The Whites

Kinda in Love. Can You Blame Me?

2011-09-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

These are my kids. Yup, they're mine. Some days I am blown away by how lucky I am. . . and then there is potty training . . . Henry is closing in on 8 months old. He is seriously the happiest little kid I have ever known. He has this open-mouthed smile that melts my heart, but he shares it with everyone. He makes old men behind us in checkout lanes chuckle when he smiles and coos at them, like they are his long lost brother. He makes ladies swoon and pinch his cheeks when he giggles at them just for looking his way. We were walking down Midway Main during Swiss Days (translation LOTS of people) and everyone coming toward us kept smiling and pointing. After about 1/2 mile I looked down to see Henry sharing his million dollar smiles. He makes everyone feel special and funny (he laughs at pretty much everything).
One thing is for sure, he definitely saves his most enthusiastic smiles for dad when he comes home and there is no one he prefers more than his big sister. He will stare at Ellie with a pasted grin just waiting for her to acknowledge him. The moment she looks his way he shoves his fists into his mouth to stifle his squeals of delight. It is so fun to watch these two interact more and more.
His tooth count is up to 5. He has learned now that it is not a fun game to bite, but in the beginning he sure got a kick out of it.
We are not sure his limit in the jumper yet, but he has been known to spend upwards of 1/2 hour with non stop jumping, still laughing.
He isn't quite so chubby anymore, but he is in no way skinny. His cheeks offer him a well-fed look but he is definitely stretching out.

Ellie is a sweet heart. She is learning how choices and consequences work, which can be a tough lesson. She is so sweet when she says sorry and for the most part is pretty compliant. I am grateful for these times when I can tell she trusts us. I hope somehow I can keep that going.
She loves to wear dresses and "dancing skirts." Whenever I start working on a new dress for her she will come into my sewing room and say, "Oh thank you mother."
She has recently been exposed to a vast number of Disney Princess movies and it is quite interesting to see them take shape in her personality. A few months ago I caught her giving Woody a very Rapunzel-like kiss. And our nightly good night kiss morphed into her placing my face in her hands and slowly leaning in for a sweet peck on the lips. It is very romantic. Almost everyday we talk about how Dad is my prince and we got married in the temple. She loves that story. As much as I love her sweet kisses and romantic ways, I have begun to limit her princess exposure (hopefully I'm not too late).
More than kissing, she loves rides in the trailer. We have found our favorite spot to ride our bikes to down by the river. There are plenty of rocks to throw for Annie and Ellie always gets soaked. She loves it. She also loves music class, and swings, and running races. Almost everything becomes a race. It is a great tool in getting a doddling toddler to pick up the pace.

And While I'm At It

2011-08-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here are my two babes . . . so fun.Ellie is wearing the other dress fashioned from Brian's old shirt.

Because I Have Nothing Better To Do

2011-08-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Right . . . I fool myself into thinking that making dresses for my girl is a "need," but let's be real. I put dishes and weeding on hold every now and again to get crafty (sorta). I consider myself a "sloppy seamstress." I don't do zippers or lined bodices. If it is not easy and if I can't finish it in one or two nap times, I don't do it. Those more challenging projects are not for this stage in my life. This is the second dress I have made out of Brian's old dress shirts and I love how they have turned out. They are quick and cute (and free). Ellie is not one to stand still for a picture.

Henry's Big Day

2011-04-07T14:07:00.001-07:00

Henry was given a name and a blessing on March 6, 2011. It was a great event and our little cottage was bursting at the seams with family and good food.(I think these monkey suits are a little ridiculous:) He is still handsome)

I said a little prayer that morning that, if it was convenient, President Monson would attend his home ward today. I wanted to share a little of our amazing experience of having a prophet in our ward with my family. Sure enough, I couldn't stop smiling when I noticed Church security saving the back row for him. My heart burned, as it usually does, when he walked in and I smiled as different family members experienced their own President Monson moment. He shook hands, complimented hair cuts, and even drew a picture for my nephew. Behind the pulpit he is a Prophet, with an undeniable mantle. Face to face he is a grandpa, friendly and kind, with a something extra special about him.Brian performed the blessing with the help of Henry's Grandpa's and Great-Grandpa. He did a great job and Henry, true to character, was as calm as could be.
The afternoon was so fun as everyone walked back to the house for food and visiting. All three of Henry's living Great-Grandma's were there along with oodles of aunts and uncles, cousins, and grandparents.My youngest brother, Joe, had just received his mission call. So, at 4:30 pm MST we arranged for some skyping with the few siblings that couldn't attend, and he opened that life-changing packet in our living room. Tokyo, Japan! He was a little breathless as he rubbed his smiling face after he read it out loud. I can only imagine what was going through his head. He will be an amazing missionary -- although I was more than a bit relieved his was still close to home after the earthquake the following Friday.
It was a crazy good time. I love having so much loving family around for myself and for my kids. It couldn't have been a better day.

Is It Really Only 3:30?

2011-03-03T14:59:00.001-08:00

Oh chocolate save us!
Nothing like double chocolate chip cupcakes to improve both mom's and toddler's moods.This guy couldn't care less.

My Bald Babies

2011-03-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

Girly locks in pigtails are cute, as are little boys with their gelled does. But bald babies are IRRESISTIBLE! Nothing beats rubbing my lips across their peach fuzz heads and kissing that perfectly shaped dome. Henry is never without a glittery noggin thanks to his mama's incessant kissing (and wearing of glittery lip gloss.) We brought our guy home Saturday after he was born after just one day of extra observation. He came home with just a few battle scars, the heel pricks being the most noticeable. Nothing like what his sister went through, thank goodness, but still sad to see on such little feet. He is a healthy robust little chunk. At his two week check up he tipped the scales at 10 lbs 1 oz. Almost 2 pounds in one week. His doctor gave me a gold star (literally). It took little Ellie over 4 months to pass 10 pounds. For having the same parents, these kids sure are different. Needless to say I have enjoyed his squishy cheeks and rolly poly thighs.
He is such a pleasant and calm little boy. He is starting to give out smiles and coos, it melts my heart. The other day Brian came home and scooped him out of the swing saying: "how's my little . . . " interrupted by a good laugh. I peeked around the corner to see the biggest smile Henry's round cheeks would allow. Ellie has been such a champ -- considering that we just turned her little two-year old world upside down. The first couple of week were tricky for all of us, but through it all she has been so sweet to her little bubba and patient with her mom. She reminds me daily about tummy-time by pulling out Henry's play mat and plopping down on her stomach. "Tummy-time mom!"
At her 2-year check-up she surprised us all by finally making it squarely on the growth charts into the 16th percentile for weight (24 lbs). 70th percentile for height and something like 80 or 90th for head . . . when your dad has a big head and your mom has a big head, your gonna have a big head.
Our pretty little girl

Tummy-time for Henry

Our first outing. Mom vs two. It was a resounding success. Many more (weather permitting) to come.

