Mighty Makenzie

"You're in trouble now"

2010-10-08T07:58:00.002-05:00

Makenzie went to her pulmonologist the other day for a yearly check up. She is 34.2" tall and 27.7lbs. The doctor was thrilled with her progress and said that since she has had no issues thus far, that she doesn't need to keep seeing him. He did say, of course, that her chronic lung disease still puts her at high risk and she could still become extremely sick if she were to get RSV for example. Cold/flu season is now here and so we will be limiting her contact as usual. Her speech is astounding now and she even has shown her little bossy streak. The other day she said to me, "Be quiet Mom! Ian napping!". The other day when I was trying to fix my phone she said, "Oh you're in trouble now". HAHAHAHA That gave me a good laugh.

Ian is doing good. His colic seems to have passed and since week 14 he has been sleeping 8-11 hours at night. Getting more sleep is WONDERFUL! : ) It makes for a happy baby and a happy mommy.

The kiddos

2010-09-23T17:04:00.004-05:00

Time for some much needed updates. Ian is now 3 months old as of this past Monday. He weighs 13.5lbs and is 23 1/2" long. We had about a week where we thought the colic was gone, and unfortunately we were wrong. He is one fussy, crying, spit up, not sleeping baby. But he also loves to squeal, coo, smile, and laugh when he isn't fussing. He's really starting to look like an older baby now and he is just so adorable. Rick is currently working on his special, homemade first Halloween costume.

Makenzie will be 2 1/2 next month. She is into coloring, Hello Kitty, playdoh, stickers, dancing, dinosaurs, being a great big sister, etc. She is currently cutting one of her back molars which is causing her some discomfort. She often uses 5 word sentences now. Kenz is still super sweet, well-behaved, thoughtful, and cuddly. I really love this age with her.

A fellow preemie mother who has also lost a child came across a website that has launched a campaign to promote awareness for National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberence Day on October 15th. The website is: www.iamtheface.org I submitted a picture and Luke's name but I'm not sure if they are on the website yet. Every year we do something special to remember Luke by on October 15th and I'm pondering what we will do this year. Last year Rick and I made special charms to hang from our rear view mirrors in our vehicles.

Picture link

2010-09-03T14:36:00.003-05:00

I don't have time to post pics right now. So I am going to put the link to Ian's album on Facebook. You do NOT need to have a Facebook to see the pictures.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=222651&id=667111788&l=c4d8122280

Ian laughed for the first time the other day, and Rick, Me, and Kenzie all saw/heard it. : )

It's been a LONG time...

2010-08-29T20:39:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe it has been this long since I have posted. I'm sorry! Every time I meant to write something, time got away from me or one of the kiddos needed something. I'll try to bring everyone up to date...

Ian is now 10 weeks old and doing great. At his two month check up he weighed 11lb 10oz and was 22 1/2" long (he was 5lb 12oz at birth and 18 1/4" ). He's a piglet! He was on medicine for acid reflux for about a month. He's had colic for the last month. He smiles and coos and is just super cute. Unfortunately breastfeeding didn't work out for me or Ian, (and that is putting it lightly) so I am pumping so Ian still receives soley milk. I've been told he looks like me and I'd have to agree. At night he will usually sleep for a solid 5-6 hour stretch. He's already grown out of clothes and has rolls on his legs and his arms, along with a huge double chin. It's really been wonderful having a "normal" experience this time around. I still look at him in disbelief sometimes. I'm so happy I made it to 36 weeks and had a baby come home WITH me from the hospital. Ian is such a wonderful addition to our family.

Makenzie is now 28 months and doing AMAZING. Last Friday she had her second and last speech therapy session. And would you believe that she caught up so quickly that she is actually ahead?! She scored at 29 months for expressive and 30 months for receptive! I am so proud of her. She really loves Ian and enjoys being a big sister. She always finds ways to help me, whether it's handing me a diaper or putting his clothes in the laundry basket. Kenzie also does things for Ian that she sees me do. She'll tuck his blanket around him or wipe his mouth with his bib. She acts like a little mommy; the nurturing comes naturally to her. She is definitely a rambunctious toddler. She's either running around with her arms behind her flapping her hands acting like a bumble bee flying, singing, dancing, or getting into stuff. She is still very well behaved, but is starting to test her limits. Sometimes if she is being told not to do something she will look at you and say "Shhhh! (with a finger to her lips) Stop." We have no idea where she got that from and it's so cute it's almost hard to keep a straight face. That little stinker. She has manners and says 'please', 'thank you', and even says 'bless you' when someone sneezes. My favorite is when Ian sneezes and she says, "Bless you baby Ian." Oh and I have to mention that Makenzie prounounces his name 'Eon'. For the first month, every day all day she was saying "Baby Eon! Baby Eon!". It would be the first thing out of her mouth each time she woke up. : ) I have heard her say Ian correctly a few times, but she still prefers to say Eon.

As for me, I was able to go off the blood pressure medication a few weeks after Ian was born. I enjoy taking care of two kids and it's not as hard as I thought it would be. I love watching Makenzie interact with Ian and I can't wait until he is old enough to play with her. My friend once told me that having another child made her love her first child even more. I completely understand that now and seeing Makenzie in a "little mommy" role just melts me. We had a lot of family come visit, and it was nice for everyone to meet Ian and see how sweet Makenzi is. Rick is doing good and has been such a help with the kids. It's hard not having any family near by to help, but having a supportive husband sure makes it easier.

Welcome baby Ian!

2010-06-25T00:20:00.005-05:00

On Father's Day, June 20th, we welcomed our baby boy into the world!!!!!!! I was exactly 36 weeks along and he was born at 2:48pm weighing 5lbs 13oz. His name is Ian and he's adorable! Even though he was born four weeks early he was discharged on Tuesday from the hospital with me. He's a little jaundice but that is expected. I was almost not discharged b/c of blood pressure issues. I had been in and out of the hospital days prior to the birth b/c of pre-eclampsia. I am currently still having high blood pressure and had to start medication today. I would have likely been induced this week anyway, but my body decided to go into labor on its own. Makenzie likes her baby brother and wears her big sister bracelet every day. I will try to write more later and post pictures. We are so happy to have our Ian at home and doing well!

Luke

2010-06-08T10:23:00.005-05:00

It was two years ago today that our precious son Luke, Makenzie's twin brother, had to leave our arms and head to heaven. Nothing can prepare a parent for the death of a child. I remember the morning after Luke passed away; it was awful waking up to a day that I no longer had my son. Each day that passed made the pain hurt worse b/c it made it another day since I had held my son. And now even though we are adjusted to our new sense of normalcy, the pain is always fresh and always will be. We always wonder what he would look like, what his personality would be like, how Makenzie and him would have played together, and what it would have been like to watch him grow up.

Tonight we are going to start a small garden in our backyard in memory of Luke. We will be planting several seed packets of wildflowers to start with. We will light his candle and give Makenzie extra tight hugs. It's not hard to forget that we came quite close to losing both of them. And it's so hard knowing that Makenzie will grow up without her twin. Luke was our first born, our first son, and Makenzie's twin brother. He will always be all of those things, b/c the separation we have from Luke from earth to heaven does not break those ties.

Back in April...Rockin' to Lady Gaga

2010-06-07T09:35:00.003-05:00

Finally more pictures!

2010-06-07T08:20:00.005-05:00

Above: Having fun with Daddy, Below: Sitting on her big girl potty

Belly pics! : )

Above: Kenzie at Ft. Pickens, Below: Kenzie's 2nd birthday cake that Rick made for her

Just Kenz and the doggies (Remmy on the left, Brody aka Boo on the right) after their bath

Above and Below: Kenzie being a little bunny and Kenzie's first Easter egg hunt.

Pure joy

2010-06-05T22:01:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow I am 34 weeks! 34 weeks marks a huge milestone in lung maturity and development. I remember thinking at the beginning that if I could just make it to at least 34 weeks, and now I am here. I went to the doctor on Friday and everything is still going great. The doctor did a really quick ultra sound scan and said that the baby, placenta, and fluid level all looked good. I'm so thankful and excited to still be pregnant, but words can't really even express it. I'm also thankful to even BE pregnant. Baby boy's movements have been pretty painful at times lately. A few kicks and jabs have actually made me yelp. I continue to be hot, uncomfortable, swollen, have trouble sleeping, and I love every minute of it. Little guy has the hiccups right now as I'm typing. :) We are very fortunate to have family who have bought us the few expensive things that we need for the baby. The crib was picked out today!

Makenzie is...quite simply put...the most adorable little girl in the world. She has so much personality. She loves to show off and is quite the ham. Lately you could find her singing, dancing, coloring, bossing the dogs around, or rubbing my belly. Kenzie's speech has definitely continued to progress. She says more words on her own and tries to repeat more of what she hears. She has this little white bear that was thrown to her at the Mardi Gras parade. It's her most favorite thing ever in history. She always has to sleep with it and usually carries it around the house. If she loses track of him, she starts wondering around looking for him saying, "Bear! Bear!". He's quite a ratty little thing and I probably would have thrown him out if she wasn't so obsessed with him. So instead he goes into the washer and dryer while she is preoccupied.

Being pregnant this long really just makes me even more baffled that Kenzie and her twin brother were born at 23 weeks. Makenzie is such a miracle. I still just stare at her in disbelief and amazement. When she's in public no one can ever tell that she was a micro-preemie; and what I find almost amusing is when people ask how old she is they always say she is tall. To Rick and I of course she is huge b/c the kid was 11 1/2 inches long when she was born! In April when she was at the doctor she was 33 1/4 inches tall. I'm not even sure if that is considered short, average, or tall for her age. To us, it's 33 1/4 inches of pure joy.

2010-05-23T14:12:00.007-05:00

Last week we had people from Early Steps come to the house to make the final evaluation on Makenzie to see if she does qualify for their speech therapy program. The psychologist worked with her and her developmental scores were perfect and even above perfect in every single category. So according to that she didn't qualify. The speech therapist who was working with her knew that she does need therapy and evaluated her using a different method. That method easily qualified her for therapy. Makenzie communicates very very well, she just doesn't have a big enough vocabulary for her age yet. (She says around 30 words.) So starting in mid June a speech therapist will come to the house once a week for about an hour to work with Kenzie. I think she'll enjoy interacting with someone else than me! Her speech has been progressing more lately and she is much more eager to try to say new words.

Nothing else is new with her, she's just doing great. She is really obsessed with the dogs right now. Whatever room she is in she usually wants them to follow her so she calls for them, "Boo!!!! Rem Rem!!! Boooooooo!". It's really cute. Of course Boo (Brody) is the deaf one so he can't hear her. He is pretty much attached to my hip, so he is almost always right where we are anyway. Makenzie is really good at saying "peeeze" (please) so cutely that you would just hand her a million dollars if you had it. Her favorite things to do are color (which she can sit and do FOREVER) and dance. Every day we have a dance party and turn on the stereo. It's pretty much too hot to play outside now, especially for me! Oh wait, how could I forget?! We bought Makenzie a potty and she went pee pee on her potty after only a day and a half! She was really eager to sit on her potty and now it seems she's lost interest which is okay. My goal wasn't to potty train her right away, but to introduce her to it. I don't want to push her.

As for me, I'm now 32 weeks which is almost hard to believe. I was just telling Rick today how it's been such a roller coaster of emotions this entire pregnancy and we never knew if we would make it this far. Now that we are here, full term doesn't seem so far away anymore! : ) I cannot imagine my belly getting any bigger than it already is, but I know I'm in for a lot more to come! Being pregnant in Florida during the 'hot season' is not something I suggest to anyone, lol! It's only May and I already long for cooler weather, which won't come until November. Every day I feel like a swollen, sweaty whale. We are really excited about this baby boy and have narrowed down our name list (we won't pick a name until we meet him though). We've been looking at cribs and trying to get things ready for his arrival. I don't want to assume that I will go to 37-40 weeks so I want to be prepared.

Updates

2010-05-10T12:09:00.004-05:00

I hadn't realized it had been a while since I last posted. Makenzie went to her annual well-child check up and she measured 33 1/4" tall and weighs 25lbs. She's had this weird face rash off and on for weeks. She wakes up in the morning with the rash and we put cortizone and aquaphor on it. It goes away and then comes back. She has no other symptoms and no rash anywhere else on her body. We had suspected it could be from drool while she sleeps since we think she is cutting her molars. The doctor figured it has to be an allergy, possibly even a food allergy. The rash was gone for a week and she woke up today with it all over her face. We think we may have found the culprit...her lotion. Last night was bath night and Rick puts lotion all over her. All of her bath stuff and lotion are Green Baby which is almost completely organic, hypo-allergenic and has no parabens of phalates. Unfortunately the rice/mallow lotion might the cause of the rash. If so, I'll use the lotion myself b/c I've been trying to switch most of my bath/beauty products to organic stuff.

I am 30 weeks now which feels amazing to say! The number has a '3' in front of it, which means I'm finally officially out of the 20s weeks. The end is in sight and I've felt super excited and a little anxious. I want to get the crib and get things all ready for the baby. I don't want to assume I'll go to 37+ weeks, even though that's what we are obviously hoping for. The progesterone update is this...after the doc's office said to stop the shots with sesame oil b/c of my allergic reactions, I had the Apothecary make new shots with a different oil. The doctor said it was most likely the oil I was allergic to, so switching to a new oil would hopefully work. Well, it didn't. The first shot with the new oil wasn't bad but I was itching later that week. The second shot with the new oil was completely awful. Rick gave me the shot in the morning and the injection site stung/burned so badly that it felt like I was being repeatedly stung by wasps ALL DAY. I had to put ice packs on my rear and that helped some. So I had to fill the scrip for the progesterone pills. I started them last Tuesday and I have to take 3 a day. They bother my stomach just a little bit and they make me tired, but nothing too bad. Since the pills are known to not be as effective as the pills we are hoping they are effective enough to keep me from going into labor soon. I will be going off the pills at 34 weeks. From the research I've found it seems that most women deliver within 1-2 weeks after going off progesterone. But then there are those that still go the full 40 weeks. So we just won't know until it happens. My goal is to not have one single day in the NICU. We walked through those doors for 117 consecutive days before, and I do not want to have to walk through them again to go see my baby. I want my healthy baby in the room with me nursing and then coming home with me when we are both discharged. I don't want to have to leave the hospital alone again. That's an awful feeling. I'm hoping, and praying, and staying positive that it all works out. : )

I had a nice Mother's Day weekend with Rick and Kenzie. Yesterday I wore my urn necklace and lit Luke's candle. I feel honored to have known him and be his mother. We played with Kenzie all morning and we also took cute pictures of my giant belly. So yesterday I was able to celebrate all three of my children in my own way.

Little Miss Independent

2010-04-23T16:28:00.004-05:00

We received Makenzie's full evaluation from Early Steps and it showed that (besides speech) she is all caught up to her real age, no more need to use an adjusted age. AND...in the area of cognition it said she is AHEAD! Born at 23 weeks, and now considered to be past 24 month kids in that area. Unbelievable. I could go on and on about what a miracle she is, and how we are so blessed, but I think it goes without saying. Our new case worker for Early Steps is coming by Monday for me to sign some papers and get her set up for speech therapy. I'll be glad to get her started. Though I still continue to realize she says more than we think, her wordage is just hard to understand sometimes. Yesterday she said, "Yay, I did it!". Besides the 'thank yous', and 'love yous', she has also added 'please' into her vocabulary. She does grunt a lot and mostly chooses not to use words. I read to hear a lot, and try to encourage her to use words. But tell the kid to sing and she'll sing all day long!

