Baptism Pictures

As promised, pictures from Gavin's baptism a few weeks ago.

Wonderful News

I wanted to give this little shout out to my friends Alicia and Nate. They welcomed little Veronica Belle into the world yesterday (Oct. 16, 2009) at 12:08pm. She was born at 38 weeks 5 days, weighed in at 6lbs 15oz, and measured 19.5in.

Updates will be here -- http://avonde.wordpress.com/

Congratulations!!!

Causes

Many of you know that I am not big on asking people for money; it's the main reason I got out of the development side of non-profit work. However, you'll pardon me as I make a little pitch. Get your tissues ready.

Did you know that every year 13 million babies worldwide are born too soon?

In the United States alone, the rate of premature birth has increased 36% over the last 25 years?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard the name for the organization March of Dimes. Unless you've interacted with them or read about them, you may not know what they do.

Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. We carry out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives. March of Dimes researchers, volunteers, educators, outreach workers and advocates work together to give all babies a fighting chance against the threats to their health: prematurity, birth defects, low birthweight.

As many organizations do, they could always use help. Please consider clicking the banner above to visit them.

This comes on the heels of my late knowledge that yesterday was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. But just because it was yesterday doesn't mean that people don't remember every day the loss of a child. It was only yesterday that I learned that the daughter of a woman I went to Hope College with lost her 5-month-old daughter to SIDS one month ago today. It's heartbreaking in a way I don't have words to express, which is a big deal for someone who writes. And if you click this link - http://www.rememberingcicely.com/ - to Cicely's remembrance page, you'll see pictures of a beautiful baby and her loving parents. I'll put the disclaimer on it: very few words, mostly pictures, bring tissues. And if you can find it in your heart to donate the cost of your morning coffee or energy drink or whatever, I know they'd appreciate it. Deanna, we're thinking of you.

I'm going to close my mouth now.

-Josh

Long Time, No Type

Things have been crazy busy here, as it is bound to happen.  I'll make a quick overview of what's been keeping us occupied.  As well as an adorable picture of Gavin just for fun.

First it rained and rained and rained.  Our basement got partially flooded, which kept us (and especially Josh) pretty busy.  My work also got flooded.  Somehow no water got in our doors.  These pictures are of our building as well as some of the other tenants on the property.  Notice that these were taken AFTER the water started to recede! http://www.flickr.com/photos/dadsgarage/sets/72157622427724382/

Chloe finished her last "flips school" (gymnastics) of the session, and we're going to take a break until after flu season.  Speaking of flu, Chloe and I each got our first flu vaccines this week.  Josh will once he's feeling better - he's had a bit of a bug this week.  I got the shot for the first time this year because of worrying about Gavin's health.  And speaking of shots, we'll find out in the next week or two if Gavin is approved to get the RSV shots.  They are about $1,500 per shot, and because it is some kind of anitbody instead of a vaccine, it needs to be received each month for 6 months.  I can understand why the insurance company wants to approve it ahead of time.

Nana (my mom) has been a lifesaver in offering her time to take care of the kids.  She keeps Gavin on Tuesdays and both kids on Wednesdays.  She keeps offering to help out on the rare other days that she has off as well.  I keep telling her it isn't necessary and to enjoy some time off without the grandkids, but then days like Monday happen.  Chloe was literally kicking and screaming on the way into the pediatricians office. And she likes going to the pediatricians office, but we ended up rescheduling her flu shot.  She just had a day full of meltdowns that day.  I was very glad to have the extra help.  And I got to practice what I'm learning from the book "ScreamFree Parenting" by Hal Runkel.  I'm curious if any of you have read it - I'm about halfway through and pleasantly surprised at how much I'm enjoying it.

Gavin is getting baptised on Sunday!  I'm really excited.  If you want to attend and don't have the details, shoot one of us an email.

This isn't very exciting, but I've been working a lot of late hours because of meetings with volunteers that have to happen after normal business hours.  Josh has been awesome and supportive.  I think it helps to know that this is temporary.  We're hiring a new Artistic Director, which is basically my co-CEO, we're wrapping up our strategic plan, and our board has started meeting among other things.  In addition, I'm on a panel to interview the four main candidates for Mayor of the City of Atlanta this Monday, so that's been taking up some brain time as well.  Apparently it is being filmed and will be on www.LensOnAtlanta.org.

Not much else to report.  Chloe is definitely in her terrible two's, but she's doing a lot better the last few days.  Gavin is pooping every 4-7 days and not happy about it.  Other than being fussy about not pooping, he is a really easy baby compared to Chloe.  Thank goodness!  With one exception - he's following in his sister's footsteps and will only sleep if he's being held.  And he's taken to nursing so well that he only wants to nurse!  Which means I'm really tired.

And speaking of tired - I think it's time to get to bed.

Lena

A Friend My Size!

