And the verdict is...

The new diet seems to be helping Owynn sleep better.  He still gets up once to eat but he sleeps past 7am, or has for the last three days.  HOLY COW!!!!  I never thought this would happen.  He's been getting up around 5:30 or 6 since he was little bitty.  I am not really a morning person and never was thrilled by these early wake up times but didn't have a choice so we played a lot during those early morning hours.  Now I think we've moved past that!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed this is the new way of being for us...not cranky in the early morning and not waking up for the day until after 7!

His ears:  we went for a quick check on Friday with Owynn's pediatrician.  He wanted to do a tympanogram to check for air movement, before the surgery on Tuesday.  His hope was that O's ears would be in a better place and we could put the surgery off until later.  He hoped that the fluid would be drained and he would be able to see the important landmarks on his eardrums.  These were not the things that were found or seen. 

What a normal, healthy ear drum looks like.  Greyish in color and a reflection of the light in the lower right hand corner.  The hammer shaped thing in the center of the disc is one of the bones of the inner ear.  Seeing it behind the ear drum is a good sign.

This is more like what Dr. Neal saw in Owynn's ear.  The light doesn't reflect well because there is fluid behind the ear drum.  That fluid is pushing the membrane outward and makes it hard to see the bones of the inner ear.

The tympanogram showed very little air conduction.  It was an improvement from a few weeks ago.  I asked Dr. Neal if it was enough improvement and he said (after looking in O's ears again) that he felt it was not.  We should go ahead with the surgery.

Here's what Owynn's ear drum will look like after Tuesday.  The blue tube will stay in for 6 months to a year and allow the fluid to drain.

Tuesday morning, early, we will have the tubes placed and go from there.  This means our swimming days are numbered.  Not that he was thrilled about the pool a few weeks ago, anyway.  I'll have to find some wax ear plugs for the occasion when we decide to venture into the water.  He's not an underwater kinda guy, but you just never know. 

Wish us luck and send good thought our way that the new sleeping pattern continues and that the tubes go as easily and as well as planned.

Love and hugs to all!