It's been several weeks since I posted! As always, we've had a lot going on but the last few weeks have been even busier than usual! The week after I had the stomach flu (my last post), Landon came down with a cold (which Gary and I got too, of course) which was later diagnosed as RSV. RSV usually just looks like a cold in adults and kids but in really young babies or other babies who are at high risk (Landon), it can become a serious problem. It was certainly not a fun time for any of us, but luckily Landon made it through without any trips to the hospital. (There were, however, multiple trips to the pediatrician since he wasn't getting better for several days). We put him back on his oxygen during the day for a few weeks to help him get through it- he had it for about 3 weeks. Now he's all better and back to normal pretty much- eating better again and everything. It was certainly a challenge when Gary had to be in Denver for 5 days during the women's final 4 weekend- Landon and I were both sick and pretty miserable.
We had started him on rice cereal a few times but when he was sick we didn't want to push this new thing. He's been back on it for about a week though and does ok with it. He doesn't love it but at least seems to not spit ALL of it out at least. I just gave him carrots for the first time today and it seemed to be a mixed reaction, so we'll see what he ends of liking the most. He's eating very small quantities of course, just getting using to swallowing stuff that's thicker than milk and eating from a spoon.
We got the go ahead from the cardiologist last week to let him sleep at night as long as he wanted to (basically not wake him up to eat if he is sleeping). This is so great because it means sleeping through the night is at the end of the tunnel! The last few nights he has gone 8 hours after his last feed of the day before waking up hungry! Other developments- he smiles more all the time, blows raspberries a lot, and jibber jabbers a good part of the day. He seems to love the sound of his voice, though isn't really saying consonants much yet. He loved to stick out his hand and let me kiss it- I always get a big smile from that. Still not rolling much from back to front- he gets like 80% there but won't flip himself all the way over. He has 2 teeth now but I think more must be ready to pop through soon because he is drooling a lot and chewing on stuff constantly! He loves to smile at mom and dad and watch the action as we move around the room.
Heartwise the cardiologist is very happy with where he is- his function, flow and oxygen saturations all look good. Hopefully at our next visit in about 3 weeks we'll be able to get rid of the oxygen completely and lower one of his meds. He's only on 3 at this point, but 2 of them are twice a day- fewer doses are always a wonderful thing!
This last weekend both of Gary's brothers and their families (including Landon's cousin, Abigail) came in town to visit and meet Landon. We hung out a lot at the house did a few things around town- it was a lot of fun to just spend time with them and celebrate Easter together. He's officially met all of the aunts and uncles (and cousin) now, but we've got much more extended family we're hoping he'll get to meet over the summer. We're so grateful that he is doing so well- his weight gain has been good (we don't even have to get weekly weight checks with home health anymore!) and he is so much better about eating now that a few of his teeth have popped through. He's a good kid and seems to be loving life. I'll try to post some recent pictures in the next few days.
On a different note, Gary and I received some tragic news recently. One of our former students from the youth group we volunteer with at our church died in a climbing accident last weekend. He was a well-loved young man who lived an active and full life and loved Jesus with all his heart. He was an example to so many of the students and leaders alike of what it meant to live a meaningful and adventurous life. I have been blown away by how his family has sought to glorify God in every step of this process and honor the memory of their son. They have strived to do things in a way that represents Ryan and points to Jesus, even if out of the "norm". His funeral was one of the most incredible times of worship I've been a part of in a long time and even though it was sad at times, it truly was a celebration of his life. Please pray for the Wahl family in the weeks and months ahead. I know it will be a difficult journey for them and that the joy of knowing he is in Heaven will sometimes be outweighed by the loss of Ryan's larger than life presence.
