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.