Losing Weight

I wish I could say I was the one losing the weight around here... but nope... Mister Owen is the one shedding the pounds. We had our three week checkup with cardiology this morning. Owen is staying steady, pulses are good, blood pressure is decent, EKG is normal, cardiac output is the same. Weight... down a pound.

Owen has always been great at gaining weight! I tube feed him 100% of his calories and the foods he eats by mouth are considered "extras". It seems like things have only changed over the last few months when Owen's weight started to taper off.

He's not exactly a small guy, weighing in at 23.5 lbs.

His daily goal is to eat 1000 calories a day. Of that 1000 calories, he should get 33 fluid ounces.

If I can work him up to tolerating the Pediasure 30 cal/ounce, then he will only need 33 ounces a day and he'd get ALL his nutrition. That is only 7 oz of formula, five times a day. We will get there... eventually.

As of now, he tolerates 5 oz of formula, five times a day. THEN, he gets a night drip of 1 oz/hour for 10 hours. This equals 35 ounces (can't believe I just used my calculator to figure that out), and he's on 24 cal formula.. .so he's still 160 calories short for the day.

I dream of not having to get up several times a night to add formula to his feeding pump. Imagine a night of uninterrupted sleep.

The other option I am looking into is pureed foods for his Gtube. This was not an option with the NG tube as it would have clogged. The Gtube opens up a wonderful world of pureed foods, injected directly into the stomach. I get excited when I think of all the healthy combinations of foods that I can blend up and give him. He'll also get a feel for having REAL food in his tummy and to learn to digest regular foods, not just formula.

If anyone has any experience, ideas or know hows on the pureed foods... EMAIL ME!!! The GI docs in Phoenix aren't on board with the pureed foods in the tube, but the docs in Tucson think it's fabulous! I'm going to talk to a nutritionist at Stanford while we're there in October and get their take on it.

Speaking of Stanford....

We leave in mid October! We're all beyond excited to go on a family vacation. I am anxious to meet with cardiology at Stanford again. I really want to know what happens next?! If his increased medications didn't seem to help his heart function, can we back down on them? When does he need another cath? There is still significant narrowing at the Glenn site ... see image below... see where the Superior vena cava is connected to the pulmonary artery? That is significantly narrowed so the blood flow to his lungs is decreased and therefore he requires more oxygen. If we went back to the cath lab and they were able to open that up a bit... perhaps he would wean off the oxygen... in a perfect world. Of course, they could open him up and fix the narrowing, but that's way too risky.

Tomorrow we have Owen's post op visit with Dr. Graziano. I am amazed at how well his Gtube is healing up. No oozy stuff, scabs, redness or blood. We expected gross. We got perfection.

Volleyball and 20 Months

Fall is in full swing around here. I wish someone would tell the weather that it's okay to cool down a bit. The last few weeks in the 100s are the worst! Kamryn decided to kick off the season with Volleyball. She's never played before, but either have most of the girls on the league. Tonight they learned to serve the ball...
Games are played on an indoor court with a 7 foot net requirement. I was worried that these little gals wouldn't be able to hit the ball that high.... they proved me wrong. Kamryn is in love with the sport and she's pretty great at it too! I can't wait for their first game in mid October.
Owen doesn't seem to mind volleyball practice much. He played in the grass, ate up all the attention and loved watching the girls throw the balls around. I just realized that it's already September 28th... WOW... Owen is 20 months old today!!
What's Owen been up to at 20 months??

I'm so glad you asked! Owen continues to be the happiest, easy going little guy. The only exception is when he gets tired. Not sleepy tired, but physically exhausted tired. Kinda like this...
No worries... all he needs is a little chill time with binki and Snorty and he's happy again...
Here is what Owen is up to...

* Imitating every single sound and movement, everything!

* Saying lots of two syllable words (ie: "da-da", "night-night", "bye-bye", "toot-toot","beep-beep") and many more of the like. Speech therapy started up again today!

* Continuing to eat a variety of super healthy foods. Favorites are peppers, pasta, broccoli, sugar snap peas, apples, yogurt, pickles...pretty much anything you put on his plate. He prefers food that requires a lot of chewing, which is great for his oral skills, but he wears out and can't eat more than a few bites. Someday, he's going to be a fantastic eater.

* Butt scoots at record speed! Tries all day to pull up on things, but is still working on his strength to get it on his own.

