These videos are my 2 favorite things. As of this morning.
There will probably be a new video or picture from today that will take their place, but maybe not. I can't believe how much J changes everyday! He can do new things now that he couldn't do just a week ago. Crazy! Check out that smile and laugh, and Matt's favorite thing to do with him: show off his walking skills! Hilarious!
I apologize for the annoying clicking sound, but seriously that sound can make him laugh any time, any place!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Baby J Update
So, it's been awhile since I've posted some new things about Baby J.
He is sooo fun. He is smiling, laughing, squealing with delight.
I can't remember life before him and I don't really want to! He is just so fun and is the best companion. :)
Today we had his monthly clinic visit. He is such a rockstar.
He is up to 12 lbs 8.8 oz, which is a pretty big feat for someone battling malabsorption! The dietitian was pleased and asked me to start thinking about solids. We're thinking about it but that's about it. He is starting to actually eat his applesauce rather than push it back out with his tongue, but we'll just keep looking for the day when he's ready. I actually think my life will get a little easier then. Won't have to pump because we'll be able to just add fats to his food and he won't have to eat nasty salty applesauce, we'll put the salt in his foods. But, I'm not wishing anything away or trying to rush it along. All when he's ready!
We did start a new treatment for him today. Yes, a new one. I thought we were maxed out on treatments (at least now that we're not on any antibiotics) but I was wrong! We have now started Hyper tonic Saline through the nebulizer too. This will happen twice a day, before his percussion therapy. I thought I might burst into tears when they told me they wanted to start it. Basically, he sounds like he's on the verge of getting a cold and so they just thought they'd do a trial dose in the clinic to see how he tolerated it. I have never heard him cough the way he did during the treatment. He was seriously moving some icky mucus up and actually coughing it OUT. This is new. He sounded totally clear after the treatment and his O2 levels and lung retractions were better after they did it! I was shocked. I could actually see an improvement in 15 minutes. So, although this tacks on an extra 15 minutes twice a day, I think this will really help him! It sounds like we'll use it on an "as-needed" basis when he is getting gunky or starting to cough more. But, lots of people who participated in the recent HS study chose to continue it even though they weren't symptomatic anymore. Pretty amazing what is available to us through medicine. I keep thanking God that we have all of this at our fingertips. I can't imagine if we still didn't know what was wrong with him (lots of kids still don't get diagnosed until they're 2 or 3) or if we knew what was wrong but just didn't have access to the care we do. So until the day that there's a cure for CF, we'll just keep plugging along and keeping him as healthy as we can!
(By the way, if you're in the Salt Lake area, we're starting a team for the CF Foundation local fundraiser walk which is on May 21st! Keep your calendars open... we'll be posting/sending out sign-up info soon. :)
God has been good to be giving me extra doses of grace, strength and lots of perspective. I made the mistake this weekend of blog-hopping to different CF mom blogs and got completely overwhelmed. Read stories about women losing their young children to CF and I just lost it. Not choosing fear or anxiety or any "what-ifs!" Choosing joy, optimism, and trust in the God who is the same yesterday, today and forever!
Here are a few new pics of the J man. We just fall more in love with him everyday! God is so good to give us this experience!
He is sooo fun. He is smiling, laughing, squealing with delight.
I can't remember life before him and I don't really want to! He is just so fun and is the best companion. :)
Today we had his monthly clinic visit. He is such a rockstar.
He is up to 12 lbs 8.8 oz, which is a pretty big feat for someone battling malabsorption! The dietitian was pleased and asked me to start thinking about solids. We're thinking about it but that's about it. He is starting to actually eat his applesauce rather than push it back out with his tongue, but we'll just keep looking for the day when he's ready. I actually think my life will get a little easier then. Won't have to pump because we'll be able to just add fats to his food and he won't have to eat nasty salty applesauce, we'll put the salt in his foods. But, I'm not wishing anything away or trying to rush it along. All when he's ready!
We did start a new treatment for him today. Yes, a new one. I thought we were maxed out on treatments (at least now that we're not on any antibiotics) but I was wrong! We have now started Hyper tonic Saline through the nebulizer too. This will happen twice a day, before his percussion therapy. I thought I might burst into tears when they told me they wanted to start it. Basically, he sounds like he's on the verge of getting a cold and so they just thought they'd do a trial dose in the clinic to see how he tolerated it. I have never heard him cough the way he did during the treatment. He was seriously moving some icky mucus up and actually coughing it OUT. This is new. He sounded totally clear after the treatment and his O2 levels and lung retractions were better after they did it! I was shocked. I could actually see an improvement in 15 minutes. So, although this tacks on an extra 15 minutes twice a day, I think this will really help him! It sounds like we'll use it on an "as-needed" basis when he is getting gunky or starting to cough more. But, lots of people who participated in the recent HS study chose to continue it even though they weren't symptomatic anymore. Pretty amazing what is available to us through medicine. I keep thanking God that we have all of this at our fingertips. I can't imagine if we still didn't know what was wrong with him (lots of kids still don't get diagnosed until they're 2 or 3) or if we knew what was wrong but just didn't have access to the care we do. So until the day that there's a cure for CF, we'll just keep plugging along and keeping him as healthy as we can!
