I have been meaning to post on all of Kinley's latest achievements, but somehow time just seems to slip by me. A couple of days ago Kinley celebrated her 9 month birthday and we could not be happier about the progress she continues to make.
First of all, she is gaining weight again! She didn't gain any weight from 7 months to eight months, so I was a little worried about that. Last Monday she had another round of RSV shots and she weighed 16 lbs and 13 oz! That is a 9 oz weight gain for last month. We will take it! Kinley only has one more round of RSV shots this season. It will be nice to have that all done with. We are really looking forward to the end of cold/flu season so that we will feel more comfortable taking Kinley out to more places. We are all getting a little cabin fever. Next Tuesday Kinley has her 9 month appointment with her pediatrician, Dr S. I am just excited that Kinley will not need any shots at that appointment. I think she is beginning to associate that office with shots and I don't want that. We will be asking Dr S if he thinks Kinley continues to need the services of the Special Care Clinic at Children's Mercy or not. It will be nice if we could get rid of some of Kinley's appointments.
Also on Monday Kinley had a visit and evaluation by her occupational therapist from Infants and Toddlers of Johnson County. I am happy to report that Kinley met all her feeding goals! We did however fall behind a little in gross motor skills. We were so focused on feeding, that we lost track of some other developmental milestones. It was determined that Kinley's gross motor skills are closer to a 6-7 month old. Her feeding skills are also closer to a 6-7 month old rather than a 9 month old because she is still depending on bottles more than baby food. Kinley's fine motor skills are a little better, estimated around the 6-8 month age. Considering where Kinley started from, we are overjoyed with her progress to this point. I am sure that with a little more focus on gross motor skills and continued work on feeding skills Kinley will make up the difference in no time. She was approved for 6 more months with Infants and Toddlers.
Wednesday Kinley had a visit from her friend at Parents as Teachers. Kinley was in such a good mood for her appointment and really showed off. Kinley was able to get toys out of a clear plastic container, played patty-cake, played catch and was able to grasp a little toy ball in each hand and hit them together. She got an A+ report from Parents as Teachers and they said how impressed they were with her progress just from the last visit to this visit. That was so nice to hear. Kevin and I also got some new ideas of toys and games to play with Kinley. We really enjoy Kinley's visits with Parents as Teachers.
On the home front there have also been some changes. First of all, Kinley is now back in her own room! She is also sleeping in her crib without the Tucker Sling. Kevin and I are very excited about this achievement. If you remember, Kinley used to sleep in her crib, but in our room. She also had the Tucker Sling, which is a device that allows us to elevate the head of the crib for Kinley to help with her reflux symptoms. We were told that she is doing so well with her reflux that we should try letting her sleep on a flat mattress to see how she does. She didn't like it at first, but now she is doing really well and we have not noticed any change as far as reflux symptoms go. It is so nice to have Kinley in her own room sleeping like a normal, healthy baby. She looks so peaceful when she is sleeping. Kevin and I did have to go out and buy a video monitor before we moved Kinley into her own room...yes, we are those parents.
Also, the massive spreadsheet that Kevin and I have been using to track Kinley's oral intake ever since she came home from the hospital is on hold. We have not logged her intake for the past couple of days and it was an adjustment for us to begin with, but it is nice not to have to worry about each bottle and each bite that she puts into her mouth. Kevin and I decided that since we are pretty much done with the NG tube and Kinley gained weight last month there was really no need to track her intake that extensively anymore. If Kinley starts to fall behind in the weight gain department we might start a new, abbreviated version of the original spreadsheet, but for now we are enjoying being a little more "normal" without the spreadsheet.
Another really nice development is that Kinley is finally getting over her "stranger danger" a little. Last weekend she let both sets of grandparents hold her for an extended period of time with crying. She will also go to other family members and friends without a fight. She looks a little hesitant, but doesn't cry nearly as much as she used to.
As you can tell, last week was pretty busy, but for the most part all good news. I know I have already said it a few times, but we are so happy with Kinley's progress and can't wait to see what tomorrow brings for her. She is such a joy!!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Keeping Family Traditions
When I was growing up, each year for Valentine's Day my parents would get my sister and I a new swimsuit. It worked out great since all the stores have new swimsuits and spring break is right around the corner. Kinley will not be going anywhere for spring break this year, but it was still important to me to keep the family tradition alive. I know I might have confused a few people with the picture of Kinley in her new swimsuit, but she was just modeling her Valentine's Day present. Here are a few more pics from Valentine's Day.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Out To Play?
