Life in iPhone Pics

7 months old!

B is getting to be such a bog boy!! He almost has his head control down and is growing like a weed!!!

7 months old (4.5 months adjusted)

14.5lbs 25in

 

WINNER WINNER

The winner of a pre-made design template from my blog designer, Danielle, is......

Kim at Kyndall's Smile

Congrats on your new blog template.

Please email me your email and I'll pass the info along to Danielle.

livelovelaughblog@yahoo

The S word!!

I woke up to snow...uhhh. My hopes of Spring will be put on hold for another week. I guess I will be pulling the boots out one more time!

Dear Winter, if you didn't get the memo...Spring officially happened a few days ago. 

Make sure to enter my giveaway for a pre-made template from my blog designer. Today is the last day to enter. Winner announced tomorrow!

A new design, a discount, and a giveaway!

LAYOUT
The new layout is done!! Love love love!! My designer, Danielle, did an amazing job, again! I wanted to keep the same color scheme but change it up completely.

DISCOUNT
My designer has offered a discount to all my readers!

She will give you $15 off a makeover package and $5 off a pre-made template until this Saturday (3-26). Just mention my blog.

GIVEAWAY
She is also giving away a pre-made template to one of my readers.

Visit her pre-made templates (here) and let me know which one you would choose if you won. I will pick a random winner this Friday (3-25)

26 days till walk time!

 

There is only 26 days until our  walk and we are almost at our goal!!

Our team, The Brayden Bunch, has been busy raising money and recruiting walkers for our big day to celebrate B! We are so close to our goal and just need a little help getting there.

This is a great cause and your contribution goes to help babies like our B have a fighting chance. We owe them so much. 

I have met many preemie moms along our journey with B, including Tiff and her preemie Timothy. She has been a great source of support for me through email and stories. I love reading about preemies growing and thriving. 

If you feel it right in your heart please help us support the March of Dimes and the work they do to help all babies be born healthy. Too many babies are affected by prematurity, I want to help lower that number.

We are fortunate enough to have our preemie here with us but many are lost along there journey, I have seen this first hand and it's devastating. We are walking to celebrate those who are here, honor those who were lost, and ensure a safe healthy future for all babies.

Brayden: 4 days old

Please visit the link on my right sidebar to view our team and make donations.

Visiting the NICU

Yesterday we headed down to Loyola to visit the NICU where B spent the first 3 months of his life. I had emailed our fave nurse, Sarah, to make sure she would be working. It was so great to see everyone. They really become your family and friends away from home. We spent so much time with the nurses there, they helped us through months of hard times.

B was happy and laughing (flirting) with all his ladies. It's nice to hear how good he looks. They saw him as a tiny sick little boy and now he's a chubby healthy little man.

His nurse practitioner Pat

Family Pics!

I knew my disk of pictures would be here any day and yesterday when I checked the mail and saw the return address was our photographer I couldn't contain my excitement. They were here!!! I couldn't wait to see them. I felt like a little girl on Christmas morning!

They are everything I wanted. Our photographer, Danielle, did amazing!

Here are a few favorites. My blog designer will be putting together a whole new look for me with a lot of these pictures!!

 

Happy St Patties-B's MRI day

Today B is proudly wearing his green and supporting the (1%) Irish he is!!

 

We headed to Children's Hospital this morning for a neurosurgery follow up and MRI. We got OK news. B has a pocket of fluid in his head that isn't communicating with the rest of the fluid. His shunt was put in place to drain fluid to relieve pressure. This pocket, located by his brain stem, doesn't drain like it is suppose to. It has grown since his last MRI, 5 weeks ago. He isn't showing any signs of increased pressure (throwing up, eating poorly, sleeping poorly) so we aren't too concern at this point. It could either just stay the same or keep increasing which would start to effect him. The solution would be to operate and pierce a hole in the brain where the pocket is so it would drain with the rest of the fluid. He has another MRI in one month. I am praying he doesn't need a 6th surgery. Scared about it.

