We're Still Here

I apologize for another week going by without any updates. I am so happy many of you are still following Kai 8 months later. Yep, he's 8 months now!! It's very crazy to think its been that long and its also crazy to think that just two months from now a year ago I started bed rest with this sweet child.

Anyways, Kai has been truckin along with everything. He is officially out of his sleep-all-day-baby phase and takes two solid naps during the day and still sleeps through the night. So since he's always awake now he has been getting in a lot more tummy time as well as more practice time for rolling, sitting, and just playing. He's really strengthening his trunk muscles with all this "working out" because I can hardly leave him in his bouncy seat for more than a few a minutes because he starts to sit up in it!

He has been so chatty as well. He loves to look at faces and talk while gazing into their eyes. His favorite by far is Kirra. Its so sweet. 

He also prefers to be moving around. I always expected him to not be "normal" and to just be immobile, which is a terrible thing to think, but when trapped in a NICU for so long its hard to see the future and think nothing will be wrong. Kai has completely amazed me and our family.

He's nowhere near 'vegetable' as once described could happen to him simply from being so sick for so long. He loves to sit on my leg and bounce up and down with his legs and pretty much can't sit still. I love it! 

He still can't roll over, but I think he's almost there! I so believe in him and I can tell he'll be rollin in no time. 

The OT (Occupational Therapist) that he has been seeing every other week has decided to see him once more for the last time (as of now). It's pretty exciting because she thinks he is doing so well that her services are almost pointless. Next month however, when he turns 6 months adjusted, he will be assessed at the High Risk Infancy Clinic here in Santa Cruz to see how his progress is and what his problem areas might be. From there his pediatrician will refer either back to OT or PT and so on. He still sees a PT, but mainly for the Cranial Sacral treatments and we pay for those not his insurance. So if he sees an additional PT through a referral we won't have to pay for that, but we'll keep the Cranial Sacral sessions going separate. 

His reflux is still under control as well. He takes 4mL of Prilosec still and is a "happy" spit up baby. Meaning it doesn't hurt since his stomach acid is neutralized. However, the GI wants to see him in a few weeks and see how he does off the Prilosec for one week prior to his appointment to determine any lingering symptoms. It will be interesting to see since he will be starting solid foods around that time and since the food is heavier than milk, the stomach would have a harder time allowing the food to come back up. He is still taking Miralax as well (stool softener) and GI thinks he'll be using it for a long time. 

As far as health goes, he's been great! No concerns as of now. We stopped the Pulmicort because his symptoms are no longer present and its completely ok with his pediatrician. Pulmicort is a steroid and like everything else has adverse side effects so its better to use in moderation and when needed in babies so young. Plus, I'm pretty sure those initial symptoms he was having with the wheezing may have also been caused from aspirating stomach acid because he was on too low of a dose for his weight at that time. Reflux can also affect the respiratory system so it may not have been the 'cold air'. We won't really know, but we know now he's clear! 

He's updated on all his shots including the Flu shot and only has two more Synagis shots left! But since he's over 16 pounds his last two will actually be double shots :( poor big boy. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope I filled everyone in well enough! 

XOXO