It is incredible that Max has been a part of our family for 3 weeks already. I can not remember what life was like without him. He is a perfect fit for our family and has already brought so much joy to our lives.
Max meets with his cardiologist every other week. At his last appointment we and found out that Max had started to loose weight. This was not good news. Now we are needing to supplement every other feeding to help him gain more weight. An echo cardiogram was performed at this appointment and the doctor discovered that Max's lungs have too much fluid in them and is causing his liver to enlarge. This is happening because Max's heart is essentially working 3 times harder then it should and it is pumping excess blood to his lungs. This isn't necessarily causing Max any pain but it is causing him to have labored breathing so he is on a few medications to help- one is a diuretic and the other helps regulate his heart rhythm. Since his heart is working so hard we found out that Max will need to have one of his surgeries sooner then we thought. When he was released from the hospital the doctors thought we would be able to wait until Max was 3 months old before performing any surgery, now he will need surgery in just a few weeks. The surgery that he will need in February will band his pulmonary artery which will help decrease the amount of fluid that is passed to the lungs.
There is so much to learn about Max. Not only do we need to figure out all the baby stuff like sleep schedule, feeding and his different cries, but we also need to figure out his health. When I hear him squeak in the middle of the night I don't know if that is just a baby noise or if it is an indication that his breathing is more strained. If he is sleeping longer then he normally does I don't know if I should be excited that he is a good sleeping baby or if I should be worried that his heart has been working too hard so his body is exhausted. Every time we meet with the doctors we will learn a little bit more about Max's health and everyday we will understand a little more about his needs and personality. I will say that despite his health issues he is an amazing baby. He is very peaceful and lovable.
Being Max's mommy is a blessing but it is extremely hard. An infant is so fragile, pure and innocent. It is hard to imagine anything bad ever happening to something so perfect as a newborn baby but my baby is going to have to suffer through pain and other difficult things. It breaks my heart knowing that his heart is in so much need. I have faith that Max's spirit is strong enough to handle the physical pain he will go through. In between doctor visits and worry I am trying to just enjoy the sweetness that surrounds my little baby- the gentle sound of his breathing, the feel of his fingers wrapped around mine, the smell of his skin, his curious eyes gazing at mine... he is my baby and he is perfect.
Max meets with his cardiologist every other week. At his last appointment we and found out that Max had started to loose weight. This was not good news. Now we are needing to supplement every other feeding to help him gain more weight. An echo cardiogram was performed at this appointment and the doctor discovered that Max's lungs have too much fluid in them and is causing his liver to enlarge. This is happening because Max's heart is essentially working 3 times harder then it should and it is pumping excess blood to his lungs. This isn't necessarily causing Max any pain but it is causing him to have labored breathing so he is on a few medications to help- one is a diuretic and the other helps regulate his heart rhythm. Since his heart is working so hard we found out that Max will need to have one of his surgeries sooner then we thought. When he was released from the hospital the doctors thought we would be able to wait until Max was 3 months old before performing any surgery, now he will need surgery in just a few weeks. The surgery that he will need in February will band his pulmonary artery which will help decrease the amount of fluid that is passed to the lungs.
There is so much to learn about Max. Not only do we need to figure out all the baby stuff like sleep schedule, feeding and his different cries, but we also need to figure out his health. When I hear him squeak in the middle of the night I don't know if that is just a baby noise or if it is an indication that his breathing is more strained. If he is sleeping longer then he normally does I don't know if I should be excited that he is a good sleeping baby or if I should be worried that his heart has been working too hard so his body is exhausted. Every time we meet with the doctors we will learn a little bit more about Max's health and everyday we will understand a little more about his needs and personality. I will say that despite his health issues he is an amazing baby. He is very peaceful and lovable.
Being Max's mommy is a blessing but it is extremely hard. An infant is so fragile, pure and innocent. It is hard to imagine anything bad ever happening to something so perfect as a newborn baby but my baby is going to have to suffer through pain and other difficult things. It breaks my heart knowing that his heart is in so much need. I have faith that Max's spirit is strong enough to handle the physical pain he will go through. In between doctor visits and worry I am trying to just enjoy the sweetness that surrounds my little baby- the gentle sound of his breathing, the feel of his fingers wrapped around mine, the smell of his skin, his curious eyes gazing at mine... he is my baby and he is perfect.
5 comments:
Your little one went to the right mommy. You are doing a PERFECT job with him.
Mary you guys are amazing! Max is very blessed to have come into such a great family to give him everything he needs. Thanks for the update.
You are incredible! I am so proud of you, happy for you and pray for you each day! Keep us updated when you can!
I'm so sorry his surgery is being moved up. It sounds like you have amazing doctors looking after Max thought and how wonderful they caught this so quickly. And he is such a cutie pie. He looks just like you, Mary! Babies are so amazing and resilient. We're sending good thoughts and prayers your way!
Mary, I love you! We are praying for Max and for you all. You are such a strong mother, and it shows you were meant to have this strong spirit come into your life. Keep us updated!!!!
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