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.  

Sixteen Months Old

Ella weighs: around 17 pounds

Ella measures: 28.5 inches 

Don't worry, she didn't shrink. Her feisty personality at the doctor's office has caused a few of our previous measurements to be a bit inaccurate.

Milestones this month:

- drinking from a straw! 

- strong standing

- walking with her walker
- saying Da-da! 

Ella loves: 

- taking things out and putting them in

- anything paper like

- exploring in the kitchen

- trying to get Mommy and Daddy's food

- playing chase 

- knocking down any tower Daddy creates 

- the splash pad and the pool

- reading 

Favorite foods:

- Ritz crackers

- greek yogurt

- watermelon 

- rice and black beans

- peaches

Health and Doctors: 

Ella is the proud owner of two new top teeth. We figured her middle top teeth would come after her bottom middle teeth, but it turns out her lateral incisors or cuspids (we can't tell which they are yet) wanted to come in first. Recently she started to sprout another tooth on bottom, which brings the total count to five teeth. 

Ella had tubes placed in her ears last week. She has had fluid sitting in her ears since her ear infection in April and we decided to go ahead and be proactive to resolve the issue. When we arrived at the front desk, the staff handed her a stuffed animal panda. Instantly a smile spread across her face. The procedure was quick, but waking up from the anesthesia was tough. Once we got her home she settled in for a long nap and woke up acting more like herself.

At our visit to the eye doctor, it was confirmed that Ella's nearsightedness had worsened. We got Ella fitted for her first pair of glasses. She was less than thrilled to have pair after pair of frames placed on her face, but we powered through. Most of the frames and straps were too big for her petite head, but we found a pair that will work. We have been working on getting her used to them a little bit at a time. Her current record for keeping them on before yanking them down is thirty minutes. 

What we have been up to: 

On July 1st, we celebrated 365 days of having Ella home. On July 1st, 2016 our 24 weeker became a NICU graduate. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. After hours of preparations at the hospital, we wheeled our little girl out in her red wagon and loaded her into our car. The eight mile car ride home seemed to last forever. The air was filled with a mix of emotions. Joy, fear, love. We were entering unknown territory. We were entrusted to take our then 5 pound 7 oz baby home. It didn't seem real. And then we pulled into our driveway. For the first time, 98 days post-delivery, we entered our home ALL together.    

This year we celebrated Ella's coming home day by visiting her NICU nurses and her neonatologist. A few of those women were there for her as she took her very first breath of life. They encouraged her from the beginning and reminded her that she had to fight. The others were by her bedside weekly and treated her as if she was their own. A year later they still keep in touch and celebrate each of Ella's milestones with us. NICU doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists are an incredible group of people. All of the Saint Francis NICU staff will always have a special place in our hearts. 

We celebrated Fourth of July weekend with family and friends. Ella attended her first Annual Trease Fireworks show, minus the fireworks. She got to taste her first ever bite of macaroni and cheese. She made it until the sun started to set and then bedtime became necessary. We spent the rest of the weekend at the lake where she played her little heart out with her cousins. We have seen a big shift in Ella's separation anxiety. She seems more content around others and is even willing to be held briefly by friends and family. It has been a win-win for all involved. Last week Ella and I took our first mommy-daughter road trip across state lines. We drove to Fayetteville to visit Aunt Jessa and spent the day exploring a new place and lounging by the pool. Ella even spent some time playing the piano. Ella could spend every day at the pool and be content. She is quite brave and wants to swim like the big kids. Swimming lessons will be a must next summer. 

Ella has been working on eating more and more table foods. Her current favorites are Ritz crackers and watermelon. She may be tiny, but she loves food! Anytime we fix something for ourselves she stares us down, willing for us to give her a taste. 

Ella has become even more mobile this month. She can crawl out of sight in the blink of an eye. I always tease that she could champion at long distance crawling. There is not one bit of square footage that she has yet to discover. She has realized that she too has the power to open a variety of cabinets and doors. Her favorite place to explore is my closet. It won't be too much longer before our little girl is independently cruising on her feet. Right now, she uses her walker and strolls along beaming with pride. She giggles as she goes because she is so proud of herself. We are enjoying every bit of this stage and we can't wait to see what happens next month. 

As always, we want to thank our village surrounding us and encouraging us as we continue on our journey of parenthood. We would not be where we are today without you. 

Fifteen Months Old

Ella weighs: 16lbs 10.5oz

Ella measures: 29 inches

Milestones this month:

-crawling up the stairs (all of them)

-crawling on/up anything really

-standing/balancing all by herself for moments of time

-sidesteps holding onto furniture

-feeds herself using a spoon

-using baby sign language for "more"

-beginning to eat more solid pieces of food 

Ella loves: 

-playing peek-a-boo with blankets

-books
-reaching the keys on grandma's piano

-pulling open pens

-the outdoors

-exploring anything she can get her hands on

-smiling when she gets a hold of something
 she isn't supposed to have

-people watching

-playing in the water

-pulling any folded laundry down from the couch

-chasing Mom

-Gerald, yes still

Favorite foods:

-greek yogurt

-potatoes 

-cauliflower and zucchini

-avocado

-banana

-blueberry applesauce 

Health and Doctors: 

It is officially known at all of the doctors' offices that our precious baby does not like being anywhere near a medical office. We are those people. The ones with the child screaming because she is being placed on the scale to be weighed. I don't blame her one bit after her season of shots. Her doctors deserve a shout out for being AMAZING! 

EThis month Ella was cleared from her pulmonologist (lung doctor). Since being taken off of oxygen in September she has not needed any interventions. During her NICU stay, her lungs were constantly referred to as, "wet tissue paper," so to hear that they are rebuilding their strength was music to my ears. Not to mention that this means one less doctor's office on the rotation.

