Life at home!

August 21, 2011

2011-08-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

We have had such a fun, busy summer and it's not even over yet. I'm posting some recent pictures from our summer, including one from our most recent adventure in Newbury Port, MA (I'm still unloading the car!).

Beau is absolutely amazing. I can hardly believe he's getting ready to go to kindergarten... where did the time go? I love watching them grow, but I do miss the baby years. They are simply amazing to me. Between ballet, soccer, t-ball, karate, play dates, and school it's no wonder time flies like it does. Even more amazing is the conversations between the kids. Both of them are so advanced for their ages. Sometimes I find myself shocked by their higher cognitive functions - like rationalization, negotiation, and logical conclusions. Cracks me up when they tell each other that they "need a minute alone". Too cute!

As you can see, Beau not only learned how to write his own name, but also his sister's. :) I don't have the heart to clean it off months later.

Every once in a while I look back at the NICU blog and I'm reminded all over again how it felt to be a NICU parent. To all NICU parents, past, present, and future, I wish you only the best. Be strong and have faith. My thoughts and my heart go out to every single one of you. To those who have kept up with the blog and continue to read our story, thank you for all of your time and well wishes. They have meant the world to our family. And finally, to those who want to pay me lots of money to share my story you can contact me at drelovett@hotmail.com! LOL. Worth a try, right?!

New info!

2010-06-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone... if anyone is still left reading this blog. I wouldn't blame you if you aren't any longer. It's been way too long since I've last posted.

Life has been interesting in our house. Full of ups and downs and new experiences.

Beau just turned 4 and Becca just turned 3. It's AMAZING! Every so often I read through my old blog posts and remember how they came into the world. No one can believe Beau's progress.

We noticed he had a speech delay that wasn't improving about 8 weeks before his 3rd birthday. We called early intervention who worked with our little man until he turned 3 and his preschool took over. He saw the preschool speech pathologist for 3 weeks, then entered into the summer program. From there he just exploded! Now he doesn't STOP talking lol. He has an IEP in place so he can continue to get help for his language.

Currently he's working on writing his name. This would be SO MUCH EASIER if he had ANY interest at all in coloring or writing. Sigh.

Princess peanut butt (Becca) on the other hand just loves to color and write. She's already starting to write her name and draw me pictures. She's a mommy's girl through and through. She's always by my side and I just LOVE it!

Beau isn't as much of a cuddle bug as Becca is, but I just love it when he comes over and sits on my lap with his monkey. Oh yes, the monkey's are still with us! They are essential to any bedtime or awkward situation for the little man. Even his preschool teacher is on friendly terms with the monkeys!

I will keep blogging and posting pictures of the kids for all of those interested. Just let me know!

I'm such a slacker!

2008-09-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

I can not believe how long it's been since I've signed into blogspot, let alone posted. For all you Beau and Becca supporters, here is your fix!

Beau is doing so great! It's amazing. He's been actual age appropriate in all areas since May. He makes all kinds of animal sounds, jumps over things, plays lots of games, and just LOVES books. He and Becca are feeding off of each other and really pulling each other along. He's starting to recognize and point out different colors. So far, he loves yellow. He says ell-oh. He loves to make up games and show us how to play. Currently his toy monkeys are on the same diet he is. He insists they come with us everywhere we go and they are always key to whatever we're doing. Beau now tells me what he wants to do by showing me with hand gestures or trying to say the words. He'll choose his own snack and will tell me when it's time to each and drink by taking me to the pantry door or the fridge. He insists I pick him up and he'll take out what he wants. He's just amazing to me. I can't believe he was that little, tiny baby given a 50% chance. His pediatrician calls him the miracle boy... loudly... in front of all the other kids and parents. We get a lot of curious glances. We are so proud and amazed by him everyday.

Becca is just as amazing as her big brother. She can count to 10 with a less and less help, and counts to 5 on her own! I can't believe it. She's got to be some kind of genious. She has over 20 clear words, can jump over things too, and keeps up with her brother better than anyone would have ever expected her to at just 16 months! She has memorized a couple of books. She'll bring the book to me and sit down in my lap, then she'll make the animal noise, or say the color or number or whatever. She's amazing! She'll carry a full conversation with you about almost anything you want her too. She is my little mimic though. Everything I do, she does. She uses her hand as a make shift phone when it rings and holds a conversation complete with "uh huh", "yes", and then will laugh just like I do. She hangs up the phone when it's done ringing too. She's very excited to have just discovered the "piggy toes" rhyme. She looks down at her toes and grabs each one as I say, this little piggy went to market, etc. She picks things up so quickly, physical, mental, and social. We've learned to really watch what we say and do around our little beauty queen pumpkin butt princess genious. No... that's not her real title... It's just the one she's earned lately. :)

Big News!

