Nicholas Charles Brennan

Catch Up....

2011-05-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

Nick and I have been so busy lately. It is hard to keep up. I am going to hit the highlights (photos included) of the last few weeks.

The Zoo!
I was so excited about going to the zoo a few weeks ago. My mom's company has a fund raiser every year and I couldn't wait to take Nick. He LOVES animals and loves to see them in books and on TV, I thought he would love it. I was wrong. The first animal we saw upon entering was the elephant. I don't think he was prepared for how big the elephant was. It scarred him. All he kept saying was "Elephant too big". To this day, if someone mentions an elephant, he says elephant too big. He liked seeing the animals - from afar and in my arms. We did get to ride on the train outside of the zoo that goes around the park. That was awesome to him! All in all, it wasn't a bad experience, but I think we will wait a bit before trying the zoo again.

March of Dimes Walk

I am so excited about the March of Dimes walk. Team Nick Chuck raised $1800 and had 12 team members walking with us. It was awesome. I was so thrilled and humbled by the event. It was hard to see so many family members walking for babies that didn't make it. Made me so incredibly thankful for the gift of my son. It is hard to put into words how lucky and thankful I feel.

Pool Time

Nick got a blow up pool from "The Easter Bunny" at Grandma's House. It has been warm enough to get it out lately and he loves it! He squeals with delight the moment he steps in the pool. How can I deny that kind of fun?

Team Nick Chuck

2011-03-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know how Nick came into this world. To put is short - Early. Way too early. To this day, I don't know why. I wish I did. If we knew why, we could take the steps to cure it.

Since Nick was born, I wanted to walk in the March for Babies walk for March of Dimes. This is the year. I have signed up our team and am amazed at the support I have been getting from my friends and relatives. It has been almost overwhelming.

When I started the team a few weeks ago, I went back into the old archives of this blog to get some pictures and refresh myself with the whole ordeal. Can you believe I actually forgot certain things? Most of the stuff I read I hadn't forgotten, more just buried deep somewhere in my subconscious. The more I read and looked at those photos, the more tears came to my eyes. I think at that point, I was so focused on him and him getting better, so many days I never had time to feel my emotions.

Then something funny happened, the more I read, the more I realized, that is all a thing of the past. My boy is healed. He is better. While there may be some lingering things that we have yet to discover - he is okay, he survived. He is happy and healthy and smiling and loving.

Wouldn't it be great if every baby had that outcome? Even better if every baby didn't have to go through it. March of Dimes makes so much headway each year to ensure every baby comes home happy and safe. They are a huge support system for parents going through this traumatic experience. I know I looked up many a medical term, outcome and story on their website in those 3 months.

If you know me, or Nick, or just read the blog - help support us! We want to make sure every baby comes home happy and healthy!

http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/t1515988

The link above will take you to our Team Nick Chuck page. You can make a donation via credit card, debit card or by check. EVERY dollar counts.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support.

Mardi Gras!

2011-03-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

Growing up in Galveston, Mardi Gras was always a huge part of my life. My parents took my brother and I to parades when we were little. I always came home from school to go, and always have so much fun. I knew Nick would love going.

Last weekend, I took him to the day parade (the night parade is just a little too rowdy, and late for my little man just yet). At first he was confounded as to why we were standing in the street- as that is usually a "no no". Once the parade started with the bands and floats and the throwing of beads - he was all in!

He would dance around when the bands would march by and then when the floats came, he quickly learned how to stick his little hand up in the air and yell for beads. He cleaned up! He loves Mardi Gras!

Finally!

2011-02-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

I know I have been horrible about posting, but we are back...sort of. Nick keeps me busy! He is doing so well. I often forget that he has so much catching up to do. His teachers comment that he is smart, and has one of the biggest vocabularies in his class, despite being one of the youngest kids! A mom can never hear that too much!

Other things going on - or the biggest thing on my mind right now - POTTY TRAINING! I am about to make a run at it. Advice certainly welcome! He does go on the potty, but hasn't gotten the hang of telling me when he needs to go. So, we are trying.

Nick's favorite passtime of the last few weeks has been going to the neighbors to jump on the trampoline. When he gets home, the first thing he says is "PD house, jump, jump". He loves it.

Here are a few pictures from the last few months -

Happy Birthday!

2010-12-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Nick,

I can't believe it has been two years since you joined my world. Do I say that to you every year? I am sure I do, and I am sure it won't be the last time. There will be many things your mom will say to make you roll your eyes, but like this and so many others, you just have to suffer through it.

You are amazing! I can't believe how much you have grown in the last year. I look back at photos from your 1st birthday, and you still look so much like a baby. Now, you are a toddler through and through.

Your vocabulary has exploded. I wish I could name all the words you could say, but I would be here until next year. You are currently in the "what's that?" phase. You need to name everything and when you don't know the name, you ask. You also love to repeat everything.

Favorite foods right now, pancakes and macaroni (or Can-cakes and macahoni as you say it).

You are a playing machine. You love to play with your cars and tractors. Your favorite things to spot are school buses and motorcycles. You get so excited when you see either of those things.

Nick, right now you have many favorites, and you add to them daily. Each day with you is a new adventure. You grow, love and live more life than anyone I know. You have been such a blessing in my life. I love you more than anything in this world little man. I am torn each day between wanting to watch you grow up, and wanting to keep you my little boy forever. Please remember, no matter how big you get, I will love you more than anyone else in the world.

Love you,

Mommy

Birthday Party!

2010-11-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

We had a busy Thanksgiving to say the least. Thanksgiving day was a great day. No matter what we are doing, or where we are, the one thing that I am most thankful for is Nick. He is growing and changing so much, I almost can't believe it. It seems as though he learns a new phrase a day. He has graduated from his high chair into a booster seat, at his own request. He has even started using the potty (though that is a whole other post!) There are many times I wish I could stop time. Of course, he has his moments as well - moments that make me want to fast forward time a minute or two.

I had Nick's birthday party Friday - it was great. We had lots of friends and family that were able to attend as they were in town for the holiday. Nick didn't understand exactly what the party was for, or about. He also seemed quite bewildered that all these people he knew were all together in one house, but he was happy to go along with it - especially since it meant he got a cupcake!

Nick's Baptism

2010-11-08T09:42:00.001-08:00

When the Pastor at church tells you that "He's never had that happen at a baptism.", all you can do is smile!

I was a little late in getting Nick baptized. The first year was just crazy, then I had to take the classes. Baptism is only done a few Sunday's a year, so we had to wait for the next one to come around. Sunday, November 7th, Nick was baptized. It was a wonderful service. I was very lucky and blessed to have many loving friends and family there to witness it.

I was worried about Nick behaving during the service. He loves to talk and point and tell you what things are, so I was sure he would do something to disrupt the service. To my surprise, he did great. He talked a little, but it was fairly quiet.

Then came his moment. Father Tom picked him up, facing the baptismal bowl. Father Tom told Nick he was going to put his hand in the water, and put it on his head. Before Father Tom could do it, Nick stuck his hand in the water then put it on his head. Father Tom said "Man, you don't even need me." The whole church erupted in laughter! It was hilarious. Father Tom continued with the baptism.

So many people came up to us after church to tell us how Nick stole the show. It was definitely a moment I will never forget! I love that my child can provide me with such joy, laughter, and pride.

Nickisms

2010-10-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have written. I realized last night, that there are so many new and wonderful things that Nick is doing, I needed to blog about it so I will have it to remember. He grows and changes so much that I know in a short time some of these great (and not so great) things will be gone.

Nick's vocabulary has grown exponentially. He has a ton of words that he says - too many to name. Most I can understand, although there is a few that he repeats over and over that I can't quite get. I try the context clues, but still can't get it.

He is really starting to string words together, we aren't up to sentences yet, but he does do 2-3 words at a time.

Nick LOVES his Cul Brain (Uncle Brian) - and asks for him everyday. He even goes to the back door calling for Uncle Brain in the hopes that we will hop in the car and go see him.

He loves to tell you what certain animals say:

Puppy : "Fruft" (Ruff)

Kitty: "Mauw"

Duck: "Cack, Cack"

Cow: "Moooooo"

Lion: "Raaaar"

Can-cakes (pancakes) are his favorite breakfast food, made even better with Bacon. Oni (macaroni) is his favorite dinner time meal. He also likes chicken.

Every morning on the way to school he looks for school buses - his favorite thing to spot. He loves to spend time outside and swing!

There are many other fantastic things that Nick does. He makes me smile and laugh everyday!

There are a few less fun things - the tantrums, oh the tantrums! Luckily, he doesn't do it often, and there is often and underlying reason (hungry or tired). There was an incident yesterday morning involving a dirty diaper and Nick apparently trying to "change himself" that resulted in a complete and total clean-up, but most days are absolute joy.

I love my little man and can't imagine my life with out him!

Growing Pains?

2010-09-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

Nick has been going through a rough couple of weeks. I don't know if he is growing or switching schedules or what. Lately he has not been sleeping well. He goes down just fine, but around 1 am he wakes up and screams. I try milk, rocking, etc. Most of the time, he will sit contently in my lap, then sit up and start talking to me. While I LOVE any opportunity to have a conversation with my little man, 2 in the morning is not my ideal time of day.

This doesn't happen often, but last week it was 3 nights in a row. Of course, they had to be all on work nights, none on the weekend. He usually sleeps all night on weekends.

He also hasn't been eating well. Last night I struggled to find something he would eat for dinner. we settled on peanut butter crackers, yogurt and blueberries - which is pretty healthy, even if it isn't a "traditional meal".

Regardless of growing pains, sleepless nights, or mealtime struggles, we had a great weekend. Sunday consisted mostly of dancing in the rain. He is obsessed with rain right now. Loves to say "It's raining". So Sunday, when we had a few light showers, outdoors we went. Why shouldn't we take a little time to play in the rain?

All Done

2010-08-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

Nick loves to say "all done". We started it when he was a baby as sign language. Mostly he uses it when he is done eating. There are other times he uses it as well, bath time, etc. Sometimes when he doesn't want to be in the car, he will tell me "all done".

The other day he was napping. Usually when he wakes from his nap, I can hear him stir a little over the monitor, start babbling, then talking, calling for various people. The other day, all I heard when he woke up was "all done". I thought it was so cute. It made me laugh.

A few days later, we were in the car. Nick wanted to sing, so I was singing to him. About three verses into the song I was singing, he said "all done". Somehow that wasn't so cute. Guess he confirms what everyone else thinks about me... I can't sing.

Two Evaluations

2010-08-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

It was a big couple of days for Nick. He was evaluated by ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) - and they determined he no longer was in need of their therapy! At first I was a little stunned, then as it sank in, I gradually got more excited and was almost in tears. - Literally-. I remember when we started this journey, after the scary medical stuff was out of the way, the next big hurdle was Nick "catching up". I remember hearing lots of issues from various people and most therapists and doctors cautioning that he wouldn't caught up till age 3 - and even then there would be delays.

While ECI - determines him caught up, I in no way believe my child is a super child by reaching this level now - at 20 months. More so, I realize that these so called "tests of ability and development" are really inaccurate. Any child can pass or fail on any given day- mostly due to the fact that they are toddlers and on a whim can decide to cooperate and not cooperate.

Don't get me wrong it is important, and while I fully recognize and see the value in it- sometimes I feel like the prematurity causes a little more scrutiny than that of other kids. I think if he weren't' a preemie - and wasn't doing some of the "developmental appropriate" stuff, no one would see any red flags. Cause the truth is - he is walking, talking, and running. He is a normal toddler.

I remember 20 months ago when this was all new and fresh and scary. Back then, I worried about every little detail and every little development. I fretted that he wasn't sitting, or standing or walking. Truth is, they all do it, and in their own time, preemie or not.

For now I take a cautious optimistic stand that all is going to continue to go well. We do have the option to go back to ECI if I and his doctor thinks it is necessary.

For now that is one less appointment I have to make every other week! Whew!

The formula study appointment was Monday. I don't know the results for that. They have to mail them to me. From what I observed, Nick did a great job. He could point to photos and do things that I was a little blown away by. His biggest issue was paying attention - but he is 20 months old. Surely the build that into the test!

Day Care Days

2010-08-11T06:42:00.000-07:00

Nick started day care last week. Up until then he was in the care of a great woman in her home. I loved that environment for him, but the commute was far (20-30 minutes extra each way). There is a great day care right near the house. So great, in fact, that there is a waiting list. I have had him on the wait list for a few months. He was set to begin Aug. 2nd.

So far, the transition has been fantastic. I was so worried that he would be a little overwhelmed with all the new stuff. I think I was more worried about the routine. Up until now, if he was tired, he slept, if he was hungry, he ate. Now, he eats on schedule, naps on schedule.

I am happy to report that he has adjusted fantastically. (Is that a word?) The first day he walked in with me, and was so excited about all his new friends - he almost forgot that I was there. When I requested a kiss and hug good-bye, he obliged, but went right back to sitting at the table with friends (3 girls I might add) - and playing.

It has really been a good thing so far. He is eating dinner better, he naps for the entire nap time during the day. He is genuinely happy to go to school. Every morning when I tell him we are getting ready for school, he smiles and says "cool!" (school).

