Sunday, March 14, 2010 - Update

Ryan and I went out and bought a new camera today. . .a Pentax digital SLR. We had some fun tonight trying to familiarize ourselves with it. We still have a lot to learn. Hopefully, there will be a lot of good pictures in the future. Here are just a few of my amazing family. . .

Super girl!

ROARRRR!

My sweet hubby

Me and my girl

My two favorite people in the world. . .

Can't forget Autumn. She was a part of the photo shoot as well.

Saturday, March 13, 2010 - Update

Shopping with grandpa

Olivia had a great time shopping with mom, dad, grandpa and grandma. Every day, she seems more grown up and says more grown up things. Olivia says the funniest things. . .she cracks us up every day. She gets so concerned when things aren't like they should be. . .if a pillow is off the bed, if the newspaper is still outside, if a door is left open. She can't stand to have doors or cabinets open. It's funny that one of my bad habits is leaving cabinet doors open, so I hear "Shut the door" a lot. She's definitely growing up right before my eyes.

Friday, March 12, 2010 - Update

We spent the afternoon with Izzy and Izzy's cousin, Maddie. Their family was in town from Wyoming and it was nice to see everyone. It was also Maddie's 4th birthday so we had an ice cream cake. I learned that Olivia's love of ice cream cake is even greater than I originally thought. We told her to come upstairs for ice cream cake and she wanted it NOW. I couldn't believe it when she started crying big tears and kept yelling, "Ice cream cake! Ice cream cake." I felt bad that she made such a scene and was given the first piece of cake. Olivia really enjoyed it. I'll have to add ice cream cake to the small, slow-growing list of foods Olivia will never refuse. Thanks to everyone for a great afternoon.

Maddie, the birthday girl

Olivia waiting impatiently for a piece of cake with Izzy and Maddie.

Thursday, March 11, 2010 - Update

Olivia has been learning new things every day. Her vocabulary is astounding. You only have to tell her one time what something is and she'll remember it. Olivia can sing a handful of songs (surprisingly on pitch) and count to 10. She knows quite a few colors and shapes. She loves to line things up and count them. She still loves her books and puzzles and Gogum (gloworm) and Wil-wee (Lily) go everywhere with her. There are tons of stuffed animals on her bed and one day I decided to put some of them away. . .ya know, the ones she doesn't really play with. Boy, that was a mistake. She got into bed and started asking for each one individually. . ."Duck? Lambie? Bear? Giraffe? Otter? Baby? Apparently, they still need to sit at the bottom of her bed. She amazes me every day with what she can do and how far she's come. I'm so proud of her.

More Prayers

I was so relieved to hear that Angie is back home and then I heard about Julie and her precious Evan. Julie lost her little girl, Brandy,when she was only 17 months old. A few years later, her little boy, Ryan, was born at 23 weeks. Julie and Ryan gave me so much hope when Olivia was in the hospital also born at 23 weeks. Julie is now 22 weeks pregnant with Evan and her cervix has shortened from 3.3 to 1.3 in just two weeks. This is what my OB suspected was the reason for my premature delivery. Angie and Julie are two of the strongest people I know. After giving birth prematurely and losing a child. . .I don't know if I could physically or emotionally try again. I have trust issues with the medical community. I think some of them have seen so many normal pregnancies, they can't identify when a pregnancy isn't normal. They don't care how long you've tried or what a miracle it is to actually be pregnant. I guess I'm still a little bitter about being sent home from the hospital at 22 weeks when I was so obviously showing signs of premature labor. I wish I knew then what I know now, ya know? A lot of my anger has subsided over the years, but when I hear about problems with someone else's pregnancy. . .it just doesn't seem fair. These people deserve a long, healthy, uneventful pregnancy and I pray with all of my heart that they will.

Prayers for the Kahl's.

Just wanted everyone to say a prayer for my friend, Angie. We met because of similar stories. . .both struggled with infertility, finally got pregnant and gave birth prematurely to boy/girl twins. She lost her little boy, Bennett who I'm sure is one of Logan's best buddies in heaven. Angie is pregnant again with a little boy named Cullen and I just heard that she was going to the hospital with bleeding and cramping. She is only around 25 weeks. She has done everything to prevent another premature birth, so when I heard the news. . .I was shocked. . .and angry. Why is it that some of us struggle so much to be mothers? It just isn't fair. Please keep Angie, Cullen and their family in your prayers.

** Update: Angie is home with Cullen still where he needs to be. Praise God!

Monday, March 8, 2010 - Update

Olivia has a new obsession. . .online gaming. Her favorites are Fisher Price's ABC Zoo and Sesame Street. I bet we spent 2 hours today playing some of her favorites. I've never seen anything keep her interest for that long (or have her sit on my lap that long.) It was actually a nice way to spend a rainy afternoon and she learned some new songs. This morning, she woke up and headed straight to the office to play her games. I'm sure it will be the first thing she asks about tomorrow morning as well.

