March for Babies Walk

I am walking for the March for Babies, March of Dimes fundraiser in 12 days. This organization is dear to me because my 13 month old Lillian was a preemie by 6 weeks. When she was born she was weighed only 4lbs 9oz the first is a newborn picture of her. She was in the NICU for 19 days before she could come home. Thanks to God and the work that March of Dimes has done for preemies research Lillian is a healthy baby and bring joy to our lives daily. This second picture was taken on her 1st Birthday last month, by http://www.injoyful.com/. She's still tiny but as her pediatrician says "she's prefect, just small." Can you please spare a few bucks to help babies and help me reach my goal for fundraising? If so just click on the March for Babies Banner at the top of this blog and it will take you to my page to donate for my walk. Thank You!

The spread...there was so much left over food, luckily I made almost everyone take food home!

Lillian sporting her #1 Shirt and her cute Tutu made by my friend Anna

Lillian and Big Sister Annalese

Lillian 1st Birthday Party- Saturday March 6, 2010

I threw Lillian her 1st Birthday party today! I can't believe my tiny little bundle of joy is almost a year old (will be on March 9th). She seemed to love the balloons and decorations. We had just a few close friends over and their kiddos (I tired to keep the party small), also my father and his new girlfriend came. Lillian seemed to enjoy watching all the kiddos run around, I could see that she really wanted to join them. When it came time to do the cake and such, she didn't quite know what to think of everyone singing happy birthday to her, she just kept staring at me the whole time. She touched her cake a little then decided she didn't like the icing on her fingers (just like Annalese did at her first birthday party). Then since she wouldn't put any of the cake or icing in her mouth I put some on a spoon and fed it to her...that did not go over well! She started crying and gaging like I just poisoned her! This really was not a surprise to me as she refuses to eat solid foods, she's a baby food only type of gal. I was really disappointed that my husband could not locate a Internet connection fast enough so that we could web cam and him be "present" via the Internet for the party. Yesterday I was a total wreck, crying a lot because he wasn't going to be here for the party. Today I did okay, because of my friend Anna coming to help set up for the party & for my other friends' support. I'm so blessed to have good friends to help me get through this!

Hubby leaves for month-long CST

On Saturday, Feb 27th my husband left for a month-long Combat Skills Training at Fort Dix. This is in preparation for deployment to Qatar for 6 months. We were given 3 days notice that he was deploying and had to leave for training. We were very shocked, we were under the mistaken assumption that he was "out of the bucket" therefore safe from deployment for a year and a half. So in 3 days we did whatever we could to prepare ourselves and the children for him to leave. As it currently stands he comes back for a short stay on April 2nd. He thinks that he may be home for a week before having to leave for his deployment. This is not a good time for him to be absent (not like there ever is a "good time") because this means he will miss Lillian's first birthday on March 9th. We really were looking forward to celebrating Lillian's birthday since she is a special kind of miracle, she was a preemie by 6 weeks. This picture was taken very early on the 27th as we waited at the airport for him to leave.

Valentine's Day 2010..my smallest sweetheart

This a dress that Eric sent from Korea, Annalese was too big to fit in it at time he sent it, but Lilly isn't. This was taken on Feb 10th, she was 11 months and 1 day old in this picture, she began crawling & pulling up this day.

Since she is a preemie her development is right on track for her gestational age. In this pic she's trying to stand up.

Lillian & big sister Annalese. Annalese is so excited that Lillian is crawling now, she keeps saying "she's getting bigger." They both can't wait to run and play together, I'm sure it will be happening in the blink of an eye.

I have to post a few of these pics...got the girls matching Tutu bathing suits, I LOVE dressing them alike! I know I won't be able to get away with it for many more years so I'm doing this while I can. =) I had to share these, I just think they're too cute!!! These were of course taken before Annalese hair cut, just a couple of days before.

more pics of Annalese's new do