I can tell she's becoming more confident in the little person she is. Today we had a picnic at the park and then we played. She wanted to go up the playground stairs to the slide completely by herself now. I went to grab her hand to help her up the stairs, even though I know she holds on and could do just fine by herself. She jerked her hand away immediately as if I embarrassed her in front of the other kids nearby. It was just a simple pull away move that said, "I can do it myself Mom". And she did. She went down the slide probably five times. Makenzie is also big enough to ride the bouncy critters (not sure what they are really called, I just call them the critters). She was rockin' and rollin' on those things! A few of them were low enough that she could get on them by herself too. I can tell that getting out in the "real world" just makes her come alive b/c I can see it in her eyes. Though outwardly she is a little reserved b/c it is a lot for her to take in, and since she can't say much she's quiet. Most of the kids just stare at her and adults always say she looks tired. Of course they have no clue what she's been through and that it's a miracle that she can even climb those stairs to the slide. Not to mention, she is only two. A parent today saw Makenzie intently watching three young boys run around and he said, "You'll be doing that soon too." Finally someone who realized a child doesn't have to run around like an insane monkey to have fun at the park. : ) Makenzie is happy just to be there.

Things are going well with the pregnancy. On Sunday I will be 28 weeks which means the official start of the third trimester!!! I am soooo excited to see that milestone. Tuesday was the first shot with a new oil. So far so good! I'm tired, hot, swollen, itchy, make a zillion trips to the bathroom all day and night, and can't get comfortable, but I'm thankful for all those things b/c that means I'm still pregnant. Bring it on! : )

Hoping for needles

2010-04-17T16:47:00.002-05:00

Not sure how, but I think I managed to forget to tell everyone on the previous blog post that Makenzie has started saying "I love you" and "thank you" over the past few weeks. She's said both without being told to say them too. When she first told me she loved me I melted into a million pieces and almost cried.

Tomorrow I'll be 27 weeks along. I've been really tired lately, but I think b/c the baby is going through a growth spurt. I went to the high risk doctor on Wednesday and things are going so well that he did not reschedule me. He said I don't have to come back unless there is a problem. Baby boy is doing great and that day they said he weighed 2lbs 2oz. When the ultra sound nurse was checking my placenta and cervix she said, "You aren't having this baby anytime soon". I sure hope she is right! I will still continue to see my regular OB every two weeks and then every week. I go for my glucose test on Monday morning.

The only problem right now is the progesterone shots. Over the past two weeks I was getting these awful welts at the injection site that itched SO FIERCE. When I told the doc and he saw the welts, he said my body had formed an allergic reaction to the oil that the progesterone is suspended in. He said not to do any further shots with that mixture. He told me to call the Apothecary and have them suspend the progesterone in a different oil. So I am going to buy one shot a week now and not four at a time. I have two shots left that are now useless. Plus, buying one shot a week will be an easy way to stop them if I continue to have a reaction to the new oil. My current shots were made with sesame oil which is most commonly used b/c it is said to have the least allergic reactions. Apparently not for me! I have 1o more shots to go, with week 36 being the last week. I really hope that the new oil will work b/c the shots are the most effective. As a back up plan, the doc gave me a script for an oral progesterone that I'd have to take 3x a day, but that's only if the shots don't work. The pills are not nearly as effective as the shots b/c they go through your system before going to the bloodstream. So I hope I am able to continue with the shots...never thought I'd actually HOPE to get a giant needle stuck in my rear end every week!!! LOL

Happy 2nd Birthday Mighty Makenzie!

2010-04-13T12:31:00.002-05:00

Today Makenzie is TWO!!! It's really hard to believe. Two years ago today Makenzie and her twin brother Luke were born at 23 weeks weighing 1lb 3oz and 1lb 4oz, respectively. Every birthday will be bittersweet b/c we wish there were two little ones celebrating their birthday together. At least we can rejoice in the joy that is Makenzie and be so proud of how far she has come. She just amazes us.

This morning we had Kenzie's Early Steps appointment. She was such a ham when we were there, and they just were engulfed in how cute she is and how smart she is. Kenzie was sooo eager and excited to work with each specialist and it was so nice to see her be soooo social. Considering she is almost always cooped up in the house with me, she could have easily turned out to be an anti-social child. The psychologist worked with her first to see her problem solving and thinking skills. She was awesome at everything and couldn't wait for him to grab something else for her to do. He was just blown away by her. The pediatrician checked her out after that. Then they had her do some other stuff like walking up stairs, and then the speech therapist spent some time with her. It was concluded that she is doing excellent and caught up in every area, except speech. She communicates well, but she does need speech therapy. Which is what we already anticipated. The coordinator is going to try really hard to make sure we get a speech therapist that can come to the house for sessions since I'm pregnant. When each specialist was done interacting with her and asking us questions, Makenzie would play with toys, explore the room, and walk around to everyone showing off the entire time. It was great to see her be comfortable in a room of people. She actually had a blast being there and had fun playing. So it was a great visit. Afterward we went for a quick lunch to celebrate her birthday. Rick has to work late tonight so it was nice the three of us got to spend all morning together.

When we got home Makenzie no longer had the fun outside distractions, so she realized her teeth hurt and began rolling around the floor screaming and crying. I realized this past week that they call it the terrible twos, not b/c a kid suddenly turns terrible, but that they are cutting molars which hurts terrible! She's been napping ever since. I'm sure we will play outside, color, and enjoy her birthday the rest of the day.

Easter fun, minus the creepy white giant

2010-04-08T08:02:00.002-05:00

We first tried to get just Makenzie with the Easter bunny but she was PETRIFIED of him. I don't blame her. So after letting her hang out a bit, we came back and decided her sitting in my lap was the only way to get the picture. As you can see, she still doesn't look too thrilled. She had just been reaching for Rick to save her from the creepy white giant.

We colored eggs the night before Easter and hid those eggs Easter morning. I had fun hiding them in the backyard, but Kenzie had more fun finding them. She was so cute be-bopping around the yard looking for them. They were such bright colors that she could spot some of them from pretty far away so she'd take off running. As soon as she got up on Easter morning we told her that the Easter Bunny had come and left her a present that she had to find. She listened very intently and seemed excited. I had sat her little gift bag on her toy chest by the front window. So to help her I said that I think the Easter Bunny came in through her front window with her present. She went over and saw her gift bag sitting there but she stayed a good 5 feet from it and stared at it a moment. I think she remembered the Easter Bunny at the mall and figured 'well if that scary thing brought this I'm not sure if I want it'! I nudged her and told her she could go get her gifts and then she had fun opening them. Thank you to the family members who also mailed her some Easter stuff. Rick taught Makenzie how to do egg fights which she really enjoyed. I made deviled eggs with all the eggs we colored and Kenzie gobbles them up.

I'm 25 weeks and doing good; just the normal discomforts of pregnancy. I went to my regular OB yesterday and he's happy with how well things are going. I asked about my GIGANTIC belly so he measured me and I measured at 28 weeks. I've gained an average, healthy amount of weight, and not too much, so I might just have a big baby boy. I go next week to the high risk docs and they will do an ultra sound so I'm anxious to find out how big the baby is. He might have just had a growth spurt that will level off.

Kenzie turns TWO next week. We almost can't believe it. On her birthday we have an appointment with Early Steps to evaluate her development in every facet. They haven't seen her in 6 months so they will be amazed at how much she has grown.

Kenzie survey

2010-03-29T17:44:00.002-05:00

I did this last year on the blog and thought it would be fun to do again. All answers are for Makenzie.

Favorite Foods: grapes, calamari, and homemade fruit smoothies

Least Favorite Foods: beef

Favorite Thing To Do: play in the backyard, clean, dance, color, and climb on EVERYTHING

Bed Time: Around 8pm

Wake Up Time: b/w 7:30-8am

Nap Time: around 1pm

Most Used Word: mama

Favorite Toys: animal magnets, the sticks in the backyard, play kitchen set (my old one)

Favorite Shows: Sesame Street, Dinosaur Train, Phineas and Ferb

Favorite Character: Elmo

Favorite Music: anything...she'll sing and dance to it all; and she'll make her stuffed animals dance too

Favorite Thing: her stuffed animals, rolly poly bugs in the yard

Least Favorite Thing: anything she bonks her head on

Favorite Thing To Wear: shoes

23 and 5

2010-03-26T11:51:00.003-05:00

Today I'm 23 weeks, 5 days pregnant so I can now say that I've officially never been pregnant this long. It's exciting. Every day and every week is a blessing, and I'm so hopeful to experience an entire pregnancy. I feel great (besides allergies) and little baby boy is busy moving and kicking me all day long. Last Sunday Rick felt him kick for the first time. He never got to feel the twins, so it was a really special moment.

Makenzie had her first playdate on Monday. My friend Brooke and her three year old, Nathan, went to the park with us. Makenzie was very shy at first but warmed up. She had a great time and it was nice to see her interact with another child. They came by the house first, and Makenzie did great sharing her toys. I was really proud of her.

We have a busy weekend ahead! Tomorrow we are taking Kenzer to get her picture with the Easter Bunny and going to the maternity store for me. Then Sunday we are driving over to Gulf Shores to see some of my family visiting from Wisconsin. They haven't seen us since last May, so they will be amazed with Makenzie. I'm excited to see them and to get out of the house! We will be careful and take our normal precautions since it is still cold/flu season.

Pictures and a pregnancy update

2010-03-18T11:11:00.003-05:00

She made a dinosaur necklace!

Brody gave her kisses on her arm and she wiped them off with an animal cracker!

I got great news at the doctor yesterday. The ultra sound showed that the placenta has moved up and corrected itself. So I no longer have placenta previa! That was such a relief. My cervix also measured great again and baby boy is doing great. His heartbeat was 153 bpm and he weighs 1lb 1oz.

Makenzie's big news

2010-03-13T22:26:00.002-06:00

She's going to be a big sister! Most of you already know, though we didn't tell people for a while. We planned this pregnancy, and we are very excited to be expecting a baby boy. His due date is July 18th. I am 22 weeks as of tomorrow and so far things are going okay. I have an excellent doctor and two excellent high risk doctors that are following me very closely, so needless to say I am at doctor appts quite often. What's great is that my regular OB and the high risk docs are all already in the hospital I will deliver at (same hospital Kenzie stayed in the NICU), and their offices are right up the hall from each other. The docs wanted me to have a progesterone injection once a week, and Rick gives me the shots. I will have 20 shots total, we started at week 17 and I have them through week 36. I'm a big baby with needles and these needles aren't too nice, but I'm hanging in there. I still have to appeal our insurance's decision to NOT pay for the shots. At 19 weeks I was diagnosed with marginal placenta previa and put on pelvic rest and told not to lift anything. The doctors are hopeful that the placenta will move up and correct itself as the baby grows. It's really hard when Makenzie's little arms go up b/c I wish I could scoop her up and carry her around. We've been managing pretty well though. I sit on the floor and play with her like I always do, she can climb into her highchair, and onto the couch for cuddles. The only time I absolutely have to pick her up is getting her in/out of her crib for her nap. Rick gets her in the morning and puts her to bed at night, and he's been giving Kenzie her bath pretty much since I got pregnant. It amazes me the difference in movement I feel with having just one baby. He has all the room to do acrobatics in there! I go back to my regular OB on St. Patrick's Day to see him and get an ultra sound. I will try to post blogs more often so I can update family/friends on the pregnancy progress.

Makenzie is doing great. Not much new with her, other than still climbing like a monkey and unfortunately bonking her head like all toddlers do. She has some more teeth coming and and almost has an entire mouth full now. I love seeing all her cute little teeth. Since I'm not supposed to pick her up I can't leave with the house by myself with her, so we usually just go out in the backyard every day so she can play. I really wish I could put her in her stroller and walk over to the park but any exercise is not an option for me either. Rick and I are getting really excited about her second birthday approaching; it's one month from today actually. We cannot believe she is going to be two already. It seems like just yesterday she was on oxygen and still a scrawny little thing, and now she's running around being a typical toddler. She will always be our mighty miracle.

Kenzeriffic

2010-03-08T16:31:00.004-06:00

My mother was in town the other weekend so Makenzie loved spending time with her. We all took her to Toys R Us so my mom could by her some toys. Makenzie had sooooo much fun running around the store looking at everything. Didn't take her long to find the bouncy balls; she was throwing them and kicking them down the aisles. She picked out an animal cup (and carried it through the entire store!), she got a dump truck that came with some big legos, and little Sesame Street characters.

This past weekend Rick, Kenzie, and I went to Olive Garden since we had a giftcard. We went right when they opened to avoid any crowds and Makenzie had a great time. She had bread, calamari, toasted ravioli, and some of Rick's cheese ravioli. There isn't much she won't eat, that's for sure. Today to celebrate my birthday a few days early we picked up some food and went down to beautiful Bayview Park for a picnic. Then Kenz got to play on their awesome playgrounds and she had a blast. She got to see a few dogs too since the dog park is near the parking lot. It was a gorgeous day, and I'm so glad the weather is finally warmer.

Makenzie has been randomly saying more things. Last Friday she was standing next to Brody (our deaf Boston Terrier, my favorite one), aka Boo. She looked at him and said, "Oh little Boo", and hugged him. It was the sweetest! Then she kissed his head. The next day she was waiting for Rick to give her a bath. She went up to him and he told her she had to wait a minute while he finished what he was doing. Makenzie shrugged and said, "aw man". Rick and I looked at each other and cracked up. She might not say lots of words yet, but she sure has excellent comprehension and seems like she is going to start talking a lot more.

"I know"

2010-02-12T09:24:00.002-06:00

Recently, while Rick was getting ready for work Makenzie astounded him with her cuteness. Rick told Makenzie how cute she is and he was pretty sure she replied with, "I know." To confirm that is what she actually said, he looked at her and said, "I know?". She looked at him and said, "I know," again! What a little ham! Too bad I missed it.

Kenzie's Grandma and Grandpa M came to visit last weekend. She enjoyed playing with them and getting lots of attention. She also got to eat at Peg Leg's again, along with everyone, which she always enjoys. She scarfed down some calamari like it was the best thing she ever tasted!

She's been climbing constantly. I've had to take away toy buckets b/c she turns them over and uses them to climb up onto everything! Four teeth are poking through but haven't came in any further. Today we have a chance of snow! I'm really hoping to see it this time. I have my camera ready! Tomorrow will be chilly, but we are going to go to the Pensacola Mardi Gras parade downtown (which is very family orientated). They throw beads, candy, and moon pies and I think Kenzie will have a blast. Hope everyone is staying warm during this COLD winter!

Kenzer

2010-02-01T20:24:00.002-06:00

Not much new to report. Kenzie is cutting lots of teeth and they are giving her the most trouble yet. She's woke up crying a few times at night, but she goes right back to sleep after getting some Tylenol. Makenzie's new favorite thing is exploring in the backyard. She loves picking up stones, twigs, and leaves. She throws the giant seed pods from our magnolia tree. She is also keeping the animals in line. If the dogs start wrestling she yells at them and points her finger. Amazingly enough, most of the time the dogs listen to her. And they should, she's the boss!

