Ella turns TWO!

Ella turns TWO!

Ella Weighs: 19lbs 11.5 oz
Height: 32 inches

The month of March is often recognized as a time for renewal and rebirth. Winter begins to fade and the beauty of spring blooms begin to paint the landscape. Sunshine fills the days, hugging all in its path. When I think about Ella and our journey, I find that March is the most fitting month for her. Those first days and weeks spent with our little one were bleak and dreary, but the season we find ourselves in today is vibrant and thrilling. 

Two years ago, sixteen weeks earlier than expected, we became parents to our precious miracle, Ella Marie. She entered the world, announcing her arrival with the loudest cry a one-pound baby could produce. In the months that followed, we watched our little one fight for her life. As the pages of the calendar turned, Ella gained strength. Ninety-eight days later, she left the NICU. Three-hundred and sixty-five days later, she turned one. And now, seven-hundred and thirty days later, we are celebrating our little girl as she turns two.

Daily we find ourselves with eyes fixed on Ella, in awe of her. We celebrate the little moments. We celebrate the big moments. We join in her laughter. We strive to enjoy each moment to its fullest potential. We revel in the company she provides. To love a child is a beautiful thing. We are thrilled Ella is ours to love. 

This month

Ella attended three different school book fairs. I wish i could have captured the look on her face as we entered each one. So many books all in one space. She was thrilled. At one of the book fairs, she met, Brenda Maier, the author of The Little Red Fort. The book is about a young girl taking matters into her own hands and building a fort even when others decide not to join her. This book is right up Ella's alley. It has had rave reviews from all that have had a chance to read it. Check it out at Magic City Books here in Tulsa or online at https://www.amazon.com/Little-Red-Fort-Brenda-Maier/dp/0545859190.

Ella got to come to Mommy's classroom in celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday. She sat on a chair with a cup of Goldfish and listened as Grandma read aloud some Seuss favorites. 

Ella's curiosity continues to grow and develop. This month, she showed great interest in the assembly of her birthday trike. She took the axels and looked for pieces to slide them into. She took the screwdriver and without hesitation matched it to a hole in the handle bar. She lit up with pride as she figured out how each piece worked. Spring break was filled with play dates. Ella spent time around kids of all ages, following them around curiously. We have noticed her shyness fading a bit and she is beginning to engage more with others. She explored playrooms, gardens, playgrounds, and wandered around the land at Pops and Glamma's house. She celebrated St. Patrick's day visiting Great-Grandma Trina. 

She let several people outside of her core five (Mommy, Daddy, Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle Zach) hold her and love on her. Some of these individuals have waited over two years for Ella to be in their arms. We are appreciative of all that have respected Ella's boundaries. It took her some time, but now she seems ready to mingle! We are proud of Ella for emerging out of her shell around family and friends. 

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!!!
We celebrated Ella's second birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's house with family. We had cupcakes and ice cream. Ella enjoyed playing with her cousins. This year she was less overwhelmed and roamed freely among her party guests. She stopped often to check in on her baby cousin, Charlotte. I skipped the fuss of a sugar-free cake creation this year and handed Ella a cupcake and a bowl of ice cream. She ate the cupcake politely, focusing mainly on the icing. Instead of singing Happy Birthday, which seems to make her quite anxious, we sang the first stanza of the Ants Go Marching. 


 ***A special thank you to everyone who donated to our preemie pajama project. You have blown me away with your donations. We have collected 90 items! (and they are still coming in!)

A few of her favorite things
-Outside, ALWAYS
-observing the neighbor's chickens

-talking on her “cellphone”
-cleaning... It is the cutest thing. She goes around the house with anything resembling a rag and "wipes down" stuff. The oven, the door handles, cabinets, floor, her high chair, her shopping cart... 

-walking up and down the sidewalk as far as we will let her roam

-bubbles
-stickers
-pretend play
-reading books
-water play

A few of our favorite things
-being Mommy and Daddy to our precious miracle
-the constant out pour of support and encouragement from friends and family
-watching Ella as she begins to interact more and more with other kids

Favorite foods

-strawberries

-goldfish crackers

-yogurt 
-Go-go squeeze applesauce 

Favorite books

-Goodnight Christmas

-Doggies- Sandra Boynton

-Go, dog. Go!
-Foods with Moods
-Dear Zoo
-Who do you love?

Medical Update

At her two-year old check up we discussed Ella's progress. Ella is setting her own growth curve. Although she is on the petite side, she is a healthy and strong baby girl!

