On Saturday night, by 10.30 pm we were on our way home from the airport, Max fast asleep in his car seat, Verna waiting for us at home. We got in, Verna put Max to bed and we unloaded the car and had a cup of tea. When we finally went up to bed, we’d heard Max’s alarm had been going off quite regularly and as I walked into his room I asked “are we calling an ambulance?”. I was only joking, but in fact Max had spiked a temperature and his heart rate was getting higher and higher. When it hit 217 we also realised that he was leaking all his milk, and therefore also his ibuprofen and chloral hydrate (sedative) and that we were unable to calm him down at all. Also he was so upset that he was putting so much pressure on his gastrostomy that we thought it would pop out! We called an ambulance and in A&E they gave him a paracetamol suppository (or two!) and by the time they took effect the crisis was over. We did however leave him in overnight to say hello to the nurses as we suspected that was what he really wanted. He is on another course of antibiotics, but seems really rather well in himself now.
On Sunday afternoon we collected him from PICU, gave him a bath (which he is really beginning to enjoy), did a trachy change and put a lovely clean little boy to bed. He behaved well for Verna that night and on Monday we put together his new big boy’s bed! He seemed to really enjoy the extra space it gives him and we think he looks adorable in it! I will take a picture for you soon.
Yesterday morning a photographer came from Tadworth (the Children’s Nurses centre that Annette, Sheila, Claire and Helen come from). They are preparing their annual report and every year they include a few case studies and we have agreed that Max would be included as the one Outreach client (Outreach – help in the home as opposed to at the centre in Tadworth). Anyway, they came to take some pics to include in the report and Massimo refused to smile for them nearly the whole time they were here. In the end I faced him and just made lots and lots of very silly noises and laughing with him! It was hard work. Then in the afternoon we left him with Sheila whilst Justin and I went to the hospital for an appointment.
Massimo is due to have a little brother or sister come December (due date is currently 10th December) and we went for our 12 week (3 month) scan. All seems well and the little baby – currently 5 cms in length – seemed to be having a little dance in there, but he/she refused to turn onto his/her back so that the doctor could get good measurements! Stubborn at such a young age, I wonder who he/she takes after!