My Little Sweetie – 6 months

I can’t believe that my little Jobers is already approaching that 6 month mile stone… in just a few days!

She is the sweetest little baby, even her fussing is cute.

God could not have created a better, chubbier, cuter little rolly-poly for our family. We are SO blessed.

Jobee recently started to roll over. She looks pretty surprised when she does it, and it’s usually a product of reaching really far for something that she wants and accidentally flipping over.

We think that she’s starting to teeth already. You’ll usually find her pouring all her focus trying to get something (anything) in to her mouth.

She is almost always happy as long as someone is talking to her or holding her. And she’s so animated with her emotions.

She just recently started to sit up with a little Bobby support. It’s really cute to see her be all ‘bobble-head-ish’ as she tries so hard to keep herself upright.

She loves to look at books. She loves to look at anything with bright colors really.

She loves it when Evelyn reads to her or sings her silly little songs. Evelyn has a wonderful way with Jobee, and they have a ‘thing’.

I am NOT a feet person… but ohhhh do I love her little feet more than anything.

And her little hands too.

I can not believe how big she’s gotten… although she is still in 0-3 month clothing. So is she really that big? No. But compared to her tiny little four pound self when she was born – she feels huge! But, I am loving every minute of watching her grow and I don’t think I could love her not one ounce more.

“Delusions of Grandeur”

So I had this whole wonderful day planned out in my head for last Monday.
We were all going to wake up early, head to the beach, and I was going to document the fabulousness that was to be the kids experiencing Lake Michigan for the first time….
(And then hit some of my favorite Antique stores and get lunch before noon too… but that wasn’t to be documented)

Well, it did not go as planned.
We ended up getting to the beach late morning — much later than I had hoped for.
And the wind was whipping sand every which way… and the water was freezing.

The kids did really like it, despite the junky wind and water temperature and are already asking to go back.
So, even though I didn’t get these beautiful, wonderful images of the kids’ faces lit up at the delightfulness of water and sand all about…
we still had a nice day.

This is Olive’s face after first being put in the sand….. lol. Not sure what to think.

This was after taking it in for a minute… eventually she decided to rub her hands all over her recently sun-lotioned face to make a lovely facial scrub.
Not so fun to take off…. and she’s still not sure that she likes all the sensory of the wind and sand.

I love her little feet…. they’re so goofy and tiny for her body.

When I started to edit this picture, the first thing I thought was “OH my gosh! My first baby is getting so big!!!”
And isn’t he?
I can’t believe he’s just about lost EVERY bit of his baby look and is all-little-boy now.

He didn’t even need a hand to walk across this beach log… sniff.

My sweet hubby took the camera from me for a second to get a picture of me.
I’m not often in front of the lens and I’m glad that every once in a while he snaps one of me just to mark the time gone by.

Evelyn ran around the the beach in circles for at least a half hour singing the most wonderfully off-tune songs.
Something along the lines of: Deeeepppp in the sea….. deeeeeepppp in the sand. Running in the sannnnnddd. Runninnggg in the WWWWWWWIIIIIINNNNDDDD!

Olive worked out her leg muscles walking in the sand for a while too.

We didn’t end up staying long because the wind was so strong… Jobee stayed in her car seat the whole time and she still managed to get covered in sand.

We’re STILL finding sand places days later! But, it’s worth it knowing that the kids enjoyed the day despite it’s many set backs.

Easter Weekend

We went to Indiana for Easter last weekend. It was the first time that Jobee met my paternal grandparents.
And the first time that she made the trip there and back.
She was a little trooper and slept most of the time in the car.

It as a time of bonding for all the grandkids, but for Jobee and Olive especially.
Jobee had special time with ‘Grandma Meekers’ and Olive had special time with her ‘Pap’.

It was a nice weekend and I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Jobee, Miss Personality and the Queen of faces…

I looooooove her little piggies. Especially how she crinkles her toes.

I also love how her little hands are always balled up and tight. The only time they’re open is when she’s really in a good sleep.

I’m hoping that we’re able to go back down again here soon. I know the kids really love
spending the weekend with their grandparents.

