Lucas is 5 months old!

Dear Family & Friends,

Our little Lucas is a whole 5 months old! We hope you all have been enjoying your summer. We've had some small trips to the hospital, but for the most part Lucas has been very healthy. He may have some minor inflammation in his lungs from aspirating while eating which is a common ailment with DS. It's become more obvious since he got the feeding tube out last month, so I've been mostly feeding him by bottle. I'm anxious for the next feeing appointment because if it continues to be an issue, then he'll have to have the tube re-inserted. So, for now, I'll say I'm enjoying the break.

At 5 months Lucas has found his thumbs and hands and is delightfully entertained by sucking on his hands several times a day. His neck continues to get stronger. I keep having in mind that the girls were sitting up by 6 months old and I don't know that he'll be there by 6 months, but he was also born about a month early so we can give him a break. Admittedly, I CAN'T WAIT for him to be able to sit up and be that much stronger. ☺

He is quick to smile at anyone smiling at him and is making a lot of talking and cooing sounds both at his sisters and by himself.

Fernando has been off of work for the summer for July & August. We've been trying to catch up on sleep and are finishing up the summer with a trip to see his parents (where we are right now) in Windsor, ON so Lucas had his first airplane ride into Detroit, MI! We also have a camping trip with my family on the Washington coast before school starts. Both girls will be in school full time with Natalie in PreK and Isabelle in 2nd grade so Lucas and I will getting some good quality time together while they are in school. ☺

So now Lucas has his heart conditions which are looking a bit better, perhaps enough to push his surgery back to after he's a year old - doctors are checking him every couple months. He also has some inflammation in his lungs that should go away. Aside from those. Now he's getting old enough that we'll see how he hits his milestones. Smiling - check, he's working on rolling over, holding up his head, and eventually sitting up!

Looking forward to connecting with all of you a little more intentionally once school starts and I can wrap my head around things outside of our immediate family unit and health stuff.

Love from our family to you and yours!

Christine