The Petersen Family

Lincoln Tyler! He's here!

2011-10-06T14:50:00.000-05:00

Well He's finally here. It's been a week and 1 day, born on Sept. 28th at 10:04am. Weighing in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and 21 in. He is a perfect and healthy baby. We've been so blessed. He eats and sleeps very well and, so far, rarely cries. When we left the hospital he had dropped to 6lbs. 7 oz. but at his 1 week checkup he was already up to 6 lbs. 13 oz.

Alexa was a little standoffish when she first saw him and she wouldn't touch him or come see me. But later that night she was very excited to hold him and give him kisses. She kept telling everyone "I'm a Big Sister". Bringing him home was another new experience she wasn't so sure about, but she's doing a lot better now. She'll get her little step stool and peek in his bassinet to check on him. She's still trying to remember his name (guess that was a downside to not picking one until after he was born). This morning she called him her little brother then asked, "what's his name?". Then after I told her what it was she said her little phrase again and inserted "Wincoln" for "little brother". (Her "L's" are all "W" sounds - which is really cute when she says Lincoln's name.) She is very observant and smart.

It's been so wonderful being able to bring our baby home from the hospital and experiencing all these "firsts" with our second. The Lord truly has blessed us with two beautiful and healthy children. And also will so much love and support from family and friends. What would we do without all of you I don't even know?:)

I created a Picasa album for Lincoln with a link to the right of this blog:) Enjoy. There are several pic's that are very similar. If you want to see pic's you can't be picky, but sorry for the duplicates anyway.:)

30 Weeks and Counting!

2011-07-24T23:04:00.000-05:00

I've yet to post any kind of pregnant pictures (well, not having a camera didn't help) so, here it is - me at 30 weeks. I think I'm bigger than this picture portrays, but you get the idea:)

This pregnancy is going very well so far. At this point with Alexa I had severe swelling and she was born about a week later. The doctors are positive and anticipate delivering around 39 weeks. I currently have weekly doctor visits to monitor things and will have another ultrasound in 2 weeks to check the baby's growth (no, he does not have a name yet).

I know we have continued prayers offered in our behalf and I am so thankful. Whatever the outcome I know it is the Lord's will and completely in His hands. Greatfully, so far, he has answered those prayers. There have been moments that the fear of what could happen takes over, but then I remember who's in control and a peace comes over me.

We are all excited for this new addition, especially Alexa. We keep the ultrasound pictures on the fridge and tonight she got them down and said, "This is my brother. I love him." This made me wonder if she remembers him. She's going to be a great big sister - she's definitely got the bossy part down to a "T" as we've all been experiencing lately.

Until next time (and who knows when that will be since I've exceeded your expectations this month already:).

Pilot Trevor

2011-07-21T22:07:00.000-05:00

Another few months and a whole lot of stuff happening. The biggest, other than our 2nd child will be here in 10 weeks - yes that means everything is going great, but more on that another time, Trevor is on his way to getting a pilot's license - yes in a real airplane:) This is something he's had an interest in doing for some time now, but decided against pursuing it. Then at the ripe old age of 29 he decided it was time before his time ran out.

40 hrs of flight time is required to get a private pilot license and he's at about 17 now.
This last Monday he was able to fly solo for the first time and boy did he enjoy it. We were finally able to go watch for the first time tonight. It was pretty neat to see him fly all by himself.

A few pictures for the evening (yes we finally have a camera thanks to Dad Petersen).

More pictures in the web album. Check it out.

One Month Later

2011-04-30T10:59:00.001-05:00

Well, our camera has yet to be replaced, but here I am with another update exactly 1 month later. Trevor posted a new picture of Alexa on FB so that will have to do, again.

My due date has changed to Oct. 2 which I was completely thrilled to find out. We're pretty sure it's a boy from an ultrasound taken at 14 weeks, but will have our official ultrasound on May 26th. An ultrasound was done early due to some unexpected bleeding that started Apr. 2. After an exam and ultrasound it was determined that some blood vessels, that were close the cervix, may have ruptured. I was told to resume life as usual - which I was grateful for after having spent 2 days flat on my back. So thankful for a sweet husband and in-laws to take good care of me, and Alexa, and pretty much all my responsibilities while I couldn't. I have not had any complications since and everything seemed to be going well at my last appointment.

This experience helped us realize what a precious gift it is to be able to have another baby and how fragile life really is. What an amazing privilege our Heavenly Father has allowed us to experience. I also realized how attached a mother can be to a baby at such an early stage, something I didn't feel when I was pregnant with Alexa or relate to others who have experienced miscarriage. My heart goes out to them.

We tried potty training and it actually went better than expected. She still doesn't always tell us when she needs to go so we eventually went back to diapers. Perhaps another month and she just might get it. As smart as she is this seems to be a difficult thing for her to grasp - or maybe it's just a matter of caring.

Bedtime is now a much better experience. Most nights we can put her in bed and she stays - sometimes I'll hear her singing Primary songs to herself until she falls asleep. Something that puts a smile on my face no matter my mood.

Alexa is extremely observant of the little things and has helped me try to pay attention to those things.

I'm constantly reminded of the innocence and love of a child. Alexa is always very concerned with other people, she often recognizes when something is wrong and will ask, "what's wrong, mommy?" with the deepest of sincerity. What a special spirit we've been blessed with.

Yup, It's March 30th!

2011-03-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

Since our Camera died and hasn't been replaced, Trevor is in charge of posting pictures (which means there probably won't be any:D) But here's a little update on the so very interesting life of the Trevor and Melissa Petersen Family...

I suppose our biggest news is our new little one on the way. Oct. 9th is the magic date (we'll see about that one:)) After a very long first appointment we learned that many precautions would be taken to monitor the pregnancy and growth of the baby. At 25 weeks more blood work will be done to get a baseline and then will be frequently monitored, including weekly appointments for the remainder of the pregnancy.
For those who are unaware of the complications that took place with Alexa, I ended up with preeclampsia, at some point, and it was caught approx. 24 hrs before Alexa was born b/c of a blood test. I also developed Uterine-growth restriction, at some point, which restricted Alexa's growth. In a typical preeclampsia case the blood pressure gradually increases over several visits and then the kidney's begin to shut-down. I did not have these signs and it was only detectable by blood tests which were ordered due to a sudden increase in blood pressure and signs of kidney failure. We were all blessed with miracle after miracle and thank the Lord every day for those miracles.
We are hopeful that this time will be better due to the increased monitoring and a few little things I can do to take care of myself.