"Heya Blondie"

2011-01-30T18:16:00.001-08:00

The congregations filed out of the chapel into the foyer as usual after sacrament meeting this afternoon. From across the way, President Monson caught sight of our little toe-head and called out, "Heya Blondie, gimme five," as he held out his hand.
Ellie bounded over and slapped his prophet-sized hand. As she turned back to her dad, Brian said "you just high-fived President Monson!"
"President Monson, he's so silly," was Ellie's reply.

Oh Bother

2011-01-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

Today is discharge day . . . but not for our little guy. I am not surprised, but I am a little disappointed. There is a guest room available to me for tonight so I will stay at the hospital with him for at least one more night. He is doing well. They mostly want to keep him for observation since his blood sugars have not completely stabilized and infection is still a threat. Oh boy does he look handsome! He reminds me of a little turtle the way he stretches his neck up and squints at me. I love this kid.

The nurses are taking good care of him. They love his chubby cheeks too:) One silver lining to having babies with these issues is I get to avoid the meconium diapers. After two kids I have changed only one of those tarry beauties. A task I am okay with missing out on.
Brian and Ellie brought some treats to share with me last night. I miss my little girl but she is having the time of her life with dad. She got to meet Henry once before they took him into the nursery. It was such a sweet moment. She wasn't surprised in the least to see baby brother in my arms. She hopped right up on the bed and started talking to him and commenting on his diaper, ears, nose, hands and everything else she could pull out of her vocabulary. Since then she has been a little upset that he hasn't been here with me. Sadly, but understandably, she is not allowed in the NYI.Thanks Jen and Nathan for the 'big sister' present. It has kept her occupied while Brian gets daddy-time with his boy.

My New Mr.

2011-01-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

Henry Randall White
born 1-19-2011 @ 12:47 am
8 lbs 3 oz
21 in
This little guy does things his way. Near the end of December I was so nervous he was going to come early. Little did I know this little cookie was going to be well-done gestationally speaking.

His due date came and went but physically I was feeling fabulous. I credit this to my memory foam mattress and 3rd trimester lap swimming. When the nurse asked me the routine "and how do you feel?" at my appointment on the 18th, she said I was the first "over-due" woman she has ever heard answer "awesome." The nurse-midwife checked me and said "Oh Wow! I can't believe you haven't had this baby yet!" She confirmed what my doctor had said the week before, that I would go fast and to get to the hospital sooner rather than later. She stripped my membranes and I went home.

The rest of the day I felt a general yuckiness. Mildly achy back and slight cramps, but nothing to suggest labor was eminent. By the time Brian got home, I suggested we take Ellie to grandma's for the night. Not because I thought I was going to go into labor, but because I knew I would sleep better knowing that I didn't have to wait an extra 45 min for someone to come get Ellie if I did go into labor. After dinner we went to Brian's parents' house to drop off Ellie. I started to really focus on feeling contractions. I could feel them but they were no more intense than Braxton-Hicks and they were more than 10 minutes apart and not consistent. I was sure I had a good night's rest ahead of me. We went home. I packed some last minute things into the hospital bag and got ready for bed. By 10:30 pm I realized that we would be going to the hospital that night. Because I was GBS (+) and because of the doctor's warning to get to the hospital early, I decided we should leave, even though I wasn't in pain and still not having consistent contractions. On the way to the hospital the contractions came every 6 minutes. On the walk from the car to OB unit at the UofU hospital they progressed to every 3 minutes. By the time we were approached by the OB nurses I was having difficulty talking during the contractions. They asked "are you here to be evaluated?" I answered "I'm here to have a baby."

At 11:30pm I was put in a room and checked. I was dilated to a 5 and 100% effaced. I told them I was going unmedicated (in the end I really wouldn't have had a choice in the matter). Our nurse gave us some helpful hints and went to get a birthing ball. . . we didn't get a chance to use it. From there things got intense. Nurses brought in a delivery table and started heating up the baby warmer. Erika, our right-hand nurse, kept saying things like "in case things go fast," and "you are progressing quickly." At one point when she left, Brian asked me "what do they mean by "fast"?" I told him I figured in labor terms 4 to 5 hours is fast. They started me on penicillin for the GBS and turned it on the fast drip because as Erika said "just in case things go fast."
I threw up and my water broke. That pulled two resisdent Drs into the room. "We've called Dr. Sharp, hopefully he'll make it." I knew he lived 5 minutes away, so this gave me a better idea of what they were meaning when they said "fast." After I threw up, I felt the need to push. The contractions were intense. It was incredible! The hardest part was resisting the urge to push through the contractions. Dr. Sharp came into the room and I was so relieved thinking surely he would let me push now. He checked me and encouraged me to make it through a couple of more contractions to open up the last little bit of cervical lip. Finally after reaching pinnacles that I didn't know existed within my body, I was told to push. I could feel him move quickly through me. After one contraction he was well into the birth canal and his heart rate dropped drastically, I could hear it on the monitor. "If you can push, push." Dr. Sharp said. No problem. The animal mommy in me kicked in and pushed that noggin out before the end of the next contraction. It was absolutely euphoric. Every metaphor I have ever read or heard before referring to a woman in travail or relief after labor took on a whole new meaning in that moment. My body was humming and I had this little man in my arms.

From the time we got the the OB unit to the time of his birth was 77 minutes (11:30 pm to 12:47 am).1-18-2011 at approx 11:30 pm

77 minutes later

Being GBS (+) has turned out to have been a blessing and a curse. I am certain I would have waited much longer to go to the hospital had I not been concerned about getting the antibiotics started. This baby could have so easily been born at home or in the car . . . scary thought. However, obviously we didn't get the antibiotics going in time to protect little Henry. While infections to infants from GBS are rare, even in cases like this, the complications from such infections are so serious to newborns they have to be watched carefully. Right away some small and seemingly minor symptoms of infection started showing up in our little guy. Yesterday they did some bloodwork and a spinal tap. He was having a hard time regulating his temperature and glucose levels so they had to take him to the NYI (this is a nursery that is a step down from the NICU). Initial culture results have come back negative for infection, which is awesome! But it takes 48 hours to confirm absolutely no infection. Depending on how well he does with his glucose levels and the results of the cultures, he may need to stay longer. Not ideal, but nothing we can't handle. He looks so good with his chubby cheeks and rosy complexion it is hard to feel the worry we felt with his half pint sister. He is more than twice the size she was at birth. We are cautiously optimistic that all will be well and he can go home on Friday. Time will tell and we know from experience how fickle those glucose numbers can be.

Delicious Little Ellie

2010-09-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

So fun this little girl is. Her little attitude and antics keep us on our toes and keep us laughing. Here are a few examples of what I mean:

We were on our way to Brian's soccer game in Provo (an hour + drive). Once Ellie was buckled in I figured we were in for a looong drive with a fussy toddler. As she started to complain I handed her a pen and figured I would deal with the consequences later. Naive I know, but she was so quiet the whole trip. I figured she had fallen asleep and I didn't want to lean back to check . . . in case it woke her. When we got to the field we discovered our little miss, bright-eyed and oh so proud of herself.I love it! She got the whole ball. I can just imagine her little tongue sticking out in concentration as she worked on her masterpiece.
A little while ago we went to temple square/downtown to kill some time one evening. Disneyland couldn't have entertained her more. She started talking a mile a minute, mostly about everything she could see. She walked around with her chin held high looking up at the buildings and of course the temple. We tried our best to steer her little head away from walls, poles, and people. It was fun to watch this girl discover. Of the many things she discussed here are a few I caught (and understood).

