So Much to say, So little time

Analise loves to dress up!
Maisie put on Mrs. Potato Head glasses
An attempt to get all three looking at the camera
There are a lot of things I should be doing in this hour of no girls. However, I've had posts running through my mind for days.
We are doing well. Sadie had check ups this week, and she is doing awesome! We saw her lung doctor, and he is going to have us try and wean some of the meds. She weighed 14-2 and is 26 inches long. That means she's almost a foot longer then when she was born! Crazy to think about. We also had a developmental check, and they were very pleased with how she is doing. She is rolling over, grabbing things - even things as small as a raisin! I didn't know she could do that. She is pulling herself to the sitting position and using her arms to stable herself. She isn't quite sitting up on her own because she likes to arch her back. We learned that is typical of preemies. We walked away from the check up just in awe of God again. While we were in the city, Brandon and I were able to get some Christmas shopping accomplished. It was rushed, but we enjoyed the time regardless.
Maisie is still silly, busy and she is using more sign to communicate what she wants. It's fun to see her use it. I think she has one more molar to come through, and we will all celebrate the day. Most days she is pretty happy go lucky, but yesterday she was a challenge.
Analise is still talking a mile a minute. She's had a couple of funnies lately. The other night at supper I told Brandon that I'd had talked to someone and they told me their husband got a deer. Analise asked in surprise, "God is a deer?" When listening to my Ipod a song came on and she said, "Michael!" I told her it was Lincoln Brewster. She said, "Chicken Rooster?" And then the other night at bedtime I read her the story of the three wise men. A while later I heard her crying in her bedroom. I walked in, and she was sitting up. I asked her what was wrong, and she announced, "I don't want to have a baby!" It was hard to comfort her and not laugh at the same time.
Analise sang with the preschoolers last week for the Christmas program at church. She did a nice job and seemed to enjoy it. At the end she used the mic and said, "I love you Jesus!"
I had the honor to speak this last Thursday at the MOPS group at our church. I shared the journey of Sadie's pregnancy, delivery and recovery. It was a joy for me to share about God's faithfulness and His going before us. There were about 50 moms there. Also joining me were my sister in law and one of my dear nurses came from Lincoln. It meant a lot to me having them both there.
I better get moving. I think my peace and quiet are ending sooner than I would like.

Nnovember News

Whew! It's been awhile since I've updated. Where should I begin? We had a fun visitor last weekend...my sister came out! I hadn't seen her in over a year - crazy! We had fun playing with the girls, shopping, putting up the Christmas tree, and we celebrated her birthday. Analise wanted to make her a turkey cake, so we did. We look forward to seeing her again next month.
At pre-school, Analise had a Thanksgiving feast that she enjoyed. She came out of class looking like an Indian. I wonder what she ate...
Last week I took the girls to a park nearby for some fresh air. There was another young mom (see how I still include myself as a young mom? :)) there with her daughters. We began visiting and realized we had some common friends. I introduced my girls, and then a little later, I could see her processing everything about what she knew. She then said, "I prayed for you!" She had prayed for me and Sadie while we were in the hospital! Isn't God so cool to still be revealing people, people I didn't even know, who were praying for us?
We had a good Thanksgiving weekend. We have MUCH to be thankful for this year! I summed it up at the dinner table by telling everyone I was thankful to be a family of five.
I even went shopping with the ladies on Black Friday; however, we didn't get up super early. We were out by 7:30. It was lots of fun, and I got some things. I do know already that some will have to be taken back.
While my sister was here, she helped me buy an Ipod. Yeah! I am learning about it and enjoying music from it. Analise has been interested in it, too.
This week I got Sadie up from her nap and discovered a really mattery eye. So, Grandma was to the rescue so I could rush Sadie to the doctor. Not only did she have pink eye but also an ear infection. I have no idea where she could get this when she is with me all the time. I don't ever leave her in the nursery at church.
Since Sadie had pink eye, I had told Analise not to get too close to Sadie. After dinner that night, Maisie was going over to Sadie, and Analise announced, "Maisie, don't get too close to Sadie, she has pink eye-pod." And with that, I end this wildly random post!

