7/23/07 - MAJOR GROWTH SPURT

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All of a sudden Oliver is wanting to nurse and eat constantly. I guess he's hit a growth spurt. It's a very good thing since eating has been such a challenge for him. I was sitting on the rug with him today eating a banana when he reached up, grabbed a chunk off of my banana and shoved it in his mouth. I was a bit concerned that he'd choke or something. But he just gummed it until it was gone. I tried to give him another piece but he started to gag on it so it's back to finely pureeing things.

Ollie and Orion are still recovering from colds but are generally much better. The weather has been very, very damp though and it seems to keep the phlegm hangin' around.

Anyway, I was putting a load of laundry in and came back into the room to find both Ollie and Orion under the dangly toy. Orion was helping Ollie play with his toys. It was very cute.

7/19/07 - SICK BUT SMILING LITTLE OLLIE

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Well, another cold has struck Ollie. I really hate it when my little guy gets sick. He's so precious. He still smiles through it all.

As a mother, it's so hard to tell when to take action and take your child in to the Doctor and when to just wait it out. With Ollie it's especially hard since he has the added breathing issues. At night he just coughs and coughs. But in the day time he seems slighty happier. He even cooed and giggled with me a bunch today. I just don't know. I pray that God gives me wisdom.

Here is a picture of my sweetie during a diaper change today. You gotta love that face!

7/16/07 - OLLIE DRINKS FROM AN OPEN CUP

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So, last Monday we took Oliver to Nancy Willard, a Speech Language Pathologist. That sounds odd, I know. But that is who the Doctors send you to when your infant has feeding problems.

I went in to the appointment with a pessimistic attitude and came out with new hope. Nancy told us that it is very typical of Laryngomalacia / Reflux babies to refuse to eat because they are protecting their airways. Apparently, it's too challenging to coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing through their compromised airway so they decide that breathing is the priority. Plus, with the reflux they experience pain. So, the whole feeding thing is just a horrible experience for them. She said we should try and remove one element. Obviously we can't remove swallowing or breathing...so that leaves us with sucking. She gave me a specially made open cup and we fed him that way. He immediately loved it. He gulped it down.

So, now the plan is to cup feed in the day when he won't nurse, and to nurse in the night when he's willing because he's just on auto-pilot. It seems to be working. He looks like he's gaining weight and he went from pooping once every 7 to 10 days to pooping 3 times a day!

The only down side is that I have to pump a lot, sterilized things a lot, and change Ollie's clothes a lot because he dribbles quite a bit during cup feedings. At first I was changing his clothes at every feeding. Then I fed him just in a diaper. Now, I just leave him in the dribbled outfit for a short while. He won't die from it. As long as we are in our own home I don't care.

Nancy also told us to avoid rice cereal (too constipating) and acidic fruits like applesauce, pears, peaches, berries...etc. She advised us to stick to bananas, sweet potatoes, avacados, and carrots. This week we've just done carrots and he's really liked it. So, we have a new hope for Ollie that he will get bigger and grow out of all of his afflictions. Praise God for all the wonderful professional help we have found along the way!

7/5/07 - LAUGHIN' AFTER A BATH

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Ollie really enjoys his baths these days. He giggles and smiles from ear to ear. Afterwards, when I'm rubbing him with lotion he really laughs if I tickle him under his chin.

I tell you, that kid is just pure sweetness. I mean, he rarely fusses (except when being fed) and has just the most charming disposition. He's just so wonderful to have around. If only he would start eating more and gaining weight so we wouldn't have to worry so much. But still...we are amazingly blessed to be his parents.