Zack's Page

Just some pics!

2010-11-07T12:25:00.001-08:00

Zack's FAVORITE boots! He wears them everywhere.

Zack was playing with my earrings!

The latest and greatest!

2010-08-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Zack is constantly doing new things I can't even keep track anymore! So here's a condensed version... and not such a great one at that!!
Zack's last weigh in, he weighed 21 pounds. Not on the charts yet, but we are gradually making progess on getting closer and closer. Height... he made it to the 1% on the chart! YAY!!! I'm not sure how tall he was, but hey, we made it on a chart by the age of 2, so who cares about that right now?!

In other updates, Zack is really taking off on the whole talking thing. He is really jumping into the two to three words together at one time now, so it makes for some fun times, as well as listening very closely to understand what he's asking/talking about.
Some of his favorites right now are: diggers/construction trucks, trains, watching "Mo-gee" (The Jungle Book) and "Max" (A Goofy Movie), singing "Lover, Lover", playing in the dirt/rocks, and plenty more...
He is seriously getting to be such a fun little guy. I'm sure I have said that so many times, but it really does get more fun all the time!
He was showing us his teeth while eating his donut!

Ready for church!

He LOVES corn on the cob!

Happy 2nd Birthday Zack!

2010-07-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

On June 25th we had a Toy Story birthday party for Zack. He has loved Woody and Buzz lately! We had a pizza party (We pretended it was Pizza Planet!), went swimming, and had the cake and ice cream. Lots of fun... and Zack came through for us by even throwing up (as usual).

Then on July 1st, he turned 2 years old! Seriously?! Anyway, we gave him a few presents and he was in heaven!! It was even garbage day, which he loves too (Every Thursday morning he hears it coming and he has me open the back door so he can sit and watch it go down the driveway area.).
Later that night when Jared got home from work, we took him to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner/games. OK, we could have skipped everything else and just have done this and he would have never been happier! To say he loved it is an understatement. It was SO worth the $20 to eat pizza and play games/rides.

What a guy!

2010-03-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

Zack's latest little things are pretty funny, especially to him. Such as, whenever he sticks his finger in his nose, we say "Don't pick your nose!" To which he laughs and either puts his finger back in, or pulls it out only to stick it right back!

Also, I have been trying to teach him what time-out means if he's doing something he shouldn't, and yesterday I was telling him not to get into something and said, "Don't do that unless you want to go to time-out" and he looked at me and walked right to time-out and sat down... smiling of course!! He thought he was being so good!

Finally, his other thing that he thinks is a game, is that he likes to stick his hand down his pants. Everyone says it's just a boy thing, but seriously, how do you get this to stop?! Today, for instance, he had a messy diaper and when I went to change him (Luckily I had taken his pj's off not too long before, so he was just in his diaper!), I looked at him and thought he had blown out a little... oh no! He had stuck his hands in his diaper and gotten poop all over his back and FACE! Yep, how much do you want to bet he tried it too?? Ugh... I didn't think it was appropriate to take a picture of this one!

Another crazy month!

2010-03-03T06:24:00.001-08:00

What a mess! Zack has been having so many random things going on this past month I almost don't know where to start. First, we decided to start working on his sleeping schedule/habits. We had this tackled and beat it a while ago, but with all the ear infections (and a few others) last year, the sleeping habits were out of wack!! So, it only took about a day to get Zack to cry it out in his crib to realize he could just lay down and go to sleep. So YAY for all of us on this now, because he is sleeping so much better now!

He fell asleep playing with his toys!

However, the downside to the month has been that he has been throwing up almost every day... and most days more than once per day. We have been to three doctors (One of which told me he was just doing it to get attention... um, no thanks! Do you just throw up to get attention? Yeah, only if I am bulimic!), and finally on the third doctor, he explained things so we understood and felt comfortable with what we needed to try. We are 'treating' him with acid reflux meds to start with and see if that "fixes" everything, and we also had a blood test to see if he has Celiac... Anyway, we're hoping for the easiest route here so he doesn't keep throwing up everyday!
In the meantime, he hasn't been gaining weight (shocker!), so we're adding more calories to his milk to help with that. He weighs 18 pounds 9 ounces... and when both of his cousins weigh more than he does (They are age 11 months and 8 months... Zack is 20 months!), then we need to show up!!

19 months old

2010-02-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

Zack is now over a year and a half old! Who would have thought this time would go by so fast?? Definitely not me! We went in for his usual check-up last week and here is where he stands:

WEIGHT - 18 pounds 8 ounces (not even close to getting on the charts yet)
HEIGHT - 29 3/4 inches (almost on the charts!)

The dr. said he needs to start gaining weight faster (obviously!) so we are now adding the Carnation instant breakfast to his milk for added calories. But other than that, Zack seems to be right on track with his development.
Zack is getting to be more fun everyday. He is literally running around the house now. If he wants something, he yells "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" until I understand what he wants. He'll even call Jared "Mommy" now :> He is also becoming quite the little helper around the house too! I think his favorites are throwing things in the garbage (better be careful on this one!) and doing laundry.
He also went to nursery for the first time yesterday! Although Jared took him to the older nursery, he still seemed to do just fine. We hope he will love it next week when he's with kids his own age. Yay for Zack this month!!!

Much better!

2010-01-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

What a difference those tubes have made for Zack!! He ended up having an ear infection right after the surgery (which we thought the drainage was normal since the dr. said there would be some). So we gave him some ear drops, which we think was making him throw up everyday, and that seemed to clear it right up. However, we were beginning to wonder if the tubes were a waste because we didn't see the difference in Zack like we were told.

Anyway now that some time has passed, he seems SO much happier now than ever! He acts silly all the time (OK, not all the time)! He likes to give hugs, he is trying to talk more (which there isn't much of anything we understand), he is starting to point to his eyes/nose/etc. when we ask where they are, he has about 6 teeth now, and the latest is when I ask him what a cow says, he goes "mmmm". I'll take it!!

Zack turned 18 months old on New Year's day. We visit the dr. at the end of this month for his weight/height update. So we'll see if the tubes made a difference in his weight gain. Previous to the tubes, he hadn't gained weight in 3 months. So we'll hope for the best on that!

