I love to sit with Jaron and play with his hands and rub his head. Mommy was getting ready so we are in the bathroom here in the picture.
Playing with my Brother
I love to sit with Jaron and play with his hands and rub his head. Mommy was getting ready so we are in the bathroom here in the picture.
Back to Atlanta Today
Well we went to the doctor in Atlanta today for Jaron's 1st NAM adjustment. He has been fussy with it and got a couple sores in his mouth, which is normal. We have smoothed it out and they say each week gets a little easier. I hope so. I want him to be happy and get used to it so he will drink better. I have medicine for his sore in his mouth and I think this week should be easier than last. He is getting more alert and he SMILED AT ME for the first time in the doctor's office today. I was making a SSSS noise looking at him and he was looking at me and smiled real big without his NAM so it was and it was so PRECIOUS!!! I laughed out loud. Maybe one day soon I can get a picture of him smiling and I will post it. Oh and I asked if we could weigh him and he weighed 9 lbs. 12 oz. Anyway, thanks for reading. God Bless You All.
Playing the Guitar
Here I am playing my guitar. Do you love my little tank top! :-) I am getting so big and my brother is so little. He likes to lay with me on my pillow.
Week one with the NAM
Well we are hanging in there this week. Jaron is still drinking his bottles but sometimes I have been numbing his mouth. He has developed some sores from his NAM and we were given a dremel which can be VERY helpful in smoothing down the rough spots. We go back to ATL. Friday at 2pm and I hope they make it better. Jaron has been swatting at his NAM and it pops him in the mouth and he screams. Of course they told me that he wouldn't do that because he is so little but my child has to be the exception to the rule. Anyway, we are still having issues at night. I think he has colic. Very fussy at night with stomach pains. So please keep praying for us that things will get better and mommy can get some sleep. We go back to NYU Wed. Aug. 3rd.
Handsome Little Man
Well here I am all grown up! We were walking out the door for church. I am a big boy now, using the potty, sitting on the front row at church with daddy and helping mommy with Jaron. I will be 3 years old Sept. 12th. Wow time flies!
Lovin' My Brother
Well this is me loving on my brother again! He is so precious and I love to rub his head and kiss him on the cheek. I am so proud of Jaron and I can't wait until he can play with me.
Jaron Got His NAM!
Well today is the big day! We went to CHOA today at 2pm and saw Dr. Granger. He put the NAM on Jaron and sent us on our way. This is going to be a lot of work for us but from what they tell me it will help him to drink a bottle better and take in less air. I hope so. Tonight will be the first night so please say a prayer for me that he sleeps good. He definately looks different and it is a change for us since we have gotten used to his cute little face these last 3 weeks. But we know it is what he needs to prepare things for surgery. They say it does not hurt him and he did better than most leaving the office asleep. He did drink a few oz. with it in so far and seems to do alright. We walked in the dor and Jacob just said "Jaron's got his bandaid" He knew what to expect from all the pictures he has seen. He's a great big brother. Remember to check the blog and I will keep you posted.
First Trip To New York!
Well we made our flight on time Wed. morning and Jaron slept the whole flight it was wonderful. And my friend came and got us from the airport and took us to the hospital. Everyone was so nice at NYU. We finally got back to see Dr. Grayson and he looked at the "Simon Arts Bands" and said Dr. Cutting was on his way. So when Cutting got there he looked and said yes we have to snip them. He said I should go out and it would take 2 minutes. So they numbed him with lidocaine and when they were all done they brought him to me and he was asleep. His mouth had lots of blood around it and on his tongue. They wanted me to wait about 45 minutes before I fed him to make sure the bleeding was stopped. He would not take his bottle so to make a LOONNGGG story very short....he SCREAMED the 1st hour of the flight back home and slept the second hour. He screamed when we got home wanting a bottle but wouldn't take one. So now I am feeding him with a medicine dropper. Poor little guy's mouth hurts and I sure do hope it gets better soon. Dr. Cutting said he had to put one stitch and it will disolve and they said wait and let Granger put the NAM on this Friday when we go. So that is the plan unless he thinks we need to mold him for a new one now. His premaxilla is very moveable now so that is good. We go to Atlanta Friday @ 2pm. Check back later that night or Saturday for possibly a picture of him wearing his NAM or just an updated post. Yesterday was very rough and I am going back Aug. 3rd too. Keep us in your prayers.
Jaron looks like me!
Well mom had to dress Jaron in the same onesie she dressed me in for the hospital pictures. And believe it or not, Jaron looks a lot like I did when I was born. If it wasn't for the cleft you may not be able to tell us apart.
Projectile Spit up!
