We've been busy!

But first, a picture :)

LOVE YOU BABY!

Brian and I have had quite a busy few weeks.  We took our first trip up to Michigan since coming home to Peoria in January.  Carl had to travel for work so instead of going crazy stuck inside my house alone, we packed up my car and I made the trek.  Oxygen tanks, nebulizers, feeding supplies and all.  I should have taken a picture.  :/  Oh well.  Brian and I left around 10 at night and he slept for the whole ride!  He started to fuss a little about 45 minutes from the lake.  Little stinker pulled out his oxygen then quickly fell back asleep.  I just kept going, his saturations were good enough!  

We had the best time.  It was great seeing family again.  Brian got to hang out with his cousins!  Charlotte was so excited to see him, she kept trying to grab all of his tubes.  When they were laying here for the picture she was so happy and flailing her arms, unfortunately the flailing went right into Brian's face... Little buddy did not appreciate it and got the saddest, little pouty lip.

There is not much of a size difference any more!

We did some eating and playing and laughing at the lake.  And we also walked to Brian's very first restaurant!  It was a pretty big deal for this little guy.  :) It was so nice to visit but a lot of work for me!  We have a set routine at home and a certain place for all of his stuff, it's hard to relocate everything.  Here's hoping the next trip up we can lose some of his tails.  

Baby boys in a bow tie are the best thing ever! 

He is having so much fun kicking on this toy now.  He loves "standing up" and jumping.  

Last week we had three different appointments.  Feeding therapy, pulmonologist (lung doctor) and our pediatrician.  We got some pretty great news, all around!  The lung doctor said he is looking great.  His lungs are healing and he sees very little evidence that he ever had Chronic Lung Disease.  We are keeping the oxygen on for another two months until his feeds are up to 100%, then he thinks we'll be able to wean completely off!  (here's hoping!) Our pediatrician says he looks great too.  He was 15 lbs 1.6 oz and 23.5 inches.  That makes him 50th percentile for a normal 4 month old baby.  Go, Buddy Go!

A little help here mom?
 

Brian loves going for our walks! We graduated to the big boy stroller and he seems so much more comfortable. 

And while we were visiting I told our doctor the good news on Brian's feeding status.  His tube broke last Wednesday so I went ahead and pulled it out, going to give him his normal 24 hour tube free break.  Well, that 24 hours has now been almost a week!! Turns out we have a picky eater.  Stinker didn't like his formula... I decided on a whim to give him some apple juice/water mixture just so he would pee overnight, and he sucked down the whole 2 ounces!  Carl picked up some Pedialyte on the way home and he ate that no problem as well! It wasn't that he couldn't eat, he just didn't like what we gave him.  Stinker....  So, the Dr gave us the green light to try other formulas (not just the high calorie preemie kind) to see if we can find something he likes.  We've been encouraging baby food and limited amounts of juice/Pedialyte and I have been doing daily weights at home.  As long as Brain continues to grow we can keep the feeding tube out! YAY!!  So far he is doing great, he's up 3 ounces and is just the happiest baby.  His reflux is better, he no longer throws up with every feeding, and we are thrilled that he might not need another surgery.  My mom thought we should do this weeks ago but I really needed the Dr's OK...you were right mom!  But I really think the juice thing was all my idea :)

This is Brian's favorite napping place recently.  So sweet! 

We are getting very excited for our first big trip.  All of us are packing up and heading to Phoenix next Friday for our yearly family vacation.  Carl and I cannot wait to get a desperately needed break and some sunshine!  It has been a LONG winter.  Traveling with Brian is going to be interesting.  I've spent the last 3 weeks trying to figure out how to fly with a baby on oxygen.  Apparently, you need a special portable device because those tanks you normally see are not allowed on airplanes.  Originally, our first oxygen company told us it was going to be over $1,200 for rental and delivery of everything!  Crazy - I was crying I was so frustrated.  Carl then went about it from the insurance stand point and we figured out if we switched companies everything would be covered.  This was three weeks ago that I started the process, and finally yesterday we got all our new supplies delivered but we are STILL waiting on the special oxygen device to travel with.   I sure am glad I started a month early.  Medical red tape is so frustrating!  The vacation is going to be so worth it.  Our buddy is going to love splashing in the kiddy pool while mom and dad hang out with family drinking fancy, overpriced cocktails.  :)

This guy LOVES splashing!

~ 7 Months ~

Our little man is growing up.  He was 7 months on the 1st and tipping the scale at 15 pounds!  Brian is starting to be so much fun.  He is smiling and interacting.  He'll have little conversations and is definitely more expressive.  It makes all the long days go a little faster!  

Smiles are hard to get pictures of! 

Our Dr gave us the go ahead to try adding some food to his diet.  He is still struggling to eat.  That is really our biggest issue right now.  We've got maybe a month before we seriously talk surgery for our little man.  It is really hard and gets frustrating.  We know that he knows how to eat, but Brian's just very selective about it.  Sometimes he will take a whole bottle (4oz) and then other times only half an ounce.  He needs a full bottle 7 times a day to get the needed calories to grow and heal.  We are hoping that by introducing solids early he might be able to take off and do well with that.  Who knows!  We went to see a feeding therapist and they pretty much had no input.  Said that I was doing well and to continue what we are doing and hopefully he will just figure it out.  Gee, Thanks! 

The weather has been so nice lately!  We have been going on our daily walks in the afternoon.  Brian takes a little nap and I get some sunshine and exercise.

Win - Win. 

Look at this chunker in the tub!  Bathtime is still his favorite. 

Our tube free baby.  I switch our his feeding tube and nasal cannula every weekend for new ones.  And of course take lots of pictures with his cute, clean face.  This weekend he was off oxygen for over two hours!  He did SO good.  Even while eating his oxygen saturation was in the 90s.  He is getting closer and closer to not needing it any more.  We have an appointment with the lung Dr in two weeks and I will be very interested to hear his thoughts on weaning the oxygen!  You can do it Buddy! 

My handsome boys. 

We had some friends over to watch March Madness.  It was pretty intense.  :)  And this is Brian's girlfriend Juliet.  She is modeling some new baby leggings I made! 

I've been doing some sewing at nights when Carl is home.  It is so nice to just get away a little bit and do something different.  I made this whole little set for Baby Weston including a swaddle blanket, leggings, burp cloth and a hat!  Then I made a little romper for Brian to wear up at the lake this summer.  It's the perfect "fishing with Grandpa" outfit. 

He's been throwing up more too.  The joys of motherhood.  :) 

Carl and Brian like to play catch at night.  

Brian and I are best friends.  We spend every day together.  Doing a lot of tummy time, reading books, going for walks and hanging out in the Bjorn.  He smiles whenever he sees me and so far I'm the only one he will really make eye contact with.  I just love it.  Carl in the mean time is trying to teach him to say "da da". 

I promise I'm a good mom.  This little stinker managed to throw up, pull his feeding tube out and almost fall out of his swing while I was blow drying my hair!  I checked on him after the shower and he was cool, then I walked into this about 5 minutes later...

More pictures of eating, but we think a messy baby face is adorable.  Hopefully he catches on to the whole eating concept. 

Carl is traveling for work next week, so I am planning my first solo outing with Brian.  We are driving to MI and spending the week at the lake with my family!  I am SO excited to get out and do something new.  We have been tethered to our house for the past three months, only going out for doctor visits or walks in our neighborhood.  A change of scenery is desperately needed.  I'm betting this little buddy will be getting LOTS of extra snuggles this week.  :)