5 second rule

Myla and I were just playing (and I do mean just - it was like 20 minutes ago) with her fridge farm. She grabbed a piece off the fridge and took it in both hands to look at it. But wait, what was holding her up? Her little feet! Myla stood there - STOOD there - for about five seconds examining this piece before putting it back on the fridge. Pretty fitting milestone for coming home one year ago today huh?

Only 364 days to go

Merry Christmas! We hope that yours was as merry as ours was. It was so nice to spend the day with the family and wonder at our little Myla and how she can crawl so fast! Myla had a very good Christmas. She was spoiled with hugs and kisses and a few presents came her way too. She got puzzles and books and clothes and stuffed animals and a tunnel to crawl through and a quilt and... so much more!

She visited with family and showed off and had such a great day. And we did too, just watching her and marveling at how far she's come from just a short year ago. She had ham and green beans and pasta for Christmas Eve dinner and prime rib, potatoes and carrots for Christmas. She's just done so well. She loved every minute. She's an eater, that's for sure. She got to play with cousins and aunts and uncles, got to pull up and squat down, and chase Uncle Scott's dog. It was a full day!

We got spoiled a bit too (Phantom tickets! Indoor skydiving! Batteries for the drill so we can FINALLY finish the deck!). But most of all, and I think I speak for her dad her too, we were just so thankful. We were truly blessed with awesome doctors and nurses and a true miracle baby that powered through it all. She definitely had a guardian angel watching over her and we are so overwhelmed by the joy and love that she has brought into our lives. Those commercials say that having a baby changes everything, and while I knew that it would, I had no idea it would be by this much. She made Christmas so much fun and full of child-like wonder for us. I just loved watching her discover all the new toys and figuring out what they could do. This next year is going to fly by too, and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Getting in the Spirit

Its amazing how having a little one around during the Christmas season seems to make everything a little more fun. We see things in a whole new way through Myla's eyes - the village, the tree, the presents. Even the wrapping paper. Its all so different for her, new I guess. Sometimes, she crawls under the tree and I don't know how, but she knows which ones are her presents and she'll shake them. I don't think its to try and figure out what it is, but more because she's found something new. I just hope she still likes them when the wrapping paper is off.

Myla is getting more and more table food - she had meatloaf the other night, yummy! - and has figured out how to drink from her sippy cup while holding it herself. She'll drink water from it just fine, but don't try to sneak in some milk, that only comes from bottles. We'll keep working on it. She's taken a couple of steps by herself behind her little stroller while pushing it and has ventured out to walking along walls and cabinets. She'll be upright soon I'm guessing. Until then, she will crawl at supersonic speeds. She discovered underneath the table the other night - like a little fort. That was pretty neat.

I have to tell you the story behind this adorable hat. Last year, Myla got a Christmas dress, preemie size, and if you recall, she still swam in it. Well, the dress came with matching booties and this hat, which this year fits her little head perfectly. The booties do too. Now, I don't know which preemie they measured the hat for, but it is NOT preemie size, its Myla size. And doesn't she make it look good?!

Parade of Lights

The whole way there in the car Myla was laughing at her Auntie Aimee, she must have thought something was pretty funny. She's doing more and more little things as she grows. Feeding herself is a big thing! We can hardly feed her with a spoon at times without little fingers and hands breaking in there and taking over. Anyway, it took a short time to find a good spot on the street for the parade but we just held Myla up so she could see. The people around her were half the entertainment for her, she's always people watching. Her little face was priceless as the big balloons slowly wafted by and the string people making the balloon spin in place. Myla enjoyed the drums too, she would bounce and wave her arms as they go thundering by.

Luckily the weather held out for it too. Even the night before was frigid, but there are still some mild winter days left for us, not a lot, but some. Myla is really crawling lately, picking up some speed. She will push her little stroller and dolly around the living room for as long as we'll let her. She's mostly on her knees and she'll flatten out on her tummy, still holding on, and kick her legs and start all over again. I guess it's fun in her little mind. She's very much a Daddy's girl these days which makes me feel really special. I don't know what it is but I'm glad to have so much love before she's a teenager and thinks I'm a square....

Counting Blessings

What a Thanksgiving weekend! A far cry from last year huh? Myla had a great time charming her great-grandparents that came into town for the festivities. She laughed and played and had fun mocking her mom's cough which also came in time for the long weekend. Plus, her A2 had her golden birthday this past weekend - she turned 29 on the 29th - and had a fun party to mark the occasion. Myla was the belle of the ball in her holiday season dress fresh from Grandma Witulski's sewing room. She had so much fun watching the kids and meeting new faces that she slept almost a full 12 hours!