Makenzie had an eye appointment last week and I am very happy to report that her eyes are still doing great. We go back in 6 months for another check up. She was such a good girl and sat in Daddy's lap while the eye doctor examined her. He even pushed on her eyelids! I would've freaked, but she was so patient. They didn't dilate her eyes this time, which was probably why she was putting up with everything. We were actually in and out very quickly which is amazing compared to last July when we were there for almost 2 1/2 hours!

Winter in Florida

2010-01-18T15:19:00.005-06:00

Best picture of all time so I had to put it first. GIANT shell and a TINY little girl. I was amazed she stood there by herself for the picture. But then again, she is so obsessed with getting her picture taken that it doesn't surprise me that she stood there and modeled.
She loved exploring the boardwalk and took off. We followed behind her closely and she'd look back at us and smile. Since it was cold there was hardly anyone there so she felt this entire boardwalk full of shops was for her enjoyment.

Kenzie enjoying eating out at Peg Leg Pete's, Daddy and Mommy's favorite place.

We actually had a chance of snow one night. And for a few days we had highs in the 30s and lows in the teens! I was sad the snow didn't hit us, but a few days later my awesome husband created a yard of ice formations! He went out with the dogs at night and turned on the plant sprinklers and the open spicket. The picture above is actually a patch of clover and below the icicles were hanging off of one of our hydrangeas.

Above: Kenzie enjoyed wearing her hat and mittens in the house. We sure didn't complain, she was super adorable and warm!
Below: Makenzie brushing her teeth with Daddy.

My little kitty cat

2010-01-09T22:45:00.002-06:00

Makenzie is growing up so fast. Every day she makes us laugh and warms our hearts. She has been doing more animal noises, and her favorite is the kitty cat. She got a book for Christmas that has a little kitty that meows, and she can make the noise quite perfect. I'm not even sure how she manages to do it, but in a quiet yet high pitched voice she squeaks and meows. It is the cutest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. Today she walked up to our cat, Shadow, meowed at him, patted him on the head, and then walked away. Apparently she thinks she can really speak cat now.

Makenzie is so in love with animals, especially dogs. She loves watching dog shows with me, which is so exciting for me b/c I've watched them my whole life. She gets excited and points at the dogs. She'd much rather watch a show with real live animals than any cartoon or kiddy show. We have a free preview of Animal Planet for this month and I've been recording the Eukanuba dog show from two years ago, The Planets Funniest Animals, and Cats 101. We were watching Cats 101 tonight and she kept meowing at the tv and blowing kisses to the cats.

It's been bitterly cold down here in Florida...highs in the 30s, lows in the teens! It does get cold down here, but usually only for a few days and goes back and forth all winter. This time, it has been consistently cold for about two weeks. We had a chance of snow a few days ago and I was sooooo disappointed that it didn't happen. One day it was warm enough for Kenzie and I to play in the backyard. She loved exploring and picking up leaves.

I forgot to mention before that Makenzie does very well eating with a fork. There have been several meals that she has used her fork the entire time and ate every bite with it. She also brushes her own teeth ( and we do it too so we know they were brushed really good). She has a Sesame Street toothbrush and a little beaver toothbrush. When it is time for bed sometimes she starts walking to her bedroom herself without Daddy carrying her (he tucks her in every night). Tonight I asked her if she was tired and ready for bed and she started walking to her room. I said, "What about my hug and goodnight kisses?" She paused and came back to give me sweet hugs and kisses like she does every night before bed.

Yesterday I taught her about cleaning up toys at the end of the day. She did so great! I showed her a box and explained we needed to put all the toys in the box to clean up. I was going to help but she wanted to do it all, and she even arranged the toys in the box a certain way. Then she helped me stack the books up next to the box. She understood that the toys were to stay in there until the next day. She's really turning into quite the big girl. She's a great helper and very affectionate and sweet.

Big girl

2009-12-31T08:55:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Makenzie had a big day. We met my friend for lunch at Casa Ole, so Makenzie had her first girls day. I also ordered for her off of the kids menu for the first time which was exciting. She had a cheese quesadilla and rice w/veggies. She loved it. She was such a good girl as usual. Then, late afternoon her big girl car seat came! Rick put everything together and installed it when he got home from work. No more baby carrier car seat! We had to run to the mall before they closed to get something and Kenzie was so excited to finally ride facing forward in a big girl car seat. When we left the mall she threw a penny in a wishing fountain. It's just crazy how fast she is growing up.

My favorite thing that she does right now is "pretend feed animals". She likes giving our dogs a treat so I'm sure that is where she learned about treats. We also let her help feed both dogs and the cat. She picks up a piece or two of their food and places it in their bowl. Well she loves to cuddle on the couch and look at books (we do it a million times a day). She has a book that has a pet shop page and on the page a little girl has a handful of treats that she is feeding to a kitty. Makenzie "grabbed" the treats out of the little girls hand and fed them to the kitty. Then she started feeding all the other animals on the pet shop page. Now any book that has an animal and any type of food such as hay, she will pretend she is feeding the animals in the book. How cute is that?!! She can also do the animal noises of an owl, cow, snake, and sheep.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T19:55:00.003-06:00

ABOVE: Christmas 2008 at 8 1/2 months old---4 1/2 months adjusted...
and BELOW: Christmas 2009 at 20 1/2 months old---16 1/2 months adjusted

Daddy spoiled her on Christmas Eve by letting her have her very first two cookies!

ABOVE: This is her expression Christmas morning when she saw the presents under the tree for the first time. I'm so glad I got that picture!!!!
BELOW: Seconds later, she went right over to the presents and started picking them up.

Kenzie enjoying her Disney Princess sofa/lounger we got her. She even shared with Daddy and Remmy.

Rick, Makenzie, and I had a wonderful Christmas, just the three of us of course. I loved putting presents under the tree after she went to bed last night. Seeing her expression this morning was priceless! She did great at opening her gifts, but we had to start helping her along b/c she was being very delicate in ripping the wrapping paper. She was such a happy girl all day, running around in her Christmas pajamas. Thank you so much to family who mailed us gifts. Rick and I do not exchangce gifts since me staying home with Kenzie (b/c she can't be in daycare) puts a strain on us. And Makenzie would have only opened a few gifts otherwise. So we had a very nice Christmas with lots of presents to open b/c we have such a loving family! Thank you!

She's been dancing to the Baskin Robbins ice cream cake commercial. If you've seen the commercial you'll know why! If I sing the song from it, Makenzie will start marching in place while spinning in circles. I had to stop her b/c she was getting dizzy and falling everywhere. Which of course she thought was hilarious.

We were thinking about Christmas with Makenzie last year. She had just went off of oxygen during the day, but had to have it at night. She was still somewhat thin also. What a difference a year makes! She doesn't even look like the same kid. We are so blessed this past year has brought Makenzie nothing but progress and happiness. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Makenzie met Santa

2009-12-16T18:19:00.003-06:00

12-16-09 I took Makenzie to the mall to meet Santa. She didn't look too thrilled, but she didn't cry! : ) Santa gave her a little toy that she carries around with her now, but when he gave it to her she tried giving it back to him! Apparently she already knows not to take stuff from strangers, lol!

This is the little Makenzie crown that I made for her first birthday 8 months ago. Now she finally wants to wear it. (And that adorable little doggy standing next to her is Brody aka Boo.)

Makenzie feeding the baby doll her Great Grandma got her.

Kenzie playing monkeys in a barrel with her Great Grandparents and wearing sunglasses inside.

Wearing Daddy's giant shoes. She is OBSESSED with putting our shoes on.

She thought the floor worked better than her coloring book. ; )

Just being her adorable self, wearing her princess jammies.

This was all her idea. She wanted to put on the stockings!

Last Saturday we went to the NICU to see some special nurses, show off Makenzie, and bring them Christmas cookies. Makenzie is loving the holiday season and will say "OH OH OH" if you ask her what Santa says. She loves playing with the ornaments on the tree and listening to Christmas music. I had lots of fun taking her to see Santa today. I usually never take her out during cold/flu season but I figured running there just to get a quick picture wouldn't be too bad. She was such a big girl and I was so proud of her. It felt good to do something with her that "normal kids" get to do. Kenzie and I had a great time and I'm so glad I took her to see Santa.

The park pro

2009-11-30T17:51:00.003-06:00

Kenzie climbing up all the stairs at the park to get to the slide that she knew was at the top!

This is Makenzie giving me a heart attack...running on concrete! This kid is not scared of anything!!!! She thinks she's as big as her shadow in that picture!

Kenz with her Great Grandparents.

Kenzie wearing my favorite dress in front of our tree.

Boo, Me, Kenz, Rick, and Rem...the whole family except Shadow since he has to be locked up when company comes over.

My Grandparents drove down from IL and Makenzie had so much fun visiting with them. We went to the park near our house and she took off running on the concrete! Eek. She safely made it to the bench though. She also climbed all the way up the stairs so she could get to the slide. She definitely let her Great Grandparents know that it was her park and she knew her way around there. Great Grandma gave Kenzie a baby doll that moves/cries/talks that you feed. We had to switch it off b/c it scared Makenzie and she wanted nothing to do with it. But once it's turned off, Kenz loves the baby doll and pats her head and feeds her the little tiny bottle.

Makenzie weighs 23lbs 5oz. Probably from all that Thanksgiving food she ate, hehe. Thankgiving was quiet, just the three of us. We watched the Macy's Day Parade and the dog show. I thought about all the parents sitting at the bedside of their sick child in a hospital and all the parents spending their holiday in a NICU. I'm thankful we have our precious Makenzie at home in our arms.

Duck tails

2009-11-20T14:09:00.003-06:00

Not much to report. Makenzie is walking much more and walking quite fast at times. Sometimes she stands up and takes off so fast I'm scared she's going to face plant on the floor. Seeing her walk across the room still amazes me. We put up our Christmas tree last weekend and Makenzie loves playing with the ornaments. This Christmas will definitely be exciting for her. Her hair is getting really long. The back curls upward like a bunch of big duck tails. She is obsessed with putting Daddy's shoes on. She puts one hand on the wall for support and steps into the giant shoes. It's so cute. Kenzie has this little wooden puzzle of 6 different bugs that she loves. If you take all the pieces out and put them on the floor, she will put each piece in the exact spot to match up the bugs. She used to do it right now and then, but now she matches them perfect every single time. If you ask her to point to any animal in a book she will. My Grandparents are driving in from IL today. We will be busy with company and Thanksgiving so I probably won't write again until after the holiday. We sure have a lot to be thankful for. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Pretty mermaid

2009-11-11T09:56:00.005-06:00

Makenzie LOVED Halloween. She loved pumpkins, spiders, and all the decorations.

Makenize posing with Princes Remmy (Rem wasn't too thrilled to be in her costume again).

I hand sewed her entire costume from scratch. The crown was the only pre-made piece, but I glued on the shells and starfish. I enjoyed making the costume, and she was such a pretty mermaid!

She has whip cream on her mouth from Daddy's coffee. He gives her a little taste of the whip cream every morning and she looks forward to it.

Kenz and Daddy on Halloween night.

(Above: This was at the park two blocks from our house; Below: Makenzie hugging her buddy Brody, aka Boo)

I weighed Makenzie last week and she was 22lbs 6oz and is 30" tall. She is cutting even more teeth now, about 7 or 8! She learned to drink through a straw the other day and kept drinking my water. Last night I said, "Love you baby" and went to hug her and I swear she said, "Love you mama" while she hugged me. It sounded more like "uv ooo mama" but I heard it. I finally found the first food that she hates...eggplant. But she did like the spaghetti I made her and she gobbles up green beans. I pull the green beans apart so they are in halves and she just shovels them in her mouth and asks for more! She misses the Halloween decorations so much that we are going to put up Christmas decorations this weekend!

A Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T13:28:00.004-06:00

I was so caught up in the fun of Halloween that I forgot to update the blog last week. Makenzie is cutting FIVE teeth right now (possibly six) and three are molars. She's been a trooper for sure. Makenzie looked adorable in the mermaid costume I made her. We took lots of pictures, especially since that's the only reason I made the costume. We'll take her trick-or-treating next year. Makenzie quickly learned what pumpkins are, especially from our decorations in the house, and she loves them. We took her to a "pumpkin patch" (a church parking lot of pumpkins is definitely not what I consider a pumpkin patch, but down here that had to do). She squealed with joy seeing all the of the pumpkins. She shouted "woh!" really loud as Rick held her. I let her walk around the pumpkins and she was pounding on them. We picked out one super tiny one for her to play with and we got a neat white one with orange veins to carve. She also enjoyed helping us clean out the pumpkin. We went all out decorating the house this year and added many new things outside. We added a monster sitting on the porch, a strobe light, a fog machine, scary music playing, and other stuff. Makenzie loved it all! It was so funny how much she enjoys creepy Halloween stuff; probably b/c Rick and I made it fun and not scary. We had about 65 trick-or-treaters and almost ran out of candy!!! Makenzie enjoyed seeing the treaters. Rick held her up high so she could peer out the door while I handed out candy. She stayed up until 9pm which is really late for her, but she took two naps so she was ready for Halloween fun. My cousin told me about a neat website (www.snowmancam.com) where a live webcam is set up all year so you can see the seasons change and checkout wildlife. Well last night the wildlife must have known it was a holiday b/c they put on a show, hehe. We saw two bears, three dear, and two raccoons. Makenzie was pointing at the bear. So overall we had a very enjoyable Halloween. I'll be posting pictures soon.

Picture catch up!!!!

2009-10-16T11:23:00.003-05:00

(Above: Kenzie looking at baby opossums at the Wildlife Sanctuary; Below: Kenzie and a cute owl! She loves owls but was too tired to care at that moment.)

Kenzie enjoying Barktoberfest while Rick adjusted Remmy's Princess costume.

The cutest Halloweeney pajamas ever!

Makenzie's favorite show is "It's a Big Big World" and she loves giving Snook the Sloth a high five!

I put a Halloweeney headband on her and she looks like she's posing.

My piglet

2009-10-16T11:08:00.003-05:00

(Above: GrammyK and Kenz, Below: Kenzie eating Grouper at Peg Leg Pete's)

Last night Makenzie helped arrange shells around Luke's candle. After dinner, Rick and I made special suncatcher charms to hang from our rear view mirrors to remember Luke by. They turned out really neat. I'll have to take a picture of them. It was a great way to do something special on National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day.

Makenzie just had a wonderful visit with her Grammy K. She got to see all the things Makenzie is doing now, like eating with a fork and spoon! Makenzie is doing great with a spoon but needs just a bit more practice with the fork. She weighs 21lb 7.9oz and eats like a piglet. Her current favorite foods are plain whole wheat toast, cheesey scrambled egg, and cottage cheese. Rick and I think she is about to cut a bunch of teeth b/c she's been crazy lately. She is obsessed with all the Halloween decorations. I'm almost done with her mermaid costume, just one last part to sew. She still sleeps 12-13 hours a night and takes one nap during the day. She's walking a lot more now too. She's doing really great and our goal is to get through this cold/flu season.

National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

2009-10-15T14:00:00.002-05:00

Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Everyone remembering or honoring a child is to light a candle at exactly 7pm tonight. We will be lighting our blue butterfly candle for Luke.

