Size Matters!

In case it's hard to determine exactly how much I've grown since April 10, 2006...I am putting the first picture of me with my army beanie baby, and a picture of me with my army beanie baby today. I think it's clear to see that the tables have turned and I now have the upper hand:) He is the size of a fly compared to the awesome size of me...Super Zander...AKA Chunky Monkey:)!!!!

Chunky Monkey

Hello everyone!:)

Today I went to my doctor's appointment and guess what??? I weigh 9 lbs 4 ozs today!!! My doctor was so excited that I gained 1 lb 1 oz since my last doctors appointment two weeks ago. Mommy has started affectionately calling me a Chunky Monkey because I really like eating!!! I'm also 21 and 1/4 inches tall. According to my doctor, I grew 1 inch. It's funny, I don't remember growing any time in the last two weeks....I just remember eating, sleeping, and cuddling:)

I don't have to go back and see that doctor for 3 whole weeks!!!! I do have to go see a Urologist...I don't know what kind of doctor that is, but I don't think it's good. I heard my doctor telling mommy about my privates and then I stopped listening...whatever she started to say, I don't think I wanted to hear it!!!!!

And what's this surgery stuff? Mommy told Grandma Orr that I have to have surgery on Sept. 19....it's too bad I can't read yet, or I would thoroughly research all these words that the doctors say to mommy and daddy. I am beginning to think there is a conspiracy going on and no one is letting me in on it....naughty mommy and daddy!!

Hanging out at home

Here's mommy and me hanging out at home. We do that a lot lately because it is hard sometimes to take my oxygen and monitors with us every where!!! Plus, I really like hanging out with mommy:) Daddy says mommy spoils me by holding me too much....I personally believe that I spoil mommy too much by showering her with my attention. Come on, I'm just trying to butter her up so I get my way always in the future...I think I have her wrapped around my tiny fingers already!!!1

It's all mine!

Sometimes My mommy doesn't feed me quite like I want her to. It's those times when I decide to take the bottle into my own hands. Here am I taking charge of the situation and feeding myself!!! I only show this awesome strength once in a while...usually I let mommy and daddy, or whomever else is feeding me do most of the work:)

Playdates are fun, fun, fun

I had my very first play date last Thursday. My little friend, baby Adalie came to visit me at my house. We played for a little while...okay, we really just layed next to each other...then she cried so we decided to eat something. It was very fun!!!! Notice how big I am compared to her? She's little, only 5lbs 9ozs in this picture...I am a giant!:)

The Long Awaited Graduation Photo

Here's my newborn picture from the hospital. Do you know that they didn't even take my "newborn" picture until the day I was discharged???? I was over three months old by that time!!! I don't get these picture people....taking a picture of a 3 month old and calling it a "newborn photo"....Crazy!

Anyway, Mommy found the perfect outfit for my graduation from the NICU....a graduation cap and gown, complete with a little diploma. The nurses loved it and so did mommy!! I personally thought that picture time was a great time to take a cat nap before I was discharged, that's why my eyes were closed. Mommy told me that I had to have a graudation outfit because I fought long and hard to make it this far and I needed to remember for always how strong I am. She says I'm a fighter....not like beating people up, but really just a strong and tough little man who fought his way through some very tough moments in life...Mommy says I am definately one of a kind!

Mommy was sitting next to me today and was looking at some of my old pictures. She says that looking at me today, you'd never know how much I had to fight to stay alive and be here today. She told me that I don't look anything like that tiny little man in the early days, because now I'm getting big and strong. I told mommy that I couldn't have been so strong and tough without all the prayers that everyone said for me. You are all AWESOME!!!:)

I Own Daddy

Hey everyone:) Daddy says that he owns me now because he got my tiny foot prints tattooed on his arm. He's been talking about it for a really really long time....basically since he saw my tiny foot prints when I was born. So he finally did it....Daddy now has my foot prints on his arm, along with my name and birthdate, and even my birth weight!!! He's such a silly daddy....to think that he owns me, doesn't he know that I own him forever and ever???? That's right, my tiny feet have branded him for life and he's all mine!:)

Grandma DoMo Is Naughty

Okay, my Grandma DoMo is not really naughty, but she has been trying to talk mommy into taking a picture of me without my nasal canula covering up my face for a lot of weeks now. So today, Grandma DoMo and mommy gave me a bath, and since mommy had to change my face stickers and nasal canula, she allowed me to keep my oxygen off for about 10 minutes. I'm supposed to wear my nasal canula all the time, but mommy has to admit that I don't really do that. It's not her fault, it's really mine...because I pull and push at my nasal canula so much that it rarely stays in my nose anyway.

