Dylan - 11 Month Update

So Dylan is 11 months old today...I can't believe it. I say that every month, but this time I am really having issues with it. He's just getting so big. One month from today he'll be a year old. He's not going to be a baby anymore. It's so hard to believe that 11 months ago we had a tiny 2 lb, 3 oz baby in the NICU & now he is a big, feisty, determined almost toddler! Well, I guess he's always been determined & feisty, but now it's just a lot more noticeable!

Dylan has been doing big things over the last month. He is crawling all over the place...so much so that a baby gate was in order for the kitchen door. He is also pulling up on everything & trying to get into as much trouble as he can. His favorite new toy is the door to the dog kennel. He loves to open it & shut it & try to crawl inside. He also enjoys tormenting the dog. He grins so big when Casey comes around. Between Casey & Grandpa Wayne, it's a draw between who's the favorite!

As for being more vocal, I feel like we are finally starting to make some strides. He has started making the “g” & “ga” sound a lot. Still not much else, but he does seem to be jabbering more & yelling less. Dylan & I started a baby sign language class last week & I am hoping by encouraging signing I will also be encouraging communication. The problem is consistency. I need to remember to sign to him more often. We are mostly working on “more,” “eat” & “milk/drink.” I don't really think he knows what any of them mean yet though. He does seem to have his own sign for “more” though. He bangs on his tray a lot. He also does it when he is drinking a bottle – almost like he is saying, “Wow, that is one GOOD bottle!” He is super cute.

As for his size, I don't have a height on him, although I think he is taller than he was a month ago. He is 23 lbs! He loves to eat & our joke is that when he is feeding himself, he eats like he hasn't been fed in days! He would rather feed himself than have us feed him, except when it comes to his bottles – he is still refusing to hold those on his own.

So that is pretty much our update for this month. We do have an upcoming surgery this month – Dylan will be having his circumcision done on the 17th. While it is not a major surgery by any means, he does still have to be under anesthetics for it & that makes me nervous. It will be an all day event in Iowa City between the pre-op, surgery, & recovery, so it is looking like it will be a long day for all of us. Derrick & my parents will be going up with us, so it shouldn't be too hard of a wait for me. The surgery is only supposed to take about 45 minutes, but the recovery could take 4 hours. Please keep us in your prayers that day. We would very much appreciate it.

So really, that is it. Look forward to a major update on his birthday. I am excited & sad about it all at the same time. What a blessing it is that we have been able to have him for the last 11 months. We are looking forward to seeing what the last part of Dylan's first year have in store for us!

Dylan & his buddy Emma at Emma's birthday party - August 30, 2009

Dylan - 10 Month Update

Dylan is 10 months old today! I can hardly believe it. My tiny baby is almost a year old! 

Where to start with the update? A few friends have reminded me that I said I would post an update about Dylan's developmental visit (Thanks Sarah & Amy!). We went for his developmental check a few weeks ago. We have to go to Iowa City for them, but I really enjoy it. We see a lady named Sara whose specialty is preemie infant development. Sara mostly just plays with Dylan to see what he is doing. She gave him a squeaky duck to play with which he proceeded to shove in his mouth. She also gave him some blocks & wanted him to copy her & bang them together...he put them in his mouth instead. Go figure. She had him pick up cheerios & put them in his mouth. Sara also checks his movement, his weight, & his height. She tried to get a blood pressure, too, but he was wiggling too much...she says that is normal though & that she hadn't gotten one from any baby all day. Overall, he is doing great. He is doing all the things he should be for his adjusted age of 7 months. He is also doing several of the things that are expected from a 10 month old. He is also at about the 50% for his actual age in weight & at about the 3-6% for his height. 

We have been working on sitting up & crawling. Dylan does great at sitting up...most of the time. He is still not really crawling much, but he can certainly get to something if he really wants it. He loves to stand & will stand at the couch & then let go & turn & hold onto my leg instead. I think he will be walking soon, as long as he can get some balance under control. He loves Casey, our beagle dog, & while Casey isn't too thrilled with him, he tolerates him & even licks his face sometimes. Dylan gets a kick out of that! 

My one area of concern is Dylan's speech. He really doesn't jabber much & never repeats sounds back to you. I often say, “Mama” & “Dada” to him & he will grin really big, but he never tries to repeat them back. His main form of communication is screaming & Derrick & I are not really such fans of that! He screams a lot! I am thinking about looking into Early Intervention coming out & doing some speech therapy with him, but Sara thinks we should wait & that he is doing well for his adjusted age. I know that we have to account for him being a preemie, but I don't want to use that as an excuse. I don't want to push him too much, but I really think he would benefit from some therapies. I will be talking to the pediatrician at the 12 month appointment about it if his “speech” doesn't seem to be improving. 

