It wasn't until now that we have been able to come forward about this. Matt & I have know since Ethan was a couple weeks old that he has a metabolic disorder. I'll start from the beginning. When Ethan had his newborn screening one portion came up abnormal. His bloodwork showed that he had elevated levels of phenalaline (a protein that the body breaks down). Further tests showed that he may possibly have Phenylketonuria (PKU) - an autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by a deficiency in the enzyme hepatic phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). This enzyme is necessary to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine to the amino acid tyrosine. This can be treated through diet, if left untreated it can lead to brain damage. This is treated through diet by taking in a minimal protein intake. A person who has this is essentially a vegan. Ethan was put on a special formula that has no phenalaline in it then was tested again a week later. His levels came back dangerously low so they did half Enfamil & half Phenex then tested him a week later. Again his levels came back dangerously low. A genetic test was done to see if Ethan had PKU. While we waited for the test results on that his levels were checked every week. Each week his levels continued to come down. It was suspected that he had what is called transient PKU from a immature liver. This means that the levels would slowly go down to normal over time as the liver matures. His genetic test came back that he is nothing more than a carrier for PKU.
Since he has been home we have continued to keep him on a normal diet & monitor his levels every month (now every 3 months). The last 4 levels have hovered in the 4.0 range which is safe. Normal range is less than 1. Anything between 2-6 is considered safe & does not need to be treated with diet. 6 months ago it was assumed that he has Hyperphenylalaninemia - an abnormally high concentration of phenylalanine in the blood. This symptom may be the result of one of several defects in the metabolic process of breaking down phenylalanine. Essentially Ethan has some of the enzyme needed to break down protein.
To explain further how it works, all foods have phenylalanine in it. The body breaks that down into Tyrosene. Then that breaks down into other amino acids. A person who had Classic PKU (CPKU) can't break the phenylalanine into Tyrosene so when they are tested their Tyrosene levels will show up as low. Normal Tyrosene levels are 20-110. Ethans levels have been coming back on the high end of normal between 70-90. This means that he is breaking down some of the phenylalanine.
Ethan has been seeing a specialist for this. We have been talking to the dietician that works with that group. She didn't recommend that we start Ethan on meats until he was 10 months but we decided to push the envelope a little & went ahead & started him on meats 2 weeks ago & his levels came back the same as they have been. So we met with his Dr today & they would like to do a challenge. What they want us to do it to give him meat every day & then get him tested again in 10 days. If his levels come back still in the 4 range then we are going to know that there will be no need to limit what foods that he eats. If his levels come back above 7 then our course of action will be to limit how much meat he can have. The reason why we worry about the meats is b/c meat has high level of phenylalanine.
There are a few things that Ethan will never be allowed to have. These things are anything that contain NutraSweet, Splenda, Asparteme, essentially artificial sugars. The foods that include these would be diet pop, protein shakes, & any foods cooked with these.
We are going to be keeping a log starting 4/1 of everything Ethan eats. We'll continue to do this until we know for sure how much meats Ethan can tolerate in his diet. B/c we are keeping track of what he eats we ask that we are asked first if Ethan can have certain table foods before it is given to him. We need to know how much is given to him so that we can log it into his food journal.
The reason that we didn't come forward about all this in the beginning is we just didn't understand it all ourselves & there really were no answers. Things like this take time to figure out. It has taken us 9 months to truly understand how it all works. At this point there are no concerns. His development is right on track for what is expected of a preemie.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Important Information about Ethan
Monday, March 30, 2009
A quiet day
I am so glad that there is no work going on around the house today. Poor Ethan is worn out. He woke up a crab this morning. He has been hard to get down for naps & not very willing to let me get things done around the house. I have been working on getting him to realize that he won't always get what he wants. For some reason Ethan has started this thing where he doesnt want to play by himself in the mornings. After his breakfast I put him in his bouncer or playpen while I clean up his dishes after that I get in excercise then a shower. From the time that he finishes breakfast to the time I get out of the shower & dress only an hour has gone by. Right now he refuses to play by himself. He just screams & cries as soon as I set him down. I try to include him by talking to him. Ethan is happy if I let him crawl around on the floor but b/c he gets into everything I can't get a workout in & keep him out of things. I am hoping that this phase is going to pass rather quickly. I have been doing some reading on his age group & I have read that infants at this age are testing how far they can go before crossing the line. I'd say that's what Ethan is doing. He's still my little sweetie though regardless of how he acts.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
What a long weekend!
This has turned out to be a very long weekend for Ethan. Friday the contractors were here to get started on the ceilings. They told us that they were going to be working on them all weekend. They got to the house about 9:30 in the morn & didn't get finished until 7:30 that evening! They ran into a problem with the ceiling in the living room. There was a spot that was sagging from all the water damage that occured when a pipe leaked. On Sat. they got to the house around 10 & left about 1. There wasn't much that they could do since the bedroom ceiling didn't dry during the night. They did some work on the chimney since there was water damage to that & they got the living room ceiling sanded down & prepped for texturing. Today they sanded the bedroom ceiling & got the 1st coat of paint on it & they got the texturing finished in the living room & a coat of paint on that. They will be back Tues or Weds to finish the job. Poor Ethan has not been able to nap like he normally does. In a typical day he takes a 2-3 hr nap around 11:00 & a 1 hr nap around 5/6. Well Fri he got a total of 40 mins broken up into 3 naps, yesterday he went down around 1 when the guys were gone, then today he took a 10 min nap in his swing after he cried for 45 mins then we managed to get another half hour or so out of him around 3. Once the guys were gone for the day Matt aired out the upstairs & the living room & we were able to get Ethan down for a nap in his bed by 4. Of course he fussed for a half hour before finally falling asleep. It's 6:30 now & he's still sleeping. We are going to give him til 7 then wake him up for his dinner. My poor baby is just tuckered out from all the activity all weekend. While they work in the living room we take Ethan down to the basement so that he isn't around all the dust & fumes. Tomorrow will be a normal day. I don't plan on going anywhere I have things to do that I haven't been able to get done due to all the work being done. We'll be glad when it's all done. It's nice to look up at the ceiling & not see an ugly brown stain on the ceiling. It really detracted from all the work we did when we bought the house.
