Grace

This child amazes me and keeps me entertained. Every day it is something different. I love this child. I love how she tries things that she is too small to do. I love that she loves with all of her heart. I even love how spunky she has become.
Pamela

Happy Birthday Grace

Have you ever wanted something more than tell people. I have. I use to joke that I wanted a long visit to a hospital. You know someone to deliver food to your bedside. Time to read a book, watch all the latest movies. Yeah, guess what that is not what a hospital stay is really like. After the first week of laying flat on your back you have no brain. You do not even remember to write down who visited.
Six years, five weeks ago I was lying in bed trying to take a nap when my water broke. I instantly went to the hospital. They then told me my water had not broken but that I was urinating on myself. My response was ARE YOU KIDDING ME? A couple of hours later I was sent home and told to use depends and if it last more than a few days the doctor could put me on medicine. So I went home and sat on my couch with my legs crossed tightly because every time I moved I leaked fluid.


On Monday I went to the doctor. The doctor who got a phone call on Saturday night about me. He was told my tests were negative and I was okay. He took one look at me and said yes your water broke. I was admitted that night. I had no clue what I was in for. I was 26 weeks pregnant with three other kids at home.
Day after day I laid in that bed. I did not read books, I did not scrapbook. I just laid in bed. My brain was in a fog. That is what happens when you do nothing but lay around. My doctor came every day to check on me. He was amazing. He would tell me to continue to pray.
At 31 weeks there was no turning back and my precious baby girl entered the world. I did not hear a cry or even see her before they rushed her to the NICU. Later that afternoon my hero wheeled me down to see her. It seemed so weird that I was able to stand up for more than a few seconds.
I remember the first time I saw her. She was so tiny. They had put a little bow in her hair. Did you know K Y jelly dries hard like glue and is perfect for getting little hair bows to stick to a bald head? She was breathing on her own and doing well. She weighed 2 pounds 12 ounces. It was hard to not hold her or touch her.
That was one of the best days of my life. My precious baby girl Grace was born. She honestly is just as special to me today. Today she is a fun loving little girl. She loves to snuggle. She loves to play outside.
Today I say happy Birthday to my baby girl!
Pamela

Grace at Sam's

Last Saturday we spent 3.5 hours at Sam's getting new tires. We took a break to have a snack. Grace thought it was a great idea to sing My God is a Awesome God. I could not bring myself to make her stop. I pray my children always feel free to sing about God wherever they are. I wish I had the same no fear attitude.

Grace is 5, well a month ago

Yes, I know it was almost a month ago but I wanted to post the other pictures of Grace’s birthday cakes. We had a small celebration the Saturday before her birthday. She made cupcakes and icing and decorated them with sprinkles. Those little ball kind that kill your teeth and used a whole jar. Then on her birthday she had a small cake that she decorated the same. The weekend before we asked what she wanted to do and she said go to the zoo. My kids always get a choice, I can buy them a cake, make them a cake or they can make it. My girls always choose to make their own and I love it. They make sure to tell everyone that they do everything but touch the oven. I hope this tradition goes on for years. I need to learn more skills to teach them to really decorate.

Grace

Loves having her picture taken and I love her smile so it works out great.

update on Grace

Grace went to the doctor 3 times this week. First we went to see Dr. Mahesh which is her favorite in the whole world. The girls love this office because they can play in the waiting room. He said she was doing great and will see us in three months. Then we saw Dr. Latif for her growth. He said she has gained 5 pounds and grown 2 inches in the last year. so as of today she weighs 32 pounds and is 39 inches. The last appointment was a waste. It was just for referals.

Pictures from birth

This is DR. C. He was with me the day it took to long to find a heartbeat. When he told me .........then he said the words that made me trust him. He said I am not God. WOW, he let me know where his faith was. He came to see me everyday. I knew everyday he was praying for me. He encouraged us and then visited Grace in the NICU
daddy holding Grace for the first time.
this is the day she went home, weighing 4 pounds 4 ounces and her first day in a open crib
the nurses were wonderful, they even made her eye protection look fun

this is grace's first diaper, i still carry one in my purse for when I am worried she has not grown

this is our first picture of grace. everyone said she looked so big until I pointed out that this was a preemie pacifier and it came up over her shoulder

I know it is blurry but this shows her at 2 weeks, shows how skinny she is. The first day the nurse said when she gets a butt you will know she is ready to go home, because literally it looked like it was flat
This is our nurse DEE, we love nurse dee, we still visit her, I felt like I was leaving her with Family when it came to nurse dee.

theis the freezer of breastmilk before she even came home. honest i still have a few bags in the freezer because I can not throw them away, who knows what we will do when we move,
this was spring i think. this is the day I felt like a mom, being skin to skin with her

Saturday morning 6am

What do you do on Saturday morning at 6am. I set in my chair and my precious blessing walks in and climbs into my lap and gets under the blanket with me. We have our every morning talk. How did you sleep, how do you feel, do you know how special you are to me, do you how glad I am that God gave you to me, and if it is a sappy kind of morning I will tell her thank you for fighting so hard to stay with us and for staying in my belly so long. I do not know why I always feel the need to do that. And the whole time she gives me sweet kisses and hugs and then she says mommy can I suck my thumb. When I remind her how yucky that is, she says okay. Then she ask me for a donut. So this is Grace eating her donut. She loves her donuts and as far as I am concerned she can eat all she wants.

Faces of Grace

I love to look at Grace. I know it sounds silly but at three and a half she still has baby soft skin. You have to notice her outfit. I love the socks and flip flops and even cuter is the way she wears them on the wrong feet.