Getting Big

First, here is a picture that I said I was going to post a while ago. Nora really likes Buster. She watches him and reaches for him and laughs when she sees him. Buster does not really return her affections. He usually scoots just outside her grasp to avoid losing a chunk of fur to her!

I picked up this new toy at Walgreens near the checkout. She loves it.

Nora gets baptized soon. Checkout the cute invites I made for her baptism. We are having a very small get-together at our house to celebrate her baptism.

August is a busy month for us. Andy is all over the place for work and it looks like I will be too. At the end of the month we are taking a vacation to Mexico. We are lucky to have so many helpers to take turns watching Nora while we are out!

Summer Fun

Nora is nearly 7 months now. She is doing really well and progressing in every area. She can roll now - sometimes/sometimes not. She is still looking like she could sit soon. I can balance her just right and she will stay upright for up to 30 seconds or so. She is HUNGRY! She likes to eat, which must be inherited from her parents. So far her favorites are bananas, sweet potatoes, and cereal. She reaches for toys MUCH more than just a month ago. She is interested in Buster and reaches out for him when he is nearby (which is always - he doesn't want to miss any action). She seems to have better coordination with her fingers too and her left arm - which was really held still by her side for a while there - seem to be getting into the action nearly as much as the right now.



She has started going to swimming lessons with me on Saturday mornings. She is the youngest in the class, but likes the water and watching the other kids. She was kicking in the water last time - although she tends to kick in the air too. She tends to keep her hands in her mouth while she swims - making any real swimming form pretty difficult!



Since I have updated last she has visited her opthamologist and audiologist - both with good reports and orders to come back in a year or so. Her eyes and ears seem structurally a-ok. I guess any concerns would be how her brain will process the inputs. "It will be interesting to see..." the opthamologist said. Whatever.



She is still going to PT, but really just working on normal baby development stuff (tummy time, trunk strengthening, reaching, sitting, etc.). She does have a tendency to arch her back and stiffen out her legs when she is being held or in a sitting position. It gives the appearance that she would like to stand. People seem to get a kick out of that. From what I read, this is a pretty typical behavior of children with CP.



This month is pretty low-key for her. She has a neurologist appointment this week, her usual PT sessions, and one visit from her teacher (they take a summer break - but come out just once in July). Hopefully she can get some outdoor playtime in. Andy bought her a little blow up house that gives her a shaded area to play in. She has been out there a few times to play and seems to enjoy it. I will have to post a picture of it soon, it is pretty funny.



Last Friday we had my dad's 60th birthday party at our house. Andy made ribs and we had a nice time. Nora got to meet some of her aunts and uncles for the first time - although not for very long since she seems to pretty strictly adhere to her bedtime of 7 pm. Here is a picture my Aunt Camilla took and sent to me. She gave Nora several cute books which she likes to read.

Nora's 6 Month Pictures

I braved the JCPenney Photo Studio chaos once again:

May 2009 Videos

It takes me longer to post the videos because of my slow internet connection at home. Here are a couple from May:

Playtime video:

Nora's first meal:

May 2009 Photos

Time to post some new pictures! These were all taken during May.


Here is Nora practicing her "tummy time" with Dad on the ball.






Nora is always on the go. Here is one of her many car rides. Compare her picture to the first ones in the car seat. She is so much bigger!

This is Nora's first time eating "solid" foods (it is pretty soupy actually). She seemed to spend more time staring at her crazy parents as we made all kinds of funny noises and shoveled the rice cereal at her.




Grandma Forester made her his bowl in ceramics class.

Here is a video of the first meal:

Back to Work!

I haven't given a general update for a while since we have been pretty busy this month. I returned to work full time this month. It is going well so far. It is tough to get up so early in the morning and feels a little rushed in the evenings when I get home, but it is working out. Nora has a very nice nanny who comes to our home each day to watch her. She is lucky to have her.



"How is Nora doing?" Now that I am back to work this is the question I am asked by everyone. At first, I felt like I didn't really know how to answer this. Seems like a simple question, but I was struggling with what to say. It seems like so much has happened since the last time I talked to some of these people. Fine seems too brief. A detailed description of every milestone and issue seems like too much. I called a client the other day, a nice guy, but I don't know him too well - strictly business. I told him I was back from maternity leave and apologized for leaving without wrapping up a project that I was working on with him when I left to have the baby. He was of course understanding, asked if I had a boy or a girl, and said, "I presume everything turned out ok then?" I just answer, "Oh yes, she is great." And the conversation moves on. I mean, what do you say? She is. I am now convinced that I am just overthinking what should be a very simple question. People are just inquiring. They want to know that things are good.



And they are. So, "She is doing well" has become my answer. What does this mean? Well, it means that she is gaining weight very well (nearly 15 lbs now!), she sleeps well (about 10-11 hours at night - most of the time), she smiles, she plays, she is starting to roll, she has good head control and is showing signs of being able to sit, she is interested in her surroundings and mom and dad, she crys when she is cold, hungary, or tired, she laughs - but you have to do something REALLY funny, she travels well, she is not afraid of strangers, she wakes in the morning and waits patiently to be fed, she likes her bathtime - but does not like to be cold, she likes to have her diaper and outfits changed, she does not like it when the dog barks, she is learning new skills every week, she has not been sick at all, she has not had any seizures.



