Adoption story

No, we are not adopting. God has given us four kids and our hands our full.

But please read the beautiful story of this family's adoption. They have adopted a 4yr old beautiful girl who happens to have Down syndrome.

http://www.urbansworld.blogspot.com/

Snuggle with Daddy

Daddy was holding us while we watch a new DVD from the library "Sesame Street Silly Songs"..... only we had a different idea...zzzzzzz

More snow today! Although none of it seems to be sticking. Mommy decided it's too slippery for her to go to church.





Since mommy doesn't post pictures of her big kiddos very often...

Last weekend, Hannah, Nate and mommy travelled to Seattle for a memorial. Us babies were home with daddy.

They were bored in the back seat and decided to take a picture of themselves. Mommy has a weird face, Nate looks unusually serious... Hannah looks good like always! Love ya big kiddos!

Eating

Last night mom and dad took Liam and I out for dinner. This doesn't happen too often so we really enjoyed it. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant. Mommy said more than once that she REALLY enjoyed not having to clean dishes, the floor, the highchairs :)

We tried gwakamolee because our friend Braska Bear enjoys it and guess what..... we should have asked for two bowls! We loved it!

After eating, Liam just couldn't stay awake anymore.

Today is Saturday and here in Ferndale it has started to snow!

Mom made us a yummy lunch of vegetable soup, some cherrios to keep our fingers busy (Liam likes to feed himself, I like to throw them at the dogs), and bananna. MMMM.

Ask your doc to wash their hands!

Since I have been inpatient SO many times.... I've noticed my mom hasn't been shy about asking doctors or nurses if they have washed or gel'd. Geez, she even asked a nurse if she had checked my ng tube for placement (and the nurse hadn't) before pumping medicines in. This article proves they don't wash up! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22827499

Like's and Dislike's

Me and mom were tagged by Braska Bear to post our like's and dislike's in a meme format. Guess who's list is who's:

I like my big family...someone always comes over to pick me up, help me stand, see if I want to snack on something, bring me a toy that I couldn't reach.... and of course a quick cuddle!
I like baby signing time videos
I like ICU nurses
I like tastes that are citrus
I like sitting in my stroller and going places to look at stuff
I don't like my screaming poopies
I don't like Liam pulling my hair or pushing me over
I don't like mommy crying or laughing loudly, I cry over both!
I don't like blood draws

Here's another list (okay, you guess'd this one is mommy's):
I like taking all four of my kids to school and therapy appts daily
I like sunrises (all windows that face east MUST be drawn open in the mornings)
I like planning my garden (ordering seeds)
I like spending time with my husband (going out to dinner, no kids)
I don't like genetic counselors (separate post to come)
I don't like people that say "Oh I'm sorry..." when they see or hear Tommy has Ds
I don't like denials from insurance companies for things Tommy needs (compounded medicines for his Gtube)
I don't like the 70% unemployment rate in the DD community

Nutritionist visit

Among appointments last week, I saw the nutritionist. Since I have a Gtube I gotta see one of these folks. Mommy has me going to see her in Bellingham rather than traveling to Children's hospital.

I proudly gave her my week of food journaling.... and she was IMPRESSED. Whew! I have tried SO hard to be patient with mommy while she was shoving that disgusting food in my mouth. Hmmm. Actually, some of it I enjoyed. Here is a sample of two days worth:

Saturday
Breakfast:1/4 bananna smashed, oatmeal w/brown sugar (nearly 1/4 cup), 1oz milk by mouth!
Lunch: Green beans with hummus and sliced deli turkey meat (heated in the microwave to eliminate listeria bugs) all ground up in the food mill
Dinner: 1/4 of a single roast chicken breast with caesar dressing (I like the spicy stuff) and 1/2 a red potato smashed.

Sunday
Bfast: 1/4 cup oatmeal with cinnamon sugar, 1 oz milk thickened orally, 1/4 bananna
Lunch: 1/4 cup soup (spinach, noodles, carrots, tomato), 1/4 slice bread with butter, 3T mandarin oranges
Dinner:1/4 Thai chicken and rice (peas and carrots in there too), 1 oz grape juice thickened orally

Of course I also have almost 30 oz of milk thru my Gtube too. But all of the above is ORALLY. The feeding therapists are right, I am going to be a 100% orally fed kiddo. And I think I might like it.

Constipation?

That's a big word for me to try to say... so I'll let mommy tell you about my transition to whole milk.

Tommy is constipated daily now that we have transitioned over to whole milk. We mixed formula and whole milk for two weeks then switched over to milk totally. He doesn't show allergy signs, but is TERRIBLY constipated. And when you have lost 5 inches of your colon like this little trooper has.... it's important to be a daily pooper!

So, with the Miralax and Senna, the daily medications tha he has been taking for the last six months, I decided (with a few questions to the nurse practicioner) to 'up' the dosage. Do you know how hard it is to get a straight answer on the Miralax dosage?

Tommy weighs 20.5 pounds now, so using a handy dandy conversion online I calculate he is 9.3 kilos. Most of the dosage answers I get on Miralax are "0.8grams for every kg" of weight. So doing the math I calculate a dose of 7.44g of Miralax a day. And with a heaping tablespoon weighing about 17 grams... Tommy's dose would be less than half of a tablespoon. I have been disolving the Miralax in water and then putting it in his Gtube and that seems to be the best method of getting it into him.

What is Miralax? It is a solution that increases the amount of water in the intestinal tract to stimulate movement. It works well with Tommy, just needed to 'up' the dosage to the maximum recommended to help him poop! More to follow, pray for poop!