Baby on the Brain!!!

It's about time for our BIG announcement!!!!!!!!

We are having a.........











COUSIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yep, Aunt Julie and Aunt Joe are having a baby!  And it gets better....cause it's a GIRL!
We are so excited in our family!  Baby Blandford is due to arrive early September...and we can't wait.  Abigail LOVES talking about her "baby cousin"...yesterday randomly while we were out for  walk, she said "Mama, I'm gonna buy my baby cousin blue ice cream!"  And today she told me she has a baby cousin in her belly too!  Now, she thinks "cousin" is the baby's name, but she's excited never-the-less.  And we are so excited that the girls will have a cousin so close in age.  I imagine the 3 of the girls getting in a lot of trouble together on family vacations!  And I can't wait till they are older and all sleeping in the same room and we can put our monitor in their room and listen to their conversations.

Anyways, congrats Julie and Joe...we are so excited for our 1st cousin!  And Rob and I are especially excited to be an Aunt and Uncle for the 1st time!!!!

What's new on the homefront????

Miss Abigail had a great week at ballet and gymnastics!  Sorry daddy but I have a feeling we have a dancer on our hands...she seems to do reallly well in ballet!  Get ready for beautiful, sunny, perfect-for-golf days spent inside a recital hall watching 4 hours of other girls dance to get to our 5 minutes of fame!  And too-much-makeup at the age of 3!!!!!

She also seems to be a sponge in terms of learning.  Counting, letters, shapes...she loves them all!   She is beginning to associate 1st letters sounds with letters (M for mama, C for Caitlin, etc) which is fun to watch.  She is also beginning to make her 1st letter (A) when she draws, so we are getting close to beginning to work on her name!  We are still deciding if we should put her in 2 1/2 preschool...out here a lot of older kids do 2 1/2 preschool, and while I think she would do great, I'm sad to lose my baby!  So maybe if I could find a school that is 1 morning a week or have the school work around the day I work I will do it...but I also know I only have 1 year left of museums, zoos, play dates, etc before school starts!

Caitlin is doing great too!  Last weekend she had a 48-hour EEG (watching brain activity) and she was attached to a video monitor.  It was a rough weekend for us, but the results were that she's doing GREAT and there is nothing concerning to them, so we are happy!  So we are feeling great about all the results!  We will be seeing a children's ENT in early May and hoping to have her tubes put in sooner so we can get started catching up!

While she's not a constant roller, she is rolling over from tummy to back a lot more!  She is also getting close to sitting...I think they may happen the same day!  We are also getting close to trying rice cereal.  She loves to sit in her high chair and watch up eat, so she's almost ready!  Fun time ahead!  No teeth yet, but they are coming soon too!  And she's been babbling up a storm...she has such a sweet voice. Oh yeah, and she started laughing this week too!  And there is only one person who she thinks is funny....herself!  The picture above was taken when she was cracking herself up in her mirror.  I'm working on new jokes and hoping to get her to laugh at me soon.  But Abigail can make her laugh too...

Caitlin in her new jumper

Speaking of Abigail, the 2 of them are interacting more, which is so heart-warming to watch.  Abigail LOVES to read to Caitlin and help Caitlin turn the pages (the same way she likes to make her doll color).  And Caitlin will watch her wherever she goes and smile non-stop at her!

"NOT a swing, Abigail!"

Random note:  In the picture above, Abigail is wearing my Care Bear pajamas from when I was a kid.  At first, it really bothered her to not have pants, but now she loves her "dress pajamas".  Quality pajamas that have been around for 30 years!!!!

That's what been's going on around our house.  This weekend is a quiet weekend because Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Julie and Uncle Joe are in Big Sur, California because my dad is running the Big Sur Marathon!!!!  Good luck Dad, we can't wait to see the pictures from the marathon!  (For those who dont know, Big Sur is supposed to be the  most beautiful marathon, but REALLY, REALLY hard with HUGE hills the whole way!)  And Nana and Papa are in Florida visiting Aunt Jam and Uncle Al...and they aren't taking us, can you believe it????  ;) 

And last, we have our March of Dimes Walk this weekend.  Of course, it's supposed to rain, so we may be supporting from inside the local Starbucks...but we'll be there either way!!!!  Pics on Monday!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Katie!!!

Happy Birthday to my little sis, Katie!!!!!

 

Somehow, many many years ago Kate got the nickname Butthead from me...I have no idea how it started or why it continued, but it's what I call her!!!!  Rob calls her the Stinky Dingdong...and we remember that nickname came from a 6 hour roadtrip!  The girls...we'll just let them call you Aunt Katie!

We love you Aunt Katie and hope you are having a great birthday!!!!!

La-La-La La-La-La!