Trevor has had yet another adventure in engine replacements when the engine in his truck had finally had enough. After a little negotiating, very little, he ended up with a few new garage toys, a couple of new scars, and a somewhat brand new engine (he learned his lesson the first time with having the old one rebuilt). (He posted a picture on his fb - we might have more to add later.)
I'm so glad he has embraced this hobby of being a mechanic. He has learned a lot and saved us a ton of money, since we seem to have so much luck with engines:D (It would probably help if we had a little more reliable vehicles, but at least we don't have any car payments and that feels good.)

We've almost lived in our new house for 1 year. It's still a work in progress, but we are enjoying it and still loving the neighborhood and location. I'll be glad when it warms up so we can start going for walks again.

And Alexa. Well, she is almost 3 and growing-up so fast. She talks really well and is constantly surprising us with something new. So far potty training has been a flop, but I'm hoping in a month or so we'll both have a little more ambition. She's at the ornery stage and seems to have quite a few tantrums that just abrupt out of nowhere. She seems to reason with Trevor more often than with me, but leaving her in her room until she calms down seems to do the trick and most of the time she's a new toddler when she emerges. Bedtime is usually a long drawn-out adventure, sometimes lasting 2 hours. It's a constant tuck-in bed, get out b/c she needs vitamins, tuck-in, get out b/c she needs water, tuck-in, get out b/c she wants milk instead of water, you get the picture. Here's a quote I stumbled on while reading a book by Cindy Sigler Dagnan, entitled "Who Got Peanut Butter on My Daily Planner?"

"Children never put off till tomorrow what will keep them from going to bed tonight" - Evan Esar

This made me laugh out loud and helped give me a different perspective, not that I always remember that perspective, but...

We don't have an official weight, but she's somewhere between 21 and 22 lbs. She eat's pretty good most of the time and is constantly moving so she pretty much burns everything she eats. She's usually pretty healthy so we're not really worried, and at her last dr. visit he didn't express any concern about her lack of weight.

Well, now that I've been working on this blog for 2 hours, I'm going to have to wrap this up before Trevor comes home for lunch and I'm still laying in bed in my pajamas. I only shared that b/c I know most of you can relate:D

Bye for now.

Our Little Sleeper

2011-01-10T14:12:00.000-06:00

Over the last year or so we've compiled a few pictures of Alexa sleeping. We think you'll find them quite entertaining, she can fall asleep pretty much anywhere. These are a few of the places we've found her sleeping at various times of the night or morning.

Once I went to find her in the morning, it was almost 9 and she hadn't woken me up yet which is unheard of. She wasn't in her bed and I started to get a little frantic. I looked all over the house, then finally went back in her room and found her asleep on top of the changing table. I didn't even notice her the first time I looked around. Needless to say the changing table was removed from her access. See Pictures Here

Recently, I went shopping at Wal-mart during her nap time. Knowing she was tired I took my coat off and put it in the seat area and laid her on top and let her feet hang over. She immediately fell asleep and it was great until I needed my coat, luckily this old lady noticed my dilemma and helped me with Alexa so I could get my coat on. The next time we went shopping Alexa said "coat off" and pointed to the cart. Obviously I did as I was told, and she did not go to sleep, but had an enjoyable time looking at the ceiling and singing random things extremely loudly. She tends to do thing like that when she's tired and trying to stay awake, so when I couldn't take it anymore, and my constant shushing stopped working for seconds at a time, I told her to close her eyes. Aww, silence, and less than 2 min. later she was out. Shopping is much more enjoyable and productive during these times - highly recommended.

Ties, Ties, Ties...

2010-06-07T15:31:00.004-05:00

I decided to do another sweep cleaning through our closet and tackle the pile of ties that had fallen on the floor due to inadequate space to hang them. As you can see this was no small task at a length of 5ft. long and a total of 53 ties and a toddler running around wanting to go "potty" all by herself. (She just likes to sit there by herself - I figure it's good practice.)

After this I don't want to hear anymore about how many pairs of shoes I have. :D

April & May - Busy, Busy, Busy!!

2010-06-04T12:27:00.009-05:00

Well, as you might guess April and May were very busy months for us. April 15th we closed on our new house and signed a contract on our old house, which has since fallen through for the second time. We ended up needing to replace all the carpeting in our new house, so that delayed moving in a little longer, but we made it in by the 21st, not bad for painting every room, laying laminate flooring in my office, and having new carpet installed. We're still moving in, but things are getting to be a bit more settled. Alexa loves her new room and all the space - as do I.

May brought much more excitement - My sister Latea had her Senior prom and 2 weeks later graduated from high school. When I was gone helping her get ready for prom, Trevor's jeep broke - very badly broke! (See picture above). Needless to say, I've yet to park my car in the garage.

Trevor sold his Harley - which was a sad day for many. The contract on our old house fell through, and we took off to Osage Beach for graduation. In the mean time, we've been working on our house - Trevor built me a pantry in the coat closet - stained shelves and all - and we added a door in the bathroom - which was a little more work than I anticipated. That's still a work in progress.

Then on May 24th Trevor turned 28! It started at breakfast, when I actually made him a nice breakfast, and we had steak and shrimp for dinner - the best I've ever made. We had a little party with Trevor's family that night. Marcy, Kendi, & Natasha came over and helped me decorate and wrap presents while I made M&M cookies. (Trevor's not a big fan of cake and he loves M&M cookies so I decided to change it up a bit.) He got a tork wrench to use when putting his jeep back together and some much needed clothes. Then Dad (Kent) surprised us all and gave him a homemade gift certificate for 1/2 off a Harley rental so we can go on an overnight trip this summer - Kendi added her babysitting services to the card, but was unaware of the "overnight" part. It was fun and he said he had a good birthday - which made me feel good, since last year's wasn't one of my better years.

I'm not sure who was more excited about the gummy bears - Trevor or Alexa :D

And on May 28th we had our 5 year Anniversary! I can't believe it's been that long already. A lot has happened in the last 5 years, some wonderful and some trying, but all have strengthened us individually and as a couple. I'm so thankful for Trevor and the wonderful husband and father he is, and the way he helps me to always strive to be better than I was the day before. He gives me so much encouragement and support and lifts me through those rough days as a mother of a toddler. I'm so happy we found each other and things worked out the way they did, with a little help from the Lord. He's my best friend and I'll love him forever.

