Ba Ba, Ba Ba

March is almost over and Mom and Dad didn't want it to slip away without providing an update. Kayleigh now weighs 14 pounds and is 25 inches long. She has been relatively healthy this month, but currently has ear infections in both ears. Feeding her formula continues to be a challenge, but she loves all the new foods that are being intoduced (rice, oatmeal, carrots, beans, bananas and sweet potatoes.) She is much better at taking food off the spoon than drinking from the bottle.

Kayleigh has been meeting all of her developmental milestones. Each morning, Mom and Dad find her in a different area of her crib, usually on her belly. A big difference in her appearance are the two bottom teeth that are visible when she gives you her famous smile. Kayleigh can also be heard saying "ba ba, ba ba" over and over. The most exciting development is that she attempts to wave at whomever is waving at her - with both hands! She also enjoys playing in her exersaucer which has a lot of things for her to grab, spin, and pound with her hands.

All of the doctors appointments have been going well. The ortho doctor in Cincinnati was worth the trip. He was much more optimistic with his outlook on Kayleigh's right arm, and suggested less invasive strategies to making the arm and hand more functional. Mom and Dad will continue to follow up with the doctor once her heart is healthy enough for the surgeries.

Cupid Has Pigtails

Kayleigh got all decked out in pink and hearts to celebrate Valentine's Day. The caretakers had fun playing with Kayleigh's hair and giving her pigtails for the first time. One of the boys at daycare got her a bowl with hearts on it to use when she eats cereal. Kayleigh had so much fun celebrating Valentine's Day that she fell asleep at 7:00pm and gave Mom and Dad time to spend together.

Not Quite Cap'n Crunch

So much has happened since the last update and Mom and Dad wanted to take time to share some of the experiences that occurred this past month. Kayleigh has been in daycare for a little over a month now. Although it was a rough start for all, the overall adjustment has been good. Kayleigh is finally eating better and getting used to her new friends.

She had her first cold and ear infection at the end of January, which led to her first antibiotic. Luckily, she liked the flavor of the medicine and didn’t give Mom and Dad any problems getting it down. She is feeling better now and getting more and more active. She is kicking her feet, squealing, and occasionally rolling over from her tummy to her back. At her last pediatrician appointment at the end of January, she weighed in at 12 pounds and measured 24 inches.

She also started taking cereal for the first time this past weekend and doesn’t seem to mind it too much. She is a little unsure of it, but even opens her mouth for more. Maybe this will be the feeding breakthrough Mom and Dad have been waiting for!

On a serious note, Kayleigh had a follow up with her cardiologist a few weeks ago. Based on the results of her echocardiogram, it appears the areas that were repaired during surgery are narrowing, and she may need another surgery. Nothing has been scheduled, and the doctor is going to monitor her heart every 2-3 months by repeating the echocardiogram. The news was disappointing, but Mom and Dad remain hopeful that Kayleigh will continue to thrive and get through yet another challenge.

In addition, Mom and Dad are taking Kayleigh to Cincinnati later this month to get a second opinion from an orthopedic doctor regarding her right arm. This too will entail several surgeries over the years, to give Kayleigh the optimal functioning of both arms. Again, Mom and Dad will keep everyone posted on the upcoming events.

Kayleigh Goes to Daycare

This past week, Mom started back to work fulltime, and Kayleigh went to daycare. So far, the adjustment has been rough for both. Mom and Dad are hopeful that Kayleigh will make lots of friends and get to experience unique interactions with the other babies that she wouldn’t get at home. However, she hasn’t been eating well, and the whole process has been somewhat frustrating. It has only been a few days, and Mom and Dad are confident that she will adjust to her new environment. She has adapted very well to all of the challenges presented to her and will no doubt do the same with the transition into the daycare center.

Since Mom and Dad are both back to work now, and evening time with Kayleigh is precious, the blog is not going to be updated as often. There will be periodic updates, but now that Kayleigh is doing better and her health is improving, Mom and Dad are going to spend most of the evening just hanging out as a family. Thanks again for all of your interest, comments and prayers over the past few months.