2008-05-02T05:53:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We have lots of new, good news!

Becca has taken her first steps and is well on her way to walking! We can't believe how smart she is. She is quite the little mimic. She's even got a few words! She says, "uh-oh, dada, mama, and Beau." She's so funny yelling at him when he steals her pacifier. She's still a little princess and drama queen. She knows how to get her way and is so cute she's really got us wrapped around her little finger! She's finally hit the 20 lb mark, so we've upgraded her car seat. She now faces front and just loves it. She thinks that's the best thing ever. I'm going to have to remember to take pictures of her in it. It's pale gray with pink and gray plaid. Too cute!

Beau is doing great! He's had his last round of Synagis for the year, and hopefully forever. He weighed in at a wopping 24 lbs! Up almost 2 lbs since his visit last month. Now I know a lot of you are thinking that 24 lbs is not a lot for a 2 year old, but it is for Beau. He's always had a hard time gaining weight. He's so tall and thin, plus he doesn't sit still for a minute. He's always on the go climbing up things or pushing his sister out of the the way! This week we had a re-eval for PT. It was going really well even with Beau's semi cooperation. At the end of the eval, the PT and OT told us we no longer qualify for services since Beau is age appropriate in all areas!!!! Can you believe it?! Neill and I were speechless. Beau has come so far and is doing so great... we are just so thankful to everyone who got us through the NICU and beyond with your thoughts, prayers, and good wishes. It's amazing. Thank you so much!

The kids now have a brand new toddler jungle gym in the yard. It's HUGE! It's just like a club house complete with a second story lookout tower. Beau runs right up and climbs the ladder to the top. He's too funny sliding down the slide. The look on his face is a mix of terror and exhilaration. Becca loves the tunnels underneath. She'll stop and start smacking the walls, giggling like crazy. She's trying to figure out the ladder, but for now we're safe. You know, I say we're safe, but that's only when I'm not prying rocks and pepples out of her mouth. Sometimes she'll spit them out, but sometimes she crawls under the porch where I can barely reach her and has a feast on dead leaves and small rocks..... gross. So far, knock on woode, she's never swallowed it, just stuck it in her mouth. I don't even want to think about where they've been.

2008-03-06T05:04:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! It's been so long since I've last posted. I can't believe how busy I am. Now that I'm back to work, I realize how much free time I had before and how much I don't have any now. Anyhow.... Mom's 50th birthday party went brilliantly. Sorry to all of you that couldn't make it. It was a lot of fun, the baby pictures were fantastic, and mom didn't suspect a thing! Scary what good liars we can be when we're on a covert mission.

The kiddos are doing GREAT!! They get along together SO well. Beau is an excellent big brother. Neill and I found them in their room and Beau was teaching Becca all about legos. He put them together, then pulled them apart, then handed them to her. She was so sweet watching him and trying to do it. We couldn't believe how patient he was with her. They are just the best of friends and it's so amazing to see. Beau loves to keep her entertained and she loves when he feeds her.

Beau's getting his molar's in. I didn't even know he was cutting more teeth until I saw the gleaming white in the back of his mouth. No I-teeth yet, 2 1/2 molars though. The I-teeth look like they're trying to do something, what I have no idea. Becca has three teeth. They are SUPER sharp. Trust me, I've been bit way too many times. You think I'd learn not to stick my fingers in her mouth.

Both are super busy. They are everywhere and into everything. Luckily the whole house is baby proofed, so they go as they please with little to no boundaries. This is a good and bad thing. When we go out, they get lots of boundaries and Beau has the hardest time with it. Becca's still small enough to just put on my lap and as long as I have food, she's good. The girl can eat for America! She cracks me up. She's pulling up on everything and cruzing a bit. It's too cute to look down to the peanut pulling up on my pants leg. I think awww she wants her momma, then I realize there's food in my hand and I don't feel so awww anymore. hehehe But I must say, she's a very cute little cuddle bug. Our pedi said she's doing great, she's a peanut though, but at least she's a consistently growing peanut. She is so smart. She learns SO quickly I can hardly believe it. She's such a mimic too. She's mimic sounds, movements, and dances! She crawls along the floor, then stops to lean back and forth going, la la la. I can't stop laughing at her dancing and singing.

