10 months old!

These pictures are such a treasure to me! I'm so grateful for Emily's time and talent that she has shared with us over the years. I'm a HUGE believer in taking pictures and preserving memories for generations to come. 

 When Ryker's oldest sister Charlotte, who is 5, saw the picture above she said, "Mom, it feels like he's looking at my heart." Talk about tears! She could not have said it better.

They could not be more proud of Ryker! I thought the newness would have worn off by now but every morning when he wakes up, they rush into his room like it's the first time they've ever seen him. 

Pure LOVE!

Ryker's weight this week was 16 pounds 3 ounces! He continues to have great weight gain even though we are weaning his IV nutrition.
For the most part, time flies by. However, the last 10 months feels like years! We've come a long ways and we continue to celebrate every milestone, big or small. 

Feeding Tube Awareness Week

So, my amazingly talented sis in law took Ryker's 9 month pictures last week! I told her about Feeding Tube Awareness Week and she put these together. I love them! Thanks Emily!

As difficult as it was last August to come to terms with the fact that he needed a feeding tube, would have a literal hole in his belly, seeing him go through so much pain after the surgery, having stomach content leak out all over me unexpectedly, dressing changes twice a day, treating irritated and infected skin because of the tube, etc., etc, I'm SO grateful for his G-tube! It's helping him to grow strong and healthy into the boy I know he can and wants to be.

We had good news this week! With Ryker's big weight gain, (up to 15 pounds 9 ounces:)) the doctor said we can reduce the amount of nutrition we give him through his IV! The sooner we start to reduce the amount, the sooner we can get that line out! Woot Woot! FYI, when that day comes, I will hold a huge celebration! I know the IV (PICC line) is helping him but the longer you have a foreign object in your body, ESPECIALLY your vein, the greater the chance of infection. Plus, the ultimate goal is for him to gain weight on his own through his tummy like the good Lord intended. With the IV, his tummy doesn't do any work, his liver has to process it, and over time, it's very damaging to the liver. So much so, that after years some kids literally need liver transplants. But, I'm hoping in May Ryker will get his PICC line out and the celebration will follow...

He will probably have his G-tube for a few years and I'm okay with that. :) 

Download the picture of your choice below, and use it as your Facebook profile pic to show your support for our favorite tubie this week! ♥

Think Sun...

I posted this picture because this is how many of his pics are...blurry! He's always kicking and squealing...I love it!

He's gaining alot slower now that the doctor had me give him less of the nutrition through his vein. The nutritionist said it's to be expected since he's had such good weight gains for the 5 weeks prior. He's up to 14 pounds 12 ounces. :)
My fear is that when he gets the IV out, he will not gain the 1 ounce or 15 grams a day that the doctors expect. I try not to dwell on the things I don't know, but I just want the absolute best outcome for Ryker. So, we keep plugging along, enjoying all the time in the nice warm house without going crazy with all the snow outside. While everyone is praying for more snow, I'm secretly praying for a way early Spring!