Kayleigh's New Puppy

Kayleigh had a nice first Christmas with all of her family members, and of course, Santa was very generous. Mom and Dad feel very fortunate, and know that the best gift of all was just spending time with family and their beautiful baby girl.

Kayleigh has had a lot of changes to her schedule since Mom started back to work a week ago. So far, she has been able to stay home through the holidays with the help of Grandma L. and Dad watching her a couple days during the week. With all the changes, Kayleigh hasn’t been eating as well, but Mom and Dad are hopeful that her feeding will increase again before she starts daycare next week. Sleeping through the night was also short-lived, and she is getting up once each night. Kayleigh went to the doctor yesterday, and she now weighs 10 pounds 4 ounces. The most impressive growth was in her height. She is 24 inches – up from 18.5 inches at birth!

Merry Christmas

Kayleigh wants to wish all of you a

Merry Christmas!

Fuzzy Head

Kayleigh is all ready for Christmas. She is keeping warm by cuddling next to her bears (and wearing their warm clothes). She is smiling almost as much as she cries now, eating very well, and overall doing great.

A couple of days ago, she slept through the night for the first time! That is very exciting for Mom and Dad (especially Mom). She also moved to larger bottles and is taking up to 5 ounces now. The best news is that she is down to only one medicine a day for her heart. She recently stopped taking two other medications for stomach problems and acid reflux.

Kayleigh's in Charge

Kayleigh had an appointment with the Pediatrician yesterday to get her first Synagis shot to help prevent RSV, a respiratory infection that is fairly common in children. She cried, but surprisingly, Mom didn’t. J She goes back to the Pediatrician next week to get her two-month immunizations – more shots. Kayleigh weighs just over 9 pounds now. She is still pretty small for her age, but she is gradually improving. She is now going through a phase where she cries after only drinking 2 ounces. She will only take more if Mom or Dad gets up and walks her. Mom and Dad are suckers and are completely aware that Kayleigh is now in control. Mom and Dad also know when Kayleigh flashes her smile, nothing else really matters.

Laughing Out Loud

Kayleigh enjoyed her first Thanksgiving with lots of family. She played with two sets of Grandparents, four Aunts and Uncles, one Great-Aunt and Uncle, twelve cousins, as well as some friends of the family. Needless to say, she is still exhausted and catching up on her sleep. Kayleigh also got to see her first snowflakes, but she wasn’t too impressed.

The highpoint of the holiday was hearing Kayleigh laugh for the first time! It was so sweet that it brought tears to Mom’s eyes. Kayleigh captured the hearts of many this week with her contagious smile and has many adoring family members. Kayleigh is very lucky to have such a large and loving family that cares so much for her.

Happy Thanksgiving

Kayleigh is drinking between 3 and 4 ounces at each feeding. This is a huge accomplishment and suddenly Mom and Dad have realized she isn't going to be this small for very long. We are so happy with her progress, but also want to freeze this moment in time because she is too cute.

Mom and Dad were also told that Kayleigh no longer has to be fed every three hours during the night. Since stopping the scheduled feedings, Kayleigh now sleeps 5-6 hours in a row. So, if you count midnight to 5:00 am as sleeping through the night, we are on our way to gaining back some much needed sleep.

Since Thanksgiving is this Thursday, we want to take time to thank all of you for your prayers and wonderful comments during the past 2 months. Just knowing how many people care about us and Kayleigh’s well-being has been so helpful during the rough periods. Thankfully, Kayleigh is healing, and we are enjoying watching her cute little smile and now listening to her coo. We are very fortunate to have her in our lives and couldn’t think of anything to be more thankful for this time of year. We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Kayleigh says, "O - H - I - O"

Kayleigh was very excited to watch the Buckeyes beat that team up North today for the first time (25-21). She and her buddy, Brutus, had a long and busy day, getting up early to help Dad decorate the living room scarlet and gray, listen to TBDBITL CD's, and watch all the preview shows. By the time the game was on, she had a hard time staying awake. Dad tried to help by yelling at the referees and getting excited about big plays, but he couldn't manage to keep Kayleigh and Mom awake for the whole game.