Oops!

Sorry for the misquotes under the pictures...they weren't posted like I downloaded them!

Daddy's Girls

My Dad Can Fix Anything

I'm A Daddy's Girl

Daddy Loves Me

All three girls love their daddy, and I love it when they wear shirts announcing how special their daddy is. Today I had all three girls in their shirts, so I had to take pictures!

So, what's been going on around here? Really it's been a lot of "normal" life. Analise has started a little Park and Rec class called "Tootsie Rollers." It is a beginners class that involves movement, tumbling and some dance. I like these little classes because I think it's a good way to find out what she enjoys and what she is good at. I want my kids to try different activities but also not feel like we have to be involved with everything that is offered. Sometimes kids just need to be kids. She has enjoyed the first couple of classes.
Analise had a big day this past week, and she rose to the challenge. She not only got her flu shot, but she got all her Kdg. shots as well...and she didn't shed a tear! This is from the same girls who was crying last year before they even touched her with a needle! After the shots, she got a special lunch with her dad.

Maisie is beginning to say a couple of more words. She now calls me mommy/mama whenever she seems me, and even calls her daddy "dada." We now hear baby, puppy, and she even tries to say butterfly. Maisie actually qualified for speech services, so we have begun that. She mainly qualified because there is such a big gap between her comprehension and expressive skills. As we work on new words, we are trying some signing as well.
Maisie is still my Boz lover, or as I refer to is as, a Boz addict. She loves her Boz! Maisie is getting a little more independent, which sometimes leads to even more frustration. She continues to be the life of the party.

Sadie is officially 8 months old and this week she weighed 13-13.(With clothes on.) She is laughing more and I am finding she wants to be entertained more. She is eating and sleeping well, and we continue to experiment with a variety of foods. Some days she swallows well and other days not so well. She is still as sweet as always!

This past weekend we took a little drive to see Brandon's grandparents. We enjoyed the day with all of them, and the girls did a nice job of not breaking anything while we were there. :)
On a more sad not, my grandmother is not doing well. I praise God she is such a strong believer, but I now get concerned each time the phone rings. This is my grandmother whom we named after for Sadie's middle name.
Last night Brandon had an early work Christmas party. It was a nice meal and then some karaoke. Brandon and I did a beautiful rendition of Jingle Bells. (HAH!) If nothing else, it was a nice night without the trio. :)

That's about it from here...until next time...

Thirty one - not that fun

So I am another year older. And honestly, it's not off to a great start. I kind of celebrated my birthday on two days since it's hard to party with trick or treating. Friday afternoon we all went to Applebee's for lunch. The girls did a great job, so it was still relaxing for me and Brandon.
The following evening was the family party. My mother in law and sister in law put together a great spread of some of my favorite foods. It was great! I opened gifts and got some fun things. Thanks, everyone!

However, a short time later I wasn't feeling too fell. It was downhill from there. I quickly blew out my candles and promptly came down with the stomach flu. NO FUN! I still haven't had any of the cake I made.
Brandon came down with it a few hours after me. Praise God for the blessing of family in town to watch the girls because we were in no shape to take care of them. Last night I finally felt normal and human again.

Hopefully 31 gets better then what it started like!

Two bees and not a bee

Halloween has come and gone already. Here are my lovely ladies all ready for the candy occasion! Sadie didn't seem to mind her costume, Maisie slowly got in the spirit, and Analise loved looking silly.
Thankfully it was a beautiful evening. It as warm enough we didn't need jackets! Analise loved going house to house with her cousins, and eventually Maisie joined in on the fun. Her 9 year old cousin was an awesome help with Maisie. Now we have way too much candy. I want to go through it and put some in the freezer and pull some out to put with our Operation Christmas Child boxes.
Hope your trick-or-treating was as fun as ours!

Reflections...

Thoughts going through my heart and mind...

