6 Months Old, 6 Weeks Post- Op. Time to Explore!

Sitting up in my Rocking chair!

Mommy, Me & Daddy! We love each other so very, very much!

I am six months old!

Go Lions!

It was my second cousin's wedding! Wish I could have been your ring bearer! ;)

Grandma hugs!

Grandma is reading one of my favorite stories to me! I am turning the pages!

Grandma, Me & Mommy at the beach!

Not a fan of the ocean... yet.

Mommy, Me & Daddy on the sore. I am happy now that I am wrapped up in Daddy's towel! 

Grandma, ME & Daddy in the Disney Store!

Out to dinner!

Out to dinner!

Evening cuddles are the best!

Me & My Mickey!

Practicing with the bottle.

Go Wings?

I rolled over! I am a rock star! 

Waiting at the Pediatrician's office for my shots. I am such a silly & well-behaved boy!

Not sure how I feel about this whole "pool" thing,  Mom.

Goodbye kisses from Grandma. :( 

As we are quickly finding out, life at home with Caelin is very busy but so awesome! On Saturday the 15^th Caelin turned 6 months old! His first six months were remarkable and full of miracles so we are hoping these next 6 months will be simpler but equally memorable full of happy milestones.  He is growing like crazy, laughing, shouting & getting physically stronger. He also has some teeth that seem to want to pop out because he is full of drool and is constantly chewing on his fingers and any object that gets clenched in his hands. His recent favorite is his thumb! Mostly he chews on it but there have been several moments where we catch him sucking it. Hopefully this habit breaks and he sticks to the binky!

On Sunday the 16^th Caelin’s Grandma flew in.  Her and Cael really got to know each other well and enjoyed each other’s company. At first Caelin needed to get acquainted with her but it didn’t take too long for him to discover how great she is and how much she loves him. Just when he started to be comfortable alone in her company, she had to head back to Michigan. L We miss her lots! But she did get to be a part of a lot of Caelin’s “firsts” and Caelin got all kinds of spoiled by her (as did Mommy & Daddy)! We are so blessed she was able to come down for a week!

Thursday marked 6 weeks post-op from the Glenn. Because of this, three main things had to happen: reintroduction of tummy time, his first ever immunizations, and freedom to begin exploring the outside world! During only the second time laying flat on his belly since the Glenn, he rolled over from his stomach to his back all on his own! Mommy and Grandma were shocked and super excited! Of course he did it too fast to record it and of course he refused to do it again for the camera; nonetheless, it was amazing to watch him hit such a big milestone of his infancy! While at his Pediatrician’s office for immunizations he was weighed and measured. He weighed in at 14 pounds 10 ounces. He gained 2 pounds in 3 weeks! He also grew 1 ¾ inches where as the normal baby only grows about ¾ of an inch in 3 weeks. His pediatrician was floored! We told him that he has a lot of catching up to do but the doctor said if he continues this, we will have to increase his amount of formula faster than we already are (1mL/hr increase each week). During this appointment he also go his eyesight and hearing tested. As expected, things are great! He was a very brave boy while getting his two shots in his thigh. His thighs were the targets for his Lovenox shots from April to August but these shots had thicker longer needles on them and they looked incredibly painful. Yes, Caelin did scream but he calmed very easily. After falling asleep in the car and taking a nap at home, he woke up full of smiles and giggles. Although his shots didn’t seem to faze him Thursday evening/night, his leg was bruised, had a knot, and was very sensitive on Friday and Saturday, which initiated several cranky moments both days. Him teething only added to his discomfort. Poor little man.

The Pediatrician cleared Caelin to start any type of cereal (although we are sticking to rice) and any foods we want. He told us to have him eat one flavor for 2 to 3 days to check for allergies and then we can try a different one. We are sticking to at least a week in between introducing flavors because this whole oral feeding experience is still new to Caelin.  At the end of last week he was introduced to bananas! He is still not too sure if he really likes them or not but he does accept them. About a week later he got to taste carrots for the first time. He seems to really like them! The first time he ate about 5mLs and he has had a couple mLs since. He is drinking from a bottle more and he really likes to do it on his own. We have been adding a very small amount of rice cereal to the bottle so the formula doesn’t come out of the nipple too fast. Although he is using a slow flow nipple, he still gets too much at one time when he sucks on the bottle. With the little bit of cereal added, it seems perfect for him. As he gets used to sucking and swallowing with the bottle and starts to like it, we will stop adding cereal so he doesn’t have to work to get out the formula. But with getting his immunizations on Thursday he has been a bit temperamental and so any oral feeding must be on his terms. If he is not up for it, he lets us know.

