Lincoln has ALWAYS had issues going to the bathroom. I talking, maybe ONE poopy diaper a week...and if you ask ANYONE that is NOT normal. Great, it saved us money on diapers, but cost us a lot more emotional "money". He has been to the hospital numerous times because he is in such pain trying to go to the bathroom and every test they do comes up clear. He was taken off dairy, then put back on dairy, put on powder medicine, taken off, and put back on. X-ray after X-ray shows one thing, CONSTIPATION! Well DUH!!! I could have told them that. The specialist he went to was nothing short of a waste of time. He didn't give us ANY information whatsoever. So for now, the "fix" is to keep him on powder medicine twice a day and when he hasn't gone to the bathroom in 3 days, to give him an enema. I tell ya, I feel like I am abusing my kid by doing this to him. It is the most SAD thing ever!!!
Lincoln has also not been able to maintain his weight. He will gain a pound then shed 2 pounds. It is pretty insane. He was shedding so much weight, and not even walking. His doctor has labeled him as FAILURE TO THRIVE!!! I was in shock when I saw this. I mean, he is growing...just slowly. He has always been small for his age, at his current age he still wears 6 months clothes so I knew he was not growing at the rate he should be but still...I feel like this "label" is a bit extreme. They also took into consideration that he hadn't started to walk at 16 months, only says 1 word, and cannot do the pincer grasp. So with this label, has come intervention. He has had to go get observed to see if he qualifies for state programs. I am happy to report, that as of Friday the 11th of January...he PASSED all the tests. He does show that he is behind, but he has to be in the 10 month range to qualify, and he is in the 12th month range. SO TAKE THAT DOCTORS!!!
I just hate labels. I hate how he was marked as this and now it is in his file because people, I swear, treat him differently. It's like they think something is SERIOUSLY wrong with him and it drives me crazy. I would not have cared if any of his tests came back showing that something was wrong...I would have taken it and figured out how to best care for him. It just irritates me how judgmental people can be.
On the bright side of everything, we just got through with winter break so I was able to be home with Lincoln for 3 whole weeks! I loved it! We worked REALLY hard on him walking...and he still just didn't quite understand what I was trying to get him to do. He knew how to walk with assistance, but it was when you took away the assistance, that his confidence went away. Well I am happy to say that yesterday morning he surprised Shaun and I with WALKING BY HIMSELF!!! I had his morning snack in my hand and he walked right over to me! I was sooo happy!!!
SIDENOTE: Shaun started truck school while I was on winter break, and now he has one more week till he has completed it then February 6th he will take the DMV test for his class A license! Fingers crossed he gets it because he already has several companies that want him to work for them...and they all start out paying AMAZING!!! I know he will pass, because he is that passionate about this and he has passed everything else that has come his way. We just have to sit down and go over all the different companies and figure out what the pay difference and home time will be. It sucks that he will be doing long haul for the first year, but we know once that is over he can get a local job. So I will finish out my school year and then I will be DONE WORKING!! I will become a stay at home mom and I could not be more excited!
Enough of my rambling, here are some pictures of Lincoln from the past 7 months including some from his birthday party...which was simply amazing and could not have been more perfect for him! I loved it and am already busy thinking of ideas for his 2nd birthday!!!
