HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!

What a wonderful day to be called off of work this morning. Instead of getting up at 5:30, we didn't get up until close to 10!!! Carter slept until 9:50 this morning!! WOOHOO!!! So after some Sunday morning snuggles I got up and made biscuits and gravy (my mamaw's famous brown gravy- YUMMMMM!!), turkey bacon and cheese eggs!! Then off to pool at tommy and dora's we go. We hung out with the fam all day relaxing in the pool and eating wonderful food. Carter took a long nap, while I layed out on a float in the pool for the first time since I had Carter. It was GREAT!!! And then after he woke up we put him in the pool, and he LOVED it!! And one of my favorite parts of the day my father in law got an ice cream maker for fathers day and he made some DELICIOUS strawberry ice cream!! It was a great day, although I didn't get to hang out with my dad today. I plan on doing that sometime this week!! Here are some pics that I did for Webb's desk at work. I was so excited to give them to Webb and he LOVED them. I can't decide which of these I love the most, so I will include both!


I hope everyone had a great Father's day, bc we sure did!!! Oh and on a great note, our car didn't get broken into this year like last father'd day! Woohoo!! LOL

Court

What we have been doing over the last 6 weeks

2 Shunt Revisions, 1 VERY SCARY seizure and LOTS of Dr. Appts!!!

This is why I haven't updated my blog lately. BUT, after seeing Dr. Boop today, Carter's shunt is finally showing that it is working!!! To make a VERY long story short about six weeks ago(the day of the terrible floods) on a Saturday after noon Carter woke up from his nap with a 102.5 fever. I immediately called Dr. Hanson, who told us to go straight in to Lebonheur ER. So we get checked in and the resident comes in and ordered a lot of test including at shunt series, cbci, crp, and neuro consult. Then the attending comes in a couple minutes later and says that he thinks that Carter has a virus and that he is only going to run a CRP. The CRP comes back in the normal range, so he discharges us home. We questioned him before leaving about seeing Neuro and doing more testing, but he thought that it was not necessary. Boy was he wrong!! So out the door we went. On the way out we discussed how we were excited to be going home although did not have a good feeling about it. So just a couple of minutes down the road Carter started PROJECTILE vomitting and started having a seizure where he became totally unresponsive, his eyes rolled back in his head and became totally gray. I have never been so scared and freaked out in all my life!! So Webb pulled a U Turn in the middle of Sam Cooper(ran over a small tree) and sped 90 miles an hour down Poplar and went through 5 red lights to get back.(BTW there was a cop following us the whole time and we had no clue). So I ran back in, completely covered in vomit with a limp baby. Immediately there were several drs and nurses in the room. The same attending came back in and told us that he still thought it was a virus with a febrile seizure(UGH!!!) but that he would order a shunt series and neuro consult now. So a little while later Dr. Muhlbauer's Fellow, Dr. Kimbal came in and told us that Carter's ventricles have quadrupled in size since jan and that his shunt was def. not working. At this point it was about 2am and they scheduled surgery for 7am the next morning. Dr. Boop was out of town, so Dr. Muhlbauer did Carter's revision. After Carter's surgery we just hung out in the room for the day and got to come home the next morning. Carter was much happier after we got to come home. I was so happy to be home, but still pretty shaken up from the whole thing. As a mom and nurse I just keep questioning what would have happened if we would have been home and Carter would have been in his bed when the seizure happened. I know I need to quit doing that, but it is HARD!!!
So the next few weeks Carter was doing OK, just a little on the fussy side, which is not like him at ALL!!! He is usally the happiest baby on the block! So a couple of weeks after his surgery we have his post op visit and every thing goes fine and he tole us that we didn't need to come back for 3-4 months. That same week we had Carter's 15 month check up. First off I want to say that I CAN NOT believe that my child is 15 months!!!! So he weighed 24 and a half pounds which was 42%. He was 29 inches and his head circumference was 49 cm which was up 2.5 cm in 3 months. So right after leaving Dr. Hanson's office I called Dr. Boop's nurse. We were not quite sure if the growth change had occurred before the last revision or if his shunt right now wasn't working. So the nurse called me back and said that she thought that it was probably fine that she would let Dr. Boop know and would call me back either way. So no phone call over the weekend. And no phone call on Monday, which was Memorial Day. So Webb left Monday afternoon for Baltimore for a conference. Well wouldn't you know that on Tuesday morning while I was at work at about 8:30 I received a phone call from Dr. Boop's nurse saying that Dr. Boop wanted to see Carter that Day to measure his head circ. and check him hisself. So Dora met me at his office around 9:30 with C. We waited for over an hour and then he checked him out. He then had a catscan and Dr. Boop walked in and said "Your not going to believe this, but Carter's shunt isn't working!!!!" WHAT????????? I was floored. Not even a month before we had just had it revised. He also told us that he was going to change the location of the shunt and that surgery was scheduled for the morning. And Webb at this time was in Baltimore. He quickly got a flight home and missed his conference (Thank you St. Jude for the speedy flight home) and I went home to get some things together and to clean up a little before surgery the next morning. (Thanks Allyson and Courtney for all the help) I don't quite know what it is, but I have to have a clean house and laudry done before I bring C home after any of his surgeries. I guess its the nurse in me that thinks about all the bacteria lingering around! I guess its also a way to help me deal with the stress of it all. Who knows, but my house was spotless when I brought my angel home! After the house was clean we went to eat at my parents house, before Webb got home and I took all of these pics. This sure doesn't look like a baby whose shunt isn't working does it?