"So, glad to hear that it all turned out ok." Not sure what to say to this either. Yes, it is all ok. She is great (as listed above). We are very lucky that she is doing so well. But the effects of her chromosome disorder and brain malformation are still a huge unknown. So far she is making improvements and changing every week; but she is a little behind her baby peers at this point. At 6 months, she has generally mastered most skills through a 3 month level according to her therapists. (Not that this matters much. I do look at the developmental timelines they give us because it is a good chronology of skills and what she will be practicing next, but I have started to ignore the x-axis that shows the age.) She goes to PT once a week. She has a Special Education teacher 2x's per month and additional PT and OT once per month. She has been examined by a geneticist, an orthopaedic surgeon, a neurologist and her pediatrician. She has appointments to visit the opthamologist and audiologist soon. And this is all "ok."



Anyway, this whole experience has definitely made me think a little more about the simple question, "How are you?"

She Rolls! (almost)

She somewhat rolls. Gets her legs going and swings them over to the side, just needs to get her arms involved and she will be all set!

She Laughs!

She has been giggling for a while, but these are the first real laughs.

Nora at Chuck E Cheese

A little young, but she seemed to enjoy the lights and music.



We went with some of our friends.

4 Months today!

Today Nora had her 4 month pediatrician appointment where she got 2 more shots. Ouch!

She weighs 11 lbs 10 oz.

I took her to JCPenney last week for some photos. Here are some good ones:

Countdown to the end of Maternity Leave

My maternity leave will be over in 2 weeks. I am now trying to get serious about some of the household projects I wanted to complete before I return to work. (I work best under a little pressure.) I have some spring cleaning and yard work I would like to do. I would like things to be as in order as I can before I return. I expect that one of the keys to balancing work and the new addition to our family will be being as organized and efficient with my time as possible. Of course, that is easier said than done. I have spent many of Nora's naps dinking around on facebook when I should be washing the windows!

Here is a picture of Nora in her Exersaucer that we just pulled out this week. She seems to enjoy it. Can you believe how old she looks already?

So Big!

Nora is back to work after her vacation. Yesterday, the home health nurse weighed and measured her for the first time in a month. She is 11 lbs 2 oz, 24 inches! Finally bigger than a newborn!

My Dr. Sears growth charts show that this is average for weight and way above average for length for her age. Looks like she is tall and skinny so far.

She also had a physical therapy session yesterday that she screamed her way through. She wasn't really in the mood I guess. She will now go to PT once a week since there are more milestones in the next couple of months to monitor (sitting, rolling, head raising, etc.) She continues to make good progress.

Today we met with Nora's teachers from Early On. She will start receiving Special Education services next month. We are excited to get started with this.. Hopefully Nora will be too!

Florida Trip Recap

We are home safe from our trip to Florida. Nora behaved well on the airplane ride there and back. On the way there, she was awake most of the time, but didn't fuss too much. On the way home it was just me and her, so I was glad she slept in her sling the entire time. We were lucky that for some strange reason Virgin Air just started a direct flight from Kalamazoo to Punta Gorda, Florida. It was a surprisingly full flight though, so I guess the demand must be there.





Here is a picture of her on the way down. Note the shamrock suit. It was St. Patricks Day!





We spent most days in Florida just hanging out with my parents at their rented condo in Naples. We went out for dinner a few times and Nora got some mileage out of her stroller which she enjoyed very much.

Grandma came home from the hospital during our visit after a fall last month. We were happy to have her home and Nora got to visit her at the hospital and after she got home. Here is Nora and her Great-Grandma and her Grandma!

Florida Baby

Nora is having a nice time in sunny Florida!

Spring?

We got a little Spring preview last week with some warmer weather. Buster enjoyed the sunshine sitting out in the yard meditating for a while.

I had grand plans to take Nora to get her photo taken at Sears last week. I got her all dressed up in a cute outfit and packed up her diaper bag and as I was about to load her in her car seat, she fell asleep. She slept for 4 hours and the trip to the mall never happened. I took these pictures of her myself in her outfit after her nap. She is holding her head up really well now when on her belly and it bobs all around when she is propped up.

Busy Week for Nora

This week was a busy one for Baby Nora. Andy was gone for the week, so Nora had to hang out with Mom all week. She seems to be changing quickly. Her sleep schedule is becoming more routine and predictable with longer naps during the day. Her feeding schedule is also a little less out of control. It seemed like she was eating 24/7 a few weeks ago and now she seems to be more efficient and consolidates her feeding into 5 or 6 sessions per day.

On Wednesday, the special ed teacher from Early On visited. More paperwork and more talking. At the end of the month, the teacher and therapist will give us their recommendations for the services she qualifies for. By the time this program gets moving, she will be 6 months old. I am glad we have just started her in private physical therapy rather than wait for the government bureaucracy to get rolling. In the afternoon, she visited Grandma & Grandpa Forester's house while I went to the salon for some much needed hair maintenance. Thursday morning Maureen came to watch her while I went to the dentist.

