This last week we took him to a hearing center for a follow-up appointment to check his hearing. Because of being on ECMO, the heart and lung bypass, the Doctors told us Jackson was at increased risk for hearing loss. He failed his newborn hearing screening while he was at Primary Children's Medical Center; his left ear wasn't registering low pitches and the auditory nerve in his right ear wasn't giving good signs of hearing. He passed his hearing test and all the issues from the initial screening were cleared! What a blessing!
Jackson is his daddy's boy. At his 2 month check-up last week, the nurse had to measure him twice to make sure he was really as tall as he was! He is in the 98th percentile for his height at 25 1/4 inches and 68th percentile for his weight at 12 1/2 pounds.
We've been able to do some fun things with our little guy. The week after he was released from the hospital, we went to Sun River, Oregon. It was a very long car ride, but Jackson did pretty good. It was an awesome Butterfield Family reunion! Jackson went swimming for the first time with his Dad. We've been on several stroller rides, trips to the mail box, visits to the neighbors...you know, pretty awesome adventures!
Aaron started back at BYU-Idaho this last week. He will graduate in April in Physics, but has changed his career focus pretty dramatically. The Lord allows us to experience challenging times to help mold and strengthen us and direct us in the course he would have us pursue. This challenge with Jackson has opened Aaron's eyes to a career in healthcare. At Primary's we met the doctor who invented two machines (oscillator ventilator and the ECMO) that saved Jackson's life. It got Aaron thinking a lot...he LOVES research and he wants to go into a field where he can make a difference.We are still praying about it and moving forward with faith; so far, we feel good about him pursuing an MD-PhD. What is that, you ask? It's a degree in medicine and research. It will be eight more years of school...I'm still coming to grips with that, but the Physics route would've been five more years, so it's really only three more than we had originally planned :-)
He is working part-time for Idaho National Laboratories (INL) through the remainder of his schooling and he'll be able to work a lot from home. He did his internship there this summer and they kept him on because he was "impressive." :-) The Lord is definitely mindful of us. Aaron loves what he is learning there and he's going to get his name published in a paper or two!
I finally feel like I'm coming out of the post-pregnancy/c-section funk. I've gone to the gym a couple times this week and I actually went jogging with Jackson in the stroller! I am very humbled...I have to start from the ground up when it comes to exercise, but it's all worth it. I have a new-found respect for any mother who gets out of the house to exercise! I will start up at work again on Thursday (I work on a post-surgical floor as a nurse). Nervous? Yes. I will be working full-time for four weeks, then go part-time! What a blessing...there was a part-time position available that will only require me to do six 12-hour shifts per month! Aaron has class on MWF and I'll work TThS so that one of us can be with Jackson all the time. Once I go part-time, it'll allow me to be the mommy more often and Aaron will pick up more hours at INL on Tuesday and Thursday.
We have certainly seen the Lord's hand in our lives this summer. We have felt the tangible strength that comes from prayers and we know the Lord is mindful of us and the blessings we need. It's amazing how much peace we have felt, even during crisis. We're grateful for our miracle boy! He's a happy, healthy and very sweet little boy and we can't wait for the adventures that lie ahead!
Here's his SUPERMAN pose!
Smile!