First, this past weekend was a blast! Brandon and I were able to leave the kids with grandparents (thank you!) for 28 hours and enjoy a wonderful time together. We drove three hours away where we met up with dear family and friends for a nice meal out. That in itself is a luxury these days. Then we walked downtown for the concert of the decade...MWS and SCC! It was a little taste of Heaven. It was three hours full of laughter, tears and praise.
Brandon and I then spent the night, got up the next morning and went to the college football game. It had been eight years since I last went, so I was excited! We sat in the end zone, 71 rows up, but we could still see really well. I liked watching the game from this angle. The weather was beautiful, and I learned that I can burn in Oct.! It was even more fun when our team won.

Today is the year marker for a big event last year...an event that began to rock our world. To be honest, it wasn't the first even to rock us. That event was a few weeks prior.
We had celebrated the weekend with my parents being here and having lots of fun. That Monday we were taking them back to the airport (2 hours away. Have you learned that all the "real fun stuff" is two hours away? :)) My dad was driving, and I didn't feel quite right. As we neared a rest area, I knew I needed to stop. My worst fear seemed to be coming true...I was bleeding heavily. I knew then, without a doubt, that though this pregnancy caught me by surprise, I didn't want to lose my baby. Sobbing, I went out to the car to tell my parents. My dad remained calm while looking for the nearest turn around, and I called Brandon at work telling him what was happening. I sobbed the 45 minutes home, but I did get a glimmer of hope while talking to my sister in law. My dad drove as fast as he could to get me to the ER. Here's where is gets a little exciting...as we pulled off the exit ramp, we saw an old pick up truck, with an old man standing by the door. We we came up the ramp, then the man got in the truck and pulled in front of us. I think we all thought, "Aww..now we have to pass this slow, old truck." Sure enough, he was headed in the same direction we were and even turned on the country road we wanted. However, this man must have driven 90 mph, because my dad was going almost that fast and never caught up with him. Plus, we passed no other cars the entire five miles on that road. To this day we believe it was an angel paving the way for us. Still gives me goosebumps!
We arrived at the ER where I met up with Brandon. It seemed like forever, but we were able to get an ultrasound (fearing the worst and praying for the best). As soon as the tech started, I saw that little heart beating. Praise God! As far as we know it looked like I had a slight tear in my placenta. My doctor just "happened" to be there...another God thing. We visited and knew then that things were a little shaky. I was put on bed rest until further notice.
And here I am a year later, holding my Sadie a little longer while she slept in my arms. A year ago I didn't know if I would even get that chance. A year ago I didn't know if I would ever hear my baby laugh like I did today when Analise had her laughing like I haven't heard before. One thing I did know a year ago, that God would be and is faithful - no matter what you're going through.

No more....snow

Yes, it's October 23, and yes that is white stuff on the grass. It's a little too early for me. Thankfully we didn't get as much as they thought we might, and Analise had a blast playing in it after lunch.
Now on to better news...The doctor gave us permission to take Sadie off her oxygen at night...no more O2!!!! We gave her the trial week, and she did great. I get teary eyed just thinking about it and how far we have come...watching her O2 stats all over in the NICU, learning she would be on it when we came home...adjusting to a newborn attached to a long tube...taking portable tanks whenever we went somewhere...weaning to just nights...and now completely finished! Many of you had a part in this by faithfully praying. Thank you, thank you! Maybe one of these days I won't get teary when I think about it all, but honestly I don't know if I ever want to get to that point. I never want to get calloused to God's faithfulness. I am also excited to have those tender grips off her face. I can't wait to kiss those little cheeks whenever I want!

