08/26/2010 - 27 lbs. 6 oz. & 34 ft. 5 in. & HC: 50.3 & BP: 95/66 @ Dr. El-baba's Office.
07/30/2010 - 27 lbs. 8 oz. @ Dr office. NOTES: Nathan was not feeling well, so I took him to the doctors. She said to give him Tylenol/Motrin for the fever. Plenty of rest, and fluids.
I'm still in shock that Nathan is close to 28 pounds. We are so proud!!!
05/24/2010 - 26 lbs. 3 oz. @ 2 year Well Visit. NOTES: I can't believe Nathan has surpassed 26 lbs. That is amazing. I have been so worried about him gaining weight since the tube came out. But I am not going to worry any longer. He is gaining like a champ!!!!
04/15/2010 - 24 lbs. & 34 in. @ Dr. El-baba's Office. NOTES: He is showing a gain from the last time he was there. Dr. E's scale and Dr. H's scale has always been about 5 ounces off.
03/30/2010 - 24 lbs. 7 oz. & 34 in. @ Weight check at Dr. Hoisington's office (PCP).
03/08/2010 - 23 lbs. 14 oz. & 34 in. & Head: 48.5 CM @ Dr. Hoisington's office. NOTES: Nathan had his Well appt. today. He is doing very well.
02/08/2010 - 23 lbs. 10 oz. @ Weight check at Dr. Hoisington's office (PCP).
01/05/2010 - 23 lbs. 5 oz. & 32 in. & Head CM: 47.5 & Pulse Rate: 97 @ Pulmonary appt. NOTES: Nathan had his appointment with Pulmonary today. They are very pleased with how well he is doing. They said to just watch his breathing, and if we see if is breathing too hard then to bring him in. They do want to see him in 6 months for a follow up. As for all the oxygen equipment...they are coming to pick it all up on Friday. I am thrilled. Nathan will finally have a lil more space in his bedroom.
11/06/2009 - 23 lbs. 6 oz.
10/13/2009 - 22 lbs. 12 oz. @ Dr. Hoisington's office (PCP). NOTES: Nathan is sick, so I took him to the doctors, and she said it's something that is going around, and it will have to run it's course. I was excited to see the weight gain though!!!!!
10/05/2009 - 22 lbs. 5 ozs & 32.5 in. & 47.5 cm Head Circumference @ 15 month Well Appt. NOTES: 15 month well visit today. (A month late) She is extremely happy with his progress. He had 1 part of his flue shots, and 2 others. He will have the 2nd part of his flue shot and his other 3 shots in a month.
08/27/2009 - 22 lbs. 5 oz. & 32 in.
08/08/2009 - 22 lbs. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: 22 pounds. That is awesome. He is almost to the 25th percentile. LOOK OUT!!!!!
07/30/2009 - 21 lbs. 5 oz. @ Home Scale: Nakie Weight. NOTES: GO Naters GO!!!! He is doing so well, and this past weekend he decided to start putting food in his mouth. Not a lot, but a little at a time. We are thrilled.
07/16/2009 - 20 lbs. 7 oz. @ Home Scale: Nakie Weight. NOTES: He is now in the 10th percentile for his weight. We are thrilled. The Dietitian said when he hits the 25th percentile she will work on backing off his night time feed.
07/09/2009 - 20 lbs. 1.5 oz. @ Home scale. NOTES: That's right, little man hit the 20 pound mark. We are thrilled.
06/29/2009 - 19 lbs. 5 oz. @ Dr. Toder scale. NOTES: Nathan had his pulmonary appt. today. They are very pleased with his progress. Dr. Toder was so happy that he is doing so well. I explained to her about Nathan's oxygen levels. I advised her that he is at the lowest oxygen level on the machine, and I can't ween him off anymore. I let her know that when he first goes to bed he is at about 91-92 and will sometimes dip to 89, but comes right back up. Then during the night when we check on him, his level will be around 97 and the nose cannula his on his forehead. She said that she feels he no longer needs the oxygen at night anymore. She wants him to keep wearing the pulse ox, so if he dips a lot during the night, we can put the oxygen on him. We are so happy he will no longer need a cord attached to him at night. (1 cord down, 2 to go)
06/25/2009 - 19 lbs. 2 oz. @ Home Scale: Nakie weight. NOTES: That's right, over 19 pounds. That's our boy!!!!! He is now in the 5th percentile. After months and months of being so under the charts, he has made it back. We are so proud of him.
06/22/2009 - 18 lbs. 12 oz. & 30 in. & Head circumrance: 46 cm @ Dr. Hoisington scale: Nakie Weight. NOTES: Dr. Hoisington is VERY please with Nathan's progress. He is still not feeling well, and getting about 6 more teeth in. She said it just has to run it's course.
06/19/2009 - 18 lbs. 12 oz. @ Home Scale: Nakie weight
06/11/2009 - 18 lbs. 4 oz. @ Home Scale: Nakie weight. NOTES: YAY!!!! Over 18 pounds now.
06/04/2009 - 17 lbs. 12 oz. @ Home Scale: Nakie weight. NOTES: That's our boy!!!!
05/24/2009 - 17 lbs. 1 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: OVER 17 pounds!!!! YAY!!!! I have also noticed size 2 diapers are getting snug. I just opened a pack, so we will finish those up, and then switch to 3's. Which will leave 2 big packs of 2's left. I guess we can put those away for #2. (Not anytime soon!!!!)
Friday May 22nd, the Access lady came in to asses his development. She confirmed what we already knew. He is at his age level for everything BUT gross motor delay. So she will locate a teacher who will come to the house, and work with him. He will also be seeing a OT twice a week at Children's hospital for his swallowing. He really can't eat anything without gagging.
05/19/2009 - 16 lbs. 10 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight
05/16/2009 - 16 lbs. 7 oz. @ Home Scale: nakie weight
05/11/2009 - 16 lbs. 3.5 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight
05/11/2009 - 16 lbs 1 3/4 ounces nakie weight & 28.5 in @ Dr. El-baba's scale:
05/05/2009 - 15 lbs. 6 oz. @ Dr. Klein scale: nakie weight. NOTES: YAY!!!!! He is gaining. We are going in the right direction. Today was Nathan's appointment with the surgeon. Just a follow up visit. Dr. Klein said everything looks good, and he shouldn't need to see him again. I explained to him about the gagging fits he has and that he gags on some foods. He said it could be a number of reasons. One is that the fundo surgery MAY be to tight. He doesn't think so, but says if Nathan is still having issues in 3-4 months, then to come back.
05/01/2009 - 15 lbs. 3.5 oz. @ Visiting nurse scale:nakie weight. 15 lbs 1.5 ozs @ Our scale: nakie weight. NOTES: YAY!!! Our lil man hit 15 pounds. I am so happy!!!! Mom, and Bryan said he is going very good today. I can't wait to get home to see him. My mom also said the nurse told her he can have the Carnation instant breakfast since he can have milk. She said that kids love the taste of the Carnation stuff, and it will pack on the calories. I am running to pick some up after work. We will try just the milk first and see how he does. But I don't want to overload him. Also active infusions came to bring more supplies, and his new formula. They also brought us the travel backpack, which I am really excited about. So now I can take him out and about more, yet he can still be hooked up to his feeding. It will be nice to be able to get up and go, and not worry about him being off his feed.
04/30/2009 - 14 lbs. 14.5 oz. & 28.5 in. @ Dr. El-baba's Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: We just got back from seeing the GI and dietitian. They wished he gained more weight, but are happy with how he is progressing. He will remain on the 24hr feed for another month. And they are changing the formula. I guess this new stuff is for toddlers, and they are OK with starting him a month early. The dietian also said if I wanted to try to give him whole milk in a cup, I can. She is okay with that. They want to make sure he can tolerate this new stuff before playing around with lowering the amount of hours he is on the feed and how much he is getting an hour. One good thing about this new stuff he is on, is that the ins. co. will pay for it. YAY!!!!! His next appointment is May 28th. They will also be changing out the tube then. I am nervous about that because he will be showing us how to do it and I don't know if I can change it by myself. I guess I will worry about that when it happens After the appointments we headed to the 5th floor to see our buddies. Kevin had made them cookies, and had written a letter to everyone. They were so happy to see Nathan and to see how well he is doing. He gave a few smiles, but was SO exhausted. Plus his girlfriend wasn't there today. We headed to the car, so I could get back to work. We had to park on the 7th floor. Nathan was SO tired that by the time we hit the 5th floor of the parking garage, he was out. And slept the rest of the way home.
04/28/2009 - 14 lbs. 13.5 oz. @ Visiting Nurse scale: nakie weight. 14 lbs 11.5 ozs @ Our scale: nakie weight. NOTES: See all scales are different. But he did gain from his last appointment with the visiting nurse, so all is well. I was really hoping he was at or over 15 pounds by Thursday when we go to see Dr. El-baba, but I will take any gain at this point.
04/21/2009 - 14 lbs. 12.5 oz. @ Visiting Nurse scale: nakie weight. NOTES: YAY!!!! A gain. Nothing really new to report at the moment. Nathan is doing VERY well. He is SO happy to be home. We hosted a playdate tonight and had a great turn out. Nathan was SO happy to see all his friends. He was laughing and talking up a storm. Thank you Lily, Robert, Hayden, Bethany, Rayne, Jaydin & Caitlin for coming and playing with Nathan. And thanks Cassie, Shelly, Nichole, Tammy, Emily, & Julie for bringing the kids. It was great to see you all. Can't wait to do it again.
04/18/2009 - 14 lbs. 8 oz. @ Visiting Nurse scale, Nakie weight
04/17/2009 - 14 lbs. 10.5 oz. @ Dr. Hoisington scale, Nakie weight
04/15/2009 - 14 lbs. 5 oz. NOTES: I do not have the kg. ~I am SO tired from the night before, and can barely keep my eyes open. I cannot wait to get to the hospital to see my lil man. I miss him so much. Mom said she talked to the doctors, and they said as long as Nathan does not spike a fever, we can go home Thursday night or EARLY Friday morning. We are SO excited!!!!!! I cannot wait to bring Nathan home. Fingers crossed!!!!!
