Happy 9 Month Birthday, Mason!!

Well, this year continues to be one to remember and the weather is no exception. As I sit here in our living room writing this birthday update, I'm also watching the snow blowing sideways in record amounts. I guess Mason's first winter will follow his lead and be an exception to the norm.

Once again, this past month has seen ups and downs. We have spent much of the month in the hospital because of breathing problems or surgery, and are so thankful to be home in time to spend the holidays together outside of the hospital. Mason seems to be recovering well and has an ever present smile that just warms my heart. We are in awe at how he continues to fight, continues to struggle, and through it all, continues to have a smile at all times.

Lungs/Heart: In preparation for Mason's surgery this month, we once again tried to wean him off of the steroids for his lungs. Unfortunately, this was once again unsuccessful and ended up with him back in the hospital just after Thanksgiving. During this stay, we determined that it was worth the risk for Mason to be on a low dose of steroids up to, during, and after surgery so that his breathing and oxygen need stayed in check. The doctors were nice enough to let us come home for a few days between that hospitalization and the surgery so we could go out and get Mason's first Christmas tree. It's so great to have such a "normal" holiday experience!

Our biggest worry this month was how Mason was going to fare after the surgery. We didn't know if his lungs would decide that it was much easier to work on the ventilator than off. We were so excited when within an hour after surgery, they were able to take the breathing tube out of Mason's throat, and he was able to breathe with just oxygen through a mask and nasal cannula (nose tube). Mason has continued to improve day by day and is now needing 0.5-1.5 liters of oxygen at any given time. He appears to breathe much easier now that the feeding tube is out of his nose and throat.

Eating: We are now nearly 2 weeks since surgery and things seem to be going fairly well. We are slowly increasing the amount of milk that Mason takes in each feeding - we're up to 2 ounces every 2 hours during the day and continuous pump feeding at just under 2 ounces per hour during the night. He seems to be tolerating it very well and it's wonderful for Mommy and Daddy to be able to play with Mason without the food being attached continuously during the day. We are so thankful for the success of the surgery!

Weight: Tomorrow we are supposed to have Mason's 9 month baby check at the doctor's office (though it might be canceled because of the weather). At that point, we'll get new information on Mason's growth and get his percentile information. For now, I can assure you he is growing. As you can see from the updated picture taken a week ago, his double chin is ever present. We are so proud of our little chunky monkey! The 6 month clothes are becoming shorter and shorter (or maybe he's getting longer and longer) and we'll soon be completely out of the 3-6 months stuff.

Development: As expected, Mason lost a little bit of strength from lying on his back or side for a week after his surgery. Before going in, he was able to sit on his own with very little toppling over. He is just now getting strong enough to sit up on his own again, but is toppling over quite a bit. Over the coming weeks, I'm sure he will regain all of his strength and surpass what he was able to do prior to surgery with no problem. We are so proud of our little fighter! After the 1st of the year, we'll get back into PT to see how we can help him to meet his next milestones.

Thanks again for everyone's prayers and support! We couldn't get through this without all of you!

Love,Christi, Bill, and Mason