November 16, 2009

Amaree fell asleep and I put her in the laundry basket. She is so tiny still!

Amaree has been doing great. We have had a lot of drama, but it is life as usual. Since Amaree has learned to crawl, she has also learned how to climb up on things. This caused a few problems. First, her cradle had to be put away and we got out her crib. Because she can already stand, we had to have the crib lowered before we could put her in it. Now the drama-she HATES it. She acts like we are abusing her when we put her in there to sleep. It has been major drama but I think she is starting to get used to it.

This is the face that Amaree makes all the time. I had to take a lot of pictures to finally catch it on camera. She usually makes a snorting sound with this face. It is so funny.

We have also been through Sick Amaree 101. Amaree is normally a happy, flirty, inquisitive baby. She loves people and going to new places. When she is sick she just cries and wants nothing but to be held. Even to put her down causes major screaming when she is sick. She hasn't been really sick, just a virus and a cold and now her molars are coming in. She has eight teeth and more are on the way. Sick Amaree is a real trial for me. The crying is so constant. I like my Happy Amaree.

She is still so tiny. She weighs about 13 pounds. When people ask how old she is and I respond with "14 months", I get quite the reaction. It is kinda fun to see the looks on peoples faces.

Amaree in her Halloween costume-Little Pocahontas. This is the only one that wasn't blurry! She is so busy!

For Halloween, Amaree wore the buckskin dress that Andrew and I made her for Rendezvous. She was so cute!


Today is November 16, and Amaree came home from the hospital exactly one year ago yesterday. This has been such an amazing year. She has grown and changed so much. She has such a fun personality. Everywhere we go people comment on how inquisitive and attentive she is. She is so social and interactive that people are amazed when I tell them her story.

August 31, 2009

Amaree did great eating her cake!

Amaree turns 1! Yesterday was Amaree's first birthday. It was wonderful! It was nice to make new memories for this day and to spend time with family. Andrew and Kerron made a beautiful cake for her. I made a video of her first year and all we have been through. We also had a brick of cheese that showed how much she weighed. We had root beer floats and lots of friends. I am so grateful for our friends and family who supported us through the trial of her hospitalizaiton.

Birthday girl opening her presents!

We also went on vacation the first of the month. We drove to Washington state. We drove most of the night so she did okay, but it did get to her the last hour each way. We saw Mt. St. Helens, the Pacific Ocean and family.

Oregon coast and Mt. St. Helens

On the way back we saw the eye Dr. He is still concerned about her vision. It is better and it is improving on its own, but we're not out of the woods yet. We also got to go back to the hospital and see one of her nurses. it was awesome.

Amaree is getting all her teeth in at once! She has her two bottom ones, but she is getting SIX all at once. There have been some grumpy days, but she is often so good.

Amaree is crawling and getting into everything! She is so funny now. She loves exploring and following us around the house. Amaree loves getting up on things. She has learned not to let go, she had several bumps and scrapes from letting go and falling.

Amaree still flirts and is super cute with everyone. I cannot believe that it has been a year! This time last year was so scary and nerve racking. This is so much better and so wonderful!

July 25, 2009

Wow! Another month has passed and we have been so busy! Amaree was asked to be the Ambassador for the March of Dimes Eastern Region so we went to a few fund raising events and told her story. We did the jail & Bail events for both Roosevelt and Vernal.

The Jail & Bail event in Roosevelt

I was in a play for Altamont Longhorn Days and that was taking a lot of time. It was a fun little melodrama, and I have forgotten how much fun that can be! Here I am:

Vera Carlton and Hilton Hays, "He Ain't Done Right by Nell"

Amaree is so mobile now! Still not crawling, but today I caught her grabbing the carpet pulling herself while kicking her feet. She also rolls herself and scoots to get where she wants. Andrew has been trying to teach her to crawl.

Go, Go Go!

This is what it looks like. It is so funny to watch. Jake, my BIL says that it counts as crawling. But here is something that is truly remarkable. If you have ever seen anything like it, let me know:

Isn't that amazing?

Amaree did something today that she has never done before. I put her down to play with some toys while I finished getting ready for work. I was blow drying my hair and I could hear her crying. She was really loud so I turned off the dryer and went to check on her. She had followed me across the room and into the hallway. I think that once she got to the hall she was unsure about where I was. I was just so surprised that she knew where I went and then followed me across a room and into a hall.