So the next morning we were there bright and early awaiting surgery. Let me tell you as a mom that has had to hand off her baby several times to have surgery, it NEVER gets any easier!!!! After the surgery this time, he was in a lot of pain. We had to give him Morphine twice to help him sleep. Poor baby. But the next day we got to come home. It still baffles me that 24 hours after having brain surgery you get to go home.
These pics are from the second surgery, the day after surgery.

and this is how we found Carter after he came home and went straight to sleep, poor little guy was exhausted!!

The last couple of weeks have been better other than C has been running a low grade fever, which had me a little freaked, but we had our post op visit with Dr. Boop this week and it seems that this shunt in the new location is working. HOORAY!!!! and that he didn't think the fever had to do with the shunt. Just have to monitor him very close to make sure the fever goes down and does not get any worse. BC shunt infections are very bad and if he developed one we would be in the hospital for several weeks. But you can develop a shunt infection up to a year after it is placed, which is a scarey thought! So we are doing better now than we have in the last 6 weeks!!
Oh and I forgot to mention that the day of Carter's surgery was our 3rd Anniversary. I am so thankful for my husband and my best friend. He is my rock and keeps me grounded. I truely do not know what I would do without Webb!! So big holidays in our family have proven to not be such a good thing. Last year on Mother's day we were in Lebonheur for a fever for a week, then Webb's birthday his car gets blown up in our driveway and then father's day our car gets broken in to. I think that we deserve a little break now don't ya think.
And if you are wondering if this has slowed Carter down at all is HAS NOT!!! Over the last couple of weeks he has been thriving. He is finally saying MAMA (which is the best sound in the whole world), his is rolling all over the place, crawling everywhere and FAST!! and has been doing great with his braces. He even started signing "all done" this last weekend after finishing dinner at Cracker barrell!! I am so proud of my boy!!! I love him more than words and it just keeps getting better.
Sorry this post is sooo long, but hope that our next 6 weeks are NOTHING like our last! Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers during this hard time.
Love - Court

Helping Others...

Sooooo I have been thinking lately about using this blog to help other parents and children with kids not only with Spina Bifida, but those with other health problem/ conditions that are similar to Carter's. We have been through so much and have learned so much over the last year that I would love to be able to help anyone else that may be going through something similar! To start out, I will give everyone a brief description of the health conditions that affect my son.
Carter has Spina Bifida Myelomeningocele, Hydrocephalus, Neurogenic Bladder and Bowel, a Syrinx, Low Muscle tone, Stage V Kidney Reflux, and now Allergies and possibly Eczema. (I think thats all?) We have had to do a LOT of research for each of these conditions and have had to become very creative. I will start working on a post for one of these conditions. What do you ladies think? Is this a good idea? I feel like while I was researching all of these things I would come across some blogs and get great ideas/ info that has really helped me out and would love to do this for someone else!!
But in the mean time I have gotten my NEW CAMERA!!! and a new computer monitor and calibration system!! Woohoo!! Here are just a couple of pics that I took last week with it!!

We bought an ERGO!!

I have been doing a lot of research lately on baby carriers!! Since Carter has been born we have used a Moby wrap and baby Bjorn. The Moby wrap was amazing when he was younger and kept him very secure and close to me. He LOVED the moby and would fall asleep usually within 5 minutes of being put in it. The only down fall of this carrier is it takes a few minutes to get on and it can be very hot in the summer heat. We also have used the Baby Bjorn which I also loved when he was little, but once he started putting on some pounds it killed my back if I wore it longer than just a few minutes. BOO!! Plus in the Bjorn, babies somewhat hang from their crotch, which is not good for little boy parts!
So, I knew I wanted a carrier that had a high weight limit, since Carter probably won't be walking an time soon. Since he is getting bigger it is getting harder for me to carry him for longer than just a few minutes, esp. since he can't really help me carry his own weight. I just knew as soon as it started getting warm outside I wanted him to be able to be out of his stroller when we go places so that he can see and not just be stuck in his stroller all day while we are out. I also knew I wanted it to be able to be used on my front and back and one that would not hurt my back!! I also wanted one that he would somewhat sit in it and not hang in it. So after lots and lots of countless minutes spent on the internet I found the PERFECT carrier for us.
THE ERGO BABY CARRIER!! http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/ This carrier gets RAVE reviews and even Webb is excited to wear Carter too. We bought the Black/Camel one and it should be here on Tuesday!! WOOHOO!! It has been tested on kids up to 40lbs but they say your could easly wear children up to 60lbs!!! And supposedly you could wear them for a couple of hours and it not hurt your back at all!! You can wear them on back front or hip carry and there are even accessories that you can purchase for it. Oh and there is also a sunshade that you can pull up over their heads when they fall asleep. I plan on going to the Zoo someday this week so I hope to get to use it then! Can't Wait!