I heard Nathan fussing as I walked into the room, but once he seen me, his face just lit up. He was in such a good mood. We played for a bit, then went to the cafeteria for dinner. While mom and I ate, Nathan played with my bag of doritos in the wagon. Afterwards my mom left for the night and Nathan and I started watching SpongeBob. I was sitting in the recliner and he was laying in bed watching his show, and playing with his toys. I could tell he was SO tired and wanted to sleep, but he kept fighting it. He wanted me to hold him, and as soon as I picked him up and sat back down, he passed out. I must have too, because next thing I knew, Kevin was there. He tried to be quiet so Nathan would sleep, but that didn't happen. He heard his daddy, and was up. Kevin and I took him for a walk, and then came back and played for a bit. It was great, we had Nathan cracking up.
Later in the evening Mariah came in to check on him, and even brought her camera for a few pictures. (I will post them over the weekend) He was So happy to see her. We also got a picture of Nathan with Julie. She is such a sweetheart as well, and Nathan adores her. We are really going to miss all of them. While I am SO excited we are leaving, apart of me is going to miss it. I really hope we can stay in touch with them.
Nathan fought sleep a lot last night, but finally went down I think about 11:15pm. Then around 11:30pm he woke up screaming. Kevin tried to calm him down, but it wasn't working. I had Kevin hand him over to me. He was just SO upset. I realized that his IV area was wet. OH NO!!!! It's leaking!!!!! So I hit the nurse button, and sung Itsy Bitsy Spider to calm him down.(It worked and he fell asleep) Another nurse came in because Mariah was in the burn room treating a patient. She took off the tape, and noticed it was really wet, so she called the IV team to see if they could save it. I was praying they could because he only needed it for 1 more day. IV team came in and were unable to save it. So Nathan will have to get another IV in the morning to finish his antibotics. I'm not too upset about it, because they also said they wanted blood work to check his levels before being discharged. Which means he would have to be poked anyway. At least he can have his hand free for the rest of the night.
04/14/2009 - 14 lbs. 2 oz. NOTES: I do not have the kg ~ Not much new to report. Things are pretty much the same. I seen Nathan in the morning before work, and that was it for the day. My mom went up to the hospital about 2pm to watch him for the night, since we had to work early Wednesday morning. So I decided since Kevin had darts that I would stay home for the night and clean the house. I want to make sure the house if super clean before we bring Nathan home.
Kevin left for darts, and Lindsay came over with pizza, and to help me clean the house. We kicked butt, and got a lot done. I house looks great!!!! Now it's time to tackle the basement, once we are home for good. I called my mom around 8pm to check on Nathan. She said he was just fine, and that they were playing. So all is well on that front. I can't wait to see him Wednesday.
Thank you SO SO much Lindsay for all your hard work. I know I would not have gotten it done without you. Ready for the basement???? ~lol
04/13/2009 - 14 lbs. 5 oz. (6.50 kg) NOTES: Kevin does not think this is accurate, because they weighed him in the treatment room, and he was screaming, crying and not laying still for the weight. I guess we will see how tomorrow's weight goes.
When I arrived at the hospital, Nathan was waiting for me on the 1st floor in his new wagon. He looks so cute in it, and was SO happy to see me. We headed to his room, and hung out for a bit until he got really fussy. I could tell he was super tired. SO I laid him in the crib, and let me cry it out for a few, and within minutes, he was passed out. He slept until about 7:30pm. Once he got up, we played for awhile and started watching our DWTS. He loves it. When the music comes on he just dances away. It is so funny. About 9pm, he feed alarm went off, saying the bag was empty. So I disconnected the feed, so I could take him to get some more. After filling a baby bottle with the formula we headed out of the nutrition room, and Nathan started grabbing the bottle. So I poured a little in his mouth. He swallowed it, got excited and wanted more. I was SHOCKED, because that stuff is nasty. So he took about 6 sips of it, and as he was doing that his nurse walked by and was amazed. Well I decided to grab a nipple for the bottle to see if he would drink out of it. NOPE, he just chewed on the nipple. Then I decided to put some in his sippy cup. While he is not great at the sippy cup, he does drink from it. And he did, about 6 or 7 sips. I was so happy. But it's not a lot, I don't think he even consumed 1 ounce. But a least he is trying.
Then it was bedtime. He didn't really need oxygen at all during the day, and really didn't need a lot over night. I hope that he keeps it up.
04/12/2009 - 14 lbs. 10 oz. (6.64 kg)
04/11/2009 - 14 lbs. 8 oz. (6.58 kg) NOTES: I woke up about 8:30am, and called to check on Nathan. He had a great night mom said. I let her know, I was getting stuff packed and then I would be up. After loading the car, I headed to Party City. I had to get 1 more thing for Nathan's birthday goodie bags. Then I found it!!!!! I have been looking EVERYWHERE for a SpongeBob Easter basket, and kept coming up empty. Well as I entered Party City, there is was, the only one left. I was SO excited, and of course I bought it. I then picked up Bryan, so he could see Nathan for a bit. Boy was Nathan happy to see his Uncle. He really didn't want anything to do with me.
Once my mom and Bryan left. Grandpa (W) showed up. Nathan was happy to see him, but only wanted me to hold him. After a little while, he let grandpa hold him. Shortly later, daddy, and Uncle Mark came up. Then my friend Tammy and her son came to visit. It was really nice to see them again. Nathan fought sleep for most of the afternoon. He did take about an hour nap on me. He has been very cranky today. Not sure why though.
Right now he is laying in the crib, while Kevin is playing Xbox, and I am updating the site. I can't wait for tomorrow. Nathan's first Easter.
04/10/2009 - 14 lbs. 5 oz. (6.50 kg) NOTES: He did have a little loss, but I don't think they are too concerned about it. I decided to take Nathan for a walk since he was being cranky. I figured he needed out of the room for a bit. I am really glad that I did. We went to the 1st floor and as we went through the door, we seen the Easter Bunny. I was SO excited, because I really wanted his picture taken with the Easter Bunny. As we were getting closer, one the workers, was like: "Oh you HAVE to get his picture taken" I said "Oh, of course." As the Easter Bunny was holding him, this guy with a video camera said: "Oh I have to get a video of him, is that okay?" I said heck yeah, he was a camera guy for Channel 4. I had to sign a release, so look out for our Naters. I think they will air it Sunday, but I don't know. I have all the news DVR'd until Monday morning.~Lol Here is the picture of Nathan with the Easter Bunny. It is SO funny because he wasn't scared, but he just looks so confused. I love it.
Nathan and I hung out for a bit until Grandma (S) came up. She is kicking Kevin and I out for the night. While I am sad and unsure to leave Nathan, I know we need a night away. Mom said Nathan did great, and was a good boy. He did have to have blood taken to check his vitamin levels, but he did a great job. Kevin and I had a nice night. We had a home cooked meal, watched the UFC, and went to bed. It felt good sleeping in our own bed. But I did wake up a few times, because I thought Nathan's alarms were going off. I was a good girl though, I only called mom once to check on him, even though I wanted to call every half hour.~lol
04/09/2009 - 14 lbs. 9 oz. (6.60 kg) NOTES: The lady said it was a gain from yesterday, so they must have given me the wrong weight yesterday. I will have to get this cleared up. They are starting to confuse me.
Nathan's muscle biopsy came back negative. YAY!!!!! One less thing to worry about.
Tonight was pretty so so. Basically same old same old. Nathan has developed a cough, so I think that maybe he is getting a cold< but I hope not. He also had a gagging fit, that kinda scared me, since I was here alone. But I handled well. It only lasted about 2 minutes. Nothing else to really report for tonight. I am off the next 3 days so I am happy about that.
I want to send out a special thank you to Chrissy for the WONDERFUL Easter bag, filled with toys, books, and candy. That was so thoughtful of you, and we really appreciate it. So thank you!!!!!! 
04/08/2009 - 14 lbs. 13 oz. (6.73 kg (same as yesterday) NOTES: I really didn't see Nathan too much yesterday. After work I was ordered by Kevin to go home and get some rest. Well after work I ran to Wal-mart, then to my friend Lynette's house. She gave us 6 bags FULL of baby jar foods. Her son no longer eats them, and she didn't want them to go to waste. What a life saver. Thanks Lynette. After I went home, and got the AVON together. I tried REALLY hard to nap, but I kept tossing and turning. So I caught up on a few DVR'd shows. Then I was invited to mom's for a home cooked meal. YAY!!!!! I forgot what those taste like. It was SO yummy.
Afterwards I headed to the hospital. I got up there about 9:30pm. Kevin said Nathan received 2 more beenie babies from the nurses. Nathan was SO happy to see me. Kevin said he was good, but cranky a lot of the day. He just would not nap. We hung out for a bit, and he fought sleep the whole time. Finally about 10:45pm he was out.
04/07/2009 - 14 lbs. 13 oz. (6.73 kg) NOTES: Finally everyone is on the same page. The pediatric doctors came and agreed with the ID doctors that he should stay at the hospital in IV medication for the full 14 days. Which is end on April 16th. In this time they will continue to monitor the infection, and make sure he does not get any new fevers. They can also take this time to watch his daily weight. They will also be working with his feeding schedule and trying to tweak it. They don't want Nathan coming home on 24hr feeds. So we are going to to the trial and error, to find the right balance to maintain his weight gain.
After worked I picked up Bryan and Jeff and headed to the hospital. Nathan was SO excited to see his uncle Bryan and uncle Jeff. Kevin and Jeff decided to take Nathan for a walk in the wagon, so I decided to take a nap until they all had to leave for darts. I napped pretty well, but we came to realize that yes indeed there is a hole in the air mattress. Which means we owe Bryan a new one, and I have to sleep in that awful chair tonight. Kevin said he would get our from home. (I think ours has may have a hole to, but not sure.) Shortly after they left, Lindsay came up to hang out with us. He was so happy to see her. Despite not napping at all today, and fighting sleep all evening, he was in a pretty good mood. So we just hung out, and watched some tv. Nathan finally crashed about 10:20pm. Lindsay left about 11pm, and after trying to get comfy I fell asleep on that chair. Kevin got back up there about midnight, and said he would blow up our mattress if I wanted, but because it was late I didn't want to wake anyone. (The pump is kinda loud) Nathan got me up a few times, because he kept taking off his oxygen and the machines would go off, so I am pretty exhausted this morning. I really hope there is noting wrong with our air bed. I guess we will see.