Amaree has gotten herself into a tight spot!

The other fun thing that we did was we had portraits done. Amaree was so cute! If you want to see some of our pictures, you can see them at Heroes Photography. Not all of our pictures are there yet, but the ones that are there are really fun. There should be some more of Amaree and Andrew.

I also want to give a shout out to our Nurses from the NBICU. I have heard from a few of you and I want everyone to know how amazing you are and how I still think about you and still admire all the hard work you have done. Thanks again for all the work you do and for the miracles that you give.

June 21, 2009

I don't know how it happens that a month has past since I posted. *sigh* Everything is so crazy right now.

Amaree being silly with her pants on her head.

Well, first I will give a weight update. Amaree had her 9 month checkup and she is doing very well. She weighs an amazing 11 lbs, 11.5 oz. She is about 23" long. Can you believe that she is almost 10 months old?

Happy girl! Notice the wrinkled nose-it is part of the smile!

We have tried feeding Amaree some solids, and that has not gone very well. Amaree will eat some oatmeal and some bananas, but when we try and feed her anything else, she throws up, and throws up and throws up. We eventually called the pediatrician and asked, but they weren't very helpful, they said as long as she is having wet diapers she is okay. Um, that is not the problem! I called out to the NICU and they said that her tummy might not be ready for solids and so we are holding off a little on the solids for another month.

I have two teeth!

Also, I was cut back on my hours at work, and now I work two days a week, WITHOUT Amaree. This has been very difficult for everyone. Amaree won't take a bottle. She will clamp her mouth shut and turn her head. We were trying to get her to eat other solids, but she would just throw them up. The Andrew and Amaree bottle showdown is a show full of drama. Andrew actually brought her to me on Friday so I could feed her. Hopefully we can get her to eat more foods soon.

Sometimes I put Amaree on her back, and I will turn around and Amaree will be like this, looking at me.

Amaree is sitting up by herself. She will sit for quite a few seconds, sometimes even a minute before she falls over. She also is rolling and squirming herself around the room. I will put her down, and then I will look at her a few moments later and she is moved a long way from where I put her. I feel crawling is soon upon us!

Amaree is sitting up by herself!

Yesterday, Andrew and I were working in the yard. Andrew was working on the trimmer and it was really noisy. We look over, and Amaree has the seat cushion over her ears. She would move it when the trimmer was off, but when the trimmer would come on again she would cover her ears. She was doing it by her self, too. We thought it was really funny.

Loud noises, Mom!

Amaree is still a very happy and pleasant baby. She and I are great friends. She has been making these funny faces and I have been trying to get them on camera, but as soon as she sees the camera she starts smiling. I will have to keep trying to get some of those faces.

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!

May 24, 2009

I can't believe it has been a month since I wrote last. So much has happened! I kept meaning to update, but the time has just gone by so quickly. Amaree has finally got her first and second teeth! The first one poked its little head through on a Sunday. I am actually sad about it. It means that she is getting so big! I actually like her little gummy smile, and she does this thing where she pushes her gums together and blows and she makes these little sounds that crack me up.

We put her down for bed and we found her chewing on her bed. I grabbed the video camera and this is her chewing on the bars.

The second tooth came through exactly one week later. She had an appointment for her shots and she now weighs an amazing 11 lbs and 2 oz. There were three babies blessed in our ward a few weeks ago and they were all bigger than she is. I am not sad about that, I am so proud of her. It is just funny that she is now 9 months old and she is still so small!

We did the March for Babies for the March of Dimes last weekend. We went to Logan and walked five miles. We made a poster for Amaree and all wore matching t-shirts, and we raised a little over $1000! It was really fun, the walk was beautiful and it was great to meet and talk to other families who have been through what we went through.

Amaree is such a wonderful baby, she is so happy and so friendly, and she is so good. I am still not quite used to her as part of our family, I mean it seems a little strange that we are now a family of three and she is our daughter and will be living with us for a VERY long time. I think it is like when you first get married and it takes a year or two before you are used to it. Maybe by the time she is a year or two old it will have sunk in.

April 26, 2009

I had good intentions to post, but you know what they say. However, I do have some fun things to share with you. First, Amaree has learned to roll over! This is so exciting for us-another huge milestone, we will take it! Here is a video collage of her rolling over:

Amaree was also blessed in church last week. It was a special day. Leticia spoke because she is going to Russia, and then to have Amaree blessed the same day was really cool. Here is our little Amaree in her beautiful dress, courtesy of Annie, her grandma.

