El fin

Today we had what turned out to be our LAST Tiny-K visit! WOOOOOOOOOO!!! We're so very happy because it means Adele is a-ok. Steve and I already knew that, but it's nice to be released from the program and have it be official. The OT is going to speak with Adele's doctor about whether or not we NEED to have another swallow study done. Staci, the OT, and Steve and I are all on the same page that we don't feel it's necessary. Adele has been on all unthickened liquids for more than a month, and is doing just fine. I hate to expose her to more radiation for something that isn't a "must" and we all agreed that kids tend not to perform as well in these tests since they're anxious about being in a new place, different environment, etc. We'd hate to have her "fail" simply because of the surroundings, when we're fairly certain she's fine. Make sense?

Anyway, it's alllll good news. We're going to transition over to their Ages and Stages program insstead. They'll mail us a sheet every so often that we'll use to mark her development, and if they see any red flags they'll schedule something.

Even though she's still not technically "caught up" to her actual age, there are absolutely no concerns about her catching up eventually. So, no more Tiny-k, no more Children's Mercy, no more thickener. It's all "normal" kid stuff from here on out! YAY!

Sentimental Fool

As fall quickly approaches, and as Adele quickly outgrows all her clothes, it's become apparent we're overdue for a clothing purge. Every day is a struggle to find something that fits her AND is weather appropriate. (When it's 50-something in the morning and 80-something in the afternoon, it's very difficult to know how to dress your kid for the day.) Adele has two drawers and a closet full of clothes, but only 25% of it fits right now. This morning, I got sick of the digging and finally pulled everything that was too small or too summery.

A few weeks ago, my friend at Goddess in Progress blogged about packing up her twins' clothes, and how she didn't feel much of a desire to keep anything. She wrote, "I don’t find myself with any real pull to keep any of it. Maybe it’s because we’re most likely done having kids..." The opposite is true for me. I got misty a few times as I was packing up the last of the onesies today. Part of the sadness/wistfulness is knowing that Adele isn't a baby anymore, the other part is knowing that there likely won't be another baby later that would make it necessary to keep anything. It's hard for me to let go of the one and only baby experience I'll have.

I am sentimental by nature, no doubt, but I'm sure my sadness is magnified by how I still feel like I was cheated out of the Full Pregnancy Experience. Everything ended too soon--it all went too fast. While I know being a one-kid family is the right choice for us, I still can't help but wish I could do it one more time, just to prove I CAN. Just to experience those things I didn't get to the first time (like the third trimester). Just to have, maybe, a normal labor and delivery. Just to know what it's like to be discharged from the hospital WITH your baby. But Steve and I are no spring chickens, and soon I'll be in Advanced Maternal Age territory. AMA means higher risk pregnancies, and I just can't take that chance again. So, one kid it is. At least we hit the jackpot the first time! AND I get to live vicariously through my fellow Preemie Moms who are brave enough to try again, like my friend Jessica (mom to a 25-weeker), who is almost 35 weeks along in her current pregnancy and cruising toward her Oct. 21 c-section date. Or my friend Jen (mom to a 30(?) weeker), who bed-rested her way through most of her second pregnancy, but was rewarded with a gorgeous, healthy, Take-Home Baby, Caleb.

Back to clothes: I did keep most of her first outfits, the tiny preemie onesies that she wore in the NICU, and the outfit she wore home from the hospital. And I kept certain items that were meaningful in some other way (her first Easter dress; the little red hooded sweater she wore in her first professional photo; favorite shirts and receiving blankets). But everything else is boxed up, ready to be passed on to someone else who can actually use it.

Now, I just need to find homes for the baby carseat, baby bathtub, Bumbo tray, Boppy, mobile...

Baby steps

Sorry that I haven't posted much lately! We've been very busy lately, and you can always assume no news is good news. 

Adele is absolutely fabulous in every way. And, get this--she's WALKING. Yipes. She started taking steps around Steve's birthday in late August, and over the course of the next few weeks she's progressed by leaps and bounds. (Ha! Punny!) She can walk across a room without falling once, but it might take her all day. Slow and steady wins the race, I guess! She still chooses to crawl most of the time, but I have noticed that she's attempting to walk first before giving in to the faster, more efficient mode. This weekend we're off to KC to get her some real shoes, just in time for cooler weather. Robeez just won't cut it in the cold, wet Kansas winters, no matter how cute they are.

She had a developmental follow-up at Children's Mercy last week and that went fine. We're still waiting on the final report, so I don't have anything "official" to share. But no major concerns were mentioned to us, so one can assume all is well! The psychologist did say that Adele was "smart but intense" (after witnessing a major meltdown when I wouldn't let Adele keep climbing the PT stairs). Ah yes..."intense"...guess we will need to learn how to keep that attitude of hers focused in the right direction. And I have NO idea who she gets it from...(ahem).

Anyway, the whole point of this post is to share the video montage I made. Enjoy watching Adele progress from unsteady stumbler to sure-footed walker! (Okay, maybe that last part is a stretch, but she's getting close!)

(Filmed Sept. 9-15)

Is it November 5th yet?

I will not give myself an ulcer this election cycle.
I will not give myself an ulcer this election cycle.
I will not give myself an ulcer this election cycle.

Deep breaths in...deep breaths out...