SO where have you been???

Well let's see, we will go back in time to 7/10/2008. My husband had knee surgery which went from minor to major. He had a piece of bone which died due to lack of blood supply, then broke off and was getting caught in his joints,OUCH!, which would cause his knee to lock. So the doctor found the missing piece and removed it pretty simple, until he found the HOLE where the bone piece broke from, causing him to have to do a bone graph and drill holes around the area to hopefully bring back the blood supply and heal the new bone and knee area. Today he is still home and off of work, but recovering well and is now able to bare weight on his leg 75% of the time. He is now back to driving and can take himself to his therapies, between driving James to school, his therapies and my husbands all I was doing was going in circles. But that's how we ROLL!!

We also had to put our 6 year old chocolate lab down on 7/12 due to cancer. The saddest thing ever... James is such a trooper though. He was with us when we put Rocko to sleep, he knew he was sick because of the throwing up and all the trips back and forth to te doctor. He for a while thought Rocko would be coming home, and occasionally would say go get Rocko now, I explained to him that Rocko is up in the sky now and is not sick anymore but has to stay there with the other doggies. I told him he is up above our house, he then went out side looked up in the sky waived and said Hi Rocko! I started crying.... But we are going to get a new puppy for him at Christmas time.

James started Pre-school 8/11 and so far so good. Monday I stayed with him for parent orientation so no problem, Tuesday he cried, Wednesday looked a little nervous and by Thursday he waived, said by MaMa and was wisked away byArianna, a sweet, beautiful little 3 year old who I think is turning 30. She and him are inseparable already. So cute.

BIG NEWS!!!
I to will be going back to school, for nursing(RN) I start my pre-reqs next week and should be practicing as an RN by the time I get my first social security check, said very well by another friend who is has started the very same program. I am thrilled and anxious as well as nervous to get started. But never to late and no better time than now.

Well I hope I still have readers because things are going to get interesting. I hope to be better about posting but if I am gone for a while you will no why, now. Take care. Tracy

Time Goes So Fast.....

I cant believe it is 6/11 already. James will be turning three in less than a month. WHERE DOES THE TIME GO.

So we have free time on hand now no more PT or OT Yes we have GRADUATED!!! But I still can't seem to get things done, of course free time means play time which don't get me wrong I am not complaining. I bought the summer movie fun tickets, where you get 10 movies for $7 I only had to pay for myself because James is under three.(not for long) So we have done 2 movies so far, the first one being TMNT(James did not like it nor did I) But this is how our first trip to the theater played out.

We first walked into the lobby and he went crazy WOW!!! running all over he did not know what to do or to go or to say(they also have an arcade there as well.
So we go to enter the theater and James would not even step foot in, he said (no, my scared) what are you afraid of (dark in there) oh well it's OK theres a little bit of light and it has to be dark to see the movie) we proceed in.
We get to our seats and I sit him in the chair and he almost was thrown backwards, he was not big nor heavy enough to hold the seat down (James What Happened Ma Ma) Duh! booster seat I did not know they had booster seats until a dad sitting by us told me where to get them.
We all had a good laugh though(poor little guy)
So 10 minutes into the movie, James says,(Ready go bye bye now) we lasted another 5 minutes I think. The movie started at 9:45 and we were heading home about 10:15am.
But the next week was Surf's Up and our neighbor with 2 little girls joined us and we stayed the whole movie. Of course there were a few ready to go bye bye now's and up, down from his seat 30 times, but all in all not to bad. Cute movie to I really enjoyed it. We have 7 more to go with a couple we won't be going to just because of the movie (such as Nancy Drew I don't think he would be in to it.

James is rocking my world, he is talking all the time, all the time from the moment he wakes and sometimes in his sleep. He has started the WHY'S why, why, why, and where and whats and you name it's and all though I am thrilled by all means I find myself at times wanting to say James be quiet for 2 seconds, I never do though but my breaking point is near. I took a child development class in high school and the only information I retained was when it comes to toddlers such as James's age and they start saying why after EVERYTHING you say it is because they want to have a conversation with you and since they can't, by saying why and you keep responding to them there having a conversation with you in there minds. Make sense, but with this being said and known, I feel compelled to answer him every time and I get tired, funny too sometimes I can't figure out an answer to tell him, Huh.