Alexa will be 2 two weeks from tomorrow, and is growing, healthy, strong, and very independent. She is talking better and better every day, and it's really fun to hear her try to say new things and repeat things others say. A couple of days ago she put her shoes on the right feet and secured the straps all by herself. We just told her to go put her shoes on so we could go, she ran in her room, and a little while later Trevor went to find her and she came out with her shoes on. I felt like a proud mother at that moment. Amazing how the little things can bring a mother so much joy. I could go on and on about Alexa and all the little things she does, but I don't have that much time. She's weighing in somewhere around 20 lbs., we have a 2 year doctor's visit coming up that will tell us more. She's still pretty little, the 9 month shorts I bought her keep falling down, she's in 12 month shirts and still wearing 9 month onesies. She's still having a hard time eating very much, but since her 4 teeth broke through about 2 weeks ago, she started to eat a little more - when she wants to and usually not without some coaxing. But we've made some definite progress in the last few months.

Thanks for reading. Love to all.

Miscellaneous Update for Aunt Rhonda

2010-02-18T22:08:00.000-06:00

Alexa thinks she needs to sit on every one's lap - never mind that they are smaller (well, in height) or a year younger.

After a long afternoon of helping mom organize and clean - she loved it.

The two monkeys. Alexa climbs on everything and anything and it all happens in a matter of seconds (literally).

We've seen a lot of progress in Alexa the last couple of months. At her 19 month check-up she weighed 17 1/2 lbs. and was 30" tall. So, what this means is on the growth chart she is average for her height as a 19 month old, and not on the chart for her weight even at a corrected age of 16 months, but the doctor said he wasn't concerned and that he suspects that she will gain more when she hits a growth spurt between 2 and 3.

Words she says: What's that, I don't know, mommy, dada, mama, papa, owe, Thank you, grandma, more, baby, eye; and within the last few days: love you, fishes, ball, yes

Other developments: Eating really good, sleeping through the night more frequently, and today, when she was at the "Y", she climbed up on this little 3 year old boy and held his face in her hands and kissed him on the lips - twice.

Things Alexa likes: Hugs and kisses (she puckers up and makes the noise), carrot juice, almost every vegetable (including Kale we found out last night), playing outside (even when it's -13 degrees), playing Xbox with Daddy (she gets her own controller), going to Grandma's house (doesn't matter which one - she gets excited), climbing, stairs, socks and shoes, Nursery (mommy likes this too), making messes and getting into mommy's stuff.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2010-02-18T21:22:00.002-06:00

Alexa loves Itsy Bitsy Spider - she touches her fingers together and that's how you know she wants you to sing. Trevor doesn't usually let me record him talking or singing to Alexa, but he was a good sport for this clip. (When she's flailing her arms around that's "washed out".)

New Hair-Do

2009-12-12T15:24:00.000-06:00

This is our first attempt at any kind of hair-do. I don't know where she got her personality but it's very entertaining - whenever she poses for a picture she tilts her head to the side.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-11-01T19:59:00.000-06:00

By the time we got to Trevor's work to go trick-or-treating Alexa was out cold. We couldn't wake her up for a good 10 min.

After her nap she was rearing to go - our adorable little giraffe. In case you couldn't tell.

We had a hard time keeping her focused on getting the candy. She kept running wherever she could find to go in the opposite direction of mom and dad. She thought it was pretty funny as you can see from the photo below when we caught up to her.

We all had a good time watching her take on this new experience. By the end of Halloween night she was bound and determined to carry her own basket. Trevor tried to take from her, but she wouldn't have it.
Little more of an update: Earlier this week she identified on demand her eyes, nose, ears, and teeth. Instead of pointing to her teeth she runs her tongue over them. Last week she started saying "baby" - it took her just a few tries before she could say it very clearly. Her feisty little personality is really starting to shine and she shows us new things she's catching onto every day.
Children are so much work but oh so worth it. :D

Alexa's Newest Discovery

2009-07-31T19:16:00.007-05:00

I was on my quest to find my very quiet child. When I called her name there was no response - which is usually bad. This is what I found. Since it was already ruined I just took more pictures as she proceeded to rip it to shreds.

It's been a while since I posted and I have much updating to do, but it's someones bedtime :D Umm, I mean :(

"HI"

2009-05-14T21:15:00.004-05:00

Trevor was playing with Alexa tonight and I came over to watch. Trevor says "show mommy your new trick" and then he lifted her up by her knees, her head came up, she looked at me and ...

This was no fluke. She did it several times, the above video being about the 4th. Before now she would usually only wave at herself in the mirror. I think she finally figured out what it meant.

Along with this adorable new trick her first tooth finally broke the surface, she started crawling (about 3 weeks ago) and she pulls herself to a standing position anywhere she possibly can (about 1 week ago).

It's hard to believe her first birthday is only 1 month & 5 days away. She has continued to develop & grow normally (she weighs about 14.5 lbs), stay healthy, and make everyone who sees her smile. She has brought joy to our lives that we never knew existed. What a blessing it has been to have such a beautiful, happy, healthy baby despite her rough beginning. She truly is a special daughter of God.

Spring Break - St. George Island, FL

2009-04-03T00:12:00.005-05:00

For Spring Break we went to St. George Island, FL with Trevor's family. We had a lot of fun and it was so nice to be out in the sun and on the beach for a week. Alexa didn't know what to think of it all, but she enjoyed jumping on the sand and eating it too (well, she didn't really like that). The water was a little cold so we mostly just put our feet in - a few brave souls jumped in, but after seeing a shark 3 feet from the shore on the first day, most of us enjoyed the ocean from the shore.

While there we: took nightly strolls along the beach, had a picnic on the beach with the seagulls, went on a bike ride through a swamp, did plenty of shell hunting, had fresh fish for dinner (that's another story), drove 1 1/2 hrs to Panama City to go shopping at this dinky mall, and of course spent much of our time relaxing in the sun.

Also during this time Alexa started teething, getting up on her hands and knees and bouncing, willingly eating solid foods, giving kisses when requested, and making fishy faces. So it was an eventful trip with just her.

Alexa did very well on our 16 hour drive there, stopping in Birmingham, AL along the way (we were hoping to hear some really thick southern accents at church, but no such luck). On our way home we took a detour through Destin, FL making it a 17 1/2 hr drive, which didn't go as smoothly, but we made it home in one piece.

