Happy Easter!

**This entry is backdated**

On Easter, our little snuggle bunny awoke to find herself several surprises from the Easter Bunny! Paul and I got her an Easter basket from PBK that she will able to reuse every year along with some books and an Easter bib. Her Aunt Tara surprised her a couple of days earlier with a beautiful Easter basket, and her Grandpa Paul and Grandma and Grandpa had each brought over baskets with books, toys and even candy for Paul and I (thanks Grandpa Paul for the candy!!)

Easter Sunday was Kaitlyn's first trip to Church. We have been so nervous about taking her because we didn't know if she was going to cry or fuss or have a complete meltdown. Turns out, we were worried for nothing. Our family went to the 8am service at St. Luke's and Kaitlyn slept the entire time. I took her with me to receive the Eucharist, and the priest blessed her. She looked so cute in her Easter outfit and everyone commented on what a good baby she was and how cute she is.

We went to the Mag.nolia Pancake House for brunch afterwards and Kaitlyn grabbed her toy for the first time ever!! I thought I was going to jump out of my chair I was so surprised.

We took a family nap after brunch and took Katie to my mom's house so that Paul and I could run some errands.

That evening, Papa hid the Easter Eggs that Mom and I made for Kaitlyn, and Paul and I helped her "find" them. She had absolutely no idea what all the fuss was about. lol!

I can't wait for next year when Katie is running all around the yard and excited to find the brightly colored eggs. It will be here soon, I am sure. Time seems to be flying by.

Happy Easter Everyone!!

Big Bird's Beach Party

Our Little Angel! (April 3, 2010 @ 3 months)

Today was Katie's first trip to SeaWorld! The first of very, very many, I am sure. :o) We were a little bit unsure how she would do since there isn't a whole lot of shade, lots of people and it was rather warm out (in the 80's), but she did SUPER! She didn't want to stay in her stroller very long, and ended up in the Jeep Carrier with Grandpa after being at the park for maybe 5 minutes. Papa loves to carry her in the carrier and I think it is pretty darn cool that her Grandpa enjoys baby wearing.

We tried to see the new Azul show, but we got there about 10 minutes before it was going to start, and there were so many people standing up in the back that the staff was at the entrances announcing the show was full. We headed over to Shamu instead, where Kaitlyn woke up and gave Shamu a big wave "HELLO!"

The show was pretty similar to last year's show, except the trainers are still not in the water due to the recent tragedy of one of the killer whales attacking and killing its trainer at one of the other parks. I liked the show better when the trainers were able to get in the water and do neat tricks where Shamu throws them across the pool. They seemed to do more jumps then too. And it is neat to see a mammal so large interacting with such a small human (comparatively, speaking).

After Shamu, it was off to see Big Bird. Kaitlyn wasn't too sure if she liked the show at first and fussed a bit. She was tired, hot, and needed a change. Once we got her all settled in, she started to enjoy the music and bright colors.

She sat on the end of the row with Grandma and stared and stared at the cast and crew. She waved "bye bye" to Big Bird, even. (With a little help from Grandma). After the show, we decided to call it a day and picked up our very first picture of Kaitlyn's trip to SeaWorld. (in which she is screaming....). Hopefully we will be able to get some more pictures next time we visit.

Easter Pictures

Happy Easter Everyone!!

See, I told everyone that we had a little angel!! Isn't she precious?!?!

For Kaitlyn's Easter pictures, we wanted to do something a little bit different from the norm. We got a flyer from Nursery Couture that they were having a photographer come and take pictures with REAL bunnies on March 27, 2010. Unfortunately, Paul and I both had to work, but Katie went with Grandma and Grandpa and took some adorable pictures. We had never used this photographer before, but she did an awesome job: Jenn Brookover.

Not too sure what to think....

Me and the Bunny are Good Friends!!

