May 29, 2014:

Well I had almost a months worth of entries to paste into this post. I was running out of room on my phone and thought I'd try freeing up some space. I went to delete the "All Mail" section of my gmail account. Turns out it deletes emails stored in folders and since my "Notes" were connected to my gmail, they got deleted too. I didn't shed any tears. I know lots has happened in the past few months and we've taken pictures to try and remember some of the memories. This is going to be my last blog. It's been an incredible journey and has been healing for me to write and document all that has happened since RJ was born. It's hard to believe that in just a couple wks he will be 17 months. Wow... He's crawling all over the place and gets great speed when the refrigerator door opens. He's a fan of taking the bottles off the bottom door shelf and banging them. He's so serious and curious. He sticks out his lil tongue in deep concentration. It's always fun to get him giggling or smiling. Sometimes it takes great effort. He loves his bath time and likes to pull-up  to the side and bang a toy and then squat down. He enjoyed walking wherever you will let him. We take walks outside and even into the grass. It was so funny to see his first time reaction to the feel of grass. He would barely touch the grass with is foot and then lift it up in the air. It was precious. He's still timid when walking in the grass and doesn't want to crawl in it. We had to put gates up at the top and bottom of the stairs to prevent any falls. If I leave him upstairs to get something downstairs, he's right at the gate looking and smiling at me when I come back. It's precious. He's following simple commands and when he needs his diaper changed or needs food, he will come up to my legs and pull on them or gently bite me. He's getting so expressive and more interactive. We have a little shape sorter house that he's getting pretty good at matching up the shape with the right hole. Those lil wheels are turing up in his brain. I so wish I knew what he was thinking and that he could express to us what he wants. We are still working on his eating foods other than his bottle. He still doesn't want a spoon in his mouth. He likes to pick the food pieces up and feed himself.
We've taken some longs trips recently up north and he's survived each one. The last trip was to my sister's baby shower. I was getting over a cold and I ended up giving it to RJ. So we were both sick on our ride home. I don't know what I would have done without my mom traveling with us. She sat in the back seat feeding RJ and cleaning up his vomits. It was a mess. I'm happy to say we are pretty much all healed. I was afraid RJ was going to get too dehydrated after that travel day since his appetite the next couple of days was very small. Thankfully after taking him to the doctor, giving him some breathing treatments, and diluting his milk with Pedialyte, he's back up to speed with is appetite.
We had an amazing Memorial Day wknd, just the three of us (Robert, RJ, and myself). We went to the Lousville zoo and the Newport Aquarium. RJ seemed to enjoy being outside and seeing all the different animals. Our stroller worked out perfect and even served as a changing station. We were able to find outlets at feedings times to heat up his milk. We discovered a small cooler will squish into the bottom area of the stroller!! We enjoyed having daddy home and getting some good family bonding time.
RJ has been doing well with his PT/OT sessions. We just got approval for more Speech/Feeding therapy sessions. We are hoping they can help us with getting RJ to accept food off a spoon and be able to sustain himself on regular food versus bottles. I have started transitioning him off the formula. I started with some Hemp milk, but when talking to the nutritionist we discovered it doesn't have as much calcium or protein as whole milk, so I'm going to try some organic whole milk.
RJ is a bundle of joy and so much fun to hug and kiss. He still loves to snuggle and give hugs. He's sleeping great at night and has even transitioned to taking his naps in his crib versus the swing. He's growing up to be such big boy. He doesn't look like a baby anymore.
I'm so thankful for the NICU nurses recommending I start a blog. It's been very therapeutic for me as well as being able to keep all of you informed on RJ's progress. Thank you for your continued support, love, and prayers. RJ has improved by leaps and bounds since the beginning. He is a testimony of what the power of prayer can do. I hope that our story can be an inspiration to others and give them hope through difficult times. Here are a few pics of what RJ looks like now.

He's happy, healthy, and full of energy!! We could't be more happy with his continued progress. We are truly blessed... Love you all!!!

April 10, 2014:

It's incredible how much RJ has changed in the past month. He's almost 1 year adjusted.... (on approx. April 24th). We brought him home April 21st, so that will be the other most significant day in his life besides the day he was born. I'm not sure how we are going to celebrate, but we will do something special maybe the day before since daddy will be off. Some of my daily posts will be long b/c of all the activity this lil one is full of now. Enjoy...

Mar 12- RJ did some great standing up balancing acts today. He also had some gravity falls. He did some good belly scooting almost in a complete circle. It's funny how since we've been back home I haven't heard him say mama as much. He was saying it the most ever while at my moms. It was fun to hear runs of it :). When Robert came home this evening RJ was standing up at the kitchen table. I told him daddy was home and he leaned to the side trying to look around the corner. It was adorable!! He got a big smile on his face and tried reaching for daddy's face. Precious

Mar 13- RJ refused to take his afternoon nap while we had company. He sat in his swing talking for about 30 min before I picked him up. He had fun playing w/ his friend and even tried reading her some books. Now his belly is full again and he's zonked out on my lap:). He's so stinkin cute!! He was super smily and giggly when daddy came home. It was lots of fun. He was a wiggly worm at bedtime again. Ended up having Robert heat more milk. RJ took an extra 1.5 oz. He still wouldn't settle down in my lap so I laid him in his crib. He put himself to sleep for the first time!! Yikes!!

