Andrew Update

We took Andrew to the GI specialist June 30. He has gained another 2 lbs since May 3. The doctor was impressed with his weight gain and even in how he appeared and what he was doing. Andrew walks now...even by himself and at the office Andrew decided to show Dr. Tuckman his stuff. He walked independently while we were there. As I have shared before he is the most strong willed child I have ever met...and if he wants to do something he will. He wanted to walk and he did. It was cute...sometimes it is eery how he knows things and I guess he wanted to show somebody he could :) The doctor wanted us to keep him on the previcid ( acid reducer) since he has reflux and he wanted to cut down on the damage to his stomach and esophagus when he does reflux by reducing the acid. However, Cate and I decided to do an experiment...we told the doctor we had not given him the previcid since the 28 and for 2 and a half days he had not thrown up...we were going to continue not giving it unless he began to throw up...He went 9 days without vomiting....but today he threw up 2 times..Once just before lunch and it was a small amount and tonite after he ate dinner and it was his whole dinner :( So I am down about his reflux issues tonite....We have tried lots of things and just want it to stop. It makes it difficult to take him out...Nobody wants to watch your child vomit and sometimes it is alot and often and without warning. Also we have to clean up...and it ruins carpet and his bed....we do lots of extra laundry because of it. We really thought he was over it...because he has never gone 9 days without doing it since last August....So I will call the doctor back on Monday and we will start the previcid again. The doctor did say the only other option was surgery but he agreed with me that we would wait for awhile longer before we consider this option.

We finished his room about the time he started to not throw up....I will share pics later but he is now in a room off of our laundry room. A room with no carpet for obvious reasons. Paul and the boys built it...they are amazing . He seems to be sleeping better and enjoys being in his room. Our older girls and Jospeh have been getting up at 6:30 am to pray and study the Bible. They have been wonderful role models and have been praying specifically for Andrew. We really did think that he was over it. So please join us in praying for healing of his reflux issues.

Other than this he has been a happy guy for the most part. He enjoys the freedom of walking around inside and out. He can get himself out of the swing on the back deck and will walk to the door. When you see him trusting himself and his ability to move around like this it brings tears to my eyes just watching him. He has come so far in the yr and half.