New Kicks

I got some new "kicks" today as they call them. My OT has a new son too who's four months old and he had two new pairs of Nike sneakers... but when his mommy put them on him they kept falling off and it turns out they were too small for his feet! She saw me wear my high tops last week to therapy and since she didn't want her son's sneakers to go to waste, and I'm one of her FAVORITE babies, she gave them to me! Isn't that so, so nice?! I'm going to be SO stylin!!

My snazzy new kicks

On Sunday mommy thought I might like to go in the pool again with my new swimmy shirt since it was a super nice day out and daddy was working on our boat. However, unlike Saturday where the water in my pool warmed up to a toasty hot tub temperature, the sun wasn't blazing on Sunday and my pool stayed moderately cool. Everyone knows by now how I feel about all things cold.... so needless to say my Sunday swimming experience was NOT a happy one! I made it very clear to mommy that swimming in cold water was no fun at all and we ended up swinging instead :)

Like my shades?

Being outside is hard work

I like the swing MUCH better than the pool

Watching my puppy dog watch me :)

After swimming we watched my favorite football team the Carolina Panthers, who ended up losing again :( It's ok though, I'm a faithful fan no matter what!

Sporting my Panthers gear

Big smiles

So I fell asleep through some of the game

Things have been pretty quiet this week so far.... I got to hang out with daddy this morning and mommy this afternoon because one of my nurses couldn't come today. I wasn't complaining :) The weather is starting to get nicer down here so mommy and I usually swing outside with Aston when she gets home...

My new favorite place

Daddy recorded me talking in bed the other night... you can't really see me but you can hear me chatting it up :) G'nite!

Hooray Weekend

Well, we made it through another exhausting week... so to celebrate I decided not only to sleep through the night (my new norm), but to let mommy and daddy sleep all the way until 9am :) Am I a good boy or what?? We enjoyed a nice lazy morning (with a couple naps thrown in there) and then mommy cleaned the house a little while daddy washed the boat! He also filled my kiddie pool full of water and left it in the sun for me so it would warm up (he knows my aversion to all things cold).... and boy did it warm up! A couple hours later and it wasn't a kiddie pool anymore, it was a kiddie hot tub!!! That, of course, was fine with me. I ended up sitting in the with mommy for a little while and together we enjoyed the fresh air and warm breeze of the backyard. When we finally got out of the water I was able to enjoy some naked time on the swing with mommy and daddy.... it's so nice not having to wear clothes sometimes!!

Oh this feels GOOD :)

Getting a little lunch while we're out here! 

Swinging with mommy

Daddy got tickets to go to the Miami Hurricanes/Florida Seminoles football game with Auntie Emma, so she came over to visit with me before they drove down to the stadium! 

Auntie Emma is SO funny

Stillllll naked!!

Mommy and I had a date night while daddy was out! We took a bubble bath (my FAVORITE), then played and talked and read books and finally snuggled...

Wrapped up after my bath

Chilling with my monkey in my room

Snuggled with mommy

I do, however, have several bedtimes.... so goodnight isn't really official until (usually) around 10pm... I get my first bed time nap in around 8 o'clock, then something inevitably wakes me up and I get a BIG second wind. Then I start winding back down for my real bed time around 10. Tonight I helped mommy fold laundry with my extra energy.... 

Awake after my first bed time

.... but mommy tried to make me do my own work and I was NOT having it (I'm here to keep her entertained while she performs the mundane task of folding clothes, I'm not here to do therapy!)...

..... and then I talked to this VERY handsome lil man who mommy introduced me to in the mirror!!! Wow, what a NICE guy, always smiling and talking to me.... :)

That guy is SO funny

I think he looks like me

He's very entertaining whoever he is

I have finally made it to bed for my real bedtime and plan to have another restful night and fabulous day watching football tomorrow!!! :) Have a great weekend everyone!

