I am so thrilled with Carter! All of his doctor appointments lately are like a breeze and they are all SO happy with his progress. His neurologist didn't even spend ten minutes with us because she had nothing to do. His rehab/pediatric doctor today was beyond happy to see him laughing and smiling. She looked him all over, reviewed his meds and current status. Dr. Murphy reported that there was nothing she would change and that she was so pleased. She congratulated me on my hard work and taking care of him. It was so nice to hear from a renowned doctor that she wouldn't change anything and was so pleased with him. It made my day! I feel I am reaping so many rewards for our hard work last year, and that Carter is being blessed with a body that can move more. Although he still can't communicate beyond grunting or shrieking or body language, I feel that I know for the most part what he wants or needs.
She also predicted a long life for Carter because he is so healthy and has no respiratory issues, good lungs and a good heart. He has no scoliosis or anything wrong with his bones. She is excited for him to go to preschool in December and get out and be around other kids like him. There are days I get down thinking of just the negative in life, but right now my heart is bursting and full. God has truly blessed our family and I am so thankful. Carter passed his vision and hearing screening with the Jordan School District. They all thought he was so cute. He is still scooting, getting up and down, rolling all over, stretching and now turning in every direction. Good work buddy!! We love you! P.S. Just please don't get over your side rail in bed anymore.
Carter has been sick twice since entering Nursery. Coincidence? Had got a cold that lasted about a week and thank goodness for his suction pump that helps a lot. He still can't cough well enough to get the secretions out so it just sits in his chest or nose. Sierra seems able to handle whatever has come his way so far, she just gets little sniffles. Now Carter has hand, mouth and feet virus; a common viral illness. He has red bumps on his ankles, wrists, chin, around his mouth, back of his neck, legs and bum. They don't itch but they look irritating to me. His throat is bright red with some sores. Thankfully the poor guy seems okay so far (crossing fingers). I am giving him ibuprofen for discomfort and fever. I just have to wash my hands often to keep from getting it or spreading it to Sierra. His hands are always in his mouth as well as hers, so I can see why they picked something up quite easily.
Carter also has a small fungal infection around his G Tube site. It had an odd smell for awhile and then started looking red so we saw the GI doctor last week and he put him on an antibiotic to get rid of it. Carter was being super fussy for awhile so I guess all of this makes sense. We are doing a sleep study next week to see how the tonsillectomy and removal of his adenoids went back in December. Hopefully over the past 8 months there has been progress and maybe he no longer needs oxygen at night. We'll see. We also moved into the top part of a home we are renting and it's been really nice having more space. The kids each have their own room, and the stairs are few and much easier to get Carter in and out. It's been nice to be in a neighborhood with family close by and a great ward. There are several special needs kids in the ward so I feel right at home. So far everyone is very warm and welcoming.
I know this blog is about Carter, but I also wanted to share some information on his little sister Sierra. She is after all, a big part of his life now. Sierra is a little over 3 months old and so cute. Everyone is always saying how beautiful she is and it's true! She loves to stare at her big brother and smiles often at him, and he reciprocates. Melts a mother's heart. She is already rolling to her sides and has rolled off of her stomach. She lifts up about 90 degrees on her stomach, stands and bears weight on her feet. While I hold her hands and lift her she keeps her head up super well and then stands up. She is grabbing and holding toys and touching things. She sits up supported quite well and has great tracking and eye movement. It has been amazing to see all these things in such a little one. She babbles all the time too and makes all these cute noises. She smiles constantly and has laughed out loud a few times. It takes some work to get a full out giggle. According to What To Expect The First Year, she is right on developmentally if not a little ahead.
Having a baby girl and one that is so healthy and smart has been such a blessing for me. Carter has been a struggle in different ways for so long that I feel like this is my reward. She has really brought such warmth to our home already and made me so happy. I feel like I finally know what it's like to be a mother that LOVES being a mother. Everyday is such a joy and not just hard. I feel that having her gives me enough of a diversion that I'm not constantly consumed with Carter. It gives me more balance so that I feel more optimistic. I admit I still get frustrated with Carter when I don't know what we wants, but I remind myself that I need to be careful how I act towards him. Sierra will be a mother herself one day and will take her cues from me. I want her to love, respect and stand up for her big brother. So as his mother I should too. It's normal to be with the baby more since she needs more, but while she takes her big nap it's nice to have one on one time with Carter too. And I find that all the games or noises I do with Sierra makes Carter laugh too, even if he is across the room. Here are some pictures of our lovely baby girl.