Saturday, March 6, 2010 - Update

Ready to roll. . .

Thursday, March 4, 2010 - Update

Olivia had a great time with Aunt Shelley today. I really appreciated it. . especially on such short notice. They even baked a cake together and Olivia enjoyed licking the beaters.

Olivia and Gus checking on the cake.

Surprise!

Last night, we got the most amazing surprise. I had just gotten out of the shower and I still had my hair in a towel when the doorbell rang. I didn't want to answer the door looking like that, so I asked Ryan to peek out the window and see who it was. He kinda laughed and said, "It's a van that looks like Joel and Laura's." We kinda laughed. Joel and Laura are the ones who moved to California. Ryan opened the door and there they were. . .Laura, Julia and Rebekah! I was in shock. They decided to come back home. Sadly, Joel is still working in CA where he will remain until he finds a job here. There are a lot of mixed emotions as there is still a lot of uncertainty in their lives. Please keep them in your thoughts and pray that Joel is able to return home soon.

Welcome home!!!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 - Update

I have had the hardest time trying to figure out what to write about lately. I think it's because of an anonymous comment that I got on the blog a few weeks ago. This person stated that I was ungrateful and complained all of the time. When you try to post daily, you're going to have a lot to talk about. . .good and bad. I've always tried to post very honestly and I guess it came back to bite me. Now, I'm very hesitant on what to write so as not to be called ungrateful. I know, I shouldn't let one little comment still bother me, but it goes against everything this blog is about. I want it to be uplifting, I want it to help people and share about one of God's great miracles. Has it been a tough 2 1/2 years? Yes. Do I wish I didn't have to go through all of it? Yes. Have I struggled emotionally and physically? Yes. If I could have, I would have taken my children's place. . .I would have traded their hospital stay for my own if only I was given the chance. If only. . . .

March for Babies

March for Babies 2009

Less than 50 days left until the 2010 March for Babies. The March of Dimes means a lot to me and this will be the Olivia and Logan team's third year. We've always made quite a showing which only proves how much support we've received from so many loving people. It would mean a lot to me to have you join our team and walk with us. Whether we know each other well or need to get to know each other better, I'd love to have you join. If you can't join, consider donating a few dollars to our team. The March of Dimes spends 76 percent of the money raised on research and programs that support the health of babies. Thanks to all of you for your love and support.

Autumn Update

Just thought I'd give a quick update on my favorite kitty. We've had her now for 5 months and she's doing fantastic. She was pretty sick for the first 3 months that we had her. Our vet believed it was either asthma or a parasitic lung infection. We believe it was actually the latter and she had lungworms. After she received treatment for that, she's been doing great. She now has all of her kitten feistiness.

I now can't imagine life without her in our family. She follows me around everywhere and sleeps on my pillow. She has so much love to give.

Her favorite toys are the pom poms that you buy at craft stores. The only problem is that they always end up under the furniture and I have to fish them out for her.

No cat should be without their pom pom. . .and no family should be without their Autumn. :)

Friday, February 26, 2010 - Update

I apologize. . I haven't had many pictures to share lately. It's mainly because Olivia has wanted to be on the other side of the camera and take the pictures herself. Here is a picture that I tried to take as Olivia attempted to grab the camera from me.

And here is our house from Olivia's perspective. Eventually, we'll get the rest of the walls painted. :)

Be sure to check out Dizzy From Izzy to see all of the pictures that Olivia's cousin, Izzy, has taken. Some of Izzy's photographs are astounding for a 2 1/2 year old.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 - Update

Grandma Mary watched Olivia today and I was able to rest up. I appreciated it so much. I also heard that Mary was getting her haircut today with Kim (Ryan's sister) and Olivia's cousins. They all go to the same lady who cuts their hair every 6 weeks or so. Olivia has needed a haircut very badly, but I've been terrified to go back. The last two times have been disastrous. Remember THIS: Olivia's first haircut? Well, they agreed to take Olivia with them to get her haircut. I guess she did wonderfully! I don't know if it was because I wasn't there or if she saw the other kids getting their hair cut or if it helped that grandma stood up instead of sitting with her in the chair. Maybe Jatena is that good at cutting kids' hair or Olivia is outgrowing some of her fears. She was such a big girl and now she has a cute little bob. Thank you, Mary and Kim, for taking on one more child and making things so easy on me today. I don't know how to thank you!!!

Still Sick

We're still sick around here, but Olivia seems to be handling it better than me. There isn't much that slows her down. She has just decided to add a nap these last couple of days. Olivia is so frustrated with me because I have NO voice. To her that means. . .less books to be read, less songs to be sung, etc. And no matter how sweetly she asks, I can't get my voice back. Maybe it'll come back tomorrow and we'll both feel better.

