Ahh, freedom!

Whew! It's been a while since Archer's last update, but he's been keeping Mom and Dad busy! For those who have been awaiting a post, hopefully this will bring you up to date!

An eye update:
Archer visited his pediatric opthalmologist (eye doctor) today and surprisingly allowed the nurse to dilate his eyes without much trouble. The opthalmologist was extremely impressed with Archer's vision and said that unless you study his retinas (where thousands of laser cuts from the surgery can be seen), you would never be able to tell that he had any complications with advanced ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity). Although the doctor cannot determine Archer's exact vision until he is more verbal and able to describe things to us, Archer responded perfectly to all of the tests today! Typically the doctor would want to see a patient yearly from this point, but, due to Archer's history, we will go for another check-up in 6 months as vision issues can appear quite suddenly. We are extremely thankful that the progression of Archer's ROP was caught and treated quickly while in the NICU and that he has had such a good outcome so far!

Ft. Wayne March for Babies

April recap: It's hard to believe that we celebrated the Archer's 1st year at home on April 11th! We are so grateful for all of the family and friends who helped us meet our fundraising goal for the March of Dimes and those who joined us in the March for Babies in Archer's honor! We are continually amazed by the support of our loved ones, as well as the gracious staff and students at Ottoville Local School. With all of your contributions we were able to donate $1,000 to the Toledo March for Babies and another $200 to the Fort Wayne March! We really enjoyed participating in the walks and being able to reconnect with some of the awesome nurses, therapists, and staff from the Dupont NICU too!

Archer's Armor March for Babies team

Archer was also able to celebrate his first Easter at Grandma's house! He loved the food, although he didn't care much for searching for Easter eggs. Luckily the weather was beautiful and he enjoyed a trip to the park.

May recap:

feeding parakeets

The month of May meant the end of an extended RSV season, and some much-needed freedom for Archer (and Mom and Dad). Although we still try to avoid anyone who is ill and are cautious when going out in public, Archer has been loving the trips to the store, mall, restaurants, and friends' houses that he had missed out on since last November. He also attended his first wedding, a birthday party, and the zoo twice.
We had the opportunity to celebrate Parents of Preemies Day on May 4th by attending an event hosted by Graham's Foundation, which is an incredible resource for families with children in (or out) of the NICU! It was humbling to be surrounded by so many other parents who had been impacted by premature birth and had experiences similar to our own.
Archer was also able to visit his birthday buddy, Max, and the boys enjoyed playing hide-and-seek and competing for toys. They both attended their first Cincinnati Reds game together too! Archer loved being around all of the people, clapping, and engaging the fans in the rows around us.

Archer apparently was impressed with all of Max's chatter, and started repeating syllables once we returned home. He began speech therapy twice a month in April, but we see the most improvement after he has been around other talking children. Archer has "mama" down, and his "dada" is getting better. He loves babbling as he runs around the house and enjoys taking pretend phone calls.
We have reduced his physical/occupational therapy sessions to once a month just to monitor progress, and the next goal is standing on one foot, so hopefully Archer didn't inherit his mom's clumsiness!

New favorites: playing with cars, sweeping, dancing (pretty much just wiggling his arms around), kicking a ball, swinging, slides, and climbing anything. Dad loves that he has more interest in his Legos now, although he enjoys taking things apart more than building at this point. He is getting sillier and more ornery, and it's so fun to watch him get excited when he accomplishes something! Archer loves to help out around the house and will run and grab his hat when he wants to go outside and explore. He is frequently on the move, and his face always seems to be sporting a new bruise. He somehow managed to end up with a straw up his nose when he tripped carrying his cup, and he has experienced his first playground injury as well.
With all of that activity, you would think he would be exhausted by the end of the day, but he often tries avoiding bedtime because he has so much on his agenda. Luckily Archer will usually submit to an hour or two of nap time a day. He has teased Mom and Dad by sleeping through the night occasionally, but inevitably a new tooth starts emerging and wreaks havoc on nighttime sleep. Archer is up to 12 teeth, and judging by a recent sleepless night for all of us, we think his fangs (canine teeth) may make their appearance soon!
And, the picture barrage! : )

