Grant Having Some Fun

Our Little Walker

Grant took his first steps this week! He can take anywhere between 3 and 5 steps before he wipes out. He is enjoying his new skill and I have a feeling he'll be running by next week! He continues to be very observant and enjoys copying things we do. He likes to grab the bottle of lotion or hand sanitizer and rub his little hands together. He loves to try to open door knobs and climb on anything he can. Recently I caught him pushing a step ladder over to his babygate to try to climb over. Every day is an adventure!

Thank you for your prayers about the bottle. He is back to taking 2-3 bottles a day!

Grant's first haircut

Insurance update

Good news- the insurance problem seems to be resolved. Grant started back up with his therapy this week. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Doctor's visit

We saw the doctor on Friday for Grant to get a flu and RSV shot. It doesn't actually prevent RSV, but it would make it not as serious if he did get it. We continue to carry Lysol spray around the house. :) The good news is that he's finally weighing in at over 20 pounds. The bad news is that he is starting to reject the bottle. It has been such a treat the last few weeks to rock him and feed him in my arms. Not to mention the extra calories that he's been getting! (He's not really into drinking formula from a sippy cup- just water. )We're not sure why he's swatting the bottle away again, but it is discouraging to me. Specific prayer requests:

1. That Grant would continue to eat well and enjoy the bottle
2. That Grant's lungs would be completely healed
3. That I would stay positive and creative being indoors (and isolated) with Grant this winter
4. That my body would be completely healed (still doing PT for ankle and recently started PT for tendinitis in my wrists, thumbs and elbows)

Grant's giggle

No new news

We still don't have answers about Grant's lungs yet. We'll be in for another set of chest x-rays in about a week. Still no progress on all the insurance stuff either. The good news is that whenever I feel discouraged we put on Grant's music and dance. All my worries quickly fade away...

He's Got Moves

Check out this video of Grant dancing!

Million Dollar Baby

We found out from our insurance company today that we have "maxed out" the number of visits Grant can have with therapists. This is a huge bummer because Grant is making so much progress with the help of his PT and OT. He still crawls funny and doesn't really like to put weight on his right leg, but his leg is getting stronger. I very much depend on the work the therapists do and need their support for his development. We have another special insurance through the state that is supposed to cover whatever our insurance doesn't (Grant is officially a million dollar baby), but I am having a hard time getting them to cover these costs. Please pray that this would be an easy fix and Grant could continue his therapy as early as this weekend.

Surprised by Grant

Grant continues to keep us on our toes. Our latest surprise is that he LOVES the bottle. That's right- after refusing the bottle awake for the past 6 months, he has now decided that he likes it. During the past few months Grant has only had one small bottle while he's sleeping at night. But, the other night when I went in to feed him he was awake and grabbed at the bottle. He sucked it down. It has been over one week now and he's still grabbing for the bottle. It is such a treat to give him a bottle in the morning and evening with him awake and snuggling in my arms.

Grant in costume

Grant's favorite things

A few of Grant's favorite things: books, bellybuttons, sinks, hairdryers, water bottles, banging together balls,cooked carrots, pizza, walks outdoors, music and dancing, wastebaskets, looking in the mirror while saying, "yeah, yeah, yeah.." (no joke)

A great day!

The echo today showed that Grant's heart looked good! There was one small part that they were not able to see, but they don't think it is the source of the problem. We are so thankful that he doesn't have to have another heart surgery! So, we are trying to enjoy the good news and focus on the present. Tomorrow we'll talk to the pulmonolgist and find out what the next step is. Thank you so much for your prayers and love during this trying time. A big thank you goes out to grandma for enduring the long day at the hospital with us.

Keep prayin'

Specific prayer requests for tomorrow:
1. That Grant would receive the perfect dose of sedation (noon)
2. That Grant's echo would show no signs of anything wrong with his heart
3. That Grant would stop coughing (if we can go a week without a cough then they won't have to do the brochoscopy)
4. Peace for mom and dad
Thanks!