Overall, Dylan is doing well. Even though some days are more tiring than others, we woul

Dylan - 9 Month Update

We just got back from Dylan's 9 month check up & the news is wonderful! Dylan is doing awesome, much, much better than the doctor expected! Here are the stats:

Weight: 20 lbs. 1 oz! - He is at the 40th percentile for his ACTUAL age!!! That is amazing! Last time we were at the ped he wasn't even on the chart for his age. He was also switched off of the Neosure fatty formula to regular formula. 
Height: 26 ¾ inches. He's a shorty – 6.6th percentile! No wonder he looks so pudgy!
Head circumference: Can't remember the number, but it was about the 5th percentile. 

So, overall, Dylan is chunky & short. But he's adorable! He has 4 teeth, 2 on the bottom & 2 coming in on the top. His eye teeth are the ones coming in on the top, so when they fully come in he is going to look funny! He can roll both directions & can get up on all 4's to try to scoot around. He mostly just gets frustrated & yells though. He is not sitting up much on his own, but he tries. 

The doctor is pleased with Dylan's progress. He is developmentally about a 6 month old, but he is about the same size as a 9 month old. We really need to work on him catching up developmentally – I don't know if he will qualify for any early intervention or AEA or if he will even need it. I will probably try to look into that when he is closer to a year old. I figure that speech will probably be an issue, so I am trying to really work with him on sounds & we have been doing some signing...well, I've been doing some signing to him. He doesn't sign back yet or really understand them, but I am hoping that it will help him to catch up quicker. They say most micropreemies (born before 30 weeks) catch up by their 2nd birthday. 

So that's the update – Dylan is doing great & we love him more & more every day. He is such a special blessing & miracle. I was looking at him the other day sleeping in his crib & I remember bringing him home & how we would put him in the crib sideways because he was so tiny. Now he sprawls out all over the place in there! It's just amazing what God has done for him! We are thankful everyday for the wonderful blessing that he is!

Dylan Update - July 2009

I thought it was about time for an update - Dylan will be 9 months old on Monday...can you believe it? 9 months ago I was in the hospital thinking I was going to just be on bed rest for the remained of my pregnancy...which I guess was true, but I thought it would last a lot longer! Dylan is doing amazingly great & we are so happy to have him.

Dylan started “army crawling” yesterday. He was laying on his back playing with a rattle & dropped it, so he rolled over & started crawling towards it! He kept hitting it with his hand & pushing it farther though, so he was getting really frustrated. I tried to video it, but he got distracted by the diaper bag once I got the camera out & never did really go anywhere. I'll have to upload it to facebook anyway – it was really cute. He has also been crawling all over his crib. This morning I went in to get him & he was on his belly turned completely around looking at the door waiting for me. Too cute. He has been so happy today.

Dylan has been trying to sit up, but struggles with it because he would rather be standing, so he tends to throw himself backwards. I am not really sure how to help with that. I don't want him to crack his head on the floor, but I want him to learn that that's not a good idea. He does sit up on his own for a few seconds, but then he either flops over backwards or folds completely in half forward. I'm a little stuck on what to do to help him, but I guess he'll figure it out soon enough.

I am starting to realize that he really is a good baby – I don't know what I'll do if I get a difficult baby next time. He has generally slept through the night for months, he has weened himself down to 2 naps & sometimes one evening catnap a day & he is just generally happy. Makes my life as a stay-at-home mom a little better! I am interested to see where he will be at when we go to the ped. on the 14th. I feel like he is doing a lot of the things that normal 5-6 month olds are doing, so it will be interesting to see what milestones he has reached for his age.

The last time Dylan was weighed & measured was the beginning of June & he was 18 lbs. & 25 inches. He's still a shorty, even for his adjusted age of 5-6 months, but he is doing well in the weight area. I think he is even on the charts for his actual age of 9 months! He is growing like crazy! He loves food & really hasn't refused anything we have given to him. He didn't like the carrots I made, but he liked the jarred ones, so I will just have to try those again.

Overall, Dylan is doing great. He is big, generally healthy, & is a happy, happy boy! We still feel extremely blessed that God has given him to us to raise up for Him. What a privilege! God is good!

