One Week Older and Wiser Too!

Happy (12 week) Birthday, to you!

If you are familiar, we've been singing Millie a few Primary Children's Songs here and there, so they are always in my head. We had a request from Grammy (Buck's grandma) to sing "I Am Like a Star," which we did. We've also woken her up a few time by my Dad's favorite, "In the Leafy Treetops." We've got a great baby on our hands, and despite our bad singing she still opens up her eyes bright and wide, ready to visit with us.

Unfortunately her new room (yes, NEW ROOM...more on that later) doesn't provide great camera light, so catching her "bright eyed" on camera is a little more difficult.

That sweet heart blanket she is laying on was a gift from my Great Grandmother. She died 4 years ago, but thanks to my quick thinking Tutu, Grandma made a few extra baby blankets for some of her Great Great Grandchildren.

Things are still slightly boring (which we like) so sometimes I have to come up with entertainment for us all.

Remember how HUGE this tiny diaper was on Millie?

It's the same diaper, I promise! I like to refer to it as Millie's first string bikini. Or her Sumo Wrestler costume.

I always thought we were moving up diaper sizes before we needed to, so I wanted to see if she filled out this first one yet hehe!

She thinks I'm crazy.

She LOVES her Daddy/Daughter time.

For Valentines Day, she was spoiled by friends and family. Thank you all for the cards! She loved looking at them, and we loved decorating her crib with our own special things.

My sweet cousins, Lucy and Suzy, decorated a card special for Millie and sent a picture of themselves. I decided to hang it in Millie's crib so she could look at how pretty they are and dream of the beach. By the way, we get asked all the time if those are Millie's sisters.

We invited Millie to the rest of our Valentine's Day celebrations, but she took a rain check for next year's. She just had too much going on in the hospital to skip out just yet.

Buck's Aunt Linda sent us a sweet Valentine's package. She sent a darling outfit for Millie (which she wore on V-day and we forgot to take a picture of!) and PINK pancakes!

Yummy! I loved making them and imagining the day Millie and I get up early and make a colorful breakfast for Buck.

The only downside is I forgot to buy more syrup. Yep, we ate them without syrup. They were good, but I won't make that mistake again!


We've been overwhelmed with gifts from friends and loved ones for sweet Millie. Below is a DARLING dress from a friend in Charlotte. I can't wait to keep this dress around to show Millie how tiny she was.

What's New:

1. Millie has her very own room! That's right folks, my fit throwing payed off. She actually moved to a new nursery because she is so healthy and doesn't need the "extra care" offered in her previous nursery. Both nurseries are still in the NICU. Her room is great, and I keep getting picked on for decorating it. I brought in a lamp and hung her "born free, now I'm expensive" sign. I would hardly call it decorating, but oh well.
2. She can hear! She had her hearing tested and she passed with flying colors...I think. I guess we now know she really can hear us singing to her.
3. She can see! We already knew that, but she can see BETTER. You read that right, her eyes are improving! Huge blessing considering she hasn't had any retina growth in weeks. I think it's because she's in a dark, quiet, private room, but we all have our own theories. She is still being check every few days, but surgery is looking less and less like an outcome.
4. She can eat! I am now nursing her two times a day, every day. She is a star. We weigh her before and after to determine just how much she ate, and then give her the rest of her needed amount through her feeding tube while she sleeps. This morning didn't go so well, but every other time she has done better than anyone expected. Apparently they've only had one other 23 weeker be able to nurse. Overachiever, just like her mother. Haha! More like father.
5. She's immunized! Since she's over two months old, they are going to go ahead and give her the necessary immunizations right there in the hospital. The best part...we don't have to be there! I don't have to see my baby get poked, or hold her down like other parents do. So nice.

We are still aiming for a homecoming date of March 17th. It's quite possible her underdeveloped eyes could keep us in there longer. She could also still have trouble eating. We aren't home free just yet, but things are looking good. She is healthy and happy, and we can't wait to bring this chunky little girl home.

P.S. Her nasal cannula is still on 1/4 liter. They tried her on a trace, but had to put her back up to 1/4. It's looking more and more like we're bringing her home on oxygen. That's fine by us.