Court

It's beginning to look a lot like SPRING!!!

FINALLY we had some beautiful weather for a couple of days and were able to go outside to play!!! We went to My Big Backyard at the Botanic Gardens 2 days in 1 week and had a blast!! We were also able to go to the park 1 day and then swing in our swing in the backyard a couple days as well!!! I can not wait until SPRING!! I am so sick of seeing these same 4 walls!! Here are some adorable pics that I took of Carter Man!!

Courtney

CARTER ALLEN SMITH IS ONE YEAR OLD!!!!

One Year ago today at 7:45am I heard the most beautiful noise in the world, the scream and first breath from our Perfect little boy! WoW I can not believe that it has been a year!! We have been through so much in this last year, at sometimes I never thought that we would make it to this point, but WE DID IT!!! Today is very bittersweet to me! I am SOOOOO proud of my little man in all that he is and has accomplished in this first, very tough year and at the same time I am sad that he is a Toddler now and not just my little snuggly baby anymore. I am also so proud of myself that I have made it to a year breastfeeding!!!!! This was a HUGE accomplishment for me! After having Mastitis and 2 yeast infections in the begining, not to mention supply issues, I never thought I would make it this far & I DID IT!!! Carter had his first cup of Whole Vitamin D milk today and he LOVED it. We had to warm it just a bit, but he sucked it down and was diliriously happy after wards!!
This last weekend we had Carter's First Birthday Party and it was AWESOME!! A HUGE thank you for all of those who pitched in and helped, I could not have done it without you!! Here are some pics from the party(thanks to Bridgette)!
So Carter had his 12 month appt this morning. I have been sick with a stomach bug the last couple of days so I wasn't able to make it :(. First time I have missed a single appt. that Carter has had and he has had LOTS!! Here are the stats: 20lbs 12 oz, 28" long, and 46.5 Head Circumference. He also had to get two shots, but Webb said that he didn't even cry! He's such a Big Boy!!
Just a few things that Carter is doing lately:
- He is army crawling all over the place!!! Esp. anywhere Ginger is! He bugs the crap out of her, LOL!
-He is sitting up very well on his own and doesn't really wobble anymore only when he wants to get on his tummy to move around.
- He is still breastfeeding morning and night and has now switched to Whole Milk with a sippy cup during the day (no more bottles)
- He is doing GREAT with finger food!! Have I mentioned that he LOVES food!! Any and all kinds! He has gotten where he has to have some sort of finger food at every meal.
- He is getting so smart and learning how to pick balls up and put them in the hole where they go or down the little ramp to make them spin. He just started this last week!
- We have moved to cloth diapers!! Bum Genius 3.0 pocket diapers and so far we LOVE them and have had NO LEAKS!! WOOHOO!!
- He says Dadadadadadada ALL the time!! Still No Mama Yet :(
- He has 7 teeth!!
- Will not sit still for mommy's photo sessions anymore!!
- Oh and have I mentioned, he LOVES kids!! Always laughs and chuckles when we are around other children, so cute.
- Yes he still does his deep chuckle and it is soooo cute!
- He pretty much goes to sleep on his own without a fuss most nights and sleeps through the night.
- Loves Remotes, cell phones and anything he can bang on things with!!
- He is bearing weight on his legs better now for a several seconds (much better when he has his shoes on!)
- Goes to PT once a week to see Mrs. Mary (which we LOVE) and she is so proud of his progress lately!!
- Oh and his Hair is GROWING like crazy!!
I think that is all for now, better go Carter is waking up from his nap!

Courtney

Birthday PICS by Brandie!!

OMG I CAN NOT believe that Carter will be ONE tomorrow!! I don't have much time right now to post, but I have a post waiting to write about Carter's Fabulous Birthday Party!! But in the mean time I wanted to share new pics that Brandie took of Carter man!! OMG I AM IN LOVE!!!

http://delisiphoto.com/index.php/2010/02/24/happy-birthday-2/

http://delisiphoto.com/index.php/2010/02/22/so-very-sweet