Updates and a very special "moment"

2009-09-30T11:57:00.005-05:00

For some quick updates...Makenzie weighs 21lbs 1.2oz and is 29" tall. She is getting her fifth tooth in and it's been bothering her. She still says the "E-I-E-I--OOO" and she also does her vowels. She can't do them entirely of course, but she tries and it's so cute. If you say A-E-I-O-U one at a time with her, she'll say "ah, ah, eeee, I," etc. She's still climbing like a monkey on everything. Her new word is "bobble" which is from the Stitch, Gizmo, and Gremlin bobble heads that Daddy lifts her up to play with. Hearing her say 'bobble' was adorable. She is getting better and better with matching more objects in her Elmo book. She also recognizes ladybugs no matter where they are. She had a new coloring book and I saw a ladybug on the page (black and white of course since it wasn't colored in). I wondered if she would recognize the ladybug for what it is, and not just that they are always red, so I asked her to point to the ladybug on the page and SHE DID!!! What a smart girl. And speaking of coloring books, I found a "My Friends Tigger and Pooh" (one of her favorite shows) on clearance and she was scribbling in it yesterday. She doesn't have much of an attention span at all for coloring, but it's neat to see her scribble with crayons for a bit. Last week I had to go see my doctor and Makenzie went with me. We were there for a while and Makenzie was really really good the enitre time.

Okay onto my story about the "moment" Kenzie and I had. This is awesome! Yesterday we went to Walgreens to get my new prescription filled (for PCOS) and to get my flu shot. While we were waiting, I was sitting in a chair with Kenzie in the cart in front of me. There was practically no one in the entire store so you could hear the music very well that was playing over the speakers. All of the sudden, I hear the trinket box-like music that starts the song "Running" by No Doubt. I used to play "Running" all the time as a lullaby song for Makenzie when she was a baby. As soon as Makenzie heard the song, she looked at me, pointed up, said "eee", and then began to rock side to side and hum along to the song in the cart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I melted into a million pieces; it was the most special moment ever. She truly remembered me playing that song for her!!!!! And anyone who knows me, knows I've been obsessed with No Doubt for the past 13 years and to have my little girl recognize that song was just magical. Makenzie never ceases to amaze me and fill my life with joy. It was nice knowing that she had that little moment of joy from remembering that song I always played for her.

Miracles do happen

2009-09-20T15:53:00.004-05:00

I don't often discuss my religious views on here, but today I am going to. If you choose not to believe in God, then you can choose not to read this entry if you don't want to. I just feel I need to put praise where it is due, in the glory of God.

Makenzie is a living and breathing miracle. I look at her in amazement and thank God every single day that she is in my arms and doing great. Somehow, through everything, I never doubted my faith in God. I think if I had, then I wouldn't have ended up on this path, and instead still be swallowed by grief and anger. I might never understand why it all happened, but I'm fine with that. Everything happens for a reason, especially when you believe in God's will. I never looked at my situation and said that God is unfair or cruel. Even with all the heartache we've been through, our family is truly blessed, and so many prayers have been answered. I count our blessings all the time. I feel that it is because of Him that I even have my daughter here with me today; a daughter that is nothing short of a miracle. A daughter that overcame many obstacles, struggles, and statistics to become an amazing little girl. It's a miracle that she can walk, talk, and breathe.

Every single day Rick and I miss Luke, and I know we will continue to miss him every single day for the rest of our lives. And on some days, the ache in my heart for Luke seems more than I can bear, but I pray that God will continue to give me the strength that he has given me so far. You have to go through the darkness to be able to appreciate the light. Anyone can see the light, but what is life for if you can't appreciate its worth? As dark as it got, the sun that is shining in my daughter's face is enough to light up my heart forever. I want to thank every single person who has said prayers for Makenzie and our family. I know there were many, many prayer chains. At one time I counted that there were people praying for us in at least 18 states and five countries.

The prayer that has always been close to my heart and now means even more to me is the Serenity Prayer... "God grant me the serenity-To accept the things I cannot change-The courage to change the things I can-And the wisdom to know the difference." I can't change that my twins were born at 23weeks,4 days. I can't change the fact that I cannot see my son grow up. But I can choose to change my attitude and my outlook and make a positive impact on my daughter. I can be a better person, a better mother, a better wife, a better daugher, and a better friend. I can take something negative and use it to make my life more positive. I can't imagine my life without God in it, and I praise him for the miracle that is Makenzie.

Fun pictures

2009-09-20T12:49:00.002-05:00

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Her First steps!!!!!

2009-09-17T15:18:00.002-05:00

Two days ago Makenzie took her first steps. It was so exciting! She's been cruising along furniture forever, even if it's holding on by only a finger or two. She's been walking behind her push walker more often, and I knew if she would just try to walk by herself that she would be able to. She was standing by the furniture holding on with one hand, and I reached out my hands for her and said, "Come here." She let go of the furniture and took a step toward me and into my arms. I couldn't believe it. I stood her back up and tried it again, and then she took two full steps. We are so proud of her. She is truly a miracle and has come so far. I still stare at her in awe sometimes. I don't know if I'll ever stop doing that. I can still picture that fragile 1 lb baby laying in an isolette covered in wires. In fact, every now and then Makenzie will move her hand a certain way, just as she did when her fingers looked like little toothpicks. Sunday Makenzie turned 17 months old by her real age, and her adjusted age (the age since her due date that gauges her development) is 13 months old. She is growing up so fast, and what an amazing little girl she has become.

Finally some updates

2009-09-10T12:42:00.005-05:00

She loves playing in blankets.

Kenzie and her best buddies Remmy (left) and Brody (right).

Hiking in the Rainbow Mt Trail in Madison, AL. Kenzie started pointing so Rick did the same. :)

This was the "waterfall" of the trail. Makenzie stuck her hand in the water.

I can't believe I haven't posted since August 19th. Sorry! I guess I'll blame Farm Town on Facebook. So let me catch everyone up on the adventures of Mighty Makenzie...

We had a great time in Madison, AL (right outside of Huntsville) visiting family. We went hiking for three hours and Makenzie rode in her trail carrier pack on Rick's back. (I snagged the carrier off of Craigslist really cheap!) She absolutely loved it!

Makenzie brushes her own hair now. Previously, she would brush mine, but a few weeks ago she started brushing her own hair too. It was so cute, one day I handed her brush to her and she just reached up and started brushing her hair. She also walks really well now with her push walker. She also still lives up to the name "Wild Thing". She climbs up onto the furniture and jumps up and down squealing and shaking her arms around.

The other day we had Grammy K. on speakerphone and Makenzie said "hi" in the cutest voice. Then she said "E-I-E-I-O" along with Grammy too. Kenzie still hums along to music and bobs side to side while she does it.

There's not been too much going on really. We have a few fun outdoor events coming up that I'm looking forward to. Other than that, it is dreading the approach of cold/flu season. Makenzie is still at high risk b/c of her lungs so we won't be getting out much with her. Her pulmonalogist had said several months back that Kenzie should still get Synagis shots this cold/flu season. (Remember those are the monthly shots that gave her lungs extra antibodies so that if she did get sick, it could save her life or prevent a hospital visit). We need to see him next month and can discuss it then. The shots are EXTREMELY expensive so I can foresee having to fight with insurance over it. But I'll try my best. Of course, we currently don't have a pediatrician for her. Her doctor closed his doors a few months back b/c of the economic situation. He is supposed to be moving to a practice, but we haven't heard anything yet. We really want to stay with him, so I hope he will be set up at a new place soon.

I bought material at Hobby Lobby yesterday to make her Halloween costume. She's going to be a mermaid. I thought that was very fitting since this year was her first experiences with the beach and water. Rick and I LOVE Halloween and I can't wait to decorate the outside of the house. I hope her costume turns out as cute as I see it in my head. : )

Updates

2009-08-19T16:01:00.003-05:00

On August 8th we went to the beach to celebrate. Makenzie enjoyed herself but the waves were too rough to let her go in the water. We left just in time, b/c a storm rolled in. The wind was so strong it almost pulled our umbrella out of the sand!

Makenzie "sings" now. When her favorite songs are on her shows, or if music is playing, she hums along. She walks really well behind her push walker, but is still scared to walk without holding on to something. She starts to lift a foot to take a step forward and instead decides to sit down so she can crawl to where she wants to go.

Last week we had Makenzie's Early Steps appointment and they were very impressed with her. Afterward, we went to the NICU to see Cheryl and we got to see Makenzie's neonatalogist Dr. Tanner. He was thrilled to see how well she is doing.

Earlier this month her top two teeth popped through within days of each other. They still have some ways to go, but that gives her four teeth total. Her hair keeps getting longer and she still tries climbing on everything like a monkey. She's more interested in playing with her dogs now and tries to actually get them to play with her.

This weekend we are heading to Huntsville to visit family. We plan on hiking and I snagged a backpack trail carrier for Makenzie off of Craigslist for $25! : )

One year adjusted

2009-08-06T11:25:00.002-05:00

Today is Aug. 6th (my due date last year) so Makenzie's adjusted age is one year right now. However, she is developmentally way ahead of that and is closing the gap to being caught up. She is a true miracle and gives us such joy every single day. Just this morning she was playing while The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was on tv. The 'hot dog dance' came on and she crawled over to the tv about 100mph, pulled herself up to stand, and started dancing and smiling. She loves to do the hot dog dance!

Lately she has been standing by herself much more often. She can even clap her hands while she is standing which shows great balance and coordination. She's been getting braver with her push walker, but doesn't always remember to start walking when she pushes it. She still loves waving 'hi' and 'bye' and does it all the time, especially when Daddy leaves for work.

Saturday the 8th, we are going to celebrate b/c 8-8-08 was the day Makenzie came home to us. I can't believe it will have been one year. Every single day, usually several times a day, for 116 days, we left that hospital without her. I remember driving away from the hospital on day 117 with Makenzie IN THE CAR with us, and it was the best feeling in the world. I didn't know if that day would ever come. I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it.

What a week so far! (and it's only Tuesday!)

2009-08-04T23:11:00.003-05:00

Sunday Makenzie said "da da" to Rick...finally! Everyone says how kids always say 'dada' first and then 'mama', but not Makenzie. She started with 'hi', 'mama' and 'mom', and 'yay' all before she said 'dada'.

Monday I discovered her third tooth had just popped through. That would explain some fussiness from the weekend that baffled us. I get so excited about new teeth. She'll be so cute now with three teeth in the front. I'm sure the other top one will be coming in shortly too, just like the bottom. I also discovered that she can climb! Oh my gosh, she scared me! She had stepped on her push walker and climbed up the front of her high chair.

Today (Tuesday) Makenzie and I drove to Destin (about two hours from here) to see my friend Katie D. who was vacationing with family. First we had lunch at McAlister's and Makenzie sat in the high chair and was very good. Kenz tried her fist dill pickle and absolutely LOVED it! Even that is an understatement. She decided her puffs and yogurt melts wouldn't suffice as a snack, so she wanted something off of my plate. I looked and the only thing she could have was a dill pickle. I held it so she could taste it, and she smiled from ear to ear like it was the best thing she had ever had! Katie and I were cracking up because we thought she was going to make a sour face. She kept biting pieces off of it and probably would've eaten the whole thing if I had let her. Then it was time for the beach! Makenzie had only been to the beach once, back in May, and didn't like the water or sand then. First she drank her bottle as she sat with Katie. Makenzie was just chillin', drinking slowly, enjoying the breeze, and watching people play in the Gulf. She was like, "Yeah, this is the good life." She hasn't taken that long to drink a bottle in months, lol. Then we went out in the water and she loved it! Katie had her splashing and squealing in no time. The water was the perfect temperature and the waves were really small. After playing in the water, we came back to the chairs under the umbrellas and Katie fed Makenzie the banana I brought. Makenzie really liked Katie and had a blast. Then, it was back to the water for more splashing fun until Makenzie started getting tired and that was our cue to head home. What a fun day! Makenzie really liked Katie and had a blast. I'll post some pictures of it at a later date.

Taking more steps toward walking independently

2009-07-31T10:59:00.001-05:00

(I forgot to mention that Makenzie practically dresses herself.)

Today she took steps behind her walker all by herself. I've had to gradually get her comfortable with the push walker b/c she was quite scared of it at first. When it is pushed Winnie the Pooh spins around and makes loud clicking noise. Yesterday I held it and slowly helped her push it and encouraged her to walk. She had been pushing it out too soon and not letting her feet catch up. But today she pushed it and walked perfectly behind it. I was so proud!!!! Makenzie says thanks for the push walker Grammy K!

Eye doctor appt

2009-07-28T16:55:00.002-05:00

First, I forgot to mention previously that Makenzie has been waving "hi" and "bye". She likes to wave, and when I took her up to UWF to see some of my old co-workers, she was waving up a storm. Today she knew Rick was getting ready to walk out the door for work and she started waving at him.

Today was her eye doctor appt at a new doctor. The doctor that did her ROP surgery in the NICU and followed up with her twice after she came home referred us to this doctor. The staff was really friendly and nice to Makenzie. We were there for about two hours! That is such a long time for a little one to wait, but Makenzie was such a good girl as always. She had to get her eyes dilated and those drops are probably one of her least favorite things in the entire world (RN Cheryl knows that)!!! The good news is that her eyes are great and the ROP surgery definitely worked. For anyone who doesn't remember or didn't know, Makenzie had Retinopathy of Prematurity in both eyes. ROP is when the blood vessels grow abnormally into zones of the eye that they shouldn't, which can affect the vision. In the worst cases if ROP is untreated it can lead to blindness. On July 23, 2008 Makenzie had laser surgery done on both eyes to stop the blood vessels from growing. The surgery has a high success rate but does have risks. Luckily Makenzie's eyes are doing super, just as we suspected. The doctor said she is slightly farsighted but corrects it herself, and she does not need glasses at this time. She goes back for another check up in 6 months.

Dancing gopher met a new friend

2009-07-27T10:40:00.003-05:00

Rick and I are standing in the background. Katie took these pictures at the birthday party. She said Patrick hates hats so apparently that's why he wanted to take Makenzie's off. So we took Makenzie's hat off (she was in the shade anyway) and they both played in the pool for a while. Makenzie was a little taken back at first but then warmed up and had a great time! : )

Makenzie makes this new face that cracks us up every time she makes it. She crunches her nose up completely, then crunches her mouth up while showing her teeth, and it makes her look like a cute little gopher. She loves to dance now. Anytime she hears music, or even the songs on her big buggy toy, she starts bouncing around and shaking her butt. She likes to do the "hot dog dance" along with Mickey and the gang on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Rick said that Makenzie was standing next to him on the couch and a song came on tv. He said Kenz reached and grabbed both of his hands and started dancing with him. How cute! I haven't done this with her so I'm not sure where she got it. Smart girl.