Friday, March 27, 2009
So much excitement
There is so much excitement going on in the house poor Ethan has resisted taking a nap. The contractor is here today working on our waterdamaged ceilings. The guys have been in & out all day & poor Ethan doesn't know what to do. He woke up with my alarm this morning @ 7:30. I wanted to be up before him so that I would have time for a shower before I had to get him up, dressed, & fed. Normally he wakes up anywhere between 8-9 am. Go figure that today of all days he had to be up earlier. I had hoped when I set the alarm last night that he wouldn't hear it. I did manage to get a shower & dress before getting him up. Good thing he likes to babble to himself for a half hour when he wakes up. It's 12:42 right now & he's been sleeping for the last 10 mins. Lets hope it lasts b/c it took 45mins to get him down. He's sleeping in his play pen instead of hic crib. Since the work is being done upstairs & the drills are quite noisy I figured he would be better in the living room. The work should hopefully be done by the end of the weekend. It'll be nice not to have that ugly water spot in the living room anymore. Once all the work is done we can get started on re-painting the spare bedroom. Finally we can get rid of that horrible green!!!
Earlier today I put Ethan in his crib with a snack of teething biscuits & juice. Those things are so messy hence why he has to eat them either in his highchair or his playpen (crib). So while he was enjoying his little snack he was holding onto the side of the pen & taking steps around it! Not too much longer & he will be running around. It's so exciting but a little sad too. It's sad b/c he's grown so fast over the last 10 mos! It is hard to believe that this is the same little boy who was born 10 wks early weighing only 3lbs. Now he is passing 17 lbs!! Where did the time go. Soon enough we will be planning his 1st b-day party. Then I'm really going to wonder where the last year went. The 1st 8 weeks seemed like they were never going to end but then he came home & it seems like time has just flown by. Ethan has turned into quite the little man. He's a very determined & stubborn little boy. He didn't really have much choice there, Matt & I are both extremely stubborn & determined. We just point the finger @ eachother & laugh. As trying as Ethan can be when he doles out kisses it all becomes worth it. It's going to be interesting watching him grow & learn as the years go by.
Just to let everyone know Ethan's old site has been shut down as of today. I haven't been adding to it everything you want to know about Ethan can be found here.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Teeth, teeth, & more teeth
Ethan has a 3rd tooth coming in. We discovered it the other night. So now he has 2 teeth on the top & one on the bottom. He's doing better now that one of them has popped through. The other top tooth should pop any day we can see the white of it just below the gums. He still isn't into letting me workout in the mornings for a half hour. I have been putting him in his playpen or his jumperoo while I excercise, grab a shower, & dress. He screams the whole time. Of course the second I let him loose on the floor he cheers right up. He'll just have to get used to not having my full attention for an hour a day. I'm hoping that after a week things will change & he will play by himself instead of cry. Ethan is so used to having our undivided attention that to not be allowed to be free on the floor w/us chasing him drives him nuts.
It looks like sometime this week the contractors will be over getting the ceilings fixed up. We got all the furniture moved out of the spare bedroom & into the hall. Once they are done we have decided that we are going to re-paint that room. That bright green has been driving us crazy since the day we put it up. It was a project that was going to be done over the summer but since the furniture is out why not get it done. That green was not supposed to be as bright as it was. It was supposed to be a really dark forest green. We picked up some samples & have picked out several colors that will look good with the hunter green carpet. We are going to be narrowing it down over the week. Our goal is to get that room completely finished so that we can keep the door open & let air circulate through it. I will just be happy to have the ceilings fixed. The leak in the roof has been repaired all we have left is the ceiling.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Welcome to the new site!
Welcome to Ethan's new site! I will be posting new pictures with this entry, you can find them at the end.
More teeth!
Monday, Mar 16, 2009
We discovered yesterday that Ethan has 2 more teeth coming in. He's got his left incisor on the top & another bottom tooth coming in. He's been pretty fussy over these teeth. I have been keeping orajel on his gums when they seem to really be getting to him & giving him Tylenol to help with the pain. He's pretty much just been wanting to be cuddled since they are causing him to not feel so good.
He's still doing his weird little army crawl. He still prefers to roll to get what he wants but the crawl gets him to his destination when rolling doesn't. Ethan has started to use his bouncer & learning table to pull himself up into sitting & standing postion. What a little stinker. I think that he will be walking before he gets the crawling down pat.
It's Official!
Friday, Mar 6, 2009
Ethan made it official last night, HE'S CRAWLING!! we had him on the floor with a few of his toys & he got his sights set on the TV remote. Next thing we know he's crawling like a soldier. We attempted to get video footage of it but of course as soon as the camera came out he refused to do it for us. Instead he cried. So today I managed to get footage of him crawling while he was in a good mood. He inches along the floor but at least it's something. We thought that he would be crawling towards the end of Feb. but it seemed like he stalled on the desire to crawl. He was just happy to roll around to get to where he wanted to go. But now he would rather roll & crawl. It won't be long before he's really on the move.
Happy 9 mos to Ethan!!!
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2009
Ethan is 9 mos old today! How quick time has gone by. Next thing I know he'll be 1. Ethan is such a big boy now. He is very insistent on standing up. Every chance he gets he finds ways of pulling himself up w/o our assistance. He likes to hold onto his grow w/me toys. Right now it appears that he may be having another tooth coming in. He has been pretty fussy & a little pukey. We have checked his gums but we can't feel anything at this time & it doesn't look like there is any swelling, but he has been chewing like crazy & drooling puddles. We'll just have to keep an eye on him.
It's amazing how Ethan has turned into a little man from a tiny, wrinkled 3lbs 9oz preemie. He's still working on trying to crawl. Every time he tries to get into a crawling position he ends up rolling over. Even though he isn't crawling he still manages to scoot a few inches to get his little fingers on his toys. For now Ethan seems to be happy to get around by rolling around.
What a big boy
Saturday, Feb 28, 2009
Ethan is getting to be such a big boy! Last night he stood on his own holding onto his baby einstein grow with me toy. Matt had stood him up but Ethan held his own as long as he had something to hold on to. Every day it seems like he does something new. It's amazing how quickly he has grown. On Tues he will be 9 mos which doesn't seem possible. This afternoon I was packing away his clothes that he has outgrown into space saver bags. As I was putting his preemie clothes away I held them up & couldn't help but aww. It's hard to believe looking at him now that he was that tiny! Ethan is at least 16 lbs now I'll find out his weight on Tues when the nurse comes to give him his last Synagis shot. Ethan is still working on figuring out how to crawl. He's really good at getting around though via rolling. If I place something a few inches out of his reach he will find away to get it in his hands. He scoots himself across the floor either on his tummy or on his back. He manages to gain a lot of ground somehow when he is on his back.