Yesterday Kinley wanted to go outside and play. She got all dressed up and ready before I had to let her know that it was still too cold outside for her to play. Here is what she looked like all ready to go.
Kinley ended up playing inside with Kobi instead.
Kinley ended up playing inside with Kobi instead. 
I don't think she was too happy with me for making her stay inside, but even though she was not smiling I still think she is cute.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Girl's Night Out
Saturday night it was just Kinely and me for the first time. Kevin went to a guy's weekend, so the girls got together and had our own party. Here are a couple of pics of Kinely all ready to go out.
Here is Kinley just a couple of hours later. All the excitement wore her out.
Here is Kinley just a couple of hours later. All the excitement wore her out.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Eight Months? That Can't Be Right.
It is hard to believe that Kinley is already over 8 months old. I really don't know where the time went. On the one hand it seems like just yesterday we were at Children's Mercy, but on the other hand it seems normal to have Kinley at home and making so much progress. Each day Kinley seems to be discovering new things and it is so much fun to watch.
Since the last time I updated the blog not much has happened. We have had a few appointments, but no big changes in Kinley's care.
The first appointment we had was with Kinley's friend from Parents as Teachers. Kinley always enjoys those visits because all she has to do is show off her old tricks and play with new toys. Kinley is still pretty much on track developmentally. She just recently started repeating consonant sounds, which is a good sign. She will say dadada and babababa along with other sounds. It is pretty cute to watch her "talk".
Kinley also saw her OT from Infant's and Toddlers of Johnson County. Once again, Kinley had a good progress report. Jami tried out some new foods on Kinley and it went pretty well. I don't really know how to explain what Jami fed Kinley because I was not able to be at the appointment, but Kevin described it as fried green beans. Basically it is a high nutrition, high calorie snack that Kinley can feed herself with her hand. It will dissolve in her mouth, but not quite as easily as the puffs that we are feeding her now. Kevin and I are supposed to keep offering Kinley baby food after most bottles, at least 2-3 times a day. Preferably we will offer Kinley baby food at the same time we eat so it is more of a social event for Kinley. Kinley remains NG free, so Kevin and I are very happy about that. Kinley is also getting better at eating baby food from a spoon. We have found that she likes it when we mix baby food with rice cereal and warm it up before feeding it to her. Kinley also really likes these sweet potato puffs that I bought for her.
The next appointment was at the pediatrician's office to get another round of the RSV shots. Kevin and I were not looking forward to making Kinley get more shots, but we were excited to see how much weight Kinley had gained since last month since she has been eating really well. We were disappointed to learn that even with all her oral intake, she did not gain any weight from the time of her December RSV shots to her January shots. She was 16 lbs 4 oz at both visits. Kevin and I decided that Kinley must have been on a growth spurt, because she has been eating really well and we were really surprised she had not gained any weight. Oh well, we figured that Kinley had an appointment at the Special Care Clinic later in the week, and we were sure we would hear if they were concerned about her weight.
The visit to the Special Care Clinic went better than I had expected. Kinley weighed 16 lbs and 9 oz on their scale, so as far as they were concerned that was good enough weight gain, especially since Kinley is eating exclusively orally now. Kinley did fall to just above the 25% for weight (she had been closer to the 50%), but she is still around the 50% for height and head circumference. We were told that we can continue to do what we have been doing with feedings and to schedule another visit in a month. We were supposed to see the occupational therapist at the appointment, but due to a scheduling glitch, she was not available. We will try to hook up with the occupational therapist at our next appointment.
Another bit of good news is that Kinley is finally starting to get into a routine. She will usually wake up around 8:00 am and eat her first bottle before 9:00 am. Then she will usually jump in her jumper and play for a while before taking a nap. When Kinley wakes up from her nap the cycle repeats itself again. Kinley has been eating four times a day about 4 to 5 hours between feedings. Kinley will usually take between 6 and 8 ounces at a bottle and gets spoon fed after at least 2 out of her 4 feedings. Bedtime has been around 10:00 pm. It has been so nice to have some resemblance of a routine. It has allowed Kevin and I to better plan our days and we have even been able to work in a few shopping trips with Kinley to get her out of the house for a little bit.
Just yesterday Kevin noticed a tooth trying to come in. It is barely visible, but you can feel it starting to come in on her lower gum line. It doesn't really seem to bother Kinley, she has been her normal, happy self for the most part. She is one tough little girl.
