It Takes Your Breath Away

There are some days you dread as a parent. Immunizations at the pediatrician's office, the first time your child gets sick, or when they bash into the coffee table. You try your best to patch them up, give them a kiss on the forehead and send them back to do it all over again. And there are things that you can't handle without some help, for those occasions we call in experts.

When Cubby was born the pediatrician on call discovered a heart murmur. The standard of care is to consult with a pediatric cardiologist. Nine times out of ten the murmur is considered "normal", and is defined as an unusal sound heard during the beating of the heart. In Cubby's case it isn't such a normal murmur.

I don't remember what the cardiologist told us that day, the only thing I heard was "surgery" and my heart stopped. Since then I've become well-versed on Cooper's condition, which is known as Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF or TET). I would try to explain it, but this is the internet and why not just copy and paste? Below is what I found on a few websites:

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common congenital heart defect causing cyanosis, a bluish discoloration of skin caused by oxygen-poor blood reaching the general circulation. An embryologic failure of the right ventricular outflow tract to form properly results in the four cardiac abnormalities characteristic of TOF:

(1) Ventricular septal defect (VSD): An abnormal opening between the two lower chambers of the heart

(2) Pulmonic stenosis (PS): A narrowed area within the main pulmonary artery, at, above or below the pulmonary valve

(3) Malpositioned aorta: The entrance to the aorta overrides the VSD

(4) Ventricular hypertrophy: An overly muscular right ventricle

In the normal heart, oxygen-poor blood returns to the right side of the heart where it is pumped to the lungs to be oxygenated. In TOF, the pulmonic stenosis increases the resistance to right ventricular outflow. This can cause elevation of right-sided heart pressures that may result in oxygen-poor blood being diverted across the VSD to the left ventricle and into the aorta (“right-to-left shunt”). When the aorta carries “mixed” blood to the general circulation, less oxygen is available to the tissues and cyanosis can result. Without surgical intervention, most patients with TOF will not survive past early adulthood.

Here's a diagram of what is happening in Cooper's heart:

What all of this means is that Cooper will be having surgery. It's scheduled for Tuesday morning, but we'll be checking him into the hospital Monday afternoon. I feel uneasy announcing this on the blog, but there is a lot to understand about what is happening and I knew that if I had to explain it over-and-over that eventually I wouldn't be able to explain it anymore.

I'll be using the blog to update his condition over the course of the next seven to ten days. The procedure will last 5-6 hours, and then he'll be in the intensive care unit to recover for two or three days. From there he'll be transferred to intermediate care for another two or three days. If all goes well, we hope to be back home with him in time for Christmas.

The good news is that the surgery team is very well-known and respected for this type of procedure, and his prognosis for recovery is positive. The surgeons and his cardiologist have informed us that should the surgery go well he'll develop normally. That means he can run, jump, play, bash into coffee tables and all of the other things that boys do as they grow up.

I'll be sure to provide updates as the surgery approaches, and of course his condition as we move ahead over the next few days.

If you believe in a higher power, and if you wouldn't mind, please say a little prayer for Cubby tonight or tomorrow.

Four Month Update

"You humor me. Please continue the funny faces. That is all."

So much for keeping the blog up-to-date. I never really believed people that told me "once that baby arrives your free time ends." I guess I should listen a little better. I'm sure SuperMom agrees. Just under a week ago (Dec. 5) our little man's odometer rolled past four months. My how time flies when you're having fun.

They say this is the "Golden" age of a baby. They're starting to interact with mom/dad, they can hold up their head, they smile, they coo, and they are still immobile. I have to agree. We enjoy the benefits of a baby without the function of a toddler. Good times!! The past few weeks have really been a blur. Our handsome little man (photographic evidence above) has really started to develop a personality. He has favorite toys (lights + music), books (10 Little Ladybugs & Snuggle Puppy), and activities (bath time).

SuperMom has been phenomenal so far. She takes to motherhood like a duck to water. It's quite shocking to see her in action. She has a solution for every mood. She knows when he's hungry. She knows when he needs a diaper changed. She knows when he is tired, or if he needs a burp. I'm completely lost and just do what she says. Our marriage and relationship seem to benefit from this approach. I guess there is a lesson to be learned here.

