I started this post 2 months ago. It's not finished, but at least it's something!
My son is almost 14 months old. FOURTEEN MONTHS - where did that time go? I honestly don't know. Let's see, what is Richie up to these days?
TEETH - We have two. And that's it. And for almost two months, he only had one. We call it Ol' Chomper. And it's giant now and crooked and dwarfs its new little friend that grew in (also crooked) right next door. His lack of teeth doesn't seem to slowing him down, but still, we're hoping he gets a few more soon.
CRAWLING - He started to crawl on the day he turned 11 months. I think this was slightly earlier than the pediatrician had hoped for; she thought by his first birthday. He did a lot of army crawling, but is now on all fours and also doing some spiderman crawling, where his knees don't touch the ground.
WALKING - Richie has taken his first steps!!!! We know it's not much longer until life as we know it has changed forever. He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES being mobile. Even once he started crawling he seemed so much happier. He now cruises around on furniture, walks very short distances, and stands up without needing to hold onto anything. These, my friends, are all signs that walking for real is right around the corner.
EATING - Richie LOVES food. All food. All the time. He doesn't care so much for baby food anymore and would prefer all his food be table food. He especially loves beans and cheese.
WEIGHT/HEIGHT/HEAD - Last check up at 12 months and Richie was in the 30th-50th percentile for almost everything. Not bad for a 32-weeker! We even moved him to a big-boy car seat!
Richie-Roo!
Baby Sylvia :)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Been Awhile
I've always been a bad blogger, but now it's just getting ridiculous - time for an update!
First, Richie is TEN MONTHS! I can't believe that in less than two months, I will have a one year old. The time has gone by so fast. And in six months, he will be moving up to the TODDLER room at daycare. Six months!
At his nine month appointment, our little Richie-roo weighed in at 19 pounds (30th percentile), 27 1/2 inches (10th percentile), and his head was in the 10th percentile, too (don't remember what numbers). So he is coming right along! Because his height to weight ratio isn't quite there, he kind of looks like a little square - a cute little square!
New things:
He LOVES table food. Loves it. We let daycare know they can start feeding him table foods and they keep commenting on how much he likes it. He seems to love chicken - I was feeding him some tonight and he gobbled it right up. He definitely has less interest in his bottle, so it will probably be pretty easy to wean him when the time comes. Which is fortunate for us.
He has started scooching! Just tonight, he was on the bed and would put his head on the ground and stick his little butt in the air and move his legs - and he would go somewhere! This is the start of something and I'm sure our household will never be the same! It's also exciting because the pediatrician told us we can expect him to crawl at 12 months because of his prematurity. I think he's going to exceed her expectations!
He is a total ham! He absolutely LOVES being the center of attention. We went to Michigan for the 4th of July and every time there was a crowd, he would look around to make sure people were watching him. Just this past week, he has also started smiling for the camera. Too cute!
Some pictures of my little monkey:
As for me, there are lots of pregnant ladies around me at work right now and just from people I know in general. It's exciting, but I can't help but be a little jealous. I didn't get my full pregnancy experience and I wish I could have. But, I'll get over it. I just have to put on my big girl pants and deal with it. Because, I am not going to be having another baby any time soon - I have more than I can handle for now! :)
First, Richie is TEN MONTHS! I can't believe that in less than two months, I will have a one year old. The time has gone by so fast. And in six months, he will be moving up to the TODDLER room at daycare. Six months!
At his nine month appointment, our little Richie-roo weighed in at 19 pounds (30th percentile), 27 1/2 inches (10th percentile), and his head was in the 10th percentile, too (don't remember what numbers). So he is coming right along! Because his height to weight ratio isn't quite there, he kind of looks like a little square - a cute little square!
New things:
He LOVES table food. Loves it. We let daycare know they can start feeding him table foods and they keep commenting on how much he likes it. He seems to love chicken - I was feeding him some tonight and he gobbled it right up. He definitely has less interest in his bottle, so it will probably be pretty easy to wean him when the time comes. Which is fortunate for us.
He has started scooching! Just tonight, he was on the bed and would put his head on the ground and stick his little butt in the air and move his legs - and he would go somewhere! This is the start of something and I'm sure our household will never be the same! It's also exciting because the pediatrician told us we can expect him to crawl at 12 months because of his prematurity. I think he's going to exceed her expectations!
He is a total ham! He absolutely LOVES being the center of attention. We went to Michigan for the 4th of July and every time there was a crowd, he would look around to make sure people were watching him. Just this past week, he has also started smiling for the camera. Too cute!
Some pictures of my little monkey:
As for me, there are lots of pregnant ladies around me at work right now and just from people I know in general. It's exciting, but I can't help but be a little jealous. I didn't get my full pregnancy experience and I wish I could have. But, I'll get over it. I just have to put on my big girl pants and deal with it. Because, I am not going to be having another baby any time soon - I have more than I can handle for now! :)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Help Premature Babies!
