Smiley Aerin

Long Overdue Update

Aerin is doing wonderfully well. She went to the doctor for her 9-month/6-month check-up and he gave her a clean bill of health. Dr. Al-Mateen "couldn't be more pleased" with her progress. She's developmentally on target and physically fine. She's just below the 50 percentile in height and weight for a 6-month-old (still not on the chart for her chronological age). She's still on Pepcid twice a day for reflux and will probably continue to be for the next few months. She's still spitting up, but not nearly as much. Dr. Al-Mateen also feels that the lung scarring from Aerin's BPD will eventually correct itself, which is very good news.

While we got mostly good news at the check-up, we did get some not so good news. Aerin's hemangioma is continuing to grow in a way that the doctors are not pleased with. It seems fairly certain that it will not go away on its own. We’re taking Aerin to a pediatric dermatologist in a couple of months for evaluation. Nothing can be done until after the age of 2 years, but Dr. Al-Mateen wants it documented by specialists to make future treatment easier. We will likely go to Children's Hospital in Boston - their Vascular Anomalies Center is the best in the country.

Though she is not crawling in the true sense of the word, Aerin gets where she wants to go (naturally). She will get on her hands and knees and rock back and forth. Then she will launch herself forward in a bellyflop and get back up again. This moves her several inches forward and is very dramatic and hilarious. She can also roll to where she wants to be. She's almost figured out that she needs to move her hands and legs to crawl - she'll move a leg forward, reach out a hand, and decide to bellyflop instead. She loves to move and is very proud of herself. She'll just rock and laugh and I always crack up. Recently, she’s started pulling herself up into a sitting position. She still needs one arm to support her, but I'm impressed. Aerin never cries when she falls (she never gets hurt since we only let her crawl on the bed), even when she's startled. I make sure never to show that I'm worried or upset and I always smile when she looks up at me. It seems to have worked - she takes falls in stride and is very adventurous. She'll take a header off the bed if we didn't watch her.

Aerin is "talking" more and more. Her babbling now has consonant and vowel sounds. I think she said "Dad" yesterday, but Andrew doesn't think it counts as her first word. I think it could, because I heard her say it twice.

When she's not on the go, Aerin still insists on being held. She's up to 15 pounds, 8 ounces, so I'm getting good daily workouts. She still won't go in a bouncy chair or swing for very long, but she's doing okay in her new high chair. She's been eating solids for a few weeks now and is doing really well with them. She eats peaches, pears, green beans, and squash. Her favorite is pears. We give her one fruit to every two vegetables and we introduce a new food every week. Next on the list is peas, then carrots.

We have had a lot of visitors this spring and summer - Aunt Julien (who's expecting a little girl in September), Grandnana, Grandma & Grandpa, and Andrea & Joe. I'll be writing about their visits in the next couple of weeks. I'll also be writing about our very first trip with Aerin, which is also our last (it didn't go well).

We're expecting more visitors, including Jim, Amy, & Emily Anne, Aunt Cara, Uncle Daniel, Great-Aunt Amy, Great-Uncle Tom, Cousin Hallie, & Cousin Rachel, and all the grandparents. We're hoping that Aunt Jenn will be able to come down. She just finished a marathon in Alaska to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and we're very proud of her.

More Aerin Facts - Geek Edition

1. Aerin made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.
2. A bottle of sparkling wine is not truly champagne unless it originated from that region of France, or Aerin smashes it over your head.
3. It is impossible to play Aerin to a draw at tic-tac-toe.
4. Aerin’s desired outcome has a probability of 2.
5. All your base are belong to Aerin.*

More Aerin Facts

1. When Aerin calls customer service, the operator presses 0 to speak with her.
2. Aerin can overwrite files on a CD-R disc.
3. Aerin spoils the endings of movies for the screenwriters.
4. For Aerin, the laws of thermodynamics are guidelines.
5. Aerin’s vote counts as an electoral vote.

Facts About Aerin

In the spirit of the Chuck Norris facts, we present this partial list of Aerin facts:

1. Aerin doesn’t need to dial 9 to get an outside line.
2. Aerin gets to arrive at the gate 90 minutes after departure for an international flight.
3. Aerin knows the last digit of pi.
4. Aerin sustains her own objections at trial.
5. It used to be that 4 out of 5 dentists agreed with Aerin. Now it’s 4 out of 4.

Happy Father's Day

My husband Andrew has already been through more in his 9+ months of fatherhood than most fathers go through in a lifetime. He has handled every crisis, setback, and heartache with amazing strength and good humor. Aerin and I are truly blessed to have him. Happy Father's Day, Andrew. We love you.

