Monday, March 2, 2009 - Update

We finally made it home from our apppointment (that was 2 1/2 hours long!) We came out of it with really good news, however. They tested Olivia on a multitude of different things and found her to be at around a 10-12 month level in most areas. Her actual age is 18 months and her adjusted age is 14 months. This is fantastic considering that four months ago, she was only at a 4-5 month level. She has progressed 6 months over the past 4 months, so she is catching up. I'm glad that I brought the video of her walking because I assumed that she wouldn't walk in a strange place with strange people. . .and I was right. Her doctor loved the video of her walking and said she had perfect "Frankenstein" form and was doing a great job. I was also told that cerebral palsy (even in its mildest form) can be crossed off the list as she doesn't see any indication of it. This is huge and something that always weighs on the mind of any micro-preemie parent. The area that she seems to be falling behind in is her speech, which is ironic because that is the area she was always ahead in. No one is too concerned about this because she makes a lot of noises and mimics a lot of sounds. She just doesn't say any word consistently except dada. I was very proud of Olivia as she did very well for as long as we had to wait. She was tired, hot and hungry (as was I) but still managed to show off many of her skills. I especially like when she starts waving bye-bye to people who aren't ready to leave yet. Thank you for sharing in my joys and caring so much about my daughter. She has definitely come a long way from her start as a 1 lb 1.5 oz baby.

Look At My Baby Go!!!

I'm so very proud of her. She makes me laugh every time she balances herself. . .it's like she dances a little jig. I need to allow her to walk a little more often than I do, but I hate watching her fall. Last night she had two big knots on her head. We try to catch her, but that doesn't always work. I need to start bubble wrapping the house. I'm just beyond proud of her. She also slept last night from 8:30 pm to 9 am. . .without making a peep. She's happier, we're happier. . .things are good.

Sunday, March 1, 2009 - Update

So sweet

Wow, it's March already. I can finally see the end of winter and I'm so excited. I am grateful for the warm weather that we have had quite a bit of. There are more 70 degree days in the forecast this week!

One thing I love about watching Olivia grow is discovering what interests her and what doesn't. She's always loved music, puzzle pieces, blocks, ponies and we're finding she loves the color yellow. Those are always the first letters that she takes off the refrigerator. She has also become attached to her yellow Funshine Care Bear. She snuggles with it, kisses it, lays her head down on it and her face lights up when she sees it. It is too cute.

Olivia has an appointment tomorrow with her developmental pediatrician. Last time Olivia saw her was last October and she still wasn't using her arms or grabbing onto toys very well. I'm thinking that she will be amazed by Olivia's progress and hopefully we get nothing but good news.

Saturday, February 28, 2009 - Update

If you give a mama a cookie, she'll eat another one and another one. . .

My sister-in-law, Kim, brought over these two bags of my favorite cookies in the whole wide world. She whips up some of the greatest cookies and I don't know how she has time with four kids. I don't have much of a sweet tooth and I'm one of those people who scrapes off the excess frosting on cake, but there are certain sweets that I just crave. These are one of those things. Thanks, Kim!!

Last night, we tried our sleep training again and Olivia did very well. She woke up around 3 am and cried for about thirty minutes, but went back to sleep on her own. We're finding that she is a much happier girl in the morning and is sleeping in past 8:30 am. I don't think Ryan trusts me not to intervene, so he's listening for her out on the couch and I have the bedroom all to myself. I could be enjoying these uninterrupted nights of sleep, but I'm waking up around 4-5 am with horrible sinus pain. It's driving me insane! I've taken so much cold and allergy medication that I'm a little loopy. I'm hoping that it's not anything contagious and that allergies are the main culprit. Pray that I don't get Olivia sick.

