July Updates

We have been having such a great summer with Amelia, I really haven't had too much time to just sit and update the blog. Every day is full of something fun and exciting and everyday we smile and giggle and laugh.

July 16th, Amelia had a NICU follow up appointment. She was 7 month 7 days adjusted and 9 months, 21 days actual. She weighed 14.4 lbs and is in the 8th percentile. YEAHHH..at least she is on the charts!! 26 inches - 45th% and has a head size of 17" and in the 50th%. They do the follow up to make sure she is staying on target and developing properly and will continue to until she is around 2 when they figure she will be completely caught up. If they have any concerns or if she needs any assistance, they catch it early enough so she doesn't have any further delays. On the Fine Motor Scale(hand eye coordination), she scored around an 8 monther and on Gross Motor skills (posture/strength, she scored as a 7 monther. On the mental scale, she is at a 7 monther and her expressive (talking) she is an 8 monther. Her "report card" said: I am good at being: CUTE and VOCAL! It was fun to watch her play with them (physical therapist & speech therapist). They tested things like being able to transfer a toy from hand to hand, if she could grab a string, being able to follow and find items, and of course her verbals sounds. Was she making the JA JA JA or GA GA or DA DA sounds.She really did well and mommy and daddy were very proud at how well and how far she has come. We go back again in January.

Amelia has been sitting and working on her crawling this past month. She gets on all fours and does the rocking and even scoots backwards, but not quite sure how to get those little legs and arms to hold that little body up and start moving. I sometimes catch myself sitting on the floor and cheering her on like a little cheerleader. You can just see her little mind try to figure out this crawling thing out. She is doing the rolly polly to get to a toy. The other day I had her on her rug playing with a toy and I ran downstairs, came back up and she had wiggled he way backwards and had her little body under the couch except for her little head. Scared the you know what out of me, but I did have to laugh. If I didn't freak out and picked her up right away, I probably would have taken a picture.

We took her on a first trip up north with our friends Cory, Scott and their two daughters. Amelia did great in the car on the 2.5 hour trip and was great at sleeping in the pack n play and in a different place.

Amelia had her first overnight trip by grandma and grandpa's so that we could go out and celebrate my 31st birthday. It didn't exactly go smoothly, she puked and dry heaved all night long. I don't know who I felt more sorry for...my parents or Amelia. But must not have scared them too much, because they did it again last night. The idea behind her spending the night is so that we don't have to drive out there and pick her up in the middle of the night and can maybe even sleep in a little, but I think I worry even more all night and get even LESS sleep than if she was home. Speaking of sleep, she is a GREAT sleeper. Sleeps around 8-10 hours at night, wakes up around 5-7am, eats then falls back asleep for a good 45 mins to 2 hours. Plays around for an hour or two, naps again, plays, naps for 2-3 hours. She's great. She usually takes anywhere from 4-7 ounces and is eating solids twice a day. Still loves her peas, does really good with Cheerios, and am really starting to introduce her to more and more things. She is pretty stubborn most times and will eat only when she really feels ready to. She locks down her little lips and doesn't let ANYTHING get in. Unbelievable. Sometimes, you just have to laugh and shake your head. If she's this independent now, I need to brace myself for what's to come.

Amelia has really helped us get out and be alot more active this summer and we enjoy Pike Lake walks a few times a week. She usually is good for about 2 miles in the stroller, then she gets a little antsy and wants to come out and we usually end up carrying her in the Bjorn for a few miles. She has been up to the tower more times than I think I have ever been before in my LIFE! We usually pack her bottle and feed her on top and enjoy the sunset and the view of the lake and town. The walks are really nice for Mike and I to stay connected and helps us get a little more in shape for when we are going to be running after her next year at this time!!

Sept 26th, she will be one year, almost a month away. It will be a very happy and yet extremely emotional day, but either way, we plan to make it a celebration at how far she has come! Not just a birthday, but a true celebration of her first year of life. I think back to that first day, and sometimes just start crying. All I hear is the doctor coming in to tell us that she wasn't breathing when she was born....how small she was...the potential that she would not be healthy and would have long term problems and disabilities. It's just amazing how she is here today and everyday it becomes easier for me to think of her as a "normal" baby. I still don't like strangers coming up and touching her, DRIVES ME CRAZY! I took her shopping the other day and this little kid comes running towards her yelling...BABY BABY BABY! I quickly picked up her carrier so he couldn't touch her. I think the swine flu outbreak they are talking about this fall and winter will cause us to go back into hibernation. I have already stocked up on the big bottles of antibacterial wipes, spray - in the house, in the car, diapers bags, etc.

We are taking a trip to Colorado next week Wednesday, so I am sure we will have LOTS of new photos to post!