July-August 2010

Hey everyone! So, so sorry it's been so long since we updated again. It's been a busy summer, but it's no excuse as we know that there are many of you out there that supported us and Luke since the beginning that still check here now and again looking for an update and (I know we've said this before), but we're going to try and update more regularly!

Luke is 13.4lbs now and is doing extremely well. We recently visited the lung specialist and he gave us clearance to end the apnea monitor (woo-hoo!) which is a great milestone. We also recently took Luke to see an ENT (Ear/Nose/Throat) specialist to take a look at his vocal cords and they said that they don't see any permanent damage, but they did see some inflammation (which explains his still pretty quiet cry and raspy voice). They said it could be due to the breathing tube being in for so long, or it could be because of his reflux. Luckily, the tube is obviously long gone and the reflux should hopefully go away before long as well. He's still on one medicine for his reflux plus they added a new one to reduce the acidity in his stomach to reduce the irritation in his esophagus caused by the reflux, both of which should help.

Other than that, he's acting and looking like a normal, healthy baby boy and is growing quickly...especially his appetite. In the last few weeks, he has started eating rice cereal and fruit (just pears so far, see photos below) and still loves a good bottle of formula every few hours. He's definitely starting to find his voice and recently learned how to make the "raspberry/motorboat" sound with his mouth, which he'll do for 10 minutes at a time when he gets going with it.

He's also getting better and better with his tummy time and sitting up and will be getting a little extra help from a physical therapist that will be coming to see him as part of a state program we're able to take part in because of his extreme prematurity.

Here are some recent photos. Enjoy and visit again soon as we'll post more often! Thanks again for all of your love and support since the very beginning.

It has been way to long

  It has been over a month since our last entry.  We are sorry and will try to keep up with the blog more regularly. Luke has reached the 10 lb mark.  We owe this to his good eating habits.  The doctor told us he is on the high end for what he is taking and to not go up on his feeds for a little while.  We thought since he is behind on weight to let him eat as much as he wants.  I guess we were wrong.  He takes good naps during the day and at night he will occasionally sleep all the way through till morning.  He is in his own room now and seems to really enjoy his crib.  Luke is doing so many new things.  He loves to smile and often gives us a big open mouth smile. We are still waiting to hear his little laugh.  He has started mimicking us by blowing bubbles with his mouth.  It is too cute, but sometimes he turns into a bubble machine.  He likes to interlock his hands together, but most of the time you can find him with one or both in his mouth.

We had a follow up appointment with his lung specialist the other day.  He continues to say that Luke's lungs sound great.  We are happy to say that we have been able to get rid of two of the medicines he was on.  However, they still would like him to keep on the apnea monitor for another 2 months until his next follow up.

    

May Doctor's Visits

We had a few doctor's visits this week. One to the pulmonary (lung) specialist and one to his regular pediatrician. Both had lots of good news. Luke is doing very well. He's up to 7lbs 14oz. We got the "green light" to start weaning him off of one of his medicine's as well as the potassium supplement that goes along with it. A few more weeks and he should be off completely.
He's still on Reglan for his reflux and we had to up the dose due to his weight gain, but hopefully in a few more months that will be under control as well.
We're getting a lot more smiles these days from him too, hopefully we can capture one on camera soon.

The Latest from the Homefront

Hey everyone! First we wanted to say sorry to all of you who have been repeatedly checking for updates and obviously haven't seen any in awhile. We honestly didn't think many people were checking here anymore based on the lack of comments that were being left. BUT, we've been hearing that people are still checking soo.....

Luke is doing great! At his last doctor's appointment, he weighed 6.5lbs and is growing fast and has a ferocious appetite. He had another check at the eye doctor yesterday and everything looks great which we're very happy to hear. He's still off of the oxygen and when we go back to the lung specialist in early May, we're hoping to hear that we can start weaning him off of some of his medicines.

Here's some photos from the last few weeks:

4 months old!

It's hard to believe, but Luke is already 4 months old today! He might not look it just yet, but he is getting bigger. He's been eating like crazy and is doing really well. We have another follow up with his eye doctor on Monday and hopefully the news will be better this time around.
Here's a few more photos of Mr. Lucas.

Home Again

Luke's 2nd eye procedure went well. A lot less intense than the first time. We spent the night in the hospital just to be on the safe side, but we're back home and doing well. We have a follow up with the eye doctor on the 29th so he can make sure he's cleared up everything once and for all, so we'll keep our fingers crossed for that.
While in the hospital, he got weighed and we found out he's up to 5 lbs!! He's definitely starting to put on a little baby fat and his little squirrel cheeks are getting bigger.
Time is flying and we're doing well. We'll do our best to keep posting our progress at home.

A Little More Hospital Time Ahead

Today was Luke's follow up with his eye doctor and the news wasn't as good as we were hoping. His left eye looks like it's better, but the right eye needs a 2nd phase of laser treatment as it is not completely fixed. From what we're told, it will be a lot less treatment than what he had done last time, but the doctor feels it is necessary to completely repair the vessels and avoid any possible long term problems.
We'll find out a little more tomorrow, but the procedure is scheduled for Wednesday morning. With a little luck, he'll be out the same day. We'll need a few more thoughts and prayers from you all and we'll keep you posted on the results.