Surgery #3

2009-12-02T17:35:00.001-08:00

Today Zack had his third surgery. He had his tubes put in his ears for all of the infections he has had. I don't care how "simple" a procedure is supposed to be, it brings tears to my eyes every time when the doctor has to come in the room and take him away from me. Talk about a sick feeling in your stomach... trying to be upbeat to your baby, knowing what is coming for them, and sending them away to have it done. Ugh...
Anyway, the surgery went very well and he was done very fast. When he woke up he was very disoriented and cranky, but at least it was outpatient and we were on our way home in no time. The rest of the day has consisted of longer naps, more crankiness, and yet also a lot of "unsure" of what he wants to do kind of behavior! He is acting super silly one minute, screaming the next, then crying to be held (then when we picked him up, even more crying to be put down). Here's hoping tomorrow is better!!

This is OBVIOUSLY not today! This was taken yesterday... pre-surgery!

Just more ear infections.

2009-11-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

Just when I think we are done, we aren't! I really have so little to complain about when it comes to Zack's health, but lately, it seems like we are spending more time at the doctor's office than we did when he was first born!!
On Sunday Zack started having a low fever. Monday that low fever turned into a temp of 103 degrees. By Tuesday, it was up to 104 degrees (Oh, and with no other symptoms). I took him to the dr. and he said both of his ears were infected AGAIN (Keep in mind his latest ear infections were just at the beginning of October AND the end of October!)! He also said that he wasn't so sure the high fevers weren't coming from something else too, but started treating him with an antibiotic shot anyway.
Overnight Zack started throwing up, so we took him back to the dr. again today and got another shot and some blood work done, but nothing really was out of the ordinary there. UGH! I don't want it to be anything, but I want it to be something so we know how to fix it (make sense?!)!!
Anyway, we are just watching him at this point to see what happens. But in 2 weeks we go back to the dr. for his second flu/swine flu shots, then the day after that for his tube surgery. By this point, you'd think we would have a personalized room just for us wherever we went... but no!

Tubes

2009-11-12T13:27:00.000-08:00

Well, we visited the ENT doctor yesterday and Zack will be getting tubes put in his ears. He's had about 5 ear infections in the past 7 months or so, and the dr. said he only needed 3 in 6 months to possibly qualify. So we have scheduled December 2nd to have the surgery to put the tubes in... and guess where we will have the surgery... St. Mark's Hospital! We're going back. Although, this time we are so happy that it will be less than a day.

He's walking... sort of!

2009-11-10T11:42:00.001-08:00

On November 6th, Zack starting taking his first steps!! We practiced all day and he was doing so great, then Jared came home and he didn't want to take more than about 2 steps!
I think he likes to walk because I get so excited... and then he gets excited and tries to walk so fast (practically running) that he falls forward!

Zack, Talon, and Lucas

2009-11-03T08:04:00.001-08:00

It is so fun to have little cousins Zack's age... or maybe not exact age, but size!! We found these cute little outfits for BYU and had to get a picture with them in it. Lucas is only a few months old, but is so cute. And then Talon! What to say about him except that his smile cracks me up! Such a cheese. And we were just lucky to have Zack stay still long enough to be in the picture. SO FUNNY!

Ear Infections

2009-10-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

So Zack has run into a case of ear infections! In the past 7 months he's had 4-5 infections (some of which have never gone away), so we will be heading to an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist in 2 weeks to see if Zack will be going in for surgery to get tubes put in his ears.
It makes me sad to see Zack uncomfortable with this, so hopefully we will have an end in sight... whether it's for surgery or not.

What a kid!

2009-10-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

I have been trying lately to get some cute pictures of Zack, and do you think he will cooperate? NO! He won't sit still, he won't look at the camera, and most of all, he won't smile!!! On occasion I sneak one in that I like, but that's only if my finger is on the button to snap right away. Does anyone else ever have this problem?! Oh, and his little nose scrunchy thing, he does that ALL the time right now! Weirdo!!!

One year ago today

2009-10-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

It was a year ago today that Zack was able to come home from the hospital! That could have been the weirdest day of our lives!!! So many happy and sad feelings at one time. Being able to leave our house for the "last time" just the two of us, getting into the car and not knowing how to use the carseat, making sure we weren't being too loud when we got home (we were probably whispering all day!), watching the clock continuously to make sure we were on the NICU schedule :D, and just having the freedom to play with Zack all we wanted without the rules and restrictions! WHEW!
This past year has gone by so fast, but we have had so much fun and like everyone says, we'd never go back to being just the two of us. And as I sit here, Zack is trying to tickle me and get my attention to go play with him, all I have to say is that I just love him so much, and I am so happy he is home!!

Zack is so funny! He gets in his high chair and likes to show me his feet!!

New toy

2009-09-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

This is a toy Zack got when he was born! Needless to say, he was too small for it then, but look at him now... he LOVES this 4-wheeler!! This is the look on his face when he first got on it, and every day since then, it's the look on his face when he still gets on it!!

Updates again!

2009-09-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

So it's been awhile since I have posted anything about Zack! He is just so mobile now, my time that I used to spend blogging, I spend picking up after him again and again!!
Zack is crawling faster and faster everyday. He walks all around the furniture, gets into any cabinet he can, and our new favorite, he will find a toy (or really anything "small enough") and he puts it in his mouth before he starts crawling so he can bring it with him! It's like a 3rd hand he just discovered!!
He is 14 months old today and he weighs about 16 pounds and is still in 3-6 month size clothes. I know I need to be grateful for really getting the use out of these sizes, but I am anxious for newer clothes now!
Zack also is starting to say more things... still is the baby talk mostly, but when he sees us making his bottles, he starts saying "ba ba" and every now and then he'll say "mom" (he's been saying "da da" for so long now, I don't even count that anymore!). He's really becomes more and more fun everyday.
When did he start getting so grown up though?!

This picture was taken by our very talented neighbor! If you can't tell, he's a professional!

What would we do without these?

2009-08-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

Zack's favorite snack are the little flavored puffs that look like Cheerios!! If I even shake the container of them, he gets the biggest smile on his face. Cutest thing. They have saved us pretty much every week at church (I now understand the concept of bringing Cheerios to church to please your child!), many times while out to a store, and my favorite, while trying to get anything done around the house! Just put Zack in the highchair with a handful of these puffs, and we are good to go!

Something new!

2009-07-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

What a week and a half for Zack!! On the 18th he officially crawled. He's been scooting around and all, but now, it's full force ahead for that little guy!! His favorite thing to do is scope out anywhere where I don't want him to go, and head there as fast as he can! He also really loves to stand himself up on everything, which turned into a bump/cut on his lip yesterday. But other than that, he's "movin" along now!!

