too much to report lately. We praise God for Ethan's continued good health and continue to pray for comfort and strength for baby Annabelle's family as they grieve her loss. We also ask for prayer for baby Julianne as she goes for her swallow study tomorrow. She's been on a feeding tube her entire life and if she doesn't pass, then the doctors are talking about surgically placing a G-tube button on her stomach for feeding so she doesn't have to have a tube down her nose any more. Please pray God's will to be accomplished for her tomorrow. I know her parents desperately want her to pass but, more importantly, are trusting God for whatever the outcome!
As always, thanks for checking in on us. Things are going so well that we haven't had too much to report lately. We praise God for Ethan's continued good health and continue to pray for comfort and strength for baby Annabelle's family as they grieve her loss. We also ask for prayer for baby Julianne as she goes for her swallow study tomorrow. She's been on a feeding tube her entire life and if she doesn't pass, then the doctors are talking about surgically placing a G-tube button on her stomach for feeding so she doesn't have to have a tube down her nose any more. Please pray God's will to be accomplished for her tomorrow. I know her parents desperately want her to pass but, more importantly, are trusting God for whatever the outcome!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
7 months old!
"They grow up so fast" is the phrase everyone says about kids, and boy is it true! I was even told this phrase yesterday as I was leaving the pediatrician office by a lady leaving the same time as me (no kids with her), she opened the office door for me as I carried Ethan out to the car. It's hard to believe that Ethan is officially 7 months old today! So much has happened, yet it still seems like just yesterday that I first held him in my arms.
Today also makes 7 weeks since Ethan's 2nd heart surgery - the Glenn. One more week and we can pick him up under the arms (not like I'm counting down or anything!). After visiting the pediatrician and hearing Ethan now weighs over 18 pounds, no wonder why I feel like I'm getting a workout by holding him and picking him up so much every day! We still have our home scale that we used to use for weekly weigh-ins but since we don't have to do it anymore, we have boxed it up and it's not worth getting back out so I was curious to see how much weight he'd gained since his 6 month checkup.
By the way, speaking of picking Ethan up so much, Dan hurt his arm/elbow about a week and a half ago from falling off his road bike and hasn't been able to pick him up very much. Dan doesn't think his arm is broken so he hasn't gone to the doctor yet, and it started feeling better towards the end of last week, but now it's hurting pretty bad again so he hopes to see the doctor about it today. You can keep him in your prayers that his arm gets better soon so he can have full use of it again (and get to hold Ethan more - he misses that!)
Today also makes 7 weeks since Ethan's 2nd heart surgery - the Glenn. One more week and we can pick him up under the arms (not like I'm counting down or anything!). After visiting the pediatrician and hearing Ethan now weighs over 18 pounds, no wonder why I feel like I'm getting a workout by holding him and picking him up so much every day! We still have our home scale that we used to use for weekly weigh-ins but since we don't have to do it anymore, we have boxed it up and it's not worth getting back out so I was curious to see how much weight he'd gained since his 6 month checkup.
By the way, speaking of picking Ethan up so much, Dan hurt his arm/elbow about a week and a half ago from falling off his road bike and hasn't been able to pick him up very much. Dan doesn't think his arm is broken so he hasn't gone to the doctor yet, and it started feeling better towards the end of last week, but now it's hurting pretty bad again so he hopes to see the doctor about it today. You can keep him in your prayers that his arm gets better soon so he can have full use of it again (and get to hold Ethan more - he misses that!)
Monday, March 10, 2008
Final RSV shot!
Today I took Ethan in to his pediatrician for his final RSV shot for this season...hopefully - the nurse said no more doses should be shipped to them, but that they'd call us if another dose arrives next month. We won't have to get those again until October! The nurse weighed him at 18lb. 2 3/4 oz. (8.23kg) so he seems to be growing well! The doctor made a comment to Ethan about how big he's growing and Ethan burst into tears - and he hadn't even received his shot yet - poor kid, LOL!
We go back to the cardiologist next Thursday, 3-20 for another followup. Hopefully we'll get approved to take Ethan off his one and only medicine - Lasix (diuretic) that helps drain off any extra fluids in his body from his 2nd heart surgery. Also by that time, we'll be able to start picking Ethan up under his arms once again, so we will finally be able to feel like things are back to normal as they felt right before his surgery. We continue to feel so blessed at how much God has taken care of Ethan and us during the past year since we first found out about Ethan's heart condition! Thank you all for your continued prayers and support to help us along on our journey!
We go back to the cardiologist next Thursday, 3-20 for another followup. Hopefully we'll get approved to take Ethan off his one and only medicine - Lasix (diuretic) that helps drain off any extra fluids in his body from his 2nd heart surgery. Also by that time, we'll be able to start picking Ethan up under his arms once again, so we will finally be able to feel like things are back to normal as they felt right before his surgery. We continue to feel so blessed at how much God has taken care of Ethan and us during the past year since we first found out about Ethan's heart condition! Thank you all for your continued prayers and support to help us along on our journey!
Monday, February 11, 2008
6 months old!
Note: Ok, I originally wrote this yesterday(Monday, 2/11) but wasn't able to post it until today (Tuesday, 2/12) because Ethan was very fussy all day so bear with me in the references to "today", meaning Monday, 2/11.