4 Months Old

Jobee is four months old today.
It feels like just yesterday that I was on bedrest pining away on how our lives would change when she arrived… not to mention almost 7 weeks early.

Jobee has come so far since her days in the NICU.

(Pictures taken by Kasey VanderTol, edited by me.)

From wires, tubes, and IVs….

To smiles, coos, and even the first hints of giggles!

From being so tired that she’d sleep through most of her feedings…

to waking up every 2 hours to eat and definitely KNOWING when it’s time…

From a head the size of an orange and drowning in preemie clothes and diapers….

to a massive double chin, newborn clothes getting just a little too tight, and size 2 diapers!

From having to depend on nurses to take care of her while her momma fails miserably at trying to sleep and enjoy her other children because of worry…

to being worn nearly 24 hours a day and always being with in arms reach of her momma.

From being nearly completely unaware of anything going on around her…

to being alert and showing signs of a very bubbly, fun personality that always wants to be part of what’s going on.

It’s no secret that I was worried sick over how I was going to be able to handle four kids, let alone a preemie with food allergies and blood in her diaper deposits!
But, I am so pleased that we’re doing more than fine, adjusting beautifully, and honestly wouldn’t be half as happy with out our little Jobers in our lives.

Thank you so much Kasey for taking these pictures of Jobee and I in her first days of life. I never want to forget them.

Evelyn and the duckies.

My miss evelyn turned three recently. To celebrate her on her birthday she and I got some pictures taken together.
My girlfriend Kasey has some ducks that she was using as a photo prop, and just happened to be offering a mini-session on Ev’s birthday.
So we dressed up, she wanted to wear her apron, and got some photos of the two of us.
I love my sweet little Evelyn so much and it makes me sad to think about her growing any bigger.
She’s the perfect mix of dependent/independent and is still small enough to need me and want to be cuddled and coddled at times.
She loved the duckies, but it was quite cold. She still championed her way through the session though and I’m so thankful to have these images of us together.

Photos by Kasey VanderTol, edited by Me.

Triple Birthday Party

We had a triple birthday party last weekend. Karl turned 27, Olive turned 5, and Evelyn turned 3.
We hosted a birthday party at our house.  It was fun that Evelyn was old enough to be able to give her input on what she wanted her birthday party to be like.
She chose that huge Tinker Bell balloon, Olive got the Happy Birthday balloon.

Obviously she was the one that chose all of the Tinker Bell garb. Purple and Tinker Bell are two of her most favorite things right now, so there was lots of that.
We had bacon cheese burgers on a charcoal grill, roasted vegetables, fresh fruits and veggies, fun sodas for the kids, and a huge “doughnut cake”, that Evelyn called The Big Doughnut.

Evelyn was very excited to have her own birthday and I think that this is the first year she really got that it was a special day for her.
Of course it was Daddy and Olive’s day too – but Daddy was gracious enough to give up most the spot-light and Olive wasn’t quite sure why she was getting all this special attention, so Evelyn really lived it up.

I was afraid that maybe Olive would remember the smash-cake from last year and just totally demolish The Big Doughnut before anyone got a chance to blow out the candles. But she did a great job and followed her Daddy’s lead.

Every once in a while I would wonder about Olive’s birth-mom. I wonder if she was thinking about Olive, thinking about what she might look like, what she was doing. I wondered if she knows that Olive was adopted, I wonder if she would approve if she did, and if she misses her. I wondered if she was heart broken last week, if Olive’s birthday opened up old wounds as she did keep Olive until Social Services removed her at 18 months old. I know her mother wanted her, loved her, nursed her….

I thought about how thankful I was for Olive that she wasn’t sitting in the orphanage for another birthday. I was thankful that she seemed to know a little bit more what was going on this year compared to last. Loved seeing her light up over crunchy paper…

Over joyed that both my girls have come so far in just a year. They’re both growing so quickly.
My heart hurts a little bit when I think about how big they’re getting. How quickly they’re turning in to little girls and leaving their toddler hood behind…

They were both very spoiled by everyone that loves them. Olive’s most favorite toy was the laughing, vibrating baby doll.