Yesterday was even better for something new... his first tooth!! I scared him when I felt it because I screamed "YAY" and he had no idea what the big fuss was, but I am so excited! Just one more thing that shows he's getting to be a big boy now... I'll get a picture as soon as I can on this one!

Silly guy!

2009-07-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

We finally had to lower Zack's crib down one notch!! He's been getting stronger everyday, and is starting to pull himself up on more things, scoot/crawl around, so we are really trying to keep a closer eye on him now. Here are some pics of him playing in his crib, instead of taking his nap (which isn't going so well now that he knows how to stand up!). As mad as I wanted to be that he wouldn't go to sleep, I couldn't help but take pictures and laugh at him!!!

Day at the Zoo

2009-07-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

The boys having fun!

For Zack's birthday, my sister and I took our kids to the zoo. We had such a good time. Just getting out and doing something new was nice. Zack and Talon were troopers too. The day was pretty hot, but we all had a great time!
Amanda cooling Talon off!
Talon was worn out.

Thanks sis for a fun day at the zoo!

Happy Birthday Zack!!

2009-07-01T06:28:00.001-07:00

Zack is 1 year old today! What a sweet little boy we have. He has come so far, and we couldn't love him more!!!
He is currently starting to 'scoot' around (not all the way to an official crawl yet), and so we are starting to really baby proof our house now! But what a fun age he is... so playful and happy... yet he is starting to do a little whiny girly sounding scream! Not as fun, but he's still just as cute!!!
Anyway, Happy Birthday to my sweet little Zack!

Picture time!

2009-06-22T21:18:00.001-07:00

We have been taking a lot of pictures lately. These ones are from all of Zack's cousins in Jared's family getting together to take pictures for Father's Day. All the kids were wearing the cowboy hats, white shirts, and jeans. They turned out so cute, but here are a few of just Zack. What a cute boy!!

Horse ride

2009-06-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

My father in law has a horse named Chinco that is his pride and joy in life! So we took Zack to see the horse the other day and he isn't scared of anything!! Zack kept wanting to touch the horse and stare at the horse, and he quite enjoyed sitting on the horse.

There were also bunnies, chickens/chicks, and birds that we showed to Zack and he really loved the birds! He kept kicking and waving his arms when he saw them!
It was cute to see the Jared and Zack together!

High Chair

2009-06-03T14:18:00.001-07:00

We have our high chair and Zack loves it! Who am I kidding? Anything new to him is great!! He is a little small in there... wait. Where have I heard that before?!

First time swimming!

2009-05-27T13:42:00.001-07:00

While we were in St. George we went swimming... and Zack loved it!! We bought him the floaty for him to sit in and he just sat there being so content. So much fun.

Also while we were in St. George, Zack clapped his hands for the first time!! I have been working with him to do it, and then all of a sudden there he was doing it. Now I just say "clap your hands" and he gets a huge smile on his face and starts clapping!
Wonder what he'll do next...

2009-05-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to know a specific day as to when Zack decided to start sitting on his own, but it's just been so random! He would sit for a short amount of time, tip over, sit for a little longer, then tip over, and so on. Now, he's just sitting anywhere I put him, and only tips over very rarely! So the point of this post is just to say that Zack is now sitting, but for how long, I don't know!!

This picture is just so sweet too. He falls asleep in the car pretty easy, and this is how he fell asleep recently. So cute, I had to take a picture!

Two new favorite toys!

2009-05-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

Zack is so silly right now! He is starting to scoot around, and with that, he has found a new toy. His swing. No, this isn't new to him, but underneath the swing is where he plays now! He scoots himself so he gets under it then he starts swinging it back and forth. Who new that would impress him so much?! Also, he loves his bouncer thing (I don't know the actual name for it all of a sudden!). This is a video of him recently... he seems to hit his head, but it doesn't phase him. He loves it!!

A lot of firsts!

2009-05-02T08:42:00.001-07:00

Zack has had a lot of firsts these past couple of weeks. First, our trip to California! Everything there was a first for him, so that was an adventure! He did so well with it all, maybe we should do it again!
Also, he got his first haircut. Keep in mind that I thought it wouldn't be that hard to just trim up the top, but man, he kept wanting to look up to see what I was doing! This could be the hardest haircut I have ever done!! Even now, I see spots that need help... but do you think I am going to attempt this one again soon, no!

Before

After

And then yesterday, for his 10 month day, I took him into the doctor because he has been coughing a lot, throwing up, has had a fever, etc. He has an ear infection. Whoosh... with everything that's going on with the world right now, this was the last thing I wanted to see. So I will take the ear infection (which Zack is handling very well), and keep the antibotics going in.
On a little side note, he weighed exactly 13 pounds on his 10 month birthday. So he's really getting big!

9 month check up

2009-04-15T08:43:00.001-07:00

We went in for Zack's 9 month check up yesterday (Which means he is really 9 1/2 months old!) and once again, I am amazed at how well he continues to do. He weighs exactly 11 pounds more than he did at his birth weight... which was 1 pound 11 ounces. So he's 12 pounds 11 ounces now! And, he is approx. 25 inches long now.
The doctor thinks he is right on track developmentally, and as of now, nothing to worry about. Yipee!
I had to record this video of Zack!! This was after he was weighed and measured and we were just waiting for the doctor to come in and meet with us. It was done on my cell phone so it's probably not the best quality, but you get the idea!

My little moment

2009-04-10T06:56:00.001-07:00

I feel like there should be these big "life changing" things that I should be blogging about, but as I sit here, I am just so thankful for Zack and wanted to let him know!
Everyday when Jared is at work, Zack and I just hang out and play (OK, it's not always play time)!! I love being a mom. It is as hard as everyone always says it is, but also just as rewarding. I am so blessed to be able to be home with him right now!
Zack is getting so big. We go for the 9 month check up next week, so I will post his weight and length, but I can tell you that he has changed from the time he came home for the first time. The NICU nurses will all agree with me too! They saw him this week and couldn't believe how big he was!
Anyway, I just wanted my little moment...
I love you Zack!

We left the house!

