First cold of the season

Our temperatures have still been in the 90s, but Cayden has caught a cold.  Thankfully, it's been quite awhile since he's had one.  To be honest, I can't remember the last time he had one, so we've been lucky.  It doesn't seem too bad - just your run-of-the-mill runny nose, coughing, congestion, restlessness, and slight fever.  Jamison caught it a day later, so we've got double the fun!

I am reminded of a funny poem I heard years ago:

Do not kiss your honey
When your nose is runny.
You might think it's funny
But it's snot.

Despite Dr. Rosenberg's assurance at his 18-month check up in May that Cayden's immune system was "caught up" and able to fight off infections like a "normal" kid, I still have anxiety that it could turn into something worse.  Yesterday afternoon while trying to get him to nap, he got so worked up, coughing and crying, that he started making a distinct whooping noise every time he inhaled.  It took both Jason and me a good half hour to calm him down, and by that time, the doctor's office had closed, but my instant reaction was to want to run to the phone and call them to see if it was possible he could have whooping cough, even though he's been vaccinated.  He sounded fine after he calmed down, and Jason listened to his lungs and said they sounded clear, so that was reassuring, and I forgot about calling today to ask the doctor's opinion.

Although his appetite wasn't great today, his demeanor seemed good, so hopefully this will just be a typical fall cold.  I do wonder if I will ever get over the anxiety of thinking it's going to turn into something worse?  Jason is leaving again on Sunday (for just a week this time), so I wonder if that looming prospect has anything to do with my heightened concern? 

I forgot to mention in my last post that we went to our second (annual) NICU Graduate Preemie Picnic on August 4th.  It was the day before Jason got home, so I took both boys by myself and met up with my fellow mom friend from the NICU, Jessica, and her NICU grad daughter, Bianca.  For those of you who have been following my blog since way back when, Jessica is the amazing mom I mentioned who had to perform CPR on Bianca soon after they came home from the NICU.  Poor Bianca had a rough time for the first few months she was home, but I'm happy to report that she is doing GREAT!  She's growing and developing on track, healthy, and beautiful!

So back to the picnic...it was a nice day - one of only a few days this entire summer we've had where the temperature was less than 90 degrees - but I was so disappointed to only see a couple people we knew.  Two nurses, Carrie and Yvonne, and we also saw Dr. Rosenberg, but we see him pretty often, so that wasn't such a big deal.  I saw a couple other familiar faces, but couldn't recollect their names.  I guess after a year and a half, your memory fades and all those things you thought you'd never forget, you forget.

Riding the train at the picnic with Jamison

A few weeks after the picnic, Cayden and I stopped by the NICU to drop off a book for a new preemie mom I found out about via Facebook.  I passed along my Preemies book that was an invaluable resource to me that first year.  I hope she gets as much comfort and information from it as I did. 

Anyway, while at the NICU, we were able to see two of my favorite people - lactation consultant, Virginia, and our primary nurse, Megan.  These two ladies had such a positive influence on my whole NICU experience.  They were warm lights during a very dark and scary time, and I will forever be grateful to them.  It's been over a year since either of them have seen Cayden, so it was wonderful to show them how far he's come and remind them how their hard work and compassion pays off!

After saying hello again to a couple old friends, we said goodbye to another.  Cayden had his last occupational therapy session with Amy Jo on August 29th.  It's such a great feeling to know that he no longer needs that therapy.  Not only is he doing what he should be for his adjusted age, he is doing everything and more than he should do for his actual age!  He'll still see his physical therapist, Deb, but the frequency of those sessions are being cut back and he should be done by the end of the year.  In fact, Deb said he could be done now if I wanted to stop, but I'm not sure I'm ready to let go of all of my professional help quite yet!  There are still a few milestones he has yet to reach, like jumping and walking down stairs, so we'll continue with physical therapy once a month for the next few months, just to make sure he stays on track.

Two weeks ago, we bought a new vehicle - a minivan. (The feelings that came with parting with my beloved Pathfinder and giving in to the stigma of being a minivan owner could be an entire separate post!) So to break it in, we took a little road trip to Winter Park. It was our first road trip as a family of four and the first time Cayden has been up to the mountains. When he was still on oxygen and his respiratory health was still questionable, we were told not to take him up in altitude as it could negatively affect his breathing. This was the first chance we've had to get up to there, and let me tell you, I sure missed that cool, crisp, mountain air, the friendly people, the peacefulness, and the beautiful scenery. Our dear friends, the Ericssons, let us stay at their condo in nearby Fraser, so we had a comfortable home base for the few days we were there. We spent most of our time at playgrounds and other places for the boys to have fun, but it was nice to just get away and relax a little.

It's TIME for a vacation!

Climbing the rock wall with Jami at the Grand Park Recreation Center.  This was after swimming in the pool for two hours!

Momma doesn't know how to use the camera to its full potential, so the beautiful mountains in the background are washed out.  That's o.k.  It makes you focus on the two handsome boys in the foreground, right?  (Cayden and Daddy)

Puppy love!

Pretty flowers at Winter Park Village

Oh, and one other thing that just happened yesterday:  Cayden is crawling out of his crib!  Jamison will be three years old in less than a month, and he only started crawling out of his crib a few weeks ago.  How the heck did Cayden figure this out so soon?!  I'll tell you how:  Cayden is fearless.  He is like a bulldozer.  Rough and tumble.  Loves to climb.  Curious.  Strong.  We're in trouble!