Mar 14- RJ had his PT eval this afternoon. Robert was able to get off work in time too. RJ did excellent. We have several exercises to work on. His flexer muscles need work. We will do exercises at home and meet once a wk w/ the therapist if all gets approved. I think RJ is sleeping better without his sleep sack. I haven't used it all wk. He's sleeping through the night again finally!! Whew... I thought this day would never come again.

Mar 15- RJ had his first swing and slide experience at the park!! Caught it on video and photo. He seemed to enjoy himself:). What a cutie!! Can't wait for it to really get warm. It was great having daddy come to SS and church w/ us too. We had an amazing sermon about praying for our children. We can't ever stop.

Mar 18- Well I've been putting baby food in RJ's milk to flavor it. I thought it would help w/ taste and pooping cause I would put in prunes. Not so. I had to give him a suppository on Sunday and Monday. We had complete results yesterday. Whew... Today I've started putting a few tsp of straight prune juice in his bottle. I sure hope this helps!! Grrr... RJ started the morning leaking through his diaper so had to change the sheet. Then this evening he ate part of his thick cardboard lamb and when Robert went to retrieve the pieces RJ vomited a lil which seeped through the crack of his tray onto his pants and chair. Then RJ pushed away the washcloth I was using and spread the vomit. I thought to myself, the only thing left is spitting up after eating his bottle. Wouldn't you know he was a pill at bedtime and was fidgeting. I had to reheat his first bottle of 4 oz so he would eat it all. Went down for more and once I started feeding him again he vomited some all over my hand, himself, and the blanket. Grrr!!! I got everything cleaned up and reheat the milk. Then he only ate an ounce yet was still super fidgety. So I kissed him goodnight and laid him down. He quickly went to sleep. Guess I'll save myself a lot of time and frustration tomorrow night and once the first bottle is finished, I'll place him in the crib and let him soothe himself to sleep. Whew... Kitchen is cleaned, bottles made, laundry in dryer, and I'm lying in bed. I'm exhausted.

Mar 19- Well I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but RJ has been sleeping about 11hrs a night!! We've taken the sleep sack away since coming home from our last vaca and I think he feels liberated:). He wakes a few times and cries when changing positions but I don't go in. Last night I did go in once to caress his face and talk softly to him. He cried about 10 min total before and after I left but  put himself back to sleep:). Making progress in that dept. Getting ready to go into our first OT appt. I'm praying for some answers!!
Got a lot of good info from our OT appt. I got to let RJ get messy and explore his food and have him put more in his mouth to explore and push back his gag reflex to the normal place. RJ was a horrible bottle drinker so they could see yet played well for them. He proved he needs their assistance. I'm so thankful for the help. It's impressive how much stronger RJ has gotten in the past couple days. He's figuring out how his legs work!! He's officially stood up in his high chair and turned around w/ both Robert and I watching. Got to strap him in now!!

Mar 20- RJ the past couple mornings has tried pulling the bottle to his mouth. This morning he held on the longest. I think we are making progress. I caved this morning and decided to hold RJ for his nap instead of being productive:). He's growing up so fast, I need to treasure these moments.

Mar 21- RJ officially can pull himself up from a sitting position to standing in his room!! He just sat down for the first time from the stand on position!! He's reaching better to the side when in the crawling position. Not rolling from back to side or rotating trunk consistently. Making improvements though!! RJ was kissing his reflection in the mirror. So cute!! Oh and he smiles and talks when he sees himself in the mirror too:).

Mar 22- RJ's really getting the hang of holding his own bottle:). We took a nice walk in the park w/ friends. Now RJ's been talking up a storm and laughing at himself in the car mirror. It's hilarious!!

Mar 23- RJ decided to begin his morning at 5:40am on a Sunday!! I tried getting him back to sleep but he wasn't having it. After I fed him he did fall back asleep in the chair w/ me. He had a couple vomit episodes that landed both of us in the tub. Mercy what a morning. Whew... I've managed to get a few things done, but now that he's more mobile, I have to re think how to get chores done around the house again. Well to end the day on a positive note, r held his bottle for the first time and drank all 4 oz!!! It finally clicked to tip the bottle up so milk comes out the nipple!! Amazing!!

Mar 25- overall it's been a pretty good day. We've had snow off and on all day. The sun would melt it and then it would come back. RJ didn't seem interested in the snow. He's had lots of small poops today and once again his bottom is incredibly raw. I'd given him a suppository yesterday and thought he was done, but not so. I'm hoping his bottom can heal over night. We have the NICU appt tomorrow morning. RJ's held his bottle for most feedings today, yet I have to help him finish sometimes. It's amazing how distracted I have to get him sometimes just to finish his bottle. I do what it takes to get the ounces down. I hope he's gained weight from last NICU visit.

Mar 26- RJ had a very busy morning. We had a f/u NICU grad clinic appt that they ended up combining w/ his 1yr adjusted visit so we don't have to come back next month:). They did some extensive developmental testing and he's about where they expected due to his preemie status and all he's been through. He's got PT and OT in the works and then we got a script to add feeding therapy. That eval is set up for next Monday the 30th. He's too dependent on the bottle right now and we need the tools to transition off the bottle in the next couple months. Overall they are happy w/ his progress and growth. We got a script for miralax to see if that helps his constipation issues. Last couple wks I've had to give him suppositories. Other than RJ being a lil more whiny after only 50 min worth of naps today he's as cute as ever!!:). He's been having lil poops even after the suppository wore off on Monday so I can't get his diaper rash cleared up!! So frustrating!! Poor lil guy cries every time he poos!!  Got a funny video of RJ talking to himself in the mirror. Not sure if he kissed the mirror when I took the video or not. He gets such a big kick out of it. With all the activity of today RJ only got 50 min worth of naps. He didn't mess around at bedtime and went to bed easy. I hope he gets some solid sleep tonight. I sure need it. :)

Mar 27- So this morning RJ was moving and fell forward trying to reach something. I left him on his belly to see what he'd do. He fussed and while I was out of the room somehow he got to a sitting position!! He's started making these really loud noises when on the floor in the kitchen. Not sure if he's just finding his voice or trying to get my attention:).