A surprise trip to U of M

I talked to Grant's cardiologist today and he is concerned about Grant's latest chest x-rays. Sometimes this can be caused by the veins narrowing. This happens to about 10% of the kids after heart surgery, within the first year. If this was the case, it would require another open heart surgery. We'll be back at U of M on Thursday for more tests. Please pray that Grant would be totally healed.

"Good job!"

Grant has recently begun to tell himself "good job." It is the cutest thing. When he accomplishes something (like putting a shape into the right hole), he stops, claps for himself and says, "good gob!" Well, at least we know that he is not lacking in the praise department if it is his first word after "mama" and "dada."

Grant continues to love music. We brought his music radio to the doctor's on Friday and he danced for all of them. They thought he was a hoot. I thought it was even funnier to watch all of his doctors dance with him. :)

I'm still waiting to hear back from the cardiologist regarding Grant's last chest x-rays.

Jim and Shannon's Big Night Out

This is Guest Blogger, Carmel (aka CeCe to Grant), in the absence of Jim and Shannon, as they are out on the town celebrating their wedding anniversary. For those of you keeping count, that's 6 years of love for Jim and Shannon. Hurrah for them!
Grant and I had a great time together and I would like to record here in blog-permanence that I taught Grant to grab his socks when I said "socks".
Besides that exciting achievement, we read together; systematically emptied out every basket, then refilled them; chased each other around the living room; and smiled the night away.
Grant continues to be the happiest kid anywhere and he soaks up information like a sponge. That's it for me! Shannon will be back for the next installment of Life with Grant.

Lung update

We saw the pulmonolgist today and didn't get very good news. Grant's lungs are the worst they've ever been. Basically the doctor said that when looking at Grant's lung x-rays you would expect to see a very sick child. But, in looking at Grant and listening to his chest Grant appears totally healthy. He is puzzled by it, so he wants more chest x-rays done in 4 weeks. He also said that the chest x-rays show some kind of narrowing of the airways. So, current prayer requests are:

1. That Grant's lungs would be totally healed and his next x-rays would show it.
2. That God would protect Grant from the flu and RSV. (We can't get our first RSV shot until November 1.)
3. That God would give us peace in the midst of this tough news.

Rub-a-dub-dub...

Doing better!

We are thanking God for Grant's quick recovery. He went from having a fever, cough and cold to only coughing 5 times today. He's sleeping well and feeling so much better. Thank you for praying. It made all the difference!

Sick Grant

Yuck- Grant has a cold. He saw the doctor today and so far his lungs sound okay. Please pray for a quick recovery and that it would not turn into anything more serious.

10 months old!

Updated Prayer Requests

Overall, things are great. We have so much to be thankful for. Grant brings joy to every day. It makes all that we've gone through this past year worth it. Although the scariest scenarios are pretty much a thing of the past, there are a few prayer requests we're hoping you'll continue to pray for:
1. That God would heal Grant's lungs. It's flu season again, so until Grant is healed, we have to be super careful of germs. So, as of right now Grant can't be around any kids until end of March.
2. That Grant would not drool so much. This seems like a silly request, but if you've ever met Grant you'll see that he constantly wears a bib. It was brought to my attention recently by the Early On experts as an oral motor issue. (It is more than just teething drool. He soaks through a stack of bibs every day.) It is not a big deal now, but it will be if he's 5 and still drooling.
3. That Grant would learn to use his right leg correctly. Thankfully, his right leg is much stronger than it was just a few weeks ago due to all his therapy. But, old habits die hard and he needs to start using the new tricks he's learned so that he won't walk with a limp.
4. That my ankle would heal quickly. The cast is off and I'm in physical therapy, but I'm still in pain. I can't wait until Grant and I can take a run together one day!

I LOVE TO EAT!

Grant continues to enjoy eating. His favorite is still Mexican food. He's cruising all over the place and can stand up for a few seconds without holding on to anything.I got my cast off this week, so he's happy to have his mommy back in action!

Yipee!

