Better late than never, right? Here we go, another month has come and passed. We've had a relatively quiet month, but Jackson has done a lot of growing in the sense of size, personality, and abilities. He is currently weighing in at 13lbs 5oz and has become quite the talker. I even like to think that he sings in his own Jackson way at night when gets his bath. I know I've said it before and I know that this won't be the last time that I say it, but he amazes Matt and I more and more each and every day. He is so strong, alert, and just outright cute.
If you didn't see my post on Facebook, I am officially a stay at home mom. I am so thankful that we are financially able for me to be able to stay home with Jackson. Matt and I discussed it a lot and tried to really get things in order before making the decision. I want to say that the decision wasn't easy to make, but that isn't completely true. Making the decision to stay home with Jackson was the easiest decision I've ever made. He is my number one priority. The decision of going back to work was going to be the hard one to make. I know that a lot of mommies struggle with going back to work, but for me it was even worse. We've been through so much and it took so much to get him here safely that I just couldn't fathom leaving him. While I may not be able to stay home for an extended amount of time, I'm going to enjoy each and every moment that I have. Our days are full of playing, talking, reading, singing, and dancing. I can't imagine anything better!
Jackson has officially found both of his hands and is loving them at every moment possible. I'm trying to get him to still take a paci since that will be easier to take away down the road, but he prefers his hands. Hopefully when the time comes we won't struggle to get him to stop sucking on his fingers/thumb. The sound he makes when he sucks on his fingers/thumb is priceless and he gets so excited about it. His newest thing is sticking his fingers far enough in his mouth to where he will gag. Yuck!
If looks could melt someone into a puddle of love, his smile totally melts me and make my heart grow bigger and bigger. I can be half asleep and ready to cry for one reason or another, but the second I look at him and he gives me one of his sly, toothless grins, it changes my mood completely and perks me up. He's my reason for everything. He's my everything. Becoming his mom was the best thing that has ever happened to me and I know that Matt would agree that becoming his dad was the best thing to ever happen to him. Who knew you could love someone so much that it literally hurts, but in a good way?
Anyone else's kiddo extremely snotty (congested) sounding all of the time? I've taken Jackson to the doctor on several occasions because of him sounding congested, but the doctor keeps contributing it to reflux. It's gotten so bad that it's starting to keep him up and/or waking him up due to coughing. I'm starting to think that I need to take him to a specialist and try to get to the bottom of this. If it is just reflux then there has to be a solution for it, right?
Jackson had his urodynamic test done on September 17th and I of course was a nervous wreck. Children with spina bifida or other neurologic abnormalities often have problems with the urinary system. Some have trouble controlling urination (incontinence) where the bladder is unable to empty when it is full while others may empty only partially. Besides causing urine leakage, bladder problems can also cause urine infections and potential kidney damage. The urodynamics test is used to assess how well the bladder and urethral sphincter are doing their jobs of collecting, holding and releasing urine.
A CMG test is used to assess how the bladder behaves while urine is stored and while urine is passed. The test includes measurement of bladder pressure and muscle activity. A VCMG is similar to a CMG, but incorporates an x-ray of the bladder to provide a state-of-the-art diagnostic test. One electrode was placed on the hip and two electrodes in the buttocks area. The electrodes measured abdominal muscle activity while Jackson was voiding. A small catheter was placed in the rectum
to measure the pressure in the abdomen and then a small catheter was placed in the bladder to measure the pressure in the bladder. Any urine in the bladder was drained and a urine specimen was done to check if there was any bacteria in the urine which came back clean. The bladder was then filled with a blue-colored saline solution and bladder pressures and muscle activity were measured and watched closely until Jackson needed to void again.
After the test the urologist came in to discuss the findings. As far as she was concerned, the test couldn't have gone any better. His bladder is holding pressure and releasing urine like it should. There is no sign of pressure being put on the kidneys which is great news! Overall she was very pleased with the results and told us that she would conduct the test again in a year. However, we will see her again in November when we go for our second spina bifida clinic should any concerns arise.