Yesterday we all went to a 1st birthday party for my friend Katie's son Patrick. They had a little baby pool and Makenzie enjoyed herself. She was a little overwhelmed and shy at first, but was soon splashing in the pool and later flirted with Patrick. There was a swing, similar to Makenzie's, in the backyard there and Makenzie saw it, grabbed it, and said "uh uh uh!" at Rick. Translate the Makenzie language and she was saying "Daddy swing me! Daddy swing me!". So Rick did. Makenzie had her very first vanilla ice cream and had a little icing. She was talking up a storm and despite the heat, she really had a great time. It was great to see her being sociable and having fun. Now Makenzie has a little friend! : )

A Cuddly Lion

2009-07-19T19:41:00.002-05:00

Makenzie likes to give hugs now along with her kisses. My favorite thing is when she wants to cuddle. She'll lay her head on you and just hug on you and be so sweet. She can go from the wildest little stinker to the sweetest little angel in a second. She loves making "the lion noise" and was crawling all over the floor today saying "RAWR, RAWR!". It was the cutest thing ever. She sits on her knees a lot to play and today I saw her kneeling onto one knee without holding onto anything. She definitely has good coordination and is very strong. From the Early Steps video that I watched a few weeks ago, you are supposed to help a kid learn how to walk by holding your hands (faced downward) on their hips helping them shift their weight. Makenzie is doing so much better with it that today as I held onto her hips gently, she was the one taking the steps herself and not me shifting her weight. Before she would want to lean down or forward, instead of walking forward, but today she walked forward correctly. One of these days she's going to get brave enough to try to walk on her own. The only other new thing is that her finger has unfortunately found her nose. Icky! But that's bound to happen with all kids. Every day she amazes us and every day she brings such joy to our lives.

2009-07-16T11:15:00.003-05:00

We had another trip to St. Louis (so we could go see No Doubt with 1st row tickets!) and we were busy busy busy the entire time. Makenzie petted a Clydesdale on the nose at Grant's Farm! I was so proud of her. It's head was bigger than her, so I figured she would be scared, but not her! She was also the most well behaved kid there. We were there all day and she never fussed. She also sat and watched an entire bird show and loved it. She'd watch the birds fly across the stage and she even started clapping when everyone else did. Makenzie rode her very first carousel with Rick. It was the fastest carousel I've ever seen and Kenzie was not sure of it. Each time her and daddy came around her little face was petrified, but towad the end she started to enjoy it.

Makenzie will walk everywhere if you hold her hands. In fact she walks so fast and just keeps going. It will probably be no time that she will walk by herself. When she is standing and playing she often takes her hands off and stands by herself why she is playing. Her hair just keeps getting longer and thicker.

Fun Facts About Makenzie

2009-06-24T09:53:00.004-05:00

Favorite toys: my old cell phone, a plastic slinky, a quilt-like Mother Goose book, Uno cards, her mice, etc.

Favorite foods: just about anything! she is not a picky eater at all! i think oatmeal with blueberries is probably at the top of her list

Favorite activities: cuddling, looking at books, clapping for stuff she likes, watching the dogs play UFC, cruising around furniture, "petting" the dogs, stretching out the necks in her onesies, looking out the window, trying to get away with doing stuff she's not supposed to, swinging in her swing under the magnolia tree, using Daddy as a jungle gym, "singing", kissing herself in the mirror, and playing in the bath

Favorite shows: Mickey Mouse Club House, The Wonder Pets, and It's a Big Big World (she loves Snook the Sloth)

Favorite thing to wear: either a dress or a t-shirt and shorts b/c she loves pulling her shirts up

Least favorite thing to wear: socks and hats

Wake up time: between 6:15 and 7:00

Bedtime: around 8pm

Most said word: "mama"

Naps: usually two a day, sometimes one

Favorite sippy cup: Gerber Graduates Sip and Smile

Favorite music: she loves listening to music and likes whatever I play (which ranges from Led Zeppelin to Bob Marley Dean Martin to No Doubt, etc.)

Favorite things: blankets and her dogs Boo and Rem

Least favorite things: waking up to realize that she's still in the car seat during the 12 hour overnight ride back up north...and...the rare occasion that she has to be woke up from sleeping, watch out for the gremlin stare!

Thank you Uno cards

2009-06-19T10:06:00.003-05:00

I learned from watching a video I'm borrowing from the Early Steps program, that to help encourage your child to stand by themselves you should put a toy in each hand. It distracts them from realizing they are standing by themselves and prevents them from reaching out to hold onto something. Well Makenzie's favorite thing to play with at the moment is Uno cards (which she snuck out of a cabinet---need to baby proof!). So the other day I stood her in the middle of the floor, handed her Uno cards, and let go. The little chickadee stood there as sturdy as a tree for about 4 seconds (which is a major long time in "baby time"). We practiced some more and I was just astonished at this little child standing in front of me. When Rick got home from work that night we showed him her "new trick" and Makenzie was a real show off (go figure, right!). She stood there for a good 10 seconds, just hanging out with her Uno cards. She even dropped one and reached out when I gave her another one and kept her balance the entire time.

Kenzie also finally gave Daddy a real kiss. She's been giving me kisses for weeks and will kiss anything I ask her to. She'll give her dolly kisses, she'll kiss herself in the mirror, and even kiss an Uno card if I ask her to. Every time I've asked her to give Daddy a kiss she usuallly just looks at him and her expression says "yah right, whatever". Then she turns her head and starts ignoring him. Well the other day she kissed his nose and last night she gave him a really super sweet kiss on the cheek. So whether it was Rick's scruffy face or just Makenzie being stubborn, she is now over her aversion to giving Daddy kisses too. Next I'm sure she'll be trying to kiss the dogs! But I don't think I'll let that one happen. ; )

Walking along the crib/playpen

2009-06-15T08:42:00.003-05:00

Saturday we went to the NICU to see some of our favorite nurses and we were asked if Makenzie was cruising along furniture. Well apparently Makenzie heard that and decided she could do it. Since that night she has been walking all the way around her play pen and her crib. In fact, she does it like she's been doing it forever. She's quickly learned how to gently lower herself back down to her butt too. It still kills me to walk in the room and see her standing there looking at me! She is such a big girl. She was standing in the kitchen holding onto the exersaucer and she let go of one hand and then let go of the other and actually stood there by herself without any wobbles at all. She knew she probably shouldn't push her limits so then she put a hand back onto the saucer. Makenzie just did all of this walking while holding on soooo quickly that I swear she is going to go straight to RUNNING!!! (She also takes steps toward me if I'm holding her hands or even one hand)

More firsts for our BIG GIRL!!!!!!!!

2009-06-12T14:10:00.003-05:00

Recently Makenzie was crying and said "mom" twice, but we weren't completely sure she knew what she meant. Well last night we know for sure. She was tired and fussy and said "mama" several times looking right at me and reaching for me! Then today she was supposed to be napping, but I heard her in there making noise. I went in her room and as I walked in the door she flung herself down to the bed and smiled. So that meant she had pulled herself up to stand in her crib all by herself. I asked her to show me how she can pull herself up and she did. I knelt down to look at her through the rails and she crawled right over to me, got up on her knees, and pulled herself right up. I clapped and told her what a big girl she is and she smiled beaming with pride. She has also started trying to feed the dogs her puffs and share her bottle with them. Sweet but gross! Luckily the dogs know not to fall into that trap and they don't take her puffs or try to drink her bottle. So I tell Makenzie she is nice for wanting to share but that is her stuff and not for doggies, lol.

First word for the 20+pounder

2009-06-10T16:44:00.003-05:00

Rick and I were discussing what constitutes a baby's first word, and we decided for us it is when they understand what they are saying. The other day Rick walked into the room while I was holding Makenzie and he immediately said "hi" to her. Without hesitation, she looked right back at him and said "HI". She has said "hi" before, but this time it was quite clear she understood what she was saying. Rick and I looked at each other in excitement. She has also passed up the 20lb mark!!!! She was 20lbs 4.2oz when I weighed her.

Kenzie went to the post office with me today and was very interested in scoping out everyone in there as I held her. While we were in line, she was holding onto my shoulder and quietly peering over like a little snoop. It was cute. She never gets tired of swinging in the backyard in her swing. It is in the low 90's here so we usually swing in the evenings when the sun is going down. She's been taking a long nap b/c running errands today wore her out.

This morning when I went into Makenzie's room to get her, I saw that she apparently had a nosebleed when she was sleeping. There was crusty blood on her nose, on her crib sheet, on her gloworm, and on her hand. The pulmonoligist nurse said that we need to run her cool mist humidifier again b/c her sinuses are really dry. I guess the cold a/c can make you dry, I just never imagined having to use a humidifier here in the summer when it is SO HUMID outside.

We miss you

2009-06-09T07:55:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the first anniversary of Luke's death. It was obviously a very hard day for us and I don't feel the need to go discuss it any further than that, so I will just say what we did to honor him. We bought a brick that will say "Luke T Evans, Son and Twin" that will be permanently displayed in the St. Louis Zoo. All the proceeds go directly to the zoo, and we paid for it with donations we had received after Luke's death. We had been meaning to buy it for a while now, but yesterday was the perfect day to do it. They will let us know when the brick is in place and we will be anxious to see it. It's nice to know that Luke's memory will always be honored at the St. Louis Zoo, a place we wish we could've taken him to.

Lots of updates

2009-06-07T16:12:00.004-05:00

Makenzie just had a growth spurt and is now 27 1/2 inches long and weighs 19lbs 15oz. She likes to sing now which is usually "yaaa yaa ya ya ya". I'm not sure where she heard this song that she sings all the time. But since we listen to music all the time, I'm not surprised that she likes to sing. Her hair has gotten thicker and we think she's teething again. She says "ma ma ma ma" a lot and still babbles and "talks" all the time. Sometimes when she is in her crib and yells out for me it sounds like she is saying "mom". Her speech seems to be progressing so we are expecting her to start saying some words in the next month or so (hopefully!). She stands by herself (while holding onto something) even better now and likes to climb and walk all over the couch like a monkey. She stood all by herself, not holding on to anything, for about two seconds last week. She has crawled up on her knees some, but prefers to army crawl. She likes playing up on her knees though. She still gives great kisses and earlier today gave me the best kiss all by herself. I didn't ask for it or kiss her first, she just looked at me, put her hands on my face and leaned in and gave me a kiss. How sweet! Yesterday we put up the Fisher Price outdoor swing that we got her at Toys R Us. Rick put it up under the magnolia tree where there's lots of shade. SHE LOVES IT! She loves being able to watch the dogs run around the yard and play tug of war while she swings.

She does a lot of things that I ask her to, showing her comprehension skills. The other week I asked her to clap her hands (but did not show her how) and she started clapping them. If I ask her to find Brody, Remmy, or Shadow she looks around the room and finds where they are sitting. Most of the time she puts her hand on the pig-pig in her animal book if I ask her to find the pig-pig. There's some other things she was doing, but I can't think of what they are at the moment. She just amazes me sometimes at how smart she is. She definitely thinks she is a big girl now and she sure is.

Back from St. Louis and first time at the beach

2009-06-02T10:17:00.006-05:00

This was 5-31-09, we took her to the beach for the first time. You can see the white sand and crystal clear aqua water...yah, sometimes it's nice to live here.

Yes I know this isn't Makenzie, but it is her favorite dog, Brody, and his little fake carrot that he carries around.

Back home wearing her St. Louis Zoo shirt. She's a Zoo Keeper!!! : )

This is the first time I put her hair up and made a little "Pebbles hairdo". It's probably the cutest picture ever in history.

As most of you know we drove home to IL/MO a few weeks ago so I could be at my Gramms estate one last time before it is sold. Makenzie did great on the car ride; we drove straight through at night while she slept. She got to meet a lot of family and had a great time. People we didn't get to see on this trip, we will see in July when we come up again. It was a short trip but we all enjoyed it. We took Makenzie to the St. Louis Zoo which is one of our favorite places. I showed her where Rick and I kissed by the seals on our second date over 8 years ago. : ) As far as pictures, I have a lot but they aren't on this computer so I'm not sure when I will get all of those up on photobucket. I was able to put up the best pictures of her so enjoy those.

On Sunday we took Makenzie to the beach for the first time! We had to go early so the heat wasn't unbearable, and underneah the umbrella it wasn't bad with the nice breeze that always comes off the water. She sat and played on the beach towels and had fun. However, when Rick put her toes in the sand she wasn't too happy. A small wave came up and touched up to her knees and she freaked out. So besides the sand and the water, she loved it, lol. Rick and I took turns snorkeling. I could've stayed underwater all day. It felt so good to snorkel again, since I hadn't since summer 2007. I was diving and saw what I thought was a shell and started to dig around it and it was a giant crab with huge claws that came up out of the sand at me. Needless to say, I hurled myself out of the water, screamed, and everyone on the beach heard me and thought it was funny.

Pulmonologist Check Up and Dental Problems

2009-05-13T08:20:00.005-05:00

Monday Makenzie went to see Dr. Maupin. He said her lungs sound great and is happy with how she is doing. He doesn't need to see her again for 5 months. He gave us some inhalers for her as a preventative b/c he said our trip up north could affect her breathing b/c of the different climate.

She is 26 1/2 inches long; before I didn't get a good measurement. She is getting up on her knees all the time by herself and rocking back and forth. Sometimes she gets a little crazy with it and cracks me up. She can climb over the pillows in her "playpen" if she really wants to, so I have to watch her very closely.

I forgot to mention on a previous blog that Makenzie's teeth are not healthy. I will be making an appointment for a pediatric dentist. Her teeth are thin, yellow, and look like they don't have any enamel, which is called enamel hypoplasia. She also has a palatal groove (high arch on the roof of the mouth) from having a ventialtion tube in her mouth for two months in the NICU. I know I'm not a dentist, but I think it's pretty safe to assume she has these two problems b/c they are quite apparent. She has had slow teething too, considering she just got her first two teeth right after her first birthday. Of course we're not thrilled to know she has problems with her teeth, but in the big scheme of things it's no big deal at all. Teeth can always be worked on and we feel blessed that it seems this is her first and only problem thus far.

Here's a website with more info about common dental problems among preemies:

http://www.meriter.com/living/preemie/later/dental.htm

Video of Makenzie clapping

2009-05-09T11:02:00.002-05:00

This video is from a few weeks ago when Makenzie started clapping along with me.

Current pics

2009-05-09T10:49:00.004-05:00

Feeding herself a puff.

Watching the rain come down in the backyard.

The messiest gremlin ever. She started smearing her avocado/banana mush in her hair like it was hair gel. She only got away with this b/c it was bath time.

Yummy monkey tail.

This one is my favorite, Makenzie sitting and peeking through her crib rails after we lowered her bed.

She loves her highchair!

Just playing and being adorable as usual.

This is what we call a "playpen".

Yummy lion foot.

Who could resist this precious princess? : )

Picture catch up

2009-05-09T10:38:00.003-05:00

This was us at Peg Leg Pete's restaurant back in April when Monica and Patrick were here.

All of these pictures are from the same day when we all went to the Wildlife Sanctuary in downtown Pensacola.

Makenzie really liked that bobcat.

Rick and Kenzie are looking at a baby hawk.

These nosey pelicans kept a close eye on everyone, and the one on the left did not like me!

Over 19lbs and another tooth!

2009-05-06T08:07:00.004-05:00

Today is exactly 9 months since Makenzie's due date. She weighs 19 lbs 2 oz and is 26inches long. She already has a second tooth, the other bottom front one. She's been eating more foods and she loves the Gerber Puffs. It's so fun watching her concentrate on picking them up and putting them in her mouth. She does so well that sometimes she doesn't even have to think about it. Yesterday she had one in each hand (in her thumb and index fingers pinching them). She also now correlates putting all food in her mouth with her fingers. She had banana for lunch yesterday and was picking up the pieces that fell on her tray and putting them in her mouth. I told her thanks for helping me clean up, lol. Every time you feed her she always tries to feed herself with the spoon, and she actually does quite a good job. The hard part is prying the spoon back out of her hands. She's down to one nap a day now. Before she took three small naps or two long ones, and now it is just one long one. She goes to bed earlier though. That's all the updates I can think of at the moment.