There is one thing I seem to be good at...making him laugh. I discovered this new talent just a few days ago during an impromptu game of peek-a-boo. I was going to supply video evidence, but the clip is taking forever-and-a-day to upload. The game went on for quite some time until SuperMom whipped out the video camera. While Cubby is very outgoing, he tends to become shy once the camera is rolling. I will try to upload the video after the gremlins at Blogger stop disrupting the network.

Video...Long Overdue

There has been a lot going on. I have lots of great stories to tell. I will (at risk of flogging) promise to update the blog more frequently.

Until then, enjoy a little video. Cubby is loud like his mommy.

Photographic Evidence

In the last blog post I promised pictures to show just how much our little Cubby has grown over the last month. We took him in to the pediatrician yesterday, and our little bundle of joy now weighs 8 lbs 8 oz., which is a full three pounds over his birth weight. Needless to say, he eats well. Anyway, I thought I would post the pictures week-by-week. Enjoy.







As you can clearly see, the boy is growing like a weed. I've always heard parents say they grow up too fast; now I truly understand what that means.

Feed Me!!!

Many thanks to everyone that voted in the poll. Most everyone agrees it was gas that caused Cubby to smile. My personal thanks to the two people that voted for the blog.

Let's talk about why I have decided to refer to my handsome little man as "Cubby" and why that nickname seems to really fit these days. It all started when SuperMom was still expecting. Whenever she would feel irritable and short-tempered, I always joked that she was starting to show some "mama bear" instincts. Maybe you've seen the nature shows where the bear cubs are playing and creating mischief, then the mama bear makes a noise or paws at them and they fall in line? I guess you could compare it to a slap upside the head.

I have no idea why that popped in my head, but it did, and when we were discussing nicknames I said I would call him "Cubby" because SuperMom = Mama Bear, and Cooper = Cubby Bear.

**I would like to dispel the rumor that I chose the nickname because I am a big fan of a certain baseball team in Chicago. It is purely coincidental.**

Last week SuperMom accompanied Cubby to the pulmonologist. Our pediatrician recommended RSV shots, and wanted us to take him in to get on the list. So we did. We're not sure why, and we plan to ask next week when we see the good Doctor. Anyway, the nurses weighed him and Cubby tipped the scales at 8 lbs 4 oz. He was born at 5 lbs. 8 oz. My little man is apparently a competitive eater. In case you are scoring at home, that's 2 lbs and 12 oz. gained in a little under a month. It might be average, but it sure seems like a lot.

You might be wondering what the video above has to do with this post. When Cubby eats, or wants to eat, he makes these little grunts, groans and growls. I joke with SuperMom that the Tiger Cub is hungry, because that what he sounds like---a Tiger/Lion cub.

Sometimes he doesn't want to wait and will try to eat his hands or anything else that comes close to his mouth. This includes his pacifier, my finger, or even SuperMom's lip (she was kissing him on the cheek the other day and he tried to eat her face).

My next post will be photos to show just how much he's grown in a month. He'll be 1/12 of a year old tomorrow, which happens to coincide with the first K-State football game of the year (and the return of a certain legendary head football coach to the sideline). He'll be wearing his purple, you can bet on that.

Fooled You!!!

"Mommy, I see you snapping that picture with your cell phone. Now feel the thunder!"

One of the most special moments for a new parent is when your baby smiles at you for the first time. It has happened at various times for Supermom, various times for dad, and a few times when we were in the same room. I wondered if it was something I said, some crazy face I made, or maybe he was just thinking about all of the trouble he was about to cause. Whatever was triggering his smile, I wanted to repeat the behavior and see it again.

Then Supermom picked up a book titled "What to Expect the First Year" that she had been browsing through since the day we came home from the hospital. "The First Year" is a follow-up best-seller to "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Basically these books cover all aspects of pregnancy and the first year week-by-week. She wanted to see what the book had to say about smiling, and then she dropped this piece of knowledge on me.

