Merry Christmas
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
December 23, 2011
We got a great picture of Peter holding his Happy Birthday, Grammy sign perfectly . . . however, this smile was just to cute to not share . . . so . . . Happy Birthday, Grammy . . . I am glad I get to celebrate with you today!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
December 20, 2011
Greetings from sunny Florida! Sorry we have been incommunicado for awhile. We have been enjoying our time in Florida/Georgia with Brad's family . . . we got to stop briefly at Gruncle & Auntie B's house on the way down. We spent a couple days in Georgia and then headed to The Villages to see Grammy & GrampS' new villa. They even have a Peter Palm Tree (ok, it isn't really a Peter Palm Tree, but it is just his size!)
Grammy, sneaking Peter some B A N A N A S!!!
YUMMMMMM . . . 3 grain cereal . . . sounds so tasty, right?
Chillin' at the pool
Peter was worried that someone was going to feed him to the alligators so he had us park him under this sign!
Posing with Grammy & GrampS
Sunday, December 11, 2011
December 11, 2011
Yesterday Sami came over for an afternoon visit . . . Peter and she had a fun time rolling around on the floor and hitting one another (because that's what babies who don't have complete control of their limbs do) . . . Peter showed off his eating skills and Sami showed off her rolling skills . . . and mommies and daddies had fun, too (Brad bought a Kinect system for our x-box . . . oh my goodness is it fun . . . and tiring)
Friday, December 9, 2011
December 9, 2011
Peter is dreaming of a winter wonderland . . .
Check out my new hat . . . Grammy made it for me (it matches the sweater she and Aunt Allison made for me) . . . I am sooo fashionable!Peter had his developmental follow-up appointment at the NICU yesterday so I thought I would share some details from that exceedingly long appointment! Peter now weighs 14 pounds and is 25 3/4" tall. As I have previously mentioned, there is a Very Low Birth Weight growth chart that the doctors use to chart Peter's growth . . . he continues to be our long and lean little guy as his height is in the 95th+ percentile and his weight is in the 50th percentile. At this appointment, Peter was seen by Dr Thurin (our favorite neonatologist), Janelle (our favorite occupational therapist) and Judy (the dietitian). All gave him great reviews. He is physically doing very well. His lungs are clear and his growth is right on track. Janelle said most of his skills are far surpassing his gestational (and some his actual age). However, he does have a fair amount of tightness (due to an overdeveloped muscle) in his back. So, we are working on stretching him out at every possible opportunity. This is nothing to be concerned about, but we want to make sure it doesn't develop into anything serious. Judy is happy with his growth and is pleased with our food choices for him. She has given us the go ahead for meats and those yummy (or not so yummy to adults) crackers that kiddos like to gnaw on.
Now onto some pictures . . .
I am tired of peas, Daddy . . . please, no more . . .
Peter regularly falls asleep halfway through his evening meal . . . it is the strangest thing . . . it isn't like he nods of slowly . . . he's eating one minute and the next? He's out like a light . . . usually for about 15 minutes, then he wakes up, happily finishes his meal and eats a full bottle . . . he's a weird little dude!
This is what happens when Daddy decides that squash makes an excellent medium for face painting (to be clear, Peter is a very tidy eater!)
Sunday, December 4, 2011
December 4, 2011
Do you like my new sweater? Aunt Allison made it for me . . . she's the best . . . Thanks Aunt Allison! Grammy made me a matching hat, but silly mommy forgot to put it on before she took this picture . . . I am embarassed to admit that I was a bit of a grumpy puss shortly after and unavailable for human consumption or photo ops . . . so, Mommy will post a picture with my hat tomorrow :)
Saturday, December 3, 2011
December 3, 2011
I typed this post before Thanksgiving, but never got around to posting it . . . so, here it is . . .RSV . . . what it is . . . how to prevent it . . . what it means for us . . . there are pictures at the end . . . so, start reading!
Peter is on board with my plan to share a bit about RSV with you as he contracted his first cold right before Thanksgiving. Also, he started his regimen of incredibly painful shots and wants you to be aware of all he is doing to avoid RSV! So, here we go . . .
1.) What is RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia in children under 1 year of age in the United States. Each year, 75,000 to 125,000 children in this age group are hospitalized due to RSV infection. Almost all children are infected with the virus by their second birthday, but only a small percentage develop severe disease.