"Nie! so high on top" (Nie = Moroni)
"Stinky horses. Need wipes."
"Desus. Owie hands. Need bandaid, make it all betta."
"Dolef Smilif."

I love this picture. She may look terrified (and who could blame her, that mask looks possesed!). Really she was just commenting to me and this is what the camera caught. She is at such a fun age to pull out stickers and crayons and watch what she creates. She loves it and gets completely engrossed in her work. The masks were fun, but she had no interest in wearing hers. (thanks Ms. Apple for the idea:)

Babymoon

2010-09-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

The count down is on. In just a few short months we will have a bran-spankin' new babe to sniff and cuddle, to ooggle and awe, to kiss and love to bits. So much to look forward to . . . and about a month ago as I was looking forward to all of this, I remembered. I remembered the new parent delirium, the sleep deprived walking into walls, and pacing the floors at all hours of the night. I remember 3 months of house arrest, 9 months of no dates, 13 months of not one entire night's sleep. I look at Ellie, oh how I loved her, and even in the thick of all of that I still felt like the luckiest. I am in no way dreading the new adventure of #2, bring it on! However I was filled with an urgent sense of carpe dieum as I looked to the future. So I got online booked a trip for two for a one day, two night trip to San Fransisco. Ellie loves grandma's and grandma loves Ellie, so that is where our little girl hung out.

An hour after dropping her off I called see how she was doing, I was already missing her. But we were off.We stayed in a hotel right in downtown San Fransisco (because I didn't know any better). We kept the window open at nights because there was no air conditioning (a commonality among the older hotels in the area). The bed was comfy so I slept well, but it was noisy.
When we woke up the first morning it was so beautiful outside. Not a patch of fog so we had to go find a beach. We drove North (I think) over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. It is so much more magnificent and beautiful to see in person, as most iconic things are. I got chills as we drove over the bay and I looked out toward Alcatraz. Awesome.

We stopped at Muir beach. Awesome. There were happy wet dogs splashing through the waves and dirty happy kids chasing them. This is so much more our style. Again, we missed our Ellie and Annie. Our next trip to SF we will stay on this side of the bridge.
We drove past Muir woods and through a few snooty little towns along Hwy 1. Snooty, but very characteristic and fun. We stopped in a very environmentally conscious town (I know because that is what they claimed on their welcome sign, they still sold water in plastic bottles so I wasn't impressed:) and walked through a very stinky artesian cheesery -- or whatever they call a place they make cheese. Cheese would be a fun thing to get into I think, kinda cool. But it smelled rotten and I didn't dare take any samples seeing that I pregnant and all.
Whoa, check that baby bump, yup I'm definately pregnant.We strolled through a harbor, bought some hats for our little toe-head back home and went back to the hotel to rest before the show.
And oh the show! Really, besides the whole impending babydum, this was a big motivating factor for the whole trip.Our hotel was a 15 minute walk from the Orpheum theater. So we got all glammed up, I put on my shiny new red high heels (they looked awesome!) and about 5 minutes into the walk I wondered what I was thinking. I had blisters before we got to the first cross walk. I toughed it out to the theater and walked bare foot after the show. Gross I know, but it was better than bleeding feet.

It was the perfect babymoon. I love Brian so very much and am so excited to enter this new stage of parenthood with him. And hopefully we will always find ways to squeeze in one day, two night us time. On the BART ride to the airport, however, we both agreed that we couldn't wait to see our little girl, and by the look on her face when we walked in the door she was glad it wasn't a longer trip too.

Hey kid

2010-08-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

We got to take a peek at our little boy this week. And he is handsome! There is something about seeing those little peanuts wiggle around on screen that makes me giggle. It's an euphoria that is hard to explain. With Ellie it was the same. It seems more real after this point. I'm not just puking and feeling off for nothing. I am really growing a baby.

I feel him move every now and again, but this kid was doing somersaults during the whole process, and waving and kicking -- I, of course, couldn't feel any of it. I loved it. I've been on a bit of a high ever since.

(4 month baby bump)

And in case you missed it . . . it's a boy!

Payson Lakes

2010-08-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Two cold, restless nights - oodles of sun and sunscreen - yummy good food (Mom White's dutch oven classics, yumm) - plenty of cousins - fishing - canoeing - kayaking - falling overboard (Brian and Ellie anyway).(My babe's awesome bedhead and sleepy eyes)

(daddy and daughter)
(Aunt Laura and cousin Erin having the time of their lives)
(Uncle Brad, cousins Erin, Nate, and Natalie, and Brian)(Pre-toddle overboard -- I can't understand how she fell over :) Erin held onto her until Dad could get over to rescue, and Grandpa took pictures)
(Post-toddle overboard- surprisingly unscathed and wanting to swim. That's my girl)

This time was different

2010-08-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

Not one stinkin' OPK. No ultrasounds, blood tests, urine tests, temperature charting or lunar calendars. No poking, no prodding, no monthly date with that friend (or foe) Mr. Clomid. No consultations, no roller coaster of hormones and emotion. Just a hunch . . . just one HcG detection kit . . . and a confirmation. What a sweet, sweet gift.

(baby #2, January 2011)

Summer Baby

2010-08-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

I am not going to even try to recount the milestones that Ellie has blown through these last few months. She has gone from baby to a coordinated verbose little girl (although I still call her my baby). No one could have ever explained the pure joy that an 18 month old during summer is. The minute our bikes or stroller are pulled out she jumps up and down clapping her hands saying "so fun so fun."She eats fruit by the fist full and doesn't flinch to stick a rock or weed or anything that looks squishy into her mouth. Despite this very broad diet she remains our little twiggy. She did however, for the first time ever, make it onto the growth curve at her 18 month check up. Yup, this chunky monkey officially made it to the 2 percentile. Wootwoo . . . we still have to keep her car seat in backwards.We are so in love with this little girl. I love how she tells me stories, using every word she can think of and it makes complete sense to me. I love her kisses. I love how she says "oopsie" and "oh my." I love that she twirls and jumps and runs when she is happy and cuddles when she is sad. I love that she gets a hold of my phone and, verbatim, repeats my end of most of my conversations, even though I'm pretty sure she has no idea what she is saying. At night Brian and I recount all the funny or cute things she has said or done that day and fall more in love with her.

7 months, a move and a bunch of stuff later . . .

