New video!

I have finally gotten around to putting up some new videos of Luca. One is of him copying Chris. Just watch, it is hilarious! What a copycat!

The other one is Luca telling a "story". He has become so vocal, and tries to mimick some things that you say. It's too cute!

Go to:
http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u293/johnsonjanicelynn/?action=view&current=MOV05572.flv

and

http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u293/johnsonjanicelynn/?action=view&current=MOV05540.flv

Chris has my USB cable for the new camera in his laptop bag with him in Calgary, so I can't load any pictures yet. Soon, though.

Yesterday Chris and Pat built us some heavy duty storage shelves in our utility room. They are so great! We haev so much space, and everything is so much easier to organize! Most of it is teaching stuff, so if I ever get a job, there will be even more room!

Luca is pulling himself up on everything! The other day he pulled a kitchen chair over on top of himself. I felt so bad! I had just checked on him and he was playing with magnets on the fridge, then the next thing I know, there was a huge crash and he was on the floor with a chair on top of him. Poor guy.

He loves to "walk" now too. He is cruising along holding on to furniture, and loves to hold on to your hands and walk with you. I think that it won't be too much longer and he will be off. By his birthday, I am quite sure.

I am reading a most amazing book right now, on the suggestion of Pat. It is called "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. I am so engrossed in it, that is why I haven't posted in a while. Every chance I get, I am reading another little bit. (It is ficticious, but I think it is loosely based on an actual event)

It is about a 13 year old girl who was basically conceived to donate stem cells and bone marrow to her sister, who has leukemia. She files for medical emancipation from her parents as she no longer wants to be a donor and was never actually asked if she wanted to. You would think that immediately you would take the side of the child, but it is so well written that you begin to empathise with the parents, who only want to do everything they can to keep their daughter healthy, as any parent would do. I think that if I had read this book a year ago, it wouldn't have struck me quite so deeply, but now that I have a child, it is much easier to understand the idea that you would do anything for you child(ren). Anyway, I am nearing the end of the book and am so moved by it. It really opens the gates for a moral and ethical discussion, either with others, or just a debate within yourself. I absolutely recommend it to anyone. I will loan it to anyone who is interested.

I don't usually recommed a book with such feirce conviction, but this book is one that anyone can get lost in, it has so many different aspects to it.

On another note, I am so happy that I have finally gotten in touch with a friend from Augustana that I have been trying to track down for quite a while. I really am! I haven't been this excited to get an email from someone in a long time. So, Flegal, if you are reading this, you better keep in touch this time! ;)

Well, that's about all I have time to write right now, because Luca is just starting to wake up from his nap, and I need to get lunch ready.

I will try to get some newer pictures up as soon as Chris returns my USB cord. IN the meantime, enjoy the videos!

Some NASA pictures

Chris got home on Friday night from Houston. I was soooo happy to see him! It had been such a long 10 days with Luca sick and everything, it felt like he had been gone for a lot longer.

Unfortunately, Chris got sick on Saturday morning with whatever Luca had- Norwalk virus is suspected as they had an outbreak at the nursing home and at the General hospital.

Here are a few pictures of Chris' trip to NASA while he was in Houston. I don't have all of them on this computer. These are just a few that he emailed me while he was away. Maybe I will put some more from his laptop later.
A picture of the cockpit of the shuttle. The astronauts have to memorize where each switch and button are so they can operate everything in the dark. There are also many switches on the roof as well.









A rocket that was built in the 60's, and then funding was cut, so it never went up. They built the building around the rocket a few years ago. Before that, it was just sitting outside deteriorating. You can see just how huge the rocket engines are (about 10ft around each).








Another view of the rocket. You can see how long it is- the building houses just the rocket. (363 feet long)












Chris beside the rocket. The rusty looking part is where the astronauts would sit, all the other parts fall off/ burn up when they have been used. The only part that returns to Earth is the pod for the astronauts.








There are so many other cool pictures that I don't have, so when Chris comes back from work, I will add a few more.

Also, I have pictures from my new camera to post, but I am a bit tired tonight. (Luca isn't sleeping well at night, so I am off to bed to try to get some sleep before he wakes up again).

Watch for another new post in the next few days!

Yuck, hospitals

Update at bottom of post.

