No More Sleepless Nights?

While our friend Jessie was here, we took Lexi on her first trip down to see the arch. The doctors have said that we can be outside (weather permitting) since germs can't really make it through the wind to her. So, we took advantage of the nice days over the past week or so and went for a stroll in the park.

Although today didn't bring with it the greatest weather, it was a pretty good day nonetheless. We went to the pediatrician for Lexi's 4 month checkup. She weighed in at 12 lbs. 4 oz, which the doctor was very happy about. She is in the 25th percentile for weight and 3rd percentile for height. We were happy, too, as the doctor said that since her weight gain has been sufficient, we can now feed her according to her cues instead of in accordance with a pre-established schedule. This also means that we can allow her to sleep through the night if she's capable of doing that. Needless to say, this last change is a very welcome one, as we hope we can start getting a little more sleep. However, Lexi has recently decided that 6:00 is her bedtime, and she isn't always as tired in the middle of the night as she used to be. Go figure -- she is still trying to show us who the boss is. So, we now need to adjust the tired time to align it with our sleep schedule a little more. How to convince a 4 month old of that is another story, but hopefully we'll come up with a game plan soon.

The doctor also was pleased that Lexi's thyroid levels seem to have stabilized, her head is getting its shape back, and her neck muscles seem to be strengthening finally. So, we were ordered to keep up the torturous tummy time, let her sleep through the night, and supplement her milk with regular formula instead of the predigested formula. We'll welcome all these changes and look forward to more fun outings when given the opportunity!

Minnesota Helper

Jessie, our good friend from Luther College, flew down from the Twin Cities, MN, to meet Lexi, spend some time with her, and help us out for a few days. She left her adorable 1 1/2 year-old to spend time with us instead. Since we can't really leave the house for the most part, Jessie was welcomed into our lifestyle of staying home for long periods of time. However, Jessie embraced our circumstances, and the weather has been gorgeous here the last few days, so we were able to get out some. Yesterday, we took Lexi to Castlewood Park near our house to walk on the paths in the wooded area by the river, and today we went for a walk around the neighborhood. Thank goodness for the good weather, or we really would have been cooped up.

Brian also played all-star Dad by watching Lexi for two of the three nights to allow Laura and Jessie to go out to dinner. Since Laura is quarantined full time with Lexi, it provided a few much needed hours out of the house. During the days she was here, Jessie helped entertain Lexi while Laura worked, as well as sat in the car with Lexi, so Laura could run errands to OfficeMax, Sams, and Babies'R'Us. Jessie also has introduced us to new ideas with Lexi, including exploring ways to get Lexi to tolerate tummy time better. So far, no great success stories, but some great ideas and some fun new toys!

Lexi Turns 4 (Months)

Today we celebrate four months of life for little Lexi. Although much of this time has been accompanied by a healthy dose of fear, it also has been the most exciting four months of our lives. In honor of Lexi reaching this milestone, we briefly recount the last four months...

1st month: The day Lexi was born, we were very excited to welcome her into the world. Although immediately we were a little scared, we were ecstatic to have such a beautiful daughter. In the next month, we faced a major surgery, an ongoing illness that threatened her life, and a variety of other challenges, but she showed she was a fighter and indicated we would get through all of these challenges in the coming months.

2nd month: In Lexi's second month, we thought we would get to leave the hospital and enjoy her company in our own home. Instead, we slowly tried to work on getting her up on her feeds and getting her intestines to do the work required. After another slight bout with illness, we readjusted plans, and she went in for her second surgery instead. All was successful, and she really began to smile during this time, which was great to see. The fact Alexis could smile through all this said wonders for her amazing personality.

3rd month: In Lexi's third month, she really began to develop. We spent many days on the hospital floor doing tummy time, batting at toys, swinging in the swing, and learning to coo. Lexi also had her third intestinal surgery, and after some of the scariest moments of all, we were finally able to take her home. Although the adjustment to having her home during the first couple days was a little rough, we were excited to finally relax on our own couch and flirt with experiencing normal parenting.

4th month: The start of the fourth month has gone great so far. We're excited to see the daily progress that she makes with her head control, eating, and hopefully sleeping through the night (if the pediatrician will ever let us allow her to sleep through the night!) She has started grasping toys with our help and really likes the variety of stimulations at home. Her demeanor is great (for the most part), and we are having a ton of fun watching her grow outside the confines of the NICU. Although we have a body cast for her hip dysplasia to look forward to, all indications are that she is healthy overall and has adapted well so far, and we are loving finally having our little girl in our own home!