I'm really glad we were able to go and spend time with Trevor's family. Lindy and Ryan were able to meet us there which was a lot of fun too.

I'll be posting pictures of our trip in a web album as soon as I figure out how to create one and not delete all the pictures out of it. Here are a few teasers to get you started.

Better Luck Next Year

2009-03-09T15:40:00.004-05:00

Well, no one we know made the Top 10 on the Beautiful Baby Contest 2009. In my opinion all our babies were way cuter than the ones they ended up picking. Oh, well, what can a mother do - she's still absolutely adorable to me and everyone who see's her.

This is her newest sleeping spot - I guess all that jumping wore her out.

Alexa is now about 13 pounds and 2 feet tall. Saturday she finally rolled from her back to her tummy all by herself. Now she does it all the time - the only bad thing is she doesn't know she can turn back over when she wants. She's still not sleeping through the night, but I think my body is finally used to it. Solid foods haven't been very successful; however, the last couple of days I've been giving her a little of whatever we're eating and she seems to be liking that. I hope this isn't an indication that she's going to be a picky eater.

The Winner!

2009-02-15T22:22:00.000-06:00

Here is the picture that won the blog contest. I submitted it to the GMA Beautiful Baby Contest, now we just have to wait and see. We're not really expecting anything to come of it, but thought it would be fun anyway. We think Alexa's the "Most beautiful baby" and that's what really counts.

Alexa is now at 12 lbs., 24 " tall, and is developing right on schedule. She had her 6 mth development appointment 2 weeks ago and everything went really well. She is a little small (5% at her corrected age of 5 1/2 mths), but the doctor said there's not much we can do about it and she's growing steadily and that is the important thing. We also had a hearing test and her ears are perfect. What a blessing this has all been, after all her little body has gone through since birth and she's turned out to be an extremely healthy and happy baby.

She is now sitting up with just a little help from the Boppy, she absolutely loves her activity jumper (see video posted on web album), eating food is still a hit or miss; which the doctor said he doesn't expect her to be really ready for much of that at this point, so that was a relief. All around she has become a very easy, happy, and fun baby.

Other going on's: I realized a while ago that we never give an update of what Trevor and I are up to (which isn't very exciting), but I thought I'd give just a little summary.

Trevor is staying very busy with his full time job at HE Williams performing his amazingly genius computer skills, which he sometimes gets to expand with a few programming projects, he also just began his final semester of college (Whoooooo!), so that means in May he will officially have a Bachelors degree in Computer Science w/an emphasis in Programming, obviously we are excited. Lately he's also been staying pretty busy with his new calling as Ward Building Coordinator -which is surprisingly more involved than you might think. Between all these responsibilities he does, somehow, find time to go jeepin' - then come home and fix his jeep, search the jeep forums for who knows what, and read his 4WD magazines. Most importantly he also manages to spend some time with me and Alexa. Alexa loves to sit with her daddy and look up jeep stuff.

As for me, obviously Alexa and I spend a lot of time together. We start our day with our morning workout at the Y (well, she watches and sleeps while I work my bum off), then we typically spend our day at home organizing, cleaning, or playing. I do a little bookkeeping from home too, which has helped me keep my sanity along with our occasional "Girls Nights". It doesn't seem like much, but for some reason there still isn't enough time in the day. I love being a "stay-at-home-mom". I have so much fun watching Alexa do new things and just be her adorable self - and of course taking tons of videos and pictures.

Well, I think that about covers the Trevor and Melissa update. Check out the web album for more pictures and videos.

More Voting Options

2009-02-03T15:22:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I just had to take more. Now I really can't decide.

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6

Cast Your Vote

2009-02-03T11:54:00.000-06:00

We're going to enter Alexa in the Good Morning America Beautiful Baby Contest and need some help deciding on a picture to submit. Rules are that it must be a home photo (not professional) and taken within the last month.
Below you will find 3 pictures of our irresistibly adorable Alexa. Please vote on which one you think is the best - if any :D
Thank you for your time. The results will be posted at a later time. (obviously can't say when, b/c it probably won't happen then anyway.)

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

What have we been up to??

2008-12-02T10:16:00.002-06:00

Alexa in her blessing dress (this was taken a few weeks after the fact) but still a little doll.

Alexa and her daddy on our family outing to Roaring River. She wasn't very amused by the fish and you'd think it was freezing by her expressions in some of the pictures. (more are posted on the album) It was actually a really nice day. This was our first attempt to take her out in the Jeep. We didn't end up going on any trails and later decided that was probably a good thing.

Alexa and Grandpa P. playing with the birthday balloons. (Also more pictures and videos on the web album.)

Alexa is 8 lbs. 10 oz. but still pretty little. She looks like a newborn now except that she's really strong and holds her head up really well, smiles, laughs, and coos & jabbers constantly.

Life has been busy as this time of year seems to be. (oh, actually I think that's a year round thing.) We had a very nice Thanksgiving with Trevor's family and spent some quality family time at home over the weekend. It was a very nice change of pace.

Alexa is growing fast. She's now 21" long and has her own height mark on the Petersen family growth chart, found on the back of the kitchen door.

She's starting to grab things but still hasn't quit figured it out yet. She still needs help. Baby Einstein play mat, the swing, and bouncer are mom's new best friends as Alexa has finally starting to enjoy entertaining herself and can be left to jabber for a period of time.

About a week ago she was looking out the window from her swing and she started humming. A few minutes later she was asleep. It was so precious - singing herself to sleep.

We also went to see her Grandma LaRue and Great Grandma Groll a few weeks ago. Grandma Groll had only seen her one other time, very briefly so it was nice to spend some time with her. (more pictures on the web album)

Well, that's all for now. Check out the web album for more pictures and videos and I'm going to try to add more in a week or so. Thanks for checking us out.

She Laughed!!

2008-10-29T15:12:00.003-05:00

This video was purely by accident. I was trying to catch her rolling over - which she hasn't quit figured out yet - and she started laughing. (Don't mind my voice in the background.) For the last week or so she smiles and acts like she's trying to laugh but nothing comes out - finally it did and how cute is that!?! This video was taken just a few minutes ago - that's how adorable I thought it was and couldn't wait for everyone else to see her newest trick.