The only problem we have had was the nasty eye infection he picked up at the end of last week, but I guess that comes with the territory. For now, happy and healthy and loving his new school!

Next week Nick will have two developmental assesments. I can't wait to find out how he is doing. I know that chances are he will still be behind in some areas, but I know that he is quickly catching up. His vocabulary is starting to explode, he is growing and learning! It is so neat to watch him grow.

This is from a recent photo-shoto at work. I loved the idea!

Catch Up... Again

2010-07-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have done nothing this month but play catch up... and I guess the blog shouldn't be any different. I wish I could say nothing much has been going on, but we have been really busy. Nick continues to grow and change and learn at amazing rates. He talks so much now - most of which I can't understand. I do relish the fact that I can understand him more than others. He absolutely amazes me with his knowledge. He only has to see things once or twice to be able to repeat them. He loves to copy mommy. (I am learning to watch what I say and do). It is so amazing what little sponges they are at this age.

I wish that I could say that I have some great video of all these things, but the moment the video camera comes out, all his energy is immediately focused on getting to the camera. So, most of my video is closeup views of his nose, with his little hands reaching beyond the camera.

I thought yesterday it would be a good idea to save a few things for posterity sake on the blog... things that I can't wait to go back and read many years from now.

Nick LOVES blueberries. If he sees them, he immediately shouts "Berries" until you give him some. He eats them at least once or twice a day.

Nick loves to be sung to and listen to music. His top favorite songs right now are itsy bitsy spider (or "piper") as he calls it. He puts his little fingers together and requests "piper" until you sing it.

He also loves Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and Pat-a-cake.

When he hears music on the radio, on a commercial, or just on t.v., he will start stomping his feet, and waving his hands and saying "Nance, Nance" (dance, dance). If he is really excited about the music, he can usually put a little spin in there right now.

Nick knows body parts, and loves to point them out on himself as well as others. Some of the favorite ones to point out are nose, eye, teeth, ear, belly (a big favorite), toes, hair and tongue.

Nick can count to 5 when prompted.

His absolute favorite thing to do right now is "Go Bye-Bye". He doesn't care where he goes, as long as he goes.

Life is always fun around Nick. He amazes me, and makes me laugh more than anything I could have ever imagined!

A few photos from a recent family wedding:

Nick dancing at the wedding with his Aunt Crissy Toes!

A Lot of Catch Up

2010-07-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have updated. I have been so busy, time has just gotten away from me. Here is a quick update of what Nick and I have been up to with pictures!

The week after Nick went to the doctor - he got sick. His first illness (you know, other than that whole premature in the hospital for 3 1/2 months thing). This was the first time he has run a fever and I had to actually take him to the doctor. How blessed am I that we went 18 months? He ended up having a virus, that causes a high fever (103.7). No antibiotics because it was a virus, just waited it out. I was at home with him a few days and while he was medicated with Tylenol, you could not tell he was sick! He was a wild man, into everything. I think at one point I asked him why he didn't want to lay down and cuddle like you do when you are sick. He responded by running in the other room to get into yet another cabinet and pull everything out.

Next thing on the to do list - getting Nick his first hair cut! I always envisioned a head full of curls, but sadly, he did not get my full head of thick hair, so while I was trying to let the curls grow, he just started looking scraggly. So first haircut was a must. My brother decided he could do it - and did a really great job.

Next came the 4th of July. I bought Nick the cutest pair of plaid shorts in red, white and blue. Unfortunately, I bought them a while back and he did not grow into them as I had intended so, my wonderfully envisioned 4th of July photos of him didn't turn out as planned. That's ok though, because he didn't really cooperate either.

He did really enjoy the corn on the cob on the 4th of July! (Notice the new haircut)

I am trying to get Nick used to wearing shoes all day. It is a challenge. While he loves to wear his Yews (Shoes), he likes to take them off, put them on, take them off, put them on etc. We are working on it. I bought him some tennis shoes that tie (harder to take off). He gets so excited to put them on every morning.

Whew! That is all we have been up to for now. This coming weekend is a family wedding - so I can't wait to take lots of pictures of my handsome man in his wedding best!

18 Month Stats

2010-06-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

It's a little late, but cut me some slack. I spend every free moment chasing a VERY MOBILE toddler!

So - here is the latest from his doctors appointment last week.

weight - 20.5lbs

height - 31 inches

His doctor was very pleased with his progress. He is catching up and surpassing their expectations at every turn. She was impressed with his walking, running and climbing abilities. She had me fill out a questionnaire about his development. She analyzed it and felt like he was doing fantastic. Starting to catch up to his actual age.

The biggest news, she felt that he could stop drinking the really expensive formula. He is on all whole milk now. That also means he is on all sippy cups - which he loves. The milk transition was wonderful. So far, we have had no issues. The first time he got milk in his sippy cup, he gulped it down. He loved it!

Nick continues to astound me with his absorption of knowledge. He is developing his problem solving skills. I am pretty sure he learns a word a day. His new favorite thing is to bring you a toy, then hold out his hand for you to give it back. Upon handing him said toy, he says "Tank too" (Thank you).

A few of the words in his vocabulary-

Mom (I think he is the only toddler to ever call mom)

Momma

Daddy

puppies

Cocca (Mocha our dog)

Row ( the other dog)

Troy (his favorite neighbor)

Bite

Thank you

Milk

Bye-Bye

Light

Done

No, No, No (this one is usually accompanied by shaking his finger)

Hello

Uh-Oh

Toy

Book

Car

Shoes

There are probably many more, but these are tops in his vocab.

All of the wonderful things he does and learns is nothing in comparison with the joy he continues to bring to my life every day. I live for that smile, his hugs and his kisses. He is such a blessing to me, and I am thankful every day.

** He doesn't realize you really need water for that, but he loves pulling it through the yard.

** Had to snap this at the doctor's office. They want the kids to wear them before being examined. Thought it was too cute!

George

2010-06-10T09:40:00.001-07:00

I don't know when or how it started. It was probably all my fault, mainly because there is no one else to blame. I heard the advice and didn't follow it and now must pay the consequences. Nick has a "George". George sleeps with Nick every night.

Like I said, I don't know how this started. I don't' remember. Every night when I put him to bed, he grabs George by the neck, rolls to his side, sticks a thumb in his mouth and that is how he falls asleep.

For a few weeks months ago, I kept thinking to myself that I needed to take George away and replace him with various other stuffed animals to change it up a bit so he wouldn't get too attached. Before I could do that we had a little diaper leak incident, which lead to washing George, and a bad mommy who forgot to put him in the dryer, thus he was not ready for bed. I prayed when I put him to bed that night, he wouldn't notice the brown stuffed animal that was in his bed wasn't George.

He did. When he layed down, wrapped his arm around... wait, this isn't George. He sat up in bed, looked at me and began to cry. Yeah, I felt about this (see me showing you an inch between my two fingers) big.

He cried for an 45 minutes until he finally fell asleep. But not before he threw the new animal out of his bed.

The next night George was clean and dry and waiting for Nick in his bed and bedtime.

I have managed to keep George as an "at home" toy. Mostly he stays in bed, but every once in awhile George is allowed to venture out of the bed (like last night - we have 2-3 molars coming in and got shots yesterday- can you say cranky baby?).

George always makes everything better.

Single Parent

2010-06-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

A friend recently told me how much she admired me for being a single mom and the job that I do with Nick. It has taken me a while to admit to myself that yeah, I am a single mom. Have been the whole time. I haven't really talked about being a single mom, because I never really thought about it much. I don't say this to slight those other single mom's out there. It is a HARD job! I will never take that away from anyone. Being a parent is a hard job.

I guess I never thought much about it, because, I have been alone since before Nick came home, so it has always been he and I. I can only imagine how much harder it would be if you were used to co-parenting and then suddenly it is just you.

Not to go into too much detail, but sadly my husband made some bad decisions in his life and about our marriage. Even worse, he made them at the worst possible time. When Nick was 3 weeks old, and still in the hospital, he came to me, confessed and affair and left. To say that I was taken aback would be the understatement of the year. It was the most difficult part of my life. Nick pulled me through. Concentrating on his health, well being, traveling to and from the hospital every day helped in ways that I can't begin to explain.

I tell this story, partly as a catharsis for myself. To get the truth out, and feel okay with it. The whole ordeal was painful and at times hard to talk about.

Again, it is hard to be a single parent. There is no one to turn to when you are busy and your child is crying or getting into something. There are no extra hands, there is no one to turn to when he gets up in the middle of the night.

But I am okay with all of that, because there is no one to share the smiles with, the hugs, and the laughter. I get the privilege of the first smile almost every morning. I didn't miss the first crawl, walk, or word. I know he loves to have "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" sung to him. Then he says in a quiet little voice "row, row, row".

I get so many special moments with my man. And that is something I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

Another one of those fantastic "moments". Sitting in the car the other day (by the way- check out the new "big boy seat!!") He picks a cell phone says "Hello, OK, Bye" Maybe I should pay attention to what I say on the phone...

All is Forgiven

2010-05-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

I could never stay upset at my little man. The smile he give me every morning (even if it is followed by the word "puppy", and a look around mom to find the dogs). Earlier this week I took Nick to the beach to have some photos made. It has been a while, and he has changed so much. I wanted to make sure the capture this fun time in his life.

When?

2010-05-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

When did my sweet, loving, happy, baby turn into this whining, toddling, throw himself on the floor and throw a fit, thinks that mommy can do nothing right toddler? And how do I change him back?

It isn't really that bad, but lately, he has had his moments. Tonight, I was "that lady". You know the one, the mom in the restaurant/store/clinic that has the whinny kid, that won't stop whining, crying, or just being an unpleasant child. Yeah, tonight was my first experience being "that mom". The one that everyone at every table around us was probably thankful when we left. Usually Nick is so good at restaurants. He loves to look at all the people, eat, try to get the girl at the table next to us, or the waitress to smile and flirt with him. Not tonight. Nothing I did made him happy/content. Is this a sign of what is to come?

I only hope he makes it through his toddler years! Good thing I love him so much!

Favorite Passtimes

2010-05-12T12:42:00.001-07:00

If I am in the kitchen, or even if I am not, Nick's favorite passtime is to pull EVERYTHING out of the kitchen cabinets. I have tried to get him to stick to one particular cabinet - it just has plastic stuff in it. I am mostly successful with that. He knows that is his cabinet, and he routinely drags every single item out and scatters them over the kitchen floor. It makes a huge mess, and loud noises. What more could a boy love?

My Son

2010-05-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

Being a mother has been an amazing journey, and I am only 17 months into this adventure. I can't imagine what fun you have in store for me in the future.

On this day, Mother's Day. The world stops to remember their mother's, celebrate their mother's and appreciate their mothers. Today, as I looked at you sleeping, I realized, the true meaning of Mother's day is appreciating you. You have brought more joy, laughter and fulfillment into my life. On this day my little man, I thank you. I can't wait to watch you grow and learn. You are a fantastic son, more than I could ever hope for, wish for, or imagine.

I love you.

Pool Time

2010-05-03T19:01:00.001-07:00

Sunday was warm enough here to enjoy our first dip in the pool. I was pretty sure Nick would like it. I was not prepared for how much he would LOVE it. He is a water baby through and through. He floated around in his crab float. He liked that because he could be independent. He did want to get out for a bit, problem was, he thought he could be on his own outside of the float as well.

I held him by the tummy. He would kick and try to splash. He didn't mind water in his face, he even had a splash war with my neighbor P.D. He loved it!!!

The photo below also inspired a discussion among friends about Nick's hair. I so had my heart set on a head full of little boy curls. While his hair is growing - finally, the reality of a head full of thick adorable curls is probably not going to happen. I am a little sad, and not quite ready to get that first hair cut. I know it is long, but technically, it is only long is places. We will see how long I can hold out

Rock Out

2010-04-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUo-1Log_CM

I have been telling people about Nick rocking out in the car for a while, but now I finally have it on video. He LOVES music. When ever he hears a song he likes, he gets to movin'. He waves his hands and claps. It is hilarious. I am so glad I finally got it on video. He seems to particularly like pop and hip/hop. The Black Eyed Peas are personal favorite of his right now. (NOTE: The car was NOT in motion when I was filming this!)

Zoo

2010-04-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my mom's company was hosting an event at the Houston Zoo. It gave us the opportunity to go to the zoo with out too much of a crowd. I wasn't sure about taking Nick, thought he was probably too young to really know what he was looking at, or be excited. But, since it was for a good cause, and it was a pretty day, I took him.

Although he didn't get the full effect of the zoo, and the animals, Nick really enjoyed himself. There were a lot of exhibits in the children's area that were geared toward they younger kids. We pet goats, looked at porcupines, crawled through tunnels, saw elephants and giraffes. It was a lot of fun!

waiting to go into the zoo

waiting - not so patient to get into the petting zoo. He was very excited to go pet the goats!

Just a photo op

Nick liked watching the porcupines. They had a viewing window down low for the younger kids. He kept knocking on the window and watching them move around.

This was a tunnel they have for kids to crawl around in, Nick would crawl a bit, then look back at me. He kept thinking I was going to stop him. He loved it!

Grass??!!!

