Officially taking 10-15 steps toward us unassisted!!!! She went from taking a step or two to all these steps just today!!! I guess it was a present for Daddy for his big win in NY last night!
We are continuing to try and get her to walk further and further distances toward us and is doing amazing!!!
I have it on video but for some reason on my lap top I don't have video capability...maybe I need to redownload the driver...but I'll try and upload it tomorrow if we stop at my mom's!
Sooo proud of my toddling toddler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Yay Daddy!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Rodriguez sends North south in win
Worcester fighter pitches shutout, improves to 3-0
SALAMANCA, N.Y.— It was a good workout against a ring-savvy veteran, but it was also no contest once again for Worcester middleweight Edwin Rodriguez.
The 22-year-old prospect improved to 3-0 by pounding out a unanimous four-round decision over 33-year-old James North of Weston, W. Va., before about 10,000 pro-Rodriguez fans last night at the sold-out Seneca Allegheny Casino & Hotel.
North’s record dropped to 8-20-2, but he became the first opponent to avoid being knocked out by Rodriguez, although he was knocked down about midway through the fourth round.
All three judges scored the fight 40-35 as Rodriguez pitched a shutout, winning the last round by a 10-8 margin because of the knockdown. Rodriguez dominated throughout, and administered an especially savage pounding after North got up from the knockdown until the final bell.
“I caught him with a good shot,” said Rodriguez, who hit North with an overhand right after setting it up with a pair of jabs. “After that, the ref could have stopped it, but he didn’t. The guy was able to survive. He tried to hold me and it went the distance. It was a good learning experience being in there with a guy who’s had 30 pro fights. It was another step.”
Larry Army Jr., Rodriguez’s manager, said his fighter would benefit from the experience.
“The kid we fought was definitely a survivor,” Army said. “He knew how to work the ring and how to hold on when he had to hold on. Once again, it was an opportunity for Edwin to learn something. It was a veteran versus a novice, really, and we were able to take away a lot from this fight.”
“I had him hurt,” Rodriguez added, “but he had a lot of experience, so he knew how to hang in there. But I’m happy with the decision.”
It was Rodriguez’s first fight under his new trainer, Peter Manfredo Sr., and the former two-time national amateur champion said he felt the benefits.
“I felt great,” he said. “I felt like I could have gone 8 or 10 rounds. I’m in good shape.”
Next for Rodriguez are four-rounders scheduled for April 12 at The Roxy in Boston and May 3 at the Coeur d’Alene Casino in Worley, Idaho. Then, Army said, his fighter will graduate to six rounds on a May 17 card at the IBFW Union Hall in Dorchester.
“I’m looking forward to fighting back home on the 12th with all my fans there,” Rodriguez said, although Army said the crowd in New York “warmed up” to Rodriguez early and made it seem almost like a home crowd.
Army said the fighter’s new Web site is open at www.edwinrodriguezboxing.com.
Rodriguez sends North south in win
Worcester fighter pitches shutout, improves to 3-0
SALAMANCA, N.Y.— It was a good workout against a ring-savvy veteran, but it was also no contest once again for Worcester middleweight Edwin Rodriguez.
The 22-year-old prospect improved to 3-0 by pounding out a unanimous four-round decision over 33-year-old James North of Weston, W. Va., before about 10,000 pro-Rodriguez fans last night at the sold-out Seneca Allegheny Casino & Hotel.
North’s record dropped to 8-20-2, but he became the first opponent to avoid being knocked out by Rodriguez, although he was knocked down about midway through the fourth round.
All three judges scored the fight 40-35 as Rodriguez pitched a shutout, winning the last round by a 10-8 margin because of the knockdown. Rodriguez dominated throughout, and administered an especially savage pounding after North got up from the knockdown until the final bell.
“I caught him with a good shot,” said Rodriguez, who hit North with an overhand right after setting it up with a pair of jabs. “After that, the ref could have stopped it, but he didn’t. The guy was able to survive. He tried to hold me and it went the distance. It was a good learning experience being in there with a guy who’s had 30 pro fights. It was another step.”
Larry Army Jr., Rodriguez’s manager, said his fighter would benefit from the experience.
“The kid we fought was definitely a survivor,” Army said. “He knew how to work the ring and how to hold on when he had to hold on. Once again, it was an opportunity for Edwin to learn something. It was a veteran versus a novice, really, and we were able to take away a lot from this fight.”
“I had him hurt,” Rodriguez added, “but he had a lot of experience, so he knew how to hang in there. But I’m happy with the decision.”
