Not long after I published the last post our little man started getting sick. There are plenty winter bugs doing there rounds here as most of you have learnt with your own kids. Jason started with the snotty nose and as usual when he gets excess mucous, this causes him to gag. Feeding wasn't very easy during the beginning of the week and we had to take away his day pediasure completely as he could not keep it down. BUT I am very chuffed, he managed to fight this one without antibiotics and is on the mend. I am still taking it easy with the pediasure (which has the higher calories unfortunately) but he is doing really well on the solids. As hard as it is for me I have to try and remind myself that I can't keep counting calories. The problem is even if I didn't count calories it does show in his weight. Those of you that have children with feeding tubes can understand what I am saying. I guess all of us are "trained" into counting calories, timing feeds, making sure they get enough fluids etc. It has become a huge part of our lives. Everything we do revolves around feeding. We can't just pack the kids in the car and go. We have to have all the tubes, the feeds, the pumps, the pump stands etc. When it's time to feed we can't just feed them in front of everyone (ok we could but seriously the stares we get and the whispering is not easy to tolerate). The other factor is because most of them were failure to thrive and malnourished we have to feed them regularly, usually 3 hourly and a day trip, a wedding, an outing to the movies is almost impossible. Bruce and myself haven't been to the movies in 5 years! The last wedding we went to we just didn't feed Jason. We can't just whip out the syringe and feed him and even if we did we were concerned that feeding him may cause him to gag and be uncomfortable. A lot of the time we have to miss a feed out of the pure fact that we would prefer him to enjoy himself rather than watching him gag, get all clammy and feel violently ill.
We are on school holidays until the 16th July so mommy is being kept really busy. It's great having some bonding time with my two before I head back to work. I have to be quite inventive and creative with our time trying to keep Jason entertained and busy. I must say he is really easy going and he is pretty good at entertaining himself. We have been doing lots of drawing and painting and puzzles. Keeping his mind active and having fun at the same time. I am amazed by the words that I am starting to recognize now. Even his therapists are really pleased and are starting to notice lots of words whereas before we couldn't understand what he was saying. All of a sudden our little man is no longer so little anymore. He is really growing up so fast and we are noticing it more and more.
Tomorrow is polygam in hospital for the day for the boys :-( while the girls stay home. My mission for next week is to make the appointment for his hearing assessment and also to make an appointment with an educational psychologist in order to give us an assessment and also to give us direction with regards to schooling. So a few things on the cards in the next week.