Here is Amaree with her dad, and as always, supporting the Jazz.

Amaree's dress so so beautiful, it is hard to see in the picture, but the dress was sparkled under the lace. She was so cute!

Amaree loves her mom!

I also have pictures from Easter.

This is Amaree's cousin Gavin, who was born two months after Amaree. I think he dwarfs her.

Amaree found some eggs!

April 13, 2009

Amaree had her shots last week and so we have a weight update. She now weighs a full 10 lbs and 8 oz. She is gaining very consistently, exactly one pound every 28 days.

When she got her shot she was so good! She felt the needle go in, you could see it on her face, but she didn't cry and then she felt the serum go in, and then she started to cry. She then cried for a few minutes, but then was back to her happy little self.

She has been getting very vocal and almost laughing. It is so fun to listen to her coo and talk. Often, when I put her down for her nap, I can hear her talking to herself until she drifts off. I caught the very tail end of her story before she stopped.

Andrew has been so busy with school and work, Amaree and I are both looking forward to the semester break so we can have him around. Of course the silly Jazz will probably be in the playoffs so it wont matter if he is home or not. *sigh*

I have been working hard on getting ready for the March for Babies. Everyday that it is nice, Amaree and I go for a walk with Kathy. We are up to 2 1/2 miles. We should be ready for that five mile walk. I put Amaree in a little bike trailer/stroller. It has a flap to protect her from the wind, and she is so small she doesn't fit in the strap and harness system, but since I am only pushing her, I put her on the bottom with a blanket and a rattle or two. She enjoys watching the scenery, until she falls asleep, but then as soon as we stop, she wakes up. I hope the weather is good for our March. I think it will be a great opportunity to raise awareness and gain support for those who have to go through what we have been through.

I am also trying to get a support group for NICU graduates. If you know someone out here who has had a preemie, please direct them to my blog or to me so we can support each other.

Amaree is so fun sometimes, and so much work other times. Some days she will play happily by herself, and then other times, like today, I can't put her down without hearing about it. Some days she just wants to be held. Just one of those days today, I guess. It is okay, because I am making up for days that I couldn't touch her at all.

April 6, 2009 honest scrap

Andrew's honest scrap

1. I have man-crushes on most of the Utah Jazz Basketball team. I fantasize about hanging out with them, hunting with them, going on man-dates, and having them pick up the tab. I would have the biggest bro-mance with my man Deron Williams. Go D-Will!

2. I don't like telling people what I do for a living because of the reaction I get. So don't tell anyone but I investigate child abuse. ( I know what a Freak)!!!

3. I honestly believe that someday I will get lucky and shot a trophy buck with my bow. (what can I say, it could happen)

4. I often present like a tough guy (a mans man) but the truth is I am an extremely sensitive guy. (I will admit I cry).

5. I find some of my greatest joy in serving people.

6. This is not something that I want to be judged for but I have gotten in touch with my feminine side. This is a little to hard to say but what the heck, I have scrap booked.

7. I enjoy doing home projects but when they take more time than I think they should take I become really frustrated. (why can't home projects ever go as planned)

8. I thought I knew it all until I became a Dad, boy was I wrong. I love being a Dad, I learn something knew about myself and being a parent everyday.

9. I am a very loyal person and I need what my father-in-law calls Vitamin F (time with friends). I love to spend quality time with my friends.

10. Last but not least, When ask what I wanted when we were pregnant (boy/girl) I said I don't care I just want a health baby. Well as we all know Amaree had a rough start but she is doing better than we ever could have expected. I got exactly what I deserve a strong willed, impatient precious little angel and I would not change a thing.

April 4, 2009-Honest Scrap

So, this Honest Scrap has been going around the blogsophere, so and I just got tagged. The goal is to list ten honest things about yourself. I have been thinking about it, and I am going to give it a try:

1. I am not as mean as I would like to be. Honestly, I try very hard to be nice. I know I often miss the mark, and sometimes come across as sounding meaner than I meant to, but I would love to be a Miss Parker. *sigh* She is my hero. Say whatever I want, and have people cower when I walk into the room. Okay, so this is my illusion of grandeur.



2. I actually like being a mom. I mean, right now I do. I even think that it is easier than I expected. Of course, I am only counting the time home from the hospital, and I know that it is going to get harder. The time in the NICU doesn't count because I have never done anything harder in my entire life. I even think that if I added up all the hard things in my life that the NICU would STILL come out weighing more.