We just got home from spending the night in the hospital. Yuck.

On Saturday night, very suddenly, Luca came down with a flu. He was sleeping fine, and started crying, so I went in to him and he was COVERED in vomit. I started to get him cleaned up and he kept on puking...and puking...and puking. My mom came and spent the night with us to help out. Luca threw up throughout the night and into the morning.

I called Health Link (which I find is hit or miss when in comes to helpful information) and they told me to keep giving fluids (duh), especially breatmilk. I thought that this sounded funny because who wants to drink milk on an upset tummy? But, oh well. I gave Luca small amounts of diluted juice and breastmilk (not combined) at 15 minute intervals. He threw up every time he had the milk. So, I stopped with the milk and pushed the juice.

On Sunday during the day, he seemed to be perking up after a good nap. He even ate some applesauce for supper and tolerated a bit of breastmilk. So at bed time I gave him a few ounces of breastmilk again. Within about half an hour, he was heaving agin almost non-stop.

I called Health Link again and they advised that I take him in to be assessed.

After 2.5 hours of tests, he was admitted to be observed. I think partly this was because I looked so haggard that the doctor took pity on me and thought I needed the break!

Being in the hospital didn't help much, except that by way of the phenomenon we all know, as soon as you get in to see a doctor, symptoms that were there disappear. Luca stopped vomiting! Horray! He started tolerating breastmilk, too.

Unfortunatley, he started to get explosive diarrhea.

And, the pediatric section that WAS in the hospital has recently been converted to offices, and their new peds section is just a room with 2 cribs and 2 cots in there. There was a toddler in the other bed with the same thing as Luca.

When one boy was trying to sleep, the other was crying. So, needless to say, no one got much sleep during the night. I was really hoping we could get some naps in, but the toddler had noisy family visitors there all day, and they kept waking Luca up.

Our room was put on isolation, which was supposed to mean no visitors, and that the nurses and doctors had to gown up and Luca and the other boy were not allowed to leave the room. (So I am not sure why the family of the other boy were there, even after I mentioned to the nurse that they were keeping Luca from sleeping).

Our doctor was there in the morning and wanted to keep us for the day to see if Luca continued to improve. She returned after her office closed and told us that we could go home. I kind of laughed, and told her that we were going home no matter what because Luca had only slept about 1/2 an hour during the whole day due to the noise in the room. She is not very impressed with the new peds set-up, either.

So, we are home now. Luca is sleeping and I am hoping that he is able to have a good sleep and that he will just continue to improve.

Sorry if this doesn't make sense, I am operating on quite a lack of sleep....

Update: Luca was throwing up again last night shortly after he went to bed. I gave him children's gravol (thankfully the dr. said that he weighed enough now that I could give him some if he needed it.) and he slept 8 hours straight. Drug induced, mind you, but at least he got sleep. Then he nursed and kept it down and slept for another 3 hours. He seems perkier today than he was yesterday, so hopefully we are almost at the end.....

SO EXCITED!

The tickets are sold! Enjoy the show Mike, Victoria and Auntie Karyn!

Carri, Jacquie and I are going to the Faith Hill and Tim McGraw concert on June 20th!!!!!! I am so excited and can hardly wait! Just a little while ago, Jacquie and I were talking about what a great concert it would be and that if they ever came, we would love to go...and then tickets went on sale! The first show sold out in 10 minutes (I have tix for sale for that one if you didn't get my email and are interested, let me know), but we got better seats for the second show that was added after the first one sold out so quickly. It will be a fantastic concert, I am sure!

Carri came to visit yesterday, and we had lots of fun! Here is a great picture of Luca playing with bubbles in the tub. I love it!

Lots 'O Stuff...

Goodbye, Riverside School

Last Thursday, (a week ago today) destruction began across the street from our house. The school, which has been closed since 2002 finally came down in front of many onlookers and to many tears. Riverside School holds a special part of many memories for the community. For example, my next door neighbor had a very difficult time watching the demolition as both her and her daughter attended the school and her grandmother was the first principal there.

I was sad to watch it go as well, but not for as many sentimental reasons. A part of this community's history is now just a memory. The beautiful, aged trees across from us have a grim fate, as well. This saddens me. And, for selfish reasons, I am not too excited to have 30 houses put up across the street from me and for our view to change from a fairly nice one to the back yards of many new homes.