Grandma DoMo wanted a picture of me so now she has one. I did really good without my nasal canula on my face for the whole ten minutes....maybe my doctor will ween me off of the oxygen so that I can be done with my nasal canula once and for all!!!

I can't give you an update on my height and weight today because I haven't seen my doctor since last Wednesday. I weighed 8lbs. 3ozs. last Wednesday and I know I weigh more today, but I don't know how much I've gained. I won't find out until next week when I go back to see my doctor.

I got fed today by both Grandma DoMo and Grandpa Bob. Mommy didn't hold me for a whole five hours! It was hard for her not to hold me, but she knows she has to share me with others. Besides, now that daddy works evenings, mommy usually gets me all to herself until after daddy comes home from work. We snuggle and talk to each other, and then mommy gives me tummy time.

I'm working really hard to roll over these days. I can do it, but not every time that I try. I think I might be able to fly before I can roll over every time I try. Mommy loves to watch me try because I stretch out my legs and lift up my whole lower body in the air and then rock from side to side. It almost looks like I'm trying to fly, rather than roll over. Maybe I'll have mommy take a picture of me pretending to fly and show every one on here. But for now, I need a nap:)

My Grandpa Bob

Today Grandpa Bob and Grandma DoMo came to visit me. Grandpa Bob wanted to see me sit in my vibrating chair, but mommy told him that I use the chair so much that the batteries were dead. Grandpa Bob loves me so much that he went out and bought me new batteries. Don't get me wrong...mommy and daddy love me too, but we don't leave the house too often because where ever I go, so goes two monitors and an oxygen tank. It's easier to just wait until we need a whole bunch of stuff and then I go with both mommy and daddy. It's fun to go on outings with mommy and daddy:)

Anyway, Grandpa Bob bought me some batteries and then my vibrating chair once again worked wonderfully! Grandpa Bob listened to the music that the chair plays and watched as my little body vibrated. He was so impressed:)

Up, Up, and Away

Here's me sitting in my very own swing. My grandma and grandpa Orr bought me the swing and I just had to try it out. I'm still too little to sit in it without having blankets wrapped around me....because I can't keep my head up straight all the time. Sometimes I like to lean my head to the side and my body just keeps following my head, because of that, mommy places a blanket around me to keep me in one place.

It was weird swinging inside my house. I got to see everything from a different perspective. Usually I'm sitting on mommy or daddy, or I'm laying on the floor looking up. In my swing, I see things right in front of me....but, everything seems to move closer to me and then pulls back. Mommy tried to explain that it was really me that was moving because I was in the swing and the swing moves back and forth....but, I don't think mommy knows what she is talking about, I know what I see....I see things near and then far. At times it makes me tired and a little bit dizzy....maybe it will just take some getting used to.

Me and My Daddy

Here's a picture of me and my daddy hanging out at home. We like to sit in the recliner together and watch some television. My daddy takes good care of me, and I love hanging out with him.

Roly Poly

I'm getting so big these days. Today my visiting Nurse Tai came to see me. I am sad because she doesn't get to come and see me anymore because I'm doing so good. I weighed 8 lbs and 3ozs today. It doesn't seem like I gained very much weight from her last visit, but last week I was only 19.5 inches tall....this week I am 21.25 inches tall. So instead of all the food going to my tummy, it went to my legs to make them longer.

I don't sleep as much as most babies do, but that's because I am a social butterfly. Everyone tells mommy and daddy that I am really only 2.5 weeks old.....but you know what? I do more than a 2.5 week old does. I can almost roll myself over completely....which I believe I have done once, but mommy says she helped a tiny bit.

And I have it on good authority....Grandma Domo said so....I am such a good little boy. That's right. I do not complain very much at all. I think it's because I have my mommy wrapped around my finger so I don't have to throw a huge fit because if I make the slightest noise she's right there. Sometimes she can be annoying, so I always look forward to visitors so that I don't always have to hold mommy. I even save my best smiles for my visitors:) I don't have to give them to mommy and daddy because I know that they have to love me no matter what!!!

I promise I'm working on getting more pictures on here.....the computer is not wanting to work with me very well.....but I will soon conquer the computer!!!

Laying Around

Here I am playing on the floor in the living room. Since I am connected to a heart monitor, a pulse oximeter, and a huge tank of oxygen, mommy and I usually hang out in the living room where there is a lot of space for me to move around. I like this toy because it makes a "crinkly" noise if you squeeze the octopus's arms. I may be little, but I sure am smart:)