Caelin experienced his first outings (besides doctors appointments) on Friday! We went to the mall because Mommy had an appointment at Lenscrafters. While she got her eyes checked, Caelin, Daddy and Grandma went to The Children’s Place and in search of The Disney Store. Unfortunately there is no Disney Store in Tyrone Square Mall. :/ Later that evening we took him down to the pool and he went in the water with Mommy for the first time! He wasn’t very impressed with being in the pool as the water was cool and he was sleepy. He grumbled and growled a lot of the time but refrained from bursting into tears so we count it as a positive new experience!

Then Saturday came- More outings! Since Grandma lives so far away, we wanted her to be a part of as many of Caelin’s first experiences as possible. So today she went with us on Caelin’s first visit to The Disney Store (at Westfield Countryside Mall), Babies ‘R’ Us, out to dinner, and last but not least, the OCEAN (technically the Gulf of Mexico)! Saturday morning we arrived to the ocean around 9:30 AM. We wanted to get there before he got really hot out. So all lathered up with sunscreen, hat on head, sunglasses protecting his eyes, and bathing suit shirt and shorts on, he looked like a little surfer baby; however, he was less than thrilled with the whole unusual experience of being in the bright sun with salt water waves splashing on his legs and sand accumulating between his toes and in his pants. It did not matter who held him; if he was touching the water, he was not a happy boy. We wrapped him up in a towel and snuggled him close and he was back on his way to enjoying the day. Once he was changed in the car and had all the sand removed, he was ready for the next adventure: home for a nap. =) As his nap was nearing an end, we packed him up and headed North to Clearwater. Here we visited the mall and inside this mall is Caelin’s new favorite place: The Disney Store. We had never seen his eyes so wide as they were once they noticed all of the Mickey attire and décor! He is so lucky & got some adorable new outfits (bought by Grandma) and his first Mickey stuffed animal. This new Mickey, he is In LOVE with! Afterward, we went to Babies ‘R’ Us and then to Smokey Bones for dinner. Before going inside the restaurant, we thought we should change Cael in the car and vent his G-tube (allow air bubbles to come out). To Mom’s surprise, he pooped ALL OVER his pants, onsie, and even leaked into his carseat. Of course. He was wearing the most handsome outfit (Collard button-up shirt from Children’s place, navy blue onesie, blue jeans, Hanes socks, and Air Jordan shoes) and all that was packed in the diaper bag as a spare was one of his old snap onesie outfits that he wore in the hospital. So disappointing, although we are pretty sure Cael thought it was hilarious. Despite his big blowout before eating, Cael was such a well-behaved boy at dinner! He sat on Mommy’s lap for a little while and ate a Mum Mum while she indulged in Smokey Bones’ famous kettle chips and dip. About halfway through, he went in his car seat and sat next to Grandma and engaged in conversation. And as a side note, unsurprisingly all through dinner, Caelin used his big bright blue eyes to swoon the ladies, especially our waitress.

For those of you on Facebook, today was the last day to vote for Caelin on the Gerber Generation Photo Search 2012. I have no idea when we will hear any news, if we hear anything at all. But if we do, I will definitely post an update! How absolutely amazing would it be to see our little warrior as the new irresistible face of Gerber (not to mention receiving thousands for his college fund)?! Hoping & Wishing! =)

This Thursday Caelin has a cardiology visit. He will get his blood pressure taken and an echocardiogram on top of all the traditional stuff. We are curious to see how everything looks (hopefully stellar) and if he has gained more weight and grown longer in just a week.

And of course, thank you all for your continued support, love, prayers, and warm wishes and thoughts. Sending Love and Hugs from Caelin!

The Caelin Invasion

Ready for football season!

First taste of Mum Mums... not sure about them.

He's an early reader.

