A Good Day in the OR

Lincoln's inguinal hernia repair surgery went well today. His surgeon who repaired his diaphragm hernia performed the surgery. She was so pleased to see Lincoln and how big he has gotten. It's been about two months since she has seen him. He was smiling at her and talking a little. She just loved it! After Lincoln was given an albuterol treatment, he was taken back for the surgery. We were told that he was very feisty and did not go to sleep with the gas they gave him so he got his IV while still awake (poor baby!). They couldn't give too much sedation before intubating him though, so there wasn't much choice. I guess he still has quite a tolerance for sedation.

The surgeon did find that Lincoln actually had a hernia on both the left and right, so she repaired both. She said she tried to look at his diaphragm with the camera, but Linc's liver is covering the repair location. But from what she could see, it all looked good. The whole procedure took about two hours. Afterward, Lincoln was upset for some time in recovery and was very sleepy. He was whining and very hoarse with a sore throat from the breathing tube. The nurses were having trouble weaning Lincoln's oxygen back to his baseline and had to keep him on 2L while he was so upset. Over a few hours, and several naps later, Linc was feeling better and his oxygen was able to be turned down to his normal 0.8LPM and he was able to drink a little formula. So we were sent home with instructions to give tylenol every 4 hours for one day, then as needed. We will return in 4 weeks or so for a follow-up appointment with Linc's surgeon. The surgeon used dissolving stitches inside and skin glue on the outside, so we don't need to return for any stitches removal.

Lincoln's Newborn Medicine doc came by to see him in recovery since we haven't been back to see her in over a month. She was so pleased with Lincoln's growth (14lbs 12oz, and 25.75inches long! ) and she was happy to hear how well he is doing developmentally (close to sitting unassisted and talking up a storm!). She said she would call in a few weeks to check on Linc after he has had time to recover from surgery and if all is well, she will have me turn down his Os over the phone! She will also coordinate our next visit with Linc's surgery follow-up appt.

Since we have been home, Lincoln has been pretty much himself and has already taken a full bottle and gone to bed like the good little boy that he is. He has been such a trooper, as always.

Time Flies

Wow. Lincoln is 6 months old (coming up on 7 now!) and it is December already! Linc has been doing really well overall lately. He has been cold free for over a month! He has been showing a bit of his temper more than usual, with pinching and hitting, but that just shows his gross motor skills are improving! Lincoln is still fairly fussy, crying for several hours out of each day. Compared to four months ago though when we brought him home, it is night and day. He is much improved. We have just learned calm Lincoln as best we can and turn up his Os when he needs some extra help.

Lincoln's latest measurements are 14lbs 3 oz (<3%), 25" long (25%)and 43cm HC (25%). His head and length are getting up there! Now we just need to work on his waistline. I have started adding some olive oil to his diet to get in some extra fat. Hopefully that helps him gain a few lbs. He is taking anywhere from 3-6 oz per feeding (totaling about 24 oz per 24 hours - goal is about 33 oz) Lincoln still wakes several times per night. I feed him once at night and just rock him the other times he wakes. Lincoln has started eating a few solids over the past month, including rice cereal, oatmeal, carrots, sweet potatoes(the favorite by far!), and avocado. Aside from the sweet potatoes, he usually only takes 2-3 bites before crying, which is when I end the meal. There is no rush right now to introduce solids, so we are just taking it slow and trying to enjoy it, being careful not to create any aversions.

Respiratory status is stable. Still on 0.8 LPM oxygen 24/7. Linc has been getting albuterol treatments as needed for wheezing over the past month, and seems to be feeling much better. He only needs a treatment every few days and whenever I need to take him out in the cold weather he seems to need more treatments, but thankfully that isn't too often. Lincoln absolutely hates the treatments, but they do wonders for him.

Lincoln did not end up having his scheduled surgery on Dec 9th due to a possible stomach virus. Just to be safe his surgeon pushed back his surgery date to 12/23. Yes, Christmas Eve Eve. I hope that once his inguinal hernia is taken care of he will move forward a bit with sitting up. Linc has trouble sitting for more than a few minutes and seems to be in pain, I assume from the hernia. So far Lincoln is able to sit propped on his hands for a few minutes. His head control is great! He is still not able to roll from back to tummy though.

We have had a few visits now from Missouri First Steps, but really we are still just beginning. Lincoln will see nutrition and physical therapy once per month, and occupational therapy twice per month.

Lincoln's great Aunt Michelle was able to meet Lincoln for the first time when she visited with her husband the other day. Lincoln has also had a few visits with his Aunt Jen, Uncle Pat, and cousins Layla and Aubrey over the past few weeks. Lincoln is kind of hit or miss when it comes to outtings. He does seem to be very social when he is feeling comfortable. He willingly smiles and coos at even first time visitors. The first time he has reached for a person was for cousin Aubrey at our last visit.

As you can see, I have been having a great time taking pictures with Dan's old camera, given to him by his parents many moons ago. I actually decided to keep Linc home for his 6 month pictures and they turned out pretty good! I just was too nervous to take him to a studio during the most busy time of year for children to have their picture taken (Christmas). Maybe by his 9 month pics I will feel more comfortable taking him out. We currently only take trips to the doctor or the occasional trip to Grandma and Grandpas. No public places through April to keep Lincoln healthy. Lincoln has had a good month and we look forward to our first Christmas as a family!