2010-04-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a few weeks. Life has just been super busy! We did find some time this weekend to hang out with friends. Our neighbors all got together Saturday afternoon/evening to hang out. All the kids were hanging out, and I put Nick in the grass. He hated it! So much so that the scooted, very quickly, to Annie (my neighbors daughter) and sat on her foot, lifted his legs and wouldn't move. Of course I had to leave him there to run and get the camera.

I tried numerous times to put him in the grass, sit with him, etc. All results were the same. He would sit and hold up his legs. This kid must have abs of steel!

Today was another therapy appointment. I casually mentioned the whole grass thing to his therapist today. She said that he may have a little sensory issues, and we should do some sensory work. Sensory work will be fun - especially for Nick. Playing in pudding and shaving cream, a small kiddie pool full of sand, lots of fun... and messy!!!!

In other therapy news... still taking steps. He is getting more confident. Nick took 10 steps today in a row. Am I ready for this????

just a cute baby photo so he doesn't absolutely hate me later in life...

Almost Toddling

2010-03-25T19:39:00.001-07:00

Well, really not almost. Getting there, but slowly. He is still technically a crawler. Nick will take a few steps when prompted. He does seem to want to walk, but seeing as he gets over excited, and thus his head gets way out in front of his body when trying to walk, which then results in a crash, which then results in the comfort that he can just crawl and get there faster. He does really well when he doesn't "realize" he is actually walking.

Tonight, for instance, he was pushing around the dining room chairs, because, you know it is fun to re-arrange furniture. He got one stuck, and walked the two steps to the other by himself, with out realizing what he was doing.

I don't think it will be long before I am indoctrinated into the role of a "toddler mom", but for now, I am content with the happily crawling, thus slightly easier to keep up with,version of my little man.

Anniversary

2010-03-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an anniversary for Nick. One year ago yesterday, I brought my little man home from the hospital, 111 days after he was born. I remember thinking I would never get to bring him home. Now, not only did I bring him home, the first year has already gone by. My how quickly this year has flown. How much he has grown!

In other news.... Nick took a few steps today! Nick still has his therapy every other Monday. Today, His therapist decided to see how well he could do standing on his own. He will stand unassisted on his own for a few seconds. When prompted, he even took a few steps. It won't be long now - but OH I am not ready for this!

the day Nick came home from the hospital

last weekend at the park

Can Someone Please Tell Me....

2010-03-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

Can someone please tell me why a child who seems to absolutley love a particular food, so much that he eats the entire bowl of it, will two days later, when trying to be fed the same EXACT food again, spits it out, and furrows his eyebrows at his mother. Yeah, happens alot!

Also, could the same someone tell me how to baby proof when your child figures out that he can stand ON A DOG to get on the couch. Came into the living room the other day to find Nick on the couch. I couldn't figure out how in the world he got up on the couch. Until I saw him do it again. Took a photo, then got him down, again. How do you baby proof this?????

2010-02-23T17:21:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to teach Nick sign language. I personally, have seen babies and toddlers use sign language to communicate. It is wonderful. They usually pick up the sign language before actual verbal ability and can effectively communicate (with in reason). We have been working on "more" and "all done". Nick has mastered "all done". Especially at dinner time. If he is done, he will do the sign for all done, and means it. Once he has done this, I can rarely get him to eat another bite.

The sign for "more" has been a little slower. I have seen him do the sign, but have not seen him use it consistently. Yesterday, we were sitting during therapy. His physical therapist Mandy has been doing some sensory exercises on his feet to get him off his toes, and ready for walking. She was sitting with him, put a towel over his feet and was rubbing them. She rubbed his right food for a minute or so. I have never seen my child so still. He just sat there and let her rub. She stopped to change feet. Before she could restart on the left foot, Nick did the sign for "more". Guess he does know the sign - and he likes his feet rubbed!

Nick has really been working on the walking thing. He uses his tonka truck to push all around the house. He hasn't yet learned to steer- so we often have crashes, usually into the dogs.

Not Much

2010-02-17T14:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been a bit since I posted. Not much has been going on here. Nick continues to protest to the "baby food", opting instead for food that he can feed himself. His assertion of his independence is a great source of joy for me, but frustration as well. If he is this independent now, what will happen in 5 years, or 10 years? Help! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore watching him grow and learn, but how do you convince a 14 month old to eat when he would rather play in his food - and don't even think about trying to feed him. That will get you a clamped mouth, and furrowed eyebrows.

He is learning new tricks and words it seems almost daily. His favorite "bye" with a hand wave has now been replaced with "hi". Every morning, we spend a few minutes of him pointing to things, I give it a name (door, window, dog etc) then he waves and says "hi".

Still pulling up, getting closer to walking. However, he has learned the art of climbing. The dogs being his favorite "step stool" of choice to get on the couch. He tries to climb anything he can get his feet on top of.

Just a little of what we have been up to. Tomorrow Nick gets his (hopefully last) RSV shot of the season. I am crossing my fingers for 20lbs so we can get out of that rear-facing car seat! Think heavy.

What Happened to my Baby?

2010-02-04T10:25:00.001-08:00

The other day Nick was sitting in his high chair pleasantly eating his gnocchi (more on that later), when I noticed... he is starting that morph from "baby" to "toddler". I know it is inevitable, and I am happy to see him grow and thrive, but I guess I was just caught off guard because I wasn't looking for it. I just saw him sitting there, and bam, he looked like a toddler to me. Sadly, I didn't grab the camera to capture this moment, but I will post photos soon.

Gnocchi - this is the chosen food for now. Nick is transitioning in his food as well. He pretty much refuses all baby food. Even the 3rd foods with some texture. I think he prefers to feed himself ("independent" would be the understatement of the year!). Anyway, trying to find soft foods that he likes, has enough calories, and that he can easily chew with his 4 teeth is sometimes a challenge. I have tried other pastas, but he didn't eat them well, especially if I had to feed him. I saw the gnocchi in the store, right size, soft, caloric rich, why not. He loves them. Warm them up with a little butter, and he goes to town!

I didn't take any photos of Nick the other night when I had my little moment of "Oh my, I am on the cusp of having a toddler", but we did have a little "hair fun" after bath time. His hair is SOOOO thin (thanks for that Tiffany!), so I don't want to cut it, but the top is getting pretty long. I apologize for the quality of these photos - I took them with my camera phone because it was the first thing I could get my hands on, and I knew he wouldn't sit still long enough for me to grab my camera.

I don't style his hair like this everyday- just for fun. This is what he looked like 2 minutes later....

Genius Ideas

2010-01-29T07:21:00.000-08:00

There are times in my life where I feel woefully out of it. You know the feeling when your friends all know about some cool new product, and have for a while and you are just finding out about it. This week I have found out about a few new products in the kid/baby/toddler department. Fairly new (I think) products that are pretty cool.

This is really smart - for toddlers learning how to feed themselves. Bowl with a suction cup on the bottom so it doesn't move when feeding. Thanks Sarah for that tip!

Anyway, I know there are LOTS of other products out there, that are brilliant in their conception. Tell me about them!

Also, I am in the market for a front-facing car seat. Nick will be 20lbs (fingers crossed) soon, and we get to FINALLY move out of the rear-facing car seat. Ideas, thoughts, things to stay away from?

More...

2010-01-25T18:48:00.000-08:00

It seems like time keeps going faster and faster. The older Nick gets, the faster time seems to go. Which is difficult, because that is when I want it to slow down the most. He is growing and changing so much lately. I feel like he is a moment away from walking, and knowing him as I do, I know that he will go from walking to running in an INSTANT. That being said, let me fill you in on a few changes in the last few days.

Today, we started back on our ECI (physical, occupational, speech therapy). We took a little break during the holidays, but are now back in our bi-weekly schedule. Since he has been in it for 6 months, we did an evaluation, re-assessed our goals for him, and determined where we would like him to be in 6 months.

The best part about the evaluation is that he has caught up a lot, and in some areas even surpassing his age. There are a few areas of evaluation they look at. First, ECI doesn't adjust for prematurity after the child turns 1, so in their eyes, he should be testing at the 14 month level. That being said, Mandy, our wonderful ECI therapist, says that she still feels that they will have a little developmental delay, but as long as he doesn't test below his adjusted age (11 months), she isn't worried.

On to the results, in cognition he rated at 14 months, communication was 12 months; motor: 11 months (because he isn't walking); adaptive/self-help: 14 months, and social behavior: 15 months.

So, we are working on the communication and motor. Neither are testing below his adjusted age, so she wasn't too worried. The walking will come in time, and for the speech she gave me some things to try.

He has been trying to imitate me more and more, which is good. I have been really trying to work on sign language. We are starting with two signs, "more" and "all done". Tonight at dinner, he made the sign for "more". It was very exciting. Signing usually helps kids learning to speak.

All in all, I am happy with the results. The social behavior score is pretty funny. I don't think I needed a test to tell me that my child has above normal social scores. He doesn't consider it a successful grocery shopping trip unless he has waved at 10 people, smiled and a few more and made at least 3 people come up and talk to him. There is no such thing as "in and out" anywhere with him. He makes friends everywhere he goes.

What Nick Has Been Up To:

2010-01-20T18:47:00.001-08:00

Thought I should let Nick show and tell you a little of what he has been up to:

"I learned to say 'buh-buh' and wave. I don't really do it when someone leaves, more just when the mood strikes me. And no matter how many times my mom tries to get me to say it when she goes to work, I am just not going to do it"

"I love to help my mom with the baby gates. Hey, I am helping right?"

"I love my puppies! Sometimes they try to get away, but with the baby gates up, they can't quite get away fast enough. I crawl as fast as my little legs will carry me to them. Then I use them as my own personal mountain to climb over. I love my puppies!"

"Still loving my puppies, even when they go play in the backyard. I watch for them and talk to them through the door."

"And of course I am just up to my own general cute smiles to always keep me out of trouble"

Breakfast of Champions

2010-01-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

We went out to breakfast. I thought Nick would eat a few bites of eggs, maybe a little biscuit. Instead, he proved that he prefers my food WAY more than his own. He ate a pancake (the whole thing), half a piece of french toast, some bacon, some sausage, a little scrambled eggs, a little biscuit and some hash browns. Needless to say, after we got home, he took a 2 hour nap!

He didn't eat the pancake like this, but I wanted a photos with the pancake that he loved so much. I cut it up in little bite for eating.

A Little Sick

2010-01-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

Nick took it upon himself to make sure I didn't get too comfortable in the whole, not visiting the doctors office for 3 months. He has had a runny nose, cough, congestion for a week. I figured it was just a virus, but with his lungs, you can't be too careful. So, off to the doctor we went. She said he seemed great. Just a bit of allergies, and a touch of the cold virus. He should be good as new in a few days. The good news is, no congestion in the lungs. Just have to try and dry him up before it moves to the lungs. No big deal.

Other than that, he has been great. Lots of playing, crawling and pulling up. LOTS of pulling up. Everything is his personal pulling up assistant. The coffee table, the entertainment center, the dining room chairs, the couch, the dogs, me. It doesn't matter. He wants to stand all the time. The biggest issue is that his brain is further along with this than his body, and he frequently lets go and expects to still be standing. He can let go with one hand and he has started walking around furniture. It won't be long before he can let go and stay standing!

This photo totally makes it look like he is wearing a baby toupee!

Preemie Clinic Weight Check

2010-01-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

Nick had another Preemie Clinic appointment this afternoon. This was his "gain weight or else" appointment. I had really hoped that he would weigh in at a hefty 17lbs. Unfortunately, he didn't quite make it. Although, he wasn't far off - 16lbs 12ozs. Not too bad.

The docs wish he had gained more, but felt that this was a reasonable enough gain, it put him back on the curve where he was before he tapered off a bit. So, he is back on the curve, 5% in weight. Still a small percentile, but on the curve no less. He had a good jump in height and head circumference. He is 28 1/4 inches long. That puts him in the 45th percentile for height (when adjusted for age). They were very happy with that.

So, the final decision was: No Preemie Clinic until he is 2! YEAH!!!! The confidence in his abilities to grow with out constant monthly monitoring is awesome. He will still be followed by his pediatrician, as well as the formula study crew, and if they notice a problem, we can re-evaluate the situation. For now, we are on our own (so to speak) and it feels great.

That Point

2010-01-04T14:04:00.000-08:00

I have finally reached that point. You know the one where your half-hearted attempt to baby proof is no longer cutting it, and you realize that you have to "get serious". I just spent the afternoon crawling around on the floor, and taking my knick-knacks off the coffee table. I have secured wires, covered outlets, put up baby-gates (the dogs are NOT digging that one). Despite all of this, I am sure that Nick will show me the holes in my baby proofing attempts when he wakes up from his nap. I swear, that kid could be in a room full of baby toys, and find the one thing that is not baby appropriate.

I have been trying to get a good photo of him with all of his teeth -all 4 front teeth. My attempts have been futile. The minute the camera comes out, the mouth shuts. I will continue to try. For now, here is a photo I took this morning, with a little tooth action!

Nick's Christmas

2009-12-28T12:41:00.000-08:00

Nick's first Christmas (at home) was great. He didn't really understand the whole present thing, however, he did take great delight in ripping the wrapping paper. He really cleaned up. I don't know who spoiled him more, Santa, or Grandma! We had a great Christmas. I was so happy to have my little man home with me this year. Last year, he actually fit in his stocking at Christmas. This year, he was able to pull presents out of it. It was fantastic. Unfortunetly, my camera card decided to corrupt just as we started opening presents from my mom's house. I hope to post pics of Nick from home soon. The following are from my mom's camera Christmas morning.

video of Nick playing with one of his presents...towards the end he will dance and sing for you!

these are just the presents from Grandma, Uncle Brian, and Aunt Chrissy-toes

Why my house is no longer clean...

2009-12-17T12:58:00.001-08:00

Because pulling EVERY toy out of the basket is his new favorite pass-time!

And he is clearly proud of himself! (By the way, yes that is a cup - Out of every toy I have ever given my child, his favorite two things, a cup and sunglasses- kids?!)

1st Birthday Party

2009-12-13T07:11:00.001-08:00

Nick's birthday party was awesome! We had many great family and friends to celebrate with us. Nick enjoyed being the center of attention. He showed off all of his new tricks, crawling, clapping, and dancing. Nick got lots of great gifts, and LOTS of books. I am so glad his book shelves are full

Nick wasn't really sure what to do about the cake. He didn't eat much of it, but he made a big mess... and loved it!

Enjoy the photos!

Another One?!!!!!

2009-12-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Another Tooth! A top tooth came in this morning. I can't believe he got another tooth. I think he just wants a steak at his birthday party instead of cake.

Crawling Mania

2009-12-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while... I spend most of my time chasing the now extremely mobile Nicholas around. He so graciously shows me where my attempts at baby proofing have failed miserably. At first his attempts at crawling were limited to the room we were in. Now, he has learned that he can escape into other areas of the house. Luckily, when he does crawl into another area of the house, he is so amazed at himself, he immediately sits up and claps - he is so proud. I know this won't last long, and the time has come that baby gates will now be put to good use.

We are getting ready for Nick's birthday party this weekend! LOTS of photos will come!

1 Year Old Today!

2009-12-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Nick,

Happy Birthday! I absolutely can not believe you are 1 today. It has been quite a year. It started rocky, but you have made it incredible. Words can never express to you how have brought unimaginable joy to my life. Words can never express how proud I am of the accomplishments you have made over the past year.

I remember seeing you for the first time. How much I wanted to hold you and comfort you. You were so small, and so fragile. You proved that you had a spirit and will much bigger than you. I remember everyone talking about how many challenges you were about to face, how hard your road would be, and how scary all the issues you could have sounded. Somewhere, deep down in my heart and soul, I knew you would be fine. I knew that you would have your struggles, but that you were going to be perfect.

Now here you are. You are absolutely perfect. All 15lbs, 9 ounces of you. You make me laugh, you make me smile, you make my heart so full. Your spirit, love, independence are an inspiration to me every day.

You started crawling and pulling up yesterday. All in one day! Just another example of your strong will - when you are ready to do something, you do it BIG! You favorite things to do right now are pretty much anything you can do o your own. You are the most independent child I have ever seen. You love to feed yourself, and you always try to 'help" mom.

I am so proud of you. I don't know if I can ever tell you that enough. I can't wait for what the next year holds. I just wish there was a way to slow down time, so that I could soak up every minute of you.

I love you doodle bug,

Mommy

Nick at 5 days old with a stuffed moose.

Nick last night with the same moose. Boy how you've grown!

Hat Trick

2009-11-30T14:28:00.000-08:00

I was prepared to call this blog post today, " All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth." Nick got another tooth this weekend. Two bottom teeth.However, today during his ECI therapy appointment, Nick decided to show off. I knew he was ready to crawl and he showed it today. He was crawling for toys left and right. Then as the appointment was ending, he crawled over to me and pulled up. I couldn't believe it! My big boy. He just wanted to show off and get lots of presents for his birthday! I did manage to get some crawling on video, after many attempts. When I try to get one of the "milestones" on video, he just looks at me like I am crazy. Now, if you will excuse me, I must remove everything from the ground to 2ft. high....

All in Good Time

2009-11-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

Nick had an eventful weekend. First, he got his first tooth! You can't see it that well yet (so no photos), but you can definitely feel it. He has been drooling and chewing for MONTHS. He truly hasn't been difficult, so I was slightly surprised to feel that little tooth. He thinks he is now ready for steaks!

Also this weekend, Nick displayed a new talent. He can now, go from sitting, to laying, to a crawling position, and then back to sitting. This is a big step for him. He has demonstrated that his little shoulders are strong enough to get crawling. He has been getting on his hands and knees more and more, and has even made a few "steps" forward. It won't be long before the headline for the days blog is "Mobile".

That being said, I am NOT READY TO BABY PROOF! I started looking around at the house, and oh my, I have my work cut out for me. So, I thought I would ask you... any baby proofing tips? I know the standard, remove anything they can reach, cover outlets, etc. I also know that kids have a great way of teaching you things you should have baby proofed. So, I thought I would learn from you! Please share!

One Year Ago Today

2009-11-19T06:47:00.000-08:00

One year ago today I began the most terrifying journey of my life. I went to the doctor for a (somewhat) routine ultrasound. Two minutes after beginning the ultrasound, the tech left the room and promptly came back with a doctor. He began telling me that the baby was measuring small, there was very low fluid around him, and the blood flow between myself and Nick was very low. He wanted to admit me to the hospital for some monitoring.

I was scared, but optimistic. I remember thinking, "Okay, I will go into the hospital a few day, everything will be fine, I will be home by the weekend."

Upon getting to the hospital, tests were done, I was put on a monitor and sent straight to labor and delivery. They immediately started giving me steroids to strengthen Nick's lungs in case he had to be delivered that day, or soon there after. I spoke with numerous ob/gyns, and they brought in a neonatologist to tell me what I could expect if he was delivered at 26 weeks. I remember hearing many scary words. At that point, I honestly thought, this conversation was useless, because I was not having him now.

I knew there was no way I was having him that day. I begged and pleaded silently with Nick to hold on. I prayed and prayed. I COULD NOT have him this day. See, 5 years ago tomorrow (the 20th), my father passed away suddenly. My grandfather passed away 3 days later. There was no way I was going to have a baby at 26 weeks, this week.

Through sheer will, and a lot of prayer, Nick held on. Sometimes I think he knew just how badly I didn't want to have him in November, so Dec. 1, he said, "Okay, here I come". Probably the only time in his life that I was more hard headed than him.

The next few weeks were a blur. I was in the hospital vacillating between a regular hospital room and a monitored labor and delivery bed. Sometimes, I would go down to L&D for a few hours, sometimes overnight. Finally one day after a week of this, I had an ultrasound that showed a worsening condition. I was sent to L&D permanently, and told that Nick would probably be delivered in the next 7 days. Again, meetings with neonatologists, and now they brought in anesthesiologists.

I became so close to my docs and nurses. They were all wonderful. They even offered to share their Thanksgiving meal with me. It was the most scary time in my life. I am thankful everyday that it turned out so well. There are many moms who don't have the same outcome.

It is still a hard thing for me to think about. I still get very emotional as I remember the hell that started on November 19th, and didn't end until March 21st when I was finally able to bring Nick home.

I can take comfort in the fact that I have a healthy, happy boy. He continues to be the absolute BEST thing that ever happened to me. I would do all of it all over again to have him. It was all worth it.

Pushing Forward

2009-11-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

I have pretty much abandoned the recommendations of the docs from preemie clinic with regard to Nick's food. Not totally, but I figure, what they were asking him to do wasn't working, so we might as well try our own thing. They wanted him to have a set amount of formula (24-28 ounces) and 2-3 jars of food.

Nick doesn't take 24-28 ounce of formula. I think he has taken that amount maybe twice. He is usually at an average of 20 ounces. That is his normal. So, while I still am insisting that he take somewhere between 18-20 (more if he will indulge me). I do allow him as much jar food as he wants. I offer him a bottle, if he takes more than 3 ounces, he can have a jar of food. The other day, he took 6 jars! That is a lot of food for such a little guy, but he loves it.

We started meat as well, which is great because it has so many more calories and protein than the regular food. We will see how it goes.

In other Nick news, he has started waving. I will post a pic soon of this cute new addition to his repertoire. He loves to wave "Hi", however, he doesn't seem to understand the concept of bye. He looks at me like, I have already said Hi to you, why are you waving again.

I love it when my little man learns new things!

Dissappointing Preemie Clinic

2009-11-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

I don't even know what to say. Nick had preemie clinic today. He weighed 15lbs, 3 ounces. Basically, he gained 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces. As you may imagine, docs were not happy. Not even a half a pound in 4 weeks, was to say the least, unacceptable. We discussed it, and they docs agreed to give him 6 weeks. At the end of the 6 weeks, if he has not gained a sufficient amount of weight, he is going to be admitted to the hospital for a week for monitoring, and testing. They will do a host of metabolic testing to see what the problem may be.

Nick's growth curve has flat-lined a bit, causing much concern. Each previous preemie clinic, the doc would always say, "I am not worried, I am just concerned". Today, he said "I am worried, very worried." They started talking about "failure to thrive". I know some about failure to thrive, but will probably learn more about it in the next few weeks. I am trying not to worry too much about the failure to thrive. He is not there yet. They said that the only reason they aren't admitting him right now for testing, is that he looks so alert, healthy and happy. They said if he was lethargic, they would probably admit him now, but since he seems to be fine, they are going to give him 6 weeks to pack on the pounds.

I know that right now, there is nothing that I can do. I have to just keep doing my best to make sure he gets the maximum amount of food that I can get into his body. If that means waking 1 - 2 times a night, that is what it takes. Bottom line, I just want him to be healthy, and if we can get some answers, I want that. As a mom, you don't want anything to be wrong with your child, that alone is scary and frustrating. For now, I will wait and see what he can do. When the going gets tough, the one thing Nick can do is rise to the occasion.

Now for a little comic relief so to speak:

Things I learn/ponder/question while waiting in the doctor's waiting room:

If your child is sick, please keep him/her out of the "well" child side. They have a sign there for a reason, and I am here with my child just for a check up and don't appreciate your kid coughing all over me and my child
If you let your 6 year old drink and entire 20 ounce bottle of mountain dew (which I think has about 6 million grams of sugar), they will NOT stop climbing over the chairs, yelling, or sit still no matter how many times you ask.
Asking why your child is acting like a maniac after he drank a 20 ounce bottle of mountain dew will result in dirty looks from most others in the room.
If you are trying to get an accurate weight on a child, might I suggest allowing the parents to take off the wet diaper.
Telling me that you are worried about my child, and may put him in the hospital for a week should never be followed by the phrase "but I don't want you to worry, enjoy your holiday"

Just a few of my observations today....

On the Cusp

2009-11-09T19:01:00.000-08:00

I don't have much to report right now. I am on the cusp of a few posts with events from this weekend and upcoming events this week. Saturday morning, I brought Nick with me to work. We did our annual park day shoot, so Nick came along with me to do a few photos. I only saw what was on the back of the camera, and I only saw a few of the shots, but I loved the few that I saw, so I will definitely be posting photos soon.

Tomorrow is another preemie clinic appointment. While I could freak out because I know he hasn't gained near the weight that they want him to, I am remaining calm. He eats, he grows and he develops. Beyond that, I can't change his appetite, despite what they think. And he is growing. I was looking at him today, and he looked so long. I can't believe my baby is growing into a little boy. I am anxious to see how tall he is.

As for now, I am just in the cusp of writing all these thing to update everyone. I will write more this week. Have a good week!

Hard Headed

2009-11-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

I have no other words, but HARD HEADED! I knew when Nick was in the NICU, he was a strong willed little boy (he pulled out his own vent tube at 17 days old... he didn't even weigh 2lbs). Anyway, yesterday was another ECI appt for Nick. Ms. Mandy came in, and I was so excited to show her what Nick could do... sitting up, all on his own. Did he do it? Of course NOT. It took 20 minutes, 3 adults and about 10 toys to finally convince him to show his skills.

Everything else went well. I am a little concerned with his development. It seems like the gap between his adjusted age (8 months) and his skill level is increasing. I am trying not to compare him to kids his own age (more on that incredibly hard task later), but when compared to other 8 month old babies, he is clearly behind. Right now he is more like a 6 month old when you look at his skill level. I know that each kid develops on their own time, it is just hard to see him behind. I don't really know how to explain it. ECI is going to do another evaluation in January, then we will re-access our plan.

I have also noticed some other issues with Nick, things he should be doing, but isn't, like clapping. We are working on it. Ms. Mandy feels he may have some sensory issues. So we are going to start working on that. He doesn't want to open his hand to clap. There are some other signs that he may have sensory issues, but all are very minor.

Next week is another preemie clinic weight check... so we are concentrating on "fattening up". Nick had his RSV shot last week. His weight at that appointment was only about 3 ounces heavier than he was 2 weeks ago. Preemie clinic docs are NOT going to be happy with that. So, we are going to work very hard on adding some weight this week. Mainly that means I have to be more hard-headed than he is.

I can't believe Nick is 11 months! I almost have a 1 year old. I am starting to think about his party, which is exciting. I just can't believe it is almost a year. Where did this year go?

Sitting Up, Puffs and Bath Time

2009-10-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

I thought I should just do a general post of what Nick has been up to, and post a bunch of photos to go along with it. Nick has been sitting up like a champ. I usually put the boppy around him for those times that he leans a little too far over to get a toy. He had decided that sitting up is a good idea, and would like to do it often.

We also have started eating "puffs". We try cheerios too, but the puffs are flavored (banana and peach yum!) and they dissolve much quicker than cheerios. This helps. We are working on two very important skills... being able to use his figures to pick up small things, and the skills it takes to roll a hard food in his mouth with his tongue. Nick loves puffs. He can pick them up wonderfully. Getting them into his mouth and not down the front of him, is slightly more challenging, but he keeps trying. He gets very excited when you get out the puffs, and often throws a fit when he runs out of puffs. The boy loves to eat!

Bath time has also become a new favorite. I have never seen a baby love to kick and splash so much!

Check Me Out

2009-10-18T17:26:00.001-07:00

Nick and I have been working and working on the sitting up thing. Check out what he decided to show me he could do this evening...

Apparently, I just needed to give him the remote control as bribery to sit up.

Nick's 7 month photo shoot

2009-10-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Just learned how to do this at work. We are always trying and doing new things! Of course I had to try it with Nick's photos!

Another Preemie Clinic

2009-10-15T07:04:00.001-07:00

Preemie clinic went well on Tuesday. Nick had his monthly weigh in... 15.1 lbs! Such a big guy! They thought his weight gain was decent. ("appropriate gain for his adjusted age, however, not what we had hoped for him to catch up") We went through the feeding schedule again (EVERY TIME?!!) The docs conferred with the occupational therapist, and the nutritionist and finally decided that no matter what they try to get him to do/eat, he is just going to be his own person. REALLY?!!!! I have been trying to say that for these past months.

We aren't going to change anything at this point, which means I wake Nick up to eat once in the middle of the night. We are still on increased calories. They just now have come to the conclusion that while he is not on the growth curve in the place they would like him, he is on his own curve and that is ok. As long as he doesn't deviate from the curve, we are cool. They want to see him back in a month for another weight check. If he is still hovering in the 5th percentile, they are good to let him go and see him back in a few months (versus every month).

So, for now, all is good. The occupational therapist commented that she thought developmentally, he was right on track. She said she couldn't quite gauge everything, but she felt like, given what she saw, the stuff he isn't doing yet, (sitting up) is most likely due to the fact that HE WILL NOT BE STILL. She felt like he can do all these things, he is just so active, he can't be bothered with a little thing like sitting still. She did stop the therapy session and turn to me to ask, "Is he always like this?" Yes! He moves constantly... even in his sleep.

A Taste of Fall

2009-10-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

This morning, Nicholas and I spent a little time, going through all of his clothes. Saturday I woke up to some cooler temperatures (It was like 95 last Thursday!). This is the first "real" cool front we have gotten this year. I realized that, while I had bought Nick some fall and winter clothes, I had yet to take the tags off and wash them. Luckily, there was something in the closet that I had washed.

So, this morning while waiting for his ECI therapy appt, I went through his clothes. We are finally almost grown out of 3 month clothes ! YEAH! I packed away all the sleeveless clothes. I packed away most of the 3 month shorts and t-shirts. I got out all the fall clothes, washed them and hung them up. He is all ready for fall! Of course, I watched the news, it will be in the 90's again in a day or so. Welcome to Southeast Texas!

Nick's ECI appointment went well. She gave us some new things to try, and again we are just keeping with the same stuff. Trying to encourage him to sit up and play. Strengthen his shoulders, and use his tummy muscles.

His tummy is doing better, and the diaper rash is doing better as well. I have been letting him be naked as much as I can. He actually spent a lot of the weekend butt naked on a sheet saver from his bed. He loves being naked! Some of the time, I wasn't quite as brave, so I used a cloth diaper on him. Not cleared up yet, but he is getting better.

Rough Couple of Days

2009-10-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

The end of the week was rough for poor Nick. He got a stomach bug. This started on Wednesday and continued until Saturday. Stomach bug in a baby = bad case of diaper rash! I felt so bad for him. He would scream every time he had a dirty diaper, but scream even louder when I tried to change him. I tried EVERYTHING! We did desitin, vaseline, soaked in a warm bath with baking soda. For the stomach bug, it was bananas every day from Friday until today. I woke up every 2-3 hours very night from Wednesday - Saturday to change him. He is feeling better, a prescription from the doctor for diaper rash cream helped.

Other than that, we have been good. I am a little concerned, Nick has a preemie clinic appointment on Tuesday. He is no where near the weight they wanted him to be by the next appointment. I am hoping I can use the stomach bug as a reason for the lack of weight gain.

The truth is, I have done everything they have asked. I wake up every night, get him up and feed him a bottle. I have started feeding him foods that have many more calories. Sometimes I think the more calories I give him, the more he burns. I am not sure what the next step is. We have increased the formula to it's maximum calorie giving potential. I think the next step is an additive. I am very hesitant to take this step. If I thought for a moment that his weight was impeding his development, I would be the first to be on board for this. I do not feel that this is the case right now. At this point I am not sure what to think.

I am not going to worry about it too much right now. The appointment isn't until Tuesday, so I will worry about it when we are there. We have physical therapy to look forward to tomorrow. I can't wait for Nick to be able to sit up and crawl. I think he will be a much happier baby when he is mobile. I will be happy too, probably more anxious, but happy.

We are doing well. He has been a champ through the stomach bug and diaper rash. He has even found the delight of his Johnny Jump. He used to just sit in it and twirl. He has figured out that bouncing in it is SO much more fun!

Saturday Attire

2009-10-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

I took this with my cell phone camera, sorry for the quality. Just wanted to show you what Nick looks like every Saturday during College Football season.

I have resorted to bribery...

2009-10-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Nick had an ECI therapy appointment on Monday. Mandy (Nick's therapist) was very excited, and impressed that he was showing crawling signs. She thought that was a very positive step. She was not impressed with his lack of sitting up, however. The problem is, he can do it. Some preemies have issues with being able to bend and move properly, especially on their lower extremities. These same babies can't do things like put their feet to their mouth etc. Nick can do all the above, he just chooses not too. He will sit up assisted for a while, but the problem is, I can't keep his attention long enough to get him to stay in that position. He knows that when he is laying down, he has much more mobility. He can roll and roll and grab things with his hands and feet. He can't do those things while sitting, so he would just prefer not too.

I figured if he had a toy that had lots of lights and buttons (his two favorite things right now, which may explain his fascination for the remote-seriously? you are too young for that little man). Anyway, I bought him his own baby laptop. It has shapes and sounds and songs and lights up when you punch buttons.

It worked better than anything thus far, but only because he kept trying to bend over to eat it. Hey, whatever works, right?

A Morning Story (Instead of A Bedtime Story)

2009-09-23T06:53:00.001-07:00

Nicholas loves the dogs. Nicholas wakes up every morning looking for the dogs. Nicholas also knows how to fake cough to get attention. Nicholas fake coughs at the dogs in an attempt to get them to pay attention to him. The dogs do not cooperate. Nicholas gets mad.

The End.

2 Appointments

2009-09-21T19:28:00.001-07:00

Two posts in two days... I either have something to say, or I am just putting off the laundry that needs to be folded, and the accounting homework that is due Wednesday. Either way, here it is.

Nick had two appointments today. I think he is responsible for getting UTMB out of the red, but that is a post for another day. We met with Kristin, the study formula nurse. Nick got his weight check... 14lb, 6 oz. He gained 6 oz in 1 week! His average for the last 4-5 months has been 1/2 pound every two weeks. He gained almost a half a pound in a week! His preemie clinic doc will be so happy! (I hope)

We also had an audiology appointment. Many of the drugs Nick got while in the NICU can have adverse affects on his hearing. He passed with flying colors. The tech said that many babies have a hard time doing the hearing test. They don't like the little device in their ear, and they won't be quiet long enough to get the info needed. Nick was so interested in looking at the tech, and trying to get her to smile at him, he did the whole test, both ears in less than 5 min. He passed, and is done with audiology.

I did however consider coming home and dipping him in a vat of anti-bacterial hand wash. Sitting in the waiting room for both appointments, you would be amazed at how many kids are sick with the flu. (I assume it was the flu because the check in nurses made the kids wear masks.) I resisted the urge to dip his whole body, but I did wash both of our hands... twice.

On a side note, all this growing he is doing, Nick can finally fit into some of the outfits I bought a while back. Too bad we are about to change seasons...

Why I Don't Seem To Post As Much

2009-09-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

It is not because there is not much going on! It is actually quite the opposite. I don't know if I have shared this, but I am back in school. Taking 9 hours of class, plus being full time mom, having a full time job, and the various other things that you have to do to survive... like eat, do laundry, clean the bathroom etc. My day goes something like this:

5:30 wake up and jump in the shower, hope to be able to shower, blow dry and fix my hair, put on my makeup before Nick wakes up.
6:30 If Nick hasn't already awaken, get him up, dressed and wrestle him into taking a bottle**
7:30 Out the door, taking Nick to Stacie's house then me to work
8:30-5:00 Me at work
5:45 Pick Nick up, have a little play time, wrestle him into to taking another bottle**
6:30 Feed Nick dinner, bath time, bed time
7:30 Start studying/homework
11:00 Finish up laundry, get bags packed and ready for tomorrow
11:30 bedtime for me

** I don't actually wrestle Nick, but for some reason, I think he gains arms and legs when I try to give him a bottle.

Nick is doing well. We are still trying to pack on the pounds. He is starting to take his bottles better, some nights I don't even have to get up in the middle of the night. We are continuing to look for baby foods that have the most calories so that he can gain the maximum weight. He goes back on the 14th of October for another weigh in. He did have his 9 month pediatrician appointment last week. 14 pounds, 25 inches. Even after the increased calories, he is only gaining about 1/2 pound every two weeks. I think the more calories they make him take, the more his little body has to burn.

I took some video this weekend of the rocking he is doing while up on his knees, his precursor to crawling. Hope to post it soon!

Still Not Crawling, But Working Hard At It...

2009-09-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

Another Preemie Clinic

2009-09-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy to say the least. Sorry I haven't updated in a little while. I am enrolled in school right now... taking 9 hours, working full time and being full time mom. Life is busy.

That doesn't mean my little man hasn't been up to his old tricks, and a few new ones. Nick had another preemie clinic appointment last week. He weighed in at 13 pounds 8 ounces. As you may (or may not) suspect, they were not happy with the weight gain. Nick had even dropped .2 percent in his weight percentile. While .2% isn't a lot to most of us, a negative move is not a good move. So, we upped the calories of his bottles again. I am now mixing his formula so that each ounce is 26 calories. They also decided that waking him up each night is a good idea. So, all that time I spent getting him to sleep through the night, gone. I set my alarm each night and wake him to get him to take a bottle.

They said they would like him to gain 20 grams a day. Right now he is only gaining on average 10 grams a day. Not sure how well this is all going to go over. We are trying. It seems that the bigger problem for Nick is that he is in CONSTANT MOTION. He never stops. Feet, hands, mouth, doesn't matter, something is always moving.

Tummy time is excellent. He likes being on his tummy. The last few days, he has even started getting up on his knees, rocking a little, and inch worming a little. It is not very often, but it is defiantly a step in a crawling direction. I am sooo not ready to baby proof the house! Sitting up seems to be a little more challenging for him, mainly because he would rather be held standing so his little feet can go, go, go. He seems to have no time for this sitting down stuff. When he does figure out this moving, thing, watch out. I will try to get his movements on video, it is a sight.

9 months

2009-09-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Nick.

I am sorry that I am a few days late in writing this to you. There have been so many things going on. Right now, I am reminded of how short and precious life can be. I seem to be reminded of that every so often. You were a reminder of that, in a very good way.

Aunt Janet (who technically is of no blood relation, but has been in my life since I was 8), whom you will hear many stories about, lost her battle to breast cancer last night. She was such a special person, full of life. You will no doubt hear many stories about her in the future. She loved you, like you were her own grandchild. She came to see you often in the hospital, and spoiled you at your baby shower.

The most important thing that I learned from Janet was to live life. I hope that you learn that lesson as well. Nothing was ever more important than Janet's friends and family. In this life, that is the most important thing. You will learn many lessons in your life, but I hope that you cherish that one.

Last night when I got home, I picked you up and held you while you slept. I told you that no matter what you do, or where you go in your life, I will always be there with you and I will always support you.

You have grown so much in the last month. Do I say that every month? At some point I am sure you will read these letters, and roll your eyes and groan. But I also hope that at some point you will cherish them as well.

You are one happy, smiley baby! You love to take everything in, and then give life a big smile. Especially if you have a good view of a dog. Your puppies always make you smile. You are still a fantastic eater. Squash, peas, green beans, carrots and avocado are your favorites. You are good with fruits but you don't gobble them up like you do the veggies.