* Crawling is not even an option. We've tried and we are okay with the idea that crawling is out!

* Owen's PT put in an order to the insurance company for a gait trainer. Click here to see what I'm talking about. I hope the insurance will cover this little $2000 beauty. It would definetly help him build up the strength to walk. What a great day it will be to see him take his first steps!

* Owen has the greatest personality! He loves to give hugs and kisses, knuckles, will make faces on demand (ie: show me your crusty face), smiles at everyone he meets and is Mister Social.

* Sissy continues to be his favorite person ever!!! However, I am to never leave him home with Daddy and Sis because I'm sure he's afraid he will miss out on something wonderful. He's my sidekick. Daddy is his favorite to snuggle with at night. Mommy is his favorite in the morning.
We sure were blessed with two amazing kids, perfect in every way!

Prayers

September 2008

I was going through old photos and found this family picture we took last year. This was taken before we found out Owen needed a transplant, before Owen required oxygen, before our lives took yet another detour.

I often wonder why Owen was chosen to bear a broken heart. Somedays we look at him, past his tape, past the tubes and see a healthy toddler. We are quickly reminded that he is fragile and look back on how much he has overcome to get here. Then my heart become heavy when I think of the journey that lies ahead.

I am scared for him. He is weak. His heart is failing. All we can do is sit back and wait for him to become more ill. Ill enough that he can't remain stable at home and requires IV medication and constant monitoring. Then, we will sit back and wait for the gift of a new heart.

We know it is out of our hands. I pray for him to have energy and strength to do simple tasks, like playing and eating. Some days he will lay in bed or on my shoulder and can't find the energy to do a single thing. Other days are better.

I will never forget our ultrasound when they told us of his heart condition. The doctor gave us all of our options for termination. The outcome sounded hopeless. Through the tears... I remember thinking, I would rather know him for a minute, then to never have known him at all. Thanks for giving us so many wonderful moments Mister Owen. We will continue to walk this journey together!

I started this blog before Owen was born with the intention of keeping an online journal. I never knew that I would meet and fall in love with so many other heart friends. Little ones fighting for their lives, losing their battles and overcoming the odds. Please pray for these girls.. their families sure could use it right now!

Meet Gabriella. She is 4 and lives just a mile or so from us. A few months back Gabriella's pediatrician heard a heart murmur. They referred her to the cardiologist for followup, as a precaution. It turns out that she has a rare condition and is in need of a heart transplant. This morning, Gabriella had a stroke. She was sent by Air vac to the hospital and cannot move the right side of her body or speak. Pray for the clot in her brain to break up and to return 100% of the function. This will put her heart transplant on hold. Click here to visit her blog. Meet Moriah. Moriah has CHARGE syndrome and has had heart surgery at LPCH (where Owen will go for transplant). Moriah has spent the past 11 months in the hospital. Each time she gets close to going home, she has setbacks with infections. Recently a vessel near her heart bled out and now she is paralyzed and sedated. Please pray for Moriah to have strength while they work on transferring her from CHLA back to LPCH so that she can get the required medical attention to her heart. Click here to visit Moriah.
There are so many more little ones that could use your prayers right now as well. I have a blogroll of most recent updates from our heart friends. These kiddos have a special strength and spirit about them.

Halloween Costumes

It is officially Autumn! Also known as my favorite time of year. Unfortunately, it's still 100 degrees in Phoenix, but it should cool off by November. The holiday season starts for me on October 1st when I get to put up all of our Halloween decorations. But first, we always decide on our costumes in September.

This year we decided that Owen would be the Tin Man, since he needs a new heart! Besides, how could he not look adorable in this platinum getup?
We had to do some convincing on Kamryn to be Dorothy this year, but she is now sold on the idea. I started my eBay search for the perfect Dorothy costume only to find that she's outgrown the kids costumes and the adult costumes are nothing short of Hoochie! Since when did Dorothy wear a bustier and thigh highs? After searching long and hard, we found this adorable Tween Dorothy that will be perfect for Kamryn!
I usually buy my kids used costumes on eBay in September, the early bird catches the best deals. Then I wait until the first week of October to list my kids old costumes for auction. I usually make out pretty even. This year, the costumes were brand new for 2009.. lucky me, full price!

I'm off to search for the perfect Momma scarecrow, since my hair resembles curly straw and we're trying to convince Daddy to be the cowardly Lion.

Oh how I LOVE this time of year!

