Gracie update

Tomorrow Gracie will be 22 months old, I can hardly believe it. Today we took her to get her hair trimmed and I was laughed at when I said I didn't want to cut too much off---because I didn't want her to look too much like a toddler. I know, Gracie is a toddler and becoming more and more of one every day, but she is still just my baby and in a way, regardless of how many more children we have, Gracie will always be my baby.

Anyways, the past two weeks have been filled with changes and major accomplishments for Gracie. We decided that it was time to break Gracie of sleeping in her swing---she really is getting to the point where she is getting too big for it. Those of you who really know Gracie, know that her swing has been her comfort zone. I think she really got attached to it while in the hospital, it was the only place where, no one would bother her and hurt her and given everything she had been through, we figured there could be worse things than sleeping in her swing. Well, apart from two weak moments on my part, Gracie has slept in her crib for naps and the entire night for the past two weeks. Mind you, she isn't sleeping through the night anymore, and we are hating getting up three times a night to comfort her, but, the swing should be put away soon. Yah!

Now for the most exciting news, we switched Gracie to the blended diet and she is thriving on it!! I owe it all to Andrea for giving me the encouragement to do it and answering my questions and for sweet little Owen who restored my hope that perhaps Gracie could catch up and start making progress in her motor skills and overall development.

I'll admit that starting Gracie on this diet, I had high hopes and I'm excited to announce that some of those hopes have already been reached. Everyone who works/knows Gracie can see the difference that has taken place in Gracie in just two short weeks. Her endurance levels have increased, before she could only stand at the couch for 2-3 minutes, now she is standing at the couch for 10 minutes before she gets tired and needs to sit down!! Gracie is also jabbering up a storm and saying new words every day. A week ago Gracie started butt scooting and it is the cutest thing ever--she isn't too fast and most of the time she ends up resorting to rolling because it is faster---but it is a new form of mobility!

Gracie is finally putting weight on at the rate that her cardiologist wanted her to. I was told in December that the goal was to get Gracie to gain 1/2oz a day (that's about how much weight a newborn should be gaining) it never happened and Gracie was stuck. But just in two short weeks she has gained 8oz, 3oz the first week and a whopping 5oz the second week. Gracie is finally over 20lbs! So needless to say I am sold on the blended diet and will continue with it.

I could go on and on about all the positives we have seen in the past two weeks, but I already feel like I am rambling. I will try to post some videos of Gracie butt scooting as soon as I have time to get it on tape.