Prenatal Class Reunion and Addy Update

After the nice weather has hit us and we are climbing out of "cold and flu" season, we have been a little more at ease at taking Addy out and exploring new things to do. There is a great little center around the corner from us called Best Start/Early Years where Addy and I venture to every Thursday for a weigh in and chat with a Public Health Nurse. Through this visit we have met many wonderful ladies and have learned about all the wonderful free programs they offer for children and newborn mommies. Addy had her first class upon our return from Belleville called "Twinkling Tunes", where we learned many new wonderful songs to sing and entertain our babes. Addy loved the class, not necessarily mommy's singing, but she enjoyed seeing all the new babes around her and interacting with them on a social basis. It was great for both of us and we have signed up to take Baby Massage and Baby Sign in the month of May!!!.

On Friday the 17th we had some wonderful weather and got Addison up to the cottage for her first visit. All the neighbours were around so we had a lot of catching up to do and introductions of our new addition. Addy sat back and took it all in and enjoyed a nice nap in the sun while sporting one of her new sun hats, which she is just so adorable in!!! We hope to have a great summer with Addy up in the Port, enjoying the sunshine, beach, campfires and many walks along all the wooded paths in the area. Unfortunately after all of the fresh air Addy got a bit more snuffly in the nose and we believe caught a touch of a head or sinus cold. She is fairing it pretty well, but we are keeping an eye on it.

On April 20th Janice and Carolina our ladies from Pathways came for their monthly occupational and physiotherapy visit with Addison. The ladies were impressed with her growth and development and commented on how well Addy was doing. Our exercises have payed off and Addy was doing some wonderful movements with her arms and legs. The ladies are so encouraging and let us know some new exercises to keep us going in Addy's development that will help stimulate and use her muscles so that it she will improve in her growth and development. Again weaknesses were noticed in Addison's left side and in the strength or her neck and shoulder muscles, so we have to work on Addison's tummy time. This has been hard with her head cold that she cannot seem to shake but we have to push her through it. Here she is exercising with dad and Fergus cheering them on and offering his support.

Monday evening Addison and I attended our Prenatal Class Reunion, where we got to reunite with all the other families we met while we were pregnant, and their new babies. One couple Tanya and Ben had been in the NICU with their twins Sadie and Reese, so it was nice to reunite and see how the girls were making out. Here is some pics with Addy and her friends and a group photo of all the new additions.

On Wednesday the 22nd, Addison had a check up at her doctor's office and received her six month immunization shots. Again she cried only a little bit after the needles, she is such a tough little girl. Doctor Stare checked Addy over and was impressed with her growth and develoment and commented that save for Addison "petiteness" you would not know that she was a micropreemie baby. Doctor Stare was a bit concerned though with Addison's lack of vocalization and strength in her voice when she cries, so she is making a referral for us to visit with and Ear/Nose/Throat specialist in London to have Addy examined. Her fear is that as a result of Addison's PDA surgery three weeks after she was born, there may be some damage to Addison's vocal chords that may be affecting her abilitly to vocalize and make noise. Doctor Stare ensured us that she could not predict anything for sure, but wanted to be safe rather than sorry. We knew that this was a possible complication as a result of the surgery, but we thought we were out of the woods since we had heard Addy cry. However, it is still possible that the nerve connected to the vocal chords could be damaged, causing some or full paralization of Addy's left vocal chord. Doctor Stare advises that if this is the case we could be dealing with anything from absolutely no vocalization or speech, vocalization or speech with a soft or raspy voice, or no problems at all. We hope and pray for the later of course, but if the worst case scenario is the first option than we will deal with it and get Addy all the help that she will need to communicate. If this all that we come out with out of Addy's ordeal, we can deal with it, compared to the odds that were given for Addy's arrival from the start. She is such a fighter and will continue to be, we know that and love her for her strength and will she has shown us every step of the way!!!!

6 Months-Where does the time go????

Wow I can't believe it, our little angel is a whopping 6 months old now!!! Happy 6 months Addy!!! Where does the time go???? Although the days at the hospital seem like days of yesteryear, it feels like we just brought Addy home.

