Mother's Day

Kaitlyn has a Swallow study tomorrow morning to see if she is aspirating (swalloing milk into her lungs). Hard to do when she doesn't really swallow much, but I can get her to swallow a few sips of milk out of a "cup feeder". She's also taking a very small amount of rice cereal once a day. Hard to tell how much she actually gets, as most of it ends up on her chin. I keep trying though.

Kaitlyn has hit the 11 pound mark! She's still vomiting, but seems to be keeping something down as she's gaining weight like a trouper. She's finally on the growth charts (I think about 3%).

My first Mother's Day has come and gone. I was lucky enough to get to spend the day with both my mother and my daughter. It was a wonderful day indeed. Thank you all for your wonderful Wondeful Mother's Day wishes to me. I really appreciate all of you! I've been out of tocht he last week a lot, as my DSL was down for almost a week, and wanted to spend time with my mother while she was here.

My wonderful husband also made my day spectacular.....


Brian had to work on Mother's day, but he arranged to have flowers delivered! Look at this gorgeous bouquet of flowers!! And on top of that (with a few hints from me) he got me matching pink pearl earrings in honor of my twin daughters. He left them for me, and when we spoke on the phone after the flowers arrived, he told me where he hid the earrings. Beautiful pink pearls with tiny diamonds. 2 Pink pearls for my 2 twin girls. It made me sad, but also happy to have Kaitlyn with me today.

The next day when he came home, I was wearing the earrings and a silver necklace....he said to me that my necklace didn't match (funny that he'd notice such a thing) and he proceeded to pull out a matching pink pearl pendant and chain! he wanted to give it to me in person! He really made my day special (now, so all you girls aren't too jealous,) I've learned a bit over the years, I did tell him that I really wanted something special for this, my first mother's day for all that I've been through..Sometimes you just have to say flat out what you want so you won't get disappointed. I'm over the fact of needing to be surprised, and then he went and completely surprised me!

My mother Corinne and her grand-daughter katilyn. Remember that Kaitlyn's sister is named after my mother. I'm so sad that my mother never got to meet her granddaughter Corinne. At the bottom of this post, I'm adding a very touching poem for us mothers' of angel babies....My mother and I both shed a few tears over this poem.. My mother is actually a mother to 3 children. She lost a baby too late in utero, so I should actually have 2 siblings.

Proud Nana with Kaitlyn - So nice that it's finally warm out and you can see Katilyn's nice rolls on her arms and legs!

Kaitlyn really is the queen of funny faces (her crossed eyes certainly add to her comical faces.) I swear though, she really does make a lot of funny expressions!

Ugh, those crossed eyes!

She's started to learn to "talk". Now remember that Kaitlyn has a paralyzed vocal chord and so her talking probably doesn't sound anything like a normal baby. She inhales and makes little squeaks. She definitely is trying to talk to us.

With the warm weather, katilyn's 2nd wearing ever of a dress!

OK, this picture was too cute. Her little bald head (with growing hair). She was sleeping on her tummy (horrible I know), but I've been told by other reflux baby mom's that stomach sleeping is great so I don't have to worry as much about aspirating, as if she throws up, she's down already. She really loves sleeping on her belly. (This is only during the day, under close supervision!)

Crying, upset Kaitlyn. Now, you'd think she'd be screeching a terror, but with her vocal chord issue, all you really hear is this hoarse, throaty (air rushing) sound when she screams. She'd be great to take to a movie theatre or something (if we weren't under hibernation order!)

She really likes trying to stand up and go in the air. I've actually almost gotten a few smiles when she tries to stand up.

Mom giving my kissable daughter a kiss on the head.

A Mother's Day Wish From Heaven
By Jody Seilheimer

Dear Mr. Hallmark,
I am writing to you from heaven,
and though it must appear
A rather strange idea,
I see everything from here.

I just popped in to visit,
your stores to find a card
A card of love for my mother,
as this day for her is hard.

There must be some mistake I thought,
I saw every card you could imagine
Except I could not find a card,
from a child who lives in heaven.

She is still a mother too,
no matter where I reside
I had to leave, she understands,
but oh the tears she's cried.

I thought that if I wrote you,
that you would come to know
That though I live in heaven now,
I still love my mother so.

She talks with me, and dreams with me;
we still share laughter too,
Memories are our way of speaking now,
would you see what you could do?

My mother carries me in her heart,
her tears she hides from sight.

She writes poems to honor me,
sometimes far into the night
She plants flowers in my garden,
there my living memory dwells
She writes to other grieving parents,
trying to ease their pain as well.

So you see Mr. Hallmark,
though I no longer live on earth
I must find a way to remind her
of her wondrous worth.

She needs to be honored,
and remembered too
Just as the children of earth will do.

Thank you Mr. Hallmark,
I know you'll do your best
I have done all I can do;
to you I'll leave the rest.

Find a way to tell her,
how much she means to me
Until I can do it for myself,
when she joins me in eternity.