3. I never in a million years would have imagined that I would have a preemie. I mean-I have the big hips right? Big hips = child bearing. My whole life it was presented that if you have big hips you can have lots of babies. WRONG! And, guess what, you can do everything right, and STILL have this happen. There is no way to prevent it if it is going to happen. Which leads me to ...


4. I believe that we have no control over our lives. I think that control is an illusion. We THINK we have control, but we really don't. Of course, our decisions can make things easier, but really you have no control over getting cancer, getting hit by a bus, getting a job, who your family is, and all of these things make up who we are. See what I mean? It is all an illusion.


5. I am a TV junkie. I like TV. I love to watch HGTV, old movies, and mysteries. I have the television on when I clean, when I do laundry and when I am working on the computer. "Oprie calls it muli-taskin." (Can you name that movie? Here is my favorite -I will give bonus points for it: "I am not illiterate! My parents were married right here city hall!")


6. I don't care for music. I mean, I listen to it sometimes, but it usually starts to bore me after a while. I listen to NPR, or thanks to my Zune, podcasts. I like to learn things, and I like that I can listen to things to teach me new things.

7. I don't care for chocolate. Really, I don't like it very much. If I could have a grapefruit or some chocolate I would totally go for the grapefruit. I crave it. I like to eat it like an orange and get all of the juice and wonderful meat. My mouth is watering as I type. I want some grapefruit, but I ate all the ones that I had. :)

8. I like to think that people like me. I hope that people think I am a good person and people enjoy my company. I hope that I am not someone who people talk about, saying "Oh my goodness, can you believe her? Well, I guess you just have to take HER with a grain or two of salt!" If I am like this, will someone please tell me? I would rather know so I can fix it.

9. I have always wanted to own an island in the Caribbean or South Pacific. I would to have a beautiful house there where it over looks all my island and I can walk outside in the glorious sunshine and have a sandy beach where I watch the sunset. Of course the island has to have trees that provide bananas, coconut, grapefruit and pineapple so I can eat fruit whenever I want. And it will be warm, a nice retreat. *sigh* It is nice to have dreams.


10. Summer is my favorite season. I usually hate the other seasons because they are not as wonderful as summer, but this year, after missing fall and winter, I think that I am enjoying spring because it leads us to summer. I like summer because it warm, and I don't even mind the HOT. I like to have picnics in the grass, I like the late summer evenings, I like that I can leave my jacket and coat home. You can go outside with just your regular clothes on, not bring the entire contents of a closet to keep you warm. The fireworks and holidays of summer are also joyous. People visit in the summer. Summer is the time for adventure, school is out, projects get done, the earth is green...Okay so I REALLY REALLY love summer.

Well, there you have it, I have listed ten things about myself. I hope you all enjoyed it and I would love to hear your comments. And since I know you don't all check this because of me, here are some pictures of my gorgeous babies:



I hereby tag Andrew, Amaree and Courtney.

April 1, 2009-Seven Months

Amaree is now seven months old. She is learning how to roll over. She has done it several times but hasn't quite figured out exactly how to do it on purpose. She always seems surprised when it happens. Along with rolling over she has figured out how to rotate herself when lying on her back. She kicks and lifts her behind and back and then moves herself a few inches. She does this until she has turned herself around.

Amaree has turned herself so far that she is hitting her head on the edge of her gym. She can't figure it out.

I also think she is teething. She has been SO grumpy. Her cheeks are red, and she is always chewing on her fingers or anything she can get into her mouth. She is drooling much more and she isn't sleeping well, not that she ever did, but still... Grumpy girl.

A few moments of peace while she sleeps.

We have also attempted to give Amaree rice cereal. We are starting to do this to get her used to the sensation of food. So far she has not enjoyed it very well, see note above.

Amaree having her first rice cereal. Gotta love the camo bib that is enormous.

On thing that we have noticed is that Amaree has several scars on her little body. Of course she has the big one from her surgery, but she has lots of little ones all over her body. She has several on her legs that are about 1/2 inch long, and lots of little dots. She has a strange webbing on her tummy, which I assume was from some tape or something. I have read several things from other parents who discuss their preemie scars. One parent even had a doctor suspect her of abuse until they could prove that the baby received the scars from that same hospital's NICU. I know that we are blessed that Amaree has so few physical scars and the ones that she does have are minor. Some will be with her all her life, and some will be with me all my life.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me the March for babies!