Kinley has not started crawling yet, but she is close. For now she is mobile by rolling on the floor everywhere. Watch out, if Kinley decides that there is something she wants, she will find a way to get it.
Since the last time I updated the blog not much has happened. We have had a few appointments, but no big changes in Kinley's care.
The first appointment we had was with Kinley's friend from Parents as Teachers. Kinley always enjoys those visits because all she has to do is show off her old tricks and play with new toys. Kinley is still pretty much on track developmentally. She just recently started repeating consonant sounds, which is a good sign. She will say dadada and babababa along with other sounds. It is pretty cute to watch her "talk".
Kinley also saw her OT from Infant's and Toddlers of Johnson County. Once again, Kinley had a good progress report. Jami tried out some new foods on Kinley and it went pretty well. I don't really know how to explain what Jami fed Kinley because I was not able to be at the appointment, but Kevin described it as fried green beans. Basically it is a high nutrition, high calorie snack that Kinley can feed herself with her hand. It will dissolve in her mouth, but not quite as easily as the puffs that we are feeding her now. Kevin and I are supposed to keep offering Kinley baby food after most bottles, at least 2-3 times a day. Preferably we will offer Kinley baby food at the same time we eat so it is more of a social event for Kinley. Kinley remains NG free, so Kevin and I are very happy about that. Kinley is also getting better at eating baby food from a spoon. We have found that she likes it when we mix baby food with rice cereal and warm it up before feeding it to her. Kinley also really likes these sweet potato puffs that I bought for her.
The next appointment was at the pediatrician's office to get another round of the RSV shots. Kevin and I were not looking forward to making Kinley get more shots, but we were excited to see how much weight Kinley had gained since last month since she has been eating really well. We were disappointed to learn that even with all her oral intake, she did not gain any weight from the time of her December RSV shots to her January shots. She was 16 lbs 4 oz at both visits. Kevin and I decided that Kinley must have been on a growth spurt, because she has been eating really well and we were really surprised she had not gained any weight. Oh well, we figured that Kinley had an appointment at the Special Care Clinic later in the week, and we were sure we would hear if they were concerned about her weight.
The visit to the Special Care Clinic went better than I had expected. Kinley weighed 16 lbs and 9 oz on their scale, so as far as they were concerned that was good enough weight gain, especially since Kinley is eating exclusively orally now. Kinley did fall to just above the 25% for weight (she had been closer to the 50%), but she is still around the 50% for height and head circumference. We were told that we can continue to do what we have been doing with feedings and to schedule another visit in a month. We were supposed to see the occupational therapist at the appointment, but due to a scheduling glitch, she was not available. We will try to hook up with the occupational therapist at our next appointment.
Another bit of good news is that Kinley is finally starting to get into a routine. She will usually wake up around 8:00 am and eat her first bottle before 9:00 am. Then she will usually jump in her jumper and play for a while before taking a nap. When Kinley wakes up from her nap the cycle repeats itself again. Kinley has been eating four times a day about 4 to 5 hours between feedings. Kinley will usually take between 6 and 8 ounces at a bottle and gets spoon fed after at least 2 out of her 4 feedings. Bedtime has been around 10:00 pm. It has been so nice to have some resemblance of a routine. It has allowed Kevin and I to better plan our days and we have even been able to work in a few shopping trips with Kinley to get her out of the house for a little bit.
Just yesterday Kevin noticed a tooth trying to come in. It is barely visible, but you can feel it starting to come in on her lower gum line. It doesn't really seem to bother Kinley, she has been her normal, happy self for the most part. She is one tough little girl.
Kinley has not started crawling yet, but she is close. For now she is mobile by rolling on the floor everywhere. Watch out, if Kinley decides that there is something she wants, she will find a way to get it.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Long Overdue
It has been a while since I updated on Kinley's day to day progress, so here I go.
The good news is that Kinley is really doing well with her bottle feeds. She has not needed an NG feed for over a month now. At this point, the occupational therapist said that we are basically done with the NG!! We still have the NG supplies at home, but we won't use it unless Kinley goes several days without meeting her minimum volume. If she has one day where she is a little short on oral intake she usually makes up for it the next day. It is nice to be able to look at the big picture now and not focus on each bottle. Kinley will usually take between 4 and 7 ounces at each bottle and will eat anywhere from 4 to 6 bottles a day. Kevin, Kinley and I have all really enjoyed being NG free this year!