Kaitlyn: Month Three

My dearest Kaitlyn (our cute lil' boo bear),

Today you are three months old. It seems like so long ago that we brought you home; you have changed so much. Time is just flying by, as well. A lot has happened in the last month, I have a much to update.

First of all, you finally met your Grandpa!! :)

He came home from Afghanistan on March 10th and Grandma, Uncle Jon and I went with you to San Angelo to greet him at the airport and experience your first overnight stay away from home. You were such a wonderful girl on the car ride up there. You travel very well, and hardly ever get upset in your carseat unless we are stopped. Grandma was trying to feed you when Grandpa's plane landed, and when he held you for the first time, you had a big fit because you wanted to eat. lol! But now, Grandpa refers to you as "Grandpa's buddy." Today, in fact, you are staying with him while mommy works for a "Grandpa Day!"

You should tell your buddy that you want your slumber parties with Grandma back, by the way. The weekend he came home was the first time Grandma missed staying at our house with you for several weeks. She has still seen you every single day, and Grandpa has seen you every day since he has returned home. I think they love you more than the puppies! (That's a whole lot for your Grandpa, as you will learn.)

You also got to see Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa again. They came to visit us last week and you LOVED staying with "Gam Gam," as Uncle Jon calls her, while mommy went to work. Gam Gam held you alot and snuggled with you when she could. Your Grandma was home, too, at the end of the week, and they took turns seeing who could spoil you the most. You are soo loved Katie Bug. Everyone loves to hold and kiss you.

This past month, you have been smiling up a storm. I was taking your picture one day and you gave me such a cute grin as soon as I put the camera up to snap a picture. Seeing you smile is one of my favorite things. You smile so big for your Daddy, too. He loves to joke around with you and make silly faces and you just grin and coo at him for a long time. You are such a happy baby.

Yesterday, we put you in your Bumbo seat, but this time you liked it! You were sitting up so straight and tall, and you even swatted at your toy a few times. We noticed that you have been tracking objects, especially ceiling fans, more than you used to lately. Grandma and I both picked out mobiles for your crib and pack-n-play and you LOVE them. You like to kick your feet up and down while you watch the animals twirl around. You love to wiggle. We jokingly refer to you as a "wiggle butt." You are in good company, though; both your mommy and your daddy wiggle a bunch.

Did I mention that you love to snuggle??? Seriously, this has to be your favorite activity. And if Grandma is the one you are snuggling....EVEN BETTER. :) You even scoot yourself around in your bassinet so that your head is cradled in the corner and your right side is snuggled up against the bassinet when you sleep.

You are developing and reaching milestones so quickly, I am just amazed. You are now able to recognize faces and voices; you even remembered Gam Gam from when she stayed with us, and you would give her great big smiles. You love to coo and squeal and talk to yourself. Your voice is the sweetest sound we have ever heard. (I am sure somewhere in the future, I will be retracting that when you are screaming. HAHA) Two weeks ago, you started blowing bubbles, and you are drooling a lot more. It looks like you have a tooth breaking through on your lower right. You are also really starting to take in textures. Last week, you helped Uncle Jon and Grandpa build onto Grandpa's patio and Uncle Jon helped you walk in the sand. You really liked the sand between your toes. Your eyes also lit up last night when you were rubbing your feet on Daddy's whiskers. However, you are not always a fan of what you feel. Grandpa put your feet in cement last week for his new stepping stones, and that made you very angry.

You are sleeping so well. When you are not having a growth spurt that is. You were sleeping from 10pm to 5 or 6am very well before mommy returned to work. Then you started your 12 week growth spurt, which is continuing into week 13, and now you sleep from 11:30 to 5ish. You usually go back down after you eat until 9 or 10am. I love that you sleep in like I do! :)

You have also been eating more because you are growing so big. Normally you have 7 bottles a day for around 20 oz. This past week though, you are a milk monster; yesterday you had almost 27 oz!! You are up to 10lbs 6oz as of a week ago. You still fit into some of your 0-3 month clothes, but I doubt you will for much longer than this week. You have already moved up to your 3-6month sleepers, so your clothing is not too far behind. Some brands run smaller, and you already wear 3-6months in those.