04/06/2009 - 14 lbs. 4 oz. (6.47 kg)
04/05/2009 - 14 lbs. 10 oz. (6.65 kg) {{{So I explained in the previous day that I had to change all the weights, because they gave me the wrong formula. Well I am going to type up here the correct formula for converting kg to pounds and ounces. Not that anyone cares, but it's more for my information, if down the line I forget how to do it. ~~ To convert kg to pounds you take the amount and times it by 2.2. That will give you the pounds. Then to get the ounces you take the 3 digits AFTER the decimal point and times it by 16 (16 ounces to a pound) that will give you the ounces. If its above 5 you round up. Here is an example:
6.65 X 2.2 = 14.630 (14 is the pounds)
.630 X 16 = 10.08 (10 is the ounces)
They orginially just informed me of the beginning part of it. They told me to take the ounces and times it by 2.2 so I assumed 14.6 was 14 pounds 6 ounces. Again no like anyone cares to know the formula.~Lol}}}
04/04/2009 - 14 lbs. 14 oz. (6.74 kg)
04/03/2009 - 14 lbs. 14 oz. (6.74 kg) NOTES: Looks like he is losing more fluids. I really hope he doesn't go any lower. After they weighed him, Mariah came in to say HI, and to say Good bye. She will not be back until Thursday night, and we pray we are not here when she gets back. But we will really miss her. She was AWESOME with Nathan. (DARN IT, I should have gotten a picture of them 2 together) But she said she will keep looking on here for his updates so, HI MARIAH....We will miss you.
Kevin said they took Nathan's blood, and he is now relaxing with Grandma (S) and Grandpa (W). Uncle Bryan is heading up there to watch Nathan, so mom can get to work. Kevin said Sara is his nurse (YAY!!!!!) I guess someone else (Meegan I think) was supposed to be his nurse, but Sara got her to switch. She just had to have her boyfriend. I am so glad too, because he just loves her, and its nice to have people he trusts. Because believe me he doesn't trust many people.
04/02/2009 - 15 lbs. 4 oz. (6.91 kg) NOTES: (Yup, he lost. He is retaining fluids, and he expelled A LOT last night. OMG, his diapers were FILLED!!)
Kevin called and said they woke him up to get blood, and weight taken. I guess Kevin just got Nathan back to sleep. The nurse came in and said that the top of the vile popped open, and now the blood is contaminated, and will have to re poke him. Kevin is pissed, which I don't blame him. So Kevin is going to tell them, they can come back later and poke him. He is sleeping, and needs to rest.
I got to the hospital about 4:30, and Nathan was in the hall to greet me. He was SO excited to see me. He just reached his little arms out, and I scooped him up. We went for a walk around the floor, and ran into Dr. El-baba. They have a special bond. And even though he was on the phone, he still said HI to Nathan. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. We tried jar foods again. He was SO excited and did pretty well. He had about 4 bites of pears, then he was done. I am sure his poor lil belly is SO full. I held him for a bit, then he fell asleep from about 5:45pm until the morning. (on and off throughout, but always went right back to sleep.)
04/01/2009 - 16 lbs. 13 oz. (7.63 kg) NOTES: (approx. Again we are thinking it's because of all the fluids. We won't be surprised if he loses some. But we hope he doesn't)
All in all yesterday was a good day. Nathan had his Central line taken out. Which is good, that means one less cord to have attached to him. Grandpa, and Aunt Melissa took him for a walk in the wagon afterwards. He loved it. They even went on the 6th floor to see his fishies. Since he couldn't reach up to touch them, he just waved to them from the wagon. They said it was SO adorable.
(For those who don't know about his fishies. Here is a picture of Nathan with his Fishies, when he was in the hospital in December. I really which we could steal these~Lol)
Nathan was sleeping when I got there, but woke up about 10 minutes after I arrived. I picked him up, and man he is heavy. I was like holy cow~Lol. I held him for a bit, then he got fussy, so I laid him back in bed. He played with his toys for a bit, then fell asleep. Finally Grandma showed up, and brought me dinner, and brought Nathan a Sponge Bob stuffed animal she bought him. He woke up when he heard her voice. Mom was SO excited to finally be able to hold him. They played with his new toy for a bit, then he wanted me to hold him. So as he was laying on me, he decided he wanted to sit up. I was a little scared but he knows when he is in pain so I let him. He did great!!! He sat well, and didn't seem in pain.
Today was the last day for his Toroidal (pain meds) but he can still have Tylenol and morphine if needed. He had Mariah again last night. She is awesome, and Nathan just loves her. (His faves are Mariah and Sara) We try to get them whenever they work. I talked to Mariah, and she said she would check and see if he could have jar foods again. She didn't see why not. Later on she brought him a few jars, and said he could start it. So I will have Kevin try in the morning. Nathan did great last night, and only needed one dose of Tylenol. He is also starting to sleep on his side. I think he is finally becoming his old self again.
03/31/2009 - 16 lbs. 7 oz. (7.45 kg) NOTES: (We think this is due to all the fluids that are being pumped into him. He is getting 24 hrs formula feeding, and having TPN running through the IV)
Kevin called me and said that yes he has an infection in the central line. So they have to run alcohol through the line and cap it for 24 hours. Yet, he still needs his antibiotics. Which means, they MUST do another IV. I am SO upset right now. They have to poke him yet again. When is this ever going to end? Plus they came in and put that numbing cream on his stomach, so they can open his incision a little, and drain that fluid. They have to wait an hour before doing the procedure. I advised Kevin to make them take Nathan to the treatment room for the IV and draining. I don't care if it's a lot of work. I want Nathan to feel as safe as possible in that jail cell or a crib they have him in.
**Update**
Kevin said Nathan did just fine with getting the IV and having the area on his stomach drained. I got off work a little early to meet Kevin to get our blood work done, to compare with Nathan's. Afterward when we got back to the room, we took Nathan for a walk in the wagon. He loved it. Dr. Borkin told Kevin that the surgery team was going to be removing the Central line, since it caused Nathan to have a blood infection. Finally at about 10pm, a surgeon walks in and says, they now want to try to salvage it, so they will flush t with alcohol through it. I was SO mad, because I don't see the point in having it if he has another IV they are using.
He was in such a good mood last night. He finally is looking like is old self again. He was smiling, clapping, smacking his lip together, doing to clicking noise, and playing with his toys. Seems like he is finally feeling better.
03/30/2009 - 14 lbs. 5 oz. (6.48 kg) NOTES: I am sure this weight is from ALL the fluids that are being pumped into him. Nathan had an x ray done to make sure everything is where it needs to be, and to check on his lungs. It shows his lungs do look better than his previous x rays which is good. They also took some blood work to see if he has an infection. I think the blood work came back showing he does have an infection, because he is now on 2 different kinds of antibiotics. He also had a 104 temp in the afternoon.
He is getting strictly formula feed, and doing pretty well. They bumped him to 45ml/hr and he did well for awhile, but in the evening he started crying and making the throw up sounds. Nothing came up, which is good because that means the surgery worked, but you could tell it hurt him. So we shut the feed off for 30 minutes to settle his stomach. She turned the feed back on, and he did great the rest of the night. He slept straight through until I got up for work.
As I was in the bathroom this morning getting ready for work, I heard him crying. I came out of the bathroom, and Kevin was next to him rubbing his head. He again starting the gagging/throwing up reflex, and crying. I shut his feed off, and we comforted him until he calmed down. Again, nothing came up. I received a text from Kevin when I got to work stating the surgeons came in and said they may make a little opening on the top of this incision line (where there is this big bump) to drain whatever the fluid is. We are not happy about this (I'm sure its going to hurt him) but it has not gone down, and needs to be drained.
03/24/2009 - 13 lbs. 3 oz. (5.97 kg) NOTES: I just don't know anymore. He is now less than what he was when he was admitted. Please visit Nathan's journal for his update. I may not be updating as much as I have been. I need to now focus EVERYTHING on Nathan. So some days you may just get a weight check.
03/23/2009 - 13 lbs. 13 oz. (6.26 kg)
03/22/2009 - 14 lbs. 4 oz. (6.45 kg) NOTES: No surprise he lost some weight. Because he threw up they stopped his feed from about 6am to about 2pm Saturday morning. They wanted an x ray and blood work to make sure everything was okay before restarting his feed. Friday he had another Eco gram, Saturday he had a x ray, blood work and a stool sample taken to check for a virus. Everything came back fine,and he did not get the virus that is going around.
Today Kevin and I spent a lot of time at home, getting laundry done, and the house clean. Grandpa & grandma were up here looking after him for us. They said he was in a great mood, and also slept a lot. Kevin and I were so happy to finally get back up here. Right now he is a little fussy, but I think that is because its been awhile since his last nap.
Talking to the doctors today they said if he maintains a weight gain we are looking to go home around Tuesday or Wednesday. They want to make sure we have a game plan before we leave. They want to be 100% sure that the surgeon, his peditirician, and us are on the same page for when we leave. We can't wait to get out of here. Well that's about it for today. I hope everyone had a great weekend!!!
03/21/2009 - 14 lbs. 8 oz. (6.58 kg) NOTES: Nathan threw up again at 1am, but it was clear. Then he threw up again at 6am. It was that green bile. It was so gross, that I almost threw up myself. They are thinking he might have contracted a virus that is going around the hospital. He is still having bad diarrhea. So they took a sample to get tested. They also stopped his feed from like 6am to 2:30pm. They are putting him back on the feed, but starting off at 30ml/hr for 3 hours, then build it back up. He had a x-ray done this morning, and they needed a blood sample. They tried 3 times, and could not get it, so they have called the IV team in to do it. We are just relaxing here, awaiting the team to come up. I am on the air mattress updating everyone, while Nathan is sound asleep in grandma's arms. It's now looking like we will not be going home tomorrow, as we thought.
03/20/2009 - 14 lbs. 3 oz. (6.44 kg) NOTES: YAY!!!!! A gain. I hope he can keep it up. Please visit his pictures. I have uploaded a few more.
Nathan had another ultrasound of his heart. Not sure why again, since the last one was perfect, but they did it anyway. Nathan was in a great mood today, and even won all 3 games of Bingo!!! After work I went home to nap, since Kevin was getting off the same time as me. I slept for about 2 hours, then was wide awake, so I got things ready to head back up to the hospital. Kevin called me as I was driving, and said he threw up really bad, and that it was not formula but this green bile. From what the nurse said, its just like stomach acid, and spit. I guess it was nasty. Let's hope that does not happen again. They also up'd his calorie to 27. I hope that goes well.