Crazy Kids and Halloween

Today was a busy, semi-productive day...

Two loads of dishes, don't get me started on how a family of four can produce so many dishes.

Target for diapers, wipes, and a cart full of things that were completely unnecessary.

Trying to get Owen to eat just a bite or drink of something, anything.

Numerous loads of laundry to put away. Am I the only one that does laundry all weekend, but puts the clean laundry in baskets to pile up so that I can avoid folding them at all costs??? Well, today I decided to clear off the bed and get to it. That is until Owen realized that laundry is actually FUN to unfold faster than I could ever fold it. He belly laughed as he threw laundry around and then said "moor, moor." Such a little stinker!
Meanwhile, Kamryn was supposed to be reading to build up minutes for the school's read-a-thon. She read for 15 minutes, said it felt like an hour (does it count as an hour if it feels like an hour?) and then disappeared into my bathroom. A while later, she came in to show me her beautiful lips! Thanks to Auntie Janesa for the giant bag of MAC makeup, it's going to good use!
Oh, and I can't forget to mention that she has been wearing these beauties around the house for days now! I had to convince her NOT to wear them to Costco the other day. Any guesses on what she's going to be for Halloween??
A hint... Mr. Owen is going to be one of her sidekicks down the yellow brick road. Any guesses on their costumes??

I should really go.. Owen just toilet papered the hallway.

Introducing...

For the first time in 19 months.... NG and white tape free Owen!

Owen is starting to feel better. He was pretty sore for a few days and is still getting used to his new button.

My little eating machine decided he didn't like that title and went back to his old eating habits, which is okay by me. I don't like to eat when I don't feel well either. With a failing heart, 75 percent oxygen saturations and massive amounts of medicine being pumped into his tummy throughout the day, I don't blame him for not wanting to eat a whole lot. The great news is that his eating skills continue to improve and since the NG was pulled, swallowing is much easier.

There isn't much to report because we have been taking it easy the last few days. Lounging around the house, taking naps, taking self portraits, or attempting to.
The next couple of weeks are super busy with followup appointments, shots and therapies. We are all counting down the days til' we go to California on our much needed vacation and Stanford transplant followup visit.... 27 days left!!

The second day is always the worst!!

Mr. Owen has had a rough day. They always say the second day is the worst, and today was just crummy. We had a restless night sleep in ICU and he went the entire night without any pain medications. Up until now, he's only had two doses of tylenol! I am amazed at how tough this little guy is. He definetly woke up feeling sore. We were ready and discharged by 10am! This is all of our stuff piled up on the couch. I'm not a light packer.
Before we said our goodbyes, Owen made an appearance on KTAR radio show. Owen went from full on crocodile tears to giving knuckles and saying "tEEEzzz" to the camera crew. The boy know how to please a crowd! He still looks crummy in the pictures they took, but at least he's not crying.
Check him out here..
http://ktar.com/?nid=237&sid=1210062&pid=4
Ktar is doing a radiothon at the hospital this week to raise money for PCH.

Owen gave knuckles and kisses to all his nurses and now we're home. Next up... dreamland.

Eating Machine

Call it starvation.... I prefer to call him my Eating Machine!!!

Six o'clock rolled around and Owen was given the go ahead to eat. I had him start with a popscicle and thought he would just suck on it a bit... I was wrong. Owen ate the entire popsicle. Soon after he finished off an entire pickle, 2 vanilla waffers, a small carton of whole milk, lettuce, cheese, and 2 strips of a Kit Kat bar. Like I said, call him my little eating machine!

Not only did he eat more food than ever, he chewed and swallowed with skills I have only dreamed he had. Usually, if he eats a pickle, he will chew it a while and store it in his cheek. Eventually, he will swallow it or spit it out. Today he chewed and swallowed like a pro. He used the same skills with his milk. He usually drinks from a straw and half of it is spit out. Today he not only swallowed it all, but he guzzled without a breath in between. I'm a proud momma!!

We traded in the crib for a big ol' bed. Owen and I are snuggled up and I'm going to attempt to get a good night's sleep. ICU is never a quiet place, even with the doors shut and curtains drawn. Beep... beep...beep....

Gtube Surgery Recovery

We waited in pre-op for two hours this morning. Owen didn't mind the wait.

