July in Review

Hello. I first must apologize for my month long hibernation from blogging. July has been hectic. I took a position running a summer camp program, so the first three weeks of July were filled with teens and summer camp. John took Stanton to my Mom’s every day. Stanton and I saw each other for maybe 30 minutes a day. It was really hard for both of us. Needless to say, we’ve spent the end of July just trying to get back on schedule and re-establish a sense of routine.

Some of the small progress Stanton made in June really regressed in July. We worked so hard to transition him off the bottle and onto a straw…..he is now refusing the straw and will only drink from the bottle. He was beginning to taste and lick a variety of foods……he now sometimes runs and hides when invited to join us at the table. He was complying with taking his medications three times a day…..it is now all out war to get just one half dose down him. He’s also shown an increase in constipation and vomiting. I feel that this was his way of letting us know he missed the security of having Mommy around. It is going to take some time to see the more self-confident Stanton again. BUMMER! However, this completely confirms what choice is right for our family.

All mothers struggle with the idea of “should I stay home?” or “should I go back to work?” There’s tons of debate on the internet on this very topic. In fact when I Google “stay home or go back to work,” I receive 105,000,000 results! Well, I too have been wrestling with this idea, and, because of medical debt, decided that working just temporarily or part time would be financially helpful to my family. A little voice inside of me, however, reminded me over and over that God would take care of things if I just trusted and believed. So many blessings came our way this past spring. It has been a truly amazing time to see God work in our lives. His provisions for us never cease to amaze me. Through our struggles and blessings, I can clearly see that God is arranging things in the perfect way so that I can be home with Stanton.

Here’s a quick overview of doctor updates from July. I took Stanton for his two-year well baby visit in early July. The pediatrician, Dr. Schepens, was thrilled with Stanton weight and said he looked great. She was especially proud of the bug bites and bruises on his legs. Dr. Schepens said that all little boys who feel good have legs like that! She also asked me some questions about his birth….and when I answered yes, she asked permission to speak to the geneticist. Of course I agreed, but am unsure of what red flags she founds. John took Stanton to a genetics appointment in mid-July. The doctor seemed to think we were doing everything we possibly could and said he could only recommend more blood work and testing to rule out some possible syndromes. He is to send us a report of his observations and recommendations. John and I really haven’t decided how we’ll proceed. I suppose we’ll just wait on the report and then decide. I had a phone consultation with our gastroenterologist, Dr. Serrano, just this past Friday. Because of Stanton’s severe constipation issues, increased vomiting and painful crying…..Dr. Serrano wants Stanton back on Prevacid. He has yet to take it for me, which I really wasn’t prepared for. He’s been on Prevacid since he was 12 weeks old. We’ve only been off it since the end of April. Anyway, once I can get it down him, it should help with his acid reflux and chronic heartburn. Dr. Serrano also wants to refer us to an in-patient pediatric feeding disorder clinic. John will fax a bunch of paperwork on Monday to get this process officially started.

We are so hopeful that the right combination of medication and therapy will help Stanton become more comfortable, which in turn, will make life easier for all of us. Thank you so much for your prayers, sweet words of encouragement and support along the way.