Already 2010

We pray everyone has had a great holiday season and are having a great new year so far.

We are doing great here at the Rogers house. We had a wonderful Christmas season, my parents came down for a week and enjoyed the boys and the boys loved having Grandma and Papa here. We got snow on Christmas eve which was great having a white Christmas. We went sledding in our front yard and had a blast, Weston enjoyed it but wasn't sure about the sudden stop at the end, getting stopped by mommy before he went into the street. We also went to Chucky Cheese while Grandma and Papa were here, Weston loved showing them all the rides he liked to do.

Over the holiday season I found out that there was another baby born with CDH at Children's and his name was Westyn too. I have been corresponding with his Nana and he is dong great. He was born the beginning of December he didn't require ECMO and was on oxygen and IV for a month. He has an NG tube but is taking great from the bottle and the great thing is he is going home today! I am so excited for his family and that he is doing so well. It is amazing how different all these kids are. I know they are all tough.

Now on to what everyone wants to know, how is Weston doing. He is doing good. He has had 3 rounds of synigsis shots this season and is doing good so far. We still battle the occasional ear infection but I know he is doing so much better not having all the drainage caused by the NG tube that he had last year. We haven't put him in isolation like we were in last year, but we are still taking all the precautions of washing hands and staying away from anyone who is sick. Weston is walking everywhere and loves chasing Quinton everywhere. He is starting to shake his head yes and no when we ask him a question. He is also my temper thrower, he has a very independent bone in his body and he continues to show it everyday. He loves anything that Quinton is playing with and that usually starts a fight.

Tomorrow during his therapy we are doing his evaluation and goals and his therapist told me the end of last year not to be surprised if they cut back services or if he doesn't qualify anymore. This is so exciting to think that Weston is developmentally right where he needs to be. What a long journey we have been on.

We continue to get questions on Weston's health and if he is 'good'. Weston is good but we always have to worry about reherniation (which can happen anytime and out of the blue) and lung issues such as pneumonia and RSV(his lungs are growing but they are still compromised). Weston is an amazing little boy and we praise God everyday and we know that prayers are what made our journey easier.

We pray you all have a blessed, healthy and happy 2010!

Where has 2009 gone?

I cannot believe that it is already December and that the Christmas tree is up and Christmas shopping for the boys is done.
When I think about last year Weston being in the hospital three days before Thanksgiving and being put on oxygen because of the pneumonia it amazes me and I praise God where Weston is now.
Weston had his second synagsis shot of RSV season on Sunday right before we head for evening services. He is such a trooper. It always takes me by surprise how much synagsis he gets in each leg I feel so sorry for him. He has a runny nose and a cough, but we are thinking it is allergy and maybe a little bit of a cold. I am staying on top of it and he sounds clear and I am keeping his doctor updated.
Weston is teething finally after 5 months of no new teeth he has to be difficult and have three teeth breaking through one on top and two on the bottom.
Weston enjoys walking more than crawling. He is now getting more confident and trying to increase his speed, it is only at those times that he is chasing after brother and trips over his own feet, its the face first that always hurt the most.

Walking and Growing

Well last Thursday Weston decided that walking was better than crawling. It is amazing to see him walking everywhere. There are still a couple of times that I catch him crawling but he prefers to walk now. It makes him seem so grown up now. It is amazing to look back at where we were just a couple months ago and to see how fast he has developed and changed. I loves following his big brother Quinton everywhere and driving Quinton nuts. He loves eating everything in site which is so amazing just by itself. I praise God everyday that my miracle continues to keep amazing us with each step he takes.

Weston loves playing outside and he especially loves riding in his little car, he thinks it is the greatest thing to open and close the car door and honk the horn.

Weston's been home a year!!

