Well, Caden is 6 months old today, and where has the time gone! I remember (not so long ago) thinking things like "I wish he would focus more on our faces", or "when is he gonna have his first laugh?" and now he's doing all that and so much more. I still find myself wondering when he will be able to sit up on his own etc., but I guess the lesson here is to not wish the time away-he will meet all his milestones in his own time-we just need to sit back and enjoy ;)
In other breaking news-we have a tooth!! This past Saturday Caden was trying to suck on my hand and suddenly I felt something sharp...a tooth. It hasn't totally emerged yet, but it's definitely there on the front/right bottom gums. I guess it is yet to be determined what effect this will have on breastfeeding, only time will tell.
(Now the past week's worth of crankiness and messed-up sleep schedules are making sense). To make up for the crankiness, Caden has now started to reach for me with both hands and snuggle in when I pick him up ;)
I bought a sewing machine a few days ago. No, I don't know how to sew, nor have I ever used a sewing machine, but I have decided to give it a try, and when I looked into classes it turns out you need to bring your own machine...who knew? I figure it'll give me a bit of a creative outlet, and at least I will be able to make use of the skill if any of Caden's clothes need to be altered due to his arm. I have already had to cut the armhole of his sleep sack to make it bigger, so I may as well learn how to make it look good!
Well, a crying baby beckons, more updates to come this week-we have a few Dr's appointments with the little man...
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
New look
Thanks to Dave for the new look of the blog-especially the header! I laughed out loud when I opened the page and saw all the little framed Caden heads; the expressions are priceless :)
Making strange
So last weekend Dave and I went to a wake/memorial for our old boss. It was in Toronto at a restaurant/pub on Queen Street, and it was on a Sunday night starting at 7pm. Quite a few of our friends from all over were also attending, so we figured this was an excellent opportunity to pay our respects as well as visit with a bunch of people we hadn't seen in a while, or who we would have to drive pretty far to see. Also, some of these friends had yet to meet Caden, and since he's been pretty portable and easy going so far, we figured we'd take him with us, and just stay for an hour or so. WRONG! He lasted a few minutes, but as more people started to arrive, and strange (or even familiar) people were talking to him, and the noise grew, and the lights dimmed, well, the meltdown started. He jutted his lower lip out and immediately his eyes welled up and turned red, and he started a strange cry which I can only describe by saying it sounded like "be! be! be! be! be!, woo! woo! woo! woo!"
It was heartbreaking. Needless to say, Dave took him out to the car to calm him down, and I joined him soon after. It's a good thing my sister lives essentially across the street, so we went over for a visit and of course Caden was all smiles by then...Oh well, we learned our lesson-babies and bars don't mix ;)
But now I'm starting to think it wasn't just the atmosphere. Yesterday afternoon, after a nice stroll in downtown Oakville with Danielle and Elly, I decided to drop by my work with Caden. At first he was all smiles and being his flirty self, but then, once again the eyes welled up with insta-tears, the lip jutted out and the crying began! The worst part is that he looks terrified when he does it. I think it had to do with the fact that again there was a bunch of people all around him chatting and cooing. However, I hope this doesn't continue for very long, and I wonder if it was just 2 isolated incidents, or if he's going through a period of "making strange". So far we've been able to bring him anywhere with us, some places have had a lot of people or noise, and he's been comfortable being passed around, many times falling asleep in the process. We thought that by exposing him to a lot of people and situations he be adaptable, and he has been, but I guess there's going to be times when he is just not up for it.
Sorry buddy!
