Toodle-Doos & I Love Yous

Carson's First Birthday

2008-03-03T23:05:00.008-05:00

With one tooth barely showing

Crawling

Pulling to stand and cruising

Climbing up steps

Weighing in at 17 1/2 pounds and measuring 28 1/2 inches

Whistling (seriously whistling, check out the video clip)

And eating everything in sight....

Carson James turned ONE on February 16 and we celebrated on February 17.

Unlike his sister's first birthday (she cried during cake time), Carson loved his cake as long as someone fed him. Who wouldn't love PF Chang's Wall of Chocolate? We kept it simple with Vic's family for 2 hours. He enjoyed the company, but not as much as Ella did. She got dressed up for little brother's birthday; she wanted him to be 3 like her. She sang happy birthday to him and carried the cake to his highchair. With his lightning fast reflexes, he reached for the lit candle but Vic saved the day and blew it out.

With all the concerns about his assymetric scooting, I decided to have him assessed by the Good Samaritan physical and occupational teams that evaluated him in the fall. Now up to this visit, he was army crawling by rolling over the left arm and keeping the left leg straight (our in-home physical therapist's concerns). That little stinker decided to crawl on all fours FOR THE FIRST TIME during the assessment. The Good Sam therapists did not feel he required therapy through our insurance; he was pretty much on target for his adjusted age. Some skills were slightly delayed, some skills were emerging so inconsistent and others were ahead of schedule. The basic conclusion from the Good Sam PT was that he had full range of motion on both sides but decreased quality on the left side. It was mentioned that sometimes kids learn with one side first (his right) and then work on the other side after mastering the first side. Good news!

In trying to put our minds at ease about this, Vic and I looked back at Ella's milestones. Carson actually got into the all four position, crawled, pulled to stand and cruised before Ella and there were/are no concerns with her gross motor development. We are still going to have him evaluated by a Neurologist at Children's Hospital on March 10 to be proactive based on our in-home PT's advice. Our pediatrician doesn't think this is necessary, but I'd rather be safe. It's not that I don't trust our pediatrician because I greatly do. But Amy (our PT) spends 1 hour per week with him so she has more observation time with him. She is very pleased with his progress over the past month but still wants to consult with the Neurologist to rule out other issues. Since there's no pain/stress during the first visit (just a physical exam), we are inclined to be proactive and put our minds at ease. If there are other issues, early intervention could aid his development. I'll post after the visit.

Waiting...

2008-02-08T05:33:00.000-05:00

So, it's the early morning of Friday, February 8 and I have been sitting at First Church of Christ since midnight to register Ella for preschool. I thought I was crazy and was worried about being the only one waiting at a church, but that was not a problem. For when I arrived at midnight (registration opens at 9AM), there were already 4 ladies waiting. 1 was waiting for the 4 year old program and the other 3 were waiting for the 3 year old program so I am second on the waiting list. Someone should open a preschool in the Northern Kentucky area. Seriously, St Timothy registered recently and they are already full.

Other happenings... Carson's birthday is coming up - Feb 16. Can you believe a year has passed? He is finally cutting his first tooth (you can feel it but not see it). The lack of teeth has not stopped him from eating; he had a slice of pizza last night. Carson is scooting or army crawling everywhere; he is not content to stay in one place especially with Ella running everywhere. He is getting into a crawling position, rocking and on occasion moving forward a few patterns. The therapist still visits Carson weekly and has expressed concern on one occasion about his left leg. When he scoots, he uses his right leg to move forward, bends his left arm underneath him and rolls over it, and drags his left leg behind him. If you bend his left leg while in this position, he typically moves it normally. He uses his left leg when jumping or balancing objects while laying down. This concern was only noted on one visit and we've had two subsequent visits and she thinks everything is fine. When she expressed the concern, she indicated we would watch closely and if necessary consult with a Neurologist. Our appointment with the Neurologist is the first week of March, but hopefully, we can cancel it.

Carson continues to adore Ella. He smiles and laughs at her. Yesterday, they were laying on the floor and he scooted to her. As he looked at her, he giggled. I told her to kiss him and when she did, he smiled and giggled. Ella cheers for his accomplishments and is proud to announce them to me (if I'm not looking). She watches out for him by taking away small objects or paper. She loves to feed him cheerios and sometimes baby food. When we eat, she often asks if Carson can have a small bite of this or that.

Ella cracks us up. At preschool, she made an airplane out of a box. The teacher gave her 4 people - a mom, dad, boy and girl. The boy and girl were the same height. Ella asked the teacher for a baby like her brother Carson. The teacher listened and thoughtfully took the boy to the copier and shrunk him. Ella was so excited to share this project with us. Everything is relative to her (at least I think) for she says that I am a big momma and that I have a big bottom. At least I don't think I am a big momma. She has a new friend at school, Harrison. Her favorite friend, Isabelle, is no longer in her class. She told me that she held hands and marched with Harrison in music. Then she told me she liked Harrison's shoes (they were black and shiny). Of course, she said, Harrison liked her boots. She continues to attend dance class on Tuesdays and enjoys Ms. Dee. Her recital is in May and then we will take a break to enjoy summer activities. We're also planning her birthday party at the end of March; she wants to go to the jumping place with all of her cousins.

So, lots of things going on... and still waiting for 9AM to arrive. After that, I will go home, play with Carson and Ella, and anxiously await nap time. It can't come soon enough. Normal nap time is 2PM, but I'm hoping I can get them down by 1PM. Hope... hope... hoping.

Carson's 9 1/2 Months Pictures

2007-12-05T15:52:00.000-05:00

Here are Carson's latest pics - could he be any more handsome? Yes, he is sitting on his own now... and he is army crawling. This is happening way too fast. Ella was not mobile at her first Christmas and he has already helped himself to some ornaments from the tree. Enjoy!

Once Upon A Time...

2007-11-26T02:04:00.000-05:00

On the way home from dinner, Ella asked us if we wanted to hear her story. We replied yes of course. Here is mostly how the story went:

Ella: Once upon a time, there was a little old man who was walking with candy canes.
Tonya: What happened next?
E: The ducks took the candy canes. And then the mean cat took them.
T: Did the mean cat take the ducks or the candy canes?
E: The candy canes.
T: Then what happened?
E: The little old man tried to catch them.
T: Then what happened?
E: The ducks threw them in the water. And the fish got them.
T: Then what happened?
E: They went in the fish's belly. Then, the fish gave them back to the little old man. He gave some to the ducks and some to the mean cat. That was 'berry' nice of him to share. Then, they were happy.

Ella was a crack-up all day. Whenever I am looking for something to wear, Vic tells Ella that there is a raccoon in the closet. So, when she was going potty today with Vic supervising, I peeked in. Ella said in her silly voice "There's a raccoon peeking in."

As we were leaving the restaurant, Ella says to no one in particular except for maybe the nice strangers holding the door "Daddy has a boyfriend." This is absolutely NOT true and here is where she picked up on this. As we arrived at Thanksgiving dinner at Vic's parents' house, Vic commented that Amber had brought her boyfriend, John. Ella had never met John before and she rarely sees Amber. So, somehow she is convinced that Daddy has a boyfriend.

Over the weekend, we ventured to the mall and unexpectedly had their pictures taken with Santa. We anticipated huge lines, but there was none. Ella was excited and talked and smiled to Ho Ho. Carson did not cry. He looked up at Santa's face and then watched Ella to decide what to do next. The usually cheerful Carson didn't even crack a tiny smile, but he did manage to look at the camera. After this excursion, Vic is now convinced of my need for a double stroller so we are making that purchase very very soon. We also decided on Carson's bedding (yes, he's in a crib in our room still) so we'll be putting his room together in the next few weeks. I'm actually not looking forward to my trek upstairs for his naps and wakings at night. And what did Ella ask for - an expensive kitty cat. You know, the FurReal white cat that meows and moves... We saw it at Wal-Mart and played with it in the cart. Then mean mom told her we couldn't buy it because it was too expensive. I know that kitty cat will make my Ella one happy girl on Christmas Day : ) thanks MawMaw!