He is just so awesome and smart, he does not forget a thing, and even pays attention when driving in the car some of the car dealerships up the road have these big blow up things, like a MUSCLE GUY, BIG EAGLE a BLUE MONKEY and a GREEN DINOSAUR and every time we head in that direction James says, BIG EAGLE BE THERE MA MA and so on. Also if I go home a different way he tells me it's the wrong way and to turn around. It cracks me up.

He also says Bless you when you sneeze, thank you all the time at it's appropriate time, excuse me. He is so polite. All though the other day we were at Target and there was a lady with her cart blocking the isle and James said WATCH OUT LADY, I corrected him and he said Sorry to her and EXCUSE ME LADY. She was laughing hysterically.

SO many more it is just AMAZING indeed. I need to get better about pictures and videos it goes so quick. I think I will start taping him to someone suggested that to me and I think it would be cute later on.

Any way all for now, except to let you all know James is having a tube put in his left ear to drain the fluid on Friday we just need it in one ear which is odd. No big deal though minor surgery compared to all the others. Also our GI is putting James on a drug call Amytriptolene(unsure of spelling) to help with pain (because we all feel he has significant pain when eating, so cross your fingers this helps us get him to feeling better, so he will eat more by mouth as well a tolerated larger feeds through his tube. We need to bulk this kid up over the summer before he starts school. But today he weighed 24.55lbs, and on 6/7 he was 24.25lbs, so about .25 oz in 5 days. Only a preemie mom knows the ounces..... Take Care, Tracy

P.S. I have to have a tooth extracted on Friday as well, I was eating a Now and Later candy and not only did I pull my crown out part of my tooth came with it, yuck, only could happen to me. Luckily it is in the very back so not noticeable, but I think I will check into an implant later I don't want to be toothless.

GOOD NEWS AND GREAT NEWS!!!

As I posted a before, James was having trouble passing his hearing test in his left ear for his pre-school screening. Well, on Tuesday we followed up with the Audiologist, and even though he did not pass again, they had stated that it was mainly due to fluid and congestion(no infection) and recommended I take James to our pediatrician. So not one to procrastinate when it comes to James, I called our peds office and they got us in that day (Tuesday) and the Doctor said he needs ear tubes. That is all, which is really no big deal and the best of it is that James does not have major hearing loss. We still have to see the ENT on 5/21 but our pediatrician said that once the tubes are place and can open and drain the fluid he should be able to hear fine. YEAH!!!!

Now the GREAT NEWS, James has learned to ride his bike with training wheels. He got the bike this past x-mas from Grandma and Papa, back then he so wanted to ride it but just could not grasp the peddle function. So he actually would sit on it and turn the handle bars back and forth which would cause the bike to roll forward. So he probably thought that was how it worked and the peddles were to rest your feet. (so cute)! So with great practice, determination and patients from my husband, last week James mastered the peddles, and boy can he go.

My husband said when he first started he could slowly walk beside him, the next day a fast walk, then a jog and now you have to run to stay with him. He still is a bit unstable and likes to look behind him and at the back wheels, so he sometimes runs into things but for the most part he can steer, brake and peddle like the wind. We now have to get him a helmet, hmmm wonder how that will be.

The down side is that we live in ARIZONA and are approaching our triple digit weather. What to do.... So I was thinking our mall opens up early before the stores do so walkers and joggers can exercise in the cool indoors, I think I will try bringing James and his bike and see if they let us ride inside, I will try it all they can say is it is not aloud and I will figure something else out. What do you think?

I wish I could show you a picture of him riding but our camera broke. I do have it on video but have no clue how to loud that onto my blog any suggestions.

I am the proudest mother of a little boy with such, strength and determination who has no clue yet what a miracle he is.

YOU ROCK LITTLE MAN....