It was heartbreaking. Needless to say, Dave took him out to the car to calm him down, and I joined him soon after. It's a good thing my sister lives essentially across the street, so we went over for a visit and of course Caden was all smiles by then...Oh well, we learned our lesson-babies and bars don't mix ;)
But now I'm starting to think it wasn't just the atmosphere. Yesterday afternoon, after a nice stroll in downtown Oakville with Danielle and Elly, I decided to drop by my work with Caden. At first he was all smiles and being his flirty self, but then, once again the eyes welled up with insta-tears, the lip jutted out and the crying began! The worst part is that he looks terrified when he does it. I think it had to do with the fact that again there was a bunch of people all around him chatting and cooing. However, I hope this doesn't continue for very long, and I wonder if it was just 2 isolated incidents, or if he's going through a period of "making strange". So far we've been able to bring him anywhere with us, some places have had a lot of people or noise, and he's been comfortable being passed around, many times falling asleep in the process. We thought that by exposing him to a lot of people and situations he be adaptable, and he has been, but I guess there's going to be times when he is just not up for it.
Sorry buddy!
Playing catch-up
Okay, so here goes:
In the past 6 months Caden has gained weight like a champ. For the first 6-8 weeks he gained almost a pound per week (I guess the norm is around half a pound a week, and to at least double the birth weight by about 5-6 months). Well, I haven't weighed him in a few weeks, but last time I did he was almost 23lbs-so I'm guessing he'll be tripling his birth weight by 6 months ;)
On the medical front, he has been to Sick Kids 3 times: first for his dermatology consult where they examined him and took photos. The doctor basically said she believes that he likely does have KTS (Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome) but an MRI is needed to confirm the diagnosis and get more information. KTS is basically characterized by a combination of the following: port wine stains (the birth marks), vascular malformations (abnormalities in growth of blood vessels-could be veins, arteries, lymphatic vessels or a combination), and tissue hypertrophy (overgrowth of the tissues in Caden's right arm/shoulder, leading to the swollen appearance). After the MRI we will most definitely be referred to the Vascular Malformation clinic, where we will hopefully get answers to our growing list of questions, and find out what treatments are available for our little guy.
The second Sick Kids excursion was to the MRI unit for a pre-assessment and for the nurse to decide whether she can administer sedation, or whether Caden will need a general anaesthetic, therefore requiring an anesthetist be present for the MRI. After a quick once over by her and the nurse supervisor, it was decided he will need to have an anesthetist put him under, mostly due to the fact that he's never had any medical imaging to tell what exactly is going on under the birthmark/swelling. I am glad they aren't taking any risks, even if it now means his MRI isn't until May 14th (Apparently it could have been done in December or January if it was with nurse-administered sedation). Soooo, Caden will have his MRI in May, and he will be put under, they are also going to have to use a contrast dye to get really clear images of the blood vessels, and after a bit of advocating on my part they will be including his head/brain in the scan. I asked for this due to the fact that the port wine stain goes up onto his head a little bit behind his right ear. I don't expect them to find any vascular malformations in his brain, but I would have hated for them not to have done it, only to decide in a couple of years that it may be worthwhile checking out-at which point he would have to be put under again I'm sure. Because of this addition, the MRI will be 2 hours long...something I'm not looking forward to.
Our most recent Sick Kids trip has been to the Physiotherapy unit. We were noticing that Caden's right shoulder seems pulled up a bit higher than the left, and that his head tilts a little to the right. Also when he was sitting in his bubo chair he slumps over to the right side. We figured this must have to do with the sheer bulk of that right arm/shoulder, and maybe that the muscles in his neck are tight on that side. So we asked for a referral to physio. The therapists assessed Caden's function and gave us some simple exercises to do with him, but they said that overall he seems to be developing well. These therapists also work closely with the Vascular Malformation clinic, so I'm sure once we have a lot more answers after the MRI we will be utilizing them more.
Other than the Sick Kids stuff, Caden has had all his regular checkups and vaccines with little to no problems. He is off the growth chart for both height and weight, and has had only one episode of a stuffy nose (knock on wood). Other than that he is in great health.
We get to meet his new pediatrician at the end of the month (he needs a family doc and a pediatrician because I guess now pediatricians don't do primary care like check ups and vaccines-I know, lame!), she will also be the one who follows up with Sick Kids regarding the KTS.
