A picture says a thousand words...

Who? Me?

Please note, at this point "O" wanted to move away from Benjaminh.
Remembering the fist full of hair from the last visit perhaps?

Where did everybody go?

Sorry , I left you all hanging...

Before we get to the health crap these two photos are for Nana. She made Benjaminh this sweet sweater (starting I'm sure in 2006)...and sweet little matching pants (in 2008-2009). He looks absolutely precious in this sweater set and wears it all the time. Thanks Nana.

Went to the Doctor last Thursday and I was very happy with what he had to say.

He has documented my concerns from our 3 previous appointments carefully, had clearly researched prior to our meeting with respect to Benjaminh's eating troubles and any possible relationship to his South East Asian heritage, had spoken to a pediatric gastro guy ahead of time to describe symptoms and was ready and very willing to make a referral.

So, I'm waiting to hear about when Ben will have an appointment with the pediatric gastro guy where he will probably have a barium test (drink the barium and have images taken to see where the fluid travels) to either rule in or rule out a fistula (hole between the eating passageway and the breathing passageway that shouldn't be there).

From there, depending on results (no fistula but rather a suck, swallow, breathe coordination difficulty) there may or may not be occupational therapy support with eating...

In the meantime I've been in contact with the agency and they are working to get me more information for the doctors about Benjaminh's early eating habits. The in country rep was at the orphanage Friday and at the medical centre getting immigration assessments done for the next group of babies. The agency asked her to speak with Benjaminh's nanny and I sent a couple of specific questions from Ben's doctor. We shall see.

The history is that when I met with the nanny and had an opportunity to ask questions she went on at length about how he was a "weak and sickly baby" and needed to be fed a very thick formula in 2 ounce servings through a gigantic hole each and every hour...the dude was leaping about in my lap and was anything but weak so with a bit of questioning we were led to believe that she was referring to an "acute" eating difficulty based on the bronchitis he had at that time rather than a chronic problem that may very well have been the CAUSE of the bronchitis...It will be interesting to see what is said. Benjaminh was very lucky to have the same primary caregiver for his entire 7 months in the orphanage so I am confident she will be able to speak to whether the eating difficulties were present from orphanage entry (near birth) or whether they occurred much later (closer to when he came home).

I've included a couple of pictures from today for your viewing pleasure. He wasn't in the best of moods and had just had an applesauce disaster but this photo clearly documents he two brand new upper teeth so it is worth seeing...

This photo shows his tendency to burst little capillaries around his eyes and across the bridge of his nose when he is having a particularly bad attack while drinking his bottle or in this case, an attack while having his diaper changed yesterday. This little "freckle" effect has happened 4 times now, during our blood work disaster, twice in during wheezing/choking/drinking attacks and yesterday's diaper change fiasco...the boy has a temper. He doesn't scream loudly but holds his breath and wheezes and scares the living shit out of his mommy...

If you click on the photo the spots show up better and you will see what I mean.

So, life with Benjaminh is never dull.
And I'm loving every single minute of it...except perhaps the moments that are scaring the living shit out of me.

Watch Me Grow!!!

It was a big day in Benjaminh's world today. Little Manh was a busy boy today who for the very first time

• sucked on a piece of pizza crust for a minute or two while holding it in his own hand
• stood unassisted for more than 10 seconds
• got up into 'crawling position' and rocked without slipping backwards
• stuck his not so little cloth diapered butt into the air so he was up on all fours
• took 4 steps with his little Fisher Price walking toy
• bum scooted more than 5 feet across the room towards his favourite puppy (without really realizing the scoot as a meaningful transportation method just yet)
• mastered the game chase...using the walker and the dog. The dog is certainly NOT amused.
  

Tomorrow will also be a big day. We are off to the Doctor to start demanding answers about the big problems the little Manh is having drinking liquids...I'll be looking for a feeding clinic or pediatrician.

In the meantime, a couple of comparison shots...

Stuff...

It was a chilly damp day up here in the great 'not so white anymore' north but we ventured out for a long walk for the good of our canine family member, Boomer. We came upon this muddy little park and hung around for a few minutes, literally...the wee man enjoyed himself (even though mama had forgotten mittens and he was a Popsicle. A quick stop at the local Tim H0rt0ns warmed mom right up but the little guy stayed bundled under his stroller blankets and was Not Pleased!



After a quick morning nap Benjaminh had a chance to practice a few of his party tricks.He can stand and play for quite a long time but is not yet pulling himself into a standing position which suits mom just fine. He LOVES this little leapfrog table, a gift from the community at his welcoming shower a couple of weeks back. Mama loves that it has volume control!

