17 months old

It has been a while since I did a monthly update. I believe the last one was at 14 months. Well A LOT can change in 3 months! Here is a little about Owen at 17 months.

Motor Skills: Recap-At 11 months old, Owen started crawling.  Actually more hopping like a bunny than crawling, but it got him where he wanted to go. There were times we were slightly concerned with the way he chose to transport himself, but all is well! Little man started TRULY crawling like a “real baby” on his hands and knees not long after and began to get where he wanted to go (a.k.a. trouble) very quickly. Furniture cruising began at 11 months as well.

On December 18^th, at 16 months, Owen took his first “real” steps unassisted. He has yet to gain enough balance to get going really well. His current record is about 10 steps. We continue to practice and encourage him everyday. We know he is delayed in this. Honestly, it is still bothering me. I am reminded though that he IS making progress. Everyday he gets a little better. This last stint in the hospital threw him for a loop, but he is working hard to make up for lost time. He definitely WANTS to walk, not crawl.

Teeth: Owen has an entire mouth FULL of teeth now (including incisors, molars, you name it) and BOY OH BOY can he take a chunk out of you if you try to count them.  He brushes them every night, and does a pretty good job at it by himself!

Bottles: Owen is still taking a 6-8 oz. bottle at this moment bedtime. Sippy cups accompany him the rest of the day. Weaning from the bottle is recommended at 15 months, but I think he is doing a pretty good job! He started holding his own bottle at 10 months. I can’t even remember the last time I held his bottle for him.

Sleep: I am going to take a moment and brag on our boy. He may be delayed in some things, but I could NOT ask for a better sleeper. Starting at 6 weeks he has slept in his own crib in his own room. Starting at 7 months he began sleeping through the night (10-12 hours). Now, at 17 months, he goes down for the night at 6pm and wakes at 6:30 am. I have to wake him for school at 6:30, however, since we have been on break, he sleeps from 6pm-8 am!

Owen’s “Monday-Friday” Schedule:

6:30 am- Wake-up (I sing his “Good Morning To You” song and he pops up out of that crib like a hot potato!)

7:00- Leave for School

8:00- Breakfast

8:30-10:30- Playtime, etc.

10:30- Lunch

11:00-2:00 Nap

2:00- Snack

2:30-3:30- Playtime

3:30- Time to go home

3:30-4:30- Elmo time, Mommy time

5:00- Dinner, Daddy time

5:30- Bath

6:00 pm- Bottle, Lullaby, Bed

Food: Our babe is a skinny boy and was switched to toddler formula at 16 months. After several nights of vomiting (whether formula related or not) his daddy and I got spooked and have taken him off all formula. He drinks Silk Almond Milk and water during the day. Since taking him off of formula, he has been eating up a storm! He is working on his fork/spoon skills, but sometimes the best way to get that food is to use our hands. (I'm right there with you, Owen) 

Owen’s Sample Menu:

Breakfast- favorites: jelly biscuit, fruit pouch, Almond Milk

Lunch- Nutella/peanut butter sandwich, fruit pouch, water

Dinner- chicken fries, cookie, Almond Milk

Snack- teddy grahams, Gerber puffs, goldfish

This changes daily***He’s nothing if not unpredictable!

Habits: Now onto our beloved paci…there really isn’t much to say except that he loves it. He is addicted, and we are fine with it. I suppose we will cross that dreaded bridge when we get to it. For now, I'm not worried. It has gotten him through some pretty tough times. We. Love. That. Paci.

Speech: He says: Momma, Dada, Ball, Dog, and Baa (which means Bottle/Sippy cup). Daddy and I understand what he is saying. He has his own way of saying these words, but we get it. We also have lots of constant babbling.

Owen understands many phrases we say and performs commands as well. Some favorites: give me five, waves hi and bye (A LOT), Where is??? (He can point to the object or person we say), pet the dog, love on____ (he hugs and pats what/who we tell him to), show me your teeth, close the door, push the button… really the list goes ON and ON. He is very smart.