2009-03-31T07:37:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Jared and I decided that we needed to start bringing Zack out of the house! We jumped the gun just a little, but our doctor told us we could start bringing him out gradually in April. So just a few days early...
Anyway, we went to the mall and Zack was in his stroller. He was so good!! He just looked around and loved it! I think it was a bigger deal for Jared and I... you would have laughed seeing us! We were so inexperienced with an almost 9 month old (tomorrow!).
Oh, but it felt so great and weird at the same time!! Whoosh, we did it though!

I'm onto something

2009-03-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

OK, I have talked to a lot of people about this subject and I think I am starting to get it! This subject is getting your baby to sleep... not just through the night, but also for nap times. Over the past few days/nights I am starting to see progress!! It has only taken me almost 6 months to get here, but like I said, I think I am onto something!
Ever since Zack came home from the hospital, Jared and I have always held Zack when it's time to put him to sleep. That adds up to A LOT of hours over the past months of sitting. However, the last two days I have put Zack in his bed when it's nap time and he just turns over and falls asleep. And he doesn't even cry!
I don't want to jinx myself, but I feel wonderful! Also, I must say that I understand why I haven't been able to "let him cry it out" all of this time. It's because when he was in the hospital, I felt like I couldn't do anything when he "needed me" and now that he is home, I think I am over compensating for that! I have come to an understanding over the past few days that I am not helping him now, I am enabling him. But, things are changing!! We are going to TEACH him how to sleep (that sounds so funny!)!!
So thanks for everyone's advice... if you have more, I am always open to hear it!

Blue eyes

2009-03-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

One question:
Where does Zack get his blue eyes??

So silly!

2009-03-02T07:16:00.000-08:00

I told Jared Zack looked like a Cabbage Patch doll in this outfit!!

So besides Zack's blessing (you can read a little about that on our family blog!), Zack is starting to do a few new things. He has loved eating his hands for a little while, but now it's gone to a little more thumb sucking instead!! And as you can see in this picture, he stretches his hand across his face every time he does it!!

Also, we are starting to get a more normal laugh from him! We do still get the squeak sound most of the time, but it just is the sweetest sound when it's the "real" thing! And we are in the transition from newborn size clothes to size 0-3 months!! We are about half and half, but he's growing fast just out of the blue!
And then we are working on rolling over. It happens a few times a day (always from his tummy onto his back), but he's not consistently doing it yet. However, in this picture, he was in his swing and all of a sudden I look up and he was doing this. I now buckle him in every time!

I just love this baby!

2009-02-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

Zack has been pretty busy... gaining all sorts of weight this past month. Yesterday we went in for another RSV shot and he weighed 10 pounds 6 ounces!! WOW! What a jump in weight. We are so proud of him!

Also, my favorite new thing, he is starting to laugh!! But not the way most babies do, but kind of a squeaky sound instead! The other night my sister Amanda had him "laughing" so hard (was he laughing AT her??)!! We were all laughing "with" him so hard, it just provoked him that much more!

And finally, he is doing great with his cereal everyday now. We have tried mixing it with some green beans, and he's a fan!! Next week, carrots! We'll see how that one goes...

Sigh of relief

2009-01-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

So the surgery went well on Friday. Zack has been recovering quite nicely. Friday he was obviously out of it completely, then Saturday he was OK as long as he had his Lortab on hand, and then Sunday and Monday were just continuing to move up hill. So yeah for him!
On the other hand, our experience with the whole situation was less than ideal! It all started on Thursday last week when we were supposed to get a call from Primary's letting us know what time to come in the next day. I never got that call, and when I tried calling, their offices were already closed. So we were going to call first thing in the morning (Since Zack couldn't have anything to eat for 6 hours prior, this was going to be interesting!). At 8:30AM, I got a call asking if I was going to keep our appointment for the surgery. I proceeded to tell them that I never received the call and didn't know what time we were supposed to be there. To which they replied saying they showed that we needed to check in the night prior. So they said to just come in by 10:00. OK!
So, we get there and no paperwork can be found, and once they look closer, Zack's surgery was showing that it was to be canceled! Not happening!! So after all the paperwork, we get taken into a room where a nurse comes in asking why we were staying in the hospital, but went home last night?! WHAT?? (Where did they get all this information?) We let her know that we were not staying in the hospital...
After a 2 1/2 hour wait, Zack finally gets taken into surgery. But wait, we're not done yet! The dr. told us that we were going to be staying overnight so they could monitor him because of his size and past history. Fine. So we get settled in our room and not long after we were in there, Zack's IV monitor's were going off. After several different nurses came in and silenced the monitor, one came in and looked closer at the IV and realized it had gone bad and his leg and foot were swollen! (To that they said it would be fine, but would probably just bruise...). Then, around 2:00AM, his other monitor's kept going off, so they just turned them off completely!! To this I have to say, "Why were we there then?!"
So, Saturday morning we had to wait for the dr. to get there and release us. He showed up almost an hour later than they said, and looked at us and said, "Did everything go OK in the night?" We said it had and he said we could leave when we were ready. OK, I am no expert here, but he didn't even look at Zack, didn't give us any instructions, and what was the point for us to stay overnight if they weren't doing anything???
WHOOSH! We're glad that's over!! (Sorry, such a long post. But it was just one thing after another!)

Last one ever!

2009-01-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to get a quick post out there to send a few little prayers our way again! Zack goes in for surgery (hopefully the last EVER in his life!). It's a minor surgery though, so that is comforting. He has hernia's (he's had them since he was probably 2 weeks old. Very common in preemies.), so we have to have them taken care of. We will be at Primary Children's for the procedure and we have to stay overnight so they can monitor his progress with all the sedation/medication/etc.
So this should just be a walk in the park... but really, if we're being honest here, I am a mess! There is something to be said about the bond with your baby, and the fact that when he was in the NICU, I loved him so much but didn't actually have a strong bond to him since I could barely hold him. Now, we have a whole new ballgame here! I hold him everyday, he smiles at me because he knows me, and well, it's just not easy to hand him over to be put out!!!
So anyway, keep him (and me!) in your prayers yet again. Zack will be fine, it's me I'm worried about!! :>

He's getting big!

2009-01-20T10:08:00.000-08:00

So the 6 month check up went great (other than the not so fun part after the shots!). Zack weighed in at 8 pounds 14 ounces!! That seems huge to me! His length has grown too. He is 21 inches long now. That means he is almost 10 inches longer than when he was born!! Can you believe that?!
The dr. also said that everything looks like he is on track growing and developing. So that is great news for us also. We got the go ahead from the doctor to start feeding Zack oatmeal now so he can learn how to eat that way. Let's just say that is an adventure everyday!! Here's a picture from his face the first time trying it out!!

