Mitch had some mixed results after his blood work on Monday. The good, and most important news, is that his Creatinine level is .24, an improvement from .35 after the first surgery. (The normal range is .2-.4). This number is very important because it tells us how well his kidneys are functioning. We are thrilled that this number continues to improve.
We did learn, however, that his Bicarbonate level is too low. This is problematic because it means his pH is off, which could be caused by Renal Tubular Acidosis, a condition not all that uncommon in boys who had PUV (Posterior Urethral Valves) like Mitch did. Of course, we found all this out at 5 o'clock on a Friday, so we are operating on little information. We do know that if he does have this condition, it is treatable with medicine. We are, of course, trying to understand what this means for Mitch and for us, and we'll know more once we sit down with Dr. Gonzales. For now, we are celebrating the great Creatinine number. If anything, we're reminded that PUV results in a lot of unknowns, so we're facing each challenge as it comes.
Mitch is such a happy, smiley baby. We know he'll be fine, but we sure would appreciate your positive thoughts and prayers.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Just So I Remember...
In my three years of being a parent, I have learned that there is a sort of "irony of time" that exists. In one moment, I can be cursing a stage my children are in, desperate for it to pass, while, at the same time, lamenting how quickly time seems to be slipping away. Like every well-intentioned parent, I purchased baby books, keep a mommy journal and write this blog as a way to keep track of life. And, actually, I have been pretty good about recording events, moments, firsts. I even try to take note of the seemingly mundane, a typical day here, a funny story there, as an attempt to capture our daily adventures. What I have found, however, is that I didn't record things I thought I did, so now, with baby #2 here, I am challenging myself to remember what Henry did when.
Like most parents of newborns, sleep is our issue. I am a huge proponent of fostering healthy sleep habits in kids. I strongly believe that behavior is very much related to sleep (or lack of), so I am pretty strict about sleep schedules around here. We worked hard to get Henry to be a good sleeper. He goes to bed early, sleeps until 7 am, and naps well. (Now that he is almost three, naps are a bit more unpredictable, but we still put him down for a nap each day.) We're almost at the 4 month mark with Mitch. I feel the need to write this post, if only so I remember what we did when, in case we decide to have another child.
Starting at 3 months, we began letting Mitch fuss a bit before he fell asleep. At around 3.5 months, we let him cry in 5 minute intervals in order to fall asleep at naps/night. He caught on quickly.
But now we've hit a plateau. At his last well-visit, our ped. said he could go longer between feeds at night. I know this is true, but it's hard because he still needs to eat a couple of times, and it's challenging to determine when that is. I do know that some of the times he's waking, it's because he's not next to me. I would bring him to bed around 3 am; any nursing mother knows that it's likely I'll fall asleep nursing anyway, so I'd rather be in my bed. But, it does have the potential of creating a co-sleeping habit. I am not against co-sleeping in general, but, personally, I don't want to have a co-sleeper.
Anywho, so back to the plateau...Mitch is soooo restless beginning around 3 or 4 a.m. and it's exhausting. I know, eventually, his brain will develop more and he'll sleep better at that time, but, right now it's tough. And so I am in that weird irony of time. I long for nights of uninterrupted sleep, but I know it'll mean that Mitch is growing up. Cliches exist for a reason, and the one about how quickly the time of raising children goes is true. So, maybe this post is more than a memo of "what my baby did at 4 months" and, instead, is a reminder that I need to enjoy the stage, rather than being ready to move onto the next big thing.
Like most parents of newborns, sleep is our issue. I am a huge proponent of fostering healthy sleep habits in kids. I strongly believe that behavior is very much related to sleep (or lack of), so I am pretty strict about sleep schedules around here. We worked hard to get Henry to be a good sleeper. He goes to bed early, sleeps until 7 am, and naps well. (Now that he is almost three, naps are a bit more unpredictable, but we still put him down for a nap each day.) We're almost at the 4 month mark with Mitch. I feel the need to write this post, if only so I remember what we did when, in case we decide to have another child.
Starting at 3 months, we began letting Mitch fuss a bit before he fell asleep. At around 3.5 months, we let him cry in 5 minute intervals in order to fall asleep at naps/night. He caught on quickly.
But now we've hit a plateau. At his last well-visit, our ped. said he could go longer between feeds at night. I know this is true, but it's hard because he still needs to eat a couple of times, and it's challenging to determine when that is. I do know that some of the times he's waking, it's because he's not next to me. I would bring him to bed around 3 am; any nursing mother knows that it's likely I'll fall asleep nursing anyway, so I'd rather be in my bed. But, it does have the potential of creating a co-sleeping habit. I am not against co-sleeping in general, but, personally, I don't want to have a co-sleeper.
Anywho, so back to the plateau...Mitch is soooo restless beginning around 3 or 4 a.m. and it's exhausting. I know, eventually, his brain will develop more and he'll sleep better at that time, but, right now it's tough. And so I am in that weird irony of time. I long for nights of uninterrupted sleep, but I know it'll mean that Mitch is growing up. Cliches exist for a reason, and the one about how quickly the time of raising children goes is true. So, maybe this post is more than a memo of "what my baby did at 4 months" and, instead, is a reminder that I need to enjoy the stage, rather than being ready to move onto the next big thing.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Aimee and Andy's Wedding
It was a beautiful day in Erie for Aimee and Andy's big day. We loved escaping the Houston July heat. Here is one shot of the beautiful bride and her 'maids. One thing I really miss here in Houston is how green everything is. It was a wet summer in Erie, so everything was so lush.
Congrats, Aimee and Andy!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
First Day of Pre-School!
Henry started preschool last week. He is going Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 9:15-noon. Last Tuesday, we went to "Meet the Teacher." I, of course, loved every minute of it, being the school dork that I am. So far, Henry loves school. Here are some shots from Henry's first day:
Henry and Daddy in front of the house
Henry and mommy
Our big boy all ready to go!
In front of the Learning Center bus
(No, he didn't take the bus to school. We snapped this once we arrived!)
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Pictures from Emma: Prof. pics
Click here to view these pictures larger
Here is the picture we used for Mitch's birth anouncement. We purchased the digital image from the photographer.
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