Carson continues to show his strength. He is sitting for longer periods of time and can prop himself. Today he transitioned from sitting to laying on his stomach smoothly while on our bed. He loves to kick in his bath and makes quite a mess. Tonight he splashed with his hands and thoroughly enjoyed himself. His flexibility has improved - he now eats his toes. When we first started physical therapy, he did not bend his feet/legs toward his mouth. I could stretch them there, but he resisted. He enjoys removing our glasses and rubbing our eyebrows. We've started giving graham crackers to him and he would shove them whole in his mouth so this is closely monitored. He is chewing/crunching them. He is excited to drink water from a glass. He opens his mouth, grabs the rim with both hands (fingers inside the glass, palms on the outside of the glass) and pulls it to his mouth. He has a tight grip and you have to wrestle the glass away from him. He is still putting everything in his mouth and I do mean everything.

Time to go to bed.... good night...

Watch what you say!

2007-11-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

The pictures above are from our family outing to Daniel's Petting Zoo. We fed the animals took a hayride, picked out pumpkins and Ella had her first pony ride. We had so much fun, but unfortunately, I let Carson get sunburnt. C'mon - it's the middle of October. You can see his red cheeks in the close-up below; he's wearing a navy shirt with striped sleeves. Dumb Mom! I felt awful.

Ella is ever so amusing and she cracks us up everyday. Here are a few of our favorite stories:

Ella and Carson were monkeys for Halloween; however, we did buy a kangaroo costume from Old Navy. She did not wear it and the tags were attached so we returned it on Nov 1. Ella goes into Old Navy with me and I sit her on the counter. She likes to pay. And as the associate is processing the return, she asks Ella what she was for Halloween. Ella confidently replies "a kangaroo." And I wanted to hide under the nearest clothing rack.

I don't remember what Vic did, but it wasn't what Ella wanted him to do. She looked at him and asked "what were you thinking, Dad?"
When we were eating out, Ella requested Sprite so they brought her a paper cup with a straw. Strangely, Ella turned it up and drank from it like it was a sippy cup. Of course, she got wet. After telling her that we don't drink from cups like that and this is how you do it, she stated that "she wanted to drink it like a beer." Vic & I did our best to not laugh and she added "I wanted to drink it like the armadillo." Texas Roadhouse has a stuffed armadillo laying on his back (upside down) drinking a beer. That's what I get for explaining too much to her.
After preschool, Ella informed us that Grace was missing. I asked where she was and Ella replied "she was on China." Having met Grace's mom a month ago, I knew she was travelling to China to adopt a sibling for Grace. I told Ella that she was right - Grace was going to get a baby sister. And Ella said, "no, that's not right. a baby brother." I can't honestly recall so we'll wait and see.
And this last one is strange... as we were leaving for preschool, she asked "Mommy, did our house burn down?" We have not discussed that with her, but I am sure it has been discussed with family and friends in her presence. After taking a deep breath, I explained that it had burnt down, Daddy built us a new one, and that it happened a long, long, long time ago. And on a different day, she said "maybe our house will burn down again. That would be fun." She has never used "fire" and "burnt" in the same conversation so I don't think she completely understands, but she definitely picks up on more things than I had thought.

After attempting another parent/child class with Ella, we decided to hold off on gymnastics until she was 3 and could attend without a parent. Ella wanted to do the big equipment and not the Wiggles dance and obstacle courses. But after hearing one of Ella's friends attending a dance class, we started looking into that opportunity. Vic's friend from high school has her own studio and she agreed to let Ella try the three year old class. We observed the first class and Ella was dying to join the girls. We bought tap shoes and ballet shoes for the second class and she loved it. It's a 45 minute class with tap, ballet and tumbling. She had so much fun, but it's obvious she's the youngest. We pay monthly so we'll see how it goes. The downer is that parents aren't allowed to watch, but if you watch from the window outside the studio, you can sneak a peek. Of course, we did that! Tomorrow, we are headed to a dance supply store to pick up a pink leotard and pink tights. I'll post pictures soon. Ella's in blue in the pic; they are doing ballet butterfly stretches.

Carson had his 9 month doctor visit and the doc was pleased with his growth. 14 pounds, 15.8 ounces and 26 1/4 inches in length. He is still not on the chart for weight but falls in the 8th percentile for length. His iron level was good so we can stop the multi-vitamins (one of the reasons for his constipation). He is starting to sit on his own for short periods of time, rolls everywhere every direction, starting to prop with his arms when sitting, bangs toys against the highchair tray, can pick up cheerios and place them in his mouth, pivots on his stomach and is starting to pull his knees underneath of him and move his legs to move towards an object (the beginning of the army crawl). He visited the eye doctor and this visit was much less stressful (no flipping of the eye). He looked great and we don't have to go back for another year - yippee! He had his follow-up with the NICU at Good Samaritan Hospital and he was on target for his adjusted age. He'll visit again at 15 months of age. Carson is making great progress with the physical therapist and he is starting to be more expressive. Although he uses consonants and vowels like ga, ba, da, he doesn't babble (babababa, dadada). He is starting to show different inflections when excited. He cried today when I took a tag off of his zebra because he wanted to eat it. Did I mention he mouths everything? This is so different than Ella. He has no teeth but has swollen gums so maybe soon. I think he's starting to play the pick up game. He drops a cup from the highchair and I'm supposed to pick it up... maybe Ella will want to play.

Ella had her first dentist visit this past week and she passed. I was honest and confessed that we brush her teeth once a day. Of course, he would like to see her try it in the morning on her own (at the very least) and then we should do it at night. He suggested I do a better job at the gum lines in the front by pulling her lips out. She always giggles because that part tickles. The bad news is that her thumbsucking (only when she sleeps) is affecting her bite; I could see the impact. The good news is that it is self-correctible. Dr. Bert told Ella that she needed to stop sucking her thumb and she still likes him. She has a security blanket and if she holds it, she sucks her thumb so we have new rules about Toodle-Doo:

He can't leave her bedroom because he might get lost.
He can't nap with her because he's dirty and needs a bath. He might get muddy footprints in her bed.

So far so good... she fake cried yesterday at nap time, but not today. I'm not forcing anything overnight because I don't want to regress on the potty training. We'll take it slow, but hopefully thumbsucking will stop before age 3.

It could ONLY happen to me!

2007-10-05T23:25:00.000-05:00

Vic has been busy with client/business evening/weekend entertainment. Reds game on Tuesday, golf outing on Saturday and Bengals on Monday. So, I decided to escape from the house on Saturday by returning some library books and making a quick trip to Target (I needed to focus for this to be quick). I planned to be back at the house for lunch.

Vic left around 10AM and I left shortly thereafter with Ella and Carson. Did I mention that we're back on the potty training again? Anyway, we made it to the library and paid our late fines on the first floor and Ella said "I have to go potty." Although she says this more often than she needs to go, this is one of her usual times to go. I had Carson in the carseat attached to the stroller and the restrooms were on the second floor. We quickly walked to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. Although it seemed like forever, I'm sure it was not. We rushed onto the elevator. With my mouth open, I watched in slow motion as my keys fell off my stroller hood and oh no!!! down the elevator shaft. I really wanted to cry/scream/curse but I managed to calmly focus on getting Ella to the potty. She successfully pee-ed in the toilet and we celebrated. Then, I explained the key situation to her and told her we needed to find someone to help. After sharing my embarrassing predicament with the librarian, she informed me that it would cost $500 for the elevator company to retrieve my keys today or $0 on Monday. She then lovingly reassured me that my carkey was probably going to be ruined anyway because it was sitting in a puddle of oil under the hydraulic elevator. Her husband was an elevator man so she seemed to know a lot about elevators. The staff opened up their playroom for us and offered to drive us home, get anything we need, etc. I know a replacement key would be expensive, but probably close to the same price so I set out to find a ride home.

I called my sister-in-laws who live down the street and no one answered. I am sure they were outside enjoying the beautiful day. I called my husband who had driven three other co-workers to the golf outing at least 45 minutes away - no hope there! Thankfully, my father-in-law rescued us. As I drove through McDonald's to pick up food for Ella, I had a thought to call the fire department. Since they rescued cats from trees, maybe they could rescue my key from the deep vast elevator shaft (really only 2-3 feet). They were willing and eager to help; however, the librarian and particularly the facility manager were not happy with my idea. The facility manager was not happy because he would have to drive from his home to the library on his off day. The librarian could not understand why I could not wait until Monday; her attitude completely changed toward me. Here's a simple answer: if my key was sitting in a puddle of oil, I would rather it sit in the oil for less time. I guess that's selfish, but oh well. It ends up that the firemen did not have the right key for the job (which would suck if there was an entrapment) and the facility manager claimed he didn't have a key. The firemen could, however, see that my key was sitting on dry concrete not in a puddle of oil so I was content to wait until Monday. On Monday, I picked up my key from the same librarian who said absolutely nothing to me. So, lesson learned, do not put key on the hood of your stroller and always have a bottle with you (just in case). BTW, the firemen were awesome. They chatted with me, answered Ella's many questions and let her touch the firetruck.

