Snow, Stroller, Sitting, Smiles, and Siblings

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you that read our blog and are keeping up with our family. We read, appreciate, and cherish each of your comments even though we haven't been responding to them. Thank you for your continued prayers for Nathan and our whole family.

Nathan

Usually around 10pm is when we can find Nathan in a good mood, smiling, and interacting. Kyle got these pictures of him smiling at us while I held him right before his meds. He has such a precious smile.



We are still working on tummy time. He seemed more interested in the toy than at the mirror in front of him.



I am not sure what he is looking at here, but you will notice it still isn't the mirror.

Jacen

I sat Jacen on the bed with me while I folded clothes. I gave him toys to play with, but he wasn't interested in those :)



Since Jacen is sitting better now, I got out the Silly Town toy the boys got for Christmas. He quickly figured out how to make it make noise. He rolled the blue thing and opened and closed the storage part over and over and over.



The next two pictures are of Jacen trying his last fruit, pears. He wasn't sure at first, but quickly decided that he liked them.

Both Boys

I had to include this picture. We were doing tummy time, and Patches wanted to participate :)



Jacen loves to "hold" Nathan's hand.



Both boys practicing sitting. Nathan still has a long way to go, but we practice everyday.



On Wednesday it was very pretty outside, so I took the boys on a walk. They both seemed to enjoy the stroller this time.

Snow

The next day it rained and snowed. There were icicles everywhere. I caught Patches running around in the snow.

Bumbo, Boys, Bath, Books, and Bananas

We have had another eventful week of firsts and lots of playing. I hope you enjoy!

Medically, Nathan is still the same. His coloring looks good, so his bili level is normal, but his other liver enzymes are still high. His kidneys are still functioning at about 20%. His red blood cell count went down some this week, so we are going to do a more comprehensive blood count at the next bloodwork. This will tell us whether we have to start the epogen shots again. He is still on all of his meds for seizures, heart, liver, kidneys, etc. No changes there except we have had to go up on his seizure medicine because of increased weight and small seizures you can see by looking at his eyes. We still ask for prayers for a miracle for his brain, liver, and kidney functions as well as blood pressure. It is so hard to see him daily and realize that he looks so good but inside he is still so sick. We ask for prayers for our whole family.

Nathan has successfully transitioned to a 4 hour feeding schedule. He is sleeping better at night from about 11:30 to 6:30 with one feeding at 3am. Hopefully we can start trying to get him to sleep on his own. We didn't do cereal this week because of the transition to the new schedule. Hopefully we can start that back up this week.

ECI made some suggestions to use a mirror that Bev has graciously let us borrow as well as some techniques using a towel with Nathan. We are holding his head up with our hand, so his neck will get strong. We are using a towel in the bumbo, so he will hold his head up straight. He seems to like to look at himself in the mirror.



Jacen ate bananas this week and seemed to really like them. He rolled over from his back to his tummy yesterday (1/23). Of course, I had the cameras ready, but he did it for Daddy not me :( He is getting better and better at sitting up every day. He loves to grab things like paper and our faces.



Jacen still loves his thumb and decided Daddy needed to suck on his other thumb. He is already learning how to share. :)



We had the exersaucer close enough to the coffee table that he was able to reach the Babies R Us flyer. It was really cute because it looked like he was reading it. I guess I will have to start watching where I put the exersaucer.



Jacen had his first bath in his duck. He was getting too big for the infant tub, so we decided to transition him with the duck before trying the big tub. He wasn't really sure about this new way to take a bath.



Jacen still loves to try to get Patches' attention. He loves it when Patches looks at him.



ECI is working with Nathan holding his head up and Jacen was working on tummy time. It was too cute of a picture not to include since they are both looking in the mirror.



I had both boys practicing sitting up. Jacen is getting really good. Nathan has just started. I am hopeful we can do this even if the neurologist doesn't expect it to happen.



Jacen decided to hold on to brother. So cute :)



I try to do story time every day, so I put the boys in the bumbos and give them small books to hold while I read another book. Jacen threw his book on the floor and decided he would take Nathan's book instead. I guess the sharing of his thumbs with Daddy doesn't translate to sharing with brother.



The boys love Daddy play time!

Spoons, Smiles, Sitting, Silly, and Siblings

Nathan

We are still working on cereal with Nathan, but for fun this week we put a spoon in his hand to see what he would do. He actually got it to his mouth once, but of course we didn't have the camera ready.



Nathan smiles when he wants to. Isn't he cute :)


Someone suggested on our last blog post to give him pieces of magazine to hold in his hand, so I used a piece of a flyer since we don't buy magazines. I think he thought it was interesting because he didn't put it down as quickly as the toys.

Jacen

Jacen helped Mommy with the laundry or maybe he just sat in the laundry basket while looking at Mommy funny.


He is getting better at sitting up everyday.


Daddy and Jacen were enjoying making silly faces at each other and at Mommy. Jacen loves to stick out his tongue.


We caught Jacen untying his bumper pad instead of sleeping. Silly boy.

Siblings

Aren't they cute :)


Jacen is very interested in Nathan.


Let's look at each other!

Cereal, Peaches, and Play

Cereal

Nathan ate cereal again after taking a break for a week from it. He was really congested, so we didn't want to chance it. He tolerated it again but wasn't enthusiastic about it. We will see how it goes this week. Jacen was awake this time when we fed Nathan. He seemed very concerned that brother was in his chair eating out of his bowl. We may need to buy another high chair soon!

Peaches

Jacen has figured out that when we put him in the high chair and someone has a camera something new is coming. He seems to like the peaches much better than the apple sauce.

Playing

Jacen enjoys the new foot rattles, and he wanted to order burgers with Mommy and Daddy! He has started rolling over again, but you will notice in the pictures that he does this with his arm under him. It is funny watching him get it out. He has learned how to flip the flip book on the Exersaucer. We are still practicing sitting up. He has moments where we think he is going to get it really soon, and there are other moments where he is still content to just lay around. He is such a happy baby!!!!!



Nathan was very interested in Patches sitting in the recliner. He didn't care what story Mommy was reading. Nathan was listening and watching a new toy in the next picture. It plays music and projects on image on the ceiling (but I turned it sideways so he could see it closer). In the last 3 pictures, Nathan is enjoying playing with the new toys from Christmas. I have even tried practicing sitting up with him!