Mar 28- RJ has been perfecting his scoot instead of a crawl. It's funny. We took a short ride this afternoon and and RJ looked out the window almost the entire time taking in the sights of town. I'm thinking he might last longer on trips if the outdoors can keep him entertained while we drive.

Mar 29-  I just saw RJ go from a belly position to a sitting position so by himself!!! RJ took my fingers and went to the stairs and wanted to walk down all them!!

Mar 30- RJ wanted to walk down the stairs again today:). It's so adorable.

Mar 31- What a day!!! RJ decided he didn't need his morning nap or yo eat full bottles a day. We had his feeding therapy appt early afternoon. He was starving, so he was pretty cooperative in doing the different exercises. The speech therapist came up w/ a plan which she will email to me. He has a lot of good skills already, yet there are things he needs help working through. I felt positive after the visit. I'm glad I left early today cause I walked yo the wrong building and had to race back the opposite direction. We got there w/ minutes to spare plus the therapist was late. Overall RJ has only had 20 min worth of naps. He was super giddy tonight and then crashed. I couldn't even coach him to finish his bottle. I'm hoping he'll sleep all night despite not eating as much today. He was pooping all afternoon. Wish he could just ret it out in one chunk. We stopped to see Robert on our way home after our appt. RJ's eyes lite up and he smiled and laughed a lil. He was so excited to see him. It was precious. Now I must muster up enough strength to clean up the kitchen. Oh RJ drank water from a cup today for the first time!! So adorable!!

April 1- gave RJ miralax in his first couple bottles and he had a super rough day. Every so often he'd start crying cause of the stomach pains. He did have lots of small poos and finally late afternoon/evening he had two solid poos. Thankfully he was able to get a full nights sleep. We went to drop off food to a fellow resident and his wife. They just had a baby a few wks ago. We had a nice walk w/ the babies and then afterwards RJ got up close to the babies rocker and touched her head and arm. It was super sweet. That's the first time he's really been around someone smaller than him.

April 2- today has been much better!! He's had diarrhea almost after every morning feed. I'm hoping the miralax has helped to jump start his system. If he doesn't poo tomorrow I'll give another half dose on Friday. He can't tolerate a full dose!!  We had about an hr walk today all around our neighborhood. It was perfect weather. RJ seemed to enjoy it till the end. He had two good naps today and now we are at his f/u OT appt that will be on Wed afternoons at 4:30pm. Not sure for how long. As I've been typing this RJ has been giggling and making all kinds of racket. Super funny boy:). RJ wiggled all over the place at bedtime. He did this sniffing thing like he was going to forget my scent.

April 3- today has been good yet busy. RJ only had one nap. A friend was over this afternoon and he wanted to keep playing. It's so funny to see him scoot all over the house. Well I say that loosely. He hasn't wondered off too far yet:). He did good w/ his oral exercises and eating his puffs. We got to face time w/ his great-grandma McLennan this evening. He was having a hard time eating his milk at bedtime and was falling asleep. Then out of no where he sits up and starts talking. He played w/ my phone while he finished his milk. Then wiggles all over the place and sniffed me again. Finally he fell asleep in a weird position on my chest. He's so goofy. Love him to pieces!! I think RJ waved good bye today. It almost looked like he was doing it yesterday at the store, but he did the same thing today when our friend left. So adorable!! It's a whole arm/limp hand wave.

April 7- We made quite the walking trip downstairs. He wanted to stop and touch everything. We walked in circles at the top of the stairs and at the bottom. It was so funny:). We finally made it to the kitchen where he is scoot crawling like a champ chasing his blue cup:). I've been adjusting RJ's miralax dose starting small and working up till he pooped good. Today he got 3 tsp and had 3 good poops. Last one was in the tub. Past 3 days he's had a poo in the tub. It's pretty annoying to clean up but at least he's pooping!  Past couple days I've made sure he gets a good morning nap and then I push him to skip the afternoon nap. He's been staying awake longer between naps. Plus he's getting about 11 hrs of sleep at night too. His appetite for the bottle was way down today. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow. He's such a mover now. Guess it wears him out easier. He's zonked out in my arms right now. He couldn't even finish his bottle. He ate his puffs really well today. So proud of him!!

April 8- So RJ scoot/crawled out of his room today and acted like he'd go down the hallway. Guess it's time to put up the gates!! We even saw him put both feet behind him and crawl like normal:). I've been helping RJ skip his afternoon nap to help him sleep better at night. It's working!! He was so tired tonight I was able to feed him and put him down in 15min!! I got a few extra things done around the house and I'm in bed early!!