Meanwhile, potty successes continued.... dry all day on Saturday and Sunday while she was awake. She's still not completely comfortable telling her teachers at school so we've come home wet from school on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. She's not staying dry during naps or the night yet, but she tells us that she's wet when she wakes. She is staying dry in the evenings and stayed dry ALL DAY today. She went to the potty FOUR times today without us prompting/questioning her. She's telling us, holding it, pretty much pulling her pants/diapers down and going pee pee on the potty. She's not pooping on the potty by herself yet although that's what she started doing first in June. So, after two training potties, two toilet seats, four how-to books, numerous stickers and sticker charts, too many to count prizes and children's books on potties, we are very, very close to having a potty-trained 2 1/2 year old Ella.

If someone asks me for my secret, I don't have one. None of the trained in one day methods worked for us. Sticker charts were great for getting her started, but they weren't motivating enough for her. After we knew she knew when she needed to go but chose to go in her pants anyway, we started using consequences. At first, we marked a black X on her 5 circle per day chart instead of giving her a stamp for a success. When she began to tell us that we now needed to mark an X on her chart when she had an accident, we knew she understood consequences. So, I went for the ultimate sacrifice... her 10 market pieces from her Little People playset. She absolutely loves to play market especially with Dad. The rules were simple:

If she had an accident while awake, she lost one market piece.
If she went pee-pee or poo-poo on the potty, she got all the market pieces back.

She lost three pieces on the first day, but got them all back on the second morning. So far, she has not lost more than two pieces before earning them all back. Surprisingly, this plan has not caused panic, tantrums or tears. No arguments either. She gets it! If you played market and some pieces were missing, she knew why they were missing. Oh - and we never told her she was bad, but that pee-pee in the diaper was bad or mommy doesn't like wet diapers. It could be coincidentally the right time, the peer pressure at school, the market pieces, showing her how to pull down/up her pants/diaper, or the new Baby Bjorn toilet seat and stool that help her go like grown-ups. Who knows but keep your fingers crossed - we think we're approaching the finish line.

Quick Pictures of Carson

2007-09-28T22:55:00.000-05:00

I took Carson to Sears this week for updated pictures. Can you believe he is 7 1/2 months? I am kind of biased, but he is definitely CUTE!

Carson is scheduled to start Physical Therapy this Thursday. The state of Kentucky has a great early intervention program, First Steps. They are unbelievably reasonable in cost and the therapists come to our home. At the time of his assessment, Carson was not rolling from back to tummy (with lots of coaxing), required moderate support for sitting and appeared to be stiff at the trunk. He didn't bring his knees to his chest as easily as most babies; however, this could also mean that his muscles are more developed in that area. He was also standing with support and taking some steps; this was more than what was expected for his adjusted age. He is now rolling without any coaxing and is so very close to sitting. He can sit for a few seconds if we place him just right. He hasn't figured out how to use his arms for balancing and propping. He now stands and takes steps with less support, too. After meeting with the team on Thursday, we don't think he will be in the program for long (unless his needs change). We also are scheduled for a full assessment at the Good Samaritan Hospital NICU clinic on Tuesday, October 2. They often refer to First Steps when necessary. I am anxious to hear their thoughts.

what to do with a yucky toodle-doo?

2007-09-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

For those of you that don't know, Ella has a security blanket with an elephant on it. I taught Ella that an elephant makes a toodle-doo sound - how else can you explain the elephant sound? She started this blanket attachment around the age of 1 and if she is holding the blanket, her thumb goes in her mouth. She is a thumb sucker, but only when going to sleep or when she's upset such as when she gets hurt. Toodle-doo was a huge part of her adjustment to preschool last year; he soothed her. As she began to take him to school, I began to worry about losing toodle-doo. Since they didn't make him anymore (Aunt Debbie bought him at Target as a shower gift), I paid $50 for a new one with tags on eBay. Crazy, but worried...

When she had some unexplained nightime vomiting (now believed to be teething & sinus related), toodle-doo became yucky and I had to substitute feel-better-giraffe. This worked - thank goodness : ) Aunt Sara bought the giraffe for Carson and I bought a second one just in case; although I did hear that the manufacturer is keeping a quantity of security blankets available for sale on hand for desperate parents. What a smart idea! Anyway, sometimes Ella drools on toodle-doo and makes a corner yucky. When she goes to bed or is getting sleepy in the car, she wants the yucky toodle-doo. Well, the yucky toodle-doo is getting a much needed bath in the next day or so and I am sure that will make for a terrible two tantrum.

I promised more about preschools and the decision is not yet final. Last year, Ella attended SonLight Preschool at Erlanger Baptist Church. Although there was a transition period, the staff and teachers are loving. Ella adored Ms. Barbara and Ms. Jeannie and she still talks about her friends from school. The hours and perfect (9:30 - 1:30) and the cost is reasonable ($140 per month for 2 days). This is one of the only mothers' day out programs in the area that accepts one year olds. Our plans were to continue with this program this year; however, we began to have concerns at Orientation. The classroom is half the size of last year's room without a window and she pretty much knows what they plan to teach. We recognize that social skills are a big part of her development and yes, she still needs to work on them, but Ella loves to learn. When we talked to the teacher, she commented that many of the kids in the older two class did not know their shapes, letters, colors or how to spell their name; Ella can do all of these things. The teacher did say that she would try to introduce some of the older two concepts to Ella on an individual level, but I don't feel that is very feasible given the ratio of 10:2. Ella was placed in the younger twos based upon the birthdates on the kids that enrolled. Most preschools would have classified her as an older two because her birthday falls between Sept 1 and March 31.

Because I was pregnant and not thinking rationally and therefore not capable of making decisions at the time of open registration for another preschool, Creative Beginnings, I reserved Ella a spot in this program. This program is quite the opposite. It is highly structured and very academic. You receive a monthly calendar with the activities (story, music. art) identified by day. They work in 15-20 minute cycles which seems very quick and not allowing for much transition. I have not seen this in action so I am trying to be patient. The hours (9:00 - 11:30)are not near as convenient/flexible and your days are set (Mon & Thurs/Tues & Fri). It stays this way through next year. The 4 year olds go three days a week. They do provide for drop-off and pick-up so that I don't have to drag Carson into school. The director is very on top of things to the point of providing me with 30 minutes to decide whether I wanted to switch days or not. She called me at minute 31; I was feeding Carson and she was next on my list. Again, this school is very recognized and they had a waiting list so she was able to fill the spot that same day. This is the same school for which a parent arrived around 3PM on a Friday to reserve a spot in the 3 year old program; registration began at 8AM on Saturday.

I have also looked at the Goddard School and the Little Red Schoolhouse in Richwood. I hope to tour the new Little Red Schoolhouse in Edgewood this week and then we will make a decision. Ella would be moved to a new classroom between 34 and 36 months at these facilities so we may change schools at that time if nothing else is working out. For now, she is attending both Creative Beginnings and SonLight Preschool. Next year is a whole new ball of wax and Montessori schools and other church preschools will be considered. Decisions, decisions...

First day at SonLight Preschool on 9/4/07

Now, onto a few more fun pics...

who is who?

Carson then Ella

Ella then Carson - yes, Ella is wearing blue!

therapists, preschools and giggles

2007-09-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

After Carson's 6 month check-up (at which he weighed 11 lbs, 11 oz), he is now taking adult medicine to ease his constipation. He is taking a newly OTC drug called MiraLax which has been working wonderfully. He is now regular (without explosions) and his hemorroid has significantly shrunk - RELIEF! His iron is still not up to par so we will continue multi-vitamin drops through 9 months and check his iron level then. He is gaining weight, but we are going to keep him on the 22 calorie formula through at least 9 months to make sure his weight gain continues. We asked the doctor about his preference to use his left arm over his right arm and he referred us to First Steps (a state of Kentucky program). Hopefully, the professional evaluations will put our mind at ease. After meeting with an RN, an evaluator played with Carson to assess his skills (gross motor, fine motor, cognitive and social). He checked out fine in everything except gross motor and fine motor; he was on the borderline for normal. Remember, Carson is being assessed as a 4 month old (his adjusted age). The next step is to have a physical therapist evaluate him; this appointment has not yet been scheduled.