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

My 3 rd Mothers day, and I am the luckiest mommy. This morning we had breakfast at the park and after fed the ducks, played on the play ground a while, it was a nice morning. Yesterday James handed me my mothers day gift right when I walked in the door from work and said loud and clear, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, MOMMY LUV U..... That in itself was the best gift ever, but I also received a beautiful braclet that has the word mom on it, and 2 lovely cards especially from my husband, who I jokingly returned with did you read this card before you bought it, HA Ha, it was beautifully said. Then I got a migraine from out of no where and could not focus, nor hold my head up it was just throbbing in the back of my neck and head, so off to lay down after popping a few ibuprofen, I unfortunately missed going over to my Mother-in-laws because of this, but got a quiet 2 1/2 hour nap and woke up with just a slight twinge of a headache but functionable. Now James is napping and I am catching up on my blog and the blogging world.

Yesterday I had an amazing surprise, I receive this preemies today news letter in which I wrote a little blurb after them asking me, about our decision to have James's feeding tube placed, not knowing it was in this issue after reading the first few pages I turned to the next one and WOW! there was my baby and the article I wrote, it was exciting.

Any how I think I am going to rest a bit more and hopefully get rid of this headache all together, I think I may give the gift of massage to myself for Mothers Day!!!!

Happy Mothers Day To ALL.
Tracy

Pre-school Screening, What I can't hear you!

So, I was anxiously awaiting all week for our pre-school screening. Not because I am anxious for him to go to school,my gosh I am a bundle of nerves. But because I was anxious to see how well he would do with there tasks.

I am a proud mama of my 25 weeker, and love to brag and boast, the things he can do and how fast he learns just takes my breathe away. But, (sigh) we did not even get past the hearing test, nope his left ear failed, which has been discovered at a hearing test last August, however they thought that the test itself may have not been age appropriate and that his ear canal was tiny, so lets repeat in 6 to 12 months. The Audiologist today through the school stated she saw small amounts of fluid, and again a tiny ear canal, so we wait 2 weeks to see if the fluid resolves and repeat the test. She said the fluid is not an infection that antibiotics would help, I explained that James did have a bad cold in February and she stated that fluid can take some time to clear, we will see, still things could be alot worse having had a 25 weeker. My husband and I have noticed James having trouble with his left ear, when he talks on the phone, if you hand him the phone and put it to his left ear he talks and listens for a moment then laughs and switches ears as he is telling the person OTHER EAR! So we will hopefully get this figured out and taken care of. Then they can reschedule the other test to see where to place him and what his special needs will be for school.

Other than that things are pretty good. James is such an awesome kid and I love being with him. Today was a long, but enjoyable night despite the absence of our afternoon nap. Our neighbor had her two grandchildren over whom James absolutely adores (Emma and Courtney) So all he wanted to do knowing that they were over there visiting is play. So play he did and around 8 :30pm he was asleep, in fact I gave him a bath about 8:15pm and was putting on his pj's and he fell asleep on the floor, so thanks NANCY!!! I myself took a nice relaxing bath, put some laundry away and here I sit catching up on my blog and blog reading.

Have a Great weekend!

NUEROLOGY or BUST!!!

So, Monday we went to our Neurology appointment. Which we do about every 6 months and to my understanding until James is 5 years old.

It went well, James did a great job with following through with the tasks she wanted him to do. She was very impressed with his weight gain, 24.7LBS. (YEAH) and with his overall development she said he is doing great especially for a 25 weeker.

There was also another doctor present during our visit who actually was one of the resident doctors for neonatology during my delivery. You tend not to forget faces or names of the people that helped save your child's life. He also was impressed and could not believe James was born at 25 weeks. That was so nice to hear, I welted up with tears. Not to mention our Neurologist has been seeing James since he was transferred over to Phoenix Childrens NICU on Thomas.

The Neurologist had James do some different things with blocks which he did well,he did have a little trouble with a few tasks, which I think is because he was being made to do it, because at home he does not show signs of struggle with similar tasks. She had him jump, hop which as you know from our last post we just mastered and he gets better every time. She also wanted him to jump off a little child's chair which he was reluctant to do rather it be lack of confidence or because I am always telling him to get off of the furniture and do not jump off.