You Are Special

As you can tell in the first picture, the girls got to meet some special veggies! The second picture has nothing to do with veggies; I just thought it was cute. :)
This past weekend, Veggie Tales Live was in a city a couple of hours away. For weeks I wanted to take the girls, but I just couldn't convince myself. I didn't seem logical...driving, price of tickets, etc. As the weekend got closer, my dad reminded me that I have a cousin that tours with the Veggies. That threw logic out with the wind. I decided I could manage a two hour trip with the three girls, and we would make the most of the opportunity. And our cousin did make us feel special. He gave us tickets for great seats and also meet and greet passes. Thanks, J! Analise just loved it, and Maisie, well, she was Maisie....busy! Sadie stayed with another sweet family member. We got home at 10:15, but it was all worth it!
Rest of the weekend was spent around the house. It was beautiful weather, so the girls were able to be outside. We enjoyed having Brandon home from his trip. He spent most of the time building a shed in the back yard. Thankfully, he had some great help. I always love watching Analise help, too. She goes and gets her own tools, and likes to help her daddy. It's pretty sweet!
I've started Sadie on some real baby food. I've been giving her peaches. Once she gets over the initial flavor shock, she seems to enjoy it. I like to think she is getting a little better at swallowing. Many of you were so encouraging with this, so thank you!
One quick funny - before the show began the other day, a gentleman from the church got up to make some announcements. One of them was he told the kids that if their parents for lost or wandered off, they needed to tell someone with a yellow vest. As serious as she could be, Analise patted me on the arm and said, "Mommy, I'm glad I don't have to worry about you wandering off."

Sadie - Seven Months

Seven months already - I can hardly believe it! My pulmonolgist called yesterday and thought Sadie's oximeter readings looked pretty good from a couple of weeks ago. He suggested I try having Sadie alternate nights of being on and off her O2 for a week to see how she does. If she seems more restless or doesn't eat as well, that could indicate she isn't ready to be finished with it. Last night was the first night without O2, and she did great. She slept just as well as other nights. Praise!
I took her to the doctor today to see about her weight gain for the last month. She was 11 pounds a month ago, and today she weighed 12-6. Doctor is pleased. However, I told her that the cereal she is getting is in a bottle, because she pushes it out with her tongue when I try to feed her. She told me to keep trying to feed her every day and to try adding some real baby food to help the flavor. I guess in my mind I know she is seven months, but her adjusted age is really five months. I know neither of my other girls were ready to eat until five months. I'll keep praying. She got her first flu shot, so we get part two next month. Next month we will also start the monthly shots to help protect her against RSV. Praise the Lord that insurance is covering this because each shot is ~$1500!
We have much to be thankful with this little munchkin!

Fun Fall Times

We had a fun weekend...my parents were in town! This leads to great fun for the kids, less dish washing for me, running errands by myself, and a lunch date with my hubbie. THANKS Mom and Dad!
The girls loved playing and reading books. They went for a picnic lunch at their favorite playground, played games and did lots of giggling.
We took them to the rock garden in town so we could take pictures of the girls. I love doing this each fall. Toward the end it was getting a little too dark, so we may need to go again. It's always a challenge to get all three girls to look at the camera and smile at the same time. I believe it falls under the category of a "miracle." :)
We also went to a pumpkin patch. We debated because the weather was cloudy and cool, but I am glad we went. We practically had the place to ourselves. The girls rode a pony, went down the big slide, rode big trikes, and we enjoyed the wagon ride to pick out a pumpkin. We convinced Analise to pick a big one to carve. She loves small things usually.
We also did a little shopping at the mall. It was time to buy Analise some new athletic shoes. It's like she outgrew hers overnight. She's four and wearing a size 12 now! We had a hard time finding some, but the last store came through for us. I never thought I would be a mom that bought Nike shoes for her girls, but in the last month I have bought some for both Maisie and Analise. We looked for other shoes, but I don't like "characters" on shoes. That rules many out. Now both girls think they can run fast!
Sadie is doing great! My parents couldn't believe how content and happy she is. Of course she loved all the extra attention, too. She is sleeping mostly through the night and doing well with cereal in her bottles. I'm still waiting to hear from my doctor about her oxygen; it's been over three weeks.
Hope you are having a happy harvest!

