2 Years Old!

We so enjoyed celebrating Mitchell's 2nd Birthday!

It's hard to believe that 2 years has already passed.

We are so thankful for his progress. It is amazing to see the resilience after everything he has been through. We are thankful that God has protected him- seems like so long ago that we were sitting by his side praying for him, unsure of what his future would hold- bleeding on both sides of his brain, a severe hypoxic episode- seeing the fragility of his little body.

We can't help but smile watching as he walks and talks and laughs. God has blessed us so much. There was a time we thought we would never forget those negative situations; they have now become distant memories and just a reminder of God's Blessings.

God has a plan for all of us. It's easy to get caught up in day to day activities, but we desire to be open to God's leading. What does He have for us today? How can we be used?

Mitchell is a daily reminder for us of Jeremiah 29:11- "For I know the plans I have for you..."

We are so thankful that God has allowed Mitchell to be a part of our lives. Thank you for praying for him and for us; and thank you for helping us celebrate the 2nd anniversary of his birth!

He weighed in at 22 lbs 2 oz., and measured at 32 1/4 inches at his 2 year visit. Still below the chart, but back on track with his own curve. At the moment, he doesn't have any appointments scheduled until his Cardiology visit in September! The spitting up is still an issue, but has improved greatly with smaller more frequent feedings during the day and a continuous feeding at night.

He continues with OT, PT and Speech Therapies as well as a weekly visit from his Developmentalist.

Matt Hammitt's song, All of Me, is now available on iTunes. Updates on Bowen can be found at www.bowensheart.com.

Cardiology Update

Good Cardiology appointment. Stented pulmonary artery still has adequate flow, function stable, mild valve leakage. Sat 90% even with his congestion right now. Oh, and he's back on a growth curve- still under the charts but back up on his own curve. Overall, a blessing! Follow up in 4 months.

Currently on an antibiotic for an ear infection. Our wonderful nurse practitioner saw him on Sunday afternoon.

We are so thankful for his progress. After everything he has been through we are just amazed!

We have been following Bowen's blog. He is the son of Matt Hammitt, lead singer for Sanctus Real. Below is a link to their blog and a song he wrote entitled, All of Me. If you'd like, you can listen to the song by taking the link below and clicking the play button below the 2 video news postings.

http://bowensheart.com/2010/11/25/happy-thanksgiving/

Happy Easter

Thankful for Easter- Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ!

You are Invited:

Open House

Sunday, March 13th

It's hard to believe we are already approaching Mitchell's 2nd Birthday!

We want to celebrate with everyone who has supported us.

Open House

Saturday, May 21st 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Food & Fellowship

Yard games

Horse & Pony Rides

If you would like details or to RSVP, please contact us at

jodi_holz@yahoo.com or 850-341-4151.

GI Update

Sorry for the delayed post. Not sure where the time goes...
Many have been asking about Mitchell's appointment in Mobile. Thank you for your interest and concern.
We are attempting changes without any invasive procedures right now.
Changed formula, Changed and added medications. He gets less volume per feeding, so more total feedings.
We've had some better days and some days where we try to make up at night. Overall, he is doing a little better.
His last weight was 20 pounds 1 ounce, so we still need to work on that. Although he stays under the growth chart, his weight to length ratio isn't overly concerning. Would be good to gain a couple of pounds.
We have talked to his Pediatrician about doing another barium study via his feeding tube. Although, it's not as conclusive as other studies, we could visualize his stomach filling/emptying, reflux and hernia. We are wondering if the hiatal hernia is larger and affecting the volume that his stomach can handle. We know his digestion is compromised given his decreased oxygen saturation, but we are hoping to see things improve. His last oxygen saturation was 87%.

Mitchell is starting to walk more independently, and his foot seems to be gradually getting better. He is still seeing PT, OT and Speech Therapy weekly as well as a weekly visit from a Developmentalist.

His vocabulary has really grown. He will tell you his name, how old he is, and repeats pretty much everything he hears. We've lost count of all of the words. We are so thankful to see his increased independence! He LOVES his "Sissy" (Madison) and "Ninny" (Mackenzie). They are terrific big sisters. How many 9 year olds know how to work a feeding pump? We are so proud of them. Seems that God may be preparing them for something special.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Oh, and today is mom's Midterm. We're proud of her, too! She is taking an Origins class every M,W,F this semester at PCC. She has gotten all A's so far. At the end of this semester, she will receive her degree from Faith Baptist Bible College- finishing the 2nd of 2 classes she missed a few years back.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We previously posted a link to my cousin's blog for those interested in following their journey. They now have a Caring Bridge to keep family & friends updated at https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/babyausk/createorsignin
We are thankful that there are no additional complications identified at this point.

Mitchell is doing well with the exception of his feedings. It has been difficult to keep them down the last couple of weeks. We have tried lesser amounts; lower concentration of calories, etc... A simple guess would be that his hiatal hernia is worse. Most morning feedings come back up entirely and many others. We are thankful that he seems to tolerate them better when he is sleeping, so I have added a midnight and 4 a.m. feeding. At least we can maintain that way for now. We are taking him to a specialist at USA in Mobile on the 22nd. He will likely have a Barium Study that will allow us to see the hernia.

He is a sweet, happy boy! We love all of the new vocabulary & activities. He has started walking- as many as 31 steps at once, but crawling is still the quickest. Takes some coaxing to get him to walk. He has a brace for his left foot. Even before using the brace, we noticed that he was doing better straightening his foot, but he has been turning in at the ankle. Hoping the brace helps strengthen his left leg.

Time to get back to dinner preparation for tonight.
Wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day!
Will update after his appt. on the 22nd.