Thursday 31st January

Here's a photo of Kaden - looking every where else but the camera!He's been a little grumpy today on and off,which we can cope with as long as it's not all day!Today we went for some retail therapy and it was great to get a change of scenery as for the last few days we stayed home.And to my husbands surprise when he opened the car boot out popped another new pram!Soon we'll have a pram for every day of the week!!Never mind that's what children are for and were just so thankful to have our 'Special Boy'.Kaden had a bath tonight which wasn't very easy.Trying to hold him and hold the end of his tube and wash him at the same time was a challange - i'll need to sprout another pair of hands.

Wednesday 30th January

Another great day for kaden.He's slept near enough after every feed today again.Today in Aberdeen the sun shone most of the day although it was really cold.We had another day at home today - giving my credit card a chance to cool down!!Here's my boy again - he'll be fed up shortly seeing the camera at every opportunity.

'Cheeky Boy'

Kaden on Monday 28th January

Tuesday 29th January

Kaden slept really well last night - and before he went to bed we had a great photo session.I''l post the photo's above in a slide show.

What a wet and wild day it's been so far - typical Aberdeen weather!!Alls well so far today in the Brown household.As i speak Kaden is having a siesta in his bed!!Kaden has been a little star so far today.I've taken some photo's of him after the school run this morning snoozing in his car seat!!Normally Mike takes the girls to school but he's away on business so i'm just about managing to get there for 9a.m,as we like our beds in the brown household!!

Monday 28th January

Kaden has been really unsettled when feeding today - crying during nearly every feed.We've got the hospital next Tuesday for his hernia op so I'll mention this to them and hopefuly they might come up with a soloution.Other than the feeding blips Kadens been great!Sleeping for sometimes around an hour or 2 between feeds!Although not so good as he wont sleep so early at night.Here's Kaden with his unhappy face on during a feed today!My computer is taking forever to download photo's so i'll add some more tommorrow,as i have no patience these days!!!!!!!!

Sunday 27th January

We and a nice quiet weekend with some friends over on Saturday and then on Sunday we met up with them again and went out for lunch.Kaden was really well behaved - better than our other 2 who were as high as kites!!

Our Tired Boy

Friday 25th January - Here's Kaden all set to brave our windy climate!He's looking a bit sleepy,i cant make out why - as he has a snooze after every feed!!He's probably thinking -another day at the shops with my shopaholic mother?!Yes Kaden we are heading into town,but only to get your new bumbo seat.(Any excuse!)

Kadens Oral Feeding

Last night Kaden amazed us.I made some corned beef hash with gravy for him and he scoffed the lot- and actually looked as if he was enjoying it.So again for tea i made cullen skink(fish soup)and he also ate some with no cowking.Great achievement for our boy who pre op wouldn't taste anything without gagging and it all coming back up!Here's Kaden enjoying his 1st real food.

Thursday 24th January

Kaden had an appointment at the hospital today to see the physio.We got there eventually stressed out as usual-as Kaden had a crying fit when feeding just before we left home.Then once we arrived at the hospital there were no parking spaces,so we had to circle round and round until we eventually got a space!!Once in the hospital I calmed down - as the physio is really relaxed and nice and put me at ease.The physio went over some different moves with Kaden,and showed me how to do them at home.She says Kaden is Double jointed and she said i might find he'll be slow at walking as double jointed children often are.I'm not worried to say the least as my oldest daughter didn't walk till she was 17 months-and if thats all i have to worry about thats ok!She also advised i get a bumbo seat which she recommends for getting Kaden to use and strengthen his upper body.But all in all she said he looked great.Here's Kaden lying on his new play mat.

My Star

Tuesday 22nd January

This week Kaden has been fine,and generally quite happy!We notice a difference each week in his progress.He has the physio this week and the speech and language lady.Here's Kaden in his bed- not looking too tired on Tuesday evening.

Here's My Boy!!

Sunday 20th January 2008

Kadens been a little unsettled today- i think he's teething.Everything is heading straight for his mouth!And boy can he drool!

This is Kaden all set to take his sister to football training-something unheard of us being up and out on a Sunday before 12 noon!!

Kadens Scar

Kadens scar seems to be healing fine,it's amazing how well babies wounds heal!!Kadens wound is about 4 inches long and a mirror image of his 1st operation wound.

Kaden at Home

So far so good with Kaden ,although feeding still seems stressfull!!Once Kaden has been fed or even during feeding he can whin and cry making feeding a real task as it takes forever.Hopefuly this won't last forever - and in between feeds we generally have a happy boy!

Day 2 - At home Saturday 12th January

What a monkey Kaden is - he's already been trying to pull out the tube for feeding him from his tummy!Kaden seems to be coping well on his feeding amounts and today he got his first taste of ice-cream and some chocolate which he quite liked.Today we ventured into town(what a nightmare!!)Kaden decided at feeding time he would make things hard for me - so once i started feeding him by the tube he started whinning and crying and the milk kept creeping up the syringe until it overflowed all over Kaden and Me!Just as well i had a spare change of clothes with me to change him although he had to go home minus a jacket as it was soaking.Boy does he make me work hard and know how to wind me up.Poor Kaden - We'll just have to remember in future to take a spare jacket with us just in case!!!Here's Kaden trying out some chocolate.