I cannot believe she is already 6 months old now, 3 months corrected. I always get so confused. You see the hospital gave us two dates to work with; Addison's actual birthdate (day she was born) and her corrected birthdate (actual original due date). These dates help us when we are determining her developmental and behavioural progression as she grows, for comparative purposes against that of actual term babies. Make any sense?? Don't worry I get confused with it all and we live it everyday. Ha ha. With the date in mind we couldn't help but look back at all the pics and our journey from the first days in the NICU. It still brings tears to our eyes and a little bit of sadness to remember what poor Addy went through to be here, but then you look at her and she gives you the big smile and melts your heart and we know this is what it s all about today, tomorrow and the future ahead!!!

Addy's foot at 17 days old Addy's foot at 3 months

Addy's foot at 6 months

Addy we are blessed to have you in our lives and you bring us so much joy everyday. We cannot wait to enjoy your next birthday and all the other milestones in your life. You give us hope and so much strength and we love you with all of our hearts!! You truly are an "angel"!!!

Niagara Falls and an Easter Visit at Granny and Grandpa's

We have had a busy last couple of weeks, with some very exciting trips for Addison. On the 07th of April we headed up to Niagara Falls for a little vacation while daddy attended a course in the area. This was so much fun to get away for a few days with Addison and just relax and enjoy. Not that we don't do that at home too, but it is fun to get out of the house now and again. Addison travelled very well and was a little star. After unpacking our house into the hotel room, we settled in and got ready for the next day's adventure. Addison and I toured around Niagara (shopping) until daddy finished his course and then all three of us went for a quick visit to the Falls as it was very windy and cold that evening. Addy quickly got out for a photo op, and even with the mist from the falls she didn't wake up and just squished her face when realized she was getting wet. What a ham. So Greg and I took a nice ride around Niagara on the Lake and hit Pellar Wine Estates and picked up some wonderful bottles of wine to try. We definitely decided a trip that we will go back on soon to hit a few more of the local wineries. Addy was sooooo good yet again and grabbed the attention of the staff, while we sampled a few of the new wines out for this season. Yummy!!!! We settled back in the hotel room and because the room came equipped with two queen beds, mommy and Addy had a sleepover and cuddled up in the big bed together and fell fast asleep. Nothing feels so wonderful as sleeping with your little one in your arms and feeling their little breaths on your face. I was so excited to wake with her in the morning and she was giving me the big grin!!! I know I can't get used to this but it was nice to have those special nights while on a little vacation away.

Thursday we left the Falls on the way to Madoc to visit with Granny and Grandpa and the rest of the family for the Easter holiday. Addy got dressed up in her colourful chicken outfit for the occassion. Addy was very patient with the Toronto driving and managed to travel a little past her two hour time limit in the car, until we could muddle through the rush hour traffic coming off the 407. We rolled into Granny and Grandpa's around 10ish and found Aunt Steph, Taylor and cousin Sidney patiently awaiting our arrival. Sid was so excited to see her new baby cousin and could not wait to hold her and give her a big hug. Addison adored Sidney and was so entertained by her motherly ways. Addy giggled and smiled everytime Sid came near. It was so cute it seemed Sidney could not get enough of Addy and everytime she walked away, she quickly ran back to check and see how Addy was making out. Auntie Steph happily snuggled up Addy and finally got to meet her little niece in person for the first time. It was so wonderful to see the love that they had built up for Addy after following her progress daily on our blog. Auntie Steph is a true mom and just has the knack with all children you can see. Addison picked up on this right away and listened intently everytime Auntie Steph talked with her.