Maisie Moments

Up and down, up and down...that's how Maisie has been the last couple of days. She's either joyful and happy or whiney and clingy. I much prefer the happy Maisie! I don't know if she is working on her two year molars. It would be nice if she could tell me.
We can add another word to Maisie's vocabulary; that brings the total to about 11.
:) We learned this week that she could say the word "mom." But she would never call me mom. Until a little bit ago...she was in her room for nap time, and I heard her call, "Mom, Mom..." I truly believe she was calling for me. My heart about melted.
If my heart melted today, it laughed last night. I take Maisie to a Kindermusik class once a week. It's some good 1-1 time, and she just loves going. She loves to do actions, and use her entire body to learn. Anyway, there is a story time on a story blanket. Unlike Analise who would sit to still and quiet for the story, Maisie is again up and down. During part of the story the teacher asks the kids to look in their pockets for some imaginary seeds to plant. Maisie had two small front pockets, so she followed along. However, the second time she looked for seeds, she dug around hard enough her pants fell down to her ankles! Wouldn't you know it, this was one time she was up on the blanket for all to see. It was so funny!
I was reflecting today and realized it's been almost a year since Maisie's little miracle. During her first year of life she had a blocked tear duct so her eye was always watery and goobery. Most clear up on their own, but her eye just didn't. We saw an eye doctor and scheduled a common procedure to open it for her. However we kept praying for it to open so she wouldn't have to be put under for the procedure. Well, God answered less than a week before her appointment. It cleared up on its own. PTL! We are praying now for Maisie to start talking so we can communicate even better, and maybe she wouldn't be so easily frustrated.

Time is ticking away...

First time in the high chair

Sadie means princess

My litte zoo animals

Hmmm...where to begin. I have random thoughts and never know what people really want to know about. All I know is I love reading other friends and family blogs.
So I will begin with last Friday night - Brandon and I had a date! Oh, it was so nice. We left the girls with their aunt/uncle and cousins. THANK YOU! I didn't once worry about any of them, and we really didn't talk much about them while we were out. We went to Red Lobster and enjoyed an uninterrupted meal. Ahhh...it's been awhile! Our next "date" is a double date as we will be going to see MWS and Steven C. Chapman in concert. I can hardly wait! I wouldn't be able to go if I was nursing, so as much as I miss it, I will enjoy the plus side of a bottle.
Speaking of sweet Sadie, she is doing okay with the cereal. I try and feed her at least once a day, but she still has the reflex where her tongue pushes it forward. I know she is swallowing some. In addition to that, I put some cereal in a couple of bottles. She slept through the night last night! I put her to bed at 8:00, and then I got up with her at 6:00 to feed her, and she even went back to sleep. That is the longest sleep I have had since pre-hospital days.
Analise is still loving preschool, and I was able to go with her class on a field trip to an apple orchard. It was lots of fun, but then again, how could it not be when the other moms are my friends? Analise was excited I was there, but she is independent enough that she wasn't clingy at all.
Analise has had a couple of cute sayings recently. The other day I was peeling carrots (a rare sight), and she asked me if I was shucking the carrots. Shucking corn was not a rare sight for awhile. Then the other day, she was rather honest. She told me she loved me more than Maisie, but that she loves daddy the best. She then added me to that statement. :)
Maisie is becoming a little more cautious and tender than she used to be. She actually is fearful of some things now. I find that I am not as frustrated with her as I once was. I've learned that if I explain things to her, she is very adaptable. She is answering yes/no questions, but she still isn't saying much of anything. We have someone coming again this week to do an evaluation on her since it's been a few months. Anyone have any suggestions on getting her to say more words? She has about 10 words that she says: please, up, ball, balloon, Boz, uh-oh, ouch and hot are about it. Analise doesn't talk for her, but she does talk a lot. I've been hoping that with Analise gone more often that Maisie would try talking more.
Today was spent with my mother in law and sis in law making applesauce. It was an all day affair, and now we will enjoy fresh applesauce for many months. Mmmmm...
So these random thoughts have made for a long post. I was a few days behind, thanks to a great book, "Sunset" by Karen Kingsbury (my favorite!). I don't let myself read much anymore, because I'm not very disciplined with it. I will admit though that I tried to do most of my reading while riding the exercise bike.
Enjoy your weekend!