Ethan is officially 6 months old today! I remember when he was born, loving the brief moment that Dan and I got to hold him before the nurses rushed him off to the NICU to take care of him. Way back before our precious son was born, we were already trusting God with Ethan's life, however long that time may be with him. God has been so gracious to us in helping Ethan's heart to function so well, thanks to our wonderful team at UNC Hospital. We feel so blessed to be able to celebrate Ethan's half-birthday today!
To mark this momentous day, Ethan and I started the day with a well-baby 6-month checkup at the pediatrician. The doc said he's looking great. He weighs 16 lb. 2 oz. (4 oz. shy of doubling his birth weight!) and is 27" long. Due to his shots, he's been sleepy and fussy all day so I've got my hands full!
I think Ethan's also going through a growth spurt and he is now (finally!) drinking over 5 oz. at each feeding! He also enjoys eating baby foods like applesauce, sweet potatoes, bananas and we're still working on getting him to eat green beans. He's officially outgrown his infant car seat so yesterday we transitioned him to his big boy convertible car seat (meaning that it's rear-facing until he turns one, then we can turn the seat around to be forward facing until he outgrows it in a few years). This is an exciting milestone but it makes going out to eat a little tricky since he can't sit up on his own yet so he doesn't do well sitting in a high chair, but we're making it work.
That's all for now, thanks for continuing to read our blog and keep us in your prayers. Our next big appointment is in 2 weeks - Tues., Feb. 26 at UNC for an x-ray swallow study. I'm actually more nervous about this than his last surgery. This will be Ethan's 3rd time to do the study. I'm so tired of having to always thicken his bottles with rice cereal to help him swallow his bottle down his throat and into his stomach instead of into his lungs. Although we're pretty used to thickening all his bottles, it's more about being able to start giving Ethan juice and water than about the extra few seconds it takes to measure and add the cereal. Please pray that the '3rd time's a charm" as the expression goes so we can not have to worry about giving Ethan juice and other liquids as he gets older.
Ethan is officially 6 months old today! I remember when he was born, loving the brief moment that Dan and I got to hold him before the nurses rushed him off to the NICU to take care of him. Way back before our precious son was born, we were already trusting God with Ethan's life, however long that time may be with him. God has been so gracious to us in helping Ethan's heart to function so well, thanks to our wonderful team at UNC Hospital. We feel so blessed to be able to celebrate Ethan's half-birthday today!
To mark this momentous day, Ethan and I started the day with a well-baby 6-month checkup at the pediatrician. The doc said he's looking great. He weighs 16 lb. 2 oz. (4 oz. shy of doubling his birth weight!) and is 27" long. Due to his shots, he's been sleepy and fussy all day so I've got my hands full!
I think Ethan's also going through a growth spurt and he is now (finally!) drinking over 5 oz. at each feeding! He also enjoys eating baby foods like applesauce, sweet potatoes, bananas and we're still working on getting him to eat green beans. He's officially outgrown his infant car seat so yesterday we transitioned him to his big boy convertible car seat (meaning that it's rear-facing until he turns one, then we can turn the seat around to be forward facing until he outgrows it in a few years). This is an exciting milestone but it makes going out to eat a little tricky since he can't sit up on his own yet so he doesn't do well sitting in a high chair, but we're making it work.
That's all for now, thanks for continuing to read our blog and keep us in your prayers. Our next big appointment is in 2 weeks - Tues., Feb. 26 at UNC for an x-ray swallow study. I'm actually more nervous about this than his last surgery. This will be Ethan's 3rd time to do the study. I'm so tired of having to always thicken his bottles with rice cereal to help him swallow his bottle down his throat and into his stomach instead of into his lungs. Although we're pretty used to thickening all his bottles, it's more about being able to start giving Ethan juice and water than about the extra few seconds it takes to measure and add the cereal. Please pray that the '3rd time's a charm" as the expression goes so we can not have to worry about giving Ethan juice and other liquids as he gets older.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Cardiologist checkup
Our cardiologist greeted us by saying, "well I think you set a new record for how quick you got out [of the hospital] after the Glenn surgery!". Of course this was extremely exciting to hear! Ethan weighed in at 15 lb. 6 oz., so he really hasn't gained any weight since surgery. But his doc's not concerned right now, since it's only been 2 weeks and I told him that we were all sick with the stomach bug the first week we were home.
Ethan had his echocardiogram done on his heart and the function looks great! The doc has cut back our Lasix (diuretic med) to once a day instead of twice. We go back again in 6 weeks for another checkup and he thinks by that time we'll be able to quit the Lasix completely - which will mean we'll be completely drug-free for the first time ever! What will we do with ourselves, not having to give daily meds, I can't wait!?!
Our next pediatrician appointment is on Monday, 2/11 for Ethan's 6-month checkup. Poor guy, they always schedule his appointments for the day he turns that many months old - what a way to celebrate, huh?