He also can point to various body parts (head, ears, nose, eyes) and make animal noises (cow, horse).  Speaking of animal noises, Owens new obsession is farm animals. He loves his little caw, duck, horse, pig, and goat figurines. He can point to the animal we say and loves to listen to his See-N-Say that makes animal noises.

Personality: the BEST! We have a sweet, funny, sensitive, sneaky, loving little boy on our hands. He is extremely social, and definitely makes his mommy and daddy happier and laugh harder than they every thought possible. It is TRUE how much better my days are just to come home to his smiley, playful face. It is so hard to imagine what in the world life was like before him! I can tell you this, I don’t miss it… 99% of the time at least ;)

Loves: Elmo, dogs, looking out windows and waving, his grandparents, farm animals (fake-NOT real), pulling everything out of it’s container/basket/cabinet/drawer, “talking” on cell phones, drinking from a straw, letter magnets on the fridge, bath time, throwing things –especially while sitting in his high chair, riding in the car, music (of any kind), playing “Where’s Owen?”, being tickled, and dancing with mommy.

Dislikes: getting dressed, diaper changes, his inhaler, wearing socks and shoes. 

17 months stats:

Height: 31 inches (10-25%) 

Weight: 21 pounds (below 5%)

He is still our tiny tater tot!

Capital C-R-A-Z-Y!!!

We have a lot to catch up on. If you are in fact caught up on our past week, by all means skip this post. WARNING: LONG AND DETAILED!

Wednesday, December 19- Owen is totally normal. He throws up after his night time bottle (for the second night in a row) He seems ok, no fever, so I put him down for the night.

Thursday December 20- We have a big day ahead. Grandmother, Owen, and I  leave at 6am for Vanderbilt. Owen has an EEG and an MRI scheduled.
11:30- EEG. Owen is sleep deprived. He is hooked up to what seem like hundreds of wires, stuck to his head. (Grandmother said they looked like dreadlocks- she was right) He has to stare at a strobe light for 10 minutes and then go to sleep for 20 minutes. Seems easy, right? Not so. After a melt down, he does drift off to sleep. Just to wake up again. It wore everyone out.
2pm- We go to the MRI appointment. We are taken back quickly to a "holding room". Where we wait on borrowed time considering Owen had not eaten or had anything to drink since 6:30 am! We wait and wait and wait.
4 pm- They take Owen back for sedation and the procedure.
5:30 pm- I received a call that Owen was awake in recovery. We rush back to see him. He is fussy. More than I remembered in recovery after his ear tubes. We try to get him to eat or drink. Neither one interests him. We leave for home. Owen sleeps on and off in the car on the way back, he is very quiet. Apparently sedation can make you dizzy and disoriented.
7 pm- We get back to Cookeville, where Daddy meets us at the door. Owen still won't eat anything so I offer him a bottle of formula. He drinks the whole thing. He is alert and what seems like normal, considering. I take him upstairs to his room where I begin to put his to bed. As I am holding him, he starts to shiver ever so slightly. I thought he was cold, so I covered him up with a blanket. I lay him down, he continues to shiver and feels warm so we go back downstairs where I inform his daddy and I take his temp. 99 degrees. I call Vanderbilt, long story short they will "Have someone to call me back." Owen's shivering continues. I take his temp again, 100. I offer him Motrin. The second it reaches his mouth he vomits, everywhere. All over himself, me, the couch, the floor, the stairs, up to his room. I undress him on a blanket in his bedroom floor. By this point he is shaking so violently that I swear he is having a seizure. He is alert the whole time, but very pale. I call Vanderbilt again, nothing but rude people. I call Old Harding Pediatrics nurse line where they take your message and return your call. I take his temp again, 101. We load up in the car and begin to drive to Cookeville Hospital ER. As we pull in the Old Harding doctor calls. He says to "take him home, get him up and moving. Sedation can cause your body to become lazy and can cause fevers." Um...OK?!
8:00 pm- We return home, Grandmother is there waiting. While driving back Owen threw up again in the car. I go upstairs to change out of my vomit covered clothes. When I return downstairs Owen  looks like a rag doll. He is floppy and not responsive to us. I take his temp. 104.4 We load back up in the car and fly to Cookeville hospital. I had no time for doctors and phone tag at this point!
9:00 pm- We arrive at CRMC ER and they take Owen's temp. 105.7!!! (Tylenol suppository is given) They rush him to an ER room where they proceed to begin inserting an IV.
T-R-A-U-M-A-T-I-C!!! 4 maybe 5? sticks later an IV was inserted. His temp starts to come down.
12 am- Chest X-Ray shows cloudiness in Owen's right lung. ER doctor says he thinks Owen aspirated during the MRI and that is why his fever spiked. He wants us to stay a night for observation.
1 am- Owen received his first round of antibiotics. He starts to sit up and play, although he is a little fussy. Can you blame him?
3:00 am- We are taken to a room. The pediatric floor is full so we are on the adult wing. Owen eats crackers and has some juice. He goes to sleep. Grandmother leaves, and Brandon and I try to get some rest.