Carson started rice cereal with applesauce about a month ago and goes crazy for it. After we got the MiraLax under control, we started vegetables. He despises green beans which follows in Vic's footsteps because Ella and I are huge fans. I know it can take several attempts for a baby to learn to like a new taste, but I am not seeing any signs of improvement after four days. He coughs them up, spits them out, closes (more like locks) his mouth shut, and makes the most awful faces. Come to think of it, he makes the funniest faces? Did I mention how he makes the biggest frown? Vic and I have tried to imitate his frown and we can't come close. We'll have to catch that on camera. Carson has also learned to fake cough so he gets our attention - it works! He thoroughly enjoys Ella. He laughed while she jumped over my legs and giggled when we were doing pattycake with her. He loves to grab our faces especially our noses and my hair and successfully removed Vic's glasses from his face. Everything goes into his mouth. And he is a BIG flirt with men and women. While we were eating at PF Chang's, he smiled and cooed at two gentlemen dining together until he captured their attention and elicited some conversation. He is definitely getting a personality.

And then there's Miss Personality herself - Ella Nicole! She now knows her full name and can spell her first name. She also knows that her family is Momma Gregory, Daddy Gregory and Carson Gregory. And since we started preschool today, she now informed me that God loves Mommy, Daddy, Carson and Ella and that God made us. She can successfully do a somersault and is fond of trying it wherever (couch, bed, etc.) so we are in the process of setting limits and helping her understand that she can't do them into the cabinets. Potty training - we really focused in June/July, but decided to back off because we were getting into power struggles. After consulting many books, we decided that SHE needed to make the decision to go potty because we can't make her go pee/poop in the potty. We know she can do this, but we are having mixed results. She has successfully gone in a potty at two restaurants (does McDonald's count?) and she told me she had to go and held it until we made it there with Carson in tow. She also says "please change me" after she goes and she waddles around until she is changed. So, we are encouraging her but waiting for her decision to do this! The preschool selection process continues. More about that next time...

Some funny Ella stories...

After listening to me tell Carson how handsome he is, Ella says "I wanna be handsome."

I definitely shop and talk too much because she identified a Wal-Mart commercial before me and pointed out that her raisins have Kroger on them (because they're Kroger brand).

While we were at Old Navy, I said something about not being able to find socks in Carson's size. She calmly reassured me and led me to another sock rack. She said, "Don't worry, Mom. There are more socks right here."

Ella is addicted to Dora & Diego fruit snacks. She can identify the animals (Sammy the Sloth, Sea Turtle, Baby Jaguar, etc.) I don't think I can identify a sloth : ) Anyway, after eating Baby Jaguar, we had this conversation:

Ella: where's baby Jaguar?
Tonya: in your belly.
Ella: I want him to come out.
Tonya: (thinking quickly to avoid a meltdown during which he might come back up) he'll come out in your poopy.
Ella: (inquisitively) he be nasty?
Attached are a few overdue pictures of Ella at 2 years and Carson at 9 weeks:

what did she say?!?!

2007-08-08T23:28:00.000-05:00

just a few things that she said to make me laugh... thought I would share with you

When we went to the waterpark at Kings Island on Monday, Ella observed a man in his swimming trunks. In a louder voice, she pointed out "He's naked." I tried to explain that he wasn't naked but that he had his swim suit on. And tonight when Vic was changing out of his work clothes, she pointed out that he was naked. He still had his underwear and tshirt on, but to Ella he was naked. He told her that he was changing into his comfy clothes. And she said "let's get naked." Isn't she funny?

Yesterday, Ella, Carson & I went out for lunch. We were planning on Gold Star Chili (had to mention that for out-of-towners), but the free kid meal didn't start until dinner. So, we went to Buffalo Bob's (chicken wings). As we pull up to the restaurant, Ella says "I'm full." I proceed to rationalize with her. You can't be full - we just got here. She giggles and again says, "I'm full ." She was literally full of animals as she had stuffed all of her plastic animals in her pants.

So, today we had lunch at the house and I must say she was a great eater (4 chicken nuggets, a jar of carrots, Ritz crackers and a bag of fruit snacks). When I asked her if she wanted water to drink because I am out of milk (desperately need to go Kroger), she replied no. I asked her what she wanted, expecting her to say CapriSun or apple juice, but she replied "beer". I asked her what she said and she repeated "beer". I then tried to explain that only daddies drink beer and she accepted that explanation. When I shared this story with my dad, he said that I could try the trick he used on my sister, Amy. Amy was sniffing around my dad's beer and he asked her if she wanted some. She said yes and he poured the beer over her head. I don't think she asked for beer anytime soon after that.

And lastly, as we were rushing out the door to get to a doctor appointment for Carson in Crestview Hills with only 40 minutes notice, I asked her to get her sandals and bring them to me. Surprisingly, she listened. She seems to listen when things are urgent/important which is a good thing. As I buckled Carson in his carseat, she started cheering/chanting "Go Carson, Go Carson, Go Go Go Carson." And then she bent down and looked directly in his eyes and said, "what do you think about that?"

As far as the doctor appointment, his ears checked out fine (no ear infection as I had thought) and given a clear bill of health. There's a possibility he might be teething. It looks like he is very close to 12 pounds so great weight gain. He is still very constipated even with a teaspoon of karo syrup in each bottle so the doctor suggested dropping the karo and switching to a stronger mix of prune juice. We had been giving him diluted prune juice(3:1) to him, but only when he was backed up. Now, we are giving him 2 oz of diluted prune juice (1:1) every day. If that doesn't produce results, we will give him 2 oz of pure prune juice every day. I've never had prune juice in my life but I must say it looks and smells very disgusting. I don't really know how to serve it either, but he's been getting it lukewarm.

For those of you that haven't seen Carson in a while, here are a few pics that give you some perspective (6 days vs. almost 6 months). He is growing well, but still not on a normal chart. He reaches for our noses and mouth. Carson can "catch" the bird on his playmate; Ella loved this, too. And he is really fascinated with a Lamaze ladybug book (Ella loved this, too.) Sara - I bet James would love this! : ) Did I mention that he loves to snuggle with his blanket? So sweet...

And about me...I am pondering (I've been pondering for months) my choices of double strollers. I've looked around in Cincinnati and the Graco DuoGlider/Quattro Tour Duo and a few jogging strollers are my choices. I love the Peg Perego Aria Twin, but it is a side by side and doesn't accept carseats. After some extensive research, I have it narrowed down to 5 choices. None of them are cheap and none of them are available locally. Although I like the Graco Quattro Tour Duo, I can't lift all 39 pounds of it. That's more than a third of my weight. I would also have to buy a new Graco carseat if I wanted it to snap into the stroller. I loved this feature with Ella.

I have looked at everything online, but I have a hard time forking out that kind of dinero without trying it first. Besides, return shipping on a stroller is bound to be expensive. So, we're considering a weekend trip to Chicago. We checked for availability in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Maybe I need to open a stroller shop. We can also look at a high chair/toddler seat for Ella and bedding for Carson. He is still sleeping in our bassinet/playard in our room, but soon he will be relocated to his room which has yet to be decorated. Here is what we are thinking (be sure to check out the additional pics at Land of Nod with tracks painted on the walls - too cute:

We had previously purchased the Gap dots bedding, but I could only find one sheet and they don't have coordinating curtains. I think the chocolate brown is going to be difficult to match. Would love to know what you think...

http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=3073&f=833&pc=5

Last but not least, here are some cute pics of Ella in the bath and Carson sucking his thumb:

Lots of Pics

2007-08-01T01:10:00.000-05:00

Here are some more recent pics...

Ella with cousins, Macy & Lexi
Carson after bath
Momma, I wanna hold Carson
say Cheese!

say Cheese
Carson's matching hat
I know I can get this to my mouth
tummy time

Twins!?!?

2007-07-31T23:22:00.000-05:00

Sorry - I've been absent for a while and don't have much time to post. Thought I would share a few pics and funny stories...

