This clip is made of two videos of Lincoln. The first half is of Lincoln's ride home after discharge from the NICU August 2011. This was the first time Lincoln had ever gone outside. He was on oxygen and several medications, morphine was one of them as you can see how "comfortable" he looks. The second half is from this August (2012). Lincoln is enjoying his first "fireworks" (snap n pops) with his Dad. What a difference a year makes.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
(Almost) 15 Month Update
Even though medically speaking, things have slowed down a lot, Lincoln is doing so much and I want to be able to capture that! So, I'm back. Blogging really helps me to document his growth and development and all the things I love about him just day to day.
Here are some current events on my little guy!
Lincoln is walking! He is into everything too. He has been walking full-time since about mid July. He has fallen a few times. Once it was pretty bad. He fell on the kitchen tile one night and he busted his chin open. He probably could have used stitches, but butterfly bandages worked out in the end and saved us a ER copay. Linc's a tough guy and, hey, what's one more scar going to hurt?
Lincoln babbles all day long. He loves to make noise, including happy screaming, a rolling D-D-D-D-D and clicking with his tongue, or just talking to himself.
Lincoln said his "first" real word - PIZZA. (st-zza) I know, what one year old says pizza, right? Linc is such a funny kid. We were having pizza for dinner one night and i was just casually telling Lincoln what was on the menu for the evening and he repeated the word! He said it a few times actually.
There was a time when I thought he was saying our cat's name (Neela) around 10 months old, but he was not consistent and stopped saying her name. He now says pizza if you ask him to. And recently has said "kih-kih" (kitty-kitty) referring to Neela. (I'm sure of it this time!)
Lincoln says a few more words - "bah-bah" (brown bear), referring to the Eric Carle book character. He has a sticker of Brown Bear on his wall in his room that he absolutely loves, too! He will walk to his room to point Brown Bear out if you ask him about it. It's adorable how Lincoln is coming to understand language! He actually said "Dah-dah" (daddy) once the other day after I prompted him, but still no "Mommy." Lincoln also now says "BA" (bath). All of these words have just come exploding out of him. I guess that's why they call it a "language explosion."
Absolutely, hands down, the most adorable thing Lincoln is doing right now is making "faces." I wish I could capture all of these on camera. He makes several funny faces now, I believe just to get a rise out of us. (which of course it totally works!) Lincoln rolls his eyes, makes a frowny/mean face, and sticks out his tongue at you, and I mean all-the-way-out!
Lincoln also loves to make faces at himself in the mirror. It's so cute! Lincoln also loves to wave and clap his hands.
Lincoln is really enjoying being outside this summer. We enjoy blowing bubbles together in the lawn or playing in the water table. We also have been going to the community pool once per week for "mommy and me time" for kids 0-6 only. We also go to the Library for story time a few times per month, where Lincoln does not listen to the stories at all, but loves to play with "new" toys and see other kids. Lincoln is fascinated with other children.
We have also gone to the Missouri Botanical Gardens and the Butterfly house. Lincoln loves to go to the playground at the park and swing or go down the slide with Mommy. We are making up for our long winter inside! I am trying to soak up as much Lincoln as I can while I am still at home with him! We've been having a blast!
Dan and I left Lincoln over night for the first time mid June (gasp), and then again in July(double gasp! ha). Lincoln spent one "practice" night with Grandma K in June and then full two nights over a weekend in July. I knew the day would come that I would leave Linc for more than a few hours, and the time was right. We were both ready.
Dan and I enjoyed a weekend at a friend's in the country, floating on the Current River. Lincoln did really great at Grandma's except for not wanting to sleep. Perhaps he was just excited to be at Grandma's. He ate really well and was a happy boy.
Lincoln cried when we came to pick him up, due to being overcome with emotion, I assume. I was really surprised by his reaction after not seeing me for two days, but I just held him tight and told him I had missed him and was glad to see him. He was ok in a few minutes and then was very excited and gave lots of hugs and kisses! I'm so happy that the trip and time apart went well for everyone.
Oh yes, I forgot to add above with Lincoln's making faces that Lincoln also give kisses now, if he hears you make the "kissy" noise or if you say the word "kiss." Obviously, I LOVE this!
