7 Months

Took the picture and updating 7 months a little late.  Lil miss has been pretty sick this week and not in the mood for pictures or blogging.  She's had the sniffles a few times, but this was the first time it affected our sleep and had to stay home from daycare.  Last Sunday I think we were up every half hour and I finally just held her in the rocking chair most of the night.  The nights got a little better through the week, but her cough got worse and she wasn't eating well at daycare.  She also had a few big spit ups from all the mucus.  Doctor said she just has to fight it off, but gave us a prescription for a steroid given her "history" with breathing troubles to have at home if we need it to open her airways.

She saw her nicu doctor on Monday and no surprise, she still needs the monitor at night and napping.  She is still having up to 17 second apnea spells and heart rate drops too.  So, we will be going back again in December.  She also saw the OT that day who graduated her as she is meeting milestones, but since we go back for her monitor we will see her again too.

She weighed 13 pounds 15 ounces.  She is still nursing at home and having up to 6 ounce bottles, but smaller since being sick.  She's been eating oatmeal, sweet potatoes, pears, banana, or squash twice a day.  She has 2 teeth on the bottom.

She still mostly wears her 6 month clothes but we've put on some 9 months just to mix up her wardrobe.  It's cuter when the clothes are snug though.

Rolling over still just happens rarely and on accident.  She can sit up on her own briefly and she is doing more with her toys now.  She waves her arms when she is excited and is starting to notice her furry brother, Benson, and thinks he's pretty funny.

She is talking a lot more now and the first word she understands is up.  She starts to try and sit up if we say it when she's laying down.  It's so funny so we have her do it all the time.

How cute are her leg warmers?

Day Out for the Adults

Last Saturday was our first family day out; without the babies.  My family loves to have fun and we still do with all the kids now, but we had been looking forward to an afternoon with some adult activities.  

My parents were in town for the weekend because they were being recognized for their excellence in agriculture by the university in my town.  We always joke with my dad about his love to hold the tired babies so he can nap too; and Howie already knows when its nap time to ask for grandpa.  But he is the hardest working guy I know and he runs a farm with his uncle and cousin to provide (some would say spoil) for us.  And we can't forget my mom who has packed lunches, made meals, drove truck, given rides and so much more to help that farm run. It was pretty neat that they were one of the farms recognized in our state.

As part of this honor, they got tickets to the college football game.   We decided to get babysitters (3 of them) and enjoy an afternoon out.  We had a great time with lots of laughs, a few drinks, tailgating, and a football game.  The kids did great with the babysitters and I'm sure we'll do it again some day.  We love these babies more than anything, but I think it's important to still have that time as a family without the kiddos too.

Mom and dad still spoil us by buying all our football tickets and paying the babysitters.  It's not cheap to get 3 babysitters for 6 hours for 4 babies and a toddler either!  Thanks for a great day mom and dad!  We finished the weekend with the twins baptism on Sunday.  A perfect weekend with lots of memories.

"Just go have fun, I'll be fine."

"The babysitters will probably be more fun anyway."

"We'll behave, don't worry."

Momma's day out!

Best farmers, parents, and grandparents!

Halloween

Just a few pictures of Bayden's first Halloween. She was a ballerina.  Most of these are from daycare.  They got some good ones, she wasn't in as much of the mood that evening after her party at daycare.  Her party included painting pumpkins and a dance party!  She was awake for the entire party; loves a party like her momma and daddy!  I guess she really enjoyed painting too; that must be from the donor!

Single Mom and a Tooth

Well, it started yesterday.  I am now a single mom....

For the next 4 months or so.  Gav started coaching hockey last night.  He was asked to be the assistant coach for a local high school a few months back.  He wasn't sure if he would have another chance to coach this level so he decided to go for it.  Practice started last night and he has a busy schedule of practice and games through February.  Last night he got home at 9:00 and was feeling bad that Bayden was in bed and he didn't get to see her yesterday.  Wouldn't you know, something must have scared her last night around 10:30 and she started screaming.  He got to snuggle and rock her back to sleep, that made him feel better!  After this first week, he will be home earlier besides nights of games.  Bayden and I will sure miss him in the evenings.

We will keep busy though.  Last night I brought her along to the last night of my bible study.  The gals love to pass her around and make her smile.  Crazy to think that about a year ago, I put in a secret prayer request at bible study, "please pray for 2 early pregnancies" for my sister and I.  Here we are a year later getting notes together for our babysitters this weekend for our first family day out without kids.  My family is coming to town for a college football game.  We have 3 gals coming to babysit 1 toddler and 4 babies!  This year, I should have put in a prayer request for the babysitters!

In other news, Bayden is getting her first tooth.  The nurse felt it last Monday when she was giving her oral immunization and we saw it the next day.  She seems to be handling it pretty well, but it makes me sad that she's getting so big.

