Doctor's Appointment

It's been a while again. Honestly we just hang out here at home and there isn't a whole lot to report on Carter.

We went and had Carter's six month check up at the pediatrician the other day. He weighed in at 16 pounds 13 ounces - he is getting to be a very big boy!! He is also 25 3/4 inches long. The doctor said he looks great and he is impressed by how much weight he is gaining. We have lowered his calories down to 24 (he was at 27) and they have increased his volume to 750 mL per day. We also are adding 100 mL of water each day to give him extra liquid but not more calories.

We have a swallow study scheduled for October 21 up at PCMC. This is an interesting test in which they give Carter a bottle and watch by x-ray to see if he can protect his lungs from getting fluid into them. We know he is not aspirating where we can tell - but there is a possibility that he could be silently aspirating and that is what they want to check. If there is no evidence of silent aspiration then we are good to start really pushing the bottle thing with the speech therapist. If he is silently aspirating then the next step would be to insert a G-tube directly into his stomach and that is how he would be fed. This would help immensely because he couldn't pull out a G-tube like he can his NG feeding tube. We just hope and pray we don't have to go down the G-tube route - but of course we will do whatever is in the best interest of Carter.

Carter will be getting shots this season to prevent him from getting RSV. Evidently they are very expensive shots so our doctors office has sent the paperwork to our insurance to get him "pre-approved." Once we receive the approval we will set up a schedule as he will have to receive a shot every 28 days. Thank goodness this is available otherwise we probably wouldn't be leaving our house at all this winter. Our doctor said we are now good to take Carter places. Yeah for us!! We have ventured out to the store a couple of times - it is nice to be able to run errands again during the day. Of course there will be instances this winter when it will be in the best interest not to take Carter places - but we will just weigh out each situation.

On a funnier note, our DDI Early Intervention therapist Marsha told us we needed to buy a bumbo for Carter. This seat would help him learn to hold his head up better and strengthen his muscles in his core. Boy he loves his bumbo (see picture). He can't sit in it for long periods of time, but he is definitely strengthening his neck muscles. Doesn't he look cute? Of course we are prejudiced and we think he is the cutest. Way to go Carter - you are getting to be a big strong boy!!