Tag Archives: Austin

A New Beginning, And An End, At Last

21 May

Our newest great-grandson, Austin, was baptized this morning, along with another little boy.  In spite of my best efforts to sit with the family, I ended up “on the altar” again. Not too bad a deal, as I was still able to read the prayers for the candidates.  We Anglicans tend to be a flexible lot.

Austin and his parents are on the right in this shot.

baptism group

Eldest daughter had a party at her house after the service. We had invited Rev. Kim, but she had to be in Frederick by 2:30, so that didn’t work out.

Silbaugh called earlier this week to say they had finally gotten my dad’s stone in place, so The Squire and I stopped by Christ Church to take a look at that. It’s only been eighteen years, after all.  My mum refused to have a marker on his grave – “God will know where to find him when He wants him” – and I waited until she died before I ordered it. Now, I have to figure what to put on her stone that won’t sound snarky.

ERMP stone

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Second Time is a Charm (we hope)

18 Jan

Eldest daughter called around noon on Saturday to say that CHOP, after more tests and multiple plans of action,  had operated on the baby that morning. One of the doctors, in a flight of fancy, had gone back to the NG tube idea, because he thought Austin’s little tummy muscles weren’t contracting. His dad refused that suggestion, saying if his stomach wasn’t contracting, then putting food into it was pointless, and considering the power with which Austin was shooting food across the room, the muscles jolly well were contracting.

So the surgery was performed and the doctors agreed that it had definitely needed to be done. In fact the doctor who was pro-NG tube admitted it wouldn’t have worked at all.

Austin was a bit of a celebrity at the hospital, with nurses and other staff popping in to see him. Apparently, the pyloric sphincter growing shut a second time is pretty rare.  I asked if he was giving autographs, but apparently not.

Everyone is back home, and we are hoping and praying this second operation really does the trick!

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Update

13 Jan

Eldest Daughter called at 1:30 to say she was on her way home from Philadelphia, and about ready to drop in her tracks. She’d been up until very, very late waiting to see what was going to happen with the baby, and then she and Austin’s mum had tried to catch a few winks in recliners in the hospital room, with the baby unhappy and medical staff coming and going. She just called again to say our grandson had arrived at CHOP and the doctors are going to operate in the morning.

When I last visited with the kids, a week or so ago, things seemed to be going pretty well. Austin had gained a bit of weight, and even though he was still spitting up, it was no more than the usual baby stuff.  Early Thursday the baby started the projectile vomiting again, and was frantic with hunger. His mum would give him four ounces, and he’s shoot it across the room, and be rooting for more. Add to that the fact that he was becoming dehydrated and had dry diapers, and you have a very sick little boy.

When the kids first got to the hospital, the doctors were talking about an NG tube, which our grandson vetoed very firmly. If the food isn’t leaving Austin’s stomach, putting him (and his parents) through the insertion and cleaning of the tube was a waste of time. Another doctor suggested something else, and yet another came up with Plan C.

Dear God, let this surgery do the trick. Austin is three months old and only weighs 5 ounces more than he did when he was born.

 

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Here We Go Again

12 Jan

I just received a frantic call from Eldest Daughter (at 4 PM EST) that she, Austin’s mum, and Austin were headed back to Philadelphia.  We’re talking at least a two hour trip, probably more in rush hour traffic, so – although she didn’t give me any details – we can assume we have one sick little man on our hands.

Not to make light of Austin’s problems, but there was a house fire in Baltimore today which killed nine children, from 8 months to 11 years old, and left the mother and two other children in critical condition. The house is in such dangerous condition because of fire damage that firefighters are having to search for the bodies by hand.

Lots and lots of prayers needed in our neck of the woods.

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Back Home and Much Better

7 Jan

After a trip to Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP) Austin is home and doing much, much better. He is not throwing up as much, and seems more alert and interested in what’s going on around him.  He still throws up some, but babies do, and it’s not nearly as bad as it was. He has also gained a few ounces, which is a Good Thing.

His dad has been released from the military and is back at his day job with the electric company.  So far this winter we’ve had only two days of snow flurries, but I know that won’t last, but he bundles up and enjoys climbing poles.

More power to him.

 

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MIA?

3 Jan

When I left this morning to do the wash, there was a dreadful accident at the top of the hill. Quick U-turn, a detour, and grateful I wasn’t the one driving.

While I was out, I swung by the see The Bride and Groom, but the house was vacant! They had said they planned on moving, but I figured they’d at least let us know they were leaving town.