Beau on the other hand is HUGE! He's so long I can't believe it. That boy has the longest legs, the thickest, longest eyelashes, and plump red lips..... I am so jealous! He is very busy learning how to use his body in all kinds of interesting ways, like hanging upside down or running away from Neill and I. He's also developed a very important skill.... pull open the vents and throw toys into the vent shaft... YAY! I'm so proud. He thinks it's great to throw the food he doesn't want into the grates too. Lovely. He's still a chronic W sitter. We're working on alternative positions and thankfully, he's open to suggestions. His words are amazing. He is so smart I can't believe it. He can understand complex instructions (throw the ball to mom), can hold a conversation (whether you fully understand his side is up for debate), and cleans up his mess! He's too cute. He's also learned to smile on demand for pictures! The picture above is that smile lol.

We've started introducing him to the potty. It's harder than I thought. I have to keep reminding myself that people potty train their kids everyday, but I'm absolutely clueless and definitely open to suggestions! For now he'll sit there for a few, but then is too busy. We've let him walk around naked to get him used to his body functions, but that boy just isn't ready to pee on the potty. So for now we're working on sitting whenever we have to go and if he gets "the face." We all know that face that says I'm in the process of soiling my diaper!

We're really looking forward to spring and summer at our new house. We've got our own yard!! We're picking out sand boxes and getting ready to bring toys outside. Now all we have to do is build a fence made special to keep in babies!

New pics........finally

2008-01-01T17:24:00.001-08:00

Pictures, pictures, and more pictures! These are taken just before Christmas and Christmas morning. Becca just loves posing for the camera where as Beau still tries to grab it off me. So far Becca is dragging herself across the floor, but makes a little headway everyday with actual crawling. Beau is practically running now! He's so funny running away from me at bedtime. Mostly, he'll tell me that he wants a nap or to go to bed, he'll even say yes when I ask if he's ready for nuh nights time. Too cute! How many toddlers actually ask for a nap?? Becca is more of a princess everday. Last night she couldn't handle her auntie balling up tissue paper. She'd cry until she stopped, then smile. Too funny. Beau finally got that 8th tooth in. I was wondering when it'd make an appearance. He's had 7 teeth for about 3 months! Becca has 2 teeth that she uses very nicely. She's babbling like crazy. Lots of dadada sounds. Beau has a large vocab for such a little man. He's starting to say short phrases which is just phenomenal to me. Also... we've had a recurrence of his favorite swear; sh*t. I can't tell you how embarassing it was to have an old lady cooing at the kids and Beau babble then clearly say "sh*t" with that innocent look on his face. I've had a whole range of reactions from shocked to laughter. Us parents are choosing to ignore it while turning our heads and laughing. How do you do it? They're too funny when they act up. I'm spending more time walking into the next room to laugh then stopping the behavior. Oh well... such is life!

I Know I Know!

2007-12-14T10:46:00.001-08:00

Oh man am I behind on this blog! Soon I'll be putting up new pics and writing more, as soon as the holidays finishing beating the crap out of me.

We have several new updates. I have a new job and I LOVE it! I work with troubled kids in a court ordered group home. Besides how the name sounds, we have a good time and we get to help kids in trouble.

Beau has caught up completely developmentally AND for growth! He's the size of any other 18 month old toddler; nevermind he should only be 14 months. He has 7 teeth now :). He is WALKING! No... running away from me now. He's so funny. All he needed was a little bit of guts and he took off. His new trick is walking and drinking from a sippy cup.... it's funny to say the least. His eczema is rediculous though. We've been refered to a dermatologist who will hopefully be able to help. Winter is so rough on his skin. Anyhow, I'm still not used to seeing my little boy decide that he doesn't want to do whatever and walk away from me into his room... too funny!

Becca is a little princess as always. She currently has 2 teeth! She's very particular and demanding, luckily she's SO cute and cuddly and smiley and happy.... :) Beau has a new remote control car that she HATES! She just looks at it and starts crying. I can't entirely blame her seeing as Beau decided to aim it at her. She's currently sitting up and very close to crawling. She's been up on all fours and rocking back and forth for a while. She gets some forward motion, but mainly backward. She's very frustrated that she can't just get what she wants immediately... this could be a problem later on. I don't even want to think about the teenage years with her. She's finally taking to solid baby food and has stopped acting like I'm poisoning her. Now she snaps at the spoon like a snapping turtle! We have a video that is so funny of her eating... I'll have to remember to upload that. She stares at the spoon for a few seconds before lunging forward and eating the food. She's also taken to biting the spoon.... cuuuute.
Next time hopefully I'll be able to upload pics and vids!