It was Rodriguez’s first fight under his new trainer, Peter Manfredo Sr., and the former two-time national amateur champion said he felt the benefits.
“I felt great,” he said. “I felt like I could have gone 8 or 10 rounds. I’m in good shape.”
Next for Rodriguez are four-rounders scheduled for April 12 at The Roxy in Boston and May 3 at the Coeur d’Alene Casino in Worley, Idaho. Then, Army said, his fighter will graduate to six rounds on a May 17 card at the IBFW Union Hall in Dorchester.
“I’m looking forward to fighting back home on the 12th with all my fans there,” Rodriguez said, although Army said the crowd in New York “warmed up” to Rodriguez early and made it seem almost like a home crowd.
Army said the fighter’s new Web site is open at www.edwinrodriguezboxing.com.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
so busy
Where does all the time go? I am neglecting my blog. Anyway, here are some pics from our very cold Easter (egg hunt outside) and our visit with Sarai and Giada, my friend's twin girls...They are 5 months and are nearly the size of S&E lol...that's what happens when you're born at term (41 weeks!)
I'll try to get to more blogging this weekend!
I'll try to get to more blogging this weekend!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Eyes and pics from cousin Alex's Bday
Hi all...
Today S&E had their eye appointment. Last time we found that Serena was far sighted and at this appointment if anything was worse she was getting glasses. Great news...Serena's eyes changed and are completely normal for an 18 month old! Her vision is great and no need for glasses as of now. EJ is slightly nearsighted (common for kids who were treated for ROP) and will probably eventually need glasses, but he is no where near needing them now.
The eye doc said they were the strongest 18 month olds he had ever encountered. They really fought him as he tried to pry open their eyes and look. It was terrible to hold them down while they were afraid and uncomfortable, but thankfully it didn't take too long. Even though it was tough to hold them still, I love their fight. They fought so hard in the NICU, fight so hard to meet milestones and it is so moving to see my two little miracles continue to thrive and bring so much joy to our lives...even when they are trying to slap the eye doc.
Sunday we went to my nephew's birthday party (for those who are confused, no my sister Amie doesn't have a son, it was my step sister Courtney, who is very much my sister. Her son Alex's birthday.) Court hired a reptile lady who brought snakes, a turtle, lizard and other lovely reptiles. S&E had no idea how cool it was, but were impressed with the Cheetos and Doritos, and EJ loved the cake.
Here are some pics from the party:
Alex with his new "friends"
Auntie Court and twins
Sisters and twins...Serena was not looking...too busy trying to go flirt with Ryan most likely...her version of flirting...wacking him in the face repeatedly...a boxer's daughter
Uncle Shamont and Edwin, Jr.
I want to also say congratulations to one of our home nurses who gave birth to baby Sophia Grace yesterday. Her blog is on my blog roll (Sammy...her son who was also preemie, as was Sophia, but is thankfullly was born healthy at *almost* 36 weeks.) Also, please pray for her dad, (my other nurse is her mom) who had a heart attack yesterday before Sophia was born. He is ok but is in the hospital and had to have a stint. We hope everyone is home and healthy soon!
Today S&E had their eye appointment. Last time we found that Serena was far sighted and at this appointment if anything was worse she was getting glasses. Great news...Serena's eyes changed and are completely normal for an 18 month old! Her vision is great and no need for glasses as of now. EJ is slightly nearsighted (common for kids who were treated for ROP) and will probably eventually need glasses, but he is no where near needing them now.
The eye doc said they were the strongest 18 month olds he had ever encountered. They really fought him as he tried to pry open their eyes and look. It was terrible to hold them down while they were afraid and uncomfortable, but thankfully it didn't take too long. Even though it was tough to hold them still, I love their fight. They fought so hard in the NICU, fight so hard to meet milestones and it is so moving to see my two little miracles continue to thrive and bring so much joy to our lives...even when they are trying to slap the eye doc.
Sunday we went to my nephew's birthday party (for those who are confused, no my sister Amie doesn't have a son, it was my step sister Courtney, who is very much my sister. Her son Alex's birthday.) Court hired a reptile lady who brought snakes, a turtle, lizard and other lovely reptiles. S&E had no idea how cool it was, but were impressed with the Cheetos and Doritos, and EJ loved the cake.
Here are some pics from the party:
Alex with his new "friends"
Auntie Court and twins
Sisters and twins...Serena was not looking...too busy trying to go flirt with Ryan most likely...her version of flirting...wacking him in the face repeatedly...a boxer's daughter
Uncle Shamont and Edwin, Jr.