Later in the evening Ethan was playing in his jumperoo then all of a sudden he just fell asleep. About 5 mins later he woke up & started jumping again like nothing had happened then after a few mins he conks out again. After a quick 15 min nap he startes bouncing again only to fall asleep again a few mins later. Ethan ended up taking a nice little 20 min nap in his bouncer. It was so cute the way he would suddenly wake up, bounce, then suddenly fall asleep. Of course everything that Ethan does is cute.
Learning new things
Wednesday, Feb 18, 2009
Ethan just keeps on getting bigger. Now he is trying to pull himself into a standing position from a sitting position. He was doing that while holding our hands for support but he has moved on from the hands to whatever he can grab. As of late he has been using his baby einstein stand. He hasn't quite made into a standing position but he probably will soon. As for crawling he's still got to figure it out. Ethan has a habit of rolling until he reaches a roadblock such as the entertainment center, gate, or door, then continues to try to roll even though there's something in his way. He is yet to learn that he needs to roll back the way he came. When he tries to get on all 4's he tends to roll. It's quite funny. Poor Ethan gets frustrated & starts screaming & hitting. He'll figure it out eventually. I have been working with him on the "word of the day" today it's mama. I figures that it might confuse him if we throw too many words at him all at once. So we work on one word a day. His top 2 teeth have really come in. I thought that I was going to miss his smile with just his 2 bottom teeth but his little grin has just become even cuter. Right now he is going through a growth spurt. It's easy to tell b/c he wants to eat more, & he sleeps most of the day. It's a pattern that was noticed when he came home. Yesterday he got up after sleeping for 13 hrs, had breakfast & was ready for a nap an hour later. He ended up sleeping about 3.5 hrs.He got up ate, was up for an hour, took a 1.5 hr nap, took a bottle and was down for the night by 8:30. He's not as bad today. It's amazing how much energy it takes for him to go through these little growth spurts.
A busy day for Ethan
Friday, Feb 13, 2009
Ethan had quite a day today. Since daddy was off all day he got to spend the day with him. First his cousin Dan came over for a little visit. Ethan was happy to show off how well he sits on his own. Then he went to Circuit City to see if there was anything left (looking for a deal on a flat screen tv) unfortunately there was not much left to look at. Then he went to Best Buy to help daddy spend a gift card. Finally he took a quick visit to the Four Horsemen to pick up dinner where he got to visit for a couple of mins with his other cousin Petey. Ethan was pretty much ready for bed by the time Survivor started. So he didn't get to watch with us. We just DVR it & start watching it once we get him down for bed. When we went to bed @ 11 I went in to check on him & cover him up & there he was wide awake holding his little arms out to me. So he got to snuggle in bed with us for 15 mins before we put him back in his own room. Usually he goes right down but he threw a fit b/c daddy didn't put him to bed. So Daddy had to sit & rock for a bit with Ethan then he went right down. He sure does love his daddy.
The results are...............
Monday, Feb 9, 2009
Ethan weighs 15lbs 11oz & is 27" long. He had his dr appt today & everything looks good. He is 2 mos behind developmentally though. His ped is not surprised or concerned by that at this time. She told us ways to work with him & we are already doing most of what she recommended (playing on the floor with his toys, putting him on his tummy & then backing up to encourage crawling, trying to get him to say dada or mama, ect) She also recomended that we start getting him to use sippy cups as this will help him develope his fine motor skills. He can hold a bottle he just wont so she thinks that sippy cups will help to encourage him to want to hold a bottle. Right now I am just going to start with once a day & see where that leads us. As he does better then I will use it more often. She also wants us to switch his formulas to Enfamil Lipil when he turns 9 mos. As far as him eating meats go 9 mos is the norm but it is essentially up to us. We are thinking we are going to hold off a little (til probably 10 mos) on that for now the fruits & veggies are good. The ped wants us to watch him for a while for a hernia. Due to him being preemie & now he's working on crawling he is @ the stage where one can occur. She checked but naturally my kid wouldn't stop crying so it was hard to tell. For some reason Ethan has white coat syndrome. He sees the dr & he just screams. The only way to keep him quiet is to hold him. She tried to gain Ethan's trust by cuddling him & giving him little kisses on the head. Just when she thought he would be ok she set him down on the table to look in his ears & he just started screaming again. I think he must still remember the NICU & all the needles they used on him. LOL. He is all caught up with his vacs s til 1 yr so he didn't need any shots this time. Hopefully he will do better when he's a yr old.
Ethan is getting more independant by the day. He doesn't want to be held too much anymore, he's a man on the go now. When he gets frustrated that he can't get to whatever he has set his sights on (usually the cats) he just rolls to it. He has figured out that log rolling will get him to what he wants. We now have a baby gate up between the living room & dining room to keep him from going into the opposite room we are playing in sometimes he likes to play on the dining room floor so he can keep Matt in his view while dinner is being made.
Ethan is such a stinker. He was not happy for me yesterday. He was all about his daddy. Only daddy could hold him, feed him, change him, whatnot. He sure does love his time with his daddy. He has been pretty cranky this weekend his 2nd top tooth is starting to break through. The 1st one has just broken through so he has some sore little gums. Saturday he was pretty good during the day but he really got cranky at night. We took him clothes shopping Sat afternoon for some 9 mos & 12 mos sizes. Ethan has pretty much outgrown his 3-6 mos so I will be packing those away sometime this week. He will be wearing 9 mos for the spring & will be in the 12 mos just in time for all the hot weather.
I am really looking forward to Spring. It will be so nice to get Ethan outside instead of having to be in the house all day. It will be fun since he will be crawling by then so we can throw a blanket on the grass & play.
If you haven't noticed the look of Ethan's blog has changed. The picture on the home page is him when he was a few hrs old. I thought it was time for a new look since he is getting older.
My little bundle of ................
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2009
Ethan is really something. Now that he has a top tooth coming in he has really taken to grinding his teeth. I have been trying to stop him but he is a very stubborn little boy ( I wonder who he gets that from LOL). For now I have been entertaining him with teethers & other things to chew. But there is no stopping him when he is sleeping.
Of course Ethan has also discovered the "I throw this on the floor & mommy picks it up" game. He is quite the little tease. Just when you turn your head he throws his toys. Naturally he thinks this is quite funny.
Ethan has also figured out just how mobile he can be when he's rolling around on the floor. Today he managed to roll himself right out of the living room & into the dining room. Daddy has been told it's time to put the gate up between the 2 rooms so that Ethan doesn't do that.