Auntie Sammy, Mommy & baby!

Holy smokes batman!

Big smile in his jumper!

Lovin' the Mum mum & getting ready for the game... that we could not watch because we live in FL.

Daddy, Uncle Eddie & Baby out for a walk!

In our household, we love football.

Infectious smile, as so many call it! =)

Our little Caelin Fonzarelli.

Apparently they had long days.

If only we knew what he was pondering. LOVE LOVE LOVE this towel! Thanks Chris!

Practicing clapping. We are in need of some Ms. Bonnie's professional clapping! 

He kept getting frustrated because the whole toy would not fit in his mouth. 

Cael & Momma. This one is on the favorites list.

It’s official- Caelin has taken over the entire condo and we love it. His belongings have made their way throughout every square inch of our home- the Bumbo is stored on our loveseat, bouncer in front of our couch, play pen often blocking the TV, high chair at the dining room table, books on our coffee table, medications and foodstuffs in our kitchen cupboards and on our counters, carseat by the door, blankets and toys in our bedroom along with the monitor, and of course other random toys, teething rings, and things scattered throughout. He has invaded everywhere except Sean’s place of sanctity- our bathroom. That’s because Caelin has his own bathroom. Fancy. =)

The past week and a half has been full of excitement and continued firsts! At the end of last week Caelin had his first round of visitors! We had two Florida friends stop over and they got to soak up Caelin’s smiles and love. The next day Auntie Sammy and her friend Ali drove up from Miami to visit. This same evening, Uncle Eddie flew in from Michigan for the weekend. We all had a great time together and wish we could have enjoyed the company for longer! Uncle Eddie and Auntie Sammy got lots of smiles and good cuddles. Plus Uncle Eddie witnessed the side of Caelin most people don’t- his after bath eccentricity. Caelin LOVES his bath and once you wrap him up snug in his towel and place him on his changing table, his babbling runs wild, as do his arms and legs. He is such a silly boy. Also, Uncle Eddie brought Caelin a bag of gifts from him and his family, which we all love! Thank you, again!

In addition to having his first visitors, he also attended his first outpatient speech appointment and his first outpatient GI appointment. These both went really well! At speech Mommy and Cael got to show the therapist what they normally do for oral feeding. The therapist said Mommy and Daddy are approaching oral feeding with Cael perfectly and continue to do what we are doing. We wanted to set some sort of goal to work toward so the therapist said to try to give Caelin some oral taste four times a day- twice with food and twice with formula. She approved the Mum Mums and said she is impressed with how well he is doing with them. Although we have the goal of four times a day, she said right now we are focused on quality experiences and not so much quantity. So however much he takes at each session does not matter as much as the experience being positive for him. Mommy asked if we should still be working with the bottle or if we should just try the sippy cup since he is six months old and only growing older plus he does not take any significant amount from it. She said to keep trying the bottle because he does great with his binky and it should, theoretically, be an easier transition for him than going straight to the sippy cup. We do agree, we just were not sure if it was a good idea to start him on the bottle and then go to the cup in a couple months, and so we feel better about it now. His GI appointment was also great! He got weighed and measured and hot dog (Yes, he has been watching an episode or two of Mickey Mouse) has he grown! He weighed in at about 6.4 kg, nearly 14 pounds, and is approximately 65 cm, about 25.5 in, long! He is still below average in both areas but quickly catching up. To put his growth into perspective, when he was 5 months old he was off the length and weight percentile curve (boy’s growth chart)… in the negatives… at about -20% weight and -2% length. He is now ON the curve in both areas! He is around 3% for weight and just over 10% for length! This really is unbelievable! From where he has come and the things he has been through, his little body finally appears to be healing. Looking at him, no stranger would ever be able to guess his history- he looks like a “normal healthy” baby boy now. We are just so amazed; he is a miracle. The GI nurse practitioner examined him and said he looks and sounds great, his G-tube site looks nice, and he is gaining weight. She asked us if we had any questions and told us she really didn’t have much to tell us except to keep doing what we are doing as we are doing a great job. The reassurance and encouragement by medical professionals is especially nice and appreciated.

