Get the smelling salts....I'm BACK!

Yes, my absence over the past month and a half has been extensive and for that I apologize.....but, so much has happened that my computer time has been limited to a rarity and the blogging has suffered. We are however, all alive and doing awesome!

First off....Happy Belated Birthday to my two precious boys. I can't believe Carson is now 4 years old and Eli is 2. Where has the time gone? My teeny, tiny, barely living (and in Eli's case at birth, not living) boys....are now HUGE. Here is a quick synapses of their stats since this post would be a record holder if I went through everything in detail.

Carson at 4 years old:

weight- 38lbs (50th%)
height- 43.75" (99+%)
weight-for-height- less than 5th%

Elias at 2 years old:

weight- 27.5lbs (50th%)
height- 36" (85th%)
head circ- 50.5cm (90th%)
weight-for-length- 25th%

***Eli's stats are for his ACTUAL, UNADJUSTED age***

So, Carson is extremely thin but a giant in terms of height. This kid better bring me home some NBA or professional volleyball money some day in the future. Unfortunately he is only interested in soccer at the moment but he's having a blast learning to play it. Also, who would have guessed that our FAILURE TO THRIVE child of just a few short months ago would now be *BIG* on the growth charts!! I'm so proud of Eli's growth lately that my face just hurts from grinning. He has overcome so much in terms of his extreme FTT from last summer/fall (14lbs and 30") that to see him finally growing and thriving is such a blessing. Thank God for the Nissen and his g-tube and all of his doctors and therapists along with a ton of hard work and perseverance. Whew, has this been a year.

I also have more wonderful news about our little 25 weeker. Eli officially tested at 25-26 months on his Bayley-3 developmental screening exam at the NICU follow-up clinic for ALL areas EXCEPT gross motor. In gross motor Eli tested at 19 months due to his hypotonia and possible cerebral palsy. This was expected from the assessment but the 25-26 month stuff wasn't and we were amazed (as were his neonatologists and his therapists). Eli was d/c'd from the NICU clinic because they only follow infants until they are 2. He is heading over to the pulmonary clinic to further follow his BPD, aspiration, raspiness of his voice, and chronic wheezing/asthma. Hopefully they will have some answers for us that will help improve his respiratory function. He is headed to school in the fall 4 mornings a week to help incorporate his therapies and education together and help his hypotonia and clumsiness.

Carson is also making huge strides. He learns more things everyday. Right now our favorite pastime besides playing all day outside and wearing mommy out, is learning how to spell everything. He is up to almost 10 words that he can spell by himself including raccoon, dog, cat, and milk. His love for learning astounds me and he is like a little sponge. To watch him make connections that he wasn't making just a few months or weeks ago is cute and he gets a sneaky grin on his face when he is trying to solve a puzzle or figure out a problem. We are messing with his medications right now to try and find the right combo to let him function, play, interact, and sleep in a normal fashion and still be the Carson that we love to death. So far Melatonin has been working well to help get him to sleep and keep him asleep for the past week ***keep your fingers crossed*** Carson is going on a big trip with Granny and Papaw Bass to Missouri next week and can't wait for his 'big boy' vacation.

I graduated and am now studying for my NCLEX exam which I will take in late July-early August. After passing my NCLEX I will start work in the NICU at Children's Hospital where the boys spend way too much time. I am so privileged to have this amazing opportunity. Out of all of the nursing positions I ended up with my dream job and the weeks just will not pass fast enough until I can get into that NICU and dive right in. I will add some fun pictures of the boys and their birthdays along with a great post about their trip to my friend Mandy's farm on Sunday when I get home on Thursday. Just wait until you see the boys driving tractors!