Friday, December 21- We wait and wait and wait. Owen is happy and eating well, but has developed diarrhea.
3 pm- (Yes, that's right) We see a doctor for the first time. This doctor says that she disagrees with ER doctor. She thinks it is a virus. Owen is tested for RODA, Flu, RSV, Strep, all negative. She wants us to stay another night for observation.

Saturday, December 22- We are STILL sitting in room 546.
10:00 am- Another doctor comes in. She disagrees with both previous doctors. She believes Owen had an allergic reaction to the gas he was sedated with. She orders a chest X-Ray. It comes back clean.
1:00 pm - We are informed we will have to stay another night for Owen to complete is 3rd round of antibiotics intravenously. We are so bummed.
6:00 pm- i complain to the day nurse that Owen's IV insertion spot looks bad. It is red and his arm is very swollen. She says it looks fine and he will need it for antibiotics later on.
9:00 pm- I show the IV to the night nurse. He says in needs to be removed immediately. But Owen may need a new one for his meds. I am so stressed.
1:00 am- Night nurse has good news. Owen can receive a muscle shot instead of a new IV. Bless his heart, it looked like it really hurt. They had to insert the needle so hard! He falls asleep soon after.

Sunday, December 23- Are we STILL HERE?!?!
10 am- Doctor comes an and says we will get to go home and the nurse will be around to discharge us shortly.
12:00 pm- We leave CRMC!!!

We still do not know 100% what caused Owen's fever to spike so quickly or get so high. We saw 3 different doctors in 3 days, all with 3 different opinions. (3-3-3!) Whether is was aspiration, or a virus, or a reaction to the anesthesia, we are just happy that our baby boy is home. He is happy and healthy and totally back to his good ol' self. Praise the Lord for fast healing.

Owen's second Christmas was a success. We call him "Present-zilla" because he can flat destroy a package in seconds! We received presents galore, ate yummy food, and spent time with our loved ones. While it involved some traveling and we are all pretty tired, it was absolutely worth it. Here are some pictures and videos to recap the past few days. Enjoy!
 Love, Caitlin

Owen practicing taking steps. He is getting better!

Video 1 of 2. 

Owen laughing and being silly while in Cookeville hospital.

Video 2 of 2.

Owen sure was happy despite his surroundings. 

He is the best little boy!

Owen in the "Holding" room waiting for his MRI.

Hungry, but happy.

Owen and Grandpa reading a story on Christmas eve.

Owen being crazy on Christmas eve.
He ripped off every bow and name tag he could get his hands on!

Brandon and I on Christmas day. 

It looks like we hadn't slept in days...Oh wait!

If you made it through this entire post, I want to say thank you for taking the time. It was no small feat! Also, please excuse the misspelled words, grammatical errors, etc. I typed it once, and then lost it all. I have typed it a second time while feeding Owen chicken fries and almond milk. Talk to you all soon!

Check this out!

This video is not the best quality and it's sideways, but this ladies and gentlemen are Owen's first real steps caught on video. The girls at his daycare were so excited to show me. I'll admit, I cried. Enjoy!

