Lots of first

Lorena has had a busy few weeks.  She loves to eat and is taking between 3 1/2 to 4 ounces of breast milk/formula each feeding.  She has slept a few times from 11 pm to 6 am (which is an amazing feeling for Daddy and Mommy) but she still gets hungry around 2 am most nights.  Her sucking reflex has improved so much in December.  We had to practically force her to eat when we first brought her home.  Dan and I had to wake her up every three hours to feed, use a finger to stimulate her cheek to remind her to suck, and use another finger to hold her chin up to keep the nipple in her mouth.  She also wasn't strong enough to keep a pacifier in her mouth.  Lorena now takes her bottle quickly and has a strong sucking reflex like a "normal" baby.  Like most parents, I really don't want her to get hooked on her pacifier...but I'm just so excited that she is strong enough to finally keep one in her mouth. Cindy is still watching Lorena while I work.  We are thankful she can take time off to help us out.  Cindy and Ernie also watched Lorena so Dan and I could go celebrate the New Year for a while!  It was a pretty tame New Years Eve...we were home by 12:15.

Cute girl

Lorena has been busy in December:
1.  She is able to keep her pacifier in her mouth

With her pacifier

2.  She likes watching the colors on the tv - she gets this from Dan

3.  She is tracking objects with her eyes

4.  She has "found her hands" and holds them together sometimes

5.  She likes holding onto my clothes when I burp her (and pulling on her Daddy's chest hair)

6.  Her eyes have turned blue.  All preemies have gray eyes and Lorena's are now blue like most newborns.  She will eventually get brown or hazel eyes we think.

7.  She took her first tractor ride!  I left her with Dan for a morning to get my haircut.  He proceeded to take a cardboard box, cut holes for Lorena's legs, and wrap her in blankets.  She slept like this for 3 hours in the tractor with Daddy while he spread manure.  She is definitely a farm girl at heart already. :-)

First tractor ride 12-18-12

8.  She made her first trip to see Grandpa and Grandma Cox in Illinois!  We still hadn't been getting Lorena out much but Dan decided that we would go back to Illinois for Christmas to keep my sanity.  I really was missing "home" since I hadn't been back since the middle of August.  So we packed up Lorena and headed east.  We were gone for 5 days and had a great time.  The weather was cold but traveling went great considering we had a newborn along for the ride.  I'm so glad Lorena likes her carseat.  I have heard of babies that scream all of the time in car seats and I'm so thankful that Lorena is a good traveler.  She usually falls asleep once the car starts moving.  Chillicothe Missouri is our halfway point and was our pitstop on the journey.  After a quick diaper change and feeding, we were back on the road.  Since we still can't have Lorena around too many people, our Christmas gatherings were spent with my immediate family only and a few friends of the family (that are like family to me).  We are also keeping her out of church because there are so many germs and flu bugs floating around now.  Christmas didn't really feel like Christmas without church service though.  Here are some pictures from our trip to Illinois:

with Grandma

Grandpa's hands are much bigger than miss Lorena's

Grandpa's little girl

with her Aunts and Cousins

saying bye to Grandma and Grandpa

Best buds from high school!  Dan got to meet Zach's crazy family too and he loved them!  

Cheering for the Illini.  Too bad we couldn't beat Mizzou...maybe next year.

9.  First time in "the Shop".  I took Lorena outside to make sure Daddy and Cousin Jason were actually working last Saturday afternoon. She wore her snowsuit even though it was 70 degrees in the shop.

Thanks Aunt Maria for the suit

10.  Had Christmas with Dan's immediate family. We missed the big Hiesterman Christmas because we were in Illinois but we were able to go to a small gathering at Dan's parents with his sisters and their families.  It was good to be together.  Lorena got lots of good gifts.

11.  Lorena is finally in 3 months clothes and size 1 diapers.

Ready to go sailing in her stripes

Sleepy princess