Welcome 2013

I know, it's a little late for a new year post. Oh well. I can't believe another year has gone by and while I'm feeling a little reflective, I figured I should reflect.

This year has been incredible. It's definitely had it's highs and lows and well, surprises! When this past year started out Andrew and I were thinking about buying a new house and then gave up thinking we should wait until we were more financially ready. We also started the new year not even discussing having a new baby yet. Instead, we planned on saving money and Andrew focused on getting through school. Little did we know that God had different plans for us.

Who knew that missing some birth control pills would change everything? HAHA. Elliot was a surprise for sure and we quickly made adjustments. We started looking for houses again and moved in October. If that wasn't a surprise for sure...who knew that we would finish the year with our little one at home already? After a "complicated" pregnancy and a NICU stay, we ended the year with our two little boys in our new house.

We are beyond blessed to have the year we've  had. Andrew is now working full time near our house and is going to school part time. We will be looking for another vehicle soon and will also be getting Isaac enrolled in kindergarten this year. My toddler became a little boy in a matter of what seems like minutes. I see him growing each day that goes by and he never ceases to amaze me.

Elliot is getting bigger by the minute as well. And as I get ready to head back to work, I am soaking up every minute.

Thank you for following our family on our journey. Hopefully we'll have another exciting year to share.

Six Week Checkup

Last week Elliot saw the pediatrician for his checkup. This will serve as his two month well baby...she wanted him to get his shots early and to check his weight. We knew he was gaining weight well, but we were surprised to hear that he was 8 lbs 5 oz!! What a chunk :) He's already doubled his birthweight. haha. When plotting preemies on the growth chart, you plot by adjusted age. And when you adjust his age, he technically wouldn't be born yet so instead we use a different growth chart called the Fenton growth chart. He would be 39 weeks gestation and that is what's used to plot on the charts. His wt/gestational age was between the 50th-90th percentile :).

He's just breastfeeding on demand so it's not like we're overfeeding or anything. And if you take a look at him, he looks like the weight gain is in his face (particularly the cheeks and chin) haha. He's nursing anywhere between every 1.5-3 hours and he is starting to stay awake for longer periods of time. He likes to sit in his bouncy sit while it vibrates and he even lays under his gym (although he's not reaching for anything). We can't quit get him to enjoy his swing though. And now that we got him his own little bath tub, he's starting to relax during his bath and maybe even enjoy it :). Normally around this time, babies start smiling socially but because he will be developmentally behind, he's not doing that yet. We can expect those developmental milestones based on when he should have been born (which was 2 days ago).

Please pray!

Just wanted to ask ya'll to please say a prayer for my little brother Sage. This is my brother with Down's Syndrome. He is currently in the hospital with aspiration pneumonia. They'll be giving him a feeding tube once his fever goes down and his white blood cells are looking better. Please pray that he heals well and that the doctors make all the right decisions for his care. Thank you!

Elliot is one month old!

On December 27th, Elliot made one month old. It's crazy to watch him each day knowing that he's still supposed to be in my belly. His cheeks have gotten so chubby and his legs are filling out a bit. I still have no updated weight on him, but I know he's definitely getting bigger. Still tiny though :). He fits into newborn clothes (some are pretty loose) and has officially outgrown all of his preemie outfits. He still spends most his days sleeping and does not like much stimulation. I attribute it to the fact that he was a preemie. He does like his swing with soft music though.

Christmas 2012

I am on a blogging roll! haha. That's what happens with no work. Love it! This year, Christmas was great as usual. It was the first Christmas in our house so my family came here to celebrate. It's just easier for us with the kids. With all that's been going on, I barely got all the shopping done in time, but I did it! Elliot didn't get very much this year (especially since we just had a shower), but he got a few little toys, some clothes, and a sleep sak. Andrew and I got a lot of things for the new house, as well as giftcards to go shopping.. Isaac racked up! He got a lot of Spiderman and Batman toys, a train table, some board games, games for his Vtech and Leapfrog, a camera, and more. As usual, we opened up presents at midnight at our house. The next day we went to Nanny and Poppy's for brunch and opened up more presents. My extended family had a get together later that day, but we skipped it. Still not crazy about Elliot being around huge crowds.

We are so blessed to have such amazing families to spend time with. And even though Elliot is still supposed to be in my belly, we are so grateful that he was home with us for Christmas instead of in the hospital.

Baby Shower/Elliot's Welcome Home Party :)

Originally, my baby shower was planned for early December. Ashley and Summer had booked their flights from Houston and invitations were sent out. However, things changed when I had Elliot early-his birthday was on a Tuesday and the shower was planned for that Saturday. Needless to say, the date was pushed back. In fact, he was sent home from the hospital just in time to make it to the shower. We had a great turnout and everything was perfect! Summer and Isaac had a blast helping to open presents and spending together.

Thank you so much to my hosts, my mother and sister in law for hosting such a beautiful shower. And thank you to all my friends and family who were able to make it. Everyone was so patient about the date when we had to reschedule.Our family is truly blessed.