Little Harry Potter

More Updates

Owen went to his GI doctor yesterday. He was 20 pounds 1 ounce (we have been working for that 20 pound mark for what seems like FOREVER)!!!! She was pleased with his weight, and said he was in the 3rd percentile for his age. I was slightly confused, being that Dr. Brady (our pediatrician) said he was below the growth chart, and had been for quite some time. When I asked Dr. Anderson (GI doctor) she said they use a different growth chart than other doctors. Well that is not consistent, now is it?

Anyway, she agreed that Owen could absolutely afford to gain a few pounds. She wants us to switch him to Elecare Jr. (he was on Elecare Infant) instead of Almond milk. While Almond Milk is good for him, it does not offer enough calories for someone so little. She also started him in a reflux tablet. He has some juicy burps and gurgles occasionally, so she wants to see if that will help him with his eating. Speaking of eating... she also wants Owen to go to a feeding therapist. I am sure you are saying, "A feeding therapist? What in the WORLD is that?" Well I had no idea either. She explained it is a certified speech and language therapist who specializes in feeding. They will work with Owen on textures, foods, and sensory issues. (Click here for more info.) Hey, it is worth a shot. We are waiting to hear back from this department to schedule his first appointment. We will return to GI in March for a weight recheck.

His EEG is scheduled for December 20th. Owen's MRI is scheduled for January 3rd.  We have several doctors appointments in the next few months. I am almost out of sick/vacation days at work. My mind feels like it might explode some days between the scheduling, the insurance company, the medical bills, and the driving back and forth. Not to mention chasing around and entertaining a precious little 16 month old. I know I will look back on this and think "how did we make it through?" To be honest, despite a few emotional break downs (me-not Owen), we are doing just fine. Owen is an absolute joy. We have a great support system. We could not ask for better friends and family to help us out and listen to our concerns. I can't thank you all enough!

Child Development Lab

Owen visited the Child Development Center at Vanderbilt yesterday. We met with Dr. Lawrence who watched and video taped Owen for about an hour. I will spare you with the small details, but all in all Owen passed the cognitive (mental processes that includes: attention, memory, producing and understanding language, learning, reasoning, problem solving) test with a 97%.There is no doubt he is a smart kiddo! 

The motor skills portion of the test he did not do so well on. As close as he seems to walking, he just can not balance himself. When he tries to take steps, he veers off-course or falls immediately. Standing alone has been done a few times, but it is not consistent. Dr. Lawrence observed this. She says there is definitely some reason for concern. She ordered an MRI for Owen. Her words were "I do not take MRIs lightly, but I feel this is a must." Owen will have to be sedated for this procedure. We do not have our appointment yet. I am waiting to hear back from Vanderbilt. 

Dr. Lawrence also ordered physical therapy for Owen. She stated that he had poor muscle tone and was "floppier" than most kids. I will be giving this referral to our TEIS therapist so we can set up a schedule. 

While Owen was being watching by the doctor, he also did something else that alarmed her. While in the sitting position, he fell backwards without trying to stop himself. It was almost as if he did not know he was falling. This is not the first time he has done this. Just a few nights ago he was sitting on the floor watching Elmo, and fell back hitting his head on the floor. He didn't cry. He just laid there until I picked him up. Again, it was as if he was completely unaware. Dr. Lawrence wants Owen to have an EEG test administered as well. This test is for seizure activity. In my heart I do not think Owen has seizures. However, if it is a possibility, then we will test to be sure. 

On top of this, Owen's ear infection is back. We visited Dr. Brady after the development appointment. He was given a prescription for Amoxicillin. I hope this works. Why are these infections coming back?!? The tube is still hidden by infection so it is not known if it is even working properly. We will get this straightened out I'm sure. 

I get discouraged, of course. I think I have been more upset about this report than any others we have gotten. I wanted so badly for the doctor to say nothing was wrong. Nonetheless, Owen is in GREAT spirits. His activity level is high, he is sleeping great, and eating seems to be picking up. 

