May 2002
I'm sorry I have not had any time to update sooner.  We are approaching a big day in ours and Kayden's life, he will be the big ONE YEAR OLD on the 19th of June. We couldn't be more happy with him and are so excited for his first birthday considering what they told us when he was diagnosed. Kayden is doing very well, he is now 16 pounds (I know that is still small) but for Kayden it is great.  His growth has been good since he started at four pounds. Kayden has been mostly healthy in the last few months with a few colds here and there, after all with a trach it could be worse. On April 22 he had cleft repair and tubes put in his ears.  He spent four days in the children's hospital and had to wear funny looking splints on his arm's called NO NO's.  They looked like a cast so he could not bend his elbow to prevent his hand from going in his mouth. He hated them because he was also teething and loved to have those hands to chew on. We did take them off a few times a day to relax his arms. Kayden had a check up last week and everything looks ok so far, the palate is still intact and we pray it stays that way.

He really is trying to talk now. It is so cute when I get in his face and talk to him, he looks at every word I say and starts to babble, even getting some sound out through the trach.  There is one sad thing I need to report, we were supposed to go back and get his trach out in a few weeks.  Unfortunately, my heart aches to tell you that during the last surgery they found out that his vocal cords spasm and that his adenoids along with some other internal things create a blockage.  That means if we take the trach out and he ever needs to have a tube placed down his throat again they would not be able to get it in. So for now the trach is not going anywhere soon, they did say he could grow out of this but we all know that would most likely take a very long time.  Until then we pray that things will heal fast and one day we will all have a trach-free life.  Deep down we want this trach out BUT if staying is what it has to do that is fine too, as long as we have Kayden still with us we would keep the trach forever!  Kayden is a very HAPPY boy, and we thank God every day for letting us see him smile every day, I am so proud to be his mommy and I know he loves us as much as we love him.

Kayden is still trying to crawl and we need to give him lots more floor time now.  Our next step is to get a stander for him; he loves to stand so this will help him and make his leg's stronger.  Braden is just as helpful as ever and is so protective over him.  He thinks he knows everything Kayden needs or wants.  We have been blessed to have a child who is able to understand so much at such a young age.

God bless and thank you for visiting us.

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