Watch Out World, I'm 9 Months Old!

My wee one is now 9 months old!

For her special day, we had a play date with her new friend Maddie!

The girls loved playing with my cell phone. Maddie did so well sharing all her toys and showing Waverly how they worked. Waverly loved playing with Maddie's puppies, too!

The favorite game of the day was hide-and-seek! Maddie has a kitchen cabinet all to herself, where she loves to hide! Waverly likes to open drawers and cabinets now, so when I pointed her in the direction of Maddie's cabinet, she just opened it right up! What a surprise to find her friend! And Maddie was surprised to see Waverly! That sparked up a wonderful new game for the girls, over and over again they played.

Later, it was time to visit Mamaw and Papaw! They had a little surprise for Waverly on her 9 month old day! A present that just couldn't wait for Christmas, Waverly loved playing with the big giraffe.

Now I've got it figured out!

"Ball!"

She had one more ball to chase than she had hands! So entertaining...

Waverly loves her other new toy, too! She is still just a bit too little to ride, but with a little help, she can scoot all around the house. She loves to push buttons, so she is constantly leaning over to push the button and make the music go! She is so proud of herself that she wants a hug every time.

I just can't believe she is 9 months old! She is pulling her self up to standing and trying hard to balance on her own. She is saying more and more words every day - but no "mama". Instead she calls me "Duck", which is still very sweet! My favorite description of Waverly now is endearing. She just brightens every day and, though a bit spoiled, is perfect!

I'm thankful...

I'm thankful for...

FAMILY...

Waverly had a wonderful first Thanksgiving! Mommy and Waverly visited Papaw Allen and family first. Good food and good company is what its all about! Aunt Amy is recovering so well. Tanner just loved blowing kisses to Waverly!

Then we visited with Papaw Dean and Mamaw Jean and the whole family. Mamaw Gail came, too! Waverly got to see all her grandparents today!

GRANDPARENTS...

GOOD FOOD...

Mamaw Jean offered Waverly a lick off the spoon full of chocolate pie filling! Waverly was going for it, but Mommy intervened! Papaw said that was a mean trick, so we gave Waverly lots of Cheerios to make up for it!

BOOKS...

She loved reading her Thanksgiving day book and learning all about first Thanksgivings.

Happy First Thanksgiving, Waverly!

Make new friends but keep the old...

In true girl scout fashion...

Tonight Waverly and I had dinner with a friend of mine from high school! It was so much fun to visit with Genie, her mom and sister, plus two of her three kiddos, Bella and Evaleigh!

The little girls just adored each other! The babies had some baby talk and then wanted to love on each other with hugs and kisses! It is so sweet to see such little ones interact so well together. Bella seemed to have a good time, sharing her dinner with Evaleigh and playing peek-a-boo with Waverly.

And of course, Mommy had a great time visiting with her friend. We enjoyed catching up with each other. It seems like not much time has passed at all, but really its been 12 years or so! What struck us both as funny was how similar we still are!

Genie and her crew live in New York now. We were lucky to steal them away for a bit while they are in town visiting their family for the holidays. Next time, a long play date!

Chasing Cheerios

Waverly loves Cheerios!

She does so well with them, too. She just picks it up and straight into her mouth it goes!

Those little teeth just crunch them right up and in goes another.

I Love Cheerios!

Waverly enjoyed some cheerios and Gerber snacks while Mommy visited with her friend Lauren this week. We had such a nice visit! Lauren brought a whole box of books for Waverly! Our favorites are Goodnight Moon and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. We can't wait to plan a visit with Lauren and her daughter, Sophie.

Hi-Ho Cheerios!

Waverly has two teeth on the bottom, one on the top right and one on the top left that just broke ground. For her two front teeth, that area is all red, so we expect those to come in quite soon! She handles teething really well, with just a minimum of fussing if the pain wakes her up at night. Otherwise, she is just her happy little self! I've been told that Cheerios help with teething; if so, they are Waverly's favorite!

Posing for the camera during snack!

There's my girl!

You can always tell when Waverly is finished eating - she will start tossing cheerios onto the floor! She understands cause and effect really well, knowing that if she drops the cheerio, Mommy will not give her another! That's our house rule about throwing toys, too! Still, she will not be deterred - its much more fun to watch things hit the floor!

