It's Friday!

Ohhhh, I am so glad this week is over. Six doctor appointments and two therapy sessions in five days is a bit crazy. Kean had his first Synagis shot (the $3000 shot to keep him from getting RSV). He didn't like it a bit... it's one of those thicker, longer shots and boy did he let out a wail. Only 4 more shots to go over the next four months. He's back up to 10 pounds after dipping down from his hospital stint. So he's lookin' good and sounding good.
Calene Borup came over and watched Kean and Reese this afternoon and evening. Byron and I dropped off Holland and Greer at a birthday party and then we headed on a "date" to Costco. We desperately needed food and it was fun to pick up a few Christmas gifts. Byron says I'm a cheap date--- he fed me on Costco samples and I was perfectly happy with that.
We picked the girls up from the party and stopped by my brother's saddle shop: Flynn's and picked out the most beautiful Christmas tree from the lot in his parking lot. We have a family tradition of going up into the mountains, sledding and snowmobiling and cutting down our own tree. This year that's obviously not going to happen-- so instead of our typical Charlie Brown tree-- we have a Supermodel tree.

Whirlwind Day

So I'm a bit of a slow poke. Kean is a little over a week shy of turning 4 months... and I just took his 3 month pic tonight. Sigh....
We had quite the day today. Libby, the therapist came first thing this morning. She let Reese borrow her stethoscope to do a bit of "doctoring" on her own baby.

Here he is doing his exercises and working up a sweat.

I headed to the doctor after she left. What fun, I have a lovely bladder infection. As soon as that appointment was over and a quick run to the pharmacy-- I took Reese and Kean down to MSTI (Mountain States Tumor Institute) for our big meeting with his Pediatric Oncologist. She thinks his Lipoma is the same size or slightly smaller. She cancelled his MRI-- scheduled three months away and replaced it with another Ultrasound (for the MRI- he'd have to be sedated-- so that's a good one to cancel). We're just watching it and it's lookin' good. She did point out a red cluster (looks kind of like a birthmark) under his belly button. I've been watching it-- she, Dr. Chang thinks it may be a hemangioma (think those raised strawberry looking marks you see on people's faces)-- anyway another thing-- but not much to worry about. That made my 5th doctors appointment in 3 days. Phew...

Reese wore her fancy yellow, sparkly Minnie Mouse heels to the appointment. You'd think she was wearing the original Ruby slippers or something. All the nurses and clerks had to come out and see her and them. Of course, once she realized she had a captive audience thinking she was cute-- she had to sing a few songs. So I'm sure that made our 2 hour appointment even longer. She was darn cute-- up until the moment she pointed at a little boy-- around 7 or 8 who was obviously in getting some kind of chemotherapy treatment, sitting on his mother's lap and totally bald. Reese said look mom, there's a cute, big baby. Luckily, the boy smiled and laughed.

I'm off to bed.

A quick update

I took Kean back into the doctor's office today for a follow-up. He's looking and sounding much better. In fact, she cut down all of the steroid and abuterol treatments to just once a day. Whooheee! He hates those treatments and fights me the entire time-- so happily, I'll just have to force him through one. Now if I can just keep the little guy healthy.
Kean also had an ultrasound yesterday. We go to the Pediatric Oncologist tomorrow for the real read on the test-- but the Radiologist came in and talked to us (me, Kean and Reese) and said it looks like the growth on his liver-- the lipoma-- has gotten a tad bit smaller. Tad bit-- would be my interpretation-- not true medical terms. So that was fabulous news.
I swear my days lately have been dominated by doctors appointments, therapists, breathing treatments, feedings and pumping. Thankfully, that will be settling down somewhat.
Speaking of being thankful-- I have to share:
Holland came home with a little essay she wrote and since I'm not computer savvy enough to figure out how to put it on this blog-- I'll just write what she wrote-- misspellings and all:
I am most thankful for...
My you are the best parents my sister and brother could have in the hole world. You feed us, you help at homework. Dad your the person who can fix anything your the best. Mom you can feed Nathan without a fit do you think anybody else could do that. Greer your the best shareir. Reese you could chase Greer and me all day with out getting tired. Nathan you can snort a lot when you eat. Zoe you are getting old I love you. Roxy you are cute and soft.
Tee, hee, hee. Byron and I laughed and laughed. Hope you think its as funny as we did. Our kids are great. I think we'll keep 'em.

Home is where the Heart is...

I am soooo far behind in my postings. I have a gazillion pictures to get on here when I have more time. But for now-- here are a couple. My cousin Danny and his wife Shera Mae are in town from California. They stopped by yesterday with their little miracle boy-- 3 year old Andrew. We had so much to talk about and compare notes on. They were surprised with a Down Syndrome Diagnosis as well. Andrew has had many, many medical issues (you should see the battle wounds on his little chest and stomach)-- but it was amazing to be able to open up and see that we have shared such similar feelings and emotions. I just wish they lived next door instead of a few states away.

And now that we are home, here's a few pictures from Kean's stay at St. Luke's. I figure this won't be the first or last time we go back there for sleepovers. Just getting a cold put him down hard. Here he is getting oxygen to help him breathe. When we first got into the hospital, there were about 7 nurses and doctors working on him... this picture is taken on day two when things had settled down.

He's now on "Nebulizer" treatments-- abeuterol and a steroid to help his airways. He doesn't like it much, even though the facemask looks like a fish from NEMO. I was so dreading them putting an IV in-- but they got one in his arm after a few tries. I always have to leave and walk the halls.

As par for the course, his IV failed and they got one in his leg on the second morning. I was driving into the hospital when all that happened. This time around, I'm especially thankful they didn't have to put an IV in his head (even though they tried). He's finally getting some hair up there-- even though it looks like I've given him a mohawk!

After the little incubator cribs from Intensive Care-- he looks soo tiny in this big boy crib. But he liked the mobile they put up for him.

We came home in time for Thanksgiving and he's doing wonderful. We go in to the doctor's for a followup on Tuesday. Monday should be loads of fun. He has to fast one feeding before going in for an ultrasound. This is to followup on the growth he has on his Liver. Fun, fun.

Very Blessed...

What a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! He's home. Yesterday the bacteria came back as Strep--- but last night, they determined it's just the strep that's on all of our skin-- and probably just got in and contaminated the blood sample taken. Hope that makes sense. But suffice it to say-- it's the best possible scenario and they let me take him home last night. He's still wheezy-- but oh, so much better. I'm off to feed him then make mashed potatoes and other good stuff.
Love to you all, thank you for your prayers and HAPPY THANKSGIVING. We all have much to be grateful for, don't we?

A Quick Update

I'm headed to bed... so this will be short. But Kean is such a little fighter. He had a rough night last night but seems to have turned a corner. He does not have RSV-- but does have a viral infection that caused him to have some pretty serious respiratory distress. He's had lots of breathing treatments and oxygen (and snot sucker treatments) and is finally getting stronger and looking better. He has tested positive for some infection (bacteria)-- so they are "growing it" overnight to see what it is and what's causing it. I'm not too worried. He's already on antibiotics and is getting better and better instead of worse. I'll know more tomorrow.
We are up in Pediatrics instead of Newborn Intensive Care. It's very different.

Boomerang

Ug.
Here we go again.
Kean is back in the hospital. He has a virus-- may be RSV-- they are testing. Can you believe that? He's scheduled to get his first RSV shot in one week. Is that considered cruel irony?
Start the prayers again. He's one sick little man.