Kadens 1st Day Back Home

Kaden slept really well last night,he is fed 12hours overnight by the pump and up to 80ml bolus feeds 4 x daily.And so far so good.It was really cold today so i didn't venture far and left Kaden at home with his dad.The only time we ventured out with Kaden was to pick up his Sisters from school and he stayed tucked up in the car with daddy!

Going Home

Thursday 10th January - Kaden got the all clear to go home today!!We had some appointments at the hospital that day anyway so we attended them then headed for home.What a great feeling to have our Special Boy Home!Here's Kaden spending his 1st night at home post op with no tubes!

Smiler

Tuesday 8th January - Feeds increased again today and Kadens now upto 50mls 3 hourly,which he seems to be coping with.The doctor told us to try him with a bottle first before each feed to see if he will take a bottle.So far not looking too good,he has no interest in a bottle so every feed goes in the tube.This is Kaden today his new happy self!!

My Happy Boy

Since Surgery Kaden seems like a totally different boy,he's so happy and seems so content!!This his Kadens serious face saying you'll never guess,my mum found another hernia down below today which will need to be operated on also - but not for now.The doctor has said he wants Kaden to get over this surgery first and go back to hospital in 4 weeks to have his hernia repaired,i wouldn't care but he has herniated on the right side now and he only had the left side repaired in November!!Kadens new middle name is now hernia - Kaden hernia Brown, he's had them all!!They have upped Kadens feed to 40ml every 3 hours to see how he copes - so far so good!!

Kaden's Move

Kaden was moved upstairs to the surgical ward around 10.30a.m where he had a side room which ment i too could stay over in the room in the bed next to him.Kaden seems like a different boy today much more happy with himself.Time to restart feeds today.Kaden started with 30ml bolus feeds which seemed to work well and they also kept a drip up with fluids to keep him hydrated.In all the Surgeon seemed quite pleased with Kaden's progress and said the feeding would just take time and we would do it gradually.This is Kaden smiling for the camera-no tube!!

Kaden Day 3 Post Op

Monday 7th January 2008

Kaden's well enough to be moved out of HDU and upstairs to a ward!Another good day for Kaden who seemed happy enough with himself(with a few whines now and again).

Poor Kaden has splints on both arms as he was trying to pull out his neck line and also scratching his face as the morphine can make you itch.

Kaden on Day 2 Post Op

They took Kadens Epidural out today as it had been leaking and wasn't working properly.That had been the plan anyway and if he was in pain they gave him a push of his morphine pump which seemed to settle him.Kaden looked well today and seemed quite happy!!The nurse told me to take in a baby gro for Kaden as he was well enough to put one on.

Kaden on Day 1 Post Op

Kaden was a little unsettled on and off throughout the day,so they gave him some more morphine each time he became unsettled.Kaden was also quite swollen with fluid today which the doctor had warned us about - but overall the doctor was very pleased with his recovery so far.

Kaden in HDU

It broke my heart to see poor Kaden lying there all wired up to moniters and the thought of what our poor son ahd been through.At only 5 months old he'd just had his 3rd operation and hopefuly his last!?Kaden seemed a little unsettled but overall quite well for what he'd been through.Kaden had a line in his neck,hand and foot and also still had the epidural in his back which will be removed on day 3(Sunday)Here's Kaden after his operation.

Surgery Day 4th January 2008

We met the Surgeon when we arrived at the hospital to go over Kadens operation.The whole time i stood and wondered if we were doing the right thing for Kaden?The surgeon explained all about the operation and told us it was a big operation for Kaden to go through but felt it would benefit Kaden in the long run as he was struggling to thrive and it would stop his reflux and also give Kaden and our family a better quality of life.We aired our fears to the surgeon if the fundo didn't work and made things worse for Kaden how would we stand - which he replied the fundo can be reversed if it made things worse.So we decided to give both the fundo and G tube a try.Kaden was 1st on the list for surgery,so we headed down to theatre around 9.30a.m.The worst thing you have to go through holding your precious baby in your arms and entering the operating theatre knowing your baby trusts you and handing him over to be put to sleep.It's the worst feeling in the world!!The surgeon started the operation around 10.30a.m after Kaden was put to sleep and all monitered up and all the lines put in place.Surgery took around 2 hours and Kaden was transferred to the high dependency unit for the weekend.(The 2 hours seemed like forever)The surgeon told us after the op he was so glad we had done the operation as he found Kaden had a heighitis hernia which was pushing upwards as the muscle around the middle part of his diaphram was very thin and so he repaired that also at the front and the back with a patch - and said no wonder Kaden couldn't keep his milk downas the muscle was virtually not working at all.This is Kaden on Friday after his operation.

Friday 4th January 2008

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to hospital we go.No More Nose tube Say's Kaden!!We've been dredding this day-but we have to do whats best for Kaden.We re praying all will go well and Kaden will be back home after a weeks stay in hospital and hopefully this will be the last hurdle for us to jump!?There's one thing for sure i won't be sleeping that much in the next week.

Here's Kaden on 1 of his dogs backs!