2010-08-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

April 10, 2010 we said good-bye to our chateau in the mountains and moved to a cottage in the valley. Our Idaho home sold (cue angelic choir) thus ending our housing swap agreement. We are now renting a charming small home in Holladay. My first impression was that it was a combination of both my grandmother's homes, complete with floors that squeak in predictably comforting ways. In the hallway are those built-in drawers where grandma Horner would keep toys for the grandkids. The front room's large picture window looks out at wise-looking old trees that rustle, even without a wind. I try to keep that window sparkling, just like grandma Henrie always has hers. I like to think that when she had her little ones running around she too had the occasional finger prints, and nose prints, and kissy-fish-face prints on her otherwise crystal clear windows. (Ellie and cousin Jenna)

The neighbors are as charming as the house. There aren't many children on our street but plenty of grandmas and grandpas. They make good neighbors, always doting on Ellie and putting up with Annie. A few weeks after moving in, we met a sweet older couple in our ward that lives on the street over. Perhaps you have heard of them, Tom and Francine Monson. A surprise and a treat be to say the least.

3 Birthdays in One Week

2010-01-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

Means lots of candles, cards and cake. It has been a fun ride.

Happy 1st, 27th, and 34th to us!

A Side of Peanut Butter and Mayonaise Please

2010-01-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

12 month stats:

head: 18.2 in (79th percentile)
height: 29.5 in (76th percentile)
weight: 15.7 lbs (< 1 percentile . . . off the charts)

interpretation: Our child is a lollypop; a sweet, yummy, deliciously cute lollypop.

A Retrospective

2010-01-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

My baby was born one year ago today. This little one had turned my world upside-down, backwards then forwards, and added spilled milk and sticky hands . . . and I love her for it. An interesting phenomenon: that Monday I went into work as a scientist and later that night became a mom. Such an event, such a marvelous event. Love you Ellie, love you with every fiber of my being.

White Family Pictures 2009

2010-01-06T19:51:00.001-08:00

(Photos by Val)

December 25

2010-01-04T17:13:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas in a post:

Lights at temple square (not pictured)
Zoo lights -- so much more than I expected.
Lighted gorilla's+prancing tiger cubs+stinky somethings = awesome night
Ellie's wide eyes soaked it all in.

The inevitable struggle: toddler -vs- tree
(sometimes I pretended not to see)

The not so inevitable, but equally understandable getting stuck under the tree.

And Christmas morning:
Awe, sweet morning eyes. My baby's first Christmas.
Blocks made by Dad (my favorite toy)

Clementine Cuties

2010-01-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

This is the snack food of choice at our house. We go through 5-10 lbs a week (if I can keep us stocked). It is quite comical actually. Whenever Brian or I rip into one of these beauties it is seconds until we have two little birdies (namely Ellie and Annie) begging for a bite.

Birthday Girl!

2010-01-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Annie turned 2 on December 6, 2009. So grown up. We took her for a good run up East Canyon in the morning. Satisfying this uber-athletic pup with bottomless energy entails having her run in front of the truck for 4-5 miles (she averages 15 to 20 mph), parking and walking with her for 3 more, and then topping that off with another 4-5 mile sprint homeward. She really is an amazing animal. Beautiful to watch.(I had to throw this picture in of Ellie and me on the walk. Red is a good color for her I think.)

Then we came home to party hats and presents. She got two squeaky sheep - one to lose and one to hopefully keep. She LOVED them. If she had pants she would have peed them she was so excited. (just to clarify, we didn't have any accidents)After such an exciting day she passed out in front of the fire. She has a good life.

Turkey Day

2010-01-04T11:32:00.001-08:00

We started the morning out with the annual Park City Turkey Trot.I highly recommend it -- perfect prelude to second and third helpings of stuffing (not to mention pumpkin pie:).
The run was gorgeous: winding through downtown neighborhoods, mountain resorts towering in the distance, and hundreds of people casting smoke rings like choo-choo trains into the air.Ellie got first place in her division -- really I think we were the only ones to register our 10 month old, she still won.

Then off to Greg and Angie's for some Thanksgiving and giving thanks. It was everything Thanksgiving should be. Good food, lots of visiting, and Ellie even took a nap in the spare bedroom - Bless you child.

Duck

2009-12-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

Ellie's first word

-can't imagine where she picked that one up-

Halloween

2009-12-21T20:56:00.001-08:00

(witchy toes of Lil' Emily and Amy)

Grandma's Halloween doughnuts are reason enough to marry into the White family.
To label the White family Halloween doughnuts as merely a fun family tradition seems an inadequate description of this apex of holiday gluttony. My mouth is watering just thinking of those fluffy melt-in-your-mouth pastries. The stories I have heard of Halloween pasts -- the boys tell of the time when their little split level of West Valley was the hub of Halloween activity. Neighbor children and adults all waiting for their share of fried happiness. For a few years a neighbor mom attempted her own batches of doughnuts. Perhaps to relieve some pressure from the White house, most likely to start a tradition for her own family. That tradition lasted only until she tired of hearing "these aren't as good as Sister White's." I can't blame her, it's a hard act to follow. Needless to say, in my 7 Halloweens of being a White, we (Brian and I) have never been good neighbors to sit at our home and hand out candy. Our Halloweens consist of the lady-folk tending to hot oil and dough, while the daddy's go trick-or-treating with the youngin's. In my opinion, however, any booty collected in their boo-baskets are overshadowed by the far superior yumminess of doughnuts.

Ellie was so tired that night. She hadn't slept well the night before and was running on fumes. She still made the cutest little Ellie Belly you've ever seen. Spare me your "roll of the eyes, that is so stinkin' cute!" I know:) Brian's brother came through with the great graphic and I just went with it. Here with cousin Cole you can see her progression of emotions that pretty much replayed in cycles throughout the night. She did well considering.

(Thanks Raelynn for all the pictures -- in all the revelry I neglected to take any of my own)

The Move

2009-12-18T11:56:00.000-08:00

Goodbye little house. Our first little house.Goodbye canal walk. What you lacked in beauty, you made up for with ducks. Ducks both Annie and Ellie took great delight.

Goodbye stinky lake. Mostly not stinky. Stinky only when you looked like pea soup in between rain storms in the fall. Annie will miss you most I think.

And onto a new chapter.

The move went without a hitch. As we pulled into our new driveway Heidi and Dallas, Grandpa and Amy were close behind. I was reminded of just one of the great benefits of having family close again.

We walked into the house. Annie was close behind all full of energy after the long drive. When we walked through the doorway Annie froze. She refused to enter. We assumed she could smell the remnants of the previous dogs that lived there. Finally she reluctantly followed us in, whining the whole time, cautiously peering around every corner as if expecting a big dog to jump out to protect his territory. For 3 days she whined in her kennel which was set up in the front room. Nothing could coax her to come sit with us. Not food, not play, very unlike Annie. At one point we forced her out by her collar . . . a mistake. She no longer trusted us. Poor, poor little pup. Her only relief was to be outside.
After a few days of this sulking, Brian took her to a near by trail to go for a good hard run. When she came back the adrenaline must have pushed her fears aside because upon returning home, she came running into the dining room to see what Ellie was having for dinner. She was back to her old self and has been quite content ever since. A relief to say the least.

Glorious Apples

2009-12-18T11:27:00.000-08:00

In Nampa we lived minuets from some beautiful orchards. Acres and acres of apple, peach, apricot and cherry trees. When the fruit is ripe, the smell is divine. Three days before we were to move, I strapped Ellie to my front (a benefit of having a feather-weight for a nine month old) and a basket to my hip and we had some good old fashioned apple-pickin' fun. The leaves were a mix of green and gold. Some of the apples were almost as big as Ellie's head.