Ethan had his own little adventure today. Mommy learned her lesson. Ethan was on his changing table & mommy took was 2 steps away when he put his hooded towel over his face (backwards) & freaked when he couldn't get it off. So Ethan rolled himself right off the table. Good thing the room is carpeted & it's not a big drop. I had never taken my eye off him (that I know better) so I did manage to get my hands under his head. He cried for a few mins but once he settled down he was right back to his smiling self like nothing had happened. From now on I will be laying him in his crib when I am getting his clothes out of the closet.
Ethan has pretty much outgrown most of his 3-6 mos clothes & is now wearing 6-9 mos. Guess I'm going to have to go shopping for the 9-12 mos sizes. That's ok I love clothes shopping for him. It's fun for me. He is also almost out of the size 2 diapers & we have now moved into the 2-3 sizes. It is so hard to believe how fast he is growing. I see preemie clothes on racks in the stores & laugh b/c it is hard to believe that he was once that small. Heck at one time the preemie sizes were too big for him. LOL. Ethan is close to 16lbs. He was 15.5 lbs last week. I think he is starting to catch up in his weight & length. I'm going to be interested in what his length is. He goes to the dr on Monday for a check up. We are all stocked up on diapers for now. We find it easier to buy them in bulk when they are on sale so we don't have to buy diapers very often. works out well. Ethan is still in the stage 2 foods & not eating meat at this time. Since he is preemie some things we are holding off on til we think he is ready. His dr is thinking that she may not want him to start the meats til he is closer to 10-10.5 mos. Another thing that will be talked about @ his appt.
The surprises just keep rolling in
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2009
Well Ethan is feeling much better. The reason for him not feeling so well yesterday.............. he cut another tooth. I was giving him a bottle last night before putting him to bed. I noticed that he was grinding his jaw. It sounded like there was something hard in his mouth. Of course he wouldn't let me check so I just waited till he fell asleep & rubbed my finger over his gums. Low & behold I could feel the ridges of a tooth coming in on the top. I don't like that he is grinding his teeth though. It was a bad habit I had as a child & not always easy to break. Even after he fell asleep he continues to grind his teeth. I didn't really know what to do about that so I put a binky in his mouth to stop it (I really hate those things only resort to them rarely). I think once the tooth has come in he'll stop right now he's just trying to get it through. At least that explains why he was throwing up & so fussy. It's so exciting that this is happening but also a little sad b/c he's is growing so fast. I love watching all these things happening to him & I am so happy that I can be home with him so I don't miss out on anything. Every day is an adventure with Ethan.
And the Steelers win the Superbowl
Monday, Feb 2, 2009
Ethan is so thrilled that Pitsburgh won 27-23 last night in the Superbowl. Here he is showing his support for his team.
He was all ready for the kick off. All he got for his superbowl dinner was a bottle. Those darn parents didn't want to share their subs & chips. Here's Ethan celebrating the win
over the Cardinals. Cute isn't he.
What a big boy
Wednesday, Jan 28, 2009
Ethan is getting to be such a big boy. Today he had his Synagis shot & he was weighed at 15 1/2 lbs. He only has one more to get for the season. They only do the Synagis shots from Oct through March up to the age of 2. Since Ethan will be 1.5 yrs by the next season he probably won't be getting them.
It won't be long before he starts crawling. Tonight he was on the floor & he was scootching himself on the floor by getting his left leg under his tummy. It was exciting to watch him do that. Every day is an adventure with Ethan. It is so much fun watching him learn new things. We figure he will probably be crawling by the end of Feb. Sometime during the next month we are going to introduce sippy cups to Ethan. We plan to just start with a few onces once a day during his meals. He has been taking 3-4oz of milk with his food 2x a day. It'll be interesting to see how he takes to sippy cups.
Movin’ on up
Thursday, Jan 8, 2009
Ethan is movin on up in this world. He no longer sits in his carrier when we go places in his stroller he has taken to sitting face forward. Ethan likes to see where he is going when he's on the move. He is also no longer riding in his carrier in shopping carts he is now riding like a big boy in shopping carts.
Ethan has also started to increase the amount of food he is eating. He was eating 1 fruit & 1 vegetable 2x a day. Each container is 2.5oz. He is now wanting to eat 2 fruits & vegetables 2x a day. We have moved up to the Gerber 2nd foods b/c those are just bigger containers. He won't be eating meats till he's 9 mos. Ethan is closer to 15lbs if not over that & he's growing so fast. It's no wonder that he needs to eat more.
Ethan's bottom 2 teeth have pretty much come completely through now. Let me tell you those are some sharp teeth! He loves to sink his teeth into our fingers of course he knows better than to do that to himself. He's a little bundle of something. Ethan has also started sitting up on his own. Most times he only sits on his own for a few short secs but he has his moments where he goes for a few mins. He is also pushing himself up with his arms when he is on his belly. Not long from now he will be off to the races crawling & getting into all kinds of things. We have already put up baby gates & have our electrical outlets covered in prep for the day that he takes off.
I'll be posting some new pictures soon there are some on the camera that need to be put onto the computer. I have been trying to post some video but have had some problems due to the format of the videos. I will keep trying & as soon as I figure it out the videos will be posted. If anyone hasn't done so check out my links section. I have been following some other stories of some amazing preemies whose stories should be shared.
Happy 7 mos B-day to Ethan
Saturday, Jan 3, 2009
I can't believe that Ethan is 7 months already! It doesn't seem like it has been that long since he was born. I can still remember the instant that he was handed to me in the delivery room the night he was born. All 3lbs 9oz of him. He was so tiny & red. When the nurses handed him to me he had his eyes open & was looking right at me. It was an instant bond. Now 7 months later he's 14 lbs 5 oz & about 26-28" in length. He's no longer fragile & red but has turned into a little man. Ethan's such a good baby we are so lucky to have him. He is so much fun to have around.
Now that he's 7 months he has started showing even more that he has a mind of his own. When he wants something he has started to reach out towards it even if it is out of his reach. Lately he has been interested in Peek-A-Boo. The other day he was bouncing in his bouncer & she walked by. He held his little arms out & started to whine cause he couldn't reach her. I had to tell him that I didn't think that she was really interested in having her fur pulled at that moment. Ethan loves to "pet" her. It's more like he loves to get a really good hold onto her fur & pull it towards his mouth. Apparently he thinks that cat fur is edible. If we have him down on the floor playing both cats like to scramble in different directions to get away from him. They don't want to play with the slobbering thing that pulls their fur. If they are laying in Matts lap they will put up with it for some reason. Both Carmel & Peek-A-Boo are really good natured & don't bite when he does pull they just meow as a warning then walk away as soon as they can get away.