6 Months

Only a little over a week behind this time!  On October 18th Bayden turned half a year old.  I can't believe how fast it's going.  She had a 6 month birthday party with family at a hotel.  Not really just for her, the family weekend just happened to be that day.  I thought it was funny though and kept asking when she should open presents.

Here are her stats from her 3 doctor appointments last week:
*  She weighs 13 lb. 12 oz., 24 3/4 in long, and 40.5 cm head circumference.  Still a peanut.
*  She past her 6 month vision screening.  A little more far sighted than the typical 6 month old baby, but nothing to worry about.
*  She still needs her apnea monitor while she sleeps.  The alarm doesn't go off, but it is still recording apneas of 15-17 seconds long.
*  She is pretty much caught up developmentally motor wise and wouldn't need to see her nicu doc anymore if it weren't for the apnea issue!
*  She is still a little behind on her language skills, not very chatty yet.

She is still a good baby and sleeping well at night.  She is up during the night about twice a week, but usually I wake her up after I'm ready for work.  We had a couple rough nights after staying at the hotel and so much snuggling with family, but we are back on track now.  She naps better at daycare than she does for us on the weekends.  We need to work on a nap schedule.

She is drinking 4 - 6 oz bottles and nursing when I'm around.  We started some food last week.  We did a couple days of squash from grandma's garden and tried some baby oatmeal tonight.  Not sure how much she gets down yet.

She had her first illnesses in October.  A few weeks ago she had pink eye and on Friday she had a fever.

We are getting bigger and bigger giggles everyday and that is our favorite part of this age.  Gavin wishes she could stay this age for a long time.

I think we have a Daddy's girl on our hands.  Gav said the other day that she looks at him and they have this connection.  They do, she smiles at whatever he says or does.  Makes me so happy.

Now for some fun pictures!

Bayden's 6 month birthday party

Cousin Caroline's baptism

Cousins!

With cousin, Maysen.  So trendy!

Five Months & Baptism, Finally

Sorry this is so late, but better late than never.  B is now 5 months old and baptized.  She is such a happy baby.  She does the raspberry, bubbles now and we get some good giggles.  Still waiting for the big belly laugh.  She also rolls from front to back if her arms are in just the right spot.  Sleeping through the night until we wake her up for daycare and then she is so smiley when she first sees us.  This is our favorite part of the day.  She weighed 12 lbs. 6 oz. when she saw her nicu doc at 5 months.  She is still on her apnea monitor at night and during naps at daycare.  It doesn't go off anymore, but it is still recording apnea spells up to 17 seconds when she sleeps.  We visited the nicu nurses that day too and they were excited to see her.  We had her baptism last weekend and celebrated with friends and family.  We feel so blessed everyday that she is in our lives, but on her baptism it felt so great to look up and see friends and family all around her.  I pray that she always has as much love and support as she did that day from her family, godparents, and friends.  Here are some pics of our growing girl.

Went for a day trip to see cousins in Sept.  Here is my aunt (one of my most faithful blog followers) and B's cousin, Jack.  

Just so you can see how she arches her back now.  She needs to be buckled into everything now.

Looking so cute at a wedding in Sept.  

First time in a bar!  She loved it and was a big hit as you can imagine

How she sleeps now.

Us with her godparents

Baptism gown.  Worn for 3 generations now.  

looking like a nun after the baptism!

Family at Baptism party.  

4 generations

One Year Anniversary and 100 Posts

This is my 100th blog post.  Seems like just yesterday that I was writing my first post and writing an email to my closest family and friends inviting them to read about our journey.  It's been quite the journey and I'm so glad I decided to document it here.  I hope you've enjoyed the story!  For my 100th post, I'm writing an anniversary letter to my little Bayden, 1 year together.

Dear Bayden,

One year ago today on Sept. 14th, I became a mom.  That's the day I started taking care of you.  One year ago, your dad and I were in a doctor's office holding hands and waiting for the doctor to bring you to us in a tiny catheter.  There I laid praying so hard that this time would work.

You have been such a fighter since before that day.  At this time a year ago, you had been growing in a dish for a five days.  You were the best embryo, the most cells, the fighter.  You were making it.  The doctor transferred you and a sibling to me that day.  You were strong, you found a comfy spot to attach and grow.  I had a scare a few weeks later with cramps and bleeding.  I cried on my way to the doctor's office for an ultrasound, but there you were on the screen with a strong heartbeat, a fighter.  We were so happy and relieved, but we knew then that our other baby didn't have a heartbeat.  For the next 30 or so weeks, I loved having you inside me.  I loved being pregnant and feeling you grow inside me.

Then, you'd had enough on the inside and were ready and you arrived quickly to the outside world.  Your first 43 days weren't easy and I hated being apart from you while you were in the nicu.  You were a fighter during that time too, a bit dramatic though.  Now you are home and doing great.  You have made me so happy this past year.  I love seeing you grow and do new things everyday.

One year ago, you were just a few cells inside me and today I heard the cutest giggle from you.  Can't wait for more giggles.

Love, Mommy