Jackson had his tenotomy done on the 9th. The Achilles tenotomy is an integral part of Ponseti management of clubfoot. Tenotomy is necessary because the Achilles tendon, unlike the ligaments of the foot, is made up of thick, non-stretchable fibres. After the tenotomy the foot is placed in a final cast in an over-corrected position of maximal abduction and dorsiflexion. The tendon re-grows in this lengthened position, allowing the range of motion needed at the ankle joint. The procedure is very minor and rarely requires anything more than just a small line of surgical glue. After the procedure Jackson was put into soft casts for hopefully the last time. He will wear this set of casts for 3 weeks straight. After 3 weeks, Dr. Martus will check his healing and Jackson will be fitted for his first set of knee, ankle, foot orthosis (KAFOs).
I took Jackson to the Zoo for the first time and Matt's mom, our niece, and Matt's stepbrother joined us. It was a beautiful day, but I think we went at a bad time because most of the animals were not out. I'm not sure if they were put up for lunch or what was going on, but it was kind of disappointing. Jackson didn't seem to mind though because he slept most of the time. Haha! My plan is to buy a membership so we can go whenever we would like. It gives me a reason to get us out of the house and who doesn't love the zoo? :) I look forward to when he is older and I can take him to the Discovery Center and other similar places for him to play and learn. Poor kid doesn't stand a chance with having a teacher as a mommy.
We have finally started sleeping through the night! Whoo hoo! Jackson will sleep for about 7-8 hours before waking up and wanting to eat again. We'll get up and I'll change him and feed him and then he'll go back to sleep for another 3-4 hours. It's been awesome! However, the first week or so was pretty rough on me since he was skipping meals. I would wake up in pretty serious pain, but thankfully that has pretty much worked itself out - sorta! When does the milk factory get the memo that they can slow down production?
I don't know where he learned it from, but Jackson has become the biggest flirt. I first noticed him flirting with the lady that changes his casts each week. He would start “talking” to her and anytime she would respond he would turn his head to the side to try and hide it and then he would let out a little giggle and start “talking” again. He is quite the ladies man already… Boy oh boy am I in trouble!
Speaking of “talking,” Jackson always has something to say. We’ve gone from short little “ah boo” sounds to him getting really excited about something and getting very loud. He tries to imitate sounds and has even started blowing air through his lips to make them move. Every once in a while he will make the mouth fart noise and it always cracks us up.
We officially have a kiddo that wants to sit up all the time. The only time he wants to lay back is when he’s eating, otherwise he wants to be up and looking around. The only problem is that he still doesn’t have great head control so we have to make sure that we have a hand resting on his chest to catch his head in case it falls forward. He’s gotten really good at not letting it fall backwards. He is so inquisitive that he even wants to face outward when being worn, but I’m not ready for that since he doesn’t have great head control. One day soon though! Since he likes to sit up so much I guess it’s time to get him a Sit-me-up or a Bumbo seat.
We're still working on tummy time and getting him to not prefer one side to the other. I work with him every day and physical therapy comes once a week to work with him. He is scheduled for an hour a week, but he gets pretty tired 30 – 45 minutes in so she’s working on stamina as well. He’s gotten much better at not staying on his right side for too long, but PT said that she can still see a difference in his range of motion and feel that the left side is tighter. She gave me a few more exercises to work with him and get him stretched out more. The good news is that it’s getting better! One day at a time, one stretch at a time. Once Jackson gets his casts off, then she’ll start incorporating his legs into the PT sessions!
PT thinks that once Jackson gets his casts off that he should start rolling fairly quickly. We practice rolling with him each day by holding his hand and gently pulling him to whichever side we want him to roll to. When we first started working on rolling he let us do all of the work, but now he does the work and lets the weight of the casts help – stinker! Next thing is to work on getting him to roll from tummy to back, but for now we’re going to focus on just back to tummy until he can get that mastered. We’re on his schedule and he’ll let us know when he’s ready.