Sunday it snowed all day and so we spent the day watching the Bronco game and Myla take her birthday car out for a spin. She was so much fun to watch crawl behind it and sometimes flatten out if it went a little to fast. She loves to play games and laugh and doing things all by herself, even eating. She got to try a little mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, some stuffing, cranberries, rolls and a small piece of turkey. She's decided its much more fun to feed yourself than some old spoon. We're taking it slow, trying new things and learning that sometimes just because its gone, doesn't mean that it made its way into the tummy.

I'm sure you're tired of hearing it, but we've been thinking a lot about where we were last year and just being so thankful that everything is going so well. We have not stopped giving thanks for our nurses and doctors and want to send a virtual thank you to all those out there that are helping babies and families through this season. Thank you for being there and for your love and your shoulders and continued prayers.

Winter is in the air

True, yesterday was 75 degrees (in November!?), but today it was only 35 and so we finally got to pull out some warm clothes! And very cute clothes in Myla's case. She's been looking so big lately - something about growing I think. She's doing it fast too - moving everywhere she can, whether crawling or walking around the furniture. She gets really mad at herself when she falters a little bit while standing too. Its so cute, you can't help but laugh, and she doesn't like that so much either.

Tonight, we tried some little ravioli's for Myla to pick up and feed herself. She seems to have a preference for that lately. She'll take a few spoonfuls of food from us and then the hands will break free and go in her mouth. So, she usually ends with cheerios or puffs. But tonight we thought something more substantial - yeah, right. Some ended up on her shirt, some on the floor (much to the dog's eternal happiness) and some smooshed all over the tray. I think she did get a taste of it, but then got too frustrated that they were so slippery and so she, yet again, finished with cheerios. As long as she's eating, right?

She fell asleep tonight holding tight to my finger as we were rocking. I've been waking up in the middle of the night lately with this weird feeling that I couldn't figure out until her little hand squeezed my finger. Its the feeling I had last year, when she was in the hospital. We had just gotten to hold her not too long before and it was around this time that she moved off the ventilator and onto high flow oxygen. That's what that feeling is, the same feeling of not being near her. That's why I can go back to sleep after I check on her, because there she is, sleeping in the next room with her diaper-butt up in the air, having little baby dreams. And not anywhere else. I hope that all the babies in all the hospital and all their moms can someday too feel that peace that comes with a happy baby in the next room.

Picture Tag

Our framily, the Tessems, tagged us for picture tag. The way I understand it, its the fourth picture from the fourth folder in your picture file. So, I went into our picture files and here is the specified picture -
Kind of ironic that its a picture of their kids from our Christmas celebration in 2006...

In the spirit of the game, I now tag Mindy and Andrea and Stephanie - and hey, anyone else that wants to share random pictures from their computers!

Cute stories to share

Saturday, I put Myla down for a nap before some friends came over. She played most of the time while she was in her crib, and when I was sure that she was obviously not going to go to sleep, I peeked my head in to see what she was doing. And then I had to go get Johnny. Together, as we stood outside her room and opened her door, there was Myla, standing up at the end of her crib, looking at the door - with her pants off! Yep, whether she crawled out of them or stepped on them till they came off while pulling herself up, I don't know, but we all thought it was pretty funny.

Myla has really taken to the crawling part of life and now likes to go after the dog if there is a run-by sniffing. She will crawl up close to Haley's chair and Haley will have to get out of it (for some unknown dog reason) and they will go after each other until Myla is away from the chair and Haley can lay down. I don't know - some kind of game they play. Myla loves to look out the window and Haley does too, so its something they can do together. Unlike the cat, who still tries not to go near Myla if she can help it, which is getting harder to do.

The baby dolls have found a temporary home sitting in our big chair until they can be pulled off. We decided to plop Myla up there too, to take a picture of all the baby dolls. There is one that has a rattle in it and I decided to play peek-a-boo with it for Myla. The baby would come up from the floor and say boo! and Myla would laugh and laugh and laugh! Then the baby would go back down and Myla would look over the edge of the chair to see her and the minute she did would laugh and laugh and laugh! She thought that baby was so funny, and it made us laugh so hard we had tears in our eyes. Thank goodness for video!

Dirty knees

Just as we posted that Myla was only thinking about crawling and trying so hard, she went and did it! She crawled like 10 feet! Now we can't keep her still, not that we want to, but it's a whole new ballgame now that she's mobile. If we move into another room she loves to follow us and pull herself up by our legs. And, we've also found just how dirty our floors really can be.... all on her knees and feet. She is so much fun!