Rhyer's surgery was successful! As you know if you are reading this, the road to recovery is a long one. Please continue to keep Rhyer and his family in your prayers.

Tuesday surgery

Rhyer's surgery has been moved to Tuesday morning at 7am. It should last between 4-6 hours. Rhyer was born with only half a heart, so they will have to "rewire" him to make half his heart do the work of the whole thing. I'll update after I hear from Bill and Courtney.

Please pray for Rhyer

Grant is now officially enrolled in our local school's Early On program, so we have someone at the house working with Grant Sunday-Thursday. It is quite busy, but Grant enjoys the interaction and is improving quickly in all areas.

Our attention right now is focused on Rhyer, a sweet baby boy born to our friends, Bill and Courtney last week. Like Grant, Rhyer was born with a rare and serious heart defect. He will be having the first of his three open heart surgeries tomorrow at U of M. Please pray for Rhyer and his family during this time.

Getting older

Grant seems to be growing up overnight. He now says "mamamamamama" and he's figured out that if he says it when I walk away I won't leave. :) He is trying to walk and loves to push his little lawnmower around the room. We are having a lot of fun lately dancing , singing and rolling the ball back and forth. He heads for the stairs any chance he gets and so far we've only had one tumble. (Now we use the gates.) He loves balloons and toilet paper and spicy enchiladas. Yep, you heard me right- enchiladas. Yesterday for lunch he went bite for bite with me on my enchilada. The night before had ate veggie curry burgers. I guess he just had too mature of a palate for formula. :)

A Visit from Friends

This week we have our good friends, Justin and Lauren, visiting from Colorado with their baby, Pierce. He's just 4 weeks younger than Grant. Here are some photos of the dads enjoying time with their sons.

Good News

Two bits of good news to share-
1. Jim's mom's surgery was successful. She's in the hospital recovering overnight.
2. Grant went to U of M today for some routine tests and they went great. They took him off Viagra!

Get Well Soon!

Jim's mom is having surgery tomorrow. Please pray for a successful surgery and a quick recovery.

9 Months Old

Now that Grant is mobile, he really isn't into sitting still for his picture. So, Grandma helped us out in this one...

A new toy

We're still working on Grant's crawl. Because of the way Grant uses the right side of his body (and mostly his right leg), the experts think it is very possible that Grant had a stroke during his heart surgery. So, we're currently working with two different occupational therapists, two physical therapists and one speech therapist to try to retrain the brain.

Grant has a funny looking pair of biker shorts that are sewn together in the middle that he is supposed to wear for 15 minutes a day. They force him to crawl with his legs together and not "cheat" by only using his left leg. (His preferred method of transport is a bear crawl using only his left leg, while dragging the right.) In order to motivate Grant to crawl from one end of the room to the other, we got out a big box and found that if we throw the ball through the box, Grant will go retrieve it. Here's a picture of Grant and his box. He's not wearing his special shorts though, because we find that there are not many smiles while the shorts are on. :)

Transitions

Little Grant has had a tough time since my ankle surgery. He does not like transitions, whether it be from the highchair to the stroller or from inside to outside. Once he's there, he's happy; he just doesn't like the process. That has made the past six days and multiple care givers really hard for him. I'm so thankful for all the people that have volunteered to care for Grant. It is unfortunate that it is so confusing for him. I wish he could just enjoy all the love that is being poured out on to him.

Last night grandma and grandpa had Grant over for a sleepover. (Thank you, thank you!!) Unfortunately, he woke up quite a few times in the night and would only stop crying if they would hold his hand. So, around 4:30 they brought him in their bed and he finally fell asleep on his back with one grandparent's pinkie in each hand.

Keeping up with Grant

Life is never dull. This morning at 4am Jim dialed 911 and within 3 minutes we had a firetruck, ambulance and police cars at our house. Thankfully, it was for me and not Grant. It turns out that I am allergic to the pain medication they gave me after the surgery and when I took my 4am dose I had enough built up in my system that I started having horrible chest pain, stomach pain and many other weird symptoms.