I apologize for it taking me so long to post this months update. With it having been a slow/quiet month I'm not sure how I fell so far behind. I'm already up to date for month 5, so hopefully I won't be late. :)
Crystal
If you didn't see my post on Facebook, I am officially a stay at home mom. I am so thankful that we are financially able for me to be able to stay home with Jackson. Matt and I discussed it a lot and tried to really get things in order before making the decision. I want to say that the decision wasn't easy to make, but that isn't completely true. Making the decision to stay home with Jackson was the easiest decision I've ever made. He is my number one priority. The decision of going back to work was going to be the hard one to make. I know that a lot of mommies struggle with going back to work, but for me it was even worse. We've been through so much and it took so much to get him here safely that I just couldn't fathom leaving him. While I may not be able to stay home for an extended amount of time, I'm going to enjoy each and every moment that I have. Our days are full of playing, talking, reading, singing, and dancing. I can't imagine anything better!
Jackson has officially found both of his hands and is loving them at every moment possible. I'm trying to get him to still take a paci since that will be easier to take away down the road, but he prefers his hands. Hopefully when the time comes we won't struggle to get him to stop sucking on his fingers/thumb. The sound he makes when he sucks on his fingers/thumb is priceless and he gets so excited about it. His newest thing is sticking his fingers far enough in his mouth to where he will gag. Yuck!
If looks could melt someone into a puddle of love, his smile totally melts me and make my heart grow bigger and bigger. I can be half asleep and ready to cry for one reason or another, but the second I look at him and he gives me one of his sly, toothless grins, it changes my mood completely and perks me up. He's my reason for everything. He's my everything. Becoming his mom was the best thing that has ever happened to me and I know that Matt would agree that becoming his dad was the best thing to ever happen to him. Who knew you could love someone so much that it literally hurts, but in a good way?
Anyone else's kiddo extremely snotty (congested) sounding all of the time? I've taken Jackson to the doctor on several occasions because of him sounding congested, but the doctor keeps contributing it to reflux. It's gotten so bad that it's starting to keep him up and/or waking him up due to coughing. I'm starting to think that I need to take him to a specialist and try to get to the bottom of this. If it is just reflux then there has to be a solution for it, right?
Jackson had his urodynamic test done on September 17th and I of course was a nervous wreck. Children with spina bifida or other neurologic abnormalities often have problems with the urinary system. Some have trouble controlling urination (incontinence) where the bladder is unable to empty when it is full while others may empty only partially. Besides causing urine leakage, bladder problems can also cause urine infections and potential kidney damage. The urodynamics test is used to assess how well the bladder and urethral sphincter are doing their jobs of collecting, holding and releasing urine.
A CMG test is used to assess how the bladder behaves while urine is stored and while urine is passed. The test includes measurement of bladder pressure and muscle activity. A VCMG is similar to a CMG, but incorporates an x-ray of the bladder to provide a state-of-the-art diagnostic test. One electrode was placed on the hip and two electrodes in the buttocks area. The electrodes measured abdominal muscle activity while Jackson was voiding. A small catheter was placed in the rectum
to measure the pressure in the abdomen and then a small catheter was placed in the bladder to measure the pressure in the bladder. Any urine in the bladder was drained and a urine specimen was done to check if there was any bacteria in the urine which came back clean. The bladder was then filled with a blue-colored saline solution and bladder pressures and muscle activity were measured and watched closely until Jackson needed to void again.
After the test the urologist came in to discuss the findings. As far as she was concerned, the test couldn't have gone any better. His bladder is holding pressure and releasing urine like it should. There is no sign of pressure being put on the kidneys which is great news! Overall she was very pleased with the results and told us that she would conduct the test again in a year. However, we will see her again in November when we go for our second spina bifida clinic should any concerns arise.