Each time I plucked one of those fat Fuji's we would be showered with a torrent of golden rain. Ellie would stretch out her little arms with all her might and grab clumsily at the falling leaves. Of course something so beautiful must be delicious. So those handfuls of golden-goodness went straight to her mouth, which she would quickly reject with a look of disgust and disappointment -- Only to try again with the next on-slot of falling leaves.We turned our lovely bushels over to the Bishop's Storehouse but on our way back to the car Brian and I grabbed a bit of natures booty for ourselves. We shined the skins on our sleeves and enjoyed the fresh taste of fall on the way home. Ellie sucked contently on the slivers of apple we spared for her.

Patience My Friends

2009-12-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

Many great pictures and posts to come of our life after the move.

Just need to organize my pictures first:)

Chicken Legs

2009-10-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

At nine months:

weight: 13lbs 14oz (still less than 1 percentile)
height: 27.5in (49th percentile)

Notice the leg allowances for the typical-oh-so-yummy-nine-month-old-thunder thighs. My sweet chicken legs.

Hey Dad

2009-10-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

On The Road Again

2009-10-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

For the past 6 months Brian has been working in Salt Lake (a 6+ hour commute). He has been such a champ, never once has he complained. But with the winter fast approaching and Ellie needing more of her daddy, we decided to rent out our Nampa home and move to Park City. Kinda ironic seeing how I grew up in Heber and never thought I would live in Park City. What can I say, old rivalries die hard. It will be a good change, great to be living together again like a 'normal' family.

Where are my Priorities?

2009-09-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

I was accidentally walking down the fabric isle and noticed they had some scraps on sale for $1 -- I couldn't resist. Never mind we are moving in 3 weeks and I should be packing, or cleaning, or at least catching up on laundry. Nothing like a fun project to help you procrastinate. It didn't take me long, and I think it turned out so cute. Just a fun little Halloween skirt (the green fabric looked like 'monster pox' to me).

For Daddy

2009-09-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Heading out for a walk . . .it is cold today. Ellie giggled at the ducks, dogs, and an airplane.
Our cutie

We LOVE you!

Ellie Update

2009-09-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

She is our jabbering, giggling, wiggling, toothless wonder.
At 7 months (8.11.09) she was 26 in (33 percentile) and weighed 12.4 lbs, which dropped her below the oneth percentile (is 'oneth' a word?). Of course this stressed me out for a few days. I knew she was little, but I had felt like feeding had been going really well. I turned to my baby feeding bible (Child of Mine by Ellyn Satter) and, as always, Sister Satter calmed my anxieties and made me feel like a good mother again. I can only give her good, consistent meals, that is all I can control. She is so active and looks rosy-cheeked healthy. It's only when you sit her next to her butter-balled peers that you realize she's an ity-bity.
We go back in to the doctor next week and if she is still dropping off the growth curves they may do some blood test to rule out any metabolic issues. At this point I really believe she is healthy and growing well. I don't think it is a fair comparison to put these little SGA babies on the same growth curve as babies born a healthy weight.

Ellie loves Annie. She squeals and flaps her arms the minute she sees her dog each morning. When I put Ellie on the ground she wiggles and scoots furiously to try and catch Annie. Not quite a cruiser yet, but takes a few cautious crawling steps here and there. Her all-arms army crawl is still her preferred mode of transportation.
She is not one to sit contently. She takes no interest in TV and in church she is constantly crawling over our laps and shoulders, flirting with whomever will return her smiles. She can make it through "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." She smiles at me when I start to read it and then wacks each animal with her hand as we turn the pages. Any other book is usually too long and after a page or two she starts to arch her back, or eat the book. However, today I wanted to read some Dr. Suess. So, I sat her down and gave her "Brown Bear, Brown Bear," and started to read "Fox in Socks." A couple of pages into the book, I realized she was reading her book. She was looking at the pictures and just jabbering away. It was a cute moment and I got to read a new book.
Brian is always on a mission to find out what will make her laugh. It is usually by accident that we discover a new method. For example, Brian got a new phone and was taking her picture with it. The 'click' of the camera threw her into fits of giggles. The video below is after a dozen or so pictures had already been taken. Before the picture is taken you can see her doing her scrunched-up face (it's one of my favorite expressions of hers).

Summer 2009

2009-09-25T10:37:00.001-07:00

Another summer come and gone. It's hard to know exactly where it went. We managed to have some fun amidst the craziness we call life.

During the summer here in Nampa we have sunlight until after ten -- every kids dream, right -- I will always remember our long Idaho summer evenings. After work and chores were done, we could usually be found at the lake. Brian fishing, Annie waiting patiently by his side (or chasing rocks), and Ellie and I strolling the rocky beaches looking for birds. We have the best backyard ever! (no not technically in our backyard, but pretty close)

Our gardening efforts were expanded this year by about 500%. Along with our little corner garden in our yard, we took on a ward garden plot (10 rows, approx 30 ft long). It was alot of work, especially for Brian, but in the end so worth it. I should have taken more pictures of our harvest, you'll just have to imagine the beauty of our potatoes, corn, onions, string beans, peas, carrots, honeydew, zucchini, butternut and crookneck squash, tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins. Whew, quite the mouthful. I can't explain the incredible satisfaction I have felt as we have harvested and preserved this food. Something great about knowing that (a) we are feeding our family, hands down, the best quality food there is and (b) filling the freezer and pantry with hundreds of dollars worth of food. Mmmmm, I love fresh veggies (so does Ellie).
We love where we live -- although compared to when we lived in Southern CA (think Disneyland) it seems as though friends and family don't love it as much as we do (no this is not a guilt trip, just an observation). We did get a few fun guests this summer and we had a great time showing them around.
Brian's brother, Danny, and his family (RaeLynn and Cole) came to stay for a long weekend in June. Talk about fun visitors. They are so laid back, no worries if dinner burns or we run out of toilet paper. And they are up for anything, except parades, something to do with the innocence of youth or some craziness like that. Of course we spent time at our favorite lake. We also went into Boise to walk the greenbelt and take advantage of the free-stuff booths in the parks. Mostly alot of chillin' and being entertained by Cole.
At the end of July my little sis Jenni came to stay and a week later Brian's little sister Amy stopped in. It is fun having two 13 year old sisters.
It was a little surreal watching Jenni with Ellie realizing that I was 13 when Jenni was born. I found that even though more than a decade separates us we are still sisters and similar in many ways. We did some school shopping, and she watched Ellie while I got caught up on some things around the house (heaven sent I know!). On Saturday She and Brian tried out the yard sale bargain raft I had found a week earlier. They could have tried it out in a pool, or a calm lake but no -- they ventured out on the wild, wild Boise river (it's not that wild). Come to find out, it leaks like a sieve. Thankfully there were enough good Samaritans along the way with pumps.
Amy, too, was so good to play with Ellie (and sometimes Annie) while I did boring things. When Brian would get home then we would have fun. We tried out Nampa's new dog park. Hard to know if Annie or Ellie liked that better. We also stopped at the Botanical gardens and the lake.
To top off our summer, we borrowed our neighbors tent trailer and headed for the mountains. A licorice stick made the last half hour of driving bearable for all of us. It was only for one night and was as sleepless as I expected it to be, but still a great trip. Annie was in heaven exploring the mountains and fishing with Brian. Ellie got her first taste of leaves, pine needles, and dirt yummmm. All in all, a success.

