Two posts in one day. Watch out!

This week we have had PT, OT, and EI. Whewh! We have been busy. I am worn out and all I did was watch. I can only imagine how my poor baby girl must be feeling. It has been a busy week, but so productive. As of today Morgan Kate is rolling both ways and reaching up for things while lying on her back. She is such a hard worker and I am so very proud of her!

--------------------

Travis and I have been talking a lot lately about how we want to celebrate Morgan Kate's 1st birthday. What do we want to do? Where do we want to have it? Who will we include? And so forth. All of the talk about her birthday has me thinking a lot about her birth. I guess it's nothing really new though. I think about her birth quite often, daily as a matter of fact. 

It's funny. I realize that Monday will be June 1st of 2009, but sometimes I feel like I am still living in August of 2008. For the longest time I wrote August on all of my checks even though it was November or December. I know - it's hard to explain or even understand. And when I think about Morgan Kate being nine months old it seems ridiculous. It seems ridiculous to think that Morgan Kate is even 6 months old for that matter. August through December was such a blur. Really a blur. And even once we got home things were still so different. In my mind it's almost as if time has stood still - even though I know it really hasn't. 

It's sad to say, so very sad, but I am still writing thank you notes for baby showers that took place in November. I know, pathetic right? Now in real time that was over six months ago, but in my time it seems like it was just a few weeks ago. Another example, today I had to stop by the parking lot of my school to grab something. As I was pulling in it felt very familiar and not strange at all. It felt like something I had been doing for months. The sad part is - I haven't pulled into that parking lot since the day I was put on bedrest and that was on August 14th. Again, over nine months ago, but to me it feels like only weeks. There are phone calls that have gone unreturned and events/dates that have been forgotten. And not because I am a mean person or because I don't have time for people, but because in my mind time is just not the same as it was nine months ago. 

I know this post has probably been way too confusing. I probably have made no sense at all to all of you, even though it all makes sense to me. I guess I am just trying to say that I am working on realizing that it's almost June of 2009 and that nine months really have passed. 

Fun Photos for Friday

She did it! 

And I am so very proud.

Morgan Kate can now roll to both sides. Left and right. Yay!

MK has been rolling to the left for quite some time, but just couldn't seem to roll to the right. It had/has everything to do with her arms and her hands. 

Think about it. When you roll to the right what has to happen? Not only do you have to bring your hips and pelvis over, but you have to also bring your left arm and hand. MK has not been using that hand or arm as much, so rolling to the right has been difficult. Up until today she just didn't do it at all. During PT she would roll to the right as long as we touched her left hand or rubbed her left arm. I was so proud and just had tears in my eyes. However, tonight she really put on the show. We were showing Trav what all she could do and she just rolled to the right, unassisted. Wow! 

Tomorrow her EI will come to work with her and then Friday we have her first OT session. I'll be sure to keep you all posted.

--------------------

Here are a few pictures of MK eating her carrots. In the second picture she doesn't look too happy, but she really did like them. Friday we move on to bananas. Yummy!

Yesterday Morgan Kate turned 9 months old. Nine months. It seems so crazy to say that my baby girl is nine months. Not to rush the summer by any means, but I sure can't believe that in just a few short months Morgan Kate will be a year old. Unbelievable. People still give me funny looks when we are out and about and I tell them that Morgan Kate is nine months old. 

At nine months, Morgan Kate:

-is sleeping through the night (most of the time)

-is taking lots of formula and now eating rice cereal, applesauce and carrots

-loves playing in her exersaucer (favorite toy at this moment)

-is sitting unsupported for about 2-3 seconds

-rolling all over the place, but still only to the left

-making tons of noises and blowing raspberries

-loves music and moving around

--------------------

For Mother's Day Travis and Morgan Kate got me a membership to the zoo. I was so excited because I have been wanting one for the longest time. Travis and I love going to the zoo. We went all the time when we were in college, but haven't been in quite some time. Well, today we went and took Morgan Kate for her very first trip. 

This is what Morgan Kate did most of the time we were there. 

She took a great nap, but woke up just in time to see a few animals.

When Travis saw this sign he said, "Wow, maybe you are part gorilla." Ha, ha. He is quite the comic, isn't he? I do love my sleep, but I don't remember the last time I slept for thirteen hours at night.