Ethan has also started to figure out that if he holds his hands out to us someone will come give him a snuggle & pick him up. We think that he is starting to show signs of being left handed as well. He tends to pick a lot of things up with his ledt hand, he rolls only to his left, & when I feed him he "helps" with his left hand. Boy if he is left handed teaching him how to hold a pencil & write is going to be very difficult for Matt & me since we both are right handed. I can't do very much with my left hand. It's essentially useless for me when it come to writing, eating, sports, even opening doors. Strange how 2 right handed parents can have a left handed child. He does a lot with his right hand to though. We see him pick things up with his right hand, grab for things, & hold things with his right hand, he just doesn't do it as much as he does with his left. maybe he'll be ambidextrous. That would be interesting.
Happy New Year
Thursday, Jan 1, 2009
Happy New Year everyone!! Ethan had a nice New Years. He went with us to his cousin Dan's for a few hours we were home by 8:30 & he was in bed by 9. Ethan showed off his New Years spirit by wearing a hat (there are pictures of it in the picture portion of this site) Our camera battery was pretty much dead but I was able to get off a couple of shots. Dan & Deanna will be sending us the pictures they took so I can load them onto the site. Ethan slept through his New Years but he was up bright & early this morning between 4 & 5.
He hasn't been feeling very well over the last few days. It seems like when it gets to be about 6 or 7 at night he starts to throw up his food. His appetite has diminished somewhat but he is still eating. We're not giving him any more baby food for now until this has passed over. Mommy is getting tired of having to do laundry for 1 or 2 outfits everyday to prevent the clothes from staining. Although he should feel much better since he decided to have a blow out as I was typing all this. Talk about stinky. It's amazing how 1 little person can create such a big stink & so much laundry.
Teething Nightmare
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008
Ethan's bottom teeth are really starting to come in. Unfortunately he has really been fussy with this. Sunday night he had a reflux episode which he hasn't had in a few months. Then yesterday he was really crabby for most of the day. Then for some reason around 8pm he just started having major issues with his reflux. He never did get his last bottle for the night. He threw up 3x by 11:30 last night & then again this morning around 5. Fortunately that has now seemed to pass but who knows I may be speaking too soon. Today he's been so-so. I've been trying to get him to chew on a teether but he is not interested in holding it himself he wanted me to hold it for him. I won't do that b/c it's not encouraging him to grab onto things. We need to always constantly work with him on these things. He seems to be happier when he's chewing on a blanket, burp cloth, or daddy's fingers. Whatever works. Poor Ethan teething hurts.
Pre-New Years
Monday, Dec 29, 2008
Saturday Ethan went to share Christmas with my cousins, Uncle, Aunt, ect. He had a great time. He slept through most of it but that's ok. Ethan would like to thank everyone for his wonderful gifts. He got so much he doesn't know what to check out 1st! He was so spoiled this Christmas. That's ok you only have your 1st Christmas once why not be spoiled. Unfortunately Sunday Ethan was not a happy camper. He didn't seem to be feeling well due to his teeth coming in more. He was very content to scream all day. Matt ended up having to take him for a short drive, which is only the 2nd time we have ever had to do that, to calm him down. When they got back Ethan got a nice bath & a bottle & seemed to be much happier after that. Today he is in a great mood, right now he's napping in his playpen. In just 5 days he's going to be 7 mos. It seems so hard to believe. He's going to have a quiet New Years since we are planning on staying home all evening. Although we might stop over to visit Dan & Deanna. Ethan thinks Dans a riot. LOL. There are some new photos posted in a new album titled Christmas so check them out.
Post Christmas
Friday, Dec 26, 2008
Ethan was so well behaved yesterday during all the celebrations. We paid for it today. He woke up this morning in a fairly crabby mood. He was patient while I got his breakfast prepared but he threw a fit the whole time he ate. After that I took him into the basement with me so that I could get a quick shower & get laundry started, He screamed the whole time I was showering & of course after racing through the shower & tripping on my clothes b/c I was hurrying to get dressed he fell asleep right as I buttoned my pants. That nap lasted about a half hour. He was just not a happy camper. It seemed like all he wanted to do was scream. I eventually took him up to his room changed his diaper & say in his rocking chair & sang a few songs to calm him down. He ended up taking over a 3 hour nap. We were supposed to be at my father-in-laws around 3, but when 2:30 rolled around & he still wasn't awake I just did not have the heart to wake him up. I felt that after all the festivities of the day before his nap was just too important. He ended up waking up 15 mins later. Matt gave him a quick bottle & out the door we went. For the most part Ethan did pretty good. There was less people there than yesterday so it wasn't so crazy. After a couple hours Ethan was just done with it all. We got the car packed up & headed for home. I wish we could've just put him down but unfortunately he just wasn't going to have that. He ended up helping us sort through all his gifts in the basement. Matt wasn't able to put him down. Fortunately for us Ethan went down for the night by 8 (his normal bedtime). We just have to get through one more gathering tomorrow & Sunday we can all just relax & watch football ( Browns vs Steelers).
Merry Christmas
Thursday, Dec 25, 2008WOW! What a day Ethan had today. He got up this morning around 9:00. First we did our little family Christmas. Ethan cared more about chewing on wrapping paper than he did his actual gifts. He showed interest in a few of his new toys. After that we fed him before getting him dressed so he wouldn't get food all over his Christmas outfit. We went over to Papa Jim's & Grandma Marcia’s about 11:30. He wasn't really sure what to make of all the noise, the people, & all the attention he was getting. It wasn't until most of the crowd left that he started to show off his skills of rolling around, smiling, & hamming it up for whoever would pay attention to him. He finally crashed around 2:30. Ethan was so tired that he didn't budge when I put his coat on, buckled him in, & loaded him into the car. We made a quick stop home before heading to our next location. We didn't bother taking him out of his carrier since we were only going to be home for about 15 mins. He slept all the way to Grandpa Franks & Grandma Judy's. We got there about 4:00. Of course Ethan woke up a few minutes later with a second wind. Grandma & Grandpa really spoiled him this year. I think he got everything he wanted. While Matt packed up the car Grandma gave Ethan a bottle then I got him changed into his PJ's before we headed for home. By the time we got home it was about 10:00. Ethan pretty much went straight to bed. His poor parents are worn out tonight. I am looking forward to climbing into bed & reading for a bit. I think Ethan had a great 1st Christmas. Tomorrow we get to do it all over again with Papa Paul & Grammy Nett and again with the rest of my family.
