Harley Update

So we were supposed to have Harley's blood drawn by the end of last week but things kept coming up and it became clear that neither Tavis nor I were really convinced he needed it done. So I called his doctor this week and asked if we could change his diet (switch from rice cereal to oatmeal and cut way back on the bananas) and exercise his legs and neck more. And to be honest, we never even tried to have him sit up on his own. He's so content to roll all over the room or just sit on our laps that it never occurred to us to have him sit. Well, guess what?? He CAN do it! He holds himself up with his hands so he wouldn't be able to, say, hold a toy and sit at the same time, but he really can sit. Of course he topples over after about ten seconds. Progress, right? What do they call that? OH! BABY STEPS!



Anyway, we asked if we did all those things would it be OK if we waited til his 9 month appointment to see if he's stronger. She said they really would like to have it tested but that it would be fine if we waited a couple of months. It's not like we don't want to be pro-active with our child's health. We're willing to do whatever is necessary for him. And if she was insistent that we get it done, we'd for sure do it. But because my other two kids didn't stand on their legs til they were a year old and were always super cuddly and have turned out just fine, (developmentally, that is) we feel like we can do other things first. Even if it's just for a little while. She said that if he misses any more "milestones" (which, for the record, I think "milestones" are things a group of doctors got together and decided were good ways to make parents feel badly about themselves and their kids) then we should get him in and checked sooner.



So, we got him an exer-saucer and we're going to get him one of those "Bumble" things for him to sit in and we've already changed his diet (which has worked out quite well) (and by "quite well" I mean he's having diapers that are in NO WAY full of constipation). And now we wait. It was too hard for us to justify putting him through such a traumatic ordeal. Or us, for that matter. I know he wouldn't remember it but we would and I don't know of any parent who wants to subject their baby to painful testing if it's not absolutely necessary.



This is my perfectly normal baby being perfectly normal and perfect in his new toy.


P.S. He's perfect.



Unrelated note:
One year ago today my very dear friend, Courtney, had a bone marrow transplant. She has had an incredibly hard year. She's a wife and a mother of four. I love her tons and I want to tell everyone (all two of you) who reads this that she's amazing and she's awesome and earlier this week she was declared to be in REMISSION!!