The weather was really nice and we had a such a great time. However, today I realized that I am definitely a "germ-a-phob". The entire time we were there I should have been thinking, "Wow, this is great and the animals are terrific", but instead, I was thinking and saying out loud to Travis, "Oh my goodness, this place is a germ-fest. What are we going to do when Morgan Kate starts wanting to touch things?" I'll save that worry for another day.

You may remember this post. The post where I was open and honest about my experiences and feelings as a new mom. The post where I confessed that I hated breastfeeding, needed more sleep, and missed Morgan Kate only seconds after walking out the door. Well, since that time I have tried to continue being honest. I try to blog about everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Today was an ugly moment. I had a bit of a "mommy melt down". It may have actually been more than a bit. Maybe a lot. It was one of those "I-just-want-everything-to-be-okay-with-my-child" kind of moments. It may also be due in part to some hormonal changes at this particular time of the month. Either way it wasn't pretty and my mom and Travis had to bear the brunt of it. 

I'll try to explain. Morgan Kate had her OT evaluation this morning. I was feeling really good about it and very confident. When MK had her PT evaluation several weeks ago I didn't think twice about it. I was excited for it, looked forward to it, and was thrilled that she qualified. Even now I look forward to our weekly sessions and get super excited about new exercises and activities. 

Today was different. After about 45 minutes it was crystal clear that MK was going to qualify for OT. She clearly has some delays with reaching and grasping. And as much as I wanted to be excited for help and for extra services, I wasn't. In fact, I was really bummed. Extremely sad. And I don't really know why. I mean I know that she was born four months early. I know that some things are going to take extra work. I know that some things are going to come quickly and others are going to take more time. And so far I have been okay with all of that. Really I have. But today I wasn't. It was just one of those days.

Today I had that "why-is-this-happening-why-can't-everything-be-okay" moment. I got really sad. Cried a lot. Prayed some. Talked with Travis and my mom. Took some time to myself. Loved on Morgan Kate. And then tried to find a peace about it all. 

And as of 11:30 tonight I think I am okay. Matter of fact, I know I am okay. I know that this whole reaching/grasping thing will come all in Morgan Kate's time. I have to be patient. And believe me, I have learned a lot about patience in the last few years. 

The day may have started sort of "not pretty", but it has definitely ended with a smile. The OT seems really nice and knowledgeable. After only 45 minutes I can tell she is going to be a big help for Morgan Kate and myself. And ultimately that is all I want. 

One word.

Thankful.

Thankful is how I am feeling after today's doctor appointment. Extremely thankful. So very thankful.

I'll begin with Morgan Kate's "stats" because that is what I was dying to know at first. 

Height - 24.5  inches

Head circumference - 16.5 inches

Weight - 13 pounds and 6 1/2 ounces 

Yes, "Lil Bit" has gained over 11 ounces since her last weigh in which was over two weeks ago. Oh, how happy my heart is. And even better news, she is actually on the growth chart for her height and head circumference for a nine month old. Granted, it's only in the 10th percentile, but still, she is on the chart. Yahoo! And her weight is right there on the edge just wanting to jump on the chart. It too will come. I know it. 

We were only five minutes into the appointment and I was already on cloud nine. I had already texted Travis like five times to share the good news and we hadn't even seen Dr. G yet. 

The good news didn't end there folks.

Dr. G said that Morgan Kate was the "picture of health". Picture of health? My Morgan Kate? My 25 weeker? Again, I was floating. She said that she looked great, she looked happy, her lungs sounded terrific (big plus for me) and her eyes, nose, throat and ears all looked good too. She couldn't get over how far MK has come and how much she has changed in such a little time. All smiles from me.

I know I have said this before, but Dr. G is awesome. I wish I had a better adjective because I really don't feel like awesome does her justice. She came in, pulled up a chair, and just talked to me and let me ask a zillion questions. I'll share just a few of the questions and her answers:

Question 1: What to do about solids? We have already started rice cereal and MK seems to like it and also seems to have the hang of it. I don't want to rush her, but I don't want to delay doing something that she might be ready for.

Isn't a picture worth a thousand words?

Dr. G said that we could start other solids. Oh my goodness! My little precious baby who I swore would still only be drinking two ounces of formula when she went off to kindergarten is now ready for solids. Dr. G would like for us to start with a fruit and do that for about four days. Then move to a veggie for four days. Then introduce a new fruit for four days, then a new veggie and so forth. In some cases premature babies can have issues with certain textures and even an oral aversion, especially babies that were fed through a tube (which MK was). So we are supposed to alternate between fruits and veggies to get MK used to things. This is by no means an alternative to her bottle. She will still take her bottles as usual, we will just be using this new food as a teaching tool. Eventually we can try puffs, and melts, and even a sippy cup. My baby is growing up! 