I am not sure if you caught on yet, but Mommy had to go back to work on the 22nd. It has been so hard leaving you to go to work, but it is something that I have to do. I miss you so much when I am gone, and I love that Grandma and Uncle Jon send me pictures and updates on how you are doing. We are still able to have lots of fun when mommy is off though. Just yesterday, we celebrated your daddy turning the big 3-0! You were such a doll in your party dress and were probably Daddy's favorite attendant to his party.

We are all really looking forward to all the changes you will make in the fourth month. You are our little angel, Kaitlyn, and you bring so much joy to our lives. Always know that your family loves you very, very much.

Love,

Mommy

First Cold

The Friday before I am to start back work, Katie gets sick. And while she is just fine now, I think she scared the pee out of me.

This morning, I was getting ready to go to SeaWorld with Mom and Papa; we were taking Katie to see "Big Bird's Beach Party." Around 10am, she was still asleep, so I went into the other room to pump and wash some bottles. I forgot the bottle she had earlier, and I went into our bedroom to pick it up. Before walking back out, I just happened to remember needing something off my dresser on the other side of the room.

Katie has had a bit of a cough for a couple of weeks now, but she hadn't coughed anything up, wasn't snotty, and her lungs were clear when I listened to her. She started coughing this morning, so I turned around from the dresser to go and get her as I figured she had woken up. However, the bassinet started to shake violently, and I had no idea what Kaitlyn was doing.

When I picked her up, she was covered in mucus. She had coughed it up her mouth and nose and could not breathe!! She was flailing around trying to kick and hit and get some air. She could barely even cry. She was going about 10 to 15 seconds before she would give a weak cry.

Long story short, mom and papa called about this time to see if I wanted any tacos for breakfast and when they heard me in a panicked state, they decided they should just come over and forget about those tacos. After about five minutes, I was able to suction Kaitlyn enough where she was crying loudly, but she still was having labored breathing. We took her into the pediatrician's office for Dr. H to check her out and Paul came home to go with me.

(I love Dr. H, by the way! She is sooo good with Katie.) When we got to the clinic, Kaitlyn decided she was just fine and smiled and coo'd at Dr. H while she was doing her exam. Silly baby. The doctor said that Kaitlyn's lungs were clear, but she had nasal congestion so we gave her two breathing treatments. Katie wasn't too sure about the treatments, but she did pretty well.

We were sent home with our own penguin neubulizer machine and some albuterol treatments to give her if she starts having difficulty again. This evening she is back to her old self. You wouldn't even know that she had such a rough morning except for the occasional cough. Me on the other hand, I think I just grew 20 gray hairs and took 5 years off my life....

Kaitlyn: Month Two

Katie (Our beautiful baby girl),


Mommy is so late in writing this letter. I am actually writing this a month late and back posting it. Whoops. Life is so hectic and chaotic at times. Your great-grandma left to go back to Oklahoma at the beginning of the month, and mommy has been having fun learning how to do things by myself all day. We are doing much better, and you are such a good girl for mommy. That makes it a lot easier.

I love to get out and about with you, but it takes SO LONG sometimes. The first time I went with just me and you, it took me 2 hours. LOL! You are sleeping less than as a newborn, but you are finally starting to clump times together. You have been going to sleep around 10:30, after your last bottle, and sleeping until 2-3am. Most of the time you go right back to sleep, but sometimes you stay awake for a bit and mommy has to find some toothpicks to hold her eyelids open. LOL! You usually stay asleep until 8am, and then you are up for the day. I have to get up extra early to get ready before you wake if we have early morning doctor's appointments.