Posts Coming

Sorry I haven't updated in so long - we've been very busy travelling and having visitors and Aerin is a very high-maintenance baby. She's doing really well and is going to crawl any day now. Here's a picture from Aerin's very first tea party to tide you over:

Bon Voyage

Aerin is 5 months (adjusted) today and weighs 14 pounds even. She has discovered her feet and is so athletic that she is doing perfect heel stretches already. She is very into rattles and knows to bat and shake them to make noise. She can also drag objects to her. Aerin is a little chatterbox and always has something to say. Andrew and I both heard her say, "Hey, Momma!" and I heard her say, "Thanks." Getting her to say all that again is proving a challenge, but I'm confident we'll be hearing a lot more very soon.

Mother's Day was fantastic, btw. It was so different from last year, when we were in the middle of my very troubled pregnancy and wondering if we'd have cause to celebrate this year. Andrew and Aerin gave me a special mug that they had made and flowers and balloons and cards. We had a lovely lunch and Aerin fell asleep so that Andrew and I could eat at the same time. Oh, and Andrew bought me a new car, which I think is a pretty neat gift.

We're hitting the road early tomorrow morning and heading to Bethlehem. I'm excited and nervous - this will be a travel litmus test for us and I really hope Aerin does well.

Partial Update

Aerin is now 8 months old! I know I say this every month, but I can't believe it. Medically, she's doing great. We've all had colds these past couple of weeks. Aerin is now big enough for a decongestant and that really helped her. Our pediatrician told me that it would make her either hyper or make her sleepy. I was pretty nervous about giving it to her because she's on such a great sleep schedule, but, luckily for all of us, it makes her tired. It was just a head cold - I know because I listened to her chest every day. I was worried, but not to the degree I've been in the past. Aerin needs to get colds to strengthen her immune system and we're out of RSV season, so pneumonia isn't a threat at this point. We will have to go underground this coming winter, but it will be the last one, as preemies usually catch up to their peers by age 2.

Aerin is a gifted athlete and contortionist. Every night I put her to sleep at the foot of her crib. Every morning she wakes up either at the head or facing the opposite way or perpendicular to where I set her down. We had an incident where Andrew was changing her and I was preparing the bottle in the kitchen. I heard Andrew shout and I looked over at them. Aerin was on her tummy on the changing table and both she and Andrew had stunned expressions on their faces. Then they both turned to look at me with identical expressions of shocked bewilderment - it was hilarious. Apparently, Aerin had done some kind of backflip or somersault. Andrew still hasn't recovered.

Aerin is mellowing out somewhat. She still insists on being held most of the time, but she is going in her bouncy chairs and swings more and more. She loves when I sing to her and she absolutely loves peek-a-boo. I think she's going to like rollercoasters more than her mother because she loves to be "thrown" up in the air (it's more of a push - we don't let go). Her smile is truly the most glorious thing I have ever seen.

This weekend is a big milestone for us - our first out-of-town trip! We're headed to Bethlehem, PA to visit our dear friends Jim and Amy and their lovely daughter Emily Anne. Amy is hosting her annual tea and I've been looking forward to it for months. Our other good friends, Byran and Corina, will also be there with their twins Tristan and Aidan. This will be the first time Aerin has been around other young children (almost 2 and 3.5) and I'm very interested to see how everyone reacts.

Our First Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

It's a really special day for someone who couldn't deserve it more. She fought for so long and sacrificed so much to give us Aerin. Everyone is proud of you, Kira, because you're a wonderful mother.

Aerin's Video Debut

A real post is coming soon, I promise.

In the meantime, to tide y'all over, here is a video of Aerin with Momma singing. Keep in mind that I am recording as I sing and I am getting over a cold.

Aerin & Uncle Daniel

New Friend for Aerin

The Marx Family would like to congratulate our friends Anne, Jeff, and big sister Emma on the birth of their baby girl Bridget Niamh. She couldn't ask for a kinder, more loving family to be born into and we couldn't be happier for all 4(!) family members.

WalkAmerica Tomorrow

Andrew, Aerin, and I will be participating in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica tomorrow. Thank you so much to the many people who sponsored us - a lot of money has been raised for the March of Dimes in Aerin's name since her birth. We hope that the money she has inspired people to donate is used to make sure that no other baby has to go through what she did.

Unfortunately, it looks like it might rain tomorrow. It's supposed to be in the 80's (hot and muggy - my least favorite kind of weather), so we have permission to take Aerin. We got a rain cover for her stroller, just in case. I'm very excited to meet the other family teams and their miracle babies.

