NICU Reunion

Families of NICU babies gather to say thanks
June 28th, 2008 @ 5:50pm
(KSL News) Families of children who spent time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Mark's Hospital reunited with the health care workers who saved their babies' lives today.
Clowns helped entertain the young survivors while 10 years worth of parents and patients said thanks to those who helped them through some of their toughest moments.
"With so many highs and a lot of lows, and just had such wonderful support, and just had an experience that was so traumatic for our family; [I] just had so many great things that came from it," parent Stephanie Kelley said.
The event also recognized the hospital's recent five-star rating for Women's Health Services from HealthGrades.

Doug and I took Cash to his NICU reunion at St. Mark's on Saturday. As most of you know, last August Cash surprised us by coming seven weeks earlier than his expected due date.

It was fun seeing some of the doctors and nurses that took care of Cash for the five weeks he was in the hospital. It is amazing that is has been 10 months since we added our little bundle of joy to the family, and miraculous how much he has changed and grown up already.

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for." ~Anonymous

Father's Day

“Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad.” -Anne Geddes

Today was Doug's first Father's Day! We enjoyed family time together at our community pool, hung out in the backyard relishing the warm weather, and ate some detrimentally good stuffed pizza from Sweet Home Chicago. We opted out of the customary tie, as Doug insisted a keg was better suited for his taste. Just a lazy summer day making memories at home. In our fast paced lives, it is important to remember that it is the little moments that make life big.

Doug is a tremendous hands-on Dad with a knack for parenting. He is patient and loving with a genuine concern for providing the best possible life for our little guy. Happy Father's Day Doug!

Put down the sandwich...

Step away from the food, says the little voice in my head. I am in the mist of a panic attack following my OB appointment yesterday, where the scale conspired against me and declared a whopping 8 pound gain over the previous month. Are you kidding, how is this possible? My amiable OB, Dr. Yamashiro, tells me this is nothing to worry about and attempted to placate me with the usual " some of it could be water retention". I would like to believe this to be true, but I am unconvinced that water retention settles into a localized area of the ass and thighs. Please let this be a very big baby going through an incredible growth spurt the last four weeks.

Perhaps I took this eating for two a bit to literally; I must come to terms that this cliche' is not referring to doubling your caloric intake -- but rather an extra morsel of nourishment for my hot dog size fetus. I curse the books that say you should gain between 25-35 pounds during a healthy pregnancy, don't they know to me the reader I instantly assume I will be the petite 25 pounder or less and have a coronary event when this is not the case. I have resolved to eat more carrot sticks and less cake, even if baby Landry begs from the womb with a craving I can scarcely suppress. I must remember a vegetable is surely better for her development then a sugar laden treat and it may be MY craving rather than the baby's meal request. As though the hormones aren't enough to deal with, women have the joy of body image issues as well. And don't even get me started on the gas, hemorrhoids, mammoth nipples, peeing when you sneeze, and of course the lovely back fat. In the end, nothing is more rewarding or miraculous than having a baby -- so ladies we must take this all in stride and keep our eye on the prize. This is not to say you will not hear me bitch and moan about my demoralized state of mind; I am expecting unwavering sympathy and accolades as to my appearance and gestational progress over the next three months.

Backyard Extreme Makeover

(backyard before picture)

We have lived in our home for nearly three years, and since we bought the house we have intended to make some minor improvements. Those of you who know me well, know that I am perpetually cheap. This is comical when you know Doug is my polar opposite when it comes to spending money. When Doug decides to do something, he commits 110% and goes big, often forsaking my opinion and any sort of budget. Needless to say, my project of having a a cover built for our patio turned into Doug's crusade to construct his version of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Not featured in the pictures is "Doug's VIP Lounge", these furnishings are set to arrive any day now.
Our backyard in finally done and I am happy I threw caution to the wind and allowed Doug's vision to overtake my desire to save a dollar. It has become our little sanctuary and feels like an addition to our home. I hope we will create many fond memories here with family and friends. FYI - the pool is open and summer is here so lets have some fun, mi casa es su casa!