Adjusting and Stepping Forward



    Although the date was ingrained in Mom and Dad’s minds for months before Archer was born, it probably won’t ever mean much to Archer. Yesterday was Archer’s 1st “adjusted” birthday, or the age he would be had he been born on his due date. He will actually be 16 months old in just a few days, but adjusted ages are sometimes used to reflect the fact that a baby was born prematurely and may therefore take more time to meet growth and/or developmental milestones.

    Archer has been doing really well at “catching up” to his actual age peers as far as gross and fine motor skills go, but his language skills seem to have been on the back burner. He does use a few signs, frequently jabbers, and says what sounds like Mom and a couple other words occasionally, but he doesn’t use any consistent words yet. We may make a visit to his old speech therapist after RSV season to see if she thinks more visits are necessary at this point.

    Archer may have more time to devote to practicing talking now that he has accomplished one of his main goals: walking! In the past week or two he has been gaining confidence and attempting steps on his own, and in the last few days he has been getting faster and more steady on his feet. It’s so cute to watch that grinning face toddling toward you from across the room! The video is from last weekend.





    Archer’s pediatrician was very pleased at his well-check the other day and just recommended that we be proactive in regards to speech. Archer, however, was not thrilled with the measuring, weighing, inspecting, or shots and was determined to avoid them as he voiced his opinions with the nurse and doctor. His pediatrician exclaimed how strong he is, which is something we've heard from many others as well. We have no doubt that his strong-willed personality has helped get him to where he is today, although lately he also likes to use it to try to avoid naps and bedtime.

 

    Although still not “on the chart” for a 16-month old, Archer continues to inch closer to that elusive line! He is 17 pounds and 29 inches, which has earned him a new convertible car seat.  It seems much more comfy than his old one and will hopefully make for a better road trip to visit some family members for the first time this summer!

 

Pantry raid! Daddy's cereal is so much better!

Loving his ride-on car, until Dad stops pushing! He also loves hide-and-seek and being chased.



Meeting his look-alike, Great-Grandpa, for the 1st time.

New obsession: books! Especially this pop-up one!

Archer loves to pull this book out
and bring it over to read over and over!

Pulling things out of the cabinets is no longer good enough.

Figuring out how to take his diaper off  : /

Feeding himself with a spoon

Cruising Along

As we've mentioned previously, Archer has been on “lockdown” due to cold/flu/RSV season since November. This means his trips out of the house have mostly been limited to a few doctors’ appointments, Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and a few visits with healthy friends. Gratefully, we have been able to avoid any serious illnesses in our household due to the diligence of others! Archer did have a slight stuffy/runny nose for a week or two since our last update, but his daily nebulizer treatment and RSV shots likely helped to keep it from causing any breathing problems.

Archer's 1st night at home 4/11/13

Although it has been nice not to have to venture outside much during this frigid winter, we cannot wait for warmer weather and the end of RSV season (usually around April 15^th in Ohio)!  We had to limit Archer’s 1^st birthday guest list due to “lockdown,” so we thought we would celebrate the 1^st anniversary of his NICU Graduation (April 11^th), as well as our freedom, by inviting all of our friends and family to join us for a walk! What better way to celebrate Archer’s 1^st year at home than by giving back to one of the organizations that helped make his homecoming possible? The mission of the March of Dimes is to “help moms have full-term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies.” Because Archer was born at 23 weeks gestation his lungs had just begun to develop in the womb. Had it not been for a life-saving dose of surfactant (a treatment developed with March of Dimes research funds) to help keep his airways open, Archer would not be with us today. The March of Dimes also donated a gift bag with a blanket, hat, sleep sack, T-shirt, educational info, and other items to us when Archer was in the NICU. Their annual fundraiser, the March for Babies, takes place on Sunday, April 13^th in Toledo, and we will be walking under the team name Archer’s Armor to bring awareness and funds to help prevent and treat the complications of premature birth. If you would like to donate to our team or join us in fundraising and walking, you may register or pay online by clicking the links on the right of this page. We are in the process of designing team T-shirts (Thanks, Cory!). if you would like to order one as well. Thank you all for your continued support!