Now for some medical updating:
Lincoln had a follow up with urology back in June that went great. Lincoln is all healed up from his last surgery. We go back to see the urologist in mid October to plan for stage two surgery in November/December 2012. The urologist will let us know at the Oct visit whether Lincoln with need one or two more surgeries to correct his hypospadias.
Lincoln's CDH clinic follow up appointment on July 19th was uneventful, which is a good thing. His xrays look unchanged from April- still no sign of reherniation with an over-inflated right lung. The over-inflation should repair in time with lung growth. Lincoln also has an upward bulge where his diaphragm is, which the doc said is most likely a weakening of the muscle there. Since she did not use a patch and Lincoln had a large defect, Linc's diaphragm was really stretched to close the hole. So far no signs of bowel in the chest though, so things are still holding for now. (We love you Dr. N and Dr. B! Best wishes to especially Dr. B who is having her second baby soon!)
Lincoln had grown, thanks to his high calorie formula and powder supplement. At his clinic appointment he weighed 17 lbs 11oz, measured 29 inches, and 47.7cm HC (75-90% tile!). He's getting so big now. Especially with him walking, he is looking like a little toddler.
Since we don't go back to clinic for 6 MONTHS (can you believe it?) I will be weighing Linc at home to monitor his growth for his docs to keep track. He is teething badly. Lincoln has ten teeth with a few more coming in. (Molars are the worst!) Therefore, he has been up and down with wanting to eat this month. He still takes a bottle or two, sometimes in the middle of the night. I plan to try to wean him of the night bottle to try to promote better sleeping. Not really removing a feeding, just pushing them to the beginning of the night or in the morning. It's rare if Lincoln sleeps longer than a four hour stretch!
Lincoln's wheeze is finally managed well, so there were no changes in his inhaled meds. He still takes Pulmicort once per day and albuterol as needed for wheeze (usually 2 x day). Lincoln also takes Zyrtec for seasonal allergies.
Linc's follow-up hearing test on July 30th went well, too. You can read about his first test here. I was not at all worried about Lincoln's hearing going into the test since he is so social and responsive to sounds. Not to mention that he is talking! Lincoln really enjoyed the test this time and was very interested in all the toys in the room.
Lincoln did well enough during the test to score "normal' hearing overall although he still has low response to high pitch noises (4000hz) and continues to have shallow tympanometry (measurement of the ear drum, leading to some indication of middle ear function, possible fluid in the ears). He is due back at both clinic and audiology in January.
I see that a lot of you looked at the blog on August 16th this past week, which was Lincoln's homecoming anniversary. One year ago we brought Lincoln home from the NICU after a crazy 83 days. I was TERRIFIED and overjoyed that day. I had been thinking of the approaching date this past week but as it came and when, honestly, the date escaped me. I will take that as a good sign that I am starting to let the past be the past and move forward. That being said, Happy Homecoming Lincoln! It is definitely a day to remember and celebrate! I love you!
Here are some current events on my little guy!
Lincoln is walking! He is into everything too. He has been walking full-time since about mid July. He has fallen a few times. Once it was pretty bad. He fell on the kitchen tile one night and he busted his chin open. He probably could have used stitches, but butterfly bandages worked out in the end and saved us a ER copay. Linc's a tough guy and, hey, what's one more scar going to hurt?
Lincoln babbles all day long. He loves to make noise, including happy screaming, a rolling D-D-D-D-D and clicking with his tongue, or just talking to himself.
Lincoln said his "first" real word - PIZZA. (st-zza) I know, what one year old says pizza, right? Linc is such a funny kid. We were having pizza for dinner one night and i was just casually telling Lincoln what was on the menu for the evening and he repeated the word! He said it a few times actually.
There was a time when I thought he was saying our cat's name (Neela) around 10 months old, but he was not consistent and stopped saying her name. He now says pizza if you ask him to. And recently has said "kih-kih" (kitty-kitty) referring to Neela. (I'm sure of it this time!)
