well mom of the year over here is posting this almost a month late but in my defense these photos were snapped just shortly after 9 months. i think this just further proves my point that time is indeed flying by.
we’ve been soaking up the warm michigan weather and playing outside as much as we can. i’ve been trying to be more intentional about my electronics use since i’m back at work more and my time with otto is sacred. he is still nutty and still such a good boy.
the more i go back to work the more i realize how hard it really is to juggle both worlds. a friend of mine said stop trying to balance everything because nothing will ever be perfectly even. you have to accept that when one part of your life is getting attention the other will fall back a bit but then it will switch. and that is so true. I just have to constantly gut check what’s right for our family.
as far as travel this past month…we went to alabama, tennessee and northern michigan. otto our travel trouper did awesome and we had so much fun with him. sure travel and vacations seem a bit different these days but it’s sweet and it’s building wonderful memories together. we spent our first mothers day together at the leland lodge in northern michigan looking at the budding trees, the blue water and the tasty food. more on that weekend later but it made my heart so happy.
otto is still in food therapy working away at it. he has started to “taste” things with his tongue which determines if it’s safe according to him to put in his mouth. yesterday in therapy he licked a strawberry which was new. it’s the little things you know?
in other tricks… he stands (with a little support), plays patty cake, gives kisses, high fives (kinda), says mama and other adorable little things. his fall back trick though is patty cake. when he doesn’t know what you want him to do… patty cake. and it’s adorable. i can’t believe he has been here as long as i have been pregnant with him. just doesn’t seem possible!
we had a nice 8 weeks off from appointments and are gearing up for the next round this coming week. prayers that we are in and out for another 8 weeks. otto continues to amaze and thrive and we are so grateful.
happy 9 months sweet boy!
I just love following your journey with this sweet boy!! There is no such thing as to much Otto!! Can’t believe how fast time is flying. Happy 9 months sweet Otto!!!
Love your little family so much, can’t wait to see your posts each day and all things Otto, thanks for allowing us a glimpse into your sweet life! I started following Liz Marie Galvan and found you through her, and though she is super talented, I needed more color in my life….and home!
I’m just curious, and hope this isn’t too personal, and you don’t have to answer, but does he actually eat anything? Popsicle, banana, anything? It is such a strange condition, and I don’t understand it at all and I’m glad you talk about it. Have you had contact with anyone else who is like this? Do they ever actually eat, and enjoy it? Again, sorry if this is too personal, but I would love to learn more.
hi Jo!
Not too personal at all. A lot of kiddos with heart issues have some sort of struggle with eating orally. For otto when he was born he couldn’t follow the suck swallow breathe pattern a baby is supposed to have that his heart was working so hard his breathing wouldn’t let him swallow and he would gag and have reflux really bad. That was all before his surgery then at two months he had his open heart surgery and had a feeding tube for 5 weeks while there as well. The first 3-4 months of his life he struggled with eating and now we are just trying to get him to see that it doesn’t hurt and that is how you satisfy hunger. He gets hungry but he doesn’t know that that is what that feeling is if that makes sense? He is starting to lick things and get used to taste but still kind of gagging on solids so baby steps!