A lot of people ask us whether Caden is bothered by his swollen arm. To tell you the truth we haven't noticed even one instance where he has seemed in pain because of it, and it doesn't appear to have affected the function of his right arm or hand. He still grips tightly and reaches for things, and he doesn't ever wince or cry in pain when we touch or move that arm. The main things we do notice are that he has a bit of a harder time rolling over his right arm (larger speed bump ;)) and we have to make sure that his shirts/sweaters have a lot of room to stretch on the right sleeve. The coloring of the birthmark also seems affected by temperature and sometimes pressure. If he is in a bath or pool that is a bit cool his hand will go more purple, whereas it is usually a pinky-red color, almost like a sunburn. We'll also see this purple hue if we hold him under the arms too tightly or for too long, or if he is leaning on his right arm or armpit.
Developmentally, we couldn't have asked for a baby with a better personality! Caden's got so many little quirks and funny things he does that he keeps us laughing and smiling most of the time. His whole face lights up when he smiles, which he does often. He has started to laugh and giggle, and he's always babbling away in his own little language. He puts on a coy little face, or raises his eyebrows inquisitively, and he always seems to be flirting-babies or grown-ups, he doesn't discriminate :)
He can now roll over onto his stomach or back, and he can prop himself up on his forearms when he's on his tummy. He doesn't sit up unassisted yet, and I think this might take a while because he's so heavy! He looks at us when we say his name (most of the time) and he follows us with his gaze and reaches for things. Overall he's reaching all his milestones, with many more on the way:).
Caden and I have been hitting as many of the mom/baby groups as we can. We're regulars at Mother Goose (a sing along and discussion group for parents and babies), and we try to go to the drop ins and groups at the local early years center. Through these groups we met Danielle and baby Elly, who invited us to meet up with a fabulous group of local moms and babes. It's with these ladies (and gents) that we've gone swimming a few times, and met up for lunch dates on a weekly basis. It's been a great way to get out of the house and meet some new friends for both myself and Caden.
So now you're caught up on the bulk of what's happened over the last 6 months, but let me tell you, the day-to-day stuff is so much better than I can ever describe here! I guess now I can start blogging about what's happening in the here and now, instead of summarizing a life so far...
In the past 6 months Caden has gained weight like a champ. For the first 6-8 weeks he gained almost a pound per week (I guess the norm is around half a pound a week, and to at least double the birth weight by about 5-6 months). Well, I haven't weighed him in a few weeks, but last time I did he was almost 23lbs-so I'm guessing he'll be tripling his birth weight by 6 months ;)
On the medical front, he has been to Sick Kids 3 times: first for his dermatology consult where they examined him and took photos. The doctor basically said she believes that he likely does have KTS (Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome) but an MRI is needed to confirm the diagnosis and get more information. KTS is basically characterized by a combination of the following: port wine stains (the birth marks), vascular malformations (abnormalities in growth of blood vessels-could be veins, arteries, lymphatic vessels or a combination), and tissue hypertrophy (overgrowth of the tissues in Caden's right arm/shoulder, leading to the swollen appearance). After the MRI we will most definitely be referred to the Vascular Malformation clinic, where we will hopefully get answers to our growing list of questions, and find out what treatments are available for our little guy.
The second Sick Kids excursion was to the MRI unit for a pre-assessment and for the nurse to decide whether she can administer sedation, or whether Caden will need a general anaesthetic, therefore requiring an anesthetist be present for the MRI. After a quick once over by her and the nurse supervisor, it was decided he will need to have an anesthetist put him under, mostly due to the fact that he's never had any medical imaging to tell what exactly is going on under the birthmark/swelling. I am glad they aren't taking any risks, even if it now means his MRI isn't until May 14th (Apparently it could have been done in December or January if it was with nurse-administered sedation). Soooo, Caden will have his MRI in May, and he will be put under, they are also going to have to use a contrast dye to get really clear images of the blood vessels, and after a bit of advocating on my part they will be including his head/brain in the scan. I asked for this due to the fact that the port wine stain goes up onto his head a little bit behind his right ear. I don't expect them to find any vascular malformations in his brain, but I would have hated for them not to have done it, only to decide in a couple of years that it may be worthwhile checking out-at which point he would have to be put under again I'm sure. Because of this addition, the MRI will be 2 hours long...something I'm not looking forward to.