At 11:30, the surgeon came out to tell us that Owen did great! She said he was in Cardiac ICU getting settled, but that he was awake and comfortable. She said wait about 20 min and then go back and see him. Well, she obviously doesn't know me that well yet, because there is no way I was going to wait even a second. I snuck back to the PICU to see my little guy.

He was drowsy, but content. He snuggled Mommy, then Daddy, then Mommy some more. So far, there hasn't been any intolerable pain. He's had one dose of IV morphine and is sleeping that off right now. We'll work with tylenol for pain the rest of the night.

Owen doesn't recognize any of his old nurses, but we sure do. He has one of his favorites today and she raided the Child Life closet and came back with a remote control "choo choo", a teddy bear and a dinosaur blanket. We talked with his cardiac surgeon and all the cardiologists are dropping in to say what a big boy he is.

We're off to start Pedialyte... the little guy needs some food!!! I'll update more later.. and ya betcha there will be more pictures!!

Gtube Surgery -- Take 1

Owen is in surgery.

Does it ever get easier?

We spent the morning in pre-op. The Anesthesiologist came in to talk and explain that the anesthesia is the trickiest part of this surgery due to his heart. He has a backup plan and a backup plan for that, in case things go wrong. He said to prepare for intubation post op in ICU, just in case. Owen took a liking to the Anesthesiologist and about jumped out of my arms into his. I guess he know who provides the HAPPY juice.

The hardest part is stopping at the "RED LINE" that separates the real world from the Operating Room. The line that we can't cross. The line that we have to hand over our baby to a complete stranger (nurse) and PRAY that they take good care of him. Owen made that exchange about as easy as possible when he cuddled the nurse and said bye. No tears. No sad Owen. I think it made it that much harder. Does he really think this is normal??

It should be a quick procedure, he'll go straight to cardiac ICU. We have LOTS of pre-op pictures that I'll upload in a bit. Thanks for praying!

Baby Got Back

Owen finally got his new feeding pump backpack in the mail. So long are the days that we pull the IV pump behind him as he explores the house!
As you can see, it's not a perfect fix. See all the tubing under his bum? He continually scoots over his NG tube port and then it opens up and stomach "juice" leaks all over the tile. Gross.

Hopefully that problem will be solved tomorrow! For the first time ever, we will be able to take out the NG tube and never put it back in. Owen goes in for his Gtube surgery at 9am tomorrow. Please pray for NO complications. If he weren't in heart failure, I don't think I would be so nervous. It feels right, and it took me almost 20 months to get to this point, there is no turning back.

I'll update throughout the day tomorrow and I love me some pre-op pictures in those purple hospital gowns.

Eyes, Teeth, and Legs

Every six months, Kamryn starts to squint and we know it's time for another eye exam. Sure enough, when we took her on Saturday morning, her eyes have progressively gotten worse. She is now almost a -6. Sorry babe.. you come from some pretty bad genes when it comes to eyesight. The good news is, she LOVES to pick out new glasses. She fell in love with these ones.
I must say they are growing on me. We talked to the eye doc about contacts, and I told her we'll start them at her next appointment in six months.
Speaking of appointments... Owen had his first dentist appointment today. He was all smiles, showing off his "TEEEE?" (he says teeth like he's asking a question). The doctor took a peek, felt around and thankfully no xrays were needed. He has no plaque or cavities, just some minor chipping of the enamel, which can be blamed on the chewing of syringes.
He had a great first experience at the dentist and was beyond excited to get a new toothbrush! Ya gotta know that Owen loves himself a toothbrush. The first thing he does in the morning is point to the bathroom and says "TEEE?" and brushes his teeth.
I'm hoping that Owen will cooperate with Physical Therapy today. He's SO close to pulling up by himself. He can get in this position on his own and then he tries to pull up with all his strength.
His booty needs a little push and he's up to stand and play. He is starting to enjoy standing more and more and he tires less each time. I would love to see him walking by his second birthday, which is in about 4 1/2 months.
We had a great weekend. Saturday, Grammy K and Brant (Carson's Mom and Stepdad) took us to brunch at Brio and it was delicious! We had intentions of walking around the outdoor mall until Owen had a projectile pukey in the Apple Store, change of plans.

Sunday, we had a goodbye party for Janesa (Carson's sister) and the kids most cool Auntie. She got a promotion at MAC and will be moving to San Fransisco. GOOD LUCK Auntie B-Jenia, we'll see you soon! Owen loves his Auntie and it'll be great to have her close to Palo Alto when he's waiting for his heart.

