look who's two!!

i can hardly believe it...my first baby turned two years old today!! where does the time go?


my mom and i took Judah to a Burger King with a play centre. We thought that it had a ball pit, but it ended up being a bit of a dive. So we just ate a quick lunch and then left. Then we spent over an hour at the dollar store. It was so much fun! Mom and I were looking for craft supplies for Judah and some things for his birthday party this weekend. Judah loved looking at all the little toys. tonight, i cooked pasta for dinner, as that is one of Judah's favourite dishes. then we had apple crisp for dessert and gave Judah his presents. it was a great day!

at Burger King

"cheese!"

with mommy

and grandma

what a sweet big brother

opening his presents - an Elmo book and a Dora book

another present - Winnie the Pooh cards and a switchplate for his bedroom

good news!

Asher had to go in to have his hearing tested again today. They tested him at the hospital, as they do with all newborns in Ontario, where he received a passing grade for his left ear but not for his right ear. We were told not to worry, because many factors can cause them not to pass, and were referred to Early Words for a restest. As expected, he passed his test in the right ear with flying colours. So no worries in that department! Praise the Lord!

I also brought Asher in to the doctor's office today, just so that I could check his weight. He is now up to 5 lbs 10 1/2 oz! That means he's been gaining close to an ounce a day. I can't believe how big he's getting! Isn't it strange that a baby his size can seem so big? I'm always surprised when people comment how little he is, because to me he seems so big compared to how small he once was. Funny how perceptions change.

two months old (February 14, 2007)

Another month has flown by, and Asher is now two months old! A strange thought considering we're still not quite at his due date (around February 23)! He has been doing well at home. We've noticed that he is starting to spend more time awake and alert. It's nice to see his bright eyes gazing around and looking at us. His reflux is still an issue. He usually has one or two feedings a day where it seems to be a lot more intense. It really seems to bother him; I'll spend about an hour after these "difficult" feedings trying to get him to settle. The poor guy! Aside from that, we're mostly dealing with typical newborn stuff (lots of poopy diapers and middle of the night feedings) and getting Judah adjusted to having a sibling in the house. This transition has gone pretty well, with a few bumps along the road. For the most part, Judah seems to enjoy having Asher around. He's just getting used to having to share the attention!

a series of adorable pictures

this may be overkill, but i thought they were all really cute :)

eight weeks old (February 8, 2007)

I can hardly believe that it has been eight weeks since Asher was born! It seems like just days ago and like a lifetime ago all at once, if that makes any sense! Asher had his first visit to our family doctor today. Everything looks great! His weight was up to 5 lbs 4 oz, and he is now 19 inches long. Going in to the appointment this morning, I was a little concerned about Asher's reflux, which seems to have increased since he came home from the hospital. But the doctor was happy with his weight gain, which eased my mind a little bit.

yes, he's home!

After 51 days in the NICU, we were finally able to take our precious baby boy home on Friday! It is such a great feeling to have our whole family under one roof!

After such a long stay in the hospital, taking Asher home was a strange and exciting experience. In some ways, it didn't really feel like he was our baby during his stay in the NICU, so it almost felt like we were doing something wrong when we brought him out of the hospital! Now it's sinking in that he really does belong to us!

He was discharged at 37 + 1 weeks gestation weighing just about 5 lbs 1 oz. He's getting so big! Everything is looking good, aside from the reflux that is very typical with premature babies. Although he is home now, the next month is full of appointments with the eye doctor, family doctor, pediatrician, growth and development clinic, etc, etc...such is the life of a preemie!

Asher is doing great at home. He is a wonderful addition to our family! Judah is an awesome big brother. He always wants to hold Asher or look at him while he's sleeping. He also makes sure to tell me when Asher is crying!

I've posted a lot of pictures for you to enjoy! I'm sure many more will follow.

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bundled up after his first bath at home.

we planned to get a picture of him in the bath, but he pooped in the tub before we had the chance!!

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Oma and Opa were finally able to hold Asher for the first time this past Saturday. (Grandma and Grandpa had the chance in the hospital at the beginning of January.)

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more than ready to finally head home!!

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While he was in the hospital, McMaster provided diapers for Asher. So I was excited to finally put him in some of the cute cloth diapers I had bought for him. He wore cloth home from the hospital and has been wearing it ever since!

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Finally wireless! When we took Asher into Care-by-Parent at the hospital, he was unhooked from his monitors for good. That night was the first time he had no leads connected to him for any extended period of time. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first, but we trust the Lord and His plans for this child, and we know that Asher is being watched over by our loving and protective Heavenly Father!