Big Man!

Our little...or should I say not so little man now weighs......19 pounds 7 ounces!. There is a poem that is titled, You Know You Are A Mom of A Preemie When....and is goes on to list all of the things preemie moms do, worry about, deal with and so forth. Anyhow, one line goes something like....You know you are a mom of a preemie when someone asks you how old your baby is and you have to think about it (chronological or adjusted age) but you know EXACTLY how much they weigh. People will always ask me how John is doing and I always say he's great he weighs....! It's definitely a preemie thing!


Handsome little (I mean big) devil!
I love my shirt Uncle Craig and Aunt Alli!


Still not crawling........but very determined! As you can see, feeding is going to be much more difficult once he is mobile. We don't care though:)


All these toys.....


...and all he wants to play with is his feeding tube!

Mama & Bob Bob

On Christmas Eve, John discovered that he can make his voice very loud! He now yells out, Mamamamama and Bobobobobobob! I am not sure who this Bob fellow is but I am assuming he is a nice guy since John keeps calling for him:)

We had a follow up eye appointment on Tuesday and all is well. The Dr. did notice that his left eye turned in a tiny bit but he wasn't concerned. We don't have to go back for 3 months..........Yeah!

Not much else to report. He gets his synagis (RSV) shots on Friday and that's it. Pretty uneventful week........that's the way we like it!

Christmas Dinner!

We opted for a very casual Christmas dinner. It was just the three of us and my parents. It was very relaxing......just the way we like it!


What a hunk!
Thanks Auntie Shernaz for my adorable shirt....mom says I really am a hunk...whatever that means.


I really like Christmas!!!! Can we do it again tomorrow?


The BEST present of all!

Christmas Morning!

Mommy, can I please play in my policecar again?


Where's John?


Yummy!


Aunt Alli, we wear our slippers all the time too!


This wrapping paper is fun!


I LOVE Christmas!


Daddy, we made a mess!

More Christmas Eve pictures!

Look at all those presents......Remember, Grammy and Papa have 9 grandkids!


WOW....a policecar for me?


Look at me! I am a policeman just like Daddy!

Christmas Eve!

Thank you Grammy and Papa for a wonderful dinner and ALL of the great gifts........for all of us. And, an extra BIG thank you for cooking 2 dinners......one Christmas Eve for us and one Christmas Day for the rest of the family! John has 8 cousins on this side of the family and unfortunately he can't be around them........RSV season:( So, Grammy and Papa made Christmas Eve John's night!!!

My parents were their also! John's feeding pump finished right before we sat down to dinner........and of course he wouldn't sleep. It was Christmas Eve.......he was just too excited:) Anyhow, I handed him off to my mom to hold at the dinner table. We had only sat down for a second when the vomiting began. Now, I NEVER think it's funny when he vomits but this time it was hilarious......it went ALL over my mom's face, down her shirt, and I think a little went into her mouth. I know it's groose but when vomit is part of your daily routine......this one gave us a good chuckle! Don't worry, Gram's thought it was funny too.


My handsome little man!


Chris and Dani........he's talking to you!


Christmas is tiring.....for everyone!


Grandpa is so funny!

Then and Now

Christmas Eve 2005........a VERY sick little boy and a VERY sad Mommy and Daddy. I remember going to church that day....the scripture was on John. Two little babies were getting baptized and I just sat there and cried. As we left church I told Jamie I wanted to have the pastor come and baptize John in the NICU and Jamie said, No I want him to have a real baptism here in the church........no matter how sick John got Jamie stayed SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO strong (for us)and had no doubt in his mind that we would bring John home one day. Every night when we left the NICU (at midnight) I would ask Jamie....."Do you promise that we will be able to bring him home someday?".... Meaning, do you promise he will live? Jamie ALWAYS said, "He's coming home!" And, he kept his promise:)


Christmas Eve 2006.......we are off to deliver presents to our cousins and friends! Yes, I know he doesn't match........but he still looks cute.

Stay tuned for some Christmas Eve pictures at Grammy and Papa's tonight!!!!

All better!

John was feeling 100 times better today. We gave him Motrin (per the pedi)for the first time and he (we) slept VERY well. He was back to himself today and was able to play with Daddy all afternoon........while Mommy went to lunch and hung out with her friends:)


Sleeping babies are just so darn cute! Hmmmmm, I elevate his mattress (for his reflux) and he wiggles his way to the foot of the crib where it is flat:)


His favorite toy!


PLEASE can I just open one present.......sounds like his mom:)

Pulled an all nighter!

