A Little of This and A Little of That

Paul got a new camera for Christmas, so now the kiddos have two cameras capturing moments. These photos are just a few cute ones we've taken over the last couple of weeks. :)  Love these two mugs!

Sticking my tongue out at daddy

 Not really wanting my picture taken!

 Did you know I'm in the bumble bee classroom at daycare?

 Found my tongue!

 Helping mom make a grocery list

 Oh Mama!

My happy place is in my Jumperoo

 We love each other so much!

 I like to lick my fire fly!

 Selfie with mommy before daddy's work party

 Daddy and Mommy at Daddy's work party

 Ice skating with Liam and Logie

Hattie's January Cardiologist Appointment

Today we had a cardiologist appointment with Hattie.  I decided to start documenting this journey for her so that when she is older and has questions about her scar, I have some pictures to show her.

Dr. Shanthi said that they'll present the results from her EKG and echocardiogram in June to the board of surgeons to find out exactly when her surgery will be.  It will be after September 7 but we'll aim for before Thanksgiving.  I had a long list of questions to ask.  She is great about answering them, but she is also quick to remind me to enjoy my beautiful daughter and to let her do the worrying.  Honestly, for the most part, it is easy to be in denial about Hattie having to have open heart surgery because she doesn't act different and isn't sick, thankfully!   I don't spend each day worrying, but I do have a lot of questions.  I don't like to be surprised by circumstances that I could be prepared for, so I ask a lot of questions when we get to see Dr. Shanthi.

She said that Hattie won't be delayed developmentally and she won't need to be kept down after the surgery.  She'll be in the hospital for a week and then home from daycare for 6 weeks.  We can't pick her up under her arms, only by scooping her up to protect her rib cage from opening up.

During surgery, her heart will be stopped and a pump will pump the blood through her body while they work on it.  She said that the smaller the baby, the more blood she'll need.  So she is going to let us know when (if we are compatible) we can go donate blood for her.

They were happy with her weight gain, her breathing, her blood pressure and overall her results of her EKG and echocardiogram were what they were expecting them to be.

We start out the appointments stripping Hattie down so they can weigh and measure her.  Then the ultrasound tech, Jay, takes us in for the echocardiogram, which is essentially an ultrasound of her heart.  We've always had to hold her upper body down so she doesn't "try to help drive," but now that she's older and more wiggly, it was a much more difficult job!  At first she liked watching the screen and hearing her heartbeat, but then she tried to chew on Jay's thumb, grab the cord and she kept kicking off the table with her feet and arching her back.  She wasn't fussing, but just didn't want to lay still.

Watching her heart on the screen

 Wrapping her legs around Jay's arm

 Next, we go into the room with her nurse, Melissa.  She takes Hattie's blood pressure with a leg cuff.  Then, she puts the stickers on her chest and hooks them up for the EKG.

Trying to help Melissa put on the stickers

 Laying still for 10 seconds at a time for the EKG

 

Next, we took a break while we waited for Dr. Shanti to come in.  It was the perfect time to grab a bottle.....

 Except there was this to look at!

 So we didn't want to eat

 Dr. Shanthi talks to us first and answers our questions, then she does a check up on Hattie.

 She pulled herself up and Dr. Shanthi said, "Wow, she's strong and a fighter!"  It's a good thing, Hattie girl!  We need you to be a fighter come surgery time.

P Week at Preschool

This week was letter P week at Owen's school.  Since Owen loves police officers, we asked our friend Steph if she'd be willing to go for Owen's turn at show and share.  She was honored and Owen was super excited to show Miss Steph his classroom and his cubby.

The kids asked so many questions! One little girl shared about an accident that they were in and how it was her dad's fault, another aske if police can taze people on their bottoms.  Of course the whole class giggled at that. 

Officer Owen, Reporting for Duty

On the way home from work yesterday, I heard that it was Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.  It was too late at that point to do much, but I knew I wanted to do something and get Owen involved too, because it was a good lesson in gratitude.  This morning he made a thank you card and I picked up some goodies and we went to the police station.  It just so happens that one of my good friends became a police officer in Woodbury this fall, so Owen got a full station tour.  He wore his police officer uniform and was in heaven!  When we left, he said, "Mom, that was just too cool!  It was more than I expected!"

Officer Rice (or Miss Steph as Owen knows her) showing him the inside of her squad and how her laptop tells her about what call she is going on.

 Getting to check out the garage full of police cars

  Owen with some of the officers that were there.  They ooo'd and aaaahhh'd over his uniform and said that they could use more help.  They asked if he'd work for them and he just giggled and said, "I can't, I'm only four and a half!"  They were so amazing with him.  He was in heaven.  My intent was to go do something kind for them and to bless them for all the sacrifices they make, but Miss Steph made it so special for Owen that we were the ones that were blessed!

This and That, January

Here are some random photos that we've taken over the last month.

 Hamming it up for dad

 Owen's skating lessons - he's in the blue helmet

 Mommy and Owen date to get hot cocoa and to go to Sky Zone

 Hattie girl in her new chair

 Don't forget brother!  He like his new chair too!

Four Month Old Hattie

Hattie Jo is 4 months old!  I can't get over how quickly she is growing.  I think I say to Paul, "She is SO long!" several times a week.  She had her 4 month well baby check and she was 25 3/4" long (96th percentile) and 13.10 lbs (39th percentile).  Her doctor kept saying how strong she is and how social she is.   

 

 

At four months, Hattie loves to babble and coo.  She grabs toys, but would much rather just chew on her hands.  She enjoys playing in her jumperoo and recently started liking her Bumbo chair, but most of all, she loves it when her brother talks to her.  She gives him the biggest smiles.

 

We've been feeding her rice cereal for a couple weeks.  She's getting a little better eating off of a spoon, but we haven't perfected it quite yet!  Her first non-cereal food was squash and since then she's tried carrots and pears.  She drinks between 3-5oz every 3ish hours. She has started "helping" us to hold her bottles.

At daycare, she loves going on walks in the hallways and bubbles. Most nights, she is ready for bed at 6:30 or 7 and gets up to eat at 1ish and 4ish.  For about the last week and a half, she has decided that 4AM is a good time to just call it good and get up for the day.  We aren't so excited about that!