April 9- RJ loves to see himself in the mirror and laughs up a storm. He cracks himself up. So cute!!  RJ walked down the steps w/ my assistance to the landing and was playing. Then he was ready to move and started head first down the stairs. Of course I was right there to grab him. He also left the kitchen today and crawled/scooted to the dining room. He was fascinated w/ the exercise bike. RJ wanted to eat both times we came to the kitchen like me. He's catching on. Still only wanting his puff foods. I put a carrot stick in my mouth and he would grab it and put it back in my mouth a couple times. He played w/ it and threw it on the floor. RJ had a great PT/OT visit. He's even rolling over in his sleep right now. If we could only get him doing those moves when he's awake:).

April 10- RJ was restless last night and moving all around. We saw him laying on his back before we went to bed and he was that way when we woke up. RJ decided to wake up at 6:50AM and was standing in the corner by the baby monitor looking at it. I took some pics. He was on his stomach when he woke up so it was easy to sit up and pull himself up on the side of the bed. I'm so glad I put the baby monitor up on the shelf earlier this week, otherwise he would have thrown it down I'm sure. He so much more determined to walk everywhere and especially down the stairs. If he wants to turn left or right, he will move you that way. He made it known he wanted to eat at the table all 3 times today. He wouldn't eat the pears off his spoon, but it somehow made it in his mouth attached to his other foods on his tray. He was curious when I was Swiffering the floor around him this afternoon. He kept turing around in circles watching me. When I was cooking he was following me around the kitchen. When I open the fridge door, he quickly scoots/crawls to it. He's fascinated by all the containers in the door. This afternoon I took him outside bare footed and let him feel the grass for the first time. He stayed in one place and didn't want to move. This evening we did it again, but he stayed in one place. I bought him some sunglasses that have a stretchy strap. I had him wear them outside this evening while the sun was still bright. He looked adorable. I wasn't able to get a pic. Tonight in the tub I was holding a cup full of water above RJ's head and letting it pour out slowly. He got the biggest kick out of that. He was trying to hold the water. Robert got it on video. He's so curious and wanting to feel and test everything out as he's going by. It's amazing how much he's developing all of a sudden.

March 12, 2014:

Well I hadn't planned on taking a month to blog another post, but here we are. Lots has happened and RJ has been quite the traveler. He's grown lots and is changing every day. He's getting more and more cute. We couldn't be more proud of his progress.

Feb 14- had fun banging on pot and pans w/ wooden spoons for the first time. Got into a head shaking mode and waving his left hand. It was hilarious looking. He got a smile on his face when I was trying to get him rolling from side to side. I think he might be allergic to dogs cause his nose has started running since arriving. Uncle Bannor had RJ bring my sister and me our valentines tulips and Robert had mailed me a card. It was adorable. He finally slept an hr in his new sleeper/rocker/chair. He has a bunch of hearty laughs yesterday afternoon when seeing the dog Jill spaz out. It was sooo cute!! RJ is grabbing and holding out his arms a whole lot more. It's precious.

Feb 16- RJ enjoyed getting to see daddy this morning!! He surprised us and is going to help us drive home. RJ ate some apple sauce blueberry mixture w/ some cereal. He was talking up a storm after he woke up. He had a fun day hanging w/ daddy and uncle Bannor. This evening RJ came w/ us to a sushi restaurant. He had fun w/ the helium balloon. He also ate a bunch of sweet potato puffs and even fed himself for the first time!! He has an incredible pincher grasp. It was super fun to see. I'm enjoying how RJ holds his hands up more to us. It's special

Feb 19- I see another tooth coming next to his other front tooth!! RJ was so thrilled to be home today playing in all his regular places. He took some good naps in his swing and ate some food. This afternoon we went to the mall w/ dada to run a few errands. RJ was very quiet and calm the whole time looking around. This evening while I was cleaning up the kitchen RJ was sitting in his box on the floor. He looked like he might pull himself up on his knees but didn't yet still managed to turn himself around facing the opposite direction. The wheels are turning. :)

Feb 20- RJ and daddy has a boys night while I went out w/ the girls. He did well and only woke up briefly before we went to bed. He finally slept through the night since being home from vaca!!!

Feb 21- I think I heard RJ say "baba" this morning. He's struggling eating bfast, but the poor kid needs to poo, so I hope that happens  soon!! Made RJ really work to stand up for his giraffe ride. Really enjoyed eating his new puffs and yogurt melts we bought him. He brings the food to his mouth!!

Feb 22- RJ woke up once last night to eat then slept till 7:40 am!! He did great in SS and church. He started to loose it at the end and I took him out. He fought sleep and then gave in. I was able to finish the service. He slept about 30 min. Came home to change and eat. Then we took an hr walk. RJ watched the whole time!! I was for sure he'd fall asleep. He played great today and did some more climbing exercise. He was moving all around in his box today and talking up a storm. It was cute hearing him talk at church too:). He's enjoying his bath and wiggling all over. I hope he sleeps long and hard after only 30 min worth of nap

Feb 23- Well I can probably count on one hand the number of times RJ has slept through the night this month. I'm not a fan of this teething period for sleep anyways. I am glad he enjoys using his teeth to crunch on food:). Yesterday he discovered the stair spindles are a great pull up gym. He was pulling himself up from a sitting position on my leg. He's getting the hang of it!!

Feb 24- RJ pushed himself backwards in the crawling position. I guess that's going somewhere:). The past couple days when laid in his crib at night he rolls to his side:). It's adorable. By morning he's flat on his back again. He's full of the giggles in the evening. He is so precious!!

