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!