And since we were on campus for Caelin's speech and GI appointments, we stopped by the CVICU to see some of our favorite faces. Before we knew it, we were having a party in the hallway! Caelin got to see his favorite nurses, nurse practitioner, echo techs, chaplain, social workers, and other staff members. It is so great to visit the people who impacted our lives so positively and so greatly. You will forever be in our hearts and we will always appreciate your dedication to our son's health more than you know. Thank you all a thousand times over!

Since Caelin has been born, with the exception of a few weeks where he still had a Common Atrial line, his chest and body has been sore and healing from open-heart surgeries and procedures. He now appears to be growing out of this stage as he is starting to reach for his feet and lift up his head and shoulders from the ground while he is laying. We have been working on these stretches with him for a couple weeks and he is now beginning to do them on his own. He is making this physical progress along with sitting unassisted in his Bumbo and starting a little tummy time on his Boppy. He got to try out his jumper for the first time last weekend but he is too small… some suggested putting books or other sturdy items beneath his feet so it helps to compensate for his size a bit; we have discussed trying that this weekend with him, as we really want to help him strengthen his legs and core. We could not be more proud of him and we are enjoying watching him grow, as we know that rocking on all fours and crawling are just around the corner!

On Saturday Caelin turns 6 months old. We struggle with the fact that Caelin is halfway to his first birthday… time passes so quickly and before you know it, the present becomes the past. Just the other day I was listening to a CD from 2003 and I wondered, “Where did the last 9 years go?” I know 9 years from now when Caelin’s blue eyes are begging me to play sports with his friends and I think back on just how fragile he is, this same thought will cross my mind. We appreciate and cherish every moment we have with Caelin, because as I have said before, there were days where we thought this time was never going to come.

With that said, I leave you with a quote from one of my favorite movies: “Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

We love you all and God bless you for loving our son!

PS- This weekend Caelin's second cousin, Rachell, is marrying her prince charming, Blaine! So a big CONGRATULATIONS to them!!! We wish we could be there to share your special day but we look forward to seeing the beautiful photos! We also wish you all the happiness in the world as husband and wife! We love you guys & can't wait for Caelin to meet you!

Also, Caelin's grandma flies in on Sunday for a week! woo hoo! We are excited about her visit, also! xoxo

These Moments Used to Exist Solely in Our Dreams.

Chowing down! 

Me & Daddy! Go Blue!

Catching up on some reading. Or chewing...

Enjoying his first "lil' crunchie."

Creating his masterpiece. Complete focus!

The finished product! Beautiful!

Sitting up in his bath like a big boy! 

We like to party in Cael's room.

Smiley Baby!

Fell asleep during his afternoon walk!

Big boy in his Bumbo with no support and reading his book!

Sitting up in his Boppy! Yes, he loves that book. 

Always chewing on his fingers when he lacks a toy.

I can feed myself.

The King of our Queen bed. (No idea where he gets the bed-hogging from...)

Having Caelin home has made us the happiest we have ever been. Up to this point, the things we are doing, the memories we are making, and the happiness we are feeling had only lived in our imagination. Now they are a part of our lives and we are so fortunate for this. There were many days that blurred our vision and crowded our minds with fear and doubt, but here we are… here he is- home. We are a complete family. It is phenomenal, extraordinary, miraculous, remarkable and every other synonym of wonderful that exists!

Caelin has been so strong since he has been home! Last Thursday he had an appointment with one of his Pediatrician’s, Dr. Cibran, at Saint Petersburg Pediatrics. After examining Caelin, Dr. Cibran said he is surprised at how well Cael is doing and how great he looks after everything he has been through. The quotes that stick in my mind are, “He doesn’t miss a thing,” referring to his wide, alert, blue eyes. And looking at his feet, “I predict he is going to be a big boy. Probably around six feet, possibly taller.” This was the first time a doctor ever had anything positive to say about Caelin’s size since he was first born. When we told him that, he agreed Cael may be a little small now but he assured us that since he has doubled his weight and is growing taller, that he will catch up.

Caelin likes different perspectives and can get comfy pretty much anywhere. He bounces from his pack-n-play to his highchair, his Boppy on the couch, his Bumbo, his playgym in his room, his crib, Mommy and Daddy’s bed, his bouncer, his swing, and everywhere in between. Whether he is high or low and as long as he senses Mom or Dad’s presence, he loves to investigate and analyze his surroundings. And as long as he can get to his side, he can fall asleep pretty much anywhere.