Our Adorable Little Copycat

2008-10-22T09:34:00.008-05:00

A few weeks ago, the first weekend in Oct., Alexa started copying me when I stuck out my tongue at her. Trevor didn't believe me at first, but then she did it when he was watching and he was convinced that she knew what she was doing. It was super cute. So, now we have it on video along with her adorable "talking" and very animated facial expressions. (She also started drooling and blowing bubbles with it about the same time.)

This is Trevor & Alexa's other new trick - Trevor balances her on one had to see how long she can stay there. She tries to sit up a little, but usually ends up slumped over. Here's a video to demonstrate.

And yet another trick - we see how long she can stand up without trying to sit down. The video I took was taped sideways so we'll have to try again.

Alexa with her Grandpa Petersen.

For Family Night we decided to do a little canning. In the process we noticed that Alexa was about the same size as a #10 can. The family got a kick out of the comparison. There are several more pictures with her and the cans on the web album.

Our Happy Little Girl

2008-10-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

How could you not think she's the most adorable thing you've ever seen? You'd never know she was fussy right before I took the picture. It was like she knew she was getting her picture taken.

Alexa is still enjoying our morning walks; it's probably b/c she gets to be carried in the sling most of the time. She's also decided that her pacifier is not for her - she'd rather lick her blanket as she falls asleep instead. I haven't figured that one out yet.

I'm getting excited about her laughing soon, well, who knows when that will be but she smiles so much sometimes it's like she's trying to laugh but nothing comes out.

Don't forget to check out the web album. We've added more pictures (they may not be in order) and videos.

What a Blessing

2008-10-09T13:35:00.000-05:00

Melissa, Alexa, Analla, & Caroline on Alexa's blessing day.
Trevor was very nervouse but he gave Alexa the most beautiful and special blessing. There were many who shed some tears. I know I'm her mom, but the spirit was very strong and we knew how special this little girl is and how much she means to her Heavenly Father. It was no accident that He wanted her here on earth at the exact time He sent her. During the blessing I felt a lot of the same feelings rush through me that I had during the time Alexa was in the NICU, peace and comfort that she will live a wonderful life, and the knowledge of the overwhelming love that surrounds our little family.
It was so nice to have both of our families there and many of our wonderful friends.
Life couldn't be better for our little family.

Alexa and Trevor listening to General Conference.

Alexa smiling at her mommy.

Alexa is now smiling a lot more - mostly right after she's eaten. Now that she's 10 days from being 4 months, she's somewhere past 7 lbs (haven't weighed her for a few weeks) and seems to be getting longer by the day. She's still in Newborn diapers (it's just about time to graduate to the next size though) and still wearing Preemie clothes. We tried some Newborns on her and they are still too big, but the Preemies are getting a little short. She started sleeping a lot more and only waking up once at night (well, on the good nights).

It's been so fun to see her start to interact more. She likes it when we sing to her, but books are still not enough entertainment.
She watched her first movie a few nights ago, Cars, she liked the parts with a lot of car noises and lights, other than that she wasn't amused.

Ready to GO!

2008-09-23T15:02:00.000-05:00

We've been walking at the "Y" with some friends the last couple of mornings and she seems to do pretty good in the stroller as long as we're moving. I got her all ready to go this morning (note the adorable shoes that now fit) and she decided to play (this usually only lasts 1.5-2 min). She's so much fun when she's smiley and happy - it makes everything so worth it.

I can't believe how big she's getting and how fast she's growing. She's now 3 months old and about 6 1/2 lbs., looking back it seems like she was just born a few weeks ago. We're planning to bless her on Sunday - something that seemed so far away.

Things continue to progress. She's still refulxing and her monitor goes off a few times a day - mostly when she's sleeping, but things are getting easier and we're doing better with a schedule on most days.

I love being a mother.

She's growing fast

2008-09-15T02:50:00.002-05:00

It's been a while, so here's a few pictures to play catch-up. Alexa now weighs 6 lbs. and within the last 3 days she has started making eye contact when someone talks to her, looking around at her surroundings. She also kind of started to talk for a few seconds today, and earlier in the week she rolled from her tummy to her back, but there were no witnesses so we don't really know how she did it.
We went shopping for the first time this past week and it was just a little fiasco. Needless to say, I didn't get a whole lot of shopping done and it took 3 times longer than it should have. No more quick trips that's for sure.

The video I wanted to post is on the camcorder so is unavailable. I've been trying to get more, but every time I start recording he stops being really funny. I'll catch him in the act sooner or later.

Alexa started smiling more. Isn't she adorable?
Sometimes she really enjoys her swing, and mommy really enjoys that too.

She found a new sleeping position - face down. Whatever works.

Today was the fist time Alexa went to church. This was her new Sunday dress G-ma Petersen made her. I have no idea what's going on in this photo, but it's pretty cute. Trevor was trying to get her to do something.

5 Pounds and Much More

2008-08-31T23:51:00.004-05:00

Alexa reached 5 lbs. last Wednesday. She continues to get bigger and become more like a new baby. Since she's now past her due date we can officially say she's a newborn. Just when I thought being a mom couldn't get harder, she now officially also has colic. Needless to say, we often have really late night, or rather early mornings, and we've spent a lot of time sleeping on the couch so Trevor can sleep. I've really been trying to live in the moment and not try to wish for her to get bigger or develop faster, but these are not the moments I want to last for very long.

A few days ago Trevor told me I created a monster. The following night we were up until 3:30AM. It was then that he understood that you do whatever it takes to keep her from screaming. Grandma LaRue gave her a massage, which she loved, and it seemed to help relieve some of her discomfort.

It's not all bad. When she's awake she responds a lot more to people talking/singing to her and seems to enjoy it. Especially her Grandpa Petersen. If we can get a consent a video will be posted soon.

Our First Outing to the Park

2008-08-25T15:23:00.001-05:00

This was her expression all the way to the park. I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. I guess she was a little worried about the stroller thing (or so excited she couldn't stand it).

When we got to the park it took a good 5 min. for us to get the carseat/stroller figured out, then another 3.2 min. to get her situated (little exageration for emphasis). The first 5-7 minutes of the walk went pretty good, then she all of a sudden didn't like it. We turned around to head back to the car and the road got a little bumpy and she stopped fussing, from there on out she was silent. All in all I'd say it was a successful outing.

Parenthood

2008-08-23T13:57:00.000-05:00

Another sizable picture. I love this one. I actually think this is one of the last times she was content for an extended period of time. If she wasn't so cute it would make this whole parent thing so much harder. Yesterday she was 4lbs. 15 oz. (she had just eaten).

