Aubrey, Aubrey, and More Aubrey!

I know I have been spending a lot of time posting about Ryleigh lately. I have a lot to post about sweet Aubrey too. 
  Aubrey definitely acts like a two year old, but she sure is a lot of fun. She is good at testing us, and she can be a bit stubborn. However, I love every bit of her. There are days that I have to take lots of deep breaths, but I think we are heading in the right direction.  She is starting to understand the consequences a little better. She is almost three too, so we can reason with her a little easier now. We have been taking this class at church called "Growing Kids God's Way." Many of our friends from church are taking it with us. It has been so rewarding! I have learned so much from hearing the wisdom from our teachers, watching the videos, and reading the workbook. I highly recommend it!
 I have so many things to post about Aubrey, but I just want to start off by showing this adorable video of her. Aubrey gets more and more into singing, the older she gets. In the video, you can see that she is wearing her backpack. It has become one of her favorite things to wear!. 
  It seems like a lot of our video footage occurs when she has either just woken up from a nap, or in the morning. You get to see Aubrey's crazy hair in full force. Here  is one example...
This book was one of her favorites when she was a little younger. She still loves it today.

I know I talk a lot about Aubrey and her love for her baby dolls. It truly is amazing to me to watch a two year old be so nurturing. She is learning how to be a mother at such a young age. She imitates everything I do to Ryleigh, and everything I do to her. It warms my heart so much. She LOVES to put her baby in Ryleigh's car seat. The dialogue that she has with her baby is always something that has happened either between Ryleigh and I, or Aubrey and I. Here is some footage of her doing just that.

Those who know me well, know I love a good dance party. Mainly, dance parties at home.  My sisters and I have many, many memories of dance parties! Oh, if there had been a hidden camera! It's fun to do whatever crazy moves you want, in the comfort of home. Aubrey and I have started having fun with the dance parties too. You can't help but get in a good mood when you have a dance party. Check out Aubrey and her moves!

It's obvious how often I talk to Tami by this video. Aubrey probaby does this ten times a day or more. It make me laugh everytime.

 

Aubrey has some funny quirks.She gets really upset if there is any food particles in the bathtub, dirt, you name it. The girl likes to be clean! My family finds this humorous, because they know how I was a kid. (Exactly the opposite!) She also has a huge fear of bugs. Especially flies!

Noises make Aubrey anxious too. If we are on a walk, and someone is mowing the lawn, she races to get back in the stroller. Poor girl! She is definitely a cautious girl. I like that though!

I sat in bed one night last week, and I couldn't stop thinking about how fast time is flying. Aubrey is going to be three soon, and starting preschool! I don't want her to grow up to soon! I love the song by Taylor Swift "Never Grow Up".

 Your little hands wrapped around my finger
 And it's so quiet in the world tonight
 Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming
 So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light
 To you, everything's funny
 You got nothing to regret
 I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that


Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple


I won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
No, no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up

   I love you Aubrey!

Help Out Our Friends Angie and Jason

 Many of you who read this blog know our friends Angie and Jason McCuiston. They are currently raising funds to adopt a baby from Ethiopia. You  can help by donating just $10! Your donation will go towards a raffle for an iPad2! Each ticket costs $10. Go to their blog http://angiemccuiston.blogspot.com/ and click on the right where it says Chip In. Type in how much you want to donate, and you could win an iPad2! It's that simple! The winner will be announced on their blog on March 25. You don't have much time! Donate today!

Ryleigh's Birthday Party

It has been too long since I have blogged. The days seem to be going faster, now that we can get out on these beautiful, warm days.Things are going good in the Cox House. Ryleigh has started waving now! She is eating more and more regular food, which has been nice. She is such an eater too! I love the way she scoops things up with her hands. She is such a sweet, sweet baby. Remember those party pics I was going to post? Whoops, I am just now getting to it. It's almost been a month! I LOVE this video of Ryleigh eating her birthday cake!

The party was really a special time for our family. We had so many people there that have loved and supported us every step of the way. We wanted to invite more people, we just couldn't due to RSV season. It was an adult only party, just so we could keep germs out! I got a little choked up as we spoke about so many of our dear friends who reached out to us during Ryleigh's birth and NICU journey. Rod did an incredible job sharing his thoughts, like always. I wanted this party to be special to Ryleigh, and I hope I accomplished that!

 Here are some special pictures of the day.

Some of the pictures on display

Water bottles with Ryleigh's Picture

Ryleigh's Birthday Cake

Cake Toppers

Ryleigh's Birthday Banner

Memory Lane of the NICU

Special Items from the NICU

Some of Ryleigh's Preemie clothes

Snack Stash

Birthday Poster

Photo Books/Memory Books

Cake Pictures

Oh, I think I ate too much

That sure was good though!

Our Family Picture

Sister Picture (They look thrilled!)