Labor Day Weekend is one to remember- these days are full of some fun milestones! Caelin got to sit up in his big boy bathtub! He was kind of too big for the netting but we were nervous during the first couple of baths at home. So last week we decided to take the netting away and sit him in the angled portion of the bath tub. He did well with this and LOVED kicking his feet to make waves. While sitting in this position, he does not like to put down his arms so they get chilly. Because of this, Mommy decided to try to sit Cael in the unsupported part of the tub while holding his trunk- after getting over the instability fused with the slipperiness, Caelin enjoyed sitting up like a big boy with his butt and legs on the bottom of the tub. He even experimented with dipping his arms in the water! J On Sunday, Caelin tried apples for the first time (puréed jar food, that is)! He at 6.5 mLs! Up to this point he has only ever eaten 4.5 mLs by mouth at most in one sitting (of sweet potatoes). We assume he really likes apples! Caelin also tried Gerber lil’ crunchies Cinnamon Maple flavored on Sunday. They are meant for crawlers but Caelin is teething like crazy- constantly putting his fingers and his toys in his mouth- (and in a perfect world, should have been close to crawling by now) so we thought we might give it a shot. He was under complete supervision of both Mom & Dad, of course! He wasn’t sure about the food at first, but he did taste it a couple times. On Monday he ate almost a whole one while Mom helped him hold it as he kept trying to shove the entire crunchie in his mouth. As he gnawed away, he seemed to not only like the taste but the way it felt on his gums. First solid food? Success. Monday afternoon we were getting ready to go for a walk when Daddy mentioned the idea of starting to condense to bolus feeding. Mommy was apprehensive about the idea because she didn’t want to push Cael too hard but Daddy was confident that Cael was ready for it. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the word “bolus” it simply refers to eating how normal babies eat: a certain amount of food, in Caelin’s case 100 mLs, in 30-60 mins with a 2 to 2 ½ hour break between feeds. When Cael has been fed, it has only been continuous (a certain number of mLs every hour without a break) so condensing to bolus is a big deal for him. Ultimately, Daddy convinced Mommy to let Caelin give it a whirl. We changed Caelin’s rate from 33 mLs/hr continuous up to 40 mLs/hr over a 2.5 hour time span. With this, he would get a 30 minute break between feeds. Proving Daddy’s intuition correct, Caelin did great with this first step of condensing! He has now been on this new schedule for 24 hours and tolerating it well. We will make the next move this Thursday; going to 100 mLs every 2 hours with 1 hour break. J So proud of our little Cael! Also on Monday Caelin used his fine motor and sensory skills while incorporating his cognition to create his first masterpiece- an original finger-painting! [Like that phrasing my TT friends & family?! ;) ] At first he was hesitant and untrusting of Mom and Dad’s judgment but shortly remembered we have never steered him wrong before as he wiggled his fingers and dragged his hands through the paint. Mommy wishes she would have had him do it on a canvas instead of a piece of paper after seeing the awesome outcome of his first ever creation! Finally, on Monday Caelin sat up straight in his Bumbo by himself without any support from blankets, pillows, Mommy, or Daddy! Mommy’s heart fluttered, her eyes widened while filling with tears as she realized just how far her baby boy has come and how much progress he has made even through all of his hardships. He may be slightly behind the average curve physically but he is catching up quickly. EVERY new experience for Caelin creates a cherished intense heartfelt moment for Mommy and Daddy as we realize and respect just how precious these moments are.

We are having so much fun with him at home & looking forward to his first wave of visitors! He is supposed to have a couple ladies stopping by later this week and then on Friday Uncle Eddie flies in for the weekend and Auntie Sammy will be driving up from Miami to visit for the day! The next weekend Grandma flies in for a whole week! AWESOME! Caelin is still on isolation until September 20^th (6 weeks post-op) so unfortunately we cannot venture out of the house during their stay, except for walks around the block. But we are greatly anticipating for friends and family to enjoy his presence at home as much as we do!

As always, thank you all for your continued prayers for our healing warrior and our blessed family!