Well that's about all... poor Tarheels for losing to Duke last night, but we'll have a rematch at Duke later in the season so hopefully we'll be able to get bragging rights next time! :-)
Ethan had his echocardiogram done on his heart and the function looks great! The doc has cut back our Lasix (diuretic med) to once a day instead of twice. We go back again in 6 weeks for another checkup and he thinks by that time we'll be able to quit the Lasix completely - which will mean we'll be completely drug-free for the first time ever! What will we do with ourselves, not having to give daily meds, I can't wait!?!
Our next pediatrician appointment is on Monday, 2/11 for Ethan's 6-month checkup. Poor guy, they always schedule his appointments for the day he turns that many months old - what a way to celebrate, huh?
Well that's about all... poor Tarheels for losing to Duke last night, but we'll have a rematch at Duke later in the season so hopefully we'll be able to get bragging rights next time! :-)
Friday, February 1, 2008
Feeling Better!
Lots of updates today...
First, thanks for your prayers for our family this week as we get through our first family sickness together. I think we're finally all over the worst of our stomach bug! Ethan's even gotten back to a more "normal" eating schedule - meaning that he's not taking all 4 oz. of his bottle like he was pre-surgery, but at least he's eating 2.5-3 oz. every 3 hours. Since surgery, he would even skip feedings all together, and being sick this week, it's not surprising that he wasn't much into eating at all. I'm just glad that he's at least taking most of his bottle each time and not skipping any more feedings.
Second, Ethan does continue to wake up several times each night, although it's starting to get spaced out to every 3-4 hours, which is better than getting woken up every hour! As the stay-at-home parent, I am the one who gets up to check on Ethan every time he cries so my sleep has been quite interrupted this week, which I think has contributed to me being the slowest to recover from this stomach bug!
Third, Ethan got his chest tube sutures removed this week and his nurse at the pediatrician said he was still healing great with no sign of infection! He was such a brave boy and didn't squirm or even make the slightest sign of discomfort while the sutures came out!
Finally, thanks for your prayers for baby girl Annabelle Butcher! Her surgery went well today, but she definitely still needs prayers as the next 24-48 hours are very critical, as it's the time when the most swelling occurs. Again, you can follow her journey at their blog site: http://www.babygirlbutcher.blogspot.com/. We know just what they're going through - it's hard to believe we were in their shoes almost 6 months ago - boy does time fly by!
First, thanks for your prayers for our family this week as we get through our first family sickness together. I think we're finally all over the worst of our stomach bug! Ethan's even gotten back to a more "normal" eating schedule - meaning that he's not taking all 4 oz. of his bottle like he was pre-surgery, but at least he's eating 2.5-3 oz. every 3 hours. Since surgery, he would even skip feedings all together, and being sick this week, it's not surprising that he wasn't much into eating at all. I'm just glad that he's at least taking most of his bottle each time and not skipping any more feedings.
Second, Ethan does continue to wake up several times each night, although it's starting to get spaced out to every 3-4 hours, which is better than getting woken up every hour! As the stay-at-home parent, I am the one who gets up to check on Ethan every time he cries so my sleep has been quite interrupted this week, which I think has contributed to me being the slowest to recover from this stomach bug!
Third, Ethan got his chest tube sutures removed this week and his nurse at the pediatrician said he was still healing great with no sign of infection! He was such a brave boy and didn't squirm or even make the slightest sign of discomfort while the sutures came out!
Finally, thanks for your prayers for baby girl Annabelle Butcher! Her surgery went well today, but she definitely still needs prayers as the next 24-48 hours are very critical, as it's the time when the most swelling occurs. Again, you can follow her journey at their blog site: http://www.babygirlbutcher.blogspot.com/. We know just what they're going through - it's hard to believe we were in their shoes almost 6 months ago - boy does time fly by!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Now we're all sick
Well it seems that it is indeed a stomach bug that Ethan caught and now he's passed it on to me and Dan as well. :-( Good news is that Ethan seems to be feeling better today, and so do I so hopefully it was just a 24 hour thing for me. Dan's still asleep so I don't know how he's feeling, but he had a rough night last night. Please pray that this passes quickly from our family so we can get back to trying to get Ethan back on schedule after surgery. Our discharge papers and other friends with HLHS babies have all said it often takes a few weeks to get back on schedule with feeding, sleeping and playing after this 2nd surgery.
Tomorrow morning Ethan goes back to the pediatrician to get his chest tube sutures removed, so we're excited about that! One more step towards his healing from the surgery! And next week we go for a checkup with Ethan's cardiologist to have an echo to make sure his heart is still functioning well from the surgery.
Tomorrow is also the day for baby girl Annabelle Butcher (http://www.babygirlbutcher.blogspot.com/) to have her first heart surgery for HLHS, so please be keeping her and her family and medical team in your prayers. Thanks!
Tomorrow morning Ethan goes back to the pediatrician to get his chest tube sutures removed, so we're excited about that! One more step towards his healing from the surgery! And next week we go for a checkup with Ethan's cardiologist to have an echo to make sure his heart is still functioning well from the surgery.
Tomorrow is also the day for baby girl Annabelle Butcher (http://www.babygirlbutcher.blogspot.com/) to have her first heart surgery for HLHS, so please be keeping her and her family and medical team in your prayers. Thanks!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
4 month checkup!
