A Long Overdue Update...

Wow, I haven't updated in a month!  Things have been just plain busy.  It's amazing how much crazier things get with just 1 more child in the house.  Before Trey I used to stay up way too late doing digital scrapbooking and getting things done around the house.  Now, I just can't seem to focus on anything.  Before I know it it's 10 o'clock and nothing has gotten done - by that time all I want to do is sit down and watch 1 TV show from the DVR because by 11 pm I want to be upstairs getting ready for bed, doing yet another bottle feeding and getting to sleep.  I have no idea what goes on between 8:30 and 10 o'clock pm.  It's checking emails, writing emails, looking at the calendar and figuring out schedules, working on MOPS stuff or looking at boy scout stuff for Bryce.

There really hasn't been too much going on in the world of Trey during the past month.  His feedings are getting better.  He's up to about 1000 mL's (or 33 ounces) of formula a day which is HUGE for him.  He's eating 3 meals of solids now and he seems to really enjoy them.  We saw the gastro at the end of March and she was a bit worried that he hadn't gained that much weight.  He was still hanging out at around 18 lbs (for a little over a month).  I had decreased the calories in his formula from 27 kcal/ounce back down to normal, 20 kcal/ounce, because he got way constipated for awhile.  She wanted me to go back up in calories but I just had a gut feeling that it wouldn't be good for his system.  He started taking miralax to loosen up his stools but even that really hasn't worked so I've been hesitating upping the calories of the formula again (that can cause constipation as well).  Well - we went to pediatrician on Tuesday for his 9 month checkup and vaccination and wouldn't you know it.... he is 19 1/2 lbs!  He gained 1 1/2 lbs in about 2 weeks.  That's really good.  So, I've decided I'm going to keep the formula concentration as is and not up calories.  By the calculations she gave me... now that he's up to 1000 mL a day and if I can keep all 3 meals at about 70 calories each he gets 876 calories a day.  His caloric need for his weight (19.5 lbs) is estimated to be 868 (according to livestrong.com).  So he's finally doing just fine in the eating department!  He'll still leave an ounce or so at the end of the bottle if it's left up to him to eat but if I hold him and sing "I've been working on the railroad" he'll finish it up just fine.  I have no idea what in the world his fascination is what that song but since coming home from the hospital it's the only thing that has been able to get him to eat... and trust me, I've tried other songs... it's just that one that will get him gulping!

We actually just got back from Fort Myers, Florida on Monday.  The boys and I went down with my mother for spring break.  It was a great week!  The boys had a fantastic time playing in the sand and water.  Trey really seemed to enjoy the water.  The first time I put him down in the gulf it was a bit overwhelming.  I just kept thinking how thankful I was to his cardiologist for seeing his problem.  If it hadn't been seen, we wouldn't have been sitting in the water together.  I thank God daily for putting so many specific people in our life that helped Trey get fixed up and healed.  We really have had such great experiences with not only his cardiologist and surgeon but we were blessed with so many fantastic nurses, therapists, echo-sonagraphers and so many more people we've met along the way that have had a hand in helping us through this.

As for now, it's officially 10:25 pm and I am late in getting downstairs to watch a TV show with my husband.  An adult show is definitely a wind down activity for me.... adult in meaning, Grey's Anatomy... not Yo Gabba Gabba or Power Rangers!  I'll write more about our vacation and Easter another day because I'm just exhausted right now but I'll leave you with a picture of Trey enjoying his first time ever in water other than a bath.