Good News

Adeline had the ultrasound yesterday to check for hip dysplasia, and everything looked normal! The sonographer and doctor said her hips look great.  We will still have an xray when Adeline is 6 months old and her bones have formed, but the doctor said he anticipates no problems.
After the exam, the sonographer said that Adeline is one of the best babies he has ever examined.  She barely cried, even though she had to fast for 3 and 1/2  hours prior to the test and he had to move her hips in all directions and hold her down firmly.  They allowed me to feed her a bottle during the exam, which helped to distract her.  It was so nice to be told I have a good baby!  I already knew that, but then again I don't have anyone to compare her to. Here are some pictures from yesterday:

She sleeps so well all bundled up in her swaddler

We've been busy this week catching up with friends and savoring my last few weeks of maternity leave.  I go back to work on August 17th.  

Last night, Becky and Fielding came over for dinner

Last week, Lane and Mary Ashburn came over and cooked a wonderful dinner for us!

This weekend Rob will be in Atlanta with the rest of the Banta family for Beth's Wedding, so my mom is coming to visit! I am so sad to miss the wedding, but it was just too far to travel with Adeline. Beth is so creative and talented in event planning, so I know it will be quite an event! (Beth - have a wonderful weekend - I'm sure it will be perfect and you will be beautiful and I can't wait to see pictures!)

Have a great weekend everyone!  

Weekend at the Lake

We spent the weekend at Smith Mountain Lake with Rob's Grandparents.  It was our first trip away from home, and it went well! It is about 3 hours away, so it's the perfect distance to drive between feedings.  Luckily, I had all day on Friday to pack because traveling with a baby requires a lot of planning!

We arrived around 6:30pm on Friday evening.  Here is a picture of Grammie holding her great-grand daughter for the first time:

 Look at that smile!

It was too hot to do anything outside, so we just relaxed and stared at the baby all day :)

2 Month Stats

Yesterday, we went to the pediatrician for Adeline's 2 Month Checkup.  As you might recall, we saw the doctor about a month ago and she weighed 5 lbs, 10 oz.

This time she weighed..............

8 lbs, 4 oz!!!

20 1/2 inches long

The doctor said he is "tickled" with her progress.  She is very alert, and is improving her head and neck control.  Compared to other 2 month olds, she is only in the 3rd percentile for her height and weight, but for her "adjusted age", she is in the 75th percentile.  For the first 2 years of her life, they will adjust her age by subtracting 8 weeks when comparing her with other children.  

She also had her first round of immunizations, which was heartbreaking.  I am dreading going back in 2 weeks for the rest of them...

Next week she will have an ultrasound of her hips.  Because she was in the breach position in the womb, she is at a higher risk for hip dysplasia.  As a precaution, they will check her hips via ultrasound.  If there is no indication of dysplasia, we will go back in 4 months for an xray.  If she does have signs of hip dysplasia, she'll have to wear a brace for a few weeks.  The doctor does not suspect any problems, but routinely checks for hip dysplasia in all breach babies.

We are so proud of our little girl!  We are looking forward to the next month or so, as she continues to gain weight and develop some social skills.  The doctor said that we can expect her to start sleeping through the night once she hits about 11 lbs.  For now, we can continue to expect her to wake every 3-4 hours to eat.  We also expect her to start smiling in the next few weeks - I can't wait!

Visit from Alli and Mrs. Bonasera

Last week, my friend Alli stopped by on her way from DC to Charlotte with her mom.  They met Adeline and spoiled her with gifts, and we had lunch together.  It was great to catch up and I'm so glad they were able to spend some time with Adeline!

Weekend Recap

We had another fun weekend with friends in Richmond!  On friday night, we went to Kristen and Gibson's house for dinner.  We grilled out and just had fun catching up.  It was a nice cool night and Adeline slept in her stroller on the deck while we ate.

On Saturday, we went to the Forest Hill Farmer's Market, which was really nice!  We've never been there before, but its a great place to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies.  On Saturday night, we co-hosted an engagement party for Tyler and Byron at Ellie's house.  Ellie and Marisa did a great job with the decor and food, and we had a great time! Adeline was content in the moby wrap, although she was awake for most of the party! Here are some pictures:

Unfortunately, the hot weather will be returning this week.  We had so much fun last week going on long walks and sitting by the pool.  Hopefully we'll get some more cooler days before I have to return to work!

2 Months Old!

Adeline is 2 months old today!  Here is her monthly picture:

Just to refresh your memory, here are months 1 and 2:

Adeline Can...

Tomorrow, Adeline will be 2 months old!  I will have her monthly photo for you tomorrow, but I wanted to share some videos of what she has been doing.

She can........

Sleep (possibly even more soundly than the dog...)

Get "milk drunk"

Lift her head

Coo/ hiccup

Turn her head



Play(?) with her toys

Prayers

While Adeline was in the NICU, it was comforting to see other families who were experiencing similar issues with their loved ones.  Although we didn't often talk to one another beyond the usual daily greetings, we drew comfort from the fact that we were not alone in our concern over our newborn baby.
When Adeline came home, many of her "roommates" remained in the hospital.  Rob and I were so elated to have a healthy baby who was thriving, but at the same time we worried about the babies who remained.  We continue to pray for them.
We often talk about our gratitude for the many friends, neighbors, nurses, etc. who prayed for us and supported us, and continue to do so.  We want to find a way to "give back" somehow, but we didn't know the best way to do so.  Last week, that door opened for us, and we were given an opportunity to pay it forward.  One of the babies in the NICU  - who was born around the same time as Adeline - is in need of breastmilk.  Premature babies have a higher risk of infection because of their immature immune systems.  The antibodies in breastmilk are absolutely crucial for the health of these babies.  Our prayers have been answered. We have an abundant supply of milk in our freezer, so I was able to donate milk to this family in need.  I am incredibly honored to be able to help this family.  Please join us in praying for baby H and the rest of the babies in the NICU, that they continue to grow and mature so that they can join their families at home.