I had Carson's pics taken at 5 months and Ella's pictures taken when she was between 6 and 7 months of age. We've always thought they looked alike, but here's the proof. Can you tell them apart?

Carson is on the left and Ella is on the right. Funny!

While we were at Babies R Us, we noticed Halloween costumes were already out. Can you believe that? So, we asked Ella for some input. Do you want to be a Backyardigan (from Nick Jr), a doctor, a dancer or Minnie Mouse. We were certain she would choose a Backyardigan. No, she said. Well, then who do you want to be? And she says, Diego (also from Nick Jr). I asked her the next day and she gave me the same answer. I think they're going to be out of her size. ; )

We are also learning how to go places without running away. When she ran away from me at the park while I was feeding Carson, she stopped and hid her eyes. Giggled and said you can't catch me. How can you not laugh? Adorable? She ran out of The Children's Place at the mall, across the hallway to Yankee Candle. Thank goodness she didn't break anything! She tried to hide another a clothing rack at Gap. And then she ran away from me at Target. That frightened her though because she couldn't see me although I could see her. She has been getting better after a few timeouts at the store and some serious discussions. Let's hope things improve! And she also decided to undress in the checkout lane at Target - just the shirt - but still - I guess she is showing off her new tricks.

On the other hand, Carson is a great shopping partner. He rarely cries, only when he is hungry, tired or in discomfort. He is over 10 lbs 9 oz and is wearing 0-3 month clothes; he'll be wearing 3-6 months in the next month. When I compared his weight to that of Ella's, he appears to be very close. After finishing his amoxicillin and getting through the side effects of projectile vomiting, diarrhea and decreased appetite, he is eating like a champ. 5 ounces 5 times a day - 25 ounces per day. We've even seen him drink 6 ounces on occasion. His vitamins make him constipated so we have started adding karo syrup to his bottles and sometimes have to offer prune juice (yuck!). Last night, we resorted to a glycerin suppository and we've gone through 4 outfits today. At least he feels better : )

Carson is very laid back and smiles ALL the time. Definitely a different personality than Ella's. We had to really really work for a tiny grin. He loves to chit chat and squeal. He giggles when you kiss his belly, legs, chest and neck. When he does tummy time, he holds his head straight up and steady. He reaches for toys, successfully grasps them and pulls them to his mouth. He loves to snuggle with his blanket, take baths and watch his big sister. And has officially taken up thumb sucking as of Sunday. We're in the awkward stage - he wants it, can't get it, won't take the pacifier and then fusses.

Ella is reciting the alphabet nonstop and sometimes hums. She can identify 11 of the 26 letters. She can count to 11, but then starts over at 8. We're working on counting in Spanish; she knows the names through 6, but she doesn't always get them in the right order. She loves to read books and is obsessed with Max & Ruby (another Nick Jr show). I really don't put her in front of a TV all day, but it is convenient when I am feeding Carson. She also enjoys playing with Carson's toys. She likes to play dumb. She asks where something goes when she knows exactly where it belongs. She listens to what you say and then turns it on you. She was fussy one day because she was hungry and I said - you don't have anything in your belly - that's why you're fussy. On another day, when she was fussy again she said, "I don't have anything in my belly - that's why I'm fussy." When she's asked to leave Carson at home, we've told her that we can't do that because Carson is part of the family. So, when I explained that I was going to change Carson's diaper in the other room, she asked to go. I'll be right back, I said. And she replied, I want to go. I'm part of the family.

As you can tell, they keep us busy but I don't know what we would do without them. They are a blessing... And Vic - he is such a wonderful husband and daddy! He is great about giving me breaks and jumping into his daddy role as soon as he steps foot in the door. Ella excitedly runs to him with a hug and says "Daddy". She also loves to wear her I Love Dad pjs. If she is wearing her I Love Mom pjs, it's only because her dad ones are dirty. Hope we made you smile : )

finally....

2007-04-21T23:00:00.000-05:00

At Carson's 2 month check-up on April 16, we received lots of great news:

Carson has continued to gain weight and now weighs 5 lbs. 13 oz.
The doctor was very pleased with his strength.
He was surprised but pleased with his ability to roll over already.
Although Carson is not overly social yet, the doctor reminded me that he was actually expected to arrive just 3 days prior to his doctor's appointment.
He received 4 shots and took them very well. He stopped crying as soon as the needles came out.
And the best news - we can skip the middle of the night feeding and get 6 hours of sleep - if Carson cooperates.

We have also switched to a store-bought formula, Enfamil Enfacare. It's not as readily available as most formulas, but I have been able to find it at Babies R Us and Kroger. Unfortunately, it is only available in 3 oz nursette bottles (expensive) and small 12.8 oz powder cans (small quantity compared to normal formula quantities). Up to this point, we have been using ready-to-use Enfamil Premature formula. Because we are still looking for more rapid weight gain, we have to use a special recipe to convert the Enfacare from 22 cal per ounce to 24 cal per ounce. When we switched to the powder formula, it seemed we were encountering more frequent and larger quantities of spit-up. We have since switched to the ready-to-use Enfacare and have seen some improvement. The doctor is leaning more towards acid reflux than a formula issue. We are also burping him 4 times through his whopping 2 ounces and sitting/holding him upright for at least 10 minutes after each feeding. This may be the reason for the improvement rather than the ready-to-use formula - time will tell. Since Ella had acid reflux, I'm not going to be surprised if Carson has it, too.

Next up - Carson's follow-up eye doctor appointment on Monday. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we have continued to see improvement.

Ella continues to be interested in Carson and wants to see him, check on him, hold him, talk to him, etc. She even sang Twinkle Twinkle to him. She has recently been singing the Barney song but she has revised the lyrics - I love you I love you I love you. If you sing it to her, she wants to hold her stuffed animals. As you sing, she hugs them and adoringly admires them. And last Sunday, she woke up and sang and talked to herself in her crib (normal for her). For some reason though, she started talking about the doughnut shop (which she can identify while driving). So, Vic took Ella to the doughnut shop and we had doughnuts for breakfast.

Ella also had a great playdate with her friends Aneesa, Jocelyn and Max. She was so excited to see her friends and I was excited to see everyone. It's been a long time coming and we had so much fun. Looking forward to the next outing. We are happy for the sunshine and warm weather and have been trying to get outside as much as possible.

Gotta get ready for the last feeding tonight... will post pictures soon.

An Ice Cream Cone...

2007-04-11T23:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry that I haven't posted sooner, but better late than never, right....

Our feedings with Carson have improved; he is taking close to 2 ounces and the gagging has decreased. The first 3-5 days of feedings were scary because he seemed to gag and choke and then spit-up. We were rushing to get the bulb syringe sometimes 2-3 times per feeding - difficult during the middle of the night. He probably weighs close to 6 pounds. We'll know for sure on Monday at his first doctor's appointment with shots (ouch!). Carson is more alert, but still sleeps often. He usually eats and goes back to sleep except for one feeding per day. At that one feeding, he stays awake between feedings. He can sleep through the vacuum cleaner, television and Ella's screaming so I think we have a good sleeper. He enjoys his bouncy seat with vibration and his playard with vibration; I think it helps with his gas. His formula is rich in everything so he seems to have lots of smelly gas. When you look at his size, most would not expect his strength. He can hold up his head while laying on his stomach and while on my shoulder. And today, he rolled over from his stomach to back. We were late in giving tummy time to Ella and she hated to lay on her belly; Carson actually prefers his belly. He still sucks on his pacifier, but he seems to be trying to suck his thumb. We had a second eye doctor appointment and his eyes improved, but we still go back in two weeks. Thanks for all the prayers!

Ella is amazing with Carson. If he cries, she runs to get his pacifier and brings it to me. She also attempts to console him by saying "otay, Carson" meaning it's okay Carson. She loves to hold his hand and buckle him in. We've let her hold him a couple times and she is very pleased with herself. We just have to remind her about limits because she wants to do everything we do with him. She wants to pick him up, feed him, burp him and carry him by herself. She is a proud big sister and constantly wants to know where he is.

We celebrated Ella's birthday with my family and she had a few funny stories. My sister Amy gave her an outfit with a necklace and socks. Who would have thought that Ella's favorite part would be the socks? We had a meltdown when I tried to remove the socks for bedtime; she slept in them. My dad got her a fire engine; she loved it. She woke everyone up the next morning with the siren. My dad brought Carmen with him. Although Ella can say Carmen, she sometimes called her Caramel. Since Ella can repeat anything I say, I decided to ask her to say some bigger words such as Mississippi and Colorado. For some reason, she now refers to Carmen as Mississippi. Where'd Mississippi go? Mississippi has also been accused of taking mommy's coffeepot (I don't have one) and her lollipop.