Oh Christmas Tree...

We had a great weekend. We went to a Christmas Tree Farm in Monterey with The Bullingtons. I have never been to one before. Growing up we were a "artificial tree" kind of family. Honestly I can say I was not interested in cutting down our own this year, but Brandon insisted. I am so glad he did. We had a blast. The weather was perfect, 65 degrees in December?!? Owen seemed to have a great time, and I took a million pictures (as usual). 

 Brandon and Judd were trying to get the boys to smile by making a bunch of noise. You can tell from this picture that Owen wanted them to hush! Haha. 

 Owen and Mommy

 Pretty Blue Eyed Boy

 Owen and Mommy again...

 Touching the Needles...OUCH!

 We weren't ready for this picture.

 Owen and Jackson

 Little Ham

 Im not sure what to title this face?

After much searching, we found "The One" 

Isn't she beautiful?

 Posing with the foliage! 

 My lumberjack

 Cut it down daddy!

 He is as big as me!

 Missing a shoe

 Needles!

 And we're off!

The boys...

Up and decorated, now to wrap presents! 

Brandon and I realized that we officially have enough "special" family ornaments to fill the tree. It is the first year we did not use "filler" ornaments. I absolutely love our little tree this year. 

15 month check up, etc.

I know, I know. I am posting about Owen's 15 month check up and he is 16 months old today. Better late than never, right? That's the motto at our house! It has been almost 2 weeks with no new posts. Excuses: craziness with the holidays, doctors appointments, traveling, the list goes on and on. So lets play a little catch up.

First off, Owen had his check up on Wednesday. He weighed in a 19 pounds 10 ounces and was 31 inches long. 25% for length and he is not on the chart for weight. He has not gained any weight in months. That it is concerning. (more on this in a minute)

He had drainage coming from his left ear= first ear infection since his tubes almost a year ago. Dr. Brady was not able to see if the tube was still in place because of the puss, infection, etc. He has ear drops that seem to be working well. Hopefully no antibiotics will be needed this time around.

We discussed his development. He is behind. We all know this. I though he was close to walking but its not looking so well. He can't stand unassisted yet, so walking by 18 months (which is like the deadline) seems next to impossible. Dr. Brady referred us to the Child Development Lab at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. We go next Monday.

We also discussed his "vertical ridge" on his forehead. I'm sure most of you have noticed it either in photos or in person. Apparently, it can be one of two things; 1. His little skull just happen to close up that way 2. There is fluid on or around his brain pushing it forward causing the ridge and possibly his balance issues.  We are going to a Pediatric Neurologist in January to look further into the cause.

Finally, we discussed his "failure to thrive" problem. His weight gain is slow and often times regressive. Just when we think we are going to reach 20 pounds he looses weight. Dr. Brady wants us to go back to GI to possibly do a scope to see what is going on. This issue really bothers me. I can't get my child to eat much of anything. He will eat snack on breads and crackers. He will eat baby food in pouches but not from spoons. He will not eat meat or vegetables. He turns his head and refuses them. Occasionally I can sneak a few bites in, but I am lucky if he doesn't spit it out the minute it goes in. I get so frustrated. Dr. Moore (our Pulmonary specialist) said that there is a possibility that he has silent reflux that we have missed along the way. He suggested a scope. Owen had one done when he was a few months old, but that was for his laryngomalacia. Dr. Moore also said that if it is in fact silent reflux, that could be the cause of his wheezing and congested breathing. We shall see.

OK, I feel like I have been very negative. I apologize. Sometimes it is just nice to see it all laid out. My son is amazing. He is the only person on this Earth that can make me laugh so hard without even talking. He is just plain funny. He loves his Mommy and Daddy so much. He loves to snuggle up in our laps and look at books, or watch Elmo. He dances, he laughs, he loves. He is everything I ever wanted. Sometimes I wish I could peek into our future for reassurance. He will grow up big and strong. He will shake his daddy's hand, he will bend down to hug me. He will play sports, and have cute little girlfriends. He will come out of all of this stronger than ever. I love that little man more than anything.