Thank you Sarah!

2007-10-22T08:31:00.001-07:00

My friend Sarah is an up and coming photographer. This is her work! Let me know what you guys think. Love to all.

New pics

2007-09-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Enjoy the new September pics. Just look at all of Beau's teeth. And just think, 2 are hiding behind his lips! Becca's our little doll. She looks so cute all dressed up. I call the picture of Beau standing Kidzilla because he looks like he's a giant taking over a town of toys! Take care.

First Steps!

2007-09-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Beau took his first steps independently today! He totally shocked me. I'd put some really cute new jeans on him and I wanted to see how they looked. I put stood him up on the floor and said, "Let me see how your new pants look," and the little buggar took three steps towards me and fell into my arms! For a second I didn't even realize what had happened. Then I saw the very triumphant look on his face and I couldn't stop laughing and hugging him and telling him how great he was while calling for Neill to get his butt in the bedroom because his son just took his first steps! Neill came in and smiled and laughed and congratulated Beau too, but guess what happened next... I put him in the same spot and the little monkey did it again!! Can you believe it?! We've been doing it all day now. He's taking 3-6 independent steps at a time towards me. And I do mean independent. Like he takes 2 steps, stops, then keeps going. It's about 50/50 right now for the number of true independent steps versus falling steps. But I don't care! My beautiful, amazing, miracle of a boy took his first steps today and he is so proud of himself, almost as proud as we are of him.

First Sleep Over!

2007-09-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

Okay so Beau had his first sleep over last night and he did way better than I did! He slept over his nana and grampy's house and had no problems at all. Went to bed on time, took a nap the next day, drank and ate great... all the things he should be doing for me, but chooses not to.

So Neill and I decided it was time to let him stay over. After all, she has a crib set up and he takes naps in it just fine. So it's time for me to let it go and stop being such a baby about him sleeping over. We decided it was a good time for him to sleep over this weekend and I was so upset Neill had to call my mom and ask her if she wanted him to sleep over. Yes, I was crying as he was on the phone! So we hang out over my mom's for a few and then get ready to go and here I go again.... tears. He's not even batting an eye when we leave because he's got Nana and Grampy and Auntie all to himself. I cry on the drive home... and I cry in the morning when he's not there. It felt aweful to look in the back seat of the car and not see him or his carseat. Made me feel sick to my stomach although I know he's perfectly safe and sound.

So we use our opportunity and give the house a total clean and it's so weird to not worry if the bathroom door is shut or if that nickel stays on the floor until I'm ready to put it in the change jar. Now the house once again looks like a house and not like a bomb filled with baby toys blew up. So we go back to my parents to pick up Beau and have a BBQ... now I'm am so excited to see my little boy that I can't get there fast enough (thankfully Neill was driving). So we pull in and guess what... he's SLEEPING! This is f*&%$#g bulls&^t!!!! WAKE UP!!!

So we're eating dinner... and we're eating dinner... and we're talking.... and Neill jumps in the pool... and YES!! finally he wakes up! Yeah, I know it was only and hour, but DAMN! Doesn't he know his mommy has missed him like crazy and just wants to hug and kiss him??? So my sister was inside when he wakes up and she comes walking out with my little diaper man and he smiles at me, but that's it. No getting excited, no reaching for me, just a little smile. I'm so not satisfied with that. He spends the rest of the night fighting me and pushing me away, as I'm trying to stop him from climbing on and off the table, etc. Finally, he hugs me when we get home and I ask him if he wants to go to bed. So, now he's asleep and I can't wait to spend some quality time playing tomorrow and hopefully he'll love me again... yeah, I know he loves me.

PS. we have a new word to add to the collection... do you want a hint? Okay, mommy needs to watch her language... do you have an idea what it is yet? Okay, okay. His newest word is sh*t. Grrreat!

2007-07-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Beau is getting so OLD on me! He doesn't want me to feed him anymore, he wants to do it himself. He fights me and purses his lips and turns away from me until I give him the spoon or let him do it with his fingers. He's been "helping" me dress him already. He bends and straightens his arms and legs when he needs to and fights me off when he doesn't want clothes.

He's just learned how to drink from a straw too! I'm so proud of him despite his testing me and assurting his independence. He's almost walking too. He stands by himself for longer and longer periods of time. He's taking some very big steps to get from furniture to furniture/toy/wall/sister etc.