I got kisses!!!

2009-04-26T16:42:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Makenzie and I were cuddling on the couch (probably the only time she sat still all day) and I was giving her kisses on her cheeks which I do every day all day. The poor kid is smothered in kisses constantly. Then suddenly she looked at me and put her lips out and leaned forward and kissed my cheek!!!! Then she did it again and again and again! She gave me four little kisses!! It was the most precious thing ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Such a big girl

2009-04-25T11:25:00.002-05:00

Makenzie army crawls with ease and can now get anywhere she wants. She could get just about anywhere before b/c she would just keep rolling to get where she wanted, but now that she can crawl forward she is all about it. She woke up in the middle of the night last night with the fussies b/c of her tooth. I looked today and the tooth has poked through. She's been eating more new foods. Cottage cheese she doesn't really care for, and I have to mix the green beans into her sweet potatoes so she'll eat them. But she's always a good eater. She weighs 18 lbs 4 oz. the last time I weighed her.

We had a great time with Monica and Patrick visiting. We had went to the zoo as I wrote on the previous blog, and we also went to a local wildlife sanctuary and to Makenzie's first restraunt, Peg Leg Pete's. She enjoyed the wildlife sanctuary and saw owls, vultures, eagles, a bobcat, and tons of pelicans. The restraunt we chose to go to is not only our favorite sea food place here, but they have outdoor seating so Makenzie wouldn't be inside with people. We were able to get a huge wooden booth and they had this awesome padded little booster seat that hooked right onto the table. So Makenzie was actually sitting in the booth between me and Rick in her little seat. She loved it and played with the napkins most of the time. She is just getting to be such a big girl now that it amazes us. Sometimes we just sit and watch her in amazement. Our little girl is growing up.

First trip to the zoo!

2009-04-21T14:50:00.005-05:00

This was the last picture of the day and you can tell she was worn out. She slept all the way home and then some.

Aunt Monica, Rick, and Makenzie check out one of the many peacocks.

Over my shoulder is a chimp leaning against that post.

There were many "photo opportunities" for Makenzie. I took her picture in every one of them!

That is the cutest little raccoon I've ever seen!!!!

Yesterday we took Makenzie to the zoo in Gulf Breeze. Monica and Patrick were with us and we all had a great time. Makenzie seemed to enjoy herself with the execption of the goats. One of the first things she saw were big white goats. They were in the petting zoo and wanted people to feed them so they were climbing on their fence. Makenzie looked up at them and started crying and squirting tears. She was very afraid of them, and I don't really blame her b/c goats kind of have demon eyes, lol. Makenzie ate some banana, drank some water, and recovered from the goat scare. She really enjoyed the big pot-bellied pig and the peacocks that were everywhere. Some of the monkies were very interested in her and stared at her in her stroller. Makenzie just goes with the flow and is always well behaved. She loves to see and experience new things. With cold/flu season soon coming to an end we are excited to start taking her more places.

Birthday pictures!!!!

2009-04-21T14:38:00.003-05:00

The awesome cake Rick made Makenzie!

I 'made' her this cute birthday crown and she was like "what the heck is this?" and she pulled it off every time I put it on her head. I just managed to get this one picture of her in it.

This is my new favorite picture

PICTURES

2009-04-21T13:46:00.002-05:00

"Where is the Easter bunny at?"

"Eeeww peeps taste gross!"

She loves standing in her crib. She thinks it makes her the biggest girl ever.

This was back from early-mid March and was the last time she fit in her swing.

Happy B-day to the best husband/dad in the world!

2009-04-17T09:02:00.002-05:00

Today is Rick's birthday and I wanted to wish him a very Happy Birthday from me and Kenzie. He is not only a great husband, but is the best father in the world. Makenzie is so lucky to have him. He goes to every single one of her doctors appointments, helps feed her and give her baths, helps do everything. He loves spending time with her and always makes a point to do so. We love you Rick!

1st Birthday and milestones

2009-04-16T13:58:00.002-05:00

Monday was Makenzie's first birthday!!! I could sit here and write about all the trials and tribulations we've all been through over the past year, especially when we didn't know if she'd ever live to see a first birthday, but I honestly don't want to think about it. I'd rather just focus on how well Makenzie is doing now and look forward to her continued success. I want to thank everyone for her cards and presents, especially all the ones we got in the mail. We had the camcorder on the tripod taping everything. It was just the three of us of course. She had fun opening lots of gifts, but was more interested in playing with the wrapping paper. Then, it was cake time! Rick made her a two tier Care Bear cake and she loved it. She was very meticulous and played very delicately in the icing. She put her finger in her mouth to taste the icing and then later picked up a tiny piece of cake and tasted it. She did not like either of them, and did not put any more in her mouth (which made me happy-I was scared she'd be shoveling it in her mouth and we'd have to take the cake away, lol). I had made her a special crown to wear but she ripped it off every time I put it on her. I think I managed to get one picture of her wearing it. She did wear a first birthday cake hat (thanks Katie!) and looked really cute in it. So she had a very fun and tiring day, the way a first birthday should be.

She weighs 18lbs and has hit some more milestones. On her birthday I saw her army crawl on her tummy. I'm so used to seeing her move around everywhere on her arms, but I easily caught her moving FORWARD. She also has her first tooth coming in! The tooth hasn't quite poked through yet, but I can see the indention spot on her gums where it is coming in. We've been super busy but we will download a zillion pictures off the camera so everyone can see her birthday pictures!

New videos and Synagis

2009-04-10T09:46:00.004-05:00

Well I finally put up more videos on photobucket. They are over a month old though, so keep in mind when you watch them that they are from early March... http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk191/evanstwins/ (guest password: lukeandleia). We need to download all the new pictures since there are tons already.

Yesterday we went for her dreaded Synagis shot. Cold/flu season traditionally ends with the last of April, so this was the last shot for the season. Since the cold/flu season in this area is awful and since Makenzie is still at high risk, I asked the nurse if it was possible to get one more month. She is going to call our insurance and the Synagis reps and try to get Kenzie a Synagis shot for May. I am going to push for it and I really hope they can do it.

We'll have company coming later this month, Rick's sister and her boyfriend. I'm really excited for them to see Makenzie again, and if the weather is permitting we are planning on taking Makenzie to the beach for the first time and to a local wildlife sanctuary. Both activities are obviously outside so Makenzie shouldn't be around people.

The countdown is on!

2009-04-05T16:02:00.003-05:00

Makenzie stands easily by herself when holding on to something. She LOVES standing in her crib by and holding onto the railing. She really thinks that makes her a super big girl. She can also hold the crawling position for much longer now and is starting to rock a little bit when she is up on her knees. She should be crawling soon! She tries really hard to talk but hasn't mastered "mama" or "dada" yet. I'm anxious for hearing those words. She can use just her pointer finger to push buttons on her play phone or to play with my four leaf clover locket. She's very intricate and precise with it; it's so cute. Since she's been able to feed herself a bottle for a long time now (when she wants to), we tried a sippy cup, but she didn't care for it so we'll hold off and try it again another time. I'm probably going to start her on three solid meals a day since she is such a good eater. She LOVES eating solid food and can't seem to get enough of it. Apparently I make good baby food. : ) She is also a master of grabbing the spoon and making a huge mess while she tries to feed herself.

I know I've said a million different times that we think she is teething, but this time I really think she is. She's woke up a few times at night fussing and this kid hasn't woke up in the middle of the night since like 3 or 4 months ago! She went right back to sleep though. I also found her with a huge pool of drool in her crib on two different occasions. She's getting to be very sneaky and manipulative, you know how little kids do. It's so funny to see her try to pull one over on us. She weighs 17 1/2lbs and is still 25 3/4inches long. Eight more days to the big day! The countdown has been on since April 1st!

Center of attention

2009-03-28T21:21:00.002-05:00

Makenzie loves her crib and sleeps great in it. I love seeing her in it. I guess I associate the big bassinet with her being on oxygen, so just seeing her in that huge crib makes things seem more "normal". I bought an AWESOME high chair off of craigslist for $25, and Makenzie looks like such a big girl sitting in it! She loves it and is quite proud of herself for having a big girl chair. Her legs are so chunky that she couldn't fit comfortably in the blue Bumbo seat anymore. Her latest food addition is banana, which she enjoys. I'm wondering if there will ever be a food this kid doesn't like. This weekend Makenzie's Grandparents are in town from Huntsville, and she is being her typical show off self for them. She got lots of presents and loves being the center of attention. Imagine that, lol.

Quick update

2009-03-19T11:56:00.003-05:00

With birthday money from my Aunt I got my hair cut yesterday with red streaks put in and Makenzie loves it. She wants to grab my hair even more now! I have to be careful or she'll pull out a few strands or so. Ouch!

I don't know if I had mentioned that when we went to her pediatrician we determined that some stuff Makenzie does is on a 9month level. It amazes us to know that she is at least a month ahead of her adjusted age. We are so proud of her. The other day Makenzie ate avocado, or baby guacamole as I call it . She seems to really like it, but I think she likes sweet potato more. She's a good eater, that is for sure. We will be finally moving her into her crib in her room soon. She has been in a large stand up bassinet on wheels this whole time and she is finally grown out of it.

I've been walking her more now that the weather is always warm. She sits in the stroller like a big girl now and loves it. The other day I was buckling her in the stroller and she squealed b/c she knew we were going for a walk.

Makenzie's famous foot print

2009-03-16T11:50:00.004-05:00

The nurse is rolling the green paint on Makenzie's chubby little foot, and Makenzie is like "what are you doing?".

Makenzie being such a good girl as the nurse helps Rick press her foot on the wall.

I love this picture of Rick cleaning her green foot in the sink!

Makenzie being proud of her finished product. They put the tape below her foot print, but will soon have her name and age printed out on a nice label to put there instead. (I just noticed that it says Evan instead of Evans.)

On Saturday March 14th, Makenzie's pediatrician wanted more of the hallway of his office decorated with little hand prints and foot prints. Makenzie was finally napping, but Rick insisted we should go to have Makenzie's foot print on the wall. He was right. Makenzie was a good girl, we had a great time, and she caught up on her nap later that day. We were in and out pretty quickly since they were very organized and ready to go. We had to sign in and pick out what color paint we wanted. Her green foot print turned out great!!!

Picture catch up

2009-03-16T09:50:00.002-05:00

This is just a random cute picture of her with Daddy after she just woke up.

"Eeww, my eyes are watering, I'm gagging, this is disgusting mom." It was a texture thing that I didn't make the sweet potatoes creamy enough at first. Now she loves them and gobbles it all up!

This was on March 11th, the day after my birthday, when Makenzie went to the park for the first time. The three of us had a great time.

She really enjoyed everything and acted like she'd been there before.

This one is my favorite park picture. It captures her preciousness, which is super hard to do.

Here we are on March 8th with my Grandparents, Makenzie's Great Grandma and Grandpa M. who drove all the way from IL to see her. Makenzie loved them and showed off big time for them! She was quite the little ham.

Doctor visit, first time at the park, and sweet potatoes

2009-03-12T09:52:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a big day. First Makenzie had a well visit at her doctor. She sat on the table and played with the crinkly paper and kept ripping pieces off which she was quite proud of. She weighs 16lbs 10oz and is 25 3/4" long. Her weight has caught up to the growth curve on the regular chart but her height isn't quite on the curve yet. She probably has some good growth spurts in her.

After her appt. we went to the park for the very first time! I wanted to get some cute pictures of her, and there is a little park on the way home from her doctor. The best part was that Makenzie reallly enjoyed everything at the park! We took some great pictures that I'll be posting soon. I had so much fun watching her have fun at the park. It was 80 degrees here yesterday, so it was a really nice day.

After Makenzie took a long nap, she ate her very first vegetable, sweet potato. (She has currently been eating rice cereal twice a day a long with her Enfamil Enfacare Lipil formula four times a day. After talking to the doc, we are now taking her off of that formula since it is 22calorie and she has obviously gained the weight she needed. We are going to put her on the regular Enfamil Lipil now.) I am going to be making her baby food myself, so yesterday was my first attempt. At first I didn't make the texture smooth enough so she was gagging, spit it out, and hated it. Then Rick helped me make it creamier and smoother so I tried it again. She made faces as if it was so disgusting that she would just pass out. Then she realized the texture was perfect and that it really wasn't all that bad. I sang her yummy in my tummy songs and told her what a good girl she was when she ate it. She smiled and started swallowing it a lot faster without the faces. She might have been unsure about the sweet potato mush but she ate it all! I'll have some great pics of her making icky food faces soon too.

Pics

2009-03-12T09:38:00.004-05:00

My favorite onesie ever for the world's littlest Bob Marley fan.

Wassup?

This is my favorite : )

Great Grandparents visit and great news from Early Steps appt

2009-03-10T17:26:00.004-05:00

Makenzie had company over the weekend, her great grandparents. My grandparents drove all the way from Illinois to see her! She loved them! Makenzie was such a ham, such a showoff, she cracked everyone up. She would get very excited, squeal, laugh, babble, and bounce up and down. She was rolling everywhere and playing extra hard with her toys when she knew they were watching. She was all smiles and loud noises! It was great to see my grandparents and even better to see their reaction to Makenzie. : )

Makenzie is definitely a very vocal child. She is always babbling, squealing, screeching, or making some noise. Yesterday she started moving her lips like a goldfish. It looked like she was talking but nothing was coming out. Within just a few hours of doing that she started babbling "ba ba ba ba ba" very clearly, which she does all the time now. She tries so hard to crawl. She has great upper body strength and she moves and kicks those legs so hard, but she just can't figure out how to get up on her knees quite yet. We think she'll be crusing in no time b/c she seems very determine to want to be on the move.

Today we went to her second Early Steps appointment. For those of you who might not remember, the people in Early Steps follow her development very closely to see if she needs any help in areas and help her catch up to her real age as best she can. We saw them in January for the first time and they said her development was right on track for where she should. They said she needed a little help strengthening her tummy muscles and relaxing her legs. For development guidelines they go by her adjusted age, the age since her due date. Today they were so blown away by the progress she has made. She was in a room of specialists and was tired and a little overwhelmed, but still showed them a lot of what she can do. The psychologist did many things to see her reaction and ability to use her hands and problem solve. He was astounded by her abilities and how she did them all without hesitation. They said that in some areas she is at 7 months right where she is expected to be, and in other areas she is actually well ahead at an 8 month adjusted age. That is great news! I knew she was ahead in certain areas. They will give me their formal evaluation write up probably within a week or so. They were so thrilled with how well she is doing that as long as things continue to progress we do not have to go back for 5 months to see Early Steps.

Wild Thing is at it again

2009-02-27T14:41:00.003-06:00

Makenzie weighs 16lbs! I still can't believe she filled out like she did. I can still see that 1lb little baby with toothpick legs and protruding ribs. We've been listening to No Doubt CDs all day, and apparently Makenzie enjoys it. She was getting really excited, flinging herself, and jumping around going crazy in her exersaucer. She'd look at me, smile really big, and then just go bananas. It was cracking me up. Her NICU nickname "wild thing" is still with her.