Now, an overdue update:

Archer has become more interested in his toys and is much better at playing independently. He loves handing over different objects and thinks it’s hilarious to hand something to you but not let go. He knows where his favorite snacks are and will walk over and show you what he wants or continue signing “more” until he gets what he wants. He has also started bringing the remote to us when he wants to watch Signing Time. Archer signs “more” and “all done” and seems to be catching on to a couple more, although his movements aren’t very refined. He has become pretty attached to Mom and Dad and is quite leery when his therapists or nurse come over, but he usually warms up after a little bit. His therapists were able to lure Archer away from Mom with some Goldfish crackers the other day. His nurse, however, received some icy stares after she gave him his Valentine’s Day gift last week: a RSV shot in each leg!

Valentine's Day 2013 (3#4oz.) & 2014

"all done"

Archer managed to get Dad's animal
crackers out of the pantry.

"more avocado!"

Unless he is around unfamiliar people, Archer is usually pretty talkative. He isn’t saying any words consistently yet, at least none that we understand. He says something similar to “Mom” occasionally, and we think we’ve heard “okay,” “milk,” “Daddy,” “kitty,” and “hi” a time or two, but we don’t know if they were intentional sounds or not yet.

Archer now has 7 teeth, and we believe number 8 is soon to appear. Teething means little sleep for any of us, although we seem to get a small reprieve for a night or two until another tooth starts pushing its way through. Anything within Archer’s grasp is subjected to the bite/chew test, although ironically he isn’t very fond of teething rings.

We’ve missed out on a few sessions due to bad weather, but Archer’s early intervention specialist and therapists (PT and OT) continue to be impressed with his developmental progress. His EI specialist was thrilled with how much he had accomplished in the 2 months since she’d last seen him and said he is caught up to the 12 month checklist she was using. She mentioned trying to write with crayons at her next visit, which I don’t believe will go very well as Archer still loves to chew on his crayons at home! His balance has greatly improved, and he is able to catch himself from falling more often, or at least fall on his bottom instead of going down head-first! He is still primarily getting around the house by a combination of cruising and crawling, but he will stand on his own for a while, as long as he doesn’t realize that he’s not holding onto anything, and can take a few steps on his own once Mom or Dad lets go. Maybe Archer will be doing some of his own walking in the March for Babies by April!

Some of Archer's favorite activities:

chasing the cat

climbing anything 

emptying drawers and cabinets

sweeping

flushing over and over

flipping trash can lids

playing peek-a-boo

pushing toys, baskets, trash cans, etc

Other favorite activities: throwing and chasing balls, turning lights on/off, riding the rocking horse, Ring-around-the-rosie, singing/clapping, bath time, spinning anything, chewing anything, and helping with laundry.

Archer visited his pulmonologist Friday and is now over 17 pounds! The nurse also said he was 29 inches long, although Archer wasn’t very cooperative in laying down to be measured, so that number may be a little off. He is creeping closer and closer to actually being “on the chart” for growth for his actual age though, and his doctor was very pleased with his progress! We will be on the lookout for any signs of eczema and allergies this Spring as we are not sure if some of Archer’s issues last Spring/Summer may have been due to allergies, colds, or reflux, but the doctor can order a blood test to give us some answers if we notice any problems. Mom also questioned the pulmonologist about Archer’s Chronic Lung Disease, a diagnosis he received in the NICU due to being ventilated for such a long period of time.  The doctor explained that most of Archer’s lung growth is happening now (which is why it’s important to protect him from respiratory illnesses like RSV) and should be fully mature around age 5 or 6. At that point they are able to perform a simple pulmonary function test to identify things like asthma or other issues that may have long-term implications. We are hopeful that taking continued precautions to protect Archer’s lungs for the next few years will help him avoid long-term breathing issues.

riding in his truck

Sledding was NOT as fun this time!