They rushed me to the hospital where I had chest x-rays, CT scan, and ultrasound and blood work done. (They thought I might have had a blood clot.) But, thankfully it was nothing serious. As I lay there with an oxygen canula strapped to my nose I thought about how many times Grant has had to go through the same tests. Yuck.

I'm home now and trying to get some rest. Thanks for your prayers for a speedy recovery.

Charming Snapshots

Ankle surgery was successful. I'm in a lot of pain and missing my baby, but Grant's cute 9 month photos brought a smile to my face. Check out www.charmingsnapshots.com under the blog of today's date (scroll down past the pregnant women) to see his adorable photos. :)

Ankle surgery

Tomorrow is the big day for my ankle surgery. Please pray for a successful surgery and quick recovery. Thank you to all the friends and family who are providing meals and care for Grant while I'm out of commission.

Who did this to my hair?

"Da Da!"

Yesterday Grant said "Dada" for the first time! He had not been making any sounds (besides a high pitched squeal of delight) since he used to babble as a baby. We've heard mumblings of a speech delay from various people evaluating Grant and have been praying that he'd start trying to communicate with us. So, we were very delighted to hear Grant saying "words" yesterday.

My favorite daddy son moment came tonight during dinner. While Jim and I were eating dinner (Grant was already in bed), we heard a distinct "dada" cry through the baby monitor. Jim jumped out of his chair faster than I thought possible. He started running up the stairs (in the dark) and I all of a sudden heard a huge crash and then a scream (from Jim!). I could hear him quietly comforting his boy through the baby monitor and then he came limping downstairs with a bloody toe. But, he had a huge grin plastered on his face. It was worth it. :)

Happy Grant

A visit to the zoo

Mom and Grandpa took me to the zoo, but they didn't want to take me out of my stroller because I hate getting buckled back in. So, they tried to give me the best view possible...

Mr. Mischief

Evaluation by Early On

Today Grant had his evaluation with Early On, an early intervention program for kids with medical conditions and developmental delays. I think they did a great job and saw a pretty accurate picture of Grant. They said he's on track for most things (he can throw a ball better than most 18 month olds!), but he shows signs of a speech delay, crawling issue and stiff muscles. Hopefully these things can be corrected with different kinds of therapy. We've got more appointments set up to evaluate him further. She did think that Grant was a ton of fun, especially when he'd do something, smile and clap for himself. :)

Unfortunately, Grant has the flu. We're trying our best to keep him hydrated and will have to see the doctor tomorrow if he's not better. Please pray for a speedy recovery.

Grant and his buddy Jack

Congratulations Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Josh!

What's with this goofy crawl?

Grant started crawling yesterday on all fours. He loves being able to get across the room and into everything that he's not supposed to!

Unfortunately, when I say crawl, his crawl does not look like a normal baby crawl. He is crawling using three limbs and dragging his right foot behind. At first we thought this was kind of cute, but after further discussion with our OT, we realize that it could signify some sort of problem in the brain. Since he was born Grant's right side of the body has been behaving differently than the left. Nothing huge, just the way that he grasps things and moves them. I have mentioned it to our ped, but she didn't see anything that made her concerned.

We'll try to get Grant in to see someone next week. In the meantime, please pray for peace for me. I'm not sure I can handle one more doctor or one more serious problem with my little boy. And, as always, thanks for your prayers for total healing.

"Welcome to the attachment phase!"

Grant is MR.Clingy these days. He loves to be snuggled by his mommy all the time. When the phone rings and mommy answers it, he cries. When she puts him in his pack and play to make dinner he raises up his arms and grunts. Did I mention Grant is clingy? It's nice to know I'm loved and all, but sheeeeh, how do moms of 8 month olds get anything done???

Between knocking over stacks of blocks and eating anything he can get his hands on, Grant is scooting all over the room on his bottom. We're still working on exercises everyday to develop skills for crawling and walking. He's getting closer everyday.