I want to also say congratulations to one of our home nurses who gave birth to baby Sophia Grace yesterday. Her blog is on my blog roll (Sammy...her son who was also preemie, as was Sophia, but is thankfullly was born healthy at *almost* 36 weeks.) Also, please pray for her dad, (my other nurse is her mom) who had a heart attack yesterday before Sophia was born. He is ok but is in the hospital and had to have a stint. We hope everyone is home and healthy soon!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
And an update to go with the pictures in post below
Serena and Edwin are toddlers who don' toddle yet. Well, Serena is almost toddling....kinda. She is taking one step while standing, and then she falls down to her knees and crawls or falls forward into whoseever arms are trying to coax her to walk. But she has been taking one step forward consistently for the past couple of days. She wants to walk so badly but is kinda freaked out by the whole thing. It's only a matter of time though.
EJ is consistently getting down from standing. He bends, or falls, to his knees and has not had any falling backward episodes in a long time...thank goodness, those aren't fun.
They are both eating like monsters. They eat absolutely everything, minus stage 3 baby food which we altogether skipped. Their diet consists of primarily all table food, with the exception of some yummy cal packed fruits, including their favs mango, papaya, banana, and apple/kiwi/mango. They have been introduced to hotdogs and it is ALL love. Serena has been known to eat 1 1/2 hotdogs at lunch and then eat another whole one for a snack before dinner. Hence her being almost 21 pounds now. Some of their favorite foods are: mac and cheese (Serena doesn't like the boxed kind though), spaghetti with cheese and sauce, spag with melted cheese, butter and broccoli, rice and beans made by Daddy, deli meat, shredded cheddar cheese, and chicken patties. They really like almost every table food. They also eat eggs and tuna fish (not together...eeeww.)
When it comes to eating I realize how lucky we are. Now we are not vomit free as EJ has a sensitive gag reflex and if he gags too much, he will refund. Or the crying-induced puke. Although he will refeed immediately which is good. You just have to be careful feeding him, but he's pretty predictable and if he gets gagging/crying he can be distracted, which, if done in time, will put a halt to the refund. But when it comes to eating I hypothesize that we have nothing to do with how well S&E eat. We didn't do anything different than anyone else. I strongly believe a lot of feeding troubles are sensory in nature, and so far S&E do not display any sensory issues. Even at the women's basketball game, it was very loud, and S&E did fine. EJ got startled a couple of times, but never cried or pouted. He just held onto to Grammy and I and smiled away at us when we reassured him it was ok. Textures are no problem for either, although Serena now has decided she doesn't want purees in her mouth when she also has reminents of table food in there. She used to not mind as much but now we have to wait until she has swallowed all of the food in her mouth before we give her a spoonfull of baby food. They tolerate teeth brushing (don't love it but do ok), their hair being brushed and Serena's being put in pony tails. We'll see how they do on the grass and sand this spring/summer, but I doubt they'll have an issue.
This doesn't mean we've dodged everything. Both are still delayed in most areas even when adjusting for their prematurity. We're still working on EJ's low tone, although he is making a lot of progress. In addition to his pulling to stand, cruising, and getting down from standing, he is also getting on all fours (flat palms on the floor) and crawling correctly forward. Now 90+% of the time he's still belly crawling, but he will get up on all fours and scoot forward on palms and knees. This is huge for him! His sitting is still in need of work, although it is MUCH better than a few months ago. I don't know if it's transient dystonia or mild CP, but whatever it is he is delayed and things are a little tougher for him but my goodness does his persistence and determination impress me. He is a little guy who will not let any obstacle stand in his way. He keeps trying and trying and has that look of "I can do this" that makes me all emotional (like in the video where he pulls to stand in his crib...a much smoother and easier feat now, but to see that determination and will makes me teary every time I see it.) His fine motor is also coming along. He is successfully feeding himself food off his tray, and yesterday was putting a ball into a cup-like toy. He still has to have a trigger to release (feeling the edge of the cup) but he did it!!
Serena's fine motor is also coming along. She has begun dropping and throwing toys repeatedly, and laughing hysterically when I say "uh oh!" and pick it up for her to try again. One of her goals was voluntary release without a cue, and she has accomplished this with the dropping of the toy. She has been stacking rings and dropping balls for months now. I think I've mentioned that but just in case.
One bad thing Serena choses to do with her fingers/hands is to grab huge chunks of EJ's hair and pull with all her might. It is so terrible, and I wish she would stop. If you recall she was doing this months ago, but had stopped. Well she started it up again. I am now removing her from the situation along with saying "no" in a firm voice. It really hurts Edwin and as much as I know she doesn't "get" the time-out (putting her in her crib or the play pen for a minute while I console EJ), she needs to somehow realize she can't hurt her brother. Boy, I wish I could explain why it's bratty to do that!
