Archer has been a pretty busy boy lately, and we are overdue
for an update, so we’ll start with the basics. He is now 10 ½ months old, or
about 6 ½ months adjusted, and is over 14 lbs.! Archer’s therapists and early
intervention specialist continue to be impressed with his progress so far, and
he has been rolling from back to front and from front to back with much more
ease and frequency lately. He is able to sit up unassisted for a bit longer
now, although he much prefers to stand and grab for anything within reach
(faces, hair, paper, blankets, etc…). Archer enjoys tummy-time, and once he
develops some stronger arm and trunk muscles, he will be on his way to
crawling. He is able to push off with his feet a little now while on his tummy and
loves to bat and chase balls. His other favorites: the Jumperoo, being lifted
in the air, scooting off the changing pad, babbling, and smacking his tray or
table with his hands, spoon, or cup. He has recently begun to take notice of
our cat too. Archer has started to sleep through the night more often in the
past few weeks, although he is still inconsistent, and daytime naps rarely last
more than 45 minutes at a time. He usually eats solids for lunch and dinner,
and his repertoire now consists of: carrots, peas, avocados, bananas,
applesauce, and sweet potatoes. He also likes toast occasionally and enjoyed
some puffs for the first time today. Many seem to comment on his happy nature,
and, yes, he is generally a smiley guy who loves to laugh. He loves to be
around people, although he does seem to be entering the “stranger danger”
phase, much to the chagrin of a few family members and his EI specialist. Other
than that, he is usually only fussy when he is tired or hungry, which is a very
welcome change from the first couple of months of colic and uncontrolled
reflux! He is very distractible and doesn’t like to stop to eat or sleep if
there is someone or something else interesting to see.
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| Having fun before bedtime |
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| Tummy-time |
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| Smiley boy |
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| Archer trying to be friendly to the cat |
Highlights from
the past month:
- We took Archer to an appointment with a plastic surgeon upon
the recommendation of his neurologist. The surgeon pretty much told us what we
expected to hear: Archer’s metopic ridge is pretty mild and should not require
any intervention. The nurse took some measurements, and we will return in a
couple of months to see if there are any changes, but we do not anticipate any
further appointments.
- Now, back to the title. You know when you’ve spent too much
time in the NICU when you go back to visit 6 months later and the valet not
only recognizes you but is as excited to see you and your baby as the NICU
nurses and doctors! While the hospital offered this convenient service, we
never actually utilized it during the 5-day stay prior to Archer’s birth or his
131-day NICU stay, although we did receive a nice greeting and smile each time
we entered or exited the hospital doors. This particular valet also kindly
helped us stuff our car full on Archer’s graduation and homecoming day. It’s
amazing the amount of stuff the nurses send you home with, in addition to our
awesome collection of Kate’s Kart books! *Kate’s
Kart has a fundraiser this weekend; if you are interested in supporting them,
check out the link!
- Archer attended his first BGSU tailgate!
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| Sleepy, cuddle time |
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| In BGSU gear at the tailgate |
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| At the NICU Reunion |
- The week after that hospital visit was Archer’s first chance to attend the annual NICU Reunion. We were able to catch up with even more nurses and staff that we had not seen in awhile, as well as some of the NICU parents and babies that were down the hall from Archer. The party had a Halloween theme, and it was fun to see all of the little ones and the NICU staff all dressed up and out of scrubs!
- Archer also enjoyed his first trip to Cincinnati this past weekend! He got to visit his birthday buddy, Max, and experienced his first trip to the zoo and Ikea. Archer also slyly managed to stay up way past his bedtime to hang out with the adults!
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| Max & Archer |
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| Archer & Max |
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| Archer helping Daddy put together his Ikea bookshelf for all of his Kate's Kart books |
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| The Cincinnati Zoo |
