Dr. Toth's good news/bad news

We had our appointment with our favorite pediatrician Dr. Toth today. He explained so many things to me. Jayen is gaining weight finally!! He would like to contribute it to the fact that he is eating a little more and he is doing so well on the formula. He agreed with the GI doctor about keeping him on the formula for a little longer, possibly even until he turns 2. The formula contains more calories than a store bought soy milk. Jayen needs those calories right now. I also asked about the prescription and why we are still on that too. We are not sure, nor were we ever sure, that Jayen has a reflux issue but if he did and we didn't treat it, it could cause a lot of damage to his esophagus. The medicine he is taking is so safe that it isn't worth the risk of not having him on it.
We are so thankful for always having his straight forward answers. He has been a lifesaver to us and I don't know what we are going to do without him. Yep, he gave us some VERY bad news. He got orders. (That means he is going to a new base.) :( We will miss him horribly! THANKS DR. TOTH FOR GETTING US THROUGH THIS CRAZY JOURNEY!

We had therapy today and told Mrs. Kristen all about the doctor's appointment yesterday. She agreed that it was kind of crazy to do a feeding evaluation on him. He is eating almost perfect now. She was a little frustrated and was talking about how she needs to meet with the doctors to understand their reasoning. I invited her to come with us when they do Jayen's. So, we scheduled it together. I'm so excited that she will be there. I really trust her and her opinions and am thankful that there is someone there who is knowledgeable about Jayen and will ask appropriate questions. Matt will be gone so it is also one more person who will be able to help me relay everything later!!!

GI follow-up

We had our follow-up with Dr. Zapata, our GI. He has a very deep accent and it takes everything I have to translate just the words that are coming out of his mouth that I think I am still trying to actually absorb any meaning out of it yet.
Jayen is doing very well on the soy formula. He isn't throwing up hardly at all anymore. The doctor was very happy with his progress. We are going to stay on the formula for at least 3 more months then follow up with him again. In the mean time he would also like us to do a feeding evaluation at Children's hospital. I'm not exactly sure why he ordered this and at the time I didn't really know to ask.
I am a little disappointed that we are continuing the formula and the prescription, but I understand that neither one is causing him any harm right now. We see our pediatrician on Friday and I think I will ask him a few more questions then.

Jayen had therapy today and the orthodics specialist came. He observed Jayen walking and standing, then he took the time to explain everything to me. He showed me why he and the therapist were concerned. Jayen has pronation in his foot. His leg, ankle, and heel bone do not line up.

Jayen was fitted for SureStep orthodics. The SureStep system uses the principle of compressing the foot through the use of an extremely lightweight, thin and flexible plastic. This allows for more natural movement of the foot and ankle while still maintaining proper alignment in standing, walking, running and jumping! Jayen will wear these until his foot grows out of them, usually 9-12 months. They look like the picture below. We picked a different pattern for Jayen's though!

Supra Malleolar Orthosis

Jayen had physical therapy today because of the snow storm and a change in the schedule. He has been having occupational therapy twice a week but our physical therapist left and they have not found a suitable replacement.
Jayen was showing her all his cool new tricks. We had to do his standardized test again because his goals were still things like sitting for 30 seconds, or rolling over. We are now working on standing for 30 seconds independently, taking beginning steps towards walking, climbing down stairs. He is making so much progress and I can't believe where he has come from to where he is now.
The therapist is a little concerned about his steps when he walks. She noticed a slight inversion of his toes and eversion of his right foot. He likes to walk on the outsides of his feet. She suggested we look into getting him Supra Malleolar Orthosis (SMOs). The SMO is designed to maintain a vertical, or neutral heel while also supporting the three arches of the foot. This can help improve standing balance and walking.
Hopefully we will find out soon. We have therapy again on Thursday, but we are not sure when we will talk to the orthotics specialist.

Happy New Year

Matt and I started this tradition before we had kids, so it is so much fun to be able to share it with them. We got food at a drive through and headed out. We love to watch the fireworks downtown but hate the traffic and cold that come with it, so we started going to the top of Harrah's casino parking garage and sit in the car and eat until the fireworks start. Or on really cold nights like this one we just stay in the car and listen to the music that coordinates with the fireworks.
What a great tradition and such a great start to a new year. Can't wait to put this year behind us and see what next year brings!