Damion is doing great, no complications or surgeries since he was a couple of weeks old. Damion has been in preschool since he was 3 going on 4 so this is his second year and he is doing great. I had a speech specialist test him because he is tongue tied and he had no problems that they were concerned with. My son amazes me everyday and everyday I think will he have to have another surgery because he is growing and getting so big but still no surgery and what concerns me is why is it that he is getting so big but the patch hasn't detached, a question I need to ask his doctors. Anyway Damion now has a baby brother Silas who was perfectly healthy and is 17months Now! He is a great big brother and helper to me and my Angel that makes me believe that life is wonderful. Damion starts kindergarten this fall and I will keep everyone updated on him and how well he does in school.

Today we had appointment with the surgery clinic but prior to the appointment they ask us to take Damion down to radiology to get a chest x-ray down first. I was so worried because Damion has been severally constipated and was just in the er for running a temp. 102.0 and higher for several days. We went in to see a Dr. Hendricks to see the outcome instead a different nurse who works with him come in and told us Damion chest x-ray was perfect, the patch was still in place, and there was no fluid or ammonia in his lungs from him being sick. We were so happy and relieved and she also told us we won't have to go back in for another chest x-ray again for a whole year, and if we do have any problems or concerns to talk to his pediatrician!!!!

I am praying the same for all our other cherubs families who our fighting each day with cdh bc we all no this is alot to take in and to over come!!!!

:mom1: I wanted to wish everyone a Happy (Mommy's, Momma, Mom, or Ma) Day, this is more like it for babies to say. My son has been saying momma and mom a couple of days right after he came home from the hospital for the first time after being there from birth till 2months old it was amazing to hear him say it, I was so happy after leaving him every night from the hospital thinkn he don't really even know who i was but i was wrong he knew me all along and I couldn't believe it and he just said it over and over and still does everyday i love him so much but now daddy is jealous so we been workn on him saying Dad, Dadda or Daddy which ever he decides to say first but instead of staying it he will smile or laugh and say momma i thought it was so cute!!! Hopefully he will say it for Dadda before Father's Day it would make his dad so happy!!! Hope everyone has a great day and keep in mind all the big things u have over come and all the great things ur doing and all the small things ur babies do that u won't ever forget because all of us our stronger than most mommy's cause our babies have CDH and are even more special to have been born without a lot and proves there hearts is bigger and fuller with happiness and all smiles no matter what they went through or still has to overcome, they are our miracle babies and sorry to all the moms who babies is not doing good or who has grew there wings in heaven your still doing or did what u can or could so don't blame yourself for what god choose's for you because every choice he makes for us there is always a good reason even if we lose inside something so precious we will one day join beside them knowing why!!!!

:stork:On 11/29/11 i was getting induced at Centerpoint Hospital because i was already 10 days overdue with my first child. I went into the hospital at 4:30am to start the process and by 5:30pm i was fully dilated and was ready to start pushing, i try for 2 hours but he wasn't coming out not even with forecepts so they rush me to have a emergency c-section and i freak out telling something is wrong. Once he was out all i could remember was them giving me a glance and looking over at his father (eddie) and saying why isn't he crying, they said he needs some oxygen because he couldn't breath on his own, I was sent to a recovery room waiting for my son when a group of doctors came in and told me my son was born with a birth defect call Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and they needed to rush him to Childrens Mercy Hospital to recieve the care he needed or he was going to make it, I lost it thinking that i was never going to even get to hold my son. Our family was waiting and wondering why it was taking them along time but when they all heard the news they all was shocked and comfort me and finally calm me down! I got release 12/1/11 two days earlier then they wanted but i got a call saying they wanted to do surgery. When i got to the hospital before surgery i got to spend some time with him but it was hard not to cry they had him hooked up to alot of tubes and a ventilater, the surgery team came by and told me all of his Diagnosis: Congenital Diaphragmatic hernia, Congenital hypoplasia of lung, PPHN-pulmonary hypertension in newborn, Anemia, etc. During are waiting time they seen he wasn't stable for surgery and decided to wait acouple more days He was doing good so they took him 12/5/11 for surgery and he did great thru surgery and after surgery, he was starting to gradually come down on the ventilater and oxygen and was totally off the ventilater a couple of days after surgery and a couple of weeks later off of oxygen totally. They put a feeding tube in his nose to start him on formula and they seen that he had a lot if spit ups they figure out and diagnosis him with Gastro-esophageal reflux disease and was put on medicine for that, once he was holding it down we tryed the bottle but he never took much for after a couple of weeks he just was progressing so the surgery team came by and talk to us and explain he was only still there because he had feeding problems and if we wanted him home we needed to explore some options and one was to put the g-tube in and we didn't want to but knew that was what would bring our son home so they did surgery 1/23/12 and he did great and 1/27/12 our angel was coming home. Before we left that day all i could remember is how much the nurses love Damion and how sweet and good he was thru it all and i was even told that he could be the Poster Child for CDH!!! How Amazing is that!!!!
0;-)Our Angel came home and not a week later started taking the bottle like a normal baby. We had a home nurse for a month but they decided we didn't need her. We still go to several appt. special care clinic for his growth and he is progressing great and surgery clinic for his tube and CDH and 06/12/12 the g-tube will be remove. He is still on medicine for his reflux too. Damion is 5 months old and doing great but we still pray everyday for him to stay healthy and grow up to be a normal child!!!!