6 months old and counting

2009-01-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

I am a little late on this one, but we're close enough still! Happy 6 months old to Zack, and happy 3 months home too!! As of this month, Zack has been home as long as he was in the NICU. That goes to show me that time is going by me so fast! It also means that I am halfway through RSV season and in about 3 more months, I can leave the house with Zack (don't worry, I know I still will be overly cautious!).
Zack has been really progressing lately. He smiles all the time (And if you're wondering why he's not smiling in any pictures, that's because the second he see's the camera, his attention focuses on that and not me anymore!!), he is "talking" a lot now, he's actually becoming a little more content to lay down without freaking out that I'm not holding him, he is officially out of preemie clothes (in the newborn size, but no where near 0-3 month size yet!), he LOVES to eat his hands, and we're still working on this one every day, but he's starting to reach for a toy if I hand it to him (OK, so it's only happened about 3 times, but that's a start!).
Anyway, we can't be happier for much more. He brings such a wonderful feel in our home and we are so blessed to have him!!

The Giraffe

2008-12-29T07:31:00.000-08:00

Jared and I have started a new tradition for Christmas... We get a new ornament that represented something that happened throughout that year.
OBVIOUSLY we decided to go with something for Zack this year! We could have chosen the traditional "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament, but we figured that a giraffe ornament would symbolize much more.
It reminds us of his first bed (the name of the incubator that he was in was called a Giraffe), his room has giraffe's in the decor, and the thing we compared his size to from week one up to now is a giraffe. So needless to say, this ornament not only represents our little baby's first Christmas with us, but it also represents where he has come... from his little tiny body, from the NICU, up to now!

Just some pics!

2008-12-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

I have taken so many pictures the past 5 1/2 months, but have had the most fun with them since Zack came home... so I thought I would post a few recent favorites. Sorry, this is more for my enjoyment than anything!

Great Grandparents

2008-12-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

We went and visited with my grandpa and grandma this past weekend. Since we don't get to see them much because of the season, it was really fun for them to get to see Zack. It was even more special because Zack was named after my grandpa, William (Zackary William) and he was well enough to hold him for a few minutes for these pictures...

The number 7

2008-12-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

The number seven is a significant number in our home. Jared's birthday is on the 7th of April, while mine is exactly 6 months apart on the 7th of October. Our wedding day is the 7th day of the 7th month (which is exactly 3 months between our birthdays!). Then Zack was born in the 7th month (unexpectedly!). Right now, we can add one more thing to that list. Zack's weight has hit the 7 pound mark!!! While visiting the NICU this past week, the nurses weighed him and sure enough, his Thanksgiving dinner pushed him over the line to 7 pounds 1 ounce!!

No more...

2008-11-21T21:01:00.000-08:00

Well, we went to the eye doctor again this week, and for the first time the doctor said we are done!!!!!!! Zack's eye's have matured and he no longer has ROP. This was such great news for us. It made it seem like one step closer to having a "normal" baby! And, on top of Zack not having to go through that yucky exam every other week, that is just one less doctor's appointment we need to do now. WHEW!

The swing

2008-11-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

So Zack is one of those babies who loves the swing! We got this amazing deal (thanks to my sister!) on a swing that goes side to side, and front to back, it plays music/sounds, and has a little mirror for him to look up to... and everyday he seems to love it more! Yesterday for example, he was in it and started to get a little fussy, so I took him out and he started screaming bloody murder!! That happened two different times too! You would think I would learn my lesson.
Anyway, as you can see in this picture, he seems to think he is on a roller coaster or something because he puts his arms up! So funny!!

4 month update

2008-11-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

Today we went in for Zack's 4 month check-up, and that means shots! I think I am having a harder time dealing with them than he is. But if any of you have had kids, you know what this feeling is like when they stick that needle in their little body. Ouch is right!
Other than that, this check-up went well. I am happy to say that he is now weighing in at 6 pounds 1 ounce!! Now obviously for a 4 month old, that isn't very good, but considering we have come from 1 pound 4 ounces, I will take it!
Also, yesterday we went to the eye doctor (yes, we still aren't done with that one!) and things are looking really great now. Half of his eyes are "matured" now, but there is the other half that is slowly catching up. So we are "progressing out of stage 3" but still considered 'stage 3' at this point. I am hoping another 2 weeks will do the trick... but again, I have said that before!
Just for fun, I thought I would also add this in... since we came home on October 3rd, we have been to 10 doctor appointments!! Normal people don't go to the doctor that many times in ONE YEAR, let alone ONE MONTH! Good times...

1st Halloween

2008-11-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

For Halloween this year, Zack was a football! He made a very good one too! Then Jared was a football player and I was the cheerleader. It was really nice to have him home for Halloween... I like dressing him up everyday anyway, but having a real holiday to dress him up... I'll take it!
Special thanks to my sister Bitty and my mom for their help in making the costume!!! We appreciate it so much.

NICU Visit

2008-10-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well it's been 3 weeks since Zack has been home, so we thought, why not go visit the NICU?! We just loved those nurses so much, so it was time to see a few of them again! It was really weird to be back, yet it felt so normal to be there at the same time. Even as we were there talking, the nurses, RT's, and the doctor were still concerned for Zack's health and wanted to make sure we had everything we needed. So once again, we are so thankful to them for everything! It was nice to be back... and even nicer to just be visiting!!!

I'm a shepard

2008-10-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

If any of you have met Zack, you know what his cry sounds like. For those of you who have not heard it yet, this is for you! I have a little lambie!! It is the cutest cry ever, and I am afraid that he is starting to grow out of it a little. So, here is a video from when he was in the NICU of what it sounded like. Enjoy!!

Hair color

2008-10-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

So Zack's hair is changing color... or so it seems. It now looks more red every day. He went from blond to brown, back to blond, and now it's more of a strawberry-blond! Let me just say that neither Jared or myself have red hair, nor does anyone on either side of the family... so where does he get it?!
Also, you tell me, does his hair look like it will have some curls to it?? This time, Jared and I both have natural curly hair, so will Zack??