A Weekend with Waverly

On Saturday, Mommy went to visit Aunt Amy in the hospital and Waverly stayed with Mamaw Jean. Aunt Amy is doing tons better! We can't wait for her to be all better and be able to come back home.

Waverly had so much fun with Mamaw Jean - and we have pictures to prove it!

Waverly loved playing with the baby in the mirror...

She even tried to share her toys with the baby!

Waverly had so much fun at Grandma and Grandpa's that she wanted to stay more! So, Mommy and Daddy went out on a date. We had dinner and a movie before picking up a sleepy little girl.

On Sunday, Mommy and Waverly spent most of the day together just us.

We played...

had a snack...

('Lil cookie monster!)

and played some more!

Then we went back to Mamaw and Papaw's for dinner. Waverly loves pulling up on their furniture, rooting around in their cabinets, and chasing the dog! Whew, what a busy weekend!

In honor of Roxy

Hug a preemie today - Its National Prematurity Awareness Day!

Today we are celebrating Waverly's friend Roxy! Roxy is a delight and Waverly loves her little friend. Roxy and her family have been such an inspiration to us and we are so proud of her! Below is Roxy's story, as told by her Mommy, my friend Samantha.

"As many of you know, our miracle baby Roxy was born 11 weeks premature. She weighed in at a whopping 1 pound, 9 ounces and was a mere 14 inches long (She was estimated to weigh approximately 2 pounds, 10 ounces). She was born with a head full of black hair and immediately whisked away from us to be taken care of. For us, the delivery room was silent - no newborn screams filling the air - and Russell got to cut Roxy's umbilical cord and then saw the doctors begin performing resuscitation on her. We weren't in a normal situation where the waiting grandparents could see the newborn in the nursery. Everyone was in the room with me after delivery awaiting the anxious arrival of Roxy. We were told that she was too small to stay in the nursery at the hospital we were at. She would have had to weigh in as expected to be big enough. She was being transferred to a bigger university hospital with a better equipped Level 3 NICU. Although the idea of transferring me to the other hospital was tossed around, it was decided that it would be best for me to stay where I was. This was on Saturday.

What seemed like hours and hours later, they finally wheeled Roxy into my room so that I could see her for the first time and the only time before they transported her. My little micropreemie came into my room in an incubator and was strapped in for transport with straps that looked to be as big as she was. She was on a ventillator. She was screaming to let us know she wasn't happy and her screams could barely be heard - her voice was as small as she was. We spent about ten minutes with her adoring her and I got to touch her little hand. Her entire hand wasn't as big as the last joint of my index finger. Then they wheeled her away and it was almost two more days before I saw her again.

The following Monday, Labor Day, was the first time I was allowed to leave my hospital to go to hers and visit. Learning the NICU was an event all in itself. Roxy was only allowed to have two visitors at a time, one of which had to be a parent. Eventually, this was limited even further to only parents and biological grandparents. We had to stop at a reception desk and be buzzed back into the nurseries. We were only allowed to visit during certain hours - every three with an hour break in between. We learned how to scrub up as we went in. The first time you walk up to your baby's incubator, you see tubes and wires and hear machines beeping and groaning. Its scary. Every little bleep had me looking at Roxy's monitor to see if it was her. That was our life for almost the entire time Roxy was in the NICU. She was there for 67 days. We did have several scares. Roxy developed a staph infection soon after being admitted into the hospital. Then they thought she had developed another one; after that they thought she developed NEC (which is potentially fatal to premature infants); she was routinely checked for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) which is common in premature infants and would affect her eyesight; she had several ultrasounds of her brain to make sure she didn't have a hemorrhage (intraventricular hemorrhages can cause several problems in premature infants from minor to severe); and generally made sure that anything that could possibly be wrong with her, wasn't. The NICU is a rollercoaster ride. It has ups and it has several downs.

She was transferred to a Level 2 Nursery before she was discharged. We were in that nursery for just about two weeks before Roxy came home. That was the nursery where she was discharged from her incubator into a heated bed (her "big girl bed"). Roxy was discharged on November 11, 2009. It was the best day ever for me. It was frightening, but joyful!