Ethan is 4 months old today! In recognition, I did the not-so-pleasant task of taking him for his vaccines and checkup at the pediatrician. We've seen a different doctor every time we've gone, which I guess is ok for now so that we get to test all the docs out to see who we like best. Today we saw Dr. Burroughs and he seemed to be really nice. He's also had heart surgery so the first thing he said when he saw Ethan was, "hey, we've got the same scars, although yours are a lot newer than mine!". He asked if we were being treated at UNC and told us to say hi to his friends over there! Dr. Burroughs also mentioned that his grandson also has a CHD, although not HLHS but nonetheless, he's still VERY familiar with HLHS! This was encouraging to hear, I've really only seen one other doctor in this pediatrician office that was familiar and comfortable with Ethan's condition so I think I'm getting it narrowed down as to who I will try to see from now on. Also, based on my conversations with Dr. Burroughs, it sounds like he may be a Christian so that's another bonus!
Ethan's checkup went well, he's growing well and looking good! According to today's weight, he's actually down 2 ounces (14 instead of 14 lb. 2oz. at UNC last week) but I'll weigh him on our home scale tomorrow just to double check since that's what I'm used to him being weighed on. Dr. Burroughs said it's ok to start trying to give Ethan some solid foods, but since he's already getting rice cereal in his bottle to thicken it, he said it's ok to just stick with that for a little longer. We may wait until after the 2nd heart surgey next month to start the solids.
In other news...Dan's foot pain has been acting up again. Last time it happened was Thanksgiving and it lasted nearly 2 weeks, with Dan not seeing a doctor - just trying to stay off it and keep it wrapped in an ace bandage. This time, I finally convinced him to go back to the orthopedist to have it re-examined. Since it's Dan's right foot (driving foot), he stayed home from work and I had to take him to his doctor visit. He was told he basically has a very flat foot and a loose ankle that makes his foot move more side to side than up and down like it should. The doc told him about some stretches to do and also prescribed him some prescription-strength Aleve. So that's been my day, running all over town for doctors appointments for my 2 boys!
Also, my grandpa in Nashville, TN (my dad's dad) is not doing so well so that has been weighing heavy on my heart this week. My grandpa has cheated death so many times in his life, from being a prisoner of war in WWII, to getting run over by a farm tractor, and many other near-death experiences but this time he's got pneumonia and a staph infection and has landed himself in the hospital for the past week, on oxygen and scaring us all that he may go into a coma and not wake up. Even when he cracked some ribs a few years ago, he was so tough that it took him days to even mention it, and even then, he just said his side was a little sore. So when I talked to him on Sunday and he said he's not doing very well, I knew that this time, it was something serious. With the infection, he's had to stay in isolation and anyone who enters has to wear gloves and a mask. We were all afraid we were going to lose him so Dad and my sister Jessica and her husband Brandon all packed up Sunday afternoon and made the 10 hour drive to see him. I wanted to go, but with Ethan's surgery only a month away, I know I can't risk getting sick or passing it on to him. But God performed a miracle today and Papa Joe is doing a whole lot better and is getting healed from the pneumonia! He has cheated death once again and won! Praise the Lord for answering all our family's prayers in bringing him through this sickness!
Prayer Requests/Praises
- continued good health for Ethan, as well as Dan and I as we await surgery
- pain relief for Dan's foot
- continued healing of Papa Joe (my grandpa) from his life-threatening pneumonia
Ethan's checkup went well, he's growing well and looking good! According to today's weight, he's actually down 2 ounces (14 instead of 14 lb. 2oz. at UNC last week) but I'll weigh him on our home scale tomorrow just to double check since that's what I'm used to him being weighed on. Dr. Burroughs said it's ok to start trying to give Ethan some solid foods, but since he's already getting rice cereal in his bottle to thicken it, he said it's ok to just stick with that for a little longer. We may wait until after the 2nd heart surgey next month to start the solids.
In other news...Dan's foot pain has been acting up again. Last time it happened was Thanksgiving and it lasted nearly 2 weeks, with Dan not seeing a doctor - just trying to stay off it and keep it wrapped in an ace bandage. This time, I finally convinced him to go back to the orthopedist to have it re-examined. Since it's Dan's right foot (driving foot), he stayed home from work and I had to take him to his doctor visit. He was told he basically has a very flat foot and a loose ankle that makes his foot move more side to side than up and down like it should. The doc told him about some stretches to do and also prescribed him some prescription-strength Aleve. So that's been my day, running all over town for doctors appointments for my 2 boys!
Also, my grandpa in Nashville, TN (my dad's dad) is not doing so well so that has been weighing heavy on my heart this week. My grandpa has cheated death so many times in his life, from being a prisoner of war in WWII, to getting run over by a farm tractor, and many other near-death experiences but this time he's got pneumonia and a staph infection and has landed himself in the hospital for the past week, on oxygen and scaring us all that he may go into a coma and not wake up. Even when he cracked some ribs a few years ago, he was so tough that it took him days to even mention it, and even then, he just said his side was a little sore. So when I talked to him on Sunday and he said he's not doing very well, I knew that this time, it was something serious. With the infection, he's had to stay in isolation and anyone who enters has to wear gloves and a mask. We were all afraid we were going to lose him so Dad and my sister Jessica and her husband Brandon all packed up Sunday afternoon and made the 10 hour drive to see him. I wanted to go, but with Ethan's surgery only a month away, I know I can't risk getting sick or passing it on to him. But God performed a miracle today and Papa Joe is doing a whole lot better and is getting healed from the pneumonia! He has cheated death once again and won! Praise the Lord for answering all our family's prayers in bringing him through this sickness!
