Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Friday, February 11, 2011
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Fall Photos
Jacob and I drove to Lindsborg, KS in October to see my dear friend Jolene to have fall photos taken. She did an amazing job! Thanks, Jolene!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
February 2007
February 11, 2007 Our poor fighter is....fighting yet another cold. He's coughing, sneezing and has had a fever for two days. The little guy was coughing so hard he vomited. I just feel so bad when he gets like this. He's getting sick every couple weeks- way too much. I am going to call his doctor and see what she thinks about things. He's had a few ear infections recently so it may be time to see and ENT for tubes. Maybe that would help. I'm sure part of it is the time of year. And of course we are happy that he has avoided the hospital but as you can imagine, it is still frustrating.
On a happier note, Jacob is making a new sound...."Lah Lah Lah." Just two days ago he was playing on the floor and starting making L sounds- we couldn't believe it. He was already making lots of sounds, but no L's. We talk to him all the time and can't wait for the "Lah" to turn into "love" or any other word for that matter! We just want to hear a word! We can't wait for humming songs to turn into singing songs. I know he's close!
Monday, January 22, 2007
January 2007
January 22, 2007 It's been a long time, I know! Unfortunate computer issues left me with the task of rebuilding this web site and Wichita Preemies, from scratch! Ouch! With as busy as things have been, I have had little time to sit at the computer. Getting the site complete will take some time, but having it up again is a start!
Jacob has been doing pretty well lately, with only a few illnesses- nothing like the pneumonia he had last year which put him in the hospital for several days. He continues to attend preschool at Rainbows United and has been progressing slowly, but progress is progress. He is not talking yet, but makes many sounds and even hums songs. His walking hasn't progressed much at all. He will walk using something for stability, but does not take steps on his own (though he has in the past). And the other major issue we are working on is feeding. Jacob continues to have trouble with large pieces of food, so we have to puree or mash his food, otherwise he will gag. i know these are only minor setbacks and keeping that in mind helps Brett and I when we wonder what we are doing wrong. We aren't doing anything wrong, each child is different, especially with his needs.
I will close for now. Thank you for your continued support of Jacob and his web site!
Jacob has been doing pretty well lately, with only a few illnesses- nothing like the pneumonia he had last year which put him in the hospital for several days. He continues to attend preschool at Rainbows United and has been progressing slowly, but progress is progress. He is not talking yet, but makes many sounds and even hums songs. His walking hasn't progressed much at all. He will walk using something for stability, but does not take steps on his own (though he has in the past). And the other major issue we are working on is feeding. Jacob continues to have trouble with large pieces of food, so we have to puree or mash his food, otherwise he will gag. i know these are only minor setbacks and keeping that in mind helps Brett and I when we wonder what we are doing wrong. We aren't doing anything wrong, each child is different, especially with his needs.
I will close for now. Thank you for your continued support of Jacob and his web site!
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
November 2006
November 7, 2006 Just over two weeks until Thanksgiving...hard to believe, but boy do we have lots to be thankful for!
Jacob has been doing really well in his new preschool classroom. He is with the "big kids" who are the same age, but slightly bigger in size. Another great thing about being in this class is that Jacob is back with his old Pals, a boy and a girl (sorry, can't mention names) who are both visually impaired. I think it's great for him to be around kids his own age who have the same disability. He did have visually impaired friends in his old room, but they were not as close in age. I'm excited to see how he progresses in his new environment.
Jacob's progress with walking is at a stand-still (ha-ha, get it? Stand-still?). He can do it, that's for sure, but he chooses not to. There was a time a few months ago when he'd take 5 or even 10 steps on his own. Now he only walks if you hold one or both of his hands. I guess it's a natural thing. He needs to be interested and motivated. Perhaps he's concentrating on other things like........humming! He does it all the time. Just the other night Aunt Pam (my sister) was playing with him and hummed the first verse of Twinkle Twinkle. When she stopped, he picked it up right where she left off. I was so excited and proud that I was tearing up. We know Jacob is smart. He understands many things like words, voices, songs, etc, he just isn't spitting them back out yet. I think I may pass out the day he says his first word.
We are still waiting to hear from Jacob's Case Manager at Rainbows to see if he was approved for school funding. If approved, Jacob would receive educational toys, Braille books, special dinnerware and utensils, diapers, wipes, and his fee's to attend full day classes. What a blessing it would be! Any one of those items would be wonderful for Jacob and helpful to dad and I. We're keeping our fingers crossed and our prayers-a-flowing!
November is National Prematurity Month. Please check out www.marchofdimes.com for information on ways you can help!