So far so good for Myla and Mommy. Daddy got a really bad cold this past weekend that turned into an ear infection. Really! Are you kidding me?! Anyway, I'm no longer contagious if what we're told about antibiotics is true and I can hopefully go back to work and back to being Myla's Daddy. I tried to not touch her if I could help it and it was no fun but I think we'll all be okay. Poor Mommy had to do the late night duties with baby so Daddy could rest and get better but now that he's fed up with being sick she can sleep.

Ladybugs, pumpkins and cookies - oh my!

Myla went to a pumpkin party on Sunday at her cousin Reagan's house. She went as a ladybug - so cute! She got to decorate cookies and had lots of fun playing with the toy kitchen and watching dad carve her pumpkin. There were lots of things to watch and take in - particularly the other kids as they ran around and played. Mom and Dad got to visit and eat some yummy soups and snacks. It was a great time.

Myla went to the doctor on Monday - much to dad's dismay. She did have to get four shots (one was her flu shot) and he really doesn't like to see that happen. But she settled down almost immediately after she got back in his arms. Myla now weighs 15 pounds and 11 ounces and is 25 3/4 inches tall. Not bad huh? The doctor thought she was doing just great and was very happy to see her progressing so well. She also has been cleared to go anywhere in the mountains that she wants, which is kind of nice. I was thinking about the ice sculptures in Breckenridge come January....

She is really working on the crawling thing and has become a master at getting from a sitting position over her feet and on to her tummy. However, she is still stuck in reverse and only inches forward some of the time. But she's getting it - you can tell she gets really frustrated about going backwards. Johnny says that she got the army crawl going for a little bit today. She's so big!

Its a party!

When else in one's life can a birthday be cause for so much celebration? The very first birthday. The one you're not likely to remember at all but to most of those who were there, it will be one for the scrap books. I don't know if Myla had any fun or not...who am I kidding, she had too much fun! She was so tired before the party was over. The stimulation of all the people there to see her, the bright, fancy wrappings and don't forget the textures, like birthday cake and tissue paper. Flashing lights on toys and noises accompanying them... it's a lot to take in when you're little.


We would like to thank everyone who came and helped make Myla's day so special. It's wonderful to know so many people care about you and looking back, I know she will see it. And for all the family and Framily that are out of town, we know your wishes for Myla on her special day were felt. It's amazing how much fun we had celebrating our little girl! It really brought back the mystique and joy of not just birthdays but all new and exciting things that Myla is experiencing, we're re-living them all over again through her beautiful blue eyes.

Myla, on Saturday, decided to be more independent...or rather Dad was not paying close enough attention.... I was changing her diaper and left her on the changing pad on top of her dresser to kneel down and un-clog the diaper genie when out of the corner of my eye something was coming towards me really fast. I pivoted and stuck out my arms and there was Myla! Very surprised of course, and so was I. I still don't know how I caught her but I dare not try for a repeat event. Our life is about to become much more interesting. Myla can inch forward on her hands and knees now and she loves to walk if someone holds her hands. It's more like a march, but she's got the basics down. It won't be long and we'll have to really keep a sharp eye out for a wobbly little mover. Look out Cat!

Happy 1st Birthday Myla!

Happy Birthday to Myla! Happy Birthday to Myla! I guess you know how the rest of the song goes huh? Myla is officially one year old today and loving every minute of it. Today, we took her out for a celebratory breakfast and after a necessity trip to Target and a nap, Myla took her first trip to the Butterfly Pavilion.

Once she saw that things were flying around her head, she was pretty intrigued. She watched them on the leaves and on the flowers and even watched one land on mom's back. She tried to grab them - of course - but they were pretty fast. She also had a good time watching the kids that were there on school field trips and the few birds they have inside. Then we took the dog on a walk - its a gorgeous 60 degree October day in Denver - and she had fun watching the dog chase, well, just about anything.

I think she had a pretty good day and we are having a great time being with her. She's very happy today too and smiles all the way through the happy birthday song. She's been working on crawling and went forward for a little bit today before she flattened out for a toy. She's so big and she'll be on the move in no time. Thank you to everyone who's giving their best wishes to Myla this past year. We all appreciate it more than you will ever know.

Almost there!

