Having three siblings is a great way to be introduced to germs. The older kids have all had runny noses and coughs and it is impossible to completely eliminate contact between Maddox and the sickies. So now he has a cold and is retracting more today. I'm grateful we have this nebulizer at our disposal. The home health nurse came today and said his lungs sound clear, so it's probably just upper respiratory stuff. His nose is full of gunk, but too high up to really reach with a nasal aspirator. I'm going in search if saline drops in our house today. He was also weighed and...drumroll... 9lbs 13oz!!! That is exactly four pounds more than two months ago when we came home!
In the two months he was in the hospital he dropped down to about 4lbs and made it back up to birth weight(5lbs 13oz) by the time we got home. We are pretty excited that he is almost 10 pounds. He isn't even on the growth chart yet, but he is definitely gaining well.
Maddox is tracking better and has started reaching for toys. You can see the concentration on his face as he trys to use his arms and hands. It is good to see some progress in that area as well.
My mom is here this week to provide some relief for Jeff and I. Maddox needs held more hours of the day than not, and since he is hooked up to his feeding pump ALL day, I can't really just put him in the baby carrier and go get stuff done around the house. We also try hard to not let him cry since it burns so many calories that he cannot afford to lose, which means that if we set him down awake or asleep we usually have about 15 minutes before he starts screaming. Needless to say an extra pair of hands is greatly appreciated.
So, here we are, after four months with our little man, and life will never be the same. We have seen and experienced things we never imagined, learned and adjusted to difficult realities and have come to know one special little boy who has been preserved very literally by our Father in heaven. We don't know all that Maddox's mission on this earth entails, but we do know that he has touched our hearts, strengthed our faith and is our very own living miracle.
We love you Maddox! You are our sweet little fighter!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Happy Birthday little man! Just a thought Alyssa... ask your home health company for a portable bag for your pump. We have been through two now (we never use the IV pole). It will depend on the type of feeding pump you use, but ours looks like a mini back pack and it has pockets and velcro to attach the pump and hang the feed bag vertically. I wear it around whenever we take Grant out and if you are careful with the tubing, you should be able to make one work with your pack. I just put Grant on my front and the feeding backpack on my back. I am so glad you have an extra set of hands around to help out this week!
ReplyDeletehappy 4 months Mad!
ReplyDeletehe's getting chubby cheeks, I love it!!!
ReplyDeletehe's so sweet!
ReplyDeletehope that gunk clears up soon...and i love hearing about all his progress (the tracking and reaching! :)
Sounds like things are getting better! Hope he feels better soon! What a sweetie.
ReplyDeleteWe are so glad he is doing well. Hope that cold junk leaves him soon. How great that he is gaining weight! Wish we lived closer so we could help you somehow.
ReplyDelete