Although S&E are delayed and have medical needs, I try to treat them like typical kids as much as possible. I try not to let myself stress out too much about what they aren't doing yet, and try and be patient with the quesions of how long they will need O2.
Speaking of oxygen, EJ is doing wonderfully off his O2 4 hours a day (next week it'll be 5 then 2 weeks after that 6, and so on), and it's so nice not to have to stress about his sats and O2. In fact when they went for Synagis yesterday we didn't even bring his O2 tank (we live literally 3 minutes from the ped's but still!) It was a huge step to bring him down the street without even stressing about oxygen. Daddy and I just carried our little ones down to the car, strapped them in, carried them into the office, they got their shots, and home we went. It was pretty cool and I'll be glad when the oxygen is done for good. Although I am worried about Serena who can't go very long asleep without it. She only dips to 88-89 but still. I hope her tracheomalacia resolves soon! I'm starting to think Edwin will be done oxygen before Serena just because her issue is more airway than lungs. But this is something we will discuss with pulmonology and the ENT. I really don't know what the next step is/how long they want her on O2 while asleep but as of now it's not a pain since it's so routine and she only needs it at night.
So anyway, I'm sure there are things I've left out about the cool/cute stuff they do and the things we're working on, but this is good for now.
Today we're having an early Easter dinner since my sis is down from Maine for the weekend. I'm excited to eat and hang out over at Grammy's! More pics to come tomorrow!
EJ is consistently getting down from standing. He bends, or falls, to his knees and has not had any falling backward episodes in a long time...thank goodness, those aren't fun.
They are both eating like monsters. They eat absolutely everything, minus stage 3 baby food which we altogether skipped. Their diet consists of primarily all table food, with the exception of some yummy cal packed fruits, including their favs mango, papaya, banana, and apple/kiwi/mango. They have been introduced to hotdogs and it is ALL love. Serena has been known to eat 1 1/2 hotdogs at lunch and then eat another whole one for a snack before dinner. Hence her being almost 21 pounds now. Some of their favorite foods are: mac and cheese (Serena doesn't like the boxed kind though), spaghetti with cheese and sauce, spag with melted cheese, butter and broccoli, rice and beans made by Daddy, deli meat, shredded cheddar cheese, and chicken patties. They really like almost every table food. They also eat eggs and tuna fish (not together...eeeww.)
When it comes to eating I realize how lucky we are. Now we are not vomit free as EJ has a sensitive gag reflex and if he gags too much, he will refund. Or the crying-induced puke. Although he will refeed immediately which is good. You just have to be careful feeding him, but he's pretty predictable and if he gets gagging/crying he can be distracted, which, if done in time, will put a halt to the refund. But when it comes to eating I hypothesize that we have nothing to do with how well S&E eat. We didn't do anything different than anyone else. I strongly believe a lot of feeding troubles are sensory in nature, and so far S&E do not display any sensory issues. Even at the women's basketball game, it was very loud, and S&E did fine. EJ got startled a couple of times, but never cried or pouted. He just held onto to Grammy and I and smiled away at us when we reassured him it was ok. Textures are no problem for either, although Serena now has decided she doesn't want purees in her mouth when she also has reminents of table food in there. She used to not mind as much but now we have to wait until she has swallowed all of the food in her mouth before we give her a spoonfull of baby food. They tolerate teeth brushing (don't love it but do ok), their hair being brushed and Serena's being put in pony tails. We'll see how they do on the grass and sand this spring/summer, but I doubt they'll have an issue.
This doesn't mean we've dodged everything. Both are still delayed in most areas even when adjusting for their prematurity. We're still working on EJ's low tone, although he is making a lot of progress. In addition to his pulling to stand, cruising, and getting down from standing, he is also getting on all fours (flat palms on the floor) and crawling correctly forward. Now 90+% of the time he's still belly crawling, but he will get up on all fours and scoot forward on palms and knees. This is huge for him! His sitting is still in need of work, although it is MUCH better than a few months ago. I don't know if it's transient dystonia or mild CP, but whatever it is he is delayed and things are a little tougher for him but my goodness does his persistence and determination impress me. He is a little guy who will not let any obstacle stand in his way. He keeps trying and trying and has that look of "I can do this" that makes me all emotional (like in the video where he pulls to stand in his crib...a much smoother and easier feat now, but to see that determination and will makes me teary every time I see it.) His fine motor is also coming along. He is successfully feeding himself food off his tray, and yesterday was putting a ball into a cup-like toy. He still has to have a trigger to release (feeling the edge of the cup) but he did it!!