Cox Family Picture

Tate Family Picture

Friend Pics

For those of you who were there, thank you for celebrating with us! For those of you who couldn't make it, thank you for celebrating with us in spirit! We wish we could of invited every one of you that have prayed for us, read our blog, or helped us in some way with Ryleigh.  We love you! -Kam

The Last Chapter of Ryleigh's Birth

After our doctor and I were talking, he told me he was going to give me some medicine that might make me a little shaky. My world finally came crashing down. The reality of the situation finally hit home. I started shaking uncontrollably, and I kept saying over and over that it was my fault. (I will explain later) I remember Liz came in and my sister came in to try to calm me down. I remember looking at them both with tears in their eyes. Tami has told me that she will never forget seeing me in that state. I know that even though I was the one going through everything, it really hit Tami hard. I was given something else to get me to calm down, and then things got better. By the time Rod came up from checking on Ryleigh, I had already improved. Thank goodness!

  Rod and I talked to some people, and then Rod got a phone call from the NICU.  They were concerned with the way Ryleigh was progressing, and they had said it might be a good idea for the two of us to come down and see her. It was not looking very promising for Ryleigh. I still had not had the opportunity to see her yet. My heart just broke in that moment. I truly thought I was going to lose her. I saw Tami as they wheeled me down, and I just looked away. I didn't want to talk to anyone. (I was told later that Tami went and told the family in tears that something was really wrong.)

  I had seen pictures of other babies born prematurely, but nothing prepares you for seeing your own child as tiny as I saw Ryleigh. It just seems so unnatural. When you see a baby Ryleigh's size, you are reminded of why babies are meant to be in their mommy's tummy at 24 weeks and 4 days. I immediately just cried and cried. The nurse said, "It's okay, you can touch her." I put my hand in her  incubator and she grabbed my finger. I couldn't believe it. Her finger was so tiny and sticky. I was only there minutes before asking the nurse, "Do you think she will make it?" And she said, "I am not going to lie, we usually see them come in stronger than this." I cried and said, "I can't take it." I asked Rod to take me back to the room. I know I would of regretted not spending more time with Ryleigh, had she not made it. I have never felt heart ache the way I felt it that night.

  When we were in the room that night, I cried and wept on the bed. Rod laid with me on the bed as we cried together. I remember saying something about planning a funeral. I cried myself to sleep that night.  At this point, it was probably almost morning. Hours later when we woke up we started allowing family to come and talk to us. I cried anytime I saw family or friends the entire day. When my parents came in to talk to us, the phone rang. I thought, "This is the moment. We are going to get the bad news with my parents here. " Rod got off the phone, and said that Ryleigh had improved. They tried a few things, and it had paid off. I remember smiling in relief. I remember my Dad saying, "That's good news!" He apparently later went into the waiting room and said, "I got to see Kamara smile."  He was going up to everyone and telling them about the good news we had heard. This had been an emotional process for my Dad as well. He had watched my Mom go through having Tami and I early, and had seen us in the NICU too. Of course we were over 3 pounds and doing much better than  what Ryleigh was.  However, it still brought back some memories, and he never wanting that for any of his kids. No parent does.

  That night many people got down on their knees to pray for our sweet girl.  We later found out that the nurse who took Ryleigh that morning looked at Ryleigh and said, "That baby's stats are in the fifties." Her nurse from the night before  said, "I know it's been like that for hours".  She thought, "How sad, that baby is not going to make it". Our doctor took a risk and put up her oxygen support so high that it could of blasted her lungs. She also gave her a steroid. She had told Ryleigh's nurse, "If we do this she could die, but it we don't do this, she will die. Are you ready?"...... It worked! Ryleigh is living proof of that!
  Our NICU journey with Ryleigh was not easy, but we were blessed with how well she did. We did have to to get her PDA valve closed .She did have to be on ventilators, and CPAP, and she did struggle with bottles and having regular bowel movements. However, overall, she did amazing!
  Rod and I were able to survive because we had wonderful family and friends that stuck with us every step of the way. Tami took care of Aubrey every single day so I could go up to the NICU. My parents took Aubrey a couple days of week so that I could spend as long as I wanted at the NICU. Friends provided meals and cleaning services as well as money to help where needed. There were so many people that I had never even met that sent money, or words of encouragement. It meant the world to us as a family.
  Ryleigh is doing great so far! She is doing her own version of crawling, she is saying, "Da Da", and eats anything we put in front of her! She now weighs 16 pounds and is 26 inches long. She is working hard to catch up with other babies her age. She is extremely easy going! She lets us put her wherever, and she is content. She tolerates a lot from Aubrey too. At night she snuggles up with her lovies and thumb, and goes right to sleep. It is so precious! We still are having some digestion issues, but as of now that is about it. Her hearing and eye sight are great so far, which has a been a blessing. Rod and I look at her daily and cannot believe she is the same baby we saw in the incubator a year ago. She is a living miracle.
Some of my favorite pictures since Ryleigh came home

This picture was taken just moments after we walked in the door with Ryleigh.  It will always hold a special place in my heart.

This picture shows how much Aubrey loves being Ryleigh's big sister.

Fourth of July

I love this picture of Ryleigh with her other baby cousins

Such an innocent shot!

Aubrey loves taking care of Ryleigh. She has been that ways since the day we brought her home.

This was one of the first pictures we took of Ryleigh and Carly together.

One of my favorite outfits!

This was right after Ryleigh's first feeding of solids. We started with sweet potatoes. The girl can eat! She loves food, there is nothing she won't eat!

I will never forget Aubrey helping feed Ryleigh!

Ryleigh LOVES cheerios!

On Ryleigh's Birthday

   There will be more birthday party pics to follow!