Doctor Appointment's

2008-10-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Zack had his first visit to the pediatrician's office. Without going into too many details, we didn't really care for the pediatrician, so as I got home, Jared had made some calls and we had another appointment with a different doctor... but for the same day, and it was in the SLC area. No big deal, right?! Well if any of you have had a newborn, they like to sleep. Let's just say, Zack wasn't able to get very much sleep yesterday, and as a result, we got to deal with a VERY unhappy baby! However, the 2nd doctor we went to, we liked much better and things are looking good with Zack.

Today was the dreaded eye doctor visit. It looks like he is still in Stage 3, but it also looks like it's improved a little from last week's check. So we may be heading in the right direction now. We have another visit next week, so we'll see how it's looking then. (Does this topic seem to just repeat itself every week or so now?!)

2008-10-07T10:25:00.001-07:00

Well, since bringing Zack home on Friday, we have not slept!! Everyone told us to take advantage of sleeping through the night before he came home, and I thought we did, but nothing can prepare you for it until you just see for yourself! The biggest problem is Zack has his days and nights mixed up. The nurses warned us about that, but unfortunately, they didn't fix it before he came home. :>
I also have had so much fun taking pictures... not like I wasn't doing that everyday already, but somehow, having all the tubes off his face and body, makes a difference. And I love playing 'dress up' with him!! Jared makes fun of me, but I like to set his clothes out the night before (like he has somewhere to go or something!). It is just so much fun to have him home. We still miss being with everyone at the NICU... especially the fact that we didn't have to worry about getting up in the middle of the night then!

We're home!!!!!

2008-10-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

ZACK - DAY ONE:

ZACK - DAY NINETY-FIVE:

Today is October 3rd, 2008. The time is 4:30 PM and I am sitting here with Zack in my arms at home!!!
Zack has had his ups and downs in the NICU, and the nurses would all say that one day things would just "click", and sure enough it did. He has done so amazing the past 3 months and 3 days, that I couldn't be happier!
This week was a little rough, though. Zack had his eye test on Wednesday and his eyes got a little worse. He is now in stage 3 so we are far from out of the woods yet, but all things considered, we still got to take him home. He will have to have a follow up appointment next Thursday, so we will wait one more week!
Now the new adjustment of being home, during RSV season. We were told to basically stay home, limit taking Zack out, limit how many people are around him at one time, and disinfect/wash hands constantly... to name a few! I am sure we won't mind. Heck, we have lost time to make up for!!
Now if you don't mind, I am going to go cuddle up to my little boy!!!

Bittersweet Tears

2008-10-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

I never thought that I would be crying the happy/sad tears when we got to this point! We are taking our car seat into the NICU today... and if you know anything about the NICU, once you bring your car seat in, your time is just about up (providing Zack passes his eye test today...)!
I am crying happy tears because 3 months ago, Zack was born, and I finally will get to take him home. I am crying happy tears because we get to resume a "normal" life again... OK, that won't happen until RSV season is over :> I am crying happy tears because of all of the wonderful support we have had the past 3 months has been overwhelming. I am crying happy tears because I will be able to hold my baby without asking permission!
But there are sad tears today because we know our time is short in the NICU now, and we have a whole new family in there. Our nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, and all the other staff at St. Mark's have really become our family through this whole ordeal. They have literally saved Zack's life, and for that alone, we are forever thankful. We can't even express how much we are going to miss them!
I am crying sad tears because I have seen a new little family come into the NICU with premature twins, and one of them has passed away. I am sad that we won't be there to help them through their long journey in the NICU. I am crying sad tears because we won't be seeing our dear friends, the Hansen's, everyday now.
I do not handle change very well, so with all that is going on for us this week, I am kind of a mess! I just need to thank everyone for their love and support! I truly believe that Zack has done so well because of all of the prayers that have been said for him, and for us. One day when we tell him stories about this experience, and he will look at the hundreds of pictures we have of him, and he won't be able to even understand the love and kindness that we have felt. So thank you everyone who has been apart of his life so far, we will never forget this!

MRI

2008-09-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

Zack had an MRI done yesterday to see if there were any developmental issues, and I am happy to say that everything looks just fine!!! What a relief! And to help, they didn't have to sedate him or give him anything... he just cooperated!
Also, I don't want to jinx myself here, but Zack has been breathing room air for almost 2 days now! This is the longest he has gone now, so I am trying not to let him know he's doing it, or he may go back to 'wanting' the extra oxygen flow!!

AND, he also had his hearing test done, and he passed with flying colors. So just one more thing to be thankful for today.
And I am just throwing these pictures in for fun... on Sunday we had another bath day, and the nurses were fantastic!! They made a little jacuzzi for Zack and even took all the tubes off of his face. I think he really enjoyed it :>

The rivalry continues...

2008-09-21T07:34:00.001-07:00

A little while ago I posted about the Blue vs. Red in the NICU. I also mentioned we had something else up our sleeve! Well, we made this cute little sign that had the nurse's picture on it and it said, "NICU nurse by day, Cougar fan by night". We got to the NICU and then innocently, hung them all around so everyone could enjoy them! No harm there, right?!

The next day, we get to the hospital, and there is our sweet little Zack, all dressed in red, with little "U's" taped on him! Apparently, there was also a little photo shoot that day with him all "dressed up" too! Notice he didn't have the oxygen or feeding tubes connected. Although he was in red, the pictures turned out SO cute!!!
I really don't know what was more funny... seeing Zack laying there not knowing what was going on, or Jared's reaction to it all!! Since that day, we don't hear the end of it with the Cougars vs. the Utes. However, yesterday's score for the Cougars, was another victory of 44-0...

2008-09-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

Well I suppose I should let everyone know what has been happening this past week. First, let's get the eye exam stuff out of the way! He has had 3 weeks of staying in Stage 2 and Zone 2 now, which means he hasn't gotten worse, but he hasn't gotten better either. So the eye doctor is going to wait this week to do an exam, and then he will check again next week to see what, if any, progress was made. So we aren't out of the woods yet!
Then, the bottle feeding! This has been the biggest roller coaster we have been on since we were admitted on July 1st! At the beginning, Zack didn't like the bottle too much, then he started to pick it up and do about every other one, then he went back to doing them, and now we are slowing going back down the hill again of not doing them! We have tried feeding him when he is awake, when he is sleeping, with different nipples on the bottle, with lowering the calories and timing on the feedings, and even with a variety of people trying to feed him, and just when we think he is going to catch on, he doesn't!! Maybe someday...

2 1/2 months later...