Sadie is Six Months

Minutes after Sadie was born

Sadie 6 months later

What a sweet smile

Luke gals

Sadie loves her kisses :)

We had a big milestone in our family this week. Sadie is officially 1/2 a year old. :) It was a day of reflection for me. As you can tell in the pictures, she has sure grown and changed a lot...all glory be to God! She came in this world early, weighing 2 lb. 13. oz and was 14.5 inches long. She now weighs 11 lbs and is 24 inches long! In fact, she finally made the growth curve for her length - 5%! She's still a little shy for her weight. The doctor suggests I start her on some cereal. We'll see what she thinks!
Sadie is such a sweet baby...she is mostly quiet and content, but loves to interact with people. She smiles, coos, laughs, and on her six month day, she rolled over! She went from tummy to back.
On a bittersweet note, I think we are finished nursing. Once she was home, I tried nursing as much as I felt "allowed," but I seemed to dry up more quickly than I thought I would. I miss it, and if I could have chosen, I would LOVE to nurse exclusively, but with her circumstances, she needed the bottle with extra calories. So yes, I am sad, but I think I am also okay with it. I have lots of milk still frozen, and we can still snuggle with the bottle. Plus, we can look at each other while she eats, and she loves to give me big smiles. Even though the bottle gives me more freedom then I had with the other two, I still am selfish about her bedtime. Brandon put her to bed last night, and I really missed it! I gave her a bottle before I went to bed because I missed her. I think that is something only mommies understand.
Her O2 stats look good while she is sleeping. I will have the download sent to my doctor soon, so we'll see what he says. She is sleeping longer between feedings at night, so that is really nice! I am getting 5-6 hour chunks of sleep. I feel like a new woman!
Thanks for sharing in the journey of our miracle baby!

L is for Lady Luke Lions

I bought this lion mask the other day at Target for a buck...got to love that section! I figured it would be fun to have in the dress up box. Then Analise made a lion mask today in preschool, so I just had to take a picture!

Husker Days

Husker Fan

Amazing...all three looking at the camera

It's quickly turned into fall here. I miss the warm days. I've been scrambling finding warmer clothes in bigger sizes for all three girls. Sorting clothes is such a mess maker and takes time. We've been blessed by many generous people, so I didn't have to go buy clothes.
Along with fall comes football season. A couple of weeks ago Analise announced she was ready to watch some football and wondered when it would be on. My dad would be so proud. :)
Sadie got this Husker shirt from a special aunt when she was born. I remember being in my bed in the CCU (I don't remember much from that day...) and seeing this cute Husker shirt. I thought it was huge and Sadie might be able to wear it next year. The other day I saw it in the closet and thought it didn't look as big as I remembered...perspective changed as she grew. Now she is wearing it! Wow!
Speaking of Sadie, we had two appointments yesterday; both were a couple of hours away. She is about nine pounds heavier than her birth weight, and she is about nine inches longer! The pulmunologist says she is looking great, but we will keep her on her O2 at night for awhile yet. However, I am getting an oxsemeter (sp?) to test her O2 levels at home. I will check her while she is in a deep sleep, and if her numbers are good, then we can be done with it.
We also saw an eye doctor. She did awesome there...no fussing with the drops or the bright lights. They couldn't believe it. Praise the Lord her retinas look complete! He does predict that by 2nd or 3rd grade she will be nearsighted and need glasses. Sounds familiar...just like her mother.
Sadie is very alert and loves it when people talk to her. We are hearing more laughs, so that is fun.

We had a good weekend. My nephews (and the girls' favorite cousins) came over Friday night for a movie night. I think I was more excited then they were. We watched "Little Rascals." It's one of my favs and been years since I've seen it. All the lines came back to me, and I loved hearing all the kids laugh.
Saturday we did some shopping for a new grill since ours is like cooking over a light bulb. In the evening we got together with friends.

Today started Bible study....yeah! I go to a Bible study full of wonderful women who are vulnerable with each other. It's going to be another great year. I had Sadie with me, so it was neat for women to meet her who had prayed so much for her last spring. I got all teary eyed.

