18 months on

So my prem boys hit 18 months of age just after christmas, 15 months adjusted. Took them to clinic with Dr D the other day. Our family enjoys catching up with her; the human doctor who helped us grow our babies in that strange sterile world known as the NICU.

I knew she was running late to clinic that morning, as she was with my friend's lil bubba up in ICN. Jett has been there over 100 days now and things are finally starting to move forward for him and his mumma Abby. So we went for coffee while we could and got there late ourselves.

We were greeted by the lovely familiar nurses. We weighed and measured the boys. Moss 9.5kg and 73cm and Kutura 10.5kg and 79cm. A man who was a Dr then came in the room and stood on my shoe, in between Kutura and I, and in front of the nurse I was chatting with. Ah! Emotions around the arrogance and ignorance of this institution came flooding back!

"Excuse me" I said, "I may not be a member of your staff but I am a person and I am standing here". He apologised when he realised what he had done. I told him "I hope you have learnt something today, Sir". He left the room. The nurses laughed. "Have you missed me?" I asked. I said lil sorry to them for making a scene in their space. The reassured me they were ok with it non-verbally showed me their agreeing :)  They warned me that Dr D might not be down today as she was held up, upstairs. The rude Dr was hovering close again; "I ONLY see DONNA" I said in a clear voice with a wry smile. "And I am happy to come back another time if she is busy, I completely understand". The nurses said they would give her a call on my behalf. I told them to tell her that "Jett comes first and we are happy to wait".

Dr D came in, and it was great to see her!
I showed off my Kutura walking dude and my commado funky frog crawling Moss. We hugged. "They look great!" she says.

Updatey Stuff;

Moss - his by-the-book milestones are 'delayed' .. but for someone with his medical history I think he is a speedy lil tough guy! He is by far the happiest baby in the world, he just oozes joy and delight :) He is still seeing Dr G the eye specialist as he has a 'hidden turn' (like a lazy eye, but where a lazy eye is muscular a hidden turn is neurological). It is mild, so it could go either way. We are manifesting it to self-resolve like everything else with him has.

He is rockin' the jolly jumper! Two legs bouncing, lil face grinnin'! Wants to stand on his own, he can for a second or two, gets the wobbles and crashes in for a tackle-cuddle *melts*.

Moss needs to develop more core strength and we are looking at finding a physio or osteo who can help us develop some Moss-specific exercises. My lil man is about to go-go even more!!


Kutura - Ahh my lil Ra! We never got the all-clear on his PDA on leaving the hospital, and I didn't bother seeing the heart specialist he was referred to as the only treatment is surgery around age 2 if the valve is still open. So I deferred tests, and we are looking at getting that echo done soon. Let's hope there is more all-clear signs ahead. He *may* have a murmur, he *does* suffer from seasonal asthma, so let's see what happens. I can't imagine going back in for surgery after coming so far!

We didn't even test his liver function as we think liver disease manifests pretty clearly! Kutura is so active and healthy! Such an outdoor, must be on a mission lil dude! He is powerwalking and experimenting with jogging. He has started doing adventures with Daddy in the morning, which means he sometimes falls alseep on the way home without a breastfeed *sniff*. My big guy!

Is that second teste coming down? Does it need to? There is a risk of prostate cancer with such, I am told. It was prostate cancer than came for my grandfather, but that doesn't mean I want to have a toddler teste pulled into place surgically. We are buying time, but I really don't think Dr D could talk me into that one. Hrmmm ... more research.




BABY TALK

Both boys loves stars and lights and ceiling fans. I can't help but wonder about the connection to that helicopter flight shortly after they were born and their memory of it around ceiling fans. We have star shaped light shades of which Moss points and says "Dah!" and Kutura agrees saying "Gar!".

Dr D asked if they had 'a handful of words', of which I said yes. But on further thinking they have MANY words! Mumma, Mum, Dadda, Dad, BooQi, star, boob, cheep (for the chickens), toy, that, car, fish and a few people's names too. Moss even said Dr Ds name three time while bouncing on her lap. Show off! Dr D was happy :)

I will have to add more as I hear them being used. They talk to themselves and each other in a fantastic jibberish more than anything tho, which I adore <3

Life is hectic, but we have home and space and rhythm. We love the move we have made to this beachy town. Loving seeing my children come alive as we shed our skin once again and are born into a new space, a new year and a new state of improved health and happiness.

xXXxx