Of course Travis and I had to run out this afternoon and purchase some baby food. We must have sat on the aisle for what seemed like half an hour. We were looking at the different brands, the different "flavors", the different stages, so many different things.

I know there are like a million gazillion "rules" to solids. Yellow before green then orange or something like that. And don't do fruits before veggies because then the baby won't like veggies. Make your own, go organic. Anyway, to each his own (or whatever the saying is). I totally respect what anyone is willing or wants to try with solids and I do appreciate any help on the topic. I am sure I will have a thousand questions. But for the time being we are following Dr. G's advice and ultimately what works for MK. Hopefully she will like fruits and veggies. Travis and I both do.

Tonight MK had applesauce. And she really seemed to like it. Next on the list is carrots.

Question 2: How much longer will MK be on the apnea monitor?

Before I share Dr. G's answer I'll give a little background. MK has been on the monitor since birth. If she stops breathing for more than 20 seconds an alarm sounds. Since coming home from the hospital (over 5 months ago) the alarm has only gone off maybe twice, three times tops. Her monitor is downloaded every so often and the results are printed and sent to Dr. G. MK has only had one apnea episode and that was back in December. With all that being said, Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning around 4am the alarm sounded. Not once, not twice, but four times. The thing is, each time it was clear that she was breathing. I'm not sure if the wires were bad, the leads weren't on good enough, or if all that rolling around she does pulled them in the wrong direction. But MK was perfectly fine. Mommy and Daddy on the other hand were scared to death. It hasn't happened since, thank goodness.

Dr. G would like for MK to undergo a sleep study before making any decision about discontinuing the apnea monitor. This makes perfect sense to me and I support it 100%. I don't mind the apnea monitor at all and it actually gives me a piece of mind. If she has to wear it until she is five then that's okay too. For the sleep study, MK would spend one night at the hospital and be constantly monitored. Don't worry, I already asked about staying with her. I'll keep you posted on when this will take place. 

Question 3: Should we continue with MK's breathing treatments? I still notice that she gets really short of breath and almost sounds like she is panting after she has PT or things of that nature.

Yes, continue with the breathing treatments.

There were many, many more questions, but these were the big ones. I won't bore you with my questions about the sun, swimming, next winter, or MK's skin color. Yes. I foolishly asked if it was normal for MK to be so pale or "fair skinned". The answer was yes.

 

Again, I am just so thankful. 

As I was rocking MK to sleep tonight I just couldn't thank God enough for her health, her growth and for just watching over all of us. 

Yesterday Morgan Kate had a session with her EI and today she had a session with her PT. She did a fantastic job both days! Both of the women who work with her are phenomenal and do such a good job. Morgan Kate has made such improvements in such little time. During both sessions we worked on rolling to both sides (MK almost has this), we worked on reaching for things over her head and we also worked on sitting. Morgan Kate can now sit for about two or three seconds unsupported. Wow! 

Tomorrow we have an appointment with the pediatrician. It will be Morgan Kate's 9 month well visit. Can you believe my baby will be 9 months this weekend? I surely can't! I already have a list, and I do mean a list, of questions for Dr. G. 

Friday we have Morgan Kate's occupational therapy evaluation. The OT will come out to do a short evaluation to see if Morgan Kate qualifies for OT. She is using her hands a lot more and really grabbing at things now. However, she still isn't really interested in reaching for toys that are above her. She loves to grab our faces, but toys just don't interest her. If MK qualifies for OT then the OT will work specifically with her on grabbing and reaching.

We have had a busy, busy week, but very productive!

This is what a rainy Sunday afternoon looks like around our house.

Lola curled up on the back of the couch. Cash sprawled out on the floor at Travis' feet. Travis snoozing in the recliner. And Morgan Kate sound asleep in her swing.

--------------------

I am so glad that I don't receive monthly or quarterly progress reports on my job as a mother. I feel like I would do pretty well in most areas, but I would get a big, fat F when it comes to naptime. Seriously. When it comes to naptime, I don't have a clue. I have been having "nap issues" for quite some time now. You may remember this post or perhaps this one. Naptime is hard. Very hard.

Here are a few of my problems/issues. It's in list form because it helps me organize my thoughts. And I happen to have a lot on this topic.