Lincoln says a few more words - "bah-bah" (brown bear), referring to the Eric Carle book character. He has a sticker of Brown Bear on his wall in his room that he absolutely loves, too! He will walk to his room to point Brown Bear out if you ask him about it. It's adorable how Lincoln is coming to understand language! He actually said "Dah-dah" (daddy) once the other day after I prompted him, but still no "Mommy." Lincoln also now says "BA" (bath). All of these words have just come exploding out of him. I guess that's why they call it a "language explosion."
Absolutely, hands down, the most adorable thing Lincoln is doing right now is making "faces." I wish I could capture all of these on camera. He makes several funny faces now, I believe just to get a rise out of us. (which of course it totally works!) Lincoln rolls his eyes, makes a frowny/mean face, and sticks out his tongue at you, and I mean all-the-way-out!
Lincoln also loves to make faces at himself in the mirror. It's so cute! Lincoln also loves to wave and clap his hands.
Lincoln is really enjoying being outside this summer. We enjoy blowing bubbles together in the lawn or playing in the water table. We also have been going to the community pool once per week for "mommy and me time" for kids 0-6 only. We also go to the Library for story time a few times per month, where Lincoln does not listen to the stories at all, but loves to play with "new" toys and see other kids. Lincoln is fascinated with other children.
We have also gone to the Missouri Botanical Gardens and the Butterfly house. Lincoln loves to go to the playground at the park and swing or go down the slide with Mommy. We are making up for our long winter inside! I am trying to soak up as much Lincoln as I can while I am still at home with him! We've been having a blast!
Dan and I left Lincoln over night for the first time mid June (gasp), and then again in July(double gasp! ha). Lincoln spent one "practice" night with Grandma K in June and then full two nights over a weekend in July. I knew the day would come that I would leave Linc for more than a few hours, and the time was right. We were both ready.
Dan and I enjoyed a weekend at a friend's in the country, floating on the Current River. Lincoln did really great at Grandma's except for not wanting to sleep. Perhaps he was just excited to be at Grandma's. He ate really well and was a happy boy.
Lincoln cried when we came to pick him up, due to being overcome with emotion, I assume. I was really surprised by his reaction after not seeing me for two days, but I just held him tight and told him I had missed him and was glad to see him. He was ok in a few minutes and then was very excited and gave lots of hugs and kisses! I'm so happy that the trip and time apart went well for everyone.
Oh yes, I forgot to add above with Lincoln's making faces that Lincoln also give kisses now, if he hears you make the "kissy" noise or if you say the word "kiss." Obviously, I LOVE this!
Now for some medical updating:
Lincoln had a follow up with urology back in June that went great. Lincoln is all healed up from his last surgery. We go back to see the urologist in mid October to plan for stage two surgery in November/December 2012. The urologist will let us know at the Oct visit whether Lincoln with need one or two more surgeries to correct his hypospadias.
Lincoln's CDH clinic follow up appointment on July 19th was uneventful, which is a good thing. His xrays look unchanged from April- still no sign of reherniation with an over-inflated right lung. The over-inflation should repair in time with lung growth. Lincoln also has an upward bulge where his diaphragm is, which the doc said is most likely a weakening of the muscle there. Since she did not use a patch and Lincoln had a large defect, Linc's diaphragm was really stretched to close the hole. So far no signs of bowel in the chest though, so things are still holding for now. (We love you Dr. N and Dr. B! Best wishes to especially Dr. B who is having her second baby soon!)
Lincoln had grown, thanks to his high calorie formula and powder supplement. At his clinic appointment he weighed 17 lbs 11oz, measured 29 inches, and 47.7cm HC (75-90% tile!). He's getting so big now. Especially with him walking, he is looking like a little toddler.
Since we don't go back to clinic for 6 MONTHS (can you believe it?) I will be weighing Linc at home to monitor his growth for his docs to keep track. He is teething badly. Lincoln has ten teeth with a few more coming in. (Molars are the worst!) Therefore, he has been up and down with wanting to eat this month. He still takes a bottle or two, sometimes in the middle of the night. I plan to try to wean him of the night bottle to try to promote better sleeping. Not really removing a feeding, just pushing them to the beginning of the night or in the morning. It's rare if Lincoln sleeps longer than a four hour stretch!
