The events of April 7, 2014 are still very clear in my mind, so it's hard to believe it was two years ago. I have vivid flashbacks leading up to this day, and probably always will. What helps me from dwelling on how hard that day was is seeing how far Samuel has come. I can easily say that he is the strongest kiddo I know...and the most feisty :-)
We celebrated his birthday with family and friends at the North Little Rock Athletic Club. They went between a soft-play area and a bouncy castle in the gym. It was an easy party because everything was taken care of for us. The best part was that all of the kids had a great time! Here is a little about what this sweet two year old has been up to...
~ You are now 23 lbs, 5 oz and 32 inches long! This puts you in the 30th percentile for BMI and we are thrilled!!! You've been 0.1 percentile, so you've definitely come A LONG way!
~ You are wearing size 18 month clothes, and some 18-24 month clothes. I'm loving the new things I can put you in since you were in 12 month clothes for so long. You are also in size 4 diapers.
~ Your feeding schedule hasn't changed much. You are still getting 5 oz of Peptamen Jr., 5 mls of Microlipid, and 20 mls of water 6 times a day. We've combined two of those feedings with an extra 3 oz of Peptamen Jr., 2 mls of Microlipid, and 10 mls of water in your continuous night feed. It's helped you bulk up fast! We are adding in 1 Tbsp of stage 2 baby food to your 6:30 pm feed to get us one step closer to the Blenderized Diet.
~ You are loving play time more and more, especially when you can sit up by yourself to play and explore. You're even able to go from your belly to a sitting up position all by yourself. Toys that play music or have bright lights are still your favorite - you're not big on books unless they make noise.
~ You have become even more opinionated about what you want - especially at therapy. We've started giving you a dose of Benadryl before you OT sessions to help calm you down. Without it, you fuss about everything!
~ Speaking of therapy, you continue to beat obstacles each week. You're doing so much better with your taste testing and allowing the spoon to go further in your mouth. You're walking with less support and for longer distances. Overall, you're tolerated so much more than you used to!
~ The best way to calm you down is to sing to you. You can be in the middle of a major fit, and stop immediately when I start singing to you. My favorite thing is when you're snuggled up on my shoulder while I sing. If I stop, you lean back and look at me until I start again and put your head back on my shoulder.
~ While you can throw 2 year old/preemie fits, you are one of the happiest kiddos I know. You love to laugh, play on the floor with your toys, and roll around. New sounds tend to make you laugh, as well as, being tossed up in the air. Your smile takes up your whole face and it's just the best! While playing, you find so many things hilarious. I big part of me hopes you never lose your sweet belly laugh.
~ You are still working on getting all of your teeth. Right now you have almost 14 teeth! I can tell you're getting a few more because your fingers are always in your mouth.
~ You are starting to interact more with your big brother. He will get on the floor and play with you, and you'll turn towards him or play with whatever he has. I'm loving this because it's a little of what I pictured when we found out when we were having another boy!
~ We are still keeping you in your bubble since a simple cold kept you down for a month in the fall. We've gotten you out a little more now that it's spring, but I still like to keep you close to ACH and your pediatrician just in case.
~ You are oxygen free during the day! We are hoping to get you completely off oxygen when we go back to pulmonary in a month. I love seeing your face without anything....I've waited a long time for that!
I could go on and on about how proud we are of you, Samuel. God has made you such a special & strong little boy, and we are so blessed to be your parents! I'll end with a few of my fave memories from this past year with you!
New Glasses
No More Oxygen!!!