Enough rambling. I should get something accomplished while it's quiet around here.

And She's Off!

Camping in the living room

Ready for school

Like many others, I find it hard to believe that Labor Day has come and gone. Where did the summer go? We had a nice weekend, and we enjoyed having daddy around an extra day. We spent one evening at a local park with family. Analise rode on the rowboat, Maisie went for a bike ride in the bike trailer, and Sadie went for a walk with me and her aunt. We also spent another evening with family. Analise "camped in the living room", and I got a girls' movie night. Monday we ran errands and tackled some projects at home. Last night Analise went fishing with her daddy, and she was so excited that she caught seven fish.
This morning was the first morning of preschool, and she was excited to go. I was excited for her, too. She has great teachers, it's at our church, and I love her fellow classmates (and their moms!). It was quiet at home without her. When I picked her up, she said, "Mama, I was great!" She told me about her morning, and I already have one little song in my head.
Last Friday I wanted to spend some 1-1 time with her before this transition. So we dropped off her sisters at grandma's, and we were off. I asked her what we should do first, and she responded "Let's go to Menard's!" Such a daddy's girl. We went for a donut date instead. We then got her hair trimmed and the grand finale was grocery shopping! Not exciting for her, but it was time together. That was the first time I had been grocery shopping during the day on a week day since Sadie has been home.
Sadie is doing well...growing! She is finally drinking 4 oz. of milk a feeding. Her naps seem to be a little off. Some days she will take 30-40 minute naps. I like the two hour naps better. :)
In fact, she is up now so I better go get her.

We're Singing Praises...

Analise shared some animals with Sadie

Unto J-E-S-U-S...
Sadie had a developmental check up on Monday. The state offers these free of charge for preemie babies. Since her adjusted age is 3 months, it was our first one. Though we drove two hours for a 20 minute appointment, I was glad we went. The doctor was pleased with Sadie's development, and she seems to be hitting the milestone she should be. She is babbling, cooing, "engaging in conversation", she follows objects with her eyes, can isolate muscle movement and is smiling and laughing. Her only shortcoming is really my shortcoming; I don't give her enough tummy time. So, I am trying to do better with that. It's just hard for me to leave her in a position she doesn't like.
While we were at the hospital, we went up to the NICU to see some nurses, and that was a lot of fun. Such dear people!

Brandon and I celebrated our 8th anniversary by not really celebrating. :) He and I got time in the car on Monday, did a little shopping...and all with one only daughter, so that kind of felt like our celebration. He brought home lunch for me on Tuesday, so that was a fun treat. We are thankful for eight great years of marriage, and honestly, not only am I thankful to be married to such a wonderful man, but I am thankful I was alive to celebrate with him. Looking forward to many more...

Maisie is 2

Such a sweet baby!
She's one!
Not so sure about the party hat

We had a birthday in our house this weekend. Maisie is officially 2. Wow! I think she enjoyed her day. She went on her first donut date with Grandma and Grandpa. Later in the morning we went to the Children's Museum. She loved to run place to place and just play. She didn't have a favorite area. That evening we had family over to celebrate. We enjoyed supper and also her Boz birthday cake. I counted the cake a success when she knew it was Boz. :)
It's hard to believe another year has passed, and I like to reflect over the last year. Maisie learned to walk, climb, she didn't have to have the tear duct surgery (thanks to answered prayer!), she feeds herself at all meals, and has grown in so many different ways. The biggest part of the year was when she spent two months growing up without me. Those once a week visits to the hospital with Maisie are something I'll never forget. It was a treat for me to simply put on her pj's before she headed home.
Maisie is such a fun girl...she loves to laugh and have fun. Though she has very few words, she can communicate well. Her little "eh-eh" work for her; I understand most of the time! She doesn't slow down for much, but she is beginning to sit longer for books. A year ago the only thing she did with books was chew on them. She keeps us laughing with the things she does, and she keeps are head shaking with the messes she makes. Most days she wants to be older than two; she wants to keep up with the big kids.
She has adjusted well to the role of big sister. She is kind and gentle with Sadie and loves to give her kisses. She is sleeping great in her new bed...better then we ever imagined! She is still my snuggler and loves to help around the house. Maisie is predictable, likes routine, and she is my "brave" daughter...not much fear! Our prayer for Maisie is that she will continue to grow in wisdom, stature and in favor with God and men. Maisie...we love you!

