Now weighing in at 15lbs!

Now weighing in at 15lbs.... Andy's 4 month checkup went well yesterday.

Here are his lates stats:
Weight - 15 lbs - 50th percentile (seriously... I thought he would be way higher - he weighs a ton!)
Height - 23" - 60th percentile (let's hope he's taking after Tom's genes here)
Head - 43 - 75th percentile (still on the same curve as his 2 month which is a good thing)

The doctor was pleased by Andy's leg movement, and she was shocked to see that he can roll in both directions (which is apparently early for his age). We now begin to add prune juice to his daily diet in hopes of keeping constipation at a minimum (that just sounds disgusting but after one dose of 5 day consitpation already - I'll do anything to help that little guy). The doctor is hoping that he will outgrow his spitting up in the next few months (for now we change burp cloths and bibs after nearly every feeding) since he isn't losing any weight.

The bummer of the appointment was discovering that once again Andy is following Robby's lead and has double ear infections! This is his second ear infection since he was born. Amoxicillin - here we come!

I also had her check Robby's ears as well since all three of us were there w/ stuffy noses and coughing. While he currently does not have an ear infection, one may be coming. For now, we battle the endless nights of hacking and coughing as I attempt to keep both boys upright (not that easy w/ Robby's restless body syndrome of tossing and turning).

I'm hoping that the New Year will bring us positive health updates for Andy, more sleep, and less ear infections!

Starting New Traditions

Making Christmas traditions is a bit harder than following them... this I discovered as we decided to try and make our own traditions this year instead of playing the insane game of running from one party to the next. Between work, doctor appointments, and attempting to lesson the ever growing laundry pile, we haven't had a ton of time to enjoy the holiday season. Now that Robby is nearly three (and has a memory of an adult - scratch that - a better memory than me), I'm trying to take time out of our crazy schedule to start our own traditions.

Making Christmas cookies was definitely a treat! I'm not quite sure which part he liked best... his precision cutting skills using the cookie cutter, smashing handfulls of sprinkles onto the frosting, or trying to shove an entire cookie into his mouth at once. You be the judge :)

Andy has taken a more laid back approach to Christmas this year; he figures next year will be his turn to find trouble.

We opted to not put up the 7 foot tree this year after watching Robby's love and obsession with "decorating" the smaller tree. The small white stepladder remains a fixture in our living room, as he works away, and the tree has never looked so .... lovely. (Can you believe that Tom seriously put this in the back ground of our family Christmas picture without fixing it? Oh well, it has character... I guess - see I'm working on letting things go.)

Yes, we have many things to be thankful this year. We have been blessed by two wonderful boys that bring smiles to our faces each and every day. Our family and friends have been so supportive. We both have jobs (and more importantly health insurance). So, as I attempt to make new traditions this year, I figure as long as we're together life couldn't be any better!

Merry Christmas to you from the Mathews!

Raving Results from the Doctors

The doctors' results are in... both boys are doing wonderfully!
This week brought on my first full week of teaching (well - almost - I had to take off Thursday for Andy's doctor appointments). Both boys are adapting well to the early to bed and early to rise schedule. One thing is for sure - days truly fly by and so do the nights. Robby has started to wake at 5 am to spend time w/ me curled up in his blankies under the heat lamp in the bathroom while I get ready for work. While I wish he would keep sleeping, it is really cute and comforting to hear him suck on his passy and cuddle in the heat. We are two of a kind - we both love to be comfy, cozy :)

Here's the doctor info:
Robby's ENT said his ears look great & tonsils aren't that big, so he doesn't have to go back until spring! Let's hope this is an ear-infection-free winter! No word yet if his restless leg syndrome is better - poor little guy. He moves around so much during the night; he's constantly hitting one wall or another as he rolls.

Andy's first trip to the urologist went well. The doctor is new to the office, but he seems very knowledgeable & happy to answer any of our questions. Andy's kidneys look awesome - this is something we have to keep an eye on. Children w/ SB tend to develop bladder infection quite often & reflux can occur where the urine backs up into the kidneys. He has to have ultrasounds done of his kidneys every 3 months to ensure everything is okay. As long as bladder infections don't start occurring, this should be an easy appointment for us. There will be no way of knowing if he will be able to control his bladder / bowels until he is potty training age, so for now we can only assume the best!

Andy's PT (physical therapy) appointment at Mary Free Bed was an ordeal to say the least. They rescheduled twice and when I showed up at the scheduled time, the PT never showed up to do his evaluation. Staying calm was a bit difficult for me, but you all would have been proud as I calmly demanded that he still be evaluated since I took the day off of work w/ no pay to have the evaluation done. An hour & a half later, we got wonderful news. Andy is doing wonderfully. He's kicking his legs, maintaining good head control, beginning to roll over, and showing little need for intense therapy at this time. He will continue his weekly PT with Early On, but we do not have to go back to Mary Free Bed until March!

It truly is a time to be thankful at our house! We have wonderful boys that continue to amaze us daily. Robby has become an extreme Christmas tree decorator. We decided to let him decorate our mini tree this year. He's been working on it (literally) for two weeks now. Each day he asks for the step ladder, climbs it, proceeds to use his tools to drill, saw, and "fix" the tree. It now has bolts, nuts, pieces of play wood, tractors, and construction equipment all over it. However, if this free entertainment keeps up, I might just leave the tree up all year! This has been the best way to capture his attention I have found yet!

This week brings on another head ultrasound and neuro. appointment. We're praying for the best (shunt free), and we'll keep you posted!