While we are making progress...

...we are also having setbacks. Yesterday, Malachi woke up in a TERRIBLE mood - Whining, zoning out, sleeping (but only for about 30 minutes at a time) and, overall just not acting like himself. (See above video for what "himself" looks like!)

He laid down, finally, at about 12:30 and slept until about 2:00, so I thought maybe he just needed to get a good nap in. So, it was off to Karter's b-day party at Lolli's house. While there, he managed to spit up 4 times on BOTH of the outfits we had brought. **Sidenote - Goat's Milk STINKS!** He was dazed and staring off into space, not playing with anyone, even his own feet weren't interesting anymore. Then, he started to fuss, so we came back home within about an hour.

Then, after being at home for about an hour (it was about 5:30p.m by this time) he woke up from sleeping in his swing for about another 30 minute nap and had a horribly raspy cry. I immediately decided to take him to the Canyon Clinics because Strep Throat has been going around EVERYWHERE and I just knew that's what it was.

We arrived at the clinics around 6:15 - finally got back to see the Dr. around 7:00 (even though we were the ONLY patients there) and they weighed him and took his temperature. They didn't tell me what the temp was, but I don't think he had one. If he did it was VERY low grade and may have been caused by me holding him in a long-sleeved onesy and a furry blanket. Then came judgment day...the weigh-in. You would think he was getting ready for a wrestling match and had to make weight. The first weigh-in, he was 15 4 3/4 oz. But, that was fully clothed and at his weigh in last Tuesday (on that same scale) he weighed 15 7 3/4 oz naked. So, I stripped him down and they weighed him again...Drum Roll Please...14 13 3/4 oz. My son has officially LOST weight and THAT'S ON GOAT'S MILK SINCE THURSDAY WITH NO MAJOR INSTANCES OF SPIT UP (BARRING YESTERDAY!)

He now weighs only about a pound more than his cutiepie cousin, Elliot who was born a month and a half AFTER him. According to growth chart calculators (and I tried several because I didn't like what I was seeing on each consecutive website) he is in the 11th percentile for his weight. He has been in the 35th percentile!!! Talk about FRUSTRATION!!!!! You can feel his bones when you pick him up. It's just NOT RIGHT!!

So, when the nurse practitioner came in, I started BAWLING and BEGGED her to listen to me. SHE was VERY sympathetic and did something that NO ONE up until this point had done. SHE LISTENED!! She said it's NOT right and recommended that we take Malachi to see Dr. Haabersang (sp?) who is a pediatric intensivist here in Amarillo. She said she would give Malachi a referral Monday morning at 8:00 and that she has seen him do GREAT work with babies!! She also said Malachi has strep throat and put him on the baby equivalent of Z-Pack.

Thankfully, this morning he is in a MUCH better mood and hasn't spit-up since yesterday's bottles. We've switched to the liquid goat's milk upon the recommendation from the Chiropractor. She thinks that will be EVEN EASIER for him to digest and get the nutrients he needs. He's on 1/2 strength and w'ell switch him to full strength a little later today so his tummy is nice and calm again!!

Thomas has been playing with him in the living room and just brought him in to me!! ALL SMILES and giggles. It's GOOD to have at least a semblance of my baby back!!

On another note, it's been really easy for us to get down about all of this, especially me!! I have cried more tears over Malachi in the last month than I think I did my entire pregnancy/stay in the hospital. I just want SO BADLY for him to get better. I think we're on the right track!!

But, all that being said, I don't have ANYTHING to complain about given the situation a couple of our friends are going through. A few months ago, I mentioned a little girl named Cameron having Cancer. She's 3 years old with a twin sister and a baby brother. She has been doing SO well fighting her leukemia that she has quite frankly surprised us all. However, she is undergoing her most intense phase of chemo right now (it's called delayed intensification, if that tells you anything about it) and she is still being a trooper despite bouts of nausea and vomiting, severe hunger due to steroids and taking 17 medications/day. However, I just heard from her dad, Marcus, that she is in the hospital with an infection (they think it's Croup) and is not doing too well. This leaves one of the two parents at home with the other two children while the other one is taking care of Cami in the hospital. The frustrating part is that the children don't go outside, they don't get visitors at their house and they stay home ALL DAY EVERY DAY!! That, in and of itself, would be enough to break anyone. So, they're not sure how this nasty infection found its way in. Please be praying for Marcus, Julie, Olivia and Cameron and sweet Noah that God will protect them. And, please help me to remember that I'm not in NEAR as bad a situation as I could be! (But, on the selfish side...please keep praying for us too!!)