Dear Family and Friends,
On September 4, 2009, our lives were changed forever with the addition of our son, Richmond Julian Williams. And on April 24, we are going to be walking to celebrate his birth, life, and survival. With babies being born too soon every day, the March of Dimes is working on making sure that less babies and their families will have to go through a premature birth.
Richie came into this world 8 weeks early and without modern medicine and the strides that have been made in helping premature babies and preterm labor, I don’t even want to think about what could have happened. Ways that medicine helped us personally:
• Terbutaline shot at 30 weeks to stop pre-term labor
• Beta Methazone shots at 30 weeks for lung development (steroid shots)
• Special Care Nursery – with all the machines and monitors and specialized staff to make sure that Richie would thrive
And you know what? He did! Luckily. But not all babies are that lucky. And that’s why we walk.
And now we’re asking you for your support. How can you do that? By contributing to the March of Dimes by sponsoring us HERE or by walking alongside us! Your help is so much appreciated, so that babies can
go from this:
to this:
Love, Jess, Fred, and Richie
Premature Birth Statistics
Definitions
* Premature born before 37 weeks
* Moderately premature born between 35 and 37 weeks
* Very premature born between 29 and 34 weeks
* Extremely premature born between 24 and 28 weeks
* Low birthweight baby weighs less than 2,500 g (5.5 lbs)
* Very low birthweight baby weighs less than 1,500 g (3.0 lbs)
* Extremely low birthweight baby weighs less than 1,000 g (2.2 lbs)
* Neonatal deaths = within 28 days of birth
* Prenatal deaths = stillbirths and deaths occurring within the 1st week of life
Survival Rates
* Babies born at 23 weeks have a 17% chance of survival
* Babies born at 24 weeks have a 39% chance of survival
* Babies born at 25 weeks have a 50% chance of survival
* From 32 weeks onwards, most babies are able to survive with the help of medical Technology [EPICure data]
Outcomes
* 1 in 10 premature babies will develop a permanent disability such as lung disease, cerebral palsy, blindness or deafness.
* 50% of premature babies born before the 26th week of gestation are disabled, a quarter severely so. (Fowler GA. Preemie problems: the sobering statistics. US News World Reports 2000; vol 129: pp56.)
* Of children born before 26 weeks' gestation, results in 241 of the surviving children at six years (early school age) indicate a high level of disability as follows:
o 22% severe disability (defined as cerebral palsy but not walking, low cognitive scores, blindness, profound deafness)
o 24% moderate disability (defined as cerebral palsy but walking, IQ/cognitive scores in the special needs range, lesser degree of visual or hearing impairment)
o 34% mild disability (defined as low IQ/cognitive score, squint, requiring glasses)
o 20% no problems
* This study also showed a greater risk of severe disability and lower cognitive function results for boys compared with girls. This supports the theory that male sex is an important risk factor in extremely preterm infants.
* Cognitive and neurological impairment is common at school age amongst extremely preterm children. [N Engl J Med 2005; 352: 9-19.] Epicure data
On September 4, 2009, our lives were changed forever with the addition of our son, Richmond Julian Williams. And on April 24, we are going to be walking to celebrate his birth, life, and survival. With babies being born too soon every day, the March of Dimes is working on making sure that less babies and their families will have to go through a premature birth.
Richie came into this world 8 weeks early and without modern medicine and the strides that have been made in helping premature babies and preterm labor, I don’t even want to think about what could have happened. Ways that medicine helped us personally:
• Terbutaline shot at 30 weeks to stop pre-term labor
• Beta Methazone shots at 30 weeks for lung development (steroid shots)
• Special Care Nursery – with all the machines and monitors and specialized staff to make sure that Richie would thrive
And you know what? He did! Luckily. But not all babies are that lucky. And that’s why we walk.
And now we’re asking you for your support. How can you do that? By contributing to the March of Dimes by sponsoring us HERE or by walking alongside us! Your help is so much appreciated, so that babies can
go from this:
Richie - 2 hours old. And the first time I was able to see him after they brought him to the Special Care Nursery 5 minutes after he was born.
to this:
Richie today! :)
Love, Jess, Fred, and Richie
Premature Birth Statistics
Definitions
* Premature born before 37 weeks
* Moderately premature born between 35 and 37 weeks
* Very premature born between 29 and 34 weeks
* Extremely premature born between 24 and 28 weeks
* Low birthweight baby weighs less than 2,500 g (5.5 lbs)
* Very low birthweight baby weighs less than 1,500 g (3.0 lbs)
* Extremely low birthweight baby weighs less than 1,000 g (2.2 lbs)
* Neonatal deaths = within 28 days of birth
* Prenatal deaths = stillbirths and deaths occurring within the 1st week of life
Survival Rates
* Babies born at 23 weeks have a 17% chance of survival
* Babies born at 24 weeks have a 39% chance of survival
* Babies born at 25 weeks have a 50% chance of survival
* From 32 weeks onwards, most babies are able to survive with the help of medical Technology [EPICure data]
Outcomes
* 1 in 10 premature babies will develop a permanent disability such as lung disease, cerebral palsy, blindness or deafness.
