Thursday, April 3, 2008

Our new best friend

I'm not sure if any of you have ever tried soynut butter, sibling to the more famous peanut butter. If not, I'd like to introduce you to our new best friend. We add it to bananas, toast, muffins, waffles and apples and Luke loves it. What's not to love? It's got fat, protein, calories and a not-too-horrible taste. The best part about our new friend? It's helped Luke hit the scales at 20 pounds 9 ounces this morning! That's up from 19 pounds 12 ounces two weeks ago. Putting him again at the 10th percentile for weight.

If you could see his growth chart, Luke's curve likes to be right around the 10th percentile, although he has been a bit above and below (well, waaay below in the weeks after his first surgery). This past month, he sat down around the 5th percentile, which caused some anxiety in the Smith household. Was this dip a symptom of Luke's heart function? Was his heart working overtime again? It was so nice to see this morning that Luke can dip a bit and then come back up, telling us that his heart is doing okay. Judy pointed out this morning that this is the danger of being weighed so often. Most kids probably have these exact same ups and downs, but the parents just don't know, eliminating some unnecessary anxiety ... the old "ignorance is bliss" expression comes to mind.

Rog and I are very thankful this morning to see Luke's weight gain, and are giving thanks again for the resource we've been given in Judy. She called him her poster boy for heart babies today. It's nice to hear someone else say what we have known all along!

Luke had his last RSV (Synagis) shot this morning for the season. Dr. Stefanelli will make the decision next fall whether he'll receive the shots next year. Mary Bridge is so fantastic, they gave Luke a Synagis "graduation" present and it couldn't be more appropriate: A froggy antibacterial soap dispenser!

We ask for prayer today for good sleep for Luke over the next couple of nights as some months after this shot he has had trouble sleeping through the night.

We give praise for Luke's continued healing from his cold (he's doing much, much better), for a great dietician's appointment, and for the medical technology to prevent kids like Luke from getting RSV.

3 comments:

  1. Yay! So glad to hear he's gaining and doing so well! Love the pictures from the previous post too - what a doll!

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  2. Another fabulous weight gainer is black olives (particulary loved to be eaten off of all the fingers) and "little smokey's"... Mad's loved them both! Maybe Lukey will too! Blessing's to you all. We love ya! ~Cindy

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  3. Hi Jesse! I found your blog through Mindys and was so happy to see your adorable little Luke! What an incredibly amazing/tiring/growing experience you have all been on with your little miracle. From one heart patient to another, I hope Luke continues to progress (yea for the weight gain!) and be held up by the faith and prayers of all those who know him... I'll make sure to keep him in mine! So good to hear about your life... keep in touch.

    Missi (Hinckley) Waldron

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