So, I finished my book on the bus this morning and then this afternoon I had some time to think. (Johnny says I read too fast, maybe that is my problem...) Anyway, I found myself thinking back a whole year and how I was in the hospital one year ago today. I think I was sufficiently drugged by now, but I remember crying and thinking how small she was and how this was NOT the plan. I remember thinking how there were so many things that could go wrong and how on earth were they going to deliver this tiny little being into the world. I remember thoroughly believing that I had let her down, that my body had betrayed her and now she was going to have to do it all on her own and how that didn't seem very fair and I was already an awful mother. I also remember the wonderful nurse that took care of me that night - Cynthia - who told me that in five years, I would be playing hide-and-go-seek with Myla, and she would hide under the dining room table (because they always hide there) and I could have a cup of hot chocolate and listen to her giggle for five minutes because she thought that I didn't know where she was. I remember holding on to that image with all my might as I struggled through that first night.

And now, as I look back over the past year and all the hurdles we had to jump and all the hills we had to climb, I don't think I would change a thing. OK, maybe a few small things. Lets face it, carrying around that oxygen tank was not a whole lot of fun. But how lucky am I? I have the happiest baby who loves to smile and chatter and sing us awake in the morning. She loves to stand and bounce and laugh when you are laughing. She is trying new things and learning something everyday. Today, she even ate carrots from a crock-pot stew that I just mashed up with a fork. She so big and so wonderful and has taught me so much about true unconditional love. I cannot wait to celebrate her birthday on Friday - and every birthday that comes as she grows. And I cannot wait to play hide-and-go-seek.

Hello there, Polar Bear!

It's just cold enough for this sweet little pink jacket! What a day for Myla! Her OT/PT came to see her this morning and Dad bragged about all the wonderful things that she was doing and saying, so much so that Myla had to show off too. She pulled herself up from Dad's lap and grabbed her little giraffe toy by the ears and cruised all the way around him on her own while singing and laughing and just having a good time. Then she fell on the second lap so Dad had to console for a bit. So her OT/PT thinks she is right where she should be for her adjusted age. We're going to work more on the crawling effort too. Myla went backwards for a few feet, not really what I had in mind, but a good start in the right...direction....?

Myla's Grammy and G-daddy and Aunt Becky were in town last weekend but she didn't get to see much of them due to a nasty stomach virus she got, I got, her Nonnie got, and her Mom got. She shared the love. It was kind of tough seeing her in pain and not able to eat or sleep well, we really wanted to do something to make it all better. But before that, Myla was working up to eating cheerios and crackers and drinking juice. She gets more fingers than cheerios but an A for effort. She is such a joy! Next week is her 1st Birthday party! She's already got a lot of presents from her Omaha relatives to open and enjoy where ever there's room for them, somewhere. We really do appreciate all the things that everyone has done for Myla and helping make life easier for us when Myla came in to the world and we hope you all will enjoy her pictures and stories for years to come!

Go Broncos!

Myla went to her first official Bronco party today. Sure, she was around last season and the first two weeks of this season, but last year she couldn't wear clothes and the first two weeks this year was a too late Monday night game and then we were in Panther country. So this week, she dressed up in her Bronco shirt and socks and cheered them on! Mostly though, she smiled and talked and spun around in her fancy activity center, but there were a few times that she faced the TV...

While we were there, Myla also got to pick out some clothes from a "friend" in California. Including this stylish hat. She's kind of girlie like that, she likes to play with jewelry and wear dresses and play with clothes. But when she looks so cute, how can you resist!?

I've started my new job at a non-profit last week and Myla has settled in with the fabulous lady that watches her. Its hard to be gone - I really enjoyed our days together - but she is well loved and taken care of. The job is good, its a lot of laying groundwork right now, but it has some awesome potential in the next six months I'd say. I think overall, it will be good. John is working hard at his three stores and is getting ready for the busy season. He's really got a great crew and he's not anticipating any problems. But I guess in retail, you never know!

North Car-o-lina!

We took a trip to North Carolina to visit our framily the Tessems this past week. Myla did great on the airplane - had a great time smiling at the people around her and just playing really. The ride out there she took some little 20 minute snoozers that kept her refreshed until we arrived at our final destination. We wasted no time in taking in the sights and hopped in the car the next day to visit the ocean.

Myla was not scared of the waves or the noise at all and really liked to get down there and get her feet wet. And of course she loved to eat the sand! She did get a few waves that came right up into her face but she didn't seem to mind the salty taste either. She had lots of fun watching the kids splash and run and build sand castles and hunt for shells.

We saw so many things - the American Tobacco Campus, the Durham Bulls stadium and where they filmed "Bull Durham" - and took in some of the local cuisine. We visited the Duke gardens and walked around the campus some. Johnny tried his hand at trail running at sea level, but seeing as how he doesn't run, it was a little harder than he thought.

We had a great time and were really sad when it was time to leave. Thank you Tessems for showing us around! See you again soon!