Since Roxy's been home, we've only had a few scares. We stayed quarantined for most of the winter. But we've been so very fortunate. The most major illness we've been through since Roxy has been home has been an ear infection. We're almost through with her eye exams with the exception of the normal every year checkup. We've had an ultrasound of her head and her back to make sure there were no neurological complications and that her Grade I IVF (brain hemorrhage) left no lasting damage. Both came back perfect. Each trip to the NICU Grad Clinic and pediatrician are good. At the last NICU checkup they indicated that she appears advanced for her adjusted age.
She took off crawling and jabbering just before her first birthday. She's a happy and healthy baby and for that we are thankful. Now, at 14 months, she's walking and talking. She has about eight teeth in various stages of coming in. She's got attitude, she's got spunk, and most importantly, she always has a smile for everyone. Not all babies are as lucky as Roxy. For that reason, we have joined with the March of Dimes to help all babies have a chance...for survival, for health, for a good beginning.March of Dimes has a mission that all babies will be born healthy. Their focus is not only on premature babies like Roxy, but rather all babies. We want all babies to be born full-term and without complications and birth defects. For more information on getting involved in your local chapter, please visit March for Babies. Our fight isn't over until all babies are born healthy!"

Samantha Miller Pridgen (C) http://the-pridgen-family.blogspot.com/

Spoiled Silly

This little tyke is full of it! She is such a little sweetie!

Waverly has cut her first top tooth! Though a tiny tooth, it was no small feat. Perhaps the top teeth are just more difficult to come in or maybe its been harder becuase Waverly has been sick recently. Whatever the case, the poor little girl put on her brave face and the tooth is finally through! Now she has a sharp bite, which is great for crunching on gerber snacks and cheerios!



After almost a full week of being spoiled by Mommy, Waverly wasn't very happy when Monday morning rolled around. Now she crys when I leave her at day care and go to work all day. Poor baby or poor Mommy? This morning, I hid from her and she stopped crying after just a minute and was fine. What a little trickster...

Waverly's favorite toy is cell phones. She doesn't care if its hers, yours or mine! They are all awesome. Watch out - she knows how to dial China!

Waverly's Aunt Amy has been really sick and in the hospital. Waverly has enjoyed spending time with her Mamaws while Mommy and Daddy visit the hospital. We hope that Aunt Amy gets better and better real soon!

Happy Autumn

Fall is here!

The weather has been so beautiful lately. Waverly loves to spend time outside. She gets so excited before we head out the door. She almost always calls out "DOG!" in hopes that Axel will round the corner to say hi to her.

Waverly likes to see the trees, and she giggles when the wind blows the leaves. She is not sure about playing in the grass yet though.

Today, Waverly took off crawling! She was going after a toy that was just out of reach. Since she was already up on her knees, she just kept going! It wasn't far, but she did it! She still prefers the Waverly flip and flop moves to get around, but she'll be crawling in no time now!

Checking Up

This morning, Mommy took Waverly back to the Pediatrician's office for her 8 month old well check. She was having such a great morning! We played and sang songs while we waited for the doctor.

The nurse came in and measured Waverly. She is 28 inches tall, which is the 75th percentile. Her head circumference is 17 3/4 inches, which is in the 90th percentile. Even though she was just weighed on Monday, we went ahead and took her weight again. She has gained 3 ounces in just a couple days! She weighed in at 22 pounds, 4 ounces, which is in the 97th percentile. Dr. Blair said that our wee one is just perfect on all her measurements! He advised that as a breastfed baby, she was going to be a little chunk but would slim down fast after she turned one year old. He said that Mommy would be bringing her in for being too skinny!

Waverly didn't have to have any shots today. The nurse said she would get more shots when she came back after she turned one. The nurse did want to check her iron levels though, which required a prick on her toe. The nurse gave Waverly a new book to read while she pricked her toe and Waverly didn't care a bit. She promptly announced that she was pleased by saying "book" for the first time.

Dr. Blair took a peek at Waverly's throat and said it was looking much better. After checking her over, he pronounced her healthy and wonderful. Dr. Blair said that Waverly can start having some table food, like fruits and veggies. He just cautioned no salt or whole milk. Mommy can't wait for dinner tonight so Waverly can share a sweet potato!

Woe is my Waverly

Poor little Waverly has been sick! Besides some minor allergies when she was just a couple months old, this is her first time with a sore throat and upset tummy!

