Welcome Little J

A lot has happened since July 25, my last post. We welcomed Little J into the family on August 11, celebrated two birthdays - Lou's 7th and Grace's 11th, survived numerous doctor appointments and now have just begun the annual cranberry harvest. First let me introduce Little J. He was born August 11 and weighed in at 6 lbs. 13 oz. As of last week he weighed in at 8 lbs. 3 oz. He's growing slowly, but is steadily climbing his way into the charts. Tomorrow he'll have a 2 month checkup; I'm hoping for 8 lbs. 8 oz. He hasn't been without health issues. Of course, there's the Down Syndrome and AVSD, but on top of that he's had some trouble keeping his temperature up and saturated oxygen levels high enough. Both have been resolved. He had a little thyroid scare, but after 3 sets of lab tests his results have finally come back within the normal range. He'll have that checked again in December. His ventricles are working inefficiently so he's on two meds to reduce blood volume and blood pressure. He'll have his heart checked by his cardiologist in just under two weeks. Needless to say he gets special attention around here, but it's not just me. All the kids are so gentle with him, kissing is head and holding him while they read. Lou holds him everyday while we do her oral math lesson and whenever I read aloud to her. Grace is very hands on with him. She changes his diaper, buckles him into his carseat and is always checking the diaper bag to be sure we have enough diapers and wipes with us. Lee's main mission is to ensure Little J never cries or even whimpers; he's always at the ready with a soothing touch, lullaby or pacifier. His next mission is to keep Little J comfortable by rolling blankets and sliding them along his side to prop his head up when he's in his bouncy seat. And Ray he just dive bombs Little J with kisses while I nurse him. So without further ado, Little J