{Forty-four} Language

I am just a fountain of knowledge these days. Every day I learn new things. My brain is one giant sponge. I understand when mumma says its bath time and I take off for the bathroom. Mumma says "gimme a kiss", I give a kiss. But not lately, because I'm being stingy and testing my boundaries. When I fuss on the changing table and mumma goes "here!", I stop fussing because I know she's going to hand me a toy to entertain me while she cleans my butt. "Open" means here comes the food. I have answered to name for quite sometime now... that was the first word I actually knew. My least favorite... "NO. Noooooo". Busted. Dang.

My brother, just makes me happy. He is so much fun to watch. And I try to do everything he can do. And lately, he does whatever I do. We are two peas in a pod. He loves me. I love him.

They locked me in. My Godfather came over last weekend and installed a gate at the top of the stairs. I don't like it because I want to learn how to go DOWN the stairs. Mumma says that is very unsafe and extremely scary. I say let me try! But noooooo... they cage me up like a beast. I am an animal. And now I have the entire 2nd floor to roam around on instead of always closing bedroom doors so I can't get out. Which is actually pretty cool now that I'm really thinking about it. I am a free bird to roam as I please. Cool. Thanks God dada!

Speaking of stairs... mumma almost strangled dada today. She ran upstairs real quick and turned around... POOF... there I was. She was screaming "where is your dada!?" as he sat downstairs. Where I was hanging with him 30 seconds ago. He didn't notice I followed mumma. I'm a speed demon on those stairs but mumma is so nervous I'm going to fall. I'm a pro.

{Forty-three} Winter is Coming

I know its just the beginning of the fall season and mumma says I will love all the Halloween festivities and running around in October, but after a visit to the doc's office yesterday, I'm a little nervous about winter.

Just to update you with a few more details about my condition, mumma and the doctors theories seem to match that I damaged my trachea when I had croup at 3 mos. If I had congenial tracheomalacia (if I was born with it), we would have seen other devleopmental issues and/or heart issues by now. I will need special drugs & treatment if I get a repiratory infection of any kind. And because I will get an infection twice as bad due to my existing condition, we have to be really careful not to cause anymore damage. I should outgrow my breathing issues unless that happens. The doc prepared us that it may be a bad winter for us, but I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Other than that, I've just been eating and eating and practicing my standing. I have taken a few steps behind my push car, and between the chair and footstool downstairs. I can't wait until I can chase my brother!

{Extra Post} Health Recap - 10 mos

Another recap of my health and doctor visits! (beginning where we left of from the original 6 month recap post)

May 31st - Six month check-up/vaccines and I do NOT like shots!

June 1st - Pulmonary Doctor appointment follow-up, ruled out Asthma and allergies, thinks its floppy cartilage issues, get an x-ray in 6 wks and schedule follow-up

June 6th through August 31st - Continue Physical Therapy for my neck every Monday and Wednesday, I still favor my left side (turning, sitting, looking, laying and reaching)

July 19th - Xray at the hospital, follow up was a phone call 7/28 to get a "mag airway" test done, went to hospital 8/9 but found out we needed an appt

August 16th - Mag airway test complete (I SCA-reemed for 15 minutes straight and it took 4 adults to hold me still), diagnosis 8/18 as Tracheomalacia

  

August 24th - 9 mo check-up and vaccines, again... shots are not cool, and I weigh 23 lbs

September 7th through ? - Physical Therapy will be cut back to once a week, more on an evaluation level than actual exercises (which my parents don't even do!)

September 19th - Follow-up appt with my Pulmonary doc and he says I should be fine in the long run... here's to hoping!

{Forty-two} Wagon Ride

My brother turned 4 years old last week and mumma threw him a cool pirate party. I slept through most of the party though, but it was still fun.

The weather has been awesome so I've been able to get outside a few times this last week too. Mumma put my jumper on the porch and I went on my very first wagon ride. Mumma says I need to get used to it before all of the Halloween festivities. Apprently there is a lot of wagon-ing in my future.

{Forty-one} Mickey

I celebrated my first Labor day! It was cool to have the extra day with my family. And with Micky. I love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I can watch it for hours and hours if my parents let me. They sing good songs, its colorful, its funny, its great. And the hotdog song... don't even get me started. The Disney Channel has some great comercials too. Yes, I love TV. And Mickey.

{Forty} A better road trip

We went on another road trip and I'm very pleased to report that I had a great time. A zillion stroller rides, fresh air, quality time with my parents and the beach. Much better than my first vacation (you know, when I had projectile liquid coming out both ends of my body for three and a half days). This trip had both sets of grandparents too. It was fun.