Lincoln's wheeze is finally managed well, so there were no changes in his inhaled meds. He still takes Pulmicort once per day and albuterol as needed for wheeze (usually 2 x day). Lincoln also takes Zyrtec for seasonal allergies.
Linc's follow-up hearing test on July 30th went well, too. You can read about his first test here. I was not at all worried about Lincoln's hearing going into the test since he is so social and responsive to sounds. Not to mention that he is talking! Lincoln really enjoyed the test this time and was very interested in all the toys in the room.
Lincoln did well enough during the test to score "normal' hearing overall although he still has low response to high pitch noises (4000hz) and continues to have shallow tympanometry (measurement of the ear drum, leading to some indication of middle ear function, possible fluid in the ears). He is due back at both clinic and audiology in January.
I see that a lot of you looked at the blog on August 16th this past week, which was Lincoln's homecoming anniversary. One year ago we brought Lincoln home from the NICU after a crazy 83 days. I was TERRIFIED and overjoyed that day. I had been thinking of the approaching date this past week but as it came and when, honestly, the date escaped me. I will take that as a good sign that I am starting to let the past be the past and move forward. That being said, Happy Homecoming Lincoln! It is definitely a day to remember and celebrate! I love you!
 |
| making the "kissy" face |
 |
| look at Linc go! |
 |
| He is clicking his tongue here. |
 |
| pinwheels are fun! |
 |
| sticking his tongue out at Mommy |
 |
| "Cheese'in" |
Monday, June 11, 2012
Blogging Break
Now that Lincoln has reached his one year milestone and is doing so incredibly well, I feel like a chapter in Lincoln's life story has come to an end. This blog was started to document Lincoln's story of overcoming Right-sided Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, and he has just about done that! Because of this, I have decided to take a break from blogging for a bit. I really never was the blogging type, but the blog has been a great outlet for my emotions, as well as a way to let everyone know how Lincoln was doing through every phase of his beginning of life. I plan to always keep the site public for other CDH parents to view Lincoln's story. I know throughout this year, reading other families blogs was a real comfort to me so I am happy to provide the same comfort to others just beginning their journey. I don't know when my next update will be, maybe in a few months. I don't think this is the end of Lincoln's Blog, just a break. I really, truly appreciate the incredible support and love that has been shown to us through the blog comments and page views, as well as the printed articles and weblinks that have been created about Lincoln's life. I never imagined Lincoln's story would be heard by so many.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Lincoln is One
I feel like this is such a gigantic milestone for Lincoln, and me. Getting to one year. Getting through one year. Believe me, I love my son. I enjoy being home with him. Watching him develop and caring for him. I am thankful that I am able to do that. To do what I feel is best for him. But this year has been the most difficult thing both all three of us has ever faced. First, not knowing whether Lincoln would even survive. Now at one year old, Lincoln has little evidence of CDH or complications. I knew throughout the year, especially during the really tough times I would think, that there would be a time when I would be able to relax. When Lincoln would be well and I wouldn't need to be so anally-retentive. And it is here! This past month, I have felt relief. I have stopped writing in Lincoln's food journal and no longer measure his liquid volume by the mL. I have stopped counting his respirations at every nap. I have stopped counting his night wakings and length. I have put away the hand sanitizer. I even stopped monitoring his SO2 before the monitor was taken back! It has been WONDERFUL to just be with Lincoln. I know he is still struggling with weight gain, but I finally feel like things are either under control, or OUT of my control and I have learned to let them go.
So enough about my feelings and on to the fun stuff!
Here's some facts about Lincoln at about 12 months.
*Favorite toys are BOOKS, mostly for chewing (grrr...) but starting to look at and turn the pages more. Also likes spoons, mostly baby plastic spoons from the dollar store, but will take any!
*Mimicking sounds and expressions. There was a time when Linc started to do this, but then had stopped until recently. He now will stick out his tongue, make a click noise, and say a few choice "words" like mamama or lalala.
*Lincoln will now also shake his head at EVERYTHING. He even has made a game of it. He shakes his head at you with a big grin and laughs if you reciprocate! It's great fun to see him communicating so well!