She's getting to be really fussy, especially in the evenings and I hold her a lot! She's on 2 different reflux meds now and who really knows if they're helping. The doctor said one of them will possibly make her irritable - yup it did!

We're going for our first stroller outing. She's still not able to go out in public, but we thought a little fresh air would do us all some good. I'll let you know how she does.

Well, it appears Stephanie was the closest (and the only participant) - $170 grand - Good thing for insurance. This is only her birth and hospital stay. She currently sees a home health nurse 2x/week and will be getting the RSV shots come October. (a round of 5 shots @ approx. $2,000 a pop.) Again - good thing for insurance. Everyone said having a baby was expensive, but we had no idea she would end up being this much! It's also said that they just get more expensive, but I think in Alexa's case she's going to get cheaper. (If not we're in big trouble)

After all this, we wouldn't trade her for anything. She has already brought so much joy and adventure to our lives. She may look cute to all of you, but she also has the most adorable personality - she's very animated and dramatic even at her very early age (2 mths, or 6 days which ever you choose to go by).

Alexa's Stay at the NICU

2008-08-20T22:29:00.001-05:00

Any guesses on how much 52 days in the NICU costs?

Happy Birthday

2008-08-20T22:11:00.002-05:00

We decided to celebrate Alexa's 0th birthday. She's probably the only baby in the world to have a 0th birthday party. We had cake and ice cream, and she got some new shoes that are waaayyyy too big for her. She's officially passed her expected birth date, so as far as developmental standards, she's two days old!

Alexa is doing a little better today and last night than she did this past weekend. She has really been scaring us with her breathing episodes. It's hard to imagine what would happen if the monitor wasn't constantly alerting her (and us) that she is forgetting to breathe. It kind of makes me wonder how anyone had kids that survived without technology and modern medicine.

Grandma has been over helping paint Alexa's room for the past few days. It's really making her room come together nicely. We painted it bright green, with her name in pink on the wall, and pink flowers all around the room. We think it looks good anyway...

Life at home

2008-08-17T21:31:00.003-05:00

Today makes a week with Alexa at home with us. It's been really nice to have her close by. She's been doing well eating and sleeping. I also think she's filling out a little bit in her face.

Last night was pretty eventful. She has her monitor that measures her breathing rate and heart rate. It sounds like a smoke detector when it goes off. Last night it went off so many times I lost count. It kept saying she wasn't breathing, but when we looked at her, she looked fine. We're wondering if when the alarm went off it would scare her and she would start breathing again. Anyway, we still need your prayers as does little Alexa. Tomorrow is her due date, when she will officially be 0. We were thinking of having a birthday party for her.

Home Sweet Home

2008-08-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we're on day 3 at home. The first night was pretty rough. Alexa woke up about every hour and slept most of the following day. I was aware of the sleep deprivation beforehand, but I had no idea it would be this bad. Well, the last 2 nights have gone much better. She's sleeping about 3-4 hours at a time, day and night. We had a little trial and error of her sleeping situation. The first night we tried the bassinet until 3AM, then tried the carseat. The carseat was out best bet with a 3 hour strech, so the above picture is her makeshift sleeping quarters for the time being. It actually works out really well for everyone.

In addition, I got tired of trying to keep her dry by changing her outfit every time she spit-up, so she now has a permanent bib (color coordinated of course) - which has helped tremendously. Most of her major spit-up jobs are down the front of mommy (another joy of parenthood).

Since her arrival home Alexa has only had a handful of events and even then she came out of them almost instantly on her own. Another answer to all the prayers.

Despite the many responsibilities and life changes, we are so happy to have her home. We have been so blessed to have such a special little girl. The many prayers and support have been a great strength and without a doubt have carried us through. We cannot express the gratitude we feel for all the help that has been so unselfishly given in our behalf. Thank you all so very much.

Home

2008-08-10T20:57:00.000-05:00

We finally made it home tonight at about 6:00, after a nice quiet day at the hospital. Alexa did well today and the doctor and nurses felt comfortable with sending her home. She didn't cry too much in the car, and we stopped by the Freeman sign next to Johnny Carinos to take a picture of her name on it.

I know we're not out of the woods yet, but I really feel like this whole experience has been a real faith builder for our family. They say you don't receive a testimony until after the trial of your faith. That's been so true in our experience. It's been so hard to see all the other babies come and go, but to have to stay behind with Alexa. I still don't even know why it was such a hard thing - she was never close to death or anything like that, but at times it almost seemed like it was more than we could handle. I really think this whole experience has tried our faith, and given us such a stronger testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We've been able to feel of their love and see the little miracles and answers to prayers.

One answer to prayer that sticks out in my mind happened just yesterday or the day before. Alexa was starting to have problems again with her stomach, and we were really worried that she might have to stop eating and take the IV again. We prayed (and many of you prayed with us) that she would recover, but also that the doctor and nurses would know how to help her. That night, we left a little discouraged, and thinking that this would set us back atleast another week or so. During the night our nurse thought to ask the doctor if they could discontinue her milk fortifier. The doctor thought that was a good idea, so they did and she ate well the rest of the night, and the next day also. I guess you could look at that as a coincidence, but for us it was an answer to prayer

Rooming In

2008-08-10T10:27:00.003-05:00

Last night on the 5th attempt, we were finally able to room in with Alexa. Basically they let her stay with us in a room in the hospital all by ourselves. It's basically just to make sure we can take care of her and she doesn't have any problems out of the NICU. It was more or less a sleepless night, but at the same time it's starting to finally feel like we might get to take her home.

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the Ronald McDonald House in Joplin, where we've been staying. There was a huge celebration and Ronald himself came down to visit. He came to the NICU and took pictures with the babies there, and he handed out RMH tshirts. Then KOAM news interviewed us. It was supposed to be on at 6 and 10, but I never saw our interview. It's probably a good thing though. At the celebration we saw one of the families that were our friends and roommates in the NICU. It was hard to believe that they'd already been gone a month! Alexa is pretty close to having seniority there, or atleast in our end of the NICU. It was kind of a bittersweet experience walking out of there with her. We're so glad to finally get out of there, but at the same time we've really come to love all the people there, that it's been hard to leave.

Hopefully, all will go well today and we'll be able to take her home late this afternoon. I think to say we're excited would be just a little of an understatement.