Speaking of doctor's appointments, your two month check-up is on March 3rd. I am so excited to see how much you weigh now. At your 5 week check-up, you were 8 lbs and 2 oz. You have gotten so much bigger that I have put away all your newborn clothes and you are wearing your size one diapers. You are also eating 8-10 bottles a day for around 20 oz. You are getting to be a big girl! :)

I am not looking forward to you getting your two month shots. It makes mommy sad to think of you hurting or being in pain. I wish that we could skip over that part of the visit.

You celebrated your first holiday this month, your first Valentine's Day. Grandma stayed overnight with us and watched you so that mommy could sleep. We spent the day with her and Uncle Jon as a family. You even got a Teddy Bear from Grandma that tells you "I Love You More!" when you tell him you love him. Mommy also had a birthday and turned 27. We went to eat at Silo's, mommy's favorite restaurant, with Daddy, Grandma, Uncle Jon and Aunt Tara. You did soooo well at the restaurant and did not even cry.



You are awake for 9-11 hours a day, and are developing quite the personality. You make so many cute faces and are trying so hard to hold your head and shoulders up by yourself. Everyone loves to comment on how cute you are! We are pretty proud parents, too.


Things you love:

-Going for car rides or shopping

-Being outside

-Baths in Mommy's big bath tub

-Snuggling

-Sleeping

-Being Held

-Milk

-Lunch with Grandma

-Sticking your tongue out at Uncle Jon

-Releasing air, one way or another

You are so precious, Kaitlyn. We are thankful that we have been so blessed to have such a wonderful daughter. We love you more than anything.

Love,
Mommy

Breastmilk Strong!

Kaitlyn had a weight check up today. Dr. H wanted to make sure that Katie is continuing to gain weight and grow as she should after her bout with jaundice and having such a drop in weight. And...she did so well! She is 8 lbs and 2 oz, which is almost two pounds up from three weeks ago!!! :)

Dr. H walked in the exam room with a huge smile and asked me what I had been feeding her to have her doing so well. I told Dr. H how much she had been eating and that I had been continuing to express breast milk for Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn hasn't had anything but breast milk for over a week. Recently, I have managed to take breast milk with us fresh when I leave the house so that she doesn't have formula at those times either. Even after everything that we have been through, she has only had 28 ounces of formula out of the 510 ounces she has drank. That's less than 6%!!

I really feel so proud; I feel like I finally got something right because she is thriving off of her Mother's Milk. I wanted to breastfeed Kaitlyn so bad and it was a very difficult and emotional decision for me to stop breastfeeding and exclusively pump. I almost didn't continue to pump, but with my friends and family (and my daddy) encouraging and supporting me, I have been able to do so. I have only set small goals, for example "I will pump until she is two weeks old." Then I went to 6 weeks old. I think my next goal will be until I return to work, but really, as long as I can continue to do this, I will.

She is her Father's Child

Last night, Katie woke up after her bath and we discovered that she has poofy hair like her daddy. Poor baby....

Happy One Month Birthday!

Dearest Kaitlyn,

Today you are one month old. Your daddy and I cannot believe how quickly this day has come and at the same time it seems as though you have always been here with us.

Your entrance into our family has forever changed our lives. We are so blessed and happy to have you as our daughter. Everything about you intrigues us, from your beautiful eyes to your head full of hair, to your long feet and hands and your expanding belly. You are perfect!

It has certainly been an adjustment having you here at home with us. When we first brought you home, the only one getting any sleep was you! :o) Mommy and Daddy would stay awake or in a very light sleep waiting for you to cry out that you needed us. We were so nervous to take care of you and worried that we wouldn't know what to do. After a few weeks though, we are becoming ole' pros, although still sleep deprived. We have been very blessed to have a lot of help, as well. Your daddy was able to take two weeks off to spend with you and me. Being back at work has been hard for him, but I send him pictures everyday so that he can see how cute you are! And he calls every couples of hours to see what you are up to and ask how we are doing. Your grandma took a week off after Daddy went back to work to help me and spend time with you. And for the last two weeks, your great grandma has been staying with us and has been spoiling you as much as she can. Your grandpa calls from Afghanistan every single day to check on you and see how you are doing. He can't wait to come home and spoil you rotten! You have had so many visitors come to see you and love on you. You are such a good baby, too. You love to snuggle and don't wake or fuss when we pass you from our loving arms to the next.