I came straight back, and there were at least four utility trucks at the accident scene, and more people standing around, pointing, than I could count in a hurry. A pole was broken off and I swear there was either smoke or steam coming out of the box on the side of the pole. (Maybe it was coming off the men standing there!)

Austin is headed back to Philly tomorrow for an upper GI and yet more testing. This will determine if the doctors will do the surgery again, or try another approach. Its been two months, and if it’s going to work, it should show some results by now. The doctors at Hopkins wanted to insert an NG tube, which would have meant the “kids” would be responsible for inserting and cleaning the tube, which is a recipe for disaster if ever I heard one. And if the food isn’t leaving the baby’s stomach, what is to be gained by dripping formula into it? And obviously, this is a “Band-Aid” approach. Austin can’t live with an NG tube for very long.

Do something!

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Philadelphia

30 Dec

Austin was admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia yesterday afternoon. He had not, at the time he was admitted, had anything to eat for seven hours (he is a not-quite-three months old) and was not interested in eating.  Obviously, both of his parents are with him.

The doctors had done a sonogram and requested the original films from Hopkins for comparison. They have put him on IVs to build him up, and he will be needing another surgery in the near future.

Watch and pray.

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And Again

28 Dec

Local Daughter contacted us this afternoon to say Austin was on his way back to the hospital. He was doing well on Christmas Day, but was running a fever yesterday, and when they took him to the doctor this morning he had lost weight again.

The doctors are talking about inserting “a tube”. Not sure if they mean a via his nose, something into his stomach, or a stent between his stomach and his intestine.

I feel so sorry for all of them – Austin, his mum and dad…this is just so disheartening.

We are very, very fortunate that the military allowed our grandson to come home, and that he has not yet had to return to his regular occupation.

 

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Oh, My Aching Back!

19 Dec

Or, you can’t fix stupid.

Many years ago a fellow I’d dated when I was between husbands gave The Squire and me a papyrus plant. He’d been keeping it in his living room and watering it every day, but it really wasn’t thriving, so he brought it to the Rice Paddy so it could live in our pond. It grew to absolutely massive proportions, and had to be repotted once, and then split. It is about ready to be split again.

The one drawback was that the plant has to be kept above 55-F and needed lots of sun. We kept it in the living room during the winter, but that really isn’t what you’d call sunny, so by spring it looks pretty dismal. This winter, rather than allow it to fade away, we decided to move it from the house to the front porch, aka the Sun Room, during the day and bring it back in every evening.

The Squire estimates the plant weighs at least forty-five pounds.

Guess who has a bad back and decided not to “bother” her husband last week to haul the pot in and out? Yup.

My back was bothering me a bit on Saturday, but yesterday I could barely move. It was BAD. To make it the cheese more binding, I was supposed to be the chalicist yesterday. Fortunately I was able to sweet-talk another lady into switching with me.

I found some “dynamite” pain pills left over from my neck surgery last year and took one when we got home from church and another last night before bed, and I think I just might live. Not only live, but it may actually be worth the trouble!

Grandson and his wife took the baby to the doctor today; Austin has gained three ounces, but she has made an appointment with a specialist and they will see him tomorrow.

Film at eleven.

 

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Oh, Baby!

14 Dec

Since his birth two months ago, our newest great-grandson has had more than his share of problems – and so have his parents!

He was a very big boy – almost nine pounds – but didn’t seem to gain weight the way newborns should.  It turned out he had pyloric stenosis, and had surgery when he was barely a month old. His mum, our granddaughter-in-love, had to take him back to the hospital on Monday morning because he was throwing up non-stop again. They kept him overnight, and sent him home this morning. They don’t seem to be sure if his problem is a recurrence of the stenosis or some sort of gastric upset. The doctors are understandably reluctant to operate again on a new born. At any rate, he lost seven ounces while he was in the hospital.

And that’s a lot for a little baby.

So now, he has medicine to take – infant Prilosec, I suppose – and his poor mum has to feed him every two hours and take him back to the pediatrician every other day to see if he is gaining, losing, or just holding his own. When the poor girl will get any sleep is another matter, but various family members are taking shifts to see that she gets some sleep. To make life even more “interesting”, our grandson is in the military, far, far away.

Hid name is Austin, and prayers are appreciated.

UPDATE: 7:20 PM – Eldest Daughter just called to say the baby’s father just got home. The military sent him back a month early!

 

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