Bottle feeding is going a lot better with much less choking and gagging since the introduction of a new and very expensive bottle (and the choking that does occur is not severe or vomit producing so far) . The MAM anti-colic bottle. I've bought 1. Only 1. I'm going to need a few more days of convincing before I buy number 2. Luckily I know how to wash dishes.

There does in fact seem to be an underlying problem with coordinating the sucking and the breathing...even with a gag free feed the little guy sounds "chesty" and gurgle-y while drinking and for a short time afterwards and additionally he has milky snot for a half hour or so. Not so normal. I feel another Dr's appointment in the coming days.

I am hoping to run up to Nana and Pop's place for a quick overnighter tomorrow or Monday (or both) depending on the return schedule Max the dog's owners (they are in Hilton Head, lucky ducks and he only gets to go in my little backyard). I'll update with some cousin pictures on my return...

No peas please...

So, sweet Prince Cranky Pants has some feeding issues. The doctor had me believing it was all teething related with a touch of tongue-tied mixed in for real excitement... but it seemed to improve early this week, he got back on his solid foods and we have been falling further and further off the feeding cliff ever since.

To back track a bit...

• PCP (Prince Cranky Pants) ate no solids in the orphanage
• he was fed 1 ounce of thick gruel-ish liquid per hour from a HUGE hole
• he ate on demand...and demand he did
• Once in the hotel with me he quickly came to enjoy regular formula from a fast flow nipple and more reasonable intervals...perhaps every 3 hours.
• I introduced no solids except Nestle rice cereal in VN, and in fact added it to his night time bottle as he did enjoy the thicker texture more than the liquid alone

Fast forward to more recently (prior to teething hell)...

• he has been introduced to several infant foods, mostly homemade, in the following order and always with a 4 day window of "allergy testing"...bananas, apples, sweet potato, zucchini, carrots, squash (hated it), peaches (hated them), barley cereal, green beans, peas, pears...

Teething hell began

• he projectile vomited formula
  
• I continued to feed favourites in small quantities (green veges mostly), he continued to be phlegmy, coughing, wheezy, etc...for days and days and days and days.
• went to the dr. to check lungs...just to be sure there was no bronchitis
  
• he went off his solids entirely for more than a week
• less phlegmy, less coughing, less wheeziness (which the doctor calls "nasal wheezing" but I am beginning to disagree)

Now

• back on some foods (favourites of course...peas and carrots and sometimes pears)
• back to feeding hell, back to projectile vomiting, back to refusing solids
  

Tonight

• had some peas out of my pasta dinner, loved-loved-loved them
• biggest phlegmy coughing wheezing fit EVER over at Auntie and Uncle C's

Makes me go hmmmm....
Teething? or maybe, just maybe an allergy to peas.
Stay tuned. No peas until those teeth are completely in, perhaps a month or so.
Then we will do a bit of a test.

Before Dinner (we had peas and carrots, apples for dessert)

The after dinner Cranky Pants Snotty Drooling Disaster

Things are a bit wild around here...I'm hitting the town in my newest primate wear (okay, the livingroom, I'm in Canada and it is short sleeved after all). I LOVE this new t-shirt. J and her sweet daughter surprised me with a couple of monkey-ish t's in the mail a while back and this one fits just perfect (thanks by the way, mommy lost your email address).It is a bit long so I can grow into it but ummmm...about the width. That is alllll cloth diaper. Really. The shirt is an 18month after all. You believe me, right? Face it, I look great in everything. Even drool.

Prince Cranky Pants is napping...
I am blessed.

A Canadian...Prince Cranky Pants

Well, as per the title I've renamed the prince.
Prince Cranky Pants.
Today was a big day...his citizenship card arrived in the mail.
He is entitled to all of the rights and privileges of a Canadian Citizen
(well, except the part where his children, if born overseas,
will not be granted Canadian Citizenship...
but that is a rant for another blog post)

It does appear that The Cranky One is simulatneously cutting 4 teeth,
two uppers which broke through last night and
two that live alongside his existing lower teeth, not yet through.
Life apparently sucks when you are 9 months old and teething.

In memory of better times I thought I'd give you a glimpse of the sweet boy when he slept. He used to sleep and I hope that habit returns some day. In other news we went in to town today to pick up the portraits and I'm happy with them...I photographed 4 of the photos...which really doesn't do them justice at all but will give you an idea of how they turned out (I think I have 7 poses total). Now that I am sorting through them and deciding who gets what I'm running short of pictures and envision myself going in to reorder...yikes.