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A year ago we were bring Weston home from the hospital. I never thought anything would be harder than having to leave your baby in the hospital for three months but coming home there would be more challenges.
Learning how to replace an NG tube, waking up so many times at night to give meds and to give him his feed. After a month of being home Weston catching pneumonia and being in the hospital three days before Thanksgiving. Coming home on oxygen and now getting used to having an oxygen tank in the hallway and oxygen tubing all around the house.
Watching how he is breathing if we need to turn up or down his oxygen watching his pulse ox monitor to see what he is stating.
Doing great until March when he caught RSV which was turning into puenmonia, having a five day hospital stay, I'll never forget the ER doctor calling for a crash cart, words a parent should never hear. Coming home learning how to do breathing treatments and to continue to watch his breaths per minute.
Over coming oral aversion and learning how to eat everything in site. Coming off oxygen after being on it for 5 months after he caught pneumonia the first time in November. Coming off his NG tube after 13 months and having no set backs.
I would not trade any of these experiences. Our faith in God has grown. We did not know if our baby would come home and then he did. We were worried about his catching a cold or RSV and guess what he did, but he/we have over come with God. All through God, without Him we would not be where we are today celebrating Weston being home a year!! Praise God.
Thank you all for all your love, support and prayers through this part of Weston's life.
He continues to amaze us he is cruising around everywhere, he has taken a couple steps by himself. He is becoming more independent and he has the greatest personality, he is a jokester and loves to laugh and smile. He gets in fights with his brother and gets jealous. He eats everything, he loves green beans and hot dogs and chicken nuggets. He is drinking from a sippy cup and loves water. He loves sliding down slides and playing with cars.
We are so truly blessed, I cannot wait to see what we have in store for this year.

Jenny

No more Specialists

We are so excited that we have no more specialist. Weston's GI doctor released him from care two weeks ago and we are praising God. But then there seems to be something missing this time last year Weston was still in the NICU, we were waiting to see if he would take anything from the bottle, wondering if the doctors would let us take Weston home on a NG tube. I am so glad that we only have our pediatrician now. Then the worry starts, worrying about flu and RSV season, you forget about sickness when it has been so nice and warm through out the summer months. I know Weston is strong having had RSV and pneumonia last year and once this year. But still scary. We are going to start limiting visits to the store and mainly just take him to church and try and limit his exposure to things. I know he is stronger this year, I know his little lung is growing and that he is our miracle and he continues to amaze me everyday. I asked my husband last night if I should call him pediatrician just to talk and ask if he was would be worried about Weston this year, but as we talked I started to realize Weston hasn't followed any textbook if he had, he would not be here today. Weston has set his own medical path and I praise God everyday that He is in control.

I love to eat

Weston continues to amaze his daddy, his therapist and myself. We think back to a month ago and he was not eating really anything by mouth a littler here a little there and now he is eating everything by mouth. It is so exciting. I have started giving him bigger bites and he tolerates them all so well, sometimes it is hard to remember what a struggle it was just a couple months ago at his first birthday. His days fluctuate, if he takes a lot of fluids he doesn't eat a lot of solids and then the opposite the next day a ton of solids and less fluids. He loves his vegetables he is not quite sure about fruit, but we are working on it.
Weston's OT is so excited that he is doing so great, he shows no oral aversion what so ever, he is manipulating his food really good moving his tongue just like he should and is managing his food. Weston is also trying to walk every where and he gets into everything.
We have our appointment with Weston's GI doctor on Tuesday and I can't wait to see if he has gained any weight and I pray that we are discharged from his care. Weston has taken huge steps this past month and we know that is it all God and He has blessed us so richly with Weston making all these changes.

Where am I?

This morning Weston had his Bayley developmental study and physical exam by one the of the neoatologist that had him in the NICU.
The therapist who did Weston's study was so nice and it was so neat to watch Weston do the different tasks set in front of him. I was with him for his cognitive test and Timothy was with him for his motor and language tests(one of us had to stay with Quinton)
The results from his test and they are testing him as a 13 months old since he was born at 37 weeks and that is the lower part of the premature scale.

For Cognitive which is how he explores new toys, solves problems and new experiences he got --16 months
For Receptive Communication which is identifying pictures, following simple directions and preform social routines he got --10 months
For Expressive Communication which is non-verbal expression such as smiling, babbling and laughing he got --13 months
For Fine Motor which is assessing muscle control like following objects with their eyes, grasping an object, and bring hand to mouth he got --13 months
For Gross Motor which is measuring his ability to crawl, make stepping motions, support their own weight and stand he got --10 months.
Weston's physical exam went really good, the doctor said he looked good especially for being as ill as he was.

Timothy and I are praising God for these results, the doctor said that Weston's verbal would pick up since he is advanced cognitively. We weren't sure how he would score on his motor skills but his therapist has been watching his gross motor and his muscle tone in his legs. We are so blessed. Another step in us knowing that Weston is getting healthier.
I am still worried about this upcoming winter and the unexpected we had two hospital visits and one we almost lost him. We continue to pray daily that God continues to heal Weston and that his lungs continue to grow and get stronger.

Thank you all for your prayers we know they work miracles.

Jenny