Friday, March 30, 2012

March of Dimes 2012

It's that time of the year where we take the opportunity to  ask our amazing support team of friends and family to join us in supporting the March of Dimes.  2010 was a rough year but we've come so far since then and we don't want to forget the people and the medical efforts and tools that has helped Slugger get to be where she is at now.  We spent 81 hard days in the NICU, some of those days were and are still the worst days in my life, but I can't even express how much worse it would have been if Slugger wasn't here with us today.   March of Dimes sole purpose is to provide support and funding for research that has bettered the lives of premature babies and their families.

In 2011, Team Slugger was represented by members walking the March of Dimes Walk both here and in New York.   And we're doing it again this year!!! 

March of Dimes
April 22, 2012
Walk Distance: 5 miles
-starts at Kapiolani Park at 7:30 am

Please check out our fundraising pages and you can help us reach our goal.  But please don't feel pressured to give!!  Scott and I always talk about how there are just so many great causes, this is just one that hits home for us.  It's a way for us to show our gratitude and thanks just by showing up!  And we love the reminder of what a great group we have by our side.  If you want to show your support by joining us for the walk, you can choose to register or just show up to encourage us by walking 5 miles with us.

Keao's March of Dimes Page

Allison "Astro"
26 weeks 1 day gestation
Birth Weight: 1 lb 12 oz
Jul 28-Aug 16 (complications due to NEC, an infection common most amongst preemies)

Rory "Gizmo"
26 weeks 1 day gestation
Birth Weight: 2 lb 4 oz
Jul 28-Jul 28 (aortic atresia)

"Slugger"
26 weeks 1 day gestation
Birth Weight 2 lb 4 oz
Walking strong at 20 months old!!!


20 months No need to adjust anymore!




Slugger:


Real Age: 20 months (a little over a year and half)
Weight: 23 lbs
Height:  darn, I have to find her stats from her 18 month checkup

Schedule:
7:30-8:30 Wake up (she squeals when we walk in the room and rolls around in her crib with her Eeyore)
Breakfast then playtime
11:30-12:30  Naptime (1.5-2 hrs long)
Playtime, meals, bathtime
9-10 pm Bedtime

Notice what is missing? That beloved second nap.  She gave that up around 18 months...we tried with no success.  We finally had to accept it is not coming back=(

Diet and Nutrition:
Favorite foods: scrambled eggs, bread and toast, rice, noodles, broccoli, zuchinni, freeze-dried yogurt and fruit snacks, apples, canteloupe, oh, and french fries

Won't eat:  still won't eat pureed or mushy things.  Tried applesauce again last week and she spit it out.  Other than that, she'll eat most things, just not as much when compared to her favorite foods

Milestones:
 All her teeth finally seem to be growing in...at one time.  She had two teeth and only two teeth for almost a year and then her two top teeth finally came in.  I kid you not, two weeks later, Uncle Ted was playing monster with her and she lunged on to a stair and hit her brand-new top tooth.  We had to take her the ER, she was gushing so much blood and her tooth actually was pushed back into her gums. It was pushed back ninety degrees and impacted her gums.   I was sure they were going to have to pull it...ah, she just got it!!   It was disgusting...but by the time we were admitted, she had calmed down and they just sent us to a dentist.  A dentist who did nothing...said that until they're two, baby teeth don't even have real roots and just held in by tendons so they move easily.  He predicted the tooth will just straighten out on it's own.  And it has been incredible how it started to descend and is straightening out. Now she's got teeth all over, molars and all.

She's a walking, running, and climbing machine.  She loves to climb on the couches and chairs and sit like an adult.  She gets this smug little smile on her face when she's sitting on the couch.  Last night, she pulled out a dining table chair and climbed up.  Uh-oh, how do people stop kids from climbing on tables?

Physically, she's a little athlete.  She has one ball that she used to play with a long time ago.  One day, she just started throwing it at us...good throws.  Scott and I were surprised since we never really taught her how to throw.  Maybe her babysitter holds softbal practice with the kids.

Verbally, she's a little behind some kids but ahead of some other kids.  We've stopped adjusting her age since she's really just like any other year and half toddlers out there, just on the smaller end (25th percentile for weight and height).  She's caught up.  And her verbal is picking up.  Some of the words she can say...

-dadddy        -mama, mommy, mom         -dampa (grandpa)       -nana
-jaja (johnjohn)        -baba    -bahl (ball)    -Charlie     -doggie     -duckie
-zylin            -andy (auntie)

Most of these words, she says umprompted, some of them she knows what they are...but does better when she repeats it right after you say it.  She also loves to sing her own compositions to herself...they sound like "do di do di."  Last night, I swear she was singing the "oy yoy oy" part in the reggae hit "Buffalo Soldiers."

Big Events:
-a fever (102) that did NOT result in a febrile seizure or trip to the ER!!
- a visit from her Big Island cousin, Zylin

My brother and his family were able to come up to Oahu for a weekend.  My nephew Zylin is just 3 weeks older than Slugger but a head taller and 6 lb heavier.  He's also super verbal...he can ask questions and talk your ear off.  They loved each other.   They would just sit next to each other and babble baby talk to each other.  Zylin loved to bear hug her..unfortunately, because of their height difference...his bear hug looked very similar to a choke-hold.  But Slugger just stood very still and let herself be hugged.  One morning, Slugger was at Scott's parents and Zylin just kept wandering the house in search for her asking everyone "Where's shasey?"

Zylin had an amazing effect on Slugger's talking.  Before that, we would try to say words to her but she would just stare at us in silence.  She knew we wanted her to repeat the word but she took pleasure in NOT saying anything.  Suddenly, she was trying to form words, she even learned to say Zylin.  It was so completely sad when my brother guys had to go back to the Big Island.  Slugger just cried and cried in the car (the video is so sad).

We are so excited to take her to the BI in May where she can see Zylin and her newest cousin, Anaiah!









Happy Valentines!!!
Here she is in her sweet Valentine's Dress (a Christmas gift from Aunty Joy)!