Two docs today

Today Grant saw both the pulmonolgist and the GI specialist. The good news is that Grant's lungs are clear of signs of pneuomonia. The not to great news is that his lungs still look just as bad as they did at our last visit, despite the new medication.

I asked if there is anything we could do. To quote the doctor, "There are some kids who we just don't want catching colds and Grant is one of them, so carry hand sanitizer with you everywhere." So, we continue to be super careful and pray that his lungs will heal.

Grant continues to enjoy his solids and is drinking a couple oz a day from a straw. The other day when our occupational therapist was working with Grant he started crying, (She was making him work!)so we offered him some Gerber puffs and he stopped crying immediately. She looked at me and said, "did you ever think we'd be bribing your kid with food?!" We've come a long way!

Grant and his friends from far, far away...

Grant with his friend, David, who came all the way from Norway to visit! (In case David thought he was going to steal the show, Grant took action)

Grant with his future wife, Hailey, who currently resides in California

A trip to the feeding specialist

On Friday we went to Ann Arbor to see a "feeding disorder specialist." It went great. She gave us helpful hints on how to fatten Grant up (add olive oil to his veggies and butter to his fruit) and was very encouraging. She thinks that Grant has great "straw skills" and is encouraging us to keep offering Grant water with a straw throughout the day. At this point he can only take a few sucks and then spits much of it out, but the doctor thought this was great. So, we'll keep at it.

She wants us to keep "dream feeding" Grant as long as possible. She also really liked the fact that we were giving Grant chicken broth by syringe. She said that this is what they do in Asian countries to wean their babies and it is a very good practice. Who knew?! She thinks that we're going to be able to avoid a g-tube in his stomach because he's made so much progress in just the last few weeks. (She watched a dvd with him eating over the course of the last month.)

The doctor had a few concerns about Grant's health (other than the feeding stuff), but nothing major. She thinks he's lacking in upper body strength (he has never really liked "tummy time") and that his lower legs are too tight. (He stands on his tip toes.) So, she is contacting a physical therapist to come to the house to work with Grant a few days a week. Over all, these things would probably correct themselves, but she wants to be proactive about them. As long as they come to us, I'm okay with it. Grant loves meeting new people so he'll be delighted.

Health Update

Grant: On Tuesday we went back to Beaumont to get follow up chest x-rays to make sure Grant's pneumonia was gone. Unfortunately, the x-rays show that his lungs are no different than when he had pneumonia two weeks ago, even though he isn't showing any symptoms. The doctor said that this is okay, because sometimes even after the symptoms go away it takes a while for the lungs to heal. Please continue to pray for full healing for his lungs.

Shannon: Remember the ankle that I sprained 4 months ago? Well, I've been doing physical therapy ever since I got my cast off and it still doesn't feel better. So, after visiting the doctor twice in the last week they've decided that surgery is my best option. So, on August 30 I'll have ankle surgery to repair the torn ligament. I'll then be in a nonwalking cast for 2 weeks, followed by a walking cast. I'm wondering how I'll keep up with Grant since he is only days away from being "on the move"... Gosh, when I told God I needed a break I didn't think He'd take me so literally. :)

I love my "grant-sized chair!"

Almost crawling

"I love to eat!"

We still need some improvement with the fluid intake, but here is a brief look at today's menu:

2 cups of grandpa's barley soup
3/4 of a banana
1 piece of string cheese
1 oz. goat cheese
5 apple wheat puffs
1 oz. of soup broth via syringe
1/4 cup avocado
1/4 cup rice cereal
1/2 cup squash
1/4 cup green beans

Wow! And we still have one more meal to go....

Feelin' Better!

I wanted to share this song by Elisha Hoffman that I read today in my prayer book. It brings me great comfort.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
leaning on the everlasting arms;
what a blessedness, what peace is mine,
leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning safe and secure from all alarms;
leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Oh how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning safe and secure from all alarms;
leaning, leaning, leaning on everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
leaning on everlasting arms.