Feb 25- RJ's been swishing his spit the past couple days making a cute noise. We got him scooting backwards again:). I'm not a fan of poop in the tub. Thankfully I hadn't cleaned the bathroom yet. It's always a super big accomplishment when he poops, just keep it in the diaper. :)

Feb 27- had a good trip down to my moms. RJ only got 1 hr 10 min worth of naps:/. He had LOTS of poop today. Poor lil bottom is so red now:(. He was exhausted tonight and only ate a couple ounces. He fell asleep on his stomach in my lap so that's how I laid him in the pack n play. We shall see how long it lasts!! He looks so precious!!

Feb 28- heard RJ say mama when he wasn't crying. He purposefully opened and closed the kitchen cabinet door while holding onto the knob. He's been grabbing to stand up more w/ assistance. He's babbling more often.

Mar 1- RJ woke up about 5:40am and I fed him. Then brought him in bed w/ me to snuggle. He slept till almost 8am!! RJ just went from a crawling position to sitting for first time on own!!! He loves his train pieces and reconnecting the magnet parts as a game w/ me:) He's getting so smart

Mar 4- I've been fighting w/ RJ sleeping through the night again this wk. The whole month of Feb was bad. I'm hoping we can make a turn around here in March. We've been at my moms this wk and last night I moved him to my bed right before I got in cause he wouldn't relax. He slept the whole night without waking up for food!! He's developed some extreme mommy attachment lately. It's precious but exhausting at night. Not sure what's going to happen when we go home and he has to sleep in his crib again.

Mar 7- RJ has officially figured out how to turn the light on and off at the switch plate!! He's getting so smart!! Last night I had to break the habit he'd formed over this wks vaca at grandmas of sleeping in the bed w/ mama. It was adorable to see him snuggle up yo my pillow and then watch him wake up in the morning and hear him babble. I had to give him some tough love. Poor guy has got another diaper rash. He was popping all afternoon yesterday and has continued today. There is no rest for his over sensitive skin. I try to keep Desatin on it. Man I'll be glad when this stage is over. RJ had his last Synagis shot today for this season!! He hit the 16 lb mark so had to get two shots since they split the dose. He did well.

Mar 8- our nighttime routine was a lil rushed tonight cause we stayed out w/ friends longer. RJ decided to throw up right as he was finishing his bedtime bottle too. Grrr. I changed and re fed him. He's all curled up in my lap sleeping away. It's so precious. He was a great baby at SS and was so in to it. We sat w/ friends at church and he did excellent. I took him out once for a diaper change and once to rock him to sleep. This afternoon I gave him a couple chances to be diaperless. After our hr nap snuggling on my bed, RJ had a HUGE poop!! I was tempted to take a pic and send to Robert but didn't. He gets grossed out by poo anyways:). RJ has been much happier this evening. :). He's starting to show more love and affection. We are so blessed. I was doing these lil short squeezes like hugs over and over and he got smiles. It was so cute.

Mar 9- I love our lil boy!! We got to snuggle and take and extra 40 min nap in my bed this morning after he woke up to eat!! It was priceless. He's gotten more cuddly over this past wk. I guess those few nights sleeping w/ me got him more snuggley:). He's started acting like he's reading me a book:). He's pushed himself up to a sitting position from his belly a couple times now. He's catching on! While at my moms last wk I started typing out rhythms on the bottle when feeding RJ. He seemed to eat more. Weird. Today was daylight savings. Bedtime was tricky. He ate his bottle then starred at ceiling. Tomorrow we will have to put up a blanket or something. Last year he was in the NICU at this time and slept in our room after coming home. RJ is currently sprawled out w/ head under my arm on my belly and his feet on my leg. This makes transferring to the bed tricky!! RJ was super excited to see dada today. He gave lots of smiles. At lunch RJ ate almost a whole veggie mum mum. He also had fun standing on the chair reaching for stuff while still in his baby chair. Unless we are watching him we will have to pull the normal chair away from his feet so they just dangle:). He's getting smarter every day. Took off the sleep sack after he vomited from being all worked up and choking on his saliva. We were doing the cry it out method for bedtime. He cried about 45 min total.

Mar 10- RJ just walked holding my hands across his room!! Very deliberate steps!! I was going to go down the hallway, but he wanted to stop and see his caterpillar:). Past two feedings RJ has motioned to slide out of chair and want to walk. This last feeding we walked to our room!! RJ seemed to grow up today. He played great by himself in different parts of the house while I got a few things done. We had a fun walk w/ friends at the arboretum this afternoon. RJ had fun discovering where his books are kept and pulling them out. He had fun at bath time again and when he was done he grabbed onto one of my fingers and one of Roberts and we helped him stand up! That was a first!! I think he's going to skip crawling :). Now if we could only get him eating solid foods. Tonight for bedtime we put a blanket over the window. Much better!! As RJ was snuggling into me after eating he have a big yawn. They are the most precious thing ever and the sigh after is priceless. RJ woke up once crying. I went in to caress his face and talk softly to him for a couple min then left. He only cried about 10 min after I left.

Mar 11- RJ had a good day. Skipped his afternoon nap to see if he would sleep better. Tried feeding him at supper time and he grabbed the spoon to shove it in his mouth! He had a few good spoonfuls of avocado and almost two whole mum mum veggie rice things. He was a total wiggle worm at bedtime.
He woke up once and put himself right back to sleep. The second time I caressed his face and talked softly to him. He quickly went back to sleep.

