It helps me to say these things aloud, I think.
You are currently browsing JeniQ’s articles.
Henry’s school is having a box car derby tomorrow. I went all out and made an airplane. And used some of Uncle Eric’s awesome duct tape that we got at the Duct Tape Festival!
Check me out!
Blog Readers: Yet another picture option, this one doesn’t take up as much real estate and requires you to click to view all the pictures. Please comment!
We got lots of lovely gifts for Linus. Here are two very pretty ones!
A silver spoon from Tiffany’s, courtesy of Grant and Michelle.
Blog Readers: Here’s another option for pictures, what do you think? It’s pretty much what I’ve had in the past.
A bit late, but my bonus check was finally spent this week on a brand new dryer which I got for a steal from Best Buy!
Blog Readers: Can I get some feedback on this approach to displaying pictures? I’m fooling around with NextGen Gallery and I’m not sure how I like it so far. Thanks!
Linus has recently celebrated his two-month-old birthday, and soon will celebrate his third!
Here’s the statistical update from his two-month checkup.
As of last week, he was already 14 1/2 pounds, so he keeps on growing. He is definitely getting bigger, judging by how quickly he’s outgrowing his clothes! He is wearing 3-6 month clothes, mostly, and some of them are too short already. He is pumping his legs almost every minute he’s awake, and he’s quite strong. Sometimes he’s a bit difficult to contain when he’s nursing if his legs are moving.
He is doing really well. He is on a pretty good three-hour schedule during the day, though sometimes it seems that he wants to sleep a bit longer. Concerned about daytime sleep robbing him of good nighttime sleep, we usually wake him up if he sleeps for more than two or three hours in a row. At night, he goes to bed around 10 or 10:30 PM, and then he’s up once around 3 or 3:30 AM. After that, we don’t expect to hear from him until 6 AM or later. He seems to be sleeping better, and does not need to be swaddled for naps. When we recognize his sleepy signs and respond to them quickly, he will go down for a nap with minimal fuss. Put down overtired, however, and he will more than likely need to be swaddled and will cry for 20 minutes before falling asleep. We have been really working on reading his signals right!
He is smiling a whole lot now, and will respond to you if you look at him and coo. He laughs and grins when we play little games with him, and will smile when you make exaggerated expressions with your face. His vision allows him to see farther than before, and now he’ll focus on more things like toys and people. He’s gaining head control, though he’s not all the way there yet. We try to give him some tummy time every day, but, like most babies, he hates it, and it tends to exacerbate the symptoms of his reflux.
He has managed to get both his left and his right thumb into his mouth, though he doesn’t have quite the motor skills to keep either there. However, being able to do so has made him happier and he’s better able to self-soothe. He will also gnaw on a burp cloth or blanket if one is available. Despite trying several different varieties, he does not seem that interested in taking a pacifier. We’ll keep trying, though, as he seems to need to suck to soothe himself a lot more than Henry did.
His colostomy is doing just fine, too. Dave and I are getting to be experts on bag changes. Our expertise means fewer 2 AM bag changes, which is a good thing! We usually do a bath when we change his bag, and he’s enjoying his baths more these days.
My maternity leave is almost over. I start back to work and Linus starts daycare on June 14th. I’m definitely glad to have had this time with him. Six weeks would not be long enough.
Some fabulous new photos of the boys.
Linus spent last weekend in the NICU at UNC but was off of IV fluids and most monitors by Saturday morning. Dave and I spent Saturday night at the hospital in a kind of trial-run to make sure we could get through a night on our own, managing feedings and diaper changes/bag changes. We did OK, but we were lucky to have that experience because it allowed us to get some questions answered while we were there. Monday at noon, we were discharged! It was so great to finally bring our little man home, one week after he was born.
Today is Thursday and we’re beginning to settle into a little bit of a routine. Linus is eating and sleeping well. Henry and Linus got to meet on Monday and introductions went really smoothly. Dave and I are still getting the hang of maintaining Linus’s colostomy bag, but we’re getting better every day.
We go back to the pediatric surgeon’s group in three weeks for a follow-up appointment. On Monday, they performed the contrast study. This study will help determine how they will proceed surgically with fixing Linus. Other than his birth defect, he is a perfectly healthy, happy, normal boy. And he’s pretty cute, too!
More photos after the break.