03/19/2009 - 13lbs. 12 oz. (6.24 kg) NOTES: Another loss!!!! But I am not surprised. He is not getting the amount of calories he normally gets, or the volume. I am sure it will pick up, once they see what he can handle.
Update: Yesterday went pretty well. Nathan was in a good mood, but still slept a lot. They up'd the calories from 20 to 24, and he is still on the 50ml/hr for 10 hours. He seems to be tolerating that very well. The doctors came in to tell me the plan at that moment. (It changes all the time) They said they want him to stay here for a few more days, to make sure he can tolerate the new feeds. (They eventually want him at 30 calorie formula) They said if he can show some weight gains, and they can make sure he can handle the higher calories, then we can go home soon. Even if they have to send him home on oxygen, they would be okay with that, and will give me the machine to monitor his oxygen levels. (He only needs it when he is sleeping) So as of right now we are still not sure when we are coming home.
The head doc dude for the floor, (No clue on his name: too many to remember) he said he talked with that Dr. Klein, and he said he never told me about doing biopsies on Mon or Tues. I said well he did. But as of right now the plan is to do the lung and muscle biopsy when they do the Fundo surgery. That way he will have it all done in one shot. Then again, things can change.
Later in the evening right before Nathan's feed was set to be done, he fell asleep. I was bummed cause I wanted to take him for his wagon ride, and go downstairs to get me some Subway. I WILL NOT leave him in the room alone, not even for a minute. So I decided to take him in the wagon anyway. I lined the wagon with a blanket and pillow, and laid him in it. We didn't even get down the hall before my lil man woke up. He was SO excited he was going for a wagon ride. After getting the food, I placed him in the crib so I could eat. Well he decided he would throw all his toys out of the crib. It was really funny. A little while later Dr. Bunney came in to check on Nathan. (He has been there like everyday, since we have been there) I think he has fallen in love with Nathan. He comes in a lot to see us. Well last night he came in to check on Nathan and we talked for about 30 minutes. We talked about the Michigan game, our love for Survivor and Amazing Race. It was nice to have someone to just bull shit with last night.
I think Nathan feel asleep about 10:30pm, and I went to bed after Private Practice.
Michigan WON!!!!! Go Blue!!!!!!
03/18/2009 - 13 lbs. 16 oz. (6.34 kg) NOTES: Showing a loss, but the doctors are not concerned. He didn't eat as much yesterday, and they are starting him off slowly. The small intestine can only take so much.
03/17/2009 - 14 lbs. 5 oz. (6.48 kg)
03/16/2009 - 14 lbs. 3 oz.
Today, Monday = 6.43 kg
Saturday = 6.38 kg / 14.1 lbs
Sunday = 6.30 kg / 13.14 lbs NOTES: The weekend went pretty well. Except Nathan threw up everyday, mostly in the morning. Sunday was the worse of all, it was SO bad. Got all over his clothes, face, hair, and bed. It took a lot out of him, that he just fell asleep for most of the morning.
He had lots of visitors this weekend. He loves when people come to see him. His lil face just lights up. Nathan should be having his J tube surgery Tuesday. We are awaiting to hear the time. So hopefully Nathan will be coming home by Friday.
Nathan wants to thank Angela for all the wonderful gifts she brought him. He especially loved playing with this Diego rescue pack.
03/13/2009 - 14 lbs. 1 oz. (6.38 kg) NOTES: Nathan is playing BINGO right now. Lost round #1, but won round #2. Kevin said he won a bear. Go Naters Go!!!
03/12/2009 - 13 lbs. 16 oz. (6.35 kg) NOTES: A little gain!!! We will take what we can get. Nathan woke me up at about 5am, and it sounded like he was choking, and trying to throw up. But once Kevin and I got him calm, he fell back asleep. Today he is having that barium testing, and some blood work. I hope he does okay. My mom is heading up there after work, to be there for my guys!!
As I am typing this Kevin is texting me. He said they just put the barium through the tube, so Nathan did not have to swallow it. He has his arms wrapped in a blanket, and he is on a board in an open machine. Kevin says he is not crying anymore. He actually fell asleep. (He is SO worn out) He has 20 more minutes in the machine and he is just snoozin away. I am SO glad he is sleeping through it. Such a good boy.
It was a pretty good day for Naters. About 8pm we took him for a walk to subway (1st floor) and as we paid for our food, Nathan threw up really bad. Thank god for his blanket. So we grabbed our stuff and ran up to his room. The nurse looked him over, and said he was fine. Kevin and I ate, while Nathan played and watched SpongeBob. Then we all went to bed about 10pm. We all slept pretty well. I got up about 5 times to fix Nathan's oxygen, but was able to fall right back to sleep.
03/11/2009 - 13 lbs. 9 oz. (6.16 kg) NOTES: Last night was very ruff. Nathan threw up pretty bad. I mean it was a lot more than usual. He finally fell asleep, so I tried to get some shut eye. About 5am, I woke to 2 nurses and a doctor in the room, just staring at Nathan. I asked what is going on, and they said they are monitoring his breathing and O2 levels. I guess while we were sleeping, the nurse came in and noticed his levels went down to 55%. Yet, he never turned blue, or was gasping for air. He looked normal. They thought the machine was wrong, so they brought in more. They all said the same thing. They are truly confused and have no idea what is going on. Nathan is now on oxygen through the nasal cannula. He fought hard as she put it on, and it took him awhile to calm down, but he finally did.
I ended up not going into work, because I had only 1 hour sleep, and I also wanted to be here to talk with the doctors. We seen like 5 different ones, and they all gave their input. I guess Nathan is going to have more blood testing, and a barium test tomorrow. Also all the specialist are going to get together in a conference room, to discuss his case, and see what they can come up with. So as of right now, we have ZERO answers, and no clue when we can get out of the hospital, and go home.
They also lowered his feedings again to 40ml/hr. They think 45 was too much. But they are also changing his calorie from 30 to 32.
03/10/2009 - 13 lbs. 14 oz. (6.29 kg) @ Hospital scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Well I am not going to consider this as a loss. Before they came in to weigh him, Nathan had a horrible throwing up spell. He threw up a lot, and it also had a lot of flem. So of course he would lose a little. The nurse said the doctors ordered some meds, to help settle his stomach. I guess it's like Reglan, but a little stronger. That really worn him out, so after he got weighed and dressed, he walked momma to the elevator, and went back to bed.
Nathan did pretty good last night. He slept for most of the evening, once I got there. Grandma came up to see him, and brought me food, and also Aunt Lindsay showed up to hang out for a bit. I went to bed about 11pm, once I knew Nathan was sleeping.
03/09/2009 - 13 lbs. 16 oz. (6.35kg ) @ Hospital scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Shows a loss, but the nurse said it's because yesterday he was weighed while his feed was going, whereas today he was fed at the end of his 1 hour feed break.
I got up to the hospital about 4:15pm, and when I entered the room, there was no Naters to be found. I just knew he was out walking around with his grandpa & grandma. So I headed down the hall, and around the corner came my baby boy. I could tell he just woke up, but once he seen me, he was SO happy. They took him off the oxygen in the morning, and seems to be holding steady at about 95%, which is good. They also took the monitor off his foot. He seems happier now that he is down 2 cords.
A little later the pulmonary people came in, and as they were trying to listen to his chest, he started to get really upset. They were commenting how he is a mystery. Then they wanted to attach the red light thing on his foot to see his stats. Well Nathan got really upset, and as they were walking to get a new light checker, he threw up. But before they walked out I told them I had a few questions, to which they said okay we will be right back. So I called the nurse, to help me change his bed, and to let her know he threw up. She came in with the red light checker (okay I have no clue what they call it) and placed it on his foot. His O2 level was pretty good. I told her what happened and asked her if they were coming back. She said yes. Well guess what: they NEVER came back. I was pissed. Later that night one of the peds doctor came in and I told him how unhappy I was. He said he would try to look into it.
After all of that, Uncle Matt and Aunt Kristal came up to see Nathan and bring me dinner. It was really nice to see them. Aunt Kristal held Nathan as I ate, and Nathan played fetch with Uncle Matt. It was SO funny, everytime Matt gave him a toy, he would toss it on the ground and Matt would pick it up and give it back. This went on for a bit, until Matt got tired. (lol)
After they left Nathan laid down for a bit, then got up when Dancing with the Stars came on. So we sat on the chair and watch dancing. Once it was time for his feed break though, I took him for a walk, and he got to see his fishes. Or should I say his great grandpa's and his great grandma. (Crazy at it may seem, but in the fish tank there are a bunch of different fish, but there are 3 that look identical. And the other day we took Nathan in the room to see the fishes, and all of a sudden those 3 (where all in different spots) came together, and swam right in front of Naters, and just stayed there. Even when he banged on the glass, and scared all the other fish, those 3 stayed together, and next to Nathan. May sound crazy, but I truly believe it was his great grandparents.)
Nathan went to bed about 9:45pm, and I must have feel asleep about 10:15pm. They kept his light monitor on his foot, because when you sleep your breathing goes down some, so they wanted to monitor his. Luckily she put the alarm on silent so I could sleep. Sometime in the night, she did come back and gave him some oxygen. His stats were around 87%. But when he is up, no oxygen is needed. All in all a pretty good day.
03/08/2009 - 14 lbs. 5 oz. (6.50kg) @ Hospital scale: nakie weight. NOTES: More weight gain....keep it up lil guy.
03/07/2009 - 14 lbs. 3 oz. (6.43kg) @ Hospital Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: I will write an updated journal Sunday. Thanks to everyone for all your help, thoughts and prayers.
YAY!!!!! We hit 14 pounds today!!!!!!
03/06/2009 - 13 lbs. 12 oz. (6.24kg) @ Hospital scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Nathan had his CT scan yesterday and Kevin said he did great. They didn't even need to sedate him. His O2 level keeps fluctuating. And they also started him on the 24hr feed. Last night the nurse turned his O2 level from 50% to 28%. We had to keep the mask closer to his nose and mouth, since not much is coming out of it. But if he turns away from the mask then his levels start dropping.
