Look whos walking!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=nWdojIUr3Nc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DnWdojIUr3Nc%26feature%3Dyoutu.be&app=desktop

Happy 2nd Birthday

By far my favorite picture out of ALL the ones we have ever taken.

What Not to say

I have been following a couple of blogs written by other parents of preemies and came across a post that I can really relate to and decided to share.  While everything in the post doesnt pertain to Nicholas, as a parent of a preemie, I can totally identify with this fellow preemie mother. 

http://www.lifewithjack.com/2011/01/what-not-to-say.html

Favorite Book by Far

We've had to tape several pages in this book.

Click below to see what Nicholas does when he sees the buttons that make the sounds.

 

 

http://youtu.be/CzPWHNIC_5E

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A Surprise Birthday Present from Nicholas

We found out today (7/22/13) that Nicholas no longer will be needing his stander!!!!  Although this is great news it will be replaced with a walker.  We aren't sure when the walker will arrive but we are glad to get rid of that stander.  The routine almost every week day has been to pick Nicholas up from daycare, bring him home, feed him, and put him in his stander as quick as possible so Mariah will have as much time as possible when she gets home.  He usually stayed it an hour almost every day (usually 6/7 days).  Not quite sure how long he will have to be in his walker each day but I'm sure he won't mind it as he loves the walkers he has now. 

Swimming Lessons

Last Saturday (7/13/13) Nicholas began his swimming lessons.  They last 45 minutes and take place on Saturday mornings for 1 month.  He enjoyed the water for about 30 minutes but then he was ready to go.  He was a little sleepy and hungry too as he usually eats at 11:30.  Here are some pictures and links to some videos.


http://youtu.be/pkU8xI6WgKk

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 http://youtu.be/GWMjBzmKcfQ

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PICTURE DAY!!!!!!

Several weeks ago Nicholas and the other children at his daycare had their pictures taken.  Today, we got them back.  Mariah and I were very excited and anxious to see them too as we had no clue what they were going to look like.  Although Nicholas did not smile in any of the 3 poses there was no way we could pass up his first set of professionally made pictures.  I hope everyone who wants 1 will be lucky enough to have 1. 


Here is a sample of all 3 pictures compiled in 1 large picture.  This 1 of course is mine and Mariah's     : - )  I chose several from each pose.  We hope we chose the 1 you would've wanted yourself.

3 x the Mestur!!!

Random Pictures

 

New toy, new jammers, and new dance!!!!

http://youtu.be/VfUHaXjPuqw

Something's After the Mestur!!!

http://youtu.be/vESJeK1r12M

The Mestur Walking (with his walker)

http://youtu.be/P2fwtvEsk2o100%

Night 2

Tonight has went much better than last night.  We did something a little different this time: we put Nicholas to bed at 10 instead of 9.  We tried to get him as tired as possible without him being ill.  He cried a little but it was about 2 minutes or less.  He played with his toy phone in his crib and then went off to sleep. 


Mariah said he didn't cry at all this afternoon for his nap but he played with his phone before going to sleep.


We probably just put him to bed too early last night.  Can't help but feel guilty about doing that but there's no way to tell how tired he is.  Even as adults we feel really tired and then when we go to lay down for the night we can't get to sleep. 


Hopefully, he won't cry at all when we put him in his crib tomorrow night. 

The Toughest Thing So Far

Tonight was the first night we let Nicholas cry himself to sleep.  The decision was easy as night after night we have been taking turns sleeping on the couch with Nicholas lying on top of our chest.   The hard part has been hearing him cry.  We tried it last night but I caved after 15 minutes.  Tonight he cried for about 50 minutes and then we decided maybe he was hungry (he didn't take very much of his 9 bottle).  He took the entire bottle and we put him back in his crib.  He then cried for 25 minutes and FINALLY fell asleep. 

We have heard both sides of this topic and we feel it will be the best for Nicholas if we let him figure out how to sooth himself.  He will also be going to daycare at the end of next month so this will definitely help there too.  We also didn't want him thinking any time he cries he will get what he wants. 

As the title says the has been the toughest thing so far but it is everyone's best interest if Nicholas learns to sleep by himself.  It should also be noted that he took his afternoon nap in his crib too.  He cried a little then but that was only for 5 minutes. 

A Video Worthy of It's Own Post

http://youtu.be/72ZFZq_eE_0

New Videos

http://youtu.be/B2-320l-NiY




http://youtu.be/lbYG6APBgPA

200th Post

Nicholas has progressed a lot since the last post.  He can now go from sitting to crawling and vice versa.  He is also pulling up on objects (when he can get both hands on them).  He's also started holding his bottle at some of his feedings.  His O.T. said most NICU babies are hesitant to touch things because they associate it with getting shots and things similar to that while being in the NICU.


The best part is that all of a sudden Nicholas has decided to start trying different foods.  Here's a quick list of what he's tried and liked: pizza, cake, stewed tomatos, of course graham crackers (his favorite), french fries with ketchup, hamburger helper, hamburgers, bbq baked potato chips, sliced oranges, and saltines.  I'm sure there's a few more but we are just happy that he's at least trying them.

Oh, that Sheldon sure is funny.

Another round please!!!

Must....pull....up....

Bet I could jump off of here and not get hurt.

Get me outta this fat boy swing!!

Mommy, put a coin in it.

A Rare Occasion

Trying New Food

Since Nicholas doesn't care for baby food we have started trying other foods.  Here are some of the latest.

It's not a cookie mother it's a Fig Newton!!!

I don't want this bo bo crap!!!  I want the real FRUIT LOOPS!!!

Graham crackers it is.

Cheese puffs might be the favorite so far.

Videos of the Mestur

Here's a video of Nicholas waking up Christmas morning and finding out what Santa brought him.



http://youtu.be/IBUrKHAHbN0




In the afternoons, if the weather is nice, we will take Nicholas around the neighborhood for a stroll.  As you can see he loves it.


http://youtu.be/XtejSliNQa8



This was taken 1/19/13.  Nicholas gets to try and eat his food himself.  He didn't exactly try to eat what we had in mind.



http://youtu.be/AAlJpYbvDcg

 

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Most improved

With so much going on, I forgot to post 2 important pieces of information about Nicholas. 

• Nicholas is now up to 1 hour in his stander.  Its actually been several weeks now that he has been doing this.
• The owner of Dynamic Development (the company that gives Nicholas' thearapy) said that he was her most improved student of 2012. I also want to note that they have over 90 patients!

We are so proud of all that Nicholas has accompished in the past 15 months! 

Surgery

Nicholas had his adnoids removed on Tuesday, January 8th at Mcleod Hospital.  We had to be at the hospital at 6:30 and the surgery was done at about 8:30.  Everything went very well.  Nicholas and I stayed the night at the hospital Tuesday just as a precaution.  He refused to sleep in the crib that the hospital provided and ended up sleeping in the bed with me.  This was a first for us, but I have to say he is a great bed fella!  We were discharged around 10 on Wednesday morning.  He was a little sluggish yesterday, but seems to be back to his old self today.   We forgot to take the camera with us, but we did get a few pictures with the cell phone. Thanks to everyone for all the prayers, texts, phone calls and visits.  Nicholas is blessed to have so many people that care about him.