Prayer Requests/Praises
- continued good health for Ethan, as well as Dan and I as we await surgery
- pain relief for Dan's foot
- continued healing of Papa Joe (my grandpa) from his life-threatening pneumonia
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
2 Month Checkup
Today I (Julie) took Ethan in to the pediatrician for his 2 month well baby checkup and first round of immunizations. We both handled it pretty well! I spoke to my grandma on Sunday and she told me she always felt guilty about having to take my mom and her brothers for their shots and now I understand why and can agree! I personally hate needles and know that they hurt so it was really difficult to subject Ethan to the pain, even though it's necessary in order to keep him healthy. And he definitely needs to be healthy with his condition, especially with cold/flu season upon us (if it will ever cool down!).
In addition to the shots, we also did his weekly weight check. He has gained another 8 ounces, putting this week's weight at 11lb. 13.5 oz. (5.37 kg) and 24 inches long! Tomorrow we go to the cardiologist, so you can pray that goes well too.
Thank you everyone for your continued prayers for us! We enjoy reading your comments (click on the comments link at the end of each posted entry to leave us a comment and also read other peoples' comments to us) and emails (see link on our main page: http://www.ethanmiles.com/) and even seeing many of you face to face on Sunday at church.
Also, tonight Ethan will get be watched by his Grammy (Dan's mom) while Dan and I join Ethan's Aunt Jessica and Uncle Brandon for a fun night out at the N.C. State Fair! For those of you reading this who are not from N.C. - the big claim to fame this year is that it has more rides than Disney World! None of us are big ride fans (especially not at $2-$6/ride but it will still be fun to see!) This is Brandon's first visit to the N.C. State Fair so we'll get to show him the ropes, enjoy some funnel cake, and hopefully catch the pot-bellied pig races!
In addition to the shots, we also did his weekly weight check. He has gained another 8 ounces, putting this week's weight at 11lb. 13.5 oz. (5.37 kg) and 24 inches long! Tomorrow we go to the cardiologist, so you can pray that goes well too.
Thank you everyone for your continued prayers for us! We enjoy reading your comments (click on the comments link at the end of each posted entry to leave us a comment and also read other peoples' comments to us) and emails (see link on our main page: http://www.ethanmiles.com/) and even seeing many of you face to face on Sunday at church.
Also, tonight Ethan will get be watched by his Grammy (Dan's mom) while Dan and I join Ethan's Aunt Jessica and Uncle Brandon for a fun night out at the N.C. State Fair! For those of you reading this who are not from N.C. - the big claim to fame this year is that it has more rides than Disney World! None of us are big ride fans (especially not at $2-$6/ride but it will still be fun to see!) This is Brandon's first visit to the N.C. State Fair so we'll get to show him the ropes, enjoy some funnel cake, and hopefully catch the pot-bellied pig races!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
2 months old!
Hard to believe our little boy is 2 months old today! So much has happened in his life since he was born! Yesterday, we went to the pediatrician for his weekly weight check - he's now 11lb. 4 1/4oz. (5.13kg). That's only 5 oz. gained this week, as opposed to 9 oz. gained last week, but Nurse Kay at UNC said it's ok. His pulse ox this week has been between 73-81%, so it's slightly improved from last week. We also ordered a digital scale from ebay, that should be arriving in the next week or two, so hopefully we won't have to go weekly to the pediatrician for his weigh in any more. Also, with the home scale, we won't have to have a home nurse come weigh him - which was our other option, but our current home nurse doesn't have a digital scale (which UNC requires for the weekly weigh in) and no other home nurse company has a digital scale either, so home nursing is out of the question at this time (plus it was going to cost $102.95/visit).
Tomorrow morning at 8:30am we go back to UNC for another swallow study. Last swallow study was done about 6 weeks ago, and at that time, it was taking him 20 minutes to drink a 2 oz. bottle, and it was only the last couple of minutes where he started falling asleep when he was silently aspirating (swallowing the wrong way and not coughing). Well it only takes him 5 minutes to take a 3 oz. bottle now and he doesn't get tired or fall asleep so we think he's ok. He has the ability to cough, and it's rarely when he's eating so we think he's ok. If he passes, then we can take him off the thickened feeds and hopefully I'll be able to nurse him more often! Right now, I'm only allowed to nurse him once a day, and when he does nurse, he latches on right away and does great, although he falls asleep after about 10 minutes.
So today's prayer request is that the x-ray swallow study goes well tomorrow morning. Also, next week, we've got 2 appointments - next Wednesday after his weigh in, he'll have his 2 month checkup and also get his immunizations. Then next Thursday, we go back to WakeMed to see his cardiologist for his monthly heart checkup.
And, as promised, I finally have some new pictures of Ethan for your viewing pleasure! P.S. we'd love to hear from you. Please click on the comment link at the bottom of each blog entry to post a comment on our site!
