More Answered Prayers

Merry Christmas! Again, Lila is still growing happily. The good news and answers to prayers is the PKU screening tests came back and Lila does NOT have a thyroid issue. Yay!

Lila's play time is very simple, looking at lights. She loves the tree and she likes to stare at the sun coming through the window. On thursday, Lila had her first date:). My friend Summer and her three month old son Carter came over. It was more for us, but the babies look so cute together. Lila looks tiny compared to Carter and it was fun to hold a bigger baby, what a work out:)! It was nice for me to get to talk to a mom who is just a few months ahead of me and able to answer questions for things I am just now experiencing. Thanks Summer!

Anyway, we will see some of you soon!

It is so nice to just take time to stare at my precious little one.

Lila and Carter! I don't think his mom will like all the pink, Carter is much too manly for this blanket!

This picture is not new the color splash is!

Merry Christmas!

Just for fun! Lila is doing great. A little gassy at times, in fact, when she poops, it sounds like a nascar race:). Aren't the poops fun?

She is Santa's Little Helper

this was right after a bath and as soon as I got the onsie on, she super pooped out the back of her diaper. Do you know how hard those things are to get on?

She didn't seem to mind:)

Lila is One Month Old

I cannot believe Lila has been here for a month. Although I may be over tired, I don't want time to fly by because every year, time seems to just go faster and faster. Lila is still doing very well, eating, sleeping, and growing. She did have a couple of nights of not wanting us to go to sleep, but it wasn't for too long and it could be worse. My parents are here and thanks to them and Scott, I got more sleep than I have since I left for spokane over a month ago! I got a 4 1/2 hour, and 1 hour and a 3 hour stretch of sleep, that is amazing. I cannot be more thankful for my mom (and dad). My mom cooked us, our family, and friends an awesome dinner last night! Mmmm.

Again, thanks for the prayers!

Scott loving Lila - She did kiss him back, or at least try to eat his lips:)

Hanging out after a bath!

She picked out this onsie! What a super stretch.

Happy Birthday to Me

I got the most wonderful present of all... Lila of course! It was a good birthday weekend. Scott took me out on Friday night and Saturday evening was spent with his parents. My actual birthday day - I went grocery shopping and played with the baby. She loves the Christmas tree, when she is awake. She likes to spend her activity time just looking at the lights (I guess I don't really know what she is staring at, but it looks like she likes the tree).

Yes, I am the proud owner of a snuggie!

The pretty lights.

I love them.

I love my giraffe outfit!

it matches my bedroom.

She is Growing

Happy Christmas Season!!! Lila had her second doctor's appointment since being home and she is doing great. She gained 13 ounces in one week which is excellent. They want preemies to gain one ounce per day and Lila did that plus a lot more. She now weighs 7 pounds 1.8 ounces, about a pound and a half over her birth weight. She did have to have a PKU screen again because the first one showed that she could have a thyroid issue so please pray that that test comes back negative. The doctor said that preemies frequently have false positive tests so that is what we are hoping for. And my worst nightmare... a stranger reached out and put her finger in Lila's hand, I will NOT let that happen again. Here are some recent pictures.

On the scale

Checked out by the doc

waiting to get poked, the scene of the stranger crime.

Grandma love after a long morning.

and she's out...

Thanksgiving

Happy day after Turkey Day! Lila is still doing great and we are adjusting to life at home. She is such a sweet heart! She whimpers a little when she is hungry and only cries when I am fastening her diaper. I don't know what it is but she hears the velcro and automatically lets out a cute little wail. Then the diaper is on and she is good to go. She likes bath time and loves her new swing (thank you Marcy and Buck). Thanksgiving was was full of food. We had some visitors, but had a small thanksgiving to avoid germs and stuff, but that doesn't mean we didn't eat.

Hope all is well and now let the Christmas season begin!

Grandpa with grand daughter and great grand daughter.

Same goes for Grandma.

Isn't she a cute little bug? Doing her tummy time.

This swing rocks, literally... it has a ton of different noises and also accommodates an ipod. I need some instructions:)!

Home Sweet Home

It is SO nice to be home! The house is so clean, tidy, and organized thanks to all of the people who helped make it so.