Friday, February 27, 2009 - Update

Feb 2008

Feb 2009
(Olivia with her beloved horse puzzle piece)

I have just been amazed by all of the things that Olivia is learning. She shakes her head no to anything that you ask her and waves bye-bye all of the time. There is a page in her Llama llama red pajama book where mama llama goes downstairs and I would always wave bye-bye to mama. Now, every time that we are on that page, she waves bye-bye. It's too cute. Progress is going slow with the sippy cup, but I'm grateful that we're seeing progress at all. She LOVES to walk and has made it down the hall multiple times. She will also let go of the coffee table or couch to walk to us. We think she has said boat, shoes, yes, pig, duck and geese. . .but, no mama. The only word that she says on a regular basis that can be completely understood is dada. . .that's her favorite. I'll ask her to say mama and she'll say dada, fafa, gaga and then just laugh. Yes, I think she's taunting me. And, today she discovered the toilet paper roll. She is just becoming so much fun!

Success!

Well, last night we (and by we, I mean Ryan) had to take the hard line with Olivia. I have not been feeling well (my head feels like it's going to explode) and when she woke up at 11 pm, I just didn't have it in me to be up all night. I hate it because if someone felt the way I do, I wouldn't let them anywhere near Olivia, but here I am. Anyway, Ryan took the monitor, went out on the couch and I stayed in the bedroom with the fan on and the door shut. When Olivia would stand up and cry, Ryan would go in there, lay her back down, cover her up and pat her back. It only took her 30 minutes to catch on. The bad news is. . .whenever she cries for any length of time, she throws up so he had that to contend with and clean up. That makes our situation a little more challenging. However, she slept from 11:30 pm to 8:30 am!!! We're going to continue this the next few nights and hopefully by next week, we'll all be sleeping again. Thanks for all of your suggestions.

Taking Back Our Nights. . .

Okay, we've decided. . .this weekend is the time for Olivia to start sleeping through the night again. I just can't sleep in the recliner for one more night. Our nights go something like this:



Olivia goes to sleep initially very well, but has started waking up earlier and earlier. What used to be 1 am for her first waking has started to become 11 pm. She stands up and screams until mommy comes in to get her. (Daddy has attempted to get her, but she will continue to cry until she has mommy.) In order to avoid additional wakings, I've just been sleeping with her in the recliner. However, around 2 am or so, I put her back in her crib so that I can get a little sleep in bed. An hour or so later, she wakes back up. I feed her a bottle because she can use the extra calories. We've noticed, however, that it doesn't really make a difference because she just takes less during her daytime bottles. It all averages out to about 20 oz per day regardless. After she eats, I either go back to sleep with her in the recliner or attempt to put her back in her crib. If I put her back in her crib, she wakes back up an hour or so later and I just grab her and put her in bed with us so that I can sleep the rest of the night. The whole thing is getting very old. She was such a good sleeper for the first year. I'm sure the change is partly my fault because I've been so tired and desperate that I've just taken the easiest route. It's not so easy anymore and our bed just isn't big enough for the two of us plus a squirmy little girl. So, please give us all the advice that you can. . .

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - Update

The big news of the day. . .Olivia actually picked up and took a sip out of her sippy cup today. She is just having a big week! Hopefully, she'll continue this trend. Of course, there is milk everywhere!! It was a gorgeous 70+ degrees here today, so guess where we went? I know Amanda is catching on. . .we went to the zoo. We found a nice shady bench by the lake and watched the geese for most of the afternoon. Surrounded by all of these amazing, exotic animals and we watch the geese the whole time. Olivia was quickly recognized as someone who can be a little clumsy with her crackers, so she became quite the popular one. It was adorable. Olivia was laughing and squealing at them. Oh, you should have seen her and her geese friends. . .but you can't because I somehow forgot my camera. Sometimes geese can be a little mean, but these guys were quite the gentlemen or ladies. . .I don't know. It was an amazing and relaxing afternoon. Now, if only I could get rid of my scratchy throat. . .

Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - Update

Are you going to walk with me for the March for Babies?

This evening, Kerry and I went to the March of Dimes Family Team Kick-Off. I'm so thankful to have friends like Kerry who are incredibly supportive in ways like these. We picked up a banner to carry on the walk along with stickers, buttons and fundraising ideas. If anyone would like brochures or a March of Dimes change collection bank to put out at work. . .let me know. I will have more information and additional details on incentives shortly. I invite any and all of you to join our team. Even if we've never met in person, this would be a great opportunity to get to know each other face to face. Just click on the March of Dimes banner to your right for more information.

