Holden had a doctor appointment on Monday and we were thrilled to hear that she thinks Holden is ready to come off the oxygen...completely! (He was still sleeping with it at night). So Monday night was the first night ever, that Monkey slept without any tubes attached to him! What a blessing...the best Christmas present we could have asked for!!The doctor also took him off his steroid inhaler, as they think that, along with the nasal cannula have been aggravating the sores on his face and may be preventing them from healing.
We will obviously be watching him closely, but I have no doubt that he's ready...as the little stinker had been taking the cannula off in the middle of the night anyway!
Last month, we decided to stop his night time feeds using the feeding pump.
Although his GI Doctor did not agree with the strategy, it was one of the smartest decisions I ever made...as now Holden wakes up hungry. His appetite has grown tremendously and he suddenly has an interest in food! He has continued to slowly put on weight and is definitely getting taller. So assuming all continues to go well with his growth, we will hopefully, soon, get rid of his G-Tube forever! Yet another prayer answered!!
We are in the process of moving into our new home in Grayson. It is a great house in a very family friendly subdivision...with lots of kids around Holden's age. Although as everyone knows, moving itself is not much fun, it has been an exciting time for all of us. It has been especially fun to watch Holden as he embraces this new phase of our life. He immediately took to his new surroundings...becoming very adventurous...exploring every room and claiming which ones were his. He is also acting more independent...wanting to explore and play some on his own. We have not yet sold our old house, so this move is certainly risky. But I pray that in the long run we made the right decision!
I had a moment while driving to preschool the other day where I was very aware of everything around me. The crisp (freezing) morning air, my calm breathing and Holden riding in his car seat singing "Jingle Bells". Tears streamed down my face as I thought about how far Holden (and we) have come! Sure life still throws us some curve balls here and there, but I know how truly blessed we are! And I am very grateful for the love and support we continue to have from our friends and family. We wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