NICU reunion

Today we went to the NICU/Preemie reunion for our hospital of choice. It was so much fun! We saw some families that were there at the same time we were and all the amazing graduates that have come so far. We didn't see all the nurses that we wanted to, but the ones that were there couldn't get over how great Myla looked. Lets do a little comparison from then and now, shall we?
Yep, quite a change our little girl has made. One of the nurses said that they have so many babies that its hard to remember them all, but Myla is one they always think about. Her picture was on their board until they had to move to the temporary space and they can't wait to get updated ones. They will be having an open house in December to show off the new NICU and we will have to go to that to. These are two of the nurses that were so great and took such great care of Myla. It really is amazing to see how great she is doing. And doing everything she is supposed to be doing too. It took her awhile, but she did show off her two little teeth and her smiles. It was a lot of fun.

September already?!

I was just getting used to August... and September is such a busy month! First, Myla will be showing off her big girl self at the preemie reunion this Saturday. We are very excited to be able to hug all our friends from the NICU and to say thank you for all they did for our little girl. She will have lots of chances to show off that spit-fire personality they saw so often. Plus, I want to get pictures of her with some of the nurses, because when we left, there were a number of them on Christmas break and we never got to say a proper goodbye.

Next, Myla's first airplane trip! We leave for North Carolina in one week to play with our friends the Tessems. I know they have all sorts of cool things out there - I've seen them on their blog. I'm still a little nervous about the plane trip, but Myla is a good baby most of the time and I hope we can handle her... She really likes to play on the floor and just talk to her toys, or roll over on her tummy to sleep, neither of which you can do on the airplane. But I'm sure she will make it work.

We are also anxiously awaiting the birth of a new cousin, Kaidynce Washburn, due to come any day. Plus, Johnny turns 32, and I celebrate the first anniversary of my 29th birthday. And then its full on planning for Myla's first birthday! See, I'm already at October!

Another one!

Myla sure isn't wasting any time! Two days before she turned 10 months old she had the first tooth and two days after she was 10 months old she popped up the second tooth. They are right next to each other on the bottom. She loves to run her tongue over them and to chew, chew, chew! Again, it didn't seem to bother her. I guess her nose turned red, but that was really the only outward sign.

We did an "un-official" weigh and measure for her 10 months. She's 25 inches now and somewhere around 16 pounds. Myla is loving this food stuff - or maybe its the spoon in her mouth to chew on - and she has moved on to some combined flavors and bigger containers. I even got her a little divided plate the other day. May have jumped the gun a little bit, but it was so cute!

I spy with my little eye

A tooth! Its just barely cut through the gums, but there it is, sharp as all get out. We were just watching the Bronco game and Grandma kept saying, "I think you're teething" and I thought, nah, I just checked yesterday. But sure enough, I stuck my finger in and right there, lower front, a little tooth. She didn't show any classic signs - no excessive drooling, no runny nose, no high fever - just a few nights she wouldn't go to sleep so easy. Her dad thinks its kind of a bittersweet moment, yeah Myla has a tooth, but bummer our little girl is growing up. I told him that there were a lot of joys that came with the growing up too. Like corn on the cob and running around the park!

I think she is growing too - she's eating so well and sleeping a lot. But since when has she followed classic signs, right? Her eye appointment on Tuesday went really well, everything looked great and she shows no signs of near or far-sightedness. They don't want to see us for two years! The occupational therapist came on Wednesday and could not stop raving about how well she was progressing. Myla really showed off too, grabbing her toes and sitting up straight and talking! She showed us some things to do - as usual - that will help build her muscle strength as well.

On the completely other end of the spectrum, Myla's Great-Grandma Witulski passed away on Thursday. She hasn't been doing well and we know that she is in a better place and can finally give my Grandpa a ration about not visiting her, but its still a sad time. I'm sad that she didn't get to know more of Myla, and vice-versa, but I have some fond memories that maybe someday I'll tell her about.

Nice mohawk!

Well, school starts tomorrow (change of author) Not knowing what that has to do with anything, the narrator swings the pendulum of content in a completely different direction.... So, Myla's hair stands up in a mohawk pretty easy. It's fun. She's had a taste of so many vegetables, and fruits, even prunes.. yuck..but she likes it. Sometimes she just doesn't want to eat anything unless it's from a bottle, when that happens she usually waits for the spoonfull of cereal or fruit to gets to her mouth and then spits it all over us. It's so cute when you're the one taking video of it. heh, heh.

Lately, Myla is getting used to sleeping on her stomach. She still has a hard time rolling back but she doesn't wake us up crying anymore.

