Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Finally some warm weather!



So while mommy and daddy worked hard today to make money to feed me, I got to play outside in the sun and work on my baby tan. Nothing like relaxing in the sun with a good book and a cute blond... What a tough life I have!
:)
Life is good.
We've had a good week. No major milestones, just plugging along and making progress on the big goals... You remember, Dax has until April 4, his 1 birthday (17 days to go and counting) to be sitting up, rolling over, and scooting/crawling. As we stand now, we've seen him sit for about 5 minutes at a time with no external support, although it's usually much shorter than that. As I never really specified a time period for the sitting, I guess we'll go ahead and check that one off the list. He rolls easily now from his belly to back, and rolls from his back to his belly with more difficulty and just a little help. So we can almost check that one off but not quite... He's also scooting now, be it backwards, so we'll count that one because I never specified the direction :) So, a little more time in baby boot camp and we might just have these little goals whooped.
Daxton still prefers to stand, because, let's face it, there's a lot to see from way up there, and dancing is fun. He locks his knees a lot when he stands, so we're working on loosening him up, but he's taking steps now when you hold his fingers. Very exciting. He tends to step easily with his left foot but is less quick to do so with his right foot. Gotta keep an eye on that...
Oh, and for something noteworthy, we did discover this weekend that Benadryl is great for Dax's congestion... Among other things... We had one drunk baby Sat night. He just laughed and danced and squealed and danced and laughed and laughed and squealed... He would have fit in perfectly on a bar somewhere sandwiched between some giggly drunk college... babies... He was hilarious! We now know no Benadryl right before bedtime... Lesson learned the funny way!
As for me, I had a full ultrasound completed today. I'm 19 weeks, but Baby Tyler is measuring at 20 weeks at a whopping 11oz. He's perfect and beautiful and unabashedly very much a boy. He apparently has found a toy in my womb that's fun to play with... Sure hope he grows out of that some day soon, preferably before he's born!
As for me, my cervix is great and we keep on trucking... I'm getting pretty round and feel like I'm awfully close, if not already bigger, to being as big as I was with the twins. I'm also finally able to feel Tyler kick some, although Shep is not able to feel from the outside yet. Hopefully it won't be much longer!
Anyways, haven't updated on our friends in a while, so I'll do a quick run-through... Baby Payton is doing well despite a few ups and downs lately... She's loving her trach and they will decide soon whether to do a g-tube or not... She continues to battle pulmonary hypertension, but pray for that to be well-controlled soon so Lil Miss P can finally go home where she belongs!
I heard last week that Baby Rosemary was potentially going home, and should be home by now pending no setbacks... Pray that she is, and that everyone is adapting well and she's growing stronger by the day!
Baby Kinsley's doing well, but still on a higher setting of oxygen than usual... Please pray for her oxygen needs to go down.
Baby Landon is off oxygen now and doing great!
Laura (mom of 2 preemies) is now about 29 weeks pregnant... The most pregnant she's ever been! Pray for her to stay that way!
Kimberly (friend with the brain aneurysm) is home and adapting. Shes back at work now, but her finances have suffered and she's battling depression. Please pray for her living situation and her emotional well-being as she readjusts to life without her deceased boyfriend and figures out the most cost efficient living situation.
Also, please add a new prayer request... An old friend from my hometown recently gave birth to a beautiful little girl named Caroline. Caroline suffered a stroke at birth and the doctors predict the brain damage to Caroline's frontal lobe is so severe that she will always be dependent for all her needs. Her parents are amazing but could surely use a few more prayers... And we all know that babies have a way of making liars out of doctors everyday. Please pray for Caroline's brain to reroute itself and for her to be a walking, talking testimony one day!
And one more... I know no details, but I do know an 11oz baby was recently born at the hospital where Dax was born... That's HALF as much as Dax weighed when he was born. So far that baby is hanging in there... Please pray for "Half-Pint" to grow bigger and stronger... What a fighter!
So I guess that's the news for now... Please keep Daxton in Tyler in your prayers as they both get bigger and stronger, and continue to pray for all these little miracles and their parents as they survive NICU life and the craziness that follows...
We love you guys and are so thankful for all of you!

4 comments:

Laura (speaking for everyone!) said...

Love reading the update- you are such a captivating author! And I love ya'll! Thank you for including me in your prayer requests- it means so much to me. (Glad Tyler's gonna be a big baby too!)

Jennifer said...

Doesn't he look awesome in his shades! I was wondering how they decided to give Dax the diagnosis of Jouberts Syndrome? Cuz those issue are what many micropreemies face to begin with!

Only the Sheppards said...

My Reader's Digest version is that the neurologist (who would now be our former neurologist) was an idiot, and Joubert's Syndrome is "interesting." Daxton was hypertonic, not hypotonic, but the dr explained that away as a product of secondary brain trauma from extreme prematurity. To get the affirmative Joubert diagnosis, the MRI has to show a cerebellar molar tooth pattern, which Dax's did not have, but again, not much faith in the neurologist. We're now Joubert Syndrome-free!

The Snyder's said...

What an update.. You are a wonderful writer..
I am so happy at all the progress that Daxton is making..
As well as tyler's progress this is absolutely wonderful.. May your cervix continue to hold him in good.
"Half-Pint" I heard about that too.. Is that not amazing...
God Bless YOU and as always you are in our prayers!!