About 3:30am Nathan started choking a lil, and threw up some formula. Not much, and I got the rest from his mouth, but it really scared him. So as he was fighting me and screaming his level dropped to 75%. I kinda got scared and had Kevin call the nurse. She came in and cranked up the oxygen so he could get back to 100%. Finally once he got more oxygen , he fell asleep in my arms. After a few minutes she turned it back down, and he went back to sleep. She also stopped his feed, because it was probably too much on his belly. We have to wait till the docs make their rounds before turning his feed back on.
Today or tomorrow they are going to take more blood. (all blood work yesterday came back good) And they are also going to order a MRi of his spine. So that is where we are at. As you know, not much happens over the weekend. And still no idea when we are coming home.
03/05/2009 - 13 lbs. 11 oz. (6.22kg) @ Hospital Scale: Nakie weight. NOTES: They are going to be doing a CT scan today of his chest and stomach. So we stopped his feed at 4am. They are going to take a bunch of blood and put in a IV around 7:30am. He will have to be sedated for the CT.
Last night 2 doctors came in to get yet again his history. From my pregnancy to now. They are completely baffled. No one has a clue what is going on. They are hoping the CT will give them a clearer picture. They also stated they are not sure if they want to do the 24hr feed now. So I guess we will wait and see.
This morning before I left for work, Kevin told me he thinks he is getting a cold. Great~that is just what we need. I already have a sore throat. We can't get sick. Nathan needs us. After work I will be running home to pick up some more clothes and my work clothes for Friday, and then I will head back up there. Kevin is on vacation till Sunday, so if Nathan is there longer, which I am sure he will, we will have to figure something out. I WILL NOT leave him there alone, but I still have to work. Even though I am on FMLA, we cannot afford be being off. So I am sure our wonderful family will be here to help out.
I will post more later to keep everyone updated!!!!
02/25/2009 - 13 lbs. 7 1/2 oz. NOTES: YAY!!!! We broke that 13 lb 5 oz mark. Let's just hope we don't go back down. Nathan was in a good mood yesterday when I got home. Man I just love that little man. Last night I was getting pretty frustrated because his feeding bag port would not stay connected to his tubing port. No matter what we tried, it would not work. So Kevin and I taped the crap out of it. I really hope this will not happen when he gets the new tubing.
I also got news yesterday I was NOT happy about. We found out that we have a co-pay for his medical supplies, and for his surgery Monday. URG!!!!! Don't people realize we have NO money!!!! I told myself I would not stress, at least until the bill roll in. I was completely unaware of these co-pays. We have NO money for anything. BUT, Nathan comes before any other bills, so we will do what we have to when the time comes. (Had to vent some)
Total calories: 939 (949 for 02/24)
02/23/2009 - 13 lbs. 5 oz. NOTES: Still the same. We have hit a wall. Now were just trying to push through it.
Total calories: 885
02/22/2009 - 13 lbs. 5 oz. NOTES: Weight stayed the same all weekend. He had a weight check on Friday and it was 13 lbs 5 3/4 ozs. They are pleased so far, but would really like him to gain more weight at a faster pace. They are changing his night feed again. It will now be 45ml/hr for 12 hours. That gives a total of 549 calories. They are hoping this will help boost his weight. He didn't eat great this weekend though. He was more fussy than anything. He stayed in the 700's for calories during the weekend.
02/19/2009 - 13 lbs. 5 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Pretty good day for our lil man. Kevin said he is trying to get up in the crawling position ALL by himself. I don't think it will be long now. Tonight we are trying a new feeding schedule: 45ml/hr for 11 hours. Hope he can tolerate it.
Total calories: 1000
02/18/2009 - 13 lbs. 4 oz. @ Home scale: Nakie weight. NOTES: Well this weekend was VERY stressful. Also I ended up getting strep throat. So Nathan did not get weighed over the weekend. I had to stay away from him for 3 days. It was SO hard. His calories were pretty good over the weekend, except 2 nights the feeding tube came off of his tube, and we are not sure how much he actually got, and how much bathed him~Lol So now we are taping the crap out of the tubing to make sure it stays together.
02/12/2009 - 13 lbs. 7 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight (in the AM) weight 13 lbs 1 oz (before bed) @ Home scale: nakie. NOTES: Well that looks like a nice gain, but it's because I weighed him in the morning after he was off his 10hr feed. I had to weight him for the GI doctor & the dietitian. They want weekly weight checks from us. I am sure some of the extra ounces is because his belly is still full. After I weighed him, he did throw up some. There was a lot of flem with it. But other than that, Nathan was in a great mood all day. Him and I had a lot of fun after I picked him up from grandma's. I love playing with him, and seeing him happy.
Total calories: 905
02/11/2009 - 13 lbs. 4 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Still staying the same. Nathan was VERY fussy today. His 4th tooth came through, and he is getting yet another cold. He is congested, and miserable. I hope our poor baby feels better soon.
Total calories: 809
02/10/2009 - 13 lbs. 4 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. 13lbs 4 3/4 ozs @ Genetics scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Nathan had his appointment with Genetics today. It went well. We were there for about 4 1/2 hours. A lot of history was given, and then we met the doctor. He said he doesn't think Nathan's issue has anything to do with genetics, but he wants to run some labs to rule it out. So Nathan had some blood taken, and had to give a urine sample.
Before we left, I was talking to one of the ladies who was taking all of our info. And she advised me there is this thing through the state, where a nurse will come to our home, and asses Nathan, and if she feels he is lacking in the developmental areas, (for example, he can't sit on his own, and he is not crawling) then they will have a nurse come out twice a week, to work with him, and help him learn to sit on his own and learn to crawl. She did advise it will take awhile for them to get in contact with me, but that it's worth looking into.
We had a appointment to get our taxes done at 4pm, and then we were going to take Nathan to his first Michigan basketball game. Before we left, I wanted to make sure we could bring in his backpack, so Kevin got the phone number so I could call, and as I was waiting for someone to answer the phone, I read that "All children must have a ticket". Finally a lady picked up, so I asked her, and she said everyone has to have a ticket. I explained he is only 8 months, and that he would sit on our laps, but that did not matter. We would have purchased a ticket for him, but they were sold out. Needles to say we were very upset. Kevin ended up taking his friend Neil, so Nathan and I had a mommy and baby night. It was nice.
Total calories: 846
02/09/2009 - 13 lbs. 4 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Again, still the same. I am sure he will start gaining soon. Right??? Today was a good day. I picked Nathan up from my moms, and headed up to her work. She decided to take us out to dinner. We went to Texas Roadhouse. Normally we have been putting Nathan in the high chair opposed to keeping him in the carrier. Well he fell asleep when we got there, so I just let him sleep. So mom and I started eating and Nathan woke up. He was mad he was in the carrier, so I asked our waitress to please bring over a highchair. He was fine for a bit, then wanted to sit on my lap. So as I am holding him, he drops his binker on the ground, and I did not have a spare. He was getting really fussy, while we were waiting for some hot water to come to our table. So I decided to give Nathan a roll to play with. Well he LOVED it. He was smushing it, and trying to eat it. It was cute. But I was afraid that he would take to much and choke, so I took the roll away from him. BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!! Now normally Nathan when he gets mad will just start crying, well not this time. He was SO mad that I took the roll away. His face got beat red, and he stiffened up, and started grunting and screaming. I have NEVER seen him like that. It was SO funny. Needless to say I had to give him the roll back.
Nathan also had his Valentine's party at Westland Library with all his little friends. We had fun, but we were glad to finally get home and go to bed.
Total calories: 895
02/08/2009 - 13 lbs. 4 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Still the same. I'm not too concerned, at least he is not going down. We tried chicken again, and he did really good. But you have to put a little bit of pears on the spoon with it. He ate about half before he gagged on some of it. I am trying not to push it on him, but I think the more he tries it, the easier it will be.
Total calories: 829
02/07/2009 - 13 lbs. 4 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Were back up. That is good. Nathan did well today. He is now going through separation anxiety. Anytime I leave a room, or go a few feet away from him, he starts screaming and crying, like someone is hurting him. It's kinda sweet, because I love that he wants me. But on the other side, he has no reason to get upset. I know its just a phase and he will out grow it. Hopefully soon~Lol
Total calories: 834
02/06/2009 - 13 lbs. 1 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: He is down a little bit, but that's okay. As long as we stay above 13 pounds~Lol
Total calories: 717
02/05/2009 - 13 lbs 3 1/2 ozs @ Home scale: nakie weight. 13 lbs. 4 1/2 oz. & 27 in. @ Dr. El-baba's scale: nakie weight. NOTES: OMG!!!!! You go little man. We are SO proud of you. We are only going up from here!!!!
Nathan had his appointment with with Dr. El-baba today, and they are very happy with his weight gain. They have scheduled his surgery for the tube change. It will be March 2nd. Dr. El-baba is off that day, but coming in for Nathan's surgery. He will be the only patient for the day. We also have to go back to the office on Feb 20th, for a weight check before the surgery. Sarah the dietitian came in and said for now she wants to keep his feedings the same, so we don't over load his belly. She will be changing it some probably by nest week. She was also kind enough to give us 5 free cans of formula. Which we really needed. The cans are this small 1 pound cans and they cost $30 each. So any I can get is great!!!!! All in all it was a great appointment.
Total calories: 846
02/04/2009 - 13 lbs. 1 oz. @ Home Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Passed the 13 mark!!!!!
Total calories: 766
02/03/2009 - 12 lbs. 15 1/2 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Yesterday was a good day. He ate better than he has been. We also started the corn oil in his formula, and so far so good. He has kept it down, and it doesn't seem to have upset his tummy.
I really hope he gains a few more ounces before his appointment Thursday. I want them to be happy with the gain so far. Thursday is also the day we find out when they are going to change his tube out. I am a little nervous about that. I don't want him to go through another surgery, but I know it is what's best for him. At least it is out patient, and he can come home the same day. Even though that scares me, and a part of me wishes they would keep him just overnight for observation. But then I would have $1000.00 co-pay. I'm sure everything will be fine, when he comes home.
Total calories: 881
02/02/2009 - 13 lbs. @ Home Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Well back up to 13 pounds. Let's hope we only go up from here. Nathan did fairly well yesterday. He was still a little fussy because of the teething.
When I got to his grandma's he was napping on his Uncle Bryan. After he got up, I gave him his medicine and fed him, then he headed out. He had some running around to do. He was a VERY good boy. I finally got my butt to the credit union, and opened his account.