They both have had their wellness checkups last month and their pediatrician thinks they are both doing amazing. Becca is growing so fast. Or pedi was shocked by Beau. He kept saying how good he looks and how happy he is with his growth and development. He kept ruffling his hair and saying how great he looked. He said, "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it." That makes me feel SO good.

Beau has come very far from his 9 month to his 12 month checkup. Everyone always asks us what we're doing.. but it's all Beau. He's so determined and driven, although sometimes I wish our goals were more similar... like drinking his milk or getting dressed!

Becca is absolutely mesmerized by her big brother! She's stopped crying when he gets near and is now trying to catch his eye and smiling at him. They are so cute interacting together. Beau still doesn't really know what to make of her. He's still trying to crawl over her instead of around her. His jealousy is getting worse though. He climbs up my legs and into my lap whenever I'm holding her. He's also taken to shouting, "HEY" whenever someone he loves is holding her. And God forbid you don't listen to him, he growls and flexes his arm muscles at you. Am I raising the next school bully??? For now, he's very cute!

2007-07-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Wow it's been a long time since my last post. Well everything is going great here at home. Beau has a new PT since we've moved out of our prior PT's area. The new PT is AWESOME!!! We just love her. She's very loving and patient and upbeat with Beau. She's all smiles and animation. He just loves her. She working with him on learning to walk, although he's pretty content to crawl and climb.

Right now he's been climbing up the walls, as well as on the furniture and toys and people, and cruising that way! He's also figuring out that he can makes steps out of his toys to climb up on higher things... scary. He's also mastered climbing up stairs, until he realizes how high his is, then he wants to be picked up. He's got 4 teeth! They all popped up within a month. Poor kid had the bottom two pop up together, then the top two about 3 weeks later. He's done fantastic with it though. We've only had one late crying night when the first one popped, and another night when the second bottom one popped. I gave him some Hyland's teething drops and he was out like a light. He's also babbling like you wouldn't believe. He cracks me up with his talking to himself. He's very chatty in his car seat and crib. And don't for a minute think it's normal voice level babbling. Oh no. My son is the one you hear yelling out syllables at the top of his lungs! Chronic Lung Disease my ass! We're working on volume control. It would be easier if certain family members didn't laugh at him!

Miss Becca, on the other hand, has a personality worthy of a Diva! She is such a drama queen. If she's not getting her way, she throws her head back and sobs. It's too funny. She also been fighting sleep. It sucks when she gets over tired. Poor little girl can't get out of her own way. Fortunately, she's got a great smile to balance her out! She's very alert and socially engaging. She loves when people get close to her, look her in the eye, and talk to her. She smiles and coos and makes all kinds of faces. Her head and neck control is incredible. But, after all I went through with Beau and people calling him small (in one form or another), I get constant comments on how small Becca is. She's over 22 inches long and almost 11 lbs!!! How is she small again???? So I just smile and secretly want to smack people. Hint: it's rude to say people's kids are too small or big. It implies that there's something wrong with the kids or the parents. Thankfully there's nothing wrong with my family. We're all healthy and happy.... finally!

It's funny to look back on the past year. It feels like a whole other lifetime ago. The NICU and immigration battles and all we've been through almost feels like a dream I've woken up from. Like it's so far away and I'm not even sure it happened.... Crazy isn't it. Enjoy the pics and let me know what you all think. Take care.

Happy Birthday Beau

2007-06-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

Beau celebrated his first birthday May 30th!

On another note, he's just had his 1 year evaluation for PT and he is AGE APPROPRIATE!!! That means he's totally caught up to where he should be for 12 months of age. I'm so excited and proud of him. He's working so hard at crawling and pulling up on furniture and cruising from one thing to another. We really couldn't ask for anymore from him.

2007-06-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

I have noticed some comments about my latest rant and unfortunately I'm going to have to stop allowing anonymous comments. Especially to the people who think I think I should "stop taking it for granted." I think those people that feel they need to leave rude comments should at least have a blog so I can see where they're coming from, something that they've failed to do for me.

For those people that have left rude comments, please stop reading my blog. My blog is a place for me to express my feelings of my life with my micro preemie son and full term daughter. It is not a place for me to receive criticism.

Becca is born!