March 15, 2009

Amaree had a very busy week. We had to go to Salt Lake for the Neonatal Followup program. It is a collection of professionals and specialists who track these little guys. She saw a pediatrician, a nutritionist, an opthamologist, a physical therapist, and she had her measurements taken. Amaree weighed in at 9 lbs 6 oz, and 22 inches. When they looked at her chart, I thought they said she was in the 33rd percentile, but when I looked it up and talked to her doctor out here, it says she is in the 3rd percentile. And that is corrected. She is so tiny still!

Amaree is caught red-handed!

The good news is that she is developing very well and had the appropriate motor skills. The bad news is that there is another problem with her eyes. She has extreme far sightedness. Basically, babies should be able to see up close but Amaree can see everything far away, but not up close. The problem is that she can become cross-eyed because of it. The Dr. said that usually the eyes correct themselves, but if they don't we will have to put her in glasses. We have another appointment in a few months. There is a theory that the reason Amaree is so alert and involved and active is that it is because she can see far away and see all the things the rest of us are doing.

This is a collection of her hand and foot prints. The black ones are the first ones we had taken in the NICU. The purple ones were taken on October 15, 2008, and the red ones were taken March 14, 2009. I think if you click on the picture you should be able to see a larger version. The measurements are:

Black handprints: 1.5 inches

Black footprint: 1.75 inches

Purple handprint: 1.75 inches

Purple footprint: 2 inches

Red Hand print: 2.25 inches

Red Foot print: 2.75 inches

Also, I am sad to report and end of the love affair with the binkie. Amaree loved her binkie in the NICU, but since coming home she has given it up in favor of the real thing. She has recently started chewing on her thumb, as you can see from this video. It isn't a constant thing, but I do notice her chewing away on it at times.

March 8, 2009

Since coming home, I have been thinking a lot about my experience. I really want to help those who are in the same position that I was in a few months ago. I have been working on starting a support group for parents of preemies, and I just want to help. So I am going to do the March for Babies in May. This is a fund raising event for March of Dimes, and I, along with some of my family will be doing a five mile walk in Logan. Did you know that nearly 10% of all live births in Utah are considered premature? In the United States, one baby in eight is born premature. Premature babies are considered 37 weeks and earlier. Very preterm is considered 32 weeks and earlier, and 1.5 % are born that early in Utah. The earlier the baby is, the more problems and complications can arise. At 26 weeks, Amaree is considered very preterm, and also a very rare birth. I am in the most safe age range, weight range, and health range, and it still happened. Please help support us. I know that times are hard, so if you can only donate a few dollars, it will be appreciated. Thank you for helping us fight prematurity. Please check out my website for the March at www.marchforbabies.org/amareechloee.

This is Amaree looking up at me, and again, she is blurry because she moves so much! She is so curious about everything.

Amaree is continuing to do well, and this week is a big week for her. She has a six-month prenatal follow-up in Salt Lake as well as her six month well-child check-up this week. The prenatal follow-up will include an eye exam, hearing test, I believe they will even do a chest x-ray to check her heart and lungs, and a whole battery of screenings.


One of our friends had a Bumbo chair, and their baby really liked it. Amaree loves to be sitting up, looking around and is happiest when she is involved with the happenings so we used our gift cards to get her a Bumbo. She loved it. She is the Queen on the throne.

The Queen on her throne.

We take her in the kitchen and she watches me cook from her throne, and she just likes to watch the happenings of the house from her special chair. She makes me laugh with her funny little faces and sounds.

February 28, 2009-Six Months Old Today! ! !

Amaree is now six months old. I can't believe six months have passed. So much has happened. From a surprise premature delivery to a beautiful bouncing happy baby, we have lived a lifetime in those six months. Not only has so much happened, but I think that Andrew and I have grown so much. We have been to Hell and back together and we survived. Truth be told, it could have been a lot worse. We realize that as difficult as it has been for us, worse things could have happened, and we could be in a situation far more difficult to deal with than the one we are blessed to be in right now. Amaree has been doing great; she is strong, active, alert, happy, and just beautiful.

Amaree, sleeping peacefully on the floor.

