First OT visit

A new toy! Well, a hand me down from big brother. Camden used to love the ball on it, and he went right for it! We have to stuff Ailyn in there like a sardine but she likes it......for 2 minutes. It doesn't support her head so she gets tired fast. But, Mommy needs more "stations" for Ailyn...her bouncy seat, playmat and my lap are getting old fast!
Ailyn's doctor wanted us to get her evaluated for oral stimulation. Since we are already with Infant and Toddlers, they sent an OT out. and, quick too! She came today and like all the others, she was really nice. Ailyn welcomed her with coos and smiles. She worked with her some and then we fed her a bottle. She agreed Ailyn is a little weak with her suck.She doesn't have a strong suck on the nipple. We have to support her chin while she eats. I still nurse Ailyn but she gets most of her feeds in a bottle. She has always been weak when latched on. I have stuck with the nursing mostly for comfort and the good stuff that comes from Mommy's milk. So I only nurse for 5 minutes on each side, so I don't wear her out. The OT said we are doing everything right and she just needs extra help. So she will be coming to see Ailyn once a week. I feel so fortunate to have so much help for Ailyn.

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Ailyn giggling!

We got the giggles! Just click on the top video to view! And, as you will be able to see it was Ailyn's feeding time..... the boobs are little full ;)

If you don't see the right videos on the right....copy/paste link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bWF6L4jHgk

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Ailyn giggled!!!

To hear Ailyn giggle was the best sound ever!! She is always happy and smiling away. Today I must have been pretty funny because I got the sweetest giggle while I was changing her diaper. The poor baby has had the video camera in her face since so I can capture it on video!
AND, Ailyn woke up cooing....she had stopped cooing for a few weeks. Her therapist said she must have put it on the back burner to learn something else. After her 5am feeding she fell asleep in my arms, I woke to Ailyn talking in her sleep :) After that she woke up cooing! She amazes me every single day!
AND, she found her tongue, it's the coolest thing next to her hands! She sat here and played with her tongue for along time!
Then she sat and told me a story. Just like her brother, she has many facial expressions when she talks.
And, just like her Mommy I think she might use her hands to talk :)
Apparently, it was a very happy story :)

GREAT NEWS! After 2 days and 3000 redials later, Camden has an appointment to get his H1N1! Our pediatricians office had a hotline and was taking the first 400 patients. Good thing I have nothing better to do than sit on the phone hitting redial!

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We did it!

Ailyn had her well check today. We made our goal!!! 8 pounds even! 21 1/2 inches. She got her flu shot and vaccinations and a follow up blood test (PKU). No RSV shot yet, they are still waiting on it. H1N1 should be available next week. Dr.G was thrilled with all her milestones. We are not going to start cereal just yet, he said he wants more weight on her first. Overall the appointment went great, I have learned to organize myself the night before. I write the info from all her followups and questions I have for him, then print it out. So he doesn't have to go through her file to ask questions. This has been working great for me! Poor Ailyn cried so hard, we never hear her scream.....it's the worst feeling as a Mommy seeing your baby hurting. Thank goodness for Mommy's milk to make her feel better!
"Go ahead tell me I am starving" ;)
Wiped out from the trauma today.
Nanna!! He is ready for New Hampshire!!!

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Ailyn is 6 Months!

HAPPY 6 MONTHS STRAWBERRY!!!!!!!!!!

Our Strawberry is 6 months old today! Every day in the NICU seemed like a week, now time flies! We are so blessed to have Ailyn in our lives. We think how lucky we are to have her here with us each and every day. Aaron was saying the other night how things have finally settled down and we can now sit back and reflect on the past year (we all know we will have plenty of free time to do so). We do not take one day for granite, we know how fortunate we are to have two perfect miracles.

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Belly Time!

Ailyn wanted to show off her belly time tricks! She is getting so strong. We normally help her by holding her tushie down or help her at her shoulders. Of course she doesn't stay up long before she crashes down face first :)

Ailyn passed her hearing test!!! The test took a little longer than usual because she might have some fluid in her ears (again, taking after her brother), but she passed in both ears. She will go back when she is one (actual) for another check up. Remind me NOT to take Camden with me next time. It was almost impossible trying to keep two kids completely quiet for over 15 minutes!!!

I have done SO many dumb things while sleep deprived. I am an organized person...or so I like to think. I showed up today for an appointment with Ailyn and I was a MONTH early! I guess it's better than the day late at the pediatrician office!!!

I am hoping Ailyn will get the RSV shot on Monday. Our caseworker through our insurance has been keeping me updated on when it will be available. We are hoping Ailyn's doctor has sent in a referral to our insurance. She will also get the flu shot AND/maybe the H1N1, they were not sure if they would have it yet. Aaron and I watched a documentary on the Swine Flu, it made up our mind that we will all be getting it this winter.

A HUGE shout out to our babysitter Reid! Camden had a BLAST today. He looks forward to seeing you again next week!

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PT Day

almost 3 months adjusted (6 months actual)
Miss Sarah came to do PT with Ailyn. They worked on belly time, which Ailyn has been doing better at. She was able to lift her head up to 90 degrees with little help at her shoulders for about 1 minute at a time. Ailyn rolled from her tummy to her back with some difficulty. She looked closely at her toys and seemed to reach for them intently.

