We got a call from Bear's (baby #4) Neurologist today and his results look great.

Lactic acid was slightly elevated in the blood test (Dr. wrote improved and normalizing) at 2.7 (Normal range is 0.7-2.1)
Spinal fluid-lactate level was 1.2, so that was NORMAL!!! I am glad we did the spinal tap to get the true reading. They would have wanted to do the muscle biopsy if we just went with the blood test. But as I understand it, spinal fluid gives us the true reading.
His T4 level was a little low at 4.8 (normal range is 6-12) and TSH was normal. White and Red blood cells looked good in the spinal fluid too.
So this means no muscle biopsy and we will see the Neurologist and Endocrinologist in a few months to double check his progress and development and growth hormones. We also see the Physiatrist again next week to go over his Physical and Occupational therapy progress.
Bear has amazed us this week. He sat up for a long time, crawled, pulled himself to a standing position from a kneeling position AND got his first tooth!!! I think he is ready for the sand in St. Martin!!! We go for a week in March, and SO looking forward to it!! Grandma and Grandpa live there from December to April.

Some background as some of you reading this blog may not know why all these tests:

I will try to make this brief.....................

Bear is our 4th child and born via c-section at 36 weeks (I was starting to rupture) at 5#12oz. He was healthy, and at 5 weeks old he got a temperature and started going down hill fast. He was hospitalized in the PICU for 6 days with Flu and Pneumonia. On day 3, his legs were very stiff and rigid...........The testing began..............everything has come back normal (DNA/Chromosome tests, EEG, Spinal tap, ABR-Auditory Brain Response, hearing tests, swallowing test with barium, ENT visit, Endocrinology, Genetic, Physiatrist, Neurology) He had an MRI done on Sept.12 that showed his corpus collosum (connects his left and right hemisphere) was small and abnormally shaped and low white matter. This is his development in the womb. He is developmentally delayed about 6 months and gets OT, PT and Speech once a week. His growth hormones were also low and will be checked again every 6 months until they are normal. He weighs 15 pounds and is 27.5 inches and still sits backwards in the carseat.

Psalm 139:13-16

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Thank you for all your prayers and concern for Little Bear. We are thankful for all of you and for the wonderful care he has gotten this year. We are excited to celebrate Bear turning 14 months old the same day GG (Great Grandma) turns 94 years old (February 28th)!!!

We are looking ahead to March:

Upward Soccer for Goose and Bug

Missions Conference at Church

3 night stay to a Resort in Pigeon Forge with two other couple friends and lots of kids (total of 14 of us!!)

one week in the Carribean to see Grandma and Grandpa

SAT testing for Goose (2nd grade) (standarized testing)

House update:

We have decided to stay put another year in our rental house (Till March 2010). We are both very excited to stay. We love our neighbors and are so excited to have several friends. There is something to say about a nice neighborhood. It is like having your best friend across the street, not in one house, but several houses!! We are blessed and are thankful God led us to Knoxville and to our neighborhood. I was getting excited to get our "own" home and be able to paint and decorate and hang pictures, but God's plans are not always our own. I have learned to wait and be patient and get rid of things that I don't need or haven't used in several months/years. :-) It is causing us to get organized!!