Kara has had two interviews and two second interviews set up so she is pretty happy about that and I'm pushing for the job that would give us free premium digital t.v. but my vote doesn't count. I'm really excited for her too. She deserves it. I've been busier than I have wanted this last week with work. Things happen all at once sometimes. Not sure what else to write....

We are very excited for our trip to North Carolina in a few weeks! It'll be good to see our best friends and get a break from work and all. We've never been to that part of the country, hope we don't stick out like a turd in a punchbowl.

The waning days of summer

I cannot believe that its the middle of August already! Where has our summer gone!? Well, we have not been wasting any time getting out and doing things. Last week, Myla made her first trip to the Children's Museum with her cousin TD for the first ever free day. She had a lot of fun watching the kids run around. She did do a few things for the little babies, but it will be more fun for her when she's crawling I think. Then this week, we went with a playgroup to the water park at Elitch's. I couldn't believe it when she was asleep after we claimed our chairs by the pool, but she did eventually wake up and we splashed and payed in the fountains and rode down the lazy river. She made new friends, rode the light rail and was really tired at the end of the day.

Myla has really discovered her voice lately and sometimes will play and then scream. Ba, ba, ba, SCREAM! She's also a crazy baby at rolling over. Except she things she is stuck once she does it. She just hasn't put the two together yet, but I think she's close. All those fruits and veggies making her smarter I think. She's so happy and smiles at us all the time. She even got a big girl car seat this week, which dwarfs her all over again.

John is still overwhelmed at the two store job, but he's getting the hang of it. Most of it is just scheduling, and once the construction is over at the Southglenn store it will be easier on him. I have an interview today and a second one next week, so hopefully something will pan out. I am sad at the thought of going back full time, but babies need food and diapers, you know!?

Fun, fun, fun!

Well, Kara was going to blog today, but then she got sidetracked big time. Her job hunt may turn out to be good. So, yesterday, Myla's parents were at a movie when she allegedly rolled all the way over onto her tummy, says Grandma and GrandFather. Who knows, maybe she'll do it again for us tonight. Lately Myla's been doing a lot of little things, like talking more and more loudly, giggling, interacting with us... she is so much fun.

Two days this week Myla had woke up at 3am. I thought she was over that but no....she must need to eat more than she's letting on. She loves carrots! And sweet potatoes, but don't even try to feed her peas. Yuck! Today Myla will try some pears. Her mom likes pears, so maybe she will too, just like she hates peas like her dad.

Nine months - times 10!

Myla is nine months old today - and ten times her birth weight. Quite an accomplishment. We went and saw the doctor for her nine month check up and while the shots weren't a great way to say congratulations, everything else was good. She officially weighed in at 14 pounds 3/4 ounce, and was 24 1/4" long. She's also twice as long as she was when she was born! So, when Myla was born, she weighed 22 ounces. Today, she weighed 224 ounces. Most nine month babies at their check-ups are only twice their birth weight. Needless to say, the doctor is keeping her on the multi-vitamin because she is just growing so fast. He also said that we could call to have the oxygen picked up and out of the house! Yes! She hasn't shown any signs of needing it, or missing it.The doctor was very impressed with her and kept saying she was doing really good. We knew that though.

This was kind of a bittersweet week around the house. John will be interviewing with the manager of a second and bigger store today and will probably become the LP manager of two stores. It shows a tremendous amount of confidence from his boss to offer him such a position. And he's a little overwhelmed at the prospect of it, but I think once her figures out schedules and such, he'll really enjoy it. On the other hand, I was informed on Monday that I will be laid off in six weeks. My boss was really generous in giving me the six weeks and it gives me a chance to have a paycheck and insurance while looking for a new job. I've had my resume out there for a couple of months, but no real bites yet. Hopefully something will happen soon. However, we still feel nothing but grateful that we have a healthy, happy, beautiful little girl that makes us smile all the time. The rest - well, nothing really compares to that does it?

How hot is it?

Remember when you were a baby and you could run around in your diaper because, hey! You're a baby! Well, today was 100 degrees - or darn near close - and when you don't have air conditioning, you got to stay cool somehow. Any Myla chose to go around in her diaper for most of the day. Except, she has a really nasty diaper rash and the doctor told us to let it get some air, so really the diaper just sat under her while she played. Rough life huh? The heat didn't seem to phase her much though, she still had a good time.

Doctor's appointment is on Thursday and we expect Myla to weigh in somewhere between 15-16 pounds and measure about 25 inches. She's come a long way baby! She's so close to sitting up and love to do so. When her little bum gets better, she'll get to play more in the jumper and work on that standing thing.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. That's it - with Aunt Aimee going to France, we're going to take advantage of her pool!