And Evelyn’s favorite was the ponies. I can see this becoming her new ‘thing’. She calls them her ‘ho-sees’ or pony tails.
I think they had a good time…. I know that Karl and I did.

3 Months of Comparisons

First Home

One Month

Two Months

Three Months… where she has found her hands!

One Month

Two Months

Three Months…. again with the hands

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Miss Jobee has started to full on smile and has found her hands this week!
She swatted at a hanging toy twice the other day and has been putting her hands in her mouth a lot.

Looking at these pictures, I can not believe how much she’s grown since she was born a few months ago!
She still feels like a newborn, but I think she’ll be out growing that phase here soon – and it makes me so sad to think about.

Why do they have to grow so fast!?!

Three Months Old

Little miss Jobee turned three months old today. THREE MONTHS! I can’t believe it.
Why must time move so quickly?
maybe it has something to do with being out numbered 4 to 1 a lot of the time? maybe…

Jobee has started to smile and coo in the most adorable way.
Just like Evelyn, she smiles with her whole face and her eyes always seem to be smiling…. unless she’s ‘learning’. Her eyes quickly morph and look exactly like Ethan’s when she’s interested in something or studying your face. She gets so intense looking and her brow furls. I love it. I can see such a mix of both Ethan, Evelyn, Karl and myself in her.
She’s the perfect little melting pot of love.

She’s officially getting rolls on her legs! The cutest little chubs on her thighs and chest…
She’s starting to hold her head up a little bit and really does not dig tummy time unless it’s on someone’s belly.
And get this, we think she might end up with blue eyes! She has a blue fog to her gray eyes, much different than the other two, who I knew would have dark chocolate brown eyes from the minute they were born – with eyes so dark and piercing.
She’s starting to take interest in looking at things. She’s started tracking this past week and focusing on things further away.
Yesterday Evelyn and I picked out high contrast pages in our kids books to show her – and she really liked looking at a full spread image of a dark monkey with bright white eyes. One thing you tend to wonder about with a preemie is their eye sight, but I think that she’s doing just fine in that area.
I still need to take pictures of her in her bassinet for comparison’s sake this week, because the sun was too strong when I had the time to get a picture there today.
But she is really growing like a weed!
Over 9lbs now!

A random spring day

A month already!? Seriously? I hadn’t realized it’s been so long since I wrote.

It’s been a pretty cold month, but we did have one random spring-like day. Olive took an extra long nap, so I took advantage of it and took the other three outside.
Olive has a habit of putting dirt and sand in her mouth by the handful, so I decided to give myself a break and skip that whole mess altogether.
So, she got a lovely long nap and the kids got a nice little play session outside in the nicer weather.

This is Ethan’s drawing of Baby Jobee in her blanket

Evelyn was not a big fan of having chalk dust on her hands…

Evelyn decided that she need to rake the show away…

She later proceeded to take little scoops of it, place it elsewhere in the yard, and then stomp on it. <3

Ethan thought he would try out his big wheel that’s meant for this year… but his legs are barely long enough, making it hard for him to steer.

So he opted to go with his too-small bike from last year… it stinks being in the middle sometimes.

Evelyn thought that she would be big enough for his big wheel… even though she has the same exact one in pink and that one was too big for her.

So she opted to go with her bike from last year too…

They were very happy to have a nice day to be outside…

Jobee…. my little chunky monkey hung out on the porch in her swing while they played.
She went in for her two month check up a little while ago and ended up being 8lbs 14oz!
Given her growth rate, that would put her over 9 pounds by now! She’s double her birth weight!

She’s starting to smile and be a happy little mama.
I can’t wait to get one of her smiles on the camera.
We’ve got her bleeding pretty much under control right now. She is most definitely allergic to soy and eggs from what we have tested so far.
We’re really hoping that she out grows a lot of these by the time she’s a toddler.

We are really enjoying her.

Jobee 2 months old.

Miss Jobee is 2 months old today (9 weeks tomorrow). This past Thursday she weighed 6lbs 15oz.
In following her growth curve she should have been right around 7 1/2 pounds by now – but she spend the majority of last week sick.