A lot of time you will hear people say that preemies often catch up by the age of two. This is certainly not true in Ella's case and in fact not true for many of our preemie friends. With each decision made during her NICU stay we were always informed of possible risks and long-term complications. In the NICU, Ella was on many oxygen therapies, rounds of steroids, and had a grade III brain bleed. All of those things had the potential to cause damage or present issues later on. So, we have kept an eye on a few things including speech and her walking. Our pediatrician agreed it would be best to get a physical therapy evaluation and see what they have to say. Sometimes the way Ella distributes weight in her legs and feet seems a bit off. None of it seems to stop her though! She would spend hours toddling up and down the sidewalk if we let her. 

We have started speech and have completed two sessions. At this point, we are working on getting Ella to recall a word anytime. Dog and da-da are her most used words. 

Next month, we visit the cardiologist to check in on Ella's pulmonary stenosis. 

Team Ella Marie and March of Dimes

March of Dimes Walk is coming up in Tulsa on Saturday, April 28^th. This year’s walk will be held at Tulsa University. The walk will begin at 10:00am. We would love to have you join us. It is free to participate. Please consider joining us for the walk, donating to the cause- or both. 

https://www.marchforbabies.org/team/Ellamarie

If you make a donation, make sure to check out the March of Dimes matching gifts page to see if your company will generously match your donation.

Here is the official 2018 Team Ella Marie t-shirt! 
Shirts are Unisex Bella and Canvas: Heather CVC/Blend Colors: 52% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, 48% poly 

Available in 2T-YS and AS to 3XL

Adult T-Shirts- $15.00 (+$2.00 for 2X/3X)

Toddler (order a size up)

and Youth T-Shirts $12.00

Orders and money due to Amanda Gruenberg by Thursday, April 12th

(Make checks payable to Amanda Gruenberg)

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to March of Dimes.

Twenty-three months old

Ella Weighs: 19lbs 12oz

In celebration of Ella turning two next month, we are going to do a collection for our local NICU. This year we have decided to collect footie pajamas with zippers in both preemie and newborn sizes. Brand-new or like-new condition items are preferred. Both cotton and fleece styles are wonderful! Please contact me if you would like to donate.

Amazon WishList NICU PJ Donations: http://a.co/gU3vbUX

This month, the weather here in Oklahoma shifted back and forth many times. We took advantage of as many outdoor play times as possible, but still found ourselves inside quite often. This resulted in some new play opportunities. Grandma got out my old Fisher-Price doctor kit for Ella to use. I continue to be amazed at how my childhood toys have held up after these years. It is true, they just don’t make them like that anymore. Ella has continued to love “cooking” with pots and pans, so we bought her some of her own for her kitchen set. She is now equipped with a colander, cake pan, and set of pots to cook up a storm. She spends a good portion of her days cooking in her play kitchen with Grandma. We enjoy watching her dramatic play skills develop. Her baby dolls have become a top priority and she insists on them being held, receiving stickers and being placed next to her as she eats.

I brought home sheets of heart stickers which created a lot of fun this month. She loves giving out stickers. You must watch out though because she will quickly re-gift your sticker to another person of her choosing. She decorated her first Valentine’s box with foam stickers… and then un-decorated it several times thereafter. Valentine’s day was celebrated by wearing a special dress from her Glamma and eating Chick-fil-a for lunch with Grandma and Mommy. She then got to climb up in her first tree, courtesy of Grandpa. We spent the rest of the afternoon outside.

Ella is no longer the baby of the family. Her cousin, Charlotte, was born on February 1^st. We are thrilled for her to join the family and the tribe of girl cousins. Ella got to meet her for the first time this weekend. She was curious, but still unsure about mommy holding another baby.

A big part of our month has been spent trying to politely tell our child to quit pouring her water out of her cup. She loves to turn it upside down. She is fascinated with water. You can see the gears turning as she watches the water drip out of the straw and splash one drop after another. The silver lining is that she has become interested in dish rags, too. She pours the water out and then wipes it up. We like to think of that as a toddler win.

A few of her favorite things:

-Getting out pots and pans, a wooden spoon, and playdough to cook up something yummy

-taking care of her baby dolls

-stickers!

