Ob la da

It has been almost 3 months since I posted anything...

This is just a normal day for these two stinkers

I am really really bad....
or busy....

We will go with busy.
The truth is that I have started, restarted, rethought, reworked and then deleted a new post several times.

Its been a never ending onslaught of doctors visits some weeks, peppered with two hospital visits, and a couple of late nights up as worried parents watching our sweet one.

Biggest difference in Prudence is how overwhelmingly big she is.  13lbs 2 oz.  I know, I know she is 7 months old and when we are out with her it is like a sharp jab with a big knife to hear "Oh look at the little tiny baby"  but I know that Prudence is like 10 times bigger than when she was born and has some fat rolls so tight we fight to wash her properly in the bath.

Umbilical Hernia- Gone!

Raising Prudence is so different than Lucy.  For instance, a few weeks ago we took our first official outing as a family other than a doctors visit. Even since then, we are still pretty cautious and I chicken out a lot ( for example, church on Easter was cancelled for us at 5am Easter morning when Prudence coughed just a bit and got me worried.)  And the doctors visits...since we are on that.

Officially, we are entering into a phase where Prudence is making huge progress and showing her limitations all at once.  Its interesting because, one of our visits, The Child Development Agency views Prudence as a 7 month old baby.  Those visits are really upbeat and fun because they happen here at home and so far we have been focusing on the great progress she has made.  Then at Amos Cottage she is a 3 month old and even then she is concerning them in a couple of areas.  Nothing huge yet, but we are getting Physical therapy involved for
stiffness in her legs and plastic surgery to evaluate her head shape.

Its hard guys.  I know and have known for over 7 months now that I cannot compare Prudence to other babies.  Its a miracle that she overcame all she did and is as healthy as she is now.  But that doesn't change the shattered feeling I get every time someone gushes about their 2 month old turning over or their 7 month old crawling up a storm.  I try to be happy for others kids progress, I try to tell myself that Prudence is doing great.
God knows I try to not let it get to me.  But every now and then I have to cry it out and fret over things.  I guess its a mom thing.  I don't have many people to talk to and Juan just doesn't get it.  No mother ever wants her kids to have to struggle through anything, and I worry most that Prudence will always have an uphill battle to be a normal kid.

Prudence meeting her Great Grandma!  

We are working on eating a little.  We are working on getting strong enough to roll over.  She has trouble sitting up even in her little chair because of her stiffness and I think she tires out from trying really quickly.


But she is so happy.  She is the sweetest, calmest baby ever.  My dad likes to say she is even polite when she cries.  At the end of the longest most worrisome day, I am most glad and thankful that she is happy.



As for the rest of the Perez clan, well, Lucy is as active as ever and would spend every waking second playing outside if she could.  She is happiest walking around, talking to the birds, enjoying nature, and getting as grubby as possibly.  She is like the grubby little Snow White.  I love her.

First time to the Park!

Big sister had a blast too!

Juan and I joined a small group with church which is great when we actually get to attend.  It is sometimes infrequent just because thats life.  But it has been a huge help in getting Juan and I to look outside of our parenting duties and more into being a couple, Christians, individuals....basically all the other stuff before our girls became our only focus.

So, there is the basic summary of the past few months.  Hopefully I can get better about this whole posting thing.....

First family outing!  Eating at Chic-fila (aka COWS which
is what Lucy calls it)

Ob-la-di

Today marks one month at home.

Looking back at this month with our little lady, the NICU seems very far away.  There was a time I was sure we would never get home.  That our sweet girl was  going to grow up in the sterile walls of the hospital.  I often half joked with the nurses that I would soon be committed to a psych ward and given a baby doll named Prudence.

I say half joked because I was often afraid that would come true.

 It has been a crazy wild month of chaos and yet it is so much more peaceful than before.

We have enjoyed learning our little girls tenacious personality.  She eats about 3 oz at a time now and drains the bottle of every drop.  She has almost outgrown her newborn clothing completely, meaning I have to find time to start packing up her first round of clothing and  prepare the second round.  She has rolls blossoming every week it seems and those are sweet indicators of the weight she is gaining now that we no longer get the luxury of tracking it daily.

This is poop face....it happens.

Prudence smiles a lot. And not just little grins but huge gummy faces that can warm up a room.  She loves her toys, but mostly this fish rattle that used to be Lucy's.  Prudence will only do her boom booms (bowel movements) about 5 minutes after putting her into a clean diaper.  She enjoys bath time, especially getting her hair washed and rinsed.

Lucy is adjusting.  She is the sweetest big sister always kissing and loving on baby sister.  Every now and then we have to remind her to be gentle, but mostly she
is very sweet.

We had the pleasure the other day of offering our advice to a new NICU mom the other day.... it was surreal saying these things.  It's a rollercoaster.  Cozy in for the next 12 weeks.    Expect anything and nothing all at once.  Be a parent in any way you can.

As I am saying this I realized that until you have lived as a NICU parent, these words are empty.  You never understand that rollercoaster until you ride it.  The significance  of a due date carries a whole new  meaning.  And being a parent becomes more precious than anything. You live for the next diaper change or temp check.

Again it's surreal now.
She is so happy and healthy.  And chunky.  Cute chunky though, not oh my God stop feeding your kid mayonnaise by the spoonful chunky.

And so life goes on.  My favorite times are afternoons when Lucy snuggles up beside me when I'm holding Prudence and both girls dream next to me, which is all I could ever ask for.

Slowly we add things back in, we pick back up, and in the evening she's a singer with the band....

Oh and HAPPY 50 YEARS Beatlemania!  So happy you got together.  No idea what I would have named my children without your aid and brilliance!