Aunt Lolly

2009-07-22T12:59:00.001-07:00

The New Era recently did an article about a service project done for Brian's little sister, Laura. It is a sweet story. We were unable to make it to the Young Women in Excellence where her medallion was awarded, but from what we hear it was a very emotional and spiritual night. Laura smiled and laughed so much she was just exhausted at the end.

When Brian and I were dating, his family got in a horrible car accident that left Laura physically very limited. When I first met Laura, she was a bubbly 10 year old with a shy smile. She still has that same smile. I am so grateful to be apart of her family. She brightens up the room and I love the way she interacts with Ellie. She is so patient with her circumstances and is an inspiration to many. Love ya Lolly!

6 months later

2009-07-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Baby girl, you grow so fast. At 6 months Ellie weighs 11 lbs 7 oz. Such a sweet little girl, talented too. She is sucking on her toes, toy keys and singing all at the same time as I type. She rolls to get where she wants to but still wiggles in frustration on her tummy as she tries to figure out that crawling thing. I'm sure she'll figure it out soon. She LOVES to eat and has yet to try something she doesn't like. While eating she hmmmm's with delight and then opens her little lips wide like a baby bird begging for more. I love it.

2009-06-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Ellie has been so sweet this past week. We have experienced her first ear-ache. She definitely has not been herself. Less wiggles and giggles. More lethargic and incredibly cuddly. She curls into a little ball in our arms and lays her hot head on our shoulders -- it melts my heart. Once in a while she'll talk in a sweet whisper, or sigh in discomfort. Such a little trooper. Although, with her skipping naps and insisting on being held all day, and both Brian and I dealing with our own fevers and headaches we are all very much looking forward to more sleep.

2009-06-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

(Thanks BrassyApple for the awesome idea!)

There are few things sweeter than a daddy and his daughter.
A Happy Father's Day to all of you great dads

2009-06-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

2009-06-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Ellie and the Greats

2009-06-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

Ellie finally met Great-Grandma Henrie
And Great Grandma HornerWe LOVE our Grandmas!

Horner Time

2009-06-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

A very fun and busy month.
Memorial Day weekend was my Horner family reunion.

You would think after spending two days with this many kids, coordinating meals, gathering everyone together for activities, and trying to keep things somewhat orderly that the adults would be exhausted by the end (maybe Doug and Michelle are, thanks for hosting:). But after spending days like these with my siblings, despite the late nights, I feel so refreshed and motivated. I am always amazed and impressed with my siblings, old and young, and their spouses (if applicable). Cream of the crop I tell you.

The minute we pull up the kids start scrambling like ants with excitement, announcing our arrival. I am feeling so loved. The children love me, they really love me. I open the car door and hear the excited chorus of "Annie is here, Annie is here!" Oh well, I'm glad one of us is adored. Annie did get alot of attention and although she may not have loved it, she endured it.

There was lots of visiting

The all important and serious paper airplane contest
Candy bombing
A little goofy-ness
And just plain fun.

4 month stats

2009-05-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

She is still our ity-bity -- but at least she is on the charts :)

Length:
24 in (41.6%) -- at 2 months she was in the 8.09%
Weight:
10lbs13oz (1.52%)

She is pretty long and lean. I am doing my best to pump her full of cream, hopefully starting her on solids will plump up her little rolls. She may be little but her weight gain is consistent and her doctor says she is as healthy as can be.

First giggles

2009-05-05T17:40:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to get a better video of Ellie's giggles, but no luck. She is still pretty stingey with them.

Project Cutains: check

2009-05-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

Bought the fabric 16 months ago
Started sewing them together 4 months ago (the day before Ellie was born. I thought it would be the perfect project to do while we waited, ha).
And although they are a testament of my imperfection and impatience (none of them hang quite straight and they are all slightly different lengths) they definitely are an improvement from the bare windows.
I am satisfied.

In case you were curious . . .

2009-05-05T17:25:00.001-07:00

I've had a few people ask or comment on Ellie's 'strawberry kiss' on her right cheek. It appeared when she was about 3 weeks old. It is called an hemangioma -- I had never heard or seen (at least noticed) these before. Apparently it is most common in girls and/or preemies. It is a bunch of capillary-like cells just under the skin. At about 12 months it will begin to fade and should be completely gone at 2 years (sometimes it takes longer).

Annie Dog

2009-04-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

I let Annie in the house, forgetting I had left the laundry room door open with dirty socks on the floor. I was playing with Ellie and didn't notice Annie sneak upstairs. After a while I wrapped Ellie up and was on my way to put her down when I looked into the TV room and saw Annie, cheeks stretched to maximum capacity, as innocent looking as ever. "Give" she opened her mouth and a waterfall of socks poured out and she quickly left the room -- 8 socks, whew I don't know how she fit them in. But wait she is acting suspicious and won't look at me. "Annie Come" she does her hesitant, tail-wagging approach. She had 2 more socks stuffed in her mouth. That dog is amazing! I think she was pretty proud of herself.

2009-04-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Ellie discovering . . . Ellie
And bubbles.

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

So fun to have a little girl on Easter.

2009-04-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

Where to start? Our little peanut is 3 months old.
What a cutie. She smiles, talks, and even sings on occasion . . . unless I pull out the camera and then she becomes very serious.
It has been fun to watch her become more aware. On our daily walks (weather permitting) it is exciting to watch her bright eyes try and take the big world in. She blinks at the clouds searches the trees to find those singing birds -- this lasts for about 5 minutes, by then she is so exhausted she falls asleep to enjoys the rest of the walk curled up in the sleepywrap.

She joined us last weekend at the dinner table. She can barely see above the table, but it is just the right height to give her a good view of Annie - or to give Annie a good view of Ellie. They are still not to sure what to think of each other

Sleep is still our biggest struggle. I know I should be grateful for the 4 hours she gives me at night, but last week she gave me one 7 hour sleep, it was amazing! However, it was only one night. Napping only happens if she is in my arms or in the sleepy wrap. I'm sure I am mostly to blame for this. Any advice? I figure she is getting old enough to start trying for some sort of schedule. We'll see.

We had Ellie's picture taken. I'll post one later, but until then you can check out a few of the pics at photographybyamylynn.blogspot.com

$1020.05

2009-04-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

Insurance mistakes -- pretty much every single bill we received from Ellie's birth (with a NICU babe we had ALOT of bills) had some mistake. Some had big errors ($300 or so) some little. Some took just a phone call to fix, some 3 or four, and one took a written appeal. In the end, I saved $1020.05 - well worth the diligence I think.
Moral of the story: watch your money because no one else will do it for you.

