A Family Photo & A Pumpkin Friend

This last week was "Customer Service Appreciation" week at work.  This meant that I was spoiled with food and treats at work all week.  Part of the week included daily contests.  Wednesday's contest was to carve or decorate a pumpkin.  I wasn't planning on participating because I just didn't have the time, but Tuesday night I told Brian about an idea I had, inspired by our little man.  Next thing I knew he ran to the store and came back with this (Benjamin got ahold of it first of course!)

We borrowed a few items from Benjamin including a binky, a hat that his aunt Lisa had originally made for him, and a diaper similar to the ones he wore when he was first born.  Here is what we came up with:

We won by default (no one else entered.)

Thursday's contest was for the best family photo.  The only rule was that it could not be professional.  I had an idea that I thought would be creative and I would not have to really see myself.

It wasn't perfect since our little guy is a wiggle-worm and never stopped moving, but Brian did some great touch-up and changed it to black and white.  This time there was competition and some really good pictures, but we won again!  It was all Benjamin I think.  And yes, Brian does have huge feet :)  It was a fun little adventure.

A New Season

Time is again escaping me as I realize that Benjamin is rapidly approaching his 7 month mark on the calendar (and up to 12lbs 10oz!)  Well, life at our home is changing a bit as I headed back to work last week and Brian headed back to school.  The transition has not been as difficult as I thought yet since I am have only been working part time for the first week and a half and Brian is only taking 9 credits, but Thursday brings on full days and maybe a little sadness for mommy.  All in all, I really enjoy my job, so as long as I can keep focused, I think I will be ok.  I doubt it will affect Benjamin too much at this stage since he will be spending quality time with Daddy, Grandma, and Aunt Jenny.  We feel very blessed that I have a good job to go back to and that God has enabled close family to take care of him.

This afternoon we had a visit from Karen, Benjamin's favorite physical therapist.  He is still doing pretty good developmentally.  He is weakest in his head control and still is battling the extension issues that comes from being premature.  This means that he prefers to be straight - arms out, feet stretched, head back.  This position feels natural to him.  If he is in discomfort, it is what he retreats to.  For example, when he is sitting on my lap and is uncomfortable from the need to burp, he will launch himself into extension and bounce off my lap if I am not careful.  Sometimes I wander if I should installing a 5-point harness on my lap.  Ok, that is exaggerating a tad, but this all said, bringing his toes up or his hands in takes a little more work than it would for a full term baby.  It also means that he could be a great high jumper! :)

A couple weeks ago we went "sort-of camping" with some friends (we stayed in a house in the woods.)  I learned that spending the night away from home with a baby is hard work!  Our car was so stuffed full that I had to load items up on my lap to fit everything!  Our poor car probably looked like a dog dragging it's rear end.  I fully understand why a lot of people buy SUVs or vans, but then again I am sure I would fill them up too.  The short trip was fun and I absolutely loved the fresh air and peaceful environment.

As for prayer, protection from illness tops the list, and we could also use continued prayer for Benjamin's development and our family's adjusting to new schedules.

Thank you for continuing to pray with us and walk this road with us.  We have been so richly blessed and surrounded by wonderful people that love and care for our family.  A special thank you to all of you who have blessed us with meals, gifts, shoulders, encouraging words, and just being there.

6 Months of Miracles

Sunday marked Benjamin's 6 month birthday. Today we made a visit to his pediatrician. Nothing too noteworthy other than his stats. To his adjusted age, he is 31% on his weight (11lbs 6oz), length is 22% (22.5") and 27% head. We were very excited to see his progress and thanking God for His continued blessings on our little boy.

Benjamin is generally a happy, smiley baby. Even his doctor commented on his disposition, especially how well he handled his shots. He has been "talking" more and as I write this he is in his bedroom yammering away. I wonder where he gets that from... :)

Please continue to pray for protection for Benjamin. I have had a scratchy throat the past 2 days and am so afraid of developing a full on cold and passing it on. I have been washing my hands like crazy and going through lots of sanitizer and EmergenC. Please pray for protection over Benjamin. Thank you!

Jamie

Time Marches On...

It has been a few weeks since I have written...time goes by all too quickly! Benjamin has continued to stay off oxygen for a month now. It has been so amazing. He is still on the monitor when he sleeps and anytime we travel farther than a few miles and we always have an oxygen tank nearby, but he is mostly like a normal 2-month old at this point. Praise God! Thank you all again for your prayers for our baby boy. Never would I have imagined that night in the hospital as I cried with labor pains and my heart cried knowing my baby had come too soon, that Benjamin would be where he is today. He is a miracle attributed to the Creator alone.

Our little family has been enjoying a few outings before the cold season hits, where we will need to go into a time of as much isolation as possible. We were blessed with a shower thrown by my coworkers a couple weeks ago and came home with many needed items for Benjamin (thank you to my friends at TE!) We have been able to go to church the past 4 weeks as a family too, which has been a blessing as well. Our biggest adventure yet was when we helped Benjamin's Aunt Lisa celebrate her birthday with a 2 mile hike at a nearby park with a couple beautiful water falls. Benjamin seems to enjoy hikes - especially when snuggled in the front pack with mama. :) It was a fun and beautiful day. This past weekend we ventured out and joined my dad's side of the family for a few hours of the annual camping trip up at the woods. It was very rainy and we almost turned back, but the clouds broke up and we enjoyed a few dry hours. We were so glad the weather cooperated so that we could introduce Benjamin to the gang.

