Why can't I follow this diet??! (Seth's GI appointment)

I think this is hilarious; actual doctor's orders printed on our take-home sheet after being drilled into us in the office:

"Whenever eating salty[savory] foods add butter, oil, cheese. Sweet foods add chocolate or peanut butter."

And we're now mixing Carnation Instant Breakfast (or rather Breakfast Essentials, they've changed the name since I was a kid) into every cup of milk Seth drinks, as per her orders.

All of this because our poor little boy just isn't gaining weight. In fact, he's lost some weight (probably due to his very active toddler lifestyle) and is back down under 20 pounds. :( The doctor said this is very common in preemies, descriptively called "failure to gain weight." Seth's height and head circumference (brain growth) curves are great, it's just the weight one that isn't coming up like it should. I know Gracie and David are technically underweight, too, but obviously we're not as keen to get them fatter since they haven't been on a feeding tube.

Thankfully, the doctor wasn't at all concerned - she sees this a lot - and she says he'll outgrow it like preemies do. The problem, she said, is that parents get so used to fattening up everything the kids eat that they find it hard to stop and the kids end up too chubby! I would LOVE to have that problem and have to put my kiddos on a lower fat diet. :)

Seth's progress in successfully weaning off medication, successfully discontinuing tube feeds, and coping with 3 colds without needing oxygen, his albuterol inhaler, hospitalization or indeed even acting very sick at all, seemed to really amaze her. He was quite busy in her office, too, and talking, which was fun.

So our big prayer request is that Seth will gain weight and keep it on! When he can gain weight two visits in a row she'll give us the go-ahead to remove the feeding tube tummy button. It's just a matter of deflating and removing it, then placing gauze over the remaining little hole, which should close up quickly. We can do all that on our own. In the meantime his button is a handy way to give him his antacid medication. :)

Seth was happy to practice walking between Gavin and me the other night . . . until he fell. Then he was upset and refused to try again. I guess he just hates falling more than the other kids did. He seems to be walking with his left foot more straight. His favorite thing to play with (other than the slide) is the Fisher Price shopping cart on loan to us from Miss Lynn. He loves to walk it up and down the hall. He also loves to push his siblings on the ride-on cars/trains. Maybe those exercises and the "enforced" standing on left leg only exercises are working; maybe it's people praying for him! We have his reevaluation on Monday at 9:30. I'll update then.

Someone told me one of my recent kid update posts was too long,  so I'll close for now! :)

Gratefully,
Carrie

The kids after they finished eating. They all love my spoon and coffee cup, so I got them all their own metal spoons and mugs. Great fun was had by all! You can't really see Seth or Marcie at all, but Gracie and David and Will sure are cute, I think!