Days later we visited the cardiologist. After an entertaining ultrasound, due to Ella's endless protest against it, we received more great news. Her pulmonary stenosis is continuing to grow with her at a normal rate. We will return in 9-12 months. If you are in need of a cardiologist, Dr. Kliewer is fantastic. She calmed both Ella and myself down after that ultrasound experience. We were all laughing by the end of the appointment. I am grateful for her understanding and calming presence. 

Ella is still rocking those two bottom teeth! They are much taller now and the cutest bottom teeth I have ever seen. 

What we have been up to: 

Now that we have cleared what is deemed as sick season, we have been out and about all around town. First up on our summer to-do list was Ella's first lake trip.  Grand Lake is the backdrop for some of my most favorite memories. As a little girl, I spent my summers there fishing, tubing, exploring, watching Fourth of July fireworks. As an older girl, I was proposed to there by the love of my life. I was excited to share such a special place with her. She was apprehensive at first, but turned out to be the cutest lake baby ever! I mean it really was not an option for her to not like the lake... but I love that it was her choice. 

Ella is content when she is playing in any kind of water environment. Splash pad, bath, small pool, big pool, lake she loves them all. When we approach any of them her eyes life up and a smile spreads across her face. At the splash pad, she stares as the big buckets of water fill up and drop down from above. She giggles as the water splashes down and goes across her toes. She has spent a lot of time in her baby pool outside and visited two different big pools. When she is in the water she kicks her legs constantly. We definitely have a little fishy on our hands! 

At 14 months old, Ella experienced her first trip to the grocery store with me. Thank goodness for Tulas! She loved it and it was one more thing on the list of things making me feel a bit more normal in the parenting department. Since then, she has been on multiple trips to the grocery store. And... wait for it... Ella has taken her first trip to Target! Doesn't get more normal in the mom life department than a trip to Target, right? 

Another big first for all of us this month was our first weekend away from Ella. Yes, you heard that right, our FIRST weekend away. Thank goodness for Ross's cousin having a wedding out of town because we needed a little push to get away and have some time to ourselves. Ella stayed with my parents and reminded them of what it was like sleeping with a baby in the house. Let's just say Ella is lucky she is so loved by them. They adore her. I adore them because they are my parents, but also because they constantly are helping us out. 

Ella is becoming much more social as we spend more time around other children. She has started to interact more with her cousins when they are around. When we have visited friends with babies she immediately crawls over to them and wants to see what they are all about. Or at least to see what kind of paci they are in possession of. She believes any Wubbanub in sight belongs to her. 

Ella is quickly becoming a book worm. We are participating in the summer reading program with the library and reading as many books as we can get our hands on. She has come a long way from barely being able to sit through Goodnight Moon. One of her current favorites is Madeline. 

As always, we want to thank our village surrounding us and encouraging us as we continue on our journey of parenthood. We would not be where we are today without you. 

Thirteen Months Old

Ella weighs: 16lbs 6oz

Ella measures: 27.5 inches 

Milestones this month:

-said, "ba-ba-ba"

-putting herself in sitting position and swiveling her legs around

-getting herself down from standing position without crashing

-repeats sounds we mimic that she has made

-feeding herself yogurt bites

Ella loves: 

-feeding herself yogurt melts

-people watching

-plastic Easter eggs

-her paci Gerald

-drinking water from cups

-pulling herself up on new objects 

-giggling

Health and Doctors: 
Ella has two teeth! Days after my last post, her two bottom teeth emerged. They are pretty cute! Her paci giraffe, Gerald, has made a comeback. Now that she has teeth, she can actually keep the paci in her mouth. She will drag that poor giraffe anywhere and everywhere. 

Our one year-old check up at the pediatrician's office went a little differently than expected. When we arrived, Ella had a slight temperature, which I had attributed to the teething, turns out it was an ear infection. Mom of the year right here. I am proud to say we went 9 months out of the NICU and through sick season before we required our first antibiotic. The infection cleared up pretty quickly. We went last week and she received her 12-months shots. This was her first round of live vaccines. As soon as Ella saw the nurse, she burst into hysterical tears, jutting her bottom lip out as far as she could. She is traumatized from months of Synagis shots. I don't know how those nurses do it. 

When we visited the developmental pediatrician, Ella was right in the middle of her ear infection and still not quite herself, but the doctor was able to complete the exam. She was pleased with the results. We will not need to see her again until after Ella's second birthday. 

We returned to the eye doctor this month. The exam revealed that Ella's nearsightedness will require her to be fitted for glasses when we visit again in July. Overall, the laser surgery has done the job it was supposed too. All of her laser scars still look great. The laser scars will limit some of her side vision, but she does have strong central vision. The doctor reminded us that her eyes are extremely fragile. She should avoid high-impact sports when she is older. 

What we have been up to: 

Ella becomes braver and braver with each new day. She tries her best to climb up anything she can get her hands on. She has a new game we call trust fall, where she is standing holding onto something and then turns around to see who is around and lets go. She has started to balance for a few seconds on both feet without holding onto anything. 

Her curiosity continues to evolve. She can find things that are hidden and intensely studies new objects placed in her surroundings. We were recently at a friend's house. Ella was watching their dogs as they walked around her. Without hesitation she reached out to pet them. 

We spent Easter weekend with family. Ella loved the plastic eggs. She could not get enough of them! The last weekend of her twelfth month was a busy one. Ella participated in her first March of Dimes walk. The cold weather caused much of the event to take place inside, but it was still wonderful! Her nurses, our family, and our friends joined us to celebrate Ella and all babies. She wore a onesie with the words: one pound miracle. I loved watching her take it all in. We baptized her the following day. Life is starting to feel much more normal around here. I finish up school this month and can't wait to spend my summer exploring with Ella.