He did not throw up at all yesterday, so that is good. But he did not eat like he normally does. His calorie count was still low. I did get a response back from the dietitian and she confirmed that I need to get corn oil not syrup. So I picked it up tonight, and we will try it Tuesday night. I hope it goes well. It will add another 45 calories to his night time feeding.
Total calories: 700
02/01/2009 - 12 lbs. 15 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Are we ever going to get over 13 pounds and stay there??? If so, when??? Nathan had a pretty good day today. He is still hurting, and not feeling well, but he was in a good mood for the most part. He took a nice long nap this morning, which was great. I had a lot of cleaning to do before our Superbowl get together.
He did throw up in the morning, but not too much. It did really scare him though. Today is also Nathan's 8 month birthday~Lol
Total calories: 667
01/31/2009 - 12 lbs. 13 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Poor baby is teething SO bad. He has been fussy ALL day. He would even cry during his feedings. I had my monthly MNO (moms night out) tonight, so mom came over to watch Nathan until Kevin got home from work. I felt really bad leaving him, but I knew he was in great hands, and would be asleep about an hour later. Mom said she wanted to keep him up past his bed time, but Nathan was not having any of it. He knew it was bed time, and went right to sleep.
He did throw up a little during the day, but he made himself sick. I laidhim down for his nap, and he cried and cried, and then threw up. He fights his naps SO much, but when its bedtime, he goes right to bed. Weird??
I am not going to start the corn oil yet because I am confused. I can't find corn oil but I did find corn syrup. I talked with my mom, and she said it should be the syrup. But Sarah the dietitian said its oil. I need to clarify with Sarah on Monday.
Total calories: 722
01/30/2009 - 12 lbs. 13 oz. @ Home Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Okay this up and down weight is starting to get to me. We are trying SO hard to get his weight up, and its not working. I spoke with the Dietitian today and she is changing his calories again. Instead of 27 calorie formula we are going to do 30 calorie. But to make up the additional 3 we are going to add corn oil to his formula. We don't want to boost the amount he has a night yet because he is throwing up some of his feed still. I guess we will see how it goes.
He threw up some today, so his calorie count is real low. He is also teething really bad. He has one MAYBE 2 on top coming in. So that is adding to him not wanting to eat much, and to be VERY fussy.
Total calories: 573
01/29/2009 - 13 lbs. @ Home Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Nathan is still not feeling well, but he made it back to 13 pounds. He still has a stuffy nose, and he threw up a little in the morning. He seemed a little better when I got home yesterday. But he is still not eating much.
Total calories: 753
01/28/2009 - 12 lbs. 7 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Another loss. Poor Nathan is just no feeling well. He has been SO fussy, and was up ALL night last night. And all day today all he wanted was to be held. He really didn't want to eat, or sleep. He threw up a few times as well. I hope our little one feels better soon. We hate seeing him like this.
Total calories: 623
01/27/2009 - 12 lbs. 13 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Well that didn't last long. Nathan lost some weight. He has not been feeling well at all, and has thrown up some. I hope he can get over this soon.
Total calories: 870
01/26/2009 - 13 lbs. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: We have a 13 pounder on our hands!!!!!! I was SO happy to see that scale hit 13 pounds. I was SO excited. As he is laying on the scale, I said "Yay, Nathan" while clapping. He got SO excited he had this big smile on his face and started clapping as well. It was SO adorable.
Dr. Hoisington's scale: w/outfit & diaper (onesie & pants) 14 lbs 12 ozs (Her scale is WAY off from ours. I don't pay attention to what her scale says, but at least it shows a gain from the last time he was weighed there)
Home scale: w/same outfit (minus diaper weight) as he was wearing at Dr. Hoisington's office = 13 lbs 8 ozs
Total calories: 848
01/25/2009 - 12 lbs. 13 1/2 oz. @ Home Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Same as the day before. He did throw up again, but very little. That's okay. I actually wouldn't be shocked if he shows a loss tomorrow. He did not eat good at all today. He just wanted to sleep. I am taking him tomorrow to the doctors for his weight check there, so I think I will have the nurse kind of look him over, and he what she thinks.
Total calories: 729
01/24/2009 - 12 lbs. 13 1/2 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: He gained!!!! YAY!!!!! We have another all time high. I still think he is getting a cold. His nose is stuffy, and he threw up just a little bit during the night.
Total calories: 847
01/23/2009 - 12 lbs. 12 1/2 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Nathan was a eating MACHINE today. Which is why I am shocked he didn't gain anything. I know he will in his time!!!
Total calories: 1068
01/22/2009 - 12 lbs. 12 1/2 oz. @ Home Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Another gain, another high!!!!!! We are SO proud of our little man!!!!! Keep up the good work, we love you!!!!
Total calories: 753 (A little low, but he did throw up a whole feeding of Banana's which is 90 calories)
01/21/2009 - 12 lbs. 11 1/2 oz. @ Home scale: Nakie Weight. NOTES: WOW!!!!!!! His HIGHEST weight EVER. Mommy and Daddy are SO proud of you. Keep up the good work baby!!!! We love you!!!!!
Total calories: 883
01/20/2009 - 12 lbs. 7 1/2 oz. @ Home scale: Nakie Weight. NOTES: A little loss today, but he did throw up twice. Once at 2:30am and once at 5:45am. He just started coughing and then he got really upset and up it came. Only about 2 ounces. We went to Nathan's play date last night, and Emily let us borrow her bumbo. A bumbo is a chair that he can sit in and it should help strengthen his back. Well I put him in it, and he loved it. At first he was a little unsure, but then he was fine with it. I am hoping this will help him out.
total calories: 884
01/19/2009 - 12 lbs. 8 oz. @ Home Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Its getting back up there. He ate really good today. He is getting the bulk of his calories in his night feed, and in his meals with the oatmeal cereal. 1/4c of oatmeal is 60 calories plus the 54 calories for the 2 ozs of formula, and then he will have a jar of fruit with it. That's about another 50-90 calories.
Total calories: 948
01/18/2009 - 12 lbs. 5 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Another VERY small loss. "Come on baby, it's time to go in the other direction." Today he was again very active, but he also took a lot of naps today. So he did not eat as much as he normally does.
Total calories: 700
01/17/2009 - 12 lbs. 5 1/2 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Well he lost I'm not going to get TOO upset. I mean everyone's weight fluctuates. Plus he was really active today. He is getting his legs stronger, but bouncing in his jumper. He is getting so much better at it, by using his feet more.
Total calories: 800
01/16/2009 - 12 lbs. 8 1/2 oz. @ Home Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: total calories: 904
He was a hungry boy today. Now if only he would eat like that everyday!!!!
01/15/2009 - 12 lbs. 8 oz. & 26 1/2 in. & Head size: 17 inch @ Home scale: nakie weight (AM) NOTES: Nathan had all his doctor's appointments today. To read more about them, please visit the 01/15/2009 journal.
Dr. El-baba's scale, nakie w/diaper = 12lbs 7 1/4 ozs
Dr. Hoisington scale (PCP), w/jammies & diaper = 12 lbs 13 ozs
Total calories: 741
01/14/2009 - 12 lbs. 5 oz. @ Home scale: nakie weight. NOTES: Nathan is still doing well. His tube site has been bothering him, and looks really red. I am sure its from all the pulling it gets. Nathan moves around SO much, and I am sure that tube gets pulled every witch way. We are seeing Dr. El-baba tomorrow, so I will show it to him and see what he says.
Total calories: 798
01/13/2009 - 12 lbs. 2 oz. @ Home Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: I again did not get a chance to weigh Nathan with his Pj's on, since I did not go right home from work. To find out why we didn't go straight home see Nathan's journal. You will be AMAZED. I know Nathan is down 1 ounce, but it's normal for weight to fluctuate. I just hope he shows a gain tonight. I am nervous about his appointment tomorrow. I hope they are pleased with how well he is doing.
Total Calories: 809
01/12/2009 -12 lbs. 3 oz. @ Home Scale: nakie weight. NOTES: I did not get a chance to weigh him with his Pj's on, since we had a birthday party to go to when I got off work. But he does show a 2 ounce gain. He is doing SO well, and we are so proud of him. You can tell by looking at him and holding him, that he has gained weight. I just hope the doctors are pleased when they see him Thursday. I am sure they will be.
Total calories: 759
01/11/2009 - 12 lbs. 7 oz. @ Home scale: with pajama's minus diaper weight. 12 lbs 1 oz @ Home scale: nakie
Total calories: 742
01/10/2009- 12 lbs. 6 oz. @ Home scale weight: with pajama's minus diaper weight.
12 lbs even @ Home scale weight, nakie
Total calories: 718
01/09/2009 - 12 lbs. 9 oz. @Dr. Hoisington's office (PCP). NOTES: I am SO proud of him. He went to the doctors today for his weight check, and his last bit of shots. Dr. Hoisington came in just to look him over, and she noticed he looked a little pale. She asked if they ever check for anemia. I said I am not sure, he has had SO much blood work ran, that I do not know if that was one that was tested. She advised me to bring him in Thursday after his GI, and orthopedic appointments, to draw some blood and check. She did say that if GI wants to take blood for any kind of testing, just have them check for anemia too, that way he does not get poked again. But he is on the right track.
Weight is with pajama's, and diaper.
Total calories: 759
Weight on our scale with pajama's on minus diaper weight 12 lbs 4 ozs You can tell the scales are different.
01/17/2009 - 12 lbs. 3.5 oz. @ Weight with pajama's minus diaper weight. home scale
Total calories for the day: 774 NOTES: He did GREAT!!!!!! He is gaining and ate very well today. When I got home, I changed him so I could weigh him, and I told him I would like to see at least a 2 ounce gain. Well he did that and a little more. He gained 2 and a half ounces. YOU GO BOY!!!!!!
01/07/2009- 12 lbs. 1 oz. @ home scale: Weight with pajama's minus diaper weight.
Total calories for the day: 644
01/06/2009 - 11 lbs. 15.5 oz. @ home scale: Weight with pajama's minus diaper weight.
Total calories for the day: 748
01/05/2009- 11 lbs. 14 oz. @ home scale: weight with pajama's minus diaper weight.:
Total calories for the day: 639
01/03/2009 - 12 lbs. 1 oz. @ home scale. NOTES: We have a baby scale at home now, because they want Nathan weighed everyday. I also have to chart his daily weight, and what he eats, when, and how many calories he takes in.