The car ride went great, Lila slept the entire way so we didn't have to do any pull overs on the side of the road. When we got home, we relaxed just a little, and then got a few things situated, like a place in our room for Lila to sleep. The co-sleeper (thanks Nonie) arrived today but in the mean time, Lila slept in a chair and then a borrowed travel sleeper. I was so paranoid the night she was in the chair I don't think I slept for more than an hour. Plus it was my first night with her so I guess that is how it goes. Scott stayed home for two days to help me get situated and I feel more ready for tomorrow and my first day alone with her. Actually, I will have help, Kristal came over and finally got to meet her sister.

Lila is doing very well. She is eating more with each feeding and getting stronger all the time. I can't believe how many diapers baby's go through. I think she is a bit of a comedian - always pooping right after being changed!

Auntie Shannon

Look at all that pink and brown:)

Her first bath at home. She liked it until dad accidentally put cold water on her, but she calmed down right away and enjoyed her bath.

Daddy and sister love!

I love my sister!

November 22, 2009

Check Out?

She passed the car test and everything else needed to come home:). Hope to see everyone soon.

She looks so tiny.

Like a bug in a rug.

She stayed awake a LONG time.

November 21, 2009

Just checking in,

We are doing very well, Lila is so sweet! She is still eating great and gaining weight. She is out of the lights and they don't intend to put her back in them. She looks so much better without the patches on her face. She has been such a good little baby, pretty easy to calm her down and make her happy. We are enjoying her so much.

Hopefully we get to enjoy her at home soon. Keep praying for no apnea. I will keep everyone posted on when she does get to come home... the earliest would be sunday:). Anyway, here is a cute video of her hiccups!

Pictures

Daddy straight from work. He loves me so much.

Hungry

Getting out the Gas

She loves her giraffe that has been with her the hole time in the NICU! She is making rude gesture though:)!

November 17,2009

Hello from Sacred Heart -

We are doing great! Tired of course but that is just part of being a mommy and daddy. Scott has been her since monday night and will go home tomorrow, he has been doing an excellent job of daddy duty, changing lots of diapers.

Lila's biliruben levels were low enough to turn off the lights and if they stay low, or don't increase another day, the patches to hold on the goggles can come off her face. This also means we can hold her for more than half and hour every three hours. She is maintaining her own temperature, her eating is excellent, and my milk is plentiful enough to avoid formula. Hooray for the waking up every three hours to pump:)! We are actually being moved to a different part of the hospital. Although we won't have as much space or privacy, this is actually a step up for Lila.

The main issue being monitored now is apnea, which is present in more than 80% of babies born preterm. Please focus your prayers for no bouts of apnea related to the central nervous system. Treatment will basically depend on what happens between now and the end of the weekend. She has to go for five days without any spells before she can get home. If she does have them, even one, she may get treated with caffeine and have to wear an oxygen monitor when she gets home.

Hope everyone is well!

Something is wrong with picture upload so those will just have to come later... and they are some cute ones darn it.

"Clean Sweep"

I was going to do two posts together, but I couldn't get more pictures in the first one so here are pictures of the house project. I haven't seen it in person but the pictures had me in tears of joy. Our house was SO far from this point of completion and wouldn't even be close. Amazing people:)

Lots of Info

Hi All -

How about an update from the NICU? Lila is still doing great. She is under the lights for the bilirueben (jaundice from being born so early and the extra bruising from being born face up) and wearing goggles to practice up for the slopes some day:). This is very normal for the age she was born so be encouraged and keep praying. We are nursing but babies this age need to be bottle fed until they are mature enough to have the stamina and coordination to be without one.

We are on a pretty good schedule... Lila wakes up right before each feeding, I take her temperature, change her diaper, nurse, bottle feed, burp, reposition in bed, I pump, and finally she gets kisses, I rest, and then we start over:)!

My mom visited today and again, I am so thankful for my parent's help in being away from home!

THANK YOU to everyone who has literally done a "clean sweep" of my house. I don't know how to describe how happy this makes me feel but one thing is for sure... we are truly blessed by our friends and family. I am thanking God for all of you. This whole situation is probably the hardest thing I have ever done and you all have made it better.

I better throw in the fact that this hardship is also the happiest I have ever been. Being a mother is the most amazing emotion I have ever experienced. With everyone's help and Lila's health under the circumstances, I can't help but feel unworthy of so many blessings, and what I have to say is that this is the definition of God's grace and mercy.

So now, sit back and enjoy Lila and see the house:).

Here She Is!!!

Lila was born at 4:06 on November 11th. Although so early, she is doing awesome! They told me they would have to whisk her away as soon as she was born, but instead, I did get to hold her, and hear her beautiful scream. She got 9's on her Apgars and is breathing and eating on her own. She does have an IV for fluids, but no tubes to her stomach or lungs or anything else. She got very bruised on her way into the world and looked a little like a unicorn:) - but she looks better every hour! She is beautiful and we couldn't be happier with the situation. Prayers are being answered.