Picture Day

Today I had a picture day with a photographer, over at our house, thanks to my Auntie Stormy and Uncle Matt. The guy was VERY nice and mommy and daddy liked him a lot (he has a daughter and a son who were born super early and spent time in the NICU too, so he knows where we're coming from).... but I didn't know him at all and it took me some time to warm up to him. I ended up holding onto my smiles for a little while and gave him the cold stare to start. Luckily my nurse, Ms. Denise, stuck around for a little while with mommy (before daddy got home) and since I know her, I felt a little more comfortable and started smiling not long after we started. By the time daddy joined us, I was feeling pretty good about all the attention I was getting between mommy, Ms. Denise, and the photographer and the smiles were flowing!!! The photographer spent about an hour with us and took lots of pictures of mommy and daddy and me.... I was PRETTY tired by the end and started getting a little grumpy (who can blame a guy, modeling is hard work!!), but hopefully the pictures turned out good! We shall see :)

Exhausted after pictures

Mommy making me giggle after a little nap

My serious look

In other news I went to see my pediatrician yesterday and I officially weigh 12 lbs, 8 oz and am 23 inches long!! That's up TWO whole pounds and an inch since my visit last month. She says I'm catching up FAST and can't believe how good I'm doing. She also discussed with mommy the idea of me going to see an orthopedist to look at the fingers in my right hand.... three of the fingers in my right hand are kind of cramped and even though mommy and daddy and my nurses and therapists keep stretch stretch stretching them, they still seem a little cramped. SO.... I might have an expert check them out to see what's going on! 

Not much else to tell.... my therapists went easy on me today and gave me a leg massage (she rubbed that gnarly pic line scar of mine) and tummy massage to help my gas. I, in turn, tolerated some belly time and sitting exercises! I also got to see my friend Jacob again and a picture of my BFF Jeremy with a BIG on his face, so I was a happy camper. Here are some pictures and a video of my week :)

My morning bath

Rocking some golfing clothes today

Hanging out on the bed with daddy

I know mommy, I look good in green

Snuggling with my wubbanub after a long day

Awake when I should be in bed

Yes mommy, I KNOW I should be sleeping

But I wasn't done talking with you and daddy

On a final note, please pray for my NC friend baby Gabe!! He is recovering from a big tummy surgery and his mommy and daddy got some sad news about his MRI today, so they all need LOTS of love and prayers!!!

Hanging out

This week has been slow and steady for me. Nothing special to report really. Mommy gave me a nice warm bath and weighed me tonight and I weighed in at a whopping 12 lb, 6 oz. Whoa man, that neosure and milk does the body good!!

I had PT last night and was a total rockstar. I'm starting to hold myself up in a sitting position pretty well and even started using my hands when I'm on my belly. I'm reaching for toys a little bit although I can't quite figure out how to make my hands go where I want or grab what I need! I guess practice practice practice is my motto for the week.

I've started noticing the television lately, wow what a cool box full of colors. So much is going on in that thing I can hardly keep up. I also follow along when mommy reads me books... she pulled out all kinds of fun Halloween ones about witches and bats and trick or treating with fun, colorful pictures that I like to look at... that made mommy pretty happy since she loves books so much and has hundreds for me :)

Here are a couple of pictures of me hanging out with mommy and daddy...

 

... okay so I'm not perfect all the time!!! Mommy says my shirt says it all though...


Here's a video daddy took of me playing with mommy...

Rainy Sunday

Today has turned out to be a pretty rainy Sunday so we have been pretty lazy at home. The Bears and Panthers both have a bye week so we don't have anyone special to watch. The St Louis Cardinals, however, are playing tonight in their first game of the playoffs against the San Francisco Giants, so I'm rooting for them in my baseball and Cardinal red outfits to show my support!

Mommy and daddy and I did go shopping a little bit this weekend for me. I have a photo shoot on Thursday with mommy and daddy and since I'm too old for those cute newborn baby photos and I have too many NICU battle scars to take naked shots anyway, I needed something extra spiffy for the photographer. Soooooo we went to Babies R Us to check out what they had and came out looking pretty stylish (see preview below). Apparently I'm pretty handsome in plaid and jeans! We also picked me up some new high top sneakers today since I don't have any tennis shoes that fit just yet! Mommy and daddy said high tops were pretty big back in the day, they must be making a come back with the babies :)

Not much else to tell otherwise. We are supposed to go have dinner with my old friend Jacob (my BFFs twin brother) tonight, so I'm pumped about that and to hear how Jeremy is doing and when he's coming home. My new mickey button (which replaced that dangling g-tube I used to have) has been wonderful so far. I can vent and get the air out of my belly MUCH better than before and getting dressed and taking baths is so much easier now! I'm also back on a neosure supplement with mommy's milk to help my nutrition get just right so I've been a little grumpy with my belly trying to adjust again. I am officially 12 lb, 3 oz though so I'm on the right track!!!

