The Little Things

It's the little things in life that make all the difference. Ever since we found out we were pregnant with Nathan, Steve and I looked forward to the boys being so close in age and being the best of friends. We took for granted that the boys would be able to do everything together and we cherish the opportunities Nathan and Andrew have together.

Tonight was the first night Andrew and Nathan were able to take a bath together :) We have been waiting such a long time for this and the boys had such a blast. We now have a bath chair that supports Nathan sitting up in the bath tub versus laying him down on a bath sponge. It was so great to see the boys splashing around together!!



Andrew showing Nathan how to scoop and dump the water.


Quacking all the ducks :)

Relaxing

Just a cute pic of Andrew kicking back while cheering on the Cardinal's with Daddy.

Enjoying the Pool

This Saturday we decided to cool off in our neighborhood pool. This was Nathan's first time in the pool and he LOVED it, minus the sun in his eyes. Andrew of course loved every minute of it too and got a big kick that his Baby Nate was in the water with him :)


Andrew playing with another little boy's sprinkling can - why is it other kids' toys are much better than your own!?!?


Nathan floating in his inner tube - we will be investing in one with a canopy for shade!!


Andrew scooping the water.

Happy Father's Day!!

We would like to wish all of the Fathers we know a very special Father's Day. We especially want to wish Daddy, Pa Pa and Pops a wonderful Father's Day!! We love you all so very much and are blessed to have you each in our lives.

First Steps Annual Review

So after a LONG afternoon yesterday, we followed with a three hour long meeting this evening with all of Nathan's therapists and First Steps coordinator to review Nathan's IFSP. We can't believe it has been close to a year already that Nathan has been supported through First Steps. During this meeting we review all areas of Nathan's development and ANY concerns Steve and I have for our son. After a long and thorough discussion, we had an updated IFSP for Nathan for the next six months.

Nathan will continue his current therapies - occupational therapy and hearing therapy once a week and physical therapy twice a week. We are also trying out some new equipment to help Nathan maintain different positioning. He will also be evaluated by a Nutritionist/Dietitian to make sure he is getting the right amount of calories and nutrients. Nathan dropped weight at his 15 month check-up with his Pediatrician and we just want to double check he continues down the right growth pattern. We have LOTS of people in and out of our house, but are so thankful to have all of them to help Nathan achieve his potential. We look forward to another successful several months of reaching some more developmental milestones.

St. John's NICU Follow-Up Program

Today we spent the afternoon at St. John's Child Development Center for Nathan's 12 month review/evaluation. The NICU Follow-Up Program tracks Nathan against his adjusted age. We met with a Nurse Practitioner, Physical Therapist, Developmental Therapist and wrapped up the session with Nathan's Neurologist.

These sessions are bitter-sweet in that they point out how well Nathan is doing and how far he has come, but at the same time we know how far he still has to go. The evaluation scored Nathan at an 8 month level. It's unbelievably hard to hear that your child is behind, especially for his adjusted age. Nathan works so hard each and every day with multiple therapies and we pray one day he will eventually catch up.

Nathan's Neurologist walked Steve and I through the "neurological" diagnoses that Nathan could potentially face. As an infant, Nathan was hit hard with several set-backs that included meningitis, an intraventricular hemorrhage and hydrocephalus all on top of him being three months premature. These ultimately resulted in Nathan's hearing loss early on as well as his developmental delays. As Nathan continues to grow and develop, there are three areas of concern from a neurological point of view - a seizure disorder, mental retardation and cerebral palsy...three of the SCARIEST areas to hear and then to fully understand what they all mean. Right now we are praying that Nathan continues to make progress in all of these areas and grows stronger physically. We know we have a LONG road ahead of us and pray that Nathan's future is as bright as his smile!!

Nathan's Status

After spending Monday and Tuesday mornings at Children's with Nathan, here is where we stand for now - Nathan's MRI confirmed his ventricles are enlarged. At this point, we don't know whether they are this size because Nathan is growing or if the ventricles are going to continue to get bigger and eventually cause Nathan to require another surgery to revise his shunt.

The good news is that Nathan is acting just fine and is his usual happy, smiley little guy :) For now, we are to keep a close eye on Nathan. If he remains stable, we will repeat the MRI in a month to see what the ventricles are doing. Any growth in the ventricles will require surgery and obviously, if Nathan goes downhill between now and then, he will undergo surgery. We are praying that Nathan remains healthy and NO surgery is required. Please keep Nathan in your daily prayers.

Monday's a BIG day for Nathan

After receiving some concerning CT results this past week, Nathan will undergo a sedated MRI Monday morning. His neurosurgeon would like to get some more images to rule out any indication of Nathan's shunt malfunctioning. Please say some extra prayers for Nathan that everything turns out for the best!!