Another Fun Weekend

Kelly, my best friend from Lancaster and maid of honor, came to visit this weekend.  We had so much fun we forgot to take pictures! ..... I didn't take a single picture this weekend.
Kelly arrived on Friday afternoon.  We went to Martins to stock up on Kelly's favorite Ukrop's scones, and then went to a baby shower for a co-worker.  We brought Adeline with us, and she slept most of the time in the moby wrap.  I get lots of compliments on this wrap when I wear it - and we use it often!  (Thanks Aunt Lori and Uncle Bill!)



After the baby shower, we had "girls night" at our house.  Tyler, Kristen, Marisa, Ellie and Val came over for drinks and chatting.  It was fun to include Adeline in her first night with the girls, and she stayed awake and enjoyed interacting with everyone.  I really wish I had taken a picture of this occasion.

On Saturday, Kelly, Adeline and I did some shopping and we all (including Rob) went to a birthday party in the evening.  Our friend Kate was turning 30, and her roommates threw a great party for her.  Again, Adeline stayed in the moby wrap and slept most of the time.  It was great to catch up with old friends from Lancaster and introduce them to Adeline.

On Sunday, we went to the pool for a few hours.  It was finally cool enough to bring Adeline along, and she was content just hanging out in the shade with us.

It was busy weekend, but we had a great time and Adeline was so sweet and content to just go along for the ride.  Sorry for the lack of pictures!

"Ain't No Big Thing, But It's Growing"

We used to pass this sign for Gretna, VA on the way to Smith Mountain Lake.

I always thought it was a hilarious town motto, but its a great way to describe Adeline!  After so much time in the NICU focusing on feeding and growing, it is hard to believe I am a little sad that she has outgrown her preemie clothes and diapers.  Its a bittersweet feeling; I am glad she is healthy and growing, but at the same time I feel like time is rushing by and soon before I know it, she'll be a teenager!  I'm sure I will experience this constantly as a parent.

Yesterday, we celebrated her due date!  She was originally due on July 7th.  I can't believe it's been almost 8 weeks since she was born, and I never posted our "coming home" video. Its a short clip, but I will never forget the wonderful feeling of bringing our daughter home for the first time.  (I hope this works, I've never posted a video before!)

We also took this video on one of her first nights home.  She was sleeping and making the sweetest sighing noise, but you can't really hear it in the video.



I'll try to take some more videos of her so you can see how much she's grown.

Happy 4th of July!

This weekend, my parents and youngest brother Austin came to visit.  It was the first time my dad and Austin met Adeline

I love how Adeline is smiling in this picture:

On Saturday, the boys went to the James River to float around and cool off, while the girls went shopping.  My mom bought this adorable outfit for Adeline.

On Sunday, we went to the pool and grilled a traditional 4th of July meal.

Thanks for a great weekend Mom, Dad and Austin!

Baby Essentials

A few people have asked about what products and baby items have been most helpful or needed during these first few weeks. I thought I would share what we are using most frequently so far:

Graco Snugride Car Seat: This car seat is so easy to adjust and get Adeline in and out of.  It has great head support and a nice big canopy to block the sun.  Adeline seems to enjoy riding in it! (Thanks Great-Grammie and Grandad Banta!)


Baby Trend Snap-n-go Stroller: We use this daily.  We take it on walks around the neighborhood, to the grocery store, to the mall... everywhere.  The basket underneath is large enough to fit groceries, so no need for a grocery cart unless I am really stocking up. (Thanks Aunt Lisa, Uncle Larry, Kalie, and Jackson!)

Vibrating/ Bouncy seat: We got this at a garage sale for $18 and we love it.  We don't have a swing or bassinet downstairs, so this stays on our coffee table in the living room.  Adeline occasionally naps in it, but we primarily use it as a safe place to put her while we eat dinner, watch TV, etc.  We occasionally use the vibrating feature, but most of the time we just keep it stationary.



swaddling blankets: Adeline is swaddled every night, and sleeps much more soundly when she's swaddled. These muslin blankets are the perfect weight for summer.


Graco pack-n-play: We keep this in our room and Adeline sleeps in it every night.  We plan to move her to the crib in her room once she's a little older.  I really like the built-in changing table and diaper caddy.  It makes the middle-of-the-night diaper changes much easier.  (Thanks Hanover Inpatient Therapists!)

Pampers Swaddlers: These are the diapers they used in the NICU and we've continued with them.  They work well for us and very rarely leak. Recently, I discovered diapers.com and they have great deals on diapers with free 1-2 day shipping!


Vera Bradley Diaper Bag: This bag is the perfect size for all the necessities, and is really cute! (Thanks Aunt Joy, Uncle Michael, Jamie and Tyler!)



Nuk Milk Storage Bags: Our freezer is currently stocked with hundreds of these - literally.  This is the most space-saving way to store milk in the freezer and label it clearly.

Bottles and Nipples:  Right now, Adeline drinks 2-2.5oz per feeding. We use these small bottles. Soon we will transition to larger bottles but I'm not sure what brand we will decide to use.  Either way, the more bottles and nipples, the better.  We find that we are constantly washing them, although we have about 12 of them.



Drying Rack: As I mentioned, we are constantly washing bottles and nipples.  Before we bought this drying rack, our counter top was a mess. This is a necessity if you are bottle feeding.


I will do another post like this in a few months with the baby essentials for a 6-month old baby.