A little something else.

For my parents and friends to whom I've complained about this deck project I took on several months ago, here is the first picture. Yes, it's still unfinished. But I've actually enjoyed doing it and trying to build it right and learning tricks and things. So, we can't wait to use it in the fall. ;o)

Myla update: Myla has a doctor's appointment soon for her 9th month check up and she'll get a couple shots. No fun but necessary. She is such a great joy with her little personality and easy going temperment. I think she kinda likes us too...
It's official. We are flying out to North Carolina in September to see our friends that moved out there and we cannot wait! It will be interesting flying with a baby but I bet Myla will do fine. It's going to be so much fun! So, Jeff, Kathleen and kids, get ready 'cause here we come! ;o)

Freedom!!!

Unlike a nine fingered person with that phantom feeling, Myla will not miss the canulas, other than for the fun of pulling them down into her mouth. Yes, Myla passed her last non-oxygen sleep study! We are so very proud of her! The doctor said that she improved so much in the last couple of months that it seems reasonable to stop the use of oxygen but monitor her for a little while. It may sound funny but she looks different without those prongs in her nose and the tubing across her face being held on by adhesive grips. I'm sure it will take us a few times to remember that we don't have to grab the old cart with the oxygen tank on it.

Now it will be easier to take her places without the tin man following and having to worry about were the tubing is at our feet, or caught on something else, like the dog. Haley-dog doesn't like it either. If Myla could eat ice cream we would celebrate with Dairy Queen Blizzards. Mmmm....frosty....

4th of July

Our fourth of July weekend began with a concert in the park - a little swing music by the Hot Tomatoes. Then, Grandma and Grandpa Washburn came out for a little fun and some Myla-time. Johnny and the uncles and Grandpa went golfing - for five hours! - and Myla spent the time handing out smiles to Grandma. Our little firecracker didn't have the energy to stay up for fireworks though; she was exhausted from watching her cousin run back and forth across the room. Then, on Sunday, she got to meet some aunts and uncles on the Witulski side, most who hadn't yet seen her. All in all, we had a nice weekend together.

Myla continues to amaze even me. We've moved on to barley and while she doesn't like it very much, she'll eat it if you get it in her mouth. She had an overnight oxygen test last week and we should get the results tomorrow when her doctor is in. She's such a social butterfly and people watcher, sometimes its hard to keep her engaged in eating she's whipping her head around so much. She loves to move and see new things - I think that one of these days we might have to take a trip to the zoo or something. You know, exercise her mind... There's so much to see through a baby's eyes!

Got our first invitation to the hospital preemie reunion in September. I can't believe that she's almost nine months and how much she's changed. I can't wait to take her and show her off and give big hugs to all our friends from our time there. But really, I can't wait to see their faces when they see how wonderful she is doing.

8 Months and rollin'!

What a difference a month makes in a baby's life! Myla has learned to roll almost all the way over onto her tummy, if only that shoulder would move under her easier..... She enjoys standing, with mom and dad's help, and has developed a habit of spitting when she's annoyed. Myla went swimming twice this month at her Auntie's pool and loves to try and grab the bubbles, but don't even think about making her do the back stroke, she doesn't like it at all. She is getting so good at grabbing things with either or both hands and especially likes bending the little arc above her play mat when pulling a toy down to her.

Myla has discovered two kinds of baby cereal, rice and oatmeal. She Loves oatmeal! Sometimes it doesn't come fast enough and we still have to bottle feed her but that's okay. She gets a lot of it on her face too 'cause there's so much to see that she turns her head while the spoon is in her mouth, she does that with the bottle too. But this weekend will be so cool and exhausting for our little Punkin, her Grammy and G-Daddy are coming out to see her, give her love and toys ;o). Maybe we'll be able to hang out on our deck in the backyard if I can ever get it finished by then. We'll see.

Myla's mommy and daddy are feeling old this weekend after working in the yard and cleaning the bedroom all day Saturday. Daddy was so tired he went to bed at 7pm and didn't wake up until 8am! What a slacker.....says mommy. ;o) Hopefully Myla will have another and last oxygen test this week. She can sit by herself most of the time, she just gets a little wobbly and leans to one side or the other but she's getting there. What a cutie pie, she loves to people watch and her hearing is great, she turns her head towards all the sounds. Tummy time is becoming more fun and she usually lasts longer too, just grabbing at things, using her legs but her newest thing is a type of Johnny-Jump-Up. It's not quite the same as the old version but it helps her use her legs and has a little tray to put toys on. I think she's catching on to it. There's so much to say about my little miracle but we'll save some content for the next posting.