A good report

Grant has turned the corner! Today the doctor said his lungs sound better. Thank you so much for all your prayers. This was such a scary experience. I never want to go through it again, but it helped to know that so many were praying for us. Today we are celebrating 7 months with Grant.

A visit from the nurse

Our visiting nurse came today to check out Grant's lungs. She said that there is a small pocket that sounds faint (for those who are nurses I'm sure there is some more scientific way of explaining it), but it is good that there is some noise coming from there. When he was first diagnosed with pneumonia there was no noise in one part of his lung (I guess this is where all the fluid was hanging out). So, there seems to be an improvement. He has now been on antibiotics for 72 hours. He is laughing again, which must mean he is feeling better. I guess I never knew how much those smiles kept me going until he stopped smiling. :)

Grant is still dangerously close to being dehydrated. Our occupational therapist also came today and was trying to get water down him with a medicine dropper. (It felt like the old days again.) She gave us some tips to work on Grant's swallow because even when he sucks he often spits the water out again. He has obviously been out of practice because he is only used to sucking while he's sleeping. Unfortunately, our dream feed days are numbered. He barely has a suck now while he is sleeping. Babies supposedly lose their sucking reflex in their sleep at about seven months. He'll be seven months tomorrow. We're praying that he keeps the suck long enough to master the water bottle or sippy cup.

No major changes

There are no major changes in Grant's health. He is still coughing a lot and it seems as if this causes him a lot of pain because he always starts crying after he coughs. (Which makes him cough more) The motrin seems to be helping with the pain. A nurse is coming to our house this afternoon to listen to his lungs. Thanks for praying.

Still suffering

Grant really appears to be suffering. We went to the doctor today and there has been no change. But, Grant's cough seems worse to us. He's miserable and tonight he choked on his snot and turned purple. We put a humidifier in his room and he finally went to sleep. Please pray for some peace for us so we can get some rest as well. It is so hard to watch Grant struggling like this. Please pray for wisdom for us too, so we would recognize signs of if/when we should take him to the ER.

Sick, but smiling

This morning around 6:15, Jim and I looked at each other and wondered why we hadn't heard Grant yet. Usually by that time we'd hear him playing in his crib or crying because he wants out. When we got to his room we found that he was crying, only it was so quiet we didn't even hear it. He has lost his voice and can only squeak. It sounds something like a baby seal being tortured. Or maybe a mouse who is being squeezed really hard. (This are the visuals I think of when I can't sleep...)

He did smile when he saw us, which was a good sign. But, he is still coughing really hard and then choking on what comes up. It is really breaking our hearts to watch him suffer like this.

Our other challenge is keeping him hydrated. Yesterday he only drank about 5 oz. total (while asleep). His goal is 28 oz. This morning I got about 4 oz. in. He is having such trouble sleeping because of his cough that we can't keep him asleep long enough to get the formula in him. Please pray that he would start drinking more from his sippy cup.

He is on an antibiotic, which should start helping him soon. Our visiting nurse comes this afternoon, so she'll be able to listen to his lungs and see if there is any improvement.

Urgent prayer request

Grant took a turn for the worse overnight. We just got back from the hospital. He has pneuomia. We'll go back to the doctor tomorrow and continue to monitor his breathing closely. Please pray for total healing to come quickly.

still going...

Grant is still coughing and sneezing up a storm. Please keep praying that it doesn't go to his lungs.

Back from the doc

I took Grant to the pulmonolgist today. He said that Grant's wet cough appears to be in his throat, not his lungs. Thank you, God.

Grant's cold

It seems as if Grant's condition has gotten worse overnight. He has a really bad cough now and it sounds very wet. He is pretty miserable and is not breathing as well as we think he should be. We'll be calling the doctor when they open to go in for a re-check. Please continue to pray for total healing for his cold, cough and lungs.

Still battling a cold

Grant has his first cold. I'm still out of town, but Grant went to the doctor yesterday and he said his lungs sound okay. Please continue to pray for this cold to go away and not turn into anything more serious.