Serena's fine motor is also coming along. She has begun dropping and throwing toys repeatedly, and laughing hysterically when I say "uh oh!" and pick it up for her to try again. One of her goals was voluntary release without a cue, and she has accomplished this with the dropping of the toy. She has been stacking rings and dropping balls for months now. I think I've mentioned that but just in case.
One bad thing Serena choses to do with her fingers/hands is to grab huge chunks of EJ's hair and pull with all her might. It is so terrible, and I wish she would stop. If you recall she was doing this months ago, but had stopped. Well she started it up again. I am now removing her from the situation along with saying "no" in a firm voice. It really hurts Edwin and as much as I know she doesn't "get" the time-out (putting her in her crib or the play pen for a minute while I console EJ), she needs to somehow realize she can't hurt her brother. Boy, I wish I could explain why it's bratty to do that!
Although S&E are delayed and have medical needs, I try to treat them like typical kids as much as possible. I try not to let myself stress out too much about what they aren't doing yet, and try and be patient with the quesions of how long they will need O2.
Speaking of oxygen, EJ is doing wonderfully off his O2 4 hours a day (next week it'll be 5 then 2 weeks after that 6, and so on), and it's so nice not to have to stress about his sats and O2. In fact when they went for Synagis yesterday we didn't even bring his O2 tank (we live literally 3 minutes from the ped's but still!) It was a huge step to bring him down the street without even stressing about oxygen. Daddy and I just carried our little ones down to the car, strapped them in, carried them into the office, they got their shots, and home we went. It was pretty cool and I'll be glad when the oxygen is done for good. Although I am worried about Serena who can't go very long asleep without it. She only dips to 88-89 but still. I hope her tracheomalacia resolves soon! I'm starting to think Edwin will be done oxygen before Serena just because her issue is more airway than lungs. But this is something we will discuss with pulmonology and the ENT. I really don't know what the next step is/how long they want her on O2 while asleep but as of now it's not a pain since it's so routine and she only needs it at night.
So anyway, I'm sure there are things I've left out about the cool/cute stuff they do and the things we're working on, but this is good for now.
Today we're having an early Easter dinner since my sis is down from Maine for the weekend. I'm excited to eat and hang out over at Grammy's! More pics to come tomorrow!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Pictures!!! And weight gain!
The kiddos at a Holy Cross women's basketball game!
Tubby time!!!!
Weights as of 3/14/08
Serena- 20lbs 14 1/2 oz!!!!!!
EJ- 21lbs 1/2 oz!
Tubby time!!!!
Weights as of 3/14/08
Serena- 20lbs 14 1/2 oz!!!!!!
EJ- 21lbs 1/2 oz!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Just a quick update
SLAP!!!! So EJ ended up with double ear infections, was miserable, had a fever and barely slept for 3 days. So much for on the medn. He is now feeling better, although still slightly congested and requiring a bit more O2 while asleep. Hopefully we'll be back on our wean schedule by next week.
Serena has decided her two independent steps weren't as cool as Mommy, Daddy, Grammy, and you all thought they were. There have no more repeat steps without hand holding. :( I thought the walking was coming, but I know I have to be patient. The fact that she will walk is a miracle to me, and I do not want to appear ungrateful for what she can do.
You know what's tough though? The first question everyone asks after I tell them how old they are, actual and adjusted, is "so are they walking yet?" No they're not, but do you realize how blessed they are that they most likely will walk? They don't realize it and I don't get into it with the average person. I just smile and say "not yet."
So that's it for now, I'm making this one short. I still don't know what to do about the 100 reader thing, but for now I'm thankful you all are reading this.
I will take new pictures this weekend!
Serena has decided her two independent steps weren't as cool as Mommy, Daddy, Grammy, and you all thought they were. There have no more repeat steps without hand holding. :( I thought the walking was coming, but I know I have to be patient. The fact that she will walk is a miracle to me, and I do not want to appear ungrateful for what she can do.
You know what's tough though? The first question everyone asks after I tell them how old they are, actual and adjusted, is "so are they walking yet?" No they're not, but do you realize how blessed they are that they most likely will walk? They don't realize it and I don't get into it with the average person. I just smile and say "not yet."
So that's it for now, I'm making this one short. I still don't know what to do about the 100 reader thing, but for now I'm thankful you all are reading this.
I will take new pictures this weekend!
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