Yesterday Nora got her RSV vaccine. Poor Baby. She was all smiles as the nurse weighed her and measured her and took her temp. Then the shot in the leg and she howled at the top of her lungs. She slept good that afternoon. The nurse came to our house to give her the injection which was nice. I went through all kinds of hoops with the insurance company to get her approved for the vaccine since it is very expensive. I still had to pay $150, but that is a bargain since I think the full cost is $1500!

She weighs 9 lbs 14 oz and is 21.5 inches long, which is right on target for her adjusted age of 5 weeks.

Smile!

Nora gave me her first smile yesterday! She did it on Tuesday for Andy and on the weekend for Grandma, but today was the first one she did for me. I managed to capture part of one for the camera.

She met with the Occupational Therapist from KRESA (Kalamazoo schools) on Monday. She played with her on the floor and had nothing but good things to say about her progress. She will meet with a Special Education teacher next, then we will draw up her plan for what services she qualifies for.

The other night I had quite a scare. I almost don't want to write it in the Blog because I am feeling very guilty and it will definitely take me out of the running for the best Mom award. I was up at 1:45 am feeding Nora in my bed. I needed to run down to the kitchen to make her a bottle because after 30+ minutes of nursing she was still hungary and I was getting tired and wanted us both to go back to bed. I set her on my pillow on the bed while I went downstairs. Once I was in the kitchen, I heard a thump and a cry and ran back up to the bedroom. Sure enough, Nora was on the floor screaming! She fell from the bed! I scooped her up and did a quick check and she appeared ok and stopped crying in a couple of minutes and was ready for her bottle. Nevertheless, I took her to the ER to get her checked out by a pro. We were home by 5 am with some instructions of things to watch for the next day; but Nora was ok besides being exhausted from the long night. I guess I learned my lesson with that. The only place I set her down yesterday was where she could be buckled, strapped or contained!

Today Nora went to Physical Therapy. Her therapist is a very flexible young lady named Katie. Katie sits on the floor practically in the splits and plays with Nora moving her arms, legs and neck. We are working on her head control and tracking objects. It is fun. The session is 45 minutes though and I think that is a little long for Nora. She is ready for a nap afterwards for sure! After PT, I worked out at the gym. The PT office is in the same building as the gym. I left Nora at the Child Care Center. This worked out great. She slept the entire time in the Child Care Center and I got in a good hour workout. I have 11.5 lbs to go to get to pre-baby weight. My goal is to have it gone by the time I am back to work in April.

2 months!

Nora got her 2 month vaccinations today. She was a brave little girl. Screamed for a second, then slept it off.



She was 9 lbs 6 oz. Just about double the size she was at birth!



This has been a busy week for her. Yesterday she took her first trip to the mall. Slept in the baby sling. That thing is great but it should come with a certificate for a chiropracter visit for the mom.



Andy has been gone this week and Nora has graciously decided to wake only once per night for me! She goes to bed around 9 or 10. We get up around 3 then get up for the day around 8.



Next week Nora starts physical therapy sessions. Should be fun. Lots of toys and the therapists are nice. She is working on moving her head from side to side and the therapists are checking her muscle tone in her arms and legs. Andy and I should learn a lot too.



She also has her initial evaluation with the Early On program. I am hopeful that she will qualify for some services from them.

8 weeks old!

Nora is 8 weeks old today. Hard to believe that much time has gone by.

She is really growning. Nearly 9 lbs. She just started wearing all of her cute 0-3 month clothes since she has really outgrown the Newborn size. She has doubled her weight in 8 weeks and I am trying to cut my weight by 25%! Here is a picture of her after a satisfying meal:

Things have slowed down a bit. I have been getting to the gym a couple times a week with Maureen and hitting the treadmill at home. We finally got our new washing machine delivered and I have been just enjoying playing house for a while.

Sleepy Baby!

Last night Nora slept for 5 Hours!! Unfortunately, she went to sleep at 7:30 and I didn't go to bed until 10:30, so I did not get the same 5 hours of sleep, but still! Not sure if it is the start of more long stints of sleep to come or what. She is still pretty young for that, so maybe it was just a fluke.

Yesterday Nora visited her neurologist. He examined her and said that he can still not see any physical signs of Cerebral Palsy. He said often the signs do not appear until it is time for the baby to sit and walk. Nevertheless, we'll take it as a good sign that she is looking good so far. Other than that there was no real news about her little brain. She is missing a chunk on the Right Side (part of the Frontal Lobe and part of the Parietal Lobe). It is hard for the doctor to say how this will affect her though since she is a baby and the rest of her brain will develop differently to help compensate for these missing areas. We will just have to monitor her development and find ways to help her to compensate as she grows.

The doctor also said he is pretty sure that the underdevelopment in her brain was from the chromosome disorder (although he can't explain why it only happened on the right side - most chromosome abnormalities happen on both sides of the body) and not from an in utero stroke or brain hemorrhage. For some reason this makes me feel better too because it is not another totally separate piece of bad luck.