Why is Charlie smiling?

Because he just got his test results from the Geneticist.  And guess what?  They're normal.  Across the board.  No blips.  No abnormalities.  No syndromes.  No disorders.  Just a bunch of ordinary, everyday chromosomes.  Keep smiling, Charlie!

Four Month Check-Up

Charlie with his Daddy.

Charlie met with his pediatrician this week to commemorate his fourth month.  Charlie is 17 pounds, 11 ounces and his length is 27.5 inches.  He's in the 95th percentile for weight, and off the charts for height.  His head circumference, which is being closely monitored because of his cranio-fuse, is in the 10th percentile - growing steadily but not placing pressure on his brain.  Charlie's pediatrician is still watching for signs of possible cerebral palsy and is still concerned about his lack of tone in certain muscles and overtone in others.  There is no way to diagnose a baby so young with something as complicated as CP, but its good to be on the lookout so that Charlie's physical therapies can be geared towards his special needs.  The upside is that Charlie is slowly gaining more head control, is reaching for toys with both hands, is kicking both legs (which helps him develop core abdominal strength), smiles, laughs and connects with family. Overall, his pediatrician said he looked "amazing" and that she was very pleased with his "extraordinary progress".  Yay Charlie!

Next up for Charlie?

December 13th: repeat renal ultrasound and a repeat Voiding Cystourethrogram (VCUG).  During the VCUG, Charlie will be catheterized, and a solution is injected into the bladder. This solution contains a contrasting material which will show up on the x-ray. After the solution is injected, they will take a series of pictures with an x-ray so that they can see if the contrast stays in the bladder or, as in Charlie's last VCUG, travels into the kidneys.  If the urine is still refluxing into the kidneys, its likely that he'll have surgery in the new year.