Celebrating the Second...

It is hard to believe that we just celebrated Archer's second birthday last week! We had a joint birthday party with Archer's 2nd cousin, Max, and had a great time hanging out with family we don't see often enough. Archer had a second celebration and helping of cake the next day with some more family and close friends. He loved playing, eating, and learning new things (how to show how old he is by holding up a finger on each hand and the "Hulk smash" motion)!

Birthday Highlights: loving the balloons and partying with friends, devouring cake and ice cream, putting together his new table, playing with friends and new toys

It's been awhile since the last post, but life has been a little crazy. So here's an update on 2-year-old Archer! He is a very sweet little boy who is wonderful at cuddling, holding hands, and giving kisses and hugs.  He loves to help clean and will go to the drawer and grab a towel to clean up his mess when he spills something and will wipe off the table when he is done eating. He also loves to "help" sweep, rake, and do other chores. Despite all of the sweetness though, the lay-on-the-floor-screaming tantrums characteristic of many 2-year-olds have also increased in frequency. We were dealing with some struggles to get him buckled in the car seat for awhile too (he just wants to climb into the driver's seat and play), but he has gotten a little better on car rides recently.

Favorites:
Foods- green beans, salad, corn, pretty much any fruit or dessert, pretzels, crackers, French fries, pizza, spaghetti, or generally anything on Mom or Dad's plate.
Toys/Activities- climbing, throwing, basketball, exploring cupboards/drawers, playing in the car, playing on the computer or any other device, Play Doh, painting, coloring, trains/cars, musical instruments, Hide-and-Seek, chase, "scaring" people, swiping credit cards at the store, baking, building with tools or blocks/Legos, making phone calls, and bathtime.
Songs/Books- "If You're Happy and You Know It," "Itsy, Bitsy Spider," and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." Llama, Llama Red Pajama, Little Owl's Night, Guess How Much I Love You, Clifford's Animal Sounds
Dislikes- doctors' appointments/nurse visits, going to bed

Developmental Update: Archer is doing pretty well with gross and fine motor skills, but he is still pretty behind in speech. He continues to see a speech therapist every two weeks, although we have seen (heard?) a lot of progress in the pre-verbal skills area in the past few months. He is much more comfortable at his early intervention class now too. He participates much more and loves smiling at the teachers, playing alongside the other toddlers, and turning in his work.

Medical Update: Archer had another visit to his pulmonologist in October. His doctor is pleased with his growth, which means that Archer's lungs have also been growing and getting stronger. The doctor was confident that even if Archer does catch a cold or other respiratory virus this cold/flu/RSV season, his lungs should be able to recover from any illness much better than last year. This means that we don't have to give up all of the freedom we gained this past summer, and Archer will still be able to attend his weekly class and enjoy more time out in public this holiday season and next Spring! We will still be cautious by making sure hands are washed frequently and trying to avoid anyone that is sick, but we feel more confident that Archer won't end up back in the hospital if he does catch a cold. We are also fortunate that Archer qualified for another round of RSV shots this year, which should help lessen the severity of his symptoms if he does happen to catch the virus.

Other than a mild cold and stomach virus this past summer, we are lucky that Archer has remained pretty healthy, and we have been able to avoid any extra doctors' office visits or hospital stays. Unless something changes, we are down to once-a-year appointments with the pulmonologist and pediatrician! Archer visited his pediatric opthalmologist for another check-up last Friday as well, and Archer's vision is doing great so far! The doctor did caution that with Archer's history of late-stage ROP and laser surgery the likelihood of needing very thick glasses at some point is high, so we will continue with appointments every six months to monitor his eyesight.

July Highlights: Mud Hens game, exploring local parks, 1st camping trip, 1st time at the beach and water park, discharged from physical and occupational therapy

August Highlights: loving playing in the car, climbing anything, playing and helping outside, jumping in and dumping the balls in the ball pit

September Highlights: 1st overnights at Grandma and Grandpa Long's without Mom or Dad, Grandma Kumfer visits, climbing over/under anywhere he can fit

October Highlights: going to the pumpkin patch, seeing the awesome Dupont nurses and staff at the NICU Reunion and hanging out with some fellow preemies, 1st time trick-or-treating, loving building, painting, and helping out

November Highlights: loving visits to the toy store (especially orange convertibles), rolling on the cat, painting in the bath tub, taking showers, bowling, grocery shopping, and helping decorate the Christmas tree

Coming Soon: We will also be celebrating the second addition to our family soon, which has updated Archer to "Big Brother" status! He has little idea what that means at this point, except that when we ask where his baby brother is, he points to his belly. He will give Mom's belly a kiss goodnight as well. Archer was not very thrilled when seeing Mom and Dad hold his new 2nd cousin, Jack, recently, so we anticipate quite an adjustment period when the baby arrives. We are very thankful to have made it to 26 weeks so far without any problems. With the reassurance of some good medical care, the help of wonderful family and friends, and a few preventative measures, we are hopeful that Archer's little brother will be able to avoid any NICU time, although any prayers or positive thoughts for a few more months of uneventful pregnancy are much appreciated!