Last week we had another visit with Benjamin's physical therapist from the early intervention program. She informed us that he would probably walk early for his corrected age because his extension muscles are so strong, which was a surprise to me. His challenge, however, will be to crawl and roll and she would like to see him do these before he walks. These movements require rotation movements that do not come as naturally to micro preemies. Benjamin is stiff for a baby. He is strong, but not nearly as flexible as a full term baby. He cannot pull his toes up near his face and only touches his hands and feet when we assist him during his stretches. This is a result from missing out on the last months of being curled up in the womb and going straight to a laying-flat position at birth.

Benjamin is such a joy to us. Brian and I can just sit and stare at him or play with him for hours. He is smiling more these days and has learned to frown too. I feel a little guilty, but we love his little frown. It is one of the cutest things I have ever seen. Maybe someday we will capture it on film.

I start back to work 2 weeks from Monday. Though I am looking forward to a "normal" schedule and a little more adult interaction where I can discuss more than the latest diaper blow-out, burping accomplishments, or Benjamin's medical status, I am finding as the days pass I get a little sad and nervous thinking about leaving my baby for 10 hours each day. He will be in good, experienced hands. I am just thankful to have this time and I try to be intentional about savoring special moments of being together. I would appreciate prayer for the transition if you think of it.

Ears To Hear

A quick update on yesterday's visit to the Audiologist...he passed both ears!!! Praise Jesus! We are done with that doctor for another 6 months or so. They will continue to follow him to be sure he does not have progressive hearing loss. She even gave us a print out that shows that he passed and I fully intend to keep it as proof for when he is a teenager. :)

Saying Goodbye to O's?

We have very big news to share...(drum roll)...Benjamin has been without any oxygen assistance for an entire week!!! Could we actually be saying goodbye to his O's? I sure hope so! Before I kick the oxygen tank to the curb (figuratively speaking of course - if abused the big heavy tank could explode, not to mention this seemingly delightful action would likely result in broken toes for me) I know Benjamin's lungs need more time and strength. His Pulmonologist recommended keeping the tank around through the cold season, as it is very possible he will need assistance if he became sick. He is also still on a couple diuretics, which we hope to discontinue in the next couple weeks. That will be the real test of how strong his lungs are, since the diuretics apparently make it easier to breathe by getting rid of extra fluid. Benjamin is still on the monitor and will be for quite a while as needed. Regardless, there is rejoicing in our home! Thank you, Jesus!!!

Benjamin is up to 9lbs. I remember one of the first days after Benjamin was born our friends Don & Diane came for a visit and gave him his first outfit. It was newborn size and said "beary cute" on the front with fuzzy bears and a couple trees embroidered on it. At the time I thought it was huge compared to the little baby in the NICU, but Diane reassured me that he would wear it some day. That day has come and almost gone! He is starting to outgrow some of his newborn clothes.

Do you remember 1972? If you happened to be around, you might remember a dandy little toy invention made that year by Fisher Price. It was called the Happy Apple and was a large apple with a smiley face and chimes inside. I remember our family had one. I did not appreciate it all that much, but now I do. We have been loaned one by Benjamin's physical therapist. She says they are great for children's development because just the slightest touch produces a chime and they are weighted so they will stay upright, allowing for hours of chiming fun a baby learning about his surroundings. Benjamin seems to love his borrowed Happy Apple. Here he is enjoying it:Here he is abusing it:
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is Benjamin's appointment with the Audiologist. If he passes both ears he might not have to go back anymore. Please pray for good results (and accurate equipment!)

A Breath of Fresh Air

Benjamin will be 5 months on Thursday (7 weeks adjusted) and continues to grow and amaze us. If you check out his big boy stats on the sidebar you will find that he is over 8 and 1/2 pounds! He has outgrown his preemie clothes and is on to newborn and 0-3 month articles. A big piece of news is that Benjamin is getting closer to being off oxygen. For the past 10 days or so, we have been conducting trials where we remove his oxygen and keep him on the monitor. The result has been nearly no oxygen during the day (we still keep it on him at night until we are more confident) with only a "whiff" here and there and some help during carrides. Today we visited the Pulmonologist, who manages his oxygen, and he confirmed that we can continue the trials and move forward as Benjamin allows. His mommy CANNOT WAIT to be free of oxygen and a monitor. I daydream about going places with only a diaper bag, not tripping over tubes and cords in my living room, and not hearing alarms go off.

We visited the audiologist last week. I was very excited to see that he passed the ear that had failed in the NICU, but then he failed the ear that had previously passed. He went on to start the beginning of a 3-hour long test to determine if there was any potential loss until he decided he had enough of having his ears poked and solved the problem by throwing up all over the audiologists equiptment. She was very gracious and despite the mess she still ooh'd and ahh'd over him, and after booking 2 more appointments (*sigh*) she let us go home.

Are we adjusting to our new life at home? Somedays. I never in my wildest dreams believed that one so little could be so very time consuming. God was so smart to make babies cute. Otherwise Eve would have only had one and none of us would be here. I have also figured out why the oldest son had a special blessing in the Bible and inherited the family goods. That was his reward for the survival of being his parents first child. Since Brian and I were both the youngest of our siblings growing up, we never fully appreciated the fact that our parents got to work out most of their parenting on our older siblings. Poor Benjamin. Good thing he is a survivor!