*Full on pulling up, cruising and starting to stand on his own for a few minutes. He absolutely loves to walk around holding my or daddy's hands.
*Motor skills are also gaining. Lincoln can now clap his hands and thinks it is so fun! He likes to bang toys together, too. He is also waving, and I think he means it as a greeting.
*Lincoln's cognition is developing as well. He is starting to understand some words I say. He will look towards an object I speak of, or sometimes I just see it in his eyes that he recognizes what I am talking about. He also has started to say a line of one of his favorite books as I read it to him, just before we get to the line, he blurts it out. He also laughs when I say, "The End" after each book.
Mommy: A cow says, 'Mooooo.' A sheep says, 'Baaaah.'
Lincoln: -Lalala.
Mommy: That's right, Lincoln. Three singing pigs say, 'Lalala!'
Lincoln: (smiles.)
He's so smart!
*Linc is wearing 12 month tops (due to his head size alone) and 9 month bottoms. Although, some 12 month bottoms fit, depending on the brand.
*I think I can safely say that Lincoln's eyes are now brown. Just like Mommy.
*Lincoln has 6 teeth. Four on top and tow on bottom. His 7th is broken through but taking it's time coming up!
*Lincoln is enjoying all table food now. He pretty much eats what we eat. No more baby food. He gets his DuoCal supplement three times per day added to moist foods, giving him an added 120 calories. Lincoln is now only drinking about 8-10 oz (on a good day) of his formula per day, which is now 100% Kid Essentials 1.5cal (meaning 1.5cal per mL, compared to whole milk that is 0.67cal per mL, so it's packing the punch Linc needs). He is happy to drink his 6 or so ounces of water throughout the day from his cup and only wants his bottle at night when sleepy. I have stopped waking him to feed and now let him ask for his milk. Which brings us into...
*Sleeping. Which is not so good. As soon as I was able to get Linc to sleep through the night it seems, I needed to start waking him for feedings. Well, it only took about three weeks before he started waking on his own about 10 minutes before schedule. He sleeps for stretches up to 4 hours, totaling about 10 hrs per night. Linc has also begun to drop his morning nap and sleeps for 2-3 hours for naps.
Kind of a side note...
Around the time I started the dreamfeeds, I started to read books on Attachment Parenting, which is a resource I stumbled on when Lincoln was "colicky" but hadn't read until recently. One of the many topics is sleeping and the promotion and benefits of co-sleeping and bed sharing. I will not go into the details of Attachment Parenting, which you may research on your own, but the book gave me the willpower to do what I have felt was right in my heart -to sleep with my baby. It was something I longed to do from the day he was taken from my belly. So, now Lincoln starts off in his crib while I am still awake and finished his nights with us, after one of his night wakings. He sleeps the best there, between us, and I don't mind the extra snuggle time. There is no "crying it out." Dan's been a good sport about it, too. It's what works for us.
I don't have measurements right at 12 months for Lincoln. He has his 12 month well visit this Friday, which is more like 12.5 months, and his dietitian doesn't come to the house until next week. So I guess we will go with his measurements taken at his surgery when he was 11.5 months.
16 lbs 12oz (<3rd%)
28 inches long (~3rd%)
HC - not taken
For 12 month pictures, we took Lincoln to a studio for the first time. We actually just did this today. It went really well. Lincoln is such a happy boy, in general, and he did not disappoint! We also got a few family shots in addition to Linc's birthday photos. For now, I just have a few of the pictures I took of Lincoln yesterday in his "birthday suit." I'm starting to really like this photography thing. Enjoy!
So enough about my feelings and on to the fun stuff!
Here's some facts about Lincoln at about 12 months.
*Favorite toys are BOOKS, mostly for chewing (grrr...) but starting to look at and turn the pages more. Also likes spoons, mostly baby plastic spoons from the dollar store, but will take any!
*Mimicking sounds and expressions. There was a time when Linc started to do this, but then had stopped until recently. He now will stick out his tongue, make a click noise, and say a few choice "words" like mamama or lalala.
*Lincoln will now also shake his head at EVERYTHING. He even has made a game of it. He shakes his head at you with a big grin and laughs if you reciprocate! It's great fun to see him communicating so well!