Mommy & baby Ethan
Well I thought I could get more than one picture posted but I guess not. I'll try to post more later today.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Weekly weight check
Well we went in to the pediatrician this morning for our weekly weight check. If we go between 8am-8:30am, only the staff is there, no patients so we can get right in and out without being around any sick kids. Ethan slept well last night, he usually wakes up every 3 hours and wants to eat but he went to bed at 11pm last night (after his last feeding then didn't wake up until 4:30am). He must've known it was weight check day because he woke up again at 6am and fussed until I got out of bed and fed him at 6:30am). After his 6:30am feeding, he went back to sleep until we got to the peds at 8:15 and I had to undress him to have him weighed. He's a whopping 10 lb., 15 1/4 oz!
He fussed a little because he was cold and naked, but then fell back asleep and has stayed asleep through his next feeding. It's now 11:15 am and I'm going to have to wake him so he can eat, take his meds, then go with me to meet my friend (and co-worker) Angie for lunch. Oh he must know I'm typing about him b/c he's starting to wake up and fuss - time to go feed him!
He fussed a little because he was cold and naked, but then fell back asleep and has stayed asleep through his next feeding. It's now 11:15 am and I'm going to have to wake him so he can eat, take his meds, then go with me to meet my friend (and co-worker) Angie for lunch. Oh he must know I'm typing about him b/c he's starting to wake up and fuss - time to go feed him!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
First Church Service
Well today we braved taking Ethan out in public by going to church today! Doctors orders are to only take him out in public when absolutely necessary (to avoid overexposure to germs) and it was absolutely necessary for us spiritually, mentally, and physically to be back at our own church. It was great to get to hear a biblically sound sermon (unlike the one we heard our last week we were in Chapel Hill) and enjoy some contemporary worship and have some great fellowship time with our friends and even meet some new faces of people who said they've been praying for us. For those of you reading this blog that don't know us, my (Julie) dad is one of the pastors at our church of nearly 2,000 members and he does an excellent job at preaching! He has managed to even slip Ethan into his sermon illustrations a few times so many people have been able to find out about our main website: http://www.ethanmiles.com/ and be able to stay updated through this blog to know how to keep praying for our sweet son.
Please continue to pray that Ethan continues to do well, and wisdom for us about his preventative care. Right now we're trying to sort out what to do about his weekly weight checks that his cardiologist and surgeon are requiring. For these first few weeks that we've been home, we've had a home nurse that has come to weigh him and check his blood pressure and pulse ox, but our insurance year starts over tomorrow (Oct. 1st) and that means we have to start all over with our deductible (we had obviously already met our deductible and maximum out of pocket expenses just with the surgery so the nurse was paid 100% by our insurance!).
The home nurse is great because we don't have to go to the pediatrician each week, and risk being exposed to any of the sick kids. The pediatrician doesn't charge us (or our insurance) anything for just doing a weekly weight check, but the home nurse will charge our insurance for each visit - which will end up costing us more until our deductible is met (the new plan that starts Oct. 1 is a high deductible plan). So you see, we need guidance and wisdom to decide if the extra cost for a home nurse is worth it so Ethan won't be exposed to sick kids at the doctor's office, even though we have been approved to go first thing in the morning, during the first 30 minutes the office is open, before any patients are scheduled.
Please continue to pray that Ethan continues to do well, and wisdom for us about his preventative care. Right now we're trying to sort out what to do about his weekly weight checks that his cardiologist and surgeon are requiring. For these first few weeks that we've been home, we've had a home nurse that has come to weigh him and check his blood pressure and pulse ox, but our insurance year starts over tomorrow (Oct. 1st) and that means we have to start all over with our deductible (we had obviously already met our deductible and maximum out of pocket expenses just with the surgery so the nurse was paid 100% by our insurance!).
The home nurse is great because we don't have to go to the pediatrician each week, and risk being exposed to any of the sick kids. The pediatrician doesn't charge us (or our insurance) anything for just doing a weekly weight check, but the home nurse will charge our insurance for each visit - which will end up costing us more until our deductible is met (the new plan that starts Oct. 1 is a high deductible plan). So you see, we need guidance and wisdom to decide if the extra cost for a home nurse is worth it so Ethan won't be exposed to sick kids at the doctor's office, even though we have been approved to go first thing in the morning, during the first 30 minutes the office is open, before any patients are scheduled.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
One Month Checkup & Lactation Consultant
Yesterday was a long day so forgive me for no post. The pediatrician appointment went pretty well. We saw a different doctor, who was a lot more thorough and I felt more comfortable with. Ethan seems to be doing well over all, and no immunizations were given! He'll get those at his 2 month checkup, along with the start of Synagis - a monthly shot during fall and winter, to prevent catching RSV (for more information, visit synagis.com). His pulse ox was good - 82% and he weighed in at a whopping 10lb. 3 1/4oz. - a whole 2 pounds heavier than his birth weight!