So at least we know what is possible and what to look for. His surgeon said everything looks awesome from an infection stand point. He is very confident his meningitis will not return. That is great news!

Pray pray pray....no more surgery!

Random A-Z

I was in the mood for a random fun post. I saw this the other day and liked it.

A. Age: 28

B. Bed size: King!

C. Chore you dislike: Emptying the dishwasher/ folding laundry

D. Dogs: Our little wiener Bella

E. Essential start to your day: Must brush my teeth and wash my face first thing!! Then I feel human enough to tend to the little man.

F. Favorite color: Red

G. Gold or silver: White gold

H. Height: 5'9"

I. Instruments you play(ed): Ha, none

J. Job title: Stay at home mom

K. Kids: Brayden

L. Live: Illinois

M. Mom’s name: Pam

N. Nicknames: Missy (my mom calls me), Heth

O. Overnight hospital stays: None, not even when I gave birth. I was discharged 4 hours after delivery.

P. Pet peeves: Slow drivers, drivers who tail gate me

Q. Quote from a movie: "It's so damn hot, milk was a bad choice"

R. Righty or lefty: Right

S. Siblings: only child

T. Time you wake up: 6-6:30am

U. Underwear: Hanky Panky, best brand ever!

V. Vegetables you don’t like: Okra

W.What makes you run late: Sometimes Brayden, traffic, my run through Starbucks takes longer then usual.

X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth, stomach, hand

Y. Yummy food you make: Homemade pasta sauce

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Big cats!!

Sleeping in the woods

I have been slowly decorating our bedroom and my new recent purchase is very cool, but I'm not going to lie, it has taken some getting used to.

We have a large blank wall opposite our bed. I had the idea to put tree decals up after I ordered B's nursery tree. The same Etsy shop had 'grown up' decals that I loved. I decided on the (ceiling to floor) winter birch trees in a dark brown. I love them but waking up in the middle of the night and glancing at them, it feels like I'm sleeping in the woods.

 

Now I need something above my bed?? My duvet is from pottery barn, which I so love!! 

Etsy shop here

One year ago...the day when everything changed!

One year ago I woke up (really early), took these, and got the news that would change everything!! This day was filled with shock-excitement-joy-fear. Our adventure had just begun.


I can now look back and remember how special this day was and exactly how I felt the day I learned I would become a mom to this beautiful (preemie) boy!

Although my pregnancy wasn't what I expected the end result is amazing all the same. I love being a mom, he is my everything!

I woke up my husband up this morning and said the same exact thing I said to him one year ago while he was in bed. "Hey babe, guess what? I'm pregnant" His eyes got huge and he looked like he was going to freak out. LOL. Just kidding babe!! 

Follow ups, meatballs, and Sophie

Ha this tittle made me laugh.

B had follow ups with his neurologist and ophthalmologist(eye dr) yesterday in Milwaukee. Everything looks good!! We like more good news. His neurologist controls his seizure meds and when we come back next week for an MRI, to check his head since surgery, we will get a blood level of his meds and probably up them to accommodate his weight. He is 13lb 4oz...getting big!

His ophthalmologist checked his eyes. He has no need for glasses now but may later, common for preemies. Developmentally, for his eyes, B is just at the point where babies start to focus, reach for toys, and use there eyes more. We aren't sure if B will have any vision problems, it's a wait and see thing. His eyes are great but he may have damage in how the brain interprets vision. They have a test they can do which involves anesthesia and further testing. No thanks, my son has gone 'under' enough. We will do all we can in therapy and see where B takes us. He runs this show :-)

I decided to make turkey meatballs with feta cheese yesterday. I hadn't made them since before I was pregnant. Yummo!! (I would post a recipe but I don't use one, I just add crap until they taste good)

B has a new girlfriend, Sophie the giraffe! Like I mentioned above B isn't grabbing toys yet but he loves to look at them and reach. I caught B grabbing onto Sophie when he was sleeping. It was so cute. He hearts her.

