Finally - coming back from Africa!

Finally, tonight, my papa and pama are coming home!!! They are going to be so surprised at all of the growing that I've done over the last 5 1/2 months! I can't wait to see them. We're heading to the airport this afternoon to pick them up! YAY!!!

Back to Methodist Hospital (But not for long!)

Tomorrow I have to go back to the hospital where I was born for a VCUG,((voiding cystourethrogram) which is an x-ray examination of a child's bladder and lower urinary tract that uses a special form of x-ray called fluoroscopy and a contrast material.

Fluoroscopy makes it possible to see internal organs in motion. When the bladder is filled with and then emptied of a water-soluble contrast material, the radiologist is able to view and assess the anatomy and function of the bladder and lower urinary tract. www.radiologyinfo.org)

They are doing this to check on my kidney function and also my bladder diverticulum. They want to make sure there is no reflux. I'm not too worried about this one, execpt they have to put a catheter in my private part, that can't be fun! I hope that this all goes well. After the test I will go to Dr. Bartholomew's office to review the results. And that's it for this week and I'm glad because I've had a rough week and I can't wait to relax next week!

Piece of cake!

Everything went exceptionally well yesterday. I tried hard the night before to get out of it though. I threw up three times! Mommy and daddy didn't buy it. So we got up very early and headed to University Hospital. After a brief wait, they took me to the back area where we waited for all the doctors to get there. I played in this giant crib and sat in daddy's lap. I got to wear that beautiful purple hospital gown again. While we were back there I was starving so I actually chewed on that green rubbery thing called a pacifier, which I normally don't like. I was a good boy and before I knew it the anesthesia team took me away to the operating room. They were so nice to me. The next thing I know it was over I woke up and I was being held by a nice nurse, but I was starving! I was screaming at the top of my lungs so mommy and daddy would find me. Finally they came back to the PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit) and held me. When my mommy could nurse me, it was finally all good. I was still pretty drowsy, but much happier. I stayed there for a little while and they checked my temperature, blood pressure and pulse ox over and over again. Next they moved me to another room for my final evaluations, and then they let me go. Then we went to our follow up with Mr. Wenske around 11:30 a.m. He is pleased with the way everything went and is ready to move forward with my next procedure. This will be more of a big deal. It will take about 2 hours for them to do the surgery. This will be when they transfer the fat from my hiney and attach it to the muscles in my eye. We'll be doing it in the next month or so, but I'll keep you informed. The surgery is called a dermis-fat graft. I was a bit groggy and had a slight fever for the rest of the day, but otherwise normal. I just needed to be held by mommy and daddy a little extra but that's it.
In the pictures abover you can see me giving the "okay" sign with my fingers. Also there is a picture of my old conformer. One is a top view and then the other is a side view. My new one looks very similar, but it's larger.

1/2 a year old! (On May 22)

On Tuesday May 27 I had my 6 month check up. Guess how much I weigh... 19.2 lbs!?! It's hard to believe (well not for mom and dad since they have to carry me!). I am 26 1/4 inches long/tall and my head circumference is 43 cm. I can't understand how I've gone from such a tiny little thing to the big ole chunkster that I am today. I had to get 3 shots too, but I was a trooper. Everything looked good so we're just going to have to go back in 3 months for more shots! But, I'm just happy that I doing so well.

Thoughts and prayers, please.

Today (May 28) I go for my second EUA (Exam Under Anesthesia). I don't really get nervous about this, but my mom sure does. Dr. Fry and Mr. Wenske are going to check out all of the great progress that's been made so far with my eye. I will be put under anesthesia and then I'll get all checked out and get a larger conformer. The hardest part is that my mommy can't feed me after 3 a.m. As most of you know I like to munch all night, so this is tough! I am going to be the first case in the morning so that's good news because I won't have to wait too long (even though it seems like an eternity!). My "surgery" is scheduled for 7 a.m. and we have to be there (University Hospital) at 6, which means we're getting up at about 4 a.m. (YUCK!). I'll probably have to wear that girly purple hospital gown again too. Oh well it will be over before we know it. So if you could please keep me in your thoughts and prayers today, I'd really be grateful. I truly appreciate all of your prayers that have brought me safe thus far, thank you.

Here are a couple of links to some other people who can use your prayers too. We don't personally know any of these families, but we've grown quite attached by keeping up with them on their blogs and they really could use as many prayer warriors as they can find.
www.katherinewolf.info
http://prayforcoy.blogspot.com/
http://iveysirmans.blogspot.com/

Sleep!?

So you mean not everyone wakes up 5 or more times a night?! I thought that was normal! But my mommy and daddy are trying to get me into a routine so I'll sleep more at night. Mommy got a book called "No Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. So these days mommy or daddy give me a bath around 7ish and then lotion me up with a little massage and next I put on my jammies. After all that I get to eat while I'm rocked to sleep. That's the easy part, but once I get put down in my crib I wake back up. So now they warm up my bed with a heating pad so it's nice and cozy when they put me down. Normally the longest span of sleep that I have is 2 hours, and my mom says that she is going a little crazy. We've been working on this for one week so far. I don't think that mommy or daddy see much difference yet, but they say they're gonna stick with it... so we'll see. Wish them luck!

Mmmmmm toes!

Yesterday I discovered that my ever-so-yummy toes fit in my mouth! Who needs a pacifier when I have 10 fantastic toes!?!

Holy Guacamole!

I have been trying new foods and lovin' it! First I ate brown rice, then steel cut oatmeal (all pureed of course!), next was sweet potatoes and now avocado! I think my favorite is avocado! It's yummy stuff. Mommy says it's easy to make too because she doesn't even have to cook it! I am working on drinking out of a cup too (and doing pretty well!). It's so fun to learn new stuff! I think that I'll have squoosh next or something like that is what mommy says. I'm sure I'll love that too, whatever it is!

Supercalafradjulisticsexpialadocious News!

Mommy and daddy took me to see Dr. Patel (my cardiologist) last week and we got the greatest news! I had to go see him because I needed to get clearance from him before I have my next procedure done. On May 28 I'm going to have another EUA (Exam Under Anesthesia). Mr. Wenske is going to put in a larger conformer and he and Dr. Fry are going to take a look inside my eye socket to see all of the fabulous progress that I've made. So back to Dr. Patel... I had 2 Ventricular Septal Defects (VSDs) and one Patent Foramen Ovule (PFO) before... now my 2 VSDs spontaneously closed!!!! I still have the PFO, but Dr. Patel said that it's no biggie! Isn't that fabulous!!! The sad part is that I don't get to see Dr. Patel any more!? I met him in the NICU and he's been so nice so I'll miss him. So I guess I'll be sportin' another purple gown at the hospital when I have my "surgery"... I sure hope that they have a bottle for me as soon as I'm done! Last time it took forever!