In the end, though, we were all on the edge of our seats when the Buckeyes came back from nine points down in the 4th quarter to win the game and declare themselves Big Ten Champions.

After a relatively short celebration, it was back to sleep for Kayleigh.

A Happy Little Buckeye

Kayleigh was very happy to watch the Buckeyes win today (48-7 over Northwestern). She can't wait to watch her first Michigan game next week. Hopefully the result will be the same.

Kayleigh also enjoyed the beautiful weather while on her first hike. Mom and Dad took her to Highbanks Metro Park and saw three deer just ten feet from the trail. Of course, Kayleigh slept through the whole thing.

It was great to see all the comments on the last post. When there were no comments for several days, we thought no one was visiting the site anymore, but it turns out that Dad had one of the settings wrong. It's all fixed now. Keep the comments coming!

Play Time

When Kayleigh isn't eating, sleeping or CRYING, she enjoys playing with Mom and Dad.

Little Cutie

Mom and Dad have learned that Kayleigh loves her bouncy chair. A friend from work shared a calming technique with Dad, and it has worked wonders. Dad sits on the couch and constantly bounces the chair with his foot; as long as she is bouncing, she is happy! She also loves to swat at the daggling animals and smiles when they swing. It never gets old watching her explore her surroundings!

My First Boo

Kayleigh met several furry friends this week including her little pumpkin bear. She enjoys play time with her singing duck, Spot the Leopard and her doctor bear. Since she is too small for Halloween this season, we just got her a little sleeper with bears and pumpkins on her feet. Our little boo is doing well and continuing to eat better each day and she is spitting up less. She goes to the pediatrician again tomorrow for a weight check.

Happy Halloween! Don't eat too much candy!

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

Our little girl is getting stronger, eating better, and crying louder. She's keeping Mom and Dad (OK, mostly Mom) up at night with constant feedings, diaper changes, and general fussiness. She's getting stronger every day and is starting to lift her head up and move it from side to side. She enjoys her bath time, but has gotten into a routine of throwing up all over herself after she is freshly cleaned. Mom and Dad are really discovering the joys of parenthood!

Say Cheese

Kayleigh is a happy girl and wanted to let everyone know that she is adjusting well to home life and thrilled to be away from the hospital. She saw the pediatrician on Monday and has gained several ounces just since leaving the hospital on Friday afternoon. Feeding continues to be a challenge, but it is improving each day. She goes to see the Cardiologist on Thursday for a check up. All these appointments are forcing Mom to venture out on her own - a daunting task.

This picture of Kayleigh was taken shortly after a bath and a diaper changing. This girl likes to be clean! All the frustration of fussiness goes away when she hits you with one of these grins.

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned! A new post is coming soon along with a picture, of course. We'll continue to update the blog with new pictures and keep everyone up-to-date on Kayleigh's progress. We've been very busy lately just trying to feed her, change her diapers, bathe her, play with her, take her on walks...

Going Home

Kayleigh came home today!

Mom and Dad are nervous but very excited. This is the first time in a couple of weeks that she's been completely untethered, with no monitors or tubes hooked up to her. She is currently sleeping soundly in her swing.

Thanks to everyone for all of the thoughts, prayers, and gifts. We've received a tremendous amount of support from family and friends as well as many people that we don't even know, and we appreciate it very much. There will still be many challenges ahead, but we know now that we'll be able to handle them.

No More Feeding Tube

Yesterday, the feeding tube was taken out of Kayleigh's nose. She continues to improve her eating and no longer needs it. She is wearing clothes for the first time since the surgery.

She had another EKG and electrocardiogram done to make sure that her heart is working as it should. We haven't heard the results from that yet.

As you can see in this picture, Tigger is her best friend.