Grant's cold

Grant has been up most of the night with a cough and cold. I am running out the door to visit a friend who was just diagnosed with cancer. Please pray for wisdom for Jim and healing for Grant.

Grant is doing great

It's been a while since I've posted...because there is no new drama to speak of! :) Grant is eating well (he has a tooth) and learning how to drink out of a water bottle. He seems to be capable of eating enough calories in solid foods alone, so now it is just a hydration issue. If he can improve a bit sucking the water bottle, then we can stop the "dream feeds" and get rid of the bottle all together. Please pray that he would make quick improvements with the water bottle!

Also, please pray for Jim and Grant as they navigate their first weekend without mama....(I know you guys will do great!!)

Happiest Baby on the Block

Grant is back to his old self. His fever is gone and he's smiling constantly. It is fun to watch his personality develop. If I had to describe him in one word it would be "aware." Grant really seems to know what is going on. His latest goal in life is to unbuckle himself from the carseat. Each time I put him in it he watches what I do and then spends the rest of the car ride trying to get himself out. Luckily, he has not had success yet.

He also really loves music. The faster and louder the better. Whenever I put on a CD he gets a big smile on his face and starts jumping up and down or rocking in place (depending on which type of activity center he is in). Do electric toothbrushes count as music? 'Cause he does the same thing when I brush my teeth in front of him. He just loves it.

Grant loves to play independently. I know, this is every parent's dream, and I did nothing to deserve it. One day I just put him in his pack and play with a few toys and he sat there playing for an hour. He spends time picking up each toy, shaking it, biting it and then talking to it. I consider this a huge gift from God because he's not a napper, so it allows me to do things like this.

Anyway, I'm feeling so thankful for Grant and who he is. I'm glad to have him back to his old self once again.

Grant's Dedication

This weekend at church Grant will be getting dedicated (our church's version of "christening"). We will be celebrating Grant's life and acknowledging him as ultimately belonging to God. If you would like to join us in this special time, please feel free to do so. It will take place during our normal church service on Sunday at 10:30am. (See www.genesisthechurch.com for directions)

Fever Update

Grant is still not himself. His fever stays down as long as he has Motrin in him, but when it starts to wear off his fever goes back up. His eyes are a little glassy and he's really fussy, but other than that we can't find anything wrong with him. Please continue to pray for complete health and healing! We'll head back to the doctor tomorrow for a recheck.

The good news- Grant enjoyed eating again today! He had mac-and-cheese with ground chicken for dinner and loved it. Our OT said that if we can get him to start drinking more water (through a sippy cup or water bottle), then she thinks we can graduate him from occupational therapy by the end of the summer. Yippee!

Grant's first time on the lake

Go away fever!

Please pray for Grant to get well. He has not been himself since he woke up this morning. We went to the pool for a couple hours, since that seems to be his favorite activity these days, but he was still really fussy. So, after he wouldn't stop crying this afternoon I finally took his temperature and found that he had a fever.

After a round of Tylenol and Motrin his fever still didn't go down so we went back to the doctor. She couldn't find anything wrong with Grant and thinks it may be a virus that is going around. So, we're going to keep trying to get his fever down and take him back to the doctor again in a day or two for a recheck. Please pray that his fever would go away and that if he has a virus that it would not turn into anything more serious.

6 month check up

Today we went to a new pediatrician for Grant's 6 month check up. After trying 5 pediatricians I think we have finally found a perfect fit. It makes me so excited to finally have a primary care doctor for Grant. We found out that he's still at the 90th percentile for height and the 25th for weight.

Grant has been doing better with solid food lately. He really prefers food that he can pick up and put in his mouth himself -french fries, Gerber cheese puffs and other healthy foods like that. :) The doctor watched him eat the cheese puffs and thinks it is more of a control issue than a food issue. This makes sense because he is probably sick of all the medication and pokes that come at him without his consent. She said that if Grant starts eating more solids and drinking a little better out of a sippy cup then we can get rid of the bottle! We are still calorie counting and would appreciate your prayers that Grant continues to eat more solids.