Smiles

Well I realize it has been a while since I have posted.  We have been knee-deep in the search for a nanny.  It turns out this is a tougher process than originally thought as many individuals do not call back or show up for appointments.  Hopefully we have that resolved in the next few weeks as I have to get ready to go back to work!

Matthew visited his cardiologist, who said his two VSDs were closed, and his ASD was very small and they expect it to close.  He doesn't have to go back until the summer of 2017!

He has been following up with his genetics, who has given the OK for him to do a 5 hour stretch at nighttime, which he appreciates.  His carnitine levels are also finally back in the normal range!  He was diagnosed with some silent reflux by the pediatrician, so he is now on a generic version of Zantac for that.  However the pediatrician has been very happy with his progress.

We had our first outing together as a family.  We went to the Ridgefield playground.  It was a small outing, but it was nice to feel like a family.  We even came across another couple who had a preemie son born around the same gestation as Matthew.  He is now over 6 feet tall with kids of his own.

Speaking of tall, Matthew is certainly getting some height.  He is over 24" long now, which is a big jump from his 14.5" start height.  He is also over 11lbs, up from 2lb 9oz at the start.  He is approaching the growth curves for his actual age, not adjusted, which is exciting!

He has made great strides with his tummy time and doing a good job picking his head up.  He rolled over one time the moment we put him on the floor, but I'm not sure that counts.  He also has his favorite animals - Dog, hippo, and his black/white book with color forest animals.  He has started laughing and smiling, which is great to hear and see.  He also loves to talk to his animals.

I didn't get a great photo of him for his 5 month birthday, but I would like to give credit for the #5 - it comes from the card sent by my friends Jul and Ian.