Ten Pounds, Eight Months, One Goal

Sadie finally hit ten pounds last week, right around the time she turned eight months old.  It seems like such a significant number to reach.  She is looking healthy and feels a lot more robust when you hold her.  She is able to sit with support, and has had her first go in the jolly jumper.  There are days when I look at her and she seems so enormous compared to her pound and a half start, and there are other days when she still seems like such a tiny little being with so much catching up to do.

She is so very sweet, and we are continually amazed at how far she has come and how perfectly healthy she seems.  On that note, we will be forever grateful to the NICU at both the Foothills and the Rockyview Hospital for taking such amazing care of her in her first two months of life.  The Mother's Day run and walk is coming up on May 9th and will again be raising funds for medical equipment for the NICU's in Calgary.  I have participated in this run many times in the past, with my mom, with my sister and nephews, and with my own kids, but this year will definitely be the most meaningful. We have decided to participate as a family to honour our strong little girl and to raise some money for the  NICU.   Sadie spent the first days of her life in a very high tech "Giraffe Omnibed" which cost upwards of $50,000.00.  The proceeds from previous Mothers Day events have helped pay for some of these beds, as well as other life-saving technologies.  A very conservative estimate of what it cost to have Sadie in the NICU for 55 days is $110,000.00.  A nurse told us it was likely around $2,000 a day for a relatively well baby to be there.  

It is hard for us to ask for donations, when people have already done so much for us, but most everyone I meet has known a baby who passed through the NICU.  The equipment you will be helping to purchase gives premature babies like Sadie the best chance of survival. To make a pledge online you can click on the following link, or send us a cheque made out to The Forzani Group Foundation and we will submit it on your behalf.  Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20.00 or more so make sure we have your complete address.

http://www.eventsonline.ca/cgi-bin/events/forzani_cal/pledge.pl?id=JME1685701

We will keep you posted on the grand total!  Thanks for helping us help the NICU.

SIX MONTHS!!

Today is Sadie's half-birthday.  I can't believe she is 6 months old already, although in the same span of time I believe Greg and I have aged at least 12 months! At her current weight of 8lbs5oz. she is more than five times her birthweight.  I was looking at her tiny NICU hat the other day and remembering that little nectarine of a head that we first touched.  She is healthy, beautiful, and her personality is unfolding day by day.  In the past few weeks I have had several powerful reminders of how truly precious each day really is, and how fortunate we are that Sadie is here. I feel like it has given me some perspective on our minor day to day struggles. It's all pretty manageable. 

 The fact that we can make Sadie laugh now is pretty amazing and it's a bit of an Olympic sport right now at our house.  So far I win Gold because my rendition of "the wheels on the bus" cracks her up for some reason.  She laughs just like Sophie did as a baby,  a low little chortle.  It's awesome.

We have made some progress with feeding, which has been her biggest issue since she came home.  With a switch to a milk-free formula, and a different drug for her reflux, she has become a much happier baby.  She is no longer writhing in discomfort when we feed her, and though she still isn't that enthusiastic at feeding time, I no longer feel like I am torturing her ounce by ounce.  I am hoping that she starts to enjoy eating a bit more so that it is easier to share the task with other people, so far I am still the only one who can get her to suck back a full bottle.  

Sophie is willing to take over at any time!

The new drug seems to help prevent the massive laundry producing spit-ups that we were having, and we've only had one (oops, make that two) big barfs in five days.  A victory by any standards.  The washer is relieved.  We also have been doing a little "spoon play" with Sadie the last few days, and she actually opened her mouth up like a baby bird yesterday for some rice cereal.  Progress on all fronts.

Happy Half-Birthday little one!  We are so lucky to have you in our lives.

No time for pomegranates

I had to toss out a pomegranate yesterday.  I was thinking it was a bit symbolic of where we are at right now.  I love those tasty little red seeds, but just looking at it every day, withering a bit more on my kitchen counter made me feel tired.  Dramatic I know, but really, the pomegranate is a time consuming fruit. And messy.  We've enough messes right now.  So I chucked it.  And I feel better.
We are tired around here.  The eternal newborn is lovely, cuddly, and lots of work.  Sadie is edging closer to seven pounds right now.  She is not gaining all that quickly, and we are searching for strategies to help get more food in her tummy.  Between the reflux and gassiness she is a bit squirmy and unhappy when eating.  It's our biggest challenge right now.  I want her to be a happy eater, but it's really not her favourite activity.  She likes napping a fair bit still, which is a lifesaver.  We see the pediatrician next week, so hopefully we can try something new to get her fattened up.
Meanwhile her little personality continues to emerge.  She is so sweet, and talks very softly to us when she is awake and content.  She smiles the biggest smiles for anyone who will get nice and close up and coo to her which is thrilling to Sophie who has been dying for some more interaction.  She seems to be quite laid back and is fortunately (for her survival) especially charming around 3:30 AM.

Now that the holidays are over, our visitors from out of town (Grampa Berries, and Jenni's Kelowna contingent) are gone, Greg is back to work and I am on my own with the gang.  Kendra is off soon on an adventure so my mornings are action packed.  Three carseats to buckle to get Soph to kindergarten.  Sophie's teacher has been very patient with my tardiness and hopefully soon I will make it there on time more consistently.  I just can't seem to figure out why we seem to be moving in rewind some mornings while the clock is in fast-forward mode.  Maybe I need to have everyone go to sleep in their clothes!  I lie awake thinking of time-savers....the crock pot, instant oatmeal (which isn't really instant, it takes at least 3 minutes), 2 in 1 shampoo, slip on shoes.....
 I know that some of you have been hoping for a little update and I've been wanting to write something down.  It's 11:30 right now and I am enjoying the sounds of silence (other than the washing machine which runs constantly) while fully aware that I should be in bed by now.  I am not that sharp at this time of night which is when I usually get my alone time, so I have been opting to pass out instead of blogging.  The stats for the little nestling are as follows:

She is 141 days old, 50 days past her due date.  6lb 14oz. She still has the sleeping patterns of a house cat.  She eats every 3 hours still, about 55ml at a time.  She is 47.5cm long.  She had her first taste of prune nectar today to try to help keep things moving to make her tummy more comfortable.  She liked it.  She is bigger than our medium sized dolly.  She fits a pair of shoes.  They are doll shoes that Nana got for her, but with really thick socks, they fit!

Maybe tonight will be the night that she sleeps through....... maybe.   Perhaps I should go to bed!
I'll leave you with this, the holy grail of Sadie photography.  You have no idea how tricky this can be to capture, it took two people to get a good one!

THIS is my paycheque!