Fear

The other day I had this rush come over me. This rush of fear. I felt scared all day. I found myself looking for little signs in B that something was wrong. Taking his temp, over analyzing his eating, making sure he didn't sleep too much. All things I have trained my mind to correlate with being 'sick' and the signs we would look for. Sick in this house doesn't refer to the common cold or a runny nose. When we say sick we mean fatally ill.

I think I have been on such a high since we've been home from the hospital and B has been doing so well it's almost like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for the storm. I don't know if that storm will come, I pray it doesn't but I can't help but feel this overwhelming fear that it will come.

I have only come to know and expect bad news. Hospitals, sickness, trauma, it's all we've known of being parents really. Having a healthy child is new to me. I know all too well how life can change in one instant and I want it to stay just how it is. Slow and uneventful means B is healthy, we are home, and he's on the right path.

I still have these thoughts that pop in my head like 'what if he gets sick again' 'what if the infection never goes away'. Over time these will become less and my fear will lessen. I think it will always be there waiting to remind me what I have been through and how close I came to loosing B.

In one way I appreciate the fear. It has taught me to truly appreciate each day. And in another way I hate it, it's an uncomfortable place to live in. It can consume you. It's almost paralyzing at times. It's these times I can look at B, be thankful he is doing well, and hope for the best. There is always hope that this time is different. Hope makes the fear a little easier to live with.

So does B's smile!

Silly Sounds

B makes the funniest noises when he is happy and playing. It cracks me up! Such a doll. Got it on video yesterday while he was on his play mat.

B is the best baby to venture out with. He comes with me to all my errands and just sleeps or looks around contently in his car seat. Hopefully this didn't jinx me because he really is such an easy baby!

Sleeping at Target!

Cousins

B finally left his germ free bubble that is his house and ventured to grandmas house for the day to celebrate my sister in laws birthday. He does leave the house in occasion for mom son shopping ventures but he is safe in his car seat so we are partaking in more outings as cold and flu season is coming to an end (almost!).

B got to see his cousin for the 2nd time and we tried to get pictures. Trying to get a 6 month old (well 3 months really) and a 15 month old to sit still, near impossible. Of the 20 pictures we took 2 turned out semi OK, LOL, work in progress!

We had a nice relaxing day at the grandparents!!

And by the way, with Spring just at our fingertips I am SO over winter. I bought all my spring Yankee candles and brought out all my flats. Socks and boots...we are threw!!

Virgo

Single white male baby (SWB) looking for single female baby (SFB) to share long naps in the crib, 4am bottles, and poopy diapers. I'm a Virgo and very handsome. Must love frog toys, the sleep sheep, and my mom. Although I'm small, I'm older than I appear. Contact my mom for interest.

 

 

Love B's new romper (Old Navy). Reminds me of a dating ad so I thought he needed his first one! Hold back your daughters!!

Big Boy Paci aka The NUK

Pretty much since birth B has never been 10 feet away from his beloved soothie paci. The NICU had a special preemie one and when he was big enough he moved up to the normal size. Then we discovered the gum drop soothie and like the previous two, he loved. We decided it was time to try a 'Big Boy' paci. First one I bought, the NUK, success!!! He loves!!

 Preemie Soothie 

(looks huge on my little 4 lb man)

 Newborn Soothie

 Gum Drop Soothie

Big Boy NUK!!

Life in iPhone Pics

I am in love obsessed with my new Hipstamatic app. It takes the coolest pics. Yes I have a really nice cannon and photo shop and I can't stop using this app on my phone, lol.

 

Just a little bit of B's daily life through my phone!! In other news I am in the process of re-doing my blog layout, well my fabulous designer is I should say. We are taking professional pictures this weekend that I want to use in my new header. I can't wait, we have never taken real family photos before. I ordered B the most adorable gray knit hat from Etsy that came yesterday for the shoot!! I'm very excited and can't wait to see the pictures. My goal today is to search online for ideas for non-posed poses, I like the more natural looking pictures.