Yesterday we did the March of Dimes- Walk for Babies. It is such a great organization, and after the early birth of Leah, one we feel strongly about. The walk was in St. Cloud, it started out by the Mississippi, a really pretty area. Before the walk they had music by KCLD, activities for kids, and food. We even saw a few nurses from the NICU and got to show off how well Leah is doing. We were dissapointed that the weather was supposed to be so icky, but the rain held off for the walk! How lucky! We all had a good time, despite me getting sick, and will do it again next year. Thanks to everyone who supported the March of Dimes, our family, and baby Leah!

Baby Leah

Leah is now almost 8 months old. She was born August 22nd after 5 days of contractions, a lot of worry, and many visits to Labor and Delivery. Because I was so far into labor the last time I went into the hospital they were unable to get me to St. Cloud in time to deliver. They originally wanted me to deliver there if I went early because St. Cloud has a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and the hospital in Alexandria is just not equipped for such a preterm baby. So, a team from the NICU came by ambulance up to Alexandria for the delivery. Right after Leah was born they checked her out, then I got to hold her for about 2 minutes before she was whisked away by ambulance to St. Cloud. Ryan went down to St. Cloud right away to be with her, while I spent the night in the hospital. At 8 o'clock the next morning I was discharged so I could join them in St. Cloud. So much for recovery after childbirth!

Leah spent the next 30 days in the NICU. Ryan, Brooke and I shuttled between home and my parents house in Coon Rapids. It was such a crazy time. I was supposed to start school, but just couldn't. I felt the need to spend most of my day at the hospital with Leah. I just couldn't part with her. My parents were kind enough to watch Brooke a great deal. It really took some of the stress off. Leah was a model patient. She never had to be on oxygen, and after about a week was taken out of her isolette because she could hold her own body temperature. All she had to do was learn to eat and grow. We were so happy the day Leah came home from the hospital, it had felt like that day would never come.

Two days after we brought Leah home from the hospital she stopped breathing. I was home alone with her and had checked on her while she was in her swing. When I checked she was not breathing, she was completely limp. I immediately tried giving her a breath and called 911. They helped walk me through CPR and I was able to get her breathing. The ambulance came, checked her out and took her to the ER. After numerous tests they could not determine what was wrong and admitted her. Later that evening she had another episode and was then sent to St. Cloud and admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Leah spent another 6 days in the hospital trying to breath. She had to be hooked up to oxygen and had many very scary moments. It was determined that she had a virus that her little body just had a hard time handling.

Leah's birth and the experience afterwards has to be the most traumatic and stressful time of my life.

Because we are so thankful for the care she received we are walking in the March of Dimes- Walk for Babies next week. The March of Dimes supports and raises money for research and education on preventing infant loss, diseases, and premature births. We are hoping to see some of the nurses who cared for Leah in the hospital too!

Leah was born at 30 weeks, was 4 lbs. 1 oz. and 16 1/2 inches long.

Beautiful Weekend

What a nice weekend it was! We were so lucky to have such beautiful weather this weekend and to be able to spend so much time outside. Saturday Ryan and Brooke spent most of the day outside playing ball, playing in the sandbox and swinging. We went for a few walks and got to go to the park twice! Brooke loves the park and has so much fun going down the slides by herself- her favorite!

Leah had a weekend of firsts. She went on the swing at home for the first time and down the slide. She really seems to like it outside. This is the first time she has really spent time outside at home. She was born in August, but because she spent a month in the hospital she missed most of the nice weather last fall. She also tried oatmeal for the fist time and seemed to like it (she has done rice and peas so far)!

We also had a few visitors this weekend. Grandma Kiki and Papa Bob (my parents) came for the night on Saturday and spent the night at a hotel. So, on Sunday, Brooke got to go swimming in the pool! It took her a little bit to warm up to it, but ended up having a lot of fun. She loves wearing her princess life vest! Also, a few ducks visited our yard. When I was taking a picture of them Brooke yelled, "mom, don't scare them!"

All in all it was a great weekend. Above are a few pictures from our weekend.

Sick Kids

My poor little girls have been sick for a while now. Leah has her third ear infection in a month and Brooke has pneumonia. I feel so bad for them. Both were up last night either crying or coughing. They are so helpless and can't tell you what's wrong, but you know they are in pain. Oh, how I can't wait until summer!

Pictures

Here are a few recent pictures of our family. We spent Easter with my family in Coon Rapids and also with Ryan's in Sauk Centre. The Easter pictures on the top are from my mom's house. Brooke had so much fun hunting for Easter eggs with her cousin Alida!

Well, this is my first blog. I never thought I would do this, too much writing. I hate writing. But, I thought it would be fun to share with family and friends how and what our family is doing. Hopefully, it works!

Here is a snapshot of the last few years!

Ryan and I have been married almost 5 years, will be in November. We have Brooke, who is two and a half. She is a spitfire with the hair to match. Last year at this time Brooke was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Luckily, she has been clear of any symptoms for almost as long! At 2.5 Brooke loves to talk, watch cartoons, play with her baby sister, and pretend she is the boss of the house. We love her to death!

7 months ago we welcomed Leah into our family. Leah was born 10 weeks premature. It was very unexpected as my pregnancy was fairly uneventful. After a month long NICU stay in St. Cloud ( over an hour away from our home in Alexandria) and a week long stay 2 days later in the ICU, Leah is home and thriving. She is such a happy baby and loves her big sister. We are so blessed to have her and reflect on that every day.

Now that it is April, Ryan and I are anxiously awaiting the end of the school year. Summer is our favorite time of year as a family. We are excited to go to Twins games in the new stadium, visit Lake Superior and take the girls to the zoo.