9 Months (5 months adjusted)

1/6/2011

The babies turned 9 months old yesterday.  At their pediatrician's appointment, Cade weighed in at 19 lbs. 5 oz. and Camdyn gained a little making her 13 lbs. 11 oz.  I was hoping she would be 14 lbs, but she wasn't quite there.  She does not look remotely close to being a 9 month old; she doesn't even look like a 5 month old.  It is so strange to think that in just 3 months the babies will be 1 year old.  That does not even seem possible. 

Their doctor is just amazed at how well they are doing.  He did recommend getting private physical therapy weekly again for both Camdyn and Cade to work on sitting, crawling, etc.  They can both prop sit for a short time, but they need to work on building the core strength to sit for longer periods.  Overall, they are doing great.  Cade is starting to push up more with his arms and sit or stand assisted longer.  Camdyn is all over the place now but not by crawling.  She pushes her legs lying on her back to do a backwards scoot.  With the combination of her backwards crawl and rolling over, she can now move all over the living room floor, and since she is so tiny, she is very good at hide and seek.  She manages to get under the chair, under the couch, and under the Christmas tree (when it was still up). 

We also had our 9 month follow up appointment with the opthamologist that we saw in the NICU, and everything checked out great.  From what I have read, it is amazing that their eyes are so good.  Most micro-preemies develop ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) and require eye surgery.  We are so lucky that neither Camdyn or Cade had this.  We also have to thank our NICU for monitoring their oxygen levels so closely which helped avoid any damage to their eyes.  We don't have to see this doctor again until the babies are 3 years old!  That will just be for a follow up eye exam.

Cade's g-tube surgery is tomorrow morning at Dell.  I am growing more and more nervous as the time gets closer.  We were told that the PDA surgery was a "routine" surgery too, and Cade ended up with vocal cord paralysis from it causing a host of issues.  I know that we had no choice but to have that surgery; it saved his life, but what the doctors think of as "routine" is not "routine" to parents.  As a parent, you know that this "routine" surgery means that your child will be on anesthesia and be intubated once again.  I know he needs this surgery and that it will be better for him overall, but I am still nervous about it.  I know I will not be getting any sleep tonight (not that I ever get much anyway).  I am also strangely sad that his little tummy will no longer look like it does.  I know this is crazy.  He already has a huge scar on the right side of his tummy.  His skin was so thin and fragile that when they pulled the sticker probe off, it pulled some of his skin off too.  (Camdyn has a matching scar on her tummy as well.)  What's one more scar when you already have dozens of them, right?  I just don't want him to have to endure anything else.  Please pray for our little man to get through surgery well and to recover quickly. 

God - We pray that Cade's surgery goes smoothly tomorrow.  Watch over him and protect him tomorrow as he is put under anesthesia.  Help him to come out of the anesthesia and off the ventilator easily.  Guide the surgeon and nurses tomorrow as they work on my sweet baby boy.  Give them wisdom.   Protect Cade and help him recover quickly.  I leave this in your healing hands.  Amen.