Check out the The Caffeinated Book Review for the Sunday Post!
It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
This week was a rough one. Even now, as I sit here, I feel slightly ill. My extended family had some health emergencies, nothing serious thank goodness, but they kept me on my toes! But it's my little guy causing me worry. He was born 7 weeks early, and tiny. He is still tiny. The doctors are not happy with his growth rate and weight gain, and told us that in five weeks they are going to reevaluate his weight, and if he hasn't gained any, they want to put in a gastric feeding tube. This destroys me. I of course want my child to be healthy and grow and get everything he needs, but I don't want to destroy his growing relationship with eating and food either. He loves eating actual food - he hates drinking. This is the whole problem with his weight gain. He likes to help feed himself, and he just doesn't have a huge appetite. He is not intaking enough calories per day though. We can't force him to eat, although that compulsion is hard to quelch with this feeding tube looming over me. I don't know what to do. I don't know enough about g-tubes to even know if it is as big of a deal as it is in my head. I do know it is another surgery, and my guy has already had two surgeries, both within the first 2 months of his life. If anyone has any experience with any of this, I would love to hear about it.
With all of this going on, my reading time has been sparse or related to finding high calorie foods my son will eat. However, I have gotten some in - but just a tiny bit.
The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck: I am just a wee bit into this book but I am really enjoying it so far, honestly. I now want to own my own team of mules! They are pretty fascinating creatures, believe it or not.
Crystal Kingdom by Amanda Hocking: I just started this as well - it is a nice reprieve from the trail. Lol. I love it, but then, I love this series.
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I am so sorry to hear about your family's health issues especially poor little Wyatt. I'll be keeping him in my thoughts and prayers.
ReplyDeleteI have a copy of The Oregon Trail. Glad you are enjoying it so far.
Thank you Christina, I appreciate it. :)
DeleteI only read maybe ten pages a day of The Oregon Trail, lol, so progress is slow. What would the video game say? A steady pace?
Oh no. I'm so sorry. Can you get a second opinion. So Wyatt doesn't like to drink from the bottle? What about spoon feeding milk to him? My SIL had to do that when my niece wouldn't take to the bottle or sippy cup at first. She would give a spoonful of milk with Cheerios with it.
ReplyDeleteLast night we decided we needed a second opinion. We just need way more information about this, I think, before just agreeing. Hopefully he gains some good weight in the next few weeks. I will definitely give the spooning formula into him a chance! I will do anything right now, really, that could potentially get more calories into him. Thanks for the suggestion!
DeleteThat must be incredibly stressful and frightening. My thoughts and prayers with you guys. Here's hoping that doesn't become necessary- if he likes eating maybe he'll slowly ramp up enough with his appetite. Hang in there...
ReplyDeleteThe Oregon Trail does look good I don't read a lot of nonfiction but the westward expansion stuff is pretty fascinating. I'd like to read more of it. Have a great Sunday and enjoy the big game if you guys are watching it!
It's been pretty rough! And that is a hope - that as he eats, the more hungry he will become and want to eat more. That would be awesome right now! Thanks Greg.
DeleteI am not a huge nonfiction reader - the book has to be pretty good before I will read it, with an interesting narrative. So far, this book is doing pretty well. :)
Erin, I feel for you and wish someone here will be able to help you!
ReplyDeleteI don't know anyone personally whose child had a feeding tube but my son was considered to suffer from "failure to thrive" when he was a few years old. He seemed to stay the same weight and not gain anything, though he was eating 3 meals and a snack. He was a picky eater and liked to get up and walk around during dinner time. We thought he was taking in enough calories.
Anyway, they tested him for cystic fibrosis, an illness that will hold back weight gain (scouring my memory for why they pinpointed that exact test, sorry). Anyway, my son turned out absolutely fine! He's in his mid-20's and is average height/weight but has to watch his snacks since he now can put on those pounds while in graduate school.
My youngest grandchild was born by C-section around her due date, but then they discovered she must have stopped developing a few weeks before she was born and for some reason didn't come early. She was about 5 lbs., which isn't too bad but then she remained very tiny and thin--we all carried her around like she was a lil peanut, despite her eating well. She had to be in a car seat-booster seat past the time other kids are, which was embarrassing for her. Now she is 8 years old and grew pretty tall and still thin, like her older sister (and her mother when younger). No health problems.
This too shall pass... my prayers and thoughts with you, hubby and Wyatt in this difficult time.
I know your son's case was more severe, but if you are nervous, get a second opinion. Maybe this is only a temporary solution and you can get him back to food shortly. I wouldn't freak out yet, and even if he has to use it, well, maybe it's what he needs to become a big, strong boy :)
That is Wyatt's diagnosis, failure to thrive. Which if you look at Wyatt, you would never believe! He is happy, healthy, energetic - just not very big! Thank you for sharing about your own son and granddaughter - it really does help to know that this is not just something that we are going through, but something that affects other people as well. It can just be so isolating, that you start to think it is just you. I am glad to hear your granddaughter is doing great! I understand her pain - I was only 5 lbs at birth, and never grew that quickly. We would go to amusement parks and I couldn't ride half the rides, when all the other kids could. That stung! :) I feel my own growth as a kid has something to do with Wyatt's but for some reason the doctors do not want to take this into consideration at all.
DeleteThanks Rita, I appreciate all your kind words.
I'm sorry to hear about your family's health emergencies, and especially about your little guy's issues. There is no end to worry when you're a parent and I will keep you all in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteIf you want mules now, wait until you get to the end of Oregon Trail. If I had a barn, there would be a team of mules in it now!
Thank JoAnn, I appreciate the prayers. :)
DeleteOh no really?!!! Lol! I wish I had a place for mules, and I just started reading. I am in trouble. Lol.
Wow! That isn't good news! I hope that the gastric tube isn't as difficult as you think it will be and is a temporary solution to a problem that resolves itself soon. I haven't ever read anything by Amanda Hocking but did get a chance to meet her as she was publicizing her first book from a traditional publisher. Come see my week here. Hope this week brings only good things!
ReplyDeleteUgh I am such a mess over the idea of that tube. I wonder if I am blowing it out of proportion - I hope that I am, if it comes down to one.
DeleteYou always meet the coolest authors! :)
Aw, hugs mama! My son was born full term at 8lbs, and at 6 months he was at 9.5lbs and labeled failure to thrive. He was fully bf, and the pediatrician figured I had stopped producing milk but didn't realize it-pretty much I was starving my baby :( What followed was a crazy adventure of trying to get a baby who had never taken a bottle to use formula (ended up having to force feed the formula with an eyedropper oiy!), and trying to get him to eat real food (the doctor even suggested mixing butter in with rice cereal to get the calories in!). Fast forward to today-my little guy is now 7 years old, around 25% on the growth chart (he wasn't even on the chart at a year old), and is perfectly healthy :) I wish you the best as you navigate your way through this!
ReplyDeleteOh wow! What an adventure that was!!! I am so glad to hear that he is doing so well - that had to have been so scary! Thank you for sharing it with me ~ it can feel so isolating when you are going through it, that to hear parents who have been where you are standing and have made it to the other side, makes it easier to bear.
DeleteAlthough I wish you hadn't had to go through it at all!
DeleteTough time. I hope you find that information you need to rest your heart and mind. Can't imagine too much reading until all is well. Wishing the best outcome for you and the little one.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathryn. It's been a tough go, but this kid is a little fighter. He is always surprising us with what he can do. :) Thank you for the well wishes.
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