*Full on pulling up, cruising and starting to stand on his own for a few minutes. He absolutely loves to walk around holding my or daddy's hands.
*Motor skills are also gaining. Lincoln can now clap his hands and thinks it is so fun! He likes to bang toys together, too. He is also waving, and I think he means it as a greeting.
*Lincoln's cognition is developing as well. He is starting to understand some words I say. He will look towards an object I speak of, or sometimes I just see it in his eyes that he recognizes what I am talking about. He also has started to say a line of one of his favorite books as I read it to him, just before we get to the line, he blurts it out. He also laughs when I say, "The End" after each book.
Mommy: A cow says, 'Mooooo.' A sheep says, 'Baaaah.'
Lincoln: -Lalala.
Mommy: That's right, Lincoln. Three singing pigs say, 'Lalala!'
Lincoln: (smiles.)
He's so smart!
*Linc is wearing 12 month tops (due to his head size alone) and 9 month bottoms. Although, some 12 month bottoms fit, depending on the brand.
*I think I can safely say that Lincoln's eyes are now brown. Just like Mommy.
*Lincoln has 6 teeth. Four on top and tow on bottom. His 7th is broken through but taking it's time coming up!
*Lincoln is enjoying all table food now. He pretty much eats what we eat. No more baby food. He gets his DuoCal supplement three times per day added to moist foods, giving him an added 120 calories. Lincoln is now only drinking about 8-10 oz (on a good day) of his formula per day, which is now 100% Kid Essentials 1.5cal (meaning 1.5cal per mL, compared to whole milk that is 0.67cal per mL, so it's packing the punch Linc needs). He is happy to drink his 6 or so ounces of water throughout the day from his cup and only wants his bottle at night when sleepy. I have stopped waking him to feed and now let him ask for his milk. Which brings us into...
*Sleeping. Which is not so good. As soon as I was able to get Linc to sleep through the night it seems, I needed to start waking him for feedings. Well, it only took about three weeks before he started waking on his own about 10 minutes before schedule. He sleeps for stretches up to 4 hours, totaling about 10 hrs per night. Linc has also begun to drop his morning nap and sleeps for 2-3 hours for naps.
Kind of a side note...
Around the time I started the dreamfeeds, I started to read books on Attachment Parenting, which is a resource I stumbled on when Lincoln was "colicky" but hadn't read until recently. One of the many topics is sleeping and the promotion and benefits of co-sleeping and bed sharing. I will not go into the details of Attachment Parenting, which you may research on your own, but the book gave me the willpower to do what I have felt was right in my heart -to sleep with my baby. It was something I longed to do from the day he was taken from my belly. So, now Lincoln starts off in his crib while I am still awake and finished his nights with us, after one of his night wakings. He sleeps the best there, between us, and I don't mind the extra snuggle time. There is no "crying it out." Dan's been a good sport about it, too. It's what works for us.
I don't have measurements right at 12 months for Lincoln. He has his 12 month well visit this Friday, which is more like 12.5 months, and his dietitian doesn't come to the house until next week. So I guess we will go with his measurements taken at his surgery when he was 11.5 months.
16 lbs 12oz (<3rd%)
28 inches long (~3rd%)
HC - not taken
For 12 month pictures, we took Lincoln to a studio for the first time. We actually just did this today. It went really well. Lincoln is such a happy boy, in general, and he did not disappoint! We also got a few family shots in addition to Linc's birthday photos. For now, I just have a few of the pictures I took of Lincoln yesterday in his "birthday suit." I'm starting to really like this photography thing. Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Better Late Than Never
This post includes happenings from May 22nd through May 27th, relating to Lincoln's birthday, some firsts and random cuteness. Since Lincoln's Aunt Amanda's wedding was on Lincoln's actual birthday, May 26th, festivities were split over several days.
May 22nd - Donation Drop Off
Lincoln had his follow-up appointment with Urology after his surgery. While we were at the hospital, I had the great pleasure of dropping off all of the items for donation that were collected at Lincoln's party on May 20th. Again, I would like to thank every one for their generosity. It means a lot to me to give back to the place that was able to grant me these first 365+ days with my incredible son!
