Little Pumpkin

Caleb came trick or treating with us today! He had a great time being cozy in the wagon with Mitchell. We took him for about a half an hour- his longest trick-or treat ever! It started to rain a bit so I brought him home to hook him up to a feeding and hand out candy! He was so cute and fluffy in his pumpkin costume! Happy Halloween Caleb!

Pumpkin Patch

Caleb was such a good sport at the pumpkin patch. Matthew wants him to dress up like a pumpkin for Halloween since he's "our little pumpkin." It is so sweet to see how much Caleb's brothers love him. Even Mitchell likes to hold his hand while they're side by side in their car seats.

Surgery consultation

Today we consulted with the doctor that would do Caleb's tracheostomy. We were able to ask all of our questions and left feeling a little more educated. The actual surgery would only take about a half hour if everything goes well. He would be in the PICU for about four days, then he would move to the floor for about 5 more days while we are trained to take care of him. We may decide to do the g tube at the same time. If so, then the surgery would be longer, and the recovery time would likely be longer too.
The doctor said that it is rare for a family to wish they hadn't done a trach. He said that he thought it would make life easier for all of us not to constantly worry about if Caleb is breathing or not. Dallan and I are still giving it some serious thought, but don't want to miss a window of opportunity before the Winter comes....decisions decisions....

Tracheostomy

Today I scheduled a date for a tracheostomy surgery for Caleb. Caleb has really been struggling to breath, and it just breaks our hearts to see him work so hard. We've been debating getting a trach for quite a few months, but haven't been able to decide if it's the best thing for him. I think sometimes we have to take little steps forward so that Heavenly Father can confirm whether or not we're heading in the right direction. So we've got a date on the calendar to ponder for a few weeks, and hopefully we'll gain a bit of clarity!

Facial cranial clinic

Yesterday Caleb had an appointment with the facial cranial clinic at Primary Children's hospital. At these visits we usually visit with a plastic surgeon to monitor Caleb's skull, cleft, and the bones in his face. Then we visit with an orthodontist, an Ear nose and throat doctor and an occupational therapist. The last time we went to this appointment, one of the doctors spent his whole visit encouraging me to write up a "do not resuscitate order" for Caleb so I left in tears. This time, however, we were well informed about Tracheostomys and G tubes, and were encouraged about Caleb's teeth. I was worried Caleb's teeth because it's hard to get into Caleb's mouth with a toothbrush, so I've been rubbing his teeth off twice a day with spongy mouth swabs. The orthodontist said his teeth looked good and that in another year we'll want to get them painted with fluoride. With children like Caleb, even a simple cavity means they have to have a procedure under anesthesia, and it increases their risk of aspirating. The very best part of the day-- Dallan surprised me by leaving work early to come to the appointment with me! We'll take a "date" whenever we can get one- even if it's an afternoon at the hospital!
Oooo La La!