Bedtime Buddy
Tuesday, Dec 23, 2008
Ethan seems to have found himself a bedtime friend. Over the last few weeks he has become attacked to falling asleep with Nubby Duck. It is just so cute. I put him to bed last night & the 1st thing he did was reach for Nubby. He has been falling asleep with Nubby in his arms. I have a feeling that Nubby is going to become his security blanket, can't fall asleep without Nubby.
Another Ethan update
Thursday, Dec 18, 2008
Yesterday Ethan cut his 1st tooth! He's been chewing like crazy over the last month. During the last few days there has been no keeping his hands out of his mouth. Now he's starting to get fussy but he's not as bad as either of us anticipated him to be. The teething has made him a little more tired than usual. It's hard work to get those teeth through, LOL. He's been doing well on eating his fruits & vegtables. The only thing that he gives us greif on is green beans. We're not giving those to him any more. At least he'll eat peas he doesn't really like them but he wont have a tantrum over them. Ethan has been helping us pick out the perfect gifts for everyone. Basically I run the idea past him if I get a smile it's Ethan approved. He looks forward to his 1st Christmas
6 mos check up
Thursday, Dec 11, 2008
Ethan had his 6 months check up on Tues. He now weighs 13 lbs & is about 26" in length. He has finally made it on the growth chart. He comes in the 3rd% in height & weight for his age. Developmentally he is right on track. He should have started to pull himself into a sitting position when he was 5 months old but he started doing it at 6 mos so there is no real concern he is just slightly behind in that area. He is also starting to teeth. The dr thinks he wont actually be cutting his 1st tooth for at least another month but she noticed that his gums are starting to flatten out which appently is a sign of teething. His social skills are developing well & he also is showing more signs of independence by wanting to play by himself at times.
We have also started seating Ethan in a high chair when we are out at restraunts. He just isn't happy to sit in his carrier any more which we think is great. He needs a coat or blanket tucked behind his back to help support him since he isn't supporting himself just yet but it works out great. He is so well behaved this way. He likes to be able to see what is going on at the table.
6 mos check up
Thursday, Dec 11, 2008
Ethan had his 6 months check up on Tues. He now weighs 13 lbs & is about 26" in length. He has finally made it on the growth chart. He comes in the 3rd% in height & weight for his age. Developmentally he is right on track. He should have started to pull himself into a sitting position when he was 5 months old but he started doing it at 6 mos so there is no real concern he is just slightly behind in that area. He is also starting to teeth. The dr thinks he wont actually be cutting his 1st tooth for at least another month but she noticed that his gums are starting to flatten out which appently is a sign of teething. His social skills are developing well & he also is showing more signs of independence by wanting to play by himself at times.
We have also started seating Ethan in a high chair when we are out at restraunts. He just isn't happy to sit in his carrier any more which we think is great. He needs a coat or blanket tucked behind his back to help support him since he isn't supporting himself just yet but it works out great. He is so well behaved this way. He likes to be able to see what is going on at the table.
Ethan's 1st Thanksgiving
Sunday, Nov 30, 2008
Ethan has been a busy boy this weekend. Thursday was his 1st Thanksgiving! He had a great day. After a late afternoon nap he was in a much better mood than he was in the early afternoon. On Friday he slept while his parents worked around the house putting up Christmas decorations. Later in the evening he took his 1st trip to the zoo for the Light Before Christmas. He enjoyed seeing the light but after an hour he was done being out in the cold & started to get fussy. Saturday he did some Christmas shopping with us & got to meet Santa! He was in a good mood for his 1st time meeting Santa & made a good impression. Sunday he went grocery shopping with us then slept through the Cleveland game (Ethan says Go Steelers). After being so busy these past 4 days it will be a nice break for a quiet week. Ethan is going to be 6 mos on 12/3. He gets bigger each passing day. He has really gotten into his jumperoo. It quickly became his favorite toy. He likes to sit in his high chair during dinner with us & thinks he can stand. I think he's getting a bit ahead of himself. I keep telling him he needs to learn to sit before he can stand. All week Ethan has been watching Star Wars with his daddy. Fortunately mommy has not had to endure those movies.
Party Child
Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008
Ethan had fun @ cousin Dan's surprise party. It took him a while to warm up to all the people after all it was the biggest party he has ever been to. Although at the end it proved to be a bit much for our little man. He didn't get to bed until after 11 & he was fairly fussy the next day. He must have been peopled out. He was happy that he had the chance to meet his "Uncle" Michael. Ethan is perpetual motion now. He's not happy to just be held he wants to stand & be able to look around. He likes to sit at the table with us during dinner. We have gotten him a portable booster so that he can sit up at the table with us when we are having dinner outside of the house. He is becoming quite a little man.
5 Months Old
Monday, Nov 3, 2008
Ethan is now 5 mos old! Time has sure flown by. He had a great time on his 1st Halloween. We didn't dress him up this year. Not going to until he's a little older & can enjoy trick or treating. Ethan just sat outside on the porch with us & helped to pass out candy. He conked out for a half hour around 7:00. He has had a few milestones already. Sunday Ethan sat in his high chair & ate some rice cereal for the 1st time & later on in the day actually held his bottle w/o assistance for about 15 secs. He has gone beyond the cuddling stage & is more into sitting up & trying to stand. He likes to watch Spongebob during his meal time & has a blast playing with the baby in the mirror (he really thinks that's something). Ethan is full of smiles now. He has the cutest smile that just lights up his face. We keep him on a regular schedule now. He gets up with his daddy every weekday around 4/5 in the morning for a bottle, gets his mommy up about 8/9 for breakfast, plays on his play mat, naps about 10/11, has his lunch around 12, more playtime, naps around 1/2 & when he gets up he's all excited to find that his daddy is home from work. Getting up in the morning is always worth it because Ethan always greets us with a huge smile on his face. He has become quite a busy little boy.