New Pictures

2008-08-07T23:40:00.001-05:00

Alexa's new pictures are on the link at the right, or here

http://picasaweb.google.com/seabass2020/AlexaSPhotoshoot?authkey=T6K9JZ8C4Hw.

Feel free to leave your comments on how cute you think she is.

Transfusion

2008-08-07T23:16:00.002-05:00

On Monday, a photographer came by and took several pictures of Alexa. It's done by a professional photographer who volunteers her time and resources for all babies in the NICU. She doesn't charge anything and even gives us all the pictures on a CD and a copyright release so we can have them printed. A lot of them turned out really good. We'll put them on her Picasa site.

Alexa received her blood transfusion today. The doctor is hopeful that she will start perking up, since her red blood cell count was so low. They have also changed her reflux medicine just in case that was also causing problems. She looked really pale this morning, but she has really got alot of her color back since receiving the blood. Things were a little scary this morning with all of this going on, but as I was thinking about it, I had a really good feeling come over me about the whole thing. And something about that made me know that Alexa was going to be OK in spite of everything that had happened. We really appreciate everyone who has prayed with us and for us. I know it's working - just look at her!

Another Delay

2008-08-07T12:54:00.002-05:00

Sunday the nurses and doctor told us we would be able to take Alexa home Friday. We decided not to tell anyone, for fear of bad karma. Last night we were still on for staying the night with her and taking her home Friday. We said bye to all our friends and took pictures with all the nurses. Then, this morning our nurse told us Alexa had a serious episode last night that required oxygen to stabilize her. So, they've delayed her going home again. I guess it's a good thing she's not going home until she's ready - we're just ready for her to be ready. The doctor doesn't know what's wrong with her yet. He's concerned that her episodes are becoming more frequent and that she's having a hard time maintaining her body temperature. They did some tests on her this morning and because her red blood cell count was low, they decided she needs a transfusion. They'll do that today at 1:30.
As always, your prayers are much appreciated, felt, and needed.

Petersen Look-alike Meter

2008-08-05T23:34:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family search - Vintage photos

Four Pounds!!!

2008-08-05T22:57:00.000-05:00

Alexa finally made it to four pounds! A landmark that has proven to be somewhat of an illusive white rabbit. Our next goal is to take her home. The Ronald McDonald house (where we have been staying for the last 6 weeks) is having their 10 year anniversary this Saturday. There's going to be a huge celebration and Ronald himself is going to make an appearance. He might even be coming to the NICU for some photo ops. I really, really, really hope we're home when all that goes down. Eating with Ronald is one thing, but a visit and photos is just a little over the top for me.

Alexa is eating really well, and doesn't seem to have any problems besides her occasional heart rate/ breathing episodes. We really just want to take her home - but at the same time we want to make sure she's ready too. She's right at two weeks shy of her expected due date, and we've been in the hospital for just under 7 weeks now.

Car Seat, CPR, and Monitors

2008-08-05T22:44:00.002-05:00

The past couple days have been more waiting around and two more disappointing scheduled departures that have come and gone. Alexa has had a few heart rate and breathing episodes these last couple of days. It hasn't been anything major, just one or two a day. The doctor doesn't know whether it's because of acid reflux or if it's sleep apnea. All the nurses think it's reflux. They have medicine that can help that, but the doctor is hesitant to start her on anything until he knows for sure what it is. The regular ENT doctor is on vacation, so we've had to wait a couple more days for a surgeon to come look at her (I can't wait to see that on our bill). So tomorrow morning he'll look at her throat and decide whether she has reflux or not. Also, tomorrow we are getting trained on the heart rate monitors. They're planning on us taking a monitor home for a while, so we have to get some kind of training. I don't really see what there is to train about - if it goes off, there is something wrong, how hard can it be??

Alexa did her car seat test Sunday. They like to put them in their car seat and let them stay in there for awhile on the monitors to make sure they can still breathe and are comfortable. There must have been 5 or 6 nurses in there with us. One was putting her in the car seat and the rest were telling us how small and cute she was.

We also had to watch a CPR video. It took us an hour, and that was with me fast forwarding all that parts I thought were irrelevant or repetitive.

Chasing the carrot

2008-08-02T21:42:00.003-05:00

Alexa had a few breathing / heartrate episodes yesterday, so the doctor decided she needed to go home on a heart rate monitor. This turned out to be kind of a blessing, because they weren't going to give us a monitor unless she had a reason to. We were really hoping to have her on a monitor just for a little peace of mind. The bad news is she will have to stay for another couple days because we have to get trained on how to use the monitors. I'm starting to feel like the donkey chasing the carrot. It seems like we're moving, but not getting any closer.

Moving Forward

2008-07-31T13:09:00.000-05:00

Alexa is doing very well today. She started taking a bottle again and they took the tube out of her nose. She lost a little weight from yesterday, she's now at 3lbs. 13.9oz, but that was to be expected.
We got new orders today that she can eat however much she wants, whenever she wants and she seems to like this much better. She was getting a little impatient waiting for her next feeding, so the nurse put her in the swing and she seemed to like it.
If she continues to do well with her feedings and her body can regenerate her red blood cells they are talking about her going home on Sunday. If the red blood cell count doesn't go up she will have to have a transfusion. The doctor was surprised that she hasn't had to have one yet. Just another little miracle.

Mommy's Girl

2008-07-30T16:13:00.002-05:00

Her feedings were started again yesterday at noon and the X-ray showed a huge improvement from Sunday. They let me feed her all day and she did great. No signs of pain or spitting it out. Then throughout the night the nurse tried to give her the bottle and she didn't want anything to do with it. They ended up giving it to her through the tube.
When I got there this morning I fed her and she did great. She's done really well all day with her feedings - she just likes her mommy!
Her X-ray from this morning was a little worse than yesterday, but much improved from Sunday. The nurses & doctor continue to keep a close eye on her to make sure this doesn't develop into an infection or something worse than what it is. Her I.V. should come out tonight if all goes well.

It's a bug!

2008-07-28T17:07:00.002-05:00

When we were first admitted to the NICU we were told to expect a roller coaster ride and to count on her getting some kind of bug during our stay. We almost escaped, but no such luck.

Another X-ray, taken this morning, showed that the inflammation in Alexa's stomach had worsened and it was looking more like she had a flu virus. Her feedings have been stopped for 24 hours and more lab work and X-rays will be taken in the morning. Since they stopped her feeding she is sleeping very well.