In Olivia news. . .she is doing good, although she threw up last night. I'm not sure if it was due to her vaccinations or the Pediasure bottle that she had. I seem to remember that we stopped the Pediasure a few weeks back because we suspicioned that it hurt her tummy. Now that I think about it, she threw up one time after we added karo syrup to one of her bottles as a young baby. I don't think that she can handle sugar very well. So, I've decided against starting up the Pediasure bottles again even though she could use the extra calories. I haven't been feeling very well and I'm hoping that my sore throat is just the result of allergies. It doesn't seem to be improving, however. I haven't been sick since I was about 12 weeks pregnant, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Monday, February 23, 2009 - Update

Please continue to pray for Lauren, her husband, Josh, and family. My heart has just been breaking for them today. Everybody who desires children should be blessed with at least one child to call their own. Anything less than that, just doesn't seem fair. I know it's easy to trust in God's plan when His will coincides with our own. When His will results in unimaginable pain. . .it's tough. I still believe that God's plan is better than my own, but it doesn't take away the pain that we experience in life. But, God will get you through the pain. I am proof of that. So is my little miracle, Olivia.

She is still practicing her walking and is doing phenomenal. Olivia had her 18 month checkup today with two vaccinations. Poor girl. I guess the appointment went okay. Her doctor is officially concerned about her weight gain (I've been concerned for a few months now.) She was only 17.6 lbs and is falling off of her growth chart. So, she has to go back in every 2 months for weight checks. At least I wasn't lectured about sippy cups. . .I think however I get calories in her at this point is fine. It was also the first conversation that I've ever had with a doctor who brought up autism when talking about Olivia's development. Of course she's not meeting 18 month milestones. . .she's only 14 months adjusted. Since when do they start pretending that she is a regular 18 month old? Olivia has made huge gains in the past few months! However, I'd rather her doctor take everything too seriously than not seriously enough. Something about being told that my pregnancy was going well when it wasn't just doesn't sit quite right with me. We did also find out today that Olivia has two cysts on her foot due to her numerous heel pricks in the NICU. She also has a sebaceous cyst on her neck which probably formed from having her central line. This may have to someday be removed. All in all, Olivia did not care for her check up today. She is getting to the age where she knows it's not somewhere that she wants to be and who can blame her? Please continue to keep her in your prayers as she grows and develops.

Pray for Lauren

Please visit Lauren's blog and offer her any support and prayers that you have. They were unable to stop labor and she delivered her remaining three babies at only 22 weeks. This was only one week before I gave birth to Olivia and Logan. They were unable to resuscitate any of them. Sweet Lily Nicole, Paige Elise and Rylan Otto are safe in the arms of Jesus, but their parents' arms are empty and that seems so unfair. I had to bury one baby in what was the most painful experience in the world. I can't imagine losing four. Please offer her any love and prayers that you have.

Olivia Surprises Us!

Saturday, February 21, 2009 - Update

Is it just me or does Olivia get cuter and cuter every day? And she loves to flip her pages, whether it's on her table, in her walker or her books. One day, she sat and looked through my scrapbook for 30 minutes or so. Every day, she discovers something new. If only she would drink out of something other than a bottle. I feel so unintelligent sometimes. . .I mean, who can't get their child to drink from a cup? I believe that the months of painful reflux is to blame when she didn't want to drink anything. We couldn't teach her to hold her own bottle because she didn't want anything to do with it. She associated it with pain. (After forgetting to give her the Prilosec one day last week, we've noticed that it has truly made a world of difference.) The months of not using her arms held her back as well, plus she doesn't like things forced in or around her mouth. We noticed that she loves to walk around and shake things. So, our next plan of attack is to give her a sippy cup full of ice so that she can hold it and shake it and familiarize herself with it. Hopefully, once she sees that it's not "bad" she can start drinking from it.

I've given up hope that I will one day become this new, peppy person. I might as well get rid of my list of "things to do when I get energy." My fatigue gets worse and worse and it makes me so angry. I hate being tired. I truly am grateful that I have a little girl who wakes me up at night because I came so close to not having that. I'd hate to sleep through a silent night or have a spotless house. That would mean that I wouldn't be a mom of this amazing girl. I have to have Ryan proofread my posts because I'm so tired that half of the time, they don't even make sense. I've tried everything and nothing works and I'm so frustrated. I think I'm just going to be tired forever.