An Ethan Update
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2008
Ethan went to the Dr's yesterday for a 4 month check up. He weighed in at about 11 lbs. Normally we would be told that we should start feeding him rice cereal with his bottles but due to Ethan's prematurity she would like us to hold off till he's 6 months. Ethan is doing well in holding his head up. He is getting to the point now that he doesn't really want to be held to the shoulder any more. Now he is more into sitting up. I don't think he realizes that he isn't quite to that point yet. He's gotta master rolling over if he wants to sit up on his own. At this point Ethan should be grabbing at anything that is dangled infront of him but he isn't really doing that yet. He will go for things if we place them in his hands but he has got to get that grabbing thing down. He is a bit behind where he would be expected to be but nothing that is extremely concerning. Most of it comes from being so early. We are just going to have to put him on his belly a little more often so that he can strengthen his neck & back muscles. Ethan has become so alert over the last month. He is "talking" now. He likes to interject on conversations. Ethan has so much to say & of course we think that everything that he has to say is important. Over the last week Ethan & I haven't had much time together. I managed to pick up a cold & really didn't want him to get it so I have been limiting my contact with him. I completely lost my voice which I hated because I couldn't have a conversation with him. Fortunately I did regain it on Monday & we went back to having our daily talks. I rely on talking to Ethan it is a good way for him to develope his communication skills. Ethan is doing great now with nap time & bed time. He sleeps through the night anywhere between 8-10 hrs. He has been going to bed about 8:30-9:00 at night right after his bottle. He takes a nap everyday between 12-1 & usually again around 4-5. Ethan loves napping in his playpen during the day. We have found that by laying him down for his naps he sleeps longer & wakes up in a much better mood. His fussiness has been almost completely eliminated since he has been put on a regular nap schedule.
Ethan's first wedding
Saturday, Sep 20, 2008
Ethan went to his first wedding on Friday night. He had a blast at the reception. Ethan was so good during the ceremony, not a sound from him. He had dinner when he got to the reception & took some time to meet a few people. Unfortunately Ethan decided that it was a good time to start screaming the second food was put down infront of his mommy. Gee what a surprise he does that every day when I sit down to eat lunch. Fortunately he did quiet down after a few moments. After dinner Ethan visited with his Auntie Heather (the bride) & his Auntie Krystal. He had fun visiting Uncle Andy & Jimmy, & some of mommy's other friends. He just loves them to pieces. Ethan can't wait to see them all again hopefully very soon. Ethan managed to get in some dancing but he found it was more fun to just hanf out with everyone. Unfortunately there are no pictures of him at the wedding his mommy & daddy left the house in a rush & managed to forget the camera. Hopefully we can get some pictures from Heather or Andy. Next week he'll be attending his first party for a cousin on his mommy's side. It will be a chance for him to meet some more family for the first time.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2008
Ethan had a appt with his pediatrician today for a check up. His weight is 8# 14oz & he is roughly 21" long. She decided to change his medicine to Prevacid to help with the reflux. Ethan was doing better on the Zantac but it wasn't helping as much as we would have liked to see. He has been fussy at night when we try to give him a bottle. He acts like he wants the bottle but then pushes it away & continues to cry. She said that is a reaction to the discomfort of the reflux. Hopefully the Prevacid will help take most of the discomfort away. He's growing at a normal rate & is right on track with his development. Ethan has started to pull his head up when he is on his tummy & by the time he's 4 months he should be able to hold his head up on his own. Ethan has been sleeping anywhere from 5-6 hours at night giving us a little more sleep although I can't wait till he is sleeping all night. I look forward to being able to get more than a couple hours of sleep. Ethan has pretty much outgrown his NB clothes & has moved into the 0-3 month size although those are fairly baggy on him yet. He needs to gain another pound or 2 to truly fill them out.
Monday, Sep 15, 2008
Ethan was showing his team spirit last night in his Steelers outfit. He enjoyed watching the Steelers beat the Browns (he knows who the better team is). Ethan was very disappointed when OSU was unable to win their game against USC. He wondered when the game was going to start as we neared the final quarter. Of course he has not lost his faith in them yet. Ethan believes that it was just an off night for OSU they'll win the next game. Friday night Ethan was not a happy camper. He had not seen his daddy all day. There was no calming him down until he got to spend some time with his daddy. There is nothing like a little father/son bonding time. Of course on Saturday night he was not happy cause he wanted to be with his mommy. Ethan was not happy that I went out for a couple hours with some friends to celebrate my friends up coming wedding. According to Matt Ethan fussed the whole time til they came to get me from the party. I found it cute that he missed his mommy. Normally he screams for his daddy. Friday Ethan will be attending his first wedding. Hopefully he will behave. He's usually very well behaved when we take him out. He makes traveling so easy. Ethan is finally starting to out grow his NB clothes & is starting to actually fit the 0-3 month clothes. He is long enough to wear a few 3 month clothes but he doesn't fit them very well they are extremely baggy on him. Ethan is a little over 8lbs right now. He'll be weighed this week @ the dr's. Trying to buy clothes for him is always a chore due to his size. Somethings fit others don't depends on the style of the outfit. He can't wear pants right now they tend to fall off his waist. he doesn't have much to hold them up.
Wednesday, Sep 10, 2008
Ethan enjoyed his first real weekend of football. Saturday he watched the OSU game & Sunday he got his first look at the Steelers (who won) & the Browns (who lost) He is yet to decide which team he will become a fan to but I am pretty certain he will choose the better team (Steelers). Ethan has not quite outgrown his NB clothes yet. We are thinking that he will be wearing 0-3 through the winter. We bought some little pants outfits & they fall right off of him. He needs to gain about 5 lbs to fit into them. Due to him being a preemie he is smaller than a full term baby. He is in the 95% growth rate for a preemie. He is still having some problems with the reflux. He is on Zantac but it only seems to be helping a little we may have to have him on prevacid to fully control the reflux. But at least he is not throwing up every meal. He was eating 4 oz before the reflux got so bad now he is down to 3.5 oz. His dr says that's ok he's actually eating the right amount for a baby his size. He'll let us know when he wants to eat more.
3 Months Old
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2008
Ethan is 3 months today. He is getting so big! He now weighs 8 lbs & is about 21" inches. For being a preemie Ethan is doing great. He has been having some problems with reflux which he has been dealing with since he was born. It is something very common in preemies & usually correct itself. This past weekend was unusually bad. On Saturday Ethan was unable to keep any of his food down. After speaking to his Dr's office since it was so late they recommended that we take him to the ER to have him checked. The ER really didn't do anything. They gave him some pedialyte & told us that he just wasn't ready to be eating 4oz of formula yet. They told us to give him 2oz every couple of hours. I tried to explain that there was no way that was going to fly that Ethan will just scream himself into a frenzy until he either gets fed or makes himself sick. There was no getting them to listen. we tried to do what the ER said but it didn't work Ethan did exactly what I said he would do. Not to mention he wasn't able to keep down 2oz so that threw out the ER's theory. I decided to try switching his formula which did help some but not enough. Ethan was taken to the Dr today & she confirmed that it was all from reflux. Unfortunately in babies it will get worse before it gets better. She has put Ethan on Zantac to help keep it under control. It will take several days to know for sure if the medicine will help it needs time to build in Ethan's system. But so far things are looking good for him. He has only had 1 meal that he was unable to keep down & that is ok. As long as it isn't every meal. We may have to put some rice cereal in his formula to help him digest the food a bit quicker. It should help keep the reflux from acting up.