Because Jobee’s bleeding hadn’t stopped yet, her doctor decided to put her on Neocate – a specialized formula that is used for kids who have severe food allergies or digestion problems. It breaks down proteins in to aminos which are easiest to digest. The GI specialist is guessing that she has a protein intolerance or allergy so this formula should have fixed it. But, unfortunately about 24 hours after taking the formula Jobee got really sick.

Now, there’s speculation as to what made her sick. Different doctors and myself have different opinions. The GRAPES doctor that she saw on an urgent care basis that Saturday seemed to believe that it was formula related and suggested that we feed her smaller amounts more frequently to combat digestions issues and reflux issues. We did that, and her symptoms continued to get worse to the point where she skipped 4 out of 5 feedings that Sunday afternoon — and by evening Miss Jobee was looking and acting really ill. She was pale, lethargic, upset and uncomfortable, coughing, choking, and puking up all her feedings. So Sunday night we (my girlfriend Jen, Jobee and myself) spent the late night and early morning in the Emergency Room at DeVos Children’s hospital.

The Pediatric doctor that saw her there thought that we were dealing with two issues. The first being that she wasn’t tolerating the formula and was suffering from reflux issues, and the second being a viral bug that was causing the issues to be compounded by the cough. The Respiratory Therapist that saw her said that he felt a lot of the cough was due to her aspirating fluid when she would puke and then scream… And then the next day when we went in to her pediatrician’s office and saw Dr. H’s parter Dr. Daining, he also thought that we were dealing with reflux and formula intolerance and put her back on breast feeding and reflux medicine! Hallelujah!

I assumed that since Dr. D was in the same practice as Dr. H that they would prescribe to the same ideas and — well I was wrong. When we went in for Jobee’s 2 month well-child visit a lot of it centered around what had happened while the doc was away on vacation. He said that he believes that the formula wouldn’t have caused any of those things with Jobee and that she must have RSV (which is interesting because the Ped at DeVos ER said specifically he did NOT think she had RSV). She had x-rays done on her upper and lower abdomen and ultrasound as well – and he said that by looking at those findings, he’s sure she had bronchitis and RSV. He continued to say that he didn’t believe any of the symptoms were from the formula and that should she have any bleeding while nursing again that she would have to go back on the Neocate. I was not happy about this.
Currently I am on an elimination diet to make my breast milk as similar to Neocate as can be and I wish that would be good enough to warrant moving on and investigating other possible causes should the bleeding return.  I do not want to put her back on the formula unless I absolutely HAVE to. I am not arguing that maybe she had a virus and some bronchitis – but I am arguing that the formula instigated a lot of her symptoms and exacerbated any of them that were due to a virus. She was NOT a happy baby taking a bottle and I was NOT a happy Mama having to bottle feed her and pump on top of it.

So anyway, we are on an elimination diet attempting to try to get the bleeding issue resolved – and should it, I’ll have to continue on this extremely limiting diet for the next 6 months minimum. Although I will be begging for either eggs or wheat back because I need some bread!!!!

Now that we are back to breast-feeding I am a much happier mama and we are both getting more sleep. A lot of her symptoms resolved as soon as she stopped taking the bottle – so I feel that is evidence enough that a lot of it had to do with the formula… But, regardless Miss Jobee has decided that she is happy only when she is being snuggled or has her pacifier in – so we’re still getting a lot of cry sessions. It may have something to do with the double ear infection she has :( I’ve been wearing her a lot and keeping her swaddled up and it seems to be helping.

She really does love that pacifier though…

In other Jobee news – just this week she’s starting to show signs of big grins coming on. When you get silly with her and nibble on her cheeks and neck she smiles with her eyes, and is SO CLOSE to smiling. She gave me two smiles today and I can’t wait to see more of them!

Her adjusted age right now is a little over two weeks old. A two-week old can usually lift their head for short periods, move their heads side to side, blink at bright lights and respond to loud sounds. They can usually move their arms and legs spastically, prefer to turn their head towards familiar voices, and bring their hands to their mouths. Our little Miss is doing all those things just as she should be and has officially moved in to New Born diapers and clothing this week!