Actually...Gavin outweighs Benji by a pound. Considering Benji was born 2 days after Gavin's due date (and 4 weeks early...maybe...his mom and dad think the doc got the due date wrong), they're pretty darn close in size in terms of length.  I can't believe how fat Gavin looks!

Gavin is really starting to look more and more like a newborn.  Christian and Adrianna (Benji's parents) got to get a little sense of how their son will develop in the next few weeks. And I got to spend some time with friends and an adorable baby that wasn't my own!

Most memorable - we laid the two boys down a little too close to feeding time. In addition to a little crankiness, Benji tried to latch onto Gavin's hand whenever it got close!

Lena

Fun with Good Friends

Betsy & Jason


L to R: Eli (blue hood), Noelle with Linden, Trace with Asher


Mommy & Gavin


Chloe & Daddy, Poolside


Grammy & Gavin

This is the first of a few posts to get us caught up on some awesome photos! Gavin made his poolside debut on Aug 22 at the home of our friends Betsy and Jason. This was a big deal for us particularly for sentimental reasons – their annual pool party was Chloe's first big outing after being released from preemie house arrest two years ago. It also was a great chance for us to see good friends and their "giant" babies. Both baby Asher and baby Linden are less than 2 months older than Gavin – we can't wait to party with them poolside next year when Gavin has caught up to them in size!

This Week in Review

Josh mentioned that we've been busy this week. Nothing too exciting, but I thought I'd take this quiet moment to elaborate. Chloe's watching Fraggle Rock, Josh and Gavin are asleep in our room, and I am enjoying a big cup of coffee. Last night was a long one! Both kids were up for much of it (of course at different times!).

I've been saying in past entries that getting to Gavin's due date is a big milestone. It means getting to the point that his little body is developed enough to be ready for the outside world. Since 37 weeks is technically considered full term, some babies catch on a little sooner. You may also remember that our little guy is laid back and takes his time.

If catching up to newborn behavior is any indication of his personality, we've got a procrastinator on our hands that makes it just under the wire (he'll fit right in with our family). Gavin finally started nursing on Monday, his due date! We need to supplement with higher calorie bottles to help him grow, and he hasn't mastered it enough to go more than 3-4 feedings a day anyway. Which is totally fine. It means my life when I go back to work and bring him with me will be way simpler than it could be.

He's also acting a lot more like a newborn in general. That means he's awake more, he's started getting a little fussy, and he seems to have developed some opinions as to how he spends his time. So far the bouncy chair and the swing are no substitute for mommy's arms. Which are getting tired!

As for going back to work, I was originally planning on taking 8 weeks which would have me back yesterday. I'm grateful that our board of directors is allowing me to take an additional 2 weeks because while I'm suffering from cabin fever, Gavin just isn't ready to not have his mommy home all day. BUT...the staff at Dad's Garage has been beyond amazing during my absence, and there are a few projects I need to help with while I'm out (part of my maternity plans all along). I had a lot to do this week, and Gavin even went to his first business meeting!

Chloe is back in gymnastics again on Monday mornings. She really likes it, and I think it's important for her to still be able to do it. This session ends the beginning of October, and I am keeping her out of the October-December session. I'll be taking Gavin with us, and we need to keep our germ exposure to a minimum during that time.

And our dear Chloe is being a handful. She really seems to be testing is to make sure she's important enough to be disciplined when she misbehaves. Which has meant a lot of time in the corner!

We've spent some time walking with our neighbors. I'm finally off of medical restrictions, and I'm eager to get rid of this belly fat. And I love the company! Though the walk ending with a stop at the ice cream place may not be helpful with my goals...

Other excitement - we had our Children First appointment. Gavin's considered high risk because of his prematurity. That's the entry point for services through the state as well as a resource for identifying both public and private resources. I'm hoping Gavin will be like his sister and not need to take advantages of anything other than the wealth of informational handouts that the nurse dropped off. She will call periodically to check on his development. The only thing I'm really worried about is making it through the flu and RSV season safe and sound. Gavin's considered high risk for both.

And last but certainly not least - we visited with a friend of mine from high school. Her daughter was born 2 days before Gavin and weighed 9 lbs 14 oz! It was a little funny to see the two babies together, but Gavin will catch up soon enough!

So that's how we spent our week. Not too terribly exciting, but that's a good thing!

Lena

Prayer Request

I mentioned a bit ago about a set of preemie twins in Texas. They are experiencing the typical preemie behavior of 2 steps forward, 1 step back. Mom and Dad are especially worried about the one named Christian. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Their blog is http://barefootbabies2.blogspot.com/.

Lena

Another Set of Preemies

I heard from my friend Sara from grad school that her sister just had twin boys at 28 weeks on July 28. Sara is one of those incredibly memorable people that are just awesome to be around, so I naturally wish her family the very best.