She is doing great on solid food, and is eating cereal twice a day. Probably within the next few weeks we will start her on veggies. She's still rolling everywhere and is even attempting to crawl. She can pivot around with her arms, but hasn't been able to use her knees to help push her forward, though she tries. Rick and I swear she's said "HI" lately. Then we were discussing what constitutes a baby's first word. The first thing they say that sounds like a word? The first time they understand what they are saying? Or the first word that has two syllables? I guess it can be whatever we want it to be. So of course I would say her first word was "Boo" after my dog Brody Boo Bear, but Rick would never agree to that, LOL. So we will probably wait for a two syllable word.

There are four new videos on photobucket. They are all 3-5 weeks old but are super cute. Here is the link again, in case anyone forgot:
http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk191/evanstwins/
guest password: lukeandleia

Milestones, Company, and Pictures

2009-02-18T08:52:00.008-06:00

Me and my munchkin on Valentine's Day

Reading a hippo book with Grammy K

Just being cute as usual.

Fell asleep in Grammy K's arms after playing

Playing with Grammy K

Thanks Meri for finding one of the best onesies ever!

Rick puts her hands up like little antlers and calls her a baby moose : )

Giving one of her Rick expressions.

This was the first time she tripodded by herself a few weeks back.

This is my favorite picture!!! I caught her blinking but with such a precious smile and holding her pig pig with just two fingers.

All the bottom pictures are a bit older as you can see her double chin and cheeks isn't as big.

This was the first time she played in the exersaucer.

On Tuesday Makenzie rolled over from back to belly for the first time! Rick and I were both watching her when she did it. She's rolled from belly to back for a long time but we were waiting for her to roll over the hard way and we knew she was going to do it. We were so excited! That evening she did it a few more times and was just rolling everwhere! She can sit and play by herself for longer now and does such an amazing job with keeping her balance. She'll reach way out for toys and sit right back up like it's nothing. Or she'll lean way over and balance on her hand and then sit back up. I also swear she is saying "Boo", which is what I call my dog Brody, so she hears it a million times a day. Three times she's looked right at him and said "Boo". We don't know if it is coincidence or not. Either way she is just adorable and too precious for words!!! It's so amazing to see the progress she's made from all the exercises that Early Steps encouraged us to do with her. She's gotten sooooo strong in such a short amount of time. She never ceases to amaze us!

My mom flew in for a few days and Makenzie loved spending time with her. Makenzie even laughed and squealed for her Grammy K. It was nice to be able to share the joy that is Makenzie. My mom said she's the happiest baby in the world. She rarely ever cries and she has a smile permanently plastered on her face. I know my mom was sad to have to leave her.

How could I forget?

2009-02-11T10:46:00.002-06:00

I can't believe I forgot to mention that Makenzie sat on her own the other day. We were on the floor playing and she had her elephant toy in front of her legs. She was playing with it and took her hands off and "tripodded" (one of her hands on the ground holding herself up). Then she pushed up off the floor and sat up straight and held it for a bit and then went back to playing. So she really did it, not just for a few seconds but for a while. I was sooooo proud of her!

We will be starting her on solid foods for the first time this week. I am really excited about it. I bought some baby spoons and some rice cereal and I'm anxious to see how she'll do. We think she is ready. She stares at our food and pouts if we eat in front of her, she puts everythign in her mouth, she drools a lot, etc. The suggestion for a full term baby is to start solids around 6 months so I wanted to go by her adjusted age and not rush it on her, especially since it's common for preemies to have eating or digestion troubles. I don't know if this is true, but her pulmonologist said that when a baby drools so much that it soaks their shirt that is a sign their gut developed enough for solids. Well Makenzie just started drooling like that. I'll let you know how it goes!

Echocardiogram Day

2009-02-10T16:47:00.003-06:00

Today Makenzie went to her routine visit at the pulmonologist. First, she had an appt to get an echocardiogram done to see her heart and lungs. The nurse was so sweet with Makenzie, and they had a nice bed for her to lay in with room for me to lay beside her. Rick sat on the end of the bed so Makenzie could see him too. They also had a kid show on the television near the end of the bed. The nurse even sang along with one of the songs on the tv for Kenzie. Apparently none of this mattered to Kenz b/c that trigger went off somewhere inside her and she just started screaming and crying. She pouted her bottom lip out and quivered it and tears started flowing like a waterfall. She cried the entire time and almost made the nurse cry. She would stop crying for a few moments and then look back over at the nurse and just wail. Tears kept pouring. We tried everything but nothing made her happy. I had brought her seahorse that plays music and the belly lights up and that actually calmed her for a few moments. But then she looked over at the nurse again and wailed some more. She was only getting an ultrasound done on her chest so we knew she wasn't in pain, but she was NOT happy and might have been having bad memories. She had thrown the longest crying fit ever and when we finally calmed her down after the echo was over, her eyes and face were as red as a lobster. Then onto the next appointment which was just down the hall with her doctor. Luckily she was in a happy mood then and was even squealing in Rick's lap when we were in the waiting room. Her echo results were great and the doc examined her and said she is doing great! Happy news. We don't go back for three months now. Thank goodness! On Thursday we go to the pediatrician to get her Synagis shot so that will be another crying appointment. : *(

6 months adjusted today

2009-02-06T13:22:00.002-06:00

Today Makenzie is exactly 6 months adjusted. The pictures I just posted are a little older, from early to mid January. We haven't uploaded the recent pics but will soon. She weighs 14 1/2lbs now and is going through a very vocal stage. I will probably start her on solid foods this month. We have two doctors appts next week so I will write an update then.

Pictures from early-mid January

2009-02-06T13:10:00.002-06:00

Wild moo cows have wild hair.

Telling off her buggy toy for a reason only known to her.

Makenzie reading about the wonderful world of trolls. She'll have a huge box of trolls to play with when she's older. : )

Can you find her storkbite? Don't know what a storkbite is?
Go to: http://www.drgreene.com/21_1177.html

MOOOOOOOOOOO

Being happy a happy girl as usual.

This is her "very serious" face while on her very first walk in early January. She thought we were going to the doctor and wondered why the ride was bumpy. On her second walk she fell asleep and enjoyed it. Now it is cold again so I can't walk her.

Quik update

2009-01-30T18:05:00.003-06:00

And in this corner...from Pensacola, Florida, weighing at 14lbs even, Miss Mighty Makenzie!!!!

I almost cannot believe she weighs this much! In fact, I'm almost concerned she is gaining too fast now. There was a time when she gained weight so slowly that I wondered if she'd even be 16lbs by her first birthday. And here she is 14lb and has a couple more months before her birthday. Next week on Friday the 6th she will be 6 months adjusted.

Makenzie's daily life

2009-01-23T20:06:00.005-06:00

Makenzie and Rick are cuddling on the couch playing a hand-held 20 questions game. She was ready to go to bed, but when Daddy gets home she always gets a sudden BURST of energy so she can stay up a bit and spend time with him. I've also noticed on days Rick is off work, Makenzie doesn't really like to take many naps so she won't miss a thing. When Rick is at work, she loves to take naps, lol. She is now 2 feet tall and weighs just over 13lbs!!!! It's hard to believe this chunky monkey once weighed 1lb! She plays a pacifier game with herself where she pops it out of her mouth, looks at it, puts it back in, and repeats over and over. If she feels her paci in her bassinet she'll pick it up and put it in her mouth. (In her bassinet is the only time she gets her pacifier.) She has such personality and constantly makes us laugh.

She is a screeching howler monkey as you can see on one of the photobucket videos. (I posted over 40 new pics and 3 vidoes today.) She likes hearing her own voice, and her cute squealing has now morphed into cartoon like screaming. Rick calls it her "singing". We've been doing her exercises every day to help her abdominal muscles and stiffness and we've already seen improvement. She is now more aware of her feet and grabs them while she is sitting. She's always wanting to put everything in her mouth and she always wants to pet the dogs. Brody is almost always sitting right next to us and her hand just gravitates toward him. We are borrowing an exersaucer and she played in it for the first time yesterday. It was so neat watching her reach to all the toys and play with them. I can't believe what a big girl she is, it just leaves me speechless sometimes.

Her hair has grown a lot, and her eyes have been possibly changing. They were hazel with green like Rick's, and now they are either all hazel or light brown. I haven't seen any green in them in over a week which kind of bums me out. She still feeds herself with her bottle sometimes, but most of the time just wants to play with my hand instead, or be lazy. She is getting sneaky at trying to watch TV, but we still won't let her. I try to keep it turned off a lot, and put on music instead. There was a picture last month of Makenzie standing by herself, and I just wanted to add that she really was standing by herself and no one was holding her. She was leaning her back against the couch for support but she was standing without help or holding onto anything. She has extremely strong legs. She usually doesn't like to bend her knees (which we are working on) and I think she might be one of those babies who doesn't crawl but goes straight to walking.

She has a really set schedule down. She goes to bed around 8pm on average and she wakes up b/w 7:15-7:45am. I know I'm one of the lucky ones b/c the kid just loves to sleep. She never wakes up in the middle of the night. I didn't train her to do any of it, she just picked that schedule for herself. But I believe in schedules and structure for kiddos so I'm quite happy with it. If there is a really rare occasion that we accidentally wake her up before we go to bed, she will just look up at you and then turn her head and go back to sleep. That happened the other night. I saw her stir and went over and she peered her little eyes at me. I asked her if she wanted to go back to sleep or get up and eat, but she turned over and went back to sleep before I could say anything else. She sleeps like a log too! Once she's out, she's out and hardly any noise will wake her (which scared me for the longest time!). She takes two or three naps during the day which can be from 3o minutes up to two hours or less. Most of the time she is up I am usually playing with her, but sometimes she sits in her bumbo, swing, or exersaucer playing with toys while I fold laundry or something. She sits and plays by herself so cutely. She definitely has some favorite toys, one of which is this scrunchy book with hard tabs that she likes to bite on (I'm sure it can be seen in some of the pics on photobucket where she is in her swing). Well I just realized I've rambled on here for quite a while so congrats to you if you've gotten this far!

"Love remains the same"

2009-01-19T22:40:00.002-06:00

I've been missing Luke a lot lately. I always miss him but lately I think about him constantly. It's probably b/c Makenzie is just getting so big now and is her own little person. It makes me think about what would have been, what was supposed to be. I wonder what Luke would look like, what his personality would be like, how him and his sister would play together, how big he would be now, etc. As Makenzie grows and continues to reach milestones I'll always think of Luke and that he should be right by her side going through the same things. I've loved the musician Gavin Rossdale since I was 13, and on his solo CD "Wanderlust" is a song called "Love remains the same". The CD came out 5 days before Luke passed away, and I listened to it non stop to and from work, the NICU, and home for weeks. In the song, Gavin sings, "Everything will change but love remains the same". That line always stuck out to me b/c everything in my life can and will change, but my love for Luke will always stay perfectly the same. I will miss him and love him just as much 5o years from now as I do today. Sometimes the pain feels like it could literally make my heart stop, but I know it continues to beat. And just the same, another line that I love from a song on the "Wanderlust" CD says "There may be rocks in the water, but still the river flows".

I've seen this poem on various websites, the author is unknown, but I thought it was nice.

"Invisible Cord"

We are connected, my child and I,
by an invisible cord, not seen by the eye.

It's not like the cord, that connects us 'til birth.
This cord can't be seen by anyone on earth.

This cord does it's work right from the start.
It binds us together attached to my heart.

I know that it's there, though no one can see,
the invisible cord from my child to me.

The strength of this cord is hard to describe,
it can't be destroyed, it can't be denied.

It's stronger than any cord man could create.
It withstands the test and can hold any weight.

Though you are gone and not here with me,
The cord is still there but no one can see.

It pulls at my heart, I am bruised, I am sore.
But this cord is my lifeline as never before.

I am thankful that God connects us this way.
A mother and child, nothing can take it away.

12lb. Moo cow crossing

2009-01-14T13:41:00.006-06:00

Makenzie weighs 12lbs now, and had a Synagis shot on Monday that made her squirt huge tears. I couldn't stand it. Then on Tuesday we went to her first Early Steps developmental evaluation. There was speech specialist, a psychologist, a pediatrician, and the two ladies that run the program. I promised Makenzie they were nice people and were not going to give her a shot, but she didn't believe me. Makenzie is never around people so she was of course serious and shy. However, she was very tolerant of anything they did with her and just went with the flow. In about a week or so I should get a report of the evaluation, but it seemed the consensus was she is where she is supposed to be developmentally which is a huge blessing. Their only area of concern was her middle region. She doesn't like to lean forward far enough when she sits and you often have to make her sit b/c she would prefer to stand. That stiffness in the middle they said is extremely common with preemies. I've been concerned about it lately, so I knew that would be their focus too. They showed me some things to do with her legs and are sending me information to help me with it. We go back in two months and if her stiffness hasn't improved she might need physical therapy. But I am going to do everything I can do to prevent that from happeing. (I have already worked on her legs twice today.) They gave her a cute bug toy and a ball to take home. The ball will help her b/c as she sits she can lean forward and put her hands on the ball while it rolls a bit. That will help her strengthen the muscles in her midsection and get her to lean forward farther. They were very impressed by her upper body strength and leg strength. I knew she'd be extremely quiet and shy but she did do a few things for them like grab and hold toys, roll over with a tiny bit of assistance, push herself up on her hands, pass a toy from one hand to the other, and of course be completely adorable. She also seemed rather sleepy so they relied a lot on asking us questions about what she does at home. The psychologist kept saying what a miracle she is and commented on how he enjoyed seeing the joy on our faces as we watched her. She was very attentive and would turn and look at whoever was talking. Then she would glance over at me and Rick a few times just to make sure we were still there. She wore her Minnie Mouse outfit with black Mary Janes and I put her cow costume on over it as her coat/hat. (I found a Halloween cow costume on clearance for $6, so who could pass that up?) As we left the doctor we had to cross the road and Rick was carrying the little cow and I said "Moo cow crossing the road, MOOOOOve out of the way!". Aw, poor Makenzie has a total dork of a mother, hehe.

Officially Wire Free!

2009-01-10T10:38:00.002-06:00

I took the pulsometer back to Makenzie's pulmonologist's office yesterday. The respiratory therapist downloaded it, and there was almost 11 hours of data. The report was great; 95% of the time Makenzie's saturation was in the 90s. He thinks the other 5% was probably from the sensor and not Makenzie. He said unless I hear from them, that she can be off of oxygen completely. So last night was her first official night with no wires at all (since last night she had the pulsometer on). I had explained before that Makenzie did not physically/medically require oxygen anymore, but she was on it just a a precaution. Putting her on it while she sleeps was a way of weaning her off, just in the sense that her body was used to having it. Of course they only felt comfortable taking her off of oxygen b/c Makenzie has never been sick or had any problems, and b/c we don't allow hardly any visitors. We still have to keep her homebound through the end of April, and after that we will still take certain precautions. Congratulations to Kenzie for not having to wear the cannula she so much despises!

One more thing...

2009-01-08T19:26:00.002-06:00

I forgot to say that on the way home from the doctor's office Makenzie was CRACKING UP. I was sitting next to her in her car seat and playing peekaboo and she laughed and laughed. It was the most precious thing ever. It wasn't her little "heh heh heh" laughs, it was full out laughing. Then tonight she did it again and we videoed it with our video camera. She was in her bassinet laughing, blowing raspberries, and then talking to her froggy hanging above her to tell him about her day.