Well Jaron has been spitting up more and more with each feeding so I thought he might have acid reflux. Believe it or not it is very common in babies and I looked online and it seems he has all the symptoms. So I made an appointment with the pediatrician, they are open on Sunday's, Thank God. And we dropped Jacob and Daddy off at church and I took him to the doc during the sunday school hour. He does have acid reflux and they gave him Zantac to help with that. I have noticed a difference. No more projectile MESS! He still spits up some but not much. He also suggested I add rice cereal to his bottles to help settle his milk in his stomach. I think it is helping. So they say that he could be on Zantac for months or up to a year old. They eventually grow out of it. 2 MORE DAYS~NY here we come! :-)
Our 2nd Trip to Atlanta
Well we went back to Atlanta today to get his NAM and Dr. Granger said he had already talked with Dr. Grayson in NY about Jaron. We discovered he has what they call bands. It is little peices of skin holding that middle peice over to one side. The center peice is called the premaxilla and they need to center that with the NAM but cannot until they cut those bands of skin. So we will see Dr. Cutting in NY wed. and they will numb it locally to snip the skin (they are very little). Then when they cut it loose they think the premaxilla (center peice sticking out) will move over on it's own. So then they will put his NAM on up there (Dr. Granger gave it to me to take to NY) or if the premaxilla moves too much they will have to mold him for a new NAM. So he is not currently wearing it because it won't help anything until they cut that skin. We'll keep you posted.
Potty Training!!!
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Thank God Jacob has finally decided that he should stop pooping in his underwear. He has been using it in the potty for a couple weeks now. I am so proud of him. At first we would catch him pushing and pick him up and run and sit him on the potty but these last few days he has told me he needs to go. He is getting so big. Now that he's a big brother he has really seemed to mature and behave a little better. He sure does love his baby brother too! The picture above is the first time Jacob saw Jaron. A day to remember!
2 week check-up
I took Jaron for his 2 week check up today and he is 8 lb. 13 oz. and 21" long. He is growing good and in the 50% for his height and weight. I am so glad. Feedings can be difficult at times and he spits up a lot so I was worried if he was actually taking in enough. So now mommy feels better. He will go back for a 2 month check up and have to get 4 shots. We go back to Atlanta tomorrow to get his NAM and we have our first appointment in NY Wed. 20th @ 1pm. That is going to be a long day. Keep us in your prayers and we will keep you posted. Thank you all.
Jaron and Daddy
This is so precious. Jaron sleeping with his daddy. How peaceful. If only he would sleep like this for mommy at night. :-)
Me and my brother!
Jacob loves Jaron so much. He kisses him and rubs his head all the time. He always makes sure to know where Jaron is at all times. He is learning to share mommy.
Works of art!
Jacob loves to color and draw things. These are actually things he drew before Jaron was born. I emailed them to some of you and others haven't seen them at all. He is so smart for his age. Learning every day how to write new letters. We are so proud of him.
Jacob's Blog
Well I had to create Jacob a blog because our family website is maxed out so this is where you can find pictures of Jacob and new things about him. I think it's only fair to have one for him too since I have one for Jaron. So add this to you favorites and check back often for updated pictures and new things about Jacob.
First Trip to Atlanta
Well we took Jaron's to his first appointment at the Children's Hospital of Atlanta today. We met with the Genetisist, Nutritionist & Orthodontist. He got his impression for the NAM and they drew blood for chromosomes testing. We will find out the results by phone in 2-3 weeks on the chromosomes tests. That is just to make sure there is no other underlying defects. Most likely there isn't we just want to be sure. We go back next Friday to get his NAM put in. We have our first appointment in New York for Wed. July 20th @ 1pm. We plan to go up there once a month so they can monitor his progress since they will be doing the surgery in New York. We'll let you know how it goes.
Our trip to the ER
Jaron was having trouble drinking last night because his mouth was bleeding from the bottles rubbing it raw. I was getting worried because he had been too long without anything to drink so we took him to the ER and they put a tube in his mouth to feed him 2 oz. immediately since he had already been crying for 2 hours at that point. They ended up giving me some medicine to numb the sore area and told me to be sure and keep vaseline on his cleft and on the nipples of the bottles. He drank 11/2-2 oz. every 3 hours today at the hospital so they sent us home and I hope they have a better solution when we go to Children's Hospital of Atlanta Friday. He should be getting molded for his NAM on Friday. And it takes them a week to make it so he should have it by Friday 15th. Anyway, we are home now and he is sleeping great and I also got a full nights rest at the hospital so I feel much better too. Thank you for all your prayers.
Jaron is eating good!!!
Well we have mastered the haberman bottle. He drinks about 1 oz. of formula every 2 hours. Mommy's milk is coming in so he will be getting that "Liquid Gold" soon. Jacob is in love with him and mommy is learning to divide her time. I only slept 3 hours last night due to his circumcision burning from all the peepee. But the doctor said after 48 hours the pain should subside. I hope tonight goes better for us. Enjoy all the pictures!
Jaron is here!
Jaron was born June 29, 2005 8 lbs. 19 inches @ 3:14pm
He was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. Mommy has learned to feed him with the haberman feeder. He is doing great! Enjoy the pictures!