Having Fun

 

 

 

 

I've been playing around again with Picasa 2 with adding effects to different pictures. I'm sure there is something more important to be doing, but it feels good to use some of my little creativity.
We had a good weekend. I was able to go to some garage sales on Saturday...yeah! It was the first time I had gone all summer. I found a few good deals. Sunday we took Analise along with some friends to the lake to go boating. We had a lot of fun. Analise tubed on Big Mable and swam in the water with her life jacket on, and she even let go of her daddy to swim on her own. We were so proud of her.
Maisie got to spend a lot of time with her grandparents this weekend, and I think she kind of enjoyed the role of the oldest.
Sadie went to the doctor yesterday and got a great report. She now weighs 10 lb. 5 oz. Her oxygen stat was 93, and her respitory rate was great. Praise the Lord! She is such a happy baby; she loves to coo and talk, or as Analise says, "Make sounds." She has given me a couple of "almost" laughs, but she looks like she wants to laugh and just can't figure out how quite yet.
I'm off now to be more productive in my precious hour of no kids. :)

Beds, Balls and Bye Bye

The new bed is almost finished, and finished enough the girls slept in their new beds last night. Their talented dad designed the bed, built the bed, and he did awesome! We already had the bottom bed and headboard he had built for Analise a couple of years ago. Since the room isn't really big, we need to go up. He designed it to work with what we already had. Analise was so excited to sleep up high, and she did great. Maisie wasn't quite so sure of her new location, but she adjusted and stayed in bed...shocked us all! She even slept later this morning.
Sadie enjoyed sleeping in her crib - so much more space!
Remember those walks I mentioned the other day? A couple of days ago I got more than I bargained for. We got back from a nice walk, found daddy at home and in the midst of it all, Maisie didn't make it inside. I went out after a couple of minutes, and she was pointing down the street saying, "Ball...ball." Now, we live at the top of a hill...she and I went for a nice long walk down the hill to get the ball and then had to walk back UP the hill. I was so thankful she told me what she had done. Ball is one of her few words.
We can officially say "bye" to the apnea monitor! After three months it's a relief, but it will be strange not having it on her at bed time. Another milestone is coming to an end. Yeah!

Corn Girls

Tis the season for fresh corn on the cob, and we are loving it. We don't eat it every day, but we have it at least a couple of times a week. Analise can eat a couple of ears, and Maisie wants to be like her sister, so I no longer cut it off her her.
It's been a quiet few days around here. This past weekend we celebrated a cousin's birthday, but that was our only fun thing. We spent rest of the weekend at home. The daddy of the home is building a bunkbed for the girls. They are already in the same room, but Maisie is still in the crib. The bunkbed is coming together nicely, and we will be transitioning to that soon. So for the next few days, I will enjoy Maisie being confined at sleep times.
I have finally ventured out for walks with all three girls. It's been cooler in the afternoons, so last week I gave it a try. It worked well enough to try again, and the second time was better. Analise rides her bike and is doing great. She is getting a little more brave in where she goes. Not all driveway sidewalks are flat. It is good for all of us to get some fresh air while having our own personal space at the same time.
Sadie is growing...according to what others tell me. They say she looks bigger. I just don't know if she is getting enough to eat. She's drinking about 3 ounces a feeding. It's not much more than what she's been drinking for quite some time. This whole bottle thing is new to me. I miss the good ol' days of just nursing. Sadie is content, happy, has wet diapers and is sleeping well. I hope those are signs she is getting enough.
School doesn't start for us this week, but early September our lives will take on a different schedule. Until then, we will try and enjoy the lazy days of summer.