Ellie's New Words

2009-03-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

Ellie has discovered her voice and has been telling all sorts of stories. I love it.

Ellie's Big Day

2009-03-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

We brought the baby, Grandma Caryl brought the dressAnd on March 1st, Ellie was given a name and a blessing. It was a fun day of introducing Ellie to family, taking pictures, and eating. Ellie met her name-sake, Great-Grandma Lenore Anderson:

If we are lucky Ellie just may inherite grandma's kind and friendly personality. Ellie was also named after Great-great grandma Jane, Great grandma Jane Renee, Grandma Shauna Jane, and me, Emily Jane.
Grandma and Grandpa Horner
Great Grandma and Grandad AndersonGrandpa White
Ellie also met Uncle Joe, Aunt Jenni, Aunt Amy, Uncle Doug, Aunt Michelle and cousins Kayden, Dayson, and Randy. Thank you all for coming!

7lbs 8oz as of 3.2.09

2009-02-26T15:53:00.000-08:00

All Dressed Up

2009-02-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

Mommy got me dressed.Daddy did my hair.

Booties were off before we got out the door (good thing the toeties were painted)

And we got to church at 9:05 -- it really does take longer to get out the door with a kid, who knew? Right on cue she started fussing just as the sacrament prayer ended and I learned what it felt like to have EVERY head turn toward you -- I'm sure they were just jealous.
All in all a good outing and it was nice to go to church as a family again.

6lbs 11oz as of 2.19.09

2009-02-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

So, how has Annie handled all of the changes?

Don't be deceived by the clip. She has actually adjusted to Ellie very well. This is a pretty routine wind-down for her. What a spaz. She was out cold just a few minutes later.
Last week's doctor visit, Ellie weighed 5lbs14oz, that's two pounds in 4 weeks. She is averaging just a little over 1 oz per day, which is really great. I am so glad she is a good eater. She does, however, seem to have a bit of a sensitive stomach. She absolutely hates milk and broccoli -- and lets us know it whenever I have eaten it. Never knew such a scream could come from such a sweet little thing. Household serenity has improved since I have started avoiding those foods.

What More Can I Say?

2009-02-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

As of her last doctor's appointment (Jan. 29) Ellie broke 5 lbs! 5lbs 9 oz

Grandma is Here!

2009-02-01T19:04:00.001-08:00

Horray! Brian's mom has come for a week to love on our little Ellie. We are so glad she is here.

My Sweet Sisters

2009-02-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

Kudos to Brian for putting up with 6 girls, three of which were lactating. It was so great to have my sisters here for a week. I am amazed and intimidated by their great talents. They are such great mothers. They came and cleaned my home, did my laundry, and planned my meals for the next month all while appeasing their kiddies and corralling my dog. What impressive women. Every new mom should be blessed with such support.

Fun Things

2009-02-01T18:44:00.001-08:00

My sister Heidi gave me this Sleepy Wrap and it has become one of my favorite things. I love having Ellie wrapped up so cozy and close. And I can hold her all day and still get a few things done. It's like being pregnant again without the swollen feet.It was so hard to take this gift apart -- I had to immortalize its beauty somehow. Not only is it super cute but it was packed full of goodies like onesies, diapers, swaddlers, etc. Anyway, it was fun to have such a cute centerpiece for a whi

Our Little Family

2009-02-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

Ode to Great Nurses

2009-02-01T18:22:00.001-08:00

There are some professions out there that one can get by being a half-jobber -- a NICU nurse is not one of those jobs. We were so blessed to have such great nurses. They loved their job, more importantly they loved our Ellie. Here are three of our favorite nurses that loved our girl, Robbie, Lynn, and Karen (we loved all of her nurses but these three just happened to be on call when we were discharged.) Karen was her first nurse and made sure she had a bow in her hair. I was pretty close to tears when we had to say goodbye to these good friends. They took such good care of us all.

2009-01-24T20:51:00.000-08:00

15 Days Later . . .

2009-01-21T18:28:00.000-08:00

Two Minutes Old

15 Days Old

This picture of her just after she was born makes me cry, my poor starving baby. It really shows how far she has come.

15 days after she was born, Ellie has officially graduated from St. Lukes NICU. Hooray! Tonight will be our first night as real full time parents. Wish us luck.

2 Weeks Old

2009-01-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

Her face and chest have really filled out. No more ribs poking out and she has the most kissable cheeks. Her arms and legs are still skinny whinny but we are working on that.

Ellie decided that she was done being fed through a tube and pulled out her feeding tube. She wasn't using it much anyway so we decided to let her just nurse and see if she is able to get enough. She has done great since. She is nursing just fine and waking up when she gets hungry. Such a good little girl.

Yesterday as I was talking to Dr. Coen, he told me that he has never seen a baby with glucose issues like Ellie. Her numbers have been so random and don't appear to correlate with her eating - very strange. Dr. Coen is definitely not a rookie either. He has been a Neonatologist for 40 years, and he started his career in academia as a professor and researcher. We have felt very confident with him. He knows most answers, but when he doesn't, he knows where to find them. So he has been working with an Endocrinologist on Ellie and thankfully this Doctor has heard of instances where babies like Ellie don't regulate their feedback mechanisms right when it comes to insulin. There is nothing you can do about it, they just grow out of it after a few weeks. That was good to hear.

However, Ellie is determined to keep us all on our toes and just as one problem is solved another pops up. Our next adventure: cortisol. You guessed it, her levels are just not quite right so we need to check the function of her adrenal glands before we can go home.

We finally got some results on some blood tests for her low platelet count. It came out inconclusive -- so we don't know why her platelet level dropped, but she is doing fine now and platelets should no longer be an issue.

For the Grandmas

2009-01-18T18:03:00.000-08:00

Ellie's Big Girl Bed

2009-01-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Ellie moved into an open crib yesterday. She looks so cute all bundled up. She also had her last IV port removed. We are definitely making progress but we won't be going home today. Her glucose levels are still too variable and it has her doctor scratching his head. We will be talking to an Endocrinologist today to see if they can shed any light on this issue. Other than that she is doing great. She is gaining weight like a champ (4 lbs 10 oz today!) and nursing really well. She is still being supplemented with high-calorie formula just to keep her sugar levels high.

4lbs 9oz

2009-01-15T18:41:00.001-08:00

Those little cheeks are filling in and as of this morning she tipped the scales at an impressive 4 lbs 9 oz. She is more and more alert and aware everyday and we are just loving her like crazy.

She is doing great. She needs to be able to get all her nutrients from nursing (while keeping her glucose level stable) and also be able to regulate her temperature in an open crib before we can take her home.

While nursing has continued to get better and better, her glucose levels have dipped a few times the past couple of days. They always rebound, but she needs to keep those numbers consistently high before she can go home.

She is really close to being moved into an open crib. Hopefully by tomorrow she will be out of her box.

Not yet two weeks old and she is already annoyed with her parents and the camera. She'll just have to deal with it.

Look Who's Wearing Clothes!

