A week of Appointments

Rowdy waiting at the Pediatricians Appt

We had so many appointments this week that I blinked and it is the weekend! We started off the week with a BIG day Tuesday up in Portland with appointments to find out how Rowdy's kidneys/bladder were doing. This was a 3 month check up where we go up to the hospital for a renal ultrasound and then head to the urologist appt to hear the verdict. This time we added another appt at the hospital to perform a VCUG, which is a procedure where they insert a cathedar into Rowdy's bladder and then fill his bladder with a liquid dye all while viewing it through a real time x-ray. Rowdy had this procedure done while in the NICU to determine whether he had a contition known as reflux. Reflux occurs when the bladder voids and some of the urine is backwashed back up into the kidneys. Rowdy tested negative for this while in the NICU but his Dr. wanted to test for it again, just to be sure considering his kidneys as of Dec. were still holding fluid. Good news, he still doesn't have reflux.



I have realized that my boy is so tolerant. He is such a big boy. He was on his best behavior for the ultrasound and didn't even cry for the cathedar! They gave me a little baby hospital gown that tied in the back to get him dressed in. He looked SO cute! It has little lion and tigers and bears (oh my!) all over it. We laid him on the x-ray table while they fetched some nice warm blankets for him. The smell of the detergent the blankets are washed in brought back a FLOOD of memories of NICU days. They gave Rowdy an entertaining toy that made lots of noise to distract him. The Radiologist came in and they filled his bladder with the liquid dye then pulled the big hood of the x-ray machine down over Rowdy. I was standing at his head and holding his hands. He started crying a little bit, I think the pressure of a VERY full bladder wasn't comfortable at all. We watched a TV screen of his insides and watched intently to see any dark color streams heading north as he went potty. We didn't see what we were looking for...good news.

The prince is waiting...

The test was over as quick as it started. We made it through! Whew...Rowdy with many tears...mom with a few...but we made it.


Next we went over to Dr. Hirselj (pronounced HER-SHULL) or "Dr. Cutie-Pie" as he has been dubbed, to hear what he had to say about the appts. He said it wasn't great news but it wasn't bad news either. There has been no change in Rowdy's kidneys in three months. They are still swollen and still holding fluid. He said on a positive note, they are still growing. He is putting Rowdy on a once a day bladder relaxing medication called Ditropen indefinitely. He hopes that this medication will allow his bladder to expand and contract like a normal bladder so that hopefully everything will drain completely out of his kidneys allowing the swelling in his kidneys to go down. The swelling in his kidneys could be damaging to their growth and function...so we are trying to limit that as much as possible. He said we are going to moniter every 3 months for the next two years. He is not wanting to let Rowdy out of his sight. If at any time the ultrasounds show a downturn of this situation he is wanting to put a cathedar in. We are very grateful that what Rowdy is dealing with isn't painful and isn't seeming to cause him any discomfort. We just need continuing prayer for our sweet little boy's urinary tract system. We are faithful in knowing that the Lord made no mistakes when he formed Rowdy.

My blanket tastes so great.

Thursday we had a photography appt with Miriam Haugen. It was SO fun! Rowdy did such an amazing job and I am REALLY looking forward to seeing the end photos. We did some cutie pictures with blue jeans and a baby cowboy hat. Then did mostly naked "Gerber Baby" pics. Miriam was so kind and really did a great job with Rowdy. We will be entering one of Rowdy's pictures into her Baby Photo Contest...so in a week or two we will be asking the world to go online and vote Rowdy as the cutest baby!! We want to WIN WIN WIN!

I love this sweet little chin

Friday we had our 6 month well baby check-up appt. Rowdy is now 18lbs 3oz and is 26in long. He is one growing boy. He had his vaccinations which he was so good through. Dr. Weiler is so impressed by his developement...she too is calling him a rockstar. She noted him on the early end of typical child developement and enjoyed how social he is...in otherwards he is a HUGE flirt!
Making eyes at her and smiling up a storm. =) He is too cute.

I love these blue eyes

Rowdy is:

*Still sleeping through the night! Mommy and Daddy appreciate this.
*Rolling every which way...he has added rolling from his tummy to his back just this weekend.
*Loving playing with his toes...both feet in both hands at the same time...too cute.
*Eating baby oatmeal, peach banana baby food, sweet potatoes, chicken, avacado, bananas, mango, and anything and everything you put in front of him.
*Talking, talking, talking...now I know what its like for Lance when he's listening to me! =)
*Loving his new highchair and the new persepective it gives him.
*A fish! Bathtime is where he lives up to his name...sometimes I think he is going to flail himself right out of the tub!
*SOOO ticklish in his lower ribs which produces the SWEETEST giggle in the whole world!
*Loves animals.
*the joy of our lives!

Playing with our toys

We are the luckiest parents...the love we have for our boy cannot be put into words...our hearts melt at every touch from his chubby little hands to every "eye smile" (a trait of his I LOVE, smiling with just his eyes, the whole rest of his face stays the same). We are truly blessed and thank the Lord everyday for the opportunity to raise this sweet child.

I love this bball hoop from Aunt MoMo

Who doesn't love this Gerber baby shot!

Chubby Bubby

Snuggling for a movie in Mom and Dad's bed

I love this book

After bathtime