2007-05-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

Becca was born May 8th at 7 lbs 9 ounces and 20 inches long. I was induced at 37 5/6ths weeks and thankfully she's considered term. Her first night she gained 4 ounces, then dropped the usual 7% the next night. Now we're having fun trying to nurse her. I'm so used to pumping and carefully measuring everything Beau ate. It's so weird to just time her and let her decide when she's done. She loves to sleep, but feedings have been from one extreme to the other. At first she's a great eater, then she wants nothing to do with me. She's currently eating about every 2 hours. And I know all of you want to know.... YES!!! My milk is finally coming in. LOL.

Beau, on the other hand, is a beast! That boy won't stop eating. He's learning how to feed himself with the spoon. He's so proud. He's got it down to bringing the full spoon to his mouth and eating it, but after that he's lost. He's also got the filling of the spoon down, but then of course he gets lost after that and I end up wearing most of his lunch. Oh well!!! He's also crawling up a storm and walking with support all over the place. He's pulling up on so many things- furniture, toys, people!

The following is a not nice rant, you might want to just stop here:

On the ranting side of things, I'm so sick of people cracking jokes about Becca catching up to Beau in no time. He is not deficient!!! He is perfect for his age... not skinny or fat! He's actually tall for his age and his weight is perfect- and that is from his doctors... not me. And if one more person compares their child to mine, preemie or full term, I'm going to freak out. It's one thing to chat, it's another to compare. It's not a competition, and for some reason, people think I care. In all honesty, I care about my children and their individual development and growth... I'm sorry, but I don't have the energy to care about yours. Some people are so involved in Beau's life, I'm wondering how they have the time to take care of themselves, let alone their own kids.

Now that that's done... I feel better!!!

2007-05-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

May 1, 2007. Beau is doing fantastic! He's getting so big, more long than wide! He's built just like his father and older sister. Long and athletic.

He's walking with support, standing for about 30 seconds on his own, and has even taken a few steps on his own. Yes, my child that refuses to crawl forward or backward more than a few inches is learning to walk. He's doing great at it too. His PT thinks he's doing a great job and I think she's also given up on the whole crawling thing. At least he's used those crawling muscles and they're strong. Needless to say, he's starting to pull up on the furniture and is into everything. As my nana says, "No flies on that boy."

On another note, I've developed pre-eclampsia and have been put on bedrest. I've been on it since Thursday. I'll continue to be on it until next week when I'll be past 37 weeks and Becca won't be considered preterm. We're happy with that! Right now she's about 7 lbs and just getting bigger by the day. I'm so excited for next week. Keep your fingers crossed and good thoughts coming our way!

NEW PICS!!! YAY!

2007-03-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

March 10, 2006. Hi everyone! I feel like the world's laziest blogger! Beau is doing great learning how to sit up on his own and transfer from sitting to laying down... even if 50% of the time it ends in a face plant. He's also mastering holding his bottle on his own. We're happy to report that we're 29 weeks pregnant!!! YAY. He's also getting SO long. He takes after his big sister and his daddy on that one. All 5'5" of me can't take credit.

2007-02-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

February 26th, 2007. Things have been very interesting this last month. Beau is getting stronger all the time. He's still doing great in his development.

Today OT and PT came to see him. They're talking about getting rid of OT all together since PT works on the fine and gross motor skills already. I just want what's best for Beau. He seems so ready to jump off my lap and go straight for whatever he wants. He's so funny jumping up and down and scooting himself across my lap or the carpet.

We had a great 8 month checkup at the pediatrician's too! He's right where he should be on the growth curve and the doc thinks that he'll be where he should be by 18 months to 2 years. That's such good news for us. He was so small when he was born and I've been really worried about his weight gain. Not anymore though. We've been given the green light to begin table foods pureed or cut tiny. So far he really likes bread. We break it up into tiny peices and put it on his highchair tray. He looks at me as if to say, "You expect me to feed myself?!" He'll whine until I give and put it in his mouth. He's also very happy to be eating straight from the table with us. Now he watches you with a wide open mouth if you're eating infront of him. It's so cute, but not so when he starts whining for food he can't have. hehehe

He's a monster eater! He'll eat 2-4 ounces of stage 2 baby food four times a day; each mixed with oatmeal or mixed grains baby cereal. Each feeding usually comes with 4-6 ounces of formula too! It's crazy to think that he every had feeding issues looking at him eat now. This morning he took 8 ounces of formula for breakfast before his nap! Can you believe it?! That's a lot of formula. I'm still surprised he didn't puke it up.