More on our little smurf below

The last 48 hours were draining and emotional, but important!  Here are the details and results:

We checked in to the hospital on Tuesday morning because of concerns the drs saw when Caitlin was eating.  We started at ENT (Ears, Nose, Throat) where we found out something unexpected.  We found out Caitlin has severe hearing loss!  Where most infants hear starts between 0-20 decibles (whisper), Caitlin's hearing begins between 60-70 decibles (vacuum).  We were shocked....but the great news is that it's treatable.  Her hearing loss is due to fluid in her ears that they think has been there for a long time.  So we go back in 2 months (giving nature a chance to drain the fluid) and if there is still fluid there and still a hearing loss, she'll have tubes put in.  A fairly common fix...but a shock never-the-less.  It was very difficult to watch her test done because we sat in this booth and she was as happy and content as could be, but there were sounds all around us and she had no clue.  It was really eye-opening to me and gives us lots of answers (crying from pain, less babbling cause she can't hear us talk).  She can hear conversations, but it sounds like everything is underwater.  Lucky for us, we found it early enough so there won't be a long term speech delay because of it...she may be a little delayed in speech but should be able to catch up, and we'll get in her in early intervention immediatly if we need!  So that was our big find....

She also had an endoscopy done (tube down her throat through her nose) and found she has an area of weak cartilidge in her throat that may be causing some of her feeding issues, but self-corrects as she gets older so it's no big deal at all!

Then we moved into the Peds Unit...which was a sad place to be, but we had an end unit room so we were isolated from everyone.  The amazing thing is once we got there, we never left.  Every test below was done while she was in her crib.  Technology!!!  First, they did an eco (heart ultrasound) and the results came back clear, which is so wonderful because that was our biggest worry!!!  You may have heard Rob and I breath again when we got that result! 

They also did a chest x-ray for fluid in lungs, blood work, some sweat test (no clue what they were looking for) and an EKG (heart) and they all came back clear!!!!!  Again, so happy!

The whole time, they were watching her oxygen levels as she ate, slept, etc to see if her blue limbs were effecting her oxygen (respiratory) but she had 100% oxygen the whole time!  So happy!

The last results we were waiting for was her EEG (checking for seizures).  There are definitely NO seizures (yeah, yeah) but there was some blimp on it that they are only a small, small bit concerned about....they just want to follow through and make sure it was nothing.  So tomorrow she is having a 48 hour video EEG done.  They will put the electrodes on her head and then we'll come home with a machine and a video camera.  For 48 hours, they will monitor to see if she has any more of the blimps, and see what she was doing when they happened.  We are sure they will come back clear like everything else and we can move on!

And last but not least, she's on prescription formula and doing WONDERFUL!  She's so happy and talking up a storm...it was the best thing we have done for her!!!!

Caitlin was a BIG hit at the hospital.  The nurses LOVED LOVED LOVED her.  She was nicknamed "The Little Smurf" from her blue hands/feet.  Oh yeah, speaking of blue feet, they are complexed by it because they get so blue and it's not normal, but they aren't worried and are just chalking it up to small veins.  As long as the lungs, brain, and heart are all working, we are okay with our Smurfette!

So that was our time at CDH.  It really put us at ease that Caitlin is doing great!  And at the end of it, although I was completely drained from having to hold her through so many tests, we got a great 32 hours of bonding.  I really learned there that I spend so much time during the day doing "things" (dishes, laundry, computer, taking them places to try to be a better mom) but what I need to do is just spend more quality time.  So I'm making a committment to stop getting on the computer as much (except now cause I knew people are waiting), be more effective in chores, and stay home more for quality time. 

When Rob and I got married, we began saving so that one day when we had kids, I would be able to stay home with them.  It is something that has always been important to us, and we are so blessed that we are in a position to live on one salary.  But I want to take more time just enjoying this time.  It's worth all the sacrifices to have this short amount of time with them!  I really have a whole new appreciation for the gift I have of spending all my days with  my girls.  So I guess I learned even more than I thought from our time at CDH.

So I'm off to color, practice rolling, have a juice box, and riding in the wagon...all with 2 healthy babies!  Life doesn't get better than that!

Slumber Party *Updated*

Caitlin and I are having a slumber party tonight!

Our brave little girl has been poked, prodded, and x-rayed up a storm today, but we are almost done here and we are getting some answers!!!!!!  Caitlin was admitted to CDH today because they wanted to do a battery of tests so they can once-and-for-all get an answer to what's bothering here.  It's easier for her to be here for 24 hours then to have her run around to see 100 different doctors who all have crazy schedules.  So we just wait...and they come to us when they are ready!

So far, ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) gave us a BIG answer that we'll post more about soon...hopefully there are no more "results" and we are done and can move on!  The results from ENT give us answers to a lot of Caitin's issues, but it's also fairly common and nothing serious at all!  Just the way we like it.  I'll post when we have all the results.