Kinley still needs more practice and encouragement when it comes to spoon feeding. She likes to put everything we feed her in her mouth, but then she just moves it around in her mouth, makes some funny faces and then spits most of the food out. I am sure it would be really funny if it was not so frustrating. So far we have found that Kinley likes sweet potatoes and bananas the best. This does not come as a huge surprise since I ate a lot of bananas while pregnant with Kinley. Kinley is still seen by the occupational therapist from Infant-Toddler twice a month to concentrate on her spoon feeding.
Since Kinley has not needed an NG feed overnight, she also does not need to sleep with her apnea monitor on. Kevin and I decided a while ago that once Kinley did not need those two things anymore she did not need to sleep in our bed overnight. We have been working on transitioning her to sleeping in her crib overnight and it has been a challenge for everyone. We moved her crib from her room into our room so it was not as big of a change all at once. We moved her Tucker Sling into her crib (that is what allows her to sleep at an incline to help with her reflux) so that she had some consistency between our bed and her crib. The transition has gone as expected. We used to be able to put Kinley to bed and she would just lay in bed silently until she fell asleep. Now she just cries until she falls asleep. There are some nights I put her to sleep in my arms and then transition her into her crib and that works pretty well. I guess we were pretty spoiled when Kinley would just go to bed without a fuss. We know in the long run that this will be better for her. It will just take her a while to get used to the change.
As far as Kinley's development goes, she is rolling all over the place! She can't quite crawl, but it looks like she is trying. Kinley can sit on her own and she loves playing with all her new toys from Christmas.
Last week we had a quick visit at the pediatrician's office for Kinley's flu shot booster, but other than that, no real appointments which has been nice.
Kinley continues to drool a lot, but still no teeth.
I think that pretty much covers it. All in all Kinley is doing really well and we are very happy with her progress!!
The good news is that Kinley is really doing well with her bottle feeds. She has not needed an NG feed for over a month now. At this point, the occupational therapist said that we are basically done with the NG!! We still have the NG supplies at home, but we won't use it unless Kinley goes several days without meeting her minimum volume. If she has one day where she is a little short on oral intake she usually makes up for it the next day. It is nice to be able to look at the big picture now and not focus on each bottle. Kinley will usually take between 4 and 7 ounces at each bottle and will eat anywhere from 4 to 6 bottles a day. Kevin, Kinley and I have all really enjoyed being NG free this year!
Kinley still needs more practice and encouragement when it comes to spoon feeding. She likes to put everything we feed her in her mouth, but then she just moves it around in her mouth, makes some funny faces and then spits most of the food out. I am sure it would be really funny if it was not so frustrating. So far we have found that Kinley likes sweet potatoes and bananas the best. This does not come as a huge surprise since I ate a lot of bananas while pregnant with Kinley. Kinley is still seen by the occupational therapist from Infant-Toddler twice a month to concentrate on her spoon feeding.
Since Kinley has not needed an NG feed overnight, she also does not need to sleep with her apnea monitor on. Kevin and I decided a while ago that once Kinley did not need those two things anymore she did not need to sleep in our bed overnight. We have been working on transitioning her to sleeping in her crib overnight and it has been a challenge for everyone. We moved her crib from her room into our room so it was not as big of a change all at once. We moved her Tucker Sling into her crib (that is what allows her to sleep at an incline to help with her reflux) so that she had some consistency between our bed and her crib. The transition has gone as expected. We used to be able to put Kinley to bed and she would just lay in bed silently until she fell asleep. Now she just cries until she falls asleep. There are some nights I put her to sleep in my arms and then transition her into her crib and that works pretty well. I guess we were pretty spoiled when Kinley would just go to bed without a fuss. We know in the long run that this will be better for her. It will just take her a while to get used to the change.
As far as Kinley's development goes, she is rolling all over the place! She can't quite crawl, but it looks like she is trying. Kinley can sit on her own and she loves playing with all her new toys from Christmas.
Last week we had a quick visit at the pediatrician's office for Kinley's flu shot booster, but other than that, no real appointments which has been nice.
Kinley continues to drool a lot, but still no teeth.
I think that pretty much covers it. All in all Kinley is doing really well and we are very happy with her progress!!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Kinley And Her Coffee?
Kevin and I don't really like the cold, and with Kinley neither one of us gets a whole lot of sleep, so we have been drinking more Starbucks than normal. (Thanks for all the gift certificates!) The last few times I have had Starbucks Kinley seemed really interested in my cup. The last time I asked for an empty kiddie cup and as you can tell, Kinley new what to do with it right away. I think she was a little disappointed that there was nothing to drink inside her cup, but maybe a sippy cup is on the horizon for her.
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