Friday before the three girls had to leave, we got out for a nice walk around the farm and into the bush on Granny and Grandpa's property. Our Quinny stroller was a godsend and got us through all the tough brush and rolling muddy hills. Sid took of on her Strider bike and was a real champ on the hills! She is just so adorable and I know will have Addy's eye as she grows up with her over the next few years. Sadly the girls had to go, but we promised to come up to Ottawa soon and stay for an overnight visit with them at their place. We rounded up the girls and got them to pose with Grandpa and get a photo of him with his three grand daughters all together. Grandpa is so proud and loving of all his girls, they really are lucky to have him. Auntie Steph and Sid loaded up four huge boxes of clothes and toys into our car for Addy that Sid has grown out of and wanted to donate to Addy to play with and use as she grows. Thank you guys so much, it will definitely get used and come in handy in the next year. We snapped this special pic of Sid and Addy together, what cute little babes we have Steph!!!!

On Saturday the rest of the gang arrived and we had a fun filled day. Uncle Sean and Aunt Eleni came with cousins George (also a Prem baby born early like Addy) and (new baby) Liam; born just a few weeks before Addison's original birthdate. Later that afternoon Aunt Rhonda and Peter arrived too. We had wonderful weather and a full day consisting of crafts, a walk in the woods and a wonderful Easter dinner. It was so wonderful seeing everyone and getting together with all the kids.

Sunday and Monday we took it easy and lounged around the farm after such a busy weekend. Dad and grandpa cut up a bunch of wood in the bush and we still managed to get in another wonderful walk around the farm. Look at the large holes the woodpeckers are leaving in Grandpa's trees!!!! You could seriously fit Addy's head into one of them!!! Granny and Grandpa have such a wonderful property and so much to see and do all in the confines of their property line. Addy is going to have a wonderful time growing up and visiting here often. We even got in a little bit of antiquing around the area and got a few good finds for quite a deal. All around a wonderful visit and already planning our next trip back.

You know the famous saying is "you can always pick your friends, but you can't pick your family". Well I would have to say we have lucked out all around as Greg, Addy and I have not only wonderful friends that we surround ourselves with daily, but a family that we love and adore and have so much fun with everytime we get together.

Visit with the Ottawa Gang!!!

Well the time finally came and Addison got to meet her wonderful "aunties" (minus one: Auntie Jen) from Ottawa this past weekend. So exciting, not sure if more for mommy than Addison!!!!

For those of you who do still read the blog you must be wondering, "wow Shae really does have a big family"??? Well the reality is I do, although it is very extended. I have wonderful aunts and uncles, and my sister and Greg's siblings are the best, however growing up as a child my parents had wonderful friends who were always in mine and my sister's lives, so much that they became surrogate Aunts and Uncles to us. Well that being said they all fastly became surrogate Aunts and Uncles to Addy, and I have quickly added in our wonderful friends as surrogates in Addy's life as well. They are such important people in our lives that I can't help but teach Addy their importance in hers, thus they get tagged as "aunties and uncles" Sorry guys no choice. Ha Ha.

Anyway back to the wonderful visit. Thursday evening we went to London to pick up Auntie Ruth on the train!!! She couldn't wait to see Addy and instead of driving down with the other girls on Friday she came a day early on the train. It was so wonderful seeing her and showing her our little bundle. I am so proud to show Addy off to them, she is such a little fighter and I just knew they would fall fastly in love with her. Auntie Ruth jumped right in and grabbed her when we got home and Addy melted into her arms. On Friday around midnight and after a few bottles of red wine for myself and Auntie Ruth, Auntie Terra (Mireille), Ann and Kim drove in. Addison and daddy tried to stay awake as long as they could but caught a little nap prior to their arrival. We had a great day on Saturday relaxin and a wonderful dinner prepared by daddy. Then it was late into the night with some cards and drinks, and just plain catching up and reminiscing over our old photos. Addy adored all of her aunties and was a little ham for all of them. I must extend a big thank you out to my wonderful husband, he took over doing everything with the house and Addy for three days straight, so that I could have some much needed time with the girls. Thank you honey and I love you dearly for understanding what I really needed without even asking. Sadly the visit was over by Sunday and with tears in our eyes we said goodbye until next time. It was a hard road not having "my girls" here with me during Addy's time in the hospital; it just wasn't possible, (though we had great support from our wonderful friends here) and this was a much anticipated visit. It was well worth the wait ladies and we had a fantab time! Thank you for making the drive down her and for all the hugs and good talks. Greg and I love you all dearly (we miss you Jen) and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being such pillars in our lives and now Addy's.

