2009...here we come!

The month of December came and went in the blink of an eye. Chase had his follow-up doctor visit 12/10 and received a good report. He received several vaccinations (5 shots in all poor guy). His growth and weight are trending upward and he was 11lbs 6oz. At his eye appt, they said he has intermittent exotropia where one eye wanders outward occassionally. But this will likely improve as he gets older, and actually seems to have completely resolved since that appt. He'll have a follow-up att in April to reassess though. His hearing exam showed that he possibly has fluid behind his eardrums and may need tubes down the road, but he's too young to know for sure, so they'll reassess in a few months. His hearing aids are working well. Max actually got a hold of them a week after the appointment and chewed them to no repair. He luckily just chewed up the mold and not the actual mechanical peice. So we were able to get replacement molds in a week. We've learned our lesson and now keep the hearing aids out of reach for Max! The coffee table is not high enough! :)
In the last month, Chase has learned to roll over. He's quite good at it now! So the days of laying him on the ottoman unattended for even a second are over. He's also learned to communicate since he can't 'talk'. See the attached video link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GKW5VuL-CZiGfOx5krJxkQ?feat=directlink

We first thought it was just a noise he wasn't intending to make, but soon realized it was completely intentional. When he was without his hearing aids, he didn't seem to make his little sound as much. But once he had them back, he seemed to enjoy hearing himself. Chase has also mastered tummy time, so I guess we're one step closer to crawling.
We had a wonderful holiday in Clinton with all of the family. Charlotte adored her cousin Chase! And Chase's first Christmas was so special. He loved all the lights, and Grammy got him a singing dancing light-up Christmas tree that he really enjoyed. Remembering the true meaning of Christmas is sometimes difficult with the chaos of the season. I was listening to one of my favorite Christmas songs, 'Breath of Heaven' that helped put things in perspective. It's a powerful song about Mary, pregnant, scared and tired, looking for a place to give birth to Jesus, and trusting in God's will and asking for God to be with her and give her strength. I think of the struggles and fears we had over the last year with Chase, and it doesn't even compare to what she must have gone through. But look how it turned out.

Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’
~ Matthew 1:23, NLT

We look forward to watching Chase grow and making memories over the next year. Who knows what 2009 will bring. Hopefully a little less craziness than 2008. But whatever comes our way, we know how it will turn out.