The big O-N-E.

My sweet Lea is one. ONE! I can't believe it. I am so proud of her.

Baby girl currently weighs 17 pounds. She dances and bobs her head any time music is playing. She's got some serious rhythm for being such a little person.

She is now crawling, and is well on her way to walking. She has one top tooth cutting through, as well as one bottom. That's not too fun, but she's a trooper.

She really likes cows. Plastic ones, stuffed animals... not sure why, but she really likes them. She also loves being outside and pressing buttons on the remote control.

We've now started using the "No," word, as she is now opening every cabinet she finds. She looks back at us with a big grin, and I am working on training myself not to laugh. It's so hard!

She now wants a taste of EVERYTHING I eat... and hounds me until I give it to her. And that cupcake in the photos below... she ate the WHOLE thing. She's got a sweet tooth like her momma.

She is a light that my family needed this past Christmas, as my Paw Paw is battling dementia and was moved into a home right before the holidays. Her sparkling blue eyes and sweet smile can turn a bad day into a good one in a split second. She has kept many people's spirits up during the past few months.

She makes me laugh 100 times a day, and has completely changed my life for the better. God, thank you for blessing me with the perfect child. I am so in love.

Happy birthday my sweet girl.

Giveaway! - Personalized Graphic Plaque

Thanks to my crack-like addiction to pinterest.com, I have been inspired to get crafty. Below are a few projects I've been working on lately. These are graphic plaques... made with my own graphics and a block of wood.

Lea's footprints

Now the fun part... here's the chance for you to win one of these bad boys... with your own quote, baby's footprints, or anything else you'd like to see on a 5 x 7 wooden plaque. It will be completely customized for you. And instead of just opening up this contest for preemie parents, I'm going to include ALL parents.

How to Enter

 Step 1:
"Like" us on facebook or become a follower of our blog. If you've already done this, move on to step 2.

Step 2:
Preemie Parents - Comment with a quote, bible verse or any bit of advice that either helped you get through the NICU experience, or is currently helping you cope.

All Other Parents - Comment with your parenting "mantra," or a saying that you've heard that applies to your parenting style.

PLEASE COMMENT WITH YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, OR A LINK TO YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT SO THAT I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU IF YOU WIN. (If you don't want to leave your contact info, just be sure to check back on November 4th to see if you've won.)

ALSO, BE SURE TO MENTION IF YOU ARE A PREEMIE PARENT, SO I CAN DIFFERENTIATE WHEN IT COMES TIME TO CHOOSE A WINNER IN EACH CATEGORY.

Step 3:
I will randomly pick one preemie parent and one non-preemie parent winner. Once your design is finalized and your plaque is produced, I'll ship it to you. Good luck!

WINNERS ANNOUNCED NOVEMBER 4, 2011.
*********************************************************************
And the winners are...

 

#2 - Shawnte (Preemie Momma) & #5 - Elizabeth
Congrats ladies!

Four Months... My, How Time Flies.

Today, Lea is four months old! You'd never know it by looking at her. In fact, she could easily pass for a baby that was born yesterday. She fits comfortably in all her newborn clothes now, although there's still a little room for growth. Her preemie sized socks, however, slip right off of her tiny, narrow feet.

4 months old

Anytime we go places, people will comment, "Oh a brand NEW baby!" Most often I just nod and go along with it, avoiding a long explanation. Plus, it's fun to let them think that I am a this freak of nature who managed to lose all her prego-pounds in a matter of days. Ha!

Preemies have two different ages: a chronological age, which is how old the child actually is, and a gestational age, or the age she would be if she'd been born on her due date. During the first two years, Lea's development will likely be more on track with her gestational age, which today marks six weeks and two days. She'll catch up soon enough!

Lea at her first crawfish boil - 4/30/11

Lately, my little muffin is enjoying lots of tummy time. She likes to lift her little wobbly head and look around. She also loves the water during bath time. I think we may have a future swimmer on our hands! Lea is finally sleeping peacefully through the WHOLE night! Ahhhhh... gotta love it. She's beginning to give us some social smiles, and we've also gotten a few tiny chuckles. Baby girl can now suck down a four ounce bottle like its nobody's business. Her favorite song is Keri Hilson's "Pretty Girl Rock," which when I sing it to her, I usually get a crooked little smile in return. She loves visitors, so if you haven't already, (and you're not sick, of course) come by and meet our girl!

Life is good. God is great. I couldn't ask for a better life with my beautiful little family.

2 Corinthians 9:15 - "Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!"

Lea Unplugged

Happy Easter!

Today we came one step closer to normalcy. Lea spent all day wire-free, unattached to her heart monitor. We decided to give it a try since we'd be in church, and the machine tends to ring its deafening alarm any time we are out in public. Also, I can't lie... I went from loving to despising this monitor over the past few weeks. I'd seriously like to beat it up, like the scene in Office Space where they go to town on the the fax machine with a baseball bat. At first, having it gave us piece of mind. But after countless ear-splitting false alarms that wake you out of dead sleep, tripping over wires and lugging around all this extra baggage, we decided we needed a break. I think Lea did too. She was noticeably more comfortable today without the thick band that is usually wrapped around her torso quite snugly, which often chafed and reddened her sensitive baby skin.

First Easter - 2011

My little muffin did great without her monitor. And surprisingly, Mommy did as well. Aside from the couple of times I woke her out of a dead sleep just to make sure she was still breathing, I felt pretty comfortable having her "unplugged," although I NEVER once took my eyes off of her. At church this morning, we also had the pastor pray over Lea that God would keep her safe in this new transition. That most definitely helped to put my mind at ease.

It felt so good to carry Lea (and only Lea) in my arms today. No wires to hold up off the floor as I walked... no heavy monitor to carry on my shoulder. Just me and Lea - as it should be. Tonight the monitor will go back on. We're not quite to the point where she can sleep without it. Hopefully that day is coming soon that the doctor says it can be removed for good. Until then, we'll just be unplugged during the day!

pooped.

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...