An I.V. was started to give her fluids. Since her veins are so tiny the best one they found was in her head - I had to leave when they put it in, but the nurse said she didn't cry very much.
When she's awake she gets fussy until someone holds her, so when mom's not around, the nurses jump at every chance they get (which isn't very often).

We're hoping she'll be back to normal by tomorrow - she's already starting to act like she's getting a little hungry and that's the first indicator that she's feeling better.

A minor setback

2008-07-27T19:15:00.003-05:00

The nurse told us today that we might stay the night with Alexa tonight and take her home tomorrow! She said since she was eating so well, there was really no reason for her to stay in the NICU. About 20 minutes later, Alexa wouldn't take any of her bottle. She would suck for just a little bit, and then cough hard and start to cry. Then everything she took came right back up. We later learned she sent her nurse last night to the ER because she spit up milk in her eye.

After an Xray and labwork, we're still not exactly sure what's wrong with her. The doctor thinks it may be Acid Reflux or a virus, or a combination of both. She just had her feeding tube removed, but they had to put it back in because that's the only way she'll take her food now. Hopefully this won't last too long. We've already seen so many of her roommates come and go. One family we've really enjoyed associating with just went home today. Hopefully she will get better soon and be able to come home with us. As always, all your prayers are much appreciated (and felt!).

Faith

2008-07-27T19:14:00.000-05:00

We'd been decided for quite awhile that our baby's first name would be Alexa. We were undecided even until a few days after she was born on what her middle name would be. Melissa had pretty much decided it would be Paige, and had already told everyone that's what it was. Around the time Melissa was getting ready to check out of the hospital, the nurses told us we had to decide on a middle name because we couldn't leave without filling out her birth certificate.

It was quite the ordeal at the hospital that day. We were taking suggested names and opinions from everyone. We even took votes from our nurses. Finally, after weighing all the possibilities, we decided on Faith. Before Alexa was born, Melissa went in for a routine checkup. She was still two months away from her due date. Everything seemed to be fine, and the doctor did some routine labwork. The next day, Melissa excercised in the morning as usual, then got a call from the Doctor that she needed to come to the hospital for some additional tests.

Being members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in the Priesthood, and Priesthood blessings. I felt like we should give Melissa a priesthood blessing before going to the hospital. A good friend of mine came over to help with the blessing. In the blessing, I felt Heavenly Father's love strongly for me and Melissa, and I told her that she would be ok, and that the delivery and pregancy would all go well. Just a few hours later at the hospital, we found out that Melissa was seriously ill and would need to deliver very soon. We told our families of the situation, and almost immediately we began to feel God's love for us as friends and family prayed for us. It was amazing how an experience like this made us feel so close to God. We heard of so many people who said they were praying for us and thinking about us, that it really gave us great courage. Never once did Melissa or I feel fear during the entire experience. I was a little scared when I first saw Alexa, but I know without a doubt that prayers were answered, Melissa's blessing was realized, and Heavenly Father's love helped us through.

After all that happened, we felt like her middle name should maybe have a little more meaning. It was our faith in Christ, and the faith of our friends and family that really helped us through. This has changed our lives forever and hopefully her name will always remind us and her of the miracle that happened on 6/19 at 6:19.

Eat, Eat, Eat!

2008-07-24T22:00:00.001-05:00

We are now able to feed Alexa 4 times / day by bottle. She has finally figured out how to suck, swallow, and breath all at the same time. This took nearly 2 weeks and was a little discouraging at times. Now that she's got it down we're hoping they will continue to increase the amount of times/day she can be hand fed.
Although the picture may not show it, she is getting bigger. She's up to 3 lbs. 11oz. and should be able to be in an open crib in the next day or two. This is just another step closer to allowing her to come home.

1 month birthday

2008-07-20T22:23:00.000-05:00

It was actually a couple of days ago, but Alexa had her one month birthday. She is starting to do a little better with her feedings. Today she took 14 ccs - which was her best so far. Alexa had a nurse, Tara, that remembered Ansel and the Sneddons very clearly. She was asking about how he and Kerri were doing when another nurse said, "Did you say Ansel"? Most all of the nurses knew them and want to know how they're doing.

Grandma and Grandpa Petersen came to visit today and Grandpa got to hold Alexa for quite a while. He tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but I think he really liked it. Alexa must have too, because she slept the whole time. She only opens her eyes when she's being fed, or having her diaper changed.

Alexa's House

2008-07-20T00:29:00.000-05:00

Alexa's staying in an incubator where she's been for the last couple weeks. When she gets to 4 lbs, they will put her in an open crib. Grandma Petersen made this isolette cover for her (that all the nurses have been commenting on). She's up to 3lbs 9oz as of today, so she has nearly half a pound to go. At a rate of about 1 oz per day that will probably take her another week to get up to 4 lbs. The nurse said probably about two more weeks to go. We're hoping it will be sooner than that.

First Bottle Feeding

2008-07-15T22:31:00.000-05:00

Alexa had her first bottle feeding a week ago on Monday. She is not very interested however, as she only took 4 or 5 cc's. After about the same performance during the next few days, the nurse decided to hook her oxygen back up to help her breathing during the feedings. It worked well on the first time as she took about 15cc's. The next day it was back to the same old thing as she is only taking around 4 or 5 now even with the oxygen. The nurse said that's the main thing keeping her in the NICU now. Her bottle feedings and she also needs to gain more weight. She's up to 3lbs 5 oz now.

Alexa's Birth

2008-07-11T11:44:00.000-05:00

Alexa Faith Petersen was born on June 19, 2008 at 6:19 p.m. She weighed 2 lbs. 7 oz. and was 15 in. Due to complication of preclamsia, she was born 9 weeks early. As difficult as the circumstances are she has been blessed with a strong healthy body. So far, she has had no setbacks and continues to grow and progress.
She has been a great blessing to us as well. Parenthood is something that can't be explained, it just has to be experienced to know the joys a child can bring. Even so small she has already brought a new dimension to our lives.

3 Pounds

2008-07-11T11:09:00.000-05:00

Alexa hit the 3 lb. mark on July 9th. She still seems so tiny and fragile, but we're getting used to it. There was an 8.5 lb. baby in the same room for a night and she looked like a giant baby compared to Alexa.
She's getting better at controlling her eyes so they don't dart around so much. She also seems to be more alert when she is awake.