A few months ago, I was approached by a representative from The March of Dimes seeking parents of preemies to contribute photos and stories for a new project on their website. Well, I just received an email that the program is up and running! I’m so excited! Some of my readers may not know, but my son, Danny, was born 14 weeks early due to complications with my pregnancy. He weighed in at 1 lb 14 oz and spent about three months in the NICU. The March of Dimes has used various photos from his stay there in an easy to follow, interactive program for parents about Understanding Your Premature Infant.

Danny’s photos are on the pages listed below (or see him on Flickr):

- Infant Cues, pg. 6 (4 photos – Danny at different stages)
- Body & Movement, pg. 7 (1 photos – The Hubbs with 1 wk. old Danny)
- Sleep & Awake, pg. 1 (the photo on the left)
- Senses, pg. 8 (Me & Danny), pg. 10, pg. 11
- Interacting, pg. 6 (The “Ooh” Face on the left)

Danny is almost 2 1/2 now and he’s growing and learning everyday. His Dad and I are very proud of how far he’s come. We just wish he’d tell us what he did with the hard drive from his Dad’s laptop. He got a hold of it two weeks ago and we can’t find where he’s hidden it!

Thirteen Thinks I am Thankful For (Some Are Serious, Some … Not So Much)

01. My son, Daniel. He was born 14 weeks premature and weighed 1 lb. 14 oz. He spent three months in the NICU. He is now nearly 19 months old, has recently learned to walk, and he’s the happiest baby ever. He’s always laughing and getting into things he shouldn’t. I love you, Danny!

02. My husband, David. He’s my best friend and the sweetest, most caring person I have ever had the privilege to know. I love you, baby!

03. My mom, Cheryl. She has been living with cancer for the past 7 years. I am thankful for everyday that I have with her. She’s a truly, truly amazing woman. I love you, Mom!

04. My siblings! Linda, Joey, and April. We talk and visit and kid around often. We trade kids, give each other love and support, fight, laugh, cry, declare war on one another, and commiserate on all the therapy we need now that we’ve survived childhood. Yeah, I love you guys, too!

05. The house we live in. Even though our landlord is an ass sometimes and the place needs a major overhaul, I am grateful we have a place to live that fits our budget, such as it is, and has room for all our junk. Maybe one day we’ll manage to unpack it all.

06. The jobs we have. Yes, they may be crappy and the hours totally suck, but I’m happy we have what we do. Far too many people don’t even have that right now. (I still hope that Hubby will get his old job back soon – damn layoffs!)

07. Our friends! We save each other from boredom, bad porn, and too much good beer.

08. Books! (Duh!)

09. The Internet.

10. Slash fanfiction. (Yes, John and Rodney from Stargate: Atlantis are so doing it!

11. Geek t-shirts! (Astrophysicists do it with a Big Bang!) LOL

12. Gravity.

13. Pumpkin pie!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thirteen Photos of My Son

My son’s first birthday is coming up in May and I thought it would be nice to post some photos of him from the past year. The last picture was taken in February so he’s grown quite a bit since then. Well, as you can see from the photos, he’s grown quite a lot overall. :D So, without further ado, here’s Danny!

Just after he was born. 1 lb. 14 oz. 3 months premature.

1 week old.

1 month old.

2 months old.

Changing time!

3 months old. Getting ready to go home!

His binky is almost as big as he is!

Nap time!

Bed head.

Posing at the park.

Dazed and confused.

First Christmas!

In a baby doll stroller.

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Danny is now 1 month and 1 week old! He’s grown so much over the past few weeks, it’s just amazing. He now weighs 2 lbs. 15.9 oz. His feeds are up to 6.8 ml an hour (he’s still on continuous feeds through a feeding tube) and they’ve weened him down a dose on one of his stimulant medications. He’s still having some troubles with his lungs, but that’s something that is normal for a preemie his age. He’s getting stronger, but it just takes time. As my OB told me on my last visit: “Just feed him, water him, and watch him grow!” Here are a few recent pics:

I am still here, but there have been some major changes in my life that have kept me from updating this site. I found out I was pregnant not long after posting the Seafaring Challenge. I spent the next few months feeling very icky and tired, so my book reading took a back burner (unless it was pregnancy related). Just a few weeks ago, at 26 weeks pregnant, I was admitted to the hospital with severe preeclampsia and pulmonary edema. On May 8th at 4:54 p.m., my son Jonathan Daniel, was born via emergency c-section. He weighed 1 lb. 14 oz. He’s in the NICU and will remain there atleast until his due date, which was August 12. He is doing well, though he has a few mishaps now and then with his breathing and heart rate. He’s on medication and the c-pap to help him improve his breathing. He’s very tiny, but he’s a big fighter! Here are a few pics of him at a little over 2 weeks old.