Check up & Check back...

Joshua had his 15 month well check up yesterday.... and there was good news and not so good news. The good news is Joshua's growth is beautiful on the charts, just where he should be. He is 32 inches long which is the 69th percentile for height and he weighs 23 lbs 1 ounce which puts him in the 25th percentile for weight. He got three more vaccines and lots of kisses from mommy yesterday. He is a trooper...cried for about 1 minute and then he was back flirting and laughing with the nurses.

While the doctor was listening to Joshua's heart, she heard a murmur which she hadn't heard since he was first born. When Joshua was born, as is common in preemies, he had a small hole in his heart. When looking at x-rays it seemed that the hole had closed and everything was normal. The murmur was no longer evident when listening with a stethoscope....until yesterday. The doctor clearly heard the murmur again, so we are going to see a cardiologist on Tuesday. For his first year of life, we were always being referred to specialists in hopes that their diagnosis would be a good one, and now that feeling of being helpless is far too familiar again. Have you ever had something on your mind, and everywhere you go and everyone you see somehow sparks that idea in your mind again and again and you think is it just coincidence? Of course, I experienced that all day.

When I think of all the organs in the body, I guess the heart is the most unsettling to hear of not working properly. Thank you in advance for your uplifting prayers. I will post again with updates on Tuesday. Much love from Team Altman.