Thanks again for all your prayers, support, and love. God is answering our prayers.

February 13, 2014:

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I remember last year going to the NICU and the nurses had made a Valentien's card with RJ's footprints on it. It was so adorable. I'm so excited to be spending this Valentine's Day with our baby home!!! I'm actually up in Chesapeake, VA visiting my sister and her husband for what turned out to be a longer wknd than planned due to the crazy weather across the east. RJ has been quite the trooper traveling the past couple days. It was great being able to stay in one place today. Whew.... I've been meaning to post this blog for wks. I keep thinking about it at the wrong times and then before I know it, it's already the next day. So, here's a very long list of RJ events. :)

Jan 22- finally caught RJ on video saying "dada" repetitively  while Robert was watching him!! Took 3 great naps today. First one was w/ me. He's such a snuggler.

Jan 23- so cute to hear RJ say "dada" repetitively throughout the day. He was more fussy today and not wanting to eat. It's been awhile since he popped so I ended up giving him a suppository. We had results. He's teething and ended up waking up a couple hrs after I put him to bed. Robert fed him some milk w/ Tylenol. I hope RJ can sleep the rest of the night.

Jan 24- RJ was trying to crawl all over my lap but still needs help changing positions. At one point we went to the floor and he laid his head on the blanket. I laid mine next to him. Then he put his hand on top of mine. Melted my heart:).

Jan 25- love it when I can make our lil guy laugh. He also did really well in church. He did get a lil excited chewing on the giraffe and gagged himself a lil during prayer. Had to emergently get the wipes.

Jan 26- staying up late Sat night always gets me. RJ decided to wake up at 5:30am!! Then after eating decided he wanted to be held in his rocking chair. Oh mercy. So much for a relaxing lazy Sunday... This teething thing is making him more fussy today :/. Poor baby.

Jan 27- not a happy camper that RJ ended up being constipated and teething all in the same night. I slept in the recliner w/ RJ all night. This morning right before Robert left we moved to our bed. I was hoping RJ would sleep in some after eating, but it was only about a 45 min nap. Thankfully he slept for 2 hrs later in the morning so I could take a nap too. His poor butt is all beat red again. Hopefully after multiple poos today he can sleep better tonight. I tried giving him prune juice in the bottle and that was a fail. I did get some in using a medicine dropper:). I keep forgetting to mention RJ thinks it's hilarious when the lotion bottle makes that empty squirting noise when I try getting the last lil bit of lotion out. It's adorable.

Jan 28- RJ was the most giggly tonight while we were eating supper and then in his bath and changing table. I even caused him to get the hiccups right before bed! It was hilarious and adorable to hear him laugh at my silliness!! Love that boy!!

Jan 29- RJ's a pro now at rolling to the left when place on all fours. He can almost roll back to his belly again. I tried getting him to roll to his right, but not as fluid. This morning he was playing w/ the monkey ears on his feet while sitting in my lap. Adorable!! It's incredible to see his lil fingers work to hold onto things. He's talking up a storm now saying "dada" a lot more throughout the day. I'm humbled to think I helped create him. He's so perfect:)
This evening while I was making supper RJ was reaching behind to get his bib hooked to the chair. He was eating his arm and whining. I'd just fed him some milk so thought maybe he wanted real food. After getting it ready I brought the spoon of sweet potato to his mouth and he opened wide!!! This was a breakthrough!!! He ate carrots and some apple sauce too!! Maybe a switch clicked in his brain today. We shall see!!

Jan 30- RJ went from a kneeling position to sitting w/ the aid of my leg for back support. He's growing up!!

Jan 31- RJ has been enjoying my animal sounds the past couple days. He gets big smiles on his face. He likes the kitty, birdie, frog, and cow best. He gnawed on my dried mango and loved it this evening. He ate his first sweet potato puff!!

Feb 1- RJ ate cornbread at lunch today mashed up! He also slept in till 8am!! He ate maybe 4-5 sweet potato puffs this afternoon. Now that he's tooth is getting more pronounced he wants to chew more. Tonight I had much help getting the house ready and food cooked for RJ's bday party tomorrow!!

Feb 2- RJ's bday party went great!! Had a fantastic turnout!! I've never planned a party for 30 people before, so I way over estimated food. Oh well, Robert will have snacky food all wk!! RJ seemed to enjoy playing w/ his giant cupcake, but didn't really want to eat it. Robert shoved some icing in his mouth:). RJ did really well w/ all the stimulation and noise. It was tricky getting pictures of him w/ all the guests, but he survived. He had a 1.5 hr nap in the morning, then refused the afternoon nap. He didn't want to miss anything going on downstairs:). The grandmas were gracious enough to put him to bed in the evening so Robert and I could oh watch the Super Bowl at some friends house:). It was the first time RJ was out to bed without mommy or daddy around. He's growing up...

Feb 3- RJ had a synagis shot scheduled today. We braved the snow and slush to get there. Once there we were told the medicine wasn't there!!! So annoying!!! We had to skip putting RJ down for a nice nap at home. He fell asleep in the truck. RJ was put to bed by another grandma tonight. I was told he did pretty good but had a spit up episode all over him and grandma before bed. He was resting peacefully by the time Robert and I got back from our first date night since RJ came home. It felt odd bit having our lil appendage around, yet a nice change of pace too. We are taking baby steps to break free from our parenting routine:). Oh RJ got into this giggling fit while I was holding him this afternoon. He gave himself the hiccups. It's sooooo funny. He actually threw up some when he did it this morning. His lil personality is coming out more. Love that boy so much!!

