Wednesday, February 29, 2012

No More Oxygen!

Attaching the pulse oximeter to Davis' toe/foot has been a daily occurrence for us since his birth.  Although it's certainly not a normal thing to do, it had become our normal. Post surgery his blood oxygen levels have been steadily improving to the point where last week we had him on only 1/8 liter flow (just a whiff) and he was still showing 96% oxygen, which is perfect! So with our cardiologist's permission, we turned down the flow to 1/16th and were planning to wait one week and then take him off completely. The same day I turned it down, he yanked off the cannula 5 times. So I took that as a sign that he knew he didn't need it anymore and I removed the whole setup. I tested him twice more that day and his levels were still in the high 90s. We haven't looked back since and he's still at 94% off the machine! We're still waiting for the official OK to take Davis to higher elevation (even Evergreen), but I'm hopeful that will come soon. We'll keep the small portable O2 tanks for those trips just in case. Davis is also continuing to eat and sleep like a champ and as you can see in the photos below,  he's becoming quite the chunk lately.  This is a welcome change since it was so difficult for him to gain weight in the past. Goodbye Oxygen, and Hello Snack Time! I honestly can't believe we'll be celebrating his first birthday so soon (3/10), and am so very grateful for the fact that he now has a "fixed" heart and is off the O's. That's the BEST gift we could have ever asked for.


Holding hands with his friend Penelope

Having some Coke cake for Kelly's birthday

AND...it was a hit.

Bathtime

Davis and Ella sharing a special moment

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Big Boy!

Davis now has two teeth! He's growing up so fast lately. It was no small accomplishment to get a picture, but I managed to snap a glimpse in the one below...YEAH! He's also been getting really fussy on walks in his infant carseat lately.  He was raising his head up like he wanted to see what was going on off to the sides.  So we decided it was time to try sitting him in the actual B.O.B. stroller seat with harness and all and facing forward.  He fit perfectly and didn't fuss as all! He has been doing great on the last few walks, stays really quiet and just checks out everything around us as we walk. He's getting to be such a big boy. :) I think all the food he's been eating is paying off.  I put him on our scale at home and it read 20 pounds this afternoon!
Check out those teeth!
Sitting up like a big boy in the stroller



Hanging out with uncle Jason


Saturday, February 11, 2012

Fun at the library

Today was super cold, and we were all getting a bit of cabin fever. So we took a field trip to the library to give Davis a change of scenery. We tried reading many of  the books to him, but he wasn't all that interested in the books. The big blue rocker was a huge hit though.


Monday, February 6, 2012

Enjoying Normal Life

Davis seems to be settling right back into his normal pre-surgery life lately. Kelly and I both had last week off work to spend with Davis and take our time settling back into normal life. WOW, that was one of the best ideas we've ever had, and thoroughly enjoyed every day together. I can't even remember the last time the three of us (plus Ella of course) got to spend so much time together at home with no big plans. It was just what the doctor ordered and Davis seems to be thriving. In general, he seems to be happier, smiles more and definitely has a much bigger appetite now. The doctors all said that this is normal post surgery and we should expect a big growth spurt in the coming months. :) We're very excited to see our little guy doing so well and feeling so good. He's still on infant Tylenol every 4 hours for his pain, but doesn't seem to be bothered too much anymore...other than his teeth. He's got two teeth breaking through the gums in lower middle. There have certainly been a few nights where he's been fussy because of the teething pain, but we can't do much about that.  We've got teething gel, teething toys, teething snacks, etc...so hopefully that can at least take the edge off for him. The only other thing that we're still really working on is his sleeping. Ever since we got home, his sleeping pattern has been horrible. I hear that hospitals can screw up nights/days for babies, and it sure is true for Davis. He's generally back to newborn sleeping routines where he wakes up every hour to two hours.  Needless to say, Kelly and I are usually exhausted when we finally get up. But seeing Davis with his big good morning smile tends to quickly make us forget the hours of frustration and sleep deprivation we just experienced.  He's magical like that.

Italian Bear from our Italian cousins, the Poplons.

playdate snack time with his friend Penelope

Post blizzard walk

rockin' his new onesie from Aunt Holly

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Healing Up Nicely

Davis is healing up nicely.  Can't believe it has been just over 2 weeks.

Green Smoothie Introduction

Anyone who knows Kelly knows about his passion for the green smoothie every morning. He's been waiting with bated breathe to make one for Davis. Now that he's been eating so well and has a huge appetite, we decided it was time.  So this morning Kelly whipped up a mix of spinach, mango, and banana and Davis seemed to like it. It wasn't a huge seller, but he took a few big sips and didn't gag at all, so we consider that a success.  We'll keep trying.