We will be checking out of the hospital tomorrow and we will be staying somewhere near the hospital for a while to be close to Lila. We don't know how long she will be in NICU, but most likely, not nearly as long as most babies born as early as her. I'll try to keep everyone posted and thanks to ALL for the help, prayers, flowers, etc.

Lila Update

Hi all, you can watch the video below to see what we are up to. I will keep you posted via internet and facebook. You can also call scott and I if you want.

Halloween and House Construction

Halloween was very enjoyable. I love my belly (what is inside my belly) so much I couldn't help just letting it all hang out and showing it to the world. So that is what I did. I have to paint her one more time before the next 7 weeks is up. Time is flying! Lila is estimated to be 6.1 pounds at this point in time and I am really hoping this is not accurate because with 7 weeks to grow, she could be very large:)!

In addition to Lila growing and changing, so is our house. The add on is getting SO close. We are blessed to have so many friends and family willing to help us out... so thanks to all for what you have done. SOON the new rooms will be done and I can finish Lila's stuff. Lots to do, little time...but God will provide:)

30 Weeks

30 down, 10 to go! I am SO excited and loving being pregnant. It took me a while to feel this way, but now I am simply enjoying the way my belly looks, and feels. Lila moves quite a bit. The amount and intensity varies day to day and I when I don't feel her as much, it is because she is going through a growth spurt and doesn't have much room to move. What can I say for updates? My blood sugar test was a little high, but I do not have gestational diabetes, which is very good news. I feel great and I am surviving being on my feet all day, I even painted for 5 hours straight the other day. I can still jog five times a week, very slowly and with my dogs, but I'm not enjoying the darkness of the morning. My goal was to jog until I am 7 months pregnant, but now that I'm here, I might just keep going. Plus, the turkey trot and the jingle bell fun run are fast approaching. Our remodel is coming along, but I am overwhelmed trying to pick out paint. Just a heads up, the baby shower is on November 14th in Ephrata, but there may be another one in Pasco so I'll keep in touch. Hope all is well for everyone. And here is my belly at 30 weeks. Getting kinda' big. I'm going to be painting it for my halloween costume. I think I might even paint it for fun this week:)!

Baby Wall One

I am blessed to have such helpful parents. Not only did they bring me squash, vegetable soups, and a bucket of freshly picked fuji apples, they helped me paint, put down trim boards, and hang sheet rock. It is a wonder they keep coming back to visit. Thanks Mom and Dad! Anyway, we had fun decorating one of the baby walls. Now that the third trimester is here, there are lots of things to organize and learn... like baby registries and how to have a baby:)! Watch the video and you too can join in the fun.

27 Weeks

So, I definitely look pregnant! Wait, Scott says we are pregnant so maybe I should say we look pregnant:). I am enjoying my belly and the comments it brings from people. My students ask some of the funniest questions that make me laugh and feel like santa clause as my belly bounces. I am still jogging and feeling pretty good, but to be honest, it is a lot harder to put on my shoes and bend over. I start my third trimester this week or next (the start of the trimester begins on different weeks depending on the book or website). Anyway, I think the baby shower will be the week after Halloween, I will keep you posted. I go to the doctor next week so there will be updates soon. Hopefully more ultrasound pictures.

25 Weeks on Friday

Things are going well! I feel pretty good even after a day of teaching and running all over the school grounds. I can even make it to evening activities such as tractor driving practice. No... I don't drive the tractor, just supervise the FFA kids. Sounds like such a hick thing but it is good for the kids to be supervised doing something productive. They need practice for the state tractor driving contest at Puyallup next week:)! This means I get to go to the West side, which means only one thing... SHOPPING!

Anyway, we are 25 weeks pregnant now and I just had another ultrasound to finish getting pictures they couldn't get before due to the baby's position. I think I was in that little room for 45 minutes! Very fun. We did get some 3D/4D pics. They are not super clear but neat anyway.  Her nose really isn't as wide as it looks in this picture so don't be alarmed:). Day by day, we are getting closer. Lila is still Lila, that was confirmed:)! This is good because the walls are pink and the bedding just arrived in the mail!

Can you see the eyes nose and open mouth? We could see her open her mouth right as this picture was taken.

More fuzzy, the umbilical cord is covering one of her eyes.