Also, 2 days ago I mentioned that Ethan was awake almost the entire day and I had hoped he'd sleep well that night and he did - 5.5 hours! But last night was a different story, he was asleep most of the day and then woke up every 2 hours. He's slept about half the day today, so we'll see how tonight goes! :-)
Today was another big day, first we went by my office for a visit with my co-workers and a meeting about the change in insurance that takes effect in October. Then we went to a different branch of Ethan's pediatrician's office to meet with a lactation consultant. To recap, with Ethan's heart problem he burns calories faster so all his feeds have had to be fortified with extra calories - by adding a couple teaspoons of formula to any bottle we give him. As a result, I haven't been allowed to breastfeed, so I've had to exclusively pump. Well as any mom reading this knows, pumping's not the most fun thing in the world, and it takes extra time to pump, then take the time to bottle feed. It's hard to get anything else done during the day! Therefore, I'm getting very frustrated and decided it was time to seek help! My main frustration has been that each pumping session only produces half the amount of milk that Ethan takes at each feeding so I feel like I'm not able to provide, therefore stressing myself out and that's not helping my supply at all!
As a first time mom, this feeding issue has been extremely difficult for me emotionally and physically. I want the special bonding time of nursing that most women get, and the cardiologist has said I can try breastfeeding once a day max, but that he needs the extra calories the rest of the time. Also, with bottle feeding, we know exactly how many ounces he's eating. Plus, because he failed the swallow study a month ago, all his feeds have to be thickened so he doesn't aspirate (let the food go down his windpipe instead of down his throat into his stomach). So at our visit today, Michelle tried to teach Ethan to latch on, but he's spoiled - a bottle is much faster to feed from than me! She has given me tips to try to get Ethan to latch on, which I will try daily, and she's also going to have me come back weekly for a couple of weeks to work on it in the office.
Besides trying to nurse once a day, she's suggested I try the herbal supplement, Fenugreek, to try to help increase my supply. I'm very pleased and encouraged by Michelle's patience and understanding and positive attitude about being able to get him to nurse when he's this old, and also about being able to still increase my milk supply. In adition to the Fenugreek, she told me to relax, get lots of rest and sleep, drink lots of fluids and eat well, continue pumping/nursing and also stop cooking, cleaning, doing dishes and laundry! I'm not going to argue with that!
So anyone wanting to help us out, we've appreciated your financial gifts we've received towards Ethan's medical fund, but what we could really use at this time is some help with meals! Tonight we're having our very first meal brought to us - thanks to Dan's mom!
Also, 2 days ago I mentioned that Ethan was awake almost the entire day and I had hoped he'd sleep well that night and he did - 5.5 hours! But last night was a different story, he was asleep most of the day and then woke up every 2 hours. He's slept about half the day today, so we'll see how tonight goes! :-)
Today was another big day, first we went by my office for a visit with my co-workers and a meeting about the change in insurance that takes effect in October. Then we went to a different branch of Ethan's pediatrician's office to meet with a lactation consultant. To recap, with Ethan's heart problem he burns calories faster so all his feeds have had to be fortified with extra calories - by adding a couple teaspoons of formula to any bottle we give him. As a result, I haven't been allowed to breastfeed, so I've had to exclusively pump. Well as any mom reading this knows, pumping's not the most fun thing in the world, and it takes extra time to pump, then take the time to bottle feed. It's hard to get anything else done during the day! Therefore, I'm getting very frustrated and decided it was time to seek help! My main frustration has been that each pumping session only produces half the amount of milk that Ethan takes at each feeding so I feel like I'm not able to provide, therefore stressing myself out and that's not helping my supply at all!
As a first time mom, this feeding issue has been extremely difficult for me emotionally and physically. I want the special bonding time of nursing that most women get, and the cardiologist has said I can try breastfeeding once a day max, but that he needs the extra calories the rest of the time. Also, with bottle feeding, we know exactly how many ounces he's eating. Plus, because he failed the swallow study a month ago, all his feeds have to be thickened so he doesn't aspirate (let the food go down his windpipe instead of down his throat into his stomach). So at our visit today, Michelle tried to teach Ethan to latch on, but he's spoiled - a bottle is much faster to feed from than me! She has given me tips to try to get Ethan to latch on, which I will try daily, and she's also going to have me come back weekly for a couple of weeks to work on it in the office.
Besides trying to nurse once a day, she's suggested I try the herbal supplement, Fenugreek, to try to help increase my supply. I'm very pleased and encouraged by Michelle's patience and understanding and positive attitude about being able to get him to nurse when he's this old, and also about being able to still increase my milk supply. In adition to the Fenugreek, she told me to relax, get lots of rest and sleep, drink lots of fluids and eat well, continue pumping/nursing and also stop cooking, cleaning, doing dishes and laundry! I'm not going to argue with that!
So anyone wanting to help us out, we've appreciated your financial gifts we've received towards Ethan's medical fund, but what we could really use at this time is some help with meals! Tonight we're having our very first meal brought to us - thanks to Dan's mom!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Week 2 Alone
Today was a good day for the start of my 2nd week home alone with Ethan. Nothing eventful happened and we just enjoyed lots of mommy-son time. Ethan was awake nearly the entire day, so hopefully he will sleep really well tonight! Tomorrow we go back to the pediatrician for Ethan's one month checkup (I think he's getting his immunizations so he won't be very happy and neither will I). Ethan's CICC nurse clinician, Kay, at UNC called his pediatrician last week to confirm that we can go for weekly weight checks without having to pay a copay each time, which is a big relief. I called his pediatrician to confirm and they said that if I go early in the morning, that I can get right in before any of the appointments show up (they open at 8 but don't start seeing patients until 8:30), so that's less exposure to germs!
