Visitors

We're slowly lowering the drawbridge to let a few visitors over to see our princess here and there, but still with some restrictions. So if you'd like to come for a visit, please keep in mind the following:

If you're feeling the slightest bit sick, please refrain from visiting. We'd like to keep Victoria home with us for a while, no more trips to the hospital!

No school-age children allowed for a while. The risk of Victoria catching something from kids who are in school all day is much too high still.

Please call in advance, so maybe I can take a shower (or at least put something other than pajamas on)!

Yesterday Uncle Steven, Aunt Pam and cousin Faith stopped in for a little visit.

Feet... Then and Now

Holy Sausage-Toes!

New Duds

Check 'em out! Just one of the many outfits we picked up the other day.

HOORAY FOR MANNA!!

I can finally celebrate openly! Chris and Amanda are pregnant and due November 20th. I'm so so so thrilled for them both (or soon to be for all 3, unless their luck is anything like Jeff & Marie's...)

Sick

Well, I guess the inevitable happened. I had been thinking I'd been doing so well not getting sick. Of course, it's not like I really go anywhere to get sick... But it happened. Apparently strep throat is running rampant around here. We're assuming Rod probably picked it up from one of the many sickies running around at the Station. But he feels bad, and I feel worse. I got put on antibiotics today, hopefully in time to keep whatever it is to a minimum and keep Victoria from getting sick. One positive is that the nurse at the pediatrician's office said because of the antibodies in her system, it's highly unlikely that Victoria will contract the illness. Though we know where we stand in terms of odds... Lots of soup for us!

Busha (my mom) came up yesterday to join Victoria and me in our first mall outing - we had so much fun!!! Of course, we came home with a few new outfits. We can't wait to try them all on!

Happy baby pics for today:

Stripes!

Gotta love a happy baby!!! Uncle Jeff and Aunt Marie came up for a visit Saturday, and Victoria made her first appearance in a restaurant! She did really well, as long as I held the pacifier in her mouth toward the end of the meal.

Here's today's happy baby shot. Oh, yeah - according to our scale, she weighs 9.5 pounds! I told her, and boy, was she surprised!!

Cool New Toy

Uncle Rich, Aunt Cyndi, and Cousin Jordyn were over to visit today. They also dropped off the coolest toy to date. Rich made it himself and I must say he did a great job. See photo. I think he has a retirement job in his future. It was great to finally visit with them since they have had the plague for the past few weeks.

Double Double your...

Excitement? Anticipation? Fear?!?

I guess Jeff and Marie took my comment to heart when I told them (when I was drugged in the hospital) that giving mom and dad a bunch of grandkids was up to them now. Congratulations, guys!!!

TWINS ON THE WAY!!! Typically, they're referred to as BabyA and BabyB, however it sounds like they're nicknamed Charm and Strange - my next two nieces/nephews!

Check out Jeff's blog for u/s pics!

Sleep

At least somebody gets some sleep around here! And don't worry - she only sleeps like this when I'm in the same room.

Thumb

Tryin' so hard to get that thumb in her mouth - she makes it seem so tough to do!

Chubbs

High Five

Nothing new to report. Wanted to thank Bruce for joining my crew of 3rd Shift coppers on Saturday night. I must say, he picked a great night to ride along. We went hot to a few calls and got to meet some crazy people as well as some local punks. I had a great time with you in the passenger seat and I think you would have made a great cop/detective yourself! Bruce was able to get a first had look at what it is we really do....swear...call each other gay....swear some more...make fun of certain command officers...etc...oh yeah, swear some more! Thanks again.

Eating and Sleeping

That's about it these days....and it is obvious that the eating part is working!

Anxiously Awaiting Warm Weather

Can't wait to tear up Petro's Chevette this summer!

Little Miss Chatterbox

Having fun on the play mat - this is a typical afternoon for us these days! Laughing, smiling, and talking - not bad for a two and a half week old (adjusted age)!

Chatterbox video

Gimmie a "V"!

I fear we may have a cheerleader on our hands here... Yay for Victoria's 3-month birthday!

We had a follow-up appointment with the eye doctor yesterday afternoon, and Victoria passed with flying colors. The immaturity he saw before has cleared, and everything looks normal! One less place we have to return to. This time, the wait was only about 45 minutes. Ugh.

Coffee and Life

A good friend sent the below to me in an email. Thought-provoking.