(By the way, if you're in the Salt Lake area, we're starting a team for the CF Foundation local fundraiser walk which is on May 21st! Keep your calendars open... we'll be posting/sending out sign-up info soon. :)
God has been good to be giving me extra doses of grace, strength and lots of perspective. I made the mistake this weekend of blog-hopping to different CF mom blogs and got completely overwhelmed. Read stories about women losing their young children to CF and I just lost it. Not choosing fear or anxiety or any "what-ifs!" Choosing joy, optimism, and trust in the God who is the same yesterday, today and forever!
Here are a few new pics of the J man. We just fall more in love with him everyday! God is so good to give us this experience!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Reading the book first...
So. I have this thing about movies based on books. I have to read the book first so that I can paint my own picture and so that it's not tainted by what a director's mind painting was like. I learned tonight that the Cohen brothers did this with True Grit. They read the book and didn't see the original movie so it could be just their own interpretation.
This has its pros and cons. Because usually I like the book better. Way better.
I usually walk away feeling disappointed because I probably would have liked the movie just fine if I hadn't read the book first. This is the case with The Time Traveler's Wife. And Ella Enchanted. And My Sister's Keeper. And lots of others that my mind can't think of right now. (Didn't feel this way about Eat Pray Love because of a few comments from friends and after seeing the movie I'm glad I didn't read the book to be honest..) I'm sure I will feel that way with the Hunger Games movies whenever they come out. And with The Help when they decide to make that into a movie.
The only movies I haven't felt that way with are the Narnia movies. Maybe it's because they are animated so beautifully, but they surpass my mind's picture of what Narnia looks like and they match and exceed my vision of Aslan. Ah, Aslan. "He's not a tame lion, no, but he is good." I love that C.S. Lewis knew God so intimately which is so beautifully characterized and obvious in his portrayal of Aslan.
Anyway, the book club I'm a part of conveniently chose "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" for our book this last month. I am looking forward to seeing the movie and had already decided to read the book. I loved the book and the story and Lewis' way of writing and putting things, as usual.
And I cried.
It happens every time I read a Narnia book.
I feel silly crying at a children's book. Like the Giving Tree. Or Stone Fox. Or Love You Forever. But it happens all the time. This wasn't so convenient when I taught... had many long pause moments to pull it together while 25 7-year-olds stared awkwardly.
But, the Narnia books are not just children's books. Yes, they are tales of great adventure and exploration, and wonderful stories about children venturing out on their own and having to make their own decisions (even if they are bad ones, Edmund!), but they are so much more. There is so much symbolism drafted into every page.
Anyway, this has turned into a rambling post and I will leave you with a quote from one of the last few pages of the book. Loved it. Recommend it. And all of C.S. Lewis's writings for that matter. :)
'"There is a way into my country from all the worlds," said the Lamb; but as he spoke his snowy white flushed into tawny gold and his size changed and he was Aslan himself, towering above them and scattering light from his mane.
"Oh, Aslan," said Lucy. "Will you tell us how to get into your country from our world?"
"I shall be telling you all the time," [insert tears] said Aslan. "But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge Builder.."
Beautiful.
Next we are reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and I just saw that there's a movie of that book too, so I'll have to check it out. After I've read the book of course.
This has its pros and cons. Because usually I like the book better. Way better.
I usually walk away feeling disappointed because I probably would have liked the movie just fine if I hadn't read the book first. This is the case with The Time Traveler's Wife. And Ella Enchanted. And My Sister's Keeper. And lots of others that my mind can't think of right now. (Didn't feel this way about Eat Pray Love because of a few comments from friends and after seeing the movie I'm glad I didn't read the book to be honest..) I'm sure I will feel that way with the Hunger Games movies whenever they come out. And with The Help when they decide to make that into a movie.
The only movies I haven't felt that way with are the Narnia movies. Maybe it's because they are animated so beautifully, but they surpass my mind's picture of what Narnia looks like and they match and exceed my vision of Aslan. Ah, Aslan. "He's not a tame lion, no, but he is good." I love that C.S. Lewis knew God so intimately which is so beautifully characterized and obvious in his portrayal of Aslan.
Anyway, the book club I'm a part of conveniently chose "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" for our book this last month. I am looking forward to seeing the movie and had already decided to read the book. I loved the book and the story and Lewis' way of writing and putting things, as usual.
And I cried.
It happens every time I read a Narnia book.
I feel silly crying at a children's book. Like the Giving Tree. Or Stone Fox. Or Love You Forever. But it happens all the time. This wasn't so convenient when I taught... had many long pause moments to pull it together while 25 7-year-olds stared awkwardly.
But, the Narnia books are not just children's books. Yes, they are tales of great adventure and exploration, and wonderful stories about children venturing out on their own and having to make their own decisions (even if they are bad ones, Edmund!), but they are so much more. There is so much symbolism drafted into every page.
Anyway, this has turned into a rambling post and I will leave you with a quote from one of the last few pages of the book. Loved it. Recommend it. And all of C.S. Lewis's writings for that matter. :)
'"There is a way into my country from all the worlds," said the Lamb; but as he spoke his snowy white flushed into tawny gold and his size changed and he was Aslan himself, towering above them and scattering light from his mane.
"Oh, Aslan," said Lucy. "Will you tell us how to get into your country from our world?"
"I shall be telling you all the time," [insert tears] said Aslan. "But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge Builder.."
Beautiful.
Next we are reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and I just saw that there's a movie of that book too, so I'll have to check it out. After I've read the book of course.
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