* 50% of premature babies born before the 26th week of gestation are disabled, a quarter severely so. (Fowler GA. Preemie problems: the sobering statistics. US News World Reports 2000; vol 129: pp56.)
* Of children born before 26 weeks' gestation, results in 241 of the surviving children at six years (early school age) indicate a high level of disability as follows:
o 22% severe disability (defined as cerebral palsy but not walking, low cognitive scores, blindness, profound deafness)
o 24% moderate disability (defined as cerebral palsy but walking, IQ/cognitive scores in the special needs range, lesser degree of visual or hearing impairment)
o 34% mild disability (defined as low IQ/cognitive score, squint, requiring glasses)
o 20% no problems
* This study also showed a greater risk of severe disability and lower cognitive function results for boys compared with girls. This supports the theory that male sex is an important risk factor in extremely preterm infants.
* Cognitive and neurological impairment is common at school age amongst extremely preterm children. [N Engl J Med 2005; 352: 9-19.] Epicure data
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Six Months!
Richie is now six months old! Here are the latest stats:
Weight: 16 pounds, 5 ounces - this puts him in the 35th percentile unadjusted, 75th percentile adjusted
Height: 24 3/4 inches - 4th percentile unadjusted, 50th percentile adjusted
Head: 16 1/2? inches - 8th percentile unadjusted, 50th percentile adjusted
His head shape - Richie has a narrow head, but it's kind of hard to tell because of his big, chubby cheeks! The pediatrician said that it's common in preemies and will fill out soon.
Solids! This kid LOVES them! So far he's had rice cereal, bananas, apples, and pears. He loves all of them. In the next couple of days we're going to give him sweet potatoes and maybe peas. It's so fun to feed him - he makes the funniest faces the first few bites, then gets really excited and starts kicking his little sumo legs :)
Demeanor - We have a pretty happy little guy! He smiles in the mornings and if he's awake before we go in there, he spends some time just babbling to himself. He also is always happy when we drop him off and pick him up from daycare.
Daycare - He seems to like it! The teachers always tell us how great he is - he is so easygoing when he's there. He likes to be on his tummy and look at himself in the mirror. I personally think he gets a lot of attention because he's so cute!
Milestones - still a gray area. He rolled over one time, but hasn't done it since. He doesn't sit up on his own yet and his grasping is still not where 6 month-olds usually are at yet. He's coming along, though.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
5 Months
It's amazing at how much can change in 5 months. I mean, that's less than half a year, yet it can be life-changing. My Richie turned 5 months old this past Thursday. And every day we love him more than the day before.
From This:
To This:
From This:
To This:
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Am I Still Pregnant?
No, I'm not. And won't be anytime soon. But if you saw me eat, you would think I still am. Lose Baby Weight FAIL.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Shhhhh - don't wake the baby!
I never thought I would be one of those moms who tip-toes around the house. I thought I would run the vacuum cleaner, go about my normal day while the baby slept. The reason - to get him used to sounds around the house so that he could sleep through anything!
It worked that way - in the beginning. When he was still 4 weeks from his due date and home with us. But my little bug has a pretty intense startle reflex that wakes him up at the random slightest noise. But it's not every noise. It's like playing Russian Roulette with noises.
He's sleeping right now, so I better wrap this up, since I think I'm typing too loud.
It worked that way - in the beginning. When he was still 4 weeks from his due date and home with us. But my little bug has a pretty intense startle reflex that wakes him up at the random slightest noise. But it's not every noise. It's like playing Russian Roulette with noises.
He's sleeping right now, so I better wrap this up, since I think I'm typing too loud.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Shot Today :(
Richie got his monthly dose of Synagis today. He took it like a champ, but needed lots of cuddles. According to the nurse's scale, he only gained 3 ounces in the past week, which seems weird to me, but maybe he's just starting to slow his growth down. Who knows.
Anyway, here is my cute little bug!
Anyway, here is my cute little bug!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Updates
I can't believe that my son turned 4 months old last week; it blows my mind! He is doing so well and changes so much from week to week. Here are his latest stats:
Weight: 14 pounds, 3 ounces as of last Thursday. He gets his next Synagis shot tomorrow, so I'll be able to see how much he gained in one week. This puts him in the 95th percentile on the preemie charts and in the 47th percentile on the regular growth charts!