A Bit Under The Weather

I'm not feeling well. I have the achy, sore throat, feels-like-my-head-is-going-to-explode type of stuff. Olivia is feeling a bit under the weather as well. It even made me miss a surprise party that I was to attend today. I love surprise parties, but Ryan had to attend this one by himself. (Happy 30th Austin!) Hopefully, Olivia and I start feeling better soon.

Thursday, February 18, 2010 - Update

Thank you for your replies to my last post. I do think that Olivia has some oral sensitivities and you pair that with 2 year old pickiness and it's a frustrating combination. She has never wanted things in her mouth (pacifier, thumb, etc)and is real finicky when it comes to what goes in it. I'm going to do some research and try to figure out what I need to do to help her. I'm proud to say that for dinner tonight, she ate 1/2 grilled cheese sandwich and some peaches. That is amazing for Olivia!!

Oh, and you should hear Olivia sing the alphabet song. It is the cutest thing I've ever heard! I've been trying to get it on video, but she's being a bit camera shy. She ends the song with. . "Q, R, S, TV, E, W, X, 1,2,3." I'll try my hardest to catch it on video in the near future.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - Update

My sweet girl

There are some days when hardly a bite of food is swallowed. (Not with me, I unfortunately eat just fine.) Olivia either won't put food in her mouth or if she does, she chews it up and spits it out. Today was one of those days. I don't know if it has to do with her reflux or her prematurity or a lack of hunger or if it's behavioral. She can swallow food, but sometimes it's as if she really doesn't want to. Does anyone else experience these types of eating difficulties? I am feeling so frazzled. I'd love to hear from you.

Fashion Diva

Bath Time

♪ Wash wash, scrub scrub, I use soap and water. . . ♪

Are you taking my picture?

I love to sing!!

Sunday, February 14, 2010 - Update

So much sweeter than a box of chocolates

As you might already know, my husband does not "believe" in Valentines Day. Don't feel too sorry for me. He just doesn't think a person should do something nice for their significant other only once a year. And feel forced to do it. (I think one year, he must have had an empty Valentines box at school.) He somehow finds ways around it. For instance, this year, I got a massage for Happy Super Bowl Day. I've received things through the years for President's Day, Lincoln's Birthday, etc. This year, he also helped me paint the laundry room, which I'll take over flowers or chocolates any day. Plus, he does thoughtful things throughout the year, so it's not so bad having a husband who doesn't celebrate Valentines Day. For all those that do (and don't) I hope you have a wonderful day overflowing with blessings.

Three's Company

Go-worm, Olivia and Ree-ree

The three of them go everywhere together.

Thursday, February 11, 2010 - Update

Just some random pictures of our days here at home. We working on coloring "back and forth" and "up and down." Then, we'll move on to making circles. . .just some suggestions from her OT. We're also trying to stack more than 4 blocks and string Cheerios on a pipe cleaner. She's doing awesome!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - Update

Shawna and Mckenna

Kerrick and Olivia sharing a coloring book.

Today was a great day. It started with a playdate. My friend, Shawna, came over with her son, Kerrick, and daughter, Mckenna. Shawna and I went to college together and have been friends for 12+ years. Her children are as sweet as they are adorable. After our playdate, Olivia and I met Ryan at Bartellis and had pizza for lunch. Then, Olivia and I came home and took a 2 hour nap! It was heaven. . .especially since she rarely naps anymore. The best news of all came when I weighed Olivia tonight. She now weighs 22 lbs!!! I'm sure her newfound appreciation of chocolate milk had a hand in that. It's been a slow process, but we're getting there. :)

Occupational Therapy

Yesterday, Olivia had an OT evaluation at Wesley (where she spent her 105 day NICU stay.) Her developmental pediatrician suggested some additional OT due to her fine motor delay. It went really well and not only do they feel confident that they can help her, they gave me a lot of ideas to do at home. She will be starting weekly OT therapy next week. Olivia struggles with performing tasks that require her to turn her wrists. . .such as unscrewing lids, using utensils and opening door knobs. She still does not have a lot of strength in her upper body due to her premature birth as babies do a lot of strength and resistance training in the womb. Her reluctance to use her arms really set her back. Olivia LOVED her occupational therapist and really latched on to her. I'm hoping this additional therapy will allow her to catch up in this area and I'm actually really excited about it. It will be one more reason to get out of the house each week, which will make the rest of the winter go by that much faster. Please pray for Olivia's continued progress in all areas.

Snowy Day

And I have to wear these on my hands too?

Ready. . . .set. . .


GO!

Cousin Katie and Olivia

Cousin Alex and Olivia

My new favorite picture (Alex and Olivia)