Writing Blocks and Bath Tubs

Well, I have to say it....I'm hitting the blog block. That mental barrier in my mind that tells me my life isn't interesting enough to write about anymore. Of course this is in comparison to three months ago where everyday seemed to hold it's own challenge regarding my son's health. Next to that season, home life seems just a little... dull. Don't worry, I'm not going to stop the blog, just being real about not knowing what exactly to write about now. I guess I'll just dive into the day to day, which is still a far cry from normal what with doctor's appointments and feeding tubes, etc. Asher is continuing to get stronger and put on more weight, like a healthy baby should. We are standing in faith that when he sees his ENT on Wednesday that he will have regained enough movement in his vocal chords that we will be able to schedule a swallow study and hopefully get him nursing as an end goal. Despite what the doctors tell me, I really believe he remembers nursing and misses it. When you hold him close, he will sometimes nuzzle around on your chest and he constantly wants to suck on his passy. It would just be such a God moment if he could nurse after all of this time. It isn't very common in babies who have gone through the challenges he has gone through with the early heart surgery and feeding tube issues, as well as dealing with his chromosome disorder where a lot of kids have feeding challenges anyways. NEVERTHELESS... I believe he can do it and wants to do it....so I'm pushing to at least give him the chance to try. I'll keep you posted on the ENT visit on Wed.

Pray that Asher's vocol chords are fully restored and his eventual swallow study yields a good report. Pray that he remembers the right suck/swallow/breath mechanism to enable him to nurse. I believe nursing would do wonders to help restore both of us from the trauma we have gone through!

Today, I decided that it was time to give little Asher his first bath. He has had only sponge bathes up until this point to keep his feeding tube site dry, but my little darling boy was starting to smell kinda funky, which isn't what that "new baby smell" should be. So, I cleaned out Joel's old baby bath with the newborn attachment sling to hold him out of the water. Then I put his little tub across our big bathtub while Joel was getting his bath. I figured he would like to see that little brothers aren't exempt from tubby time either ;)

Asher in his little bath tub. He was so good and hardly cried. He was a little surprised when I placed him in the cold netting though. This picture also shows where his G-tube goes into his stomach. It's a very long tube that I have to wrap through his diaper so that we don't accidentally pull on it.

Joel watching over his little brother in the bath tub. He did very well also and handled his brother very gently. Only once did he try to pour water on his head! (Owe to have beautiful milky skin like my little boy ...makes me want to nibble on his cheek ;)

After it was all over, this is Asher all bundled up in his little "Got Milk" towel. He's such a doll baby ;)

Well, that's it for now. I have a little more swirling down inside that I don't have words for yet, so I may be doing another blog soon...don't know for sure. I'm still trying to get in here each day, but sometimes that just doesn't happen as planned. Hang in there with me ;)

Blessings!
~Erika~