1. When Morgan Kate is sleeping out of my sight, whether it be at night or during her nap, she is supposed to wear her apnea monitor. This is not a problem at night. We get her ready for bed, stick on the stickies, turn on the monitor and she is good to go. During the day it's different. Most of the time she gets fussy, I realize she is tired, I dink her a few times and she falls fast asleep. There really isn't an opportunity to "hook up" the monitor. So usually I just hold her while she sleeps or else I put her in her swing so that I can watch her. I don't like putting her in the crib without her monitor on. Today I tried something different. She got fussy, I took her to her room, changed her diaper and "hooked up" her monitor. I then dinked her a few times, she fell asleep and I put her in her crib. Perfect. Great. Things were really working out. Not so much. Less than thirty minutes later she was wide awake and crying. 

2. Which leads to my second problem. If I hold her she will sleep for two hours or longer. I know, I know. Probably not the best thing to do. But in order to keep my sanity through the day and keep her happy, I do it. And for all you out there shaking your heads, yes I do sit for two hours at a time and hold her. Travis says it's perfectly okay to do this, as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences. Ha. If I put her in her swing or in her crib she is awake in thirty minutes and so, so very crabby. This morning I told myself that I wasn't going to do it. I wasn't going to hold her. So I dinked her and put her in the crib. Literally, I think it was 28 minutes later she was awake and crying. I did not jump up. I did not run to her side. I sat and listened and let her cry a little. After about ten minutes I went in, patted her back, calmed her down and left. Seconds later the crying started again. I can handle the crying for a little while, but I am not a "let her cry it out" momma. Eventually she was wide awake and the nap was clearly over. For the next two hours she was so unhappy. Fussy, whiney, nothing was working. This afternoon during her nap I held her. I couldn't bear another 28 minute nap. When she awoke she was smiling, happy and in the best mood. Oh, and so was I, because I napped a little too.

I honestly don't know what to do. I know that I can't hold her all the time. I know that she has got to learn to nap in the crib. But I don't know of any easy way to do this.

--------------------

Here are a few pics of Morgan Kate in her new exersaucer and some pics of me and my baby girl. She loves the exersaucer!

Morgan Kate had her second PT session of the week today and she did fantastic. She is such a hard worker. Today we worked on sitting up, rolling over both ways, and even attempted something similar to crawling. She is absolutely amazing!

--------------------

Special prayer request tonight.

In the right hand sidebar there is a link for the Wagner family. Again, another couple that I have never met in person, but yet a couple that has touched my heart in many, many ways. Their beautiful baby girl, Elise, was born on March 7th. She was twelve weeks early and only weighed two pounds and eleven ounces. Elise has made tremendous progress and is oh so close to coming home. However, recently while eating she has been having "spells" where she can't breathe and is unresponsive. As of this morning she was scheduled to be discharged this Sunday. Yes, in just two short days. Can you even begin to imagine how excited her parents were? Unfortunately this afternoon or early this evening she had another "spell", so she will not be coming home this Sunday. 

I remember the NICU days so well. They are never far from my mind. And I remember how I longed to bring Morgan Kate home. Parts of me ached to have her here and other parts of me were terrified to leave the NICU. I know that Elise's parents have to feel the same way. They want her home so badly, but they also want to make sure that she is completely ready. Please pray that God will give them courage and strength and please also pray that Elise will grow out of these "spells" and be ready to come home in no time. 

Is it crazy that I am slightly sad that Morgan Kate has slept through the night for the past two days? Tuesday night we put her down around 8pm and she slept until 8am without getting up. Wednesday night we put her down at 8pm and she slept until 7:15am without waking up. I am thrilled that she is sleeping because it means I get to sleep and we all know how much I love to sleep. But I do miss our middle of the night "meetings". During her middle of the night feeds I just stare at her, love on her, reflect on things and pray a lot. It really is a nice time and something I have come to look forward to and cherish. I guess if she keeps up this "sleeping through the night" thing then I will have to find another time for our "meetings". Ha. For some reason I don't foresee that being a problem.

