It’s been an exciting 3 months for our little man :) Here's a quick update since the last post:
We took our first family trip last month to Charleston,
SC. I was pretty nervous about taking
the trip. When we first decided to go,
Dean was still in Children’s Hospital.
Since it was his second hospital stay (at only 2-3 weeks old), we just
wanted to get out of the area for a bit and bond together as a family. Away from doctors, away from hospitals, just
the three of us. And what better place
(within driving distance) than Charleston! As I said, I was a bit nervous. I was still getting used to pumping and having a new baby. I hadn't packed a bag for Dean before (other
than his diaper bag), so I definitely over-packed. All
those concerns, for nothing. We had a
fantastic time! We got to take Dean to
all the places John and I visit every time we go, including the very spot John
proposed to me:
We went over to Shem Creek and walked/strolled along the
water. Even saw a dolphin! Dean didn’t understand why we were so excited
about the dolphin :) In all, we were there for 2 full days. And I’m really, really glad we went. I was more relaxed that I thought I would be,
and it set the tone for what I know will be plenty more fun-filled family
vacations.
A couple of weeks after we got home, Dean had his follow-up
appointment with his pediatric endocrinologist (ped endo) in Knoxville. They took more blood to test his electrolyte
levels, checked him over to make sure he was developing correctly (he is), and
talked with us more about the CAH. It
seems like every day John and I learn something new. The nurse also took Dean’s blood pressure
while we were there, since he hadn’t had it checked since he left Children’s
Hospital. She took it 4 times, and each
time it was high. When she left to get
the doctor, John told me that a sign of incorrect medicine dosage is high blood
pressure. So when the doctor came back
in, he decided to reduce his hormone medication, and asked us to have blood
work done when we went in for Dean’s well visit the next week.
So, we went in the next week for Dean’s 2-month well visit
(we’re off by a week or 2 because of the hospital stays). So proud of Dean for doing so well! Even took his immunizations like a
champ. It was funny to me, because I was
there with him when his nurse administered the shots, holding his hand. He cried a little, but not much. After the shots were over was when I had a realization. I thought back to
what my friends have said about taking their children in for shots “Oh, it was
worse for me than it was for them” and “My poor baby just had their
shots!” I looked at my mom (John had to
work, and I asked her to come in case I needed moral support), told her what I
had just thought, and asked jokingly if I needed to be more upset, lol! I suppose I'm a bit desensitized from where he had the IV's in the hospital and had to have his blood drawn
every week. Shots are nothing to Dean :) Anyway, they took blood (again) to test his
electrolyte levels as the ped endo had asked, since they reduced one of the
dosages. The pediatrician called that
afternoon to let us know everything looked normal! Everything else that the ped endo looked for
in the blood work also came back within normal levels. So happy for all the excellent news!
As of his well visit, Dean is 13lbs even and 24.5in
long. We have a happy, healthy baby on
our hands!
One of these days I'll get more pictures up on facebook. I'll make that my goal to reach before the next update.
Have a great day!
