Team Altman: Hello California!

Knott's Berry Farm

This is the longest I have gone without updating the blog...so this one is a big one! Josh and I left for California on the 15th and we arrived here on the 17th. We have been here almost a week and have already taken Joshua several places. The San Diego zoo, the beach, Knott's Berry farm, the park, you name it and we've done it. We are very much enjoying the shift in weather from the humid 100's to the cool breezy 70's.

Welcome to the zoo!

Before we left, Joshua had two appointments. The first appointment was with the cranial technicians to check the progress of his flat spot. They were pleased with the rounding out of his right side, and said it will take a little more time for the back of his head to round out as well. No helmet will be necessary for this little guy.

Joshua's second appointment was with the Gastroenterologist. Last month, Joshua had his procedure done and they concluded the reason for his reflux was that the milk was sitting too long in his stomach before being absorbed. To fix this, they started him on medicine that would help his stomach empty faster, and it has been working great. He gets a small amount of medicine 4 times a day, 1 hour before eating, and it has worked miracles. He very rarely has reflux anymore, and the doctors were so pleased to hear this. He will stay on this medicine for the next three months until his next visit in September. They hope by this time, we can stop the medication for good.

Now for some exciting updates! As of June 14th, Joshua weighed in at exactly 16 pounds. Although he is still below the 25th percentile, he is looking happy and healthy. In addition to milk, he is enjoying carrots, pears, sweet potatoes, and bananas...with pears being his favorite right now. He definitely likes the sweet stuff. Now that I have the summer off, I have been experimenting in the kitchen pureeing lots of fruits and vegetables for him to try! This month, his favorite play time is in his activity jumper. When he hears music, he goes to town with those little feet! He loves looking in the mirror and staring at his hands and feet. He is so close to sitting up by himself, but still needs some more practice before crawling.

Now that we are here in California, we are looking forward to family and friends finally meeting Joshua this weekend! What a long awaited celebration of this little miracle....we are so thankful for an amazing God.