Caitlin is having a great time here (when she's not being tested) spending a day alone with mommy and daddy.  She's the center of attention.  But I'll tell you what...if we are NEVER EVER EVER on the Pediatric Floor again, it will be too soon!  We are lucky that we aren't here for anything bad or serious, just tests, but there are some sick kids here, and it's heart breaking!

So tonight Caitlin and I will have a slumber party so they can monitor her stats...and then tomorrow we should go home with a bunch of tests results...and with all happy results!!!!!  And then, we can get onto a boring, boring, boring rest of the month, which sounds WONDERFUL!

While we are here, we have received a report that Abigail is having a GREAT day with Papa...they went to the zoo and out to lunch with Nana...and she took an extra long nap, which is the sign of a fun day.  She's having a slumber party with Nana and Papa tonight...and we look forward to watching some Potty Time Elmo with her tomorrow!  Thanks Papa for all your help!

Until then, I leave you with a picture of our Caitlin Bug laying next to me as I type:

UPDATE:  Yeah!!!!!!!  All the heart tests came back normal!!!! 

Happy Birthday, Kramer!

Kramer turns 5 today!!!!! 

Over the weekend, we celebrated Kramer's 5th birthday with a doggie cookie!

Rob and I got Kramer a few months after we got married...and for the first 3 years of his life, Kramer was our baby....with LOTS of clothes!  He has a Bears jersey, letterman jacket, raincoat, numerous sweaters, fisherman vest, Christmas sweater (that lights up), numerous Halloween costumes, and more!!!  Although Kramer may get a little less attention know, I'm pretty sure Kramer thinks he hit the jackpot with the arrival of the girls.  There is food for him EVERYWHERE!  And plenty of garbage to get into when we leave.  And there is always someone to cuddle with!  Krazy Kramer may cause a little bit of trouble in our house..but he gives us a lot of love!!!!!!

Kramer has been such a great member of our family!  He wears lots of hats:

Best friend (who needed a haircut)

Nurse

Entertainer (and could this picture of Abigail be any funnier???  She dressed herself..can you tell?)

Pillow

Playmate

Armrest

One of the kids!

Happy 5th Birthday, Kramer!!! 

(And now that you are 5, we expect you to STOP going through the garbage!!!!!!  Sorry buddy, with age comes responsibility!)

Relaxation

With all that has been going on with Caitlin (read below for more details) we were ready for a weekend of R & R!  We headed up to the cabin after Caitlin's tests on Friday and spent Friday just spending time together hanging around.  It was wonderful!!!!!  Saturday we helped with all the tasks around the cabin...and enjoyed a few pop n' wines along the way!  Sunday we headed back and did some chores around the house, and just spent more time together.  It was a great family weekend!!!!  Here are a few pics...and I bet I'll have a couple more to post soon (hint, hint Nana and Papa)...

One of the big tasks of the weekend:  help with the bathroom.  Look at how great this bathroom looks!!!  Nana and Papa have done all the work, and it's beautiful!!!  We have a working toilet!  We were happy to be able to help, even if it was only a little bit!

Taking a much needed Bubble break!  Look at that girl go!

Caitlin and Daddy just hanging around!

Daddy and Papa put the pier in this weekend...yeah!  That's the official sign that spring is here in the Wennerstrom family!!!!! Abigail decided to get a closer look!

Caitlin Update:  On Friday, we took Caitlin in for her swallow study.  Luckily, it showed she has no major issues in her throat (we were expecting to see a hole or her aspirating).  Although we were a little surprised, we were very happy with the results!!!!  We were even able to see she was able to swallow thinner liquids now (and are sure she isn't choking anymore) so this weekend we began thinning out her formula.  She had a really great weekend...and we are praying she is outgrowing whatever this is.  While we were there, the speech/language path saw a couple things that concerned her (sounds of liquid in her lungs and indication of low oxygen levels while eating) and she wanted Caitlin to be admitted to the hospital for 23 hours so they can run a battery of tests.  We thought it was a for-sure thing for Monday (today) but as we are learning, nothing happens without authorizations and insurance!  So we are waiting to hear from our pediatrician what they want to do.  She had such a GREAT weekend that we'd hate to put her through this if we don't need to...but the concern of low oxygen while eating is something we want to make sure we follow up with either way.  This morning I tried boiling her water before adding it to her formula and it was the first time I can remember (EVER) that she didnt make the reflux sound, so maybe this will help.  And we may switch her to a prescription formula (which is just ridiculous priced...it would literaly run us $280/month for formula...who the heck is pricing this stuff...is it  made of gold??????) that may help because it has NO milk protein in it (even soy has some milk protein)....we would LOVE if the answer would be that easy.  So we will keep you posted, and in the mean time, we will enjoy our happy, easy going Caitlin today..who is babbling up a storm today! 