"It says here that a smile this early means he has gas."

The last few blog entries have been all about my son's digestive system...in the front door and out the back. So I apologize in advance, but I'm going to tackle Cubby's mysterious and intriguing smile, and it may or may not involve his digestive system.

Because I'm lazy, and my office has a lightning fast high-speed internet connection, I logged on to Google and searched for "Why Babies Smile." You would not believe the amount of information that is out there. If you don't believe me, do it for yourself.

A couple of anecdotal comments from Yahoo! Answers seemed to confirm what the book says. My favorite was from someone with the screen name Denis9705 who says "Because they remember the one about the dog under the table." Kudos to you, Denis9705. I laughed out loud.

After more browsing the "gas relief" theory seemed to gather more momentum. Until I stumbled across a website called "JustTheFactsBaby." An entry dated 7/14/09 cited Dr. Daniel Messinger, an associate professor of psychology and pediatrics at the University of Miami. From the website:

Baby smiles at 0-1 months
Neonatal smiling occurs from birth to one month of age and shows no emotional content. Smiles are spontaneous and often occur while the baby is drowsy or during REM stages of sleep. Baby smiles are subcortical in origin and will actually decrease with maturity (so premature babies smile more than full-term babies). And, contrary to popular belief, baby smiles have nothing to do with gas.

Ah-Ha!!! So it's neither!

When it comes right down to it I'm still not convinced the gas theory isn't accurate. Especially considering my son seems to enjoy ripping a juicy fart so much.

I can't decide, and because I live in this beautiful democracy we call the United States, I'm going to throw it open to a vote. Cast your ballot in the poll.

Baby Fountain...

What you see above is known as a "PeePee TeePee for the Wayward WeeWee". I'm not kidding, that's what it says on the packaging. It was a gift from one of Supermom's co-workers, and its function is very simple. When the diaper is off Cubby, you're in the firing line unless that little cap is covering him up. Up until a few days ago we never had to put it to use.

This particular diaper change started like any other. Cubby awoke and began to wiggle around. Then he started to grunt, groan and whimper. Then he let loose with a scream. It's not a sustained cry, but more like a short burst of disgust. This is a sign that his diaper needs to be changed; the boy has had enough of lying in his own filth. I would react the same way.

Supermom was in the other room, so daddy was back to the changing table with baby. Everything was proceeding as normal, and when I slipped the new diaper under Cubby's backside I turned to grab another wipe to finish the job. As I turned back I heard something that sounded like rain. Cubby was soaking the changing table, my shirt, and even hit the crib in a few places. I quickly folded the diaper over to stop the sprinkler, and busted out laughing. Supermom heard my guffaws from the other room and came quickly. Cubby-1, Daddy-0.

Because my office is so close to the house I have the luxury of going home every day for lunch. It's great to see my beautiful wife and my son during the middle of the work day. That next day the lunch hour arrived and I went home. The minute I walked inside Supermom began to recount her brush with the sprinkler earlier that morning. Apparently the circumstances were pretty much the same EXCEPT Cubby was pointed the other direction. He proceeded to soak the other side of the changing table, the glider/rocking chair, some of the carpet, and narrowly missed hitting mommy.

Our son apparently has the aim of a well-trained sniper. Every diaper change now includes the possibility of getting hosed. Supermom and I are now employing the PeePee TeePee whenever possible but it doesn't always work. If Cubby is wiggling around, the TeePee will not stay put. I found that out the hard way last night. Right after his pre-bedtime feeding (sometime around 9:30 p.m.) he dropped quite a load in his diaper. Supermom heard the grunts, felt the vibration, and prepared me for the worst. We agreed it was probably best if we tag teamed the diaper.

The changing was going well and the new diaper (with TeePee) was in position. Cubby kicked his legs, the TeePee fell off, and he let loose. I tried to get out of the way, exclaimed "You gotta be kidding me," and tried to block the stream. Supermom was laughing so hard she almost pulled out her stitches.

If the last few days are any indication, we might have our hands full.