November 15, 2006 We're letting him grow.....his hair that is. Brett and I decided to let Jacob's hair grow out and see what happens. It's been all over the place lately, but we want to see what it will do when it's even longer. Will it be thick and wavy? Perhaps thin and straight? Who knows!
For the first time...EVER....Brett, Jacob and I are going to get a family portrait! Wow! Our digital camera has been glued to our hands since Jacob's birth so we have never considered getting professional pictures taken. We found that the Wal-Mart portrait studio has very reasonable prices so we plan to schedule a shoot in the next week or two- just in time for the holidays!
Jacob has been taking steps on his own this week. He's done it before (he started months ago) but until this week has been stubborn. If we can just get him to take a few steps on his own each day, he'll be walking all the time...in no time at all. Once he reaches that milestone, we'll begin work on the next- walking with a cane.
Last week Jacob and I attended a VI (Visually Impaired) Group at Rainbows United. It was a wonderful experience. There were several parents there including two with older children who are blind. One who is 10 and the other, 14. I explained Jacob's current developmental stage, like how he still eats mashed foods, doesn't talk, isn't walking on his own, biting his hands, etc. and how Brett and I are growing discouraged over his delays. The other mom's eased our worries by telling us that their boys did the same thing when they were Jacob's age. Sometimes Brett and I wonder if Jacob will ever eat regular food- that is with his hands or a utensil and large pieces. We also wonder when his humming will turn into words. "All in time." the mother's explained. It sounds like he's on the right track. We've always had faith in Jacob, but hearing from other parents who have been there helps so much!
I remember visiting a friend over the summer who's son was just under a year old at the time. While we sat in her dining room talking, she put her son in his high chair, cut up a piece of fruit and set it in front of him. The little guy grabbed each bite with his fingers and munched away. "He's not even a year old," I thought to myself. "Jacob is three and we still have to mash his food and spoon feed him. Amazing." Growing up in the world is a whole different ball game when you can't see it.
Jacob has been doing really well in his new preschool classroom. He is with the "big kids" who are the same age, but slightly bigger in size. Another great thing about being in this class is that Jacob is back with his old Pals, a boy and a girl (sorry, can't mention names) who are both visually impaired. I think it's great for him to be around kids his own age who have the same disability. He did have visually impaired friends in his old room, but they were not as close in age. I'm excited to see how he progresses in his new environment.
Jacob's progress with walking is at a stand-still (ha-ha, get it? Stand-still?). He can do it, that's for sure, but he chooses not to. There was a time a few months ago when he'd take 5 or even 10 steps on his own. Now he only walks if you hold one or both of his hands. I guess it's a natural thing. He needs to be interested and motivated. Perhaps he's concentrating on other things like........humming! He does it all the time. Just the other night Aunt Pam (my sister) was playing with him and hummed the first verse of Twinkle Twinkle. When she stopped, he picked it up right where she left off. I was so excited and proud that I was tearing up. We know Jacob is smart. He understands many things like words, voices, songs, etc, he just isn't spitting them back out yet. I think I may pass out the day he says his first word.
We are still waiting to hear from Jacob's Case Manager at Rainbows to see if he was approved for school funding. If approved, Jacob would receive educational toys, Braille books, special dinnerware and utensils, diapers, wipes, and his fee's to attend full day classes. What a blessing it would be! Any one of those items would be wonderful for Jacob and helpful to dad and I. We're keeping our fingers crossed and our prayers-a-flowing!
November is National Prematurity Month. Please check out www.marchofdimes.com for information on ways you can help!
November 15, 2006 We're letting him grow.....his hair that is. Brett and I decided to let Jacob's hair grow out and see what happens. It's been all over the place lately, but we want to see what it will do when it's even longer. Will it be thick and wavy? Perhaps thin and straight? Who knows!
For the first time...EVER....Brett, Jacob and I are going to get a family portrait! Wow! Our digital camera has been glued to our hands since Jacob's birth so we have never considered getting professional pictures taken. We found that the Wal-Mart portrait studio has very reasonable prices so we plan to schedule a shoot in the next week or two- just in time for the holidays!
Jacob has been taking steps on his own this week. He's done it before (he started months ago) but until this week has been stubborn. If we can just get him to take a few steps on his own each day, he'll be walking all the time...in no time at all. Once he reaches that milestone, we'll begin work on the next- walking with a cane.