Other than that tiny problem Ethan is perfect. He is starting to hold his head up a little bit. He still doesn't have full control yet & loves to clock us in the face. By the end of this month he will probably be rolling onto his belly on his own. He has figured how to get on his sides but yet to get on his belly. Won't be long now. I have added a few more pictures so check them out! Keep checking for updates on Ethan I try to do it once a week.
Crabby Baby
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008
All last week Ethan has been quite a crabby one. Most days he was only happy when he was being held but he had his days where he didn't seem happy laying down or being held. Fortunately for us we were usually able to get him to calm down for a few hours each day. As frustrating as it was to deal with a crying baby it was a great feeling to comfort him. When he was crying it was nice to just sit & rock with him or walk around the house. It eventually would work & he'd just wear himself down & fall asleep. Strangely I found it a tad enjoyable trying to sooth Ethan when he was fussy. Although I like it more when he's just plain happy. So far this week is proving to be a better week. He's sleeping like he should & we can lay him down in his crib at night without any problems. Hopefully I won't have to recant my words. He was a little fussy today after his breakfast so I gave up trying to get him to sleep & gave him a bath which strangely enough actually calmed him down. Usually when I give him a bath he gets hyper & wants undivided attention. I guess he just felt dirty & the clean feeling he gets from his baths made him a tired little boy. I am enjoying not working & being able to be home all day with Ethan. He definately does not make the days boring. For a little guy he's full of fun.
Aug 17, 2008
It looks like Ethan is getting closer to figuring out how to roll over. He has been rolling from his back to on his sides. It won't be long now before he rolls onto his tummy. He's roughly about 21-22 inches in length now. He has doubled his birth weight & grown about 5 inches in the last 2.5 months. He has been a bit fussy during the day this week we think he is going through daddy withdrawl. Matt went back to work this week. Ethan & I have been having fun watching the Olympics. He also seems to enjoy watching General Hospital with us as well. I'm starting him out early on soap operas. I only like the 1 though. He loves going up to Fritzie Freeze for slushies. One of these days he'll be able to have one. He loves to pet the cats. Carmel doesn't run any more when we put Ethans hands in his fur Peek-a boo is still a bit unsure of him but she is getting better. We get a few smiles when he gets to touch the cats. Soon enough he'll be chasing them through the house screaming "kitty." I don't want to rush it though. We're still in the cuddle stage & I really don't want it to end any time soon. At night he likes to rock & listen to classical music. It's a good way of getting him to sleep quickly in those wee hours of the morning. How often he eats varies. It goes anywhere between 1.5 hrs to 4.5 hrs. I think his favorite thing to do is to keep his mommy up most of the night. That's ok I'll just nap with him during the day.
Monday, Aug 11, 2008
We took Ethan to the dr's office to be weighed today & he was up to 7# 1oz. She wants to continue to monitor his weight every two weeks. When he came home from the hospital his weight plateaued & he had been gaining steadily while he was in the hospital. So she just wants to make sure that he continues to gain weight now that he is home. Ethan's favorite thing to do right now is keep us up most of the night. Apparently he feels he should be the only one sleeping in the house. We don't really care about the lack of sleep he's too cute to not get up for. Ethan loves to travel. We take him every where with us & he has never gotten really fussy unless we are taking too long to get him his bottle. We really enjoy taking him out on errands he is a great companion.
Ethan's firsts
Monday, Aug 4, 2008
Ethan has been a busy boy this weekend. On Sunday he went to his first movie at the drive-ins & on Monday he took his first trip to the zoo. He had a good time at the zoo, mostly he napped but his parents had a good time. During the movie he was so well behaved. He wanted to eat before the movies started & he had his midnight snack before the second movie of the night. Ethan fussed very little & slept through both movies. He is so easy to take out with us. We don't mind taking him anywhere with us he makes every trip enjoyable.
Home now for a week
Friday, Aug 1, 2008
Ethan has been home for a week now & is doing well. He has decided he would rather sleep most of his day & keep his poor parents up most of the night. His favorite thing to do is take his bottle then wake up every 1.5 hrs later for another bottle. Apparently he finds it amusing. He loves to fall asleep in his swing. He takes naps in his playpen & really enjoys when we turn the vibration on. There isn't anywhere we can take him without him being fawned over. He seems to be the cutest baby in the city. Ethan will be seeing his ped. for the 1st time on 8/11 where he'll be getting his 2mos shots (he'll love that). We go out for walks almost every evening. Ethan loves his stroller rides he sleeps through the whole walk. Not too much can wake that boy up he takes after his father in that dept. Like father like son. We are looking forward to taking him to the zoo before long. We're just waiting on some cooler weather. We look forward to his first trip to the zoo.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Ethan has been home for 2 days now & things are going great for him. He has been wanting to have a bottle about every 4 hrs. Fortnuately he isn't keeping his mommy up all night. He likes to take rides in the car & go for walks around the neighborhood. At night he likes to sit in his room rocking & being sung to. He has been a busy boy this weekend visiting people. Having him home has been a big adjustment & is going to take more than a few days to settle into some kind of a routine. He likes to hang out in his swing in the morning after breakfast & take naps in his playpen during the day. It is so nice to finally have him home & to be able to sit & relax with him. We are enjoying our time together as a family outside of the hospital. With each passing day the time spent in the hospital becomes more of a distant memory.
Finally Home
Friday, July 25, 2008
Ethan is finally home!! What a relief. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders. He isn't quite sure what to make of his new surroundings & has been a bit fussy more so than he normally is. It's going to take some time to get him settled in & for us to adjust to not having to be at the hospital but it will all come together soon enough. For now we are just happy to finally be home.
Coming Home
Friday, July 25, 2008
It has been a very long 7.5 weeks & finally Ethan is coming home today! We both are so overjoyed &n excited to finally be bringing our son home. Ethan is weighing 6lbs 7.5oz & is having no problems eating from a bottle. We are looking forward to having the comforts of home surround our little family & for some much needed normalcy. I will be posting pictures soon of his leaving the hospital & arriving home in the next few days or so. We will make sure that we keep this webpage updated.
Ethan Today
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Ethan weighs 6lbs 7oz today. He is working on eating from 3-4 bottles. We are currently uncertain as to when he will be coming home. He needs to be able to eat 8 bottles a day & continues to gain weight.