Moving on, Thanksgiving went well. We ate with Brandon's family on Sunday and mine on Thursday. I got on the scale this morning...MISTAKE! It was worth it. Good food, good times, 3 extra pounds. On Friday we avoided crazy shopping crowds and went to Big South Fork with The Bullingtons, for a little camping get away. He had a good time. Most of which consisted of sitting on the camper playing on the floor and watching Elmo. We did have a little campfire time when the little ones went to bed. Unfortunately, staying up late is a thing of the past for all of us. Although, Sunday was warm enough to go on a little walk.

Over the Thanksgiving break, I made little salt dough Santa ornaments with Owen's little handprint. They turned out really cute. I want this to be our new tradition...making ornaments for the Christmas tree!

This just about wraps up the latest news in our neck of the woods. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Our Sunday walk at Big South Fork. 

Owen loves to ride on his daddy's shoulders.

Owen's handprint Ornaments

More Videos...

Ok here are more videos of the little man that runs our house. This first one, he is taking bath. Have I mentioned he LOVES bath time? This child can be throwing the biggest fit known to man, and the minute I out him in the tub he is happy as a clam. (A little water-logged clam) When I ask him "Are you ready to get out" he clearly gives me an answer.

In the next video Owen is watching Elmo in his little chair. Elmo is still very important in our home. He is our snuggle pal, he makes us laugh and dance. Owen has started calling Elmo, "la-la". If you are familiar with Elmo songs, as I am sure you are (right? who isn't?), you know that sings "lalalala, lalalala, Elmo's World..." hence the name "lala". He points to the T.V. and says "lala! lala!" Very clever, Owen. I am in the process of trying to catch him on video doing it. It is too cute! Enjoy!

Oh this week...

    Our week has not been the most pleasant. Between Brandon and Owen being sick, we have missed a lot of work and a lot of sleep. Brandon is still sick, coughing and shortness of breath. Owen has some sort of virus, he has runny nose, coughing, fever, the whole 9 yards. We went to the doctor on Wednesday, where they sent us to Vanderbilt for observation. He tested negative for Flu, Strep, RSV, and pneumonia. So the verdict is "Virus". He seems to be feeling better as of today.

      We have been very lazy. The men of the house (Brandon, Owen, and Norman) are asleep right now. I caught up on housekeeping and laundry. And...I am ALMOST finished with Christmas shopping. Yes, that is correct. I have only 3 presents left to buy and I will be DONE, DONE, DONE! I have not stepped foot into a store this year. All presents were ordered online. I have found a new website called ebates.com. I earn cash back by purchasing items that I would have bought anyway. I set a budget, made a list of stores, gifts, and prices. One week later... Finished!

Well, not much else to update. I will leave you with a video of Owen and ketchup...

TTU Homecoming

Well we have been plagued with sickness again in the Maynord house. Brandon has been running a fever on and off since Friday afternoon. Sunday he went to the ER and they took some x-rays... apparently the pneumonia bug has bitten again, a different victim this time. Yes, Brandon has pneumonia. He is on plenty of meds, and is resting at home. Hopefully this passes quickly. We did go to the TTU Homecoming parade on Saturday for a little while. Owen seemed to enjoy it. (Last year he slept through the entire thing.) The drum lines startled him, but he loved the music. Here are a few pictures.

 Kyle and Brandon catching up.

 Catching a few zzz's before it started.

 Daddy and Owen watching the parade.

 The Bullingtons and Maynords

Kyle...pretending to hold a baby, man's best accessory!

TTU Homecoming

2011                     2012

Say AHHH!!

Owen's newest thing is "show me your teeth!" He opens wide everytime. We have way too much fun!

3rd Annual Harris Halloween Bash

Here are pictures from the 3rd Annual Harris Halloween Bash in Spencer, TN. Every year we have a great time dressing up and visiting. This year we had some special friends join us, The Worshams. Lilly and Owen played so well together and put up with their crazy parents until 10 pm. They are good kiddos. Enjoy!