He was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. Mommy has learned to feed him with the haberman feeder. He is doing great! Enjoy the pictures!
What a Blessing!
Well our church gave me a baby shower Sunday June 12th and I had asked for diapers & wipes only. I have plenty of clothes from Jacob and all the other necessities. So I got just that, TONS of wipes, 1055 diapers & $305 cash!!! So I am stocked up on diapers for atleast 3 months. What a blessing. Our church family is so supportive. God has been so good to us already and Jaron isn't even here yet. Chris FINALLY got a 1st shift position after working 3rd shift for 4 1/2 years. We are so happy, now he is home at night with us. I went to the doctor Monday 13th and I was dilated to 1cm and barely thinned out so I am going back next monday for another check up. I hope there is some progress. I am due the 28th and I don't want to wait much longer after that. Maybe they will induce if I go past my due date, we'll see. Jacob has been going #2 in the potty FINALLY!!! And just in time! Thank the Lord. He has been so precious lately. I have told him all along about Jaron's cleft and he knows what cleft babies look like. We were talking about it the other day and he was drawing on paper and wanted to draw Jaron so he did and drew his cleft lip, too. I almost cried. It is so precious. I'll see if I can attach it. Well I have 6 MORE DAYS and I hope not even that long. We'll keep you posted.
11 More Days!
I am so ready to have Jaron. It seems like these last few days are taking forever to go by. I went to the doctor for a check up Monday and I was not dilated at all. So I go back this Monday to see if there has been any progress. I hope I am dilated to 8 and ready to go. I am still very nervous about his feeding and all that but I am more ready to have him and see his little face than anything else. I have been having lots of braxton hicks contractions and they are not fun! And my hands and feet are starting to swell because it is getting warmer weather. I drink 64 oz. of water every day and still swell. Jacob is so ready to see Jaron. He said to me yesterday, "Guess what Mommy, Jaron's coming out, one day". He is very excited. Our friends had their baby last week and he held him and kissed his face and was so gentle. I was proud. I'll be sure to post a picture as soon as I get home from the hospital. Thanks for reading...
Mommy's getting nervous
Well I have 5 more weeks and I am getting nervous about Jaron's arrival. I am worried he won't be able to drink right and they will want to keep him in the hospital for a while or something. The doctor in Atlanta said as soon as he is drinking good to bring him in to get molded for his NAM. And that's another thing. I am worried that I won't do the NAM right. I guess they are going to show me how to tape it on and stuff. I don't know, I guess I'm just paranoid. I want to do what's best for him and I don't want to panic about things. Oh and there's one more thing that just kills me to think about. I can't imagine not focusing all my time with Jacob. I mean I know having two kids will require more attention but Jaron is going to need extra attention and it breaks my heart to think of Jacob not getting all of me. I mean he is so precious and I don't want to put him on the back burner. I hope God will give me grace through this next year. Pray for me.
Another Visit w/ the Ultrasound Specialists
I went back to the specialists today at 3:30 to get another look at Jaron. They put me in the 3D room to see if we could see his cleft a little better. But unfortunately he is head down and face down with his arms in his face. He wouldn't budge. I haven't drank any coke today or eaten any chocolate so he hasn't been all that active. So we wiggled and jiggled my belly trying to get some movement but he wouldn't budge. So they did they're measurements and checked everything again. He is approx 4 lbs. 7 oz. (average). He will gain approx. 1/2 lb. every week until birth. So he is going to be about 7.5 lbs. I hope he comes quicker than Jacob. :-) They said there is no need for me to come back, unless I want to for reassurance. I mean the bigger he gets the more cramped he will be and harder to see his face. They said everything else looks normal. No other abnormalities that they can see. So I did not reschedule. Thank God there is nothing else wrong. Well since he wouldn't budge they didn't get any thing good enough to print for me so I don't have a new ultrasound to post like I said I would. Let's see maybe I'll post one from before. Thanks for reading. I'll try to get some pictures on here of him shortly after he is born. Keep us in your prayers.
Meeting the Doctors
Well we went to Atlanta last Friday and met the Orthodontist that will be helping repair Jaron's cleft. He was a very nice doctor and seems to be very busy. He has just started the NAM and is staying in constant contact with the Dr. in NY that created it. He has 4 NAM babies right now and will probably have 10 or more by the time Jaron arrives. He told me to call and get an appointment with him as soon as Jaron is eating good so he can get the molding for his NAM and get it in his mouth right away. That will be about 1-2 weeks old. It took us an hour to get to the Children's Hospital of Atlanta and we will go there every week for NAM adjustments for 5-6 months until he has surgery. We plan to go to Dr. Cutting in NY for his surgery. He is a plastic surgeon and only specializes in Cleft lips. I go for more ultrasounds May 3rd and I will post them when I get home. I hope I can get a good 3D picture this time. I am so ready to see him and get his treatment started.
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