Dylan on Baby Day - June 14, 2009

Family Update - April 29, 2009

Yesterday was 1 year since I found out I was pregnant. What a year it's been. Who would have thought it would have been such an interesting year. I just keep thinking about what a blessing Dylan has been & how much we have gone through in the past year just to have him here. He is such a miracle. 

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was thrilled. Derrick & I had been praying for a baby for so long & were shocked to find out we were expecting! The first part of my pregnancy went very well, relatively no morning sickness or problems. Around 5 ½ months I began to have some issues with not feeling so well, swelling really bad & all around not doing well at all. I was admitted to the hospital here in Davenport on October 1, 2008. After spending the night here in the hospital, I was transferred to Iowa City where I would spend the rest of my pregnancy. Unfortunately, that wasn't very long. Dylan was born at 26 weeks, 6 days at the Children's hospital in Iowa City. He was 2 lbs. 3 oz. & 14.5 inches long. 

I can honestly say that I was not too thrilled with Dylan at first. I didn't think he was that cute & I was terrified the first time I had to hold him. I really struggled to bond with him & I think I suffered from a little bit of postpartum depression. As time went on things got better, although I was still often fearful that something would happen to him.

In all, Dylan spent 2 ½ months in the Iowa City NICU. I stayed at the Ronald McDonald House the whole time Dylan was there. He then spent 2 weeks in the Davenport NICU. 3 months in all. He came home on his due date. It has been quite a ride since then. 

Dylan is now almost 7 months old. He is getting so big. He gets weighed tomorrow & I am guessing he is close to 15 lbs. (if not more!). He is smiley & giggly & so much fun. We started feeding him cereal a few weeks ago & he loves it. He is a joy to us everyday. 

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time we were wondering what the future would hold for us & I can say that we never would have predicted things would be like this. I don't think that I would change it though. I made a great friend in the NICU. I grew in my relationship with God. I bonded with my son in a way that may have not happened had I not had so much alone time with him. Overall, I think the NICU experience was a great thing for us. I wouldn't wish it on anyone else, but I definitely see it as a positive experience in my life. I treasure Dylan more than I think I would have had he not been born so early & so sick. 

I just felt I needed to write this update because I have seen how much God has done for us over the year. What a mighty God we serve! He has blessed me more than I could ever asked for & I can only hope that He continues to bless us all the rest of our lives & that we will be able to use Dylan's story to reach out to others who are going through the same things we went through. I know that God does not take us through trials for no reason & I expect that big things will come from little Dylan's life!

Dylan - 6 Month Update

Hi all! Time for an update. Let's start with the stats – Dylan is now 12 lbs, 8 oz. (or at least he was on Tuesday!) Such a big guy now! He has gained 10 lbs., 5 oz. since he was born. He is getting big & strong. He is smiling all the time now & once in a while we can even get a giggle out of him. He is starting to be a lot of fun – loves to sit up in his Bumbo & likes to talk to us & the turtle on his wall. I think his favorite time of the day is outfit change time – the boy loves to be stripped down to a diaper. He gets so excited...I guess he did spend the first 2 months of his life in just a diaper, so maybe he just feels free again. He also loves bath time. I get the joy of giving him baths & now that I have mastered the art of keeping him covered so I don't get a shower, too, bath time has been great. He doesn't play much in there yet, but he just loves being in the water. He is a blessing & a miracle & I remind myself every day just how lucky we are to have him.

Derrick is doing well. He enjoys his job & is glad that he does not have to stay home every day...that said, he loves being a daddy. He is a great dad, but I knew he would be. He does bedtime with Dylan almost every night & Dylan loves his bonding time with Daddy.

I love being a stay at home mom. There are times when I would give anything to go back to work, but then I get a big smile or cuddle that makes all the fussiness worth it. I really don't mind the diapers, laundry & bottles, especially since Dylan started sleeping through the night. My main issue right now is that Dylan is awake more, but gets overstimulated easily, so it is hard to do things with him. We read, play with toys, sing, play patty-cake, stretch, but sometimes Dylan just chills out in his swing. I feel bad about it, but he seems so content, why would I mess with him? I guess I shouldn't complain though – he used to hate his swing & I couldn't even use the bathroom without him screaming. That is a wonderful change.

Derrick & I are both adjusting well to having Dylan home. He will be 6 months old on Monday (can you believe it?) & he will have been home longer than he was in the hospital. I have a hard time remembering what it was like without him. When I was pregnant I used to worry because I liked it being just “us.” That was what I was used to & I had a hard time wrapping my mind around something different. God is funny that way. I worried, but I thought I would have a lot of time to sort it all out before the baby came. Surprise! Joke was on me. Something about sitting at your child's bedside makes all the little worries about “us” go away. I'm glad God knows how to deal with me better than I know how to deal with myself!

