Checkin' in

Things are pretty decent at home. Robbie's eating a bit better. Before the surgery he was generally eating about an ounce and giving up. Right now he's taking more like 2. It's still not the 3 that we'd need him to take to not need the tube, but double is quite an improvement, in my opinion.

He's also been in an exceptional mood. Just smiling and laughing and happy. At first I thought he was just happy to be home from the hospital, but it's gone on long enough that I think he just FEELS better. I guess when your stomach stops trying to creep out your throat, your days are a little brighter.

He was honestly a pretty happy, good-natured baby even before. Now he's just downright bubbly.

He's been napping a little better during the day (more like an hour at a time as opposed to the 15 minutes he would do before) but he's been more restless at night. I actually think he's having bad dreams. I'll put him down and hear him "crying." It's not normal crying, though. It's more like an upset whine. I can go in and check on him and he'll be sound asleep but whining in his sleep.

I wonder if he's having nightmares about the hospital. It breaks my heart, but hopefully over time that will ease.

The tube has been going pretty well. It still oozes just a little bit, but it's nowhere NEAR as bad as it was the first time he had it. There's no food leaking out of it. It's more that the stoma is still healing. We get a bit of oozy blood on his clothes but not soaking through or anything. He doesn't object to me cleaning it up or keeping it slathered up with Aquaphor to protect his skin so he doesn't seem to be in any pain.

I don't believe I mentioned it (if I had, I'm sure someone would have come to berate me) but we also had him circumcised while he was out. (If anyone wants to call me a foreskin hater or baby mutilator, go for it. Now's your chance.)

I mention it because it's on the list of things that are almost healed. With his G tube looking pretty good and his laprascopy incisions looking quite good, I'm more focused on the penis than anything.

I really was sincerely on the fence about doing it. It's the studies about disease prevention that had me leaning towards yes (or at least maybe.) Our pediatrician and my husband were all for it. Both David and I have close relatives who had to be circ'ed later in life (David's dad was in his 20s, for example) because of problems. So I finally agreed. Then I kept putting it off because, frankly, I didn't want to put Robbie through any more pain. But since he was getting knocked out anyway, I figured if I was going to do it- now was the time.

So it's done and mostly healed. He does have some adhesions that need to come off. They look pretty gross but several people have told me it's pretty normal.

I won't say I don't have a good dose of guilt about it. It certainly looks gnarly, but hopefully he won't hate me when he gets older.

With all of that going well, things are pretty normal (for us, anyway) around the house. Since he's been eating as well as he has, it's averaging about 20 minutes to feed him. Even with the NG tube before it was taking more like 40 or 45. So I've suddenly found myself with some extra time. That means more playing with Robbie. And that is amazing.

Really, not having to worry about him starving himself is nothing short of amazing. I think it makes me a better mom because I'm not constantly sticking a bottle in his mouth or tape on his face or worrying about him pulling the tube in his nose out. I get to actually ENJOY him. Instead of begging him to eat or crying because he won't I just say "okay.. you're done.. no problem" and we move on.

So as much as I dreaded the tube and the surgery, I do feel it was the right decision.

Sorry for the boring update. But I know when I go too long w/o a Robbie check in, the natives get restless. So there it is.

To make up for the lack of excitement, how 'bout some pictures? And videos?!


--Trish

This is a short video from the hospital. This is your baby. This is your baby on morphine.


A much happier Robbie. Though he's mostly mesmerized with the camera. I swear it's just a plain ol' point and shoot. No flashing lights or happy tunes.


And some pictures:



I'm even cute when I'm stoned and in pain!



Did you know I have feet?


They're elusive but there are TWO of them!



Hi everybody!