Growin' Cohen

After a long day with plenty of ups and downs, I'm happy to end it with a positive blog. Cohen is finally back up in the "green zone" based on his BMI; he is now in the 50th percentile after having dropped pretty far below for nearly a year. The doctors were recommending a g-tube if we couldn't get his weight up soon, and they were really going to push it if this visit didn't show much improvement.

When he quit drinking Pediasure shortly after his third birthday, he lost close to a thousand calories a day (he was drinking 3 to 4 day, which equates to between 700 and 1000 a day). That's pretty substantial for a small child. Granted, he was eating food very well, but nothing that contained enough calories to make up for what the Pediasure was providing.

So over the last few months, we have been slowly getting him to drink more and more Pediasure, which has obviously been helping. I have been weighing him every week to monitor his growth. He put on two pounds alone over the last five weeks, so I knew going into clinic visit today that he would show a big difference from last time but didn't know if it would be enough to bump him to the 50th percentile or above.

Now we just have to maintain his weight and keep him at a steady increase. He is up to 1.5 containers of Pediasure a day, but our ultimate goal is 2 a day.

Both kids also had to get flu shots today. Not fun. Enough said.

Cohen had a routine chest x-ray following clinic. The x-ray allows the doctors to be able to see what's going on in his lungs better than just listening with a stethoscope.

Cohen also gave me a few good laughs today, which I wanted to share:

My sister Shauna was going to be coming along with us, so this morning when we arrived to pick her up and were waiting on her to come to the car, Cohen said quite theatrically, "Where is my lady?! Where is my lady Shauna?!" And when he saw her coming to the car, he announced, "There is my lady Shauna!" Too funny. I think he picked up "my lady" from Daddy, who has always called me his lady as a term of endearment.

Second, as we were waiting to be called back for Cohen's x-ray, he and Emberlynn met a new little friend in the waiting area. Cohen initiated a conversation with her, and his side went something like this: "How old are you?...I'm three....What's your name?...Oh, [little girl's name]? That's a great name...My name is Cohen....I have a brother...his name is Kyden...it's spelled K-Y-D-E-N..." A few minutes later, she had stopped playing with them and was looking sad about something, and Cohen ran over to me and said, "Mom! I think she is sad because I didn't hug her!"

And finally, for his chest x-ray, he was required to take his shirt off. So when it came time to put it back on, he told me, "It's ok, Mom. I'm fine without it." Needless to say, I explained why he had to put it back on, and he obliged. That's my silly boy!

The morning started out rocky (he wasn't the most cooperative boy at first when the nurse was trying to get his vitals and measurements), but it turned out ok. I have to remind myself that even though the kids know what to expect at every clinic visit and that it is something they have done countless times and will continue to do at least four times a year, they are still little and sometimes just don't feel like doing it. I can't blame them. I have those days, too, and I'm sure if I had to go through all the junk they go through at visits, I'd be a little crabby too.

The Chosen Mothers

I found this posted on a fellow CF mom's blog and wanted to share. Some days are hard when it comes to taking care of kids with special health needs, but I know that God chose me to be their mom for a reason. He entrusted them to me for as long as I am allowed to have them, and I would never, ever change that...

The Chosen Mothers by Erma Bombeck

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures, and a couple by habit. Did you ever wonder how mothers of children with life threatening illnesses are chosen?


Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting His instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.

"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint Matthew. Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint Cecilia. Rutledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint Gerard."


Finally, He passes a name to an angel and says, "Give her a child with cancer."

The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy."

"Exactly" smiles God, "Could I give a child with cancer a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But, does she have patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she will handle it."

"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has it's own world. She has to make it live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she believes in you."

"No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps. "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take anything her child does for granted. She will never consider a single step ordinary. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them." She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as if she is here by My side."

"And what about her patron Saint?" asks the angel. His pen poised in mid-air. God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."