Last week Jacob and I attended a VI (Visually Impaired) Group at Rainbows United. It was a wonderful experience. There were several parents there including two with older children who are blind. One who is 10 and the other, 14. I explained Jacob's current developmental stage, like how he still eats mashed foods, doesn't talk, isn't walking on his own, biting his hands, etc. and how Brett and I are growing discouraged over his delays. The other mom's eased our worries by telling us that their boys did the same thing when they were Jacob's age. Sometimes Brett and I wonder if Jacob will ever eat regular food- that is with his hands or a utensil and large pieces. We also wonder when his humming will turn into words. "All in time." the mother's explained. It sounds like he's on the right track. We've always had faith in Jacob, but hearing from other parents who have been there helps so much!
I remember visiting a friend over the summer who's son was just under a year old at the time. While we sat in her dining room talking, she put her son in his high chair, cut up a piece of fruit and set it in front of him. The little guy grabbed each bite with his fingers and munched away. "He's not even a year old," I thought to myself. "Jacob is three and we still have to mash his food and spoon feed him. Amazing." Growing up in the world is a whole different ball game when you can't see it.
Sunday, October 1, 2006
October 2006
October 10, 2006 Ok, I'm going to sound like a broken record but....man, it's been so busy around here! :)
Let's see, Jacob has been doing very well. *knocks on wood* He's been going to school everyday *knocks on wood again* and other than a runny nose, has been healthy. Hmmm, I wonder if I've knocked on enough wood....Ok, back to Jacob. He went on a field trip yesterday to the local pumpkin patch. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go with him, but I was told he had a lot of fun. As you saw on the homepage, Jacob is quite the artist. He comes home with something new almost everyday. Our fridge is covered!
Jacob has been working very hard on walking independently. Yesterday he took several steps on his own using his arms to check out his surroundings. Sometimes I have to hold back the cheers because it startles him and he falls down. What can I say, I get excited when he does cool stuff like that! When we assist him, we hold just one of his hands so he learns to balance.
Jacob is doing really well with verbal cues and commands. He definitely knows what "no!" means. When mommy has her laptop on the coffee table and he stands up and puts his hands on it, he hears "no" and quickly pulls his hand away. When he gets upset and bites his hand in frustration, he'll hear "no biting" or "hands down please." He doesn't always stop, but he's getting better. When he's crawling around the house and we see that he's getting close to a wall or table, we say to him: "there's a wall Jacob" or "table" and he will slow down or turn and go another direction. We try to give him lots of encouragement with "thank you" "please" "good job" and he seems to respond to that. Now if we could just get him to talk back!
In Family News....after over four months, our stolen car was located and returned to us in good condition. In fact, it was being used in a major car theft ring in the Wichita area. Our little car, a 98' Chevy Cavalier, was towing other stolen vehicles into a auto salvage lot. The thief's were using fake bills of sale to get cash for the stolen cars. Right now the car is awaiting a new license plate, a professional cleaning and of course a good tune-up/check to be sure there's no major damage under the hood. The thief's put a great deal of miles on it too. We are so grateful to God that we have our car back. It was very hard to make one vehicle work (hence the reason we bought a second car in the first place). And another great blessing: Brett's parents, who gave us a loan to purchase the car, told us we would not have to continue our monthly payments to them. Praise God for their generosity.
In Mommy News...I am plugging away at school. It's almost the half-way point in the semester and I'm doing good so far. I attend General Psychology on Wednesday evenings and Intermediate Algebra on Friday afternoons. I have been working plenty of hours in the NICU (about 15 a week) and just yesterday I started working at Rainbows United as a Respite Care Provider. I will work center-based at Jacobs school, but may do in-home care as well. How will I handle being Jacob's mommy (and the doggies too), Brett's wife, work two jobs and go to school? Very carefully!
In related news... The preemie group I started with fellow preemie mom Lainie, Wichita Preemie's, is off to a slow start. We aren't giving up though! We have a great new flyer and will soon launch a website. I will update the journal as soon as the website launches. For more information, please email me at onestrongmother@yahoo.com.
October 22, 2006 It seems when the cool weather came in, it brought with it sinus infections and other cold-like symptoms. Just two weeks ago Brett, Jacob and I were sick and now we're feeling "under the weather" yet again. Jacob has a never ending runny nose and Brett and I both have sore throats and sinus pressure. Lots of water, rest and some good medicine seem to be doing the trick.
I'm sorry to say I don't have any new pictures to share- my sister, "Aunt Pam" borrowed my camera for her trip to Iowa last week. I plan to get camera crazy just as soon as we're all feeling better.