Our most recent Sick Kids trip has been to the Physiotherapy unit. We were noticing that Caden's right shoulder seems pulled up a bit higher than the left, and that his head tilts a little to the right. Also when he was sitting in his bubo chair he slumps over to the right side. We figured this must have to do with the sheer bulk of that right arm/shoulder, and maybe that the muscles in his neck are tight on that side. So we asked for a referral to physio. The therapists assessed Caden's function and gave us some simple exercises to do with him, but they said that overall he seems to be developing well. These therapists also work closely with the Vascular Malformation clinic, so I'm sure once we have a lot more answers after the MRI we will be utilizing them more.
Other than the Sick Kids stuff, Caden has had all his regular checkups and vaccines with little to no problems. He is off the growth chart for both height and weight, and has had only one episode of a stuffy nose (knock on wood). Other than that he is in great health.We get to meet his new pediatrician at the end of the month (he needs a family doc and a pediatrician because I guess now pediatricians don't do primary care like check ups and vaccines-I know, lame!), she will also be the one who follows up with Sick Kids regarding the KTS.
A lot of people ask us whether Caden is bothered by his swollen arm. To tell you the truth we haven't noticed even one instance where he has seemed in pain because of it, and it doesn't appear to have affected the function of his right arm or hand. He still grips tightly and reaches for things, and he doesn't ever wince or cry in pain when we touch or move that arm. The main things we do notice are that he has a bit of a harder time rolling over his right arm (larger speed bump ;)) and we have to make sure that his shirts/sweaters have a lot of room to stretch on the right sleeve. The coloring of the birthmark also seems affected by temperature and sometimes pressure. If he is in a bath or pool that is a bit cool his hand will go more purple, whereas it is usually a pinky-red color, almost like a sunburn. We'll also see this purple hue if we hold him under the arms too tightly or for too long, or if he is leaning on his right arm or armpit.
Developmentally, we couldn't have asked for a baby with a better personality! Caden's got so many little quirks and funny things he does that he keeps us laughing and smiling most of the time. His whole face lights up when he smiles, which he does often. He has started to laugh and giggle, and he's always babbling away in his own little language. He puts on a coy little face, or raises his eyebrows inquisitively, and he always seems to be flirting-babies or grown-ups, he doesn't discriminate :)
He can now roll over onto his stomach or back, and he can prop himself up on his forearms when he's on his tummy. He doesn't sit up unassisted yet, and I think this might take a while because he's so heavy! He looks at us when we say his name (most of the time) and he follows us with his gaze and reaches for things. Overall he's reaching all his milestones, with many more on the way:).
Caden and I have been hitting as many of the mom/baby groups as we can. We're regulars at Mother Goose (a sing along and discussion group for parents and babies), and we try to go to the drop ins and groups at the local early years center. Through these groups we met Danielle and baby Elly, who invited us to meet up with a fabulous group of local moms and babes. It's with these ladies (and gents) that we've gone swimming a few times, and met up for lunch dates on a weekly basis. It's been a great way to get out of the house and meet some new friends for both myself and Caden.So now you're caught up on the bulk of what's happened over the last 6 months, but let me tell you, the day-to-day stuff is so much better than I can ever describe here! I guess now I can start blogging about what's happening in the here and now, instead of summarizing a life so far...
Monday, March 15, 2010
Begin at the beginning...