--------------------

This week Morgan Kate's EI and PT came for our sessions. It just so happened that MK's nap time fell during both sessions so she was quite cranky. Both days we had to stop early and she fell fast asleep. This week we actually have PT twice. In months where there are five weeks we get an extra PT session. Nice. Also, MK will start receiving occupational therapy (OT) very soon. From what I understand, OT is not that different from PT. It will be like getting PT twice a week, which is good for us. Many premature babies have tight muscles and PT/OT really helps with this. Morgan Kate kicks her legs all the time and she loves to stand now so her leg muscles are good, but the muscles in her arms are much tighter and she has a harder time using them. She can grasp things and she will reach for things when she is sitting in her Bumbo or in my lap, but she still will not reach up for things or reach for things when she is lying (laying?) on the floor. I know it will all come in due time, but PT and OT will help a lot. I'm just thrilled that she is able to get all of these terrific services. Like I have said before, I have already seen vast improvements. 

-------------------- 

I am off to bed. It has been a long day and on top of things I went grocery shopping this afternoon. 

My weekly trip to Wal-mart. You know, the trip where you intend to spend only this amount of money and come out having spent double. Yeah. Gets me every time. Oh, and for all of you with little girls, avoid the clothing department at all costs. Wal-Mart has THE cutest little dresses and outfits for this summer and you will just get sucked in. I did. 

I have followed Kayleigh's blog since about a week after Morgan Kate was born. I have never met this family in person. I have never spoken with them on the phone. But I have followed them almost every single day since that time and they have constantly been in my thoughts and prayers. Please pray for the Freeman's. Yesterday, at 9:44 pm, they lost their precious baby girl. My heart just absolutely breaks for them. 

Our drive to church Sunday morning was filled with anxiety. My stomach was hurting, my heart was beating fast. I was a ball of nerves. I tried taking deep breaths, I tried thinking of other things. Travis held my hand the entire way there. I was anxious about introducing Morgan Kate to everyone. I was anxious about large crowds. I was anxious about germs. I was anxious about how Morgan Kate would do. I was anxious about how I would do. I was anxious about so many things.

Literally the minute I walked through the doors of the church I was changed. I was relaxed. I was calmed. I felt a peace that I haven't felt in quite some time. I knew that everything was going to be perfect. And it was.

The dedication service was amazing. Amazing and personal in every way. First Baptist Church is very special to me and to Travis. I was dedicated there, I grew up there and we were married there. FBC was a huge support to us and to our family when Morgan Kate was born. Cary, the preacher there, is phenomenal. I even felt so comfortable with him that I passed Morgan Kate over. I surely did. Cary knows our story because he was a big part of our story. While I was hospitalized he came to visit and prayed with us. Once Morgan Kate was born he came numerous times to check on us and pray over her. His support and encouragement and prayers were very needed and very helpful. While walking Morgan Kate around the church he talked about how early she was and how tiny she was. He told people that she wasn't much bigger than an adult hand and clearly she had grown. He talked about the miracle that she was and how God works. He then started singing and the congregation followed:

He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the itty bitty baby in His hands

He's got the itty bitty baby in His hands

He's got the itty bitty baby in His hands

He's got the whole world in His hands

Yes, it would be safe to assume that I was emotional. Very emotional. Let me be honest, I was pretty emotional the entire time.

The entire service was just so heartfelt and special. I feel like my words just don't do it justice. Morgan Kate was one of two babies being dedicated. The other baby was a little boy and he was precious! At the end of the dedication Morgan Kate was presented with a dedication certificate and a beautiful pink blanket.

Morgan Kate did so well. She smiled, she giggled and she soaked it all in. She loved being the center of attention. And she also loved the choir. The girl loves her music. She made it through the dedication perfectly and did pretty well until about half way through the church service. When she got a little fussy Kaky was right there to scoop her up and walk out with her. After only a few dinks Morgan Kate was off in dream land.

Sunday was a day filled with smiles, tears, prayer, God's word, lots of family and friends, and so much love. We were so blessed to have so many family members and friends present for such a special day. It is impossible for me to look at my precious baby girl and not see God's work first hand. He is simply amazing and so is she. 

Yesterday may have been Mother's Day and a day to celebrate mothers. Which I did. I definitely celebrated the fact that I have such a terrific mom. But for me, I found myself celebrating the fact that I have such a wonderful husband and amazing little girl.

--------------------

The gown Morgan Kate wore for the service was a family heirloom. Morgan Kate's great-great grandmother made the gown over 57 years ago. My uncle and my dad each wore the gown when they were christened. My grandmother, Mammie, has kept the gown since that time and cleaned and pressed it for us. It was absolutely stunning and I couldn't have imagined her wearing anything else. 