Feb 5- Called and synagis shot still hasn't arrived. Grrr. They called late this afternoon saying it finally came in. We have to be there at 8:30am tomorrow morning. Poor RJ has been out at the doctors almost every day this wk. Next wk should be better. We went to the Grad Clinic today and it was very informative. Seems that RJ has some motor planning delay. He struggles w/ planning his next move. I know the wheels are turning, but something is holding him back from moving to the next step. He's resistant I'm making some moves too. PT worked w/ him today and felt he'd benefit from clinical PT/OT a few times a wk for a lil while to work on his movements. He was making some improvements in the few min she was working w/ him, so she felt very optimistic about further therapy. Speech wasn't there today, so he'll get that eval when we go back in March. The doc thought RJ might have some oral aversion which is why he hasn't caught onto the eating thing very well. They wanted to put our minds at ease that they don't think RJ has full on developmental delay which could mean cerebral palsy or autism. He doesn't have any of those signs. Once we get more info from the clinical PT/OT and speech, we can get a better picture of what RJ needs the most to be successful in his continued growth. I guess the lil stinker wants more attention. We have to pray that all the paperwork will get processed smoothly.

Feb 6- Up bright and early for an 8:30 am appt for RJ's synagis shot. He took it well. I guess he's gonna be a two napper kind of guy. This morning it was only 30 min. Not long enough! This afternoon was 1.5. I feel semi-accomplished today:).

Feb 7- RJ found my phone in my pocket and was trying to figure out how to get it. It was pretty funny. Maybe next time:). Did excellent at his first big boy eye appt and no glasses needed at this time!! The doc said she's usually able to predict but couldn't w/ him:). He's good for another year!! Last night was we were waiting for his bottle to warm up we were looking in the mirror. RJ shook his head no and I mimicked him. We went back and forth. First time I realty recognized this behavior. So cute!!

Feb 8- RJ hasn't been sleeping through the night this wk. I guess w/ all the hustle and bustle of last wknd it's thrown him off. He woke up at 5 am today. Even after eating was whiny. Has a temp about 100. Gave some Tylenol. I have to teach SS so Robert will stay home w/ RJ. We had a tickle fest w/ RJ. I was holding him and Robert would come up and tickle him. He was the tickle monster. RJ laughed and would turn into me for safety!! We kept doing it over and over and got some great laughs out of RJ. So adorable!!

Feb 10- I'm making RJ exercise and work for his next move. He's not the most excited. Extra whiny this morning. Did a good job pulling himself up holding onto me!!

Feb 11- RJ did fairly well on our road trip to VA. It cut into his normal bedtime, so I was a lil worried, but he finally was in bed around 9pm and slept through the night till about 7am!

Feb 12- RJ did some good crawling stance and rolling over to his back this morning. He did better going from a crawling stance to a sitting position. RJ had another good travel day. Trying to beat the bad snow/ice weather. Made it to my sisters before RJ's bedtime. Whew...  He had his first dog is from their dog Jacks:). RJ gave a look of disgust!

Feb 13- RJ is so silly and seems to only want to say "mama" when he's upset or wants me to pick him up. What a goober. :)

Hope you enjoyed!! Thanks again for all your prayers, support, and love. It's greatly appreciated!!

January 22, 2014:

I seem to have written a book over the past couple weeks. I think this might make my blogging time quicker to post. I just write a mini journal along the way and then copy/paste into the post!! He's been changing so much and has started saying "dada"!!!! Today he's been saying it a lot more and not just when laying down. He'll say it sitting up too!! He has the most adoarable toothless gum smile, but just for a short while longer!! He has a tooth breaking through on the bottom!! I really felt it this past weekend and actually saw it!! Maybe getting a tooth he'll be more inclined to eat solid foods!! It's so hard to believe that over a year has gone by since RJ was born... So much has happened and it's incredible to see him growing up. What a blessing and real life example that miracles still do happen.


Jan 3- RJ almost peed on me during bath time. I was washing his goods and all of a sudden there was an upward stream!! Thankfully it was aimed away from my face. RJ didn't eat as much today and that was frustrating. I want him to grow. He weighs 14.5 lb. Got his next synagis shot today. He's tolerated it well. I did give him a dose of Tylenol too. Freezing today!! 11 degrees when we left this morning. Window frozen. Had to get out of truck for drive thru at bank and pharmacy. Grrr. Daddy put RJ to bed which was nice. He woke up about an he later whimpering. I went to check on him and he snuggled right into my shoulder and fell asleep while being rocked. Then he woke up at 11:30 crying. He just wanted to be held again. I Tried putting him down after a few min and crawling back in bed. He cried off and on for 10 min and I went to check on him again. He wanted to be held a lil longer. Finally I crawled in bed around 12:20am

Jan 4- RJ slept again for 12 hrs!! He's made a record this wk! He was a perfect child at church today. Took a long nap w/ daddy during the main service. Was quite during the communion service in my lap. I also taught SS today and he was very focused and behaved the whole time. He got fussy right before the story when I was able to help change his diaper and get his food so daddy could feed him:). Went to a belated holiday party w/ church friends. Kept RJ up way past his bedtime. Went down close to 10pm. He woke up at 3am and couldn't get him down till 4am!! Super grumpy on Sunday.