Jackson had his tenotomy done on the 9th. The Achilles tenotomy is an integral part of Ponseti management of clubfoot. Tenotomy is necessary because the Achilles tendon, unlike the ligaments of the foot, is made up of thick, non-stretchable fibres. After the tenotomy the foot is placed in a final cast in an over-corrected position of maximal abduction and dorsiflexion. The tendon re-grows in this lengthened position, allowing the range of motion needed at the ankle joint. The procedure is very minor and rarely requires anything more than just a small line of surgical glue. After the procedure Jackson was put into soft casts for hopefully the last time. He will wear this set of casts for 3 weeks straight. After 3 weeks, Dr. Martus will check his healing and Jackson will be fitted for his first set of knee, ankle, foot orthosis (KAFOs).
I took Jackson to the Zoo for the first time and Matt's mom, our niece, and Matt's stepbrother joined us. It was a beautiful day, but I think we went at a bad time because most of the animals were not out. I'm not sure if they were put up for lunch or what was going on, but it was kind of disappointing. Jackson didn't seem to mind though because he slept most of the time. Haha! My plan is to buy a membership so we can go whenever we would like. It gives me a reason to get us out of the house and who doesn't love the zoo? :) I look forward to when he is older and I can take him to the Discovery Center and other similar places for him to play and learn. Poor kid doesn't stand a chance with having a teacher as a mommy.
We have finally started sleeping through the night! Whoo hoo! Jackson will sleep for about 7-8 hours before waking up and wanting to eat again. We'll get up and I'll change him and feed him and then he'll go back to sleep for another 3-4 hours. It's been awesome! However, the first week or so was pretty rough on me since he was skipping meals. I would wake up in pretty serious pain, but thankfully that has pretty much worked itself out - sorta! When does the milk factory get the memo that they can slow down production?
I don't know where he learned it from, but Jackson has become the biggest flirt. I first noticed him flirting with the lady that changes his casts each week. He would start “talking” to her and anytime she would respond he would turn his head to the side to try and hide it and then he would let out a little giggle and start “talking” again. He is quite the ladies man already… Boy oh boy am I in trouble!
Speaking of “talking,” Jackson always has something to say. We’ve gone from short little “ah boo” sounds to him getting really excited about something and getting very loud. He tries to imitate sounds and has even started blowing air through his lips to make them move. Every once in a while he will make the mouth fart noise and it always cracks us up.
We officially have a kiddo that wants to sit up all the time. The only time he wants to lay back is when he’s eating, otherwise he wants to be up and looking around. The only problem is that he still doesn’t have great head control so we have to make sure that we have a hand resting on his chest to catch his head in case it falls forward. He’s gotten really good at not letting it fall backwards. He is so inquisitive that he even wants to face outward when being worn, but I’m not ready for that since he doesn’t have great head control. One day soon though! Since he likes to sit up so much I guess it’s time to get him a Sit-me-up or a Bumbo seat.
We're still working on tummy time and getting him to not prefer one side to the other. I work with him every day and physical therapy comes once a week to work with him. He is scheduled for an hour a week, but he gets pretty tired 30 – 45 minutes in so she’s working on stamina as well. He’s gotten much better at not staying on his right side for too long, but PT said that she can still see a difference in his range of motion and feel that the left side is tighter. She gave me a few more exercises to work with him and get him stretched out more. The good news is that it’s getting better! One day at a time, one stretch at a time. Once Jackson gets his casts off, then she’ll start incorporating his legs into the PT sessions!
PT thinks that once Jackson gets his casts off that he should start rolling fairly quickly. We practice rolling with him each day by holding his hand and gently pulling him to whichever side we want him to roll to. When we first started working on rolling he let us do all of the work, but now he does the work and lets the weight of the casts help – stinker! Next thing is to work on getting him to roll from tummy to back, but for now we’re going to focus on just back to tummy until he can get that mastered. We’re on his schedule and he’ll let us know when he’s ready.
I apologize for it taking me so long to post this months update. With it having been a slow/quiet month I'm not sure how I fell so far behind. I'm already up to date for month 5, so hopefully I won't be late. :)
Crystal