Kaky and GDaddy gave Morgan Kate a beautiful monogrammed locket for her special day and a gorgeous white bib with a cross and her initials monogrammed on it. I seriously could have kept her in that dress with that bib for days.

--------------------

*And I'll let you all in on a little secret. I did feel completely comfortable handing Morgan Kate over and I did feel completely at peace when Cary carried her up the aisle of the church. But let's get real. I am still the mom of a preemie and somewhat of a germ-a-phob. So we kept her hands very far from her mouth and the minute we returned to our seats we bathed her down with our sanitizing wipes. 

*I am going to try and post a slideshow from our entire weekend very soon. Be sure to check back. 

One extremely proud Daddy, 

One super emotional Mommy,

One incredibly proud Kaky,

One fabulous dedication service,

And one beautiful baby girl,

Makes for one extraordinary first Mother's Day!

--------------------

Please tune in tomorrow for lots more words and a ton more pictures. Just had to give you all at least a "sneak peek" tonight. 

Apparently Morgan Kate sleeps just as well at my parent's house as I do. And I sleep pretty well, except for maybe last night.

We put Morgan Kate down for bed around 8:30 last night. She was so, so tired, but I figured she would be up for a bottle between 2 - 3, just like always. Wrong. Our baby girl slept until 6:00 this morning. Whoah! I think she just "officially" slept through the night for the very first time. Of course she was sleeping like a "baby", literally, and I woke up almost every hour. My body has become so used to waking up to feed her that I found myself wide awake and checking the clock. Around 5 I became a little worried. However, I could see the lights on her monitor flashing and I could clearly hear her breathing so I knew she was fine and that I needed to settle down. Just a few minutes before 6:00 she was ready to eat.

She was wide awake at 6:00. I didn't think she or I would be going back to bed anytime soon. I had already created a new blog post in my mind about me not being a morning person and how grumpy I am and so forth. Surprise again! After the bottle I put her back in the crib and she slept until 9:45. Oh my goodness! Apparently she was giving her mommy an early Mother's Day gift. Ha. Little does she know, I already have the best gift in the world, HER.

----------------------

For the record, and I am sure many of you already know this, I am fairly confident that I will be slightly emotional tomorrow. As I was watching Regis and Kelly's Mother's Day special Friday morning I was a basket case.

One, I just feel so blessed and so fortunate to have a terrific mother of my own. Simply amazing she is. Unconditional love, incredible strength, unwavering faith, heart of gold...just a few of the "terms" I would use to describe this beautiful lady. I love you Mommy!

Two, I am a mommy. This past year has been such a roller coaster. Very scary days, with lots of unknowns. But tomorrow, I will be celebrating my first Mother's Day with my baby girl. I just look at her and my heart melts. She is the most precious thing I have ever laid eyes on. And I am so lucky to be her mommy.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

--------------------

Oh, and please say a prayer for me tonight. Tomorrow is Morgan Kate's dedication and while I am so excited and absolutely thrilled, I am having slight anxiety about germs.

When Morgan Kate first started physical therapy I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I had read numerous blogs about babies that had physical therapy, but I still wasn't sure what it would look like for us. Even still I was really excited about MK starting physical therapy. I know that there are areas that she lacks in or needs a little assistance with and I know that there are others that can provide valuable information and expertise that I am not equipped with. 

I just want to say that I have been so impressed. I absolutely love our PT and Morgan Kate loves her too. The PT comes once a week for an hour and MK works the entire time. Today she worked the entire sixty minutes without a break and without crying. In just the three or four short weeks that she has been coming I can tell a big difference. MK is trying to stand more, really likes sitting in her Bumbo and is starting to use both sides of her body equally. Prior to PT, Morgan Kate preferred the right side of her body. She preferred looking right, turning her head right and using her right hand and arm. Morgan Kate only rolls to the left, but that is because she can swing her right arm over to help her. The reason she doesn't roll to the right is because she doesn't use her left arm as much and it's harder to swing over. Does that make sense? Anyway, I have seen such strides and improvements and I couldn't be happier. Often times during PT I find myself in tears because I am just so proud of her. She is absolutely amazing!

