6th Month of RSV Season Down!

We made it 6 months!  Hibernation mode will be slowly lifted over the month of May.

Overall April was a good month.  April 2011 has definitely been a lot different than 2010.  Thank goodness for that!  Some things that have happened this month.  Warren is now rolling distances.  If he wants his toy than he will roll to get it.  I can see positive differences since he has started physical therapy, he seems to be getting stronger and stronger everyday.  He has a second tooth, on the bottom front right next to his first tooth.  He also went to the opthamologist and he doesn't need to be seen until his 3rd birthday!  At one point he did have stage 2 ROP, which was a moderately abnormal growth of the blood vessels in the eyes. Thankfully his resolved on its own with no need for surgery.  Another big milestone is that he was discharged from OT this month. We started OT in January 2011 and went 2x per week.  Warren is also sleeping in his crib!  Yay!  It only took us a few weeks but his bed time is around 9pm and he wakes up around 7:30 am.  It was a long process, we started putting him in his pack and play in our room then we moved the pack and play into his room then we put him into his crib and it was successful!  He definitely slept in our room a lot longer than planned but that's okay!  His latest measurements (all done by myself) are 14 lbs 5 ounces, 27 3/4 inches and his head is 18 inches.  He is slowly moving into 9 month size clothes and is in size 3 diapers.

As far as food he is back to the 20 calorie Neocate.  He averages about 28 ounces per day.  He also gets solids twice per day.  Warren has never been the biggest eater but he no longer fights it and is eating the most that he ever has.  I am happy with progress in that area.  I remember the days that it would take 1 hour to feed him 3 ounces or less.  He now will eat 4-5 ounces in 15 minutes or less, huge difference!  I guess that's it for this month!

My toys are yummy

tough guy!

Heyyy guys :-)

My first trip to the park with mommy and daddy

I can now sit in the bath tub like a big boy 

Easter 2011

Mommy turned her back and look where I ended up

reading a book to mommy

My feet are tastier than my bottle

He figured out where the toy goes :-)

Warren graduated from OT

Today was Warren's last day of OT.  He has come a long way since we started.  When we started he was sleep eating (his bottles) and not even close to eating solids.  He is now taking his bottle awake and eating solids like a champ.  He has occasional gags here and there but overall he is doing so well.  He pretty much likes everything we give him.  Some green stuff he can pass on but in general he likes everything.  It is so awesome to watch him eat. I am so thankful to his OT for all of her help.  I took a picture of the two of them today, she has been his girlfriend since January :-)  Thanks again Trisha, we'll miss you!!

Warren's favorite person, Trisha.  He was sad when he had to say goodbye today. 

  

Remember when??

I finally got around to developing the disposable camera that we had while Warren was in the NICU.  Since he is 11 months old today, I decided that now would be a good time to post some of the pics.  The nurses would take pictures whenever they were around and had time too.  I am not exactly sure how old he is in some of these pictures but I think it is from June on, he came home July 5th at 6 weeks old.  My little man has come so far.  Enjoy!

Just the two of us

kangaroo care...my favorite time with him

He is almost to an open crib

My little monkey man

getting ready for a bath

so sleepy

1 year ago today...

One year ago today I went into the hospital.  3 weeks prior to that is when they discovered my dynamic/incompetent cervix at my 20 week ultrasound.  I was immediately put on bed rest at home and had to go in for weekly ultrasounds at the hospital with the high risk OB.  It was Bob's birthday so he came with me, it was also the first appointment of the day.  I got called back and they did the abdominal ultrasound and baby boy Bauer was looking good.  The tech then had to do a transvaginal ultrasound and she went silent and called in the doctor.  I remember her telling the doctor, "she doesn't have a cervix?!?!"  The cervix is what stays closed to keep the baby inside.  The doctor then decided to do a manual exam and I was finger tip dilated and 80% effaced, but only 23 weeks pregnant, just on the cusp of viability.  The doctor immediately admitted me to the hospital.  I was brought upstairs to the ante partum department.  I was put on IV fluids, on a monitor for contractions,  given indicin (to stop contractions) and also had my first steroid shot.  I also was put onto a bed pan and my bed was put into trendelenburg position, where my legs are higher than my head.

Needless to say that was an incredibly scary day.  We really didn't know what was going to happen.  The doctor didn't really have a long term plan. I was too far into the pregnancy for a cerclage, a stitch that closes the cervix but I was too early to deliver.  He really was only taking it one day at a time.  I had no end date in sight other than my due date, which was August 5th and today was April 8th.  Initially I was sharing a room with another girl but by that afternoon had my own private room.  This is a day I will definitely never forget...