We welcomed Mr. Caden John Reffell Daniels on September 29, 2009, at 2:46 pm. He was 2 weeks early, but still weighed in at a hefty 8lbs 5oz. Also notable at his birth (by c-section I might add) was that a large part of his upper body was covered in a purple-red birthmark-including his back, chest, right neck and entire right arm. His right arm/hand was also somewhat larger and more swollen than the left: something we were not aware of prior to the birth because the ultrasounds didn't pick it up. We were obviously pretty shocked and concerned, and the pediatrician-on-call was paged to the operating room. After Caden was checked out by the doctor and our midwife, Dave (my husband) was able to take him to the recovery room where family and friends were waiting to greet him, while I stayed behind to get cleaned up-a very weird process when you are frozen from the chest down (I recall thinking "ew, who's floppy leg is the nurse moving around and cleaning"...it was mine.). This 15 minutes or so were also very frustrating as I had to make small talk with the nurses, all the while thinking and panicking about my new baby who obviously had something different about him. I guess when I think about it the nurses were probably the ones trying to keep me distracted with small talk because it was apparent that they too were concerned.
When I finally got to the recovery room I got to hold Caden for the first time, and I was instantly in love...his little pout, how he was quietly looking around and scoping out the room (or likely just blinded by the lights :)), and the way he just knew that he was hungry and he was gonna try and get some food dammit!! The rest of those first few hours is a bit of a blur, but at some point the pediatrician came and told us he'd be making a referral to Sick Kids dermatology for the birth mark/swelling...he also let us know that Caden was otherwise healthy, and gave us some information on what he guessed was the concern. He felt that given the symptoms, Caden likely has "Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome" or KTS for short. This condition however would have to be diagnosed after some investigation at Sick Kids, including an MRI. He assured us that this follow up was not urgent as it is not considered life threatening, but that he would begin the referral process right away.
I will mention here that this pediatrician had a terrible bedside manner, and definitely made things more stressful in the operating room with his impatient/sarcastic answers to our rightfully worried questions, but we never have to deal with him again, so that's just water under the bridge...Looking back on it, I think we were really able to push aside our worries about Caden's condition in those first few days in the hospital, and instead focus on what an amazing little guy he was-going through the motions familiar to any new parent. Because of the c-section, I was essentially useless-only good for one thing of course-food production! Dave was amazing in those first days (oh ya, and still is) changing every diaper, getting up every time Caden or I needed something, sleeping on chairs for 4 nights in a row, advocating for me as I had my meltdowns due to insufficient pain meds...
Oooooh, which brings me to my little rant: As a nurse I am familiar with hospitals, operations, pain, medications blah, blah, blah. I couldn't believe how much one of my nurses made me feel like a drug seeker because I was asking for stronger pain medication after having ABDOMINAL SURGERY...I've seen patients on self-controlled pain pumps for what I would imagine to be a similar amount of pain, and all I get for the first day post-op is codeine and an extra strength tylenol!!! And to top it all off, the nurse gave me a half dose of the codeine to start me off and "see how it worked"-it didn't-so when I asked for more I was told that I can only have that medication every four hours. Queue the meltdown...
Oh, and another thing, since I'm a nurse I see the value in letting nursing students help in my care, but that doesn't mean I don't mind having a catheter put in the wrong hole...
Anyway, I've pretty much recovered from the delivery, and now I'm almost 6 months into motherhood, and I love it. So much has happened in the past few months, and I feel like Caden is growing so fast-sometimes I look at him and he seems like such a little boy now, which makes me both happy and sad at the same time :) I just want to take him all in and not miss a thing and I feel it speeding by, before I know it I'll be finishing my maternity leave...
I guess that'll be it for tonight, I'm missing out on precious sleep as the baby has been asleep for over an hour. In my next entry I hope to catch you up on where we're at as far as the Sick Kids stuff, and some of the awesome milestones Caden's had. But one last thing before I go...today is St. Patrick's Day, and it is also the 5 year anniversary of my Dad's passing. I can't help but think of what life would be like if he were still here, especially to see his first grandson. I think he would be in love with him, and I think Caden would melt his heart every day by flashing him one of his gorgeous full-face smiles...
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Um, hang on a sec...
I am known for going on and on and on when retelling a story, so in the interest of sparing you every minute detail from Caden's first 5 months, you're gonna have to give me a day or 2 to come up with an appropriate (yet entertaining) summary of events. I know, you'll be waiting with bated breath...
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