I don't know where the time has gone! Christopher is 1 month old today!! Shame on me for not posting since his birth, there has been alot going on and I feel like things are getting more routine for me now. Now being the key word there, lol. So, Christopher was born January 24th, 2012 @ 12:04 pm weighing 7 lbs 15 oz. No complications during delivery and bless his heart he definitely did not have a bowel obstruction, it was clear to us within the first few hours. :) Ashlee was such a trooper and was so excited to come visit Christopher and I at the hospital, she still talks about going in the elevator to come see us. Ahhh, the little things. So much has happened, I am sure to leave something out, but in a nut shell here is what has been going on.
After coming home from the hospital, it was evident that what Dr. Dellon had told me about Christopher being Pancreatic Insufficient, was indeed the case. I won't go into detail, but the number of dirty diapers was between 20-25 per day and just not normal. They had noticed in the hospital that he had lost more weight than they like to see so we called Dr. Dellon @ Chapel Hill and she called in his prescription for enzymes. I was so nervous about feeding him the enzymes with a spoonful of applesauce, I mean, really a 1 week old will be able to get it down?? He amazed me, eats that applesauce like a champ and we haven't had a problem. He probably would enjoy more than just a spoonful if allowed, which is something I intend on asking at his next appointment. He has a pretty ferocious appetite and keeping him sastified has been the biggest hurdle.
After 1 week he made it back to his birth weight, on the dot actually. The pediatrician was pleased and said that is all they ask at 1 week. We went to Chapel Hill once Christopher was 2 weeks old for his first appointment and his state required sweat test to confirm the diagnosis. Talk about torture! It wasn't painful for him, but it was a long, tedious test and he screamed his head off the entire hour and a half. Ugh! It was a long day there and back and we met with his team of doctors before rushing to get back on the road to get Ashlee. It took a little over 2 hours to get there, but atleast this time with Chris driving, I was able to get us there without getting lost. I blame mapquest for my crappy first trip.
So far our daily routine consists of morning respiratory therapy, I'm getting better at this and I don't feel so much like I am just beating on him now. He has to have 1/8 tsp of salt added to a feeding and some NASTY liquid vitamins once a day. Then evening chest therapy again. His enzymes have to be given before every feeding, which doesn't sound so bad until he is soooo hungry in the middle of the night and crawling out of bed to get the applesauce and enzymes can be frustrating. I know how important it is though for him to get them, if not he won't be comfortable after his feeding and it's definitely not worth skipping. We go back March 13th and there will be more tests performed on him at that point. Unfortunately, we will have to take Ashlee with us at some point for her to endure the sweat test too, but she will be much easier to handle and explain what is going on. I say that now, we will see.
We have been truly blessed by all the warm thoughts and prayers sent our way. I really can't wait to one day tell him how much he was thought of all the time, even by complete strangers. He is a strong little guy and we continue to pray that his health at the least, just maintains. I know there will be bumps down the road, but for now, things are just wonderful!