Total calories for the day: 659
01/02/2009 - 11 lbs. 14 oz. & 26 1/4 in. & Head: 42 1/2cm. @ 6 month well appt. weight with pajama's & diaper. NOTES: We finally got Nathan in for his 6 month well appt. Its only a month late. He did lose some weight from being sick, which we are sad about. Dr. Hoisington wants him to see a doctor from Genetics. Surprise, Surprise, another doctor. They can do metabolic testing, that may have some answers. This appointment was hard, because anytime she would come near Nathan to listen to his breathing, or check his ears, he would scream and cry. It's sad that he is now afraid of doctors. But who can really blame him. She wants to wait on 2 of his shots for another week, since he is just getting over the RSV. But he got one today, since it was behind. Of course that did not make him happy. He will be coming back to the office for another weight check, and 2 other shots next Friday at 4pm.
Weight @ home with same pajama's minus diaper weight: 11 lbs 10 ozs This just shows our scales are a little different.
Total calories for the day: 465
01/01/2009- 11 lbs. 11 oz. @ Nakie weight: Home scale
Total calories for the day: 539
12/31/2008 - 11 lbs. 11 oz. @ Nakie weight: Home scale. NOTES: Okay, So I know I said I was not going to type up his weight everyday, but I changed my mind. Also thought I would put the total calories for each day. This is for a 24 hour period. From 6PM to 6PM.
Total calories for the day: 392
12/29/2008 - 12 lbs. 4 oz. @ hospital (Nakie weight). NOTES: Nathan was released from the hospital today. His weight is down, because of the RSV. He does not have much of an appetite, and cannot keep all his night feeding down. I am sure it will get better once he is 100%
12/26/2008 - 12 lbs. 7 oz.
12/20/2008 - 12 lbs. 4 oz.
12/19/2008 - 12 lbs. 5 oz. NOTES: A gain!!!! That is Great!!!!
12/18/2008 - 12 lbs.
12/17/2008 - 12 lbs. 2 oz.
12/16/2008 - 12 lbs. 5 oz. NOTES: Well that didn't last long. He has been throwing up a lot more.
I am updating his journal after I submit this. Thanks.
12/15/2008 - 12 lbs. 10.4 oz. NOTES: Yay!!! More weight gained.
12/14/2008 - 12 lbs. 9 oz. NOTES: YAY!!! His highest ever. This is a good sign. Oh and he peed all over the place when he was laying on the scale. It was too funny.
12/13/2008 - 12 lbs. 1 oz.
12/12/2008 - 11 lbs. 15 oz.
12/11/2008 - 12 lbs. 4 oz.
12/10/2008 - 12 lbs. 1 oz.
12/09/2008 - 12 lbs. 4 oz.
12/07/2008 - 12 lbs. 4 oz. NOTES: Well today he surpassed the 12 pound mark. YAY!!! This is the first time he has been over 12 pounds. The doctors are pleased by his weight gain. To read more about Nathan's weekend, please visit 12/07/08 Journal. Thanks.
12/04/2008 - 11 lbs. 11 oz. NOTES: Well that didn't last long huh? We took Nathan to his GI appt. this morning, and he only weighed 11 pounds 11 ounces. Of course that was also on a empty stomach. After seeing the weight I sort of new they were going to admit him into the hospital. Sure enough the GI doctor came in and went over a few things and said he wanted to admit him and have the feeding tube placed. He said he wanted to tube in for a month, and that this should help with the weight gain. So we waited around until about 2pm before we got a room. Emily who is a nurse here, and who I consider a great friend tried to get him a private room, but the floor was booked, so we got a joint room. We also talked to Emily, and she advised that the GI specialist, our Dr. El-baba was going to run the show, and give all the direction to the doctors on the floor. That made me feel good knowing he was over seeing everything. After getting into the room, a doctor came in and kind of explained that nothing much would happen tonight except for some blood work, and to kind of monitor him. So a short time later they came to get him and take some blood. I went into the room with him, and it ended up taking 2 pokes, and they still did not get all they wanted. It was like Nathan's blood dried up. After that we went back to the room, and waited. It was a long day, and Nathan was SO crabby, and fussed and didn't barely eat anything. Finally we got him to sleep, and tried to rest ourselfs. Looks like the tube is being put in tomorrow.
11/25/2008 - 11 lbs. 15 oz. NOTES: I am excited that he has gained weight. YAY!!!!! This makes me extremely happy. I hope he can continue in this direction.
Today Nathan and I met his new doctor. Dr. Hoisington. I just love her. She is super nice, and was with me for about an hour. She did tell me before she even walked into the room and seen his weight on the chart that she noted he was FTT (failure to thrive) But when I told her his weight from a few days ago, she was SO happy at the gain he made. He was 11 pounds 9 ounces 6 days ago, and he has gained 6 ounces since then. We went over all the prior doctor appointments, and tests that he has had. She agrees with us seeing and continuing to see the GI specialist. She asked me about his eating, and I explained to her about him only having the formula, and not the stage 1 foods (except oatmeal, and pears) because the doctor before and the GI said to give him formula only since that has all the calories. She was FLOORED. She couldn't believe he was not on all the other stuff. She said he should have been starting all of that when he was 4 months old. She wants Nathan to have all the Veggies, Fruits, and Meats. She was like "If he wants bacon, give him bacon"~Lol Her plan is for us to start with all the Veggies first, then the fruits, then the meats. She said to try new foods every 3-4 days. So be the time we come in for his next visit on the 9th we should have given him at least 4 new veggies.
Update: We were still battling with insurance company to pay for Nathan's medicine, so my grandma was nice enough to pay for his first 30 days. It was $175.00. We have now found out that from now on it will be covered when we need refills. I am really relieved that it is all straightened out.
11/20/2008 - 11 lbs. 9 oz. & 26.5 in. @ Dr. El-baba's office. NOTES: We went to see the GI doctor today. His name is Dr. El-Baba. He was very good. He was in the room with us from 8:30-10:30 going over everything. He said we do have a sick boy, he just doesn't know why just yet. He is determined to find out what is going on. Nathan had to get blood work done, a few x-rays, a blood gas, and had to give a stool and urine sample. He did GREAT through all of it. While we were waiting on the results, the doctor cam in and said they were going to admit him, but then he said he wanted to wait for his blood work. All this blood work came back fine, and so did his x-ray. So he changed his mind ans said he would not admit him. We are still waiting the results of his urine and stool sample. They switched his formula to Pregestimil LIPIL, which he does not care for right now. He also noticed Nathan is breathing heavy and fast, which he says its his way of burning off the acid in his stomach. He did write a scrip for prevacid in a liquid to help with the reflux, HOWEVER my insurance wont pay for it, until the doc calls in a pre-authorization and then they can approve it, which may take until Monday or Tuesday. The doc wants Nathan to have another sweat chloride test which will be on Wednesday. Then he wants to see him in 2 weeks (dec 4th) He already told me that if he does not show a significant weight gain, he will be admitting him to the hospital. I really hope with this new formula and medicine will help him. They also don't want him to have the pears or cereal anymore, until he gains more and maintains it. I guess only time will tell.
11/21/08-I did call the insurance company today, and they informed me they have not received the paperwork. He may not get his medicine until Tues or Wed. I am SO mad. I have a call into the doctors office, to prescribe something else. He needs some medicine for his reflux. He sees a bottle and pushes it away, cause he knows it hurts to eat it. I am waiting for them to call me back.
11/10/2008 - 11 lbs. 7 oz. NOTES: Still the same weight. He is not gaining, but maintaining it. Which is still not good. We had a bad experience at the doctors office, and I will not get into details about that. Needless to say we are looking for a new doctor. Hopefully a new doc can sheds some light on this situation.
11/03/2008 - 11 lbs. 7 oz. NOTES: Yet again, another weight check. At least he didn't lose any weight. We talked with Dr. Poston and he said that he wants Nathan to have a x ray by Monday to make sure he phenomena is gone. Then on Monday we are to come back for another weight check. After that he is going to have us see a GI specialist if he has not gained any weight. It better be a big weight gain. If its only a few ounces I still want him to see the GI.
I honestly don't think anything is wrong with him, but feel he is just going to be a skinny little kid. But we want to rule out other possiblities. I guess we will see the game plan on Monday.
10/27/2008 - 11 lbs. 7 oz. NOTES: Well he lost another 2 ounces. I don't know what the heck is going on. He is eating well, but can't seen to maintain his weight. I am getting concerned now. The doctors wanted to see him after his weight check, and advised me that they want me to admit him to the hospital for further testing. I have posted a journal entry of his experience in the hospital.
10/20/2008 - 11 lbs. 9 oz. NOTES: Its time for another weekly weight check. Nathan is still not gaining like he should. The Doctor doesnt believe that he weighed 12 pounds last week. She thinks the scale was wrong, because of the big jump in only a few days. She is just baffled at why he is not gaining weight. She said she is going to call Childrens hospital to see what else they could try. I am just beginning to think he is not a big weight gainer. I think it will happen, but ih his own time.
10/13/2008 - 12 lbs. NOTES: 12 pounds!!!!!!!!!! I was SO happy to see that my baby gained weight and is now 12 pounds!!!! Nathan went in this morning for his weekly weight check, and showed a BIG improvement. I really think the medicine is working. I can see that he is eating more. His belly cannot handle more than 4 ounces at one time, but he eats more "snackers" (2ozs) throughout the day. Even Dr. Poston was impressed. He said he would like to see a 1-2 pound gain in the next month. If he does that, then he can go off the medicine. I hope my little man keeps up the good work. He does seem to be a lot happier.
10/10/2008 - 11 lbs. 2 oz. NOTES: I had to take Nathan to the doctors again today. My mom called me and said Nathan was not feeling well. He was refusing to eat, his eyes were all red and puffy, and he had a runny nose. I called the office and they wanted to see him right away. First they weighed him and it showed a 3 ounce weight loss in 3 days. Then Dr. Poston came in to see him. He checked him all out and said that him not feeling well is all part of the GERD, and the eating issue. They are all tied together. He put Nathan on this medicine that is supposed to boost his appetite. So we will see over the weekend how is goes. I really like this DR. He was in the room with us for about an hour. He made sure I had a better understanding of everything.