Time to go get the house in order because the Gtube surgery is this Wednesday. I let Dr Stock know about Owen's little desatting episode this weekend, but he said as long as it doesn't happen again before Wed, to go ahead with the surgery.

Until then....

Sunday Morning

After a long night of crazy oxygen saturations, Owen woke up back to his normal self. That means .5 liters of oxygen and 85 percent oxygen saturations. I did try to turn him down to .25 liters and his sats dropped to 70 percent. I have no idea why the little extra puff of O2 makes such a HUGE difference. I'll monitor him the rest of the day (when he's relaxing) and after we play in the pool tonight.

I wonder what his saturations were at here...

O2 Sats of 52 -- NOT GOOD!!

***UPDATE***
It's 11pm and Owen is now sating in the high 90's on very little oxygen (totally NOT normal, and he shouldn't go above 85). Hmmmmm... another mystery. He's usually at 78 - 82 percent on 1/2 liter of oxygen, that's his norm. Why is he showing sats at 97 right now on 1/4 liter. I'm at a loss. When I test the oximeter on myself, it's accurate. It's also consistent on all four of Owen's extremities. I'm torn.

I should get some rest, it's been a LONG night. I'll continue to monitor his sats the remainder of the weekend and will call cardiology on Monday to give the heads up on his wacky oxygen saturations. I absolutely will not feel comfortable having him put under anesthesia on Wednesday (for the Gtube surgery) is he is even the slightest bit unstable. It's just simply not worth the risk. Of course, I trust our Cardiologist and I will allow him to make that decision.

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Original Post.

Owen's lips have looked a little blue tonight, so I grabbed his "beep beep" (oximeter) and his oxygen sats were at 52 percent. YIKES! Thirty minutes later, and 2 liters of oxygen, he's still only at 80 percent and every few minutes is dropping into the 60 range.

He's not cranky, excessively tired, or congested. I checked his NG placement and his lungs sound clear, so there's no worry of aspiration. Hmmmm... why the mystery??

Say a little prayer that this is just a little scare so that he gets to wear his light up toe tonight. For those of you that have NO idea what this is... To my Mr Owen.. you are such a trooper! Even when your oxygen saturations are at 52, you are still happy and smiling. You don't mind when we crank up your O2 so high that we can hear it blowing up your nose.

Boring and Normal

It's been a lazy, but crazy week around here. Some days I feel like a hamster in my wheel, I keep spinning and it feels like I don't get anywhere. Since Owen was finally approved for long term care, I had the pleasure of choosing a secondary insurance plan for him. Easy! Or so I thought. I set him up on the one that is contracted with Phoenix Childrens, to then find out that they use a different home healthcare company. With that comes all new referrals and setups. It took a while to get this accomplished, and then I found out that they don't offer any services outside of Arizona. Since we are back and forth to Stanford for transplant stuff, we most definitely need home healthcare while we're there. Long story short... I switched secondary insurance plans and had to switch all of his home healthcare BACK to the original vendor.

After spending countless hours on the telephone, I'm on a phone strike. If you call, there is a pretty good chance you'll get my machine. Leave a message and I may never get back to you. Kidding.

I really have enjoyed this week. Owen has been delightful and talking more each day! Kamryn has been busy with school, book reports, homework and chatting with friends on the phone. Carson and I have started yet another diet and are exercising consistently. This week has been a little boring, unusually normal and a much needed break. Even if it is a temporary break.

Next week is Owen's Gtube surgery and his very first teeth cleaning at the dentist! I know that one is much more serious than the other, but I have a feeling the dentist will be more of a challenge. Good thing Sissy will be there and she is a PRO at going to the dentist. In fact, we were there just this morning with Kamryn and she was cavity free, once again. She doesn't get it from me. Remember this post?

Lots of pictures and updates to come next week. I'm off to enjoy my boring evening and end of my somewhat "normal" week.

On a completely different topic...
I was thrilled to hear that Paul Cardall got his new heart after waiting 386 days!! If you haven't visited his blog, you are missing out. Many prayers to the Cardall family and to the family that donated such a precious gift.