We have a busy week of appointments. She has a follow up hearing test and she will be going to the Pulmonary doctor. Next week is busy too, she will get her RSV and flu shot, and a heart ultrasound to followup her PDA surgery. I am excited to be so busy but so nervous taking her out.

Ailyn is now taking her increased feeding very well now! YAY! We are going to make our 8 pound goal!

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Loving Mommy!

I just love Ailyn smiles :) It's funny to go back and look at the pictures and see what a goof you look like getting baby smiles! No update, just wanted to share some pictures.

ps-ignore the nails.....no time for a manicure these days!

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Nurse's Visit

Ailyn's nurse came to see her today. As usual Ailyn showed off her tricks, but today had nothing to say to Miss Emily.She did not coo the whole time she was here, I tried and tried! But, she gave her big smiles and played very well. Ailyn was able to follow a toy in a 180 degree, smiled at her when she looked at her (without smiling at Ailyn), smiled at herself in a mirror, followed a ball back and forth. Miss Emily was thrilled with her weight gain since the last time she was here. Right when she walked in the door she was noticed how much bigger she was. My main concern today was Ailyn not being able to take many ounces per feedings. We are trying to increase the ML's each feeding but she doesn't seem to be doing too well with it. Miss Emily told me that her stomach is very tiny and the amount we are feeding her is just right for her, if we push it, she will spit it back up. So I do feel better that we are doing the right thing and increasing little by little.

We had sent Ailyn's discharge summery to Miss Emily. She told me that she had tears reading all that Ailyn has been through. She was impressed with all her progress. Of course we know how amazing Ailyn is, but I don't think we will every fully understand the severity of what she went through at birth. I made sure I took some time today to hug and kiss both of my babies and tell them how special they are to us.

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Then and Now

THANK YOU R for our box today. Camden was very excited about his hat and gloves and other surprises. I LOVE the ornaments and clothes for Ailyn. We love you lots and lots! OXOXOXO

Look at the difference!2 pounds then, 7 pounds 10 ounces today A friend from Camden's school made this hat for Ailyn. I am so excited it finally fits!

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Daddy saves the day

Mommy was just about to lose her mind, when Daddy saved the day!! Our days are very long. There is only so much you can do outside, TV gets old, Camden's attention span with school work is 10 minutes each project. We are lonely. Poor Camden asked me for a playdate many times today, making me feel guilty. I have to tell myself that I would not change this lifestyle for the world, and it's only temporary. Everyone around us has a cold, so we are doing the right thing and secluding ourselves..... phewww just had to vent that out :)
Look at that smile!!! It melts our heart. Ailyn is such a happy baby. She had her therapy appointment today with Miss Sarah. She did SO well. Miss Sarah even got her to reach out and touch a toy!! A tad jealous though, since I have been working with her all day everyday!! We will see Miss Sarah again next week.


O Camden, O Camden.....He deserves a vacation after the past year. He is such a trooper, such a great big brother. He loves to learn, loves books and LOVES to play with Mommy and Daddy.Daddy took him back to work today so Mommy could find her sanity.



Thanks for keeping up with our family. The support we have been receiving is amazing.

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Caught in the act!

Caught in the act! Just today Ailyn found her hands! They have been her best friends for awhile now. Her OT will be SO happy, Miss Sarah is coming tomorrow.
Caught again! Must say I am proud of myself :)
This home bound stuff is for the birds! Camden told me he wants to be a "pizza guy" and the "guy that gives out the fries at McDonalds" when he grows up. I think we may be eating take out a bit too much! We have had some fun baking, today we made the yummiest Pumpkin bread! Thank you Kara for the recipe.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup raisins (I omit these)
1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease bottom and sides of a 9" x 5" loaf pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and baking powder; stir in raisins.

In large bowl, with fork, beat together pumpkin, eggs, oil, and water. Add flour mixture and stir just until moistened.

Pour batter into loaf pan. bake 1 hour and 10-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool ten minutes and remove from pan. serve immediately or wrap in plastic. Can keep a couple of days on counter top, covered. May be refrigerated or frozen.

I make this with the large can of pumpkin and multiply the other ingredients accordingly. I also tend to be heavy handed with the spices.

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5 hour eye appointment!

I think the memo about creeping AFTER you learned how to hold your head up came out at 29 weeks, and that is why Ailyn missed it! We do belly time 2x a day and every time she will get so mad that her whole body creeps up. She will also roll over (by mistake), so as you can see belly time isn't going so great! We do a lot of "belly" time on our chests and she does so well.

Today we had a follow up at a new doctor, her NICU eye doctor referred us to a pediatric ophthalmologist. It wasn't supposed to take 5 hours but they had an emergency and Ailyn's eyes didn't fully dilate. The doctor is GREAT! He was so great with Ailyn and even Camden who was extremely bored. He had Ailyn on his lap while I held her binki in her mouth. She was so calm and let him poke all around her eye (yet, when I got home and filed her nails, she screamed like I was pulling her toenails out) Ailyn's eyes look great, nothing to worry about. Doctor will see her back in 3 months, along with Camden....who was not thrilled about that! Anyone looking for a pediatric ophthalmologist in the Baltimore area, this doctor was great!

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