1st Birthday

Lorena's first birthday has come and gone.  It just doesn't seem real that she can be 1 year old.  We had a big party at the house for her several weekends ago.  She got way too many presents and got to have her first cupcake!  My favorite is chocolate so that is what I decided she should try...

Excited for her party!

 

cake made by me with guidance from the ladies of Our Daily Bread

Dwayne and Uncle Danny frying fish

with Aunt Addie



Passed out after the party with Aunt Maria

 

hanging with her Illinois cousins Henry and Max

Lorena continues to reach her milestones.  We had our one year NICU follow up visit on September 10.  They were very impressed with her progress.  The doctor said he wished all preemies turned out as well as Lorena.  The nurse then chimed in and said that babies like her are the reason they don't get depressed coming to work everyday.  We have been so blessed with Lorena's progress.  I realize that all preemies have struggles and that it isn't right to compare them.  It almost makes me feel guilty that she has done well but I know I just need to be thankful for what God has given us.  She weighed 23.8 pounds and was 28 3/4 inches long.  She is in 18 month clothes.  We also got to see some of the doctors and nurses that cared for her.  They were amazed at her weight, big blue eyes, blonde hair, and tan complexion.  I'm weird, but I really enjoy these return trips to the NICU.  I'm just glad I can take Lorena with me when we leave.

 

Lorena is going to be very stubborn like her Daddy!  She refuses to eat baby food.  She has to pick up food with her fingers and hold her bottle by herself.  She really likes puffers, yogurt bites, oranges, applesauce, cheese, crackers, and graham crackers.  The NICU doc also suggested switching her to whole milk.  We tried this for a week but I just didn't think she had been acting like herself.  She has been fussy, spitting up milk (I can count on one hand how many times she spit up as an infant so this is very out of the ordinary), diaper rash, pimples on her face, rash on her face, cold, and cough.  The doctor found she had an ear infection and thinks she is allergic to cows milk.  This could be genetic, as Dan had to drink goat's milk as a baby since he was so allergic to dairy.  We aren't getting a goat anytime soon so hopefully soymilk does the trick.