7 Months Old

It's been a busy couple of weeks for us. Aerin turned 7 months old on the 12th (adjusted age 4 months as of the 18th). She also had her 6th-month baby checkup (she had it a month late because of her Synagis schedule) and her very last shot of Synagis! May is the end of RSV season and we can breathe a little easier. Aerin got a clean bill of health. She's 12 pounds, 12 ounces, which is the 50th percentile for 4-month-olds (her adjusted age). She's not even on the chart for 7-month-olds, which is to be expected. She's also in the 50th percentile for height. She's hitting every single 4-month developmental milestone and some 7-month ones, which is virtually unheardof for a 26-weeker. She can roll over, transfer objects from one hand to the other, babble, imitate sounds, bat at things, and has figured out that when she bats at her rattles, they make noise. She recognizes Andrew and me and responds to her name. I'm working on getting her to say, "Mama" in the next couple of months (she better not say "Daddy").

In other medical news, Aerin's hemangioma is going through a growth phase. They usually enter a growth phase between 6 to 8 months and then shrink until they disappear. However, some never disappear and require treatment. The standard treatments are steroids, laser surgery, and/or skin grafts. We wouldn't even think about treatment until she's at least 4 and only then if she asks for it. I would almost certainly rule out steroids, due to their side effects. The best option would be laser surgery - skin grafts are pretty rough. Of course, there may be a brand new, better treatment by the time she's ready. Her belly button is still herniated, but it seems to be resolving itself. Again, we wouldn't even consider treatment until she's at least 4 and asks about it herself. The only treatment for this is surgery.

We got some very good news - Aerin doesn't have to have an MRI for her tract (a tube of soft tissue in her back, near her tailbone). Our pediatricians reviewed the ultrasound again and consulted with a neurologist and they all agree that it is unnecessary. I'm very pleased that she won't have to be put under anesthesia. I had a feeling that she didn't need the MRI - I think you develop reliable instincts when you have a micropreemie.

Aerin has begun to display her Southern charm and smiles at everyone who smiles at her (which is everyone who sees her). People are just drawn to her - she has a very penetrating gaze and loves to look at people.

She's doing quite well in her crib. I think she likes it better than the bassinet. I got a clip-on soother that vibrates strongly and she loves it. She also loves her mobile. We got one that has soft, multi-colored ABC blocks that have slits for pictures on the bottoms and a mirror in the center block. Andrew made some geometric designs in black and white and I put those in. Aerin is fascinated by them and they are so good for her development. In a couple of months, we'll move from geometric shapes to black-and-white graphics of faces. They would be too stimulating now. We got mesh bumpers, which allow the baby to breathe clean air even if she presses her face against them. They're recommended for all infants under 1 year of age to help prevent SIDS.

We had an uneventful Passover. We can't take Aerin to a seder this year (although she can go to shul next month, finally), which is helpful in a way. For those of you who don't know, Aerin was a triplet pregnancy and we lost her siblings. We lost Baby C on the first night of Passover last year. I was in the beginning of my first trimester and C was always smaller than A and B, but it was frightening and sad and it was the beginning of all the terrible problems we had with the pregnancy. We're so very blessed to have Aerin here with us, but we do sometimes think of the other babies we never got to meet.

Bumbo Babysitter

Bye-Bye Bassinet

Tonight will be Aerin's last night in her bassinet. I thought she'd be in it for at least another 6 weeks, but she's past ready for a crib. She is very active in her sleep and moves herself to the top of the bassinet every night. And since she has learned to turn over, she's wiggled out of her sleep positioner every night, too. If she didn't have her monitor, I'd be out of my mind.

I have a love/hate relationship with the monitor. It gives me peace of mind, but it also goes off in the middle of the night and wakes us all up. When Aerin is in a very deep sleep, her heartrate drops below the set limit occasionally (this is very normal - all babies do this, we just can't tell because they're not hooked up to monitors). It comes right back up, but the alarm is so loud that even the 3 beeps wake us up.

Aerin's reflux is challenging for all of us. It's uncomfortable for her until she starts spitting up. She doesn't mind that at all. That's when it becomes frustrating for me. I have no clean clothes left and I've washed every cushion in our house more times than I can count (thank goodness for slipcovers), not to mention the blankets, baby clothes, mountain of bibs, and towels. I am starting to get serious back pain because Aerin will scream when I put her down. She's also starting to eschew binkies for her fingers, which bothers me. I can take binkies away at the appropriate time, but I can't take away her fingers and that's a hard habit to break. We have a doctor's appointment this week, so we'll see what they have to say.

April

WalkAmerica

On April 23rd, Andrew, Aerin, and I will be participating in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica, with the goal of raising $2,500.00. The March of Dimes is a wonderful organization dedicated to preventing premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality. We truly believe that our daughter wouldn't be here today without the good work that they do. Please check out our Marx Family WalkAmerica page.