Jacob is graduating! Starting tomorrow, Jacob will be in a preschool class instead of an infant/toddler class (as he has been for the last two years). We wanted to have him in a preschool class at the beginning of the school year, but there wasn't an opening. Needless to say a spot has opened up and we are so excited for him! With his new class comes a new bus pick up time- 8:45am, a whole hour and 40 minutes later than before...a great thing for mommy who is not a morning person. :)
In other news...the preemie support group web site is up and running! Check out http://www.wichitapreemies.com/! The group is going to be mentioned in the local newspaper, The Wichita Eagle, and a link to the site will be put on the web site of Wesley Medical Center. Lainie and I hope this will help our group grow!
Let's see, Jacob has been doing very well. *knocks on wood* He's been going to school everyday *knocks on wood again* and other than a runny nose, has been healthy. Hmmm, I wonder if I've knocked on enough wood....Ok, back to Jacob. He went on a field trip yesterday to the local pumpkin patch. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go with him, but I was told he had a lot of fun. As you saw on the homepage, Jacob is quite the artist. He comes home with something new almost everyday. Our fridge is covered!
Jacob has been working very hard on walking independently. Yesterday he took several steps on his own using his arms to check out his surroundings. Sometimes I have to hold back the cheers because it startles him and he falls down. What can I say, I get excited when he does cool stuff like that! When we assist him, we hold just one of his hands so he learns to balance.
Jacob is doing really well with verbal cues and commands. He definitely knows what "no!" means. When mommy has her laptop on the coffee table and he stands up and puts his hands on it, he hears "no" and quickly pulls his hand away. When he gets upset and bites his hand in frustration, he'll hear "no biting" or "hands down please." He doesn't always stop, but he's getting better. When he's crawling around the house and we see that he's getting close to a wall or table, we say to him: "there's a wall Jacob" or "table" and he will slow down or turn and go another direction. We try to give him lots of encouragement with "thank you" "please" "good job" and he seems to respond to that. Now if we could just get him to talk back!
In Family News....after over four months, our stolen car was located and returned to us in good condition. In fact, it was being used in a major car theft ring in the Wichita area. Our little car, a 98' Chevy Cavalier, was towing other stolen vehicles into a auto salvage lot. The thief's were using fake bills of sale to get cash for the stolen cars. Right now the car is awaiting a new license plate, a professional cleaning and of course a good tune-up/check to be sure there's no major damage under the hood. The thief's put a great deal of miles on it too. We are so grateful to God that we have our car back. It was very hard to make one vehicle work (hence the reason we bought a second car in the first place). And another great blessing: Brett's parents, who gave us a loan to purchase the car, told us we would not have to continue our monthly payments to them. Praise God for their generosity.
In Mommy News...I am plugging away at school. It's almost the half-way point in the semester and I'm doing good so far. I attend General Psychology on Wednesday evenings and Intermediate Algebra on Friday afternoons. I have been working plenty of hours in the NICU (about 15 a week) and just yesterday I started working at Rainbows United as a Respite Care Provider. I will work center-based at Jacobs school, but may do in-home care as well. How will I handle being Jacob's mommy (and the doggies too), Brett's wife, work two jobs and go to school? Very carefully!
In related news... The preemie group I started with fellow preemie mom Lainie, Wichita Preemie's, is off to a slow start. We aren't giving up though! We have a great new flyer and will soon launch a website. I will update the journal as soon as the website launches. For more information, please email me at onestrongmother@yahoo.com.
October 22, 2006 It seems when the cool weather came in, it brought with it sinus infections and other cold-like symptoms. Just two weeks ago Brett, Jacob and I were sick and now we're feeling "under the weather" yet again. Jacob has a never ending runny nose and Brett and I both have sore throats and sinus pressure. Lots of water, rest and some good medicine seem to be doing the trick.
I'm sorry to say I don't have any new pictures to share- my sister, "Aunt Pam" borrowed my camera for her trip to Iowa last week. I plan to get camera crazy just as soon as we're all feeling better.
Jacob is graduating! Starting tomorrow, Jacob will be in a preschool class instead of an infant/toddler class (as he has been for the last two years). We wanted to have him in a preschool class at the beginning of the school year, but there wasn't an opening. Needless to say a spot has opened up and we are so excited for him! With his new class comes a new bus pick up time- 8:45am, a whole hour and 40 minutes later than before...a great thing for mommy who is not a morning person. :)
In other news...the preemie support group web site is up and running! Check out http://www.wichitapreemies.com/! The group is going to be mentioned in the local newspaper, The Wichita Eagle, and a link to the site will be put on the web site of Wesley Medical Center. Lainie and I hope this will help our group grow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)