ROP Exam

So, last week at Walker's ophthalmologist appointment his ROP snuck up on us again in his left eye. We were pretty upset about that. The decision that laser eye surgery would need to be done to correct this was our only option. What happens with ROP is that the disease produces a mass amount of blood vessels that grow and grow and could pop the retina off causing permanent blindness.

And then Walker got sick with bronchiolitis. We had to get the okay from the pediatrician because he would have to go under anesthesia. We didn't get the okay because of his sickness and we were told 14 days on antibiotics and then we could discuss again. Only if it was an emergency. So, Dr. Steinkuller made us come back today. And the news is that his eye had improved and we don't need surgery! A blessing in disguise!

An infant eye exam is stressful. I can deal with seeing my baby moments after surgery in pain I can't even imagine, being stuck over and over again by needles, getting multiple shots, etc. BUT I can't handle seeing him get an eye exam. If you know Walker, you know that he has a soft cry. When they do what they do, I walk out of the room, and can hear my baby SCREAMING down the hall! What's extra sad is that before hand, Walker was smiling and talking and kicking on the exam table. He loves the sound of that paper they lay down.

Below is a picture. In the bag you see two instruments. The one that looks like an "A" is used to pry the eye open and keep it open. The straight tool is used to move the eye around. There's drops and saline and that magnifying thing is used to see behind the eye. 

 And the last picture I'm showing is my baby after everything happens. See how red he is? He is like that from head to toe! He's sweaty. And he does this cry. Oh this cry! It sounds like shivering. Breaks. My. Heart. I told my Bump friends, "If he could eat ice cream or chocolate or ride a horse, I would buy it for him after every one of these appointments". But he doesn't do any of those things. Instead, I allow him to rule the house. He makes his own schedule and his demands are always met. You want to wake up every hour? Sure thing baby. Whatever you want.

My 1st Mother's Day!

R and Walker took me out to dinner on Saturday night. It was so yummy and of course W was the perfect baby. Loud noises soothe him, so a busy restaurant puts him right to sleep.

I ended the night with a sleepy baby who of course loves having his head covered to fall asleep.

I woke up to a screaming baby. If you've ever heard Walker cry, you know it's pretty soft. Not Sunday morning. He was screaming! I thought I was sleep walking or that he was seriously hurt. It was neither. He was fine but wanted his Momma. Having R home this weekend really through Walker off his man-made schedule.  When R woke up he took Walker from me and disappeared from the room. They walked back in wearing these:

Way better than a card! I was very surprised. I also go a Kindle! YAY! R is so good to me and I was really surprised he spelled all the words right!

We got dressed and went to my parent's for our Mother's Day celebration.

Walker went through 3 outfits before we made it home 4 hours later. His body hates antibiotics. He has a killer diaper rash and spits up. He's taking 4 medicines but his doses are 6 times a day. He's not happy. So when we got home, Walker got a bath and we laid around in this cute assemble.

My first Mother's Day weekend was a success! I'll keep that onesie in his baby book forever. I love my husband for being so thoughtful in his gifts for me and spoiling me like usual.

Walker is Sick

That's right. Walker is sick. He had this cough that I brought up to his pedi on Friday but he wasn't concerned. It was a dry cough and it didn't seem to bother him.

Fast forward to Tuesday early morning. I think we woke up at 2:45 to a baby that was upset about being woke up from coughing. The coughing sounded congested and Walker was having trouble catching his breath. After the coughing fit, his breathing was pretty hard and fast. I woke R up and debated taking him to the ER. Yeah, I was that worried. But he fell asleep in his napper in our bed and seemed okay. He didn't really have another bad spell.

Today I was sitting on the couch with Walker trying to feed him and it clicked. He was having trouble breathing and eating and then I remembered that he wasn't taking his pacifier either. The boy loves his paci! So I decided to call the doctor. They offered for the nurse to call me back and I obliged. She called back and I knew she was going to have us come in. She said that with his past issues, BPD and CLD, that they needed to see him. So off we went.

I will NEVER go to the office again at 3pm. That place was a mad house filled with sicklings every where! And for some reason, parent's didn't mind their sick children coughing and sneezing on everything and everyone.

Walker weighs 11 pounds 12 ounces! YAY! That's probably the only good thing that came from the appointment.

Dr. Anderson is gone for his two weeks and we saw his partner, Dr. Palamountain. She listened to Walker from both, front and back and asked if he always wheezed. She decided to hook Walker up to a pulse ox and see his saturation level. It was 89. She had the nurse give him two doses of a breathing treatment and to check it again. It was 96.

"Um, Mom? What is she doing?"

"My Mom wants me to ask you what you are doing?"

She listened to him again and said that she wanted to see him daily. She's not always this cautious but given his history, she feels better if she kept a close on him. And I do too. She said she heard some crackling in his lungs, which is an indication of pneumonia. So went home with the breathing treatment bong looking them and a prescription for an inhaler, antibiotics, steroids and daily appointments.

Not to mention Walker has an ophthalmologist appointment early in the morning. He hates eye exams and I would too if I were him. Their tools look like something from Hostel or a torture chamber.

Look How Far We've Come

I'm so glad I've been committed to taking pictures galore. Check out this collage I made from my phone.

Look how far we've come in 6 months! 

Dietician and Another Pedi Appoitment

Walker had two appointments on Friday, one with the dietician and another with the pediatrician.

His dietician is happy with his weight gain, he's up to 11 pounds 8 ounces! He is now up to 90cc which is 3 ounces. We meet with the dietician at the end of this month and we will start talking about solids. She did tell me that we will most likely be dropping the time on TPN/Omegaven this week! YES!

The pediatrician appointment went well also. He is referring us to a ENT because he's pretty sure Walker has damage to one of his vocal cords. It happens. Walker was intubated for 8 weeks and then reintubated for surgeries, so it's most likely true. These self correct themselves. He'll most likely have a raspy voice.

This week we have ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) coming out to start the process of at home services. PT (physical therapy) will be joining. And we have a dreadful ophthalmologist appointment. What a great week!

Wordless Wednesday

"Ahh!"

"Why don't he want to play with me?"

"Kisses from my brudder"

"Hims a funny guy"

"Brudders for life!"

"Where's he going?"

"Night night"

Babies Don't Keep

Babies Don't Keep

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,
Lullabye, rockaby, lullabye loo.
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo,
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo,
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs;
Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton