The Joy of Christmas Pictures

This was the best picture out of the 25 that I took! If Kaitrin wasn't crawling off the chair, then Jacob wasn't looking or making a face. How exhausting! Everyone is getting a Fall Pumpkin picture of the kids in the Christmas cards this year...cause I'm not wrestling two kids again for a Ho Ho Ho picture.

Little Roo

I was searching files of pictures that Dad had on his computer and came across this one. I don't have a picture of her this young. My earliest picture is Kaitrin at 3 weeks old. This picture is shortly after she was born. The blue light is a 'bili-light' that helps her bilirubin become more normal...and help her be less orange! The plastic tube around her face is a CPAP which is helping her breath. Shortly afterwards, Kaitrin failed on the CPAP and was fully ventilated because her lungs were not fully developed/working. The tubes are IV's giving her fluids and nourishment. Later during her stay, she had an IV in her head that gave her blood...not the best thing to walk into! The wrap around her arm is to protect the IV. Even though she was only 2 pounds, she would rip out the IV and bleed everywhere. If you look really close to the picture, you can see her mini pacifier...cute now, but not at the time. Not only do the pictures of her being so small bring tears, but also how far she has come. She amazes me everyday...including the day she decided to mountain climb out of her high chair and onto the tray!

A Tad Depressing, But It'll Be Alright

Now that Thanksgiving is over and Kaitrin has done some fabulous things I am feeling a little better, but last week was hard. Kaitrin received her 'report card' from school. She is in a class from 8 to 14 months. And for those of you who are keeping up, Kaitrin is 16 months old...so she is behind in the class already. Beside the fact that she is the only one in her class that crawls to me when I arrive...all of her class mates walk, she isn't doing some simple gross/fine motor movements. Now, up until this 'report card', I was flowing with things just fine...she has until 3 years of age to catch up say the medical journals...and we will cross that bridge when we get there. But as I read through the items that she is not doing: stacking blocks (she knocks them down), doesn't verbally respond to music nor does she dance, not making many noises or letter sounds, or even walking on flat feet...it gets me a little. From one end of the spectrum to the other though...she was 2 pounds and unable to breathe on her own when she was born to being a little behind at 16 months...she is doing fine whatever she is doing!

Show Off

Everyone was here for Thanksgiving, giving Kaitrin ample opportunity to show off. She took some leaps and impressed all of us.

While reading 'One Little Duck', she showed Grandma how she can now say 'Quack'. And it's the cutiest little 'quack'...high pitched and of course with a toothy smile.

A few days ago, Mike got Kaitrin to stand/balance on her own for about 30 seconds. Well this fine holiday weekend, Kaitrin decided to walk along holding only one persons' hand.

And to top it all off, she has had only whole milk and juice in a sippy cup since the Wednesday before Thanksgiving! Such a fabulous big girl!

Splish, Splash

Kaitrin tried out her swimming/bath/pool tonight. Have you ever seen a baby splash in the tub? The kind of splash where they are surprised by the water in their face, but look at you like it was your fault? It took two splashes for Kaitrin to finally understand that she in fact was splashing herself. She was also un-impressed with the bubbles touching her feet. She continued to kick at them until they had all splashed out. Overall, she had fun and was just adorable doing so!

Hurry, Hurry Drive That Fire Truck

Oh the joys of having a boy! Passing the bathroom on my way up the stairs, I see Jacob going to the bathroom. And not just any session of going to the bathroom, but a full fire fighter scene. As he was so joyfully relieving himself, he was turning back and forth, spraying everything in front of him like a champ. JACOB, I yelled. And just as in a comedy act, he turned to look at me...continuing to pee...all over the floor. Of all times to play fire fighter, now would not be one of them. Aim better please!

Stand Up and Shout Hooray

We have been working with Kaitrin to stand and walk with her feet flat on the ground. I think that she is going to be a ballerina and is practicing now by walking on her toes! But daddy had to put her to the test when she stood up the other day. He actually let go of her...staying close of course. That little bugger balanced for a good 45 seconds...45 seconds! And even though she started climbing the stairs a while back, she started to slack at it. Now, today I think that she has climbed the full stairwell at least 4 times. Nothing can stop her now!

Front Page Story

Today's Columbus Dispatch had an interesting front page story...Born Too Early. Well, how hard does that hit home? The pictures of the NICU, the isolettes, the small & fragile baby...it all brought back tears that I thought I had gotten past. It's one thing to remember the journey, but to see the pictures of the nurses, the tubes, the machines, and even the latex gloves - it all came back as fresh as what I had for lunch yesterday. Today I can poo-poo the question "will she make it through the night?", but after reading this article and seeing the pictures, I can feel the nervousness and fear of last year. Every time the phone rang, my stomach would drop. Every time the alarms would beep, my heart would race. Every night before I fell asleep, I'd hope and pray that I could still see her in the morning.

When I was through reading the article and wiping my tears, I looked up to her...sitting in her high chair. With her 'bam-bam' pony tail on top of her head and peaches smashed all over her tray, it was such a sight. Such a happy, fabulous sight! From 990 grams to 19 pounds or even the inability to breathe on her own to screeching when she sees Mickey Mouse...such a happy, fabulous sight!

The Columbus Dispatch : From joy to fear http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/11/11/riley1.ART_ART_11-11-07_A1_I78DS62.html?sid=101

Tis the Season

...and no, I don't mean the holiday season. It's RSV season! And it's not the best season for preemies. Generally, healthy children can fight off this disease easily, but because premature babies have under developed lungs, being infect by RSV is much more serious.

RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a major cause or respiratory illness in young children. RSV causes infections of the lungs and breathing passages. RSV infections can lead to more serious illnesses in premature babies and kids with diseases that affect the lungs, heart or immune system. RSV is highly contagious and can be spread through sneezing and coughing. RSV can easily be spread through schools and day care centers (which is why doctors recommend that preemies do not go to day care centers until they have gotten bigger and stronger to fight off this infection).

Antibiotics aren't used because RSV is a virus and antibiotics are only effective against bacteria. Medication may sometimes be given to help open airways. In an infant, however, an RSV infection can be more serious and may require hospitalization so that the baby can be watched closely, receive fluids, and, if necessary, be treated for breathing problems.

To everyone with an infant in the family - get your flu shot, cover your mouth when you sneeze, and wash your hands. Stay healthy this season!

Little Miss Personality

Not only does she play peek-a-boo, Kaitrin also plays a version of hide and seek as well as chase.

As I change her diaper, I put a cloth or her pants over her face for her to play with. She grabs it, covering her face, and giggles. As she pulls it away from her face and sees me, she squeals...then doing all over again.

Kaitrin and Jacob play hide and seek/chase around the recliner...which has Kaitrin howling so hard that I just know that she is peeing in her diaper! She goes one way and Jacob goes the other and they both end up head to head, yelling and laughing, and going back the other way. A good 20 minutes of fun!

And whether it's in the playroom or just in the hallway, Kaitrin begins to crawl and then looks back to see if someone is watching her. When she catches your eye, she squeals and crawls as fast as she can...the chase is on!

Such a little personality is coming out of her!

Team Kaitrin's Klub

13.1 miles

26.2 miles

Soreness

Pain

Beer, lots of beer

Kaitrin and Grandpa Max

Grandpa Max not only brought toys, but brought rocking chairs! Well, one rocking chair. In all of my memories of Max, wood working is a definite. Whether it was a stool or rocking chair or just raw wood and nails in the Dasha, woodwork and Max go hand in hand. And now Kaitrin can join into the woodworking memories - she got a rocking chair from Max this weekend. She was pretty excited...as was Jacob because he won't have to share his! Hopefully we will be able to get Christmas pictures in this chair, just like Michael and I did when we were little.

Me and Grandpa Max

Grandpa Max came to visit with mom and dad for Marathon Weekend. And just like all grandparents, TOYS were involved. Max brought this cool balloon pumper that sent long skinny balloons screeching through the air. Jacob got to hold the balloon, count down until lift off, and chase after them. Such fun! They are all very colorful and make a crazy noise, reusable too...good toy pick Max! These balloons kept Jacob busy for about 20 minutes, which is hideously good for any toy, cartoon, or food!

All Kind Of Hurt!

I was debating - between mile 18 and 22 - what to name this entry: All Kind of Hurt or Human Salt Lick. Both seemed to be totally true at the time, but hurt won out.

Everyone did a fabulous job on their marathon runs. Mom finished the half marathon. Dad finished the half marathon in great time. And Michael finished the full marathon under 4 hours. And now we are all sore, but it was for a great cause. I believe that we raised $1,500 for Kaitrin's Klub. With RSV season just around the corner, this money will go to great use for medicine to protect preemies...which is our main cause!

Bad Dog, My Butt

It seems like everytime I go out on a long run, something happens. Whether it starts to rain, it gets dark early, I have to pee, or I go into a coughing fit...something always happens. As a more than perfect example, on Sunday I left for a 10 mile run when 3 miles into it - something happened. The house at the end of the street has a dog. The dog is on an electric fence collar. Every other day that I run by this dog (some sort of Lab) he barks and follows me and then runs back to the house when I have passed. This time, well this time he didn't have the collar on. This time he came over the once safe barrier and right to me. Hating big dogs, I stayed calm...until he bit my butt! What on earth! He continued toward my other cheek as I yelled for help, owners came running, I'm in shock, and the dogs continues to wag his tail. Fabulous.

After a few "I'm okay's", I walk directly home to find four bleeding teeth marks. My wonderful husband - who is worried, but just dying to laugh - drives to see if the dog has had it's shots.

To save everyone the horror, I promise not to post a picture, but assure you that my rear end is not the most aesthetically pleasing. I always thought that the color purple was supposed to be soothing...

Yep - she is my child!

For those of you who did not know me as a child, I was a mashed potato freak. My mom had to stock the cupboard with boxes of instant mashed potatoes. I'd dive into a bowl for lunch or dinner...and really wasn't ashamed at all to eat them for breakfast. LOVED THEM! So when Jacob started eating soft foods, I was the most excited to try some good old mashed potatoes. Imagine my sadness...he gagged on them. Gagged! Even though he ate the filling to Babe's pierogies off of my mom's finger when he was a baby, these he gagged on. Such a bummer. Now Kaitrin is getting pretty picky about the items that she wants on her plate. And she gags on everything, not because of texture though, but because she is such a little piggy that she shovels too much food in. After her dinner, I sat her in my lap at the table and she began to play with the left over mashed potatoes on my plate. She tried a bit. She liked them. She REALLY liked them. Oh heavens, how happy am I...my daughter eats mashed potatoes!

Little Miss Social

Well, after our fun-filled trip to the hospital, Kaitrin has come out of her shell. She loves her teacher, she loves going to day care, and she is just noticing everything around her. Her little pointer finger goes to nose, hat, ear, hair, eye, mouth, tree, elmo (mo-mo), kitty, mickey mouse, and baa-baa sheep. She even picked out the moon last night for daddy.

Talking? Not yet, but we are making progress. She is making sounds for a few things - or so I think. "Kit" is kitty. "Dk" is duck. And dadadada is babbling, but we 'say' it's Dadda.

One Fish ~ Two Fish ~ Red Fish ~ Blue Fish

I thought maybe Jacob was just memorizing the books and stories that we have read him for the last four years. But as he reads signs, boxes in the grocery store, and pick words out of emails on my computer...the boy can read! He is sounding words out, putting sentences together, and pretty much reading his own nighttime book.
Little genius...

Unattractive Color of Gray

Little Miss has had the same cold for three weeks now. Just in the last day it has turned to a runny nose and lots of snoring at night. Last night, around 9:00, I was washing my face and heard Kaitrin start to cough. The coughing turned to hacking which turned to wheezing. I ran into her room and opened her PJ's to find her struggling really hard to breath - not necessarily the type of night time happenings that I was hoping for. After calling my mom, the doc, and my husband - I made the decision to call 911.

We headed to Children's with a O2 mask and breathing treatment on her, more breathing treatments and steroids in the ER, x-rays, and last but not least - admission! Although I was dreading the sleep on the hospital couch, I think Kaitrin was so happy to have people stop poking her until 2am that she crashed in her little cage (if you haven't ever seen a hospital crib then you are probably thinking that I took her to the vet).

We were discharged this afternoon on breathing treatments, which she is taking much better in the comfort of her own home. She is sleeping peacefully now. I am hoping that this will be our last ambulance ride. For a claustrophobic, motion sick, freaked out mom - it's not something that I would recommend as a roller coaster substitute.