A carrot, an egg and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of
coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity .. boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, itsoftened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

No More Metal Mouth

No more braces!!! Yay!!!! The appointment took less than an hour. It feels so great to have smooth teeth again!

2nd Attempt

Here's my second attempt at sharing a short movie or two. Hopefully this works a little better.

Blowing Kisses (sorry for the background noise!)

Sleeping baby sounds (might have to turn the volume up)

First Separation

We survived!!! Rod and I went to Detroit yesterday afternoon - our first time leaving Victoria with anyone (other than the hospital staff, of course!). Grandma Penny came to babysit for the close to 9 hours we were gone, and we all survived just fine. I had the urge to call a few times, but refrained :-)

We had a nice time, lots of great conversation, and came home with some new body art! Well, Rod did, anyway!

Victoria: Pavlov's new "dog"

My dearest Victoria:
I swear, if he could, Pavlov could have used you as his test study!

When you get a bottle, I warm a glass of water up in the microwave, then set the bottle in it to warm up.

Already I think you've learned the sound of the microwave, and assume that it's always in use for you. No matter what stage of sleep/wakefulness you're in, and no matter what is actually in the microwave, you wake up as if it's for you!

I have conceded to the fact that I will eat most of my meals around your schedule, most of the time after they've cooled off considerably and you're done eating. However, that might on occasion mean I need to heat them up in the microwave eventually - and it's for me, not you!!!

Whether this is the case, or just a strange coincidence, doesn't really matter too much. What matters is that I have the ability to love you unconditionally and provide for you the best way I know how. And will continue to prove that to you every day.

I love you, baby girl. And I can't wait until one day when we can read this together, as you learn about what an amazing journey this has been/is/will be!
Yours Truly,
Mommy

How old are these kids???

Here's what the package shows:And here's how Victoria looks on it:

I don't think she'll be that big for a year!!!

Brynna, where are you???

Okay, this worked before so I'm trying again. Bryn ~ I can't find you anymore! I'm so worried that something happened... I never saw news of a delivery, and that should have been more than a week ago. Please let me know!

My sunshine

What could brighten mommy's day more than this toothless grin???

The doctor's appointment went well yesterday afternoon, other than the hour we sat in the room waiting for the Doc. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces on their scale, and received a clean bill of health. We're not due back in there until the next round of shots are due, which is mid-April!!!

First real tears :(

Nothing too bad, Victoria just had to get her monthly Synagis vaccination (to protect her against getting RSV). She didn't cry for too long, but long enough to produce some real tears.

One bonus to going and getting that done today: she got weighed! We're over 7 pounds!!!! 7 pounds, 1 ounce to be exact. We would have found out tomorrow at the doctor's office, but a day early is okay, too! And the hospital scale (where we were today) is digital and a little more accurate than the one at the doctor's.

Snuggling up with the blanket Busha made.

Playin' with the Pups

Okay, so you can tell by Olly's ears that he's not totally thrilled with this, but Victoria was enjoying it! And Foxy loves how Victoria smells - for as much as Foxy can actually smell, that is!

Hanging out with Jaj

My dad came to visit last night, brought us dinner (I love Famous Dave's!!!), and kept us company for a few hours. Thanks, Jaj!

Little (but encouraging!) Milestones

Finally, Victoria has pretty much grown out of her preemie clothes, and is into the newborn stuff! I guess now it begins that there's a very brief window where clothes fit her the way they should - they're going to be either too big or too small more often. I'm not complaining by any means, though!

Just Pics

Fun in the Sun

Well, not exactly. More like snoring in the sun. Everything seems to be on par now for us. We are guessing that Victoria is well past the 6 and 1/2 pound mark as she eats much more and appears bigger every day. Not much else to report....However, we would like to wish Aunt Kathy a speedy recovery and thank her for sticking up for us. You know what we mean!

No News....Good News

Not much to update...Victoria continues to do well and we feel much more adjusted. Just a reminder that tomorrow would have been the original due date. Which means Victoria is finally TERM! 10 weeks, seems like forever! Here is a picture from Jan. 12, back in the NICU.

What Can You Do In 5 Hours? Only 2 Doctor Visits

Hello all. This is Rod again with a quick update. Today we had 2 doctor appointments. First was the eye doctor at 8:20 AM. Of course, we arrived early and the doctor was late. After they put her eye drops in, we had to wait another hour before actually seeing the doctor. Results were good. Showing that Victoria still has some immaturity in her left eye, but no signs of ROP.

