October 2.
6 months old.
26 weeks and 1 day.
14 weeks and 1 day according to the doctors.
1 year since their first day of life according to us.
We haven't talked about it outwardly on the blog yet, just hinted at it, but the kids are IVF babies. In-vitro fertilization. And 1 year ago was when the doctor placed Shannon's sperm inside some of my eggs and stored them in a dish. Now some may argue that isn't really life. True, it isn't a set of lungs breathing in and out or a heart pumping blood through a body. But when you get a picture of what started as just an egg and a day later it is multiplying into cells, you know something is going on. As far as we are concerned, that is life. And to know that is how the kids started, then entered this world 12 weeks early with no fat and paper-thin skin, and are smiling and developing today...well, the whole thing is humbling. What an awesome journey. We will share more on another day but for today, I just wanted to celebrate the day. And to say thanks, God, for making our long-time dream come true...x2!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Are these your first grandkids?
How old do I look, really? I mean, I know I look tired. Especially lately with getting up in the middle of the night with Adam. But something happened that I never thought in a million years would happen. I was at Pella "window shopping" with Dawn - scoping out options for her log cabin project. Sara was fussy so I got her out of her car seat and was holding her. And then it happened. The salesman, who is an older guy, turned to me and said "Are these your first grandkids?" Are you kidding me? I replied, "These are my kids!" I'm sure you can image I had some shock in my tone of voice. He's probably one of those people who makes a comment like "when are you due?" when a woman isn't pregnant. Probably best to play it safe and not say anything to avoid future embarassment!
Rice cereal for everyone
Sara finally decided last night that she wanted to try rice cereal! Instead of pushing it all out with her tongue and playing with it, she swallowed and opened her mouth for more.
Can you see the cereal on his right eyelash?
After just 3 bites, she had to take a little cat nap. But then woke up and took a whopping 7 teaspoons! She turned out a little messy but not too bad. Her preference was to take a few bites, then suck her thumb to get all the good stuff off, and she would pull it out and open up for more. I am wondering if hunger has been the cause for her fussiness lately. We are getting close to the timeframe for a growth spurt. So far it has perplexed me why she has crying fits, and I mean crying that comes on quickly to the point that she has tears and is choking. That is so not like her. At least she continues to sleep all night.
A few nights ago, Adam and I had quite the go-round with the cereal. After every bite he wanted to put both hands in his mouth, along with the bib. So I have tried a new approach - holding both his arms down! It's just a matter of figuring out the best way to rest the bowl on the table, spoon with one hand, while blocking his chest with the other arm. Works much better! He must be going through a growth spurt as well. 2 nights ago during a 5-hour span in the evening I nursed him 2 different times, he took 3 teaspoons of cereal, 9 oz from a bottle...and still got up at 2am for an extra meal. Last night I nursed him 2 times, he took 11 teaspoons of cereal, and 5 oz from a bottle. At least he didn't get up at 2am...it was 1:45! He has only had 2 nights in the past 8-9 days that he hasn't gotten up for an extra meal!
Can you see the cereal on his right eyelash?
Friday, September 25, 2009
Adam's bedtime antics
Bubble bath
Since we had a before-bed bath the other night, I thought it would be good to break out the night time bath and lotion. Pour a capful in the little baby tub and voila - bubbles! Sara loved it! First thing she did when I placed her in was splash her hand in the bubbles and wipe it on her face, look up at me and smile. It was so cute! She just giggled and played the whole time...
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Adam's physical therapy results
Adam's physical therapist visited our house yesterday for a follow up appointment to evaluate his development. We were pleased to see it was the same person who conducted the initial appointment. Shannon thought it might be a good idea to even have her assess him a third time in December before he starts at Easter Seals. This would provide a comparison of a consistent assessment vs. introductory assessment by Easter Seals. We will get her opinion on that.
In a nutshell, she thought Adam looked great. If you remember, she had 2 main concerns at her last evaluation. The first was the torticollis on his right side, which means he had a significant flat spot on the side of his head. This was probably due to his reflux issues earlier on and turning his head away from the location of his stomach. Our assignment was to get him to lay on his left side instead, which was difficult at times and we had to prop a rolled receiving blanket behind him to help with that.
Fabulous news - she said the shape of his head looks great and if she didn't already know he had an issue, she wouldn't have guessed.
Her second concern was the weakness on the left side of his neck, which was partially related to the torticollis. Previously he was not able to turn his head from side to side on either his back or stomach. Our assignment was to have floor/tummy time to encourage him to turn his head to the weak side. We also let him have tummy time looking to the left to stretch those muscles and strengthen them.
Again, her evaluation revealed no further concerns.
She also tested his ability to sit up, grasp items, stand, push up while on his tummy, turn his head toward the direction of sounds, and whether his "walk" reflex was developing. In all of these areas, he was rated in the 2-3 month age - right on track. As we talked about Adam's leg strength with standing, she wants to make sure Easter Seals differentiates strength vs. tone. It isn't good if he is always stiff-legged so we should look for him to flex his legs and use them in different ways.
Our next assignment with Adam is to continue giving him time on his tummy to work on his upper body strength. And time on his back to encourage him to reach up (to midline) for toys. As adults, it is a very easy task to lay on our backs and reach up for something. But for a baby, gravity works against them and it is actually quite the challenge.
Healthy boy!
In a nutshell, she thought Adam looked great. If you remember, she had 2 main concerns at her last evaluation. The first was the torticollis on his right side, which means he had a significant flat spot on the side of his head. This was probably due to his reflux issues earlier on and turning his head away from the location of his stomach. Our assignment was to get him to lay on his left side instead, which was difficult at times and we had to prop a rolled receiving blanket behind him to help with that.
Fabulous news - she said the shape of his head looks great and if she didn't already know he had an issue, she wouldn't have guessed.
Her second concern was the weakness on the left side of his neck, which was partially related to the torticollis. Previously he was not able to turn his head from side to side on either his back or stomach. Our assignment was to have floor/tummy time to encourage him to turn his head to the weak side. We also let him have tummy time looking to the left to stretch those muscles and strengthen them.
Again, her evaluation revealed no further concerns.
She also tested his ability to sit up, grasp items, stand, push up while on his tummy, turn his head toward the direction of sounds, and whether his "walk" reflex was developing. In all of these areas, he was rated in the 2-3 month age - right on track. As we talked about Adam's leg strength with standing, she wants to make sure Easter Seals differentiates strength vs. tone. It isn't good if he is always stiff-legged so we should look for him to flex his legs and use them in different ways.
Our next assignment with Adam is to continue giving him time on his tummy to work on his upper body strength. And time on his back to encourage him to reach up (to midline) for toys. As adults, it is a very easy task to lay on our backs and reach up for something. But for a baby, gravity works against them and it is actually quite the challenge.
Healthy boy!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)