Height: 23 1/2 inches. That means he has grown 6 inches in the past 4 months.
Head: I don't know, but it puts him in the 50th percentile for preemies and in the 7th percentile for his actual age.
His little personality has started coming out even more. He loves to eat, eat, eat! He SCREAMS if you don't feed him fast enough. I think he got his temper and his imaptience from me. Hopefully the next kid will inherit Fred's... If he could, he would snack all day. Also like me.
He loves to get his diaper changed. Or maybe he just loves to be on his changing table. That kid becomes all smiles! And we've moved from having smaller poops more frequently to one major blow-out a day. We go through a lot of clothes.
He is smiling and laughing so much more now! I waited so long for those sweet smiles and I can't get enough of them! He has a dimple on his right side when he smiles (and one on his left side when he screams...) and I make the silliest faces at him all in a vain attempt to see that smiley-dimple!
His legs are getting so strong! Too bad his head control still isn't where I want it to be in order for him to use his jumper - I think he'd love it. His head control has gotten a ton better, though! He turns towards us and looks around more than he ever has.
He SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!!!! He will sleep a solid 9 or 10 hours. Now, I know that this can change in the blink of an eye, but I am enjoying it for now. And don't be too jealous - he is a TERRIBLE day-time napper. He will only sleep for 30 minutes at a time. So that usually means an intense night-time melt-down before bed.
His eyes are starting to darken up! I know they can continue to change for the next 5 months, but I'm liking that they're starting to look more like ours. He also has a little mustache, which I think is hilarious!
He seems to know us better. I know that he has known us all along, but I feel like he's starting to recognize us. And there have been a few times that he seems to want to be just with me. Which is kind of nice for a momma's heart.
Another change - I'm back at work. And it's going ok. Not great, not terrible, just ok. I think that our preemie experience was so traumatic (more than I had even realized), that I welcomed the break from the chaos. But I miss my Richie. I think that if I ever could go part-time, I would. I think for me that would be the perfect balance.
I think that about sums it up! I'm sure that I'm missing some stuff, but I'll try to remember when I post the updates on Richie's growth tomorrow!
Oh yeah, and I'll make sure to get some updated pictures of him, since he is so stinkin cute.
Weight: 14 pounds, 3 ounces as of last Thursday. He gets his next Synagis shot tomorrow, so I'll be able to see how much he gained in one week. This puts him in the 95th percentile on the preemie charts and in the 47th percentile on the regular growth charts!
Height: 23 1/2 inches. That means he has grown 6 inches in the past 4 months.
Head: I don't know, but it puts him in the 50th percentile for preemies and in the 7th percentile for his actual age.
His little personality has started coming out even more. He loves to eat, eat, eat! He SCREAMS if you don't feed him fast enough. I think he got his temper and his imaptience from me. Hopefully the next kid will inherit Fred's... If he could, he would snack all day. Also like me.
He loves to get his diaper changed. Or maybe he just loves to be on his changing table. That kid becomes all smiles! And we've moved from having smaller poops more frequently to one major blow-out a day. We go through a lot of clothes.
He is smiling and laughing so much more now! I waited so long for those sweet smiles and I can't get enough of them! He has a dimple on his right side when he smiles (and one on his left side when he screams...) and I make the silliest faces at him all in a vain attempt to see that smiley-dimple!
His legs are getting so strong! Too bad his head control still isn't where I want it to be in order for him to use his jumper - I think he'd love it. His head control has gotten a ton better, though! He turns towards us and looks around more than he ever has.
He SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!!!! He will sleep a solid 9 or 10 hours. Now, I know that this can change in the blink of an eye, but I am enjoying it for now. And don't be too jealous - he is a TERRIBLE day-time napper. He will only sleep for 30 minutes at a time. So that usually means an intense night-time melt-down before bed.
His eyes are starting to darken up! I know they can continue to change for the next 5 months, but I'm liking that they're starting to look more like ours. He also has a little mustache, which I think is hilarious!
He seems to know us better. I know that he has known us all along, but I feel like he's starting to recognize us. And there have been a few times that he seems to want to be just with me. Which is kind of nice for a momma's heart.
Another change - I'm back at work. And it's going ok. Not great, not terrible, just ok. I think that our preemie experience was so traumatic (more than I had even realized), that I welcomed the break from the chaos. But I miss my Richie. I think that if I ever could go part-time, I would. I think for me that would be the perfect balance.
I think that about sums it up! I'm sure that I'm missing some stuff, but I'll try to remember when I post the updates on Richie's growth tomorrow!
Oh yeah, and I'll make sure to get some updated pictures of him, since he is so stinkin cute.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
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