2007-02-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

February 4th, 2007. Wow it's been such a long time since I've updated.
Beau has been put at a 6 month level by his OT. We're waiting to see what the new PT says tomorrow. It just wasn't working out with the last PT. Her personality just didn't click with ours, especially Neill's.

We do have some very good news though. We're now 24 weeks and 2 days pregnant. That's 3 whole days longer being pregnant than with Beau. It was a huge relief to hit and pass the 23 weeks and 6 days point. I know it's still far from 40 weeks, but none the less it was a huge achievement. I feel better, happier, not so anxious and stressed.

Our little girl is doing well so far. I'm not doing so well though. I feel like a house and my sciatic hurts so much I can hardly move sometimes. This is definitely my last pregnancy.

Beau is really coming along though. He is crazy about his aunty, especially when she has her hair up. He's funny like that. He's recognizing his great nana and great grandpa. I think he thinks they're his play toys. He is so cute interacting with people. If he sees them at least once a week, he's a little shy at first, but then he wants to play. If he doesn't see people that often he keeps a tight grip on my shirt and will cry if they pick him up or get too close. We're happy he's getting "stranger anxiety." The PT and OT say that shows developmental maturity.

Beau has a check up appt with his pediatrician on the 13th, so I'll have an updated length and weight for everyone. We weight him and measure him at home now. He's about 25 inches and 15 pounds. Of course all of this is a rough estimate considering we do it for fun more than anything. What really counts is that he's happy and healthy and has come through his early birth to NICU to rehab experience. We're just thankful to kiss his cchubby cheeks and hug him everyday.

2007-01-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

January 17, 2007. We're doing pretty well here. Beau still has a cold. It's not much, but it's persistant. He's over 13 pounds now and 23 inches long. He's definitely outgrown these pants, as you can probably see from the open button and short legs! Every doctor and specialist is so amazed with him. It really makes me feel good to have people tell me how good he looks and how well he's doing. We are truly blessed. His physical therapist from early intervention says he's now at a 5 month level! Not too bad for the little monster.

He's getting the hang of our routines now. He's doing much better at night. The last few nights he's slept from 11 pm to 7 am. We were so happy to get a full night's sleep... finally!!! He's also doing better with the sleep routine. He's starting to see that mommy and daddy aren't going to rock him to sleep and when you're put in bed at night, it's time to sleep. I wonder how long it'll stick though?! hehehe

He's also got the hang of the morning routine. Every morning we get up together and change his diaper, then he sits in his highchair to eat. I then let him have one hour of TV time before we play and exercise. Well recently we lost power due to severe ice storms, and every morning he looked up to the TV even though it wasn't on! It was so cute and funny.

Well, that's about all we can tell you here. I hope everyone is having an awesome life. I know I say this all the time, but we wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for all you amazing and wonderful people who sent good thoughts and prayers our way. Take care!

2006-12-29T15:07:00.000-08:00

December 29th, 2006. I hope everyone had an excellent holiday. Our first Christmas with Beau was amazing.

He's doing so well at home. He's starting to coordinate his hands more now. He's really got the hang of wringing his fingers, playing with his hands, and bringing his hands to his mouth to chew or suck on. Just today he grabbed his toy panda and held it in place with one hand while pulling its ears and touching its face with the other. I only wish I was quicker with the video camera! He was so darn cute!!! Now he needs to get more interested in his feet. He's great at kicking. He loves to lay in his crib and stare at his mobile while peddling and kicking his feet. He gets so excited he shakes the crib, which in turn moves the mobile... I wonder if that's what he's going for the whole time. My goal is to getting better with the video camera so I can upload a video of him kicking with excitement. It's such a funny site!

Now I'm sure you're all wondering what is all over his face in the first picture. It's green beans- yes, my son is a HUGE green bean fan! So much so that he got it all over his face and in his hair! The second one was taken just after Christmas. He's passed out after a hard afternoon of playing with his new toys.

Take care everyone!

2006-12-24T12:08:00.000-08:00

December 24th, 2006. From our growing family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas!

Right now all three and a half of us are sick with colds. I got it first, Beau got it the next day, and Neill got it the day after. So far it's been 4 days and we're all pushing fluids, staying warm inside, and getting plenty of rest. Beau was the first to get better, though he still has a cough. Neill was hit the worst, but his is already over. Mine persists with post nasal drip and a little bit of a sore throat.

We also have more news. As many of you know, we're pregant... again. I'm 4 and a half months. We went for an ultrasound on Thursday and we found out we'll be having a little girl! We're so excited. We were able to see her in 4-D and she really is beautiful. I'm so in love already.