-cleaning up with dish towels she swipes

-having her “own” napkin

-bath time

-bringing us our shoes to put on to convince us to go outside

-playing kitty-cat chase with Grandma

A few of our favorite things:

-Ella’s giggling and playfulness

-watching Ella’s personality unfold day by day

-celebrating each mini-moment of success

Favorite foods:

-pasta with butter and parmesan

-eggs and sausage

-pears

A chilly Sunday resulted in a fire in the fireplace and the making of s’mores. Ella tried her first s’more and loved every bit of it.  So much so, that now when she sees marshmallows she makes it known that she needs one.

Favorite books:

-Go, dog. Go!

-Doggies- Sandra Boynton

-How to Bathe Your Little Dinosaur

-Anything lift-the-flap

Medical Update:

Ella’s teeth are coming in quickly. A little of each of her four cuspids  has pushed through the gum line. Now we will wait for those tough two-year old molars.

Ella’s eye appointment was last week. To prep for her eye appointment, we created a social story booklet with photos of everything that would happen while we were there. We read it almost every day for a week or so before our visit. We also rubbed some lavender oil on the soles of her feet to help with anxiety during the appointment.  I am happy to say that we did note a little less apprehensiveness.  Dr. Groves was pleased with the status of her vision. There was little change in her nearsightedness which means she can keep her same prescription and we can continue to postpone the need for the daily eye drop treatment. We will follow up again in June.

Tuesday, we will review Ella’s plan with her developmental therapist. We will be adding in some speech services to help with her language progression. We have been working on adding a few signs such as book, ball, and water, but nothing has seemed to stick yet. I look forward to the days she is speaking more and more because I cannot wait to hear her thoughts and constant observations.  

Team Ella Marie and March of Dimes

The March of Dimes Walk is coming up in Tulsa on Saturday, April 28^th. This year’s walk will be held at Tulsa University. The walk will begin at 10:00am. We would love to have you join us. It is free to participate. T-shirts are in the works and the team website is up and running.  

https://www.marchforbabies.org/team/Ellamarie

Twenty-Two Months Old

Ella Weighs: 19lbs 10oz

 This month, Ella has been spending most of her time indoors and at home. After recovering from RSV, we decided it was time to stay as isolated as possible. We are ever so thankful for the days of pleasant weather here and there that have allowed us to take our little explorer outside. When we get outside, she goes straight towards the incline at the end of our driveway, giggling the entire way. She enjoys the thrill of the downward slope. She loves to toddle up and down the sidewalk, stopping here and there as she sees items of interest to her. At Grandma and Grandpa's house she prefers to cruise up and down the street in her activity walker. She would stay outside forever if we let her. When we pick her up to bring her inside, Ella shrieks and goes limp in the armpits.

We are learning day by day how to navigate the toddler world. Ella’s spirit and strength, along with her determination can create quite the scene. Although it causes us to pause often, her tenacity is a quality we love.

A few of her favorite things:

-washing her hands (shout out to Daddy for this one! He has made hand-washing fun and any time she hears the water turn on she is ready to go)

-"cooking" with pots and pans

-taking notes with her pen and post-its

-clapping: her hands, baby dolls hands, our hands

-reading books

-playing in her crib

-climbing on and off furniture, especially the chair in the office

-getting ahold of anything she knows she is not supposed to have

-using her tiptoes to their full potential to reach new objects

-launching herself over the back of her toddler couch

A few of our favorite things:

-Ella’s tenacity and independence

-watching as she figures out the function of items around the house (she currently enjoys finding pieces of things on the floor to put in the trash can)

-her love for books

-watching her face light up at the excitement of conquering something new

Favorite foods:

Avocados and berries still reign, but a few new favorites have entered her world.

•  Oranges       
• Chex cereal
• Pancakes   
• Eggs

She will beg to try a bite of anything that she sees someone else eating.

Medical Update:

Ella’s fourth tooth finally came in on bottom. As of now she has twelve teeth, with two more pushing their way in.

We had a speech therapist visit us this month and she gave us some things to work on with Ella. Our current goal is to encourage her to mimic as many vowel sounds as possible. Ella definitely has her own little language going on, she carries on conversations with herself the entire time she plays.

She has her next eye appointment in a few weeks to see if there has been any significant progression with her nearsightedness.

Oh The Memories: 21 months

Happy New Year! It feels good to be typing an update. We have been on the go these past few months spending time with family and trying to stay healthy. In the final days of my winter break, I tackled the storage room, formerly known as our office. With the clutter cleared, I felt welcomed to once again sit down at the computer.

Ella Weighs: 19lbs 6oz

She eats like a champion and is keeping her own steady growth curve.  

