That pesky pneumonia that just won't go away!

Lungs sounding better but still not clear.
We went back to the doctor's today for a lung and weight check. The doctor stated that Zoe's lungs are "a little better." I asked if Zoe still had pneumonia and she said, "definitely but the right lung is nice and clear now." So I guess that is something. I will be very happy once I hear that both lungs are clear, but at least she is improving slowly. As long as nothing changes, we don't have to go back to see her for one whole month! That will be the longest we have gone without seeing a doctor since September. So we will keep our fingers crossed, continue doing the respiratory therapy, and hope that we have a nice quiet holiday at home.

Weight Gain!
Zoe gained 180 grams (about 6 ounces) whoohooo! Her appetite has definitely increased and she is back to eating table food that is cut up in small pieces. We still give her pureed food at times when her mouth gets tired. We are really happy that she is not having the choking and coughing she has been having for the last few months with table food. It is great to continue forward with our eating goals. One of the reasons we go to this doctor even though she is now 45-60mins away since we moved is that she is great at seeing the whole picture with Zoe. She has always been supportive about us giving Zoe as normal a childhood as possible. Eating has taken a lot of work for all of us, but we feel strongly that oral eating is the best mode of eating for Zoe. I have to admit that the tube feedings Zoe was on a few weeks ago really made me realize how much easier that path would be for all of us. It was so easy to get the calories into Zoe. But the gtube comes with many problems. Some kids do need tube feedings, but we feel confident that Zoe does not need one at this time.

Fun News- Getting ready for Christmas.
Zoe chopped down her very first Christmas tree this past Saturday. Since she still has a nasty cough, we picked the first tree we saw, gave Zoe a quick turn at sawing, plopped her in a snow bank, and chopped it down as quickly as possible.
I am really glad we did not plan to travel this Christmas since we would have had to cancel our plans. We really look forward to grandma coming after Christmas to spend some time with us. I think she will be very surprised at how much Zoe has changed since she saw her in July. Her communication and social skills have really picked up recently.