Rockin' the cereal baby!

See, I knew it would only be a matter of time and she would be all over that cereal thing! Myla is lovin' it! It takes her a minute to remember what she's doing when we first start, but after that, its more, more, more! Sometimes, we can't get it in there fast enough. So, now that we know she likes it and knows how to eat it, we'll start doing it twice a day and maybe mix it up with some barley or something. Or, I don't know, what else do you feed a baby just starting out?

We had the day time oxygen test last week and she did famously - as expected. In fact, her numbers were 95-96 when she was awake and eating, but her tummy hurt and she didn't fall asleep. The respiratory therapist said that because her numbers were great, we could take her off of it when she was awake. Now, don't get your hopes up, because I called the doctor to ask some questions - like what if she falls asleep on the couch with her dad - and he did not say that. He did say that we might not wait until the beginning of July for the next overnight test because her numbers were so good. So, we might do that this week. I'm supposed to call him tomorrow.

We hope to go swimming again on Tuesday - see, Tuesdays are cannula changing day. We can't go swimming with the oxygen because it would get her grips wet and they would fall off and she doesn't like them as it is. So, now that we know her numbers are so good when she's awake, we're going to hit the pool and soak up some sun. And who knows, maybe this time she'll really like it.

What a day!

Like Johnny said, there's so much do to when you're small! Today was a very exciting day in the story of Myla. It started out normal enough, eat-play-nap, you know the drill. And then, things picked up. For lunch (or really, second breakfast), Myla ate most of her cereal. She was pretty funny, leaning in toward the spoon, using her hands to get it in there faster - she really took it well. But then, she was too hungry and I was not going fast enough, so we finished with a bottle. But it was a huge step! Then her occupational therapist came and couldn't stop talking about how great Myla was doing. She is doing everything that they expect of her at this stage and is even advanced in her tummy activity. In fact, she said Myla is in the 75% for her adjusted age, which I thought was good because my family is hardly in the 75% range for much when it comes to those medical charts.

After all the working out that she did with the occupational therapist, we decided that it was a 90 degree day and look! Aunt Aimee has a pool! So, for the first time in her short eight months, Myla donned a very cute suit and swimming we went! She wasn't quite sure what to think, but she didn't scream or cry, just kind of went with the flow. We met another little baby there who had been three times and this was the first time she was actually enjoying it. I think she enjoyed it, and I know it felt good with how hot it was.

For some reason, Myla will be tested by the oxygen people on Thursday when she is awake, eating and sleeping. We're not sure why, since we've been doing just overnight oxygen tests for the past few months. But maybe the doctor will say that she's okay to be off it during the day and just need it at night? Who knows. At this point, we're not going to try and guess, just do what the doctor says, right? Anyway, we'll let you know how that goes, but - just in case - cross your fingers!

No worries.

We have so much to be thankful for, it doesn't matter that Myla is still on oxygen for at least another month, she is a joy and wonderous little miracle. We're not worried. Her day will come, and in the meantime, she has something to pull on 24/7. Lately, she enjoys pulling the canulas down and into her mouth to suck all the oxygen out that way. She's very cute! I suppose that's her imagination running wild.

We've been trying to do more tummy time and sitting up with little to no assistance, reaching and grabbing things.... There's so much to do when you're little. Monday Kara went up to Aspen for work and took a tour inside a bridge. That's right, inside. It was a sectional, hollow bridge. She says it's cool. I got to wear my 49ers hard hat one more time at work, much to the enjoyment of all the Bronco fans working on the new furniture building. I am in charge of making sure all the physical security features are in place and working before it opens in July. And on top of that, I am acting as manager of another store close by starting Monday. I'm swamped!

So back to Myla. She's been trying out different sounds recently too. Lower growling-type noises and flat out screams too. And she loves to talk when she first wakes up, from naps and sleeping through the night. She has a little toy that plays music and I swear she sings along in her own little way. She is just the cutest little bug! We love her so very much and we are grateful everyday that she picked us as her parents.

Hope you all enjoy the pictures and what video shots we can put on the blog too.

Peace out!

No news yet

We did take the oxygen test on Thursday night. I got smart and put it on the foot that she doesn't try to push up on and she had the monitor on all night. However, while we were expecting them to pick up the machine on Friday and have the results to the doctor on Monday, they didn't. They did however pick it up yesterday - after a not so nice message from me - and hopefully we will get the results today. Until then, Myla will just be hanging out and soaking up the sun. We'll keep you posted!