We are set for a March 27th heart cath with Dr. Gremmels. This will be Elijah's fourth heart cath! Dr. G will just be checking the pressures in his heart and taking pictures. No actual work will be done this time (we hope), so we probably won't even have to spend the night in the hospital (we hope).
I can't believe we are on the road to surgery. It's a scary road to be on, as we've been dreading this for quite a long time now, but in a way it feels good. Soon surgery #2 will be behind us!
On another note, we are in the process of doing some transitioning from bottles to sippy cups and from baby food to big people food. Elijah seems totally bored with the bottle lately, but he doesn't have the hang of the sippy cup yet. It's a bit frustrating. He will drink his bottle for a few chugs and then he'll start playing with it or he will just chew on the nipple and not drink from it. It takes forever to get a whole bottle into his belly. I guess I'm not entirely sure how this whole transition is supposed to happen. Hopefully Dr. Snook can shed some light at Eli's 1-year well visit next week. When it comes to solid foods, though, he eats like a little piggy. He loves cottage cheese more than anything in the world. If we have the cottage cheese container anywhere in sight while he is eating something else, he totally freaks out and needs the cottage cheese NOW.
We are still working with him on sign language. He doesn't do the signs consistently yet, but for the past two days, he will usually do the sign for "all done" if I say it out loud. Cute! Things are clicking in that sweet head of his! And as for his tummy time, HE STILL WON'T DO IT. Every once in a while he'll roll to his tummy on his own and stay there for a bit, but if we try to help him roll he will usually refuse it. He knows we're trying to make him do work. Smartypants Mr. Leisure! His leg strength is improving ever so slowly. He cannot stand on his own yet. We're getting there! Baby steps.
8 comments:
He is so adorable...he is such a smart little boy! Baby steps is right. Don't fret about this whole tummy time thing...none of my kids liked it and the first two had NO excuse!
I am glad you have a date for the cath and I am hoping you can go home that night and not have to stay in the dreaded hospital. I know it must be terrifying to be waiting for a surgery, but like you said, once it is done, you can be on your way!
Love,
Samantha
HI Dear!! I am glad things are going well.
We actually used juice boxes to help with the transition from bottle to cup, and it is sooo nice when they can drink from a straw. If you get some small juice boxes you can squeeze them lightly so that he knows what's in there and he should start slurping it up. ;-)
Hugs to all!!! Auntie Lissa.
(Don't you just love random unrequested advice! ;-)
Baby steps, thats right! I think Elijah is doing great. The cottage cheese thing is just so adorable. Good luck with the transition. I actually had Arianna almost completely on sippy cups and only taking bottles for naps or bedtime, then when she was put in the hospital I gave her the bottle all the time so we are back to bottles. She will drink her juice from the sippy, but hates to drink milk from it. Right now the most important thing is putting the weight on so I'm not too worried. Who says kids need to transition by 1 anyways?!?!
I have marked the cath on my calender. I hope this will be a quick trip and you won't have to stay overnight.
Always in my prayers!
Oh...I don't like that you're on the schedule for the cath lab already...but, at least they'll know for SURE how long surgery can wait.
He's such a cutie pie. I don't get why they won't lay on their bellys or try to stand. And Isaac will forget sometimes that he can hold his melon up!!!
Your aunt is right about the juice boxes...or try the cups with straws..or..if you're feeling adventurous...take the suction thing out of the sippy cup so that it just poors out when he tips it. He might just poor it all over your house...but, boy will he have fun!
Yes, yes! Advice is welcome! We will give the juice boxes a try. We have tried the cups with straws and they haven't worked yet. If it is a no-spill cup, he can't figure out how to suck hard enough to get anything out. If it doesn't have a no-spill mouthpiece, he spills everywhere. We have about a thousand different kinds of cups now, none of which work. Great! What do you know, a simple cardboard juice box is sure to do the trick. Thanks Lissa! Offer advice any time!
I agree - the road to 2nd surgery sucks!! One month from tomorrow for us!!! Grace hates tummy time too! The little stinkers. Bennett really liked the Nuby cups - they have a silicone top. They might be worth a shot.
<3,
Jen
Hey...here's my 2 cents worth on the sippy cup thing! Just in case you haven't tried them yet!
Kate had huge success with the "disposable take and toss" cups. You can get them in the baby isle of most major groceries/walmarts/etc. They come in packs of 6 or so of different colors and even different sizes..and wash up great in the diswasher.
They don't have a stopper...but don't seem to spill as much as the others when tipped over! It's the only sippy Kate could use...and we could get them small enough for her to handle on her own! Sorry for the rambling if you've tried them already!
I think it's great that he loves table foods and cottage cheese...so does Seth..whoda thunk the little ones would like it so much!
Sending up prayers for the next month...for peace and patience as you await the cath and surgery date!
The idea of another cath may be intimidating, but at least it's such a precise thing that you'll know exactly what's going on in there! And a great attitude on the surgery...that's how I choose to look at things, too. You're nervous now but one day it will be something you've already gone through. Too bad we don't just have a "Fast Forward" button on our lives to get to the "after" parts a little quicker!!! :)
Take care,
~Cindy
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