Second appointment was at 1:30 PM with the pediatrician. This one didn't take near as long, but we also received good news. Victoria has gained over 8 ounces in the past 6 days. That puts her up to 5 lbs. 15 oz....and almost a chunky 6 POUNDS.

Tomorrow we will spend the day relaxing and watching TV. No more doctor's appointments for 2 weeks. Yeah!

A Parting Shot!
BTW...The State of Massachusetts is requiring Walmart to stock the "morning after pill" following a recent lawsuit. I bet Larry Bird is embarrassed he ever played ball in that state. ;)

For those who keep asking...

Here's a pic of our family - I think the first real photo of the three of us since the early days in the NICU. Though you can't really see it, the bib says "Daddy's little Valentine" - thanks, Manna!

Thanks, mom and dad for a nice visit, and for dinner last night - I'm glad we could cure a little case of boredom for all of us!

Crazy

I don't care if I go crazy, one two three four five six, switch.
Crazy go I if care don't I, six five four three two one switch.

Remember that from back in the Girl Scout days??? Kinda how I feel today... more stir crazy than anything. I'm actually looking forward to doctors appointments just to get out!

Oh - unrelated to Victoria, but still exciting news: I had an orthodontist appointment last week, and he said I'm ready to get my braces off as soon as they can fit me in! The downside: their earliest appointment isn't until March 8!!!! Argh!
~kristin~

A watchful eye

Foxy loves Victoria!

Fancy schmancy

Victoria had to show off her new robe, a gift from Grandpa Russ!

We had our follow up appointment with the pediatrician today and it went fairly well. The only small worry was that Victoria only gained 2 ounces in a week, when they'd like to see around an ounce a day gained. We've got to be on a more strict feeding every 2 to 3 hours now, which means waking Victoria up to eat day and night. So much for her sleeping nice long hours!

First Bath At Home

This picture was taken on Sunday. Just looking through the photos and thought this was a good one to put on the page. We are off to the Pediatrician for a check up.

Just Doing What We Do Best

Just a quick note...It seems that we don't have a lot of time to spare these days. This is a good thing however. Victoria is still doing well. She is eating more and more each day. She has been sleeping about 5 to 6 hours at night. GREAT!

A side note, Kristin was "Down sized" today....referring to her job. :) Her company has "restructured" and reduced staffing in every department. Looking at this through the half full glass, at least now Kristin will be able to file for unemployment and stay home with Victoria for 3 or 4 months. Plus, after witnessing some of the companies management styles, it was apparent that down sizing was inevitable. So, if anyone out there knows of a good, high paying, job...Please let us know.

Victoria's Voice

Rod and I will be joining my cousins Erin and Shane Reinhard (along with anyone else we can talk into it) in the Port Huron Walk America in April to support the March of Dimes. The money will support the Port Huron Division of the March of Dimes and will help fund research and education in the area of premature births and birth defects. Please click here and donate if you are able, or sign up an join us at the walk...better yet, do both! :) The name of the team is "Victoria's Voice". Thanks again to Erin and Shane Reinhard for stepping up in our daughter's name.

Our own precious flower

Who Needs Sleep?

Hello all! This is Rod checking in again. It has been an interesting few days with Victoria being home. I realize exactly how little I know about what I am doing. The good news is, Kristin appears to be much better at this parenting thing. Neither of us has gotten much sleep, and mostly in 2 to 3 hour blocks. We discovered that Victoria absolutely does not like the vitamins we have to give her. She has spit them up each and every time. Other than that, we are just learning as we go. Overall, it has been a wonderful experience so far....Hopefully when she is a teenager I will still be saying that.

Online Nursery Pics

Although a little overdue, we finally have photos on the hospital's online nursery! They're not the best pictures, as Victoria was starving and a little cranky, but we still want to share them! The password is "schanck". Please ignore the fact that they said she was born on 12/1 and not 12/9! Here's a better picture of Victoria in her "coming home" outfit.

We'll grow into it!

As you can see, the carseat is a little big, but hopefully not for long!

Not even home for 24 hours and we had to make our first outing. We had an appointment with Dr. Shanker, Victoria's pediatrician, this morning. Everything went well... nothing that we hadn't gone over with the doctors and nurses in the NICU! Next week we get more shots.

I can't begin to express how great it feels to be home as a complete family, with Victoria in our arms. I love that the farthest I have to go to see her, touch her, hear her is just the other room.

