Happy Birthday

Happy birthday baby -- I won't ever forget the day you were born. I remember how you came out kicking and crying and how grateful I was to be able to hold your tiny body on my tummy for just a minute before the NICU team had to whisk you away. I remember how scared we were for you. I remember how hard it was to drive home from the hospital without you -- how difficult it was to leave you there day after day. I remember how scared I used to be to call up the NICU to check on you, because I was afraid that the news wouldn't be good. I remember how phone calls late in the evening used to send a bolt of fear through my heart.

It seems like just yesterday that you were that frighteningly tiny baby in the isolette. Now you're 20 pounds of constant activity - chubby cheeks, chubby legs, and a smile that lights up my day. You are finally getting a chance to do all those normal baby things -- open your presents, blow out your candles, eat your birthday cake.

We made it. 365 days and we've come full circle. I'll never forget your beginnings, but I'm starting to feel like I can begin to move past it. Your life is a gift and I hope you always remember that. So many people fought so hard to give it to you, your little self included, so use it well. I know you will.

Happy birthday baby -- I love you.

First Christmas

Except for his birthday, Christmas marked the last of Max's "firsts." I can't believe it's already been almost a whole year since he was born. Thankfully, this holiday week is turning out to be a lot less eventful than last year's. This week is bringing back a lot of memories for me -- I went into premature labor a year ago on Christmas day. This time last year I was sitting in the hospital, trying not to have a baby. This year I'm chasing said baby around, watching him investigate his new Christmas goodies.

We had a very nice Christmas. As my husband predicted, I was up way too late on Christmas Eve, finishing Max's stocking. There's nothing like waiting until the last minute! ;) Of course, I suppose that could almost be considered a tradition, rather than poor planning, since I did the same thing with our original set of stockings. But, the stockings were all hung by the chimney with care by Christmas morning, so it all worked out. The kids seemed to enjoy their presents. Max helped open the first couple of his gifts, although he seemed to like the bows and the wrapping paper better than the actual presents! He was quickly overwhelmed by all the new toys and sights and sounds. At one point he crawled away from his new toys and went to play with one of his old, familiar toys. About halfway through the gifts, he decided he'd really rather have his breakfast than open any more presents.

With all the excitement, he only managed a half hour nap all day, so by the time we were ready to go over to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner, he was pretty worn out. He was not at all interested in opening any more presents that evening, although he did deign to play with the present his aunt and uncle got for him. He had to forego the roast beast dinner for cheerios and squash, although he did get to try a tiny bit of chocolate pudding (MmmMMm). He was more than ready for bed by the time we got him home, but he was so overtired and overstimulated that he didn't sleep well. His schedule is still totally off -- he had started sleeping through the night again the week before Christmas, but has gone back to waking up all night and refusing to go back to sleep. We think he might be getting more teeth, which could account for the sleeping issues, but I can't see any on their way up.

There's definitely some birthday in Max's hair -- we're gearing up for a small celebration on Friday. It'll be fun to watch him make a mess of his cake. I'm not sure he'll be ready for another round of presents so soon, but we'll see how he does.

For anyone who is a glutton for punishment, there are lots of new photos on Flickr!

Developmental Clinic

Max is 11 months old! Max had his second developmental clinic at U of M this week. He's doing great! The little chunk weighed in at 19 lbs, 7 oz and the nurse even commented on his "turkey thighs." That puts him at 95% on the preemie growth charts and 10% on the regular growth charts. Like the first clinic, they asked a lot of questions about what kinds of things he was doing and did some little tests to make sure he was doing the things that an 8-month-old baby should do (they use his adjusted age for developmental assessments). The doctor said he was at an 8 or 9 month level for everything, which puts him exactly where he should be or a little ahead in all areas. Yay! She didn't seem to be concerned about his muscle tone this time, so we don't have to do another round of physical therapy. In four months he'll have another appointment -- at this one he meets with both the regular doctor and a developmental psychologist (for a baby IQ test). After his appointment we stopped by the NICU for a visit and got to see some of Max's doctors and nurses and even another NICU grad who had shared a room with him briefly.

Max is definitely mobile and loving every minute of it (and running Mom and Dad ragged! ;). He finally figured out how to crawl properly and loves being able to get into everything. Max is also pulling himself up on anything in reach and figuring out how to open cupboard doors. He can also crawl ALL the way up the stairs (with Mom or Dad right behind him), which he thinks is great fun. The babyproofing section of Home Depot will be getting a lot of business from us very soon. Of course, his newfound mobility doesn't come without a price -- he's had his share of "bonkas" lately. He still isn't sleeping through the night and his new ability to stand isn't helping that any -- he likes to do his King Kong impression in the middle of the night -- stand up in the crib, shake the bars, and roar. ;)

We're getting ready for Max's first Christmas and his first birthday (nice timing, kid ;). It's hard to believe that it has already been a whole year. We're hoping this holiday season will be a little less stressful than the last one! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.