June-tastic

What a difference a year makes! That's true for all babies, of course, but it's hard to believe that the tiny baby who spent every moment of last June on the cusp of life and death is the same baby who's spent this June hitting one milestone after another.

Bryce had his "one year" (nine month, by our count) check-up last week, and I think the pediatrician was as dumbfounded as we are. After a cursory exam, he asked Christie if Bryce could sit unassisted. "Ummm... yeaah," she replied. Before he could move to the next question on the list, Bryce crawled over to Christie, pulled himself to standing, and proceeded to walk while holding on to Christie's fingers. Physical development? A++. (Yes, he climbed up on the step in the picture by himself. He was trying to climb over the gate.)


We're still waiting for Bryce to make his first sound that isn't a cry, a squeak, or a growl, but given how well he's progressing in other areas, no one seems concerned. It's probably imitation at this stage, but he's started waving to the two of us and he'll even give out kisses. Now that he's sitting, crawling and standing, he's perfectly content to spend long stretches of time exploring the world on his own, which has made our lives much easier (assuming we've done a good job of baby-proofing the place he's exploring, that is). Logan and Bryce get along great together, and it's heartwarming to see the two of them playing.


Bryce has started eating a wider variety of table foods, including some meat and even the dreaded dairy (cheddar cheese). So far, we haven't had any problems with allergies, aversions or choking. More importantly, he's been growing like a weed: 18.75 lbs (17th percentile) and 28 inches (32nd percentile) at 9 months adjusted.

The little guy had a follow-up appointment at the ENT a few weeks back, and the doc decided that he will not need surgery for the cleft palate. Better yet, I noticed early last week that he's not wheezing anymore! We're not really sure when it stopped, but I think it's been at least a month, which bodes well for the condition of his lungs/windpipe.


So, it seems that Bryce has officially conquered all of his preemie challenges. My heart quails at the audacity of such a statement, because after all that we've seen, I simply cannot believe that our 24-weeker escaped the NICU with nothing more than a pair of glasses and a few scars. Either he won the micro-preemie lottery, or he really does have an angel on his shoulder. One way or the other, we're grateful for a happy, healthy June. Print this post