Our first night was (happily) uneventful, though neither Rod nor I got much sleep. My ears were so tuned to every little peep Victoria made, and tuned in even more when I didn't hear any peeps!

Updates may slow a little, now that we don't have a ton to report every day, but by no means will they stop! We intend to keep this site up and going to keep everyone informed on how we're doing.

Now it's time to flush that old hospital routine down the toilet and create our own new routine as a family. I can't wait.

Welcome Home Victoria

A picture says a thousand words. Our baby is finally home!

March of Dimes

This is not intended to stir the abortion debate. If you would like to support the March of Dimes please go here.

The wonderful part of living within the 1st Amendment is the ability to disagree with someone who believes the answer is obvious.

A step in the right direction!

Victoria moved to a crib yesterday!!! I called in the morning before I headed over to the NICU to find out how her night went. The nurses told me the doctor said it was time for a crib! They now monitor her closely for a day or so to make sure she can maintain her temperature (under all the layers of clothes, of course!). He also asked that I breastfeed her for 12 hours worth of feedings in a row (4 feedings). I did that yesterday. That's to make sure Victoria will still be able to thrive with me exclusively nursing. Though, we will bottle feed occasionally, I imagine, when convenient.Hopefully, if all goes well, we might have a complete family at home by the weekend! It is getting more and more difficult not to get anxious for her homecoming!

The opthamologist checked Victoria's eyes yesterday, and said he doesn't see much change (which is a good thing) in the level of the ROP. We'll still have regular follow up visits with him after Victoria is discharged.

Her weight gain seems to be evening out - Monday she gained 20 grams, and last night she gained 45. We're now 5 lbs, 5.4 oz.

Gotta love family!

We had an absolutely wonderful day yesterday! Uncle Tim, Aunt Susan, Hannah, Olivia, Sophia, Aunt Jean, and my mom and dad all came to visit us. It was a welcome (though slightly chaotic) change around the house. Tim, Susan and the girls brought lunch and just hung out to visit for a few hours. Mom, dad and Aunt Jean stuck around a little longer and went to the hospital in the afternoon with me. Aunt Jean even got to snuggle with Victoria for a little while!

Victoria gained 40 grams yesterday. As the next few days progress, her weight gain may slow down a little bit. This morning, the doctor changed the orders so there's no longer a minimum she has to eat. Prior to this, she would get 46 cc's (unless breastfeeding) - if she didn't take it all from a bottle, they would put the remainder through her feeding tube. Now, they're just leaving it at whatever she'll eat on her own is it. So she may be eating a little less until she gets the hang of it all. It also means no more need for the feeding tube! And check out the hair - getting redder and redder...

Getting closer?!?

Changes seem to be happening now! The doctor changed Victoria's feeding orders from NWA (nipple while awake) to Nq3 (nipple every 3 hours). She still has the feeding tube in, as she's not quite been awake for all her feedings, but we're getting there. Basically the difference now is that the nurses will more actively try to feed Victoria from a bottle versus just if she's awake. Now that I'm nursing more, her weight gain may slow down a little bit. Yesterday she gained 5 grams, but it was enough to push her up to 5-2.

They also discontinued Victoria's reglan (she's been getting it for reflux) the other day, and so far she seems to be tolerating her feedings well on her own.

I called the nursery this morning and was told today she's scheduled to get her Hep-B and Synagis vaccinations. Hearing test is scheduled for tomorrow... All things they do not long before baby is sent home! Just in case, Rod put the car seat in the back seat of my car yesterday. So - if for some reason we're told spur of the moment she can go home, we're ready!!!

Doting on Daddy

What more is there to say about this one???

Victoria gained back the 35 grams she lost on Thursday plus 5. Back up to 5-1.

Are we there yet???

It's so tough not to get impatient in wanting Victoria home with us. We're both just so sick of the hospital, and of only being able to see Victoria a few hours a day. I know, I know. If I had gone full term, she wouldn't even be here yet. But she has been here - 7 weeks now. We're ready for her to come home with us.

I was at the hospital for Victoria's 11am, 2pm and 5 pm feedings yesterday (and pretty much the entire time in between). Rod joined me for her 5pm feeding. She wasn't really awake for her 11am feeding, but the other two went really well.

Weight update: Victoria did lose a little bit yesterday, 35 grams, but we're still above the 5 lb. mark.