First Cold/Croup

Well once the Thanksgiving busyness came to an end, Zoe got a cold. She is doing well, just stuffy and tired. We are happy that it has taken so long for her to get her first cold.

I also wanted to let you all know how Zoe's new feeding plan was going. Some people have asked how it works so I thought a little explanation was due. With the help of a dietitian, we determine the amount of food Zoe needs to eat to gain weight at a reasonable rate. Once that is in place every feeding Zoe is given a bottle to give her opportunity to take it orally. If Zoe is refusing to eat or we have passed a reasonable amount of time, the food is just placed in a feeding bag where it is pumped in her stomach at a set rate. The set up is quite easy and apart from caring for her new "belly button" the process is similar to when she had her NG tube. Zoe is healing quite well from her surgery and is even back to spending a little time on her belly again.

The Lord has continue to bless us with Zoe's strength and cheerful disposition. We are thankful for all He has given us.

Happy Thanksgiving

I am sorry this is so late, I have been quite busy with my family this holiday. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did, love those yams!

Overdue

Sorry this is late, getting resettled at home took a little longer than we had expected. Here is a quick note of how things went.

Zoe's surgery for a feeding tube was successful and apart from some soreness she is doing very well. She doesn't seem to mind an extra appendage and is quite happy to have nothing on her face.

So as we get used to the care for the PEG, Zoe will continue with her therapies and growing up.

Have a blessed weekend.

Hopefully This Will Make it Easier

Hello to you all on this fine November afternoon,

Zoe decided once again not to eat her bottle, very frustrating but less stressful since we can just get it to her via the tube and not worry about her nutrition. So while we patiently wait for her to finish eating I wanted to update you all on the recent going ons in Zoe's life.

The weight gain for Zoe is now noticeable to us, she has finally jumped up to the 6-9 months clothing and her arms are getting chubby once again. It is great to see and she is definitely wanting to do more with the extra calories, she enjoys bouncing, talking, and pushing more off of the ground.

If you recall, Phil and I decided to proceed with the G tube (the feeding tube directly to the stomach) it seemed to be the next step and we wanted to get it taken care of prior to the holidays rather than wait for an extra month or two. So next week if Zoe is healthy we will be going in for the minor surgery. Funny to consider it minor but for the surgeons it is and soon Zoe will be sporting a PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) or a tube for three months and once the area has healed she will have a button. The nice thing about this is that once we no longer need it, the button will be removed and it will healed like a pierced ear.

We also had a check up yesterday with Zoe's neurologist. He was happy to see that she continues to be a boring case but we needed to monitor some tightness on her left leg. Thankfully we have physical therapy so with their help if it seems excessive we can take steps to make sure that she is flexible. We will have one more MRI next spring but after that he sees no need to keep it up. Praise God!

Well there goes the beep on the pump and Zoe is looking at me like she is ready to get back to playing. Maybe if I am lucky we will get a nap too.

God's blessings,

Kimberly

Autumn Joys

I'm a growing girl, it's plain to see,

With lots of plans made by me.

Feeding myself is oh so nice,

Apples, veggies and some rice.

Chewing on things is also a joy,

Too many for a favorite toy.

14.5lbs is where I am at,

I am officially bigger than my cat.

We are hoping some skills will begin to happen,

Like rolling over and finger snappin'.

It's quite late and I'm ready for bed,

Good night and God bless, 'nuff said.