Labor Day Weekend

Our three day weekend has ended too soon. It was long, relaxing and full of fun (mostly). I setup the air mattress in the family room so the kids could snuggle and watch movies.
It was a nice idea until Owen got bored and started pulling off Kami's glasses, throwing his binki and playing on the mattress. Kamryn likes to actually watch the movie.
Owen fell asleep with his hands clasped together. He's been taking really long naps lately and I find myself checking to make sure he's breathing. Please tell me this is normal?We only have a couple more months of swimming season left, so we took full advantage. Both of our kids are fishies in the water and will be sad when the water turns cold.

Check out those BLUE lips!!

It's back to the weekly grind. We have a busy week of therapies, school and work. My house is extra clean because I decided to clean our carpets over the weekend. Fall cleaning anyone?

Scooting in the Rain

What better way to kick off our three-day weekend, than with a Saturday morning thunderstorm! I opened the front door to enjoy the smell of rain and Owen just couldn't resist the temptation to get outside and play! What kind of mom would I be to deprive my diapered dude a moment of pure joy, butt-scooting down the sidewalk in a rainstorm?
His diaper was shredded, his body soaked and the smile on his face was worth every moment!

Normal, Boring Week

The last few days have been busy with therapies and doctor's visits. Welcome to our normal!

On Monday, Owen had Physical Therapy and attempted (with all his might) to pull up to a stand. Today, he did it!!!! It wasn't easy, but he kept on pulling. Just 3 months ago, he wouldn't bear weight in his legs. We are proud of you buddy!

Monday also marked the day that Owen finally qualified for ALTCS (Arizona Long Term Care). This is a blessing, as it grants Owen secondary insurance through the state, as well as respite care. Since Owen has so many medical issues and equipment, we will get a nurse in our home a few days a week, with the intention of giving me a rest. For those of you that know me, I don't leave Owen with anyone, so it will take some time before I actually leave Owen with the nurse.

Yesterday, we had an appointment with Dr Stock to talk about immunizations and increasing his Carvedilol once again. Nothing new on the cardiac front, we'll go back in three weeks, indefinitely.

Today was our appointment with the Pediatrician to kick start Owen's Immunization catch-up plan. He cried for a moment when each needle pricked, but not a tear was shed and he was quick to smile again. We'll go every month for another four shots until he's caught up.

Owen has a thing for touching the tires of the 4Runner everytime I get him in and out of the car. This picture captures his expression of "I'm touching the tire mom, whatcha gonna do about it?"
He also has a thing for touching the ear and throat lights, the tongue depressors (big ol' Popsicle stick thingies), and ripping the paper off the table. It's no wonder he likes going to the doctor.

He obviously hasn't been poked lately, he kept touching the band aids saying "uch, uch" (ouch, ouch).

We have a busy weekend full of pool parties, sleepovers, and bbq's! A little more exciting than our trips to Costco and Target this week. I have no complaints because I sure do love our boring days at home.

PRAYER REQUEST:

Please pray for our heart buddy, Mason. He has HLHS, like Owen, and is in heart failure as well. He was almost done with the process to be listed for a heart, and his family received the devestating news that he won't be a candidate for a new heart. Please pray for the Stricklands as they make some difficult decisions in the upcoming weeks. You can visit Miracle Mason here.

Immunizations

I just got a call from Stanford and they wanted to make sure Owen's immunizations were up to date. Ahem, not even a little bit. Not even one single immunization. We put it off at first because he was fragile, in and out of the hospital having open heart surgeries. Then he was stable, but we didn't want to rock the boat. Since then, it has just been a topic put to sleep.

Until now...

Apparently immunologists like their transplant patients to be immunized before they become immunosuppressed and at risk of catching every single bug that comes their way. It makes perfect sense.

Now, how do we catch him up on 19 months of immunizations? To be perfectly honest, it makes me nervous to give him so many vaccines so close together.

Thankfully, Owen's pediatrician has my full confidence and we will talk to her on Thursday about the safest approach to catching Owen up. But before that, we have an appointment with Dr. Stock (Cardiology) tomorrow to increase his Carvedilol and to chat about Owen's lack of weight gain, not tolerating increased calories, and puking (why is he puking?).

It sounds like there will be many needles in Owen's near future, with immunizations, RSV shots and flu shots. Oh, and surgery for his Gtube placement on the 16th. The poor guy just can't catch a break. Say a little prayer or two that he will be as tough as always during the next few months.

I think that vacation in October is going to be even more well deserved than we imagined. When Owen is playing in the sand, splashing in the waves, getting splashed by Shamu, riding a carousel and enjoying the crisp fall weather with his family.. the pain will be forgotten.