Monthly Highlights

October

In preparation for Ella’s first pumpkin patch visit, we took her to get her first pair of shoes! She was pretty cute as she toddled around navigating her way through the pumpkins. She showed fearlessness as she reached out her hands towards the goats and cows. She even let a cow lick her! We had a warmer than usual October and Ella spent a lot of time outside wearing in her new shoes while exploring leaves and acorns. She found enjoyment in the neighborhood Halloween inflatables, but wanted nothing to do with them on Halloween night. This year we dressed her up as a black kitty-cat. She was not too sure about the tail and her ears, but she tolerated them. 

November

I shared our journey of having a micro-preemie with Preemie Mom Camp. If you are a preemie mom or know of someone with a preemie in the NICU please encourage them to check out the site on Facebook or Instagram. On November 17^th, we recognized World Prematurity Day and celebrated our little girl for all of her growth. Comparing pictures from day one to where we are now always amazes me. I am so proud of our little girl and her feisty spirit. Ella discovered some of the fun things in life like spinning in office chairs and tasting Cool-Whip. She was introduced to window clings and is still working on mastering the concept of keeping them ON the window. Ella continued her interest in all things office supply and discovered that she can open and close markers.

December

At the beginning of the month, Ella took her last bottle. We had only been doing one in the morning, but she decided she was over it. Even though we are bottle free, she will still cuddle morning and night for a good session of book reading.

Ella loved all things Christmas! She enjoyed each and every Christmas card that arrived in the mail. I cannot bring myself to put away the bucket and cards just yet because she loves looking at them. She loved seeing the lights at Rhema and taking drives around the neighborhood at night for quick light tours. Although she first feared them, Ella became fascinated with musical singing plush toys. She pressed their on/off buttons repeatedly, stopping only to get to her preferred tune for a little breakout dance session. At Grandma’s house, she had a special daily routine with the decorations. Grandma even created Ella her very own felt tree to play with. She helped decorate a Christmas cookie, but had more fun walking around shaking the sprinkle containers. We took Ella to Boston Avenue for her first children’s Christmas Eve service. Thanks to a small break from Grandma, we made it through without any major meltdowns. I've decided to take a "bow on the bottom" picture annually. As long as she will allow it of course. 

Ella added the word DOG to her vocabulary this month. It is the cutest thing to hear her say because she says it with such gusto. Also, because a huge grin spreads across her face afterwards.  She has recently discovered magnets and play dough. Both activities have been perfect indoor activities while it is so chilly outside.

Medical Update

Ella has 11 teeth now. She got four molars in December. That makes six on the top and five on the bottom.

We visited her eye doctor to get an update on the progression of her myopia (nearsightedness). At the time of the visit, there had not been any progression. We were happy to hear that news. We will follow up again in a couple of months for the next update.

Ella has had noticeable anxiety at our visits to doctor offices. Her eyes become filled with fear and she starts crying uncontrollably. It is so hard on my heart. Placing her on the scale to be weighed can cause a great deal of panic for her. We are going to work on some social stories and medical play with the hope that we can ease some of her fears. I don’t blame her though. After being poked and prodded on in the NICU for three months, I would probably feel the same way.

We ended December with an RSV diagnosis. This year, Ella did not qualify for the RSV shots. It was a bit nerve-racking, but we are thankful for how strong her little lungs have become since leaving the NICU. We have been able to treat it from home. Thankfully, our little girl loves drinking her water.

A Few of Her Favorite Things

-music and dancing

-moving objects in and out of any container she can find

-playing in her kitchen

-her shopping cart

-trying to get away with things and giggling once mommy and daddy are on to her

-playing with makeup brushes, jewelry

-photographs

A Few of Our Favorite Things

-watching her dance when she hears a jingle or tune

-seeing her huge cheeky grin spread across her face

-watching her sign “more” simply for our reaction

-seeing her dimple appear when she is giggling

The New Year

Each year the holiday season lends itself to a special time of reflection.  I, like many others, took a walk down memory lane, pausing to note both the highs and the lows of the year. I scrolled through photos and posts on this blog, reliving each moment. Reflection is a beautiful thing.

In 2017, we took our first family trip to the grocery store, library, zoo, pool, splash-pad, lake and pumpkin patch. We celebrated Ella’s first birthday and her one-year anniversary of her NICU graduation day. We completed our first March of Dimes Walk, wearing shirts that read: Preemies are PURE POTENTIAL.

In one year, Ella went from crawling to sitting to walking. She had tubes placed and was fitted for her first pair of glasses all in the same month. We encountered ear infections, croup, and RSV.