2.)Who is at risk for severe illness? Premature infants, children less than 2 years of age with congenital heart or chronic lung disease, and children with compromised (weakened) immune systems due to a medical condition or medical treatment are at highest risk for severe disease. Adults with compromised immune systems and those 65 and older are also at increased risk of severe disease. Peter was premature, he is less than 2 years old, he has chronic lung disease and, as a preemie he has a weak immune system.
3.)How is RSV transmitted? People infected with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days. However, some infants and people with weakened immune systems can be contagious for as long as 4 weeks. RSV is often introduced into the home by school-age children who are infected with RSV and have a mild upper respiratory tract infection, such as a cold. RSV can be rapidly transmitted to other members of the family, often infecting about 50% of other household members. RSV can be spread when droplets containing the virus are sneezed or coughed into the air by an infected person. Such droplets can linger briefly in the air, and if someone inhales the particles or the particles contact their nose, mouth or eye, they can become infected. Infection can also result from direct and indirect contact with nasal or oral secretions from infected persons. Direct contact with the virus can occur for example, by kissing the face of a child with RSV.
4.) Here's the important one . . . How can we prevent an RSV infection? Frequent handwashing and wiping of hard surfaces with soap and water or disinfectant may help stop infection and spread of RSV. Also, persons with RSV illness should not share cups or eating utensils with others.Ideally, persons with cold-like symptoms should not interact with high-risk children. If this is not possible, these persons should cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and then wash their hands before providing any care. They should also refrain from kissing high-risk children while they have cold-like symptoms. When possible, limiting the time that high-risk children spend in child-care centers or other potentially contagious settings may help prevent infection and spread of the virus during the RSV season.A drug called palivizumab (say "pah-lih-VIH-zu-mahb") is available to prevent severe RSV illness in certain infants and children who are at high risk. The drug can help prevent development of serious RSV disease, but it cannot help cure or treat children already suffering from serious RSV disease and it cannot prevent infection with RSV. Peter received his first palivizumab injection on November 15th . . . he will have one every month through May . . . the shot is very painful and due to his size, starting in December, he will get one in each leg. This shot is also very expensive (upwards of $3,000 per month if you were paying out of pocket) and very hard to qualify for . . . basically, if a baby qualifies they are in the highest risk group category for developing severe symptoms from an rsv infection.
The important thing to remember is that you don't know if you're sick or not . . . you may not show symptoms of RSV for 4-6 days after exposure . . . what does that mean? Here's an example:
Sunday - you are exposed to RSV at church (we aren't even allowed to take Peter, doctor's orders)
Monday - feeling fine
Tuesday - still feeling fine
Wednesday - still feeling great and thinking, I haven't met Peter yet . . . better stop by . . .
Thursday - still feeling good, drop by Brad & Kristin's to meet Peter . . . they cautiously let you "see" him after you have thoroughly washed your hands and confirmed that you haven't been to any public places that day (since germs could have landed on your clothes) . . . you don't get to hold him, but you are in the same room . . . you sneeze (you're sure it is just allergies)
Friday - still feeling ok, but have a little tickle and your throat and feeling a little sluggish
Saturday - you have a full blown cold
Later that week - Peter gets sick . . . he may just be miserable for a week or so . . . but, he may develop severe symptoms and end up back in the hospital on breathing assistance.
This is why we are so cautious about letting anyone (family, included) interact with Peter. We know he is cute and sweet and oh so cuddly . . . but, we already spent 52 days of his life in the hospital, we don't want to relive that experience for even one day.
So, as we approach the holidays, please know that we are going to do our best to keep Peter protected from germs. That may mean you don't get to see Peter . . . we're sorry if that's the case (because he is just the most wonderful little guy), but please know that we are trying to do what's best for him . . .
Oh, one more thing before I close . . . to be clear, we understand that kids need to be exposed to germs to further develop their immune systems. However, you learned in my previous post that most babies are born with an already functioning immune system. Peter was not. Most doctors agree that by the time a preemie is 2, their immune system will be up and functioning . . . so, until then, expect us to be overprotective of our little man . . .
1.) What is RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia in children under 1 year of age in the United States. Each year, 75,000 to 125,000 children in this age group are hospitalized due to RSV infection. Almost all children are infected with the virus by their second birthday, but only a small percentage develop severe disease.