--------------------

Yesterday we stopped by Dr. G's office for a weight check. Travis and I have been trying to weigh Morgan Kate at home. Well, let me rephrase that, we have been "attempting" to weigh her. Travis will get on the scale and weigh himself, then get on with her and weigh together and we subtract the difference. It is usually not very accurate, but we felt like she had probably gained some. I was very anxious yesterday morning about having her weighed. I am trying not to freak out about weight, but premature babies often have an extremely hard time gaining weight. Premature babies with chronic lung disease often times have an even harder time. So, I just want to make sure that we are doing everything possible to ensure that she is healthy and happy. I am happy to report that Miss Morgan Kate has gained weight, approximately eight and a half ounces in two weeks. She is now tipping the scales at twelve pounds and eleven and a half ounces. I must say that I was very, very excited. We go back in about two weeks for her nine month check-up and by that time she may be over thirteen pounds. Wow!

The week has just started and I am already anxiously awaiting next weekend.

Who am I fooling? I anxiously await every weekend. Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy the week, but I enjoy the weekends so much more. 

However, this coming weekend is different. This weekend is different because we will be going out of town to my parent's house. We will be celebrating my brother's birthday and Mother's Day, my first as a mommy. We will get to spend good quality time with many family members. And just being at my parent's house is exciting enough.

But, this weekend will also be different than most weekends because we will be dedicating our baby girl. We have decided to have her dedicated at the church where I grew up. As of Sunday three generations of women will have been dedicated at that church. It may even be four generations, but I am not a 100% sure. My mom was dedicated there as a baby, I was dedicated there and now Morgan Kate will be dedicated there. It is also the church in which my grandparents were married, my parents were married and where Travis and I were married. It is a beautiful church that holds a very special place in my heart. I have many, many memories in that church. Travis and I are both excited about this special day!

Now, don't sit there and think that I am not a little nervous. I am. I have played the events in my head numerous times. I am not really sure how the service will play out, but I do know that Travis will be carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer with him. I remember watching dedications as a child and the preacher taking the baby and walking them up and down the aisle. Ummmm. Not so sure we will be doing that. I am still super nervous about germs and big crowds. But, I feel confident that things will go smoothly and I don't plan to pass Morgan Kate around. And if the terrific preacher there wants to hold her then I will kindly ask him to get a squirt of hand sanitizer. 

The past two nights have been so much better. It seems that Miss Morgan Kate has learned to get somewhat comfortable on her stomach. I think the problem is her arm and her clothes. At night she wears long sleeves and it makes it harder for her to pull her arm out from under her once she turns over. The past two nights I have gone in and pulled her arm out for her and she has been fine. Maybe I'll try short sleeves tonight...

--------------------

Since bringing Morgan Kate home we have used Long's Medical for all of our equipment needs. They supplied the oxygen tanks, cannulas, pulse ox monitor and our apnea monitor and all the supplies that go with it. We have been so impressed with this company. They have been phenomenal! In the first few weeks that Morgan Kate was home we had to make several late night service calls. Either the machine wasn't working properly or we were missing a piece that we needed. Each time the rep from Long's called us back promptly and came within the hour to helps us. Each person that has ever come to our house has been so professional and so polite.

Last night was no different. Yesterday afternoon a rep from Long's came to deliver a new apnea monitor. We don't typically get new monitors like that, but they needed to install some new software or something so we got a new one. Anyway, last night about two hours after we put MK down for bed the alarms started going off. Very startling to say the least. We haven't heard an alarm go off in quite some time. Of course we both made a mad dash to MK's room and found that the low heart rate alarm was going off. It proceeded to do this on and off for the next twenty minutes or so. Typically I would have probably freaked out, but I remembered that the monitor was new. 

Let me explain. Several weeks back the low heart rate alarm was going off on the old monitor. I called the pediatrician about it and she explained that as MK got older her heart rate would slow down. The alarm was set to go off if her heart rate got below 80, so the doctor ordered for the settings to be changed to 70. Of course she also ordered a download from the monitor just to check things out. Just as she suspected. While MK was sleeping her heart rate was dropping to about 78 or so. Whewh! So when the alarm started going off last night I told Travis that it was probably just the settings. We called Long's and left a message. Within ten minutes someone called back and helped us out. They were terrific and so understanding. The settings were still set at 80 and had to be adjusted. Once the settings were changed we never heard the alarm again. 

--------------------

You are all going to laugh at me. But I called my pediatrician about the swine flu. Yep. I sure did. Now I did have some justification. One I have a preemie. Two there are now 13 confirmed cases in Newberry and Travis just happens to work in Newberry. No fear though. We are doing well and washing our hands even more. If that is possible.

---------------------

As promised, pictures of MK and her new exercise ball.