However - trying to make a negative into a positive, sort of, I would like to say how wonderful the response time of the paramedics was, how helpful and calming they were, and how awesome the docs and nurses were at Children's.

Almost Made Me Pee

So I'm playing "ball" with Kaitrin tonight, which consists of me giving her the ball and her throwing it where ever. Then I decide to mix it up a little and I throw the ball from my left hand to my right and back - a game of keep-away. She giggles. She laughs. She starts to get frustrated. Then - with all of her strength she goes after both of my hands at the same time, whether the ball was there or not. Very strategic! Yes, I have an athlete on my hands. After the little strategic thinker got the ball on the first try - no more keep-away.

Rock Climber

I posted a while back that Kaitrin can crawl up the two stairs out of our playroom - mental note: buy gate. Well, we haven't been pushing her too hard...no long training hours or anything, but the girl can climb the whole staircase - mental note: buy two gates. She climbs the recliner, the coffee table, the bean bag chair, the couch, and the high chair.

Little Pointer Finger

Little miss has been pointing at everything lately. It used to be just at Mickey Mouse...loves Mickey Mouse. But she now knows 'baa baa sheep' (which hangs in her room), and 'nose' (which she will most likely pick if you aren't paying attention), and 'mouth' (where you can taste whatever she has picked up last)!

Moving Day

Well, I finally found the cord to download my pictures - I hate moving!

Here is a picture of Kaitrin on moving day. She was so tired...and the first time that she had ever fallen asleep in her high chair!

Can you say Hand Sanitizer?

Just too cute!

Grandpa and I took Jacob and Kaitrin to the Twin Lakes Festival over the 4th of July. And of course, they had to put the petting zoo at the very beginning! Jacob had a blast chasing the ducks...poor things were terrified. And then he spotted a baby lamb, which to my surprise he was incredibly gentle with (considering he was pulling the ducks' tails).

Two Peas in a Pod

With a tired mommy in the background, the two little ones are getting along! A brief moment between fighting over toys...a mom's dream.

Blue Ducky Outfit

Just wanted to post the picture because it was cute! Blue ducky outfit courtesy of Aunt Helen.

Well, we now know where little miss gets her curls! It's Grandpa. This picture was taken over the July 4th weekend (and her birthday) in PA. We now have to pull her hair into pig tails to allow her to see!

Birthday

For those of you whose 'know' me, I just turned 28 on Saturday. For those of you who can do math, you know that I am not 28...but will keep your mouth shut away.

My husband and I had a nice evening out - thanks to grandma and grandpa who braved my children for a night. We came back early, we got some sleep, we must not have had enough to drink!

It figures...

After 3 days in her new day care, little miss caught a cold, which - of course - turned into an ear infection. Lovely. But after a weekend of daddy love, medicine, and lots of apple juice...she is feeling better and her smile is back on!

She can escape...

I was in the play room with Kaitrin and Jacob the other day. Jacob playing with Hot Wheels, Kaitrin dumping out her blocks and I was trying to clean. I didn't hear blocks, or musical toys, or even claps coming from the little one. Well, that is because little miss had crawled up the two long stairs from the play room to the hallway and was heading for her room. When did crawling up stairs become a habit of hers? I am going to have to search for the lovely gates that we used to have corralling Jacob into certain rooms. She will have no boundaries soon...

First Day

Yesterday was Jacob's first day in Pre-K and Kaitrin's first day in a day-care setting. Yes, it was harder on mom than on either of the kids! Jacob hardly wanted a hug...off he went. Kaitrin wasn't sure about her teacher holding her, but once she saw kids her own size and toys...mom who? She did get a little fussy when it was nap time, but overall she was a happy little camper. And the best part...when I picked her up, she had just the biggest smile on her face! It's my mommy!

Sittin' on Frozen Peas

Man - I guess I just don't remember the pain of the last training session! I ran over 9 miles on Sunday and I am still hurting. Hopefully this week will go better and the peas will get used just a little less.

FACE PLANT!