What are aunts for? Introducing nieces and nephews to new foods such as Cheetos and ice cream. We usually get our ice cream in bowls so a cone was a new treat for Ella. As Vic was leaving Aunt Debbie's, Aunt Debbie gave her an ice cream cone - cookies and cream. Since Vic didn't bring the wagon, he had to carry her with an ice cream down the street; they both were wearing it by the time they arrived home. It didn't matter - she LOVED it!

Noises...

2007-03-30T22:42:00.000-05:00

Carson officially came home on Friday, March 23 and was greeted by his big sis Ella. She was more than excited when we brought him through the door. She peeked at him and said "noises" because he made normal baby noises. She officially claimed him as hers - "my Baby Carson". This possessiveness is an everyday everything occurrence. Everything has an owner and one shouldn't mess with the order in her universe. Mommy can't use Daddy's pillow or Daddy's blanket - both of which are in our great room. At the park, Mommy's slide is on the left and Ella's slide is on the right. She seems to adore Carson, but the newness may quickly wear off. She is very interested in his stuff such as his bed, bouncy seat or activity gym. Of course, she insists on trying them out.

Carson is doing well and we are also doing well - just a bit sleep deprived! Thanks to everyone's emails, phone calls and prayers! We are blessed to have baby Carson home so soon and to have such caring friends and family. We set our alarm every 3 hours around the clock because Carson eats every 3 hours. You also can't feed him while holding him in the crook of your arm - you use something called a sideline hold so you can watch his face for any trouble. We've had good and bad days. Since he's had a few doctor appointments and lots of environmental changes, I would think that's to be expected.

Carson had his first pediatrician visit on Monday and weighed in at 4 lbs, 14 oz. - almost 5 pounds. He had an eye exam on Tuesday and it was less stressful than expected. They dilate his eyes and look at the development of the blood vessels. They have diagnosed him as Level 1 Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) and therefore will monitor him more frequently. We have another eye exam in two weeks. In many cases, ROP goes away without treatment; however, ROP can advance and require laser surgery. The nurse warned me to expect him to cry the entire exam - two minutes max. Carson said "wah" three times, but trust me they were pitiful wahs that broke my heart. I'm not looking forward to the follow-up visits, but I know that it's in his best interest.

I will do my best keep this updated, but I'm doing well to keep my eyes open. I appreciate everyone's patience and will post pictures shortly.

4 Pounds & Ready to Come Home

2007-03-21T13:28:00.000-05:00

Monday, March 12
3 lbs. 14.6 oz.

I met the Occupational Therapist (OT), Alison today. She assesses his development such as muscle tone, reflexes and sucking. Everything is looking good and his sucking is improving. Carson will visit with her two weeks after discharge and at 6 months adjusted age. Adjusted age means his expected due date so he will see Alison 6 months from his expected due date. He has lots of specialists looking out for him.

Tuesday, March 13
3 lbs. 14.8 oz.

The OT orders his feeding tube to be removed and to take all of his feedings by bottle. At first, he does well and takes 3 bottles....but, then he tuckered out and they reinserted his feeding tube for the fourth feeding. Carson wasn't quite ready. We are disappointed; however, we also want him to stay home when he comes home and not have to be readmitted.

Wednesday, March 14
4 lbs. .2 oz.

Hurray! Carson reaches 4 pounds. He passes his hearing test and takes some bottles. The nurses are offering the bottle to him when he is awake, alert and rooting.

Thursday, March 15
4 lbs. 1.2 oz.

Carson is now taking 36 cc per feeding. He takes 3 bottles back to back so he's gaining endurance.

Saturday, March 17
4 lbs. 3.6 oz.

Carson meets his big sister, Ella through a window. He was unimpressed and she was a little jealous. Vic stayed with her and I was with Carson. She waved to Baby Carson as she calls him and then said momma, momma.

Monday, March 19
4 lbs. 4.6 oz.

The lightbulb came on and Carson has been taking bottles only since midnight. He is a slow drinker sometimes taking 15+ minutes, but still under their 25 minute limit. He will get the Synagis shot on Tuesday and prepare for discharge sometime after Wednesday as long as he doesn't stop taking his bottles. He has to take his bottle for 48 hours before he's approved for discharge. The good news is that he took one of his feedings from our Dr Brown bottles so hopefully we won't have to invest in new bottles. Uggghhhh - bottle cleaning again!

The nurse requests his carseat so they can do the carseat challenge - he sits in the carseat for one hour monitored by the nurse to ensure he doesn't stop breathing. I also need to bring his first picture outfit so he can have his picture taken when the feeding tube is removed. It seems like it's really going to happen this week.

Tuesday, March 20
4 lbs. 6.4 oz.

Amazing - Carson has almost gained 2 pounds in one month! His formula is definitely high calorie and unfortunately or fortunately, it's not sold in stores. So, we are getting 2 cases to bring home. After he drinks all of that, he'll be switched to a preemie formula, Enfamil Enfacare. I met with the dietitian today to understand the special recipe for his diet; I add more powder than the standard instructions to increase the calories from 22 to 24 calories per ounce. She starts by stating that we shouldn't reduce the calories until after he reaches the 50th percentile. If you know Vic and me, you'll understand why I chuckled at this statement. Ella is lucky to be in the 5th percentile. She revised her expectation to the 10th percentile telling me that boys tend to catch up more quickly than girls - time will tell! Her expectation is that Carson will stay on this formula until he switches to milk. Yeah, too because Carson drinks an entire bottle for me at noon and he is looking to a discharge on Thursday or Friday!

We did have a little scare this morning because the night nurse charted a murmur two times throughout the evening. When the day nurse mentions this to me, I'm more than a little surprised. The good news is that the doctor and all of the other nurses have never heard a murmur. The doctor assured me that if the murmur was not benign, she would have heard it before now. It's most likely not a murmur, but a coincidence. If he took a breath at the same time his heart beat, she may think she heard a murmur. The doctor also said that IF he had a murmur (probably not), it would be a benign murmur that would probably heal on its own. A relief to hear!

BIG eyes - all the better to see you with...

2007-03-12T13:50:00.000-05:00

Monday, March 5
3 lbs, 6 oz.

Carson's doing better with bottle feeding. He took two of his feedings by bottle today. He is more awake and alert - and of course, cuter than ever. The nurses and doctors have been checking him out during rounds. If he's awake, they all comment on his BIG eyes. His bath days are Tuesdays and Fridays; they are typically given in the evening. His bath tub is basically a small Rubbermaid bin (not much larger than a shoe box) with a mesh sling. He will stay swaddled up during his bath; you expose and wash one body part at a time. Ella screamed during her baths as a newborn so Carson should be interesting. Vic & I will be observing his bath before he leaves the hospital so we have a better idea about how this works.

By the way, Carson takes a normal size bottle nipple and pacifier. You can compare the size of his pacifier to his face and get a better understanding of his size.

Tuesday, March 6
3 lbs, 7 oz.

Carson has gained over 1 lb since his birth. He is still slow to take the bottle, but the nurses and occupational therapist continue to work with him. He's taking the easy way out.

Wednesday, March 7
3 lbs, 8.4 oz.

His formula quantity is increased to 30 cc - one whole ounce. This is how much Ella was taking when she came home. He should take his feeding in 20-30 minutes so that he isn't overtired. Nurse Lindsi adds a mobile with music to his crib since he is awake more often. They start a discharge folder for Carson knowing that he's heading in that direction. There are lots of things to do before discharge including shots, hearing tests, videos to watch, learning how to prepare the formula per the dietitian's formula, etc. Due to his birth weight, Carson will also have an eye exam including dilation at 6 weeks of age. Due to his age at birth, he'll receive monthly Synagis shots to protect against RSV. Lots and lots of doctor visits - thank goodness for medical insurance!

Thursday, March 8
3 lbs, 9 oz.

The NICU staff is preparing for Carson's discharge to occur towards the end of next week; however, he must be taking 100% of his feedings by bottle. Currently, he is taking 21% of his feedings by bottle; but, the lightbulb could click on tomorrow and he could start taking all of his bottles. The staff takes lots of pictures today because he is showing off his BIG eyes.