"Really, Dad?"

Chillin'

Finally discovered the cat door!

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Archer's 1st Year Video & Holidays at Home

For those who have not had a chance to see it, here is a link to a video Kyle made capturing the highlights of Archer’s first year:

Click here: Archer's First Year Video

Whew, what a month! Archer seems to have boundless energy and has kept Mom and Dad on their toes the past few weeks! He had his first opportunity to try out the sled he got for his birthday, and while he didn’t enjoy being strapped down much, he did love standing in the snow!

Archer had a 2^nd visit to his pediatric ophthalmologist in December. The doctor did not see any cause for concern right now, but he did caution that Archer’s extreme prematurity, as well as the aggressive ROP and subsequent laser treatment that he underwent in the NICU, put him at a much higher risk for vision problems in the future. Archer will visit the ophthalmologist again in 6 months.

Archer was also able to enjoy some time with Grandma and Grandpa Kumfer, who were able to visit over Christmas again. We reminisced about how different this holiday season was from their visit the year before. Last Christmas, needless to say, was rough. Archer was just 3 weeks old and was struggling with low blood pressure, fighting an infection, and requiring high levels of oxygen. On Christmas Eve we were told he had a seizure, and on Christmas Day he received a blood transfusion and a new IV line that required many pokes and was difficult to witness. Fortunately, things started to improve thereafter and Archer’s blood pressure stabilized, he was able to begin milk feedings again, and a few days later Mom was able to hold him for the first time! We are all amazed at everything he has been able to overcome so far, and we were so blessed to get to celebrate with Archer at home this year! Although he was not very impressed by the tree and all of the gifts (they blocked him from moving around), Archer loved having more people around to play with! He even got to meet some family members for the first time. 

On the bottom-left, Archer is holding the ornament he received in the NICU on his 1st Christmas.

1st eye opened - New Year's Eve 2012

Archer was again determined to have his eyes open to celebrate the New Year too. He opened one eye for the first time on New Year’s Eve last year (the 2^nd opened the next day), and this year he woke Grandma up at 11:30pm to party and stayed up to wish Mom and Dad a Happy New Year as well!

Archer has continued to make strides developmentally and has become a pro at pulling himself up on anything; his grinning face now greets us as he stands in his crib each time we enter his room. Unfortunately, this skill has led to many bumps and bruises, but thankfully Archer has recently figured out how to get back down to the floor on his own after pulling to standing. He is constantly on the move and loves to walk around with assistance, cruise, and climb the stairs, which makes for an exhausted Mom and Dad! We had to put away the changing table because Archer was immediately rolling over to crawl away, so diaper and clothing changes are now done on the floor while Archer stands. It’s comical to watch, but we can’t get him to lie still long enough to get a diaper on!

 

Archer has gotten much louder and is “talking” much more, although he did subject us to a new whiny screech for about a week. We have been working on introducing sign language as well. We thought he had mastered the sign for “more,” but then he began using it whenever he wanted anything and we had to work to figure out what he was asking for. Hopefully we’ll have more progress with signing soon.

Enjoying a snow day inside.

Playing with rice.

Archer also had his first experience with a babysitter other than Mom, Dad, Grandma, or Grandpa today (Thanks, Jim!). It was only about an hour, but he was not happy with Mom and Dad leaving. Looks like we have some work ahead of us on getting him comfortable interacting with other people. Thankfully he'll be able to go out in public and socialize more after Cold/Flu/RSV season!