Friday, February 20, 2009 - Update

Mommy got bored yesterday. . .
and I didn't want to wear pants.

This is so much fun!

I'm coming to get you!!

I need to use your phone. . .

But, I need to call daddy so he can come home and play with us!

Thursday, February 19, 2009 - Update

Well, it was another sleepless night last night. On Tuesday night, Olivia surprised us by sleeping throughout the night. So, we attempted to recreate everything that we did. . .even down to the temperature of our house and the pajamas that she wore. No such luck as she was up multiple times. She finally came to bed with us and my back is killing me from attempting to keep myself from falling out of bed. She is getting two more bottom teeth and apparently the teething tablets and Motrin didn't work as well as they did the night before.

I tend to agree that Olivia's shaking is nothing too concerning. It probably is a form of self-stimulation since she has a few other sensory issues. She also sometimes likes to bang her head against our headboard and laugh. There are a few quirky things that she does that I probably wouldn't think twice about had she been born full term. Okay, maybe I would a little as I can be a bit neurotic at times. Hard to believe, I know, but it's true. :) She tends to flap her arms a lot, but that dates back to her days in the NICU when she always did the chicken dance. She loves to ride in her pink car, but sometimes I think it is just so she can chew on the seatbelt. Some days she would rather chew on the baby food lid rather than eat the baby food. Again, all normal toddler things, but everything is scrutinized in greater detail with a micro-preemie. Weight gain is probably at the top of the list and she can't seem to break 17.5 lbs. At least she is not losing weight and with her constant level of activity. . .that's amazing. One thing that I know for certain is that Olivia is amazing. . .and that's not just because I'm her mom. I know that some of you agree as well or you wouldn't check in on her every day. Thank you for that!

Oh, and be sure to vote in the poll on the upper right side of the blog!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - Update

Here is an interesting comparison that I thought I would share. I think some people believe that premature babies are just "tiny" newborns. Those who know Olivia and other premature babies know that is not the case. So many things were underdeveloped when Olivia and her brother ventured into this world 17 weeks early. Can you imagine having to process the world around you with a brain that is not fully developed? And, not just your brain, but every other organ in your body. I continue to worry about the ramifications of that. It also reminds me of what a miracle she is.

Over the past few weeks, we have noticed a disturbing "habit" that Olivia is developing. At first, we thought that she only did it when she was mad. Then, she started doing it more and more. I intend to bring it up with her pediatrician at her 18 month check up next week, but I was hoping that I was just over-reacting. My parents saw it over the weekend and Ryan's mom noticed it today and all are a little concerned. She tenses up her fists and her whole body shakes. It's different than the shuddering that she used to do when she was younger. That was more of a quick fluttering (that happened when she went to the bathroom.) With this, her body is a lot more tense. It only lasts a few seconds, but sometimes she will do it multiple times in a row. If anyone has seen or experienced something like this, I would love to hear your feedback. I don't think a day goes by when I don't worry about her.

On to good news. . .Olivia slept through the night last night. We believe she is getting two more bottom teeth that may be contributing to the nighttime wakings. Hopefully, last night wasn't just a fluke and the trend will continue. Boy, was it nice to sleep all night long!! Grandma Mary is watching her today, so it's been nice to have a little "me" time. I can actually sit and think about what I'm going to write instead of hammering something out quickly during Baby Signing Time. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to share. Lately, blogger has been doing some odd things to my pictures and I'm not sure why I can't get them centered. Hopefully, I'll get that figured out soon.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 - Update

Today, Olivia and I went downstairs and did some spring shopping in our "Katie" tub. I always look forward to seeing what new clothes we will have passed down to us from Olivia's cousin. We discovered an adorable swimsuit (with a skirt and hat) and this cute hair bow. Kim, I hope you know how much we enjoy having these clothes.