On Sunday, Waverly spit-up quite a bit of milk and jar food. She was her usual happy and delightful self, so we didn't think much about it. On Monday, Waverly had a hard time at day care. She ate her breakfast and lunch, but her tummy just couldn't handle it. She also refused to take her bottles!

So, Ms. Kirstie called Mommy. We went to see Dr. Blair in the afternoon. Waverly was still just the happiest little thing! She smiled at the nurse, but wasn't too thrilled about having her temperature taken under her arm. Then it was off to the scales! Waverly weighed in at 22 lbs. 1 ounce. Our little chunky monkey!

Playing Bashful

While we waited for the doctor, we played with toys and read books. We even sang our new favorite song, "Do your ears hang low?"

Dr. Blair came in to see Waverly and she gave him her mega-watt smile! She was fine while he felt her tummy. But when he tried to see her throat, she screamed and screamed! Dr. Blair told Mommy that Waverly's throat was seriously red. She has a throat infection! Dr. Blair said that we must have a very good baby not to fuss and fight too much the past couple of days, because her poor throat hurt! The sore throat and a little bit of drainage was causing her tummy to be upset. Otherwise, we would have not known that anything was wrong!

After a trip to the pharmacy for some antibiotics (and a get well toy!), we were finally ready to return home and get some rest. Waverly does NOT like her medicine, even though its the yummy bubblegum flavor. I dread forcing her to take it, but I know its best for her so we power through with lots of hugs and kisses.

Waverly was not allowed to return to day care per their policy (until she's been on antibiotics for 36 hours), so she stayed home with Mommy today! We had a lazy day to recuperate from illness, but still squeezed in lunch with Mamaw.

Waverly's favorite past time today - giving some post-its the what-for!

Thankfully, our little one is feeling much better. She goes back to see Dr. Blair on Thursday for her 8 month old well-check and I'm sure he'll try to take a peek at her throat. Back to daycare tomorrow and then its off the rest of the week for some good times with friends and family.

Mommy's Typical Day

Try new toothpaste, prepare bottles, pack daycare bag, apply make-up, wake up Waverly, chat with babysitter, grab a latte, work as hard as I can, clip coupons from newspapers, get a full serving of vegetables, window-shop, clean house, finish the presentation, find Waverly's pacifier, call daycare to check on her, pay bills online, set alarm for 6:00, tell Waverly I love her, RSVP for play date, check the mailbox, take penny jar to the bank, find car keys, trade candy bar for apple, enjoy the baby, call my mom, email my friend, say no to soda, sweep the floor, give Waverly a bath, change another diaper, take my vitamins, re-caulk bathtub, go on a walk, hope that Waverly goes to bed easily, dig for change in the seats of car, eat some cake, multitask, dye hair, enjoy some good family time, apply for new job, re-vise to do list, practice public speaking, ship package, charge cell phone, check the weather, watch tv, fold the laundry, feed the cats and dogs, do sit-ups during commercials, groom the dog, look for pair of socks, laugh at a joke, take back library books, grocery shop, drink eight glasses of water, change furnace filter, paint the kitchen, chat with my husband about the day, worry about how to pay for college, clean off desk, buy dog food, think fast while making awkward small talk with an old friend, park father away from the door, give my baby a hug, take out home equity loan to pay for gas at the pump, sign insurance form, water the plants, return movies, cook dinner, pack leftovers for lunch the next day, type up a memo, mail letters to clients, chat with my boss, do the dishes, worry about new job, plan for vacation, make dinner plans with friends, order prints from photo shoot, chat with the in-laws, pay daycare, buy diapers, make shopping list, enter in sweepstakes, check facebook, change another diaper, feed the baby, make doctor's appointment, attend training for work, say good night to my family.

Sweet Somethings

The Lickliter Family

Portraits Fall 2010

Our Little Family

The kids...

From Left to Right, Dean, Josh, Marie, Christy, Dean and Jean

All of us...

From Left to Right, Top to Bottom row: Robbie, Dean, Josh,

Christy, Sam, Marie, Sarah, Dean, Jean, Nic, Waverly and Zak

Mommy and Waverly

A captured moment, playing with Elmo

Something Sweet

Grandparents and Grandkids

Dean and Jean with Zak, Nic and Waverly

Our Family

A Mother's Love...

Mommy and Waverly

Waverly

8 Months Old

Photos courtesy of Sweet Somethings Photography(c)