Friday, March 9
3 lbs, 10 oz.

Carson improves with bottle feeding - 30% of feedings by bottle. He tolerated his first bath and didn't raise too much of a fuss. The nurses think he is pretty laid back and he definitely doesn't cry or fuss often. He's probably saving it for us when he comes home... let's hope not.

Saturday, March 10
3 lbs, 11 oz.

Vic & I visit with Carson while we watch the videos required for discharge. He seems sleepier today. He does open his eyes when he hears our voices.

Sunday, March 11
3 lbs, 13 oz.
16.5 inches in length

Carson continues to put on weight and approaches the 4 lb. mark - pretty amazing! We are so fortunate to have such great staff at the NICU, especially Lindsi. She has been feeding him last so that she can hold him for a longer period of time. They change out his feeding tube to a larger size and he does fine with his next feedings. Today, he takes 50% of his feedings by bottle.

Since the warm weather finally visited Cincinnati, Ella went for a wagon ride with Daddy and drove her Jeep. In the evening, we celebrated Ella's second birthday with Vic's family. Her birthday is March 31, but we figured things might be more chaotic when Carson comes home and this would give her one last hurrah without Brother. When we sang happy birthday to her, she looked around and seemed unsure. She successfully blew out the candle and exclaimed "blowed it out." She slowly, ever so slowly, opened her presents. She, of course, wanted to play with each gift before opening another one. Ella had a really terrific time and was tuckered out. She didn't make a peep through the night.

Oh my - Three pounds!

2007-03-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

Thursday, March 1
3 lbs, .2 oz

Yippee - Carson made it to 3 lbs and Ella celebrates in her pink boots and jammies! The nurse checked his weight twice because it was such a large increase. Carson's bed temperature was decreased to 28.2 degrees (Celsius) so we are inching our way to a crib. Vic & I learn that Carson may be come home under 4 lbs. Weight is usually irrelevant as long as the babies accomplish 3 tasks: breathing room air, maintaining body temp and taking bottles. All the nurses continue to comment on his small size for his age of 32 weeks so I look the expected weight & length up in a book. At 31 weeks, he should have been approx. 3 lbs and 16" in length. At 32 weeks, he was still under these averages. OK - he was small. Carson continues to show more signs of strength. He kicked off his blankets and stretched out his legs. He took 7 cc of formula from his bottle - not terrific, but good that he is sucking.

Friday, March 2
3 lbs, 1.7 oz.

Yeah - Another large increase in weight! Carson's feedings are increased to 28 cc - almost to 1 whole ounce. When I arrive, Carson is awake and alert. He pays more attention to the lights and shadows on the ceiling then me, but I love seeing his BIG eyes. He spits up a bit, but nothing abnormal.

Saturday, March 3
3 lbs, 3.4 oz.

Carson has been gaining an 1 1/2 ounces per day for the past 3 days. If this continues, he may weigh over 4 lbs when he comes home. They officially turned his bed down to the min temp of 27.5 degrees (Celsius) and expect to move him to a crib in the next few days. The bad news - Ella has an ear infection and we all got very little sleep last night. Ella was not sick until she started preschool but since she started school, she has had 3 ear infections. What do you do - they say it's better for kids to get sick when they are younger , but I'm not sure about this. Oh well - more antibiotics!

Sunday, March 4
3 lbs, 4 oz.
15.75" in length

The weight gain has slowed down but he grew 3/4 of an inch and Carson had two HUGE accomplishments:

He moved to a crib in the morning

He took his entire feeding by bottle at 9PM.

So, we have only one more milestone to pass before he is ready to come home - Carson needs to take all of his feedings by bottle instead of by feeding tube.

Go Carson Go!

2007-03-01T14:35:00.000-05:00

Monday, February 26
2lbs, 12 oz.

No changes were made to Carson's feedings today because he continued to have a few spit-ups. I changed his diaper today and learned about the rule of pointing south for boys. Changing his diaper is a bit more complicated than normal because he's so tiny. I also did something called "kangaroo care". Basically, while Carson wears only a diaper, he lays on my chest - it's meant to encourage skin to skin contact and has been shown to help preemies recover from the effects of prematurity and gain weight faster.

Tuesday, February 27
2 lbs, 13.6 oz

Carson's feedings were increased to 25 cc every 3 hours. He is still spitting up, but not as much as previous days. When Carson was born, he was placed in an isolette with a temperature setting of 34 degrees (Celsius). Lindsi started weaning him from the warmth; his bed is now set at 31 degrees (Celsius). When the bed is turned down to 27.5 degrees, he can be moved to a crib. This is one of the requirements to coming home.

Wednesday, February 28
2 lbs, 14.2 oz

Neka, his nurse, noticed signs (rooting, etc.) of Carson being ready for a bottle so at 3PM today, Carson took 12 of his 25 cc by bottle. The occupational therapist (OT) happened to stop by as the nurse was feeding him and the OT actually did his feeding. The OT works with the nurses and provides suggestions to improve his sucking motion. For his first try at bottle feeding, the nurse and OT were satisfied. They saved his bottle for me, too. They even suggested leaving a disposable camera with them for pictures when parents aren't around.

Carson is also doing a better job at maintaining his own body temperature so they have decreased his isolette temp to 28.7 degrees (Celsius). Even at that temp, he is a little on the warm side while wearing just a creeper without a hat. 1.2 more degrees and then he'll be ready for his big boy bed - go Carson go! Babies aren't usually as small as he is when they are moved to a crib so we're waiting to see their plan.

I also am able to witness "rounds". All of the doctors make rounds each day to each baby. Stats are provided for each baby and the neonatologist points out exceptions and recommendations. During rounds, the docs and nurse on duty discuss changes to make such as feeding quantity, temperature, medications, transitions, etc.

In one of my previous posts, I had included a picture of Carson with this bear. For comparison, the bear is approx. 4 inches long.

Less Wires and More Freedom

2007-02-25T21:51:00.000-05:00

Thursday, February 22
2 lbs, 8.8 oz

Debbie, Vic's sister, is kind enough to drive me around today and Ella's preschool was very gracious and offered to take her additional days during the week until Carson comes home. We are very fortunate to have such great friends and family. So after dropping off Ella at school and having my staples removed, we visit Carson. Carson does look tiny when he's wrapped up in his blanket, but he looks extremely tiny when he's unwrapped. They continue to increase his feedings: beginning at noon - 16 cc and at 6PM - 19 cc and he continues to put on weight.

Friday, February 23
2 lbs, 8.9 oz

Carson gains more freedom; they removed the monitor that was attached to his foot and took out his IV. Less wires and more freedom... This makes me a bit more comfortable with him. I check out his toes today; while his fingers are long and skinny, his toes are so so very small. He is staying awake more throughout the day. They are also switching from donor breast milk to formula (20 calorie) and increasing the quantity to 22 cc at the 6AM feeding. Danielle, his evening nurse, informs us that he has been experiencing some heart rate drops. It sounds scary so I have some trouble sleeping. After learning a little bit more though, it appears as if this is common in premature babies and that adults probably experience this, too. NICU becomes concerned if the heart rate does not come back to normal range and the baby requires stimulation to come back to normal. Doesn't he look like a doll in my arms?

Saturday, February 24
2 lbs. 10.3 oz.

While Vic & I are visiting Carson this evening, we experience 2 of these heart rate drops. It is displayed as an alarm on his monitoring screen; however, his heart rate bounced back to normal. I'm still not completely comfortable with this "alarm" and plan to read about this. One of the drops occurred while the nurse was changing his diaper and she referred to it as "bearing down." At the 6PM feeding, they increase his quantity to 23 cc and fortify his formula to 22 calories. The extra calories are intended to increase his weight.

Sunday, February 25
2 lbs, 11.3 oz.

still 15" in length

When Vic & I arrive at NICU, Carson is sleeping. He wakes up shortly thereafter and stays awake during the entire visit. He definitely is more alert. He's moving more and more everyday and seems to stretch more. Up to this point, Carson was more curled up. He seriously must know I'm mom because he spits up again while I am holding him. OK, he does spit up on Danielle, the evening nurse, so he's not completely discriminating. The nurses aren't concerned about his spit-ups though because he's not crying or having gas and his stomach is still soft. He also gets the hiccups for quite a while. I achieve two things today:

I place him back in his incubator on my own.
I undress and dress him in a sleeper.