Olivia and are both pretty tired today. I'm waiting for my doctor to check back with me to see if my fatigue is improving. I wouldn't know. . .it's kind of hard to tell when you are up every two hours at night. I know, I know. . .I need to let her cry it out. It just feels so neglectful on my part. Plus, she is so stubborn, I just know that I will cave before she will. She used to be such a good sleeper. . . I'm not sure what happened.

Prayer Request

I have been following a new blog for awhile and just wanted to ask for your prayers. Lauren was pregnant with quadruplets and lost Baby A a few weeks ago. She is now on strict bedrest, 3 cm dilated with her remaining triplets. She is currently 21 weeks pregnant.

http://laurensblog.greenfamily.net/

Please pray for Babies B, C, and D, Lauren and her family. They just need to at least get through a few more weeks. . .hopefully longer than that.

Monday, February 16, 2009 - Update

I've gotta knock that tower down!
I'm getting closer!

Olivia's eye appointment went okay, she still thinks eye doctors are the worst kind of doctors in the world. Like we thought, her eyes have steadily gotten worse. More than likely, she will need eye muscle surgery again and. . .more than likely, she will need glasses. It's not really a question of if. . .it's a question of when. Honestly, it breaks my heart because I don't want her eyesight to hold her back. As parents, we don't want anything to hold our children back. Of course, there is not a day that goes by where I am not eternally grateful for how well Olivia is doing despite her very challenging start. I know how lucky we are. I just want to do everything in my power to make sure she accomplishes whatever it is she wants to do in life. That's my promise, Olivia Paige.

Sunday, February 15, 2009 - Update

Money. . .a great motivator.
Reading stories with grandpa

Olivia has done quite a few exciting things this weekend. She has started taking a couple unassisted steps. She gets excited, however, and falls over. I think she also just likes to fall over and have someone catch her. She's getting closer and closer to walking. She has recently started shaking her head "no." Olivia can also climb the stairs. . .lickety split. When she gets to the top, she even reaches back and shuts the gate. Mom or dad, however, haven't made it through the gate yet, but it's really cute.

Olivia has an eye appointment tomorrow. I'm a little concerned because her eyes have started crossing a bit more lately. I just pray that we don't have to start patching again. That will be a nightmare trying to keep the patch on now that she's older. Luckily, Ryan is off work for President's Day so he is able to go with me. Tomorrow is a day full of a million errands (trying to take advantage of Ryan being home) so I'm not really looking forward to it.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Sailing for watching Olivia this afternoon. It's always nice to hear that your child was an angel and didn't fuss at all while you were gone. It makes the time away that much more enjoyable. Ryan and I enjoyed our lunch date and Olivia enjoyed spending time with her grandparents. Now, if we can just get Grandpa Glunt well so that she can see her other grandparents as well. . .

Happy Valentine's Day

Come here and give me a kiss!

Friday, February 13, 2009 - Update

One of Olivia's new favorite things to do.
Admiring her work.

Toddlers' natural desire for disorder makes me laugh. Olivia can't stand for her puzzles to be put together or her rings and blocks to be stacked up. Apparently, she doesn't like her letters to be nicely organized on the refrigerator either. So, now you know why our house keeps getting messier and messier.

I was actually a little worried about Olivia this morning. She just wanted me to hold her and would cry when I put her down. I even put her on her pony and she just sat there and cried instead of running around squealing like she normally does. Then, she was ready to go to sleep at her old 11:30 am naptime, but only if I would hold her in the recliner. So, we snuggled up together and slept for 2 hours! Since she woke up, she seems to be back to her normal self. Maybe her lack of sleep finally caught up with her. I gotta say. . .I enjoyed all of the extra cuddles today. If I hadn't been so worried about her, I probably would have enjoyed it even more.

I did want to ask for prayers for another premature baby born 13 weeks early on 2-12-2009. Her name is Emma and she was 2 lbs 4 oz and 14 inches long. Please keep Emma and her family in your prayers.

Thursday, February 12, 2009 - Update

Just checkin the blog. . .