A weekend to remember

On Saturday afternoon the neighbourhood welcomed Benjaminh into the fold with a lovely shower in his honour. The food was yummy and the gifts so very thoughtful. There was a crowd of wee ones there, Ben's future classmates perhaps. I'll add pictures of them later if I get parental permission. "P", the hostess, provided several shots of the toddlers helping Benjaminh unwrap his gifts.

For now a shot of Benjaminh's gift opening joy and a photo of Benjaminh's very own Belly Button Bear Quilt.Unfortunately the weekend went down hill from there with a trip to the Rural Lands, the arrival of a fever, two new teeth, loads of coughing and projectile puking. Auntie Kimley was pleased. The background is that Kimley has a child that cried, screamed, snotted and puked his way through the first 5 or so years of life. With abandon. Loudly and often.

I was a bit worried that Auntie Kimley might take a quick dislike to Benjaminh and his calm and quiet and mostly dry manner of living. Benjaminh didn't let his Auntie Kimley down though. He knew that the way into her heart was through bodily fluids. He essentially has gone the last 3 days without eating, drinking or sleeping. An ounce here, an ounce there, an hour here and our there, anything more than 2 ounces was deposited back to the giver with swift delivery brought on by a quiet little gagging sound or a full blown coughing fit.

I'm starting young though...aim for the table or the tile...it has been a rule in every carpeted classroom I've had the pleasure of teaching in and it is a rule in wee Benjaminh's life. And he followed it for the most part through close mommy guidance.

We are home now and have been in to see the doctor. Usually it takes a couple of days to get an appointment but I was pleasantly surprised when they offered to squeeze wee Benjaminh in at 3pm. I described his 4 days of moderate fever, coughing, etc, etc, etc and the receptionist was...come right in. Wow, small town service.

Little did I know that we got the "quick" service because the wee guy is tropical. Apparently extended periods of fever in a person who has traveled "tropical" in the last 60 days is cause for alarm and "quick" appointments. But no worries. We are good. The instructions are if the fever persists for an additional 48 hours (and it is already gone...) then come back Thursday. If the fever unexpectedly spikes call this number and then head to the hospital (like I said, we are fever free this evening).

So, the weekend.
It's over and the wee dude is sleeping and has been for over 2 hours.
Tomorrow we pick up our first package of portraits...can't wait to share.

Benjaminh's World- Picture Update

This week I met my little cousin, E. He's pretty cute. I was telling him about Vietnam and about how we grow hair in Vietnam. He wasn't too impressed.
Mama cheered him up but I was still thinking of nicknames for the little baldy...made me giggle a bit.

That night I was doing my newest trick (in my new size 18 month pj's, yeah, I know I'm only 9 months old but whatever... I got these great PJ's at the airport from S. Thanks S! I hope I get to meet you at dinner next Friday.)

Oh, my trick? Put things into the bucket, dump the bucket, start over.
This trick requires intense concentration.
And know what? You even have to learn to "let go" of the toy...I learned that this week as well!

This toothbrush is my all time favourite toy right now. Someone left it for me in a bag on the front porch...thanks anonymous person.
And eating? I'm doing it. To the tune of 1 kg 120 grams and 3 1/2 cm in a month!

I'm growing! Fast! My Dr. says if I maintain this rate of growth I'll be 8 foot 11 inches by the time I'm 16! Funny guy (he's a Newfoundlander...in case that explains it for you).

And that Vietnamese growth chart? I rock that chart. I'm in the stratosphere. On the Canadian chart I'm 75th percentile for weight and 50th for height (or the other way around...can't exactly remember...). I was 20th for both on February 3rd.

I love sweet potatoes. My all time favourite. Today though I met peas for the first time and I'm in love...

Life

He has experienced 9 months of life
and in that time has brought me unimaginable joy.

On May 31'st, just days before Benjaminh was born I wrote a short post and included my horoscope for the day.

There is a glimmer of light off in
the distance. It's the end of that
long tunnel you've been trundling
down. Very soon, the sun will be
streaming directly into your life.

How true that was. The sun has been streaming directly into my life from the moment I got to peek at his sweet, sweet wee baby face on June 22. It continued to stream into my life on referral day and surrounded me with light on the day I held sweet little Benjaminh for the first time. His giggle brings me pleasure in the same way calming his cries brings serenity. Rocking him gently and watching him fade safely into sleep is one of my greatest joys.I am deeply and irrevocably in love with this little boy.