Jan 5- worst time getting RJ down for bed. Tried for 45 min or so. Got so frustrated I called Robert in to finish.

Jan 6- RJ got close to 12 hrs sleep and has been a much better baby today!! Record cold of 1 degree for RJ!! RJ finally pooped after a wk!! He was good during Xmas and then bc I took a break from giving him probiotics he got stopped up:(. Poor baby. Those pills really help. RJ sat up perfectly. Loves playing w/ his toy frog gma McLennan gave him;)

Jan 7- RJ's been tough to put to sleep this wk. I have to switch him back and forth from left to right to finish his bottle. He'll fight me too and wt all fussy. It's a good 30 min process. It used to go smoother:/
Past couple nights has done this funny purring thing before going to sleep. He's stalling for bed

Jan 8- boy this has been an eventful wk. I believe my ease of last wk w/ RJ has come to an end. Can't get him to nap alone now. Grrrr. Everything went downhill after the party Saturday night. Grrr. Mercy!! Had to swaddle him and his arms and force him to take a nap this afternoon. I had to stand for multiple minutes cause everytime I sat down he'd start crying. Weird. He's relaxed now and I'm sitting down. He did give me lots is smiles and nuzzles today. When it's not nap time he really is a good baby:)

Jan 9- RJ once again wouldn't take naps on his own. Clingy again. He ate like normal today, but bedtime was a bear. It took over an hr. He kept wanting more food and I kept having to heat up more bottles. He ate about 9 oz and vomited up 2 cause he choked. Sensitive gag reflex. Finally got him to sleep and then about 2.5 hrs later he wakes up fussy. I tried consoling him. Ended up changing his diaper and feeding him 2 more oz!! This is so weird. Never happened before.

Jan 10- fed RJ black beans again w/ cumin and he ate multiple bites!!! I gave him a spoon to play w/ while I fed him w/ another one. I also used my finger to feed him. RJ was fussy at bedtime again. Ate 4 oz and acted hungry. I got a second bottle for Robert to feed RJ. RJ choked and vomited. Grrr. Then he decided he didn't want any more. We also heard him say mama again when crying. We never know if it's really intentional. Once again RJ was kicking up a storm in the tub. I need a parka to give him a bath!

Jan 15- man RJ has been difficult to feed the past couple days. He throws these lil tantrums before eating and taking his naps. Very frustrating. Tonight he went down the easiest all wk. whew... Makes up for the rough wk so far. He did a lot of crawling attempts this morning. Got some fun videos. Had him naked this morning trying to air out his bottom. Has a really red patch from popping. Poor guy cries when he poops. I keep putting barrier creams/ointments on it. I need him to hold off poison for a few days so it can clear up:). Probiotics are really working to keep him regular:). RJ did the plank today!! He's getting those crawling wheels turning.

Jan 16- heard RJ's stomach growl for the first time when I picked him up this morning. I had to wake him up so we could get out of the house for my f/u cta. Scan about the same. F/u in 6 mo. Go down to 81mg. Scan was not as clear as last time but looks to be about the same. I'm stable:). In the afternoon took off RJ's diaper and put him in the crawling position on his mat. He was very active. Got some good videos!

Jan 17- RJ's first bday!!! He got blue frosting on his hands and face but didn't want to really eat anything. Got some cute pics and video:). Maybe he will be more excited about the cake at his actually birthday party in a few wks.

Jan 18- left for a friends surprise bday party in the morning since we had a 4 hr drive or so. RJ did pretty good. He never eats well when driving long distances. He had a hard time concentrating on eating once we arrived and he saw all the people and new place. When giving him a bath later in the evening he threw a fit. Turns out he has some anxiety when being out of his familiar home. Thankfully he was able to calm down after finishing his bedtime routine and feeding him. He did have a vomiting episode during his bedtime feeding. Thankfully I was able to get him to sleep and he slept the whole night!!! I'm always afraid when he vomits right before bed that he'll wake up later to eat more. He was overall a great baby and even got to see him interact w/ a 8mo old. I have to admit that overnight trips are super tough on me. So much to pack for one night plus the driving. Whew.... I guess it will get easier as he gets older:)

Jan 19- RJ had a fit about 45 min from home and vomited all over him and the car seat. What a mess!! After clean up I gave him some Tylenol cause I can feel a tooth breaking through!! Also I sat in the back and fed him cold milk that he took without fuss. I was totally impressed!! He gave a giggle when we pulled in the driveway. He was so gleeful when we walked inside. He said "dada" a couple times on the tub tonight for the first time and Robert heard it!! We finally saw RJ's tooth breaking through!! You can barely see it but I def feel it!!

Jan 21- RJ had his 12 mo check up and 3 shots. Head is 50th % tile, height and length is 2nd % tile. He's following upward on all his trends. Got an appt for OT/PT/Speech eval. RJ's not the biggest fan of solids still nor rolling over. Won't hurt to just check things out and see if there are any tips. RJ gave lots of gum smiles today. I was making goofy sounds and getting him to giggle. It was fun:). He said "dada" again in the bath tonight:) After we left dr office this morning he started talking more w/ consonant sounds. He ate some potato w/ yeast flakes, sweet potato, and apple sauce!

January 3, 2014:

What a way to end the year w/ RJ's first Christmas!!! Enjoy!!

January 2, 2014 Take 2:

Our lil bundle of joy!! Love his smile!!