2008-09-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 months have gone by and we are making progress. Zack is now weighing in at an even 4 pounds!! Last night we were there when he was getting weighed, and we had an audience to see if he would hit the 4 pound mark. It was the funniest thing to see the excitement in the room when the nurse said he made it to 4 pounds! Ya' gotta love the little things. Zack also had his length measured last night, and he has grown to 16 inches long now... which is 4 inches longer than when he was born! Another one of those little things!

Jared and I have been talking a lot about our stay in the NICU the past couple of days, and since we are pro's now :>, we have to say that things could be a lot worse for us. We decided last night while driving home that there are really 2 main things that have made this experience go so fast, as well as an actual pleasant experience (all things considered!).
The first is the friends that we have made in the NICU. Having the friendship, support, someone to share things with that know EXACTLY what it feels like to have a baby in the NICU, having the shoulder to cry on, laughing when things can be so down, and just the connection you immediately get when you are placed in these kinds of situations... is exactly what we have at St. Mark's. So thanks for everything Steph, Ryan, & Avery! We love you guys!

The second is the nurses/respiratory therapists/staff at St. Mark's. We have really grown to love these people. From playing jokes on the nurses, to the sound of "moo" coming from the other room... from being able to just hold our baby without being wrapped up in a hundred blankets, to just giving us a hard time for liking BYU and not Utah!! They have made this experience so much easier than we ever imagined. So thanks to all of them for taking care of our baby! We KNOW we couldn't do this without you!!!

September 11

2008-09-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is a weird day for me this year... I have always been a very patriotic person and absolutely love the 4th of July! Heck, one of my favorite songs is "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood, and I even won concert tickets once singing that song on the radio! Anyway, September 11th is no exception to the patriotism. I have no ties to anyone who was killed, but the stories and experiences that I hear every year are heart breaking and it is hard not to be touched.
Well, it was also a year ago today that I went for my first doctor appointment when I was pregnant. I had thought I was almost 11 weeks along, but when the doctor did the ultrasound, the baby only measured at 7 weeks, 3 days. There was also no heartbeat. I didn't understand what the doctor had meant when she said the word "miscarriage". I kept thinking that since my body hadn't recognized that the baby didn't make it, maybe she was wrong! Not so lucky... Up to that point in my life, I never felt the true pain of losing something or someone.
My due date for that baby was right around the first part of April 2008. 3 months later, July 1st, I had a baby in this world and couldn't believe the difference in time! Although not the ideal circumstances for Zack to be coming so early, I have to smile and say "I am so blessed!"
So today as we remember those who were so brave 7 years ago, I am also thinking of my little one who didn't make it in this world, but how lucky I am to have my baby Zack to hold.

We moved again

2008-09-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

Zack has now been moved into an open crib!!! YEAH! That is one of the requirements for him to be able to come home, that and being able to hold his own temperature while in there, so check this one off the list! The reason why he got moved into the crib is because he was being so fussy for a few days, so one of the nurses tried bundling him up, and he loved it. So they did a trial run in the crib, and so far so good! Also since Zack is in the crib now, we get to hold him at every feeding, which is every 3 hours. That is the best ever. But you better believe that when he gets home, I will be holding him much more than that!

Also, they added more calories to his milk, as well as added more cc's for him to eat, so he is bulking up! He now weighs 3 pounds 10 ounces!!! I can't believe he is gaining to fast. You can definitely see the difference in the pictures now.

Zack's Room

2008-09-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to work on Zack's room for a while now... but now that we are getting close, we decided we better get movin! OK, not like he's coming home this week or anything, but we are hoping about another month or so.
Anyway, here are some pics of what his room is looking like. I made his name block, and for some reason, I struggled with it! All of the crafty, scrapbook things are all cute for a girl... so I did the best I could!!
We still need to fill up some of the shelf space, so if you have any fun ideas for me, I would love to hear them!

Eye update

2008-09-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

Well, the eye exam didn't go quite as well as we had hoped. Zack's eyes got a little worse. He is now in the "Stage 2" category. I don't have many details this time because the eye doctor had already come and gone by the time we had gotten to the hospital, so I didn't get to hear what he thought.
So I turned to the internet to look up ROP (that is the term for what he has) and get more info on this. It helped a little, but I still just want to talk to the doctor and see how Zack's personal condition is... Anyway, if anyone is interested in looking more into it, the website I found is:

http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/rop/index.asp

Anyway, Zack will be getting another exam on Wednesday, so we will see how that one goes.

A little more progress

2008-09-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

We have made some progress over the last few days. The biggest achievement is that Zack has hit the 3 pound mark! And it is showing. Many people that have seen some recent pictures have commented on his double chin!! I never thought I would be so happy to see that appear.

Then, we got to give him a bath tonight!! We had a rough start getting him in the bath because the nurse brought over the little tub of warm water, and as soon as we put him in it, he went to the bathroom. So, we took him out, replaced the water, put him back in, and he went again! He's a little stinker (literally!!). On the third round of clean water, he relaxed and really enjoyed the bath. It was so fun to give him the little bubble bath!

Also, we have been working on getting Zack to eat from a bottle once a day. It has been a slow process because he likes to choke and gag himself on it, but on Sunday, the nurse tried to feed him and he drank the whole bottle!! Since then, however, he only does half (or even less than half). But, we are getting there.

And finally, last Wednesday Zack had another eye exam. Unfortunately it didn't go as well as his first two exams went. Without going into too much detail (mainly because I can't remember the exact terms right now!) there are different "zones" and "stages" that the doctor looks for when he is checking his eyes. There are three "zones" in the eye and we are in zone two right now (which is good and normal)... we need to get to zone three. Then, you have three "stages" of the eye and we are in stage one. We don't want to progress in these stages because that would mean that Zack would need to get a laser surgery which would affect his eye sight. SO, we are scheduled for another exam tomorrow to see what progress Zack has made in the past week.
*So if you could send little prayers our way for his eyes, we would be so grateful!*

Blue vs. Red

2008-08-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

Well it must be that time of year again when all you see in the state of Utah is either blue or red, and not much in between. If any of you know Jared and myself, you will know we wear BYU Blue, but the nurses in the NICU wear Utah Red. And there is one nurse, who will remain nameless, that seems to have "outdone" herself!! Not long ago, she put together a nice little scrapbook page for Zack, but it was done in red. When we got to the NICU and saw that sitting on Zack's bed, Jared was mid sentence and said "Whoa! What is this?" Needless to say, ALL the nurses started laughing. So that night on our way home, we started plotting our own revenge. So while this nurse was out of town, we colored diapers blue and made Zack a special name tag for his bed. He seemed to love them! As if that wasn't good enough, the day the nurse was back in town, we get to the hospital to see Zack, and there is a red Utah football sitting next to Zack along with some Utah socks on his feet!! Not good, right? Don't worry, we have yet another idea up our sleeve...
To Be Continued...