The same week as we bought our house, it was announced that the land had been sold to a developer who will be bulding an assisted living senior's complex on the far East side of the lot and 2 cul-de-sacs here at the West end. I suspect that building for the senior's home will begin very soon, but I don't know when the residential area will be developed. So far I have not seen any ads for lots for sale, so maybe it will be a little while....

Sunday with the Hutchinson Family

We were invited to spend Sunday afternoon at Rob and Lana's (my cousin and his family) to have a late anniversary celebration for Auntie Karyn and Uncle Jim's 30th. It was lots of fun to hang out and visit. We also played "The Newlywed Game" which was lots of fun and had us all laughing. The winners were the most newlywed couple, Kath and Vinj, at just over a year and a half of wedded bliss. Kath had brought along a bunch of old photos of Anutie and Uncle's wedding and early years of marriage. It was really neat to look at the pictures and see my grandparents and parents and aunts and uncles in the 70s and 80s. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to look at photos, so this consumed a lot of my time there, and I loved it!

It was a great afternoon and Chris and I were very happy to have been included in this family day.













Monday with Dee and Adelynn

On Monday, Luca and I spent the day with Dee and Adelynn while Chris and Layne went to work. It was a great day. Dee and I always have a good time together even if it is just sitting around chatting. That is the beauty of our friendship. We LOVE to just talk and laugh.

Adelynn is getting so big. It's funny to say that because she is only a few ounces bigger than Luca was when he was born and we thought he was so small. But, after 4 weeks, Adelynn looks big! It's all realtive, I guess.

Luca was so interested in Adelynn. He was constantly pulling himself up on the furniture to get a look at her, to touch her and to kiss her. He is such a curious little boy! You can see in one of the pictures that he is going in for a kiss.

Dee and I like to joke that our babies will be married. Maybe love is blooming already?! Haha!

And, of course, what would a post be without a montage of picutes of my little man?! These are all from the last few days.
















In this picture, Pat was throwing Luca's sippy cup lid into the air and Luca was laughing so hard! You can see that he is anticipating it to fly up above him. So cute!




I will post some new videos in a few days as well. I will let you all know when they are ready.

Chris is down in Houston for 9 more days for work. He comes home on the 23rd, and already I am counting down the days. To see him, of course, but also, he is bringing my late birthday present home with him- a new camera! I have been putting off chooing one since my birthday, and when Chris found out that he was heading back to Texas, we started lookin online. We found one that we liked for quite a bit cheaper than we could get it here, so the decision was made. Chris picked it up from the store last night, so he has 10 days to play (and figure it all out so he can teach me!) before he brings it home.

Welcome back, Sunshine!

With the gorgeous weather that we have had, Luca and I have been getting out and enjoying it!

A few days ago, Sarah, Donovan and my Mom joined us for a walk and short tobogganning experience. Here are some pics from that day...


















We walked up to Northcott and picked up Jessica from work. She was just wearing runners, so I was super nice and pulled her home with Luca! It was my workout for the day.



Luca is pulling himself up on furniture now, and just today pulled himself to standing. Once he was up on his feet, he didn't know what to do. he stood there for a few minutes, then tried to figure out how to get back down. he not-so gracefully let go of the couch and fell onto the ground with a bit of a thud. He was fine, though, and crawled on over to more interesting things.



As you can see, he is quite pleased that he is able to reach Hope now. She, not so pleased...

1 day to 8 months; A comparison

1 day old






























7 Months
8 Months

8 Months and on the go!

I had written this all up and was literally about to publish it, and my curious little son wanted to "touch" the pretty green button on the computer tower......the POWER BUTTON!!! ARRRGH! Oh well, gotta love him!


Anyway............here I go again......

Busy does not even begin to describe Luca these days. He has been crawling for 9 days now and is becoming quite mobile. The linoleum took a day to figure out, but he has that mastered, now, too. I now have 3 shadows- my own, Luca (who is pleased that he can find me when I leave the room) and Hope, (who has always been right at my heels wherever I go).

