Tribute to Camden:

One year ago today God blessed us with a little angel.  We named him Camden James.

I’ve been thinking and writing this tribute in my mind for days.  There are so many things I want to say to you, Camden, about your first year of  life.  Yes, it was hard.  Yes, it was challenging.  But  I don’t want you to think that’s all your first year was.  You also taught us so much.  So much about our family that we didn’t know, even with the three boys we already had.  God molds and shapes every one uniquely and differently.  God opened up my eyes to that this past year.  Not every baby is going to be the same….and that’s just fine. 

You were born at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 20th, 2008.  You already threw a loop in the schedule by making my labor with you one of the longest.  We were so excited to meet you and see which one of your brothers you would look like.  You threw another loop in our plans by looking discreetly like all three of your brothers.   Your brothers were so happy to meet you and learn of your  name.  See, we found out months earlier that we were being blessed with another boy, but we didn’t have a name for you when you were born.  Dad finally picked out your name…Camden James.   Camden means winding valley.  When I look back at this past year, it sure has been a winding valley for us.   The winding valley is turning around though.  And we’re coming out of this valley stronger than ever!

I am sorry your start in life was filled with pain.  I am sorry for all the crying you had to go through.  I am sorry that you are still suffering.  But I know God is preparing you for the days ahead.  I know you are going to be strong and able to do great things.  You are going to be an example for the rest of us.   You are making our faith stronger.  God made you just how He wanted you….and He doesn’t make mistakes. 

I can’t tell you the number of times I was brought to my knees this last year.  I wanted you to be a certain way and able to do certain things.  I learned it’s not about what I want though.  I am sorry for wanting you to be something you’re not.  In time  you will crawl, roll over, walk.  It’s not about “Mom’s timing” though.  You will do all the things that you’re supposed to….just at the timing that you’re supposed to.

You’ve had a year of  pain, discomfort and frustration filled with doctors, specialists and therapists on top of tests and medicines.  I’m going to count our blessings though and remember it could be worse.  My prayer for you is that from this day forward your life will be happy and free of pain. 

You are my little peanut.  We have been through so much together this past year.  I am thankful that I was the one who was able to care for you and help you.  You have challenged my mommy skills and forced me to do more than trust the doctor.  I have researched everything and read more than ever to learn all I can.

You are blessed with a family that loves you beyond words.  Isaac is  your biggest brother who loves to play with you and make you laugh.  Eli is your protector, always looking out for you and letting me know when you’re upset.  Logan is constantly showering you with love and attention.  You will never be lacking for love!

I look forward to our journey into this next year.  I look forward to watching you become a little person.  Every day with  you is a gift.

We love you, Camden James.  You are our fourth blessing. 

Chiropractor is not a quack!

Honestly, when the chiropractor told me she could do something to help with Camden’s constipation, I seriously questioned whether she knew what she was talking about.  I let her do her thing thinking it can’t hurt anything.

I’m happy to report that as of today, Saturday morning, Camden is back to “normal.”  Well, almost.  He was still having a lot of crying when going yesterday but I noticed they were more lose.  This morning he had a full diaper and about an hour later an explosion, literally, all over.  Hooray! 

I didn’t have to resort to giving him any stool softners, except for the two suppositories.  Just lots of fruits and veggies,  lots of probiotic and the chiropractor!

IHR Club

I’m starting the IHR club.  I Hate Reflux Club. Anyone want to join?

Camden’s reflux is, once again, flaring up.  He’s caught my cold virus and his reflux is in full force.  Errrr……

So yes, we’ve had sleepless nights, lots of crying and difficulty eating some foods.  He’s had some raspiness and wheezing so it’s aspirating into his lungs again.  I only hope it doesn’t get bad.  We do have the inhaler for him that I did use today and it seemed to help. 

I was so hopeful for him turning one and getting better, but every time the reflux strikes again, my hope disappears.  I just feel so helpless in helping him.  When will he outgrow this? When will he get better?  When will this reflux issue be a thing of the past, a distant memory?

He did have a chiropractor appointment today.  She said the meter reading in the middle of his back, which is where digestion is located, was really, really high.  So she wasn’t surprised when I said his reflux was bad again.  She was able to manipulate and really “move” that area so she expected us to notice a big change in his reflux the next few days.  We’ll see.

Five days and counting until his first birthday.  I NEVER thought we’d still be battling reflux at this stage….NEVER.   I NEVER thought it would affect not only his life but our life so much. 

Please, God, I’m begging….heal this little boy….once and for all.  Amen.

Summer things…

Nothing major to report here.  Just feltl like I should check in and write something since I haven’t for a while.

Last week Thursday we headed up to Noah’s Ark with all of us and Gramma, Auntie K, Auntie S and Cousin H.  The older boys were happy that Cousin H was joining them.  It was a fun and exhausting day.  Joshua and I were so thankful to have extra hands.  We also packed up the car to head up to Auntie R’s cottage in Omro after a day at Noah’s Ark.  We had a very full car.  We realized that we’re okay in our van day to day, but when going on trips or having friends over, we’ve outgrown our van!  We’re not willing to sacrifice it just yet for a gas guzzler.  :)

We spent a day up in Omro.  The boys went fishing, met some new friends and spent some time at the local pool.  It was fun and we’re thankful to R and S for allowing us to come visit with them. 

This last weekend Josh worked some more on the new patio….determined to finish it.   That didn’t happen.  Although he’s so close.   I will post pics soon.  It’s looking very good and I’m so proud of all Josh’s hard work on it.