She had him hold a crayon and draw a circle which he can not quite do yet , but he can draw lines. She was impressed with his speech and language and actually said it is pretty close to his appropriate age, WHAT! that has always been our biggest delay. With that being said she goes on to state that his fine motor skills are a bit delayed and not at his language level, WHAT!, that is definitely a new one. Any way all in all she was very happy, applauded me for a job well done and wants to see him back come October.

Whew, I actually left this appointment feeling good and chuckling about her new findings. I can not remember where she put him as far as age goes but when she sends her report I will post about her findings some more.

James is doing pretty well, in fact , yesterday he ate about a half of pepperoni pizza and while I began to cut it up into small pieces he shouted no cut UP!!! so the little champ ate bites while holding the whole pizza slice. I suppose since he watches us he wants to eat like us to. He has done this on several occasions, and usually does OK.

We talked to today about getting some big boy underpants and starting to really focus on using the potty, but for some reason this caused a major breakdown with tears and all, was it the word big boy or underpants that scared him. So I think I will hold off until summer when he can just be naked all the time.

Well that is it for now, because my (little) big boy is up from his late, long nap. But I am happy to report that I am just so proud and elated with the progress James is making, especially since having the feeding tube placed, I and others can tell a big difference in so many areas. of development. I never thought I would say I am so glad we did the feeding tube, But I am!

Tracy

We are Back!!!

2 tired boys

James on roller skates!

James's first snow encounters!!!

Our chocolate lab ROCKO!

James building his first snowman!

James throwing a snow ball

We took James to see grave digger, all he could do was say how loud it was.

Boys and their toys!

James inside the tire of grave digger

James and daddy

and James and mommy

Wow!, I can't believe how fast time goes by. Here his a quick update, I wanted to get the pictures up. We are doing well here, James is growing in so many ways. His vocabulary has grown, he has put back on the weight he lost from being sick and has mastered jumping in place, in his crib and any where he can go, he jumps and skips. I say this because we have been working on this in physical therapy for a while. Good job baby James.

We have been busy, and in between James being sick, me being and sick and so on time just fly's by. We took James to the snow in February which he loved, and to see Grave Digger the Monster truck, which he loved but did keep telling us how loud he was. I have a few pictures to share of our trip but mostly I video taped alot of it, but I have no idea how to put that on the Internet Blog.

We have a neurology appointment on Monday and oh how I dread those appointments, because you feel your preemie is flourishing and they find areas where he is behind this that and the other, I know you mom's who experience this feel the same way. I have a neighbor who always disagrees with them and tells me to video tape some of the things he does and show them that, she feels he is right where he should be and I agree. I just go, so that I feel I am doing my part. I have to admit though I am alot better now after these appointments and just listen to what they have to say and move on.

My husband and I went to a wonderful seminar this evening put on by the Popsicle center, they had a guest speaker Marsha Dunn-Klein and the topic was about tube fed children and how to get them to trust and enjoy mealtimes. It was alot of great information and the woman who run the program are wonderful for having such an organization for us moms. I always say mom's know best. Their web site is posiclecenter.org it is great. Check it out. Well it is late and I need some sleep. My husband starts a new early schedule on Monday for work so I am going to have to change Jame's schedule around. He goes to bed way to late, but it was working fine, because my work schedule is late. So wish me luck.

Jill if you are reading this I wanted to tell you again it was great meeting you the other night and I hope you are feeling better. I would really enjoy us all getting together. I will try and post again soon.

Where have you been and What have you been doing.

It has been a while since my last post. Our computer crashed, wow you don't realize how much you miss having your computer. Plus we have all been taking turns on being sick.

James has had this horrible, nasty cough (cold) since last Wednesday. Which of course has caused little to no eating and at the beginning, vomiting. The vomiting has now stopped and he is slowly very slowly starting to eat again. Thankfully, we have the feeding tube, all though I had to cut that back some while the vomiting was occurring. It seemed pointless to give him it all and have him throw it up or make him throw it up. So of course his weight has dropped, it does not take long for him to loose, as of last night he is down to 22.65lbs. Not as bad as we thought it would be, but just last month we were almost 24Lbs. UGHHHH!