Amaree still doesn't like to sleep during the day, but I have been working at being very consistent with her and putting her down for a nap at the same time every day. This particular day, she wasn't sleeping and she would wake every time I moved her so she took her nap on our floor while I ran around like crazy trying to get everything done. This particular nap lasted about 40 minutes. We take what we can get around here.

GAMES

Amaree and I play several games throughout the day. She loves to play games. One of the games is on the video. I repeat any sounds she makes. She really likes it and makes lots of sounds. I tried to capture it, but I think the camera distracted her. The funny sound is her breathing. She is noisy sometimes.

Another game she likes to play involves a toy, and I move it and she tracks it with her eyes. She is really good at this game and my arm usually tires before she does. One of the most active games she likes to play is kicking. I put my hands up and she kicks them. I then move my hands to a different spot and she has to reach and move to kick them. She thinks it is great fun.

Amaree is so good at telling us what she needs and wants, we are generally able to keep her happy. As you can see from the photo below, we are having problems with taking her picture because she moves so much and our little camera isn't setup for those fast action shots. She moves her little legs and arms at lighting speed, just look at those little blurs!

February 14, 2009-100th Post!

Happy Valentines day! This is our 100th post! Amaree is 168 days or 24 weeks old today. Thanks for sticking with us.

Amaree in her Valentines clothes and blanket. "What are you doing, Dad? What is that?"

Amaree has been getting so big, and is doing great. On Thursday we had her weighed, and she now weighs an amazing 8 lbs, 8.5 oz. At 5 1/2 months, she is pretty small for her age, but she really has come a long way from where she started. I think she has a cousin who started life bigger than she is now.

A great Amaree smile. She is so happy in the bath.

Amaree still LOVES her baths. She loves to kick and splash in the water. She stays in until her fingers are prunes and I have changed the water twice. She will scream when she has to get out.

One of the amazing things about being with Amaree all day is that I learn so much from her. She does things that are just her, and she doesn't do things for attention or to be cute. She is sincere in her actions. For example, when she sneezes, she will often give a little sigh when she is done. It is really cute, but she is just doing it because it is what comes naturally to her. When she wants something, she really wants it, just for her, and once she gets it, she is really happy.

I still have a hard time getting Amaree to sleep during the day. She sleeps great at night, usually waking only when hungry then going right back to sleep. However, during the day, she will NOT sleep. She takes a few catnaps here and there, but no real naps. One day, I was working on a project, and so she was in her swing while I worked. She didn't sleep from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. At 4:00, she was so ornery, and making a whining sounds and whimpering, and not calming for anything that I finally had to lay down with her to get her to sleep. That is one of the only ways I can get her to go to sleep. The other way to to strap her to me in her carrier. It is like she is afraid that she will either miss something, or that she will lose us so she won't sleep. Also, when I sleep with her, even if I am not touching her, and I attempt to get out of the bed, she will wake before I am down the hall. I don't know how she does it.

Amaree and Andrew watching the Jazz game. She loves to cuddle with Dad and watch the game.

January 29, 2009

Happy are we, happy are we!

Amaree has started to smile and is really starting to make a lot of sounds now. I can tell when she is awake by the sounds that she makes. She is so beautiful and is so fun to be around. She is really starting to wiggle and kick and move like a baby. When we first brought her home, she didn't kick as much as she does now. She is so strong! She is also a very good girl, she tries really hard to not cry too much and get too upset. She is really pleasant to be around and still loves to cuddled and held.

Up Up and Away!

Here she is holding her legs and her head up. She seems to like this and being held upside down. I don't know why, but sometime that is the only thing that will calm her. I put her on my lap with her head hanging backwards over my knees so she is looking at everything upside down. She really likes that.

I'm a big girl now!

Also, I wanted to answer some questions that I have been getting. First of all, the photos that we took for our little photo shoot were taken at my mom's house. We just went over and sat on her sofa with our little camera and a tripod.

The other question that I get a lot is when will her gestational age catch up with her chronological age? Usually around 2-3 years she will be caught up. It is like when you are pregnant, there is so much that happens every week. Then when they are born, they talk about the development each month and there is so much that happens each month. By the time that development is measured in years preemies should be caught up. Eventually it won't be as noticiable that she is a preemie and at some point she should be a regular little girl.

Oh, yeah! I almost forgot to tell you-we had to switch Amaree's bracelet! The one that we had on her first is now too small, and was leaving marks in her skin. She is now wearing the next size up, a lovely blue one. You can see it in the photos. Little milestones are such a joy.