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2006-12-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

December 12th, 2006. What happened to my little baby? I think Beau ate him. My "little" boy is now 11 lbs 13 ounces and gaining like you wouldn't believe! He is a monster and a half! He's getting more coordinated with his movements and leans to the people he wants to hold him and would rather stand than learn to crawl. He's hilarious too. He'll look you right in the eye and full out laugh at you.

It's unbelieveable that he is the baby I gave birth to just 6 months ago. He was so small and fragile then. Now you would never know that this pint sized brut was so small at one time. He's got rolls on rolls. I've taken to calling him "Chunk" lately. He's starting to sit by himself for a few seconds at a time before falling over. He is just amazing to me. And to his visiting nurse too, who's decided to discharge him today. I'm really going to miss her. She was so nice and I enjoyed talking to her and bouncing ideas off of her. Thankfully she left her phone number and told me to call if I need to.

In the mean time, we have two doctor's appointments this month and weekly EI with the physical therapist. Thank God for oversized calendars that take up most of the refrigerator or I wouldn't know where to start. What I need to get is a little pocket organizer for booking appointments. I am constantly double booking! It just gets silly sometimes. I am going to get a concusion from all the headslaps I have to give myself for being dumb.

Okay I'd love to keep chatting but I definitely need to change his diaper because DAMN can that boy clear a room! Take care and have a great holiday if I don't get back to you in time.

2006-12-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

December 9th, 2006. Today is one month of being home! We spent it cuddling up on the couch in between crying fits. Beau is definitely teething. He's so grumpy. Thank God for homeopathic teething drops. They really due the trick and let him (us) get some rest.

I hope everyone enjoys this silly picture of Beau giving back his peaches and rice cereal. He's so funny spitting it back out at me and licking it off his lips. He loves eating off a spoon. Now we've moved on from peaches and are trialing bananas for a few days. So far they are a big hit. I can tell he likes them due to the lack of spitting them back at me.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season so far. Don't get too stressed out, and if you do just think of me. I have no idea what to get my husband for Christmas and everytime I get an idea he shoots it down. Due to excess hormones I cry and he figures out that I was about to get him whatever he's just shot down! Yeah, this has happened three times so far! I hope I gave you all a chuckle. Take care and happy holidays!

2006-11-23T08:16:00.000-08:00

23rd November 2006. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!
I hope everyone likes the new pictures of the 11 lb butterball! He's getting so big so quickly. Here he is sitting with his nana. He was giggling because she wouldn't let him eat her fingers. He's also catching a nap with daddy before a doctor's appointment. They were so cute I couldn't resist not taking the picture!

2006-11-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

21st November 2006. I hope everyone has a GREAT Thanksgiving! I'll post new pics soon.

So far things are going great at home, other than a pretty good case of dermatitis. I am getting used to sleeping when he sleeps and fitting things in between feeds. Some days are definitely better than others. He's currently 10 lbs 15 ounces! What a porker!!! He's definitely having a growth spurt right now. During the day he's eating like a champ. He's taking 120 mL every two to three hours except at night. At night he's starting to sleep for longer periods of time. He's also weaning himself off of the night feeds. He's taking less and less. Last night he woke up at midnight, I picked him up, he fell asleep on me without taking a bottle and didn't stir when I put him back to bed. Beautiful!

I hope everyone is doing great and I'll post pictures and updates after the holiday.

Finally at home!

2006-11-14T10:15:00.000-08:00

November 14th, 2006. Welcome to the new blog! We've finally made it out of the NICU, out of rehab, and home!!! 23 weeks later and we've finally arrived. We've been home since the 9th and after all the midnight feeds and screaming fits and little to no sleep, it's all worth it. I love being there to comfort him when he cries. I don't get to miss out on anything now. I have all my time to donate to my precious little boy. It makes me so happy to see him develop and grow here where he should be.

We had our first pediatrician appointment yesterday and everything went great! He kept saying how great Beau looks and he can't believe it. Neither can we. We also had our first visit with the home nurse and she said the same thing. He's the youngest he's ever seen and she can't believe how great he looks. Then to top it all off she leaned over to say goodbye to him and he gave her a huge smile! It was so funny. Then she laughed and said, "Do it again!"... and he did!!! He really is a blessing. After everything we went through, he's so worth it!

Thank you to everyone who's been praying for us and checking in on us. Please know I'm doing my best to get pictures out to everyone as soon as I can. Right now it's feeding time at the zoo!