I took him in for a chest x-ray, because at first we thought we may have some bigger issues on our hands, because to us it seemed like his cough, choking and vomiting was due to his feeds, (aspiration) but thankfully the x-ray was clear. Then the nose started running and you could tell it was a cold. Oh well peace of mind knowing the x-ray was clear. However our GI nurse did mention that when children with reflux get sick it can aggravate there already bad reflux and make it worse, seeing how I think we had his pretty well controlled before, I agree.

Plus at our last GI appointment, since James was doing so well they decided to change some things, never again will I do what they say, unless we are a 100 percent sure he is ready, (parents know best) nor will we due 2 things (changes at the same time). Such as increasing his volume of feeds and decreasing a medication (reglan). All though we are anxious to get him off his Reglan, If you do it by itself so you know if he his able to tolerate it. But, increasing his amount by 150MLS was to much he started throwing up the increased amount, or was it the weening of the Reglan, see what I mean. We are pretty sure it was the increased amount. He went from 750MLS to 900MLS. Why would they do this when he was averaging almost a pound a month. The increase in volume not only caused him to vomit but he of course did not want to eat. So again we had 5 steps forward and now 3 steps back, such is the roller coaster life with a preemie. But we will eventually get back on track it just is slow, and thats OK, with a preemir everything is done slowly and in it's own time...

I think of our issues, which is eating and gaining weight, (the biggest of our issues anyway) which initself is huge, I have a child that does not enjoy food or eating, who gags and can make himself throw up just at the sight of food or even gag at the mention of food. But then I read about other families and there struggles and ours seems so minor. I guess it helps put me back into place. Not to say I pray on other peoples mis fortunes, but it just centers me and let's me know how blessed we are to have had a 25 weeker and all in all is doing very well. In respect to what could have been. With that being said.....

Please if you would add my blogging friend Shannon and her little man Ashton to your prayer list, I would refer you to her site but it is a private one. They live in Canada and have been in the hospital for well over a month and though have had some success they are still struggling with some pretty big issues.

Hope my readers are doing well and till next time, Peace.
Tracy

HAPPY NEW YEAR 12 days into it!!!!

Here is how we rang in the New Year, eating ice cream sundaes!!! Boy how having a child will make you mellow out! He made it until 11:30pm alomost big guy.



Heres after the big guy left!

We had the Merriest of Christmasses, having a child at Christmas time makes you feel like a child all over again. I had that same feeling I remember from when I was a kid at Christmas time the anticipation. I could not wait for James to get up Christmas morning and see all his gifts that Santa left, He still is talking about the cookies and milk we left for Santa.

Gramma and Pa Pa Santa Claus got this for James, now if he could only ride it! He tries but wants to push the pedals backwards which puts on the brakes. My back is killing me from pushing him around.

On the g-tube end of things, James is doing terrific. The surgery site has finally healed with no more ugly GRANULOMA'S to deal with, a little red at times, but no leakage. It also no longers seems to be painful or tender to him so connecting him to the tube is no longer a battle. He even says tube now. He is now as of last week 22.05lbs and his reflux seems to be better. Our surgeon at the time of our consult stated that 25% of kids with tubes get better, 25% stay the same and the remaining 50% get worse, I tell you I am so pleased with our outcome and so proud of James he is such a trooper and a great kid. I feel we are the 25% that have gotten better! We still have our off days with eating, but, I no longer need to stress over it, because I know that later he will get in his needed calories not to mention I can even bump the caloric intake by adding baby food. It really is easy once it heals and you get the routine down and adapt. We go back to our GI January 29th, so lets hope for another pound.

I see great things to come in 2008 for James and us, I finally feel at ease. Hope everyone is off to a great 2008!!!!

Until next time, Tracy and P.S. James has gone poo poo on the potty a total of 5 times now, still not really recognizing the urge but sometimes during diaper changes or between bath time he will say ca ca and by golly he goes. He goes pee pee to but still just when we initiate it. But hey at least he is interested and has been introduced to the idea. I need to get more serious about it but I feel we still have some time. Or should I go for it since he is interested?????