So, little miss is not only on the move but now she has acquired super powers that make her invincible...or so she thinks. She pulls up on every unstable object, she feels as though going down the steps is appropriate, and she knows with all of her heart that if she lets go...nothing bad will happen. EXCEPT A BIG WHOPPER OF A FACE PLANT! I have been on egg shells trying to save her cute little face from being marked by the floor, the table and the wall corners. Padded cell? Yes, please. One for her (until she is at least 13 or past the awkward years) and one for me.

Be Thankful For All That You Have

Don't complain that your child didnt want to eat Cheerios for breakfast..Be thankful that your child can take food by mouth

Don't complain when your child is playing a little too loudly...Be thankful that your child is even able to play

Don't complain that you have to juggle an infant carrier and a diaper bag...Be thankful you don't have to carry half of a hospital with you.

Don't complain that your child talks too much...Be thankful that you don't have to jump at the slightest noise from your child to be sure they are still breathing, not choking, or plain alive.

Don't complain that the outfit you bought your child is the wrong color...Be thankful that you can buy almost any outfit for your child without having to worry about how you will work tubing and wires into it.

Don't complain that your child keeps you up at night about once a week...Be thankful you are not kept up every single night by machines beeping or care needing to be done.

Don't complain that your child is a month behind his peers...Be thankful your child is not a year behind his peers.

Don't complain that your child has to wear glasses...Be thankful that your child is even able to see.

Don't complain that your child was splashing in the bath...Be thankful that your child is able to take a bath.

What I Can Do

In the last two weeks, since we have been at the new house, I have noticed that little miss has just taken off developmentally.

She can crawl. Well, she can escape on all fours!

She can pull herself halfway up on any piece of furniture. She can also face plant on any floor just below the furniture that she is pulling up on if mom isn't watching!

She is clapping. Now, babies usually do this when they are smaller so it shouldn't be a big deal for her since she is one year old. But, because of her prematurity, clapping just began and boy is it CUTE!

She loves 'cruisin'. Her little tongue sticks out, her smiles gets really big, and she squeals when you put out two fingers for her to grab...and away she goes! She is even getting good at stepping up a stair or two. And she is still so little, which of course makes it even cuter.

My little miss...she is so amazing.

4 Year Old SAT Words

So Jacob was putting a puzzle together the other day. It was one of those puzzles that has three pieces - a beginning, a middle, and an end - egg, tadpole, frog. He was searching for the end jack-in-the-box when he yells out, "I am so EXASPERATED!" Seriously. My son. My 4 year old son just blurted out an SAT word that I didn't know when I should have. So I call grandma...have to share. She asks him what it means...to which he replys the exact context that he originally said it. Nice. I have a brain on my hands. Nice.

Don't tell me that my gross motor is delayed!

Well, it seems that Kaitrin has used the excitement of our move to jump start her development! The first night in the new house and she stayed up until 10:30. Yes, she is a nosey little bugger. The next day, she decided to pull up on the coffee table. Yikes! She can't even crawl yet and I have to worry about walking! The following day, she decided that she would like (only after I offered) some canned peaches and pears. Those two little teeth are really coming in handy...besides biting my shoulder. Look out growth chart, we have real food being ingested! Now this morning, I look down and she is on all fours crawling towards the TV. Just amazing...she is on the move.

Big Mouth

It's all about the mouth this weekend...

So, we have graduated to real people food! Well, sort of...Kaitrin has always enjoyed a real banana, cut in little, little pieces. Today...carrots. She rather enjoyed them. I am always so afraid to put anything in her little mouth. We had enough aspirating in the NICU for a life time!

The second tooth is coming in. I have the bruises on my shoulder to prove that one is already in and quite functional. Kaitrin was crying a lot yesterday...she never cries...second little bugger is pushing through.

Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

Iwoke up this morning with Jacob asking for cartoons - as usual at 6:30 - when I realized that little miss had slept through the night. Holy Cow! I actually ran into her room to be sure that she was breathing.

Down on the Farm

Two kids and a dairy farm…a mom’s dream. Not really. The flies, the smell, the need for tons of hand sanitizer. It is just all kinds of wrong…but the kids had fun. There were goats to feed, baby cows to pet, and a little white cat to chase. Then some chicken nuggets and ice cream, followed by a nap on the way home. A good ‘kid’ day!

Little Miss

Well, we like cheerios! They are a little harder to crunch than the puffs, but she tackled them just fine.

I am trying to get her used to the sippy cup, but she just bites at it.