Your awake time is spent mostly playing, talking, and smiling. You lay under your play mat and play and play. You like your exercauser, especially now that you figured out you can put a lot of the toys in your mouth. I recently got you a Johnny Jump. You haven't quite figured out how to jump in it yet, but you mostly twirl yourself around. You are eye level with the dogs in the Johnny Jump, so you spend most of your time twirling around to watch them.

You love music. Any kind, it doesn't matter if it is on the radio, tv, or I am singing. You will kick your legs like crazy when you hear music. Hopefully you got some of you Uncle Brian's music ability, cause mommy doesn't have any musical talent beyond keeping a beat. But I would guess you know that, as you have heard me sing.

Keep growing little man. You are doing so well. I could not have asked for a better and more precious baby than you.

Love you Nick,

Mommy

Birthday Wishes

2009-09-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Uncle Brian/Brain/Buddy! I love you!

Lemon Face

2009-08-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Nick's Aunt Crystalle decided that Nick wanted to try a lemon. He tasted it, made a face, then kept wanting to eat it. He would pull the lemon to his mouth, then make a face, then do it all over again. The faces were too funny not to post!

Preemie Parent

2009-08-26T19:01:00.000-07:00

I saw on a friend's blog (who had preemie twins as well) an article about post traumatic stress in parents of children who are in the NICU. I started reading it, but had to stop. So many times, when I look back at photos of Nick, or view photos of other kids in the NICU, or read stories about experiences in the NICU, I get very emotional. Sometimes, I can't even do it. It is just too hard. I cry just seeing a photo of a child I have never met. It is such a hard thing to explain, and for others to understand.

While I am not sure that I would classify my emotions as post traumatic stress syndrome, I don't know that I can fully classify my emotions. I know I felt an overwhelming sense of dread when I was discharged from the hospital. Not being right down the hall from Nick was extremely hard. I know that I called the NICU first thing every morning, and last thing every night to check. I often called during the day, especially if he was having difficulties, or procedures. I often called in the middle of the night when I got up to pump. I remember being so incredibly careful with my cell phone, as I felt that was my only life line to my son. I would sometimes check my phone numerous times in an hour to be sure they didn't call. I went to the hospital every day, all 111 of them.

I remember jumping, and my heart leaping out of my chest when my phone rang, and I saw the hospital number on the phone. I remember reading every thing I could get my hands on about preemie babies, what to expect, what could happen, and looking for the ominous signs in my own son. I remember his bad days where his heart rate would drop in the 40's and my heart would drop then race, watching the monitor every second to see him recover. The hardest days were his bad days. The days when he would have multiple apnea spells a day.

It was the most incredibly hard time in my life, and I never want to relive it. I sympathize with every parent who has been through that, is going through it, or will go through it. I wish that I could say something to make it better, but I can't.

The only thing I know for sure, is Nick is okay. He is home, where I can be with him hours a day, instead of minutes. He is home where I can hug him, love him, kiss him, and care for him every minute of the day if I choose.

There are after effects of the NICU. I know that any type of sniffle sends me almost into a panic. I know that certain things can be so much more dangerous for Nick, but despite all that, he is here. I admit, I still go check on him every night, put my hand on his back to feel his breathing, and maybe I will do that for a while. Everyday, I get a little more confident that everything will be okay.

While I sometimes grieve the loss of things "normal' with bringing home a baby, I know that for both Nick and myself, this whole experience has meaning. I have faith in God that there was a reason, it can only make us stronger. At the very least, he will have a great story to tell when he gets older. How many kids can say I only weighed 1 pound 8 ounces. That among many other things makes Nick incredibly special!

Wordless Wednesday: Sleeping Like A Baby

2009-08-26T06:58:00.001-07:00

Now for the post I was going to write before Nick took a header off the bed...

2009-08-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

The other day I was cleaning out Nick's closet. Getting rid of some things that he has grown out of, and trying to find things that he has grown in to. I ran across an outfit that my boss bought for Nick just a week or two after he was born. I remember loving the outfit, but thinking it would take FOREVER for him to grow into it. He finally has. It is sometimes funny to think back to those first days, when he was so incredibly tiny and fragile. How a simple outfit made me long for the days when I could bring him home, and dress him daily. I am so happy and blessed that this has become a reality.

While it has taken 8 months for my little guy to grow into his outfit, despite the tags 3-6 month size. The most important thing is that he is in it, and apparently happy about it.

The other day, I was in Carter's. They had a good sale, and I was trying to get a jump on some fall/winter clothing. Anyway, I saw the most adorable birthday outfit for Nick's one year. I started through the rack, looking for the 6 month outfits. When I voiced my displeasure that they had none, my mom reminded me that they would not have any. They don't make 6 month birthday clothes. As I was voicing my displeasure, another woman overheard us. She asked why Nick was so small. When I told her he was a preemie, she started talking to me about her preemie. She had a son as well. She was actually at Carter's looking for t-shirts and shorts. Her son was 3, and potty-training, but he only fits into 18 month clothes, which are still a lot of onesies, with snaps. Not a good combination for a potty training child.

It occurred to me, after going back and reading Cindy, AJ's mom's comments, that AJ, who was only slightly smaller than Nick at birth, can fit into 18 month clothes at 5. I guess what strikes me, is all the doctors say that 95% of preemies catch up by the time they are 3. Somehow, I think their statistic may be a little off.

Hard Head

2009-08-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

I get off work yesterday and call my mom to make sure she has picked up Nick, and that he had a good day etc. When she answered, she was all out of breath. She said that my son had just scared her to death. I asked why. Apparently, she put him in the middle of her bed, then went to go let the dog out of the kennel. Before she even got to the kennel, she heard Nick crying. She ran into the other room, and he was on the floor. She said she hadn't even left him for 15 seconds. He does roll over, but generally he doesn't do it quickly. I know my mom would never do anything to even remotely put Nick in danger. She felt so bad, I felt bad for her.

Anyway, I asked a lot of questions, he seemed to be ok, but of course I was freaking out. I thought about taking him to that urgent care clinic. I decided to call his doctor's office and speak to the nurse on call. It took a while for her to call me back. In the mean time, I had arrived at my mom's house, and he seemed fine. He was talking, kicking, smiling, etc. He had no signs of bruising or anything like that. He really seemed fine, but I couldn't get it out of my head that if something happened to him, I would never forgive myself. I went back and forth debating on taking him for like an hour. I finally decided to take him home, keep him awake for a while and wait for the nurse on call to call me back.

He ate dinner fine,(whole jar of peas, whole jar of bananas) and right after the nurse called. She got some info, and decided that she too felt like he was fine, but to not let him go to sleep until 8pm at the earliest, but if I could keep him up until 9 that would be good. Now, he had not had a nap since like 4:30, so you can imagine the pile crankiness that he was last night. Anyway, she also wanted me to wake him every two hours through out the night. Make sure he was moving ok, no bruising, opening his eyes focusing etc. So, I put him down at 8, then got up EVERY TWO HOURS. Yep, 10, midnight, 2am, 4am, and 6 am. I finally stopped worrying about him at 4 am when I woke him, he smiled, started kicking and decided that it was time to play, and he did not want to go back to sleep.

I believe the right term is "baptism by fire". Honestly, with all that he has been through you would think I would be used to this, but I guess you never get used to worrying about your child.

I know that just about every child has fallen off the couch or bed, and is just fine. My mom even pointed out, that when my brother was a baby, I dropped him, on his head. And he is just fine. (although some moments, I do debate that... love ya Uncle Brian).

This morning he woke happy, giggly, smiley, and hungry. I guess he just wanted to give us more proof that he has a really hard head!

What We Have Been Up To...

2009-08-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

We have been working on our therapy. Nick has been doing well with tummy time. He does better with his tummy time when he wants to do it. He is also working on sitting up. He sits up in my lap, and with the assistance of a bobby.

He definitely does better when he has a toy!

Mocha helps with tummy time. Nick is always more likely to actually stay on his tummy when one of the dogs participates in tummy time.

Those of you who know me well, know that I LOVE shoes. It is a sickness that I am happy to own up to, but one I will never change. Have you ever noticed the adorable shoes for babies? They are sometime irresistible. While I love shoes, I fully appreciate the fact that babies, don't. So, Nick owns, 3 pairs of shoes. He owned 2 pairs until this weekend, when I saw a pair of shoes that I could not resist purchasing for him

I think they are adorable! (By the way, on my computer, this photo is horizontal, don't know why it is flipped) Anyway, had to get these. It isn't quite cold enough for them yet, and right now, when he wears them, his main goal is taking them off and putting them in his mouth, but the really were just too cute to not buy. Technically, they are slippers, so they aren't really "shoes" right?

First Day of Therapy and New Foods

2009-08-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

Nick had his first day of therapy with his therapist from Early Childhood Intervention. He worked on tummy time, and sitting up. Mandy, his therapist was great. She layed on the floor and played with him. She helped him sit up, and played with him. At first he had so much fun, then he began to realize that while she was playing with him, he still was on his tummy. He tried to put up a fight, but Mandy persisted. 45 minutes of tummy time, and sitting up. It made for one tired little man.

Some friends at my exercise class suggested I try Nick with some "big people" foods, to try to encourage a little weight gain. I thought I might give it a try. I made some home made mashed potatoes. (With Nick's formula, not milk or butter.) He liked them. This weekend, his grandma offered him a little guacamole. Loved that too. I bought him an avocado, and he has added a half an avocado to his daily meals. He loves the avocado. It has good fat, and great vitamins. I hope to make him some homemade squash and peas soon.

Laughter

2009-08-06T18:36:00.001-07:00

Nick loves to laugh, but he reserves it for things he finds truly funny. (meaning, not me) I have tried countless things to get him to laugh. He usually smiles at me and might even give a little chuckle, but never really a laugh. When ever dogs are around, especially if they are playing, Nick laughs and laughs. I have tried to get it on video, but trying to hold a baby, hold a video camera, and get the dogs to play... hard to do. So, I decided to go to my neighbor, PD's house. Her dogs are smaller, and like to run around. (Mine just wanted to lay there tonight.) So, I went down to PD's house and between her daughter Laura and the dogs, Nick was laughing. Still hard to get it really well on video. And of course the minute the camera is turned off, he laughs more and more, but at least it is something. It makes me smile every time!

Thyroid Results

2009-08-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

Nick's doctor called this morning. She got the results of the blood work, and all was well. They did multiple tests of his thyroid function. No problems. That is a relief. So, we are continuing with the 24 calorie formula. He "weighs in" next week.

I don't know how his weight is doing, but I swear he is getting taller by the minute. I think he grew two inches just over the weekend. We even hit a milestone this weekend... we got rid of most of his 0-3 month clothes. He now wears 3 month and even some 3-6 month clothes. He never fills them out, but his body has gotten so long, he grows out of them length wise. At least I can honestly say he has gotten GOOD use out of his clothes! Most babies go through them so fast. He wore 0-3 month clothes for a good 4 months.

Photos from the weekend:

Nick loves his Uncle Brian! He will just watch him and watch him when Brian is around. He thought it was funny to wear his hat too.

He decided to put on a hat that fit better, and was a little more him. He also likes to wear that in front of my brother's girlfriend, (Aunt Chrissytoes). She isn't an Aggie fan, but we will keep her around anyway.

8 Months

2009-08-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Nick,

I am sorry I was a day late in posting this. We were so busy yesterday, running errands, and all that we do on the weekend. You are such a trooper to run around with me. I feel like you have changed so much in the last month. Do I say that every month?

I swear you grew 3 inches over the last two weeks! I know you probably haven't, but you have been growing. While your weight seems to never catch up to standards good enough for the doctors, your height is great. I think that is part of your weight issue, you just keep getting taller and taller. That and your CONSTANT movement.

You spend your time during the day playing, talking, rolling over to one side and back again. Your favorite time of day is breakfast and dinner. You are so social, that the opportunity to sit and have a "conversation" with me over peas, is fantastic to you. You always smile and laugh when I feed you.

It is always a toss up for me what my favorite part of the day is. I love feeding you, but at night, after you have had your bath, and bottle, and are just laying in my arms, words can never express the peace and love that I feel. You lay on my shoulder, and every once in a while, you will pop your head up and look at me and smile. You could probably ask for anything in the world at that moment, and I would get it for you.

You continue to be the biggest blessing in my life. You make me smile, you make me laugh. You are an amazing little boy. I can't wait to see what you do next.

Love you Nick,

Mommy

Photos With A Few Words

2009-07-29T19:14:00.001-07:00

Nick loves to eat. Sometimes when he eats, I can barely get the spoon out of his mouth before he is opening it for more. I call this the "baby birdie"

He is getting better at tummy time. He even enjoys it, especially when he can be on the bed and look down at the dogs playing. I swear my hands were only off for a second. Long enough to take the photo!

Full But Great Day

2009-07-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day for Nick! He had his doctor appointment this morning. They did draw blood, but he was such a big boy. He didn't even shed one tear when they took the blood. He did stick his lip out, but the two nurses who were drawing the blood started talking to him, and any chance Nick has to flirt, he is going to take it. He had to show them he was a big tough man. I will find out the results of the test some time next week.

His weight today was 12lbs 8 ounces. Not a huge gain, but his doctor was satisfied with it.

