Sunday Best

Daniel tried out the highchair for the first time this week.  It’s not his favorite place to be!

Focus…

…and frustration. (I love the cheek hanging over the edge of the tray!)

Accomplishment of the Week: Emily earned a place on the Honor Roll for her first quarter of middle school.  That’s my girl!  So proud of her hard work.

Best blog: I have fallen in love with The Blessing of Verity.  This blog is about a beautiful girl named Verity, who is the 10th child born to the Musser family.  The Mussers have just returned from Eastern Europe where they have adopted another beautiful girl – Katie - who has Down syndrome.  Grab a box of tissue…you’ll need it when you read about Katie and the horrors she has endured in her short 9 years.

Friday Fun

I figured out how to get the videos from our camcorder to the computer all by myself!  Wow…I’m getting to be such a techy!

As a result, Caleb and Daniel are in the spotlight today.

First, Caleb sings the Spiderman theme song.  (Watch for the web shooting and sound effects)

 

And now, Daniel is enjoying his reflection in a mirror this morning.  The very beginning is the best part, so don’t look away!

Daniel…unplugged

Today is a happy day.  A wonderful day.  A fabulous day.

And Daniel thinks so too!  (Would you look at those eyes?!?!  Dang they’re amazing!)

Notice anything different?  Anything missing?

The cannula is gone!  The stickers are gone!  Our boy is now tube free, and we are loving it (and him)!

Daniel saw the cardiologist today, and it was a great appointment.  The doc. proclaimed that the size of his heart on x-ray was “incredible!”  He has a very quiet murmur – probably valve regurgitation – that is almost too quiet to even hear.  And his oxygen was above 90 without any extra oxygen to keep it there.  Our boy is a rockstar!!  The next time we will get to see the cardiologist will be for a sedated echo in March or April, just to make sure everything looks as it should.  And as long as it does, our little cardiology get-togethers will be only once a year from then on out!

Today is also Daniel’s 7 month birthday.  7 MONTHS!!  Can you believe that?!?!

This boy can roll, and not just from back to belly like he’s been doing since before surgery.  Last week he figured out how to get from his belly to his back.  Before that he’d get stuck on his belly and be so darn mad!  He is all over the place, and loving it.  Life is just one big happy party now!

He has made huge strides in sitting and can tripod with a pillow on his lap for close to a minute.

He has become quite the eater, having sampled avocadoes, bananas, pears, sweet potatoes, squash and peas.  I think the squash may have been his favorite.  Bananas were not his favorite.

And look at this…a sleeping boy without a thumb (or several fingers) in his mouth!  (And no tube above his nose, off to the side of his nose, or in his mouth!)  LOVE!!

I love me some Daniel!  I am so thankful for him (and the rest of my kids) and the amazing love I feel for him. 

We Found One!

We did it!  We found a formula that doesn’t make Daniel sick!  Similac Alimentum has done the impossible.  He’s had it three times now and given us nothing in return.  This is truly an answer to prayer!

(Happy to not be throwing up!)

He’s getting used to the taste of it, so he drinks about half as much as usual.  I honestly didn’t think he would even drink it.  It smells AWFUL, so I can only imagine how it tastes!

Now we have to decide whether Daniel’s issues have truly been from a milk protein sensitivity.  After he’s had more success with the Alimentum, we’re going to try Similac’s soy formula.  If he’s successful with that, we may try just regular Similac.  All of Daniel’s puke fests have happened after drinking Enafmil, so it’s possible that Enfamil’s formulation just doesn’t agree with him.

Baby steps.  Baby steps.

Sunday Best

Quote of the week: This one comes from Rachel, who ALWAYS has something to tell you (even if it’s a simple, “I love you.”).  We were having lunch and, out of nowhere, she said,

“If you eat, it’s a eatover.  If you play, it’s a playover.  If you sleep, it’s a sleepover.  If you get into the cupboard, you get in trouble!” 

Well said, don’t you think?!?!

Accomplishment of the week: Daniel had physical therapy this week for the first time since July!  The PT was so happy to see him again, and to see how much bigger he is.  She was thrilled with his progress and declared that he has achieved head control!  D-man has been working so hard on neck and core strength and is getting close to being able to sit all. by. himself.

(This picture has nothing to do with neck strength, core strength or sitting.  But it has everything to do with cuteness!  Oh, and he happens to be wearing his Sunday best!)

 

Creativity at its finest: Those are glasses made completely out of Legos!  Look out, Elton John!!  Josh is becoming a Lego Ace and continually amazes me with his creativity and ability to put his ideas to work.  (A smile, it seems, is just too much to ask.)

 

And last but not least…

I know this is a “Sunday Best” post…you know, reserved for the best of the best.  But I had to throw this in, because it was the biggest disappointment of my week.  The weather forecasters got it right, for once, and I’m not too happy about it!

(I realize I have nothing to complain about, especially after the beating that our friends on the East Coast got last week.  And it was only about 3 inches.  But still…I was disappointed!)