March 2007

Nolan is 6 Mos Old!

March was a very exciting month for our family-especially for Nolan. He had even more firsts to enjoy! We began learning how much of a social boy Nolan was going to be. Giggles weren't too hard to come by and he was pretty smiley when encouraged just slightly. He was also a lot more agreable to playing on his tummy and willing to lift his head and watch people or toys for longer periods of time. But that was only the beginning of the firsts he would accomplish by the end of the month.

On Thursday March 8th,we started him on his first solid foods after finally getting the okay from his doctor. Watery rice cereal was first on the menu, and as you can see in the pictures he knew what he was supposed to do, however the cereal was definitely something new....

We also started to teach him how to drink out of a regular cup (which he prefers) and a sippy cup. He started grabbing his toes on March 10th, and then he started to sit up by himself on Monday, March 19th and then wonder of wonders...he rolled over for the first while we were hanging out with Jason and Alannah at our house. He was reaching for his toy dump truck that his Grandma Merrell had given him for Christmas and rolled over to grab it. Of course he was as suprised as we were and then stared at amazement when the 4 adults started cheering and clapping. That is a funny thing about being a parent...getting so excited about something that will just become common activity in the upcoming weeks ahead.

February 2007 Update

Nolan is 5 Months Old!

February brought lots of firsts for Nolan. The weather was really mild so it brought his first stroller ride and lots of walks with Mom. Because of the stroller walks he wore his first sunglasses and hats. We debuted his first Levis and made his first trip with all of the Whittaker family to Chuck-A-Rama for Echo's 26th birthday-where he was very interested in the birthday balloons.

He also had his first experience in Grandma Whittaker's highchair, and continued to thrill us with giggles and smiles.

But the most important first was the addition of his Johnny-jump-up to his playtime. He knew what to do with it from the moment that we put him in-despite the fact that he was still just a bit small enough to have to be padded in with blankets. This jumper would soon become his favorite passtime and easiest way to show off those powerful legs!

We celebrated his first Valentines Day with a quiet (well almost) dinner with Mom & Dad at home and a new stuffed black Valentine puppy from Grandma Whittaker and a cute card and "candy money" from Grandma Merrell.

Then before we knew it February was over and here came March.

January 2007 Update

January 2007

Nolan is 4 mos old!

Here are some highlights from this month:

*Nolan is getting the RSV shots-which are not very fun, but is very healthy and growing well.

*FIRST GIGGLES! Jan. 18th @ 11:20pm Kenny is playing with Nolan in his crib while Echo is getting ready for bed and gets and urgent call to grab the camera and "Get in here!" Nolan graces us with his first giggles at his blue musical bedtime bear while Echo records the whole thing with a mouth full of toothpaste!

*Nolan is 13lbs & 24" long on Jan 19th. He is smiling more for pictures and can sit up while Kenny balances him in his hand.

*Nolan received his name and a blessing from his Dad at our ward in Orem on Jan. 28th @11:30am. He wore a new church outfit complete with a tie & vest and was surrounded with some pretty good looking men as well. The Whittaker family in Utah as well as the Merrells from WA, & AZ came to celebrate. We also had Great Grandma & Grandpa Farnworth, Aunt Merle & Uncle Gary, Troy, Jill & Brandon & our friends Mandy & Steve & Jonah Forsey. After the blessing we had a yummy potato bar lunch and desserts and enjoyed visiting with each other. Nolan however was completely exhausted from being in the spotlight and slept through the entire lunch!



*Nolan also started sleeping in his big crib instead of his bassinet in Mom & Dad's room on the 29th.

Nolan's personality really started coming out in January and we were constantly trying to get smiles and the much anticipated giggles out of him. That's when we realized just how "silly" being a parent can make you!

Our First Posting...

October 18, 2006

Hello Everyone!

We have so enjoyed being updated from the Blog that Matthew and Val keep on their little family, especially the growth and development of little Naomi, so we were inspired to start our own!

Our lives have been full of exciting and new changes over the past year-but within the last 4 weeks everything has come to have a whole new meaning. We are now the proud parents of a perfect little boy who couldn't wait his 40 weeks to be born and decided to come early...7 weeks and 2 days early! I had enjoyed a wonderful pregnancy with no problems and minimal discomfort...(well I was getting there-lots of heartburn and wondering how my belly was going to grow for another 8 weeks)! I want to first post basically a copy of an email that we sent out to family and friends that re-lives & explains the first week or so of Nolan's life. It had some information that we'd like to remember and look back on in a few months with amazement that we've come so far!

September 18, 2006-(Excerpt from Email)
I started having contractions on Wednesday the 13th and I was sent to the hospital where they admitted me and gave me medications (Magnesium Sulfate) to relax my muscles and stop the contractions. Following a blessing from Kenny and our friend Steve, the contractions immediately stopped and by 10am Friday the 15th they had taken me off of the medications.

However now I was looking at a stay of at least two weeks in the hospital on complete bed rest to try to stall the delivery. The doctors wanted a minimum of 48 hours for the steroids injections I had received to help Nolan's lungs develop, just in case he could not wait two weeks. Everything looked to be going as planned until I was getting ready for bed on Friday the 15th and at 11:30pm my water broke and it was apparent that this little boy was being born sooner than later!

Our delivery team was excellent-and by team I mean about 3 nurses, 3 Doctors, and about 5 other Neonatal specialists-it was quite a full room! After about 12 hours of labor, Nolan was born at 11:05am on Sept. 16th and instantly started to make little whimpering cries-which was music to our ears since we had been prepared to expect the worst.

Despite all of the quick attention from the nurses and respiratory therepists, he held Kenny's finger as soon as he could get near him. He was all swaddled up and shown to me for about 30 seconds and then the whole crew including his Dad took him down to the NICU for the rest of his testing and leads. The whole thing happened really quickly and we were really blessed to have so many people to help him and that his Dad was able to be with him so closely. He was put on a C-PAP machine which put positive pressure in his lungs to ease his breathing and also had IVs and monitoring leads applied. After I was all taken care of, Kenny wheeled me down the hall to see my beautiful baby boy. It was the most wonderful day of our lives and every day has been such a joy and relief since. Nolan is now in the brand new NICU at Timpanogos Hospital and is the first baby in his super high tech isolette bed. He is such a joy and the toughest little fighter we'll ever know.

Everyday he makes huge progress that the Neonatal Doctors tell us is remarkable. He's been off of his C-PAP machine since last Sunday (9/17/06), which made it possible for us to hold him for the first time. He has been getting tube feedings (through his nose) since Sunday, had his IV removed Thursday and has been nursing well since Wednesday. He has actually gained a little more than a half-pound and is increasing his feeding amounts everyday. It may seem like small little accomplishments by normal standards, but for a child that was born so early-he is the champion of the NICU and we couldn't be prouder. We look forward to the days ahead and hope to be taking him home soon.