March For Babies 2013- Leaping Liam

This past weekend was the 2013 March of Babies event for the New Orleans area.  Last year we had a great time at the walk and we were very excited to do it again.  I'm so happy that Team Leaping Liam raised $2,875 for the March for Babies this year!  I couldn't do it without my incredible family and fantastic friends so THANK YOU!  We raised over $1,000 more than last year which I didn't think was possible.  I'm overwhelmed with the generosity of those who donated.

The morning of the walk was actually chilly.  The weather in New Orleans is so unpredictable so we layered up and I actually had a cute purple beanie that Liam sported to keep his little head warm.  Our adorable "Leaping Liam" shirts were worn to show everyone who we were walking for.

I was so happy to see many of my preemie friends at the walk.  I've met some fabulous women through our preemie bond and I just love catching up with them and seeing their adorable babies.  A lot of EJ nurses were there as well and I adore seeing the ladies who assisted in turning a 15oz micropreemie into a now 18 month toddler.  Seeing the nurses will never get old as they hold a special place in my heart.

Till next year!

 

 

 

New Orleans Moms Blog

 

I was so excited to share Liam's story with the New Orleans Moms Blog. The post actually went up today, what an awesome way to celebrate a Friday!

Head on over and check out my post about Liam's journey and about the March of Dimes.  I'm so excited to be able to share our story with more people in hopes to provide a resource for other preemie families.  Let me know what you think!

http://www.neworleansmomsblog.com/2013/03/22/big-things-come-in-little-packages-from-a-15-ounce-baby-to-a-thriving-toddler/

Goodbye RSV and flu season!

It's the first day of Spring and you know what that means, yahoo!

Cabbages and Lucky Charms

This past weekend was St. Patrick's Day and in typical NOLA fashion we had multiple parades.  It's hard to say living in New Orleans but I'm not that into parades like I used to be.  However, my husband Clint and Noah just love it.  We celebrated and wore green all weekend and had a blast (for the most part) while doing it.

On Saturday we went to the Irish Channel Parade and our krewe camped out on Magazine Street.  We tried out the new restaurant La Fin Du Monde, which is in the location where Cafe Rani was for years.  We have mixed reviews between our party of 15.  I personally loved my shrimp and grits but our crew overall wasn't impressed and I don't think we will be returning. Boo.

The parade took FOREVER to get there and thankfully we were able to enjoy some CC's Coffee and Sucre' ice cream while we waited.  The kids went a bit stir crazy waiting but once the parade got to us they had a blast.  Noah and his cousins had a lot of fun trying to catch cabbages.  The most treasured catch?  A mini box of Lucky Charms, Noah was so excited about it.

On Sunday we headed to the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Metairie Road.  This is one of my favorite parades and Clint and I actually rode in this parade before we had kiddos and had a blast!  Our friend invited us to a party with her family and we had a really fun time.  They had some yummy "Leprechaun Lemonade" that Noah enjoyed and she has a daughter the same age as Liam so they were able to hang out in their strollers together and enjoy some cheerios while we caught the parade.

There is another parade this coming weekend but this mom has had enough of parades for 2013!

Liam and Clint were decked out in green, how cute is Liam here?

At only 17 months, Liam knows how to throw his hands up at the parade!

"Throw me something, MISTER!"-Noah

Can't pinch this little guy, he is decked out in his green!

Beach bound for Mardi Gras break

I know those that do not live in the New Orleans area are thinking, why would one ever leave New Orleans during Mardi Gras? Well not to burst your bubble but after 30 years it gets very redundant.  Do I love moon pies, fun costumes and pretty floats?  Of course!  However, taking a 4 year old and a 1 year old out to a parade isn't as fun as it was in my teens. 

Along with the majority of the metro New Orleans area we decided last minute to leave town and go on a vacation for Mardi Gras.  No, we didn't go to Disney World like 90% of those traveling did but instead went to Gulf Shores.  Our crew of 15 was excited to spend a few days on the beach and my boys were so excited to spend time with their cousins.

On our way we had breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Mississippi and as I went to check out from the Old Country Store there I went to find my wallet and it wasn't in my diaper bag.  I immediately freaked out and went to the car to search for it when it hit me that I didn't put my wallet back in my diaper bag when I went to Noah's mardi gras parade at school the day before! Ugh!  My personality is a strict rule follower so I start to panic realizing I can't even drive without my license.  Ahh!

Thankfully this wasn't any indication of how the rest of our vacation would be.  The whole experience was nearly perfect!  The house exceeded our expectations and it was beautiful.  We had so much room and it was on the beach and we had our own private pool.  The weather was still chilly so we couldn't take full advantage of the pool but it was heated so the kids swam a few times.  The kiddos even saw dolphins swimming, how neat is that? 

Parents of Preemies Day 2013

 

 Today is the 2nd annual Parents of Preemies Day. 

Knowing that I would be delivering Liam much earlier than 40 weeks made me go into a complete panic mode.  I've only heard people talk about preemies and had never met a preemie or a parent of a preemie.  Then when I found out I would be having a micropreemie I went into a freak out mode.  What's a micropreemie?  What's the difference? 

Becoming a preemie and micropreemie parent has been the toughest job I've ever had.  When Liam was born I was already a mom for 3 years and had a full time job.  I thought being a full time working mom was hard but I had no idea what life had in store for me. 

Most people think that once you are home from the NICU that your life is normal as a newborn baby but it's definitely not that easy.  The difference between my 2 sons are like night in day in the way that their first year has played out and that's besides the obvious early arrival and NICU stay.  With Noah we didn't have early intervention, feeding team clinics, ophthalmologist appointments, dietitian appointments, etc. the list could go on and on!

I get asked frequently when will Liam be caught up and we won't have a busy schedule full of doctors appointments and therapy sessions and quite honestly, I have no idea when that will be.  All that I do know is that he is doing better than anyone could have ever imagined!  Is he delayed in some areas? Sure.  Is he caught up in size yet? Not even close.  However, he is walking and advancing every single day.  He has showed my family that miracles come in teeny tiny packages and we are so happy we are able to see him flourish daily.

I'm a proud preemie parent and I'm so happy to be able to celebrate today with my special micropreemie Liam!

 

On the left is Liam the night he was born weighing 15oz in October 2011.  The picture on the right is of Liam this past January.

 

Liam and I are famous!  This is us at the Graham's Foundation event for Parents of Preemies Day.

Noah and the sparkler

My best friend Angela  sent Noah a present for his birthday which included this sparkler candle.  I brought it to the Children's Museum with every intention to put it on the cake but I totally forgot to add it at the last second so we decided to do it at home.  Angela was so excited for this candle and we couldn't wait to try it out.  She insisted I take a video of it...and good thing I did.



Let me just say, Clint and I haven't laughed this hard in a long long time!  I can't stop watching it and seeing Noah's face as he falls out the chair.  Hilarious! I hope it gives you a good chuckle.