You are finally settling into somewhat of a routine. You like to eat every two to three hours during the day and are eating about 20 ounces a day, usually in eight or nine meals. You have been sleeping a little bit longer during the night and wake up around 2am and 6am to eat. By 8 or 9am, you are ready to get up and face the day. You are a good sleeper, and you are not bothered by noises or lights. The only thing that bothers you are the pesky blankets that we try to keep you covered with. You grunt and squirm until your hands are free and your legs are uncovered. You HAVE to have your hands near your face and have managed to only scratch yourself once or twice.

Sleeping in your bassinet.

Napping on the couch with Daddy.

You like bath time for the most part and will lay quietly in the tub while we wash you down. You love to kick your legs to splash the water and flail your arms around. We definitely think that you are going to be a water baby (much like I was when I was little).

As time has passed, we have become better at and more brave to take you out for road trips. At first you didn't like getting in your car seat and would cry until the car had been moving for awhile. Now you only protest when we are first buckling you in. You have been many places already. We have taken you to the doctor for lab draws, to Tamara and Carmen's baby shower, restaurants, Grandma's house, and shopping. You seem to like being on the go and only get fussy when it is time to eat. You only cry when you are hungry or bored, and now occasionally when you need changed. Or when you realize no one is holding you anymore. :)

Getting ready to go to the Pediatrician's for a check-up!

In your party dress to go to Tamara's shower.

You are also becoming more alert and active during the day. You love to swing in your swing and play on the play mat for short periods of time. You are so strong too!! We are continuously amazed by all the things that you can do. You can:

-Focus on faces. You especially love to look at your Grandma's face. :o)

-Respond to a noise in some way, such as starting, crying or quieting. You become very quiet when you hear your daddy's face and you turn your head to find him. Usually noises startle you and not scare you to where you cry.

-Lift your head 45 degrees when you are on your stomach. Mainly you do this when you are laying on someone rather than on the play mat. Your neck muscles are so strong and you can even hold your head upright on your own for short periods of time.

-Bring both hands together. You like to put them next to your face, of course.

-Smile in response to a smile. Your great grandma gets lots of these in the mornings. You also smile spontaneously, but we are not too sure that you know why you are smiling. It's probably still from gas. :o)

-Vocalize in ways other than crying. You like to talk to your self already.

We are so proud of all that you have accomplished this month and we can't wait to see what all you conquer in the days ahead. We know that you are going to continue to grow bigger, stronger and smarter. You are such a blessing to our family and we thank God that he gave you to us to raise. You are the light of our life, Kaitlyn, and we love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

Countdown to Katie

FIRST TRIMESTER
Week 1-4: 0 lbs
Week 5-8: -1 lb
Week 9-13: -4 lbs

SECOND TRIMESTER
Week 14-17: -3 lbs
Week 18-21: -1 lb
Week 22-26: +6 lbs

THIRD TRIMESTER
Week 27-30: +12 lbs
Week 31-35: +14.5 lbs
Week 36-37: +16.6 lbs

Two Weeks Postpartum: -0.6 lbs!!!

Nine Months Postpartum: +11 lbs!!!

Twelve Months Postpartum: +/- 0 lbs!!!

Kaitlyn's First Hospitalization (January 2-4, 2010)

...and hopefully our last.

While we were in the hospital for delivery, they checked Kaitlyn's bilirubin levels. They told us Thursday, December 31st, that her levels the previous evening were a little high, around 7 at 24 hours of life. Her level should have been around 4, and she was in a high risk category at the time. The pediatrician wanted to recheck her levels before we were discharged home, and if it had come down some, she would discharge us with a follow up with her on Monday.