And while on our weekend getaway, I practiced scooting along the coffee table so now in addition to my standing abilities, I can also move along something as long as I am holding on. And stairs! I got up on one and mumma freaked. She said they are slippery wood stairs and I don't need any more boo boo's. So fine, I waited until our trip was over and about an hour after we were home, I got up the first 2 steps at our house and played on the landing. It's very cool up there. Like a little fort. My brother plays up there with me and we laugh. And laugh. And laugh. Then mumma laughs. So we laugh harder. Then mumma laughs so hard she can't breath and starts crying. Good times.

I've been eating some new solids... cheerios, toast, bananas. I love to eat. Dada won't give me any juice though and I like juice. He gets mad when I drop my sippy cup and make the floor sticky.

{Thirty-nine} Standing Tall

I am nine months old today. A big giggling eating machine. Now that I know how to pull myself up on things, I only like to stand. Being tall instead of floor level makes my life a lot easier. However, there is a downside to standing all the time because I don't have good balance. I fall. Often, and a lot. A bruise here. Goose egg there. Cut under my eye. My entire head is one big ache. So, due to all my lumps and bruises, mumma didn't do my nine month photoshoot last week. And then I got three new boo boo's over the weekend so no shoot again. We'll see if I can make a few days without injury and heal up all these unsightly injuries (actually, I think I look cool... rough and tough).

{Extra Post} Tracheomalacia

I have been diagnosed with Tracheomalacia. My pulmonary doctor thought that it was the culprit of my breathing problems after he ruled out allergies and/or asthma a couple months back. But I was still too little to diagnose. We waited six weeks and had an x-ray redone which sent up a red flag so we proceeded to make an appointment at the hospital for a mag airway test (Tues 8/16). Which is just another x-ray but a bit fancier.  A physical has to perform this test (usually techs and specialists handle regular radiology tasks) and it takes multiple pictures in a row to be able to see action and comparison. I was not happy with this test. Not... happy. I laid there crying on that hard table on my back for one sequence and then they flipped me on my side for another sequence. One tech had my head, mumma held my arms, the doctor had the death grip on my butt/thigh and the other tech held my legs. I was SCA-reeming. Screaming. Snot. Tears. My head was purple. PUR-ple. And obviously, I was having breathing difficulties. Good times. Mumma has questions but has to wait until next week to talk to the doctor.

Here is the nicest and easiest read we could find on this condition (and in layman's terms):

Acquired Tracheomalacia is a weakness and floppiness of the walls of the windpipe (trachea) that develops after birth. Acquired tracheomalacia is very uncommon. Rarely, babies, infants, and adults may develop the condition. It occurs when normal cartilage in the wall of the windpipe begins to break down.

Congenital Tracheomalacia is a weakness and floppiness of the walls of the windpipe (trachea), which is present at birth. Tracheomalacia in a newborn occurs when the cartilage in the windpipe (trachea) has not developed properly. Instead of being rigid, the walls of the trachea are floppy. Because the windpipe is the main airway, breathing difficulties begin soon after birth. Congenital tracheomalacia is very uncommon.

All types of tracheomalacia are extremely rare; no definite incidence rates are available. The incidence of primary airway malacia was estimated to be at least 1 in 2,100.

Symptoms:  Breathing problems that get worse with coughing, crying, or upper respiratory infections. Breathing noises that may change with position and improve during sleep. High-pitched breathing. Rattling, noisy breaths

Exams and Tests:  A physical examination confirms the symptoms. A chest x-ray may show narrowing of the trachea when breathing out. Even if the x-ray is normal, it is needed to rule out other problems. A procedure called a laryngoscopy is used to diagnose the condition. This procedure allows the otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor, or ENT) to see the structure of the airway and determine how severe the problem is. Other tests that may be performed include:  Airway fluoroscopy, Barium swallow, Bronchoscopy, CT scan, Lung function tests, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Treatment:  [Acquired] The condition may improve without treatment, but persons with tracheomalacia must be monitored closely when they have respiratory infections. [Congenial] Most infants respond well to humidified air, careful feedings, and antibiotics for infections. Babies with tracheomalacia must be closely monitored when they have respiratory infections. Often, the symptoms of tracheomalacia improve as the infant grows. Rarely, surgery is needed.

Possible Complications:  Aspiration pneumonia can occur from breathing in food. Babies born with tracheomalacia may have other congenital abnormalities such as heart defects, developmental delay, or gastroesophageal reflux.