Be praying for our pediatrician appointment - 9:40am on Tuesday morning. I dread having to see him get his shots but I know he really needs them. We can't risk getting any major sickness prior to his next surgery. He will also have to start going monthly (every 28 days to be exact) to get his RSV shot - which he'll get Oct.-April. This is not a true vaccine in that instead of getting injected with a tiny bit of the virus, instead, he gets injected with the antibodies that his body would make to help fight it. What a great idea for an immune booster!
Tonight Ethan's cousins, Rebecca (5yr. old) and Marissa (2yr. old) Gunter (Dan's sister's kids), came to visit. They live exactly 1 mile down the road from us, so it's nice to have them close by! They are so excited to finally have a cousin close by, and I think it'll be great for them to grow up with family so close. Amanda and her husband, Reggie, have been so gracious to hand down all their girls' old baby gear (swing, carseat & stroller, bassinet, toys, high chair, etc.). The carseat and bassinet have been used the most, but we're starting to introduce him to the swing and he seems to like it, as long as it's not right after he's had a bottle! One of these days we may even take him for a walk in the stroller, if it will ever cool down!
Thanks for continuing to read our blog, and sorry for taking so long to post an update. Just remember that "no news is good news". We've just been so busy adjusting to life with a baby that we haven't had much time to do anything else!
Be praying for our pediatrician appointment - 9:40am on Tuesday morning. I dread having to see him get his shots but I know he really needs them. We can't risk getting any major sickness prior to his next surgery. He will also have to start going monthly (every 28 days to be exact) to get his RSV shot - which he'll get Oct.-April. This is not a true vaccine in that instead of getting injected with a tiny bit of the virus, instead, he gets injected with the antibodies that his body would make to help fight it. What a great idea for an immune booster!
Tonight Ethan's cousins, Rebecca (5yr. old) and Marissa (2yr. old) Gunter (Dan's sister's kids), came to visit. They live exactly 1 mile down the road from us, so it's nice to have them close by! They are so excited to finally have a cousin close by, and I think it'll be great for them to grow up with family so close. Amanda and her husband, Reggie, have been so gracious to hand down all their girls' old baby gear (swing, carseat & stroller, bassinet, toys, high chair, etc.). The carseat and bassinet have been used the most, but we're starting to introduce him to the swing and he seems to like it, as long as it's not right after he's had a bottle! One of these days we may even take him for a walk in the stroller, if it will ever cool down!
Thanks for continuing to read our blog, and sorry for taking so long to post an update. Just remember that "no news is good news". We've just been so busy adjusting to life with a baby that we haven't had much time to do anything else!
Monday, September 10, 2007
First Pediatrician Appointment
We've now had 2 1/2 days at home with Ethan and he's been doing well. We use the pulse ox machine to measure his oxygen sats over night, and also a couple spot checks during the day. As long as the signal doesn't have any interference (i.e. Ethan's not moving around or his foot isn't cold while the sensor's on it), Ethan's been doing fine, with sats in the 70s.
Besides understanding what it means to be a sleep-deprived parent from nightly feedings, we have the added sleeplessness of dealing with his pulse ox machine that beeps every 4-6 minutes for no reason at all, and also alarms every time his sats drop below the safe range that we've programmed. Hopefully, in a few weeks he'll be breathing better as his lungs get stronger and we'll be able to stop the all night monitoring and just do the daily spot check.
We also had our first pediatrician appointment today. Ethan currently weighs 8 lb. 12.5 oz. The UNC doctors requested that he get weighed weekly, so we'll have a professional nursing company come and do that (their first visit is tomorrow), but his pediatrician also wants to get him back in the office in a week to be weighed as well. Next month at his well baby checkup, he'll get all his immunizations so we won't be taking him out in public very much until then, and probably not much after that either because we'll soon be approaching cold/flu season as the weather eventually gets cooler. We can't afford to have him get very sick prior to his next heart surgery.
Praise God for a great start to being home, it's so great to be back!
Besides understanding what it means to be a sleep-deprived parent from nightly feedings, we have the added sleeplessness of dealing with his pulse ox machine that beeps every 4-6 minutes for no reason at all, and also alarms every time his sats drop below the safe range that we've programmed. Hopefully, in a few weeks he'll be breathing better as his lungs get stronger and we'll be able to stop the all night monitoring and just do the daily spot check.
We also had our first pediatrician appointment today. Ethan currently weighs 8 lb. 12.5 oz. The UNC doctors requested that he get weighed weekly, so we'll have a professional nursing company come and do that (their first visit is tomorrow), but his pediatrician also wants to get him back in the office in a week to be weighed as well. Next month at his well baby checkup, he'll get all his immunizations so we won't be taking him out in public very much until then, and probably not much after that either because we'll soon be approaching cold/flu season as the weather eventually gets cooler. We can't afford to have him get very sick prior to his next heart surgery.
Praise God for a great start to being home, it's so great to be back!
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