They drew her labs around 11am, and it had gone down some, but was still elevated at 10.8 at 42 hours of life. Dr. H said that we could go home, but to bring Katie in for a re-check of her bili level on Saturday.

Paul and I got up first thing Saturday morning (January 2nd) and loaded the baby into the car. Unfortunately, the hospital staff was not very coordinated at all, and we ended up waiting in the ER waiting room from 11am to 12:30pm. By that time, it was time for Katie to eat, and Paul had complained enough that they put us in a triage room to wait.

They drew her lab at 2pm and sent us home. By the time we got home, though, Dr. H had already gotten the lab results and called to let us know. Her voicemail said to call her back "as soon as possible" and that it was "pretty urgent." I had a feeling we weren't in for good news.

Dr. H said her bili level had almost doubled and was 25.5. She needed to have photo light therapy for hyperbilirubinemia as soon as possible, and she had already called some of the local hospitals to schedule Kaitlyn's admission. She was waiting on confirmation from the Downtown Children's Hospital, and Paul and I packed up everything we could think of to take while we awaited her call. Around 4:30pm, Dr. H called and instructed us to head to the NICU downtown.

Walking into the NICU with my daughter was one of the scariest things that I have had to do. It is frightening to see all the machines, wires, tubes and tiny isolettes with premature and sick children in them. Kaitlyn had her own private room for isolation, Room 14, as she was newborn and had not been screened for the flu and RSV. They started her on IV fluids and Sarah, her nurse, fed her the 1 oz of breast milk that I was able to pump before arriving at the hospital. Her bili level at 19:47 was 19.5. She was placed on triple light therapy, with two overhead lights and a bili blanket underneath her. She looked so tiny in her bed, and was only 5 lbs and 5 oz upon admission.


Paul and I stayed with my mom until 10pm, when Grandparent visitation was over. We headed to the house, and I woke up every 3 hours to pump for Katie. Mom went to the hospital at 8am on Sunday to sit with Katie until we were able to arrive. Sabrina, the nurse overnight, said that Katie did well and kept trying to remove her sunglasses. Her bili level at midnight was 16.1 and 14.4 at 08:05am. Her nurse, Cat, removed one of the bili lights at 09:40, and they placed her in between two bili blankets around 11:00am so that we could hold her and I could try to nurse.


They re-checked her bili level at 2pm, and it was 12.9mg/dl. This meant that she only had to wear one bili blanket, and we were able to graduate from the NICU to the Step Down Nursery! :o) Around 5pm, we transported to the Special Nursery and met our nurse, Jennifer. Paul and I were not very impressed with the Special nursery to say the least. They were not very welcoming and friendly like the NICU nurses were, and they were definitely not supportive of breastfeeding. Neither of our nurses knew how to use the breast pump in the lactation room and the room was unkempt with trash overflowing from the trash can. Paul and mom were able to get the Lactation Consultants to come and visit with me a few times, however, and we made a little bit of progress with Katie.

On Monday afternoon, the Nurse Practitioner came by to see us and said that we could go home. Her bili level was 12.5mg/dl overnight and her color was already looking better. We were discharged home around 3pm that afternoon.

Since we have been home, Kaitlyn has continued to thrive. She is eating well and making dirty diapers for us to change. :o) Her skin color is almost back to normal with her face a tad bit darker than her body. She isn't nearly as sleepy, a result of high bili levels, and she is eating easier than she was. She is not interested in learning how to breastfeed, at all, which has been very hard for me. I was soooo determined to breastfeed my little girl for as long as I could, but true to character, Katie likes to set her own rules. At this time we are giving her expressed breast milk as often as we can.

During our follow-up with our pediatrician Tuesday (Jan 5th), her bili level was 13.9. The doctor said not worry, however, and to make sure that she continues to eat/pee/poop. Our next appointment will be January 13th for her two week check-up.

We appreciate all the love and support from our friends and family. Without this, I don't know how we would have made it through.