Happy Summer!

So sorry it has been so long since I have posted. There has been so much going on over the last several months that it’s hard for me to keep up with it all!

I guess the biggest news is that I am currently 34 weeks pregnant with a little girl (Callie Elizabeth)! Given Henry’s rough entry into the world, we were a bit hesitant to make any big announcements. This pregnancy is going well but not without some minor issues. At 18 weeks the doctors discovered that the baby has a Single Umbilical Artery (SUA). Henry also had an SUA… this is where the umbilical cord has one artery and one vein. Usually, the umbilical cord should have two arteries and one vein. Apparently, I am very rare because this does not usually happen to the same person more than once… lucky me! At 24 weeks the doctors discovered that the baby was measuring small, estimated size was in the 17th percentile. At 28 weeks, her estimated size had dropped to the 13th percentile. As a result, the doctors felt it best for me to go on bedrest at home. So, I’ve been trying my best to sit here in bed for the past 6 weeks! I have also been seeing the doctors twice a week for ultrasounds to ensure the baby is progressing well and not in any distress. At my 32 week appointment, the baby remained consistent with her weight and is in the 12th percentile. At this point, she should be just over 3lbs (babies at 33 weeks typically measure about 4.5lbs). At my 35 week appointment next week, they will measure her size again (this is only done every 3-4 weeks). My ultrasound last week identified some minor changes in blood flow and with the placenta, but at this point there is nothing significant to worry about. The doctors did decide to go ahead and give me the steroid injections to help boost the baby’s lung development. These steroids are typically given when doctors feel that a baby may be born soon, as they are the most effective several days prior to delivery. However, the steroids are not generally given after 34 weeks. Since there are no negative effects from receiving the steroids, it was agreed to go ahead and get them, just in case!

There are also a lot of updates to give about Henry! Henry started daycare the end of April after my last post. Daycare is like a double-edged sword! It has been absolutely fantastic in regards to his socialization skills, sensory integration, and gross and fine motor skills! His speech has really taken off and he “talks” constantly! He has done really well adjusting to different textures and tolerating different sensory experiences. This has been the most obvious with feeding. Prior to daycare, Henry would vomit due to the texture of foods such as mandarin oranges or peaches. Now, he gobbles them up! Eating around the other kids has also helped him to start drinking from a sippy cup (which he wouldn’t even allow to touch his mouth prior to daycare). And as long as Henry is healthy, he eats very well at daycare (with some encouragement from his teachers).

Unfortunately, Henry has picked up repeated colds and ear infections since starting daycare. He has dropped weight and is just over 21lbs. He eats very well when he is healthy, but the next ear infection is devastating for his weight. He has been unable to gain back what he has lost over the past 3 ½ months. The primary issue with the colds and ear infections are his sensitive gag, which results in vomiting almost daily. As a result, his GI nurse (Nannette) has us trying Eyrthromycin again to help empty his stomach faster. We tried this about a year ago and Henry didn’t tolerate it well. Fortunately, he has done much better with it over the past month and it does seem to be helping him keep his food down better. Henry is still taking Prevacid for his reflux and we continue to give him Periactin as an appetite stimulant (although we’re not sure how effective that really is for him). He also continues to get a daily Probiotic.

We visited with an ear, nose, and throat doctor last week and have decided to get Henry tubes for his ears to help prevent the repeated infections. Hopefully, he’ll get those sometime next month! We are also trying to set up a follow-up endoscopy with GI at the same time so they can take care of both procedures at once. Henry has not had an endoscopy since last Nov when his Eosinophilic Gastritis was first diagnosed. So, we are very interested to know how things are looking. And finally, Henry still has the hernia which has not been repaired yet. We are hoping to follow up with the surgeon sooner rather than later to see if we can get it taken care of. It will not happen at the same time he gets the ear tubes, but maybe sometime later this year or the beginning of next year.

Stewart is doing really well! He started second grade in July and is just a few weeks away from completing the first 9 weeks and tracking out! We have noticed a big improvement in his reading and his interest in reading since starting second grade. Reading seems to be an area where Stewart struggles the most. I’m not surprised that math seems to be second nature to him! Stewart also continues to be very active with soccer. He has continued to play indoor soccer on his Select Team. He also played outdoor soccer this past Spring with Will coaching. With the baby coming soon, we have decided to take a break from outdoor soccer this Fall, but Stewart will continue to play indoor soccer. Over the summer, Stewart participated in two 3 verses 3 soccer tournaments. They were very exciting (and hot!) weekends and the boys all played well!

Before going on bedrest in July, we were able to make a trip to Topsail Beach for a nice vacation! The boys really enjoyed the beach and playing in the ocean! It was nice to get away from everything! Henry has discovered the movie “Cars”, and it has somehow become a daily “watch” for us! His two favorite cars to play with are of course, Lightening McQueen and The King. No other cars will do, but anyone else is welcome to play with the other cars! Stewart lost his second tooth a couple of weeks ago and is very proud of the new gap in his mouth! Starting this weekend, we are having some modifications made to our bonus room upstairs… the room will be divided so that there will be a smaller bonus room and a new bedroom for Callie!

Although things are a bit hectic right now, it seems that things should be falling into place soon. I’ll try to update more often, especially with Callie’s pending arrival!