We have had a rough last 36 hours in the Evans home, or I should say that Stockton has had a rough last 36 hours. I hesitate doing this post because I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining (complaining would be impossible where Stockton is concerned) but instead, I’m posting this to show what a tough little trooper my Stockton has been his first two and half years of life. Literally, from day one of Stockton’s life he has had to deal with some pretty serious physical trials (though things could be much worse I suppose) and yet, through it all, he still remains to be the cutest and sweetest little boy ever.
Trial #1: Borderline Reflux (0-12 months old)
Stockton went through about three bibs per day because they would get so soaked with his excessive spitting up. We had to use the extremely expensive kind of formula to keep anything down. (Try not to laugh too much at Clark in this picture. :) The bib is what I am trying to emphasize.)
Trial #2: Atopic Dermatitis (Birth to present)
Stockton was a pretty difficult baby for the first few months until we discovered that he had severe atopic dermatitis or eczema. When he was only one month old, he learned how to scratch the rashes all over his body. When he was about four months, we saw a specialist who gave us an ointment that kept the break-outs under control. From that point on, Stockton has been nothing but a happy boy. Stockton is one month old in this picture. You can see the eczema on his cheek.
Trial #3: Plagiocephaly or misshapen head (4-12 months)
At about 4 months, we noticed that Stockton had a flat spot on the back of his head. We tried to have him sleep on his side to mold his head back into shape, but unfortunately that didn’t work. We eventually proceeded with helmet therapy when he was 8 months old. He wore this helmet everyday all day for two months, then only at night for another two months.
Trial #4: PDD NOS (15 months to present)
Who knows when this actually began, and it probably will never go away completely, but Stockton continues to improve and cope with it everyday. PDD NOS is an autistic spectrum disorder, though one of the most mild on the spectrum. This is one of my favorite pictures of Stockton, but it also shows his arms tensing up with excitement, which is a sign of his perseverating.
Trial #5: Asthma (presently)
Perhaps this is related to trials #1 and 2—my boy does seem to be sensitive to allergies, though we can't pinpoint what. A couple nights ago Stockton woke up at 2:00 in the morning with a difficulty in breathing. Since then we have been using a nebulizer three times a day to help him breath, but he is pretty much over the worst. We're not sure if this will be a recurring thing or not. This is the nebulizer we have to use. Stockton has a love-hate relationship with this baby. He likes the mist, but gets annoyed with it in his face.
What will be next?