It's official. . . .Olivia is not entirely like me. I think she is a (gasp) morning person. Not only did I purposely put her to bed 30 minutes later last night in hopes to grab a couple more minutes of sleep in the morning, but she woke up an hour and a half earlier than usual. Plus, she woke up twice in the middle of the night. She is the happiest, most energetic person in the morning and I'm having a hard time keeping up with her. This RSV hibernation is leading me to the brink of insanity. I sometimes dream of having play dates, letting Olivia play in a public park and with other children and other toys. I sometimes even dream of getting ready and going to work. I'm having a hard time finding new and exciting things for Olivia and me to do inside of our house. She keeps lengthening her day which makes it even harder (and she only takes an hour long nap all day long.) So, we're getting out more often and I just keep praying that I can keep her from getting sick. This morning, we went to Target. Afterwards, we stopped by to see my previous boss and co-workers. They just moved into a new office and we went to check it out. I loved it, by the way. Olivia enjoyed having a new place to explore and she had to make sure that they do, in fact, also have a toilet.

I think Olivia is just at that age where she is very active and loves to explore. I love the fact that she is my little energizer bunny. . .I just wish I could keep up with her better. It is hard to balance her need to stay healthy with her need to develop and explore the world. Any advice from other micro-preemie moms who are in the same predicament?

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 - Update

Olivia pushing her dolly.

Of course, Olivia would much rather play with her blocks and puzzle pieces. She is not yet really into dolls or stuffed animals, but doesn't she look adorable pushing her stroller? Every morning, she crawls over to get her horse puzzle piece and carries it around with her for much of the day. She absolutely loves it. Between that and riding her pony. . .I think Olivia will have a lot in common with her cousin, Katie. Maybe I should start saving up for those riding lessons?

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - Update

Another sunshiney day!

Olivia's naptime has officially been moved from 11:30 am to 2 pm. I don't like this new naptime as much. She used to nap, eat lunch and then we'd have the afternoon to do as we please. Now, we spend the majority of beautiful afternoons like these inside our house. Oh well. . .we did get out a bit this morning. Olivia interacted with her first kitty cat today and it was so cute. I wish I would have had my camera. Our neighbor's cat met up with us on our walk and was in the mood for some serious affection. He was purring and rubbing up against the stroller and would make Olivia laugh by sniffing her feet. It was adorable. . .and what a sweet kitty!

Walking and Talking

Monday, February 9, 2009 - Update

It's electric!
Boogie woogie woogie

In all seriousness, I think Olivia has been plugged into, like, 1000 amps. She is going non-stop. Last week, she decided that she would start getting up an hour earlier. Okay. . .it's bound to happen. Then, she decided that she didn't need a nap at all. Yesterday, she only slept for 20 minutes all day and today there are no signs of a nap in the near future. In addition, she doesn't want to sleep through the night and woke up three times last night. Ryan and I have no problem letting her "cry it out." (Well, it's a bit harder for me, but I know it's what is best.) Usually, she only cries for 10-15 minutes and is back asleep. Now that she is able to pull herself up in her crib, it's a bit harder. She stands up and screams at the top of her lungs. I don't think she really knows how to sit back down so it's not like she can go right back to sleep. Last night, she cried for almost 30 minutes (with no sign of stopping) when I went in to get her. Help! Is this just a phase? Now that she can stand up on her own, it's as if she doesn't feel the need to lay down. I used to be able to put her down for her nap and she would lay there (sometimes cry for just a bit) until she fell quickly to sleep. Now, she just stands up and screams. It's getting increasingly difficult to contain this bundle of energy within the confines of our house. Not to mention. . .I'm growing increasingly more and more cranky!

Olivia and Her Zebra

How long have we had this? And. . .I didn't know about it?
Ohhhhh, this is fun!!

I love to spin!

Hahahaha!

(This is actually what she is saying.)

Hahahahaha!

Heeheeheehee!

Hahahaha!

And to think that we bought it at a neighbor's garage sale last summer. (Best garage sale purchase ever!) She is now in love with her zebra.

Sunday, February 8, 2009 - Update

I don't really know what to write about today. I have plenty of things to tell you about as Olivia does something new every day. My heart is just a bit heavy. A family that I knew growing up found their youngest daughter, 27 year old Kelsey, dead in their home last week. Cora Paige, the little girl that I told you about a while back has passed away. Heaven's gain, however, is our loss and that is so difficult. Please pray for these families.