Dear Family and Friends,
Times flies when you’re having fun! And as time flies, our little Everett isn’t looking so little anymore. He’s up to 10 lbs. 5 oz. and is 22 inches long. He has out-grown his newborn clothes and diapers and even this morning his 0-3 month pajamas look a little snug. I can’t help but think he’s growing up so fast!
And speaking of growing, we are happy to report that Everett’s eyes are fully vascularized. This means that the blood vessels in his eyes have finished growing and the risk of Retinopathy is now gone! In addition to this good news, we also learned that Everett’s eyes have reached Zone 3, which means that the blood vessels have grown to supply all areas of the eye with a normal blood supply. This is something that the Eye Surgeon at CHLA told us would probably never happen. We had expected Everett to stop growth at Zone 2, resulting in a permanent loss of peripheral vision. But very happily, he has surprised the experts yet again and proves that miracles do happen and God answers prayer!!! We are so blessed.
Everett’s hernia, I should say hernias because he has two, remain. But our pediatrician says that as long as Everett shows no signs of discomfort, we can wait until he is two to four years old to have them repaired. Whew! And my friend who works at Children’s Hospital of Orange County says that she takes care of many hernia repairs each week and that it is an easy surgery to recover from. We will have them repaired at CHLA, of course, but at least it is nothing that has to be dealt with right now.
We started physical therapy, occupational therapy and behavioral therapy a few weeks ago. Everett loves his physical therapist and the three of us have a ton of fun playing, talking, rolling, stretching, and reaching. He is doing everything a four month old (his corrected age) should do and even some things a seven month old (his actual age) should do. I’ve already noticed huge progress in just one week, so I know the therapy is making a difference. He is still eating thickened formula but we are slowly weaning the amount. Last week we tried to give him regular consistency formula but he just couldn’t cope with the faster flow. So a slower wean should do the trick.
I returned to work this past Monday. After almost eight months off, it was great to get back to my coworkers. It was hard to leave Everett that first night (I cried three times before I got there) but I know he’s in great hands with Daddy watching him at night and Grandpa watching him during the day while I sleep. We are lucky to have our family so close!
The parking fundraiser this weekend was a HUGE SUCCESS thanks to the generosity of friends and strangers alike!!! Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and/or parked in our lots. Very special thanks to the Edgerton Family for offering and organizing the whole event. We continue to be humbled and appreciative of the supportive friends who surround us. The festival was a great opportunity to tell people about Everett and testify to the miracles that have taken place in our lives.
Thanks to each of you for your endless prayers and good thoughts. They continue to bring happiness into our lives!
With Love,
The Bollinger Family
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