Don't be deceived by this picture... this nurse REALLY is a BYU fan!

8 weeks and counting!

2008-08-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

WOW! We have made it 8 weeks now. I must say that when I look back to that time, it has gone by pretty fast in some aspects, and yet in others, it has been the longest 8 weeks of my life! To be honest, I think most of it is just a blur because it still hasn't completely set in that we actually have a baby!! However, we should be on the downside of this adventure in the NICU. If we do the calculations, we only have 6 weeks until our original due date, which was October 6th. When Zack was first born, the doctor told us to plan for him to stay in the hospital until at least his due date. So until we get told to bring in our car seat for the "car seat test" (That is where he will have to be in his car seat for 2 hours without dropping his oxygen and heart rate percentage for more than 3 minutes at a time in order to be released from the hospital...), we will be planning for the first week in October.

Now, to show you some of the funny and cute things that Zack is doing lately... He has got to be one of the most active babies I have ever seen when he sleeps! Here are some pictures of his favorite sleeping positions. He LOVES to sleep on his arm and to sleep face planted into his bed! *Also, you can see his scar from his heart surgery on his back in these pictures.*

And finally, today we got to start trying to get him to bottle feed. That is a huge step in his progress to come home. It was an eye-opener for me to see all that is involved in this process. What comes so simply for us, is very challenging for him. It consists of a combination of breathing, sucking, and swallowing all at the same time. He didn't do too well with it unfortunately for his first time, mainly because he was asleep and we couldn't get him to wake up!! We will continue to try once a day until he gets that down, and gradually that will increase until he is feeding from a bottle 100% of the time.

Big Day

2008-08-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a big day for Zack! But I must warn all of you before you read this, unless you have a baby in the NICU, you will be reading this and wondering what the big deal is. But trust me, these things are huge to us right now!!!

When I got to the NICU for the 3:00 feeding (everything is around the clock now), I went to change his diaper as usual, and he had on a preemie diaper. *Side note: The first diaper he was in was about the size of a band-aid (literally!). The second size he was in was about the size of a doll sized diaper, and finally the preemie diaper.* The nurse told me he has "graduated" to the preemie sized diaper because he keeps "blowing out" of the other ones! Which by the way, the preemie diapers are HUGE on him still!

Next, when we were holding him for our usual Wednesday time, the nurse was trying to put the lid down on his Giraffe (that's the name of the coolest incubator there is!) but it would only get about halfway down and get stuck. So they were going to switch the Giraffe's out and decided he was big enough to "graduate" to the next bed. *Another side note: There are three beds. First, the Giraffe, then the regular incubator (not sure if there is a specific name for this one), and the crib.* So this was another big deal for us!

And finally, Zack has decided to keep adding on the weight. He is now at 2 pounds 11 ounces, and probably as I am writing this, he has added another ounce to that! We have joked with our neighbors in the NICU (Avery's parents or also referred to as Zack's girlfriend's parents!) that the "normal" sized babies look fat compared to our babies, but Zack is well on his way to catching up!

Holding Zack

2008-08-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

On Sunday's and Wednesday's we get to hold Zack for a few minutes. Needless to say, those are my favorite days of the week right now. Yesterday when I held him, I sat there and thought of how blessed I am to have him. I was able to hold him against my body (as you can see in the pictures) and I could feel him breathe and feel him moving, and it was the best feeling I have had in a long time! Jared was out of town, so I got to hold him even longer than usual, so that made this experience even better (not because Jared was out of town!!). I just can't wait until we get to hold him more often...

6 weeks old

2008-08-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

It seems like a lot has happened in the last few days, but not much has! Zack is in the NICU at St. Mark's Hospital, and they have 3 levels of care. He has been in the 3rd level, or the most critical, level since he was born, but on Friday, he was moved into the 2nd room/level. Since then, it seems like he has doubled in size!! OK, that wouldn't be hard to do since his size was down to 1 pound 4 ounces at one point... but he has made it to 2 pounds 4 ounces now!!! So yeah for gaining a pound now!
Also, he has a little friend in the NICU that the nurses say is going to be his girlfriend someday! Their family has a very similar story to ours, so it's been very nice to carry each other through these hard times. We wish them luck with their little girl!!
6 weeks down now...

Just some pictures!

2008-08-07T16:25:00.001-07:00

Everyone keeps asking me to see more pictures, so here are a few of the latest. Notice that this is the first time that he has had any clothes on, and of course, it's the preemie size. Length wise, it's a close fit. But width/size wise, he has a little more growing to do. The last picture is one of my favorites... he is just starting to get little smiles in!

2008-08-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, in the past couple of days, it sure seems like a lot has happened with Zack. On Friday, he was one month old already! I can't believe that. It was a good day to look back and see that the time is going fast, but it was sad to be in the hospital with him for his one month mark!
On Sunday we got to hold him again! He did really good with that. The doctor has said that we can hold him twice a week now because he is doing so well, so every Sunday and Wednesday we get to hold him! Those are the best days of the week now!
Also on Sunday, he got his first bath. He wasn't too sure about it at first, then he loved it! The picture here is after his bath... he had such fluffy hair!! I love it!
Zack now weighs almost two pounds! He is at 1 pound 15 ounces. So in another day or two, he should hit that mark!!

Eye Exam

2008-07-31T10:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Zack had his first eye exam. The doctor said everything is looking really good for now, but that he still has a little way to go before knowing if everything will be fine. But so far so good!
Zack is back to weighing 1 pound 11 ounces (he dropped down to 1 pound 4 ounces at one point), so he is working on gaining weight. He is getting full feedings right now as well as getting a few extra calories added into the milk, so we are crossing our fingers he will start really adding some weight on!!

Just for Zack

2008-07-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

I have created this blog for everyone who wants to see updates of Zack and his progress, as well as for me! This is going to be a way for me to keep track of the things that happen from day to day with him so I don't forget!!