It is so important to me to remember that we got Gavin home a month before the doctors predicted (and two months before one of his nurses did), and I know that the prayers, love, and positive energy sent our way had a lot to do with that. Please keep the Barefoot twins in your thoughts as they settle down in the NICU and work on getting big and strong. I am so impressed with how well they are doing, and you can check out their progress through their blog at http://barefootbabies2.blogspot.com/. You might notice that they have very different visitation policies at their hospital - I'm kind of jealous!

Sara sent me a note to let me know that some of what we shared in our blog has helped them adjust to life in the NICU. It meant a lot to hear that! What we went through was incredibly difficult, and I am definitely not fully healed from the experience yet. It helps to know that some good has come from it especially if it means someone else's experience might be a little easier.

Lena

Sense of scale

Lara from my work came by today. It was super important to me that she be one of the first people to meet Gavin since she was our life saving ride to the hospital. She mentioned that it was hard to realize how small he is from most of the photos, so I thought I'd help by providing a common place item for comparison. Keep in mind that Gavin is now a month and 2 days old, so he's a lot bigger than he used to be!

Lena

The Boys of the Neighborhood

Gavin and his next door neighbor Isaiah! We're so glad to have Isaiah back from his surgery!

Awesome neighbors

We are sending many well wishes to our neighbors as they start their journey to Dallas today for their son's surgery. We love having Rachel, Brian, and Isaiah (Baby Eyes to Chloe) as our neighbors, and they are such an important part of our support system, and we're so grateful for that.

We miss our friends the Browns that did live across the street, and we hope we'll welcome them back to the neighborhood when their Dad finishes his tour as an Army Reserve in Afghanistan (Jen - please correct my military lingo!). We're holding their stuff hostage in our basement to make sure they at least have to come see us! Awesome meals the last few weeks definitely helps! :) We met the Browns when they moved in across the street with their infant twin girls. Lila and Kelda were born at 30 weeks in Feb 2007, and we literally bonded over apnea monitors (Chloe was on one then as well).

I remembered that when Isaiah came home in July 2008 with his own apnea monitor to join the club. Rachel was already pregnant when they moved in, otherwise I would have been really worried about our neighborhood! Rachel had developed pre eclempsia, which I had with Chloe, but she also suffered a very difficult delivery and later learned that it was due to Isaiah having Apert Syndrome. The main symptoms include bones fused together such as fingers, toes, and head plates (hence the difficult delivery). After this week's surgery, Isaiah will have 10 fingers and 10 toes, and the unusual nature of his syndrome is the push behind traveling to Texas for treatment rather than some where closer.

Isaiah spent some time in the NICU, and he was scheduled for discharge and then postponed. It was during this time that we got to know our neighbors better. Josh took care of their cat, we talked to them about the NICU and having the monitor, cooked meals, and most importantly strongly suggested they start a blog to help manage the constant requests for updates during critical times.

Isaiah is such an incredibly sweet tempered kid and a lot of fun to be around, and we're pretty darn fond of his mom and dad as well. We've started spending a lot of time together this past year, and they have been central to our NICU experience management. Most nights we sneak Brian in right at 8:15pm after we get Chloe to bed so that Josh and I can spend a little time there together. I'm looking forward to just hanging out together soon with the NICU behind us!

You can follow Isaiah's story on their blog at http://isaiah717.blogspot.com/. Please especially keep them in your thoughts and prayers this week.

Thankful for good friends and neighbors, especially when they're both.

Lena

Thank You!

Thanks so much to Josh's coworkers at Children's Healthcare for throwing us a shower! I'm sorry I wasn't able to come (seemed like we were safe to schedule it at 35 weeks!), but I'm looking forward to using the gift cards to get stocked up!

Lena

Thank You!

Thank you so much for the many messages of support that we have been receiving, especially through Facebook. I know that Gavin's stability and our ability to finally rest and relax is due in no small part to the prayers, thoughts, and general positive energy that we have been getting from so many people. Thank you! Knowing that he is getting such good care in the Kennestone NICU helps, too.

I'm being discharged late Monday, which is as long as we could push it with our insurance. I'm fine medically, but it is always hard to leave the maternity ward without a baby. Fortunately, that's all we know!

I'm hopeful that we'll soon have good news to share in terms of needing less medical intervention. I didn't talk to the respiratory therapist, but it sounded like his ventilator has been turned down - his little body isn't shaking so much with the breathing assistance. We'll get results tomorrow from the echocardiogram. He is also having a cranial ultrasound to check for an interaventricular hemorrhage. Basically a brain bleed. They are very common with preemies, and often have no impact on development. He is at a higher rush, though, due to the kind of ventilator that he's on. I think Chloe had two of the ultrasounds when she was here.

Okay. Back to sleep for me! My mom is nicely staying with me tonight. The last two nights have brought scary news received by myself, so it is great to have company. But even better to have no bad news!

Lena