Being parents of a preemie, even an overall healthy one, can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety. We tried our best not to worry too much about the future. In doing so, we became more mindful of our head-spaces and heart-spaces, slowing down and taking care of ourselves when needed. Day by day, we found our own little family rhythm. All in all, 2017 was a great year. We wish you and your family the best as the year begins. Happy 2018!

Ella is Eighteen Months Old

Our Curious Observer

Weighs: 18lbs 10.5oz 

Measures: 29.5 inches

Our friends and family who spend time around Ella always comment on her curiosity and her intense observations. By nature, babies are curious. They are after all figuring out a big world, but we have noticed Ella is extremely persistent in her discoveries. Long gone are the days of putting things out of reach or hiding them behind a pillow. Ella will go to any length to achieve a task she has set for herself. Her current stage of development is filled with daily moments of awe both for Ella and for us. 

Ella has adjusted to her glasses and is always looking around to check things out. Sometimes she remains reserved while she takes it all in and other times she chatters away. We are starting to hear more and more language. Although most of it remains a mystery we recognize mama, dada, Ella, Gerald, and da (that), and a version of outside on a daily basis. Distinct words will come with time. She has started to point at things that she wants, motioning repeatedly until we have found the correct object. When she is not pointing, she holds her hand up with fingers spread out and uses a high-pitched chatter to get our attention. In addition to her sweet chatter, we love her giggle. Her Pops always says that when she smiles, she uses her whole face. It is true. Her smiles and giggles are contagious. 

Ella is officially a walker! She started taking steps in mid-August and can now cruise around. When she gets excited she will drop down to bear crawl or crawl on her knees to get to a location more quickly. 

Our little foodie eats most anything we give her. She loves guacamole, Greek yogurt, oranges, eggs, chicken, meatballs, broccoli, graham crackers, raspberries, bananas, pancakes, and sweet potato fries. This month we introduced the fork and she is working hard to use it all by herself. She has finally figured out how to hold her bottle all by herself, but prefers we continue to do it for her. If you give her a cup of water with a straw, she is all about being independent.

Baby dolls have entered Ella's world. She loves to play with my old Cabbage Patch Dolls at Grandma's house. Sometimes she is super sweet and giving the babies kisses and other times she is tossing them around. We got her a baby doll for the lake that is the perfect size for her. The doll is 10 inches long. When she plays with that specific doll, I always think about the fact that at birth Ella was not much longer. Holding that baby doll reminds me of the skin-to-skin time I had with Ella in the NICU. I remember the first time I held her and being so unsure of her positioning with all of her tubing and lead lines. The palm of my hand covered her entire back. She may be small for her age, but to me she is a giant. She fills up my arms when I rock her at night.

Stacking cups continue to be a toy favorite. Ella loves knocking down a tower of cups Ross stacks for her. She has started to stack them on her own and can put them all together in order to put them away. 

Ella has finally made an appearance on the growth charts! She is in the 5th percentile for length. The extra inch has expanded her world height wise. She is constantly testing new surfaces seeing if she can climb on top of them. This month she mastered the ottoman at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I am sure the couch will be next. She also mastered climbing up the play side on her activity set, all by herself! When she did it for the first time my feelings were a combination of pride and oh no what is she going to get into now.

Outside time is a daily must for Ella. She particularly likes to spend time in our driveway exploring acorns. She has stopped eating chalk (for the most part) and will now color with it. Last week, it rained all day and Ella spent a good part of the day watching out the back door motioning that she wanted to be outside. We spent a lot of time this summer swimming and we are sad to see our pool time end. Here's to bathtub playtime until summer returns!

Here are some fun firsts from this month:

-Trip to the zoo with Cousin Emily

-Story time at the library with Grandma

-First official school book fair! Ella picked out her own book!

-Riding on the four wheeler with mama and daddy at Pop's house

-Swinging at the park

-Wore her first pair of Nike shorts! 

We are looking forward to the cooler temperatures and time outside with Ella, but we are not looking forward to going back into semi-isolation. Ella does not qualify for the RSV shot this year. We will need to take precautions to make sure we keep her as healthy as possible throughout the fall and winter seasons. It will be a big shift from our summer filled with adventures. Some will say we are being too overprotective or too cautious, but our mindfulness of exposure to germs will help keep Ella healthy and out of the hospital.

As always, we want to thank our village surrounding us and supporting us on our journey of parenthood. We are where we are today because of your love and support.