Tuesday, November 1, 2005

November 2005

November 3, 2005 November already! Wow! It'll be Christmas before we know it!

Jacob is feeling a lot better. Poor kid was sick for a week! I hope now that he's been sick a few times in the last several months, his immune system is getting stronger. Not only is it tough being sick, but being sick means no school and he has been doing so well at school. I want him to be there each day to continue in his progress. And speaking of school, Jacob went with his class to a local business for Trick-or-Treating! I wasn't able to go with him, but I was told he had a great time and he came home with lots of goodies!

We have just put our order in for school pictures. Jacob came home yesterday with a proof sheet and order form! Oh he looks like such a big boy!! When I get the pictures, I will have one scanned so that I can post it on the website. 

In Mommy News....I received an email today from the Editor-in-Chief of Preemie Magazine regarding the article I wrote for their Winter 2005 issue. (for those who didn't see the Journal Update back in September, I contacted the Magazine and the Editor asked me to write an article about ROP, the eye condition Jacob has. This will be my publishing debut!) Over the coming weeks, he and I will be working together to polish the article for publication. I am very excited and thankful for this opportunity. I hope this will open doors for me. It would be great to make extra money as a freelance writer while attending school. 

If you are interested in learning more about Preemie Magazine, please visit their website at www.preemiemagazine.com. Preemie parents and professionals are eligible for free subscriptions. All others can purchase a subscription for a small fee. The magazine is published quarterly. 

November 12, 2005 Well, I thought Jacob was doing better. Last weekend he spent an entire night crying and we couldn't figure out why, that is, until I looked at his ear and saw lots of "goop." It ended up being a double ear infection. He has been on antibiotics all week. All was well until yesterday when he just started crying for no apparent reason. I tried giving him a bottle, food, a bath, took him for a drive, rocked him, held him....everything I could think of and nothing would calm him down. Finally, I gave him some Tylenol and he went to sleep. He woke up this morning in a great mood and went nuts again at Wal-Mart. Boy was that fun! I just wish I knew what was wrong and how to help him when he gets like that. 

On Thursday (11/10), Jacob went on a fieldtrip with his class to the Zoo. Brett and I met them there. We were there for just over an hour. Jacob had fun petting and feeding the animals and then he got to hear the elephants and other animals. It was a fun day out and thankfully the weather was nice!

November 21, 2005 Jacob's excessive crankiness (explained in my last entry) turned out to be constipation caused by his antibiotics. That explains why he didn't want to eat. After giving him a little help, he felt a lot better. This weekend he was cranky still, and we aren't sure why. He gets upset when we put him in his highchair to eat, or let him play on his own for too long. Brett and I are praying this is a phase and that it pass soon. 

We are still working on weaning Jacob from the bottle, as well as transitioning him from "Gerber Graduates" to table food. With his teacher working with him at school (he eats breakfast there) and Brett and I at home, we should have him there in no time! 

And speaking of school, Jacob is on a waiting list for a full day slot starting in January! Since September, Jacob has been attending a half day class (8:30am to 11:30am) five days a week. If he gets one of the opening spots, he will stay until 2:30pm. Along with his teacher and therapists, Brett and I agree that a full day would be most beneficial. It would allow him more routine, time with friends and more therapy sessions. 

And now for some cool news....Not only is Jacob a student at Rainbows United Inc., he is now their "Campaign Kid." Stephanie Harder, Director of Development at RUI, contacted me last month expressing her interest in Jacob's story. I guess his website is a big hit around the Rainbows offices. Touched by his story, Stephanie asked our permission to use Jacob as the focus of their annual "Give Hope" campaign. Of course I said yes without hesitation!! Jacob is featured on the RUI website as well as in a brochure which is then distributed to donors for their continued support. I have asked for a few copies of the brochure. If you are interested in receiving a copy, please email me. 

Visit, www.rainbowsunited.org and be sure to disable your pop-up blocker, to see a page about Jacob!

I have added the Guest Book back to the website. I took it down some time ago due to spamming, which until now, I did not know how to block. Since I cannot reinsert past entries, I welcome you to add your thoughts!

November 22, 2005 Jacob did something amazing today! He was playing in his playpen when he reached up, grabbed the side, then pulled himself to standing position! He did it all by himself over and over again! Brett snapped a few pictures of him doing it. I'll try to have them up this evening!

November 28, 2005 Brett, Jacob, Skipper (our rat terrier) and me, hope you had a happy thanksgiving weekend! We enjoyed time off from school (Jacob and me), time off from work (Brett) and time with our families. 

The day after thanksgiving, Brett and I went out and purchased a Christmas tree and decorations. That evening, while Brett prepared dinner and Grandma Smith (who was in town from Western Kansas) played with Jacob, Meagan and I set up and decorated the tree! It was a wonderful evening! 

Jacob is famous!! The Rainbows United brochures for the Hope Campaign have been printed and distributed! We received our copies last week! They turned out great and we are so honored and excited to be a part of this years campaign!

To receive your paper or email copy, email me! You can also visit the Rainbows United website at:http://www.rainbowsunited.org.

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