New Found Knowledge and Power

I learned a few things about myself today and feel suddenly empowered :)

Here is what I learned:

1) I have a voice and I'm going to use it.

2) NEVER trust a doctor when they lay you down on the table. e v e r

3) I'm a lot smarter than people realize.

4) Crying, whining, and complaining DOES get you somewhere, regardless of what they say.

5) I LOVE water. 

6) Afternoon naps bring out the best in me.

Let me elaborate....

I have always known I had a voice and usually like to use it to talk to mommy and daddy and a select few other worthy people. However, a voice can be used for more than just casual conversation.... a voice can be used to make a point and get someone's attention....  For example, when mommy took me to the GI doctor today I used my voice to talk and play with her while we were waiting for the doctor. My voice, combined with a big smile, can REALLY get mommy's attention in my favorite way!! Then again, when the doctor did finally come see me (and this goes to my second point), my voice, combined with tears and/or the holding of my breath, can ALSO get mommy's attention!!

Never trust a doctor when they lay you on the table because inevitably you will get stuck, poked, prodded, and the like within the first minute of inspection. OR... in my case, a perfectly fine G-tube could be ripped from my stomach and replaced with a stick in the belly, all without warning!! I don't care if a "mickey" will be better for me in the long run... to say I couldn't breathe, or speak for that matter, because the pain and shock were so severe would be an understatement :( And mommy knew all along, how could she???

I am smarter, though, that she realizes.... and paid her back after her betrayal. I have figured out that the position of me on my back is no longer a safe position. Since the GI doctor had me flat on my back for the unexpected G-tube operation, then mommy picked me up and made me feel better, then she laid me back down on my back for the doctor to mess with again, then picked me up and comforted me.... I have concluded that the position of me on my back is NOT a safe one and will subsequently scream bloody murder any and every time I am in that position.

Through this process I have also learned that crying helps get my point across.... particularly when I add a little high pitch squeal to the cries. I have never been a crier, or maybe never really had the need or cause to cry or complain beyond a little groaning and whining.... however, it's never too late to try something new! Especially if it gets you what you want!! So, I'm learning to use my cry and my voice to get what I need in this world :)

Mommy DID make it up to me tonight after we got home... we took a nice warm bubble bath together and she let me float and swim and splash in the water until it got cold. I've decided I REALLY like water and plan to explore this hobby more in the near future!

My final lesson learned today is that an afternoon nap.... the 3 to 4 o'clock kind for about 30 minutes.... does the body good! I wake up feeling on top of the world and am in the BEST mood for mommy and daddy! I think I'll make a habit out of that :)

So.... in the end, I have learned a lot about myself today and the new little man I am becoming! I hope to use my new found knowledge and power to teach mommy and daddy more about what I like and don't like and how to take care of me in the BEST ways!

Exhausted

Today was a kind of big, exhausting day for me.... and I got to spend most of it with daddy!! I had speech therapy this morning (which, as usual, I was a rockstar for) and then OT. Daddy said I was such a good boy... I didn't get tired or cranky or try any of my usual antics :) What can I say... I can turn on the charm when I want to! Then I had to go get bloodwork done over at the children's hospital :( The lady had to stick my arm with a big ole needle and took two whole tubes full of my hard earned blood... doesn't she know how long it takes for me to make that stuff?! But, my GI doctor wants to check my liver and kidney and other nutrition numbers... and my neurologist wanted to check some other blood level numbers since they haven't been checked in a long time.... SO that's why they needed so much! Mommy and I are going to therapy tomorrow morning again and then to see the GI doctor in the afternoon (wish me luck) to see what my blood tells them.

I weighed 11 lbs, 14 oz when mommy weighed me yesterday! I'm getting to be such a big boy I fit into all kinds of new clothes these days... since I was visiting so many people today mommy decided to dress me for the occasion... I'd looked pretty good if I do say so myself! Mommy caught me smiling a couple times last night since I was in SUCH a good mood for some reason.... just happy her and daddy were home I guess :) Check out my handsome mug:

Happy boy in the car (this is rare)

Chewing on my favorite left thumb

I tried both hands

What's up guys

Like my outfit

Sleepy boy

Belly time

Hi mom

Trying out a new toy

More hand action

BIG SMILE

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