May 23rd - Baby Locks
Lincoln got his first professional hair cut! Our friend, Erin, was very nice and came to our house to cut Lincoln's beautiful baby hairs. I was not emotional at all about this, as some parents are. I just thought it was so adorable that Erin brought a small cape for Linc to wear! He screamed through the whole thing. Poor boy hated the feeling of the scissors and the comb! Erin did an amazing job. Lincoln looks so cute!
May 24th - Go Cards!
Lincoln attended his first Cardinal's baseball game! Dan got tickets from work to go the the ball game, so we invited Grandma Kathi and Grandpa Greg to go with us to the game. Grandpa Greg is always talking about going to games with Linc (as soon as he is toilet trained!) so we knew he wouldn't miss Linc's first game for the World.
The night was nice. I think Lincoln enjoyed himself, being handed off from Grandma to Mommy. Eating some snacks. Chewing on some toys. He lasted almost two hours, and then it was time to go. Daddy wanted to be sure and stop off in the gift shop to get Lincoln his "first Cardinals game souvenirs" - a 2011 World Series ball from Daddy and a T-shirt from Grandpa.
Dan did try to take a panoramic picture of all of us at the game, but sadly it didn't quite turn out.
Standing - Random Cuteness, also on the 24th.
Lincoln is getting really good at standing and walking around the house pushing objects for stability, and fun! Laundry baskets, cardboard boxes, and bar stools! The bar stools are almost always pushed in a circle. Maybe because they are round, Lincoln tried to step side-ways when holding them. I love it!
 |
| His face is priceless here |
 |
| Round... |
 |
| and round... |
 |
| and round. |
 |
| So proud of himself! Mommy is, too! |
 |
| This is Lincoln's exerscaucer converted into an activity table. He was always standing on the outside anyway and now he is restricted from straddle toys so I thought it was time to make the switch. Lincoln seems to enjoy it. |
May 25th - Rehearsal Dinner
Lincoln got all dressed up for Aunt Amanda and Uncle Drew's rehearsal dinner. Yes. That is a real tie!
May 26th - Lincoln is ONE
Aunt Amanda and Uncle Drew got married on Lincoln's birthday. (I had a lot on my mind last year, so when the MFM OB suggested the 26th for my induction date I agreed, forgetting that it was Amanda's wedding!)Since Dan and I were both in the wedding party, and Linc was walking down the isle, there wasn't much time to do anything birthday related besides put Lincoln's "Birthday Boy" onesie on. He was later changed into a tiny suit and chucks to match the groomsmen. It was a beautiful wedding with thoughtful words and it was a lot of fun, too. Lincoln had a good nap right before the ceremony so he was able to stay up through most of the reception. He was definitely fussy at times, but thankfully we have lots of loving family and friends who were happy to care for him while I could not.
When we arrived at the reception, Dan and I were surprised to see photos of Lincoln at every seat! As it was explained inside the card, Amanda and Drew had made a special donation to the St. Louis Children's Hospital NICU in honor of their guests and as a surprise gift to Lincoln, Dan and me. Amanda and Drew also gave Lincoln his own smash cake, which was presented in front of all the guests! It brought me to tears that Amanda and Drew had incorporated Lincoln into their special day and in such a wonderful way! They didn't have to do that and they did. It really showed how much they love Lincoln and are so happy that he is here. It was really, very nice. I was also presented (for Lincoln) with a plaque from the hospital stating the birthday donation.
I don't know what I was thinking but I didn't bring my camera to the wedding. There was so much planning and every thing going on that it slipped my mind to bring it. I didn't even take one picture of Lincoln on his actual Birthday! (What a Bad Mommy!). I think there are a few professional photos that were taken, but "Aunt" Jenell was able to snap one candid shot of the birthday boy, partially still dressed up in his suit.
 |
| Lincoln and Mommy dance the night away |
 |
| This is the day after, but here's the plaque. |
May 27th - Presents!
Lincoln was given a few gifts before his birthday, but he opened the majority the morning after his birthday. Some from friends and family (even though gifts were not necessary!) and some from Mommy and Daddy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)