In her bath tonight she started splashing! She started kicking those karate girl legs and making tidal waves. She thought that was pretty cool and she was pretty proud of herself. She even splashed water up on her cheek. She had a busy day but was such a happy little princess the whole time.

Pulmonologist visit and shaking it!

2009-01-08T12:09:00.006-06:00

For some unknown reason, I always find myself singing shake songs to Makenzie... "Shake it up", "Shake your groove thing", "Shake your booty", and of course all the "shake its" from "Heya". When she isn't forced to hear my awful attempt at singing, Makenzie likes listening to Elvis and No Doubt (or at least I think so). Another new thing Makenzie is doing this week, besides blowing raspberries, is slamming her rattle onto the tray that's on her swing. She grabs it from you, shakes it, tries to eat it, and bangs it on her tray. It's quite a hilarious thing to watch. She looks at the rattle like she is one tough chic and gives it a good mean stare before she slams it down as hard as she can as if to say "take that!".

Today we went to see Dr. Maupin, Makenzie's pulmonologist. Makenzie was a very good girl and it was a short visit. They checked her oxygen saturation when we got there and it was 97%. After listening to her lungs and asking us some questions about Makenzie, Dr. Maupin said if she passes a night test she can come off oxygen completely!!! They sent us home with a pulsometer which we will put on her tonight while she sleeps without any oxygen. It will record her oxygen levels and heart rate throughout the night and we bring it back to them tomorrow. They'll download the information and if Makenzies numbers are good then no more oxygen for her! They still want us to hold onto her oxygen equipment for at least a month (it's being rented). So tonight will be the first night Makenzie will have no oxygen on at all. She has had just a couple short naps without it, but considering Makenzie sleeps 9-12 hours straight at night, I'm not sure how much sleep I'll get tonight. I know she will be fine, but she's been on oxygen since birth and it's another adjustment for a worrying mom. It's a huge thing for a preemie to finally be "wire free" and I can't believe we are FINALLY approaching that. I remember thinking the day would never come.

Since Dr. Maupin's office is in the building next to the NICU, we stopped in to say hi. Luckily, this time we finally caught Makenzie's NICU doctor, Dr. Tanner. He was glad to see her and how big she's gotten. All the nurses were ooing and awwing over her and saying how beautiful she is. The receptionist came over and hugged me and was so happy to see us. None of Makenzie's nurses were there, and I know they will be jealous to here we stopped by. Ironically, one of Makenzie's old "roommates" was there visiting also. It's neat seeing another baby doing good who was also a micropreemie.

Raspberry girl

2009-01-06T10:57:00.005-06:00

Makenzie is blowing raspberries with her mouth ALL the time. This morning I heard her awake playing so I got up to go see her. She looked at me, smiled huge, and started blowing raspberries at me. Then when we were playing on the floor, I was kissing her belly and she kept laughing and grabbing my face. What a precious joy I have to spend every day with! She is so big for her britches, she just cracks me up all the time. Last night I had Rick come over to her bassinet so he could see her going rasberry crazy, and while we were looking at her she let out the biggest most wonderful squeal I have ever heard. She was sure putting on a show for her Daddy! She was blowing raspberries as hard as she could, spit was flying everywhere, she'd smile, do her karate girl kicks, and kept squealing like a kid in a room full of cotton candy and toys.

Today she is exactly 5 months old adjusted, and in one week she'll be 9 months old. We go to the pulmonologist on Thursday. Yesterday I took her on her very first walk. It was in the 70's here as you can see on our local weather to the left. I think she assumed we were going to the doctor since she was in her carrier. She didn't really know what to think about the walk, or why her stroller ride was sometimes bumpy. We saw our wonderful neighbors Janice and Glen, and Makenzie just stared at them while acting like a serious drama queen who refused to smile. What a silly girl.

Pictures

2009-01-05T07:48:00.004-06:00

Makenzie was feeding herself for the first time! She had both thumbs underneath holding it up and if I tried to take it she'd put it back in her mouth.

This is Makenzie showing off her JAWS and biting the teething ring.

She is jealous of the pigtails and wonders when she can have them.

Oh okay, mommy said I can have pigtails like this someday.

My happy Christmas Princess Girl

She was watching the dogs with their presents and held on tight to her baby doll.

This one has to be my favorite. I think her expression says, "What?! I just won a trip to Disney World?!"

Don't know how many of you are catching on that she is wearing a SLEEVELESS outfit in the middle of December. The weather has been back and forth so I've had to keep out some cooler outfits too.

This is a Rick expression if I ever saw one!

She's been able to stand by herself (against something) for a long time, I just finally got a picture of it. She didn't fall over but I had pillows around her just in case.

I always have her best pictures on photobucket and then pick out my favorites to put on here. Makenzie is just so photogenic that it is really hard to choose b/c I want to pick them all!

Update

2009-01-03T16:10:00.003-06:00

Well little missy is starting 2009 with having constipation problems, and possibly starting to teethe. She has so much drool now that she gurgles on it when she talks. She wants to chew on EVERYTHING. I think she'd try chewing on the dogs if she was allowed to touch them, lol. Bless her heart though, she's being a good girl, for the most part anyway. She's tried telling me she didn't want to take a nap a few times, but she knew she needed to. We were just playing on the floor listening to The Muppets CD and she was trying to roll over. She didn't do it, but it was neat seeing how hard she was trying and that she understood what she was doing. Rick should be downloading pictures tomorrow on his day off. I can't wait to post some of the great ones that are on there. We even have a video of her laughing. She squealed again the other day. Her weight hasn't changed much b/c of the constipation, so she's just over 11lbs. She's so energetic and full of joy I just can't stand not being able to share it with everyone. I can't wait for cold and flu season to be over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MAKENZIE AMAZES ME!!!

2008-12-30T09:50:00.004-06:00

So last night Makenzie squealed for the first time. She's tried before but got one out this time and it was sooooo cute. She did it in the middle of her laughing. Then a bit later the big shock came, I was feeding her and she held the bottle herself and fed herself! I was STUNNED. She knew exactly what she was doing and her understanding that correlation is what amazed me. She had a great grip on the bottle and had both of her thumbs underneath holding it up. (I will note that we use two small medela bottles that are 2.5 ounces each, the pumping bottles I used) I noticed she collapsed the nipple so I pulled the bottle out just a little bit and she put it right back in her mouth. Then when it was time to switch to the next bottle I could hardly get the first bottle away from her b/c she kept pulling it away from me and putting it back in her mouth, LOL! She was quite the big girl. I gave her the next bottle and she grabbed it and helped put it right in her mouth. I am so proud of her and she just continues to amaze us. I never forget for a second how completely blessed we are. I like to call her Preemie Genius : )

Happy New Year

2008-12-28T09:17:00.004-06:00

We had a nice Christmas, just the three of us. Makenzie got some really great presents from family members who mailed them down. Thanks everyone! She enjoyed looking at all of her gifts and playing with some of them, especially her first baby doll. Rick had the idea to let her try to "open" one of her presents. So I tore the paper back, put it in her hand, and she held on tightly while I pulled the box back so she tore it! : )

She weighs 10lbs 14.3oz now, I just weighed her earlier. So in a day or two so she should be 11lbs! She's still talking a lot and being her sweet self. I've been trying to get her to roll from her back to her stomach and she is so close. She tries so hard and almost does it but stays on her side grunting. She's not even 5 months adjusted yet, but I'm trying to keep her on track as best I can.

I'm pleased to announce that our city is FINALLY offering curbside recycling at no additional charge. I'm so excited! Now I don't have to take our recycling myself and we have tons right now.

The weather was down in the 30s at night for a while and then right before Christmas, as every year it seems, it gets humid and warm. We've been running the air conditioner since before Christmas. In fact, the week before Christmas I was a deer in headlights when I heard the sound of a lawn mower! I miss the snow!!! If you haven't noticed I put our local Pensacola weather on the blog now.

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year! I'm really looking forward to 2009, and I can only imagine how big Makenzie will get and all the amazing new things she will do.

Only three more days

2008-12-22T13:00:00.003-06:00

We are anxious to spend Christmas with our precious angel monkey. She is at such a fun age, always babbling and wanting to play. Last night I got her to laugh consecutively for the very first time. It was sooooo cute. She weighs over 10 1/2 lbs now. She tries making all different sounds. It sounds like she is saying full sentences, just in her own language. She also makes tons of new expressions and faces, some of which are hilarious. I have names for all her different expressions, like puffer fish, monkey face, etc. She's awake a lot during the day (especially in the evening when Daddy is home so she won't miss anything), but she likes to sleep anywhere from 7-11 hours straight through the night . She's always happy and rarely fusses and even more rarely ever cries. In fact, the only time she wails is at the doctor. She wakes up smiling and talking and that is such a wonderful way to start the day; I'm so lucky!

Some of our family members have sent some wrapped gifts so we have stuff to open on Christmas morning now, mostly for the princss of course. We'll set up our video camera on the tripod and Makenzie will be wearing one of her special Christmas outfits. And of course, I will be reading her my "The Night Before Christmas" book that I've read every year on Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember. Now I don't have to read it to a dog, lol. Rick works Christmas morning to make extra money but he'll be home by noon. We bought a 9lb turkey to make along with the usual holiday fixings. The house has to smell yummy on Christmas day, and even though we will be missing our families, we will be engulfed in joy with our little Christmas girl.

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-19T11:01:00.005-06:00

ARE WE DONE YET MOM?

BLOWING BUBBLES

OUR LITTLE CHRISTMAS ANGEL

I THINK SHE ENJOYED BEING THE CHRISTMAS PRINCESS GIRL

SOMEONE PUT THIS KID ON THE COVER OF A MAGAZINE, SHE'S A MODEL : )

DADDY GIVING HER A BATH

JUST HANGING OUT WITH DAD

I TRY PUTTING ALL OF MY TOYS IN MY MOUTH NOW.

Makenzie weighs over 10lbs now! I can't believe she's in double digits. GO MAKENZIE!!! : )

There are 47 new pictures on photobucket, most of which are from her holiday photo shoots. I will just put my favorite ones on here. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Counting our blessings

2008-12-16T12:20:00.002-06:00

Every day I give Makenzie ten million kisses on her head and thank God for her and her health. We are so lucky to have her, and I never forget it for a moment. Today while watching Jon and Kate Plus 8, I was overwhelmed with emotion. In the episode the Gosselin family traveled to a St. Jude hospital to bring awareness and teach their kids about giving. I couldn't stand seeing those precious kids fighting cancer. It isn't fair that anyone has to battle cancer but especially children! There was a mom holding her sick child saying how they are the lucky ones. She explained that they have been brought closer together and they know the meaning of life and how precious it is and she was so positive. I often think of a child Rick and I frequently saw on our way into the NICU. He would be sitting in a wheel chair throwing pennies in the fountain with his Dad. His bald head shined under the hopspital lights and despite looking very sick, he usually seemed upbeat. I always prayed for him and his family everytime we saw him. This Christmas as I spend it with my awesome husband and beautiful daughter I'm overcome by how blessed we are. Every day there are babies in the NICU fighting for their lives, there are kids fighting cancer, and there are the amazing nurses and doctors who take care of them. So if you are religious, I ask you to pray for all of those babies, children, and dedicated medical professionals this Christmas, and count the blessings in your life.

A gold bow for a special baby boy

2008-12-14T16:29:00.003-06:00

A couple things I meant to add to the last blog...at the doctor we discovered Makenzie is not scared of her doctor but of the table with krinkly paper. She screamed the same terror scream while laying on it, but she calmed down quicker this time when I held her. She sat in my lap the whole time the doctor examined her and she did great. He looked in her ears, in her throat with the tongue compressor, her eyes, and squeezed around on her stomach. He did say that he possibly saw one of her eyes not line up with the other for a brief second, a weaker eye. He looked closely and didn't see it again. He told us to look for pictures of her where only one eye has red eye and not the other. Hopefully we won't find any.

Today Cheryl watched Makenzie for us so we could go to the "Celebration of Life" service at the hospital chapel (THANK YOU CHERYL!). This memorial service was specifically for people who lost a child at Sacred Heart Hospital. We got to see Nurse Dawn and Nurse Amy (we love you both so much!!!) and the doctor who presided over things that awful Sunday night on June 8th. It's now been a little over 6 months since Luke passed away and the pain isn't any less. I don't think it ever will be. Tears streamed down my face during the service, actually before the service even started, and I tried to contain them enough to be able to breathe without gasping. In the middle of the service, a member of each family came up to say their child's name and put a gold bow on the Christmas tree in memory of them. This time I knew I couldn't get up, so Rick was the one to put the bow on the tree. We also brought a gold bow home, so I put that one on our tree. This service was better than the last one for me since this time I was filled with a chapel full of people who had all also lost a child or children. I watched everyone say their child's name and put their bow on the tree and said prayers for all of them. Once all the bows were on, the lit up the tree and it was so beautiful. As we were leaving our pew, a sweet old lady sitting by herself on the end squeezed my arm and rubbed it and gave me one of the most sincere looks I've ever been given. I had felt her eyes on me while I cried during the bow ceremony.

Afterward they had a small reception in the conference room. A mother that had came up to us at the service in September remembered us and came to ask how our little girl was doing. She knew we had lost Makenzie's twin brother. When I heard her husband say two names into the microphone I remembered them too, they were the ones who lost both of their twins. We talked briefly and I could see the pain in her eyes and that comforted me. Obviously I am sad for her and hate that anyone has to go through this, but it was almost relieving to talk to someone else who knows this pain. I'm sure she saw the same pain in my eyes. Rick and I had a cookie, some punch, and talked with Dawn and Amy about how awesome and cute Makenzie is. It felt good to see them and focus on the joy in our lives (MAKENZIE!) and be thankful for it. Makenzie is our shining light that has helped us cope. It's hard to know that this should've been Luke's first Christmas with us too. He is spending it up in heaven with my Gramms. I send them both all of my love.

Quick update-8 mo./4 mo.adjusted

2008-12-13T11:30:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was a Synagis shot and a check up. She has officially DOUBLED her birth length. At birth she was 11 1/2 inches and now she is 23 inches long! GO MAKENZIE! She weighs 9lbs. 14oz and continues to do spectacular. The doctor is so happy with how she is doing and commended us on taking such great care of her. Right now she is sleeping in her Care Bear costume b/c she is going to grow out of it soon. She is growing out of everything so fast now! We are going to have to pull out the next box of clothes. She laughed on Thursday night. Rick was laying on the couch, she was in her swing, and I started talking to her and she just laughed. Rick and I looked at each other and were so excited. She's the cutest thing on earth. Yesterday she rolled from her belly to her back and this time it looked a little more on purpose than before when she did it.

PICTURES

2008-12-06T11:57:00.004-06:00

Look, no cannula! Now we can see how precious her face is.

She weighs 9lbs 11oz now!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Makenzie!

"I held the bottle myself in this silly way."

Kenzie asleep in Cheryl's arms.

Sometimes if her belly hurts she likes laying like this in Dad's lap.

She held the fork (while I held her arm so she couldn't poke her eye out) and she was ready to eat the whole turkey. : )