We are doing Dylan's baby dedication on Easter Sunday. I am so excited about it. We get to share our intentions of raising Dylan up to love God & follow Jesus with the church & our family & friends. We have already made that commitment to God, but by sharing it with the church they will be able to hold us responsible if we are not doing what we should be. Ultimately it will be Dylan's decision to do what he will with the knowledge that will be given to him & we will do all we can to raise him to understand God's love. I am so honored that God gave us this sweet little boy to care for & raise up for him. Our goal is for Dylan to grow into a man who loves God.

So that is our update for today. We still appreciate your love & prayers as we raise up our little boy! Thank you & love & hugs to you all!

Dylan "talking" to his turtle friend (4-1-09)

Dylan - 5 Month Update

Dylan is now 5 months old. I can hardly believe it. At last check he weighed 10.5 lbs & was 22 ¼ inches long. He is getting so big. He has gained over 8 lbs. since he was born. He has recently started sucking his thumb & smiling a ton. He was such a grouchy baby the last couple months & I thought he would be like that for a while longer, but it seems like someone has flipped a switch with him. Of course he is still crabby sometimes, but he is happier more, too. He is beginning to enjoy his swing & bouncy seat which is wonderful because it gives this Mama's arms a break. We sure love him though & enjoy all the cuddles & smiles (the diapers & spit-up not as much!)

I still wonder on an almost daily basis how it can be that we were able to bring home such a little miracle with no major problems. Dylan can see, hear, eat, breathe. Why did God give us a baby with no problems while I know others who have preemie babies with many problems? I am certainly not complaining – I recognize it as a blessing from God. My heart hurts for my good friend Julie though. She had triplets on September 1st at 27 weeks. All 3 babies ended up going home on oxygen & apnea monitors. They have had breathing issues & apnea problems. 2 of them have eye issues. 1 has hearing issues. 1 had a brain bleed. 1 has Down's Syndrome. 2 of the triplets are doing great now & may be off their oxygen soon. Miss Macy, who has Down's, has been struggling. They are still trying to get her formula figured out so she can gain more weight. She weighs less than Dylan even though she was born a month earlier. Her brother & sister each weigh at least 3 lbs. more than her. So pray for Macy & the rest of Julie's family if you have a chance. I know they would appreciate it.

Not much has changed on our end. Dylan is finally sleeping though the night on a regular basis & we are loving it. It makes him getting up at 6:15 every morning seem really good. Derrick & I still alternate nights with Dylan. Hopefully we will be done with that soon & I will just get into a routine of getting up with him in the morning. Derrick is a great daddy & did a great job with Dylan today when I was not feeling well. I am so thankful for him.

That is all that is going on with us. We are just busy with church, family, & a sweet little baby boy. I will try to update more often, but I make no promises. Hope you have a great night!

Dylan's first experience with the exersaucer - March 5, 2009

Dylan - 4 Month Update

I am writing an update while Derrick is holding the baby. He was screaming again, as usual (the baby, not Derrick). He is finally asleep, but I think Derrick is going to have a rough time putting him in his crib. He has to return some Wii games to Blockbuster, so maybe he'll just take Dylan with him.

I took Dylan to his UIHC High Risk follow-up last Monday. He was 9 lbs. 2.6 oz. What a chunk! The lady we met with said that he is developmentally on target for where he should be for his adjusted age of 1 month. We have to watch his head & neck development because he is favoring turning his head to the right. He can turn it to the left, but he usually chooses not to. He can already roll over from his tummy to his back! He has also started smiling at us, though not consistently.

This past Tuesday I took Dylan to his 4 month well baby check with his pediatrician. He weighed 9 lbs. 9 oz. & was 22 inches long. The doctor was very impressed with his progress & while he is still not in the percentiles on the growth chart, he is making good progress. We still have to worry about him getting sick, but he is doing well so far. Dylan received 3 shots & did really well with it. He cried for a few minutes, but got over it pretty quickly. We go back in April for his 6 month check & more shots.

I love being a stay at home mom, although I find myself very tired most of the time. Dylan is quite demanding about being held & will scream & scream if no one picks him up. I just keep reminding myself that the messy house will be there later, but Dylan will only be little for a while. Soon he won't want to be held at all :(

Well, that's about it for the update tonight. I will try to update more often, but it is difficult typing one handed :)

My current favorite picture of Dylan

We're Home!

