JP at 6 months

Julius at 6

Woohoo!!! He gained!!!

Hey Everyone!!!

Julius weighed in on Monday and he has gained 2 pounds over the last month! Way to go, Buddy!!! He is looking chunkier than ever (well, okay...chunky to us, anyway)! If you click on the title of this blog, you can see more photos of him during our road trip. He is now officially over 11 lbs. I have been supplementing (sp???) with formula after every feed and it has been working well :). Thank you all for praying for us. He still has a few more pounds before he's caught up with his preemie-peers, but in all other aspects he is doing very well for his age!!!

Went to the Lactation Specialist Today...

We weighed my boy before he ate and then after. He'd only eaten 1 oz...babies at this age should be eating 5-6 oz per feeding. So, I'm upping my herbals and hoping for the best :). Please pray with us!

Baby's not gaining enough weight

As some of you may already know, Julius has not been gaining enough weight. He is not doing well with feedings. He keeps pulling away. I have tried herbal supplements to encourage lactation, but unfortunately, it ended up giving me mastitus. I am not sure why Julius is not feeding well, but will you pray that it will get better. I believe I am producing enough milk, but he seems to get frustrated when he feeds. I just fed him 4 oz of formula after he breast fed for about 20 minutes. He gulped it all down and his now-frequent fussiness was gone. Anyway, please pray for wisdom for Lumuli and I. It's tough to think that I would have to be done with breast-feeding, but if need be, I will. Anyway, I'll keep you posted.

I Love My Uncle Doug!

On my Ashki Blog, I posted some photos of Julius and my dear Grandpa George before he passed away. They are simply beautiful. Click on the title of this post to check them out. Or go to http://www.ashkiphoto.blogspot.com

We went to Doug's house this weekend. We thought we would let Julius experience Uncle Douggie's cool BMW bike. I loved this shot the moment I opened it! Isnt' it sweet how they are looking at eachother?

Just a little reminder...

...to hug your babies.

I had a girlfriend call me the other day to let me know that her cousin had a baby girl born at 26 weeks. I prayed and prayed and cried and cried. The trials we went through with having Julius so early cannot even compare to what this family went through, but I definitely relive the moments when I hear stories like theirs. I found out on Monday that the little girl had too much bleeding in the brain and should she survive, would have a terribly difficult time. Her parents made the impossibly brave decision to take her off of the machines. She passed away shortly after that.

As hard as parenting can be at times please remember to take not a single moment for granted. Your children are a gift from God & every moment with them is a blessing.

Still in La-La Land...

...And lovin' every minute.

Julius has been doing so many new things. It seems that he is right on schedule for his adjusted age. On Monday, he will be 5 months old, but not quite 3 months old adjusted. He is lifting his head so well!!! He is still laughing and cooing and smiling. He is such a sweet baby. HIs routine consists of about 18-20 hours of sleep per day (I know; it seems like a lot, but it's normal, I swear!). I will feed him, then play with him (playing can mean smiling at him, moving his arms and legs, or even just leaving him in his bouncer while I clean house) until I see a yawn. Then I put him in bed and he is happy as a clam to get some rest. He smiles even while I'm leaving him to sleep in his crib. Every once in awhile, he'll stay awake for about 30 minutes, just talking himsellf to sleep. Then, about 2 hours later, he wakes up, smiling again, ready to eat! He is such a joy...I really do believe this little guy is going to have the best outlook on life!

Lumuli and I took him on his first official public outing to Fred Meyer (he's been to friend's and family's homes, but no public areas) on Sunday. He did well. I also took him to the mall on Monday (not enough crowds on a Monday to get nervous :) ). He was a little fussy, because he was tired and having a hard time sleeping in his stroller, but he did well.

As much as he's been smiling, it has been difficult to get a good shot of it. I did get a little something the other day, though. I hope you enjoy the photos!