When I was dressing him, it was obvious how tiny he is. Imagine pulling his skinny wrists and legs through the clothing - so fragile. He was very patient with me and didn't cry or fuss. Vic & I also decorated his area with some pictures of friends and family. We are also planning to take Ella shopping so that she can buy a toy for her little brother. We're not sure how that will go since she is going through a "mine" phase.

Carson or Gavin?

2007-02-22T22:19:00.000-05:00

Sunday, February 18

2lbs, 7.3 oz.

After hearing some rumblings in Brother's belly, the nurse determines it's time to insert a feeding tube through his nose to his stomach. He will receive donor breast milk for approx. one week and then transition to formula. Brother officially weighs more than his original birth weight. He also received phototherapy today because his bilirubin level was slightly high; this condition is also known as jaundice. Brother wears sunglasses during his treatment. At 6PM and every 3 hours thereafter, Brother is fed 3 cc of breast milk. 30 cc = 1 oz. When Ella came home from the hospital at 4 lbs, 11 oz, she was taking 30 cc every 3 hours.

Vic's parents, his brother Kirk, and my friend Jenny came to visit today.

Monday, February 19

2 lbs, 7 oz.

Brother's bilirubin levels are normal and so phototherapy is stopped. His levels will be monitored and treatment can be restarted if necessary. Brother's feedings are doubled to 6 cc every 3 hours beginning at noon today. Ella goes to preschool today and Vic comes to visit. We have a marathon name meeting and come down to Carson or Gavin. We like both names. When Vic asks Ella for her opinion, she chooses Carson. We consider:

Carson James G.. or Gavin James G..
Carson G.. or Gavin G..
Mr. Carson G.. or Mr. Gavin G..
Carson G.. with the winning touchdown and Gavin G.. with the winning touchdown
Vic, Tonya, Ella & Carson or Vic, Tonya, Ella & Gavin
Ella & Carson or Ella & Gavin
and of course, when you're upset... Carson James or Gavin James

It's official - Carson James.

My friend, Lynn, and her daughter, Jordan, visit us today.

Tuesday, February 20

2 lbs, 7.2 oz

Carson was ready to eat and so they continue to increase his feedings. He will receive 8 cc every three hours beginning at 6PM. He has one spit-up in the early afternoon, of course while I'm holding him. That must mean he knows I am his mom.

I am discharged from the hospital and anxious to get home. Ella greets me and is ready to play. I am relieved to take a shower in my own shower and sleep in my own bed. I sleep like a little baby. The swelling is still persistent in my lower legs, ankles & feet. Even my stomach remains swollen. I am very impatient about these extra fluids and hope they'll go away soon. Vic's sister, Debbie, makes chicken and dumplings for us - they were delicious.

Since Ella is all of 20 months, I tried to explain that she would soon have a baby brother. I needed to keep the explanations as simple as possible. She came to understand that Brother was in momma's belly and that all blue clothes belonged to Brother. She pronounced Brother as "Bruh-fer" - too cute! About a month ago though, she spotted a box on the side of the road. I asked her what she thought was in the box; she replied "Bruh-fer". The response was completely unexpected and I am certain that I giggled. Thereafter, if you asked Ella where Brother was, she replied "box". It was a game to her and she loves to make you laugh.

So, when I came home from the hospital, I asked Ella where Brother was. She responded with the correct answer - "momma's belly". Keeping it simple, I then explained that momma's belly went pop and that Brother was at the doctor's office. I also told her that Brother's name was Carson. This is all mind-boggling data for a 20 month old. She does know that Brother is at the doctor's; however, she thinks Brother's name is "Bruh-fer". Lindsi, the nurse, said that Ella will be able to meet Carson through a window in a few more weeks. Ella has seen pictures of him and wants her toys back that she sees in those pictures. She's going through the MINE phase right now.

Wednesday, February 21

2 lbs, 8.2 oz.

Carson is doing well with his feedings so they continue to increase the amounts - 11 cc at noon and then 14 cc at 6PM. In the picture below, you can compare my size 5 ring to Carson's size. No need to say anything more...

How Tiny!

2007-02-21T14:13:00.000-05:00

Saturday, February 17

2 lbs, 6 oz.

To reduce the risk of seizures, I receive mag again for 24 hours after delivery. This time, however, they give me some strong anti-nausea meds. Things are better, but I am a ball of mud from Friday evening thru Saturday afternoon. The doctor does take me off the mag around noon on Saturday - 6 hours early and I am grateful.

Vic, Cherie, Debbie and Ella visit at Good Sam. Ella thinks that my wheelchair is a stroller and she likes my bed. She's been on a McDonald's diet for 3 days, but at least she chooses apple dippers over fries. Unfortunately, Big Sister Ella isn't allowed to visit "Brother" in NICU. Check out her Cheetos smile!

Brother is doing well - continues to breathe on his own and no meds. He is wearing a blue Gerber onesie and a hand-knit blue hat; the preemie size is still too big on him. He has eyebrows and lots of hair on his head. I should've known - Brother gets the hair and Ella has to wait a year for hair. He sleeps approximately 22 hours of the 24 hours in a day, but does open his eyes. I think he looks like a little old man especially when he wrinkles his forehead. He stays in an isolette (or incubator) which helps him maintain his body temperature. He'll progress to a big boy bed (aka crib) when he gains more weight and can maintain his own temperature. Since no sounds are coming from his bowels, he remains on sugar water through an IV. The NICU nurses work 12 hour shifts and the evening nurses weigh him every night. They measure head circumference and length on Sundays.

Volunteers make quilts and hats for the babies in NICU. Brother's quilt is colorful with lots of dogs on it. Lindsi is one of the nurses taking good care of Brother. She is fantastic! She requested that Brother is her primary baby; this means that she'll take care of him when she works. Each nurse has three babies in her care per day. Lindsi went to UC and has worked in the NICU for about 5 years.

We are very grateful for Carson's health, his doctors and nurses and our family and friends.

Ready or Not... Here I Come

2007-02-21T12:59:00.000-05:00

February 14 (Surprise! Surprise!)
I braved the snow & ice to make my weekly doctor appt & ultrasound. Then WHAM! Dr White informs me that I will be having the baby within the next 24 hours due to growing concerns about growth restrictions and preeclampsia. They consider preeclampsia when 3 conditions are met: high blood pressure, protein in urine and severe swelling. I had all 3 symptoms. I was wheeled over to Christ Hospital and they immediately started mag (magnesium sulfate) through an IV. Good thing I didn't know what mag was - I'll spare everyone the details. They also gave me a shot to help the baby's lungs. I was then transported to Good Samaritan Hospital by ambulance and admitted to their Special OB Unit. After arriving there, the urgency decreased. Good Sam sees more high risk pregnancies than Christ Hospital.

February 15 (Time to Relax)
After an ultrasound & BPP at Good Samaritan, the doctor determines that they won't be delivering the baby at this time. Ideally, they'd like to deliver him around 34 weeks which means 2 weeks of bed rest in the hospital. The good news - they'll stop the mag and I can at least watch TV, read or surf the web. I'll be closely monitored - fetal heart beat 3 times per day and daily ultrasounds. If the baby's health changes, they may deliver him earlier than 34 weeks. They administer the second shot for the baby's lungs, too.

February 16 (How Quickly Things Change)
After the mag is stopped, I'm a whole new person. I am a functioning human being who can push myself up in bed and turn over. I can even shower and use the bathroom on my own. They decide to do ultrasounds twice a week instead of daily. Things are looking good or so I thought... After listening to his heart beat in the early afternoon, the doctor doesn't like the last 10 minutes of the report so I am scheduled for a BPP (Biophysical Profile) at 2:30P. The baby is scored on a scale of 0 to 8 during the BPP. He's consistently scored an 8/8, but not today... He scores a 4 out of 8. After returning to my room around 3:30P, the doctor has a party waiting for me. They will be doing a c-section immediately.

So, Carson James arrived 8 weeks early at 6:33P on Friday, Feb 16. He weighed 2 lbs and 6.8 oz. He was 15 inches in length. He was tiny, but feisty. He has continued to breathe on his own and requires no medications. We are grateful for him and his health. He has wonderful nurses in the NICU at Good Samaritan and they expect him to stay there for the next 4 weeks or longer if necessary.