2009-01-13T18:37:00.000-08:00

Apparently this is a very momentous occasion in the NICU, when a baby graduates to wearing clothes. All of her IV's (except the one in her head) were removed yesterday, so now she can be dressed. This is a really great thing. She is getting all of her nutrition from milk and is able to sustain her glucose levels.
Her platelet count has also remained high so no more transfusions!
When Dr. Coen (her Neonatalogist) came in to talk with me this morning, he said "She sure is a little peanut, threw us some good curve balls." I hadn't asked, or wanted to know how common some of her issues were. I just wanted to get past them and then they could tell me. Although I had a suspicion they don't see babies like her too often when one of the older nurses told me that she had never seen a baby have to get poked as much as Ellie. While all of her issues have been potentially very serious her body has handled them very well, and quickly. I am so grateful for that. She is such a trooper.
The best moment today was when Dr. Coen told me that he expects to be able to send her home near the end of this week. Wahoo! Happy day. I've been walking on air ever since. She just needs figure out how to nurse and then we can go home.

I got to give her a bath yesterday, that was fun; although I don't think she would agree.

2009-01-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

2009-01-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning when we went in to see Ellie, the nurses were on the phone with the neonatologist and a nurse practitioner from downtown was waiting for us . . . not a great sign. Ellie's PIC line had become infected and they were going to have to remove it and treat her with antibiotics. Her awesome nurse noticed the infection really early and it was pretty localized, so we expected it to clear out without any complications. However,PIC lines are pretty intensive to put in and we were unsure whether her gut would be able to handle enough milk to keep her glucose levels high enough.
They put in a feeding tube through her nose and we stopped breast feeding so they could monitor how well she was able to digest her milk. Another day of waiting and watching.
As usual, our little Ellie did everything we told her to. Her glucose level has remained high and her infection has steadily improved.

Her transfusion went really well. She does have antibodies in her blood that are attacking her platelets. As long as those antibodies are circulating in her, her platelet count will continue to decrease, but her spleen is functioning well and cleaning out the little buggers. The doctor expects to have to do another transfusion to keep her in the safe zone until her body takes care of the antibodies. We are waiting for some lab results that may give us some answers as to why she has these antibodies in her blood.

Some pictures from today

2009-01-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

All kids love cell phones right? It may be a while before she can chuck this one around.
Moments like this make everything so worth it.
If you look closely you can see the results from all those heel pricks.
Emily's 5-star diggs.

Today's adventures

2009-01-10T19:19:00.000-08:00

Ellie is a champ! She is changing in front of our eyes and we are falling deeper and deeper in love with her with every moment. For such a little girl she has had to put up with so much. Heel pricks every 4 hours, blood draws 2-3 times a day, not to mention new IV ports every day. We are really looking forward to the day when we can hold her without all of the wires and tubes to wrestle with.

Here is the latest 'accessory' that was added today. This IV was put in for her blood transfusion. We were hoping that we wouldn't have to do this, but her platelet count dropped below the critical level this morning. It is nothing too serious but if untreated any bleeding (especially internal) could quickly lead to serious problems. If all goes well we will only have to do this once. We will get lab results tomorrow morning to find out if the transfusion went well.I had to add this picture of our 'basking baby' under the Billi-lights. I think she looks so cute with her little glasses.

Little Ellie Jane

2009-01-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

I would have never guessed this week would be as eventful as it has been. Our little Ellie was born early Tuesday morning and is the sweetest most wonderful thing that has ever happened to us. The delivery threw us some curve balls and there were some scary moments, but we all made it through okay. If you care to keep reading I'll expand the whole 'baby story' but for just the nuts and bolts Ellenore Jane White was born 3:38 am on 1.6.09, 3 lbs 14 oz, 17 1/2 inches.

Monday, I went to work as usual and then to my weekly doctor visit. My doctor (who I love by the way and am so grateful I found an OB as great as her) wanted to do an ultrasound since I was measuring a little small for the second week in a row. The ultrasound showed that she was behind in growth by about 2 weeks and she was showing signs of stress -- thus we needed to deliver our babe that night. I had planned to pack my hospital bag that night anyway, but never would have imagined I would be trying to do that while breathing through a contraction, I would not recommend doing this.

We drove to Meridian, which wasn't the original plan, but since our baby was possibly very small my doctor wanted a NICU readily available. It was a very pretty night with light snow flurries, but the roads were nasty. We got to the hospital and started the prep, laughing and joking with the nurses. Then things changed. My blood pressure was really high and continued to raise. The stuck me on oxygen and I was put on my side and not allowed to move -- no matter how uncomfortable I got. At that point any birth plan I had was thrown out the window and it was all about getting through this ordeal. Tests came back and confirmed that I was in full blown preeclampsia, a very rare (3-5% of pregnancies) but very serious condition that leads to seizures and is very dangerous for mothers and babies. So I spent the next few hours trying to stay calm, not move, and not complain too much (if you ask me I think I was very brave, but you'll have to ask Brian to get whole truth)

After they put me on some blood pressure medication, I started to stabilize, but then there were some scary moments as Ellie's heart rate dipped. I was pretty loopy when Dr. Hughes came in around 3:00 am, but I remember her saying the baby was pretty stressed and we needed to push. Since she was so small, the doctor felt I didn't need to be completely dilated in order to get her out. Things got ready and 3 contractions later Ellie slipped right out, with the cord wrapped around her neck twice. I was relieved to see her pink little body and hear her cry.

Although she made it to 37 weeks and technically full term, her size puts her at 33-35 weeks. She is tiny and has a few issues that come with being so little, but she is a fiesty little thing and is doing really well. We'll get to hang out at the hospital a little longer than expected, but the nurses are great and the food is . . . . well the nurses are great:)

2009-01-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

Bitter Sweet

2008-12-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

I have officially given my notice at work, a very bitter-sweet experience. There are so many things that I am going to miss. It is very hard to quit a job I actually love.

I am going to miss my team. It is a small (less than 20 of us) and diverse group. I would have never imagined I would be working in Boise Idaho with co-workers from China, India, Nepal, Holland, Russia and all over the US. They are all so great and smart. I have learned so much from them.

When asked "What do you do?" I am going to miss being able to respond by saying "I am a molecular biologist." Completely vain I know -- but I will miss it.

All that being said, despite the struggle to make a final decision, I feel a great weight has been lifted from my heart. Being just weeks from meeting my little girl knowing that I don't have leave her and I can be 100% mom is such a sweet and calming thought.

(These pictures are from our Christmas party and the baby shower they threw for me and yes that is a carebear they are diapering)

Happy Birthday Annie!

2008-12-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

Annie turned the big ONE yesterday. We celebrated by chasing jackrabbits in the morning (which she loved) and wearing hats in the evening (which she hated).

2008-11-16T18:25:00.000-08:00

How we love our Annie! She puts up with so much, since she is our main source of entertainment most nights. I get a kick out of this picture: our mighty hunter being reduced to sitting like a lap dog on Brian's lap -- Oh the humiliation.

2008-11-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

So here is my token first blog. This picture was taken two weeks ago as I entered month 7. Brian and I are expecting our first, a little girl, at the end of January.