All nighters were much easier in college.......you could sleep the whole next day!!!
So, as soon as I finished posting last night........our long night began. Jamie and I switch off every night getting up with John........I know, I have the best husband in the world! Anyhow, last night was Jamie's night but I offered to take it because he hadn't slept well the night before. Little did I know I was about to pull an all nighter. So, around 10:00pm I heard him throwing up......I go in his room, get him cleaned up and put back to sleep....but only to realize his feeding tube had come loose and was pumping milk all over him. SO.........new PJ's and new sheets! The vomiting continued on and off until about midnight. I went to check on him and he was burning up so I took his temp.....sure enough his temp. was going up. The little guy was feeling yucky and all he wanted was to be held.....only problem, he wanted me to stand! So, here I was at 2:00am walking around the house with John in one arm and pushing his feeding pole around in the other hand. Needless to say I will be going to bed early tonight. On a positive note, I think his fever broke tonight and the pediatrician thinks this is from his MMR and not a virus.


What kind of post would this be without an adorable picture of my favorite baby:)

Who's that 19 pounder in my house?

I've been a slacker lately......... and now 2 posts in one day! I am making up for lost time!

What's been going on:
1. John is now 19 pounds 1 ounce.......15 more ounces and he gets a new car seat!
2. He is still working on his 2 top teeth.....he (we) are not having fun with this. He's been running a low grade fever for 2 days now. I am not sure if it's from his teeth, his MMR shots, or a virus. I am freaking out though. If it's not gone by tomorrow I am going to call the pedi. The last thing I want is for him to be sick over the holiday weekend.
3. His laugh is contagious.....the harder you laugh, the harder he laughs.
4. His PT thinks he will walk and run some day........maybe a little wobbly but who cares.
5. He is still vomiting...LOTS:(
6. His left eye is turning back in a little. We go for a follow up next Tuesday. I'll update then.
7. My OB happened to take her son to the same Neurologist and had a horrible experience too.
8. Don't drink the water.......all of my friends are pregnant!
9. John has his first sleep over on New Year's Eve.....thanks Mom and Dad! Santa is bringing him is own suitcase/backpack so he can take it on his sleep over.


SOOOOOOOOO cute!


My crazy little monkey




Bad hair day!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care....

Christmas is coming.......and we can't wait!!!





If you look closely you can see the little peanut at the bottom, under the tree.

All I want for Christmas...

...is John's 2 front teeth! Poor little man.......BOTH of his top two teeth are coming in at once. His little gums are so swollen.

So, at Speech today I asked if she thought John would ever be able to eat (someone kids never do and are tube feed their entire life) and she was pretty hopeful that he would. Yeah!!!!!!!!

Jamie and I have decided that we will not being taking John back to the neurologist. I spoke with his ST and his PT about it and they too agreed that we are doing everything we need to do to help him succeed. We aren't going to change anything we are doing and he is getting all the help he needs. There isn't anything the neurologist can tell us that we don't already know.......well, I take that back...who knows what she'll tell us next time. He hasn't had anymore head ultra sounds or MRI's so all of the info. she is going off of is from the NICU days. Anyhow, if he starts regressing then we'll take him back.........but not to her!

More Pictures!

28 seconds!

Great news......John sat all by himself today for 28 seconds. Hmmmmmmmmm, and they told us he would never sit.

He also got all of his 12 month shots and his second half of his flu shot this week. He did wonderfully of course. He cried for a couple of seconds and that was it. He's one tough little boy.......MUCH braver than me.

Just because.....

A post full of CUTE pictures just because I think I have the cutest kid in the world!!!!


Bound and determined!


I am gonna crawl, I am gonna crawl, I am gonna crawl!


Happy feet! Uncle Craig says John has happy feet.....his little feet go none stop:)



Where are my presents?


My little boxer! A few days after eye surgery......we are watching Daddy put up Christmas lights!


Tired after a long hard day of playing!

12 month check up!

I took John to his 12 month check up this morning. It was so cute, the nurse was listening to his lungs and he kept blowing her kisses. Anyhow, he weighed in at 18 pounds 11 ounces. That's my boy!!!!! The pedi. said he looked amazing and couldn't believe how well he was doing. I told her about our neurological visit and she was floored. She also thought that the neurologist must have been thinking about another child. She said to go back and see her one more time and if we still aren't happy then to give her a call and she'll set us up with a new neurologist.

The Party!

John's birthday party was on Sunday. We had strict instructions to our guests.....if they were sick, been around someone who was sick, or thought they may be getting sick....we asked that they please stay at home. So, with everyone being extra cautious, our list of about 50 close friends and family turned into about 30. As much as we wanted everyone there, we were so thankful that they kept their germs to themselves.

They party was a lot of fun. My dad made an amazing video of John's first year. I prepared myself by watching it numerous times before the party.......it didn't help, I still cried!

John loved when we sang happy birthday to him. He just sat their with a huge smile on his face. He was such a champ.......but then again, isn't he always?????