Tomorrow is a big day in our home...I'll give you a clue:  5!  Can you guess????  No giving the answer nana and papa!  Check back tomorrow for the answer!

EDIT:  I didn't realize that the #5 could also be a clue if we were expecting #3....NO...that is not it!!!  I promise....the #5 has nothing to do with a new family member...it has to do with a family member already here!  So no rumors that I'm pregnant....I can promise you that is NOT the surprise!!!!!

145 days....that's 5 Months!!!!!

Our baby is 5 months old today...and what a 5 months it has been!!!!  We wouldn't label these past 5 months as "peaceful" or "relaxing"...but we would label them as wonderful all the same!  Just looking at Caitlin's big, BLUE (who knows how long they will stay) eyes makes it all worth it!!!

So, what's Miss Caitlin Elizabeth up to????

We have been working a lot at tummy time,which is challenging (more on this below):

Caitlin is beginning to roll over!  Here are two action shots from today!  This is her belly to back roll, but she's also very close to getting her back to belly roll.

Miss Caitlin used to be a big talker, and then she stopped talking for a while...but it's coming back and it's as adorable as ever!  Today I got an action shot of her as she was "talking" to her friends...and giving them raspberries, which she just started doing today!!!!

Caitlin has also discovered her toes and likes to play with them while laying on her back!

As for feedings, she is still exclusively on Soy and seems to tolerate this better (which is sad because we have months of milk frozen which we won't be able to use...but this is best for her).  She still gets 2 types of reflux medicine 3 times a day.  She also still has to have her bottle thickened...she is not able to tolerate liquids, even if she's using a preemie bottle.  We are working with Central Dupage Hospital to figure out what is going on here.  Tomorrow she is having a swallow study performed (she'll drink a bottle with barium in it, and then they will x-ray her as she drinks to see what is going on when she swallows the food.)  They think she aspirates (the liquid comes back up) but are looking to see if there is a physical reason (hole in espophagus, etc) or what is going on.  More answers to come on our never-ending feeing saga tomorrow (we hope)!

In addition to the swallow study, she has seen a few doctors this week and today we had a great finding (if something had to be wrong, this is a great diagnosis....very easy fix)!  Caitlin has a mild case of Torticollis.  Torticollis is a condition which affects the neck of many infants.  Torticollis literally translates to "crooked neck".  It is usually caused by a condition in the womb.  Caitlin was wedged against my pelvic bone during a lot of my pregnancy and almost didn't make it out naturally cause she was stuck, but the vacuum got her out!  Anyways, I have always noticed her head tends to tilt to the side, but never thought much of it.  Until lately...whenever I did research on reflux, I ran across this word.  I decided to look it up...and it's Caitlin!!!  Her left side neck muscle is stiff and so her head is tilted to the side.  It's only noticable when she's laying down, it self corrects when she's sitting up.  There is a big correlation between Torticollis and reflux.  Also, it delays babies from rolling, sitting, etc until it's under control.  It really bothers babies when they are doing tummy time, and babies with Torticollis want to be held all the time because it takes the pressure off the neck.  I have been stretching her neck, but now I have actually stretches to do.  Our pediatrician is going to give it a month and then decide if she needs to start physical therapy to help it, or if Rob and I can correct it ourselves.  It does cause flat part of children's heads (Caitlin has the very beginning of a flat head forming) which often requires a helmet (and we've had lots of friends who's children had to wear helmets...some who read this actually) but we think we caught it early enough that we can fix it with streches alone!  As her neck gets better, so will her skills!!!!!  We are so happy!  Below are 2 pictures so you can see what we are talking about...and these are literally just the 1st 2 pics I pulled up....she does this in all pics!!!!

So we are on our way to finding out what Caitlin is trying to tell us...and help her!

Happy 5 Months, Caitlin Bug!!!!!!  We love you so much! You are a beautiful, smart, loving baby who brings so much joy to our lives with those big blue eyes, cute cheeks, and joyful smile!!!!

While we were at the dr with Caitlin today, Abigail's eye started to get swollen.  So we squeezed Abigail into our app't...and we left with 2 meds for Abigail because she has a double ear infection and an eye infection!  And we didn't even know, we just though she had a cold!  So she's up in mommy and daddy's bed watching "Potty Time Elmo" for the 3rd time today!  She could watch this movie over and over! 

 Before we knew she was really sick, we went to her 1st ballet class today!  She did great...especially when the teacher told her to jump!  I think her favorite part was when they did a princess dance and she had to act like Cinderella!!!!!  Next week after ballet is over, we are headed home to switch kids (Caitlin for Reese) and Abigail and Reese are going to gymnastics.  Abigail is much more excited about that!!!!  Here's a picture of Abigail in her 1st (of many) leotard!

Stay Healthy!!!!  I know we are trying.