Update on Wade

First, let me just thank all of you for your encouraging comments! I am truly touched by all of your heartfelt concern for our little guy, and your prayers meant so much to us!

I'm pleased to report that the procedure went fine yesterday--Wade did great, and the results of the endoscopy were normal. So, this basically confirms my suspicion all along that reflux was not to blame for Wade's difficulty sleeping and eating. This means the prevacid he's been on is probably not necessary any more. This is great news because it means there isn't anything endoscopically wrong. The downside of course is that we don't have an answer why, right now for example, Wade is screaming his head off when he needs to nap. They did take a biopsy of some tissue in the lining of his gut, which could show if he's experiencing some sort of allergic reaction there. We should know the results either today or Monday. I'm honestly not holding my breath for any major revelation there. The frustrating thing is that not knowing what is wrong or what he needs has felt like the theme of Wade's little life from my perspective. And that has just been really hard. I'm sure a lot of parents feel this way, but nonetheless, I'd like to think that I'd have some clue as to how to soothe and help my child by the time he's nearly a year old. But I digress.

Next week is Wade's one year appointment with his allergist. At six months old he tested positive for an allergy to peanuts and eggs, so my understanding is that this appointment will test whether he's still allergic to those things and if there are other culprits. The thinking is that if he's allergic to other foods, they could be irritating his gut, which could be some of why he's been so slow to accept solid food (and why he's uncomfortable when trying to sleep possibly).

Last week Wade also had his first appointment with the feeding clinic here in Richmond at the Children's Hospital. They have recommended he begin outpatient therapy, which we'll start in early February. I'm hoping they will be able to provide some much needed help in getting Wade to eat more and to accept liquids in some other form than from mama! I have enjoyed nursing, but I'd like to think there is at least some hint of weaning in the not-too-terribly distant future. Wade's grandparents are more than willing to keep him to give us a little break, but he's just so unpredictable when it comes to taking milk from someone else and with his weight so low, we are afraid of him missing out on much needed calories. It would just be really nice to have a bit of freedom now and then, you know?

So, clearly there are a lot of things for which we would love your continued prayers. But I have to say, what I would really love more than anything is for my own heart to soften in the midst of all of these challenges. I am learning that there will always be difficult circumstances in my life, and I desperately need God to work in my heart so that I can actually LOVE through them. Love my child, love my husband, love God and love the life God has given me. Does that seem cliche? Maybe, but I think it is what I truly need.

{A photo from early December of Wade during a little Christmas photo shoot we held in our front yard. Because what's a blog post without a cute picture?}