Early Childhood Intervention came out. They were great. They did all the diagnostic testing, physical, etc. He did fantastic. They felt like he was borderline for being admitted to the program. I opted to have him followed. My biggest concern is that he will be behind developmentally. So far (fingers crossed), he seems to be doing well physically, and with his health. I know the developmental stuff will take some time to show, if it is going to show. So for now, we are just trying to help him catch up as quickly as possible.

We are working on tummy time more and more. He is starting to do very well with it. I have finally found the one thing he will look up for long periods of time at... the dogs. He loves them! Today, Nick actually laughed. He has cooed and let out little laughs before, but today, it was a full on baby belly laugh. He was laughing at the dogs. They were playing, he was on his belly, and kept lifting his head to look at them. He would look and talk to them, then laugh and laugh. Then Rowdy started barking, then Mocha started barking. I thought Nick would be scared, but no, he just starting squealing with delight. It was such a wonderful sound.

In addition to working on tummy time, we are going to start working on sitting up. Right now, he seems to be a little less against this than tummy time. Although, I have learned my secret weapon. I just sit him up in front of the dogs.

Weight Check, ECI, and Lab Work

2009-07-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

Nick has a full day ahead of him tomorrow. First thing in the morning, we are going to the doctor's office to have some blood work done. They received the results of some metabolic tests done on Nick. They feel that his thyroid may not be working properly. They are going to do some additional testing to find out if that is the case. I don't know many details at this time. I will ask questions tomorrow, but for now, we are just going to wait for those results.

After the lab work, we are going to weigh in, again. Since there is the question of his thyroid, as well as the fact that we just started doing the 24 calorie formula, I doubt she will do anything but check him over.

We then will rush home to meet the therapists from Early Childhood Intervention. They called on Friday to confirm. Two occupational therapists are coming to the house to do his evaluation. They said it should take an hour and a half.

Nick ought to be exhausted after all that! I will let you know how it all goes.

Every. Single. Time.

2009-07-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

Nick can read me like a book! And not in the good way. No matter what I try to do, or plan, or think, Nick does the exact opposite of what I think he should/will do. If I think he will take 7 ounces of formula, he takes 3. If I make a 3 ounce bottle, he takes 7. I know lots of babies do this type of thing often, but Nick does it Every. Single. Time.

Since Nick began eating solid foods, everyone said, wait until you feed him sweet potatoes, he will love sweet potatoes. I think I heard this every day. Nick, hates sweet potatoes. Applesauce and the "sweet" things that most babies like, he is not really that fond of.

The biggest thing I see is when I take him out of this house, he is a totally different baby. Here, with me, he is the smiley, happy, gregarious baby who talks and babbles and squeals. The minute he leaves this house, he is this wide eyed baby who you can't make smile no matter how many antics you perform. He also tends to be much more fussy outside of the house. I think no one believes me when I tell them how fun he can be. All they see is a "fussy baby".

I have tried to get this fun baby on video. Nope. He sees the video camera and becomes that "fussy baby". Every. Single. Time. I have tried to sneak up on him. I have tried to video him when he isn't paying attention. He knows.

Even Monday while we were at the preemie clinic appointment, the occupational therapist (who was also his therapist while he was in the hospital), told me when you read all those baby books, just assume Nick will do the exact opposite of what the book says he should do. That is just his lot in life. I feel sorry for me!

Preemie Clinic

2009-07-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today was Nick's first preemie clinic appointment. We met with a nutritionist, an occupational therapist, a neonatalogy fellow, and a neonatalogist. The nice thing about the appointment, was that everyone, with the exception of the nutritionist, was in the UTMB NICU. So, they all were very familiar with Nick and his history. It was also just nice to see them. These people were such a big part of my life for so many months. It was nice just to say hi.

Nick did really well at his appointment. They all felt that he was right on track. They were impressed with him. Of course, he gave lots of smiles, and flirted with the ladies a bit. The occupational therapist, Jan (who is credited with getting him to take a bottle in the NICU) thought his progress was great. She felt that he was right on track for most things. There were even a few milestones he was ahead of his curve. She even thought that next week when ECI comes out to the house for the initial assessment, they may not feel that further therapy is needed at this point.

While everything was great, we did have one little problem with Nick. His weight. Of course this seems to be an issue for Nick at every appointment. The nutritionist sat down and got a detailed schedule, with amounts of formula, cereal, veggies etc. She felt that he was eating well. We began looking at other issues. For instance, Nick is always in motion. He exerts so much energy, he is just burning lots of calories. We decided that we need to increase his calorie intake. Since he is unlikely to eat more, we are going to increase the amount of calories that he takes in with his formula.

Nick is growing. His height is doing great, however his height to weight ratio is way off. In an ideal world, he should be in the 50% range for height to weight. Nick is right under 10%. The other thing they are concerned with is his weight curve. If he was on the low end of the scale and still progressing up the curve, they would have no issue. He does seem to be leveling off some. This is a common issue is preemies. We are going to try increasing his calorie intake and hope that he can pack on the weight. ( I wish I had that problem)

In other news, Nick's Uncle Brian and Aunt Chrissy (toes) got Nick a GREAT new present this weekend. He has taken full advantage of it:

This is the baby Einstein bouncer. Nick loves it. He bounces, plays, talks. The best part about it, he is eye level with the dogs. His new favorite pass time is watching the dogs.

On another seperate note... Nick's future girlfriends were born last week. Twin baby girls joined the Carter Clan. Congratulations Matt and Melissa. Nick would like to know how old the girls have to be to go out on thier first date!

Front to Back, Back to Front

2009-07-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

Nick has figured out how to roll from his back to his tummy. He does it fairly regularly now, although when he does it, he figures out that he is on his tummy and immediately rolls to his back. He is starting to do it when he is asleep. I found him sleeping soundly on his tummy this morning.

We are continuing trying new foods. So far, he has had green beans, which he tolerates. He has tried carrots, which he likes. He LOVES bananas. Tonight we tried squash. He seemed to like that as well. Nothing is a good as the bananas, but if you start with the veggies, he will usually eat them.

Monday is his preemie clinic appointment. We have been working on tummy time. I am anxious to find out what they say.

Mandy... you asked for a photo gallery, so I added a slideshow of a bunch of Nick's photos from the first 7 months! Thanks for the request.

Beach Baby

2009-07-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Nick had his first trip to the beach this weekend. I would say he loved it, but honestly, I am not really sure he cared. Well, except there was a lot of people watching for him. There was so much to look at, he just sat and watched everything. He looked so cute in his sun hat and crabby bathing suit. Of course I took photos!

Nick had a doctor appointment on Monday. Another weight check. He is officially 12 pounds. While he is growing, he is not quite growing at the rate his doctor had hoped. A while ago he was in the 7th percentile for weight. He dropped to the 5th last month. He did go up a little this month... to the 5.4 percentile. So, we are exploring our options. She is steadfast that he needs to take 20 ounces of formula a day. She also wants him to eat fruits/veggies/cereal twice a day, and hoping to add a 3rd feeding. I am looking at this little tummy and only seeing so much room. For now we are keeping things the way they are. I am keeping a "food diary" as it were. The biggest concern for now is his changing formula. The study formula he was on was 24 calorie. The new regular formula (over the counter) is only 22 calorie. We are going to go back for a weight check in two weeks.

Nick's doctor and the Occupational therapist for the formula study have both recommended him to ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). They have set up an appointment to come out to the house a week from Monday to evaluate Nick. They are going to do a series of developmental tests to see what age he measures. Once they have evaluated him, they will develop a game plan for his therapy.

ECI will come out to the house a few times a week to work with him on different developmental and physical therapies. I am anxious to see what his evaluation shows. I also am anxious to speak to someone who sees preemies regularly. While I think Nick's doctor is great, micro preemies only account for 1% of the population. I am not sure how many she has seen. I am curious about his growth and weight gain. I think speaking with someone who sees this everyday can give me a little more perspective on his growth.

Tummy Full Of Carrots

2009-07-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

"I LOVE carrots!"

"Tummy time... not so much"

Green Beans and a Battle of Wills

2009-07-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

Nick tried baby food for the first time! Green beans. I was prepared to have them possibly spit back at me, but he seemed to like them. I was all handy with the camera when I gave him his first bite. I thought he might make a funny face for his first bite of veggies. But no, he just ate. (Not sure if he really like it, or he just wanted to "prove me wrong".) Either way, he ate well.

The battle of wills has been coming every night. I had no idea that such a small baby can test you to see what you will allow them to get away with. Each evening, as we are winding down. Nick has eaten dinner, had a bath, and had a bottle. It is time for my little man to drift off into dream land. He, however, has another idea. Lately, any time anyone tries to put him to sleep, he throws a fit. When I say a fit, I mean, screaming, crying, little baby fists shaking in the air.

At first I was so worried that he would somehow hurt himself with these little tantrums. I would get him up and comfort him. That seemed to work for awhile. Then if I tried to rock him, or put him to sleep in my arms, the fits start again. He HATES to go to sleep. He is so fearful he is going to miss something. He can plaster his little eyes open. He won't even blink for fear that his eyes may close, even for one second and he will drift off to sleep.

I have come to realize, that we have to put a stop to this. (This realization came after 5 nights of hour long crying fits.) So, tonight, he was fed, bathed, changed and otherwise happy. I put him in bed. He cried. I waited it out, and he finally fell asleep. All in all, tonight's fit only lasted 15 minutes. I consider it a success. Of course, I know that there are many other battles ahead of me. He has such a strong will.

Green Bean Face

Developmental Testing

2009-07-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

I enrolled Nick in a formula study through UTMB right before he left the NICU. The study was designed for preemies. The formula has extra calories. The hope is that, they will grow faster and catch up to other babies their age quicker. Since it is a double blind study, I don't know if he got the "special" formula or not. Participating in the study had a few perks. First, FREE formula until he is 18 months! I planned on breast feeding, and was successful at it (or at least pumping) for 3 months, but when he wouldn't take the breast, things started to go downhill. The opportunity came up for the study and I jumped on it. The biggest factor in my decision to have Nick participate in the study were the developmental meetings.

Every few months, I bring Nick in so they can measure his development. I meet with a doctor, a nurse and an occupational therapist. They give Nick a battery of tests, including, developmental, cognitive, verbal, and physical. The nice thing about this is that, it is a way to catch issues he may be having early on.

Today, we had our first meeting. Nick went in as his usual charming self. He smiled at all the ladies. He talked and talked to them.

The did some testing on his hearing, whether he could turn towards sounds etc. He did well with that. He did not do so well with the cognitive portion. He registered as a 3 month old in that part of a test. (The hope would be that he would register as a 4 month old, his corrected age.) Most of the physical tests he did well on. He even managed to score in the 5 month range on some of his tests. He does not do well on his tummy though. He hates tummy time, and has decided that, if we try to put him on his tummy, he can just roll over.

I was a little disappointed in his results. They felt he was average with other preemies in his age group. Hearing your kid is average is slightly disappointing. Even more disappointing because I thought he was doing really well. I do not in anyway expect him to be like a 7 month old. I did think he was on track with his corrected age of 4 months, but they felt he was a little behind.

On the plus side, they showed me some things to work with him on, and we started this evening with great success. They are also referring us to Early Childhood Intervention. Here, he will meet with a team of occupational, and speech therapists. They will start to monitor him more closely, appointments once a month instead of every few months. We will make sure he is on track. I will probably have more exercises to work on with him at home.

On the positive, or at least funny side. They did not have to wait long to view/hear the vocal part of the test. Nick talked their ears off... in his own little special way. They said he is a very social baby. He loves to be talked to. There were even a few points during the testing where he wasn't really doing what he was supposed to be doing because he was so focused on the ladies around him, and trying to get them to smile at him.

At one point, they doctor was filling out her paperwork, and she commented that he "vocalizes his attitude". I thought that was pretty funny... he definitely does that well!

Almost forgot... New weight... 11lbs, 15 ounces. We can just all it 12lbs Right? He is also 23 3/4 inches. Gained 1lb and 1 inch in a month. Everyone was very happy with that.

7 Months

2009-07-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Nick,

I know I say this every month, but wow, 7 months already? The other day, I actually started thinking about your first birthday. I know I am jumping the gun, but one day you will come to realize that I am a habitual planner. I plan everything, early. I can't believe how much you grow and change before my very eyes. Everyday it seems like there is something new. This month you have made some amazing changes.

Probably your biggest change is the switch to cereal. At first you were not to sure about it. It took a few weeks, 3 brands of cereal, trying cereal in a bottle, and a lot of determination on my part to finally see you eat a bowl of cereal. I have discovered that you prefer cereal with bananas. That is what you eat best.

I absolutely love feeding you. While you can make a mess, and it seems as though sometimes you have 8 arms and hands while you are in your high chair, it is the best part of my day. You smile, and talk, and sometimes laugh. You haven't quite figured out that your thumb in your mouth while I am trying to feed you is not the best idea. Even worse, somehow after your thumb is in your mouth and full of cereal, your eye seems to be the next logical place.

You love to be talked to and sung to. Sometimes, I think you try to sing back. There isn't one particular song you love, and despite contrary beliefs, you do love me singing to you. One day, you may also figure out that I am a horrible singer, however for the moment, my singing voice is beautiful enough for you.