2.)Who is at risk for severe illness? Premature infants, children less than 2 years of age with congenital heart or chronic lung disease, and children with compromised (weakened) immune systems due to a medical condition or medical treatment are at highest risk for severe disease. Adults with compromised immune systems and those 65 and older are also at increased risk of severe disease. Peter was premature, he is less than 2 years old, he has chronic lung disease and, as a preemie he has a weak immune system.
3.)How is RSV transmitted? People infected with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days. However, some infants and people with weakened immune systems can be contagious for as long as 4 weeks. RSV is often introduced into the home by school-age children who are infected with RSV and have a mild upper respiratory tract infection, such as a cold. RSV can be rapidly transmitted to other members of the family, often infecting about 50% of other household members. RSV can be spread when droplets containing the virus are sneezed or coughed into the air by an infected person. Such droplets can linger briefly in the air, and if someone inhales the particles or the particles contact their nose, mouth or eye, they can become infected. Infection can also result from direct and indirect contact with nasal or oral secretions from infected persons. Direct contact with the virus can occur for example, by kissing the face of a child with RSV.
4.) Here's the important one . . . How can we prevent an RSV infection? Frequent handwashing and wiping of hard surfaces with soap and water or disinfectant may help stop infection and spread of RSV. Also, persons with RSV illness should not share cups or eating utensils with others.Ideally, persons with cold-like symptoms should not interact with high-risk children. If this is not possible, these persons should cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and then wash their hands before providing any care. They should also refrain from kissing high-risk children while they have cold-like symptoms. When possible, limiting the time that high-risk children spend in child-care centers or other potentially contagious settings may help prevent infection and spread of the virus during the RSV season.A drug called palivizumab (say "pah-lih-VIH-zu-mahb") is available to prevent severe RSV illness in certain infants and children who are at high risk. The drug can help prevent development of serious RSV disease, but it cannot help cure or treat children already suffering from serious RSV disease and it cannot prevent infection with RSV. Peter received his first palivizumab injection on November 15th . . . he will have one every month through May . . . the shot is very painful and due to his size, starting in December, he will get one in each leg. This shot is also very expensive (upwards of $3,000 per month if you were paying out of pocket) and very hard to qualify for . . . basically, if a baby qualifies they are in the highest risk group category for developing severe symptoms from an rsv infection.
The important thing to remember is that you don't know if you're sick or not . . . you may not show symptoms of RSV for 4-6 days after exposure . . . what does that mean? Here's an example:
Sunday - you are exposed to RSV at church (we aren't even allowed to take Peter, doctor's orders)
Monday - feeling fine
Tuesday - still feeling fine
Wednesday - still feeling great and thinking, I haven't met Peter yet . . . better stop by . . .
Thursday - still feeling good, drop by Brad & Kristin's to meet Peter . . . they cautiously let you "see" him after you have thoroughly washed your hands and confirmed that you haven't been to any public places that day (since germs could have landed on your clothes) . . . you don't get to hold him, but you are in the same room . . . you sneeze (you're sure it is just allergies)
Friday - still feeling ok, but have a little tickle and your throat and feeling a little sluggish
Saturday - you have a full blown cold
Later that week - Peter gets sick . . . he may just be miserable for a week or so . . . but, he may develop severe symptoms and end up back in the hospital on breathing assistance.
This is why we are so cautious about letting anyone (family, included) interact with Peter. We know he is cute and sweet and oh so cuddly . . . but, we already spent 52 days of his life in the hospital, we don't want to relive that experience for even one day.
So, as we approach the holidays, please know that we are going to do our best to keep Peter protected from germs. That may mean you don't get to see Peter . . . we're sorry if that's the case (because he is just the most wonderful little guy), but please know that we are trying to do what's best for him . . .
Oh, one more thing before I close . . . to be clear, we understand that kids need to be exposed to germs to further develop their immune systems. However, you learned in my previous post that most babies are born with an already functioning immune system. Peter was not. Most doctors agree that by the time a preemie is 2, their immune system will be up and functioning . . . so, until then, expect us to be overprotective of our little man . . .
Mommy, Daddy and I delivered our cookie trays today . . . so, I had to get a little festive
Did Mommy mention that I am eating peas as well as sweet potatoes?
Caught in the act . . . not sure what the act is, but I look guilty!
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