Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day this year was a little different than last year!  Last year we were "rooming in" at the NICU getting prepared to bring Ashlyn home the next day!  This year we spent the weekend outside, hanging out with friends and family, swimming and cooking out!  We started the weekend out in Arlington at Gpa and Gma's house.  Ashlyn loved the pool and was perfectly content floating around in her lady bug!  Gpa grilled out tons of food!  We spent the night because Chance and I were planning on having a date night once we put Ashlyn to bed, but we were both too full and tired!  

Sunday afternoon the Ivies came over to play and cookout.  Emma, Ashlyn and Ryan had fun playing in the pool and playing in Ashlyn's room with all of her books and toys.  We cooked out and our bartender (Chris) whipped up some mean margaritas!  We had a great time.

I had to work on Monday, but got off a little early.  Ashlyn and Chance got to stay home and relax!  That evening we went over to the Garrett's house like old times!  We have spent a lot of Garrett/Wimberly holidays together!  We hung out outside and ate one of the best salads I have ever had!    It was a busy, but wonderful weekend!  Happy Memorial Day!

A new accomplishment!

Well, Daddy got to see it first!  Ashlyn can now pull up to standing in her crib.  Got this text and picture from Chance this morning "Went to pick Ashlyn's clothes out for the day, turned around and found this strange kid standing in the crib on her own!"

He was so excited!  I think he wanted me to call the developmental doctor today and brag!  We don't need no stinkin' PT (wait...I am a PT:).  

Follow up with the Developmental Doctor

We had Ashlyn's 1 year check-up with the developmental doctor this week.  She followed her in the NICU and then we saw her at 6 months.  She will continue to follow her for the next year or so to make sure she is catching up from her prematurity.  She got a great check up!  Her language, cognition, problem solving and fine motor are all at the 12 month mark.  She is a little behind with her gross motor skills and she labeled her as a strong crawler which puts her at about 10 months.  She gave us some stuff to do with her to encourage her to pull up more and get stronger in standing.  She really isn't too worried about her and told us that she will probably be one of the babies that just takes off walking one day.  Her personality has always been pretty content and that might play a role in it.  We are going to challenge her to do more standing and get stronger with her upper body.   If she isn't showing more of an interest in pulling up to stand and cruising in another month she wants to see us back and may consider some therapy to help her along.  We feel pretty confident we won't have to make that appointment!

Best husband ever

Chance got 2 tickets to the Mavs vs Thunder playoff game last night.  He has been to the past several games and I haven't gotten to go.  Usually he is supposed to use one of the tickets and he can take whomever he wants.  He got special permission for me to use the tickets!  I took my good friend Jessi and Chance stayed home with Ashlyn.  We had a ball, but the Mavs lost.  Boo!  Thanks, babe!

Loving her new wheels

Ashlyn loves her new car that Nenna and Poppa gave her for her birthday.  Nenna and daddy put it together complete with sticker decals...and her initials on the back!  She absolutely loves riding around in it.  We take a couple laps around the neighborhood each evening. 

Grey's Anatomy saves the day!

Ashlyn has yet another cold (I really don't know when one stops and another starts) so she went to KidMed today at school instead of her regular classroom.  It is a small nursing section of the daycare where sick kids can go to get a little extra TLC.  She wasn't sick enough for us to stay home with her, but we really wanted her to be able to get some rest.  That does not happen in classroom 6!  She is go go go.  There is a nurse on staff in KidMed and she closely monitors these kids.  She called me around 1 and said Ashlyn's "wheezing" was getting worse and she thought I should take her to the doctor.  I made an appointment, but our regular pediatrician didn't have any openings.  So I opted for one of his partners...they are all wonderful so I really didn't mind.  The pediatrician listened to her lungs and said she definitely had some wheezing and he wanted to give her an Albuterol breathing treatment.  I politely reminded him that she is on Propranolol and I don't think she can have Albuterol.  He replied, "I think it is ok, but I will double check".  He comes back a few minutes later and says "You were right...she can't have Albuterol".  I was so embarrassed to tell him how I knew that.  I never watch Grey's Anatomy, but one night it was on for background noise (Ashlyn must have been a lot younger because we don't really need background noise anymore:).  It caught my attention as one of the residents was freaking out saying "I can't give my patient Albuterol because he is on Propranolol...he will stop breathing".  I filed that info into this overcrowded mommy brain of mine and was able to retrieve it when I needed it!  Yes!  The pediatrician said she wouldn't stop breathing, but it just wouldn't work.  I really didn't want to find out.  We decided to "watch her" for another couple of days and monitor the wheezing.  My discharge instructions were "Take her to the ER if it gets worse"...very reassuring!  Can you say another sleepless night?  Oh well...Thank you Meredith Grey's sister (I don't even know her name)!

1st Trip to the zoo

We took our first trip to the zoo to celebrate Emme's 2nd birthday.  She had a fun birthday party in the children's zoo area and then everyone was able to wander around the zoo afterwards.  The weather was perfect...sunny, but a little chilly in the shade.  Ashlyn and Jules were both battling colds so we didn't stay too long, but we had fun wandering around nonetheless.  Ashlyn didn't really get into the animal quite yet, so we are anxious to take her back when she is a little older and understands what the zoo is all about!