10/07/2008 - 11 lbs. 5 oz. NOTES: Kevin took Nathan in yet again for another weekly weight check. Only a 3 ounce gain. They advised Kevin that they were going to call down to Children's hospital and speak with the nutriention, to see what else we can do. They told Kevin that they would call me. After the appointment, Kevin brought Nathan up to my work, so I could see him. He was such a good boy, and loved flirting with all the girls.
I received a call from the doctors office, advising me they want to put him on some medicine that will boost his appetite. I wanted to ask more about it since he is already on something, and I don't want him all drugged out. I hate that he is on medicine. She really didn't have any answers for me since she was just an office lady. I told the lady that before I give Nathan the medicine I want to talk to the doctor. I want more info about it. I should hear something Wednesday. They also want him to have a sweat cloride test done at Children's hospital next Wednesday. To do the test, I guess they warm him up to produce sweat and take samples. I should have the results next day. I also want more info on this, I want to know what they are looking for.
09/29/2008 - 11 lbs. 2 oz. & 25 in. & Head Size: 41cm @ 4 month well appt. NOTES: Nathan had another weekly weight check. I realized that its just about time for his 4 month well appointment, so I asked the nurse if there was anyway they could sneak us in, since they were packed, and she said she would check. A few moments later she came back and said no problem. So after he was weighed and measured we went back into the room and waited for the doctor. At first a student nurse came in and looked him over before Tonya came in. (Must have been student teaching day) Then Tonya came in checked his chart and then looked him over. She said everything looks good, and all his blood work came back fine, but she is still concerned with the lack of weight gain. So she wants him to come back next week for another weight check, and also wants to hold off on giving him foods, because the formula gives him more nutrients. She did say however we could try some rice cereal, but after he eats his bottle. (Normally you give them the cereal first) So we will try that and see how it goes.
After she left Nathan started screaming, and in this high pitched scream he learned. You would think someone was torturing him. I knew it was because he was hungry. So while I waited for the nurse to come in this his shots, grandma went outside to get him a bottle. Grandma came back in before the nurse did, so I fed him some formula while we waited. Once the nurse came in I layed Nathan back down, and he got his shots. He just cried and his poor lil face turned ALL red. It took me a bit to calm him down, because he was also crying since he was hungry. So we left and got in the car, and grandma fed him his bottle and then he fell asleep. But at least it is done and he doesnt need anymore for a few months.
09/22/2008 - 11 lbs. NOTES: Nathan went in for his weekly weight check, and showed a 5 ounce gain. We were so happy. We talked to Tonya and she said that the ultrasound and x-ray came back normal, and that maybe he is just not a big eater. Which I agree with. I just think he is going to be tall and skinny. He has to go back next Monday for another weight check.
After the appointment we were off to Henry Ford Wyandotte for Nathans blood work. (I guess they did not get enough from his heels for the tests down at Childrens) We checked in and were off to the blood draw room. So we went inside (Bryan went with Nathan and I) the tech told me to "Go ahead and lay him on the table" I was a little confused because at Childrens they had me hold him. Well he advised me that they have to take blood from his arm since they needed to take so much. (They are also doing allergy testing) I freaked out!!!! My lil man has to be poked with the needle and have it left in his arm for awhile. I just flashed back to last weekend when they took his blood (from his heels) and he screamed SO loud and cried so hard that his face turned red, and he couldnt breath well from crying SO hard. So of course I started tearing up a little bit. but Nathan was SO happy, just smiling and cooing. So I composed myself so he wouldn't see me sad. Well another tech came in to hold his arm down. They put the lil band around his arm to find the vein but Nathan didn't care. Well the minute the needle went in, he gave me that frown face and started crying. I just sat there with him holding his legs and singing "The itsy bitsy spider" to him. Which he loves, so he was very calm and hardly cried at all. Every so often he would cry, but I think it was because they were holding his arm, and he couldnt move it. Then after they took 5 viles of blood, they bandaged him up and he was done. He went back to being a happy lil baby. Bryan and I were SO proud of him!!!! I told him that if he was older, he would get some Ice Cream. So I guess I owe my lil man ice cream when the time comes.~Lol I should have the results in a few days.
09/15/2008 - 10 lbs. 11 oz. & 24 1/2 in. NOTES: Well Nathan gained some weight, but is still not eating a lot. Average feeding is 1 1/2 - 3 ounces. The doctor put him on Similac Alimentum Hypoallergenic Formula friday, incase he had the P.S. but I dont think he cares for it. He spits up more often and doesnt eat as much. All Nathans test came back fine, so now were are back at square one. We are putting him back on the soy to see if he will eat more. If not the doctor wants to see him. I am getting really upset with all the run around, and dont know what to do. There is obvoiusly something not right. I am hoping to get some answers soon.
09/12/2008 - 10 lbs. 8 oz. NOTES: We took Nathan in again for another weight check. He is STILL not feeling well. His eating is decreasing again. We seen Dr. Poston, and he looked over the chart, and examined Nathan some. He thinks Nathan has Pyloric Stenosis, but wants some tests done to see for sure. He also put Nathan on Similac Alimentum Hypoallergenic Formula in case he has the PS. It is easier to digest than the soy. So tomorrow we are headed to childrens hospital for an ultrasound, xray and blood work. I dont want anything to be wrong, but something is not right. Hopefully we will have some answers by Monday.
Here is his eating schedule for the past 2 days:
09/11/08:
· 2:30AM 4 ounces
· 6:40AM 4 ounces
· 11:00AM took a few sips, then started coughing, and threw up. Walked him around to settle him down
· 11:30AM 4 ½ ounces
· 1:00AM 1 ½ ounces
· 4:30PM 4 ounces
· 8:00PM 2 ounces
09/12/08:
· 12:40AM 4 ounces
· 4:30AM 1 ounce, Cried and cried, thought he would throw up cause we could hear his belly gurgling, but did not want to eat. Fell asleep and went back to bed
· 7:00AM Woke up would not eat at all, cried hard for a half hour and went back to sleep
· 9:30AM Woke up fussy would not eat, and fell back asleep
· 10:00AM 4 ounces
09/10/2008 - 10 lbs. 9 oz. NOTES: Nathan went in for his weight check again, and sadly to say he lost 3 ounces. I just don't get it. I mean he is not eating what he should be (6-8ozs every 4 hrs) but he is eating. He eats about 3-4 ounces every 3-4 hours. We are even giving him more formula than water like the doctor suggested. He is MUCH happier since putting him on the soy. He is just not a big eater, and I cant force him to drink it. We again asked if we could start giving him a lil cereal to help, and they said absolutely no. SO, they want to see him again Monday, and if he has not gained anything, then they want to do an ultrasound of his belly. She said there may not be anything wrong, since he is peeing and pooping, but they want to discuss having this done. I guess we will see Monday what direction to go in.
A side note: You can tell Nathan is a skinny lil guy. He is now 10 pounds 9 ounces, and is cousin Adryan who is just about 2 months younger than him and she weighes 10 pounds 8 ounces!!!
09/03/2008 - 10 lbs. 12 oz. NOTES: Nathan went in for his weight check. This is the first appointment Kevin went to without me. AHHH both my boys are growing up~lol They are happy he has gained weight, but want to see more progress. They are going to monitor his weight for awhile. So we have to go back in next week for another check.
They also said Nathan can now go swimming in pools. I am excited. We have a wedding in October, and are staying at a hotel with a pool. I cannot wait to take him in it.
08/20/2008 - 10 lbs. 4 oz. NOTES: Nathan went in for his weight check, and only showed a 2 ounce gain. Dr. Pavlik, said a lil gain is better than losing pounds. She wants to see him again in 2 weeks for another weight check. In the mean time she wants us to give him more of the formula. Normally the bottle consists of 4 ozs of water and 2 scoops of formula. She wants us to add a half scoop into the formula to give him a little more calories. Hope this helps his weight gain.
08/13/2008 - 10 lbs. 2 oz. & 24 1/4 in. NOTES: We took Nathan to the doctors again today, cause for the past day and a half he has been screaming his head off for hours on end, and is barely eating. When we got there they measured and weighed him. He was 10 pounds 2 ounces and 24 1/4 inches long. His head circumference is 39.5 The doctor came in and said that he is WAY under weight for his height/age. (15%tile) SO she wants to closely monitor that. He is also in a higher percentile for his height. (FYI~There was a 4 month old in that was 25 inches long) We have a tall boy on our hands. She has changed his reflux medicine to a higher dosage and they are changing his formula. He is now going from Emfamil Lipil w/iron to Enfamil ProSobee Lipil. She thinks this will help alot. She also wants to see him again next week. Nathan normally eats 3-4ozs every 3-4 hours, but she said that they recommend babies @ 2 months to eat 6-8 ounces every 4 hours. I hope he will eat more, cause he is always full after 4 ounces. I hope the changes help him to get better. I hate seeing him sick. He also had his shots today. I felt so bad for the lil guy. Four pokes in the legs. He screamed SO loud and hard, but the minute I scooped him up, he was fine. And of course I balled my eyes out. I hated seeing him in pain.
I guess I better find my receipts for the 3 can of formula I just bought, so I can exchange them. That is my job for tomorrow, since she gave us samples.
08/06/2008 - 10 lbs. NOTES: Nathan is still not feeling well. He has been crying non stop since Monday, and has not develeped a cough. I took him to the doctor today, and they said he has Reflux. My poor lil man is hurting, and it breaks my heart. They have given him medicine to take morning and night to help. We also have to make sure he is sitting up or in a vertical position for 20 min. after each meal, and his head is elevated when he sleeps. I hope he gets better soon, I hate seeing him in pain.
07/16/2008 - 9 lbs. 14 oz. NOTES: Nathan went to the doctor today. He has his first cold!! I feel so bad for the lil man.
07/03/2008 - 9 lbs. 6 oz. NOTES: Our lil man is perfect. Dr. said he is right on track
06/27/2008 - 9 lbs. @ Doctors office. Weight Check
06/10/2008 - 8 lbs. 4 oz. & 20.5 in. @ Doctors office. NOTES: Nathan had his first doctor appt today. All went well. He is healthy, and perfect. His next appt. is when he is 2 months.
06/02/2008 - 8 lbs. & 20.5 in. NOTES: They weighed Nathan tonight, and he lost 8oz. It is common for newborns to lose weight after birth.
06/01/2008 - 8 lbs. 7 oz. & 20.5 in. NOTES: This is Nathans birth weight and height.