While you used to love your swing, and still do from time to time, you love just laying in the middle of my bed and looking around and talking. You would prefer to have someone lay next to you, so that you may tell them all of your opinions, thoughts and dreams. I guess you come by that talking thing pretty honestly.

You have begun rolling over from your belly to your back. You haven't quite mastered it yet, so when you actually do it, you often surprise yourself. You haven't rolled from your back to your belly, but I suspect it won't be long.

Peek-a-boo seems to be a new favorite. Sometimes we play when I am feeding you. This is how I distract you to get a few more bites in your mouth. Sometimes, I just do it to hear you laugh. This can usually get a laugh from you, and that is the sweetest sound of my day.

The laugh is new too. You smile a lot, but laughing is not something you do often. It seems as though you save that for special occasions.

I also think we have entered into the world of teething. You chew on anything you can get in your mouth. Lately, the evenings have proven to be tough on you. That seems to be when your gums hurt the most. Tonight, a burp cloth with a piece of ice seemed to give you some much needed relief. I think we may have a long battle with those teeth ahead of us.

You continue to amaze me every day. I think back to when you were first born. I looked at some photos of that first day. I can't believe how tiny you were. I think about how fragile you were, and how hard your life must have been at that point. I am already so incredibly proud of all you have accomplished in your life. I can't wait to watch you continue to grow, thrive, and hit new milestones.

Nick, you have such a bright and wonderful life ahead of you. There will never be anything you can't conquer.

I love you little man,

Mommy

Feeding Antics

2009-06-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

The cereal eating has finally turned a corner. I was trying everything before, but it didn't seem like Nick really wanted to eat well. He liked it when I fed him. We would talk, he would smile, then spit out almost all the food I put in his mouth. I tried switching brands of cereal. No real improvement. I tried putting the cereal in a bottle. He did better with that, but still not great. Then I tried the cereal with bananas. He LOVES it! He opens his mouth for the spoon, swallows his cereal and opens his mouth for more.

The only real problem with feeding time, is if he is really tired. The mornings go great, but the evening is sometimes a challenge. It did occur to me this evening how crazy I must look through our breakfast window to the neighborhood. I will do almost anything to keep Nick distracted from the fact that he is tired and cranky. This evening, just to get him to eat what probably amounted to 2 tablespoons of food, I sang songs, some I made up, some are kids songs. I danced, I played peek-a-boo by bending down below the high chair. I finally had to stop that to keep from getting dizzy.

I am pretty sure he does this on purpose to what other crazy tricks I will do.

Portraits

2009-06-19T08:41:00.001-07:00

I am very lucky to work for a great photographer. One of the best perks of the job is being able to have great photographs of Nick. He came to work with me a few days ago, and here is the end results. At first he wasn't to interested in smiling. He really just wanted to look around at all the new interesting things in the studio. He did finally give in to our many antics to get him to smile and gave us some beautiful ones.

Not a smile, but I love this shot of him, especially since he is grabbing his foot ( a new trick)

Good smiles finally!

I love this photo too, he just looks so sweet.

Had to get the Aggie gear. Although at this point we had been at it a while and he was over it.

I realized that Nick and I don't have many photos together. I am always the one behind the camera.

This is one of my favorite things we do at work. Susan actually photographs his hands, feet etc. Then we put it together in the portrait series we call "kissables". I love it! All those tiny little kissable parts of him. They grow and change so quickly, I am glad I will always have this to look back on him at this age.

Full Weekend...Long Post

2009-06-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Nick had a few firsts this weekend. On Sunday, he went swimming for the first time. Well, really, I just held him in the water while he looked in amazement. He wasn't really sure if he liked it or not. He didn't hate it though. Here are a few photos...

(Not sure if he likes it or not)

(Still not sure what to think)

(All that swimming makes him tired)

(Of course after a nap, he is all smiles)

Bigger news, on Sunday night, Nick rolled over for the first time! (This link will take you to the video) I have been trying to put him on his belly and get him to try. I have been helping him roll over, but he really didn't seem all that interested. Then, Sunday night, we tried again. He was really mad about being on his belly. That helped. He just kept kicking those little legs. Luckily, I had the video camera handy. It was so great, I must admit, I cried. With a preemie, you have this constant fear in the back of your mind that developmentally, your child may be slower than other kids. I know him rolling over is a small thing, but it meant the world to me. Those little milestones are so important, for so many reasons. I am just glad I got it on video to watch over and over.

Still Eating... Sort of.

2009-06-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

We are still trying to eat twice a day. Nick has gotten the general idea. He opens his mouth when I put the spoon up to his lips, but as far as actually swallowing the food, we aren't so good at that. He usually smiles, then spits out the cereal.

I think at this point I am learning my hand eye coordination. My arm with the spoon has to maneuver around his flailing arms, fists of fury, kicking legs, and turning head. I think he thinks it is fun to see how hard he can make it for me to actually make contact with his mouth.

The cereal goes on his tummy, behind his tummy, around his tummy, but not much of it makes it INTO his tummy. The other thing he loves to do is suck his thumb in between bites. I think if I actually put little bites of cereal on his thumb, he might actually eat more of it.

All in all, it is going well. He seems to like eating. He just has to get the hang of it a little more.

Cereal!

2009-06-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Nick had his 6 month doctor check up today. He is doing really well. The doctor was very pleased with everything. She felt that his development was right on track. He is doing everything he is supposed to be doing. The only thing that concerned her was his weight. He didn't gain much weight between his last appointment and this one. He is growing. He is getting longer, but as far as gaining weight, he isn't really doing that well. Today's measurements were... 10lb 15 ounces, and 22 3/4 inches long. She isn't overly concerned, as this is very common with preemies, but she wanted to see if we could start adding a little weight to him. SOOOO... tonight we had our first bowl of cereal.

Well, really we had just a few spoonfuls. Actually his tummy and hands had more of it that he actually swallowed. He even let me in on wearing some when he sneezed right after I put the cereal in his mouth.

At first he didn't quite know what to do with the stuff in his mouth. He was still getting pretty used to it. We are going to try it twice a day for a while. Once he starts getting the hang of it, we will increase to 3 times a day. Then in about a month or so, we will introduce fruits and veggies... yum!

Here are a few photos from his first attempt at cereal.

(This was the face we started with, so I wasn't sure this was going to go over well)

(He really wasn't sure what to do with that cereal)

(He finally decided that he liked it.)

Nightime rituals

2009-06-07T18:53:00.001-07:00

I have always thought that one of the best things you can do for your kids is read to them. My parents read to my brother and I every night, and it developed into a love of reading on my part. I want to pass that along to Nick.

Every night we have the same routine (or at least I try really hard to have the same routine). We have a bath, then a bottle then we read a story.

I know he is too young to understand the words, but he loves being talked to. He will sit and listen and look at the pictures on the page so intently. He is always calm when I read to him. We read a story or two every night before bed.

And just to show you how much he loves being read to, or just so you can see a big smile:

First Boat Ride

2009-06-04T14:07:00.001-07:00

Last night Nick had his first boat ride. Of course, he was in an infant life vest the whole time. We went very slow. He LOVED it! He loves being outside, but out on the water, there was so much more to look at. He liked looking at the shimmering water, and he loved watching the birds. Here are a few photos from the night...

Eye Doctor

2009-06-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you remember Nick having his eyes checked while he was in the hospital. Preemies that receive a lot of oxygen support while in the hospital are at risk for developing complications including blindness. The pressure from the oxygen can cause their blood vessels in their eyes to grow larger and faster than they should which can cause problems. There are other issues that preemies can develop as well.

We went to the eye doctor this morning. They dilated his eyes. He did really well with it. I thought it might hurt, or be uncomfortable for him, but he never even whimpered. He smiled and "talked" with the doctor.

The doctor gave his eyes a clean bill of health. He said Nick's eyes looked wonderful and he was right on track. He didn't even see the need to have us schedule any follow up appointment.

And just in case you needed a cute photo to brighten your day....

(Nick after his bath... that is his excited face)

Dear Nick,

2009-06-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Today, you are 6 months old. I absolutely can not believe another month has already come and gone. While I hate how fast time seems to be going, I love watching you grow and change.

Over the last month you have made some big changes. You went from waking up twice a night, to not waking up at all during the night. (Please don't change that!) You are eating like a champ. I was thinking back the other day when you were in the hospital and we had to coax you to take an ounce and a half. Now you are taking somewhere between 4-6 ounces almost every 3 hours. You have gained weight, and gotten so long.

We have been working on tummy time, but you really aren't all that interested in it. Right now, you are trying to flip over, but before you can actually accomplish flipping over, you usually just have a melt down. You do love to lay on your back under your play mat. You have started reaching for the toys that hang down. Sometimes, you even succeed in grabbing them.

We have also started spending some more time outside. You LOVE being outside. You can just sit and enjoy your time for hours. Your favorite thing outside is watching the tree blow in the wind.

I can hardly believe that you have been home for 2 1/2 months. On the other hand, so much of your time in the hospital seems like lifetimes ago. You have made my life full. I look forward to every minute I can spend with you. You are such a blessing in my life. I can't wait to see what you will be doing next year.

Love you little man,

Mommy

Nick Video

2009-06-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

I am still trying to figure out how to post a video, but for now, here is a link to a video of Nick. I hate my voice, but it is cute of him!

Sleep

2009-05-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

This strange phenomenon has happened the last week or so. Nick has been sleeping through the night. He has been staying up more during the day, then he goes down around 8-8:30, and sleeps until 6:30-7:00am. He hasn't done it every night, but most of the nights in the last week or so. I know that sounds great, but I still wake up. I guess he has gotten me on his schedule, so I still wake up. The first few nights, I flew out of bed to check on him. The heart pounding awaking I had did little to help me fall back asleep. So while he is sleeping more, I think I was actually getting less sleep.

We are better now, and I am getting used to this whole sleeping through the night thing. Please tell me this is it. I know there will be occasional nights were he will wake up during the night. I have heard horror stories about teething. But, for the most part, can I consider him as a "sleeping through the night baby" RIGHT?

I guess it doesn't really matter how many times he wakes up when he looks like this when he does wake up:

More Advice... Even Though You Still Didn't Ask For It.

2009-05-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I posted things I have learned, and the knowledge I hoped to pass along to other new moms, or soon to be new moms. I recently have thought of another tip or two...

When you go to register for all your goodies, and you are trying to pick the car seat. Pick up the car seat, walk around with it. Try out other brands. Then, buy the lightest! Nick is pushing 11 pounds, but I swear when I put him in that car seat, suddenly, he is 20 pounds.

Speaking of registering... you really never know what your baby will take to. For instance, I registered for and received a beautiful bassinet as well as a bouncy vibrating seat. Both, before I had Nick, moms told me how invaluable those two items were. How needed they were, and how they would make my life SO much easier.

He refuses to be in either. I don't know why. The bassinet, I think maybe he got used to the hospital crib being so hard, then the bassinet was too soft, and he didn't feel comfortable. (Just a theory). He sleeps great in his crib, but refuses the bassinet.

The bouncy seat. You don't know how many times I heard over and over what a life saver this was. He does not like this one bit! Not sure why. Even when it is vibrating away, he really doesn't like it. He can sit in the swing for ever and be perfectly happy, but don't bring out the bouncy seat.

So, while you think all these things are going to help make your life easier, really, it is your child that will dictate what he/she/they will like! Maybe that should be the moral of the story or advice I am giving today... Really it doesn't matter what you think, want, plan, or try. Ultimately, your child will really be the boss.-

That concludes today's advice. I will share more tidbits of advice as I learn it... given that I have only had 2 posts of advice, I don't appear to have much more knowledge than any of you!

MOMS: Post your best advice to new moms to be!

Updates

2009-05-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

Nick had a doctor's appointment on Friday. Actually, he had a doctor's appointment today, however, last Thursday, he was coughing and sneezing a lot, so I called Friday morning to see if I could get him in Friday. All was well. He probably has allergies, however, he is still too little to get allergy meds. Hopefully, allergy season will be over soon.

Nick has been doing really well. The doctor was happy with his weight gain. As of Friday, he was 10lb 8 oz. He gained 1lb 4oz in a month. While he is small for his age, he is gaining well, and that is all that matters. When his age is adjusted for the prematurity, he is in the 25th percentile. While that is still small, considering he was in the 11th percentile when he was born, we are heading in the right direction.

Nick is really eating well. In the last few weeks, he has started taking 3-4 ounces every 3-4 hours. His appetite is really growing. He has also entered into a new sleep pattern, which I hesitate to talk about for fear of jinxing it. Lately, Nick has been awake more during the day, and sleeping more at night. Before, he woke every 3-4 hours to eat. Meaning he woke 2-3 times a night. Now, he generally goes to bed somewhere around 8:30-9:00 and sleeps until 2-3. Then goes back to sleep until about 6:30-7:00. That has been a really nice sleeping pattern.

He is talking and cooing so much now. He loves to be talked to. He loves to talk back to you. He just smiles and smiles, when he is talking too you. It is amazing the changes that he is going through. He is getting so big, and starting to change his habits. I can't believe how far he has come. I can't wait to see what comes next!