This week is VBS at church.  It’s my first year teaching and helping out.  I’m enjoying it.  Camden is in the nursery for the three hours and he does great.  The blankie is a lifesaver!  No crying for Mom when the blankie is around.  Logan goes to the preschool class and does some little activities in there.  He’s finally decided it’s not so bad.   Eli is not totally thrilled with his group.  It’s the trouble makers of the whole VBS and Eli does not appreciate their behavior.  I’m grateful to have a boy who follows the rules so well.   Isaac is in the OLDEST group of VBS.   I remember taking him to his first day of VBS.  I was so excited that he was finally old enough to participate.  Wow, that really doesn’t seem that long ago.  He only has two more years and then he’ll be one of the helpers.  Shew.

Camden is in boot camp with physical therapy.  I’m working him really, really hard.  I so want him to crawl by his first birthday, but I think it may be a lost cause.  I refuse to give up until next Monday though!   Come on, Camden!!!!  The physical therapist did tell me yesterday that the biggest reason he’s not moving is because of muscle weakness.  The chiropractor agreed and also said it’s due to his tipped sacrum, which she is working on.  His reflux is flaring up again, but we didn’t give him his medicine while we were gone (just forgot about it!) and now he’s fighting a cold virus so his body is working overtime.  Still having bowel issues so we’ve eliminated all grains from his diet.  Just fruit and vegetables and some proteins.   Chiro said since he has a wheat allergy, he could also have a gluten sensitivity. 

I’m fighting off a summer cold/sinus virus.  It’s had me down for a couple days now.  Blah! 

That’s us in a nutshell!

Tears of joy!

I had another breakdown yesterday, but this one was from my pure joy!!!  I know I posted that Camden has started eating, but it was yesterday that it really hit me how far this lil’ guy has come and how amazing it is.

Camden’s feeding therapist came yesterday.  She was blown away at all Camden’s eating.  She said very few kids go from a liquid diet to table foods so quickly.  Usually it takes a month or more just to get them to eat ONE jar of baby food.  She expected Camden still to be taking only a few bites and she would have been happy with that.  Instead she saw Camden eating all by himself and actually  yelling when I didn’t feed him fast enough!  Halleulejah! 

She actually asked me what we had done.  She said this just doesn’t happen.  The only other thing besides the tubes is the chiropractor.  Whether this is what has made the difference or not, we may never know.  But I don’t need to know.  I am thankful that God has healed this little boy and allowed him to eat.  He is loving food! 

One downturn of this eating is that he's having bowel issues now. He's been one to only go once or twice a week up til now, but when he did, it was never a problem. The last two days he's really been struggling to make a bowel movement. You can see the uncomfortableness. We may have to try some laxatives or suppositories.

And there’s more good news:  Last night as I was nursing him before bedtime he bit me.  I pulled him away but he started to cry, like he wasn’t done.  Hmmm….okay, one more time.  He bit down again….hard…ouch!  Okay, I said, you’re done.  I thought for a minute and then filled a cup with a bottle-like top with soy milk and offered it to Camden.  He grabbed it and immediately put it to his lips.  WHAT?!?!?!!?  He was really biting it and then spitting out the milk, but this is also huge progress.  When I took the cup away, he screamed until I gave it back.  THAT is what led to my breakdown.  Just a couple days ago he wouldn’t have anything to do with a cup and last night he was crying because I took it away!  Wow.

Camden’s really showing off his personality lately.  He’s repeating things (“uh-oh,” “dada,” “wow,” “ball”) and making these funny faces.  Isaac was teaching him how to wave bye-bye yesterday and I believe he’ll have that down by the end of the week.  It’s so adorable.He also slept a solid EIGHT hours last night! What a showoff.  

Now all he has to do is get MOVING!  He’s still being stubborn about doing his PT exercises.  I’m  praying that he suddenly makes the same progress in his physical therapy as he made in his feeding therapy.   That’s not too much to hope for,  is it?

“With God all things are possible.”

Amen!

“Uh-oh”

Camden has said his first words…..”uh-oh.”

It’s so cute.

Eating!!!

Camden has come leaps and bounds in the last few weeks.  He is now eating table foods like a champ!  He actually refuses baby food, or foods fed to him on a spoon, and prefers to feed himself with finger foods or table foods.  It’s an adjustment for me, but a good adjustment.  I now have to include him in our eating.  It’s a challenge to come up with “safe” foods for him, but we’re learning.  Lots of fruit and veggies.  He’s even tried chicken.  I am so thankful for his progress.  His feeding therapist will be shocked when she returns from vacation!

I even tried a cup last night with him.  A sippy cup without the valve in it.  I put some soy milk in it and held it up to his mouth.  Would you believe that for the first time he didn’t push it away???  He actually opened his mouth and drank! 

He’s still refluxing, but it’s less now that his medicine is in him and the teething is less.  Yesterday the chiropractor really felt like she made progress in the area that deals with digestion and his reflux.  I asked her about weaning him off his meds.  She suggested at this point to wean slowly, like every other day.  It’s usually within 3-6 visits that they notice a difference and he just had his 5th visit.  She didn’t suggest going cold turkey yet.  If we wanted to go that route, she said she would feel comfortable allowing that in a couple weeks.  I’m picking  up his medicine today and I am going to continue to give it every other day.  Possibly slowly giving less and less at a time.  The chiropractor did tell me that his reflux is going to flare up from time to time.  The  body’s reaction to certain things, like teething, illness, etc, is to produce more acid.  But if we can get it more under control in his day-to-day life, we can probably get off the meds.  Hooray!

I am so happy for Camden.  And it’s about time, this little guy start feeling better—he turns ONE in 18 days!!!!  Be on the lookout for your birthday invite!

Seven hours!

Camden let me get seven hours of solid sleep last night!  Holy cow, I can’t even tell you the last time I got that much sleep!  I pray this is the beginning of the end.