Spring is Finally Here!!!!!

Well spring is finally here and since we have a rainy day on hand I thought I would get down to some business and do some updating on our blog!!! It has been a busy couple of weeks and when we get such nice weather I find it hard to plunk myself in front of the computer and write, when we can be out and about. Sooo where did I leave off last time, it has been so long........Ahh yes.

The week of the 27th of March, Addison and I stopped in at the Best Start Hub for her weekly weigh in and sadly Addison had not gained any weight at all since her previous week. That was not good, as she had only put on 3 oz the week prior. We discussed it with the public health nurse and the concern was that Addison was obviously not taking in the proper calorie intake and that this could be as a result of increased breastfeeding. Mommy got a little concerned and called the doctor's office but they were so booked we could not get Addison in for an appointment. We were told to keep an eye on her and ensure that she still had an appetite and did not get to lethargic, if this happened we were to go straight to the hospital. I decided however, that I did not want to see Addy fall any further behind so I discontinued breastfeeding for the week and went strictly to bottle so that I could monitor her volumes. Addison seemed to do well and took in approximately anywhere from 18-25 oz in a given day, so we continued bottles for the week to try to get her back up to speed on her weight. Sadly however, two problems arose......

1) we began to delve deeper into the stores of breast milk in the freezer to use up some of the older milk so we could continue on and freeze some of my current milk. Well much to our chagrin Addison began making faces and turning away in disgust at her bottles. We quickly discovered that my milk had soured during the freezing process and poor Addison was getting bottles of sour milk. Apparently the high fat content in milk, would seperate during freezing and when thawed would not congeal together again properly, thus making the milk horrible. Needless to say I sadly threw out five boxes of spoiled milk this weekend, oh heartache, after all that hard work!!!

2) secondly since I stopped breastfeeding for the week and only pumping, my milk supply really slowed down and I began producing a lot less milk!!!! So through pumping I was only producing enough to feed Addison for the day with no extra. Which would be fine for now but once her volumes increase again I will be in trouble, especially with my freezer stores going bad only after a short time in the freezer. Arrggghh!!!! Who said that this breast feeding thing was easy???? So i quickly started taking the herbal supplement Fenugreek, which seems to be working okay to bring my milk supply up a bit, but not the volumes I was producing before. So now I am hoping to go at least to six months (corrected age) for Addison with breast milk, which will bring her close to eating solids and then we may have to switch over to formula.

So even though we had all these problems with my milk, it payed off in the end as Addison had a wonderful weight gain of one pound over the last two weeks!!! She is a whopping 12 lbs and 2 ozs and is quickly getting her wonderful little rolls back on her legs, arms and tummy.

On Saturday the 28th I attended a great Moms to Moms sale in London, which is basically a huge indoor garage sale of children's clothing, toys and other much needed baby items!!! So being the shopaholic that I am I quickly attended the clothing sale tables and found some fantabulous deals on some great brand name clothing for Addy. She is going to be the best dressed kid on the block!!! Such cute outfits for wonderful prices. For all you moms out there this is definitely the way to shop out. I got Addy some adorable summer outfits for $1-$2 and some funky little swimsuits. I found this cute hat for .25c, and could not resist trying it on. A little big but sooo cute just the same. Addy seems impressed, I really hope she has the shopping bug like mommy, if not she will quickly learn. ;) ;))

The week of the 31st, Addison and I went down for a visit to Chatham to see Mim, Aunt Danielle and cousins; Logan and Zak, as we would not see the family for Easter. Addison was happy to again see her cousins and was intrigued again with all the attention she got from Logan and Zak. Logan decided he was ready to hold Addison and I quickly snapped a shot. The boys were so good with her and so gentle, and wanted to help mom out as she fed Addison her bottle. They even decided to get together with Mim and take a pic with her and all her grandkids. So wonderful to see the family together and growing!!!! Addy can't wait to be able to play with the boys and steal all their cars I am sure.