3 Week Post-Op Checkup for James

This past Friday, I took James back to LR for his post-op checkup. We had the typical echocardiogram and x-ray, and I'm proud to report that James did great! His heart function is right where it should be, so we can take him off the meds for that. And there was no fluid on his lungs, so no more meds for that! He is now only taking the synthroid, which he will most likely take the rest of his life. The doctor said that his heart has no residual signs of leakage--it's just like any other healthy heart! (With the exception of a bit of gore-tex, of course.) So it was a great visit, and we don't have to go back for another 6 months.

Whew! I know we will encounter other health issues with James, but for now I kind of feel like we might get a little break for awhile. For the first time I feel like I can start planning things, seeing other people, and get back into the groove of things. Of course, it took a few months to get that feeling after Caleb was born, too.

And I've decided to go ahead and quit nursing. Well, "nursing" hasn't been the right term for over three months. Pumping has taken up a lot of my time in the day, and Jon has been pushed to the limit trying to keep up with things at work and things at home. In a normal situation, nursing is cheap (free!) with no bottles or hassle of keeping milk cold or warming it up. However, in a situation where thickener and formula is added in, nursing has become the most expensive option, with the most hassle. I've felt like I should keep going with it as long as my supply keeps up, but it seems to be keeping up just fine with no end in sight. James has gotten all the immunity benefits in his first weeks, and we know that he can handle formula since it's been added into his milk for several months. And, for the sake of myself and my family, I really can't conceive of keeping up the pumping for James's whole first year.  As you can tell from my paragraph of reasons, it's taken me quite an inner battle to make this decision. But it's made, and I'm glad for it. Now I just have to go through the painful process of weaning!

From these pics, you can tell that James's face has got a nice roundness to it these days. He's doing great and gaining weight just great. In the picture below, Caleb was ready to snuggle with James all night long (though I doubt he would have slept a wink!). It's good to see how much these boys love each other.