So Dylan is officially home! He came home on January 6th, his 3 month birthday & his original due date. It has been a very long 3 months, but we finally got here! Honestly, there were times when it seemed like we would never make it & that Dylan would be at the hospital forever – it sure felt like he was! Dylan was 7 lbs., 4 oz. when he came home & Monday when he went to the pediatrician he was 7 lbs., 8.5 oz. He seems like such a big guy now, even though we know he is only the size of a regular newborn.

We have been home 8 days & it has been interesting. Derrick & I are not used to getting up for nighttime feedings & dirty diapers. It has taken some adjusting, but we are doing well. Dylan eats 3 oz. every 3 hours around the clock, so we only do about 2 overnight feedings. Dylan also seems to be getting his days & nights figured out – we are excited about that!

Derrick is an awesome daddy! He does many of the night feedings & often takes over with Dylan in the evenings so I can have a break. I think watching him with our baby makes me love & appreciate him more than I ever did before.

I love being a stay at home mom. It is tiring, especially since Dylan doesn't like being put down, but I know he will only be little once & I need to enjoy it why I can. I'm not the best housekeeper, but I have been cooking recently. That was the stay at home mom test I thought I was going to fail! 

I have been thinking lately about Dylan's little life. What a blessing he is. I give God all the glory for Dylan being here & being so healthy. I met people whose babies have eye problems, ear problems, lung, heart, brain, eating problems. Dylan has none of those. He is developmentally behind where a normal 3 month old would be, but he is where he should be according to his gestational age. His gestational age is 8 days old, so he is doing the same things that a normal newborn does. I have no idea why God chose to let Dylan be so healthy, but I am sure glad that he did. 

I have only told a few people this, but for some reason, I knew our baby would be small when he was born. I just had a feeling about from pretty early on in my pregnancy. Once I started getting sick I knew that I was going to deliver early & that we would be spending a lot of time at the NICU. I really believe that God gave me that advance notice because I don't deal well with change. Once the drs. decided it was time to deliver Dylan, I was really at peace with it. I knew that he was going to make it & that it would be okay. It was still scary, but I knew that God was taking care of both of us. 

Since most of you have been following our story, you know that I was not always strong & courageous throughout the whole NICU ordeal. I was terrified most of the time. I spent a lot of time by myself at the hospital & it was hard. While I had a lot of visitors & my family came & visited, they couldn't always be with me. Even though I was by myself a lot, I did not get through that experience on my own. There were many days when I cried out to God wanting to know why my son was going though all these things. Why us? But why not us? God never said that Christians would be free from pain & suffering. He does tell us that he will be with us & will never leave us. As much as I love my friends & family, God was my constant source of encouragement & support. I don't know how families who do not rely on God can do it. 

I have been feeling for some time that I need to share the love of Jesus with everyone who reads our story. You all know that God did not protect us from pain, but that He brought us through it. I heard one musician on the Air1 radio station say, “Many people say, 'I would believe God loved me if...'” He goes on to say that God proves his love to us through Jesus' death on Calvary. 

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God.” No one on this earth is perfect – we are all sinners. We have all done things that displease God. 

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We have all sinned & the punishment for sin is death. That is what we have earned & God should give us what we deserve. Instead, God sent his Son Jesus, to take what we deserve upon himself. 

Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God is a Holy God & cannot be around unholy, sinful people. To save his creation from certain eternity in Hell, He sent Jesus to die for our sins. He took our punishment so we do not have to suffer it.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8-9. God will forgive you for your sins if you admit your sinfulness to Him. You will become clean before God. In order to truly be saved, God must be first in your life. James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” Believing is not enough – God needs to be in charge of your life. My pastor always says, “He is either Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.” 

If you want to be clean before God, want to let God be first in your life, & believe that Jesus is Lord, confess your sins to Him. “... if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10). 

Many of you who will read this have some church background, but have never made a true commitment to Jesus. I am writing this in hopes that someone will read it & make that commitment. So how do I end this? I guess like this: Some of you will read this & think, “Renee is crazier than I thought.” That's okay with me. I don't worry so much about what people think of me. I am worried about all of you & where you will spend eternity. So think about it – message me with questions & I'll do my best to answer them- read your Bible if you don't believe me. You can disagree with me & that is fine, but I want to be sure that I share what God wants me to. If you want to, you can even join me for church Sunday morning – First Church of the Nazarene 1010 N. Clark St., Davenport. 

I hope that this update has made a difference for you today. I know that it has for me. I will be praying for you all today, no matter what your standing is with God. I hope you all have a great afternoon!