Luca has discovered a new favorite activity- pulling magnets off the fridge. I think that it must be his favorite thing to do because he will be playing in the living room, and suddenly will drop whatever he is playing with and head into the kitchen, straight to the fridge. After he pulls the magnets off, he "flicks" them across the floor and chases them and does it again. This provides lots of entertainment for the both of us!

It really makes me wonder what he thought before he could crawl. Now you can see that he sees something and just goes for it. When he wasn't mobile, did he not care, or did he just not realize that he could actually maneuver himself over to it? Did he always want to play in the kitchen and just had no way of getting the message across? Or is it simply that it is a new and exciting thing that he has discovered? Interesting...

On Sunday I was very excited that my friend Tasha stopped by. Tasha and I went to Augustana and U of A together (we are both teachers- neither of us are teaching right now...Oh, the teaching profession!). I hadn't seen her since just before Luca was born so it was a real treat! I had been really looking forward to visiting with her.

Luca was standing without support here with Tasha looking at a book that she brought him. Ok, so not TOTALLY without support becasue he is leaning on the ottoman, but he did quite well, and stayed there for about 5 minutes. On Monday, he actually pulled himself to standing while playing with one of his ride-on toys! Dare I say that the crawling stage may not last too long?!?

Luca just loves to be mobile, and is into everything, as you can see from these pictures...


He really likes to find the doorstop and play with it. Unfortunately for him, Mommy can only listen to the wonderful sound that it makes for so long before he is being led to another (less annoying) toy. :)


Here are Luca's 8 month pictures. It is getting increasingly difficult to get a decent picture of him, as he just won't sit still long enough. But here are the best ones....





I am so glad that I decided to do these monthly photos. It is so fun to look back on how much he has changed! (In case you are interested, I think that the second post in August 2006 in the archives is his 2 month pictures, and I have been posting them every month since, if you want to have a look and compare for yourself.)

Here is a funny picture that I took this morning. Once in a while, Luca gets his legs going too fast for his arms and does a face plant. I was trying to get a picture of him crawling, and he did a face plant just as I was taking the picture, kicking his legs up in the air. The angle that the picture is taken at makes it look a bit more severe than it actually is... (He didn't hurt himself, in case you are wondering!) So, here is our little "super baby"!

More videos

To see more videos of Luca, go to:

http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u293/johnsonjanicelynn/

The password is Luca Graham (it is a private album, that's why you need the password).

One video is him eating applesauce- apparently it was quite sour! The other is him laughing at a pop bottle lid being dropped on the table. Funny kid!

Video

Go to this site to see Luca crawling. THe password is Luca Graham

http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u293/johnsonjanicelynn/

Wow, Miraculous!

Check out this article. Amazing!


The world's most premature living baby, born at 21 weeks and six days, is headed home after spending four months in a neonatal intensive care unit, Baptist Children's Hospital in Miami announced.
"It was hard to imagine she would get this far. But now she is beginning to look like a real baby," the baby's mother, Sonja Taylor said.




No baby born at less than 23 weeks was previously known to have survived, according to the University of Iowa, which keeps a record of the world's tiniest babies.

"Even though she's only four pounds (1.8 kilos) now, she's plump to me," Taylor said.

When she was born on October 24, Amillia Taylor weighed just 280 grams (10 ounces) and measured 240 centimeters (9.5 inches,) slightly longer than a ballpoint pen, the hospital said.

Doctors said the baby girl is now thriving and well enough to be cared for by her parents at home.

She did suffer a laceration on her head at birth, but healed quickly from the wound.

"She's truly a miracle baby," said William Smalling, a neonatalist at the Baptist Children's Hospital.

He said caring for Amillia in the past month was like navigating uncharted waters.

"We didn't even know what a normal blood pressure is for a baby this small," Smalling said.

The baby was delivered via C-section after attempts to delay a premature delivery failed. She was breathing without assistance at birth and even made several attempts to cry.

The American Association of Pediatrics indicates that babies born at less than 23 weeks of age and 400 grams in weight are not considered viable.

"It may be that we need to reconsider our standard for viability in light of Amillia's case," said Smalling. "Over the years, the technology that we have available to save these premature babies has improved dramatically. Today, we can save babies that would have never survived 10 years ago," he said.





Feb 19 3:52 PM US/Eastern Taken from www.breitbart.com

(I borrowed this from your site, Uncle Jim. I thought it was too good to not share!)