One Year Ago Today....

One year ago today, we got news that Landon was going to have a heart defect.  A major defect that would likely entail three surgeries.  Suffice to say, it was the hardest day of our lives.  All the worry and anxiety and and the feeling of complete helplessness.  We knew we would have to wrestle God with this for 20 weeks before he was even born.  Seems like a blessing to know beforehand, but having to agonize over it for months before he was born was daunting.

Landon has spent approximately 39 days in the hospital.  Been to numerous other doctors appointments.  Had two surgeries and a catheterization.  Consumed bottles of medicine.  Fought acid reflux when he was trying to recover.  Had RSV.  He has dealt with a couple of other colds along the way.  Was on oxygen for three months at home, which brought many other challenges along with it. 

But you wouldn't know that he has been through any of this if you met him for the first time today. 

The other day he was playing in his exer-saucer and we realized some obvious cognitive development.  There is a little toy on there that makes different sounds when you push it.  If you push the same button four times in a row it begins to play music.  Landon likes the music so much that he will push the button as fast as possible to get to the music.  When he gets there he stops and listens to the music.  I love that he takes time to stop and listen to the music.   

Seems like a small thing, but to us it is awesome because this quells one of our biggest fears.  That he won't cognitively develop normally.  Little things like this make a huge difference.

I am so grateful for everyone who have been in his life these past 7 1/2 months.  He wouldn't be doing so well without all of the love and affection poured on him.  He laughs so much.  He laughs more in one day than I do in a year. 

Landon sleeps through the night now.  No coincidence that this started briefly after removing the oxygen at night.  The cord is quite annoying to have shoved up your nose.  He is also starting to make consonant sounds.  Every day is different, but better than the previous. 

Praise God for the miraculous start to his life.  

Gary

P.S. The bolded sentences are on purpose.  Go back and read them one more time to realize how amazing this journey has been for us.

Spring Update

Landon is now 7 months old and has been doing great lately! He has been eating really well (most of the time) and at his last cardiologist appointment his heart function was good and he seems to be growing and developing on track.  Not to mention he is so much fun and his personality is coming out a lot!

He has another cardiologist appointment today (the last one was a month ago) and his 6 month checkup with the pediatrician tomorrow. (We got a month behind since his 4 month appt should have been right when surgery was happening). We are hoping that the cardiologist (dr brames) will give us the ok to take him off oxygen completely and possibly lower his lasix dose to once a day instead of twice. We've been putting off refilling the oxygen tank because I am so hoping that I can call them and say "TAKE IT AWAY!" Just coming off the oxygen will be a huge relief to us. He wakes up every morning playing with the cord and gets himself tangled in it all the time. We can only keep it so far out of reach when it's attached to his face.  It's definitely easier him being on it just at night rather than all the time, but when we have to put the tube in his night he hates it!

He has been doing so much lately! He is doing some sitting on his own for short periods of time and if you let him sit with the boppy pillow around him he'll sit much longer. He's well into solid foods now and seems to have a differenct reaction everytime we feed him. The first time he tried apples he ate them all but I gave them to him earlier this week and he gagged. He has most recently tried avacado (not much reaction either way), peas (mixed reactions) and pears (mixed reactions). He has really started rolling ALL over the place since he masterd rolling back to front this weekend. He can easily travel several feet in the matter of a few minutes!

It's so sweet to see him smile at Gary and I whenever we've been away (or even out of the room for just a few minutes). He's a very smiley boy and he's laughing all the time- he always cracks up when I give him eskimo kisses (rub our noses together) and when I squeeze his little tush (not really sure why on that one!). He really enjoys his "buddy" at daycare, oliver, who is  almost 11 months now. Oliver is always happy to see Landon when we get there in the morning.

(by the way, Gary and I are doing fine too :-)
















Nate and Ashley and their son Drew came out from DC for a weekend and we went to the St Patricks Day parade


























































Gary's brothers and their families came out to visit us over Easter weekend.  We had a great time and Landon got to meet some of his aunts and uncles and his cousin Abigail!











Landon's Easter Outfit


















Playing with a football

















After eating his first veggies (carrots, can you tell?)















Sitting up!
















Playing in the excersaucer













 Having fun with daddy!