Read the rest of this entry »
For family and friends, I thought it would be helpful to explain Linus’s medical condition and what’s been done so far to treat it. The good news is that the birth on Monday went great. Labor was pretty quick, Linus was 7lbs 4 oz, and looked great. He cried vigorously and then nursed immediately when brought to the breast – impressive! He was alert with his eyes open, and just as cute as could be. However, during the doctor’s inital exam of Linus, they discovered a birth defect. Known as an imperforate anus, this birth defect has to do with how his colon is routed to his anus internally. It’s apparently a defect occurring in 1 in 5,000 births. As concerning as this might sound, with quick intervention this birth defect is very treatable. It does require specialized care, however, so on Monday evening, a few hours after his birth, Linus was transferred to the excellent Neonatal Critical Care Center at UNC Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill.
On Tuesday, doctors performed various tests to determine if there were other related birth defects, such as a heart murmur or kidney problems. They administered IV fluids and glucose to keep him hydrated, and they inserted an NG tube into his stomach to collect gas and saliva that he might swallow. On Wednesday morning, the pediatric surgical team performed a colostomy. This means that they cut his large intestines and brought the upper piece to the surface of his skin – this is now the exit for his fecal matter. Linus will use a colostomy bag in addition to diapers for a number of months while his body matures. In the meantime, the surgical team will perform more tests and develop a plan for reconstructive surgery. Once the reconstructive surgery is performed and deemed successful, they will reverse the colostomy. To do so, they will reattach the two pieces of his large intestine and put them back in his gut where they belong.
It took him nearly a day to fully recover from surgery, and since then, he has been allowed to eat. He is consuming larger and larger quantities of milk at each feeding. He’s now up to 40 ml by bottle, which is just over an ounce. And this afternoon, he nursed for nearly an hour! Today they were so impressed that they took him off IV fluids. They also removed his pulse oxometer, so at this point he has very few monitors left attached to him. This is great news for those who want to hold him – holding a baby who’s all cabled up is a daunting task!
On Thursday we also started using a colostomy bag with Linus. A nurse demonstrated how to attach the colostomy bag and how to empty it. Today, Dave got a chance to empty the bag during a diaper change, and I got a chance to attach a new bag with the help of an ostomy nurse. We will be getting a chance to practice both emptying the bag and changing the bag over the next few days before Linus is discharged. We will also have a few visits with a home health nurse in the weeks after we bring Linus home to understand more about how to care for his ostomy. Click here to learn more about ostomies and ostomy care.
Saturday night, Dave and I will spend the night at the hospital with Linus. This will be an opportunity for us to practice managing feeding Linus and dealing with his colostomy bag. We’ll be flying solo but we’ll have the nursing staff available if we have any problems or questions.
On Monday, Linus will have a test performed on the lower part of his GI tract. They will do a contrast dye study to explore his lower rectum and see if there are any unexpected connections to other organs. This test will be used to determine how to proceed with Linus’s next surgery, which will be done in about 4-6 months.
We hope Linus will be discharged by Tuesday! We so look forward to bringing him home and getting to introduce him to his big brother Henry and his two cats.
Welcome to the newest member of our family, Linus Nelson. Linus was born at 3:30 PM on Monday, March 22nd. He weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 21.5″ long. He is just gorgeous and we love him so much!!
Henry has just turned two. It is hard to believe how much time has passed. He is such a fabulous little boy and really a source of joy in our lives. When he’s not acting like the devil, of course.
Here’s the statistical update from his two-year checkup.
His personality is really starting to shine through. He is a sweet-natured boy with a tendency to be a bit shy, but once he’s warmed up can be a little hard to contain. He is learning manners, learning to share, learning to speak in sentences, learning to count, even learning to be potty trained with the help of his new teachers.
Some of his favorite things include airplanes, trucks and cars, animals, and playgrounds. Pretty standard for most toddlers. He brushes his teeth twice a day like a good boy and puts his dirty laundry in the hamper after his bath. He generally puts his toys away before we go to bed for the night. He loves, loves, loves to read. He has lots of books that he likes, too many to mention.
He is a good eater, not usually too picky. Last week he devoured handfuls of the Tortilla Pie Dave made us for dinner. His favorite foods are black olives, fruit of any kind, avocados, mommy’s homemade tofu smoothies, cheese, pasta, beans. He loves to run, climb and jump. He can be fearless. He adores his daddy and loves his mommy. He is getting longer and leaner each day. He’s slowly turning into a little boy. It’s a bit nerve-wracking, being in control of his development and shaping his future. Dave and I are committed to doing the best we can by him.
Two years ago today, a few hours ago, our little man Henry was born. What a thrilling event! And here we sit on the eve of another little boy’s entrance into the world. It has been such a joy to be able to experience Henry from maternity to his second birthday.
This morning when I went in to get him up, he was sitting in his bed, reading a book to himself. What a little treasure. Happy Birthday, son. We love you so much!!
